Former Cobblers boss Aidy Boothroyd named England Under-21 manager

The 45-year-old took interim charge of the team following Gareth Southgate’s promotion to England senior manager last year, and the ex-Sixfields boss has now been given the job on a permanent basis.

Boothroyd, who has also managed England’s Under-19s and Under-20s, will now lead England’s U21s into the Euro Finals in Poland this summer.

“I am honoured to be given the task of leading England into the U21 European Championship,” said Boothroyd, who saw off the likes of Paul Ince, Stuart Pearce, Steve Cotterill and Michael Appleton to land the role.

“Having worked closely with this group of players in recent months, I know they are capable of achieving success in Poland in June.

“They have learned a lot from recent tournament experiences and this summer will be the next chapter of their development as an international player.”

Boothroyd was sacked as Cobblers boss in December, 2013, after a 4-1 home defeat at the hands of Wycombe Wanderers, with the team rock-bottom of the Football League.

Just seven months earlier he had led Town to the League Two play-off final, where they were beaten 3-0 by Bradford City.

Boothroyd initially took charge of the Cobblers in November, 2011, following the sacking of Gary Johnson, and lifted the club away from the bottom of league two to safety, and then to Wembley in the following season.

Bradford-born, Boothroyd also managed Watford, Coventry City and Colchester United before taking the job at Northampton, but since being sacked from his role at Sixfields he has not managed at club level.

He was given a job in the FA three years ago and has achieved success with the England U19s and U20s.

He led the U20s to victory in a Four Nations Tournament involving Germany, Netherlands and Turkey in October 2014, before guiding the same group to the third/fourth play-off at the 2015 Toulon Tournament.

He followed that up in the summer of 2016 by reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA U19 European Championship in Germany to secure qualification for the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup in South Korea.

During his spell with the U21s throughout October and November last year, Boothroyd helped to ensure unbeaten England finished top of their Euro 2017 qualifying group.

England have since been drawn against hosts Poland, reigning champions Sweden and Slovakia at the finals in June.

Boothroyd, whose contract as a coach within The FA’s technical division at St George’s Park runs until 2020, told BBC Radio Five Live: “I’ve been at the FA three years; this is the logical next step.

“I believe I am here on merit because I’ve worked in all four divisions and I’ve got an understanding of speaking to a league two manager or a Premier League manager and the problems they have.

“You can get stuck in a job and I was very much on a hamster’s wheel in my previous jobs.

“But this has reinvigorated me. I’ve watched games I could only have dreamed of, met people, been to World Cups and I feel like I’ve grown massively in the last three years.”

Boothroyd will be assisted in his role by Colin Cooper and goalkeeping coach Tim Dittmer.