Aidy Boothroyd has resigned from his role as manager of England U21s after an disappointing Group Stage exit at this year’s UEFA U21 European Championships.
Boothroyd’s Young Lions endured a disastrous campaign as they finished bottom of Group D, despite winning their final group game against Croatia.
Speaking on his decision to step down from his role, Boothroyd said; “It’s been the greatest privilege to represent the FA and lead England’s teams into high-profile tournaments.”
The 50 year-old also spoke of his pride to have contributed towards the development of young players since taking up a role in the FA youth setup in 2014 across U20, U19 and U21 groups.
Commenting on his experiences over the last seven years, Boothroyd paid tribute to those who he has coached, saying; “While we didn’t finish in the way we wanted, I’m very proud to have been able to work so closely with players who I know will go on to have remarkable international careers…”
Boothroyd also spoke of his privilege to “have experienced some very special moments with them over the years.”
Acknowledging England FA’s role in his coaching career within their youth ranks, Boothroyd described the opportunity as “the greatest privilege” for any football coach.
Tributes were also paid to the U21s coaching staff for their support in ensuring that England were competitive against fellow top nations like Spain and Germany for example.
Boothroyd in particularly praised his staff for embracing their role in helping to set players up to graduate into the senior team, with many graduates including Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi just to name a few players.
England manager, Gareth Southgate paid tribute to Boothroyd for his work with the U21s, saying; “I’d like to thank Aidy for his wholehearted support and dedication to developing English players and coaches across the last seven years.
“His pride in working with all of our development teams has shone through and his support of the senior team has been greatly appreciated. I wish him every success on the next step of his career.”
England Technical Director, John McDermott also thanked Boothroyd, hailing him as “a great servant” for the England team and is well respected for his contribution towards England’s overall ambition of winning a major tournament.
McDermott in particular praised Boothroyd’s approach to the job, saying; “His passion and professionalism for the job has always shone through and I know how much he has given to every team he has worked with.”
A formal open process has now been launched with Qualifying for the 2023 UEFA U21 Euros not set to begin until September 2021.
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