Frank Lampard’s second stint at Chelsea was cut short earlier this year, with the club deciding to part ways with the then head coach. Now he is said to be a contender to replace Aidy Boothroyd as the head coach of the England U-21s.
Former Chelsea player and head coach, Frank Lampard, is a contender for the England U-21 job, reports Daily Mail. The Englishman is being considered as a replacement for the under-fire Aidy Boothroyd following another dismal Euros campaign for the Young Lions.
Boothroyd’s job came under scrutiny initially in 2019, when England exited the U-21 Euros from the group stage. The fact that it happened despite the side featuring some of the most talented Premier League players, such as Phil Foden, was an essential criticism. Boothroyd, nonetheless, stayed on as the head coach of the team.
England, however, are facing another group stage exit two years later from the same competition. The problems persist for Boothroyd, who could see his team knocked out from the tournament with an unfavourable result on matchday three. The Young Lions have been beaten in both their group matches so far. A 1-0 shock reverse against Switzerland was followed by a 2-0 loss against Portugal. Boothroyd’s job, as such, is again under threat.
Although unlikely, England can still qualify for the knockout stage. The Young Lions currently have no points on the board but face another opportunity against Croatia to rectify that. A win for them, along with a loss for Switzerland against Portugal, would move all three teams to three points. The team which progresses to the next round will then be decided by tie-breakers.
Despite what happens in the competition, the report claims that the Football Association will consider Frank Lampard as head coach when they begin their search process. Another key factor in a supposed change is that Boothroyd’s contract as the England U-21 head coach expires this summer.
Lampard, and his team of Jody Morris and Joe Edwards, has plenty of admirers in the FA. The trio, along with Chris Jones, was responsible for the youth revolution at Chelsea, which saw several of the academy players fast-tracked into the first team. Mason Mount and Reece James – two of those players – are currently with the senior England squad on international duty.
Whether Lampard himself will consider taking the job is not known yet. However, he is not the only candidate in FA’s sights. The report claims that Swansea’s Steve Cooper, Queens Park Rangers’ Mark Warburton, and Paul Simon are also in the frame.
Lampard’s work with youth came under the spotlight at Chelsea. The Englishman arrived at the club while it was under a transfer ban and thus decided to look inwards for reinforcements. Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori, Reece James, Billy Gilmour and Tammy Abraham were promoted to the senior squad, and they went on to enjoy a successful first season.
Chelsea finished fourth in Lampard’s first full season at the club and they started the subsequent campaign positively. However, results started wavering from December 2020, and the head coach was sacked following the turn of the year. Thomas Tuchel was appointed in his place soon after, and he continues to use the players developed by Lampard.
Should Lampard be appointed as the England U-21 head coach, he could bring his team of Morris and Edwards with him. Both the coaches have had stellar success with Chelsea’s youth sides and will bring considerable experience with them to the stage.
