Lee Carsley’s journey from a 15-year-old hopeful on Derby County’s doorstep to the architect behind England’s underage football renaissance is nothing short of remarkable. Nearly four decades after being left on a doorstep with only a few coins in his pocket, Carsley now stands as the mastermind behind England Under-21’s back-to-back European Championship triumphs in 2023 and 2025. As the Young Lions gear up for another crucial round of qualifiers, the buzz around England’s next generation has never been louder.
This week, all eyes turn to Pride Park, where Carsley will lead his squad against Andorra on Monday, October 13, 2025, in a European Championship qualifier. But before that, the team faces Moldova at Stadionul Zimbru in Chisinau on Friday, October 10. The stakes? Early momentum on the road to the 2027 European Championships—a journey that already feels charged with promise and expectation.
Carsley’s own football story is steeped in the grit and grind of 1980s English football. “I was dropped off with a few pence in my pocket, and the lady was out, so I literally got left on the step for a couple of hours,” Carsley told BBC Radio Derby, recalling his first day at Derby County. “It was character building, so I don’t know if they’d done it on purpose.” Those formative years, spent cleaning the Baseball Ground, painting stands, and learning every nook and cranny of the club, shaped not just the player but the leader he would become. “It gave you a real understanding of how the club works, which meant that you got to know absolutely everyone in the club. It’s very different to now. Is it better or worse? I’m not sure, but it was definitely different.”
That sense of connection and adaptability is now central to Carsley’s approach with England’s Under-21s. With two successive European titles in the bag, expectations are sky-high, but the manager insists there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for success. “Players are different, and when they’re coming in, they come in with different experiences, and they’re at different stages of their careers, so we have to adjust and adapt to where this group is, rather than where the last group was,” Carsley explained. “The next generation and cohort come through, so we move on quite quickly which is how I like to do it.”
While the Under-21s are preparing for their next test, England’s senior team is also making headlines—this time with a new face in the No. 10 shirt. With Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham omitted from the latest squad as a precaution against future injuries, manager Thomas Tuchel has been searching for alternatives. Enter Morgan Rogers, whose performances have ignited debate and excitement in equal measure.
On October 9, 2025, Wembley Stadium witnessed a statement of intent as England dispatched Wales 3-0, with Rogers opening the scoring just three minutes in. It was the fastest England has scored three goals in a match since November 1987, and they did it without their all-time record goalscorer Harry Kane, who was sidelined alongside Reece James, Tino Livramento, and Noni Madueke.
Rogers’ impact was immediate and sustained. After a smart finish from Marc Guéhi’s cutback, he nearly turned provider eight minutes later, only for Guéhi’s faint touch to deny him an assist on Ollie Watkins’ goal. Bukayo Saka then curled in a sublime effort in the 20th minute, capping a whirlwind opening. For Tuchel, the collective effort was exactly what he’d hoped for in the absence of Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Jack Grealish.
“I did not feel any interruption in our flow, the workload and the way we pressed,” Tuchel said. “The team is pushing itself and they are buying into the idea. They love the idea of going after opponents. At the moment it is very intense, very demanding but very effective. They do it at a high, high level. I am very delighted with the last two matches. We are absolutely on the right way. At the side, it feels like we show very good behavior like a club team. This is what we want to do, the feeling we want to create. The competition is on. The guys who play want to keep the shirt.”
The second half at Wembley saw a dip in tempo, with Wales clawing back some control and forcing Jordan Pickford into two sharp saves. Still, the English dominance was never in doubt. Rogers’ work rate and dynamism in attack reinforced his credentials as a genuine challenger for Bellingham’s role. “Morgan does excellent, like the whole team,” Tuchel added. “He is very humble, very physical, he has the ability to score and assist. He had a fantastic season and a well-deserved vote for the best young player of last season in the Premier League.”
The night also highlighted the emergence of Elliot Anderson, who anchored the midfield as a No. 6. Completing 74 of 79 passes and registering 92 touches before being substituted, Anderson’s performance underlined his growing importance to the national setup. His rapid progress comes on the heels of anchoring England’s European Championship success at Under-21 level this summer—a testament to the conveyor belt of talent being cultivated under Carsley’s watch.
Yet, even as England’s players dazzled on the pitch, Tuchel couldn’t help but express his disappointment with the subdued atmosphere inside Wembley. “The stadium was silent. We didn’t get any energy back from the stands. We did everything to win,” he remarked. “What more can you give in 20 minutes? We didn’t let them escape. If you hear just Wales fans for half an hour, it’s sad because the team deserved more support today. I’m 100% sure that we have fantastic support at the tournament. We will have top support in Latvia [on Tuesday]. We had excellent support in Serbia. But today we were 3-0, after 23 minutes, we had ball-win after ball-win after ball-win, and I felt like ‘why is the roof still on the stadium? What’s going [on]?’”
As England’s senior and youth teams press forward, the sense of competition, adaptation, and relentless pursuit of excellence is palpable. Carsley’s Under-21s will look to maintain their momentum in Chisinau and at Pride Park, while Tuchel’s senior squad continues to set new standards and expectations for what’s possible—both with and without their biggest stars.
The next week promises to be a defining stretch for England’s future stars and established names alike. With qualification campaigns heating up and fresh faces seizing their moment, the excitement around English football is reaching fever pitch once again.
