Lee Carsley has been appointed head coach of England Under-21s with Ashley Cole as his assistant.

Former Everton midfielder Carsley replaces Aidy Boothroyd, who left the role after five years in charge in April following their disappointing European Championship campaign.

Cole, who retired in August 2019, has been working as an academy coach at former club Chelsea following a short spell coaching at Championship side Derby.

Carsley, who won 40 caps for the Republic of Ireland, has had coaching stints at Coventry, Brentford and Birmingham.

The 47-year-old said: "It is a really prestigious position with a lot of responsibility as has been proven by the calibre of predecessors in this role.

"Gareth (Southgate) and Steve Holland have always been very supportive and I am looking forward to working more closely with them.

"We have a great opportunity to help the senior side by developing the best young talent in this country while combining that with being successful at U21 level.

"We want to win matches. I don't think you can have one without the other, these lads want to compete at the highest level and test themselves against the best.

"We have to acknowledge the work being done by the academies and I know how important it will be to have good relationships with the clubs.

"I will have a great team around me. Ashley is a brilliant addition to the staff and we will also have Tim Dittmer as goalkeeping coach, with all of his experience of the game.

"I have been on courses with Ashley during lockdown and been impressed. He is committed to coaching and player development so a lot of our thoughts are aligned."

Cole, who won 107 caps for England, added: "I am really happy to get this opportunity to support Lee and work with the best youngsters in the country.

"I loved playing for the national team and to now get the chance to work as an England coach is a special feeling. St George's Park is an amazing place and I can't wait to get started.

"I want to do my best to help young players to develop and also learn from some brilliant people at the same time."