Former Wolves captain links up with England Under-21s

Former Wolves captain Conor Coady will support England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley during the upcoming autumn fixtures.

Coady represented his country on 10 occasions and has not retired after he left Wrexham earlier this month, but will join Carsley’s coaching set-up for the European Championship qualifiers with Kazakhstan, Slovakia and the Republic of Ireland over the next month.

Paul Williams will also be part of the England Under-21 backroom staff after holding a number of roles within the Football Association. The duo will help fill the void of Ashley Cole, who left Carsley’s team earlier in 2026 after a successful five-year spell.

Carsley said: “I first want to pay tribute to Ashley, who played a major part in our two Euro wins and also had a key role in the current campaign with his tactical and technical knowledge.

“As well as being an important part of our coaching team, he also had a positive, inspirational impact on the players given his own elite experience. I am certain he will have even more success in his coaching career whatever the future holds.

“I’m excited to work with Conor and Paul. They will bring fresh energy to our group and be an invaluable support for the players who are at such an important part of their career.

“Looking forward, I can’t wait to see the players again after the summer.

“It will be our first time experiencing the longer international window and while qualification is the most important thing, it will give us more time to develop important connections on and off the pitch.

“We are in a strong position in the group, but we can take nothing for granted.”

Coady, who started his playing career with Liverpool and earned a senior international debut in 2020, helped coach England’s Under-19s in March.

He won promotion to the Premier League with Wolves under Nuno Espirito Santo, before going on to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

His performances in defence, as well as his leadership off the pitch, earned him England honours - including a place in the squad at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.