- Rico Lewis has backed Lee Carsley as Gareth Southgate’s replacement as England manager
- Carsley led England’s Young Lions to victory at the European Junior Championships last summer
- Lewis played five caps for U21 before making his first-team debut in November
Manchester City’s Rico Lewis has thrown his support behind Lee Carsley as Gareth Southgate’s successor as England manager.
Lewis, who made five appearances for the Under-21 team under Carsley, was given a nod by Southgate last season but subsequently missed out on selection for the European Championships.
Carsley – who competes against the likes of Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino – is a popular figure among England’s younger generation.
“He’s a great coach, especially with the guy who’s managing it,” Lewis said. “What he says, every time I go with them, is that he wants to play that exciting football.
“Progressive football, where we score a lot of goals and at the same time defend very well as a unit. It’s similar to City in a way: we want to have the ball and score as many goals as possible. That will be a big advantage when he goes to the seniors.”
Rico Lewis has backed Lee Carsley as Gareth Southgate’s successor as England manager
The Man City defender praised the England U21 manager for his man-management skills
Lewis pointed out that Carsley’s familiarity played a part in his drive, adding: ‘He’s a very good person and knows a lot of the players, including the younger ones.
‘Like Gareth when he took over, he will be someone who, when he gets into the first team, is already used to that environment. I think that will benefit him massively in terms of knowing the players.’