Aidy Boothroyd to leave England Under-21s role after latest Euros failure

Aidy Boothroyd will leave his role as England Under-21s manager when his contract expires in the summer following another dismal performance at a major tournament.

England's youngsters finished bottom of their group at last month's European Championship after two dire performances against Switzerland and Portugal. The Young Lions were on the brink of qualifying for the knockouts in their final game against Croatia before an injury-time goal saw their opponents go through.

Boothroyd led England to the semi-finals of the 2017 European Championships, but failed to make it out of the group at the last two. The former Watford manager's contract was up in the summer and, after a meeting with England manager Gareth Southgate and FA technical director John McDermott, it has been decided that he will not extend his stay.

“It has been the greatest privilege to represent The FA and lead England teams into high-profile tournaments," said Boothroyd.

"While we didn’t finish in the way we wanted, I am very proud to have been able to work so closely with players who I know will go on to have remarkable international careers and to have experienced some very special moments with them over the years."

Southgate said: “I’d like to thank Aidy for his wholehearted support and dedication to developing English players and coaches across the last seven years."

The FA will now conduct a "formal open process" to appoint a replacement, with former Spurs academy coach and England U17 coach Justin Cochrane being considered.