Paul Simpson takes charge of the Under-20 team for the first time on Thursday and revealed he has being drawing on his own experiences as a young player within an England setup in preparation.
The former winger, whose clubs included Manchester City, Oxford United and Derby County, won international caps at both U18 and U21 level.
In February, Simpson was invited to lead the U20 team at the World Cup in Korea Republic this summer and, as part of the build-up, has taken his troops across the Channel this week for a mini-tournament with fellow finalists Portugal, France and Senegal.
And, ahead of pitting his wits against Portugal in Brittany, Simpson could not help but recall his own time representing the Three Lions.
The 50-year-old said: “I like to think I had a good club career as a player, but the biggest honour I had was to represent my country at U18s and U21s level.
“Anyone who gets to do that is in a really fortunate position.
“I can still recall my first start for the U21s at Peterborough against Yugoslavia in 1986. I clipped a cross in and Terry Connor – Mick McCarthy’s assistant manager now – got on the end of it in a 1-1 draw. They were great days.
“Millions of U20s in this country would swap with my players – I would if I could – so they must enjoy and relish the chance they have got."
He added: “I’m absolutely loving the role I’ve got now. It’s an incredible opportunity and a great experience.
“The support I’ve received since taking the job has been incredible, I couldn’t ask for anything more.
“From the medical staff to the analysts and everyone else in between, there is such detail in their work. So I’m looking forward to getting to work.”
Next on the agenda is the World Cup in May, with England set to play Argentina, Guinea and hosts Korea Republic in the group stage.
Simpson said: “There’s never an easy draw when it comes to the World Cup, but for us this is tremendous.
“If you want to be successful you have to test yourselves against the best sides in the world.
“Historically England v Argentina is a massive fixture and we also have Korea Republic to meet in their home country, so it’s a great challenge for the players.
“This tournament is all about preparation for the future. Putting the players in a competition environment is a great opportunity to learn. We’ve got a long-haul flight to Korea to deal with, which is a challenge to manage in itself!
“We want the players to accumulate caps and play competition football now with the goal that they can move on to the Under-21s and the seniors and so this won’t be anything new, they can thrive with those teams.”
