A week on from leading England’s Under-21 side to the European Championship title in Georgia and Romania last year, head coach Lee Carsley was pitch side at Solihull Moors.
Carsley brought along the trophy which has helped to propel him to being a leading candidate to succeed Gareth Southgate as the the full-time boss of the men’s senior team.
England’s new interim coach presented the silverware to the Solihull Moors Foundation and spoke with young players involved with the Midlands club.
Among the players was Carsley’s son Connor, who is part of the Solihull Moors Foundation’s Down’s Syndrome team.
Carsley explained in an interview with ITV that he regularly takes his son, the second of his three children with his wife Louisa, to the club on Friday evenings.
England interim boss Lee Carsley takes charge of the Three Lions for the first time on Saturday
Carsley led the England’s Under-21s to the European Championship title last summer
A week after the triumph, Carsley took the team to the Solihull Moors Foundation, where his son Connor, front left, plays as part of their Down’s Syndrome Football team
‘It is good to come down and bring the trophy to the group and let the kids see it,’ Carsley told ITV.
‘I try to [bring him on Fridays], but generally when it is raining we don’t come. It is good to see so many people come out to see the trophy and support the group.
‘It is good to be able to bring the trophy to the group and let the kids see it. It is important especially for the family, I have been away for month.
‘When I’m away for this amount of time I don’t normally bring a trophy back.’
When asked about his son’s football ability, Carsley joked that he was ‘average’ and ‘needs work’, but stated that he loved playing.
Carsley spoke to Mail Sport last year about how Connor had changed his life, having admitted to being a ‘selfish’ Premier League footballer before the birth of his second child in 1999.
Carsley takes Connor to the club on a regularly basis, but joked about him being an ‘average’ player
The England interim boss has spoken about how Connor, right, had been life changing
Carsley spoke last year about how he had been a ‘selfish’ Premier League player until Connor’s birth in 1999, when he was playing for Derby in the top flight
The Three Lions coach has spoken about how Connor gave him a bigger picture of the world and highlighted to him the amount of support families need
‘It affected the whole family,’ he says. ‘I was quite selfish as a player. I didn’t know anything about special needs because it didn’t affect me.
‘I was quite sheltered in terms of if you went to hospital (for an injury), you went to a specialist. A car took you in, waited, you went straight in, back in the car and away.
‘We went from that to, “No, this is the real world, if you want a speech therapist you have to get in the queue with everyone else”.
‘That probably doesn’t sound right but it was different from what we’d always done. It made me a lot more aware of the bigger picture, the bigger world, more aware of how much support families need. Money is obviously important but it didn’t help us.’
The genetic condition typically causes some degree of learning disability and certain physical characteristics. The condition is caused by an extra chromosome in a baby’s cell due to a genetic change in the sperm or egg.
People with Down’s Syndrome have more chance of health complications such as heart disorders, hearing problems, thyroid issues and recurrent infections.
Carsley, who was playing for Derby County when Connor was born, previously spoke about how his son was less affected than others who are born with heart conditions or require wheelchairs in their daily lives.
Carsley served as vice-president of Everton’s Disabled Supporters’ Association during his time at the club and is the patron of the Down’s Syndrome Support Group of Solihull
He had shared updates about Connor on social media, including how he supports his former side Birmingham
He revealed the initial struggle to have Connor assessed to determine the level of learning he would be at, increasing his awareness of the challenges faced by parents.
Carsley admitted at the time Connor, who is now 25, would take up around 80 per cent of his and his wife’s time when growing up, compared to his siblings Callum and Lois.
‘For Connor to walk, he didn’t just…’ Carsley clicked his fingers. ‘There were probably three or four years of physiotherapy that my wife did and some of the carers did to get to that point.
‘That was pressure and responsibility. You couldn’t compare it, but I would feel a lot more under pressure in that regard than I would in this job. But it’s totally different. I still massively care about what I’m doing here.’
Carsley became a patron of the Down’s Syndrome Support Group of Solihull, becoming known for helping to raise money for the support group, organising coffee mornings and taking collection buckets to supermarkets.
Carsley’s own fundraising efforts led to extra support being made available to other families.
Having moved to Everton in 2002, Carsley became the vice-president of the club’s Disabled Supporters’ Association. His influence led to further donations from team-mates to the Down’s Syndrome Association.
The late Sven-Goran Eriksson – a man Carsley would ultimately follow in the England dugout – was reportedly among those to contribute.
Carsley revealed to Mail Sport last year that he is no longer on social media after his Twitter account was hacked, as well as having received criticism for making nine changes for an England Under-21 friendly defeat in Georgia in November 2021.
Carsley has been influential in helping to raise money for Down’s Syndrome organisations
The 50-year-old enjoyed success with England’s Under-21 side at last summer’s Euros
He admitted before the tournament, the pressure and responsibility of coaching the team did not compare to raising a child with Down’s Syndrome
He had initially joined the social network to promote a Down’s Syndrome charity, while he shared several updates of Connor’s birthdays, including highlighting his son’s support of his former club Birmingham City.
The 50-year-old has spoken of how Connor has helped to keep him grounded, preventing him from rushing to judgements.
Understandably, his son has also made him fiercely protective, stating he could not be around people who speak negativity about those with disabilities.
‘I have a good gob on me,’ Carsley said, as per the Irish Examiner. ‘If someone says something to me, I can respond quickly and with a bit of wit.
‘But if someone uses that kind of language around me, first of all I’d make them aware of it, and I’d be as blunt as to say that they can’t be near me if they speak like that again.
‘I’ve got a son who never lies. Everything he says is honest. He doesn’t see colour, he doesn’t see religion, he’s so pure. That’s the kind of people I want around me, with no prejudice.
‘We’re all a bit judgmental at times but, having someone like Connor in my life, makes me realise how sometimes you get wrapped up in judging people or thinking people owe you something.
‘Connor has no agendas. What he wants, he’ll ask you for. He doesn’t want any more than he needs.’
When asked about his dad last year, Connor replied that he was ‘proud’ saying he is a ‘great manager and coach.’
Connor, speaking to ITV last year, said he was proud of his father’s coaching achievements
Carsley looks poised for an audition to become England’s manager on a full-time basis
The heartwarming tale means Carsley is unlikely to get too high or too low as England coach, whether on an interim or ultimately permanent basis.
The 50-year-old will remain grounded as he takes to the dugout for the first time against the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, as the Three Lions face a nation he represented 40 times as a player on Saturday.
England’s Nations League match looks set to be the first stage of an audition for Carsley to take the job full-time.
Should he prove successful, he could one day return to Solihull Moors with future international trophies to present to his son’s team.
