STUART Pearce has accepted a role in Fabio Capello's backroom staff for England's senior team while continuing as coach of the under-21s, the Football Association has confirmed.
Pearce, 45, has been suggested as an eventual England manager and his new position is a further indication of how highly he is regarded at Soho Square, with Sir Trevor Brooking expecting him to be given "useful exposure" at senior level.
He will b
e involved in planning ahead of all senior games and will sit with the rest of the coaching staff in the England dug-out, starting at Wembley in a friendly against Switzerland next Wednesday.
"It will be a fantastic opportunity and a great education for me," said Pearce.
Pearce's priority will remain the under-21s, who will be almost certain of a play-off to reach the 2009 European Championships if they defeat the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday.
He will then join up with the seniors immediately after the game at St Mary's and will be part of the coaching staff for the friendly against the Swiss the following day.
With the under-21s not playing another qualifier until September, Pearce can work with the seniors ahead of their two end-of-season friendlies.
"I'm looking forward to being involved with the senior team as much as possible and the friendlies at the end of the season will give me a great opportunity to work with Fabio and his coaching team," Pearce added.
Pearce has impressed since taking over from Peter Taylor as under-21 coach and the only defeat he has suffered was on penalties against hosts the Netherlands at the European Championships in the summer.
He was then given the under-21 job on a full-time basis, an all-encompassing role that involved looking at youth development strategy.
Capello describes Pearce's new position as one holding a "key position" around his team, and he also provides a homegrown flavour to his staff.
"From the start I made it clear to everyone that I wanted an English coach as part of my coaching team," said the Italian.
"Stuart has a lot of experience and understanding of English football. He understands what I am looking to achieve and how I want to work. I believe it is crucial that both of us have a close working partnership to get the best for both the England team and under-21s.
"There will also be opportunities at the end of the season when the under-21s and seniors are not playing at the same time when Stuart can be with us at all times. This is very good because I want to him to play an important role in the coaching sessions with Italo Galbiati and myself."
The full article contains 466 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
