Wednesday Jan 30 2008 17:48
New England manger Fabio Capello has confirmed that Under-21s boss Stuart Pearce has been handed a role among his coaching staff.
Pearce will join up with the senior set-up for the upcoming friendly against Switzerland, while also overseeing the Under-21s squad for their European Championship qualifier against the Republic of Ireland.
Italian Capello told The FA.com: "From the start I made it clear that I wanted an English coach as part of my coaching team.
"I have spoken with Trevor Brooking and Stuart Pearce about this at length and I'm very happy that Stuart is working with me.
"This is very important as 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 the two of us have a close working partnership to get the best for both the England team and the Under-21s.
"As well as being involved in all of the planning ahead of games, he will sit next to me on the bench during the matches and have a key position around the team."
Pearce himself added: "It will be a fantastic opportunity and a great education for me to work with Fabio Capello and the England senior team.
"My main focus will still be on the Under-21s. We have an important qualifier on Tuesday and I will continue to be with that squad as we work towards reaching the European Championship in the summer of 2009.
"Once the Under-21s games have been played 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."
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