Darren Moore appointed as an England national coach

Darren Moore has been appointed as a national coach and will take charge of our England men’s under-20 team ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Moore will lead the Young Lions this term, which starts with U20 Euro Elite League games against Italy, France and Germany in the first international window across September and October.

As a player, Moore featured in almost 600 professional games as a defender for the likes of Torquay United, Doncaster Rovers, Bradford City, Portsmouth, West Bromwich Albion and Derby County as well as being capped at international level by Jamaica.

He then embarked on a coaching career which started with the academy teams at West Bromwich Albion, before he moved into senior football with a spell as a first-team coach at the Hawthorns.

A successful spell as caretaker manager followed before he was appointed as permanent manager of West Brom in 2018.

Following his spell with Albion, Birmingham-born Moore has since managed at Doncaster Rovers, Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield Town and Port Vale, winning promotions with both Wednesday into the EFL Championship and Vale into EFL League One in 2023 and 2025 respectively.

Speaking about his appointment to the role, Moore said: “I have huge pride in being appointed as a head coach for England and the honour of representing the country.

“I’m excited to work with some of the best young talent in English football, helping players continue their development and to fulfil their potential.

“There’s a real emphasis on developing and achieving together as a group. We want to create an environment where talented young players can progress individually while building a strong collective.

Given his vast experience on the domestic stage, the 52 year old is now looking forward to working in international football as a coach for the first time.

“It’s an exciting new chapter for me personally,” he added.

“International football presents a different challenge and an opportunity for me to continue developing and growing as a head coach.

“I’ve worked with and developed many talented young players throughout my coaching career, so working with elite emerging talent feels like a natural fit.

“I’m just looking forward to getting started, working with the players and staff and contributing to the wider England pathway.

“There’s something incredibly special about helping talented young players develop while representing your country.”

Further details of the England men’s development squad coaching line-ups for 2026-27 will be announced on Wednesday 9 September.