Boothroyd leaves Under 21 post

AIDY BOOTHROYD left his role as England Under 21 manager yesterday, with the FA open to an external candidate taking over. Under 17 boss Justin Cochrane, 39, has emerged as a favourite to succeed Boothroyd, with Ian Foster — in charge of the Under 19s — also highly thought of at St George’s Park. Sportsmail understands Sheffield United’s caretaker manager Paul Heckingbottom, and former Manchester United head of firstteam development Nicky Butt, are contenders for the role. The pair’s work in transitioning young players into senior football in recent years will appeal to England bosses. Boothroyd, who has been in charge of the Under 21s since 2016, presided over a humiliating European Championship group-stage exit in Slovenia last month. His team finished bottom of their four-team group after winning one and losing two of their matches. The Under 21s do not now have a fixture until September. ‘It has been the greatest privilege to lead England teams into high-profile tournaments,’ said 50-year-old Boothroyd (left). ‘While we didn’t finish in the way we wanted, I am very proud to have been able to work so closely with players who I know will go on to have remarkable international careers and to have experienced some very special moments with them over the years. In every gettogether we embraced our unique challenge of prioritising the needs of the senior team while ensuring we gave our all to try and get positive results.’