AIDY BOOTHROYD revealed he was all set to turn his back on England before he started coaching the nation’s kids.
The Under-21 boss takes his squad to Italy today for their Euro 2019 Finals, which begin on Sunday.
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Boothroyd led the Young Lions to the semi-finals of the last tournament in Poland two years ago.
And they are one of the favourites again after going through their 10-game qualifying campaign unbeaten to finish as runaway leaders of tough group that included the highly-rated Netherlands, Ukraine and Scotland.
Boothroyd, who also led a young England side to victory at the prestigious Toulon Tournament last year, has just been rewarded by the FA with a new two-year deal.
The down-to-earth Yorkshireman – slammed for his long-ball tactics when he started out in club management – is now regarded as one of the top U-21 coaches in international football.
He has also become a key lieutenant in Gareth Southgate’s England revolution, working closely with the Three Lions boss to develop talent for the senior squad with Jordan Pickford, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez and Ben Chilwell among those groomed for stardom by the U-21 supremo.
‘LOOKING AT MOVING ABROAD’
But incredibly Boothroyd almost turned his back on English football after being axed as boss by Northampton in December 2013.
He recalled: “I was at such a low ebb I was seriously looking at moving abroad.
“I’d gone into Northampton two years earlier, saved them from dropping out of League and then got them into the play-offs the following season when Bradford beat us 3-0 in the final.
“Straight after the game I was told much budget was being cut and I thought, I can see where this is going.
“Sure enough I was sacked a few months into the following season and it left me so disillusioned with League management in England I was ready to pack it in and coach football somewhere else.”
But before he was able to get his suitcase out of the loft he discovered the FA were recruiting coaches. He applied and within four months he was England Under-20 manager.
A year later he was placed in charge of the U-19s before returning to the U-20s in August 2016.
And when Sam Allardyce was sacked as England manager Boothroyd stepped up to succeed Southgate at the U-21s when his predecessor was promoted to the top job.
‘REINVIGORATED ME’
Boothroyd said: “Coming here to the FA has completely reinvigorated me.
“I joined at a time with some good coaches and players in the system and I have fallen back in love with football.
“I have grown so much in the last five years and become a far better coach.
“And I now have far more knowledge about the game having worked with and against better players.”
The man whose direct style of play led to him being dubbed ‘Aidy Hoofroyd’ when he guided Watford to promotion to the Premier League in his first full season in management at the age of just 35 back in
2006, is now nurturing the futures of silky-skilled prospects such as Phil Foden and James Maddison.
But as Boothroyd rightly points out: “Coaching is about getting the best out of the players at your disposal.
“I feel quite privileged to have been a young coach at Watford and had a handle on direct play. And, let’s be right, that’s what we played.
“So to come out with an understanding of how to play that type of football and to learn a different style of football, more in line with what the Spanish, Portuguese and Germans are playing, has refreshed me again.
“I play completely differently with my U-21 players than I did with the ones I had at Watford. It’s a different style of football because we are dealing with players of different ability under different circumstances.”
Boothroyd’s boys kick off their Euros against France in Cesena on Tuesday.
