June 7th 2024.
Steve Holland has been the assistant manager for the England national team for almost eight years. He will once again be by Gareth Southgate's side this summer at Euro 2024, as they aim to lead the Three Lions to victory in Germany. This partnership between the two has been ongoing since Southgate took over as caretaker manager in September 2016. Holland has been a part of two World Cup campaigns and will now embark on his second European Championships, hoping to secure a major trophy with the senior team for the first time.
The collaboration between Southgate and Holland actually began before their time with the England first team. They had previously worked together at the Under-21 level. Southgate brought Holland in as his assistant when he was the Under-21 boss in August 2013. They then made the move up to the senior team together after Sam Allardyce was sacked in 2016. However, Holland's coaching career began long before that, as he took his first job as a coach at the young age of 21 in 1992.
Holland's playing career did not go as planned, as he was released from Derby County as a teenager and faced injuries during his time at Bury and in Sweden. This led him to start building his coaching experience from a young age, working with the Cheshire FA. He was then brought in by Crewe Alexandra in 1992 to work with the youth teams and eventually became the manager of the club's highly successful academy. He spent 15 years working in the age-range set-up at Gresty Road. He also had a brief stint as the first team manager in 2007-08, as well as a short spell as the academy director at Stoke City before making his big move to Chelsea.
Holland joined Chelsea in 2009 as the reserve team manager and was later promoted to first team coach in 2011. He worked under a number of managers during his time at the club, including Andre Villas-Boas, Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Guus Hiddink, Roberto Di Matteo, and Rafael Benitez. Despite the changing leadership at Chelsea, Holland remained a constant presence and helped the team win two Premier League titles, the Champions League, FA Cup, Europa League, and League Cup.
Southgate brought Holland on board for the England national team while he was still working with Chelsea. However, Holland left the club at the end of the 2016-17 season to focus solely on the Three Lions. In 2021, Holland was awarded the MBE and Southgate spoke highly of him, praising his coaching skills and values as a person. He also mentioned how their relationship began when Southgate visited Chelsea to observe their training sessions while working to improve youth development at the FA.
Holland and Southgate have a strong friendship and working relationship, which has been a key factor in the success of the England team in recent years. Holland's attention to detail and wealth of experience have been invaluable to the team. He is highly respected by players and colleagues alike, as seen through former Chelsea player Cesc Fabregas' glowing recommendation. Fabregas emphasized Holland's importance in their success at Chelsea, noting his strong personality and valuable opinions.
Overall, Holland's dedication and expertise as the assistant manager for England have been crucial in the team's journey towards success. He is a top operator in English football and a great ambassador for the country. Southgate and Holland's partnership may be heading into its last tournament with England, but their bond and shared goal of bringing home a major trophy for the team remains as strong as ever.
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