Arsenal legend Sol Campbell could work with England U21s at Euro 2019, confirms manager Aidy Boothroyd
The Arsenal legend and former international is with the Young Lions for friendlies against Italy and Denmark this month
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Your support makes all the difference.England Under-21 boss Aidy Boothroyd has left the door open for Sol Campbell to join the Young Lions at Euro 2019.
Former Tottenham and Arsenal defender Campbell is with the coaching staff for friendly games in Italy and Denmark this month.
Terry Connor, long-time Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town assistant manager, joined Boothroyd's staff for last month's games with Andorra and Scotland as part of the FA's scheme to promote black, Asian, and minority ethnic coaches.
Boothroyd has also worked with Iffy Onuora and did not rule out Campbell - who earned 73 senior England caps - joining the squad for next year's European Championships in Italy and San Marino.
"With all those guys you try to get as many experiences from them as you can," he said. "Sol is no different. He is fascinating to listen to, where he has been and where he is going now.
"He will tell you himself he is on a learning journey to understand more about coaching and management and how it all works. I admire that.
"It is good, similar to Gareth [Southgate], who has been a brilliant player and international, captained his club and everything else, and to get to a position where you almost start again. Gareth did his badges and proved he is really good at it.
"It's important that we give everyone an opportunity. He is no different to any of the other guys who have come in, ex-managers and part of the BAME programme.
"Really, it is about me picking his brain and him picking mine and seeing how we work with England."
Campbell, 44, earned 73 senior caps, playing at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups, before retiring in 2012.
Squad members Phil Foden, Ryan Sessegnon and Reiss Nelson were not born when Campbell featured at France 98 - with none of the squad born when he made his debut in 1992 - and Boothroyd admitted it has not escaped him.
He said: "It's interesting. Our 'Peoples and Team' lady, Rebecca [Symes], did a study on generational gaps. When people were born, baby boomers, Generation X and these [kids] are Generation Z. Us middle-agers! It was fascinating to see it.
"A lot of the lads wouldn't have even been born when he started. Gareth came and gave a talk once about 1996, a couple of years ago.
"We suddenly realised when he walked out of the room, none of them were old enough to understand what he was going on about because they were so young."
England travel to face Italy in Ferrara on Thursday before playing Denmark in Esberg on Tuesday.
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