Grainger, who has most recently been part of the England U-19 backroom team, will join the coaching staff for next month’s Euro finals. She has travelled to Copenhagen for the Lionesses’ game against Denmark this evening (6pm BST KO).
Grainger joined The FA in 2007 and has worked across England Women’s development teams. She worked the 2014 U-20 World Cup and the 2016 U-17 World Cup as well as at two U-19 Euro finals and an U-17 Euro finals. She received her UEFA Pro Licence in 2016.
Following the Denmark game, England will travel to Valencia for a week of warm weather training before heading to the Euros, which are being staged in the Netherlands.
They kick-off their Group D campaign against Scotland in Utrecht on 19 July, before facing Spain in Breda (23 July) and Portugal (27 July).
Grainger said: “I am delighted to be joining such a talented group and it is a privilege to be a part of the England Women senior team set-up.
“I know this team has got a real chance this summer and I am really looking forward to being involved, working with the staff and players and continuing to develop as a coach.”
Head coach Mark Sampson said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Gemma to get invaluable coaching experience at a senior major tournament.
“There is nothing quite like tournament football and Gemma has a lot of experience at different youth-level events which will be really useful. A senior tournament is a big step-up in intensity on and off the pitch, and the perfect chance for her to learn across all areas of the game.
“We believe Gemma can have a real impact in helping us win this summer and we’re pleased to welcome her to our group for the tournament.”
FA technical director Dan Ashworth added: “We are committed to the development of female coaches working across the game and pleased that Gemma has the chance to experience a senior tournament.
“In recent years we have put a real focus on the development of the women’s pathway, which means we are in a position to take advantage of opportunities such as this and give our coaches the chance to work across different age groups and at different tournaments.
“This is an approach that we believe will bring huge benefits to both our coaches and the teams they work with, and is something we will continue to do more of in the future.”
The FA will review staffing across all teams as part of its annual review after Euro 2017.
Source / photo TheFA.com
