Lauren Smith becomes the new head coach of England Women’s Under-19s, following the end of her three-year spell in charge at Bristol City.
A UEFA Pro Licence holder, Smith earlier worked as assistant coach at Spurs and for Wales including over three years with their U-17s and U-19s squads.
Smith told englandfootball.com: “It’s a huge honour to be joining The FA. There’s never been a more exciting time to join the England pathway with more and more players transitioning through to the senior team. Nurturing young talent has always been one of my favourite elements of coaching and I feel incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to guide the next generation on their journeys to becoming Lionesses. It’s going to be a really exciting season with the ambition of qualifying for another European finals. I’m grateful to Kay Cossington for the opportunity and can’t wait to meet the players and staff.”
England women technical director Kay Cossington said: “We are so pleased to confirm Lauren as the new head coach of the WU19s. Her record and experience in player development speaks for itself. She knows exactly what it takes to get young players performing under pressure to the best of their abilities. We are thrilled to be able to appoint a head coach with invaluable experience in both the Barclays Women’s Super League and international football. I’m sure her arrival will give an instant positive boost at the start of what promises to be another exciting season for our Young Lionesses.”
John Griffiths, who was interim head coach of the WU19s last season and secured a semi-final finish at the EURO finals held in Lithuania, will resume his role as assistant coach of the age group.
The 2024/25 season will see Smith’s side bid for a place in the 2025 UEFA Women’s U-19 Championship finals which will be held in Poland next summer. Qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup will also be up for grabs as part of the tournament.
