Chelsea’s long-serving coach Steve Holland has been appointed as the assistant coach of England’s national team to join the staff of head coach Gareth Southgate, the Blues have confirmed on their official website.
The Englishman has been part of Chelsea’s backroom staff since 2009 when he first took over the Reservers, later becoming the assistant coach of ex-Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas in 2011. He’s continued that role to help each arriving manager to adapt to the English football and even got to lead the first-team into a 3-1 victory over Sunderland in the Premier League when José Mourinho was suspended from the match in 2014.
It is the ultimate honour to be asked to work with your national team into a World Cup campaign. My immediate focus is on continuing to support Antonio and the Chelsea team, and doing everything possible to finish the season with success. The summer will be the time to look forward to an exciting future with Gareth and England and to reflect on the best eight years of my life at Chelsea. For now the next game is Bournemouth.
– Steve Holland, Chelsea
Despite the appointment, Holland will remain in Antonio Conte’s staff for the remainder of the season and will continue to be a big influence for the whole side in their chase for the sixth Premier League title.
There has been rumours linking the club legend Gianfranco Zola to a Chelsea return to replace the departing Holland with Conte’s old Italy and Juventus staff members already on the line for the job. However, they’re just speculation at this point, and we can fairly put them aside for now.
Congratulations Holland! World Cup 2018 triumph for England ensured!
