It's good to see Gareth Southgate back in management, just a few months after he was putting his coaching skills to good use on the school fields of Huddersfield.

The new England Under 21 boss called in at Honley Junior School in April to give members of their football team, including my son Harrison, some expert tips ahead of their appearance at Wembley in the final of the Football League Kids Cup.

Honley won their big match, against the Harris Primary Academy in Peckham, and hopefully Gareth will be successful when he leads the Under 21s for the first time in a 2015 European Championship qualifier against Moldova at Reading on Thursday.

England’s performance at this summer’s finals was disappointing, to say the least, but they had a good win against Scotland last time out, when Roy Hodgson (below) was in caretaker control.

It’s an important job, because Southgate will be shaping the England starts of the future, and his remit also includes overseeing the coaches of the younger sides.

The number of non-English players in the Premier League is making the job harder, because there are fewer Under 21s gaining regular competitive experience.

But Gareth has a lot of varied experience to call on, including spells as Middlesbrough manager and head of elite development for the FA, and it will be interesting to see how he does over the three-year term of his contract.

Meanwhile, Hodgson can now focus fully on the senior side and making the 2014 World Cup!