‘Huge pride’ - Former Doncaster Rovers manager secures high-profile international role

Former Doncaster Rovers manager Darren Moore has secured a new role which will see him return to the world of football for the first time in nine months.

The 52-year-old, who took charge of 78 matches in the Rovers dugout, will oversee the next generation of the nation's brightest young talent as the new manager of the England Under-20 side.

His first matches in charge will come in Euro Elite League games against Italy, France and Germany in the first international window across September and October.

This means there’s a possibility that he could work closely with Rovers summer signing Tommy Simkin, who has previously been capped six times for the Three Lions at Under-20 level.

Moore took charge of Doncaster Rovers in July 2019 inheriting a team that had finished inside the top six under predecessor Grant McCann before falling short in the play-offs.

He led Rovers to a ninth place finish in League One during a strange campaign which was heavily interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic with only 35 of the 46 games being played that season and the final table being instead calculated by a points-per-game method with the play-offs being played behind closed doors.

Moore, who notably worked with youngsters such as Jacob Ramsey and Ben Whiteman among others during his time in DN4 left midway through his second season in charge to join Sheffield Wednesday. Rovers were in sixth position and on course for the play-offs at the time of his exit in March 2021 but ultimately finished in 14th with Andy Butler taking interim charge.

Alongside his stint with Rovers and Wednesday, Moore managed the likes of West Brom, Huddersfield Town and Port Vale - winning promotion with the latter from League Two before sacked from his role in December 2025.

“I have huge pride in being appointed as a head coach for England and the honour of representing the country,” Moore said as part of the FA’s official announcement.

“I’m excited to work with some of the best young talent in English football, helping players continue their development and to fulfil their potential. There’s a real emphasis on developing and achieving together as a group. We want to create an environment where talented young players can progress individually while building a strong collective.”

“It’s an exciting new chapter for me personally,” Moore added. “International football presents a different challenge and an opportunity for me to continue developing and growing as a head coach. I’ve worked with and developed many talented young players throughout my coaching career, so working with elite emerging talent feels like a natural fit.

“I’m just looking forward to getting started, working with the players and staff and contributing to the wider England pathway. There’s something incredibly special about helping talented young players develop while representing your country.”