Pearce appointed full-time England U21 boss

Stuart Pearce has been confirmed as the full-time coach for England Under-21s.

The former Manchester City boss has agreed a two-year contract with the Football Association, which makes him in charge until the 2009 European Championships in Sweden.

Pearce staked his claim for the job by taking England to the semi-finals of the tournament last month in Holland where they lost in a marathon penalty shoot-out to the hosts.

He was given the job on a part-time basis earlier in the year but was effectively full-time after getting sacked by City the day after the Premier League season finished.

Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA's director of football development, had talked about the new role encompassing lower age groups and forging close links with club academies.

Brooking had previously described how impressed the FA were with Pearce's work in Holland, which started with David Bentley withdrawing through fatigue and leaving the squad a man short.

Pearce switched the formation of the team effectively and also kept faith in Leroy Lita, who missed a penalty and an open goal early in the tournament but ended up second in the goalscoring charts.

Pearce said: "The fact it's a full-time role excites me. Looking to the future it will more helpful.

"Every game you learn as a manager, I'm a wiser man than I was two years ago."