Lee Carsley to focus on development football for the foreseeable future

The Bees prised Smith away from Walsall on Monday afternoon, meaning Carsley was at the helm for the final time at the Macron Stadium on Monday night.

The ex-Everton midfielder was unable to sign off with a victory, though, as John Swift's opener was cancelled out by a strike from Wanderers midfielder Neil Danns in the second period.

It left Carsley with a record of five wins, two draws and three losses along with a manager of the month gong, but while his appetite has been whetted somewhat by life in the hotseat, the 41-year-old is happy to step away from the spotlight now Smith has arrived.

"When I decided to go down the coaching route, at the back of your mind you've always got that idea at some point you'll give management a go," he said.

"That fear of doing something that you're not very good at - if anything it's proved to myself and Paul (Williams) that we're a good team working together and something in the future that we could do.

"I still feel my strength is in the (Under)-21s and the (Under)-19s, and that's the age group that I'm going to focus on for the next three or four years at least."

Pushed on why he would not want to capitalise on his short success at the Bees now, Carsley replied: "I don't know, I just don't want to.

"It's a strange feeling. When you finish playing you're looking for that buzz. A lot of people say being a manager's the next best thing - I wouldn't agree. I don't get the same buzz of getting a win as a head coach as I did as a player.

"I got a real buzz at seeing some of the younger ones coming through at Coventry when I was there and being part of that long-term vision that you can see a player develop.

"I'm 41 now, I retired when I was 37, I'm still quite new in coaching. I've made four or five mistakes tonight. I'll go back and watch the game over. I just don't think it's the kind of job you can learn on the job.

"There are still a lot of things I need to polish up myself before I'm ready for that."

Carsley is yet to meet Smith, and was unaware he was in the stands at Bolton, but will now remain at Griffin Park for the new boss' first few weeks before leaving at the end of the year.