England announce Lee Carsley as new interim head coach

Southgate's successor has been selected, for now.

The formal Everton midfielder has been promoted from his role as England U21s coach to interim head coach of the senior England squad.

The 50-year-old follows the same progression as his predecessor, Gareth Southgate, who also jumped from the U21s to the first team.

Carsley will take charge of England's Nations League fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Finland in September.

The coach has worked closely with many of England's brightest talents to progress through the youth teams, making him a familiar appointment for many of the players in the senior squad.

Born in Birmingham, the midfielder made 340 top-flight appearances and played 40 times for the Republic of Ireland.

Following his appointment to the job, Carsley said: "It’s an honour to step up and lead this England squad on an interim basis.

"As I am very familiar with the players and the cycle of international football, it makes sense for me to guide the team while the FA continues the process to recruit a new manager.

"My main priority is to ensure continuity and our goal is to secure promotion in the UEFA Nations League."

FA CEO, Mark Bullingham, said: “Lee is a fantastic coach who is well known to the majority of our current senior squad having worked with most at international or club level.

"He offers us a very strong interim solution and we are confident he will perform well in the UEFA Nations League games ahead.

He added: "We are grateful to Lee for stepping up to manage the team while we continue with our recruitment process.”

The FA expect that Carsley will remain in the position throughout October while the search for a new permanent head coach continues.