Former Premier League manager interested in England job

This would be controversial

Gareth Southgate resigned on Tuesday following England’s second successive European Championship final loss on Sunday.

His contract was set to expire in December and although the FA was keen for the 53-year-old to prolong his stay, he has decided it is the right time for him to go.

With his departure being anticipated before the tournament even began, a shortlist of potential replacements has already formed.

Though Graham Potter and Eddie Howe are favourites with the bookies, there are several surprising names on the list with strong links to English football from Pep Guardiola to Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.

Another name on the list is Argentinian manager, Mauricio Pochettino. The former Chelsea and Tottenham manager has plenty of experience of English football and reportedly loves living in London and working with high-level players from this country.

He left Chelsea back in May by mutual consent and is therefore available. It is believed he does not want a break from football.

His most successful spell as a manager came when he was manager of French side PSG where he won three trophies including the Ligue 1 title in 2021/22.

One of the key figures at the FA involved in finding Southgate’s replacement is John McDermott who worked with the Argentinian manager during his five-year stint at Spurs.

Sources close to the FA suggest they are unlikely to restrict the selection process to just English managers.

Although they wanted Southgate to stay, they realised there was a high chance he would leave and have apparently had a long-standing succession plan in place.

It is thought that in the interim, U21 boss Lee Carsley may step up to take charge.