Lee Carsley is ready to succeed Gareth Southgate as interim England manager following his success with the under-21s at last year’s European Championship, according to reports from BBC Sport and other points of sale.
The 50-year-old was among the names discussed after Southgate resigned from his role following England’s defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 end last month.
Carsley led his England football team under-21 team to the Euro 2023 final, where they defeated Spain 1-0 to lift the trophy for the first time in 39 years.
England will face the Republic of Ireland and Finland in the Nations League next month.
Along with the former Premier League defensive midfielder, former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Southgate. However, this a realistic perspective never appeared and it now looks likely that Carley will become England’s next manager, albeit initially in a caretaker role.
This is a position the former Everton and Derby player is already familiar with, having taken charge of Coventry, Brentford and Birmingham on an interim basis before joining the England squad in 2020.
Likewise, the progression from head coach of the youth team to head of the senior men’s team is not a strange trajectory at St. George’s Park, as Southgate, along with Howard Wilkinson and Stuart Pearce, have also made a similar transition.
Southgate then produced an impressive run over his eight-year spell, reaching the World Cup semi-final in 2018 and two Euro finals in 2021 and 2024.
But after his side lost 2-1 to Spain in a disappointing final, and was previously criticized for their tactical judgment before the defeat, the time has come for Southgate to step down.
The Football Association, without commenting directly on a potential replacement, published a job advert on its website shortly after Southgate’s resignation.
