The sporting director of a Premier League club has dropped a major clue as to who the next England manager could be following Gareth Southgate's resignation after Euro 2024.
England U21 head coach Lee Carsley is currently the interim manager of the Three Lions for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Republic of Ireland and Finland.
The former Everton and Birmingham midfielder has refused to answer questions on whether he wants the job full-time, with his full focus being on the upcoming schedule.
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Whether the FA decide to focus on other candidates after the two fixtures remains to be seen - but a number of high-profile candidates have been linked with the role.
Graham Potter and Eddie Howe are believed to be the top two English candidates, while the Three Lions could appoint an overseas manager such as Thomas Tuchel, Joachim Low or even Pep Guardiola.
Mauricio Pochettino, who was reported as an early candidate, is closing in on a deal to become the new United States men's national team manager, therefore ruling him out of contention.
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Now, Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell has given a clue as to who the FA's preferred candidate would be - by stating that the Magpies are prepared for them to make an approach for their current manager Howe.
He told the Daily Mail: "We want Eddie Howe as our head coach for as long as we can.
"But we also recognise we are on a journey, and we also recognise his quality and his potential as well.
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"I've never been a guy scared of interest in any of our staff members, especially our head coach. And especially from a level of organisation that the FA is.
"The way I look at interest is, it's proof that someone is doing a really good job. It's recognition of the two-and-a-half years he's had here, and the job he did at Bournemouth. It's a fair recognition."
Topics: Premier League, Football, England, Gareth Southgate, Lee Carsley
Ryan Smart