England have four options to replace Gareth Southgate as boss quits | Football | Sport

Gareth Southgate has confirmed that he will be departing from England with immediate effect and that the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain was officially his last match in charge of the Three Lions.

Attention will quickly turn to the managers that could replace Southgate, who led the country to two Euros finals and a World Cup semi-final, and the FA have a host of options to consider ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Express Sport has taken a look at the four options they will be mulling over, with big shoes to fill in Southgate’s absence…

Graham Potter

Graham Potter is out of work since leaving Chelsea and has long been considered as someone who could step up to the national team job in the future.

He worked closely with former FA chief Dan Ashworth together at Brighton, where they oversaw tremendous success, and has been carefully considering where his future may lie.

The FA would likely prefer to appoint a homegrown coach such as Potter to replace Southgate, but won’t rule out a foreign appointment.

Thomas Tuchel

Former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel left the Bundesliga giants at the end of the season and similarly to Potter, would be available to England without a financial compensation package.

The German was open to succeeding Southgate if he had stepped down following the 2022 World Cup, but that interest amounted to little as the boss stayed on for the following Euros.

The Sun have already claimed that Tuchel wants to take over from Southgate and will be one of the high-profile candidates linked with the role, having won the Champions League with Chelsea and league titles in France and Germany.

Eddie Howe

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is thought to be one of the coaches at the very top of England’s shortlist to succeed Southgate, having overseen a dramatic transformation at St James’ Park since his arrival.

A potential obstacle is the project he has been afforded at Newcastle and his bumper salary, but the FA are thought to be confident they can find a compromise should Howe be deemed the ideal replacement.

Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi’s departure as directors represent a big change at the top of the club, with the pair Howe’s point of contact with the ownership group, and more uncertainty than ever in his spell may mean that England have to take their opportunity while it is afforded to them.

Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino endured a turbulent first season at Chelsea that ended with the two parting ways, replaced by former Leicester boss Enzo Maresca.

But the Argentine’s success at Tottenham and Southampton will likely stand him in good stead with FA chiefs, while Pochettino also expressed his delight at the prospect of staying in England during Soccer Aid.

“I have full energy and I think we finished really well,” Pochettino said shortly after leaving Stamford Bridge. “Now we just wait and see what happens. In football you never know, things can happen – today, nothing but tomorrow can appear and any opportunity, we are open to listening.”