LONDON: The Football Association have identified a “number of candidates” to replace Gareth Southgate as they search for an England manager capable of “winning a major tournament”.

Southgate resigned on Tuesday in the aftermath of England’s Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain.

The end of Southgate’s eight-year reign has forced the FA into a selection search that has seen them linked with a host of candidates.

Among the bookmakers’ favourites are Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, former Chelsea bosses Gra­h­am Potter, Mauricio Poch­e­ttino and Thomas Tuchel, as well as Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou.

However, the FA insist the process is open to anyone who meets the criteria it published on Friday in a job profile detailing the qualities required in the next England manager.

The text of the role profile stated: “Our succession planning process has alre­a­dy identified a number of candidates; in addition to this we are committed to open recruitment process­es in the football industry.”

While Southg­ate earned plaudits for restoring England’s tarnished reputation, he failed to end the country’s wait for a first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup.

After successive European Championship final defeats and a 2018 World Cup semi-final loss, finally winning a major prize with a squad packed with world-class talent is clearly the top priority for Southgate’s successor.

The FA said they are looking for a manager able to “lead and develop the England senior men’s team to win a major event and be consistently ranked as one of the world’s top teams”.

The right person would also provide “inspiring lead­ership” to the FA’s tec­h­nical team and develop and maintain strong relationships with clubs who employ English-qualified players.

The successful candidate would need to hold a UEFA Pro Licence, possess “significant experience” of English football and have “a strong track record delivering results in the Premier League and/or leading international competitions”.

In a pointed reference to the criticism Southgate end­u­red during his time in a role once dubbed the “imp­ossible job” by then England boss Graham Tay­lor, the FA highlighted the need for an “exceptional leader”, “highly resilient” and “comfortable in a very high-profile role with inte­nse public scrutiny”.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2024