Fancy yourself as the next manager of the England men’s team? Well, you can now assess if you satisfy all the requirements for the role.
The FA has published the job spec for the Three Lions’ next boss after Gareth Southgate ended his eight-year spell in charge following the Euro 2024 final defeat.
The 53-year-old guided England to two European Championship finals but they lost both – and ending the 58-year wait for a trophy is one of the FA’s key criteria.
The governing body says its “succession planning process has already identified a number of candidates” but is interested in hearing from individuals who meet its lofty ambitions.
FA aspirations are high as it searches for a manager who will “lead and develop the England senior men’s team to win a major tournament”.
Ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola have been mentioned as potential successors and they certainly meet one of the requirements, namely “significant experience of English football”.
Does a “strong track record delivering results in the Premier League and/or leading international competitions” mean Eddie Howe and Graham Potter can be considered to be in the mix?
Howe took Newcastle United into the Champions League for the first time since 2002 while Potter guided Brighton to ninth in the Premier League.
And does the mention of “international competitions” put England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley in the frame? He lacks top-flight managerial experience but led the Young Lions to the 2023 European Under-21 Championship.
Southgate said he was “oblivious” to the criticism he and his squad faced during Euro 2024 and the FA expects its new manager to be “highly resilient and comfortable in a very high-profile role with intense public scrutiny”.
This England generation has reached a World Cup semi-final and two European Championship finals but now the FA wants a new leader who can “inspire a nation” and end the wait for success.
Give the job advert, external a read and see if you have what it takes to lead England to glory in the 2026 World Cup.
