Ex-England coach names Southgate's ideal permanent successor

Almost two months have passed since Gareth Southgate stepped down from the England national team. But a full-fledged replacement for him has not been found, because Lee Carsley is still only temporarily acting manager of the ‘Three Lions’. In football circles are now discussing who will take Southgate's place on a permanent basis.

England's Stuart Pearce, who temporarily took the reins of the Three Lions in 2012, believes that there is no need to go far and it would be a good idea to rid Carsley of the ‘acting’ prefix:

‘I'm sure Lee will feel the pressure but he's worked inside the FA for a number of years and understands what the pressure is. So he will be fine. Carsley has stuck to common sense. He has travelled the same path as Southgate and these games are not high pressure games.

That will give the FA some time to look at other candidates. But make no mistake, this is an audition for Lee. It's a fantastic opportunity to show what he can do.

And if he does well, he might just push his candidacy for the FA. If he decides this job is for him, he should use these games to prepare himself to do well at the 2026 World Cup,’ The Daily Mirror quoted Pearce as saying.