Gary Lineker has revealed who he would have preferred as England’s new manager after the FA agreed a deal with Thomas Tuchel.
In recent months, several candidates – both English and foreign – have been touted as the permanent successor to Gareth Southgate, who left his role following England’s final defeat to Spain in July.
However, news emerged on Tuesday that Tuchel had become the leading candidate for the role after talks accelerated, before it was revealed last night that the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss had agreed to take the job.
Tuchel’s impending appointment will bring an end to Lee Carsley’s spell as interim boss, with the former Republic of Ireland midfielder – who was tipped by many to be given the permanent role – having made three of his four appearances so far won, although he is also expected to do so. will take charge of England’s matches in November.
And Lineker – who has scored 48 goals in 82 caps for the Three Lions – has opened up about the candidate he would have chosen.
Gary Lineker revealed who he would like to see as England’s new manager
Thomas Tuchel will take on the role after reaching an agreement with the FA on Tuesday evening
Lineker felt his option would have provided entertaining and front-foot football for England
‘“I would have given the job to Lee Carsley,” he said the rest is football podcast. ‘I have seen enough to give the impression that the players really trust him.
‘And he is imaginative enough to create something that is a pleasure to watch: entertaining and front-foot football.
‘I would have gone for Lee Carsley (but) it’s not my job to pick people like that.’
The probability of Carlsley The number of remaining jobs has decreased over the past week after the humiliating defeat against Greece last Thursday increasingly confusing comments from the coach about his suitability for the role.
Even Carsley himself didn’t seem to want the job, with the boss saying he would “hopefully… return to the job.” [under]-21s’.
He then caused further confusion after another win over lowly Finland on Sunday, claiming the Three Lions role was reserved for ‘a world-class coach who has won trophies’, before later emphasizing that this did not mean he excludes.
The FA were open to their next appointment and considered Carsley a genuine candidate. But given his public views, there is a growing feeling that he may not be ready for the top job.
And Lineker admitted he felt sympathy for Carsley, while also insisting that despite the change in public opinion, he believed the 50-year-old would have been a good option.
‘“I really liked him,” he added. “But I could tell he knew he wasn’t going to get the job. I suspect between his first camp and sometime before the match against Greece.
“I would have done it (appointed him) because I would have looked at the recent history of international football; the two winners of the last two international tournaments (the Spaniard Luis de la Fuente and the Argentinian Lionel Scaloni) had no real experience of coaching outside the national format.’
Tuchel, 51, has been out of the game since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season.
He was previously manager of Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Chelsea, among others, with whom he won the Champions League with The Blues in 2021.
Given his pedigree, the German coach can be seen as a sensible choice for an England team looking for its first trophy in almost sixty years.
At PSG, Tuchel won six honors while leading Bayern to the Bundesliga title and, in addition to the Champions League, won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup while in charge of Chelsea.
However, he could also be seen as a controversial option as he is a non-English coach, with England not having had a foreign manager at the helm since Fabio Capello left the role in 2012.
In fact, Tuchel will become only the third non-English manager to lead the England men’s team.
Lineker revealed that he felt Carsley would have been a good permanent option for England
The former England striker believed Carsley was loved and respected by the players
German coach Tuchel, 51, has a trophy-winning background and is set to sign an 18-month contract
Tuchel is expected to fly over this week to sign a contract worth £5 million per year.
The German will start work in January with an eighteen-month contract. That means the 2026 World Cup in North America could be his only tournament in charge.
A press conference to announce his appointment is expected to be held at Wembley at 1.30pm today and will be attended by FA chief executive Mark Bullingham.