Southgate stands down, who's next for the hot seat?

The search for the next England manager kicked off on Tuesday with plenty of names and no shortage of speculation about who might replace Gareth Southgate in one of the hottest seats in soccer.

Southgate, in charge since 2016, announced his departure less than 48 hours after England's second successive European Championship final defeat, this time a shattering 2-1 loss to Spain in Berlin on Sunday.

The news came as no great surprise and turned the spotlight to the future and whether England should look for another home-grown replacement or seek a standout successor from further afield.

“The process for appointing Gareth’s successor is under way and we aim to have our new manager confirmed as soon as possible,” said Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham.

“Our Uefa Nations League campaign starts in September and we have an interim solution in place if it is needed.

“We know there will be inevitable speculation, but we won’t comment further on our process until we appoint.”

The next manager will need broad shoulders to carry the burden of expectation and weight of history with England still seeking a first major title since winning the 1966 World Cup on home soil.

Premier League experience is likely to be required, as will man management skills of being able to develop and maintain a team spirit and culture while withstanding intense personal criticism.

If as expected the FA go for another Englishman, then Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe, former Chelsea boss Graham Potter and England U-21 coach Lee Carsley look like the front-runners.

Newcastle CEO Darren Eales made clear the club expected Howe to stay and would fight to keep him, probably with significant compensation.

“For us, he is the right man for the project we are on at Newcastle United and that is why we are committed to a long-term deal with him,” he told British media.

Southgate was also U-21 coach and started out as an interim solution before getting the job full-time and Carsley could fit into that scenario.

Potter would be available immediately, without a club since being sacked by Chelsea last year.

“Over the years we've had every different type of manager; the fashionable, international managers, the best English managers, we've had Gareth who's been through the ranks with younger teams,” former England defender Gary Neville told Sky Sports TV.

“Where England go next I don't know. There's some obvious contenders, Graham Potter will get mentioned and Eddie Howe will get mentioned.

“It will definitely be an English manager... to appoint an international manager would be wrong. We need to develop an English coach.”

Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, stellar England players with less successful managerial careers, look well down the list of prospects.

Bookmakers added international glitter, and a touch of fantasy, with odds on former Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, PSG and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel (also ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich) and recently departed Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp.

Other names floating around included former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, whose club contract runs out next year.

William Hill were even offering odds on 74-year-old Arsene Wenger (100-1), Juergen Klinsmann (150-1) and Sam Allardyce (200-1) while England's Dutch women's manager Sarina Wiegman was a comparatively competitive 50-1.

Reuters