FA board ‘approves foreign manager as next England boss’ as Three Lions search for Gareth Southgate’s successor after his sacking

England’s new manager could be a foreign coach after it was revealed the Football Association’s board of directors had given ‘approval’ to expand the search to include more than just English names.

Gareth Southgate’s departure followed another defeat in the European Championship final. The English Football Association has promised to take the necessary time to find a successor, with an interim option if necessary.

The recruitment process is expected to consist of finding a manager through interviews with several coaches, with a number of candidates already identified.

Eddie Howe and Graham Potter appear to be the favourites, with Under-21 manager Lee Carsley having the option to take over as interim manager while the Football Association, led by Mark Bullingham and technical director John McDermott, intensify the hunt.

And now it appears the search will be expanded further as the council has agreed to interview foreign candidates, The Guardian reports.

England’s new manager could be a foreign manager, such as former Bayern player Thomas Tuchel

This could put Mauricio Pochettino, who left Chelsea last summer, in contention

Gareth Southgate’s departure followed another defeat in the European Championship final

The FA, led by Mark Bullingham and Technical Director John McDermott, is ramping up the hunt

This increases the likelihood of Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel running into trouble, although their high wage demands could prove a stumbling block in negotiations.

Even former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola have been dragged into the conversation by speculative fans.

Bullingham and McDermott are expected to draw up a shortlist of candidates, after which they will interview the potential managers and go back to the board to ratify their selection.

Southgate took charge in 2016 and led his team to two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final, but failed to win their first major trophy since 1966.

England now sit fourth in the FIFA rankings after the tournament, behind Argentina, France and Spain. It is a rise of one from fifth place before the competition started in Germany.

However, they are back to square one in their bid for a major title. Qualifying for the World Cup begins in March and group opponents are determined by a draw that takes place in December.

England are understood to have a temporary solution ready for the September internationals should a candidate not be definitively appointed by then.

Last week, favourite Howe announced he was confident he would start the season as Newcastle United manager.

Eddie Howe appears to be one of the early favourites to take over the hot seat

Graham Potter is also a contender, more than a year after leaving Chelsea

Lee Carsley is an option to take over as interim manager with games scheduled for September

The draw for World Cup qualifying takes place in December, before the first matches are played in March.

Newcastle are determined to keep their head coach, who guided the club from the Premier League relegation zone to the Champions League in two seasons after succeeding Steve Bruce at the end of 2021.

Howe added that he didn’t feel the need to address his players about the potentially disturbing speculation because they saw his “dedication” to the job every day.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Howe said. “There’s no need to address the players. They know from the way I conduct myself and the way I am on a daily basis how committed I am to the club.”