Gary Lineker has revealed who would have been his preferred choice to be England’s new manager after the FA agreed terms with Thomas Tuchel.
Over recent months, several candidates – both English and foreign – have been touted to be the permanent successor to Gareth Southgate, who left his role after England’s Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain in July.
However, on Tuesday, news broke 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 imminent appointment will bring an end to Lee Carsley’s stint as interim boss, with the former Republic of Ireland midfielder – who was tipped by many to get the permanent role – having won three of his four games so far, although he is also expected to take charge of England’s fixtures in November.
And Lineker – who scored 48 goals in 82 caps for the Three Lions – has opened up on the candidate that he would have chosen.
Gary Lineker revealed who he would have liked to see appointed as the new England manager
Thomas Tuchel is set to take on the role after he agreed terms with the FA on Tuesday evening
Lineker felt his option would have produced entertaining and front-footed football for England
‘I’d have given the job to Lee Carsley,’ he told the Rest is Football podcast. ‘I have seen enough to suggest to me the players really trust him.
‘And he is imaginative enough to produce something that is a joy to watch, is entertaining and front-footed football.
‘I’d have gone for Lee Carsley (but) it is not my job to pick people like that.’
The likelihood of Carsley remaining in the job decreased over the past week following a humiliating defeat by Greece last Thursday and increasingly confusing comments made by the coach about his suitability for the role.
Not even Carsley himself seemed to want the job, with the boss saying he would ‘hopefully…be going back to the [under]-21s’.
He then created further confusion following another win over lowly Finland on Sunday, claiming the Three Lions role was for ‘a world class coach who’s won trophies’, before later stressing that this did not rule him out.
The FA had kept an open mind regarding their next appointment and viewed Carsley as a genuine candidate. But there has been an increasing feeling, given his public soundings, that he may not be ready for the top job.
And Lineker admitted he felt sympathy for Carsley, while he also insisted that despite the turning of public opinion, he believed that the 50-year-old would have been a good option.
‘I really liked him,’ he added. ‘But I could tell he knew he was not getting the job. I suspect between his first camp and sometime before the Greece game.
‘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 (Spain’s Luis de la Fuente and Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni) had no real experience of coaching outside the national set-up.’
Tuchel, 51, has been out of the game since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season.
He previously managed the likes of Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Chelsea, famously lifting the Champions League with the Blues back in 2021.
The German coach could be viewed as a sensible choice for an England side looking to win their first trophy in almost 60 years, given his pedigree.
While at PSG, Tuchel won six honours, while he led Bayern to the Bundesliga title and also lifted the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup alongside the Champions League when in charge of Chelsea.
However, he may also be viewed as a controversial option, given he is a non-English coach, with England having not had a foreign manager in charge since Fabio Capello exited the role in 2012.
In fact, Tuchel is set to become just the third non-English manager to lead the England Men’s team.
Lineker revealed he felt that Carsley would have been a good permanent option for England
The former England striker believed that Carsley was well-liked and respected by the players
German coach Tuchel, 51, has a trophy-winning pedigree and is set to sign an 18-month deal
Tuchel is expected to fly in this week to sign a contract worth £5million a year.
The German will start work in January on a deal that runs for 18 months – meaning 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 today at 1.30pm, which will be attended by FA chief executive Mark Bullingham.
