Candidate not yet mentioned as Southgate replacement as England manager

Derry’s James McClean is surprisingly not in the running to replace Gareth Southgate as manager of England, according to the bookies. 

Southgate resigned from his position today following the defeat to Spain in the 2024 European Championship final on Sunday. 

This follows an eight-year tenure as boss of his national side, where he reached the final of the Euros in 2021 and 2024, as England became the first side to lose consecutive finals in this competition. 

He would also guide his country to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and 2022, hosted in Russia and Qatar, respectively. 

This made Southgate England’s second-most successful manager after only Sir Alf Ramsey, the manager who guided the country to World Cup success in 1966.

Whenever a manager steps down, speculation and rumours quickly follow about who will replace them. 

Bookies in England have put Graham Potter, Lee Carsley, and Eddie Howe as the three favourites for the job. 

Potter is currently the only one of the three not in a role, with his most recent managerial stint being his disastrous tenure at Chelsea last season. 

Former Irish international Lee Carsley is the current England U-21 manager, with many believing he could be promoted to the senior role like Southgate was in 2016.

Meanwhile, Howe is currently in charge of Newcastle United, but he may be persuaded if the call to manage his country is made.

However, one person who does not seem to be on any bookies odds list, even as a joke, seems to be McClean. 

England have made some strange appointments in the past, including the likes of Fabio Cappello, Sam Allardyce, and Roy Hodgson. 

But none would be stranger should England go incredibly left field by appointing McClean. 

With the Derry native still featuring weekly for Wrexham and having no management experience, an appointment would be weird. 

But perhaps McClean's posting of himself in a Spanish top for the Euros final on Sunday as he hoped for an English defeat could be the main reason not to hire the former Irish international. 

However, we shall wait and see if England do the unthinkable and appoint McClean as their next permanent manager.