Gerrard is the fourth-most capped player in England’s entire history, and probably the most complete midfielder to ever pull on the famous white shirt. Respect would be guaranteed based on reputation alone, and the major tournament experience Gerrard can pass on is potentially invaluable.

But the jury is very much out on whether he has what it takes to be an elite coach. Aside from a Scottish Premiership title success at Rangers, Gerrard’s first six years in management have been a huge disappointment. The Liverpool legend flopped spectacularly at Aston Villa and his stock has only continued to plummet since his move to Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ettifaq.

In truth, it’s worrying that Gerrard has been linked with the England post at all. He’s not even close to being ready, and would be wise to head back to the club scene in Europe if he wants to change that.

Mourinho recently claimed that he has rejected the England job twice, back when he was revered as one of the world’s finest managers. The Portuguese also insisted he will only consider international management when he’s “old and tired”, having embarked on a new challenge with Fenerbahce in the summer, but he may be forced to alter that stance in the near future.

None of the top clubs are attracted to Mourinho anymore. His insistence on using a siege mentality to motivate his squad is more exhausting than inspiring these days, and his tactics looked hopelessly outdated at Manchester United, Tottenham and Roma.

But that doesn’t mean the former Chelsea and Real Madrid mastermind is finished yet. Mourinho’s skills are actually a much better fit for the international stage; he knows exactly what it takes to win tournaments and how to get his players up for one-off games. Achieving success with England would repair his damaged reputation, too, though it’s unlikely the FA will look at him seriously again until he stops courting controversy on the touchline.

Just like Gerrard, Lampard is a once great footballer who has found the transition into management far more more difficult than he would ever have imagined. He did okay in his first role at Derby, but jumped into the Chelsea hot seat too soon and was ill-equipped to deal with the chaos behind the scenes at Everton.

After being sacked by both of those clubs, Lampard landed on his feet with a return to Stamford Bridge as caretaker manager, but also blew that opportunity as Chelsea slumped to a bottom half finish in 2022-23. Lampard has been out of work since, and it remains to be seen if he still has the same hunger to succeed as a coach.

The outlook is not all bad for Lampard, though. He’s a brilliant communicator and has a strong record with the development of younger players, notably bringing through Mason Mount, Reece James and Tammy Abraham at Chelsea. England would be taking a major risk if they were to turn to Lampard, but it would make more sense than opting for Gerrard, and he could surprise everyone.

McKenna has come a long way since taking the brave decision to leave Manchester United’s coaching staff and head out on his own. He took the reins at Ipswich in 2021 and has since guided the Tractor Boys from League One to the Premier League, earning plenty of admirers for his innovative style of play in the process.

United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Brighton all reportedly had an eye on making McKenna their new head coach in the summer, but he eventually decided to pen a new four-year deal at Portman Road. The 38-year-old might be rueing that call privately, with Ipswich already staring down the barrel of relegation after a winless start to life back in the top-flight, but according to The Sun, he is still on England’s shortlist to replace Carsley.

FA technical director John McDermott is said to be a big fan of McKenna, having previously worked with the former Northern Ireland international when he was a youth coach at Tottenham, and England could certainly do a lot worse. McKenna is a progressive manager capable of creating a trust-based dressing room environment, and would also give the team a clear identity – which was lacking under Southgate.

Potter has been looking for work since being ruthlessly sacked by Chelsea in April 2023, after less than seven months in the Stamford Bridge dugout. It’s fair to say that Potter did not live up to expectations in west London, but much of the criticism directed his way was harsh, with Chelsea’s problems stemming from the poor decision-making of the Todd Boehly ownership regime.

In his previous role at Brighton, Potter proved himself as an astute tactician who favours attacking football and encourages his players to take risks. He’s the opposite to Southgate in many respects; a meticulous, thoughtful coach with a modern view on the game that would suit England.

When quizzed on the possibility of succeeding Southgate on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Potter admitted he’s “open to anything”, which surely won’t have been missed by the FA. Supporters might take some to time to accept Potter after his catastrophic Chelsea tenure, but he has all the tools to take England forward.

Howe worked miracles at Bournemouth during his eight-year stint at the Vitality Stadium, which led to him becoming the top target for Newcastle after the completion of their Saudi-backed takeover in October 2021. The Magpies returned to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years at the end of Howe’s first full season in charge, solidifying the Englishman’s status as one of the most promising young coaches in Europe.

However, fast forward 17 months, and things are not looking so rosy for Howe at St James’ Park. The 46-year-old was reportedly frustrated over a lack of transfer backing in the summer window, and has lost a key ally in former co-owner Amanda Staveley.

Howe is still under contract until 2027, and England would have to pay a sizeable compensation fee to prise him away from Newcastle, but it could be a worthwhile investment. He’s an approachable coach with a knack for improving players and can deliver entertaining football, but he’s also not afraid to adopt a more streetwise approach when necessary. Adaptability is what makes Howe unique, and it feels like the England job will come to him sooner or later because he is constantly pushing himself to the highest possible standards.

According to Sport Bild, Tuchel is “negotiating” with the FA to become England’s new permanent head coach. The Independent have since claimed that the report was a ploy driven by Tuchel’s people to put pressure on Manchester United, who are said to be looking at the former Bayern Munich boss as a potential replacement for Erik ten Hag after a terrible start to the 2024-25 campaign.

Whatever the truth of the matter may be, there is no doubt that Tuchel would be an upgrade on Southgate and Carsley for England. It would be madness if the FA weren’t seriously looking at the 51-year-old, because it’s rare for a manager of his calibre to be available as a free agent.

Tuchel overachieved in his spells with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea while sticking to a possession-based philosophy that made all of those teams extremely difficult to play against. Bayern didn’t enjoy the same level of success under Tuchel, who can be guilty of letting his emotions get the best of him at times, but he’s still among the best in the business and would surely relish the challenge of trying to transform England’s fortunes.

Klopp accepted the job as the Red Bull Group’s new global head of soccer last week, less than five months after stepping down at Anfield. The popular German will officially start working in his new role at the turn of the year, and appears to be serious about leaving football management behind. “A few months ago I said I don’t see myself on the sidelines any more and that is still the case,” Klopp said when confirming the news on Instagram.

Those words should be taken with a pinch of salt. Klopp admitted he was running out of “energy” in his final season at Liverpool, but his body language during games said otherwise. The 57-year-old has a deep rooted passion for the game, and there will come a time when he is tempted to return to the touchline.

Klopp has long been mentioned in England discussions; that won’t change now he’s at Red Bull. He knows English football inside out after nine years with Liverpool, and has the charisma and inner steel to deal with the pressure of the job. Supporters can still dream of watching England playing Klopp’s brand of heavy metal football at some point, even if he isn’t the next man to take on football’s ‘impossible job’.

Guardiola taking over from Southgate is the dream scenario. The Manchester City boss may well go down as the greatest manager of all time when he eventually retires, having broken countless records in England, Spain and Germany while changing the very fabric of football forever.

The Catalan coach has admitted he plans to work with an international team eventually, and his contact at City is due to expire next summer. It would be a gamble for the FA to wait for Guardiola heading into the start of their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign, but it could pay off ten-fold.

Success is not guaranteed with any manager, as England have learned to their peril, but Guardiola is as close as it gets to a sure-thing. He’s a serial winner who has been able to get the maximum from the best players in the world for over 16 years, while consistently pushing the boundaries of excellence. There may never be a better chance for England to bring Guardiola on board, and it would be an unforgivable oversight if the FA don’t at least try to sell him on their vision for the future.