- The former Spurs and Chelsea boss could be in line to replace Gareth Southgate
- Mauricio Pochettino has previously expressed interest in becoming England boss
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Mauricio Pochettino is one of the leading candidates to replace Gareth Southgate as England manager if the position becomes vacant after the upcoming European Championship, according to reports.
The Argentine left his role as Chelsea boss on Tuesday in a shock announcement from the club, which said the parties involved had ‘mutually agreed’ to end their relationship.
Southgate is currently busy preparing his England squad for the UEFA tournament in Germany after naming his provisional 33-man squad, which will later be reduced to just 26 players.
The FA wants Southgate – who has been in charge of England since 2016 – to extend his commitment to the national team, but has named Pochettino as a potential successor if he decides to leave, as reported by the FA. Telegraph.
Pochettino has a history of developing young English players during spells at Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea and shares a relationship with FA technical director John McDermott, who he previously worked with at Spurs.
Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly one of the leading candidates to become England’s next manager
Southgate is currently preparing England for the European Championship but has yet to decide on his future
Pochettino has previously shown great interest in becoming England manager
England captain Harry Kane, Conor Gallagher and Cole Palmer are just some of the stars in the latest squad that Pochettino has coached during his time in the Premier League.
The 52-year-old has previously expressed an interest in becoming a future England captain, but it is believed he is also the subject of interest from Manchester United in the decision to sack Erik ten Hag.
Commenting on his desire to become England boss two years ago, Pochettino told the Athletic: ‘Of course my relationship with England has always been very good.
‘We have a very good relationship with the academies and try to develop young players for the national team.
Pochettino has built strong relationships with a number of current England stars, including Cole Palmer (left)
‘I feel so comfortable here. You never know what happens. I’m open to everything.’
Pochettino has a reputation as one of the best man-managers in European football and left the Chelsea stars stunned after it was announced he would leave Stamford Bridge after just one season.
However, there will likely be a long list of candidates looking to take over from Southgate when he leaves office. Thomas Tuchel is also expected to be interested.
Tuchel is currently a free agent after cutting ties with Bayern Munich and has been similarly linked with a return to club football at Old Trafford.
