Gareth Southgate

The 24-year-old is fresh off playing a crucial role in the team’s successful bid to secure promotion to the English Premier League (EPL).  The Caribbean team are hoping to he can play a similar role in their bid to secure a return to the FIFA World Cup.  A feat they first accomplished in 1998.

Phillips is of Jamaican heritage and could quality to represent the county by virtue of the fact that his father is Jamaican.  The player has, however, also attracted the interest of his birth nation England, with his progress already being monitored by the team’s manager Gareth Southgate.

The Jamaican’s are currently in an eight-team final round World Cup qualification group, which will see three teams qualify directly to the tournament and another secure a play-off spot.  The JFF has already reportedly contacted Leeds asking for permission to sit down with Phillips and try to convince him to pick the Caribbean unit.  Phillips, who was born in Leeds, has never been selected to represent that Three Lions at any level and could have a tough time securing a spot in a talented England team.

Three days on from the late loss to Brazil, the absentee-hit Euro 2020 runners-up faced another high-level test as the side third in FIFA’s world rankings hosted the team in fourth.

England were heading for another Wembley defeat after Youri Tielemans punished first-half errors either side of Ivan Toney’s penalty, only for Bellingham to secure a 2-2 draw in stoppage time.

Toney did well on his first start, as did fellow full debutants Ezri Konsa and, in particular, 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo in the final friendly before Southgate names an expanded Euros squad on May 21.

Southgate announced on Tuesday that he was stepping down as England manager following their heartbreaking Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.

It was the second successive European Championships final under the 53-year-old since he took over from Sam Allardyce in September 2016.

He won 61 of his 102 matches in charge of the national team, while also leading them to the World Cup semi-finals and quarter-finals.

Kane was the most-used player during his tenure, making 81 of his 98 appearances under Southgate, who first gave the forward the captain's armband.

"Boss. Thank you for everything you have done for me and our country!" Kane said in a post on X.

"You have been one of England's greatest-ever managers, and it has been a pleasure to have served as your captain throughout. You helped our nation connect and believe in our team again.

"There have been so many highlights, and we've made memories together that will last forever! Good luck with your next chapter, and I'm sure we'll see each other around. Thanks Boss!"

Luke Shaw, who made 28 appearances under Southgate, including both Euros finals, also echoed the England captain's praise in his tribute to Southgate.

"Gareth, you put everything into this team and brought this nation together with so many amazing memories!" Shaw posted on Instagram.

"I will always be grateful for the highs and the lows because, no matter what, you kept us believing we could. You're one of the best there ever was! Thank you boss."

Kane is set to win his 50th cap for the Three Lions on Sunday when England visit Belgium in the Nations League.

The Spurs star already has 32 goals to his name for his country, putting him 21 behind Manchester United legend Rooney.

Still only 27, Kane has a lot of international football ahead of him, giving him a clear opportunity to overhaul Rooney and cement his place as England's greatest ever goalscorer.

"In terms of what's possible, I think the goalscoring record is the real interesting one," Southgate told a media conference.

"His strike rate for us is quite phenomenal really. He's got time on his side to crack on and chase Wayne's record, which would be a remarkable feat in itself.

"I know from his perspective, whilst personal achievement is something he's driven towards he's all about the team winning now, he's been to a World Cup, won the Golden Boot, in the end you want to win as a team.

"He's totally focused on that and the team having success. He would want in the next few years to be able to look back on the team having achieved, as well as some of those personal milestones."

Asked about his favourite moment from his time coaching Kane for England, Southgate pointed to his injury-time equaliser against Scotland at Hampden Park during qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, where he went on to win the Golden Boot with six goals as the Three Lions reached the semi-finals.

"The equaliser at Hampden sticks in my mind, that was a very important goal for us at a critical moment," said Southgate.

"Of course, his goals at the World Cup, to win the Golden Boot is an incredible personal achievement.

"There have been so many. It's a special moment for him, we've had three or four players get to that 50-cap milestone in the last year or so, for all of them it's a fantastic achievement."

England have failed to win any of their three Nations League matches in June after following up a 1-0 defeat to Hungary with a pair of draws against Germany and Italy.

Relegation from group A3 remains a threat for England – who have scored just one goal in those games – and preparation matches for the World Cup in Qatar are limited due to the mid-season placing for the competition, meaning Southgate's side have few opportunities to find rhythm before the tournament. 

Recent performances have led to increased question marks as to whether Southgate can get the most out of a wealth of attacking talent, and he himself insisted he would 'not outstay his welcome' in the role.

However, Kane has sprung to the defence of the man who led England to their first international final since 1966 last year, where the Three Lions lost in the final of Euro 2020 in a penalty shoot-out to Italy.

"I think we have been one of the most successful England teams in the past 50 years or so. So, I think we are definitely on the right track," he said ahead of Tuesday's clash with Hungary. 

"I can't speak highly enough of Gareth. Gareth is a fantastic manager; a fantastic person and we are all really looking forward to being with each other for another major tournament. 

"I had him with the 21s and then obviously since he's been with the senior team and I think he really understands what the England team needs to be successful."

Kane added: "I think if you look at where we were in 2016 compared to where we are now, we've made massive improvements and strides. We've knocked down a lot of hurdles in major tournaments by doing stuff an England team hasn't done for a long, long time. 

"We'll keep trying to improve and making the country proud. I think we've done that and we all have that major hunger and desire to win a major tournament. I think it's still a good possibility."

Gareth Southgate's side disappointed for large parts in Thursday's 1-1 draw with Denmark but are still in control of Group C heading into the final matchday.

England face Slovenia on Tuesday, when Denmark also meet Serbia, with Southgate's men boasting a two-point advantage and pole position in their hands.

Yet there has been added scrutiny after an underwhelming showing in their last outing, with Kane facing criticism for his part in an uninspired England performance.

The England captain insists all will be forgotten if the Three Lions can respond and go deep into the tournament in Germany.

"I think that's part of having the experience and using that to your advantage," Kane said at Sunday's pre-match press conference. 

"It would be silly just to forget all those past experiences and past tournaments because they can be really helpful and really useful. That's what I try and do.

"I think a lot of the players who have been here for a long time do the same and you have the responsibility to try and share that with the other players. Major tournaments are tough, like I touched on, there's always going to be ups and downs.

"It's never just a straight line to the top, or not in our experience. We know how much it took to get close in the last Euros [in 2021].

"The bottom line is where you finish in the tournament. No one is going to remember the 1-1 draw against Denmark if we go all the way and win it. That's just the reality.

"It's just understanding that you don't get too carried away if you're winning games and don't get too down if you're playing as we've played so far in the tournament.

"It's just about pushing on and finding a way to make sure we get to the knockout stage. And then once we're there, knockout football is ours to take."

Southgate's future has also come under speculation, with the England manager's current contract ending in December and Manchester United reportedly showing interest before sticking with Erik ten Hag.

Many have pointed their frustrations at Southgate's tactics with England failing to get the best out of a host of starts, including Premier League champion Phil Foden and Champions League winner Jude Bellingham.

Yet Kane placed his full backing in Southgate, urging critics to look at where the manager has taken them from.

"I can't speak highly enough of Gareth and what he's done for the team, for this nation in terms of where we were and where we are now as a national team is completely different," he added. 

"I think he's brilliant on the details, making sure that there's no stone unturned and that we know everyone knows what they're going to be doing going into games.

"Just as a person and giving us the freedom to be ourselves and whether that's on the pitch or off the pitch, just to feel comfortable doing that.

"I think being England manager is a really difficult job. That's the bottom line. He knows that and we all know that.

"There's always going to be people who maybe criticise him or doubt him, but I think his record speaks for itself. He's been extremely successful with us.

"Like all of us, I know he wants to, and we want to take that next step and win it.

"We're all really determined to do that so he will do what's best for the nation, he will make the decision what's best for the team and all I'd say is to just get behind him."

It is one of two matches left before manager Gareth Southgate names his squad for the tournament in Germany as England look to go one better than their penalty shootout defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the key talking points ahead of the clash.

Getting shirty

Saturday’s friendly will be the first time the men’s senior team sport the new Nike kit following the backlash that met its release this week. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer were among a hosts of names to criticise the decision to alter the colour of the St George’s Cross on the back of the collar. Southgate said: “It’s not been high on my list of priorities. The most important thing on the England shirt is our Three Lions because that is an iconic symbol. It is the thing that distinguishes us.”

Brazil looking to avoid Wembley blues

The five-time World Cup winners will be wearing blue rather than their famous yellow shirts at Wembley, where they are looking to avoid suffering a fourth straight loss in all competitions. Brazil ended last year with World Cup qualification defeats to Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina and start 2024 as underdogs against England under new boss Dorival Junior. The 61-year-old, who was appointed manager in January, says Saturday will be the most exciting day of his life, but one he hopes will “be surpassed in July 2026 by winning the World Cup” – a tall order for a country lacking the stars of old.

Forward thinking

Fitness permitting, captain and all-time leading goalscorer Harry Kane will be Southgate’s striker during the finals. However, the 30-year-old injured his ankle in Bayern Munich’s win last weekend and will miss the game with Brazil, while Southgate rated him as a “big doubt” for Tuesday’s match with Belgium. That will open the door for both Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney, who will be hoping to get a chance to stake a claim as the main support in Germany. Watkins has hit 16 Premier League goals for Aston Villa this term and Toney is back in the Brentford side after serving an eight-month ban for breaching Football Association betting rules.

The Mainoo event

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has been in fine form for Erik ten Hag’s side in recent months, leading to calls for a first senior call-up for the 18-year-old. Having been overlooked initially by Southgate, he was promoted from the under-21 set-up earlier in the week and could make his debut against Brazil, given the injury concerns in his position. The potential of matching a prospect such as Mainoo with the likes of Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham will be something that excites Southgate, England supporters and the team alike.

Another debutant duo?

Unlike Mainoo, Anthony Gordon and Jarrad Branthwaite – both part of last summer’s European Under-21 Championship-winning squad – were named in Southgate’s original selection. Newcastle forward Gordon has impressed since leaving Everton, where centre-back Branthwaite has this season developed into a “Rolls Royce” of a player in the view of team-mate Jordan Pickford. The pair will be hoping they have an opportunity to make a late run for a place on the plane to Germany, with numbers tight in Southgate’s 23-man squad.

Southgate stepped down as Three Lions boss after eight years following their 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final earlier this month.

The 53-year-old led England to their first-ever Euros final in 2021 before reaching the showpiece match on foreign soil at a major tournament for the first time in their history.

However, he also became the first manager to lose two consecutive finals in the competition.

During his tenure, he was often accused of being overly cautious at times, despite the team scoring 213 goals during his 102 matches in charge.

Klopp, who ended his nine-year stay at Anfield in May, is one of the names being linked with the vacant job, and former Liverpool midfielder Leiva believes the German would be a success in the role.

"I think his coaching style can adapt to any club, to any national team, because Jurgen, the way he manages, is unique," Leiva told Stats Perform.

"I don't know if he will accept that, because maybe he's having a rest, having a break. But, as a Brazilian, if he gets the English national team, I'll be very worried because I know how he works.

"Of course, with a national team you always have less time to work with the team, and the way he plays, it needs time.

"But, if he gets the English national team, of course I'll be supporting him because he's a fantastic guy, a fantastic manager. And I think his style can be a success."

England reached back-to-back European Championship finals but suffered the same outcome in Berlin as they did at Wembley three years ago.

The defeat against Spain saw Gareth Southgate become the first head coach in the history of the tournament to end up on the losing side in two finals. 

Southgate called time on his eight-year tenure in charge of the Three Lions two days after the tournament ended, winning 59.8% of his 102 games in charge. 

Despite this, underwhelming performances in Germany saw cups thrown towards the former England head coach as supporters jeered the players.

Southgate came under fire for his defensive approach, though only Walter Winterbottom (383) and Alf Ramsey (224) have overseen more England goals than his 213.

However, Maguire has come to the defence of his team-mates. 

“Yes, performances might not have been amazing but it is tournament football," Maguire told BBC Sport. 

"It is not as expansive. There are far less risks taken. You can’t afford to make mistakes or get caught going out in a full press. You saw throughout the tournament there were not many high-scoring wins.

“I just don’t know what the media or fans expected of this team. Was it to go and beat Serbia 4-0 in the first game and then beat Denmark 3-0? Did they think it was just going to be a walk in the park?”

Under Southgate's stewardship, England reached more major tournament finals in four attempts (two) than they did in their first 23 appearances at the World Cup and Euros (one).

Maguire played 63 times during Southgate's time in charge, a total only bettered by Harry Kane (81), Kyle Walker (70), Jordan Pickford and John Stones (both 68). 

Maguire was forced to miss the tournament having picked up an injury in May, forcing him to miss Manchester United's FA Cup success against Manchester City. 

Euro 2024 was the first major tournament he has missed during his international career, having become a mainstay in central defence alongside Stones. 

Maguire's 17 appearances at major tournaments saw him keep seven clean sheets, but he insisted that missing out on Euro 2024 was difficult for him to comprehend. 

"To miss out was tough," said Maguire.

“It has been really frustrating, working all season to get myself mentally and physically at the top of my game and be in a position to feel I could really make a difference for Manchester United and my country."

England sit bottom of Group 3 after Saturday's goalless draw at the Molineux Stadium, which was played behind closed doors after fan trouble during the Euro 2020 final between the two sides.

The Three Lions' only goal over these opening three games came via the penalty spot, with Harry Kane converting in the closing stages of their eventual 1-1 draw away to Germany.

According to Mount, the creation of chances would be more of an issue than their realisation but England still have to be able to capitalise after a second draw in three games.

"It is frustrating," he told Channel 4 post-match. "Obviously we want to win, we want to create chances and score goals. I probably should have done better with my chance, we had a few other chances, so it is something we need to look at.

"We have created chances but we should have done better with them. We are keeping clean sheets so it is something that is a positive but we need to keep working at it.

"We have had chances today and we probably should have scored, but sometimes you go through little periods where it is difficult. The only thing we can do is keep working hard in training, staying focused and look where we can improve. We have the players to do that, the talent and quality, just work at it."

Predominantly playing in an attacking three in Thomas Tuchel's 3-4-3 for Chelsea, Mount has seemingly found more freedom at international level as a conventional number 10.

Though deployed in a similar role to club level for their opening defeat to Hungary, England boss Gareth Southgate reverted to the 4-2-3-1, with the 23-year-old hinting he's more comfortable with the latter despite the result.

"I was in a 10 role so it gave me freedom to roam and find spaces, trying to link the midfield to the attacking boys," he said afterwards.

"I found myself in spaces to shoot a couple of time but did not to do well enough from my shot and it was too easy for the keeper. It is a difficult one to take because I feel we could have come away with more.

"We want to win every game, even if it is a friendly. We have looked at the last two games, felt confident in what we do but it is a tough one."

Southgate, who led England to back-to-back European Championship finals, ended his eight-year tenure following their defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 showpiece.

The 53-year-old was often accused of a cautious approach despite only Walter Winterbottom (383) and Alf Ramsey (224) overseeing more England goals than his 213, with supporters wanting to see a more attack-minded manager take over.  

And two of the names linked with the vacant position have been pioneers of Premier League football in recent years.

Klopp ended his nine-year stay at Liverpool in May to take a break from management, while some expect Guardiola to leave Manchester City at the end of his current deal, which expires next year. 

The pair have won 653 games between them and shared 25 major honours during their time in England and could be seen as the ideal candidates to end the Three Lions' 58-year wait for silverware. 

However, former Liverpool and Scotland midfielder McAllister believes Klopp and Guardiola are unlikely to become England's next manager. 

McAllister, who played 57 times for his nation, believes supporters would prefer an English manager at the helm.

"I think people are linking Jurgen with the England job purely because he has experience working in the English Premier League," McAllister told Stats Perform.

"He's worked with elite players for many years now at Dortmund and at Liverpool. So people are putting two and two together.

"Personally, I don't see it happening and I think I also see that there were links to Pep Guardiola and I don't see Pep managing England either.

"It's hard for me to comment on this because I'm obviously not English, I'm Scottish.

"The people I speak to within the game, there is a feeling that the manager of England should come from St George's Park, which is the headquarters of English football, the FA and all the coaching programmes that they have there.

"Why would you have all this and then put a manager not from England in? I think most of the people in England are looking for an English manager."

The Three Lions' next game is a Nations League clash with the Republic of Ireland in September, with Finland their next opponents three days later.

Gareth Southgate acknowledged his side did not keep the ball well against Spain, who triumphed 2-1 in Berlin thanks to Mikel Oyarzabal's late winner on Sunday.

England managed just a 34.9% share of possession in the showpiece, losing the ball 98 times across the team and completing only 66.5% of passes in Spain's half.

Former England full-back Neville cut a frustrated figure on ITV pundit duties, blasting a repeated struggle for the Three Lions' shortcomings.

"We can focus on a lot of things, but Southgate's answer on how we did not keep the ball well enough should be the title of the England book," Neville said.

"Every single England manager has said the same thing, every single England player has felt the same thing because we have lived it out there on the pitch and our legs have gone, and we end up dying on our feet in the latter part of games where the other team have got stronger.

"It is repeat, rinse and repeat."

Southgate became the first manager in history to lose two European Championship finals, with his future uncertain after the tournament due to his contract expiring in December.

"It's a big question, something doesn't sit right inside me talking about Gareth's future right now after what he's done in the last seven or eight years," Neville added.

"I would think he'll take a long, hard look in the next week and decide whether it's the right time. 

"The sentiment in this tournament has been tough for him at times, he's called it an unusual environment earlier in the competition."

Nico Williams had opened the scoring immediately after the interval before Cole Palmer equalised with 17 minutes remaining. 

Substitute Palmer impressed from the bench, where Ollie Watkins was also introduced after Harry Kane's struggles continued.

Kane had just one touch in the opposition box across the Euro 2020 and 2024 finals, one fewer than Jack Grealish, who played just 21 minutes against Italy and did not make the squad for this tournament.

"England got back into it, but we could have been 2-0 down before that and to not control the biggest games has been a problem for England teams in many, many tournaments," Neville continued.

"And to have to play from behind the ball and move your whole team up the pitch from the edge of your box to the other end of the pitch is very difficult.

"You can win the odd game doing that, you can win two or three games, but eventually you play a team with too much quality and that is what we found tonight."

The Three Lions have reached their third semi-final in four major tournaments under Gareth Southgate, having beaten Switzerland 5-3 on penalties following a 1-1 quarter-final draw on Saturday.

They had reached the last four at just two of their previous 17 tournaments (World Cup or Euros, since 1968) before Southgate's 2016 appointment.

Despite overseeing England's emergence as serious contenders, Southgate has been fiercely criticised for the team's tepid attacking performances in Germany, with their total of 4.36 expected goals (xG) bettered by 10 already-eliminated teams.

Most pundits believed the Three Lions improved after changing to a 3-4-3 formation against Switzerland, and Neville feels the system suits Southgate's squad.

"I've felt we've had a better balance, the team suits it. It's more fluid, a more relaxed nature in the football, particularly in the first half," Neville told Sky Sports News.

"In the second half we went back to recycling the ball safely, but in the first half we played some half-decent stuff. Extra-time was then very safe, very cautious.

"But this team has tournament know-how, they get to semi-finals. There's fortune along the way with the draw. We've played Serbia, Denmark, Slovenia, Slovakia and Switzerland. 

"If you said you'd get those five teams in a major tournament you'd be very happy. We haven't played at our best but it's a tournament that seems to be moving that way.

"Spain have played some fantastic football but the other teams have been quite unspectacular but getting through."

While Neville feels Southgate has transformed the team into seasoned tournament campaigners, he says Wednesday's semi-final will be their toughest test yet.

"It's a good sign for a team, you have to get through difficult matches – but you can't rely on that all the time. My feeling is you'll get caught out eventually if you don't step up your performance level," Neville added.

"Saturday was definitely a step up in terms of our balance, it was a step forward, now we have to step up again against the Netherlands on Wednesday. We'll have to step up quite a bit because they have some serious players."

A sold-out Wembley crowd watched a surprisingly hard-fought friendly between these great sporting rivals on Friday night as the hosts experimented with Euro 2024 in mind.

England can wrap up qualification against Italy on Tuesday night and Watkins boosted his chances of being on the plane to Germany with a goal and solid display.

The Socceroos can count themselves unlucky to leave Wembley without so much as a goal to celebrate.

Lewis Dunk’s brilliant block denied Ryan Strain ending a fine team move just before half-time and Connor Metcalfe headed off the outside of the post late in the second period.

But England rode their luck to emerge victorious as Watkins, winning his first cap since March 2022, turned in Jack Grealish’s cross-shot at the far post in the 57th minute having earlier hit a post.

The in-form Aston Villa striker will have boosted his chance of being regular back-up to captain Harry Kane, whose place on the bench meant Henderson wore the armband on Friday.

There were murmurs from the crowd when his named was read out before England’s first home game since his controversial move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq.

That reception turned to jeers when he was replaced in the second half of a match that began with the innocent victims of the conflict in Israel and Palestine being remembered.

The Football Association was criticised by the UK government and the Jewish community in the build-up to the match for its response to recent devastating events.

The Wembley arch was not lit up on a night when both sides wore black armbands and observed a period of silence before kick-off.

Southgate made 10 alterations from last month’s friendly win in Scotland, leading to a sloppiness and disorganisation that allowed Australia to settle and threaten.

A slight touch prevented Watkins sweeping home with the first noteworthy attack of the night and Sam Johnstone soon brilliantly stopped Keanu Baccus’ curling effort going in off Fikayo Tomori.

England remained in control of first-half possession, but Australia continued to offer the greater threat.

Mitch Duke connected brilliantly with a low cross, flashing a first-time strike under pressure narrowly wide before Kye Rowles hammered over following a set-piece scramble.

England’s carelessness was summed up by James Maddison’s slip and strike out for a throw-in, but the Tottenham man showed his quality when slipping through Watkins.

The Aston Villa frontman took the ball around Mat Ryan and got away a bobbling effort from an acute angle that came back off the far post in the 34th minute.

Debutant Levi Colwill and Conor Gallagher received bookings in quick succession as a frustrating half continued, although it would have been worse was it not for Dunk – the only survivor from the side that started in Scotland.

Graham Arnold’s outfit showed skill and confidence playing out from the back, with Martin Boyle following fine hold up play by playing in Strain to get away an attempt that was blocked brilliantly by the Brighton skipper.

It was a moment Australia were made to rue in the 57th minute.

England returned from the break with more urgency and Trent Alexander-Arnold swung a ball over to the back post after an initial free-kick was cleared.

Grealish controlled and hit an attempt across goal that Watkins slid to turn home on the line – his third goal in eight England appearances.

Southgate made a quadruple change as he turned to his talent-filled bench with around 30 minutes remaining.

Henderson was among those withdrawn and Friday’s captain was booed by sections of the Wembley crowd, which he made a point of applauding as Kieran Trippier took the armband.

Baccus dragged wide as Australia tried to claw back an equaliser and Metcalfe was free to meet a corner with a powerful header off the outside of the post in the 80th minute.

Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah came on for his England debut and the visitors failed in their attempt to grab a memorable late goal.

Southgate led England to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 before overseeing a run to the Euro 2020 final last year, with his side ultimately losing to Italy in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at Wembley Stadium.

However, Southgate has faced severe scrutiny following England's dismal Nations League campaign earlier this year, and he was jeered by his own supporters after a defeat in Italy in September.

During his time with Tottenham, Pochettino was credited with playing a key role in the development of several England internationals, including captain Harry Kane and defender Eric Dier. 

The Argentine has also spent the majority of his coaching career in England, enjoying almost nine years at Southampton and Spurs combined, and he has refused to rule out leading the Three Lions.

"Of course, my relationship with England has always been very good," Pochettino told the Athletic.

 "We have a very good relationship with the academies, trying to develop young players for the national team. I feel so comfortable here. You never know what happens. I am open to everything."

Asked about England's qualities ahead of the World Cup, he added: "Their mentality, they are so brave, they are so offensive, they go to provoke the opponent and try to dominate.

"They don't care about the team that is in front of them. They try to deliver their job. I like how they approach the game, and they have very good players."

England begin their Group B campaign against Iran on Monday. The Three Lions have won their opening match at six different World Cups, though their last two such victories have come by a single goal (2006 v Paraguay and 2018 v Tunisia). 

It was announced on Tuesday that Gareth Southgate had resigned from his position as the England head coach after an eight-year tenure. 

Southgate managed 102 games in that time, taking charge of his century fixture in the Three Lions' penalty shootout win over Switzerland in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.

The 53-year-old, however, became the first manager in European Championship history to end up on the losing side in two finals following their defeat to Spain in Berlin on Sunday. 

Under Southgate's tenure, England reached more major tournament finals in four attempts (two) than they did in their first 23 appearances at the World Cup and Euros (one) before his appointment in 2016. 

However, England are on the hunt for a new manager, with Postecoglou among the potential candidates to take on the role alongside Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Pep Guardiola. 

Tottenham started their pre-season preparations with a 5-1 win over Hearts on Wednesday, and the Australian stressed his immediate attentions were on preparing Spurs for the new campaign. 

"I am at the start of pre-season and am the Tottenham manager, so I have got nothing else [on my mind] but trying to bring success to this football club," Postecoglou told Sky Sports.

"Until I do that, there is no point in me thinking about anything else."

Postecoglou is no stranger to international management, having taken charge of Australia between 2013 and 2017.

Australia secured qualification for the 2018 World Cup during his tenure, ending with a win percentage of 44.9% from his 49 matches in charge. 

"I enjoyed my time [with Australia]. I had four great years," Postecoglou continued. 

"We won the Asia Cup and qualified for the World Cup, but with all these things there is always a natural end, and I thought it was a natural end for me there.

"I loved coaching the national team. In the future, who knows? Five years ago I was in Japan, and now I am in the Premier League."

The former Chelsea boss has not been out of work since leaving the Blues in April 2023 after just seven months in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Potter began his professional management career with Swedish side Ostersund, who he guided from the fourth tier into the top flight and Europa League during his seven-year spell.

The former defender then spent a season with Swansea City, before a successful three-year stint with Brighton and Hove Albion.

Speaking at Leeds Beckett University, where he was receiving an honorary doctorate, Potter revealed his desire to get back in the dugout.

"Now, I'm in that good place where I'm happy to be ready and looking forward to the next challenge," he told Sky Sports.

"I've had a great break. The journey from where I started to where I finished doesn't come for free. It involves moving to three countries, with a young family, and all that comes with being a football manager.

"It was important for me to take a break, reflect and re-energise. It's been a good time to look at other things, other sports, other teams and visit places.

"I feel really ready, really excited to be back when the right opportunity comes."

Potter is one of several names linked with replacing Gareth Southgate, who resigned as England's head coach following their Euro 2024 final heartbreak against Spain.

While the 49-year-old refused to discuss the possibility of him taking over the reins, he paid tribute to the outgoing Three Lions boss, who led them to successive European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final during his eight-year spell.

"Today is not the day to speak about [the England vacancy]," he added. "I'm proud of the job Gareth Southgate did.

"As an Englishman in football, I don't think there's anybody who has more respect than he has; how he conducted himself, him and his staff, qualifying for tournaments, going deep into tournaments, getting the country behind the team.

"He's done an amazing job. I'd like to wish him well. I hope he has a nice break, and wish him well for whatever he decides to do next."

Fellow Red Devils attacker Jadon Sancho has also been omitted from the 25-man squad, having also been left out of Southgate's last party in November 2021.

Rashford has endured an underwhelming season at Old Trafford, registering a paltry four goals and two assists in 19 Premier League appearances as his team fights for a top-four finish.

The 24-year-old's frustrating campaign has led to suggestions he could leave Old Trafford, and he described himself as "upset" and "disappointed" after being heckled by his own fans following Tuesday's Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old defender Guehi could make his Three Lions debut in the Wembley friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast, having impressed for Patrick Viera's Eagles this season.

Guehi has made 28 Premier League appearances since leaving Chelsea for Selhurst Park in July, with the Eagles keeping eight league clean sheets this term, a tally betted by just seven Premier League sides.

Along with Rashford and Sancho, Manchester City defender Kyle Walker is another big-name absence, with Southgate favouring Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James in his right-back position.

Alexander-Arnold and James have been two of the Premier League's three most creative defenders this season, having recorded 11 and six assists so far this term, respectively (Liverpool's Andrew Robertson has registered 10).

England host Switzerland on March 26 and Ivory Coast three days later, as the Euro 2020 runners-up ramp up their preparations for this year's World Cup in Qatar.

Ivan Schranz's first-half opener seemed to have Slovakia on course for a shock last-16 upset, only for Bellingham to rifle home a remarkable 94th-minute leveller in Gelsenkirchen.

Bellingham's eye-catching overhead kick sent the tie to extra time, in which Harry Kane headed home just 50 seconds into the additional 30 minutes at Arena AufSchalke on Sunday.

England have now won their last four games having conceded first at the European Championship, after losing their first six such matches, and Rice says that battling performance was for the under-fire Southgate.

"I cannot describe the feeling representing England in the European Championship round of 16, you look up at the clock and you think 'we could be going home here'," Rice told BBC Sport.

"Players are saying that to each other with one minute to go and there is that inner fight and spirit in us.

"We have got that togetherness tonight, we would do anything to protect this manager. Keep going and keep fighting, it is an honour to be a part of it – we are going to keep going."

Bellingham's stunning leveller, timed at 94 minutes and 34 seconds, marked England's latest goal at the European Championship.

Arsenal midfielder Rice says that only serves to highlight the bravery of Bellingham, who etched his name into England folklore with what Kane earlier described as one of the country's best goals in history.

"It is crazy because if that was me that was going over the bar," Rice joked.

"It was a big moment for him, at 21 years old that takes a lot of guts. People don't understand what you have to go through to get over the line.

"We are not playing against invisible men. They are top footballers, they kept going after us. It is about waiting for those moments as the game got stretched we created more.

"The fans tonight I cannot speak highly enough of them. So grateful they are all here to experience that."

Rice was part of a confrontation with Slovakia manager Francesco Calzona at full-time, with England in celebratory mood after setting up a last-eight meeting with Switzerland on Saturday in Dusseldorf.

Calzona was left disheartened, too, after feeling his side were equal to Southgate's men.

"We played on par basically with England, we almost qualified," Calzona told reporters. "We were very nearly there, unfortunately things went the way they did.

"I'm very proud to see this team do so well, the other team sending on defenders to preserve their result."

The USA have been drawn alongside the Three Lions, as well as Wales and Iran, in Group B for this year's finals in Qatar.

England's two major tournaments under Gareth Southgate have seen them reach a World Cup semi-final in 2018 and finish as runners-up at Euro 2020, but the manager has come under scrutiny after a poor Nations League campaign.

England were relegated from League A after picking up just three points from their six games.

But USMNT coach Berhalter remains wary of England's quality, saying: "It's scary thinking about how we're going to beat them. We'll look at some of the games, look at some of their vulnerabilities and try to exploit that.

"For us, it's looking at the group as an entirety, not just focusing on England, because we know that's one of the games that makes up 33 per cent of the games we have in the opening round.

"Our job, our goal, is to finish in the top two and move on."

The USA held England to a 1-1 draw in their opening game at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but Berhalter believes the Three Lions will be tougher opponents this time around as they are genuine contenders.

"What I would say is I don't know if the expectations have always been in line with the quality of the squad," Berhalter added.

"Back in 2010, realistically, I didn't think they had the squad that can win the World Cup, right? But now it's different. Now I think we all agree they have a squad that can win the World Cup.

"Gareth, in my opinion, has done a great job of helping the players cope with that pressure, using the jersey as a cape rather than a straitjacket and really giving them the freedom to play on the field.

"[He is] giving them the idea that they can represent their country in a positive way and make the country proud."