England's Interim Coach Lee Carsley Poised for Permanent Position with Strong Start, Says Three Lions Legend

Alan Shearer has confidence that Lee Carsley could exceed expectations as he gears up for his debut game as England's head coach.

Carsley, 50, has taken over the post after Gareth Southgate's summer exit with the Three Lions set to take on the Republic of Ireland and Finland over the next week. Having earned his stripes mainly with England's Under-21 side, the former Everton midfielder is the bookmakers favourite to take over on a permanent basis.

With Southgate an unpopular choice before his appointment, it does seem as though the FA are almost allowing Carsley to audition for his job somewhat. Shearer admits the chance to manage at this level does not come around very often at all.

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"It’s an unbelievable opportunity for Lee Carsley," the former Newcastle United forward told Betfair recently. "We’ve seen it happen with Spain and Luis de la Fuente, it might have been underwhelming when he was appointed the Spanish manager, but with his success in the youth teams, it then worked for them in the Euros too.

"They were the best team, and they played the best football. There’s no guarantee of success if you go out and get a big-name manager either, so this is a great opportunity for Lee. He knows a lot of the players; he’s brought some fresh players into the squad to liven things up a bit too. If he wins the first few games, then the job could well be his. It’s an incredible opportunity for him."

Carsley is most notably known for leading England's youth side to the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2023, with plenty of players from that squad called up to play in his first squad at senior level. Angel Gomes, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White have all been given the nod with their potential for a new era to be sworn in under the 50-year-old.

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