Gareth Southgate stepped down as England manager after losing the second European Championship final at the weekend. Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick is one of the most intriguing longshot candidates to succeed Southgate.
- Southgate took England to consecutive European Championship finals
- Carrick’s Middlesbrough had the fifth-best expected goal difference in the Championship last season
- The former Manchester United midfielder won 13 major trophies as a player
| Outright market | Odds |
| Michael Carrick to be the next England manager | 34.00 |
| England to win the 2026 World Cup | 8.00 |
Odds courtesy of Betfred. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Lack Of Interested Big-Name Candidates
Opinions were split on whether Southgate should have even had the chance to stay. Geoff Hurst and others spoke optimistically about Southgate choosing to extend his contract, but plenty of others were desperate to see a fresh face in the dugout. The latter group will see their wish granted.
Out-of-work Graham Potter, England under-21s manager Lee Carsley and the long-fancied Eddie Howe are the three betting favourites at the time of writing. Potter and Howe have been mentioned as future England managers for years, but Potter is coming off a rough spell at Chelsea, and Howe might be reluctant to leave an exciting project at Newcastle.
There will be a lot of talk about Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino, and Thomas Tuchel. Klopp surely wants a break from football, and might wait for the Germany job. Tuchel’s success in cup competitions makes him an appealing candidate, but will the FA go for a foreign candidate after the success of Southgate?
Outside of the top three, Frank Lampard (17.00), Michael Carrick (34.00), and Gary O’Neil (34.00) are the next three shortest English candidates. Lampard would be a baffling choice given his struggles at Everton and one win in 11 matches as Chelsea’s caretaker in 2022-23. Despite impressing with Bournemouth and Wolves, we are unsure O’Neil has the profile the FA will be looking for.
Carrick Seems An Ideal Fit
Carrick has only been in management since 2021, but his playing career means he’s a bigger ‘name’ than O’Neil. Perhaps the FA shouldn’t consider that important, but there’s a good chance they will. Carrick had to cope with pressure as a player, and has 34 England caps.
While his playing days are no guarantee of success, Carrick has proven himself as a manager. His Middlesbrough team might have finished eighth last season, but they were fifth in expected goal difference. Three of the teams to have a better expected goal difference were promoted to the Premier League.
Where Southgate was criticised at times for a lack of identity, Carrick has a clear belief about how he wants his teams to play. His Boro side were in the top four in progressive passes and passes into the final third last season. They were also in the top seven in tackles in the attacking third.
Boro have had a high-powered attack throughout Carrick’s time in charge. Only four teams generated more expected goals last season. While he’s never managed in the topflight, he is accustomed to being around top players from his playing days and has experience as an assistant manager at Manchester United. Taking over as England manager would not be an alien environment to him.
Given the shortage of viable candidates to succeed Southgate, we think there’s excellent value backing Carrick at 34.00. It might seem early in his managerial career, but he’s already shown enough to get linked with some top jobs, and other candidates could turn down an approach from the FA.