England legend Paul Gascoigne has claimed he was 'told' that Pep Guardiola would be the next manager of the country following Gareth Southgate's recent departure.
Southgate walked away from the dugout last month, less than 48 houes after his side had been beaten by Spain in the final of Euro 2024.
The FA have since confirmed that Lee Carsley will lead the team on an interim basis for upcoming Nations League matches with the Republic of Ireland and Finland.
Guardiola's long-term future at City is currently up in the air, with the Spaniard's contract due to expire at the end of the season.
England next manager: Paul Gascoigne says he was 'told' Pep Guardiola would replace Gareth Southgate
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He is believed to be one name under consideration to replace Southgate, having won the lot during his time in English football.
Gascoigne, speaking to Techopedia, has claimed he was 'told' Guardiola would be the next manager of the Three Lions.
And that's an appointment the England icon can certainly get behind.
"He’s got so much respect, he's been manager of Barcelona and they’ve had the best players in the world," he said.
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"And Bayern Munich. He's performed with them, you know? All his teams have respect for him.
"I was told that Gareth Southgate was going to Manchester United and Pep Guardiola was going to be the manager of England!
"So we’ll see what happens this year. Maybe it'll happen next summer.
"If he's on that much money and he's winning five trophies a season, what an achievement.”
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Guardiola isn't the only name being linked with the England job.
Eddie Howe was previously seen as the frontrunner, though the Newcastle boss isn't eyeing a departure from the club at the current moment in time.
Graham Potter would be keen to return to management, having been out of work since leaving Chelsea in April last year.
There's a sense that England would have appointed him by now if he was their No 1 target, however.
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England next manager: Pep Guardiola is one name in the frame to replace Gareth Southgate
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Meanwhile, one player Guardiola manages at City is Jack Grealish.
This season is a big one for the former Aston Villa star, who has struggled with injuries over the past 12 months.
Grealish was overlooked for Euro 2024 as a result of his problems, with his long-term future at City also up in the air.
And Gascoigne has called on the 28-year-old to 'knuckle down' as he looks to become a regular for club and country once again.
England next manager: Gareth Southgate recently stepped down from his position after his side's failure to win Euro 2024
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“Obviously it's pre-season, I think he spent 50 grand on a night out in Dubai when he didn’t make the England squad. Good on him. He’s got that money. He's got quality, but he needs to knuckle down," he said.
"I was the same. When I had a few days off, I’d go and celebrate.
"You had a drink and that. Sometimes I wish I hadn't, I regretted it, but I still managed to perform.
"If you can perform on a Saturday then fair enough, the manager is not going to have a go at you.”
