England interim head coach Lee Carsley has dropped another hint that he is not planning to take the job on a full-time basis after Sunday's 3-1 UEFA Nations League win over Finland.
Following Thursday's surprise home defeat to Greece, the 50-year-old said that he would "hopefully" be returning to manage the Under-21s once his spell as caretaker boss came to an end next month.
In the same press conference, Carsley did not totally rule himself out of the running, and he is still believed to be under consideration by the FA, but he has not submitted a formal application.
Amid increasing speculation surrounding Carsley's future, his players put in a much-improved display in Helsinki, where Declan Rice, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish were on target in the League B Group 2 triumph.
Barely an interview or press conference goes by without Carsley being quizzed on his prospects of becoming permanent England head coach, but the ex-Everton man has suggested once again that the position is not for him.
Carsley: 'England need a world-class trophy winner'
© Imago
Speaking to ITV Sport, Carsley said that the England job is a position for a world-class, seasoned trophy winner, and he would not put himself in that category of coaches, despite leading the Under-21s to European Championship glory last year.
"I've not really thought much about it. I keep saying the same thing. My remit was six games and I'm happy with that. This is a privileged position," Carsley replied when asked about the future.
"I'm really enjoying it but I didn't enjoy the last two days. I'm not used to losing in an England team, I don't take losing well. People are always going to try and put their chips on one side. I'm in the middle.
"My bosses have made it clear what they need from me. This job deserves a world class coach who has won trophies and I am still on the path to that."
As things stand, Carsley will take charge of his final two matches in the England hotseat next month, when the Three Lions head to Greece on November 14 before hosting the Republic of Ireland in their closing Nations League fixture on November 27.
What 'world-class' managers are England targeting?
© Imago
When thinking of world-class, trophy-winning managers linked with the England job, two names immediately spring to mind, Manchester City's Pep Guardiola and the currently unattached Thomas Tuchel.
The latter - a Champions League winner with Chelsea and Bundesliga winner with Bayern Munich - is understood to have held talks over the England job, although he is also on Manchester United's radar as the hierarchy weigh up whether to sack Erik ten Hag.
Meanwhile, speculation over Guardiola's next career move is starting to rage, as the Premier League and Champions League winner is in the last year of his Man City contract, and there is supposedly a consensus that he will leave in 2025.
The former Barcelona boss has remained tight-lipped whenever his contract situation has been brought up, though, and he is not thought to have decided what he will do when the season comes to a close.
Eddie Howe and Graham Potter have also been mentioned as candidates for the England gig, but their trophy hauls are far more modest; Howe's only triumph so far was the 2014-15 Championship title with Bournemouth, while Potter won the 2016-17 Swedish Cup with Ostersunds FK.
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