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Inside the secret England manager interviews as FA hunt Pep Guardiola

The Football Association have a big decision to make following Euro 2024 with Gareth Southgate set to leave his role as England manager - but they have form for keeping their cards close to their chest

[Gareth Southgate head coach / manager of England reacts at the end of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Semi Final match between Croatia and England]

Gareth Southgate is set to be replaced at the England helm next year - and the FA has form when it comes to secret talks(Image: Getty Images)

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola could never sing 'God Save the Queen' with his hand over the Three Lions crest - or could he?

The Football Association (FA) is reportedly keen on this idea after Euro 2024 next summer, with England incumbent Gareth Southgate expected to step down when his contract ends after the tournament in Germany. However, Guardiola is tied to City until 2025, and it would cost a hefty sum to secure an early release from the treble winners. It's also up for debate as to whether Guardiola would want to leave Europe's top club for the international stage.

Other potential candidates include Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and ex-Chelsea boss Graham Potter. But we might not know all the contenders as the FA has a history of holding secret talks, and Daily Star Sport recalls some of the more notorious candidate sagas.

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PowerPoint failure thwarts 'Big Sam'

Curbishley, as he alluded to, wasn't the only boss overlooked, with Sam Allardyce confident his previous work at Bolton would see him installed.

And when it "became apparent they were positively encouraging English candidates to throw their hats into the ring," 'Big Sam' decided to go all out. "I wanted to do a real knock-your-socks-off interview for the FA, so I put together a PowerPoint which looked at every single detail," he told The Sun. "There was nothing missing. Nobody but nobody was going to beat it."

Who would be your dream pick to replace Gareth Southgate as England boss? Let us know in the comments section below.

[Sam Allardyce, Manager of Leeds United, reacts during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur]

Sam Allardyce could have got the England job sooner were it not for a lack of tech savvy(Image: Getty Images)

"But then Brian Barwick, the chief executive, told me there were no PowerPoint facilities at the interview venue, so I had to print off hard copies for the panel. So much for the progressive FA."

A decade later, Allardyce seemed to have got his point across. He probably wished there were no facilities available that time, too.

Jose Mourinho's too cool to rule

Jose Mourinho was still causing mischief in 2007. He claimed he turned down the England role before Fabio Capello was appointed, which didn't sit well with either Capello or the FA. The FA strongly denied that Mourinho had been approached, but the ex-Chelsea boss fired back through his spokesperson: "The statement from the FA is not true," they told the Daily Star at the time.

[Chelsea's manager Jose Mourinho is seen ahead of their Premiership game against Fulham at Craven Cottage]

The Special One seemingly deemed himself too good for the England job when approached(Image: Getty)

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"He was offered the job before Capello. There was a meeting between the FA and Jose and his agent Jorge Mendes in London. Jose made a dossier for the FA about what changes England needed to make and he came up with a project for the World Cup. When the offer was made, Jose was in Portugal."

When Allardyce finally got the job he wanted in 2016, it was only after Arsene Wenger declined the chance to speak to the FA, and Steve Bruce was also interviewed. The Daily Telegraph reported the FA's search wasn't as straightforward as they suggested, and another contender, thought to be foreign, was also considered.

Alan Curbishley predisposed

[Charlton manager Alan Curbishley]

Alan Curbishley wasn't available for his interview with the FA(Image: PA)

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Alan Curbishley was a favourite for the England job in 2006 with Sven Goran Eriksson set to depart. However, his interview process didn't go quite as planned.

"There was definitely Sam Allardyce and obviously Steve McClaren and myself," he later revealed in a Paddy Power podcast appearance. "I think Luiz Felipe Scolari was in it somewhere - I'm not too sure - and Martin O'Neill, I think, was in the interviews."

"It was during the season and they wanted to interview us on a Tuesday or something like that in a secret venue, and I couldn't go because I had an FA Cup replay. So I missed that one, and I think my interview was hastily arranged at the FA! It eventually went to Steve McClaren, which I thought it would do because he'd been working with Sven and he knew the setup."

Southgate and the five-man panel

[Gareth Southgate, Manager of England, speaks to the media following the UEFA EURO 2024 Final Tournament Draw]

Southgate encouraged an FA panel to consider other candidates - in his own England interview(Image: Boris Streubel - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

After Allardyce's departure, under-21s manager Southgate stepped up. However, the FA took no chances in the interview process, putting him before a five-man committee.

Southgate even encouraged the FA to consider other candidates, saying: "There are often appointments at clubs without interviews, so young coaches don't get opportunities. People just appoint managers without seeing what is out there, so it would be hypocritical for me to say the FA shouldn't go through that." Now, the race to replace Southgate seems to be on. If Guardiola is interested, he might want to check up on potential PowerPoint facilities...

*This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up Daily Star's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to starletters@dailystar.co.uk

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