Lee Carsley gives two-word update after hinting he's no longer in running for England job
The jury is still out on whether Lee Carsley would be a suitable long-term appointment for England despite a 3-1 win over Finland - and now the man himself has poured doubt on taking the full-time gig
by Oli Gamp · The MirrorEngland interim boss Lee Carsley is adamant the full-time gig has "definitely not" come too soon for him, despite admitting the need for a "world class coach" to replace Gareth Southgate.
Carsley guided England back to winning ways against Finland as the team secured a 3-1 victory in Helsinki thanks to goals from Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Declan Rice - with Arttu Hoskonen netting a consolation.
The former Everton midfielder was seen as a possible successor to Southgate - who departed after England's defeat in the Euro 2024 final this summer - but fresh doubts emerged about his suitability following a 2-1 loss to Greece in midweek.
While the win over Finland restored some confidence in Carsley, the jury is still out on whether he would be a suitable candidate for the full time gig - and speaking after the victory he appeared to suggest a more experienced coach would be required.
"I've not really thought much about it," he told ITV Sport. "I keep saying the same thing. My remit was to do six games. I'm really happy with that, it's a privileged position that I'm in. I'm really enjoying it. I didn't enjoy it for the last two days. It was hard work. Im just not used to losing in an England team. I don't take losing very well.
"I think people are always going to put their chips on one side. I'm totally in the middle. My bosses have made it totally clear what they need from me.
"This job deserves a world class coach that's won trophies and been there and done it - and I'm still on the path to doing that."
However, when asked if the job has come too soon for him, he gave a defiant response: “Definitely not. I tried to make it as clear as I could - anytime we speak like this - my remit was three camps. The point I was trying to make is that it’s one of the top jobs in the world and I’m not part of the process but it deserves a top coach.
“The players we have available, we’ve got a real chance of winning.That was the point I was making.”
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