Eddie Howe's verdict on succeeding Thomas Tuchel as England boss amid burnout fear
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was the top English candidate to be the next England boss but was not considered as Thomas Tuchel was handed the role
by Simon Bird · The MirrorEddie Howe admits being a top boss takes a heavy personal toll and that every manager has a shelf life.
But after being snubbed by England and not making their shortlist, Howe says he is nowhere close to thinking he’s “done” on his mission to turn Newcastle into trophy winners.
Howe affirmed his commitment to his club yesterday, a day after the Football Association appointed German Thomas Tuchel to lead England into the World Cup in 2026.
Howe was the outstanding English candidate but was not approached by the FA who knew they would have to pay more than £6m in compensation to the Tyneside club.
Asked if one day he envisaged being England boss, Howe said it was impossible to plot such a route in the rollercoaster world of coaching. “Can I see where I’ll be in five or 10 years’ time? No, absolutely not.
"The job takes so many twists and turnsI hope I’m managing in some ways and then another part of me thinks maybe I’ll be doing something different. You just don’t know. I love the job, I love the challenges and it is draining. There are huge sacrifices that come with it in your personal life. I am always fighting that internally, getting that balance.
"But as long as I’m still enjoying it and my family is in a good place then I will happily carry on for as long as possible. But I'd never say that managing England isn't something I'd like to do maybe one day if given the opportunity, but my focus is Newcastle, Newcastle, Newcastle.”
Howe is close to his three year anniversary at Newcastle with an important season, and transfer windows ahead. Asked, given the pressures of the job if a manager had a shelf-life, Howe said: “I think sometimes you have a feeling within you. You can get to the point when you think my time here is done. I certainly don’t feel that yet. And I hope I don’t for a long time.
"It is an interesting question because I think there probably is a shelf-life for every person at a club. It is probably unique to them and the club. I don’t think you can put a time on it. Look at Sir Alex Ferguson, who went on and on and on and managed to reinvent himself very cleverly over a long period of time. He has the internal resilience to just keep going.
"Everyone is different, you can’t put a label on it. I genuinely only think about Newcastle, and trying to lift a trophy here would be my goal and I immerse myself with what I’m in currently, so no other thoughts have entered my head.”
Howe is full of respect for Tuchel after spending two days with him at Chelsea when he was out of work. “What a brilliant guy, what a great person, what a great coach,” Howe said. “I thought he was fascinating, really enjoyed his company, so I really wish him well. I think he's a great appointment and I hope he leads England to many trophies.
The Geordies face Brighton without hamstring victim Kieran Trippier but Alexander Isak is fit to play. Ex Toon star Yankuba Minteh, sold for a £27m profit to satisfy PRS rules in the summer without kicking a ball on Tyneside, returns.
Howe was a reluctant seller but defended the deal saying: “It hurts to have done it, but we had to. It was still the right thing to do for Newcastle. We didn’t want to sell Yankuba, we believed in his potential.”
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