Lee Carsley reveals he has not formally applied to be permanent England manager

Lee Carsley has said that he has not officially applied for the permanent England manager role but is determined to make the most of his time as interim head coach.

The Football Association appointed the 50-year-old to oversee the autumn Nations League matches after Gareth Southgate stepped down following England’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain in July.

While frequently dodging direct questions about his ambitions for the full-time England role, Carsley has hinted that he expects to return to his position with the Under-21 team.

Even after England’s 2-1 loss to Greece on Thursday, he avoided giving a clear answer about his interest in the senior team job, and the topic resurfaced ahead of Sunday’s fixture against Finland.

Carsley’s approach to the game against Greece at Wembley was more adventurous, but it left fans puzzled and disappointed. While some experimentation is expected, his tactical choices were widely criticized.

There’s still a chance he could secure the role, especially if no other strong candidates come forward, but he may need to avoid repeating the same tactic of starting on all the young attacking players, he did against Greece.