England 'front runner' says he isn't disappointed the FA never approached him for Three Lions post
(C)Taisei Iwamoto
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Thomas Tuchel will begin life as England manager in January after The FA made the German their number one choice to succeed Gareth Southgate.
In the wake of Southgate's resignation, several names were instantly linked to the job, including Graham Potter, Manchester City's Pep Guardiola, and Newcastle boss Eddie Howe.
However, speaking on William Hill’s podcast, Up Front with Simon Jordan, Howe had admitted for the first time that he wasn't interviewed for the national team post, and he has given his view on missing out on England's top job.
He said: “I wasn’t one of the 10 candidates whom the FA talked to about the England job, and I’m not disappointed about that. That’s not a dig at England at all because I’m in a job at the moment where I’m happy. In terms of speculation, the media hype with England is so big and to be out of that is really where I want to be.
“I wasn’t sitting there focusing on England and wanting to be considered for the job. I was away with Newcastle on pre-season when Gareth Southgate decided to leave and suddenly I was bombarded with it.”
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Despite being overlooked by The FA, Howe has given his full backing to the new man in charge, although he admits his preference would have been for an English name to have been given the job.
“I would prefer the England manager to be English,” added Howe.
“But if he can’t be English then you have to get the best person you can to coach the team and help us win trophies – I think Thomas Tuchel is that person.
"I’ve been lucky enough to see him work and he’s not just a great coach but also a great person. I think it could be a very successful time for England.”
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