Gary Lineker has ‘heard rumours’ about next England boss amid Pep Guardiola approach by FA

Gary Lineker says he has “heard rumours” about the Football Association’s search for a permanent England manager amid reports of Pep Guardiola being approached over the role.

Gareth Southgate stepped down as England boss in the summer and Lee Carsley is currently in caretaker charge of the Three Lions.

Carsley was heavily tipped to become the full-time manager but ruled himself out of the running after the 2-1 defeat, hinting that he would be returning to coach the Under 21s having made the step up for a brief period.

Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Eddie Howe have all been linked but a report on Monday claimed that the FA have also ‘sounded out’ Guardiola, who’s out of contract at Manchester City at the end of the season.

Lineker revealed the rumours he’s heard on The Rest Is Football Podcast , and also questioned whether Carsley is “protecting himself” by claiming he doesn’t want the job.

“I wonder – I’ve heard rumours and stuff – whether he knows something about what’s happening in terms of they’re looking for a new manager,” Lineker said

“I think they’ve sounded out coaches. That’s what the rumours are, that’s what we’ve heard.

“And I wonder whether he thinks he’s not going to get it so therefore he is perhaps protecting himself and wants to get his other job back.

“I don’t know, because it seems a little bit defeatist. ‘They need a winning coach’, I mean, look at the two teams who have just won international tournaments.

“Spain didn’t have a guy who had won trophies before, certainly not in league football, Lee Carlsey has won [the European Championship with England U21s].

“So he has won a trophy, but he’s talking about club sides. I wonder whether they have been sounding out people and he’s found out and he just doesn’t believe he is going to get the job.”

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He clearly fits the criteria outlined by the FA when they advertised the post in July.

It said the governing body wants a manager with “significant experience of English football, with a strong track record delivering results in the Premier League and/or leading international competitions” as well as someone “experienced in successfully identifying, managing and developing English-qualified players”.

When asked about his future on Sunday, Guardiola said on Italian TV show Che Tempo Che Fa: “Leaving City? It’s not true, I haven’t decided yet. And it is not even true that I will be the next England coach. If I had decided I would say it… I don’t know either, anything can happen.”

City want Guardiola to stay at the club into his tenth season, and him spending time with City chairman and friend Khaldoon Al-Mubarak during the international break offers hope of that, given the City chief persuaded Guardiola to extend his contract at the end of the 2020/2021 season when all signs pointed to his departure.

The report claims that ‘out of respect to City, he [Guardiola] wants to give them clarity on his future as early as possible so they have enough time to sound out a potential replacement if he leaves’.