Jamie Carragher insists there is ONE main candidate that should replace Gareth Southgate after he stepped down as England manager after Euro 2024 heartbreak

Jamie Carragher says Eddie Howe is the 'standout candidate' to replace Gareth Southgate as the new England manager. 

Southgate resigned as the England manager after the Three Lions' crushing 2-1 defeat by Spain in Sunday's Euro 2024 final.

The 53-year-old boss was under contract until December but decided to step back from the role after nearly eight years in charge. 

The FA had been keen for him to stay, but Southgate announced on Tuesday that it was 'time for change, and for a new chapter'.

Therefore, the FA will now begin their search for a new manager - with Carragher stating Howe is the 'front-runner by a distance'. 

In his column with The Telegraph, Carragher said the Newcastle manager 'ticks every box' and that he would be perfect for the role. 

He wrote: 'Eddie Howe has the pedigree as a club manager. He did fantastically well at Bournemouth and has done a great job at St James' Park. 

'His sides play front-foot, attacking football. Like Southgate, he would be a safe pair of hands dealing with the media - a great ambassador for the country.'

Carragher went on to add: 'Young players will respond to Eddie Howe as he has proved a good man-manager.

'Every box is ticked, with the biggest issue being whether an aspiring coach with ambitions to win trophies at Newcastle and challenge himself in the Champions League wants to walk away from a brilliant job and passionate fanbase.

'Howe has said he sees the England job as his ultimate ambition so the emotional pull is there. He is also intelligent enough to know the uniqueness of the challenge.'

However, Carragher says the problem for the FA will be whether Howe considers it the right time in his career to leave Newcastle. 

Meanwhile, Newcastle chiefs have vowed that they will fight to keep Howe, if England want him as their next manager.

Chief executive Darren Eales has revealed that Howe signed a new contract last summer - we understand it was an ‘amendment’ to his existing, long-term deal.

He says he has not spoken to the 46-year-old about England and expects him to be in charge at the start of the season.   

Asked if the club would ‘fight to keep’ Howe in the event of an approach, Eales said: ‘Yes, absolutely. To take a club that was in 19th to 11th at the end of the first season and then into a Champions League spot the following season, it is phenomenal.

‘I’ve had the blessing to work with Eddie and see day to day that man-management - on the grass, he is very hands on. He’s a great developer of players. He gets the psyche of the club and Newcastle and the fans. We’ve seen that with the way the team and the supporters have that affinity.

‘For us, he is exactly the right man for the project we are on and that is why we are committed to a long-term deal with him. That’s why we think he’s the right man for Newcastle. This is the coach we want to lead the club for the future. He's committed to the club in the work that he's done and what he's shown, and we're obviously committed to him. We love him.’

Were the club covered in terms of compensation in the new contract?

’It’s a multi-year deal and in those circumstances, like any employee from us, there will have to be compensation paid,’ he said. ‘We’re not looking to release Eddie for all the reasons I’ve spoken about.

‘Everything we’re doing – Paul (Mitchell) coming in (sporting director), James (Bunce), the performance director - in terms of how we talk about strengthening the squad, dealing with PSR, making sure with a lot of dialogue from Eddie we’re retaining that core squad that we need to go forwards and kick on – that’s what we’re looking to do and we’re hoping with Eddie we’ve got a coach for the long-term who can lead us onto great things.’