Widespread reports on Tuesday evening indicated that former Chelsea and Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel had reached an agreement to manage the Three Lions.
Interim manager Lee Carsley has overseen three wins and a defeat following his appointment in August and is set to remain in charge for England’s Nations League double-header against Greece and the Republic of Ireland next month.
The FA began their search for England’s next manager back in July when Gareth Southgate handed in his resignation in the wake of the side’s runners-up finish at Euro 2024.
Pep Guardiola, considered by many to be the finest head coach in world football, has been sounded out by the FA. However, the Spaniard is expected to extend his stay with Manchester City for a further 12 months.
English coaches Graham Potter, Frank Lampard and Howe have also been linked throughout the summer – but Shearer has it on good authority that the Newcastle boss was never even contacted.
‘It’s happened so quickly. We said the other day that there was perhaps a reason that Lee Carsley was ruling himself out because that’s probably what he did,’ the ex-Newcastle and England striker said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
‘Maybe you [Gary Lineker] were right in saying that he knew something that we all didn’t know.
‘I really hope that they have spoken to English managers.
‘I’m told that they didn’t speak to Eddie Howe or they didn’t sound him out, I’m reliably told, which is a big surprise for me considering he would be the outstanding English candidate.’
Shearer has no problem with a German becoming manager of the national side in Tuchel, as long as he was the ‘outstanding’ candidate for the position.
Asked if he is happy with a German taking charge, Shearer replied: ‘If he’s then outstanding candidate then yeah! If he’s the only one.
‘But it would be a little bit of a concern that what’s the pathway for English coaches? If they’ve brought this centre along that we thought and they want to promote English coaches then the outstanding candidate [would be Howe].
‘I’m happy in a way because Newcastle aren’t going to losing their manager and he’s an outstanding manager.
‘He would have been the main English candidate, for me, and for me to know that he hasn’t even been sounded out is very surprising.’
Howe replaced Steve Bruce as Newcastle manager in November 2021 and steered the club to 11th place in the Premier League in his first season at the helm.
Newcastle secured Champions League qualification by finishing fourth the following season, with Howe also guiding the Magpies to the final of the Carabao Cup, where they were beaten by Manchester United.
The 46-year-old found himself under some pressure last term but the Toon finished seventh after winning six in ten at the back-end of the campaign.
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