Exclusive: Parlour backs Howe for England manager role

Former England midfielder Ray Parlour has backed Newcastle boss Eddie Howe to replace Gareth Southgate as England's next permanent manager. 

Interim manager Lee Carsley oversaw a damning 2-1 home defeat to Greece in the Nations League on Thursday - a result which severely dented the former under-21 manager's chances of being handed the job on a permanent basis.

The former Everton man had won his first two games in charge prior to the match at Wembley Stadium and will hope to see his side return to winning ways against Finland in Helsinki on Sunday.

England's final tournament under Southgate saw them reach a consecutive European Championships final, only to eventually suffer a 2-1 loss to eventual champions Spain in Berlin this summer.

Parlour: 'You want the England manager to be English'

Parlour represented his country on ten occasions throughout a playing career which also saw him play for Arsenal, Middlesbrough and Hull City at club level. 

Speaking exclusively to Odds Now prior to the Greece defeat, the 51-year-old backed the current Magpies boss to be England's managerial solution moving forward. 

He said: "It’s a tough one as you want them [the manager] to be English. I have said I like Eddie Howe for the job as he has great experience in the Premier League.

"He has worked with top players, is a top coach, plays good football, speaks well and has all the credentials. He is still Newcastle Manager and doing a good job for them, so unless the FA want to make an approach, this may not be the right time for him."

However, Howe is only fifth-favourite to be the next man to take over the reins at Wembley Stadium, coming in at a best price of 9/1 with Bet365. 

Interim boss remains in poll position to take the job permanently at 2/1, though those odds have drifted significantly since the Greece loss.

'Carsley's attacking football is a plus'

Like his predecessor Southgate, Carsley was appointed interim manager after enjoying success with the England under-21s. 

And despite winning his first two matches in charge of the senior squad, Carsley told the media in the aftermath of the 2-1 defeat to Greece that he intends to return to the youth setup once a permanent manager is announced by the FA.

He said: "My remit has been clear from the start. I'm doing three camps, there's three games left, and then hopefully I'll be going back to the [under] 21s.

"I said at the start I won't rule myself in or out [of becoming England manager permanently] and that's still the case. I'm more than comfortable in my position."

Carsley appears unsure as to whether he wants to remain England boss in the long-term. (Photo credit: Alamy Images)

Prior to the loss to Greece, Parlour praised Carsley for his attacking approach but insisted it was important for him to continue winning matches if he is to put himself in contention.

Parlour said: "Being in the system has obviously helped as he knows a lot of the young players and has been part of the set up. He also knows the experienced players so will have had good relationships with them.

"The quality of opposition so far hasn’t been the best in Europe, so will be good to see how a Lee Carsley England team does against the top ranked sides. But, from what we have seen, his team are playing good attacking football, which we all want to see."

England return to Nations League action at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on Sunday as they look to return to winning ways against Finland. 

The Three Lions remain firm 1/3 favourites to come out on top, despite the shock loss in the week.

Ray Parlour was speaking exclusively to Odds Now via NetBet Online Betting.