Brendan Rodgers favourite to be named next England boss
Friday 25 March 2016 11:51, UK
Former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers leads the Sky Bet market to be named the next England manager.
There is no indication current England manager Roy Hodgson is set to leave his post, in fact he's open to extending his contract after it expires following Euro 2016 this summer.
But, when Hodgson does depart, Sky Bet believe Rodgers is the man most likely to replace him.
The Northern Irishman, who is as short as 4/1, would become only the third non-Englishman to take charge of the national team, following Sven Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello. After Rodgers, two home-grown managers, Gary Neville and Alan Pardew, find themselves second and third favourites.
Neville's first taste of management may not be going exactly to plan in Spain, but the Valencia boss, who currently assists Hodgson as part of the England coaching staff, is priced at 8/1. He's been backed by Hodgson for the top job in the past, although Neville has since distanced himself from the role.
A number of Premier League bosses head the list after Neville, including Crystal Palace's Pardew (9/1), Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino (10/1) and Bournemouth's Eddie Howe (10/1).
Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho (10/1), who was linked with the England job following the departure of Steve McClaren in 2007, is currently unemployed and the bookies feel he could be tempted.
But should the FA decide to look further down the footballing ladder, there's a few Championship managers to choose from. Burnley's Sean Dyche (33/1) has done a fantastic job with his side in the promotion hunt, while former Derby manager Paul Clement (33/1), Hull City's Steve Bruce (40/1) and Birmingham City's Gary Rowett (33/1) also get name-checks.
Then you get to some of the longer shots. Luiz Felipe Scolari (50/1) may have flopped at Stamford Bridge, but he's a World Cup winner with Brazil. Could the Guangzhou Evergrande manager be persuaded to leave the comforts of the Chinese Super League for St George's Park one day?
Sir Alex Ferguson is the most successful manager in Premier League history after a trophy-laden spell at Man Utd - but would the FA really try and tempt the Scot back into the dugout? At 100/1, it seems unlikely.
If not Fergie, then one of his successors at Old Trafford, Louis van Gaal (100/1), certainly has the international track record after guiding the Netherlands to third place at the 2014 World Cup.
Looking back at English contenders - what about Tim Sherwood? Admittedly, the former Aston Villa and Tottenham boss doesn't have the CV to match some of the managerial giants named above, but the three-cap England international is a shorter price (66/1) than many former England heroes, including Alan Shearer (80/1), Frank Lampard (100/1), John Terry (100/1) and Steven Gerrard (100/1).
Next England manager (source: Sky Bet)
- Brendan Rodgers - 4/1
- Gary Neville - 8/1
- Alan Pardew - 9/1
- Mauricio Pochettino - 10/1
- Eddie Howe - 10/1
- Jose Mourinho 10/1
- Tony Pulis - 50/1
- David Beckham 66/1
- Tim Sherwood - 66/1
- Sir Alex Ferguson - 100/1
