England interim manager Lee Carsley said he has not made a formal application to become their permanent boss and added that he felt privileged to be given the opportunity to manage the senior side.
Having managed England under-21s since 2021 and leading them to the European U21 Championship title last year, Carsley is overseeing England’s September Nations League fixtures with a view to staying on throughout the autumn as they search for a full-time successor to Gareth Southgate.
While the 50-year-old started his stint with a comfortable 2-0 win over Ireland in the Nations League, followed by another 2-0 victory against Finland, Carsley met his first wave of criticism after England slipped to a shock 2-1 loss to Greece at Wembley on Thursday.
“I didn’t formally apply for it,” Carsley told talkSPORT on Saturday. “Because I’ve been with the U21s.
“I’m really happy doing my job, but I’m an employee of the Football Association (FA), and I was asked to take the senior team, which is a privilege; it was the proudest moment of my career so far.
“Really honoured with the chance to manage the senior team, I’m in a really fortunate position, I’m on the inside and I can see how much potential this team’s got.
“I’ve said all along, it’s one of the best jobs in world football, there’s not many jobs where you’ve got a chance of winning, I believe the coach that comes in has got a really good chance of winning and we deserve the best one that’s out there.”
England, second in Group F of their Nations League with six points from three matches, face Finland later on Sunday.