Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino are among the leading candidates to replace Gareth Southgate after he stepped down as England manager, sources have told ESPN.

England under-21 boss Lee Carsley and former Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel would also be considered as Southgate ended his eight-year tenure following Sunday's Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.

ESPN was among a number of outlets to report last week that the Football Association (FA) are keen on Southgate staying on through to the 2026 World Cup regardless of the outcome in Berlin.

Southgate almost left his post after the World Cup in Qatar after facing intense personal criticism during this summer's tournament in Germany.

Despite guiding England to back-to-back Euros finals -- and their first-ever on foreign soil -- Southgate's team were booed off twice during the group stage and the 53-year-old had beer cups thrown at him after their 0-0 draw against Slovenia.

Given the FA's stance on Southgate, the position has not been discussed with any candidate but they place great emphasis on the importance of St George's Park providing a pathway for players and coaches and would therefore prefer an English candidate if possible.

Howe steered Newcastle into the Champions League for the first time in 20 years with a top-four finish in 2022-23, while sources have told ESPN that Potter has long been on the FA's radar, dating back to before he took the Chelsea job in September 2022.

However, the FA are not opposed to appointing a manager born overseas -- Sarina Wiegman, born in the Netherlands, has spent the last four years coaching England women -- and Pochettino is available after leaving Chelsea at the end of last season.

It is potentially significant that one of the key figures in any search for a successor to Southgate will be FA technical director John McDermott, with sources telling ESPN that he remains close to Pochettino having worked together during the Argentine's five-and-a-half years in charge of Tottenham.

Carsley is another possible homegrown candidate. The role would be considered a big step up for the 50-year-old given he has only managed at youth-team level aside from brief caretaker roles at Coventry City, Brentford and Birmingham City, but Southgate stepped up from managing the U21s in 2016.

Tuchel remains fond of English football and has a strong coaching pedigree given his Champions League success at Chelsea plus spells in charge of Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund.

Jürgen Klopp is an intriguing alternative, although he left Liverpool at the end of last season citing the need to take a break from the game and suggested it was possible he may never manage again.

Klopp stated at the time he would definitely never take another club job in England but mentioned nothing about the national team. ESPN has reported that Klopp has been contacted by United States Soccer as a possible candidate to replace Gregg Berhalter, but a move was unlikely.