Rooney reveals his pick for England's next permanent boss

Wayne Rooney has named his pick for England's next permanent boss - and he's aiming for the stars. 

Lee Carsley has been unveiled as the national team's interim boss following Gareth Southgate's resignation last month. 

The England Under-21s boss will take charge of Nations League matches against Ireland and Finland in September. 

Southgate got the permanent job in 2016 after four interim games and it is a huge opportunity for Carsley to prove he has what it takes.

But Manchester United legend Rooney, speaking before Carsley was announced as the temporary steerer of England's fate, revealed his desire to see another man in the hot seat.

'I think England now have to strive for the best managers and obviously Pep would be great the way he gets teams playing.

'But I think Lee Carsley deserves his opportunity. I played with Lee at Everton when we were both younger and he's a very good person, but I think he's a really good coach. 

'He's done really well with the 21s, similar to Gareth's pathway, who went from the 21s to the first team. 

'So I think he deserves his opportunity and if he does well, you never know, maybe you're looking at the next England manager.' 

Carsley has limited experience managing senior teams but has done brilliantly with the Under-21s, winning last summer's European Championship. He has won 23 of 29 matches in charge of the team.

The former Premier League star was born in Birmingham but racked up 40 appearances for the Republic of Ireland.

England's FA have revealed that the call to appoint him on an interim basis could see him continue throughout the autumn. 

The likes of Harvey Elliott and Rico Lewis have spoken glowingly about the 50-year-old over the summer, while Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon has said he is the best manager he’s ever worked under.

FA technical director John McDermott fought hard to keep Carsley in the wake of the European Championship success amid clubs in England, and the Republic of Ireland, attempting to lure him away from England set-up.

Carsley met with FAI executives last year but opted to stay put and has been rewarded with a chance to impress as No 1.

‘It’s an honour to step up and lead this England squad on an interim basis,’ he said. ‘As I am very familiar with the players and the cycle of international football, it makes sense for me to guide the team while the FA continues the process to recruit a new manager.

‘My main priority is to ensure continuity and our goal is to secure promotion in the UEFA Nations League.’ 

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham added: ‘Lee is a fantastic coach who is well known to the majority of our current senior squad having worked with most at international or club level.

‘He offers us a very strong interim solution and we are confident he will perform well in the UEFA Nations League games ahead. We are grateful to Lee for stepping up to manage the team while we continue with our recruitment process.’