The FA are reportedly open to appointing a foreign manager should Gareth Southgate step down from his role as England boss.

Three Lions were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup after suffering a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat against current holders France on Saturday.

Southgate has since remained coy about his future but has admitted that he has had conflicting thoughts, telling reporters: "When I've been through the past few tournaments my emotions have been difficult to really think through properly in those following few weeks.

"I want to make the right decision either way because it has to be the right one to go again, or the right one not to go again and I don't think tonight is the time to make a decision like that. Neither are the next few days really.

"There's lots of things in my head that's really conflicted at the moment, so what I want to make sure, if it's the right thing to say, is that I've definitely got the energy to do that. I don't want to be four, five months down the line thinking I've made the wrong call. It's too important for everybody to get that wrong."

Southgate has a contract until the end of 2024, but his long-term future as England manager is believed to be uncertain and a recent report claimed that he could be tempted by a move to the USA.

The FA are said to want Southgate, who has spent the last six years as England manager, to remain in charge and lead the team into Euro 2024.

However, should the 52-year-old decide to call time on his tenure with the Three Lions, the Evening Standard claims that the FA have not ruled out appointing a foreign coach as his successor.

The FA are aware that there are a lack of standout English candidates available, with Graham Potter having only just joined Chelsea, while Eddie Howe is building a project with high-flying Newcastle United.

Leicester City's Northern Irish manager Brendan Rodgers has been linked with the Three Lions hotseat, while Southgate's assistant Steve Holland is also believed to be under consideration by the FA.

Outside of the UK, former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino and former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel have both been mentioned as potential candidates for the England job.

FA technical director John McDermott will be in charge of recommending a successor to Southgate should he decide to step down, and the former Spurs chief is understood to have a relationship with Pochettino following his time working with the Argentine in North London.

Pochettino, 50, has been out of work since being relieved of his duties at PSG over the summer, while Tuchel, 49, was dismissed by Chelsea in September after 19 months in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Former England and Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has dismissed the idea of a foreign manager succeeding Southgate, posting on Twitter: "The England manager should always be English!"

Southgate has won 49 of his 81 matches as England boss and has led the Three Lions to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, the Euro 2020 final and the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals during his six-year reign.