The Football Association's chief executive Martin Glenn has admitted that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger would be a 'perfect' choice for the England job.
The Frenchman has been heavily linked with the role this week following Sam Allardyce's dismissal for being caught out by a media sting.
Wenger, who has been at Arsenal for 20 years, has refused to rule out the possibility of him taking the job with the national side and admitted that he is open to the idea "one day".
Asked about Wenger by The Telegraph, Glenn replied: "I am not commenting on that. Of course he'd fit the criteria perfectly. Of course he would, as would a few others."
Bournemouth's Eddie Howe, 38, has also been strongly linked to the post, and Glenn admitted that he would consider appointing a younger boss.
"If you look at the track record of success [among] international managers, they are usually older. That's a fact, but it doesn't mean [our next manager has] to be. They have had an experience in the game and the average age of a successful manager is probably in their 60s... Being English is a benefit; a bonus. But if we are saying he absolutely has to be English then we narrow the field too much."
Gareth Southgate will take temporary charge of the national side for the next four games, starting with the World Cup qualifier against Malta at Wembley next weekend.