Joe Cole has emerged as a surprise candidate to replace Aidy Boothrooyd as England under 21s manager.
The former Chelsea, Liverpool and England winger had been working at his former club as an academy coach before stepping down from his role last year.
According to reports in the Sun, Cole, 39, is among the names being considered for the role following a disastrous Under 21 European Championship campaign.
Having made his debut for England’s senior squad aged just 19 in 2001, Cole went on 56 appearances for his country over the next decade.
He also scored ten times for his country and was part of the squad for four tournaments.
Boothroyd, who has overseen various England youth teams since 2014, looks set to leave his role following the failure in Hungary and Slovenia.
His side exited the competition following defeats against Switzerland and Portugal, and although they managed to win their final group game against Croatia, conceding a last minute consolation saw them finish bottom.
Following the exit, Boothroyd faced further criticism for claiming the job was ‘impossible’ as his remit wasn't to win things but to nurture players for the senior level.
“The England U21 team is the utterly impossible job. It’s not possible to win at all levels,” he said.
“Part of the reason we haven’t won this for 37 years is [that the U21s’ role is] to get players to the first team.”
Cole’s former Chelsea teammate Frank Lampard is also being linked to the role following his departure from Stamford Bridge earlier this season.
Another name being suggested for the role is Mark Warburton but the QPR boss moved to play down the link.
“It’s always flattering to be linked,” he told West London Sport . “But I’m QPR manager, one of 27-30 names linked to the job, and I wish Aidy the very best.”
