‘Absolutely not’: TalkSPORT pundit says Eddie Howe should ignore England to stay at Newcastle

Once again Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has had his name in the frame for the England job if/when Gareth Southgate steps down.

Last night Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent were discussing the next England manager on TalkSPORT with Goldstein posing the question if Gareth Southgate leads the side to victory at Euro 2028, should he stay on, and if not who steps in?

One caller said that Pep Guardiola would be ideal, while the next, a Manchester City fan, issued a hands-off warning about Pep and suggested Newcastle boss Eddie Howe would be the ideal candidate.

This sparked a debate in the studio with Bent suggesting that if he were Eddie Howe he'd stay put and Goldstein trying to argue that any success he could have with England would be bigger and better than what he'd do at club level.

Serena Taylor via Getty Images

“If I’m Eddie Howe I’m not leaving Newcastle for the England job, absolutely not. Eddie Howe might leave Newcastle, go to England and it not work out. Give me a Champions League side in the Premier League. I’m not leaving. Big club, massive cheque book.

“If he does well at Newcastle, stays at Newcastle for the next ten years, does really well, wins trophies with them because they’re more than capable of that.

Said Bent, but Goldstein wasn't having it, interrupting with:

“One Euros is better than anything he can do at club level.”

Unsurprisingly I'm with Darren Bent here, mostly as I don't want to lose Eddie Howe while he continues to be so mint, but also, I, like many others, prefer club football to international. I'd much rather see Newcastle lift a trophy than England - not that I don't want England to do well in competitions, I just don't have that same attachment.

That likely comes from the fact that you choose your club, you're born into a country so you tend to back them by default. Also, club football is a lot more regular and as such you build up a bigger attachment.

So in summary, Andy Goldstein knows nowt and Darren Bent is spot on.

Eddie, stay where you are, mate. There's still so much to be done.