In January 2006 Sven-Goran Eriksson said he will leave the post of England football manager after the World Cup 2006. On 4 May 2006 the FA announced that Steve McLaren would be his successor as England manager with a four year contract from 1 August 2006.

                                 
                             Sven-Goran Eriksson with Steve McLaren at an England match

See the history of the appointment of England manager for Euro 2008 below (the latest news is at the bottom of the page).

As at the end of March 2006 the favourites for the next manager of the England football team were:

Martin O'Neill (ex Celtic manager)
Alan Curbishley (Charlton Manager)
Sam Allardyce (Bolton manager)
Guus Hiddink (Australia and PSV Eindhoven manager)
Stuart Pearce (Man City manager)
Steve McLaren (Middlesboro manager and part of England coaching team)
Luiz Felipe Scolari (Portugal manager, also managed Brazil to win the World Cup 2002)
Peter Taylor (Under 21 England manager).

The FA have already started the recruitment process for the next England manager and want to appoint the manager before the World Cup 2006.
 

                                                            
On 5 April 2006 the FA had decided on a shortlist of candidates for the England managers job ahead of formal interviews. This list has not been published but it is understood to be:

Martin O'Neill (ex Celtic manager)
Steve McLaren (Middlesboro manager and part of England coaching team)
Alan Curbishley (Charlton Manager)
Sam Allardyce (Bolton manager)
Luiz Felipe Scolari (Portugal manager, also managed Brazil to win the World Cup 2002)

O'Neill is the 11/8 favourite with the bookmakers as at 8 April 2006, followed by McLaren at 2/1, then Curbishley at 9/4, then Allardyce at 7/1, then Scolari at 20/1.

On 23 April 2006 it was reported that the the choice of manager was between Steve McLaren and Luiz Felipe Scolari. McLaren had become favourite after getting Middlesboro to the UEFA cup and FA cup semi-finals but Scolari's international experience has kept him in the frame too.

On 25 April 2006 Luis Felipe Scolari's representatives said that Scolari will not take the England managers job if it is offered to him before the World Cup which would mean postponing the decision until July 2006. Scolari will be Portugal's manager for the World Cup 2006.

On 27 April 2006 the media reported that Luiz Felipe Scolari has been offered the job of the next England manager and that the FA chief executive, Brian Barwick, is in Lisbon to discuss the details with him. Scolari apparently has a verbal agreement with the Portuguese football federation not to commit to a future job until the World Cup is over so he can concentrate fully on the Portuguese football team. The FA would therefore also be trying to get the Portuguese football federation to waive this agreement. When Brian Barwick returned to England, however, he said that he has interviewed Scolari as part of the ongoing process of selecting an England manager.

On 28 April 2006, Scolari said he had an informal chat with the FA with the Portuguese football federation's consent but that the coach has still not been chosen. He said there are four or five names and in 7 or 15 days it will all be settled. That afternoon Scolari said he no longer wanted to be considered for the England job due to the recent intrusion into his life from the English media. He said that there were 20 reporters outside his home, his life was invaded and his privacy was totally under siege. Scolari now wants to stay in charge of Portugal after the World Cup 2006 finishes. The FA said they "will now reflect on his announcement before making any further comment as we move forward with the process".

The FA will meet on Thursday 4 May 2006 where it is widely believed that they will approve the appointment of  Steve McLaren as the next England manager after the World Cup 2006.

On 4 May 2006 the FA announced that Steve McLaren would be the next England manager with a four year contract starting on 1 August 2006. The FA chief executive, Brian Barwick, said that Scolari was never offered the job and that McLaren was his first choice and the FA board's unanimous choice. McLaren will be working with Eriksson as part of the coaching team in the World Cup 2006 before becoming the England manager.