But sources in and around the England set-up had already started to believe that Carsley did not want the job before the defeat by Greece that prompted criticism of his team selection and tactics.

They claim that the feeling around Carsley towards the job had become more negative in the build-up to the Greece game and that there is a growing belief he wants to continue working on his craft at this stage of his coaching career.

That will come as a major surprise to those who believed the FA had always been working towards promoting Carsley from his job as manager of England’s Under-21s.

Carsley has made it clear that he never felt the job was his to lose or turn down, while the FA has never veered from the fact he was put in interim charge for three international breaks, the last of which is next month’s Nations League games against Greece and Ireland.

In the build-up to Sunday’s game against Finland, which will be his fourth as interim head coach, Carsley said: “The last thing that is important to me in this whole process is me. The reason I believe I have done so well in coaching is because people know that it’s not about me. It’s about the players, it’s about the environment, it’s about the culture. If I do try something different, they can see I’m trying it out of trying to get the best out of the team or the individual rather than myself.

“I don’t see this as an audition. I don’t see it as the biggest chance I have ever had. I see it as a privilege. I see it as an unbelievable responsibility. I have got three more games left. I want to try to make sure that the squad are in a really good position, that we have seen different players play in different positions and we are in a healthy position.”