Gareth Southgate joins list of caretaker managers who answered England SOS calls
Joe Mercer, Howard Wilkinson, Kevin Keegan, Peter Taylor and Stuart Pearce all came to Three Lions rescue
It's a job he may have taken reluctantly judging by his wish not to be considered for the job full-time in the aftermath of Roy Hodgson's demise after the Euros.
Now Sam Allarydyce has sensationally come and gone...leaving Under 21 boss Southgate to fill the breach until the next permanent appointment.
Here SunSport recalls England's five previous caretaker managers:
JOE MERCER
THE former Manchester City and Coventry manager was at the helm for seven matches following Sir Alf Ramsey's failure to qualify for the 1974 World Cup.
Mercer, who previously had spells at Sheffield United and Aston Villa, guided England to success in the Home Nations Championship, before the Football Association hired Don Revie from Leeds.
HOWARD WILKINSON
WILKINSON won the old First Division title with Leeds in 1992 before it became the Premier League.
He was technical director with the FA when he took charge of a friendly against France following the sacking of Glenn Hoddle in 1999.
England were beaten 2-0 by the world champions at Wembley. The veteran coach was again asked to step in during October 2000 after Kevin Keegan resigned, this time for a World Cup qualifier against Finland in Helsinki, which ended in a goalless draw.
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KEVIN KEEGAN
KEEGAN was appointed England caretaker in February 1999, while still trying to get Fulham back to the top flight. After England had beaten Poland 3-1 at Wembley and drawn 1-1 away to Hungary in a friendly, Keegan took permanent charge in May 1999.
PETER TAYLOR
NEWCASTLE refused permission for Sir Bobby Robson to step back into the England hotseat and Taylor, a successful Under 21 coach was appointed part-time caretaker manager at the end of October 2000. Taylor's only match in charge was the friendly away to Italy, where a youth England side captained by David Beckham lost 1-0.
STUART PEARCE
THERE is always a crisis when a caretaker manager is appointed, and Pearce's arival was no different.
He filled a gap following the departure of Fabio Capello in February 2012 in the wake of captain John Terry being stripped of the captaincy by the FA.
Pearce had been part of the Italian's backroom staff as well as working with the Under 21s and Team GB, but his only match in charge was a 3-2 friendly defeat against Holland at Wembley before Roy Hodgson's arrival.
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