Was this Lee Carsley's England manager job interview after all?

When the Football Association first announced that Lee Carsley was to serve as interim England manager for their Nations League campaign, comparisons were understandably drawn with his predecessor’s ultimate ascent to the full-time role.

As would eventually come to light, it was never his job to really apply for, never mind lose, hence being happy to admit he hadn't even bothered to send in his CV.

In an odd way, though, everything that was said, written and assumed remains perfectly accurate.

Carsley’s successful six-game spell, which ended with a thumping 5-0 win over the Republic of the Ireland to secure an automatic return to the top tier of the Nations League, reads like a checklist of illustrative examples for why he indeed is the perfect man to lead England forward.

After the 2026 World Cup.

"It's given the staff and myself the confidence that we can do the job," said Carsley, when asked if he now has ambitions to be a senior international coach.

"I think that was a big thing, you always doubt yourself, whether you can do it or not. We often speak about there being a lot of England managers sat in the house, picking the team and picking the squad.

"To have the responsibility to do that, and the trust from my bosses, has been a massive boost of confidence."

That doesn't sound like a man about to pitch up at the Coventry Building Society Arena for a season of Championship toil; if you've backed him to be the next Sky Blues manager, probably time to cash out.

Everything that happened during Carsley's period in interim charge has helped bolster an already justifiable claim for the role.

Perversely, even the spate of withdrawals for the final round of key fixtures worked to the advantage of the man who will soon return to his day job as Under-21s boss.

Despite such a decimated squad, Carsley insisted on leaving Harry Kane on the bench in Greece to both show he has a plan for life after England’s greatest striker, and that he is capable of having uncomfortable conversations with established star players.

He then oversaw a team who delivered a game plan rid of the shortcomings that saw them shocked by the same opponents a month earlier; even in that defeat, Carsley showed the kind of boldness in selection that Gareth Southgate was so criticised for lacking.

And when Taylor Harwood-Bellis stepped off the bench against Ireland, he became the eighth different player to make his debut under England's interim manager, and the fourth to score their first senior international goal.

When a fully-fit squad is available for Thomas Tuchel, it feels highly unlikely Kane won’t be his focal point, while many of the new caps will return to the role of second, third or even fourth fiddle. But should the German - or the FA - decide at the end his 18-month contract that that's enough, his temporary predecessor will have more than prepared the ground to pick up where he left off.

Large swathes remain true should the unthinkable happen and renowned short-termist Tuchel stays beyond his initial deal, he should then simply be grateful Carsley started the transition period on his behalf.

What feels difficult to imagine is that Lee Carsley is not the next, next England manager.

If that should happen, it won’t be convenience, it won’t be the safe option, but in many ways it will have been inevitable.

And maybe this really was a job interview all along. Just not for the job we all thought.

Well at least not yet.

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