Luke Edwards, a Newcastle correspondent for The Daily Telegraph, has analysed Eddie Howe's next career move, with Manchester United and the England national team considered as potential managerial opportunities. Howe is in need of a well-deserved break from the pressures of management, but his impressive track record makes him a strong candidate for top managerial positions in football.

Howe is not short of offers. He achieved remarkable success at Bournemouth, taking the club from League Two to the Premier League. In his first season at St James' Park, he saved Newcastle from relegation, then led them to the Champions League twice and won the EFL Cup in 2025 – the club's first major trophy in 70 years.

The Premier League returns on 10 January, bringing the "managerial merry-go-round" closer. Club owners, sporting directors, and chief executives will seriously consider replacing their managers if their teams start the season poorly.

The Telegraph has explored Howe's potential options and which roles might appeal to him.

Eddie Howe genuinely wants a proper break.

If you ask Howe what he plans to do next, the answer is straightforward. He is not thinking about football at all right now, is not considering new jobs, and currently has no plans to return to management. Multiple sources close to the 48-year-old manager have confirmed this to Telegraph Sport.

In fact, after an emotional departure from Newcastle in July, Howe told me he needs not just a break from the club but a complete break from football altogether. He wants to spend more time with his family, feeling he owes his three sons more time than he has given them. To this day, his feelings remain unchanged.

To understand his reluctance to return to football quickly, one must grasp what he has endured recently. Shortly after winning the EFL Cup in March 2025, he was hospitalised in April of the same year. This took a significant physical and mental toll, and he has not had enough time to recover. He has told friends he is currently working to improve his fitness.

Meanwhile, other matters are equally important to him. His three sons are aged between 7 and 15. He took over Newcastle nearly five years ago. Once committed to a role, he becomes completely absorbed in it – that is his work style – and he does not want to change that.

However, this dedication comes at a cost to family life. Right now, he wants to be fully present for his children during their crucial developmental years. He intends to spend this time with his wife, Vicki, and their sons, which is his top priority.

After leaving Bournemouth, he stayed away from football for over a year before returning to manage Newcastle in November 2021. This time, his break may not last as long, but an extended sabbatical cannot be ruled out.

In January 2009, at age 31, Howe took over Bournemouth, becoming the youngest manager in the English football league system at the time. He has had a long and successful managerial career. His desire for rest is genuine, and he is said to be living a stable and content life at present.

Only the right job will tempt him

Howe's team understands that his name will be linked with every vacant position in the Premier League this season. They know why, but he will not return to management just for the sake of it, nor will he accept an offer from a club he considers beneath Newcastle's level. Why is that? Howe is arguably the best English manager of his generation. He led Bournemouth to three promotions and kept them competitive in the Premier League; he then transformed Newcastle from relegation-battlers into a club competing in the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in their history.

More importantly, he achieved something at Newcastle that neither Kevin Keegan nor Sir Bobby Robson could: he ended one of English football's most famous trophy droughts. In four years, he took the club to two domestic cup finals and three EFL Cup semi-finals. Regardless of anything else, he is Newcastle's most successful manager in the modern era.

With such a track record, he will not deliberately take over a struggling club fighting relegation. If a club's budget is insufficient to challenge for trophies, such an offer will not appeal to him either.

This is bad news for mid-table and lower Premier League clubs like Crystal Palace and Fulham. No matter how attractive the contract terms or salary, it will be difficult to persuade Howe to cut short his break.

Would managing abroad appeal to him? It is a possibility, but it would still need to meet the standards mentioned above. And at this stage, he would be unlikely to want his young family to go through such a major upheaval.

What would be the right job?

Currently, Howe would probably say he will not return to club management unless the right opportunity comes along. He does not need to work for money; his career has been hugely successful. Even if he moved into media commentary, lucrative offers would pour in; without a sufficiently appealing project, he does not feel pressured to return.

However, completely walking away from management is unrealistic, and he knows deep down he will eventually return. He simply wants time to rest, recharge, and wait for an offer that reignites his passion.

He has always managed Newcastle and Bournemouth to perform above expectations. What could Howe achieve if he joined a club with greater financial resources or equivalent backing?

Many of England's top clubs are currently underperforming. Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United have all recently appointed new permanent managers. These clubs are giving Xabi Alonso, Roberto De Zerbi, and Ruben Amorim time and support to restore their teams to their former glory. There are currently no signs these clubs are considering managerial changes.

But if results deteriorate further down the line, Howe's name will enter discussions about managerial changes. That time has not come yet, and there is no guarantee Howe will be ready to return to football this season. Only an extremely attractive offer will bring him back to club football.

The England job

This role would suit him perfectly.

The Football Association (FA) has previously considered Howe. When Southgate resigned, the FA intended to interview him, but Howe made clear at that time he did not want to leave Newcastle, making the interview pointless.

Taking the England job at that point would have been too soon for him. Howe felt he would miss the daily interaction with players. At that stage of his career, international matches were too infrequent and sporadic.

However, circumstances change, and Howe has not hidden his ambition to become England manager one day. He views this role as the greatest honour an Englishman can achieve, and he is certainly the leading candidate among domestic options.

When Manchester United sacked Erik ten Hag, Ashworth wanted to hire Howe, but the proposal was rejected. Other senior figures at Old Trafford insisted Amorim was the better choice, and Ashworth's tenure as Manchester United's sporting director ended shortly after.

Unless Tuchel's team collapses before Euro 2028, the England manager position will not become available until then. The German manager signed a new contract before the World Cup, initially expected to lead the team at the Euros held at home.

But with his desire for an extended break from football, Howe may now be more interested in the England job than he was previously. If he chooses to wait for this opportunity, it could be a good arrangement for all parties involved.

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