When Graham Potter became the latest leading man to be cast in a certain Stamford Bridge-based soap opera, Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe soared to the top of the betting market to become the next England manager.
Quizzed just days later as to whether the biggest gig in English football appealed to him, the Magpies chief was unequivocal in his response as he moved swiftly to allay any fears he would jump ship after less than a year on Tyneside.
"Gareth has done an incredible job - I mean that from the bottom of my heart," Howe told reporters. "I'd never say never. I'd never say ‘no, it won’t be something I am interested in’. But, in the short term, [being England manager] is not on my radar at all.
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"I have always said I love the day-to-day coaching, love being with the players on the training ground. International football, you get that taken away for long periods. At this moment in my life that is not something I want to do."
Despite his denials, Howe remains prominent among the runners and riders for the Three Lions position should it become available, with Gareth Southgate's future hanging in the balance following England's heartbreaking quarter-final defeat to France on Saturday.
However, as Howe said back in September, it doesn't feel like the right time for him to leave the hustle and bustle of club football. Often at the training ground before the sun has even risen, the Newcastle chief has dived head first into life as Newcastle manager over the last 12 months with many long days spent bunkered at the club's Benton base.
That hard work behind the scenes has inspired Newcastle's meteoric rise up the Premier League table, with Howe's reputation growing at the same speed as the club he manages. There is a feeling he would be mad to leave the Magpies at this stage, with so much positivity around the city.
There is also the small matter of his age. Despite being in the management game for what feels like a lifetime, Howe is only 45 and still has the vigour to be out on the training pitch each and every day, as opposed to two or three weeks of the year.
The England job is a role often occupied by coaches at the business end of their career in any case. Roy Hodgson landed the gig at the age of 64, Fabio Capello and Sam Allardyce were both 61 when appointed and Sven-Goran Eriksson was 52 when he became the first foreign boss to hold the position. Time remains on his side.
It does feel inevitable that one day Howe will be offered the position. The way the former Bournemouth chief presents himself to the media and acquires the respect of his players feels similar to Southgate methods.
He is a positive, fearless and ambitious figurehead to have representing your brand. If Howe is telling his Newcastle players they can beat any team in the Premier League, you better believe he'd instil a similar type of confidence into a talent-laden England squad at a major tournament.
However, for now the focus is rightly on Newcastle. Third in the Premier League, giving it a good go in the cups and yet to really face any periods of panic, Howe has earned up a significant amount of credit with the St James' Park faithful and the wider footballing world.
Howe's short stint in the north east so far has done his wonders for the club and his own personal ambitions later in life. It feels like a shot at the big job will come once he has decided his work with Newcastle is done.
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