Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth has revealed that Eddie Howe does not have any type of clause in his contract that would allow England to muscle in for his services.
Howe has already stated that the England job may not be the right time for him in any case, but he is admired greatly by the FA and was on the shortlist of bosses when the job last became available. As things stand Gareth Southgate remains in the job and is contracted to beyond the next European Championships in 2024.
But things can change quickly in the England hotseat and a poor World Cup could lead to public demand for change.
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When asked his views on England coming for Howe Ashworth told Chronicle Live: "From a club point of view I would like to think we have done everything we can with Eddie and his staff. We have given Eddie and his staff a long-term deal.
"So we have shown our support to him and how much we think of him. We have tried to give him the right tools, whether that is facilities or player recruitment.
"Whether it is enhancing some of the departments we spoke about earlier, we have just given him all the support we can. That includes the fans! Obviously, I work closely with Eddie and I speak to him every day."
Newcastle are currently in a European position going into the clash away to Manchester United and Ashworth said: "Things are in a good place and I would sincerely hope and be confident he'd stay. But I can't speak for Eddie and I can't speak for the FA about whether Gareth stays until 2024 or whether there will be a vacancy or whether Gareth stays beyond that.
"Whether there is vacancy or whether Eddie is on their list. I can't speak for that. All we can do is control the controllables and make sure Eddie gets the support around him that gives him every chance of succeeding."
Crucially, Ashworth confirmed there is no England release clause in Howe's extended contract. Howe was thought to have an escape clause in his deal at AFC Bournemouth which allowed him to join top six clubs.
Ashworth said: "No. We have done everything we can from a contractual point of view that you'd do for a manager coaching staff to protect the club as much as we can."
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