Gareth Southgate insists the future is bright for England as the __football Association attempts to move on from the embarrassing episode of Sam Allardyce's early departure.
The former central defender will oversee his country's next four matches in a temporary role after stepping up from managing the Under-21 side.
Allardyce left his dream job on Tuesday after just one match and 67 days at the helm following the emergence of secretly-filmed video footage which showed him making a number of controversial remarks.
Southgate is now tasked with restoring some stability, starting with the World Cup qualifier against Malta at Wembley on October 8, followed by matches against Slovenia, Scotland and a friendly with Spain.
"It's obviously been a difficult situation for the FA but it was important that there was some stability and continuity for everybody," Southgate said in a statement released by the FA.
"So, from my point of view, it was important to step forward and give us the best possible chance to win these games.
"The focus now has to be on playing football, putting in good performances and getting results, starting with Malta at Wembley.
"These are four big games for us as a country, I'm looking forward to the challenge and I'm confident that we can get good results. We have an excellent group of players and the future is certainly bright for this England team."