Roy Hodgson is set to start talks with the Football Association on Monday and expected to be appointed England manager within days.
The FA says the West Brom manager, 64, is the only person it has approached about succeeding Fabio Capello.
He has already spoken with FA chairman David Bernstein and will meet with the four-man panel.
He said he would "be delighted" to manage England in a BBC Sport interview before the FA's approach.
Hodgson has extensive international experience, having managed Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and Finland, and domestic teams in Sweden, Italy and England.
Bernstein said: "Roy is the only manager we have approached and we remain on course to make an appointment within the timescale we set out".
The four-man panel which will decide who takes over from Capello are Bernstein, FA general secretary Alex Horne, FA director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking and managing director of Club England Adrian Bevington.
Bernstein approached West Brom on Saturday and was given permission to speak to Hodgson, who is likely to be appointed on a long-term basis.
It is expected any contract will cover the three tournaments up to and including Euro 2016, at which point he will be two months short of his 69th birthday.
Hodgson's contract with West Brom ends on 30 June.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp had been heavily linked with the job ever since Capello left the post in February, but the FA has decided to discuss the position with Hodgson, who has previous international experience from his time in charge of Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and Finland.
In total, he has managed 18 teams either at domestic or international level, including two spells as Inter Milan boss.
Former FA chief executive Mark Palios does not believe the talks with Hodgson necessarily rule out a move for Redknapp. He said the FA is "under pressure" to do something about the vacant job with Euro 2012 a matter of weeks away.
"Hodgson is a candidate they would naturally speak to," he told the BBC.
"West Bromwich Albion's season is settled and they are now safe. But this doesn't mean to say there aren't other people they would approach."
Hodgson, who had a disappointing time at Liverpool last season, has steered West Brom to mid-table in the Premier League.
And Albion chairman Jeremy Peace remains hopeful he will stay on at the Hawthorns.
Peace said: "Roy has done a fantastic job over the past 15 months and the fact the FA wants to discuss the England role with him is testament to that.
"Roy is a proud Englishman and we can understand why he wants to speak to the FA about this highly prestigious managerial position.
"However, we have emphasised to Roy how much we would like him to remain as our head coach and continue his major contribution to our project at the Hawthorns as we look to establish ourselves as a Premier League club.
"Everyone here has an excellent working relationship with him and he is immensely popular with our supporters."
England have two fixtures before their Euro 2012 opener against France on 11 June, with friendlies planned against Norway on 26 May and Belgium on 2 June.
Stuart Pearce - who is in charge of both the England Under-21 squad and the Team GB Olympic set-up - is currently in temporary control of the national side and oversaw a 3-2 friendly defeat by the Netherlands at Wembley last month.
Pearce said he would be prepared to lead the team into Euro 2012 and stated earlier this week that he could name the squad on or around 10 May if no new manager was in place by that date.
West Brom end their Premier League campaign against Arsenal on 13 May.
—BBC Sport
