England fans in the United States have made their feelings about Andy Burnham known in clips going viral on social media. Burnham is expected to replace Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister and will be hoping to turn around his party’s fortunes.

Starmer’s approval rating currently stands at around minus 46, having fallen as low as minus 57 with YouGov in January. Protests and large sporting events have often been soundtracked to chants of “Keir Starmer’s a w***er,” with his record levels of unpopularity leading to a local election drubbing and his eventual ousting as PM. However if football fan Burnham was hoping for a “new manager bounce”, he could be left disappointed as viral videos show little let up for the Labour leadership regardless of incumbent.

In viral videos from bars ahead of England’s second group game against Ghana, fans could be heard chanting “Andy Burnham’s a w***er”.

The former Greater Manchester mayor will begin to set out his policy platform by pledging economic growth and committing himself to Labour’s existing fiscal rules in a speech next week.

He is widely seen as a prime minister-in-waiting following his Makerfield by-election win and his main rival, former health secretary Wes Streeting, backing him to succeed Sir Keir, who announced his resignation on Monday.

The prospect of a potential leadership bid by Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones also appeared to be diminishing on Tuesday as sources close to the minister said he was highly unlikely to stand.

Mr Jones, a key Starmer ally, is said to want assurances about Mr Burnham’s economic policy amid concerns among some about potential unease in the markets, but allies said he was not minded to run against him.

Mr Burnham, who only returned to the Commons as the new MP for Makerfield on Monday, could be in Downing Street within weeks if a challenger does not emerge.

Talks are also said to be taking place about who will sit in his Cabinet, with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood both tipped as potential candidates to replace Rachel Reeves as Chancellor.

The Chancellor’s successor would be bound by the rules she set, which aim to restrict borrowing and pay for day-to-day spending out of tax revenues by the end of the decade.

But Mr Burnham’s allies said no jobs had been given and no deals had been made as of Monday evening.

If he is the only candidate to receive the support needed to stand in the contest for the vacant Labour leadership, he could become prime minister as early as July 17.