If Gareth Southgate decides to stand down, England will allegedly contemplate an offer for Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers.
The Three Lions were eliminated from the 2022 World Cup after a sad 2-1 loss to current holders France in the quarter-finals on Saturday, and Southgate has been tight-lipped on his future as head coach.
“I think whenever I conclude these tournaments, I’ve needed time to make good decisions,” the 52-year-old stated to reporters after the game.
“Emotionally you go through so many different feelings. The energy taken through these tournaments is enormous. I want to make the right decision, whatever that is for the team, for England, for the FA.
“I’ve got to be sure whatever decision I make is the right one. I think it’s right to take time to do that because I know in the past my feelings have fluctuated in the immediate aftermath of tournaments.”
Southgate, who is under contract until the end of 2024, has won 49 of his 81 games as England manager and has led the Three Lions to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, the Euro 2020 final, and the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals during his six-year tenure.
According to the Daily Star, he is set to resign down as manager and will advise FA chief executive Mark Bullingham of his decision during a meeting in the New Year.
According to the article, Bullingham is desperate to keep Southgate as England’s manager and aims to pay the Watford-born manager a large wage increase to entice him to stay.
Southgate is claimed to be convinced by a job offer in the United States from either the national team or a Major League Soccer club, and if he decides to leave England, the FA is said to have chosen Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers as a potential replacement.
Bullingham had been interested in hiring an English manager, but Steven Gerrard, who is presently out of job after being fired by Aston Villa, and Everton’s Frank Lampard have been regarded as ‘not good enough at this stage of their careers, while Graham Potter has only recently taken over at Chelsea.
Eddie Howe is another name on the FA’s radar, but they are aware of the project he is now working on a Champions League aspirant Newcastle United and recognize that luring him away from St James’ Park would be difficult.
As a result, the FA must consider Northern Irishman Rodgers for the England job, despite the fact that the 49-year-old is under contract at the King Power Stadium until the summer of 2025.
Rodgers, who has built a reputation for working with young players, has been in charge at Leicester since 2019 and was linked with the sack earlier this season following Leicester’s poor start to their Premier League campaign.
However, the Foxes have since turned their fortunes around and won four of their last five league matches before the World Cup break to move them up to 13th place in the table, four points clear of the relegation zone.
Rodgers led Leicester to the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2021, as well as the Europa Conference League semi-finals last season.
Rodgers previously led Celtic, where he won seven major championships in three seasons. He has also managed Liverpool, Swansea City, Watford, and Reading during his 14-year coaching career.
The FA is also said to be willing to hire a manager from outside the country, with names like Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino said to be on their shortlist.
