FA ‘are open to appointing foreign manager’ as England boss Gareth Southgate considers future after World Cup exit

THE FA are open to appointing a foreign England manager if Gareth Southgate decides to walk away, according to reports.

The Three Lions produced an impress display in their World Cup quarter-final with France on Saturday, but ultimately came up short in a 2-1 defeat.

After the match, Southgate, who has been in charge since 2016, insisted he needed time to consider his future following the Qatar exit.

His comments have left many speculating about his possible departure – with talks set to take place in the coming weeks.

The FA are extremely keen for Southgate to lead the national team into Euro 2024.

But if that plan is scuppered, The Mail understand they would be willing to consider appointing a non-English head coach.

Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is the bookies’ favourite to succeed Southgate, with ex-Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel also linked.

That is because the two English coaches widely regarded as the current best – Eddie Howe and Graham Potter – are at the beginning of building something at Newcastle and Chelsea respectively.

Other homegrown candidates such as Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard remain somewhat unproven as top level managers.

Nottingham Forest’s Welsh boss Steve Cooper and Leicester’s Northern Irish head coach Brendan Rodgers are both named as potential bosses to take over from Southgate.

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However, it is believed that the likes of Pochettino, Tuchel and Rodgers would have to take a pay cut should they be appointed England manager.

Southgate is on around £6million, less than the three well-known club coaches would expect to earn.

And the FA are keen to tighten the purse strings after losing £300m during the pandemic.

That could mean they stick with an Englishman, with SunSport reporting on Sunday that the FA are keen to do so.

England have only ever appointed two foreign managers in their history.

Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson took over in 2001 and was in charge for five years – reaching the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup, 2004 European Championships and 2006 World Cup.

Italian Fabio Capello then succeeded him, but only managed to reach the last-16 of the 2010 World Cup.