Football

Ex-Premier League striker says Steven Gerrard could replace Gareth Southgate as England boss

October 24, 2022 12:03 pm

Former Premier League striker Darren Bent believes Steven Gerrard could be a candidate to take over from Gareth Southgate as England manager.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Bent said he would not be shocked to see the former Liverpool man succeed the current England manager due to his background and indeed the policies in place at the Football Association (FA).

Gerrard was sacked as Aston Villa manager last week after a 3-0 defeat to Fulham, which left the club sitting 17th in the table. Villa have since climbed to 14th after thrashing Brentford 4-0 on Sunday.

Despite Gerrard losing his job at club level, ex-Aston Villa striker Bent believes he will be one of the candidates to replace Southgate at England if and when the day eventually arrives.

Southgate signed a contract extension with the Three Lions in November last year, with that contract expected to keep him in the job until the end of 2024. But that deal is largely dependent on the success of England at the 2022 World Cup.

The manager is currently under pressure, with England now without a win in their last six matches. It is also unknown what Southgate’s exact plans are for after the tournament, which gets underway in under a month.

Gerrard “could certainly” be a candidate

Bent says Gerrard’s experience of playing for his nation, along with the tendency of the FA to choose a certain type of profile, could make the ex-Liverpool man a candidate for the job.

Gerrard made 114 appearances for his country from 2000 to 2014, with those caps placing him fourth in the all-time list behind Peter Shilton (125), Wayne Rooney (120), and David Beckham (115).

The former Liverpool midfielder is now without a job after his recent sacking, and Bent, who made 13 appearances for England, can certainly see Gerrard being an option for the FA.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if he was one of the candidates for the England job next,” said ex-England international Bent. “I’m not saying that he should get it, but you know what the FA are like. They like people who have been in the system before.

“He’s obviously played for England and he’s very much a company man, isn’t he? It wouldn’t surprise me. I just think that he could be one, certainly.”

Gerrard

Who joins Gerrard on the list of potential candidates?

Gerrard’s former England teammate Frank Lampard has also been rumoured with the job to succeed Southgate. But he is currently in the hot seat at Goodison Park with Everton.

The names of Graham Potter, Eddie Howe and Brendan Rodgers have also been mentioned. All three are, of course, currently managing Premier League clubs.

Former Premier League bosses Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel have also been linked with the England managerial job in recent times. Like Gerrard, the pair are currently without a job. Both have been rumoured with a return to club management in England.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be Southgate’s third major tournament in charge of England. He took the country to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, and the final of Euro 2020.

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