Rio Ferdinand says the Football Association should be targeting Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho as possible successors to Gareth Southgate as England manager.
Klopp is stepping down as Liverpool boss at the end of the season and has said that he intends to take a break from management after being worn out by the Anfield job.
Mourinho left his post as Roma manager earlier this month and is currently out of work, but has made no mention of retirement or staying out of football for a period of time.
Neither the German nor the Portuguese has managed a national team in the past, but obviously both have had great success in the Premier League and abroad.
Southgate is expected to step down as England manager after this summer’s European Championship and Ferdinand says the FA should be already plotting a move for either Klopp or Mourinho.
‘If I’m England, I’m talking to [Jurgen] Klopp now,’ Ferdinand said on FIVE. ‘If I’m Klopp, I’m looking at the England squad and thinking I can win the World Cup. England or Barcelona [as options for Klopp].
‘The FA have to go and get Klopp or Jose Mourinho. If I’m the FA, I’m going to them two guys and say whoever wants it, you go in the ring, have a fight about it and come back to us.’
The former Manchester United defender reckons current Three Lions boss Southgate is in a very fortunate position to be in charge of such a talented group of players and someone like Klopp would be keen to have the same opportunity.
‘Gareth Southgate is lucky, lucky man,’ said Ferdinand. ‘He’s earned the right but it’s a lucky place to be in this era, this generation with what he’s got at his disposal.
‘He’s got Jude Bellingham who’s carrying the Bernabeu on his back at the moment. [Phil] Foden, [Bukayo] Saka, [Harry] Kane, [John] Stones. Declan Rice.’
In Klopp’s shock announcement that he is stepping down at Liverpool, he suggested he may never manage again and confirmed that he certainly won’t for at least a year, but of course, things can change.
‘If you ask me now if I will ever manage again, I would say no,’ Klopp said last week. ‘But you don’t know obviously as I’ve never had this situation. But I do know definitely I will never manage a different club in England than Liverpool. It is impossible.
‘I will find something else to do. But I will not manage a club or country for at least a year.’
MORE : Jurgen Klopp responds to Virgil van Dijk interview opening the door to Liverpool exit
MORE : Jurgen Klopp provides Mohamed Salah injury update as Liverpool face Chelsea and Arsenal
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