Frank Lampard won’t be considered for England managerial role if Gareth Southgate resigns
Frank Lampard will not be considered by FA bosses if Gareth Southgate resigns as England manager, with the Everton manager deemed “not good enough”, according to the Daily Star.
Southgate is still deciding on his England future after the Three Lions’ World Cup quarter-final exit to France in Qatar but is contracted till after Euro 2024.
FA Chief Mark Bullingham is reportedly desperate to keep the 52-year-old on but is looking at other English managers in case his worst fears are realised.
The Daily Star shut down any chance of Toffees boss Lampard being named on a shortlist of candidates.
The report said: “Bullingham is keen to appoint another Englishman – but knows the pool of talent is shallow. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have been deemed not good enough, while Graham Potter took charge of Chelsea in September and is unavailable.”
Too early
If Southgate were to resign the opportunity has surely come too early in Lampard’s managerial career.
After decent if never inspiring spells at Derby County and Chelsea, the Englishman needs to rebuild his stock at the club level before taking on the reigns of a national team.
At Everton, the 44-year-old is loved by fans and players alike and has a real project on his hands – and one which can help his credibility as a top manager in the game.
Lampard does have the bonus of past tournament football experience to call upon if he were offered the job, but whether he could gel the team together is another problem entirely.
During his spell playing for England, the ‘golden generation’ were constantly at loggerheads due to their club allegiances, and whether he could wipe this from his mind and refresh the England national team in the ilk of Southgate is yet to be known.