The Football Association will consider appointing Brendan Rodgers as the new England boss if Gareth Southgate decides to quit following their exit from the World Cup.
England crashed of the tournament in Qatar after a heartbreaking 2-1 quarter-final defeat against France on Saturday evening. Goals from Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud were enough to send Les Bleus into the last four as Harry Kane scored one penalty, but blazed another over the crossbar.
In the aftermath of the Three Lions exit, it is understood Southgate is considering his future as the England boss. He is taking time out to reflect on his side's efforts at the World Cup and evaluate what's next. The 51-year-old revealed is "conflicted" about his future, having "found large parts of the last 18 months difficult" after failing to win Euro 2020 or the World Cup.
Now, as first reported by the Daily Star, Leicester boss Rodgers is a top candidate should Southgate decide to walk away from his post. The Northern Irishman has a good track record when it comes to working with young talent and came close to winning the title with Liverpool back in 2014.
Rodgers most recently won a major trophy in the 2020/21 season when he guided Leicester to the FA Cup - with the Foxes defeating Chelsea in the final at Wembley. He has also led the Foxes to back-to-back top five finishes in the top-flight - something no Leicester manager has done in the club's history.
Before taking the Foxes job in February 2019, Rodgers was the Celtic boss and he won a number of trophies during his time in Glasgow. He lifted two Scottish Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups and three Scottish League Cups, proving he is a serial winner when it comes to winning big-game matches, such as finals.
Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have been deemed not yet good enough for the role, while Graham Potter took charge of Chelsea in September and is unavailable. Eddie Howe is someone the FA are interested in, but there is little chance of him walking out on Newcastle now the club is one of the richest in the world and expected to challenge for trophies in the coming seasons.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham is keen to appoint another Englishman if Southgate decides to quit - but knows the pool of talent is shallow. As such, Rodgers is likely to be one of the chief names in the frame.
