Danny Mills insists close pal Gareth Southgate could walk away from the England job after the Three Lions' World Cup heartbreak.
Southgate has hinted that he could step down following the quarter-final exit at the hands of France. Southgate is under contract until 2024 but recent comments have suggested that he could step back from the role having been at the helm since 2016.
His former England and Middlesbrough teammate Mills has been in regular contact with the 52-year-old before, during and now after the tournament in Qatar.
Mills, speaking on behalf of 888sport exclusively to Mirror Football , said: “I’ve spoken to him, I’ve been speaking to him across the tournament.
“We’ve been good friends for some time now. He’s okay with it [England’s defeat] at the moment. Clearly, he’s obviously very, very disappointed. He knows that it was a great opportunity. He won’t listen to all the noise that’s going on.
“I think the nature of the beast and the way England is - the scrutiny that you’re under. Being booed at Wembley after being on a fantastic run and then you make some changes, you lose some games and you get booed by your own fans and then the pressure and the scrutiny you come into in this, I think he seriously will consider his future.”
Despite admitting that Southgate is questioning his position, Mills has revealed that the England boss was always going to evaluate his future no matter what the Three Lions achieved in Qatar.
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He continued: “I know he was considering what he might do after this tournament before the tournament. This is almost irrespective of what’s happened in this tournament.
“This is what he will have been thinking about anyhow and I genuinely think it’s a 50/50 decision over whether he stays or decides to have a break.”
A number of names have already been linked with the post including out of work pair Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino. But Mills believes England would be best served in letting their current boss continue rather than appointing a new man.
"I think it’s very, very difficult because international management is about covering up your deficiencies in a very short space of time because if you’re missing a right-back, you can’t go and buy one,” Mills said.
“You get what you’re given. You have to juggle that, make them fit and get the best out of them as best you possibly can.
“That’s why a lot of managers don’t particularly like that. Gone are the days of Sir Alex Ferguson where you sit in a room and let your assistant do the day to day coaching, that’s now what Guardiola and Klopp does and these younger generations of managers do.
“It’s hard to be an international manager.
"People say Gareth Southgate needs to go - absolute nonsense in my opinion - who do you put in? Who would have done a better job?"
Danny Mills, was speaking on behalf of 888sport. Head to 888sport for the latest sporting odds.
