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Jurgen Klopp has been tipped by Gary Lineker to succeed Gareth Southgate should the England manager depart after the crushing Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.
The former Liverpool manager is currently out of work after walking away from Anfield to take a break from management.
The German was approached by the United States ahead of a World Cup on home soil in 2026, with Gregg Berhalter dismissed after a group stage exit from the Copa America, but quickly rebuffed the opportunity for talks.
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And now Lineker, in the immediate aftermath of the Three Lions’ 2-1 loss in Berlin, has floated Klopp as a successor to Southgate.
“I'm fairly convinced [Southgate will leave],” Lineker said on the The Rest Is Football podcast. “That's my point [that the game has tactically moved on].
“The right person to bring the nation together and now maybe it's time for somebody else with a more modern, attacking style of football. I think the game has gone away from being successful if you're defensive.
“Do you go English? There's only really Eddie Howe. Say Gareth does call it a day? I suspect he will, it must be so tough, demanding, so hard.
“If you English, we mentioned, somebody maybe like Lampard, who would get respect. But wouldn't you go all out for Jurgen Klopp?”
Co-host Micah Richards responded with another potential candidate: “I’d go one bigger, Pep [Guardiola]!”
“We'd all love Pep,” Lineker said in response. “But Klopp is out of a job and would have had a bit of a rest.
“Club managers are paid an awful lot of money, I can't see the FA stumping up that sort of cash.”
