Rio Ferdinand has hit back at suggestions that England should have an English manager amid Thomas Tuchel’s imminent appointment.
The German is set to be announced as the new England manager on Wednesday with some Three Lions fans frustrated that an Englishman hasn’t been given the job.
The Football Association is expected to hold a press conference where the Champions League-winning former Chelsea boss will be named as Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor.
It emerged on Tuesday the FA had been in advanced talks with the 51-year-old, who is out of work after leaving Bayern Munich last summer, and negotiations progressed rapidly.
The FA has not commented but it has been reported Tuchel has agreed an 18-month contract beginning on January 1.
He will become the third non-Englishman to hold the post full-time after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
And Ferdinand – who played under both Eriksson and Capello – has defended the FA’s decision to appoint a German as the new England manager.
Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel on Tuesday: “I heard there were rumours that they were talking about Pep and wanting to get Pep in but obviously his situation with Man City he’s there, has a contract, makes it difficult.
“Thomas Tuchel becomes the third non-British permanent manager of the England team after Sven-Goran Eriksson, god rest his soul, and Fabio Capello – both managers I played for.
“I think that’s a contentious issues for quite a lot of fans, not all, but a lot of fans, I don’t know how much percentage wise.
“I’ve seen murmurings, I’ve seen articles that are written by people, ‘the FA should be patriotic, we should have an English manager, there are so many good English managers, young ones that are waiting’, Graham Potter, I keep seeing his name put in there.
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“You want the best to do it. I don’t care, I’m one of those guys, if we win a World Cup or a Euros, all those guys who are writing those articles, I’m going to save them, because they’re the guys who will be screaming, waving their legs about, losing their voice, drinking 12 pints after it and celebrating, and they will not be talking about, ‘oh no, we’ve got a German who’s managing us’.
“That will not be the conversation because if he [Tuchel] wins it, it’s immortal.
“This is an opportunity for these guys to become immortal, and this is why I think Thomas Tuchel is licking his lips, this is the chance to put himself above anybody in this country right now, up there along with Sir Alf Ramsey.
“Great names tried, big names, big personalities and characters tried, quality coaches tried, couldn’t deliver. That is the opportunity that is in front of him and I think that’s a wonderful place to be.
“The biggest thing is that I think anybody taking over the reins of this squad is sitting there going, ‘a whisker away from winning two finals and I’m coming in to save the day’. What an opportunity.
“This isn’t like he’s coming into a squad that are on their knees, who are old and past it, he’s coming into a young, vibrant, confident, aggressive squad that are just sitting there going, ‘somebody take our hand and lead us, lead us over the line, somebody lead us to the promised land in an England shirt, we’re getting to the door, we’re knocking but can’t get through’”
