Piers Morgan admits he was proved wrong by Gareth Southgate (Image: Getty)
Piers Morgan believes England would be destined for major tournament success if Jurgen Klopp steps in to replace Gareth Southgate. The Three Lions hotseat is available for the first time in eight years, with Southgate resigning after Sunday's Euro 2024 final defeat.
The former England defender took charge of the national team in 2016 and led them to a World Cup semi-final, a World Cup quarter-final and two consecutive European Championship finals.
But the 2-1 defeat to Spain in Berlin proved to be his final act, as England fell agonisingly short of ending their 58-year wait for a major trophy.
Morgan has admitted that Southgate proved him 'spectacularly wrong' after criticising his appointment eight years ago, but the Arsenal fan is also adamant that a manager like Klopp would have ended England's silverware duck.
"For all his ‘safe-pair-of-hands’ positives, the problem with Gareth, ironically, is that he’s just too safe," Morgan wrote in The Sun. "This very talented squad of players should have been ordered to play with far more attacking flair through this tournament, as Spain did.
"Put someone like Jurgen Klopp or Alex Ferguson in charge of these guys, managers with a love of rampaging flamboyance and with in-built desire to entertain, and we’d have won it just as we’d have won the last Euros too."
England would have won Euro 2024 if Jurgen Klopp was in charge, according to Piers Morgan (Image: Getty)
Morgan also reminisced about a private chat he and Southgate had at an awards ceremony in 2017. Back then, Morgan told the England boss: "You realise that unless you win a trophy, you’ll be mocked, abused, deemed a failure and unceremoniously sacked."
Southgate responded: "I do, yes Piers... thanks for reminding me, though!" Sure enough, the 53-year-old was forced to shoulder much of the blame for England's latest disappointment despite his impressive tournament record.
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Southgate offered his resignation on Tuesday despite the FA wishing to extend his contract. Klopp is on the market, having left Liverpool at the end of last season, but he recently rebuffed an approach to take over the USA's national team.
And his plan to take a year-long sabbatical could block England bringing in the highly-decorated German. Eddie Howe, Lee Carsley, Mauricio Pochettino and Graham Potter are among the other leading names in the frame to pick up from where Southgate left off.
