Former Three Lions midfielder Darren Anderton believes Gareth Southgate will be ‘remembered as a success’ despite all the negativity currently surrounding the end to his time in the England dugout, Soccernet.football reports.
Southgate confirmed on Tuesday that he would be stepping down from his role as England manager, following the Three Lions’ 2-1 defeat to Spain at the 2024 European Championships final.
Since taking charge in 2016, the 53-year-old has led the English national team to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, as well as back-to-back Euros finals, becoming the first manager to lose two European Championship showpiece matches.
However, Anderton, who shared the pitch with Southgate in England colours at the 1996 European Championships does not believe that unwanted feat will tarnish his legacy.
“I feel that he’s done a great job and as he said, time for a change,” Anderton told Stats Perform.
“People always say it’s the hardest job in the world and he’s had a right go at it and been very close to creating history, but he has great history.
“I mean, two finals and that’s what he’ll be remembered for. I mean at the moment I think everyone’s very negative about it but I think you know as time goes on he’ll be remembered as a legend.”
“I think it’ll be a success,” Anderton said when asked how Southgate will be remembered.
“The fact that we haven’t done because you know possibly the manner of football that we’ve played is obviously really disappointing.
“When you watch that Spanish team play and win seven games on the bounce and play with that freedom, I think if we had played in the same way, I think that we would have seen better performances and probably had more chance of winning the tournament.
“That criticism is fair but also the expectation has obviously gone up because of what Gareth’s teams have achieved. When that happens, you know, you go into the tournaments, you’re favourites, that wasn’t the case before he came.
“We were in a really awful position. Eight years ago, if we go into a tournament, and we think we’re going to get to a final or a semi-final World Cup, no one cares how we play.
“I think now the expectation has changed based on what he has achieved, and people want more. And that’s just the nature of the beast.”
The FA are now in search of Southgate’s replacement with the likes of Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino said to be the early targets, though England Under-21s boss Lee Carsley could also be in the picture.