Sarina Wiegman could be Southgate’s successor as England men’s manager

Wiegman has reached four out of a possible four finals as an international manager

Wigeman has been hugely successful in the women's game and has taken the Lionesses to the final of the women's World Cup where they will face Spain on Sunday - 12 months after they won the 2022 European Championships on home soil.

The former Netherlands coach is under contract until 2025 and has been linked with taking over the USWNT following Vlatko Andonovsk's decision to step down in the aftermath of their round of 16 exit.

Her work with the England women's national team since taking the job in 2021 has seriously impressed the FA with chief executive Mark Bullingham saying Wiegman "could do anything she wants in football" while admitting that he would also consider her for the men's role when Southgate moves on.

"People always say it is the best man for the job or the best Englishman. Why does it have to be a man?" Bullingham said.

"I think our answer is always: 'it's the best person for the job.' We think Sarina is doing a great job and hope she continues doing it for a long time. I think Sarina could do anything she wants in football.

"If at some point in the future she decides she wants to move into the men's game, that would be a really interesting discussion, but that's for her, right?

"I don't think we should view it as a step up. If she decides at some point in the future to go in a different direction, I think she's perfectly capable of that.

"It's the best person for the job, if that best person is a woman, then why not? You analyse the pool for any job at that particular time and do I think there's a really strong diverse pool of both men and women for any big national job?

"No, I think the talent pool is small for both actually. But I don't like the mindset that it has to be a man."

Southgate's contract expires at the end of Euro 2024 but the Three Lions boss admitted that he considered walking away after England's World Cup quarter final exit in Qatar last winter.

Other names who have been linked with taking the national job in the past include Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and even Frank Lampard.

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