Anderton: England would have won Euro 2024 under Guardiola

Former England winger Darren Anderton believes the Three Lions would have won the Euros if Pep Guardiola had been in charge.

Following England’s 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, the Football Association (FA) announced on Tuesday that Gareth Southgate had stepped down as manager.

Since then, a host of names have been linked with the vacant job, with Eddie Howe and Graham Potter among the reported frontrunners.

One of the others being linked with the position is Guardiola, who is going into the final year of his contract at Manchester City.

The Spaniard won an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title with the Citizens last season, though conceded at the end of the campaign he was “closer to leaving than staying”.

Guardiola expressed an interest in managing a national team in the past, and Anderton, who represented the Three Lions at Euro 1996, is confident he would bring England success.

“I think the best way to address it is that if Pep managed this squad for this tournament, I think we would have won it, and we would have probably won it pretty comfortably,” Anderton told Stats Perform.

Guardiola’s long-time rival Jurgen Klopp has also been mooted as an option following his departure from Liverpool after nearly nine years at the club.

Reconnected the nation. Built an environment for success. Created memories to last a lifetime.

Thank you, Gareth. pic.twitter.com/NESgEiQZMO

— England (@England) July 16, 2024

Klopp was approached by the United States after they sacked head coach Gregg Berhalter in the wake of a disappointing Copa America campaign, but the German rebuffed that offer as he continues his sabbatical.

However, Anderton thinks Klopp would be a great fit for England.

“We know what he’s all about, he knows what English football’s all about,” Anderton said. “Successful, plays an exciting brand of football.

“I think he gets the best out of players. Players seem to love him, want to play for him. I think he would play a brand of football that we’d be excited by.

“He’s another one that I could totally understand if he were to be offered it. I don’t think you can go wrong at all, apart from just the non-English aspect.”

Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman is another name in the mix, though she has already labelled the links as “inappropriate”.

Wiegman led England’s women to Euros glory in 2022, while also guiding them to their first-ever World Cup final, which they lost to Spain.

Despite the 54-year-old’s success, Anderton admits he would be shocked if the FA chose to appoint her.

“I understand a name being thrown in. I just feel that that wouldn’t work,” Anderton added.

“Obviously, the two games are totally different. She has been incredibly successful, but I just can’t see that happening.

“For me, that would obviously be a huge, huge shock, but she’s obviously done an incredible job and has been a winner. But I feel for me that’s something that I’d be really, really shocked by if it happened.”