At least one Manchester United player is expecting Gareth Southgate to replace Erik ten Hag as manager this summer, according to former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer.
Ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford looks far from certain as United slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Arsenal on Sunday and are now in danger of missing out on European football next season.
Several managers have already been linked with a move to United this summer, including Thomas Tuchel, who is set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
However, McAteer claims he spoke with one member of United’s squad last week who believes the club’s new ownership will make a move for Southgate once England’s Euro 2024 campaign is over.
‘I won’t name names because I don’t want to say who he is but he plays for Man United and I had a conversation with him on Friday, I bumped into him because I live just outside the area,’ McAteer said on beIN Sports.
‘We got into conversation, great lad, and I asked him about the end of the season and what he thought and he gave me no inclination that the manager was there to stay.
‘In fact, we spoke about different names and who we thought will be a good fit and I got no inclination from him.’
When asked how the player reacted when Tuchel’s name was mentioned, McAteer replied: ‘Smile, but it wasn’t the name.’
Asked if Jose Mourinho was mentioned, McAteer replied: ‘No.’
Gareth Southgate was the next manager put forward to which McAteer replied: ‘Yeah, that was the name.’
McAteer then added: ‘Footballers have an inclination when the manager’s job is on the line and it goes around the camp, obviously they know don’t they, and I just got the feeling that it’s done, it’s done.’
Meanwhile, Gary Neville believes Ten Hag should be given one more season at United.
‘I don’t see a suitable replacement for Ten Hag available,’ Neville told Sky Sports.
‘Bayern Munich are struggling to find a replacement, others are struggling. I think we need to stick with Ten Hag and give him one more season – an injury-free season – to see if United can get back to the standards of last season where they won a trophy and finished in the top four.
‘Players and managers have struggled to come to terms with Old Trafford in the last 10 years. These players and managers were great when United signed them, so there is something fundamentally wrong that is creating this difficulty. Maybe the new ownership and personnel will allow these players and manager to feel more stable.
‘As sure as the sun will rise, Manchester United will start to win again.
‘When that is, I don’t know. It can be no guarantee, but I know that these things go in cycles.’
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