Thursday 1 December 2016 16:43, UK
Steve McClaren believes Gareth Southgate is exactly the right man for the England job saying he has "all the credentials you would want" to lead the national side.
McClaren managed Southgate during his five years at Middlesbrough, when they won the League Cup in 2004 and got to the UEFA Cup final, and said he knew even then his club captain had what it takes to master management.
The Derby manager told Sky Sports News HQ: "I think it's the natural path for the FA to go down. I think Dan Ashworth (FA director of elite development) went in a few years ago and has planned for this moment.
"He has been building and guiding and getting English coaches through, working with the FA, with the sole purpose of one of them one day becoming the England manager.
"Gareth has made the progression. He's got the experience, international football is totally different from club football, and Gareth has had more experience with the U21s, qualifying for tournaments and dealing with tournaments. That will be invaluable for the senior team.
"The big test will be in couple of years at the World Cup finals. I wish him luck and I know him very well. He was always a student of the game and gets on well with everybody. He speaks to the players on their level. He had prepared for many years for this and deserves to get this job.
"At Middlesbrough, I always played him at centre-half with the type of player who would attack the ball and he was the brains in behind.
"He leads by example and is a total professional, he's not loud and vocal but quite calm and I think that's essential. He reads the game very well.
"I made him captain. He led the dressing room, was always a leader. He's got all the credentials you would want and he's got a big opportunity now."
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