Rio Ferdinand at odds with Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher on Thomas Tuchel appointment

Rio Ferdinand has defended the Football Association over the , declaring it a masterstroke.

The former defender has rubbised the notion that the Three Lions should solely look for an English coach. Ferdinand simply wants the best in charge of the team to focus on chasing success at the World Cup in 2026.

to be named Gareth Southgate's successor and to the position during the FA's process.

“He becomes the third foreign manager, after Sven-Goran Eriksson – God rest his soul – and Fabio Capello, both managers I played under," said Ferdinand. "And I think that’s quite a contentious issue for some England fans.

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"Not all, but a lot of them. I see people saying ‘the FA should be patriotic, we should have an English manager, there are so many good young ones waiting…’ Graham Potter, I keep seeing his name mentioned in there. You want the best to do it. I don’t care, right. If we win a World Cup or a Euros, I’m going to save the articles people are writing, because they’ll be the ones screaming and celebrating and they won’t be talking about having a German managing us. Because if he wins it, it’s immortal.”

Ferdinand believes Tuchel has the tools to equip England to finally end their trophy drought. The former Three Lions stars is even going as far to predict success under the ex-Chelsea manager.

"I think the way he plays, aggressive, on the front foot, tactically has the nous and especially in tournament football – he gets his teams through to the finals and win – so I think we’ve got as good a chance to win a tournament as ever now,” he said. “I’m going to go as far to say that Thomas Tuchel will win England a tournament in his time as England manager.

“I’m putting it out there now, because I don’t think there’s too much to add to the ingredients. We’re getting to finals. How much more is there to add to the ingredients or melting pot? , the only thing he might have been lacking was the understanding or the ability to win.

“You could talk about the playing style being a bit more loose and not as conservative maybe. That might have been the thing that held us back. I don’t think I’m going to be saying that about Thomas Tuchel. I hope that means we go on to win, because then the FA look like they’ve pulled a masterstroke.”

Not everyone is quite as convinced however. is one figure whose comments may be being saved by Ferdinand.

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Ex-Manchester United captain Neville is frustrated with the appointment and what it signifies for the England set-up. The pundit was complimentary of Tuchel's talents but less convinced over the process that has seen him earn the job.

Neville told : "It doesn't feel like a strategic decision it feels like an instinctive one off the back of what's happened in the last two weeks. Thomas Tuchel has been available for months, there was no need to appoint an interim if they wanted him. This to me smacks of it being a recent decision.

"I don't think Thomas Tuchel should be in any way, shape or form questioned in a difficult way this afternoon when he sits in the press conference because I think that he's a great coach, he's taken a job with a group of talented players and I think everybody in our country including myself will wish him all the best and hope we can get over the line and win a trophy, but I think there are some serious questions for the FA to answer in respect of English coaching.

"I do think we are damaging ourselves accepting Thomas Tuchel is better, he is better than any of the other English coaches. But with the English coaches that have managed in the upper echelons of the league with Eddie Howe at and Graham Potter."

too may find Ferdinand relaying his comments back to him should England find success. The legend would also have preferred an English manager to be handed the role, and was less convinced of his time under Sven Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

Carragher said earlier this year: "I'm not a believer in foreign managers managing England. It's nothing against foreigners - what foreign managers and players have done to the is amazing. "It's basically made what our league is today which is the envy of the . But we're not an emerging nation, we're England and I know we've only won one trophy but other countries on our level - Italy, Spain, Germany - they don't have foreign managers. We don't need a foreign manager, we've done it before."

“I was involved in those times under Sven [Goran-Eriksson] and Fabio Capello – it wasn’t great. Not a patch on what Gareth Southgate’s done.

“He had no pedigree in management before getting the job and I think that tells you in itself that it’s not about going and getting the best manager in club football. Club football is completely different."

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