Former England defender Wes Brown has cautioned Jude Bellingham over an alleged angry exchange with Gareth Southgate during the Euro 2024 final. Reports suggest Bellingham 'lost it' when Southgate hesitated to make substitutions around the hour mark, with England trailing Spain.
Speaking on Reach's Euro Thrash podcast, Brown said: 'If that is true, then that is disrespecting the manager a little bit. Players do frustration in different ways. I am sure he is a nice guy and has all the respect for the manager, but if that did happen, that is not a good thing for the team or the manager.'
Brown added that such incidents would need to be discussed internally, but stressed that players generally hold Southgate in high regard. Southgate stepped down as England manager after 102 games, having led the team to two European Championship finals.
Brown also called for the next England manager to have a proven winning record, noting that Southgate had not won major trophies before his tenure. Candidates include Pep Guardiola, Eddie Howe, Lee Carsley, Graham Potter, and Mauricio Pochettino.
Reflecting on England's performance in the final, Brown said: 'We expected more from Foden, Bellingham or Saka. They weren’t creating much... We do these little side passes, we don’t break the lines too often.'
