"It is wiser to step away" - Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher wants Gareth Southgate to leave England job after FIFA World Cup

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has urged England manager Gareth Southgate to step down from his role after the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Southgate, whose current deal expires in December 2024, has recently come under fire for England's six-match winless run ahead of the upcoming quadrennial tournament. The Three Lions have also recently been relegated to the second tier of the UEFA Nations League.

In his column for The Telegraph, Carragher opined about Southgate's future ahead of this month's 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He wrote:

"If I was Gareth Southgate, I would make the Qatar World Cup my swansong as England manager. After his excellence in the job to this point, the least he deserves is to leave on his own terms when he feels the time is right. He is intelligent enough to have sensed a mood shift over the last few months, even if some of the negativity is a joke."

Carragher asserted that Southgate, who has been at the helm of the national team since 2016, is currently under the eye of scrutiny. He added:

"Southgate's problem heading into this year's tournament is an undercurrent of negativity about his approach has taken hold and it is difficult to see how he reverses it without actually winning the World Cup. It is unreasonable to suggest he should change course from the formula that took England so far in their last two competitions."

Sharing his thoughts on Southgate's next steps, he wrote:

"The natural cycle should be for a rethink every four years so a coach builds towards the next World Cup. Unless Southgate has the energy for that, it is wiser to step away. My hope for Qatar is England to again retain interest until the final week to give Southgate the option of leaving the job through the front door with his head held high."

Ranked fifth in the world, the Three Lions have been drawn in Group B alongside the USA, Wales, and Iran. The quadrennial tournament is set to kick off on November 20, with the final on December 18.

England announce 26-man squad for this month's 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

England announced their final 26-man squad for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup on Thursday (10 November). The likes of Jadon Sancho, Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Jarrod Bowen, and James Ward-Prowse failed to receive call-ups for the tournament.

Here is the Three Lions' 2022 FIFA World Cup squad:

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)

Defenders: Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Ben White (Arsenal), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Conor Coady (Everton), Luke Shaw (Manchester United)

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Declan Rice (West Ham United), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Mason Mount (Chelsea), James Maddison (Leicester City), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea)

Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Callum Wilson (Newcastle United)