Jamie Carragher calls out presenter Richard Keys in racism row over England manager's job
Former Liverpool defender turned broadcaster Jamie Carragher has called TV presenter Richard Keys a 'sad, desperate man' after being accused of 'borderline racism’ in a Twitter spat over the England manager job.
Gareth Southgate is considering his future following England’s exit from the World Cup at the weekend, with the FA reportedly open to a foreign coach taking the helm.
In response, Carragher wrote on Twitter: “The England manager should always be English!”
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Replying to a news report on Carragher's comment, Keys, the former Sky Sports presenter who now works for Qatar-based beINsports, replied: “What sort of nonsense is this? It borders on racism.
"The England coach should be the best person available. England should not hide behind closed borders and minds.”
Carragher retweeted Keys’s broadside, before weighing in with: “I hope you send similar tweets to a lot of journalist who have the same opinion, or is it because I work for Sky!”
He added: “You are a sad desperate man @richardajkeys Ps love the blogs."
Southgate, 52, has a contract as England coach until the European Championship in 2024 but said he needed time “to make the correct decisions” before committing to the role.
He added: “Emotionally you go through so many different feelings. The energy it takes through these tournaments is enormous.
“I want to make the right decision, whatever that is for the team, for England, for the FA. I’ve got to be sure whatever decision I make is the right one.
“I think it’s right to take time to do that because I know in the past my feelings have fluctuated in the immediate aftermath of tournaments.”
Southgate, who led England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and Euro 2020 final, has been in charge since 2016.
Former England coach Fabio Capello said that Southgate should stay if he has the players' backing.
"He's done a good job and created a really good team, a young team," the Italian told Sky Sports.
"He has to decide to stay or leave. This is his problem. If you are sure that the players follow, you have to stay. If you think the players are not with you, then you have to leave.
"This is my idea. Southgate can decide freely, though."
Sven-Goran Eriksson was England's first foreign manager when he took the role from 2001 to 2006. He led England to the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 and 2006 World Cup, reaching the quarter-finals at each tournament. The Swede had a 59.7 win ratio from 67 games.
Meanwhile, Capello had a 66.7% win rate ratio from 42 games, but England only reached the last 16 at the 2010 World Cup under his tenure.
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