Gary Lineker and Micah Richards name pundit who could succeed Gareth Southgate as England boss after they were left mesmerised by his analysis at Euro 2024

Gary Lineker and Micah Richards have expressed their admiration of one pundit at Euro 2024 and backed him to succeed Gareth Southgate as England boss.

The Three Lions dramatically reached the semi-finals of the tournament on Saturday after edging past Switzerland 5-3 on penalties. 

Despite significant criticism about their performances, England are now just two games away from winning their first trophy since the 1966 World Cup, with Southgate bringing up 100 matches in charge of his country on Saturday. 

Whatever happens, it is widely expected the 53-year-old - who has won 60 of his matches in the dugout and transformed the mood around the national team - will depart in the aftermath of the tournament.

And Richards and Lineker, who were covering the Switzerland game for the BBC, claimed Frank Lampard could be the man to succeed him after being left impressed by his work alongside them at the tournament.

'You know what I really enjoyed about tonight's game,' Richards told The Rest Is Football podcast.

'Frank's analysis pre-game. We normally have around a minute and a half, two minutes maximum if it's really something detailed, but Frank's analysis was about three minutes and I was glued to it.

'You can tell he's got something. He's articulate, the way he explains points and you can tell there's a manger there inside of him.'

Since retiring from playing in 2016, Lampard has coached Derby County, Chelsea (twice) and Everton.

After leading Derby to the Championship play-off final in his first season in management, he initially impressed at Chelsea during a period in which the club were under a transfer embargo, before he was sacked midway through his second season in charge.

He then moved onto Everton, who he saved from relegation, before he was again dismissed following less than year in the role, with Lampard returning for a dismal 11-game stint as caretaker Chelsea boss at the end of last season where he won just once.

However, Lineker - who echoed Richards' positive views about Lampard's punditry - went on to point out that he felt the former midfielder had untapped credentials in the dugout, claiming he was a genuine option to succeed Southgate. 

'I think he's been a bit unlucky in his managerial career in some ways,' Lineker added. 'He gets it tactically and he's Frank Lampard. 

'I think this is Gareth Southgate's last tournament whatever, whether we win it or not. But I wouldn't disregard Frank.

'I think players would respect him immensely. If you're going to go English. Who else? Eddie Howe?'

Richards agreed and went onto highlight the positives from Lampard's managerial career so far.

He said: 'I think when he went to Derby the feeling was he played really good football, and should've got them up. 

'He then went to Chelsea under the transfer embargo, yet still managed top four by bringing young players through like Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount. 

'He went to Everton and kept them up. It wasn't a great style of play but he utilised what he had available. 

'Then when he went back to Chelsea, that was the one where people were judging him on something that they were expecting more. But it can be chaos at Chelsea. 

'I really enjoyed working with him. I've worked with a lot of good people; Roberto Martinez, Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer, Jamie Carragher, and these people are able to explain and break down the game. 

'And that three minutes that Frank did, it was one of the best.'