Jermain Defoe has warned Thomas Tuchel that Gareth Southgate will be a 'hard act to follow' as the German prepares to manage England for the first time.
The former Bayern Munich, Chelsea, PSG and Borussia Dortmund star was appointed back in October and will oversee Friday night's World Cup qualifying match with Albania.
When Southgate took over from Sam Allardyce in 2016, England were in crisis.
They'd underwhelmed at the European Championships that same year, with Iceland eliminating the Three Lions from the tournament with a shock 2-1 win.
Jermain Defoe has warned Thomas Tuchel that Gareth Southgate will be a 'hard act to follow' as the German prepares to manage England for the first time
PA
Under Southgate, however, England suddenly became a major force once again.
They reached finals of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, as well as the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the 2022 and 2018 World Cups.
Tuchel is England's first foreign manager since Fabio Capello, who failed to give the best from players so often referred to as a 'golden generation'.
Defoe thinks the 51-year-old has the CV to succeed but still believes Southgate will be a 'tough act to follow'.
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"A foreign manager can bring different ways of looking at the game, different styles of football and some language barriers, but with a good network of coaches around them, they can get the message across," he exclusively told GB News, courtesy of bet365's new Sub On, Play On product.
"Capello had such a great career behind him before Coaching England, he knew the game inside out and showed huge technical knowledge that some of us hadn’t seen before.
"At that time, we had a great squad with us at England so we knew what it meant to play for England.
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Gareth Southgate guided England to two major finals during his time as manager
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"Looking at Thomas Tuchel, he has managed in the Premier League, he has won major competitions, he knows some of the players who will be in the squad, so should have no problem working with the team.
"Southgate will be a hard act to follow getting to two finals, so there will be some pressure on Tuchel to win a tournament.
"With some comfortable games to start, it’s the style of play and attacking nature that will be good to see."
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One player likely to be key for Tuchel is captain Harry Kane.
The Bayern Munich star has been in staggering form for the Bundesliga giants this term, scoring 32 goals from 37 matches across all competitions.
Defoe played briefly abroad during his own career. While he's pleased to see Kane flourish in Germany, he's got 'no regrets' about not venturing to overseas sooner.
Jermain Defoe has 'no regrets' about not playing abroad for a big club like England star Harry Kane
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"Looking at going abroad, Toronto was a short spell and one I enjoyed, but there is nothing like playing in the UK," he said.
"Given the nature of the position I played and how I played, it could have been interesting to have gone abroad to La Liga or another top European division like Bundesliga, but the career I had, I have no regrets."
England's match with Albania will take place at Wembley on Friday (7.45pm).
