What former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho told Gareth Southgate before taking England job

Gareth Southgate has revealed what Jose Mourinho told him before he took on the role of England manager.

The Three Lions job is viewed as the most prestigious in the country if not the world. Every football fan has a view on who should and should not be playing for England.

Southgate is the fourth-longest serving Three Lions manager in history, having led the team out 91 times. A man appointed in a caretaker capacity over seven years ago now has just Sir Bobby Robson (95), Sir Alf Ramsey (113) and Walter Winterbottom (139) ahead of him in the all-time list.

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The 53-year-old took charge just months after Mourinho walked through the door at Old Trafford. As England manager, Southgate has every Premier League manager’s number on speed dial and it was one chat with the then United boss that stayed with him.

He told Sky Sports: "I remember talking to Jose (Mourinho) when he was at Man United and he said: 'You know, when you've done the role you're in now, you'll be able to do anything'. Really? I thought that was probably right but, seven years into it, it's definitely right.

"I'm confident in this role. I'm confident in whatever might be in the future. Of course, I'm not going to be here for 20-30 years. I don't know what the future will be. I'm very calm about that.”

Southgate also hailed Harry Maguire for his “resilience” in recent seasons. Erik ten Hag stripped him of the United captaincy earlier this year having dropped him to the bench last season.

A string of poor performances led Maguire to endure a crisis in confidence but he remained a key player for England. Despite facing criticism