Gareth Southgate hires close Sir Jim Ratcliffe pal as ex-England boss and Man Utd target considers next step
Gareth Southgate has hired a close associate of Man Utd owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe as an adviser as he considers his next step in management.
SunSport has learned that Southgate has been using Jimmy Worrall, who has worked as a consultant for Ratcliffe’s company INEOS, since splitting with his agent Terry Byrne earlier this year.
Worrall is the founder and chairman of conference company Leaders in Sport, who run networking events all over the world.
The Liverpool-born businessman is also a consultant and has worked as an adviser for several top organisations including INEOS and the European Club Association.
Southgate has known Worrall for years and has decided to rely on his friend’s advice as he plots the next stage of his career, rather than employ a full-time agent.
Worrall was involved in discussions with the FA over the last few days which led to the announcement of Southgate’s departure.
Southgate’s use of Worrall may raise eyebrows given his links to Ratcliffe and other key powerbrokers at United.
Worrall is also close to INEOS sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford, who recommended the appointment of Dan Ashworth, another close ally and former FA colleague of Southgate.
Brailsford has appeared regularly at Leaders events and those of another Worrall company, P8, who run private summits for top executives and managers.
United contacted Southgate when they were considering sacking Erik Ten Hag earlier this year, although he made it clear he would not even talk to them whilst contracted to the FA.
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Ten Hag had his United contract extended until 2026 earlier this month despite the club speaking to other managerial candidates, including Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto De Zerbi, but a poor start to the season will see the Dutchman come under renewed pressure.
Southgate parted company with Byrne in January following a bungled property deal, which left the agent owing him and other clients including Joe Cole hundreds of thousands of pounds in unpaid commercial fees.
Byrne, who has previously represented A-List stars including David Beckham and Pele, borrowed £21million through his company Round World Group to buy a six-storey building near London’s Oxford Circus last year.
A loan he had arranged to pay for the purchase from US fund managers Highams Saaz failed to materialise however, which triggered a financial crisis.
Byrne used money owed to Southgate and other clients to help pay off some of his debts, and has been unable to repay them.
The Oxford Circus building has been seized by receivers and another company of which Byrne is a director, Round World Real Estate, has also been placed in receivership.
Southgate has had offers from agents all over the world asking to represent him, but has not accepted any of them.
Southgate turned England from deluded group of individuals into heroes who love pulling on white shirt, writes Charlie Wyett
GARETH SOUTHGATE won nothing but changed everything, writes Charlie Wyett.
The decision for him to resign is the correct one but Southgate leaves a legacy which will hugely benefit his successor.
So how will he be viewed in history? It might be kinder in a few years’ time.
At the moment, there is still so much frustration at the way it all ended in Berlin.
Yet Southgate is second only to Sir Alf Ramsey in terms of overall success and no other manager gets close.
To get to two major finals — one on foreign soil for the first time — was a huge achievement.
So was the overhaul of a dysfunctional football team which had just lost to Iceland at Euro 2016.
The players were so paranoid they even refused to tell us in France who was the best at playing table tennis.
That deluded group of individuals thought everyone was against them — and they weren’t.
Southgate changed all that with a far more grown-up approach.
He encouraged the players to tell their own story, to express themselves, and he got rid of a siege mentality that did not need to exist.
Former manager Fabio Capello used to moan that the England team played with fear.
Under Southgate, players loved pulling on that white shirt.
There were no more cliques, no more egos and no more pulling out of squads with dubious injuries which then cleared up by the next Prem game.
Southgate created a club atmosphere within the England team and now you only have to look at the pictures each time the players greet each other at St George’s Park.
They are all mates, pulling together in the same direction, as it should be.
Southgate has been a class act and he leaves with his head held high.
England just fell short with him in charge. There’s no denying that.
But let’s hope Southgate will still get the respect he deserves and is remembered as the man who did, indeed, change everything.
Read Charlie Wyett’s full article on Gareth Southgate.
Or check out all of Charlie’s Euro 2024 columns.