Erik ten Hag aims dig at Gareth Southgate following Manchester United interest in England manager

Erik ten Hag appeared to aim a sly dig at Gareth Southgate's management style after England began their European Championship campaign with a 1-0 win over Serbia.

England looked on course to record a comfortable win when Jude Bellingham gave them an early lead on Sunday night, but they ended up making things a lot harder for themselves as their performance regressed over the course of the night.

Manchester United manager Ten Hag, who was working as a pundit for Dutch TV, put that partly down to Southgate and his tactical approach once England had taken a lead in the match.

“It’s the vision of the manager [Southgate],” Ten Hag told NOS. “England will take a 1-0 lead, then he [Southgate] decides to start gambling with making his team compact and relying on moments for the remaining minutes of the game.”

Ten Hag's criticism comes shortly after the England manager was considered as a possible replacement for him at Old Trafford during their high-profile end-of-season review.

ManchesterWorld revealed earlier in the month Southgate was viewed as the number one choice for the United role, but his involvement at the European Championship this summer complicated any possible appointment.

The England manager was a boyhood United fan and is admired by many key figures at Ineos, who believe he would be perfect for the head coach role they are looking to implement. It is understood Southgate would be interested in the role at some point in his career, though he would require assurances on the level of power he would possess when it comes to making key decisions.

In the end, United decided to stick with Ten Hag after a clear conclusion that he was the best available candidate to lead the club heading into the new season.