Report: Southampton have had a look at manager Theo Walcott called a ‘born leader’

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According to a report by The Athletic, Southampton were considering Frank Lampard as their next manager before ultimately deciding against it.

Lampard, who was sacked by Everton earlier this year, was reportedly eyed by the Saints, but he’s not going to be getting the job this time around.

The report claims that Lampard was on a list of potential candidates to replace Nathan Jones, who was sacked by the Saints over the weekend.

Lampard would probably already have the backing of one Southampton player. Theo Walcott is his former England teammate and described him as a ‘born leader’ during his playing days.

It’s not clear why Southampton decided against Lampard, it seems likely that they were less than impressed by how his time at Everton went.

Indeed, the Englishman guided the Toffees into a relegation battle this season, and, in all honesty, he looked lost at Goodison Park.

Another potential factor could be Lampard’s style of play. Southampton have historically favored a heavy-pressing style of football under Ralph Hasenhuttl, while Lampard has generally struggled to make anything happen out of possession with his teams.

Regardless of why Southampton decided against Lampard, the fact that they considered him in the first place suggests that the former Chelsea boss could still end up getting himself a Premier League job in the near future. While he may have had his struggles at Everton, he did lead Chelsea to a top four finish in his first season at the club and laid plenty of groundwork that ultimately led to the Blues’ Champions League win under Thomas Tuchel.

For now, Lampard remains out of work, but it’s likely that he will be linked with other jobs in the coming months. It will be interesting to see where he ends up next, and whether he can re-build his reputation within the game after a torrid stint on Merseyside.

Southampton’s search for a new manager goes on, but it sounds like Lampard won’t be the man getting the job at St Mary’s this time around.