Dwight Yorke: I want Scotland job if Steve Clarke leaves, Trent Alexander-Arnold should make sensational switch to Liverpool and I can’t believe Sunderland overlooked me to be manager

Speaking to Best Payout Online Slots, Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke believes Bayern star Jamal Musiala would make a dream signing for the Red Devils.

He also accused Irish pundit James McLean of possibly being bitter in his criticism of Declan Rice, and backed Roy Keane for an international job.

Yorke, who also had spells at Sunderland and Blackburn, also thinks Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho would be a good fit for Chelsea.

And he believes criticism levelled at Vincent Kompany’s switch to Bayern is motivated by race.

Q: Irish star James McClean branded Declan Rice “overrated” and not world-class. Is that fair, or is he just bitter he switched to England?

DY: “Declan Rice had a tremendous season and is one of England’s main players. Although Arsenal came up short, he made a real impact at the club. He’s crucial for England, you have to get the maximum out of him. 

“But he was very average against Denmark, and you can see what James McClean is trying to say. One game does not define a player, however. There might be a bit of bitterness because Rice switched nationality, but I can’t say for sure.”

Q: Is starting Cristiano Ronaldo hindering Portugal? Diogo Jota made a big difference when he was subbed on, should he be starting in the middle instead?

DY: “At the age of 39 years old, you naturally won’t be as influential in a game as you once were. Cristiano Ronaldo has to accept this, he’s always been number one, even though he’s had a prolific season at his age, Roberto Martinez has to tell him to stay central and not come out wide like he used to do. 

“Portugal have to get the ball into the penalty area, and if they can do that, the country can go far in the competition.”

Q: Would you be interested in the Scotland job, if Scotland lose to Hungary and Steve Clarke leaves?

DY: “I’m an ambitious young manager who wants to be given a chance. I’m not in a situation where I can pick and choose, so if I was offered something as big as the Scotland job, I’d 100% take it. 

“I have had a short career as a manager, but it’s been impressive enough and no one will know if I’m good enough unless I’m given a try. If Scotland have an early exit in the Euros and want a young, hungry manager who can offer something different, I’ll be here.”

Q: What’s the perfect job for your former manager and teammate Roy Keane to get back into football management and how successful could he be in the right environment?

DY: “I don’t think we’ll see Roy Keane go back into everyday management, it’s too much for him. Keane is not that kind of person anymore, the demands of a manager to interact with people, from the top to the bottom, are not really for him. Keane is the kind of guy to switch his phone off and go missing for a couple of days to relax. Whereas international management would work very well for Keane, I think.

“If I needed a manager for my international team, Keane is the man I’d pick because he can sort a team out in a short amount of time and he won’t have to deal with everyday pressures as a club manager. The person I knew at Man United for four years and beyond, he’s not a club manager and watching him at Sunderland, it was clear he struggled. He has great characteristics and factors that make him a good manager, but only for a short time, like an international job.”

Q: Who would you tell Sir Jim Ratcliffe to sign for Man United?

DY: “Sir Jim Ratcliffe needs to focus on signing players as a structure rather than an individual who can take you to success. I think Manchester United have to start at Jarrad Branthwaite and try to lower the average age of the squad to around 25 years old. Obviously, keep the experience of Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes in the team, but the rest of the team should be young and developing.

“Unless Man United can bring in a world-class signing that creates a buzz in the atmosphere, like signing Jamal Musiala. That could be enough to give the team the belief to achieve success. But, I don’t see Manchester United making those amazing signings anymore, Paul Pogba was probably the last time I said ‘Wow, what a signing’. Manchester United used to sign Wayne Rooney, Jaap Stam, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie, and even me, people were excited about those names and now they’re spending £85m on Antony. Manchester United need to sign a player like Musiala that can create that buzz.”

Q: Man Utd have decided to stick with Erik ten Hag, despite openly talking to other managers. What did you think of that?

DY: “Winning two trophies in two years usually means you’re warranted another chance. But, if you see the performances in the Premier League and Champions League, it’s clear to see the trophies are paper over the cracks. Manchester United’s 8th-placed finish is the worst in the history of the club in the Premier League, and it probably is the worst team with Erik ten Hag’s style of football too. 

“The Premier League and Champions League results are sackable offences at Manchester United, the fact he’s remaining means he has to improve his league performances drastically. I think if Ten Hag doesn’t improve in the league, we will see shouts for him to be sacked.”

Q: Who would be the manager to take Manchester United back to the top level if Ten Hag doesn’t stay long-term?

DY: “The more we talk about Zinedine Zidane, the more you realise he’s really not interested in managing Manchester United. Because if he wanted the job, Sir Jim Ratcliffe would hand him the job tomorrow.”

Q: Who from the Euros has been catching your eye as a potential Manchester United signing? Should Ten Hag consider an audacious bid for Arda Guler given the luxury of forwards Real Madrid already have?

DY: “Arda Guler has been talked about as being this wonderkid for a couple of years now, and he’s shown he does have that special quality when he scored the wondergoal for Turkey. He has lit up the Euros, and now everyone will be wanting to rescue him from Real Madrid’s bench. 

“We’ve seen the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah leave a big club like Chelsea and it has benefited their careers, who is to say that Guler leaving Real Madrid to join Manchester United won’t be a similar case? He needs an opportunity to play week in and week out. Everyone looks for an experienced, quick fix, but we shouldn’t look past Guler who can become world-class. I’m all for Manchester United signing him.”

Q: Marc Guehi has impressed for England. Should he be on Manchester United’s radar? Or should they keep their eye on Branthwaite?

DY: “Jarrad Branthwaite is the way forward for Manchester United. They need to prioritise youngsters, and he is one of them who would be a great acquisition to replace the likes of Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane. People may say Branthwaite is not experienced enough in the Premier League to play for Man United, but Manchester United are not going to be at the top for a while, so they might as well start developing these young players.

“Willy Kambwala should not be overlooked either, he is part of a nucleus of young players at the club, alongside Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo. They just need to be given belief, and they can take Man United back to the top, eventually.”

Q: Manchester United have been linked with West Ham midfielder Edson Alvarez. Is he what they need?

DY: “I really like Casemiro but he’s got to the stage where he’s unhappy. I still believe he can be a crucial player, but I won’t be surprised if he wants a fresh start somewhere else, most likely Saudi Arabia. 

“I don’t know who you would replace Casemiro with, maybe Edson Alvarez, but he would cost a lot of money. Manchester United have made the mistake of not scouting the likes of Alvarez before they became big names in the Premier League, otherwise, they could have signed him for cheaper.”

Q: What Premier League club should go for Jadon Sancho? He wouldn’t want to come back under Ten Hag, would he?

DY: “It’s an uncomfortable situation for Jadon Sancho, the manager has won the battle in the end and he’ll look for a way out of Manchester United now. If Sancho played under Erik ten Hag again and had one bad performance, everyone would be pointing their finger at him.

“Sancho is more than good enough to play for another team in the ‘Big Six’, he’ll want to play for another top team. He might go on another year-long loan to a top club, maybe Chelsea or abroad somewhere like Barcelona, then he’ll see if Ten Hag gets sacked, then he can kick-start his Man United career. If I was Sancho, I’d sit tight for a bit and negotiate a loan so I can see the manager’s situation.”

Q: I remember your praise for Michael Olise, how much do you think Manchester United should be willing to spend to acquire him?

DY: “Manchester United should have wrapped up signing Michael Olise already, you can see the boy is a class act and would blossom at the club. He’s taken his opportunity at Crystal Palace and impressed. 

“Nowadays, that kind of player will be worth at least £50m, but if Manchester United are signing Antony for £85m, they will probably pay upwards of £100m for Olise. Manchester United can’t complain what Palace value Olise at if they’re seeing how much money was spent on the likes of Antony.”

Q: Joshua Zirkzee has been heavily linked with Manchester United, is he a striker worth investing into?

DY: “Names like Joshua Zirkzee being linked to Manchester United is baffling. They need a player who can definitely score goals and knows how to play in the Premier League. Why would you need 23-year-old Zirkzee, when you have 21-year-old Rasmus Hojlund already at the club? Erik ten Hag needs an experienced man at striker alongside Hojlund, as he obviously struggled towards the end of last season.

“Niclas Fullkrug is one of those experienced strikers who has been smashing in the goals lately. But, he needs to be the right character. To be at Manchester United, you need to show resilience and not a weak mentality, that’s what Sir Alex Ferguson was good at finding. That’s why I think Hojlund needs to grow up very quickly, the honeymoon period is over for him and if he doesn’t hit the ground running next season, he will come under a lot of scrutiny. You have to be a man to play at Manchester United.”

Q: Do you sell or keep Marcus Rashford? How long does he have left to show consistency? 

DY: “Should Manchester United sell Marcus Rashford? I wouldn’t sell my best player, personally. Rashford on his day is better than any other player at Manchester United, even Bruno Fernandes. Rashford is exciting, he kills teams, Manchester United need to build around him and get the best out of him. Erik ten Hag needs to make Rashford feel special, and then we can talk about Man United getting back to the top.”

Q: How good of a signing is Ian Maatsen? Have Chelsea made a mistake of keeping Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella over him?

DY: “I do think Ian Maatsen is a brilliant signing by Aston Villa. Unai Emery has the Champions League next season and we saw him perform brilliantly at Borussia Dortmund, he’ll be a good player and build on Aston Villa’s already impressive squad depth.

“I think Chelsea will regret letting Maatsen go, but they have so many players at the club that they clearly don’t even know who their best players actually are. Maatsen is another good player they’ve let go, and it’s probably to help out their Financial Fair Play situation.”

Q: Jhon Duran has made it clear he wants a move to Chelsea, should Villa get rid of him?

DY: “With Jhon Duran, Aston Villa need to make a football decision. If it works for both parties that Duran goes to Chelsea, then it’s probably the best solution. It depends on if it works for Unai Emery and how he can replace Duran.

“I did like Duran, I don’t think he had enough opportunities so I’m not able to determine whether he’d be a success or failure for Aston Villa. Whether he’ll be a success at Chelsea is another story, I can’t see him getting many more minutes there then he does at Aston Villa, since Chelsea already have Nicolas Jackson.”

Q: Should any of the top six teams pounce on the signing of Douglas Luiz before he goes to Juventus?

DY: “It’s clear to see Douglas Luiz would be a good signing for any club. If any bigger club, the likes of Juventus, Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool, come in for him, his head will be swayed and it’s understandable if he wants to leave Aston Villa. I had my doubts on Luiz, but he’s proved me and others wrong. I can understand if he wants to move to another club, but Aston Villa is a team on the rise and I’d want him to stay.”

Q: Aston Villa are doing well under Unai Emery but Premier League financial rules are putting a strain on them that could force the club to sell more players. Who from the starting XI can move on for big money to reinvest into Emery’s future?

DY: “If I had to pick a player Aston Villa should sell for a big fee to improve the Financial Fair Play situation, I’d pick Leon Bailey. He has been crucial to Aston Villa’s season and can be a giant killer with his goals against the big teams, but he’s the one I see as replaceable and who would fetch a big fee.”

Q: Will Still rejected Sunderland for Lens, is their situation a bit worrying?

DY: “The Sunderland situation is a bit worrying, they clearly didn’t want a good manager when I offered myself to them. I don’t know how I get overlooked. I know the Championship is a tough league, but I’ve played in it and won it. I know Sunderland as a club and my ambition of managing in the Premier League fits in with Sunderland’s ambition to get promoted. 

“Sunderland might offer the job to someone else who doesn’t have the experience of competing in the Championship but may have slightly more experience as a manager. Often enough, we see those experienced managers struggle and the ones who are hungry, like me, can drive these clubs to success.”

Q: Chris Davies, now coach to Birmingham, was Ange Postecoglou’s number two at Tottenham, can we expect good football at St Andrew’s?

DY: “I’m happy Chris Davies has been given the opportunity at Birmingham City, because he’s a gamble. Ange Postecoglou obviously plays great football at Tottenham, and if Davies can bring any of that to Birmingham City, then they may have a better season than last. But, Davies has not been a manager, only an assistant, so it’s hard to predict what will come for it.”

Q: What do you make of John Eustace at Blackburn Rovers?

DY: “It’s incredible how John Dahl Tomasson got the job at Blackburn Rovers in the first place, and now manages Sweden. I played for Blackburn and applied for the managerial job, but they turned their nose up at me. 

“And, John Eustace is able to just walk into the job. It feels a little unjust and it’s crazy how that has worked out.”

Q: What’s your thoughts on Enzo Maresca going to Chelsea? 

DY: “The same people who said Enzo Maresca is not experienced enough to manage Chelsea are probably the same people who said Chelsea need to give a chance to a young coach. Maresca has done a great job with Leicester City, and he deserves this chance. 

“The experienced managers like Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino can walk into any job and produce nothing, and somehow get away with it. It’s a fresh new look for the Premier League, and I think Maresca can succeed.”

Q: What do you expect from Liverpool’s new management under Arne Slot? I remember you saying the hype around Dutch managers is strange

DY: “Can anyone confidently say there has been a good Dutch manager outside of the Netherlands in recent years? I think Arne Slot will fail to impress, the same way Erik ten Hag has. The Dutch philosophy has been a thing for 25 years now, the legacy seems to live on even though their national team isn’t even that good anymore. 

“No Dutch manager has stood out to me, other than Louis van Gaal, but top clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United are signing these Dutch managers based on Johan Cruyff’s philosophy. Ronald Koeman is another one who has struggled.

“Arne Slot did well in the Eredivisie but you’d also expect managers at the top Dutch clubs to do well since there are not a lot of teams in that league that can compete with the top. But Slot hasn’t shown any proof that he can adapt to British football and neither has any other Dutch manager.”

Q: Should Trent Alexander-Arnold leave Liverpool while they’re transitioning under Arne Slot?

DY: “I’m not sure Trent Alexander-Arnold would want to leave Liverpool as it’s his boyhood club, but Liverpool will be under transition now that Jurgen Klopp has left. Maybe, Alexander-Arnold can evolve as a midfielder under Slot.

“This could be another opportunity where, if Liverpool don’t perform under Slot and Alexander-Arnold becomes unhappy, Manchester United should do everything they can to sign him. I was the first person to suggest that Manchester United should have signed Leroy Sane started to become frustrated at Man City when he was on the bench frequently, now he’s one of the best players in Germany. 

“Alexander-Arnold may have a similar opportunity which Manchester United should pounce on. Obviously, there is history between the clubs and Alexander-Arnold will know that as an Englishman, but it can be an opportunity to look out for.”

Q: Arsenal were heavily linked with the striker Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, but he signed a deal to stay in Germany for another year. Who should they be going all out for? Is a world-class striker the extra push for them to win the title? Alexander Isak?

DY: “It’s strange that Benjamin Sesko decided to stay at RB Leipzig and reject the likes of Arsenal. He’s getting to the age where he should have made a move to the Premier League, early into his career so he can have some experience of British football under his belt.

“Arsenal need to go all out for Alexander Isak now, they need someone like him because they came up short in the striker position. Arsenal will need to invest around £100m for Isak because that will be how much Newcastle will value him at, I can’t imagine it being any less.”

“Kai Havertz was very useful to Arsenal last season, but they need someone like Isak instead of him at the striker position. Arsenal need a signing of that magnitude, like how Erling Haaland came to Man City and was scoring goals for fun, I think Isak can do the same. Luckily for Arsenal, it works because Isak already has two years of Premier League experience and will adapt like it’s nothing.”

Q: Your old teammate Ruud van Nistelrooy is linked with Burnley, can you see him doing well with them?

DY: “Ruud van Nistelrooy is someone who I never thought would be a manager. He was always quiet and soft-spoken, but I love Ruud. He’s taken to management and done really well so far. “Van Nistelrooy deserves a chance at Burnley because of what he’s done in the Netherlands, already winning a trophy in his career. Based on what he’s done in the game and his managerial credit, he deserves a chance.”

Q: Speaking of Burnley, what do you make of Vincent Kompany getting the Bayern Munich job? Is it unfair to any other candidates?

DY: “Vincent Kompany moving to Bayern Munich should not be seen as unfair to any other candidates for the job. Kompany deserves a pass from last season because, in his first season, he smashed the Championship and did really well. Now he gets the first prize in German football. 

“The same thing happened to Frank Lampard when he went from Derby County to Chelsea, but no one really complained about that at the time, what’s the difference? What Kompany has achieved doesn’t usually happen to black managers, but it happens to white managers like Lampard and no one said a word. Bayern Munich clearly see something in Kompany that most don’t, and it’s his opportunity to prove to everyone why he is such a good manager.”

Q: Kylian Mbappe has finally joined Real Madrid. Florentino Perez previously said he wanted to sign Mbappe and Haaland. Could we see that in the future and how would it work with Bellingham, Vinicius and their other stars? What does your own partnership with Cole tell us about how Haaland and Mbappe could play off each other?

DY: “If Real Madrid ever decide to bring both Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in the same team, it’s crazy but I think it would work. Haaland would occupy the central position and wait for opportunities as he does now, but Mbappe can have the freedom of drifting wide and scoring there. Mbappe has that Thierry Henry mould and can replicate that play-syle of coming off the left.”