England supporters who wanted Gareth Southgate out may live to regret their role in his resignation, according to Tom Heaton.
Southgate left the role after defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final. It came after supporters booed a number of the team's performances in Germany and threw cups at Southgate following the 0-0 draw with Slovenia.
Heaton, who was part of the squad as a training goalkeeper at the tournament, described some of the reaction to Southgate as "brutal" and suggested that fans may end up regretting wanting the manager out.
"I really do [think they'll regret it]," Heaton said.
"If you think back to the track record, I think he's changed the feel of it. He's changed the expectation. So I think now that the doors sort of shut on it in that way, I think we will come back to sort of go: 'Incredible job.'
"Getting booed, pretty much every half all the way to the semifinal, it's not easy. I don't know, of course, but I imagine that probably took its toll on him."
In eight years as England manager, Southgate reached two European Championship finals and a World Cup semifinal.
The 53-year-old had a contract until December and before the Euros refused to rule out the possibility he could stay on until the 2026 World Cup in the United States.
But after announcing his resignation in the aftermath of defeat to Spain, the FA are now looking for a new manager to take charge of Nations League games in September.
Heaton, though, believes most players would have preferred Southgate to stay in the job.
"Yeah I think that would be the case, I really do," he said.
"Very evident to me, very rare in football you get a squad of players, the ones who aren't playing, especially the ones used to playing every week, every single person there wants to win it, they want to win it for the manager.
"He is a leader you want to follow. I think that would be the mentality. That's how I feel, you want to go and win it for him because of what he's done."