Manchester City defender Micah Richards has said the Stuart Pearce could "eventually" be the right man for the England job.
The current interim boss replaced Fabio Capello, who departed in February following a dispute over John Terry's captaincy.
Richards, who worked under Pearce during his stint at Eastlands, is worried that his former boss will not get a fair crack of the whip if he take on the role too soon.
"I do want to see Pearce there, but I don't want him to take it too soon and not be given a fair chance," ESPN quotes the 23-year-old as saying.
"I'd rather him keep with the Under-21s and keep progressing there. Eventually he will be the right man for the job.''
Richards has earned 13 England caps.
