Kiwi coach Warren Gatland should be the man to succeed Australian Eddie Jones in charge of England, according to World Cup winning lock Ben Kay.
Gatland, 55, has confirmed that he'll leave his role with Wales after a successful 12 years in charge after this year's World Cup in Japan, with speculation now rife as to his next move.
With Gatland himself having stated his desire to return home and coach in New Zealand, Kay has thrown his hat firmly behind the Kiwi to take charge of a flailing England side, with Jones coming under immense pressure after a poor Six Nations campaign.
Writing for the Times, Kay outlined why England should break the bank in order to secure Gatland as the man to replace Jones, once the mercurial Australian leaves his post.
"Warren Gatland has been making jokes that the RFU cannot afford to hire him to be the next England head coach but Nigel Melville, the governing body's interim chief executive, ought to start rummaging down the back of the sofa because the case for the Wales head coach to succeed Eddie Jones is strong," Kay says.
"If he delivers success in the [2019] Six Nations, it may become compelling.''
Kay also refuted the implementation of so-called 'Warrenball', with UK critics often coming out strongly against Gatland's supposed style of play that saw midfield and outside back effectively employed as battering rams.
"Gatland doesn't have that reputation but he is very good at identifying areas to attack, astute at adapting his style to the resources at his disposal. He is a coach with old-school values, which has contributed to his success in coaching the Lions to a series win in Australia in 2013 and a draw in his native New Zealand in 2017, but he is not stuck in the past.
"He is no one-trick pony. Gatland employed 'Warrenball' because it was the right approach to get the best out of the players that he had. I would be fascinated to see what he could do with wider resources, with the different styles of player that would be at his disposal with England."
Although Gatland will finish with Wales at the end of this year, current England coach Jones is contracted until 2021.
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