Former Chelsea boss Ruud Gullit has slammed England boss Gareth Southgate for bringing on Raheem Sterling in the 2-1 World Cup defeat to France.

Sterling only returned to the England World Cup camp a day before the game against France after he was forced to briefly return to the UK following a burglary at his home.

“Saka was the only one who was really, really good. Why did you take him off?” Gullit told beIN SPORTS.

“I don’t think [Sterling] is near what he was a couple of seasons ago.

“Therefore, why would you do that? He didn’t do anything [when he came on].”

French football expert Julien Laurens agreed with those remarks as he told the BBC: “You need to learn how to win these clutch games.

“You don’t just rock up against a big nation and then go and win if you’re not 100% perfect in every sense.

“I don’t understand why Bukayo Saka came off for Raheem Sterling who’s been away. Then you took him off for someone who’s been in London for five days.

“To win games like this you have to have things almost perfect. When you miss chance after chance their belief is growing.”