Gareth Southgate has made a decision to remain the manager of the England Three Lions team after taking some time to consider his future following their exit from the World Cup.
Southgate, who has been at the helm of the Three Lions’ dugout since 2016, is the longest reigning England manager since Bobby Robson in the 1980s. In that time, he is also the first manager to take England to the final of a major tournament (Euro 2020) since World Cup-winning manager Alf Ramsey in 1966.
In his six years in charge, he is also the team’s most successful manager, having reached three quarter finals (2018 World Cup, 2020 Euros and 2022 World Cup) and two semi-finals (2020 Euros and 2022 World Cup). He has also enjoyed the privilege of coaching some of England’s brightest since the turn of the century.
There are many who feel that he should have done better with the crop of talent he has been privileged to manage since taking the England job. The 2022 World Cup quarter final exit was the last straw for those people, who, once again, called for his axing from the role.
After being posed the question on the direction of his career following his exit from Qatar, the former Middlesbrough manager said he will take his time to consider his future. “I’ve always had my entire focus on this tournament, and after every tournament we’ve needed some time to reflect,” he said to the media after England left Qatar.
“These tournaments take a huge amount of energy out of you and I think it’s right after each tournament to sit with the FA and talk things through and see where everything is at.
“Because it’s important to make the right decisions for everybody.”
New reports now claim that he has made his decision after doing as he said, and it is to stay on as the team’s manager. The news is sure to delight the English FA, who face the dilemma of finding the right fit to replace Southgate should he decide to leave the Three Lions.
Reports also state that he plans to not stay beyond Euro 2024 and will leave the role regardless of the outcome of their outing at that tournament.
Sky Sports’ Rob Dorset believes it is good news that Southgate is staying on as England manager.
“It’s good news for the England players who I think will be very relieved,” Dorset said. “The vast majority of them, if not all of them, wanted him to stay on due to the atmosphere he’s created within the group and the success he’s helped engender on the pitch.
“What’s been very clear to the FA is there is no obvious successor to Southgate, that’s partly why they are so desperate for him to stay on, and partly because he’s done a very good job taking England to a World Cup semi-final, quarter-final and a Euros final.”
