Gareth Southgate will remain as England manager until after the European Championships in 2024, the Football Association has confirmed.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!He had said he was “conflicted” about his future in the role after England’s quarter-final exit at the World Cup.
The 52-year-old, who was appointed in 2016, led the Three Lions to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and a first Euros final in 2021.
His current contract is due to expire in December 2024.
“We are delighted to confirm that Gareth Southgate is continuing as England manager and will lead our Euro 2024 campaign,” said FA chief executive Mark Bullingham.
“Gareth and Steve Holland [assistant manager] have always had our full support, and our planning for the Euros starts now.”
Southgate officially became England boss in November 2016 after a two-month spell as caretaker manager following Sam Allardyce’s departure.
The former defender, who made 57 appearances for England, became the fourth permanent manager of the national team in as many years.
In the six years since, he has brought great stability to the England camp, building a strongly bonded unit of players off the pitch and a team seen as serious contenders for major trophies on it.
Southgate has won 49 of his 81 games in charge so far, losing 14. But his record of winning six knockout games in major tournaments as Three Lions boss is the same number as England had won in the 48 years before he took the helm.
But despite the growing expectation put on his team, Southgate is yet to deliver the silverware so longed for.
His side suffered a 2-1 defeat by Croatia in the last four of the 2018 World Cup in Russia after leading 1-0, while England were beaten on penalties by Italy in the Euro 2020 final after also leading that match.
England went into the World Cup on the back of relegation from their Uefa Nations League group after three defeats and three draws.
However victories over Iran and Wales, either side of drawing with the United States, saw England top their group and they then comfortably beat Senegal in the last 16.
Their journey ended in a 2-1 defeat by France, with captain Harry Kane missing a late penalty, having earlier scored one to equal Wayne Rooney as England’s leading goalscorer.
Southgate previously managed England Under-21s from 2013 to 2016 and was also in charge at Middlesbrough from 2006 to 2009.
Under Southgate, the England senior side have scored 174 goals and conceded 57. The Three Lions have scored three or more goals on 27 occasions – exactly a third of his games in charge.
He ranks fourth for most games as the England men’s manager, with Walter Winterbottom taking charge of 139 games, Sir Alf Ramsey 113 and Sir Bobby Robson 95.
| England managers’ records at World Cups/European Championships | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Matches | W | D | L |
| Gareth Southgate | 19 | 11 | 4 | 4 |
| Sir Bobby Robson | 15 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
| Sven-Goran Eriksson | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| Walter Winterbottom | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Sir Alf Ramsey | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 |
| Roy Hodgson | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Ron Greenwood | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Terry Venables | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Glenn Hoddle | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Fabio Capello | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Kevin Keegan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Graham Taylor | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Southgate stays – reaction
Former England goalkeeper David Seaman said he was “really happy” Southgate has decided to stay.
“I would have been really disappointed if he hadn’t because of what he has built and where England are in at the moment,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“This is the best position England have been in years. People are afraid of us, they know how good we can be.”
Ex-England defender Gary Neville said it was the “right decision”.
“The fact it has come out is welcome – it puts it to bed and allows everyone to focus on the next 18 months,” Neville said on Sky Sports.
“We have played well in the World Cup – we just came out the wrong side of a 50-50 match. That happens in football sometimes.
“We always want to an autopsy and someone to blame, but I don’t think it exists in this tournament.”
Ex-England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright told ITV: “I’m delighted he stayed on.
“You can talk about the group and how he has got them together, the belief he’s given the team, wanting to be with the England side. I’m delighted he has stayed on.”
Football journalist Rory Smith believes it was the right decision from an England perspective.
“There’s no obvious candidate to take over here so there’s no real need to call time on his reign. It feels like there is a process going on and it’s going alright,” he said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Former England goalkeeper Rob Green told BBC Radio 5 Live: “What you don’t want to do is end up like every England manager and walk away on the tail of something awful happening to you.
“When he took over we were so far off, looking really abject in the games that we went out.
“This is where we should be, this is the expectation.”
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