Southgate keeps options open but not rushing into new managerial job

Former England manager Gareth Southgate said he was in no rush to find a new role but he will keep an open mind as he weighs up opportunities in the dug-out or beyond.

The 54-year-old stepped down in July after England’s second straight European Championship final defeat, ending an eight-year spell with the Three Lions.

England are still searching for Southgate’s replacement, though interim manager Lee Carsley has impressed with 2-0 wins in his first two games against Ireland and Finland.

Southgate has been linked with a move to Old Trafford as a potential successor to embattled Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag, as well as with a technical observer role at UEFA, the governing body of European football.

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“I’ve got lots of opportunities, I’m very open-minded to what’s next that might be in football, that might be outside of football,” Southgate told Sky News on Wednesday.

“I’m just going to take some time, refresh, recharge and go from there. I think at the moment people know that I need to get my energy back. I am not going to rush into anything I want to make sure I make good decisions.”

Southgate said he helped re-establish England on the international stage during his tenure, which saw the team reach the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the quarters in 2022, and the finals of the last two European Championships.

“I don’t think you can have regrets. We made decisions with the information we had at the time to try and produce a winning team,” Southgate added.

“I gave the job everything I had. We raised expectations and that was important. We needed to put English football back on the map.”

First Published: 

Sept 12, 2024 12:33 AM

IST