Meet Gareth Southgate, the England national team manager who’s sparking retirement rumours after the team’s Euros final loss against Spain – so where does he stand now?
- Unconvincing performances at the 2024 Euros in Germany got England to the final – and its ultimate loss has left many unsure if Southgate can take them the next step
- ‘Most of this squad will be around for the next World Cup and maybe the next Euros,’ Southgate told the BBC; like David Beckham, the 53-year-old was a pro player before he became a manager
Spain’s 2-1 deserved win over England in the final of the men’s 2024 Uefa European Football Championship on Sunday leaves many people wondering: what now for manager Gareth Southgate?
This is the second final loss in a row for England, which had been beaten on penalties by Italy in the 2020 Euros (hosted in 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions). In between, at the 2022 Fifa World Cup, England went out in the quarter-final stage, and in the 2018 World Cup, Southgate led his team to the semi-final.
Most fans of the English national team have never seen it win a major international trophy, so repeatedly going deep in tournaments is progress. But, for many, it is not enough. Throughout the Euros, fans have been critical of the team’s performances, with the manager bearing the brunt of the ire. In the wake of the latest disappointment, will Southgate stay on, or is it time to hand over the job as England manager?
Here’s what we know about Gareth Southgate.
Gareth Southgate was a professional player, then manager
Hanging up his boots at age 35, he returned to Middlesbrough as manager in 2006, until his dismissal in 2009. After four years away from football, he was appointed manager of England’s under-21s in 2013. There, he was praised for his man management, showing a good rapport with the young players and delivering results on the pitch. This record saw him elevated to senior national manger in 2016.
In late 2018, Southgate spoke about empathy and empowerment being key to his management style. “As a coach, you always have to be there to support the person,” he was widely reported as saying. “Improving them as a player becomes secondary to a degree. But if a player feels that you respect them and want to help them, they’re more likely to listen to you and follow you.”
