Gareth Southgate may not be leaving the England job this year (Picture: Getty Images)
The Football Association want Gareth Southgate to stay on as England manager until the 2026 World Cup and not leave after this summer’s European Championship, as many had expected.
Southgate’s current contract expires in December and Euro 2024 seemed likely to be his last tournament in charge of the Three Lions as he nearly walked away from the job after last year’s World Cup.
However, he has not confirmed whether he intends to depart this year or would rather stay on and it is now reported that the FA would prefer the latter.
The Daily Mail report that the FA want Southgate to remain in charge for the 2026 World Cup, held in Canada, Mexico and USA.
This is partly because they have been impressed by the job he has done on and off the field, while there is also a shortage of stand-out English options to replace Southgate, with the FA preferring a homegrown manager.
The 53-year-old was asked about his future this week and said that it will largely be determined by how England get on in the Euros this summer.
‘No. You’ve got to see how the summer goes – it’s as simple as that,’ Southgate said on whether he’d made a decision on his future. ‘There’s a fair chance half the coaches won’t be here after the Euros. That’s international football.
Southgate has been fielding questions on his future (Picture: Getty Images)
‘In my view, I know what we’re capable of achieving in the summer. I know what my own benchmark of success would be. After that I’m not really thinking about anything else at the moment.
‘It’s always been exciting to take the team, whatever the strengths of the squad. In the end, we’ve got to deliver a performance and you’ve got to make the best decisions for everybody.
‘I won’t be in a position to make that decision before the tournament.’
He explained that making a decision before the tournament could harm the team’s chances in Germany, saying: ‘If we did anything before, it would be detrimental to the performance in the summer, whichever way your decision went.
‘I think while our focus is on the summer, from a personal perspective you’re fully invested in what happens in what happens and I think that’s how it should be.’
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