09 November 2023 , 22:30
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England boss Gareth Southgate has revealed he WILL stay on after next summer’s Euros.
Southgate has explained the reasons why his £2.5m-a-year contract expires in December 2024 rather than straight after the tournament. But it does open the door to the possibility of Southgate staying on for the 2026 World Cup which would bring him up to ten years in charge.
National managers normally leave after major tournaments but Southgate has an extra six months’ “cooling off” period following the Euros at the request of FA technical director John McDermott and chief executive Mark Bullingham.
Southgate said: “I mean in the end that was John and Mark's suggestion and there's logic to having a handover period if you go. But, really no international manager knows going into a tournament how they're going to come out of it.”
Southgate has been widely expected to quit his job as England manager after Euro 2024, having almost resigned after last year’s World Cup. He was persuaded to stay on for one more tournament but has been reluctant to talk about his long term future and make it a topic of conversation ahead of the Euros.
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There is always a fear that doubts over the manager dominate conversations and can be a distraction for the squad which is another reason why the extra six months was written into his current deal. However, there is no doubt that the Football Association want him to stay on and there are currently no obvious replacements to take over.
Gareth Southgate has been in charge of England since 2016 (Getty Images)Does Gareth Southgate deserve to stay on as England manager? Let us know in the comments below!
But there is still a suspicion that Southgate will stay on as England boss if they win the Euros next summer because he wants one last crack at the World Cup. However, Southgate may decide to quit after the Euros if they do not win because of the failure to guide the best squad for generations to success.