Gareth Southgate has reassured that he is not intimidated by the idea of returning to club management once he eventually steps down from his role as England coach.
It’s been almost 15 years since Southgate was involved in club-level management, having been sacked by Middlesbrough in 2009 after three seasons in charge at the Riverside Stadium.
Since then, he has had a successful stint as England Under-21 manager before taking over the senior national team in 2016.
Under his leadership, England has experienced a significant improvement in their performance at international tournaments, reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and the Euro 2020 final in 2021.
Although his current contract with England runs until the end of 2024, there’s speculation that Euro 2024 might be his final tournament in charge of the Three Lions.
Looking ahead, Southgate’s next career move after leaving England would likely involve a return to club management. In an interview with Sky Sports, he expressed confidence in his abilities, stating:
“I managed in the Premier League when I was 35, and I knew far less then than I do now. Having experienced this role, there’s no job in world football that would intimidate me.
I remember speaking to Jose Mourinho when he was at Man United, and he said, ‘When you’ve done the role you’re in now, you’ll be able to do anything really.’ Seven years into it, I believe he was right. I’m confident in this role and whatever the future holds.”
While he acknowledges that he won’t be in his current role forever, Southgate remains calm about his future and is not worried about what lies ahead.
