Gareth Southgate drops hint about quitting England job after World Cup exit

Gareth Southgate dropped perhaps the biggest hint about quitting his role as England manager following his side's 2-1 defeat to France.

The FA are said to be more than happy with the job Southgate has done since he was appointed in 2016 and very much want him to continue leading the team for Euro 2024.

Southgate, who has led England to semi-finals and quarter-finals in his two World Cup campaigns, is contracted until 2024.

But after Olivier Giroud's winner knocked England out of the World Cup on Saturday, Southgate opened up about being "conflicted" over his future.

He referenced the damaging 4-0 UEFA Nations League defeat to Hungary at Wolves' Molineux Stadium, where England were booed off after the suffering their worst home loss since 1928.

"I’ve found large parts of the last 18 months difficult," Southgate said, as per The Guardian.

"For everything that I’ve loved about the last few weeks, I still look at how things have been for 18 months.

“What’s been said and what’s been written, the night at Wolves.

“There are lots of things in my head that’s really conflicted at the moment. So what I want to make sure, if it’s the right thing to stay, is that I’ve definitely got the energy to do that.

“I don’t want to be four or five months down the line thinking I’ve made the wrong call.

“It’s too important for everybody to get that wrong.”

Image: Alamy

Southgate and right-hand man Steve Holland signed a two-year contract extension until December 2024 back in November 2021.

It came after guiding England to the World Cup finals and followed the gutting Euro 2020 final loss on penalties to Italy.

“I don’t think I have got over the last one [Euro 2020],” he admitted.

“But this feels a little bit different because when we reflect on what we’ve done, I’m not sure what more we could have done or give."

The tournaments have taken a mental toll on Southgate, who says he will not rush into a decision and will discuss with the FA when the time is right.

Image: Alamy

"When I've been through the past few tournaments my emotions have been difficult to really think through properly in those following few weeks,” Southgate added.

“It took so much energy out of you and you have so much going through your mind. I want to make the right decision either way because it has to be the right one to go again, or the right one not to go again and I don't think tonight is the time to make a decision like that.

“Neither are the next few days really. After every tournament, I’ve sat with everybody at the FA and talked things through logically and I think that's the right process to go through again."

England's players headed home from Qatar on Sunday and will now turn their focus back to club football.

The Carabao Cup fourth round takes place next week, with Premier League football returning on Boxing Day.