Gareth Southgate has strongly suggested that he will not return to Premier League management, admitting that near the end of his spell as England manager, even victories brought him satisfaction for only a few minutes.
Southgate stepped away from football after leaving his position with the England men’s team following their defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final. He said the last match he attended was Crystal Palace’s FA Cup final victory over Manchester City last year.
The 56-year-old’s only experience in club management was a spell of almost three and a half years at Middlesbrough, where he succeeded Steve McClaren in 2006. After failing to prevent the club’s relegation from the Premier League in 2009, Southgate indicated during an appearance on the Amol Rajan Connection podcast that he had no desire to manage again in the top flight.
“I cannot imagine a situation in which I would do that,” he said. “Near the end of my time with England, I was no longer enjoying the job. For a while, winning was at least enough to keep me motivated, but eventually even a victory made me happy for only a couple of minutes. Since then, I have watched very little football.
“I attended the FA Cup final to watch Crystal Palace, the club I support, claim their first trophy. I have not returned to a football stadium since then, so my appetite for working in the sport is now very different.”
Southgate led England for nearly eight years and came close to delivering the men’s team’s first major title since the 1966 World Cup. Since leaving the position, however, he has pursued other interests, including launching a podcast and presenting a documentary in which he travelled around the UK to explore the difficulties confronting young men and boys.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the past 18 months,” Southgate said. “For 37 years, the way I viewed myself was tied to whether I won or lost on a Saturday. It has been refreshing to experience different things.
“I have spoken with politicians and people working in the media, studied leadership across many different fields, and travelled around the world to broaden my knowledge. I have simply enjoyed beginning a new chapter in my life.”
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