Gareth Southgate has suggested he may never return to football management, more than two years after stepping down as England boss. The 56-year-old, who led the Three Lions to two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final during an eight-year tenure, said he does not envisage a return to the dugout.
Asked on The Amol Rajan Connection whether he would consider a return to Premier League management, the former Middlesbrough boss said: "I don't see a scenario where I do that. Towards the end of my time with England, I stopped enjoying, at the very least for a period, the wins keep you going."
Loss of enjoyment
Southgate, who confirmed he would step back from the role after England's defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, has been linked with several jobs since, including at Manchester United. He admitted that his feelings towards the game have shifted significantly.
"By the end, I didn't even enjoy the wins for any longer than a couple of minutes. So, I've hardly watched football," he said. "I went to the FA Cup final to see my team, Crystal Palace, win their first trophy. I've not been to a football ground since. So my sort of desire to be involved in football has changed."
New ventures
Away from management, Southgate has kept busy as a technical observer for UEFA and as a visiting lecturer at Harvard Business School. He said he has relished the change of pace since leaving the England post.
"I've loved the last 18 months of my life," Southgate added. "I've had 37 years where my sense of self depended on did I win or lose on Saturday. And actually I've loved having different experiences. I've met politicians, I've met people in the media industry, I have learned about leadership in all sorts of areas, I've travelled around the world learning things. I've just enjoyed playing a different film in my life."
England legacy
Southgate was appointed as Roy Hodgson's successor in 2016 and enjoyed a successful spell with the national team. England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, where they were beaten by Croatia, and then the final of Euro 2020, losing to Italy on penalties.
At Euro 2024, England again reached the final but were undone by Spain. Southgate stepped down after that tournament and was replaced by Thomas Tuchel, who led England to another semi-final this summer.
