Sir Gareth Southgate has stated he is not seeking a return to football management, citing the difficulty of replicating the “higher calling” he experienced as England manager. In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Southgate responded to speculation linking him with vacant Premier League roles by emphasising his focus on other areas.
“I’ve had one of the most incredible jobs in football which also had a higher purpose because it was my country,” he said. “That’s going to be very hard to replicate. Having had 37 years in football I’m enjoying finding other areas where I think I might be able to make a difference.”
Southgate, whose book Dear England: Lessons in Leadership is published on Thursday, expressed a desire to work with young people and counter what he sees as a “negative narrative” in the UK. He believes his experience transforming the England team from being “loathed to beloved” can be applied more broadly.
“We had a huge disconnect with the public when we started,” he recalled. “People saw us as high-ego players but we were able to turn that around. I saw the power that the team had to bring people together of every community.”
Southgate stressed the importance of providing role models for young people, noting that while parents want to give their children the best start, “there is a point when they don’t want to listen to parents any more”. He added: “There’s a negative narrative around our country at the moment and we’ve got to give young people hope, we’ve got to give them guidance.”
The former England manager insisted that “there is more that unites us than divides us”, but acknowledged economic challenges fuel disaffection. He pointed to the Covid-19 pandemic as an example of national resilience, saying: “I saw during Covid people doing shopping for the neighbours and that’s when we as a nation are at our best.”
