Gareth Southgate is stepping away from the England men’s national team job days after the Three Lions lost to Spain at the EURO 2024 Final in Berlin.
The 53-year-old Southgate issued a statement that concluded with “Thank you England — For everything,” explaining that it was “time for a change, and for a new chapter.”
England have stated that they will immediately find a replacement but have a plan in place for an interim boss if the process begins to intrude on the September international break. They’ll meet the Republic of Ireland on Sept. 7 and Finland three days later in UEFA Nations League play.
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England advanced to back-to-back European Championship finals and a World Cup semifinal and quarterfinal in Southgate’s four major tournaments in charge, an upgrade for a trophy-starved men’s program.
Southgate earned 57 caps as a player and managed Middlesbrough before taking hold of England’s U-21 side in 2013.
As senior England boss, he won 61 of his 102 games in charge, drawing 24, and losing 17.
“As a proud Englishman, it has been the honour of my life to play for England and to manage England,” Southgate wrote in a statement. “It has meant everything to me, and I have given it my all. But it’s time for change, and for a new chapter.”
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“The squad we took to Germany is full of exciting young talent and they can win the trophy we all dream of. I am so proud of them, and I hope we get behind the players and the team at St. George’s Park and the FA who strive every day to improve English football, and understand the power football has to drive positive change.”
He went on to thank the fans, the FA, the players, and his backroom staff.
What’s next for the Three Lions?
Much like the United States men’s national team job, England will be fishing for big names with a strong generation of players in frame for the 2026 World Cup.
England have proven strong in tournaments and surely Jurgen Klopp will be sounded out, and names like Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, and Graham Potter will be mentioned often.
You can also expect a group of raised hands from men like Frank Lampard, while England may nudge some currently employed bosses like Leicester City’s Steve Cooper, who had big success with their youth national teams.
And the job should be massively attractive ahead of the World Cup. There’s a short runway, yes, but England are loaded in the midfield and attack despite plenty of youth.
England were relegated to Nations League B, so a new boss will be able to try some things against Ireland, Greece, and Finland over the next few breaks, finding the right mix for a crew that will almost certain include (age in parenthesis):
- Marc Guehi (24)
- John Stones (30)
- Declan Rice (25)
- Trent Alexander-Arnold (25)
- Jude Bellingham (21)
- Conor Gallagher (24)
- Kobbie Mainoo (19)
- Bukayo Saka (22)
- Phil Foden (24)
- Harry Kane (30)
- Ollie Watkins (28)
- Cole Palmer (22)
- Reece James (
You’ll note only two 30-year-olds in the bunch, both still excellent, and there’s a wealth of strong players bidding to join that group: Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, Ivan Toney, Adam Wharton, Reece James, Jarrad Branthwaite, Levi Colwill, James Maddison, Jack Grealish, and Marcus Rashford headline a terrific group.