New Delhi, Oct 15 (IANS) Former England manager Gareth Southgate said he does not see himself returning to club management in the Premier League, as he “hardly watched football” since leaving England coaching.
The 56-year-old has been out of management since stepping down as the head coach of the England national team after England lost their second consecutive European finals under his regime at the 2024 European Championship.
Southgate, who also took England to the Euro 2020 final, has not taken up any role at club level since a three-year spell with Middlesbrough from 2006. England won 61 of the 102 matches under his coaching.
“I don’t see a scenario where I do that,” BBC quoted Southgate as saying on The Amol Rajan Connection podcast. “Towards the end of my time with England, I stopped enjoying, at the very least, for a period, the wins keep you going.”
Appointed England manager in November 2016, Southgate ended his tenure as one of the most successful managers in the nation’s history. One of only three managers to take charge of 100 matches, he led the Three Lions to four back-to-back major tournaments, including the finals of EURO 2020 and 2024.
Southgate also has 57 caps and two goals for England as a player in a decade-long career from 1995 to 2004. He has also managed the England U-21 team from 2013 to 2016. He also had a lengthy club career playing for Crystal Palace (1988-95), Aston Villa (1995-2001) and Middlesbrough (2001-2006), making 503 appearances in all and scoring 26 goals.
“By the end, I didn’t even enjoy the wins for any longer than a couple of minutes. So, I’ve hardly watched football. 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,” he added.
–IANS
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