Gareth Southgate has revealed that he will stay on as England manager following the conclusion of Euro 2024, due to conditions in his current contract.
The 53-year-old took charge of the Three Lions on a four-game temporary basis in September 2016 following the dismissal of Sam Allardyce after just a single competitive fixture in the job.
Former Middlesbrough boss Southgate has guided England through three major tournaments, including the 2018 and 2022 World Cups as well as Euro 2020 which took place all across Europe two years ago.
With little hope prior to the World Cup in Russia, the Three Lions managed a historic run to the semi-finals, beating Colombia and Sweden in the knockout stages before Croatia denied England a spot in the showpiece match against eventual winners France.
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The postponed Euros of 2021 provided England with what was essentially a home tournament, with Southgate's men making little fuss of their opponents before facing Roberto Mancini's Italy in the final at Wembley and losing on penalties.
Following strong showings in the past two major competitions, the Three Lions were among the favourites to lift only their second-ever World Cup in Qatar last year, however England were knocked out in the quarter-finals by France.
Many expected Southgate to leave his post as England boss following the conclusion of next summer's Euros in Germany, however it has been revealed that the former player will stay on past the tournament.
The 53-year-old's contract with the Football Association expires in December 2024 - six months after the final of the tournament, which is being hosted at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on July 14.
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"I mean in the end that was John (McDermott) and Mark's (Bullingham) suggestion and there's logic to having a handover period if you go. But, really no international manager knows going into a tournament how they're going to come out of it," said Southgate when questioned on his six-month "cooling off" period.
It was reported that Southgate had serious doubts over whether he wanted to remain the role following England's exit from the World Cup last December, however senior figures at the FA helped convince the manager to stay.
A report from The Mirror adds that 45-time international would like to have a final crack at winning the World Cup in 2026 should the Three Lions lift the Euros next summer.
On the other hand, Southgate is expected to step down from his position should England fail to be successful in Germany next year, bringing an eight-year managerial spell of the national side to a close.
Having already secured their place at next summer's tournament, England could experiment with their squad during the upcoming qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia over the next fortnight.
Carter White
