Gareth Southgate: FA keen for England boss to stay after 2024 European Championships

The Football Association are keen for Gareth Southgate to remain as England boss beyond this summer’s European Championships.

However, the 53-year-old has not discounted the possibility of remaining in the job until the 2026 World Cup.

“You’ve got to see how the summer goes. It’s as simple as that,” Southgate said at the Nations League draw in Paris on Thursday.

“In my view, I know what we’re capable of achieving in the summer, I know what my own benchmark of success would be, after that I’m not really thinking about anything else.

“In the end, we’ve got to deliver a performance and you’ve got to make the best decisions for everybody. I won’t be in a position to make that decision before the tournament.”

The FA has been impressed at the way Southgate has changed perceptions of the England team on and off the pitch since he took charge.

He replaced Sam Allardyce, initially on an interim basis, in 2016, and in 2021 he signed a contract to stay as England boss until December 2024.

Earlier that year, he led England to the final of the Euros – their best men’s performance in 55 years – where they lost to Italy on penalties at Wembley.

In 2018, he guided the team to their first World Cup semi-final in 28 years, while they reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 tournament in Qatar, losing 2-1 to eventual finalists France.

England have won 57 of their 91 matches under Southgate, with 14 defeats and 20 draws.

There is unlikely to be any significant talks on Southgate’s contract until after the Euros but if he does decide he wants to stay on, it appears the FA would be happy to accommodate that wish.

England’s Euros campaign starts against Serbia on 16 June, with Denmark and Slovenia the other teams in Group C.

If Southgate stays beyond his current contract’s expiry date in December, he will replace Sir Bobby Robson as England’s third-longest-serving manager behind only Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Walter Winterbottom.