Former England boss Gareth Southgate has insisted he is in no hurry to return to the dugout, despite being tipped for the Manchester United hot seat. The 55-year-old has been out of work since stepping down from the Three Lions role last summer. Throughout his tenure with England, Southgate guided the side to two European Championship finals and reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2018. His final match in charge saw a 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
He has subsequently been touted as a potential successor to Ruben Amorim at United, following the Portuguese manager’s difficult start at the club. Reports emerged last month suggesting Southgate would set out specific conditions should United approach him about the Old Trafford position.
However, the club’s fortunes have improved under Amorim in recent weeks. The Red Devils secured three consecutive Premier League victories before Saturday’s 2-2 stalemate with Nottingham Forest.
Southgate has now clarified his position regarding a fresh managerial appointment. The ex-England chief indicated that returning to the touchline is not currently on his agenda.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said: “I had an amazing time, obviously the great thing with England is that there’s this higher purpose. I joined the FA to try to help English football become better, to help youth development in particular. I somehow stumbled and ended up in the first team manager’s job and we had a pretty good period.
“I’m not desperate to stay in football, I’ve had 37 years in football which is amazing.”
When asked if a major managerial role could tempt him back, he said: “Well you can never say never because I’ve just seen Martin O’Neill at his age go to Celtic. But it’s not something that’s high on my agenda at the moment, I’m enjoying the work around leadership, I’m enjoying my work with young people, very determined to try and make a difference there.
“And so no, I’m very relaxed about not being in football at the moment.”
Just weeks earlier, he addressed the Aspire Academy Global Summit, an event bringing together figures from across professional football to exchange expertise. He appeared alongside the likes of Rafa Benitez, Carli Lloyd, Wilfried Nancy and Alessandro Nesta.
“The most important thing for developing football is developing coaches,” Southgate said at the summit.
“We are all constantly learning. Bringing people together to share experiences and ideas helps us all grow, especially as the game continues to evolve.”
Despite his achievements with England, Southgate’s club management experience remains limited. His sole stint in that capacity saw him lead Middlesbrough from summer 2006 until October 2009, with the side suffering relegation from the Premier League at the conclusion of the 2008/2009 campaign.