Gareth Southgate has suggested that Euro 2024 success could well see him extend his tenure as England manager. Initially brought in as a caretaker boss in 2016 following Sam Allardyce’s exit, the 52-year-old led the side to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and third place in the following year’s Nations League.
England were agonisingly close to winning the Euro 2020 final at Wembley, only to lose on penalties to Italy. Italy are today's opponents as the Euro 2024 qualification stages get under way. It was widely reported at the time that Southgate had contemplated walking away in the wake of December’s World Cup quarter-final exit to France, but has reportedly been reinvigorated by next year’s shot at success in Germany.
Asked if the Euros represented his final chance, Southgate said: “Well, that depends if we win. I think you have to be careful as a player not to assume when you’re younger that this might not be your last chance as well. Of course you’re always going to think you’re going to have other opportunities, but injury, form, new players coming through in your position — you can never take that for granted.
“Clearly the older ones know the timescale is quite clear. But everybody else has to be mindful of that as well. Pushed on whether he would stay if England won the tournament, Southgate – whose contract expires next year – said with a laugh: “Let’s hope we’ve got that opportunity to make that decision.”
England have not won away to Italy since 1961 but will be keen to lay down a marker that they can beat the world’s best to win some silverware. Midfielder Declan Rice, when asked if the loss to France would be used as motivating forwards move, responded: “Without a doubt, yes.”
He added: “I think if we look at ourselves after that France game, we took a lot of positivity from the game, even though we lost. There was a real belief in the room that we can compete with the best but it’s down to us to go that one step ahead, beat a top nation and win a trophy. That’s all that is on our minds and starting trying to beat Italy and starting our campaign off well.”
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Southgate is looking to record his 50th win as England manager on Thursday – a figure only achieved by Sir Alf Ramsey and Walter Winterbottom. However, the England boss is more interested in three key qualification points than personal achievements.
He is making the most of this fourth major tournament campaign in charge rather than thinking of it as potentially his last big adventure. He said: “I’m just thinking about game to game, preparing the team as well as possible. I’ve for a while felt I need to enjoy the experience. I think that emits itself to the players when you do that. I’m relishing the challenge.”
The match kicks off tonight at 7:45pm in the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples.
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