Former England manager, Gareth Southgate, has seemingly taken himself out of the running for the Manchester United job as questions continue to surround Erik ten Hag's tenure at the club.
Speaking at the European Club Association's general assembly, Southgate said, "I am enjoying my life so there is no rush. For 11 years I committed fully to the national federation. I won't coach in the next year for sure. I am certain of that. When you come out of a big role you need to give your body time, your mind time," as quoted by Reuters. He also pushed back on the idea of taking on another national federation displaying his love and affection for England.
Manchester United reportedly wouldn't have moved for Southgate over the summer despite Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS favoring the former England boss. In all likelihood, Ruud van Nistelrooy would be a prime candidate to take over in an interim role should Ten Hag be fired considering he's already working with the team as an assistant manager. Plus, he's a club legend and could follow in the footsteps of Ole Gunnar Solskjær with fans hoping for a better end result.
Ten Hag's Manchester United is off to the worst Premier League start in 35 years accumulating just eight points from seven games. Despite winning domestic cups in back-to-back seasons, performances on the field so far domestically and in the UEFA Europa League have put a cloud over his future at the club.
"(A return to) club football? Depending on what role that is. I have been fortunate to have worked with fantastic players. You got to have excitement, passion to go to work every day," Southgate said.
Southgate stepped down as England manager on July 16 after finishing second in consecutive Euros tournaments. He oversaw 102 professional matches from 2016–2024. Lee Carsley was named interim manager in his replacement.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Gareth Southgate 'Won't Coach in the Next Year' Amid Man Utd Uncertainty.
