Southgate plans year out from management

Former England manager Gareth Southgate says he will not return to a coaching role for at least a year.

The 54-year-old resigned from the England job after the defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.

Southgate was appointed as Three Lions boss in 2016 and guided England to back-to-back Euro finals, as well as a fourth-place finish at the 2018 World Cup.

He has been linked with Manchester United amid the uncertainty over the future of Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

However, speaking at the European Club Association general assembly in Athens on Thursday, Southgate ruled out an immediate return to management.

"I won't coach in the next year for sure, I'm certain of that," he said. "I need to give myself time to make good decisions.

"When you come out of a really big role you need to give your body time, you need to give your mind time.

"I'm enjoying my life, so there's no rush."

Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp announced his return to the game on Wednesday, taking a role as global head of soccer at Red Bull.

"I'm fortunate that there are lots of different opportunities that are presenting themselves. The business side of football is really interesting," said Southgate.

"I've been invited to speak at Harvard and there's lots of exciting life experiences to have.

"I'm 54 and want to enjoy and be really motivated for the next 10 to 15 years of my life and the most important thing is to give myself time to make good decisions."

Southgate says he will not coach another international team and will be careful before returning to the club environment. He previously managed Middlesbrough from 2006 to 2009.

"Clubs can only be successful if everything is aligned, right the way through the club," he said.

"I also know that maybe the smarter people sit in the boardrooms and the coaches are a little bit more dispensable than you think when you are there.

"As a coach you think you're the most important person. I sat in every boardroom in our country for eight years and realised you're only a small piece in this whole thing."

England face Greece in the Nations League at Wembley on Thursday evening.

Lee Carsley, who replaced Southgate as interim manager, has won both of his two fixtures in charge of the Three Lions.

Negative media relationship is a 'watch out' for England

Southgate's resignation brought to an end his 13-year stint within the FA.

He was named the head of elite development in 2011, before taking charge of the under-21s in 2013 and the senior side in 2016.

One of his biggest achievements on taking over the senior team was changing the negative relationship with the media that had previously existed.

After enjoying favourable coverage at his first three tournaments, Southgate criticised the impact of negative reaction to England's struggles in the early games at Euro 2024.

He told the ECA event in Athens that the "reconnection" with the fans through a positive media strategy "helps the team to feel more relaxed going into games".

Southgate said: "We saw that in the summer when there was a shift with the media because it brought more pressure on to the team.

"That is a watch out for England going forward. They need to keep that strong relationship with the fans and the media because it is much harder if you don't.”

"[Before his tenure] perhaps players had stopped thinking what might be possible and were worrying about what might go wrong. It can be a painful experience.

"Some of our players weren't delivering at the highest possible level because they were inhibited and thinking about not being the guy who was responsible for losing rather than how do we go and win."

Southgate said he felt England's best tournament performances were at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, despite the quarter-final exit to France.

"We had a lot of physical issues [at Euro 2024]. We had players not at their best. This summer we couldn't find the same flow and rhythm. But we still managed to find different ways to win," he said.

"I am pleased we have left consistency. We have been ranked in the top five in the world for six years and we delivered over four tournaments.

"But that missing piece will always eat away that we weren't able to deliver a trophy for supporters who have waited for a long time."