New Delhi, Nov 26 (IANS ) Former England head coach Gareth Southgate, who had stepped down from his position in the summer, has announced that he may be considering a career besides being a football coach. The Englishman took to LinkedIn to share his thoughts stating he ‘is not limiting his future options'.
"Every morning I drove through the gates of St George's Park, I had a responsibility to improve English football. This higher purpose kept me on track, gave me structure, made my life more fulfilling and is going to be extremely difficult to replicate.
"It's why l'm not limiting my future options to remaining as a football coach. I'm not the only 50 something contemplating a change of direction,” read the post by Southgate on LinkedIn.
Gareth Southgate had resigned as the head coach of the England national team after 102 games in charge. The Three Lions lost their second consecutive European finals under his regime at the 2024 European Championship.
The 53-year-old joined the team in 2016 after they had suffered an embarrassing defeat against Iceland in the Round of 16 at the 2016 Euros. Under his regime, England became one of the best defensive setups in the world and although his 102-game tenure ended without a trophy, he will be remembered as one of the best managers in the country’s history with two Euro finals appearances and one semi-final appearance in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
England won 61 of the 102 matches under Southgate's coaching. The one constant criticism he faced was his defensive-minded approach to the game.
England FA had appointed Thomas Tuchel as the team's new head coach. The German will begin his tenure in January 2025 and will be in charge until the 2026 FIFA World Cup.