Gareth Southgate is reportedly ready to confirm that he is staying on as England manager. Although the 52-year-old has yet to commit himself to continuing in the role, the Times and Telegraph are reporting that he will confirm his decision to stay in the next few days.
Southgate has a contract until after the European Championships in 2024, but he admitted following the World Cup defeat by France last weekend that he needed time to make a decision that would suit both him and the Football Association. However, the Times and Telegraph say there is growing optimism within the FA that he will remain in the post that he has has held for the past six years.
There are only 18 months to go until Euro 2024 and the qualifiers for the tournament to be staged in Germany get under way in the spring. Southgate has brought through a number of young talents, including Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden, and England will go into the tournament as one of the favourites.
He was cheered by the largely positive reaction of fans and the media to England's performances in Qatar, where his team were unfortunate to be knocked out in the quarter-finals by France. England's leading players have also urged him to stay on and have messaged him to reiterate that.
The FA will be relieved to keep Southgate rather than have to launch a search for his replacement with a busy few years ahead for the national team. The Euro 2024 qualifiers begin with a testing trip to Italy on Thursday March 23 followed by a home clash with Ukraine three days later.
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