GARETH SOUTHGATE has walked away from the England job.
It marks the end of a rollercoaster eight years in charge of the national side.
But Sunday’s Euro final defeat — Southgate’s second in three years — proved to be the final straw.
And the Three Lions are now on the hunt for a new boss.
Southgate’s Wembley reign was one of joy and hope for the most part.
But the mood changed following England’s World Cup quarter-final exit in 2022.
A series of poor results then saw Southgate’s men come into the Euros in below-par form.
And performances never improved throughout the tournament, with the final particularly underwhelming.
England were constantly analysed by pundits far and wide, with many feeling Southgate was unable to coax the best out of his talented stars.
Here’s what some of the biggest names in football had to say in the wake of Sunday’s defeat to Spain…
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“It is a victory for attacking football.
“I think he’s been the right person to bring the nation together in terms of the football team.
“And, now, maybe it’s time for someone else with a more modern, attacking style of football.
“Because I think the game’s gone away from being successful if you’re really defensive.
“I think he was the right man at the right time, but I think this emergence of young, exciting forward thinking footballers that play high-pressing football for their clubs…
“I think that’s probably not suited him and he’s not suited them and they looked a little bit lost and they were disjointed.”
As a proud Englishman, it has been the honour of my life to play for England and to manage England. It has meant everything to me, and I have given it my all.
But it’s time for change, and for a new chapter. Sunday’s final in Berlin against Spain was my final game as England manager.
I joined the FA in 2011, determined to improve English football. In that time, including eight years as England men’s manager, I have been supported by some brilliant people who have my heartfelt thanks.
I could not have had anyone better alongside me than Steve Holland. He is one of the most talented coaches of his generation, and has been immense.
I have had the privilege of leading a large group of players in 102 games. Every one of them has been proud to wear the three lions on their shirts, and they have been a credit to their country in so many ways.
The squad we took to Germany is full of exciting young talent and they can win the trophy we all dream of.
I am so proud of them, and I hope we get behind the players and the team at St. George’s Park and the FA who strive every day to improve English football, and understand the power football has to drive positive change.
My special thanks go to the backroom staff who have provided the players and me with unstinting support over the last eight years. Their hard work and commitment inspired me every day, and I am so grateful to them – the brilliant ‘team behind the team’.
We have the best fans in the world, and their support has meant the world to me. I’m an England fan and I always will be.
I look forward to watching and celebrating as the players go on to create more special memories and to connect and inspire the nation as we know they can.
Thank you, England – for everything.
“He will know that they haven’t performed. They didn’t have enough energy or quality on the ball.
“We would have loved to have seen him play more front-foot football.
“They have had another taste of it but you have to get over the line.
“First is first and the rest are nowhere, I’m afraid.
“I suspect it will be Southgate’s last game. From where he took over and where they are now.
“There will be great disappointment at home. Yes, we could have played more attacking football but they have got to the final.
“But when you are here, you have got to get over the line.
“The reality is he got us to a final three years ago and got us to a final here and hasn’t won.
“That will hurt him and maybe he will think it’s time for someone else.”
“I think that’s a big question and something doesn’t sit right inside me talking about Gareth’s future because of what he’s done in the last six to seven years.
“But I think he will take a long, hard look in the next week or so and wonder if it is now the right time.
“We can focus on a lot of things, but Southgate’s answer on how we did not keep the ball well enough should be the title of the England book.
“Every single England manager has said the same thing, every single England player has felt the same thing.
“Because we have lived it out there on the pitch and our legs have gone and we end up dying on our feet in the latter part of games where the other team have got stronger.
“And it is repeat, rinse and repeat. These lads have done incredibly well to get to a final, they have done more than we ever did, but some of the same patterns have occurred.”
Here is a look at Gareth Southgate's record as England manager.
Overall record
“If we’re being honest about the situation, they (Spain) were better.
“We had some moments but it was too easy the way we conceded. The best team won.
“Spain knew all their roles, with England we’re just getting our best players on the pitch.
“In terms of structure it’s a team full of individuals. Coming into this game it was more hope.
“We talk about moments and it nearly was, but they can only get you so far.
“Sometimes you need structure to create more, we rely too much on a moment.
“When you take the England job it’s a pressurised job, one of the biggest in the world and it comes with scrutiny.
“He knew what he was getting into, he gave us great moments but we need to go forward to go to the next step.
“We talked about the golden generation, it would be such a shame for these players to not win either.”
“We said after the group stages, if you’re going to play the conservative side of things with the amount of talent we have in this squad, you have to win.
“Otherwise it will come down to it being absolutely dissected and looked at as being a negative approach.
“That falls on the manager’s toes. He sets this team out in a particular way to play.
“That’s his style of football and you have to win playing like that because these players are too good.
“They play too well for their clubs to come here and look a shadow of themselves. We were a team when the game was in the balance.
“But we were held back on a leash and that’s the disappointing thing with the quality of players we have in this squad.
“The top teams get control and are aggressive from minute one and take games off opponents.
“Every fan watching would have thought, ‘Why have we waited to go a goal down to let the shackles off and start going at them?’.
“It wasn’t until Ollie Watkins came on and he started hurrying them.
“We have waited so long, why should we wait for so long to be on the front foot when we’ve got quality players all over the park.”
GARETH Southgate took charge of 102 games for England before quitting in the aftermath of the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.
But what were the best – and worst matches – from the popular gaffer’s eight-year reign before that devastating Sunday night in Berlin? Here we take a look.
THE HIGHS:
Colombia 1-1 England (3-4 on pens,) 2018 World Cup
This was the night that long-suffering supporters finally started to believe that it was coming home.
Despite conceding a late equaliser, England held their nerve to advance to the quarter final of the World Cup 2018 on penalties.
It was our first shootout victory for 22 years.
Spain 2-3 England, 2018 Nations League
Following on from the World Cup, England won in Spain for the first time in 31 years with a brilliant Uefa Nations League victory.
Southgate’s boys stunned the Seville crowd into silence with a thrilling performance that saw them lead 3-0 at the break thanks to a Raheem Sterling brace and Marcus Rashford.
Although the hosts scored two after the break, the way the Three Lions tore La Roja apart excited every fan.
England 2-1 Denmark, Euro 2020 semi-final
Southgate led England to their first major final in 55 years as they beat Denmark after extra-time in the Euro 2020 semi-final.
Having fallen behind after half an hour, the Three Lions battled back to send it to extra-time courtesy of an own goal.
Then it was captain Kane who converted a rebound after Kasper Schmeichel originally saved his penalty in extra-time to win it.
England 3-0 Sengal, 2022 World Cup last 16
England had already blown Iran and Wales, 6-2 and 3-0 respectively, away in the World Cup 2022 group stages before they breezed past Senegal.
The free-scoring Three Lions recorded another big win to set-up a mouthwatering quarter-final against France – what could go wrong?
Italy 1-2 England, Euro qualifiers, 2023
On a night when Harry Kane became England’s all-time top scorer, the Three Lions recorded a first away win over Italy since 1961.
It was the first game since their 2022 World Cup exit, and it ensured a perfect start to their Euro 2022 qualifying campaign.
England 2-1 Holland, Euro 2024 sem-final
The nation doubted Southgate’s men in the semis of Euro 2024, but they responded with a barnstorming display.
Xavi Simons opened the scoring for the Dutch but Harry Kane’s penalty drew us level.
And Ollie Watkins slotted in a brilliant winner in injury time to see the Three Lions into their second successive Euros final.
AND THE LOWS….
Croatia 2-1 England, World Cup semi-final, 2018
Having led England to a first World Cup semi-final since 1990, Southgate men made a dream start as Kieran Trippier put them ahead in the early exchanges.
But Ivan Perisic equalised as the Croats began to take control.
Some of Southgate’s substitutions were then questioned after his team were beaten in extra-time, although many gave him the benefit of the doubt as he returned a hero.
Italy 1-1 England (3-2 pens) Euro 2020 final
Will probably never get a better chance to have secured a trophy for the Three Lions than this final of the last European Championship.
Luke Shaw gave us the lead after just seconds, but just like against Croatia three years earlier, we sat back and let our rivals back into it.
Leonardo Bonucci duly equalised in the second half and the game eventually went to penalties.
The unfortunate Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were all brought on to take a spot-kick, but the brave trio all missed as the Azzurri broke our hearts to take the prize.
England 0-4 Hungary, Nations League 2023
A year on from the Euros and it was utter embarrassment for Southgate in this Nations League game at Molineux.
It was our biggest home defeat since 1928 and the result led to England being relegated from the top group of the Nations League and back to one that contained the Republic of Ireland, Finland and Greece.
England 1-2 France, World Cup 2022 quarter-finals
Another case of what could have been.
Having been free-scoring throughout Qatar 2022, many fancied us to go all the way at the World Cup despite taking on the holders in the quarters.
We fought back from going behind to level through Kane and many believe that France were then there for the taking had Southgate deployed a more attacking approach.
Instead, they seemed content with what they had until Olivier Giroud pounced 12 minutes from time to win it.
But there was still one more twist of the knife for England as the usually-reliable Kane skied a late penalty over the bar uncharacteristically as we crashed out.
“You look at Foden, Guehi, Pickford, Saka, Mainoo, Wharton coming through, Bellingham.
“The fact is, being an England fan is being a fan. You have to go again and it’s unfortunate.
“Me and Gary [Neville] were talking about what we need to do to get our players in the moment to carry on playing.
“I thought that not having a focal point was very very tough for us. No one can tell me we haven’t got the players to play. No one can tell me we haven’t got the players to actually do this.
“We need to find a way to do this and as much as we’re despondent, and it’s very disappointing now, I look at that list of players and think, ‘Okay, let’s go again.’.
“It’s going to be very difficult because even when you look at Gareth there, he almost was speaking like he’s distanced himself from England already.
“So we have to find a way to go again and we have to make sure that our young players who are in that dressing room are feeling this and realise that they’re the ones who are going to have to take up the [responsibility].”
“He (Southgate)’s earned the right to do what he wants to do.
“I think tonight [England] lacked quality. They’ve lacked quality throughout the tournament.
“It was probably fight and desire, options off the bench that got them to this final.
“The real frustration for England will be that they’ve given their all.
“After the game when they got beaten, they’ll think ‘Did we give it our best?’
“They haven’t given their best the last few games, they got away with it. Eventually, they got found out.”
By Tom Barclay
Gareth Southgate claimed that only winning Sunday’s final would earn England the respect of the footballing world.
Spain proved a last-gasp comeback too far in Berlin, but defeat did not change the fact that Southgate’s eight-year transformation put respect back into the world of England football.
Critics will pick apart his cautious tactics, his selection choices and his record in the most high-pressurised games – with some legitimacy.
Yet what is quickly forgotten is the laughing stock our national side had become before he took over in 2016.
A shambolic Euros exit to Iceland that summer had been followed up by Sam Allardyce quitting just one game into his tenure thanks to his pint of wine with undercover reporters.
Then came Southgate, with his decency, his humility, his understated eloquence and his vision for a better, different future.
He had analysed why England had so often failed in the past, from lack of preparation at penalty shoot-outs to players being bored out of their minds during major tournaments.
Southgate took those findings and implemented a culture where players wanted to play for their country again – and it led to back-to-back finals for the first time in our history.
Instead of going to war with the media, he opened his doors to them and discovered, shock, horror, that it was met, generally, with support.
It did not stop him from being criticised when required – we are no cheerleaders, here – but the vitriol of yesteryear – or today on social media – was largely gone.
No manager is perfect and neither was Southgate. We cannot pretend his teams played like those of Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp.
But in the fullness of time, his feats will likely be revered because the results speak for themselves.
Hopefully his successor can go one step further and bring football home.
To do that, they must show respect to what Southgate has created and build on it, rather than rip it down.
To read more from Tom Barclay click HERE.
“I’d like Gareth Southgate to stay, but I’d understand if he walks away. You think of the criticism he gets, it’s way over the top.
“Who would want to take the England job? Considering you have to go and win the World Cup or next Euros to be deemed a success.
“We aren’t a nation that wins trophies, we aren’t Brazil. We’re not a team with a history – yes, we want to change that. But I can’t see many managers licking their lips and saying ‘oh I’d like to take this on’.
“Maybe a different manager could get more out of this group but you would have to win a tournament – something we’ve done once in about 100 years.
“The best managers don’t manage at international level. The Spain manager is a perfect example, most people would never have heard of him before this tournament.
“The problem Southgate has got, is people see him as an FA guy with no background of being successful or winning things.
“Southgate knows international football, he’s brilliant with the media, he knows the players – I’m not quite sure who this manager is that everyone is crying out for.”
“The one thing Gareth has to think of is (he’s been manager for) eight years. Who was the last England manager to last longer than eight years?
“It’s a long time to soak up the pressure that’s upon you and maybe it’s the time where he thinks that his tenure has been long enough.
“We seemed to not be able to find the right system for the talent pool we had, which is very difficult when you’ve got so much talent.
“It was a little disappointing but overall Spain were the better side. The other matches where the opposition weren’t as good as we were, you could maybe criticise a bit more about our attacking play.”
“Gareth has been so composed and dealt with the criticism really, really well throughout.
“A lot of ex-players have been really critical of Gareth and the team – these are players that didn’t get further than a quarter-final and they criticise a manager who has done an incredible job.
“I’m sure there will be offers for Gareth in the Premier League or around the world.
“But I think he believes there’s a trophy to win with this group of players. I really hope he stays because he’s been fantastic.”
