Gareth Southgate knows Euro 2024 must go ‘very, very well’ to keep England job

Gareth Southgate knows next year’s Euros will have to go extremely well for it to be a “possibility in anybody’s eyes” for him to stay on as England manager.

The 52-year-old was parachuted into the hotseat following Sam Allardyce’s ignominious exit in 2016 and has gone on to oversee the national team’s best spell since winning the World Cup.

England reached the 2018 semi-finals before losing the delayed Euro 2020 final in an agonising penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy at Wembley.

There were more signs of progress as the team were edged out by France at last year’s World Cup, but a challenging year meant Southgate had to weigh up whether to see out his contract until 2024.

The England boss decided to stay on after a week of contemplation following Qatar, but next summer’s European Championship could prove his last finals in charge.

“My contract is until the December,” Southgate said. “That was always put in place because it would allow everybody reflection time, really.”

Asked if the Euros would be his last tournament, Southgate said: “Who knows?

“I think we’ll have to go very, very well for that to be a possibility in anybody’s eyes and that’s fair enough. I’m more than comfortable with that.

“My aim is to try and win the tournament and everything I do is geared around that and every conversation I have with the players now is geared around that.

“So, what will happen in the future at the moment it isn’t at the forefront of my mind, but trying to win this European Championship is.”

England are third favourites with the bookmakers to triumph in Germany next year, and that is all the manager is focused on right now.

‘Succession’ is a buzzword thanks to the popular US TV series, but Southgate has not seen the show and was unwilling to talk about potential candidates for a job he cares deeply about.

“Whatever (input) John (McDermott, Football Association technical director) and everybody else at the FA would like, really,” he said.

Here we go.

Your #ThreeLions squad for June!