Gareth Southgate hints he will step down if England fail to win Euros

Gareth Southgate has said this summer's European Championship could be his last, unless he can lead England to victory.

The England manager took over the national team after a shock loss to Iceland in 2016 led former boss Sam Allardyce to quit.

The 53-year-old managed to lead England to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and the quarter-finals four years later, as well as going within a penalty shoot-out of winning Euro 2020.

But as this year's Euros loom, he said his time might soon be up.

“If we don’t win, I probably won’t be here anymore,” he told German publication Bild. “Then it might be the last chance.

“I think about half of the national coaches leave after a tournament – that’s the nature of international football.

“I’ve been here for almost eight years now and we’ve come close. So, I know that you can’t keep standing in front of the public and saying ‘please do a little more’, because at some point people will lose faith in your message.

“If we want to be a big team and I want to be a top coach, then you have to deliver in the big moments.”

Euro 2024 is the fourth and final tournament covered by Gareth Southgate’s contract as his Football Association deal expires later this year.

Asked if he could have signed a contract extension before the tournament, he said: “No.

“The reason is that there would have been more criticism, which would have put more pressure on the team.

“England did that once before with Fabio Capello, and there was a big drama before the tournament. It’s better to check yourself after the tournament.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…