Gareth Southgate has promised to make a quick decision on his England future after the Euro 2024 final, with his squad united in the hope he can sign a contract extension to take them into World Cup qualifying.
Southgate’s contract expires at the end of this year, and there is strong interest within the Football Association to renew his term and potentially extend it to ten years. But he made it clear that if England beat Spain in Berlin, the glory of this chaotic tournament would not be the stage for its conclusion. Those will have to wait, but he doesn’t expect it to take long.
“The way my emotions have gone over the past five weeks, it’s ridiculous for me to think about anything other than this game,” he said. “We have time to make a decision, I don’t need weeks but I think I have the right to give myself a few days to think about things. I know what will happen if we go out in the group stage, that’s for sure .I have a great idea in my head.
It’s easy to draw the inference that he would have quit had the group stage performance been less than convincing. “I don’t think it was necessarily my choice,” he said, but things have changed dramatically since then and Southgate has the support of his players who are desperate to see him move on.
There was no misunderstanding when Declan Rice summed up the organisation’s position. “I know the lads do want him to stay until 2026 – there’s no doubt about it,” the Arsenal midfielder said. “The way he looks after us, his composure, his performance as a coach, his performance on the training pitch with us, he is top notch.
“None of us have talked to him about it, it’s none of our business. Whatever he wants to do, whatever makes him happy, I’m sure he’ll make the right decision. But I’m sure he’ll get everybody’s approval Support and stay.
Southgate has refreshed his squad this summer; it is the third youngest squad in the tournament and there will be an enhanced sense of achievement if they lift the trophy at Berlin’s Olympiastadion. He realizes their potential, but advises them that they need to seize the opportunity to become heroes.
“When you look at the age profile of the team, there are a lot of pieces that are here to stay long-term,” he said. “The World Cup in two years, the European Championship at home. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to happen. Other countries have made progress, but not all of us have made progress. That’s why when these moments come you have to Grab them.
“After the last final [against Italy in 2021]of course we’re saying we want to learn from it and recover from it, but [at the World Cup] We are in the dormitory. You couldn’t be sure that we would be where we are now.
All England players are back fit and ready for their final training session at the Blankenhayn base. Kieran Trippier has been troubled by a groin problem and it remains to be seen whether Luke Shaw, who replaced him at half-time against Holland on Wednesday, can start. “I said before the semifinals that I’m ready, we just have to wait and see what happens,” said Shaw, who recently took a four-month break from the sidelines.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference at the stadium on Sunday, Southgate said he believed England “must win this trophy to truly feel respected by the football world”. He recalled the German team winning the European Cup in England 28 years ago. He famously missed a crucial penalty against the eventual winners and was asked if he believed in fate at the prospect of turning the tables around.
“I’m probably one of the most popular British people in Berlin [in 1996],” he joked. “I don’t believe in fairy tales, but I believe in dreams. We have big dreams but you have to make these things happen. Our performance, the late goal, the penalty, it doesn’t equal our moment: we have to make it happen .It will be a lovely story, but it is in our hands.
Harry Kane, sitting to Southgate’s left, was invited to savor the prospect of winning the first major trophy in his illustrious career. “It’s no secret that I didn’t win the team trophy, and as time goes by you become more determined to change that,” he said. “I have a chance to get one of my biggest wins tomorrow, so there’s no question that I’d trade everything I’ve done in my career for one special night.”
Southgate explained there were no plans to make grandiose speeches as England seek to claim their place in history. “They don’t need game incentives like this,” he said. “It’s about getting the little details right. Good margins define these games, and it’s about making sure we’re on the right side.
The public rallying cry fell to Rice, who will once again be paired with Kobe Minu. “The lads know now is the time,” he said. “This is a matter of life and death. We will leave nothing behind in the locker room. We are ready to change our lives and change the lives of everyone in this country forever.
