Former England manager Gareth Southgate has revealed why he stepped away from football after leaving his role as Three Lions boss following Euro 2024, admitting that he stopped enjoying the game towards the end of his tenure.
The 56-year-old, who guided England to back-to-back European Championship finals at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, also ruled out a return to Premier League management.
Southgate resigned after England’s 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final and has remained out of management since then.
Speaking on The Amol Rajan Connection, as reported by BBC Sport on Thursday, the former Middlesbrough manager said his passion for football had diminished towards the end of his time with the national team.
“I don’t see a scenario where I do that,” he said when asked about the possibility of returning to Premier League management.
“Towards the end of my time with England, I stopped enjoying, at the very least for a period, the wins keep you going.
“By the end, I didn’t even enjoy the wins for any longer than a couple of minutes. So, I’ve hardly watched football.”
Southgate added that he had not returned to a football ground since attending the FA Cup final to watch his boyhood club, Crystal Palace, win their first major trophy.
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“I went to the FA Cup final to see my team, Crystal Palace, win their first trophy. I’ve not been to a football ground since. So my sort of desire to be involved in football has changed,” he added.
Since leaving the England job, Southgate has explored opportunities outside football management, including working in the media, presenting a BBC documentary on the challenges facing young men and boys, and serving as a visiting lecturer at Harvard Business School in Boston.
He said the change had allowed him to develop interests beyond the pressure of football results.
“I’ve loved the last 18 months of my life,” he said.
“I’ve had 37 years where my sense of self depended on did I win or lose on Saturday. And actually I’ve loved having different experiences.
“I’ve met politicians, I’ve met people in the media industry, I have learned about leadership in all sorts of areas, I’ve travelled around the world learning things.
“I’ve just enjoyed playing a different film in my life.”
Southgate also shared his views on Manchester City’s ongoing legal battle over alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations.
An independent commission found the club guilty of the majority of charges relating to the period between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.
Manchester City have denied wrongdoing and submitted an appeal on October 2.
The former England manager warned that the case could have far-reaching consequences for English football, regardless of the eventual outcome.
He acknowledged that some supporters would demand severe punishment for City but urged caution, citing his experience of working with football authorities and governing bodies.
“There’ll be the tribal fans’ response to punish Manchester City as much as we can, relegate them, fine them, do whatever you can,” he said.
“I’ve been in football boardrooms, I’ve been in meetings with Uefa, I’ve been in meetings with Fifa, I have been in all these spaces and I know how complicated all of this is.”
Southgate said he believed the dispute would leave no winners, given the possibility of further legal proceedings and the challenges involved in determining an appropriate punishment.
“My underlying thought is none of this is good for football and there are no winners,” he said.
He also questioned how the Premier League would manage the consequences of the case while keeping the wider game on track.
“That’s unbelievably complex,” he added.
For now, Southgate appears content to remain outside football management after years of working under the intense scrutiny that comes with leading England.
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