Gareth Southgate Rules Out Premier League Return, Cites Loss of Enjoyment
Former England manager Gareth Southgate has indicated he has no intention of returning to Premier League management, stating he 'stopped enjoying' wins towards the end of his tenure and has not attended a football match in nearly 18 months.
Gareth Southgate has stated he does not foresee managing in the Premier League again, revealing a significant detachment from the sport since stepping down as England manager. Southgate, who spent eight years in charge of the national team, resigned following England's Euro 2024 final loss to Spain.
He has not attended a football match in approximately 18 months. The last game Southgate watched in person was the 2025 Champions League final, where Paris Saint-Germain defeated Inter Milan 5-0. He also attended the 2025 FA Cup final to see Crystal Palace win against Manchester City. Since these matches, he has largely abstained from watching football.
Southgate, 56, admitted that even winning matches became unenjoyable towards the end of his time with England. This sentiment contributes to his decision against a return to club management, a move he has been intermittently linked with, including speculation involving Manchester United.
"I don’t see a scenario where I do that," Southgate said in an interview on The Amol Rajan Connection podcast when asked about a potential Premier League return. "Towards the end of my time with England, I stopped enjoying (it). For a period, you know, the wins keep you going. By the end, I didn’t even enjoy the wins for any longer than a couple of minutes."
He added, "I’ve hardly watched football (since leaving). I went to the Champions League final, the year after I left England, 2025, and I went to the FA Cup final to see my team (Crystal) Palace win their first trophy, but not been to a football ground since."
Southgate's previous club management experience concluded with a three-year spell at Middlesbrough, ending in 2009. After departing the England national team in 2024, he has engaged in advisory roles with UEFA's Technical Observer Group, authored a book titled ‘Dear England: Lessons in Leadership’, and undertaken some media work. However, he has largely maintained a low profile.
Reflecting on his career, Southgate stated, "I’ve had 37 years where my sense of self depended on, “Did I win? Did I win or lose on Saturday?” I’m not interested in survival, you know, just being a manager because it’s a good salary. Survival, that doesn’t excite me."
He further explained, "One of the beauties with England was we could win, we could create history, we could break new ground. I’ve given a lot of my life to football. I’ve given every ounce I had. And I just fancy a different period of my life."
Southgate initially took the England managerial role on an interim basis in September 2016, succeeding Sam Allardyce. He had previously coached the England Under 21 team. During his tenure, England reached the final of the 2020 and 2024 European Championships, losing to Italy and Spain respectively, and the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup before his eventual departure.