Two more tournaments
Gareth Southgate has signed a contract extension with the FA, keeping him in the England job until 2024, it has been announced.
Southgate first took over in 2016 following the scandal that brought Sam Allardyce’s one-game spell in charge to a premature end. In that time he has taken an underachieving England side to a World Cup semi-final before falling at the final hurdle at Euro 2020 (2021), losing on penalties to Italy.
An FA statement announcing the extension read: “The FA is delighted to confirm Gareth Southgate and Steve Holland have signed new contracts through to December 2024.
“Southgate, who marks five years in charge at the end of this month, has overseen a period of positive progress guiding England to a FIFA World Cup semi-final and UEFA Nations League third place before securing the best men’s performance in 55 years with the UEFA EURO final this summer.
“The new deal means Southgate and his assistant Holland will lead England to the 2022 World Cup, for which qualification was secured earlier this month, before taking the team through qualifying for the 2024 EURO, which starts in March 2023.”
Here to stay 👊
We're delighted to confirm that Gareth Southgate has extended his #ThreeLions contract through to 2024. pic.twitter.com/X3SGaU168f
— England (@England) November 22, 2021
Gareth Southgate added: “I am delighted that Steve and I have been able to extend our stay in our respective roles. It remains an incredible privilege to lead this team.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mark, John and the board for their support — and of course the players and support team for their hard work.
“We have a great opportunity in front of us and I know they and the fans are all excited about what this squad could achieve in future.”
Despite being England’s most successful manager since Sir Alf Ramsey won the World Cup with the Three Lions on home soil, many fans are still underwhelmed by Southgate’s management. Of course, the trophy cabinet remains empty, but with clear progress being made, one has to ask: what more to people want from him?
