Euro 2024: Gareth Southgate hints at England departure if nation fails to win tournament – ‘Last chance’

Gareth Southgate admitted that Euro 2024 may be his "last chance" to lead England to glory at a major tournament.

The Three Lions boss revealed he “probably won’t be here anymore” should his side fall short in ending the nation’s 58-year wait to win a trophy.

"If we don’t win, I probably won’t be here anymore. It might be the last chance," said Southgate in an interview with German publication Bild.

"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."

Southgate stressed that committing his future to England beyond Euro 2024 and replicating what Julian Nagelsmann had done with Germany - signing a new deal until after the World Cup - was not an option.

Indeed, he cited former England boss Fabio Capello’s subsequent downfall after the 2010 World Cup as a dangerous precedent.

He continued: "The reason for that is, it would have brought more criticism, which would have brought more pressure on the team.

"England did that once before with Fabio Capello, and that was a big deal before the tournament. You should see what happens after the tournament."

This will be Southgate’s fourth major tournament as England manager after leading the side to semi-final, final and quarter-final appearances at the 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and 2022 World Cup, respectively.

When asked if the previous near-miss at Euro 2020 and the one suffered as a player at Euro 1996 – where Southgate missed the decisive penalty against Germany in the semi-finals – served as added motivation, he replied: "No, because for the guys I played with, and the coach I played for, who died last year, it was their personal shot. It is not just about me.

"I don’t think, it was the fault of the players, who missed their penalties against Italy in the final of 2021 [Euro 2020].

"We had 120 minutes to decide that game. The older I get, the more I understand that. In earlier years, I had this stupid idea in my head, that 1996 was my fault alone."

England’s hopes on the pitch will be pinned to the likes of Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, who have enjoyed stellar campaigns at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, respectively, despite silverware ultimately eluding the latter.

Southgate praised the maturity in which Bellingham is handling life at one of the world’s biggest clubs, and the way Kane is benefitting from a change of scenery in Bavaria.

"[Bellingham] has to recognise, that his world has changed. He is a young man, who manages everything very well, but this not the normal life of a 20-year-old," the coach said.

"For example, I played with guys like David Beckham, whose world was different. That is now the world of Jude.

“It is a good experience and change for [Kane], to play for a big club, where you have to win every week.

"Our players have to feel that, because this is our world [with the national team]. Every time we draw or even when we win, but don’t play well, it gets dramatic. The more our players understand that, the better."

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