Southgate’s future might be away from soccer as he searches for ‘purpose’ after leaving England
FILE - England’s manager Gareth Southgate gives instructions during the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)
LONDON (AP) — Five months after leaving his job as England coach, Gareth Southgate is still pondering where his future lies.
It might be outside soccer.
In a long post on social media platform LinkedIn, Southgate said he is searching for his next “purpose” in life after his time as the coach of the England men’s national team from 2016-2024 — a high-pressure role in which any comment, about soccer or beyond, was heavily scrutinized.
“This higher purpose kept me on track, gave me structure, made my life more fulfilling and is going to be extremely difficult to replicate,” Southgate wrote Tuesday.
“It’s why I’m not limiting my future options to remaining as a football coach.”
Southgate, who left the England job after losing the European Championship final in July, was linked with becoming Manchester United manager because of his connections with some members of the club’s board, but the team chose to hire Ruben Amorim after firing Erik ten Hag last month.
Otherwise, Southgate has slipped out of the limelight, with England having moved on — initially with an interim coach in Lee Carsley and, from Jan. 1, with a full-time replacement in Thomas Tuchel.
Southgate said much of his focus has been on his chosen charities.
“After eight years serving in one of the highest-profile roles in world football, I’m consciously taking time to reflect on what I lived through and thinking deeply about what comes next,” he wrote.
“I’m comfortable,” he added, “with this period of ‘exploration’ and not having all the answers. I’m following the advice I would give to any young person, without a clear career vision. Keep learning, build or explore your network, seek different life experiences and when you decide what’s next, there will be no right or wrong, just one path or another.”
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