I don't miss managing England
Former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate says he does not miss managing the Three Lions and carrying the "weight" of the job. The 54-year-old stepped down as England manager last summer after his side were beaten in the Euro 2024 final by Spain.Southgate guided England to two European Championship finals during his seven-and-a-half years in charge, finishing runner-up on both occasions.The fourth-placed finish England achieved at the 2018 World Cup was the side's best performance at a major tournament since 1990. But the former Middlesbrough manager, who was knighted on Wednesday for his services to English football, says he does not miss being in charge of the team. "It is a little bit strange (watching the team) but also I'm not missing it," Southgate told BBC Sport."I think it's important that I am on that sofa and out of their way, you know, it's theirs to take on now and I think it's important that I give the team as much space as possible."
Southgate became the fourth England manager in history to be knighted, after Sir Walter Winterbottom, Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson.Asked if he missed parts of the job, Southgate said it was a relief to no longer carry the expectations of a nation."I think it's hard to describe because until that weight's gone you don't necessarily realise just on a day-to-day basis, you know, every hour of my day was thinking about how do I make England better, what's happening with the players, how do we do things differently," he added."So I think any leader of big organisations, you're constantly thinking about how to do your job as well as you can."Thomas Tuchel replaced Southgate as manager following Lee Carsley's interim spell in charge.The German has won all three of his World Cup qualifiers at the helm, but England were beaten booed off after losing a friendly against Senegal at the City Ground earlier this month. After taking charge of the side, Tuchel said Southgate's England did not have a clear identity and "were more afraid to drop out" of Euro 2024 "than having the excitement and hunger to win it". "I don't think it's important how I took it (Tuchel's criticism) or what I think," Southgate said."I think what's really important is for me to give the team, the manager, the space to operate. I think that's the right thing to do. "I've had an amazing experience leading my country, but it's time for them to take it forward now and I'll be a fan at home supporting it."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
22 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Max Aarons highlights ‘new energy' and looks forward to life at Rangers
The 25-year-old former Norwich full-back arrives at Ibrox having spent the second half of last season on loan at Valencia. Aarons, who made a £7million transfer to Bournemouth immediately after being part of the England squad that won the Under-21 European Championship two years ago, feels he is joining the Light Blues at a good stage in his career. 🎙️ Watch our exclusive first interview with Max Aarons as he spoke to @RangersTV after joining the club. — Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) June 25, 2025 'I think now I've got a lot of experience, different leagues and I've played a lot of games,' he said in a club interview when asked what he will bring to the Light Blues. 'I think hopefully that experience, a new energy, and I think Rangers fans can be excited. I'm really looking forward to it.' The move to Glasgow reunites Aarons with Gers boss Russell Martin, who was coming towards the end of his time at Norwich while he was emerging from the academy into the first team. The new recruit said Martin was 'huge' in his development with 'little bits of help and advice along the way'. 'First and foremost, the size of this club was the main thing in coming here and Russ, when I was coming through at Norwich, was huge,' he said. 'Having a relationship with a coach and knowing how they work is huge for any player, so that was massive. Alongside the size of this club, I think everything just matched up perfectly.' Max Aarons (right) helped England win the 2023 Under-21 Euros (PA) Aarons also knows Gers players Dujon Sterling, Rabbi Matondo and Kieran Dowell from his time at Norwich and he feels he has a good grasp of the demands he will encounter at his new club as they bid to try to challenge Celtic for the Premiership title under their new American owners. 'I was speaking with one of my family members last night, actually, and I said that the pressure of playing for a club of this size is something that really excites me,' he said. 'I feel like I play my best when I have that, so I can't wait. 'I think any game with Rangers involved is a huge game. I can't wait to take in Ibrox and the fans, the whole thing. I definitely felt walking through the doors here, the weight of the shirt and how much it means to everyone.' Russell Martin saw Max Aarons emerge at Norwich (Steve Welsh/PA) Aarons becomes Rangers' second signing of the summer following the arrival of midfielder Lyall Cameron from Dundee. Manager Martin, who has also been linked with Leicester defender Conor Coady, said: 'Max is a player who I have always kept a keen eye on since he was emerging through the youth ranks while I was coming to the end of my time at Norwich as a player. 'He is a wonderfully talented player who is hungry to develop, improve and help deliver success for his side. We are pleased to bring him on board for this season, and I believe he will be a fantastic addition to the squad.'
BBC News
30 minutes ago
- BBC News
Bristol City sign free-agent goalkeeper Lumley
Bristol City have signed former Southampton goalkeeper Joe Lumley on a two-year experienced 30-year-old was a free agent after leaving the relegated Premier League side last month, having made three top-flight appearances for the Saints during former Tottenham academy player moved to Queens Park Rangers as a 16-year-old and spent seven years at Loftus Road before joining Middlesbrough in 2021 and Southampton two years has made more than 200 EFL appearances in his career, which has also seen him have loan spells at the likes of Bristol Rovers, Blackpool and Doncaster Rovers. Lumley was mainly second choice at Southampton, playing solely in the FA Cup during their Championship promotion-winning went on to play three times in an eight-day spell in the top flight, between the end of November and start of December last year. "I've heard amazing things about the club, it has an amazing training ground. It was a no-brainer to sign here," Lumley told the club website, external."It's exciting for me, hopefully I can get to work straight away and show what I can do."Technical director Brian Tinnion added: "Joe is a goalkeeper with experience in the EFL and Premier League."He adds both strength and depth to the goalkeeping department and we're excited to work with him."
Wales Online
35 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Wales talent quietly emerging in world-class surroundings as those in the know excited
Wales talent quietly emerging in world-class surroundings as those in the know excited The rising Bath star has been tipped to achieve big things Ioan Emanuel celebrates Wales U20s victory over England U20s (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency ) When Johann van Graan was appointed Bath's new head of rugby in 2022, one of the first things the South African did was to have a wall knocked down which separated the senior changing room to that of the academy. The 45-year-old, who this season has led Bath to a treble which includes a first Premiership title for 29 years, wanted alignment throughout the rugby programme with the academy players training with the seniors. One player who is benefitting from the inclusive environment built by van Graan is Wales U20s loosehead Ioan Emanuel. The 20-year-old is viewed as a top prospect by those who work within Welsh rugby's pathways and the view is shared by Bath. First-team appearances have been hard to come by given the strength of the Bath squad, with Emanuel getting most of his rugby on loan at National One outfit Rams RFC. But training daily with the likes of South African World Cup winner Thomas du Toit, British & Irish Lions prop Will Stuart and Wales' Archie Griffin has been invaluable for Emanuel's development. "That's invaluable, having two of the best tightheads in the world at the same club to train against," he told WalesOnline. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Article continues below "It's part of building and developing as a prop. "Even Archie Griffin is a Wales international so even scrummaging against him is a great experience and he's the third choice. "It's pretty invaluable as a young loosehead coming through. "We are all in the same changing room with about 65-70 boys. "He (van Graan) sees it as treating every player the same whether they are academy boys or senior players. "The academy boys don't just have the leftovers from food, we all have the same as the senior players. "As a young lad it's a very good thing because a lot of the boys who are starting regularly now when they were in the academy it was a case of cleaning the seniors' boots or go and fetch the balls after training. "The environment he's made is something special and it's a very unique culture there. "It's taken time to build but everything he's been doing has come to fruition with all the success they've had. "He's a brilliant coach and I've learnt so much from him already." At 6ft 2in and 123kg Emanuel is one of a number of young Welsh forwards worth getting excited about. The Wales U20s front-row of Emanuel, Harry Thomas and Sam Scott dominated at times during the U20s Six Nations with the victory over England U20s one of Welsh rugby's best victories at age grade for years. Emanuel, who came through the ranks at Llantwit Fardre RFC, is hoping to make an impact in the U20s World Championship in Italy over the next month. Wales have been drawn in a tough pool alongside France U20s, Argentina U20s and Spain U20s but have every reason to be confident. "I quite like having the ball in my hands whether that's through carrying or ball playing," he said when asked what his point of difference is. "I'd like to think I bring quite a bit of physicality both sides of the ball. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. "I think I can create and stop momentum when the time comes. "I keep working on every aspect of my game, whether it's my point of difference or my biggest weakness. "As a collective with the U20s we've got a good scrum so I'm trying to bring all the pieces of the puzzle together." The former Ysgol Garth Olwg pupil is lucky to play in the same Wales U20s side as his brother, Steffan, who is a centre. He is one of a handful of players who has been tipped as a future senior international. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free "The priority now is to play my best rugby with the U20s over the summer," he said. "For me personally it's about getting my head down, trying to stay grounded and keep getting better in the day whether that's in the gym, conditioning, scrummaging or analysis. "I just want to get better every day. It's a cliche but those small bits do add up. "It's a tough one because I feel like it's a tough position to be in as a young prop in such a strong club but I do have time on my side. "It's just trying to use all the experience I gain to keep getting better and better. "Whenever I make my senior debut for Bath time will tell but my focus is developing as much as possible within the next few years. "I think about that (senior Wales cap) a lot. "It's a bit away at the moment but what I've said to myself is keep your head down, keep going for it every day and hopefully I'll be closer than I realise. "Things can happen really quickly. You never know when it is going to happen but as long as I keep trying to make myself better and keep pushing myself hopefully that gets me there." Article continues below Emanuel's rise may be unfolding quietly, but it's gathering pace with every scrum, carry and hard-earned lesson. With the right mix of patience, hunger and world-class mentorship at Bath, his journey from U20s standout to senior international could come quicker than anyone expects.
