Gareth Southgate could quit as England boss as he admits toll on mental health

England crashed out of the World Cup after losing their quarter-final clash with France, and while boss Gareth Southgate is under contract until the end of 2024, he could go sooner

Posted Monday, December 12, 2022 by Dailystar.co.uk

Gareth Southgate could quit as England boss after admitting the job has taken a toll on his mental health.

Southgate has been left devastated following England's crushing World Cup exit at the hands of France.

The Three Lions blew a golden chance to dump out the reigning champions and make the semi finals when Harry Kane missed a second half penalty in the 2-1 loss in Doha.

Southgate has a contract with the FA until 2024 but will hold talks with chief executive Mark Bellingham in the coming weeks to decide his future.

Southgate has become one of the most successful England bosses in history after leading his team to a World Cup semi and Euros final. But he's dropped the strongest hint yet that his time in charge is coming to an end - after revealing the last 18 months have left him drained.

Southgate has been left badly scared after facing calls to quit back in June following a 4-0 thrashing by Hungary at Molineux. He said: "I've found large parts of the last 18 months difficult.

Gareth Southgate is considering his position as England manager after exiting the World Cup (Image: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)

"For everything that I've loved about the last few weeks, I still have that experience of how difficult things have been in those 18 months.

"What's been said and what's been written, the night at Wolves, there's lots of things in my head that's really conflicted at the moment. So what I want to make sure, if it's the right thing to say, is that I've definitely got the energy to do that (continue).

"I don't want to be four or five months down the line thinking I've made the wrong call. It's too important for everybody to get that wrong."

Southgate will not rush into a decision and he added: "When I've been through the past few tournaments, my emotions have been difficult to really think through properly in those following few weeks. It took so much energy out of you and you have so much going through your mind.

"I want to make the right decision either way, because it has to be the right one to go again, or the right one not to go again and I don't think now is the time to make a decision like that. Neither are the next few days really."

"After every tournament I've sat with everybody at the FA and talked things through logically - and I think that's the right process to go through again."