GARETH SOUTHGATE RULES OUT PREMIER LEAGUE CLUB MANAGEMENT RETURN

Gareth Southgate has said he does not see himself returning to club management in the Premier League. Speaking on The Amol Rajan Connection podcast, he said: "I don't see a scenario where I do that." He has been out of management since resigning as England manager after the Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain. He also led England to the Euro 2020 final. His only club management role was a three-year spell at Middlesbrough, beginning in 2006.

Southgate said his enthusiasm for the game had changed since leaving the England role, explaining that by the end he no longer enjoyed victories for more than a couple of minutes. He said he had "hardly watched football" since stepping down, adding that he attended the FA Cup final to see Crystal Palace win their first trophy but had not been to a football ground since. Since leaving England, he has worked in media, fronting a BBC documentary this year on challenges facing young men and boys, and has lectured at Harvard Business School. He described the past 18 months as enjoyable, saying his sense of self had depended on match results for 37 years.

Southgate's comments came in the same interview in which he addressed Manchester City's Premier League case. An independent commission found the club guilty last month of a majority of charges relating to breaches of financial regulations between 2009-10 and 2017-18, including use of what it called "sham contracts" to inflate revenue. Manchester City have denied wrongdoing and lodged an appeal on 2 October. Southgate said there would be a "tribal fans' response to punish Manchester City as much as we can." He remains out of club football, having ruled out a Premier League return.