Gareth Southgate aims thinly-veiled dig at ‘big’ Premier League clubs as he reveals his stance on his next move amid links to Man United job

Gareth Southgate has suggested only a high-profile role would tempt him back into management and claimed that he would have outperformed a string of head coaches who have struggled for success at big clubs.

The 55-year-old manager, who left his role as England boss after losing to Spain in the 2024 European Championship final, has admitted he is ‘not actively looking’ for a new role despite being away from the dugout for over 18 months.

However, Southgate has refused to rule out a return to the Premier League after being linked with several top flight roles since leaving the Three Lions.

Manchester United, who sacked Ruben Amorim in January and have since enjoyed a resurgence under interim head coach Michael Carrick, are the club most strongly linked to Southgate, as they are expected to be in the market for a new manager at the end of the season.

Southgate, who previously coached Middlesbrough in the top flight before joining England, admitted he has very little interest in managing mid-table clubs.

Speaking on The Football Boardroom Podcast, he said: ‘I’ve got no passion to just go and manage in the Premier League. I did that at 35, I finished 11th, 12th. Who is in those positions now, probably Bournemouth, Brighton?

The former England boss has been away from the dugout since losing the Euro 2024 final

‘So I don’t feel the need to just go and do it to say I’ve managed in the Premier League. 

 ‘I’ve had one of the biggest jobs in world football so I’ve been spoiled. Huge nights, working with outstanding players. No owner interfering.

‘The bit that, externally, people are saying is, “well, he didn’t win”. So how do you prove that you can win? You’ve got to one of those big clubs.’

Towards the end of his time with the national team, Southgate was criticised for failing to get over the line in major finals, with England still yet to win a major trophy since the World Cup in 1966.

Confident he could take on a ‘big’ role in the top flight, Southgate added: ‘Now we know those big clubs… do I think I could have done the job that some people who have been in those clubs recently have done? Could I do better? I think I could.

‘But we’ve talked about the baggage that comes with me as an appointment if you’re an owner. 

‘And there’s a reality around (that), I can understand what that noise is. There’s that bit which makes me potentially a complicated appointment for a club.’

Keen not to rush back into management, Southgate admitted: ‘I don’t want to go and manage a different national team. Club? It’s honestly not what I’m looking to do.

‘Now, two years after leaving England, I’m not actively looking for a role in coaching. If that European final was the bit (in coaching) I wouldn’t worry about that.

‘Because there is another 15-20 years of my life ahead of me and I’m excited about a different video, a different movie, a different part of my life.’