Gareth Southgate Hardly Watches Football, Rules Out Premier League 2026

Gareth Southgate hardly watches football and has all but ruled out a return to Premier League management, revealing he “didn’t even enjoy the wins” during his final years as England manager. The 56-year-old stepped down after England’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain and has since distanced himself from the game.

Southgate’s Shift Away from Football

In a candid appearance on the Amol Rajan Connection podcast, Southgate admitted that his passion for the sport has waned significantly. “Towards the end of my time with England, I stopped enjoying … at the very least for a period, the wins keep you going. By the end, I didn’t even enjoy the wins for any longer than a couple of minutes. So, I’ve hardly watched football,” he said. The former defender, whose only club management stint was at Middlesbrough from 2006 to 2009, indicated he has no desire to return to top-flight management. “I don’t see a scenario where I do that,” he added. The background to this story is set out in Oliver Glasner: Nottingham Forest Manager Faces Crystal Palace Return. A related thread runs through Leeds Extend Unbeaten Start After Crystal Palace Stalemate. Earlier coverage in Zavier Gozo's Crystal Palace Move: US Prospect Delivers on Hype shows how the argument developed.

Life After England

Since leaving the England job, Southgate has attended just one football match: the FA Cup final to watch his boyhood club Crystal Palace beat Manchester City. “I went to the FA Cup final to see my team, Crystal Palace, win their first trophy. I’ve not been to a football ground since. So my sort of desire to be involved in football has changed,” he explained. This shift in perspective is common among managers who have spent years under intense pressure, and Southgate’s honesty sheds light on the toll elite management can take. A closer look at the same subject appears in Eddie Howe Out at Newcastle: End of an Era in Football Management. Anyone following the wider picture can start with Crystal Palace and Everton Agree Brennan Johnson-Dwight McNeil. The same theme surfaces in Crystal Palace vs Man City Live: Premier League Updates, which takes a different angle.

Why Southgate Is Unlikely to Return to the Premier League

Southgate’s managerial record in the Premier League is limited. He took over at Middlesbrough in 2006, replacing Steve McClaren, but was unable to keep the club in the top flight in 2009. Since then, his reputation has been built on his work with the England national team, where he led the Three Lions to a World Cup semi-final in 2018 and two European Championship finals in 2021 and 2024. Despite his success, the emotional exhaustion of the role appears to have taken its toll. Context on how this played out before sits in Robbie Savage: From Panto Villain to Football Manager Success. A companion piece, Tuchel and England: The Bigger Picture Beyond One Manager, approaches the same subject from another angle.

Comparing Southgate’s Club and Country Tenures

Key Takeaways

• Southgate has hardly watched football since leaving the England job.
• He does not envisage a return to Premier League management.
• His only club managerial role was at Middlesbrough from 2006 to 2009.
• He attended only one match after stepping down: the FA Cup final to see Crystal Palace win.
• Southgate admitted he stopped enjoying wins towards the end of his England tenure.

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