Southgate: I Won't Return to Premier League Management

Gareth Southgate rules out Premier League return: 'I don't see a scenario where I do that'

Former England manager Gareth Southgate has said he does not see himself returning to club management in the Premier League. The 56-year-old, out of management since resigning as Three Lions boss after the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain, told The Amol Rajan Connection his desire to be involved in football has changed.

Who: Gareth Southgate, former England manager, 56
What: Rules out a return to Premier League club management
Last role: Resigned as England boss after Euro 2024 final loss to Spain
Last club job: Middlesbrough, a three-year spell from 2006
Current activities: Media work, BBC documentary, Harvard Business School lectures
Also discussed: Manchester City charges and his view that there are 'no winners'

What was said

"I don't see a scenario where I do that."
— Gareth Southgate, on returning to Premier League management

"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. 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."
— Gareth Southgate, on his changing relationship with the game

"I've loved the last 18 months of my life. I've had 37 years where my sense of self depended on did I win or lose on Saturday. And actually I've loved having different experiences. I've met politicians, I've met people in the media industry, I have learned about leadership in all sorts of areas, I've travelled around the world learning things. I've just enjoyed playing a different film in my life."
— Gareth Southgate, on life since leaving England

"There'll be the tribal fans' response to punish Manchester City as much as we can, relegate them, fine them, do whatever you can. I've been in football boardrooms, I've been in meetings with Uefa, I've been in meetings with Fifa, I have been in all these spaces and I know how complicated all of this is. My underlying thought is none of this is good for football and there are no winners because if you're at the Premier League, for a very brief moment you might feel justified that all the flak you've had for this case taking so long, this is why it's taken so long and there's the verdict, and I'm sure there's an element of justification in that. Then there's this realisation of how do we deal with all of this because you know the possibility of all the different legal cases that emerge from this, how long this could still take, what's the right sort of punishment, how do you keep the whole game on track? That's unbelievably complex."
— Gareth Southgate, on Manchester City's financial regulations case

Southgate's admission is the most definitive signal yet that a Premier League return is off the table. He has been linked with clubs in the past, but his words leave little room for interpretation. The toll of the England job, particularly the inability to savour victories, is central to his decision.

Southgate's changing relationship with football

Southgate's comments reveal a man who has fallen out of love with the day-to-day intensity of the game. Having led England to two European Championship finals, the second a defeat to Spain, he found the emotional returns diminishing. He admits he hardly watches football now, and his last visit to a ground was to see Crystal Palace, his team, win the FA Cup. Since then, nothing.

That is a striking statement from someone who spent 37 years defining himself by Saturday results. Southgate says he has enjoyed a different life, meeting politicians, media figures, and learning about leadership at Harvard Business School. The 18 months since his England resignation have been, in his words, loved. It suggests that any return to management would be about more than just a good project; the fire may simply not be there.

Manchester City charges: Southgate warns of no winners

On Manchester City's financial regulations case, Southgate was reflective. Last month, City were found guilty of the majority of charges relating to breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations between 2009-10 and 2017-18. An independent commission found the club arranged 'sham contracts' and relied on 'sham agreements' to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs. City deny wrongdoing and submitted an appeal on 2 October.

Southgate acknowledges the tribal urge to punish City severely, but he warns of a complex aftermath. Legal cases could drag on, and the Premier League faces the challenge of keeping the game on track. His view that there are no winners is a sobering one from a man who has sat in boardrooms and meetings with Uefa and Fifa.

Talking points

Should Southgate's admission be seen as a permanent retirement from club management, or could a crisis club tempt him back in a year or two?
His loss of enjoyment in wins raises questions about the mental toll of top-level management. Is enough support available?
Southgate's 'no winners' verdict on the Manchester City case is hard to dispute. The appeal process could take months, leaving the league in limbo.
Could Southgate's media and academic work make him a future candidate for a director of football or governing body role rather than a return to the dugout?

What happens next

Southgate will continue his media commitments and visiting lectureship at Harvard Business School. Meanwhile, Manchester City's appeal against the independent commission's findings is pending, with no date set. The Premier League must decide on sanctions while managing the legal fallout. Both stories will shape the narrative around English football's governance in the coming months.

Frequently asked questions

Will Gareth Southgate return to Premier League management?

Southgate has said he does not see a scenario where he returns to managing in the Premier League, telling The Amol Rajan Connection: 'I don't see a scenario where I do that.'

What has Southgate been doing since leaving England?

He has worked in the media, fronted a BBC documentary about challenges facing young men and boys, and spent time as a visiting lecturer at Harvard Business School.

What did Southgate say about Manchester City's charges?

He said there are 'no winners' and that the situation is 'unbelievably complex' given potential legal cases, and acknowledged the tribal fans' response to punish City.