Gareth Southgate insists he is focused on winning the Euros with England – despite Manchester United wanting to make him their next boss.
Southgate will lead the Three Lions at Euro 2024 this summer, in what is expected to be his last major tournament as manager of the national team. United have made him their No.1 choice to replace Erik ten Hag, if the club decide to sack the Dutchman ahead of next season.
But the former Middlesbrough manager admits he is not looking past what happens in Germany. Southgate said: “I’m not a big gambling man and bookies, they can make their odds, but it’s not conversations that’s been had with me.
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“I’ve got one thing to focus on. That’s having as successful a tournament with England as possible. Everything else outside of that is a complete irrelevance to me.
“If I start talking about that, then I’m already distracted from what I’m doing. So, I think the country would expect that my focus is on England, and rightly so it is.
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(Image: The FA via Getty Images)
“We’ve had three tournaments where we’ve taken the public on a brilliant ride. I think we know that, and I know, that you’ve got that desire to go that one step further and this is a brilliant opportunity for us to do that.”
The 53-year-old boss claims his contraction situation will not be an issue with his squad ahead of the tournament. Southgate’s current deal has just six months left to run – and despite his players wanting him to sign a new one, he has refused to discuss it with the FA until after the Finals.
But he added: “For me, it’s not an issue and never has been. I have to deliver a successful tournament for England and there’s enough work involved in that. I think everybody would expect that’s where my focus should be.”