Gareth Southgate gives huge career update amid Man Utd links

Gareth Southgate will not be taking the Manchester United manager's position after the former England chief withdrew himself from contention after revealing he currently lacks the 'passion' to work in the Premier League. Southgate has remained out of management since departing his England role in July 2024, following their heartbreaking defeat in the European Championship final.

The 55-year-old has focused his attention on commercial ventures and is set to front a television programme. Despite speculation linking him as a potential candidate for the United hot seat, Southgate made clear he isn't considering an immediate return to the dugout.

On The Football Boardroom podcast, he explained: "I've got no passion just to go and manage in the Premier League. I did that at 35. I finished 11th and 12th. Who is in those positions now, probably Bournemouth, Brighton (and Hove Albion)?

"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 former Middlesbrough boss was linked with the United role after Ruben Amorim's sacking last month. Michael Carrick has taken charge temporarily through to the end of the campaign, with United appointing Steve Holland, Southgate's right-hand man throughout his England reign, as part of Carrick's backroom team. However, the pair will not be collaborating at Old Trafford.

Southgate also acknowledged the backlash he would face if a club of United's stature appointed him, as some consider his England tenure underwhelming. He continued: "The bit that, externally, people are saying is, 'well, he didn't win'. So, how do you prove that you can win?

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"You've got to go to one of those big clubs. 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."

Southgate subsequently confirmed: "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."

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