Gareth Southgate is considering quitting as England manager… as he’s still scarred by fan boos at Wolves

GARETH SOUTHGATE is considering quitting – as he’s still scarred by his Wolverhampton nightmare.

The England coach has to make a decision about his future following Saturday’s 2-1 World Cup quarter-final defeat by France.

3

3

After Molineux’s humiliating 4-0 defeat by Hungary in June, he was met with a wave of criticism as he was heavily booed by fans.

Southgate said: “I’ve found a lot of the last 18 months difficult. With everything I’ve loved about the past few weeks, I’m still looking back at how things have been for 18 months.

“What was said and what was written, the night at Wolves.

“There are a lot of things on my mind that are really conflicting at the moment.

“So what I want to make sure, if staying is the right thing to do, is that I definitely have the energy to do it.

“I don’t want to think four or five months later that I made the wrong decision.

“It’s too important for everyone to get this wrong.”

Southgate, along with assistant Steve Holland, signed a two-year contract extension a year ago that runs until after Euro 2024 in Germany.

HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP

The FA – along with the Three Lions squad – are keen for the pair to stay.

England’s next game is a Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy in March.

If Southgate leaves it would put the FA in a nightmare situation as there is no obvious successor.

The 52-year-old added: “After every tournament I’ve sat with everyone at the FA and gone over things and I think that’s the right process to go over it again.

“It was difficult to really think things over properly in the weeks that followed.

“It takes so much energy and you have so much going through your head.

“I want to make the right decision one way or the other.

“I don’t think now is the time to make a decision like that. Neither did the next few days.”

Southgate also revealed he can’t shake the disappointment of losing the Euro 2020 final to Italy on penalties.

He admitted: “I don’t think I got over the last one but this feels a little bit different as I’m not sure what else we could have done.”

3

England’s players returned home yesterday and will now be connecting with their clubs.

The manager said: “I have very little regret about it.

“On the big stage, I know how the rest of the world is looking at us now.

“In the end we fell short and I have to accept that.

“But we are now consistently feeding at the top of European and world football.

“If we’re in this place with the strength of the squad that we have, it’s a difficult and exciting time for England.

“It’s a difficult time for everyone and I think the players represented them correctly.

“They played right and we hope everyone enjoyed the trip.

“We now have some young players with big match experience and a core of a group that will be together for a long time.”