Former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate has revealed he turned down television punditry work at this summer’s World Cup to avoid harming the team’s prospects.
Southgate explained that he did not want his words to be misinterpreted or used against the current squad during press conferences in the United States.
“I didn’t think it would be helpful for me to be talking about the team and I don’t want anything to be misconstrued or thrown at them at press conferences, so best for me to keep out of the way,” Southgate said in an Instagram post.
The 55-year-old resigned as England manager following their defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final last summer.
Southgate led England for 102 games over eight years, guiding them to two European Championship finals and the 2018 World Cup semi-final.
He also managed England through the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated.
“It’s obviously a very different tournament for me this one, I’ve been at the last seven World Cups as a player, as a broadcaster, a scout and then as the manager,” Southgate explained.
Despite stepping away from the media spotlight, the former boss made clear his belief that England now have the experience and mentality to go all the way in 2026.
“I know all the big knockout nights that we’ve had mean they are going to be full of confidence going into this tournament,” Southgate said.
“They have overcome so many hurdles to winning – penalty shootouts, semi-finals, got so close – and they are ready to win,” he added, signing off with good wishes to the squad.
England open their World Cup campaign on Wednesday when they face Croatia in Arlington, Texas, before meeting Ghana on 23 June and Panama on 27 June.
Sir Alf Ramsey, who guided England to World Cup glory in 1966, remains the only other England men’s manager to have led the side to a major tournament final.
Meanwhile, England midfielder Jude Bellingham reflected on the difficulties of the Euro 2024 campaign, suggesting that pressure and expectation prevented the squad from bonding as effectively as they could have.
“We were not playing particularly well so even when we were winning you didn’t get the feeling you were as happy as you should be,” Bellingham said of that difficult summer.
Southgate also features in a new BBC documentary exploring the challenges facing boys and young men in modern society, examining the attitudes and outlook of the current generation.
