Feb 28, 2026, 02:30 PM
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Former England boss Gareth Southgate has said he is only interested in coaching one of the "big" Premier League clubs and believes he could have done a better job than previous occupants of those positions.
Southgate has been out of work since losing the Euro 2024 final with England -- after eight years in charge of the national team -- and has been frequently linked with roles back in club management, like at Manchester United.
The 55-year-old, whose only previous managerial role outside of England was with Middlesbrough from 2006 to 2009, said it would only be a major job that could tempt him back.
"I've got no passion to just go and manage in the Premier League," Southgate said on The Football Boardroom Podcast. "I did that at 35, I finished 11th, 12th. Who is in those positions now, probably Bournemouth, Brighton?
"So I don't feel the need to just go and do it to say I've managed in the Premier League.
"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 bit that, externally, people are saying is, 'well, he didn't win.' So how do you prove that you can win? You've got to one of those big clubs."
Gareth Southgate led England for eight years but is currently out of work. Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Southgate added: "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."
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Southgate then admitted his England tenure "consumed everything" and he was in no rush to returning to the dugout.
"I'm not actively looking for a role in coaching," he said. "If that European final was the last bit, I wouldn't worry about that."
Thomas Tuchel is now in charge of England, hoping for a first major trophy in 60 years at this summer's World Cup.