sport news FA want Gareth Southgate to stay on as England manager until Euro 2024 trends now

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The Football Association want Gareth Southgate to continue as England manager after the World Cup regardless of Saturday’s result against France.

Southgate is preparing his team for one of the biggest matches in the country’s history on Saturday when they face the reigning world champions for a place in the semi-finals.

But there is a growing feeling within football circles that this will be Southgate’s final tournament in charge of the national team as he plots a potential return to club management.

However, the FA are aiming to keep Southgate - who is England’s most successful manager since World Cup winning coach Sir Alf Ramsey - in charge for the next European Championships in 2024 and will ask the 52-year-old to see out the remaining two years of his deal if it transpires he would prefer to walk away from the job.

The sense of uncertainty with regards to Southgate’s post-World Cup future is something FA executives are aware of, though they are hopeful of convincing the head coach of staying in the job.

There is no clear succession plan should Southgate decide to leave; another factor behind the organisation’s ambition to ensure their current boss stays in situ after the tournament.

The only way Southgate is not England manager heading in the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign is if he decides to walk away from the position.

Southgate and the FA will hold a post-tournament debrief during which the manager’s future will become clearer.