Getty The strategist has worked his way up from the lowest level of English football to earn a place among the best – and now it’s high time he secured the top position.
So it's farewell, Gareth Southgate. You inherited a giant mess from Sam Allardyce and Roy Hodgson, and got people to believe in the England team again. You took the Three Lions to two European Championship finals, a World Cup semi-final and changed the culture around the team.
You fought the players' corner when the government got on their backs over taking the knee and you stood by their side when Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were racially abused after the penalty shootout defeat to Italy. You were like a father figure to many of the squad, and when they did not perform early in Euro 2024, you took bullets for them. Or more specifically, empty beer cups.
Despite achieving the best record of any England manager at major tournaments, you have displayed humility by stepping down and allowing someone else to take charge. And the ideal candidate for this role is none other than Eddie Howe…
