Sir Gareth Southgate left his role as England manager in 2024

Sir Gareth Southgate says a return to football management is highly unlikely.

The Middlesbrough legend, who captained the club to the first major honour in the 2004 Carling Cup final, took his first management role at Boro when he replaced Steve McClaren at the Riverside in 2006.

However, Southgate left three years later, shortly after the club’s relegation from the Premier League. The Boro job was his only ever club management role.

After that, Southgate would manage England’s Under-21s before stepping up to the big job in 2016 and becoming the Three Lions’ most successful modern-day boss.

As well as a World Cup semi-final, Southgate also guided England to consecutive European Championship finals, but could not end the wait for a major trophy.

After leaving his post after Euro 2024, Southgate has been linked to a number of vacant club management roles. But in a new interview, admits he's not even attended a game of football since watching Crystal Palace win the FA Cup in May 2025.

He told The Amol Rajan Connection podcast: "I don't see a scenario where I do that [go back into management]. Towards the end of my time with England, I stopped enjoying, at the very least for a period, the wins keep you going.

"By the end, I didn't even enjoy the wins for any longer than a couple of minutes. So, I've hardly watched football.

"I went to the FA Cup final to see my team, Crystal Palace, win their first trophy. I've not been to a football ground since. So my sort of desire to be involved in football has changed."

Since leaving his England role, Southgate has instead pursued other interests, including media work to do with leadership and challenges facing young men and boys.

"I've loved the last 18 months of my life," he added. “I've had 37 years where my sense of self depended on did I win or lose on Saturday. And actually I've loved having different experiences.

“I've met politicians, I've met people in the media industry, I have learned about leadership in all sorts of areas, I've travelled around the world learning things. I've just enjoyed playing a different film in my life."