Gareth Southgate addresses next move after England exit amid Manchester United links

Gareth Southgate has lifted the lid on his England exit and believes change can bring success to the national team.

Southgate quit as Three Lions boss just days after England’s 2-1 Euro 2024 defeat to Spain in Berlin.

Lee Carsley has come in as interim manager and won his first two games in charge - and Southgate believes it was the right time for him to step down.

"It was the right time for change,” he told Sky News . “You see now the hope that change can bring. I'm content with that. Eight years is a long time and I'm looking forward to different challenges ahead - and enjoying the rest.

"I had an incredible eight-year journey. It was a privilege to work with brilliant players. We wanted to do that final piece, we achieved so much and it would have been perfection to win the final. I'm sure the team will go on and be successful.

"I was reading something from Tony Blair, he said when you start you have lots of support and less capabilities and when you finish you are far more capable but you have less support. I felt in control of the job, knew exactly what was needed, but you have less support. We raised expectations and we needed to put English football back on the map and we're now consistently at the top table."

England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, the final of Euro 2020 (in 2021), the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup and the final of Euro 2024 under Southgate.

But the 54-year-old drew criticism from the likes of presenter Gary Lineker for his tactics and team selection at the most recent tournament in Germany.

After England’s 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland - Carsley’s first game in charge - Lineker said: "In the first game Carsley has come up with all these things and a lot of us are going, 'You see? We told you’.”

However, Southgate refused to comment on the criticism, adding: “I've shut myself off from everything since I left. There is no point talking about the team now - I'll give people the space they need to take the team on.

“There's no point in getting involved with things like that. I've left on terms with everybody, loved the experience but it's time to do other things."

Southgate was linked with the Manchester United job over the summer but has insisted he is not in a rush to make his next move.

"I've got lots of opportunities,” he said. “I'm open-minded to what is next in or outside football. I'll take some time, refresh and recharge and go from there.

"[I've had] no conversations [with Premier League clubs]. People know I need to get some energy back and enjoy my life. I'm not going to rush anything and need to make good decisions.

“I'm enjoying lots of experiences and there are charities I'd like to support, which are important to me. And there are opportunities outside of football I'm also quite interested in.”

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