Gareth Southgate leaves England job after Euro 2024 final

Gareth Southgate has left his role as England manager following the team's Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain, the English Football Association (FA) confirmed on Tuesday.

Under his stewardship, England reached the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the final of Euro 2020 (played in 2021), and the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar before this latest run to the final of Euro 2024 in Germany.

"As a proud Englishman, it has been the honour of my life to play for England and to manage England," Southgate said in a statement on the Football Association's website. "It has meant everything to me, and I have given it my all.

"But it's time for change, and for a new chapter. Sunday's final in Berlin against Spain was my final game as England manager.

"I have had the privilege of leading a large group of players in 102 games. Every one of them has been proud to wear the three lions on their shirts, and they have been a credit to their country in so many ways."

England won eight knockout games during Southgate's tenure -- all other managers of the men's national team in history have won a combined nine.

Southgate took over the role on an interim basis in September 2016 after Sam Allardyce was sacked, before becoming the full-time manager later that year.

The FA will now begin its search for a new head coach who will lead the team in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

England's next game is against Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Nations League on Sept. 7.

Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino are among the leading candidates to replace Gareth Southgate.

England under-21 boss Lee Carsley and former Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel would also be considered as Southgate.

Southgate almost left his post after the World Cup in Qatar after facing intense personal criticism during this summer's tournament in Germany.

Given the FA's stance on Southgate, the position has not been discussed with any candidate but they place great emphasis on the importance of St George's Park providing a pathway for players and coaches and would therefore prefer an English candidate if possible.

Howe steered Newcastle into the Champions League for the first time in 20 years with a top-four finish in 2022-23, while sources have told ESPN that Potter has long been on the FA's radar, dating back to before he took the Chelsea job in September 2022.

However, the FA are not opposed to appointing a manager born overseas -- Sarina Wiegman, born in the Netherlands, has spent the last four years coaching England women -- and Pochettino is available after leaving Chelsea at the end of last season.

It is potentially significant that one of the key figures in any search for a successor to Southgate will be FA technical director John McDermott, with sources telling ESPN that he remains close to Pochettino having worked together during the Argentine's five-and-a-half years in charge of Tottenham.

Carsley is another possible homegrown candidate. The role would be considered a big step up for the 50-year-old given he has only managed at youth-team level aside from brief caretaker roles at Coventry City, Brentford and Birmingham City, but Southgate stepped up from managing the U21s in 2016.

Tuchel remains fond of English football and has a strong coaching pedigree given his Champions League success at Chelsea plus spells in charge of Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund.

Jürgen Klopp is an intriguing alternative, although he left Liverpool at the end of last season citing the need to take a break from the game and suggested it was possible he may never manage again.

Klopp stated at the time he would definitely never take another club job in England but mentioned nothing about the national team. ESPN has reported that Klopp has been contacted by United States Soccer as a possible candidate to replace Gregg Berhalter, but a move was unlikely.