Gareth Southgate quits as England manager as search for his replacement begins

The England men’s manager has spoken via the Football Association website to fans following his team’s defeat in the Euro 2024 finals on Sunday where England were beaten 2-1 by Spain.

He starts with: "As a proud Englishman, it has been the honour of my life to play for England and to manage England. 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."

Southgate may be best known for his connections with Crawley but he also has connections with Waterlooville having been a pupil at Padnell Infant School in Cowplain from 1976.

The Football Association’s CEO Mark Bullingham has paid tribute to Southgate for his time in charge, and has confirmed the search has started for his replacement.

"The process for appointing Gareth’s successor is now under way and we aim to have our new manager confirmed as soon as possible," he said. "Our Uefa Nations League campaign starts in September, and we have an interim solution in place if it is needed.

"We know there will be inevitable speculation, but we won’t be commenting further on our process until we appoint."