January 22, 2017

Gareth Southgate Appointed As New England Manager

By Marc

Gareth Southgate has been confirmed as the new England boss and he will be appointed on a permanent basis.


The former Middlesbrough manager was recently involved with the national team on an interim basis after Sam Allardyce had to step down following just one match in charge of the national team. Allardyce was involved in a scandal as he reportedly used his position to gain an advantage and money. Southgate has been involved with the national team in the under 21 levels for several years now, and managing the senior team was seen as a natural step forward.

The 46-year-old recently had an interview with the English FA. Even though there was widespread criticism of this decision, the English FA back to this decision to hold an interview with a manager who helped the national team for four games. Under the regime of Southgate, England managed to beat Scotland and Malta, but there were disappointments along the way with draws against Spain and Slovenia.

After having won 57 caps for the England national team, Southgate will now have the ability to lead the team into major competitions like the World Cup 2018. The former Middlesbrough manager will be receiving £ 1.8 million per year on a four-year contract, but there is a break clause after the World Cup 2018.

Southgate’s first match in charge of the national team as the permanent manager will be a friendly against world champions Germany on March 22. This will be followed by a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania four days later. Despite that with Slovenia, England are in a comfortable position as far as World Cup qualification is concerned. They have a two-point advantage over Slovenia and a further two points over Slovakia. These two teams are seen as the main competitors for England in the World Cup qualification group.