Gareth Southgate is set to confirm he will continue as England manager. While the 52-year-old actor has yet to commit to remaining in the role, the Times and Telegraph are reporting that he will confirm his decision to remain in the coming days.

Southgate has a contract until the end of Euro 2024, but after last weekend’s World Cup defeat to France, he admitted he needed time to make a decision that was in his and the Football Association’s best interests. However, both the Times and the Telegraph say there is growing optimism in the FA that he will remain in the role he has held for the past six years.

There are only 18 months left until Euro 2024, and qualification for the tournament, which will take place in Germany, will begin in the spring. Southgate has brought in a number of young talents including Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Sak and Phil Foden and England will go into the tournament as one of the favourites.

He was heartened by the largely positive reaction from fans and the media to England’s performances in Qatar, where his team were sadly knocked out in the quarter-finals by France. England’s top players also urged him to stay and sent text messages to reiterate.

The FA will be relieved to let Southgate go rather than look for a replacement, with many years ahead of him in the national team. Qualifying for Euro 2024 will kick off with a test trip to Italy on Thursday 23 March, followed by a home game against Ukraine three days later.

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