Gareth Southgate responds to questions on England future ahead of Euro 2024 final

England manager Gareth Southgate has admitted it would be "impossible" to make a decision on his future with the team ahead of the Euro 2024 final.

Southgate's current contract with the Football Association expires at the end of 2024 and, despite long-standing reports of unwavering commitment towards him, sparked speculation he could leave by admitting earlier this summer that he "probably" would be out of job if England fail to win Euro 2024.

In the build-up to the game, further reports have stressed the FA's desire to retain Southgate, who had been a target for Manchester United before the Red Devils opted to stick with Erik ten Hag.

"Emotionally, it would be impossible for me to make a logical decision at the moment on any of that because my sole focus for two years has been winning this tournament," Southgate said leading up to Sunday's final.

"The last five or six weeks have been an absolute rollercoaster, so I don't actually know where I am with anything other than being very focused on preparing the team for this game. I'm determined to keep leading them in the way I have over the last month.

"I definitely took the job to try and help English football improve. I know what it would mean, not only to the general public in England, but particularly people involved in English football, from those that develop young players to those that run clubs; every level of the game, really.

"We've improved the credibility of English football in how it's perceived around the world but, ultimately, until you win that trophy then there will always be those questions both abroad and at home about what we've done."

Sunday's game will bring about significant pressure on Southgate both personally and professionally, but the boss is doing his utmost to keep the noise around him quiet.

"You're aware of it, of course, but it's not what you think about going into the game," Southgate continued. "We've got to keep a professional focus, a bit of a detachment from the enormity of the occasion, if you like, because it would be easy to be overwhelmed by that.

"But actually, when you break it down into the bits you're in control of, the bits you have to affect and the bits you have to focus on, it's a much simpler task.

"We have to make sure we manage emotions well because in big matches, you might not have to perform at a level you've never been at before. To be able to perform at your best in big matches is often an achievement; a lot of people are inhibited in them. We've got to make sure we're well prepared.

"The team are improving, they are growing in confidence, they've definitely grown in resilience and belief from the experiences they've been through in this tournament.

"We needed to win the last one and we didn't. In the end, what I do know is how we'll be viewed by others will be determined by the result on Sunday.

"I understand the demands of the job and my job has been to guide this group of players, group of staff through a complicated tournament, one in which we've held our nerve, held belief and during which we've improved and learned as a team.

"Everything else, on a personal level, is irrelevant. We're in a final and we want to go that step further than we went three years ago."

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