Gareth Southgate has batted away questions about his England future after the Three Lions lost 2-1 to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
The England manager, who for a second successive Euros has seen his team fall at the final hurdle, was asked in a post-match press conference whether he would take the side into the next World Cup in 2026.
But he said he wanted to discuss his future with FA bosses privately before announcing whether or not he would stay or go.
“It’s hard to reflect so soon after a defeat like this,” he said.
“To take England to two finals has never been done [in the men’s game].
“But we came here to win, and we haven’t been able to do that.”
Asked for his reflection on the tournament, he added: “The team have done the country proud.
“They’ve reached the first final away from England. A second final in two tournaments is incredible, really.
“They’ve played 14 matches in the last two European Championships and we’ve lost in the last five minutes of the 14th game. We weren’t beaten other than in penalties in that period. It’s an incredible run.
“But at the moment I have to say in my head none of that matters because we had an opportunity to win and we haven’t been able to take it.”
‘We are all hurting’
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham, who will be tasked with finding a successor should Southgate go, said everyone at the FA was “hurting” as a result of the defeat – but praised the “huge commitment” of the squad.
“We came to Germany to win the tournament, and we didn’t want it to end this way,” he said.
“We are all hurting tonight, but we should be incredibly proud. I would like to thank Gareth, Steve (Holland, assistant manager), all of the players and the support team for their huge commitment and hard work to try to win the trophy for the country.
“They will be more disappointed than anyone to fall just short.”
Read more:
Heartbreak for England as Spain win Euro 2024 final
‘We came up against a better team’ – gutted fans
Fans were split on Southgate‘s future.
Preethi Rai, 38, from London, said: “I think Gareth Southgate deserves some credit because I think he’s worked so hard and he’s so passionate about England.”
She added: “He has galvanised the team, he’s so experienced in being a player, being a manager, working with team – I just want his legacy to be positive even if he hasn’t won.
“He will make it easier for the next manager in charge because England are up there – England are competitive.”
Jordan Davies, 30, from Newcastle, said: “I think he should stay. You have done really well mate, you have done fantastic. Thank you very much, keep it up.”
But Cameron Dodds, 26, from Wallsend, believed it was time for Southgate to go.
He said: “He has been lucky (to get to the final). Against big teams like France, Germany or Spain, he was never going to survive.”
Cash Rigg, 24, also from Wallsend, agreed Southgate should move on.
When Cole Palmer scored he said it was like “adrenaline in my veins”, adding, “I thought it was written in the stars – unfortunately it didn’t happen”.