Gareth Southgate: England manager’s six-year timeline at the helm

The 52-year-old has been in charge of the Three Lions since 2016

Gareth Southgate’s England reign will continue after he decided to remain in the job.

The 52-year-old was considering his future in the wake of last weekend’s 2-1 quarter-final defeat to France at the World Cup.

Southgate has a contract until the 2024 European Championship but admitted to feeling “conflicted” about staying on, given what has often been a difficult 18 months.

But the former defender is now confirmed to be staying in charge for a fourth major tournament.

Here we take a look at the timeline of his six-year tenure to date.

27 September 2016 - Southgate was placed in temporary charge following Sam Allardyce’s departure. The England Under-21s manager was initially put in charge for four games.

8 October 2016 - Southgate enjoyed victory in his first game in charge as England beat Malta 2-0 at Wembley with goals from Daniel Sturridge and Dele Alli.

15 November 2016 - His interim period came to an end after a 2-2 draw with Spain at Wembley, which saw England go unbeaten in Southgate’s four games. The former Middlesbrough manager called for a quick decision on whether he will get the job permanently.

30 November 2016 - Southgate signed a four-year deal to become England’s permanent manager.

10 June 2017 - Harry Kane scored an added-time equaliser as England avoided an embarrassing World Cup qualifying defeat against Scotland at Hampden Park.

5 October 2017 - England booked their place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia with a 1-0 win over Slovenia.

3 December 2017 - Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn gave Southgate an overwhelming vote of confidence, insisting he would keep his job even if they lost every game at the World Cup.

3 July 2018 - After breezing through the group stages in Russia, Southgate banished painful memories of Euro 96 penalty heartbreak as his side beat Colombia in a shoot-out to progress to the quarter-finals.

Eric Dier celebrates England beating Colombia in 2018 (AFP via Getty Images)

7 July 2018 - Southgate became the first England manager to lead his country to the World Cup semi-finals since 1990 after a 2-0 quarter-final win over Sweden.

11 July 2018 - Hopes of ending 62 years of hurt were curtailed with a 2-1 extra-time defeat to Croatia in the World Cup semi-final.

15 October 2018 - Southgate led England to a first victory in Spain in 31 years with a 3-2 win in the Nations League.

28 December 2018 - Southgate was awarded an OBE in the 2019 New Year Honours list for services to football.

9 June 2019 - England finished third in the inaugural Nations League after a penalty shoot-out win over Switzerland in the third-place play-off.

6 April 2020 - Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, Southgate agreed to take a 30 per cent salary cut.

22 June 2021 - England topped their group in Euro 2020 after a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic, but Southgate attracted criticism for their style of play.

29 June 2021 - Southgate became the first England manager since Sir Alf Ramsey in the 1966 World Cup final to lead his country to victory over Germany in a knockout match with a 2-0 success in the last 16 of Euro 2020.

11 July 2021 - After reaching the final of the European Championship for the first time, Southgate’s England suffered more heartbreak as they lost the Wembley showpiece to Italy on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Saka missed the decisive penalty against Italy (Getty Images)

15 November 2021 - Southgate’s side scored 10 goals in a game for the first time since 1964 as they hit double figures against San Marino to book their place in the 2022 World Cup.

22 November 2021 - As reward for his impressive work with the side, Southgate earned a new contract which ran until Euro 2024.

14 June 2022 - England endured a dismal Nations League campaign, which included a 4-0 hammering by Hungary at Molineux - the worst home defeat since 1928. Southgate faced boos and critics called for his head.

10 December 2022 - England eased through to the quarter-finals in Qatar before being beaten 2-1 by defending champions France, but the performance of Southgate’s side attracted praise.

18 December 2022 - The FA announced Southgate would stay on to lead England’s Euro 2024 campaign.