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'A big decision to make' – what next for England and manager Gareth Southgate?
England manager Gareth Southgate "is the man in charge" and should lead the team in the next World Cup despite their Euro 2024 final defeat, says former Everton midfielder Leon Osman.
Southgate's future is the subject of intense speculation after the Three Lions lost 2-1 to Spain in the showpiece final in Berlin.
He said "now was not the time" to announce if he would stay on as manager after Sunday's defeat, with his current contract due to expire in December.
Southgate has guided England to back-to-back European Championship finals as well as the 2018 World Cup semi-final and the 2022 World Cup quarter-final.
However, his tactics came in for criticism from former England players as well as fans during Euro 2024.
Osman, who won two England caps, told The Monday Night Club on BBC Radio 5 Live that he wanted Southgate to stay.
"We’ll just remember in 20 years or so we got the latter stages of four tournaments on the run and we had those moments, we had those house parties, we had those moments with our families watching games," said Osman.
"We might never have a stretch like this again and it’s something we should actually be proud of."
Asked whether he thinks Southgate will stay on as England manager, Osman added: "Yes I do. I want him to be [England manager]. I know it’s been frustrating and I know we have had our moments where we all think he should have done this differently.
"But he is the man in charge, he is the man who despite performances in this particular tournament, we’ve been to two finals.
"So yes – force him to keep the job."
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Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha believes Southgate, who has been in charge of England since 2016, will leave.
"The stuff that he has done in the grand scheme of England history has been impressive," Onuoha told the MNC.
"There are obviously little bits in it that people don’t like but also if he was to leave today, you look at that team and it’s a really young exciting team potentially for someone to take.
"I think he will be leaving.
"He will look at it and think he has done a good job. He will probably be ready and young enough to go into club football. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s his next move."
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Highlights: Spain 2-1 England
The events of Euro 2024 as well as the pressure of being England manager for eight years will have taken its toll on Southgate and his family, sports psychologist Michael Caulfield told The MNC.
"If there is a line that stands out for me from Gareth at Euro 2024 it was ‘he wanted it so badly it hurt’," said Caulfield.
"He wanted to make people happy. He wanted us to have a celebration, for us to be in Trafalgar Square.
"He was a great fan of Bobby Robson and Terry Venables. He saw the way they were treated and how they handled themselves with so much incredible dignity.
"Even last night when Gareth looked absolutely crushed, he still wanted to handle himself with real dignity. He kept using the words ‘for the country’. It matters to us, it matters to him and it matters to the country. It sounds like a Shakespearean tragedy but that’s what it really is in many ways.
"Gareth has had his hand in the fire for eight years and to have your hand in the fire for that long at some point it must take its toll on you, your family and just your outlook on life in general."
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