Gareth Southgate's England: 100 games and counting

The Three Lions marked Southgate's 100th match in charge by reaching the Euro 2024 semi-finals.

Transcript

00:00England's been a massive part of my life. Supporter, player, under-21 manager and now

00:06manager. To be able to be in a position to connect people to the team, as we have done

00:12over the last few years, has been very, very special.

00:21I didn't want to be seen as somebody that was waiting in the wings for an opportunity

00:26and I think Sam knew that.

00:33I'd like an England team that excite the public. I'd like an England team that the supporters

00:38look forward to watching and ultimately that they're proud of. I think if we achieve those

00:43two aims then we'll be on the right pathway.

00:46I think we'll do very well in Russia, personally, but in the hypothetical event that we didn't,

00:52there's a longer-term project and I think to support Gareth, to build for the long-term,

00:57you know, 2020 and hopefully beyond.

01:01It feels like a new revolution. The manager's coming with great ideas and a great idea of

01:11the way he wants us to play.

01:12The summer was an incredible experience for everybody. They're the games that you want

01:16to be involved in and you want to be involved in matches that matter.

01:22It's going to be heartbreaking for the boys, but they're not to blame for that. That's

01:40my call as the coach.

01:41You can't knock Southgate at all, but I just think, like, we didn't try and win the game.

01:47We went 1-0 up and we didn't try and win the game.

01:49It's my lifetime. We've got to a semi and a final. I've never seen that. You've got

01:57to give them one more shot.

01:58They've got to walk away from here heads held high. They've done more than any other team

02:03in the last 50 or so years. We wanted to give everybody one more night that would continue

02:08the biggest party ever. We haven't been able to do that.

02:11I think England are in a good place for a number of years to come and to have the opportunity

02:22now of a World Cup and another European Championship is hugely exciting.

02:26We're hoping for many more special moments and the best chance to fulfil our ambition

02:31of winning a major international tournament.

02:37I think it's time to go.

02:39He's got a goal now, hasn't he? But knowing the FA, don't give him another contract.

02:42It's a silly question. Southgate stays with me.

02:44No one else is really screaming out for it. I'd be in favour of him staying.

02:48I'd love him to stay. Germany's less than two years away and this team are only going

02:52to grow together.

02:53You've got to come through tough spells as managers. I've had them before and you're

02:57not going to duck a challenge just because there's criticism.

03:06Every now and then you think, surely there has to be some enjoyment in this job.

03:12If I can't enjoy that moment, then the whole thing's a waste of time.

03:16We're fighting. We're not going to stop fighting and, as I said, we're in another semi-final

03:22and we'll see where we can get to.