Jordan Pickford and Declan Rice among stars to pay tribute to Gareth Southgate after England exit confirmed

Evening Standard

·16 July 2024

Jordan Pickford and Declan Rice among stars to pay tribute to Gareth Southgate after England exit confirmed

Southgate has opted to step away from the England job after defeat in Euro 2024 final

Declan Rice and Harry Maguire have led the England players in paying tribute to Gareth Southgate, after he announced he is stepping down as England boss.

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Southgate led England to the Euro 2024 final but, for the second time in three years, the Three Lions fell at the final hurdle, this time Mikel Oyarzabal sliding in to score an 86th-minute winner for Spain in Berlin.

Speaking immediately after that defeat, Southgate did not provide a definitive answer on his future, stating he needed to hold certain conversations before making a final decision.

The 53-year-old, who would have been out of contract at the end of the year, required only a couple of days, with it announced on Tuesday morning that his eight-year reign had come to an end.

Southgate described managing England as “the honour of my life”, and members of his squad swiftly took to social media after his departure was confirmed.

Rice posted on Instagram: "Thank you gaffer. It's been a privilege to play for England under your guidance. Memories that will stay with me forever. All the best in your next adventure."

Harry Maguire, who had been a regular in Southgate’s England sides but did not recover from a calf injury in time to make this summer’s Euros squad, said: “You made us all believe again – memories that will last forever. Thank you boss.”

It remains to be seen who replaces Southgate and leads England at the 2026 World Cup, with Graham Potter and Eddie Howe among the early favourites for the job.

The Three Lions reached two European Championship finals under Southgate, as well as a run to the last-four at the 2018 World Cup and the quarter-finals four years later in Qatar.

Jordan Pickford was England’s first-choice goalkeeper for those major tournaments, and the Everton star hailed Southgate in his first post since the final defeat to Spain.

He wrote: “Completely gutted. This will hurt for a while. Appreciate everyone who supported us during the tournament and I’d like to thank all my teammates and staff for their work throughout.

“I also want to say a special thank you to the boss for always believing in me during his time with us and I would like to wish him all the best in his next steps. Thank you Gareth.”