And with that, the news blog closes here, though look for updates and comment on the website through the evening, and most probably weeks to come. Barney Ronay with a short, pointed preçis of the Southgate years. The piano jazz in the background is the soundtrack to life Chez Ronay. Probably. He makes a fine point. How does such a successful manager leave with such sadness behind him? The future king thanks the man who almost made it possible. Just remember, that even on days like today, when England lose a generational manager, the football world never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops. Leny Yoro is a good name for a footballer. Michael Butler takes a cheery, tea-time chortle at the contenders. Kylian Mbappé? Remember him? Ah yes, the masked one. He’s joined Real Madrid. Ballon d’Or. Ballon d’Or. Ballon d’Or. Ballon d’Or. Ballon d’Or. Ballon d’Or. That’s about the size of it. Should him and Viní work out how to play together. Good evening, on the day we all knew had to come. Was Gareth holding the fixtures and fittings at St George’s Park together? Or has he stepped aside for someone to take England to the next stage – winning stuff? It no longer looks like the Impossible Job? Besides, a lot of people out there thought they knew a lot better than him. What next for him? A sports ministerial post and peerage under Sir Keir Starmer? A leadership podcast, perhaps in tandem with Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe An FA director of football role, after a sabbatical? Back to the pundits’ chair with Keano, Wrighty and GN? Becoming the new manager of Wolves or Nottingham Forest All of the above? John Brewin is going to jump on board now. I wonder if José Mourinho is regretting taking the Fenerbahce job now the England one is up for grabs? Probably not. He’s perfect for Turkish football. He’ll embrace the chaos. Anyway, take it away John. Bye! The transfer news keeps coming back in the world of domestic football, where WSL champions Chelsea have strengthened their squad by signing PSG defensive midfielder Oriane Jean-François on a three-year contract. Some more suggestions for the next manager from our readers here: Pater Edmund: “Rafa Benítez would be a great England manager. He’s excellent at tournament football, and his main weaknesses (bit of a tinkerer; bad at the transfer market) don’t matter in international football. Moreover, he has lived in England for many, many years.” Interesting Pater, but I reckon the FA will be after someone less tactically rigid now England have a few expressive footballers on their hands. Des Brown: “Media pundits and supporters will indulge in a nonsensical fantasy in which Jürgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola lifts the World Cup for England at the Met Life Stadium in July 2026. Believe me, that’s not going to happen. Neither will want the job. Besides, England have been down the high profile foreign coach route before. Eriksson had a squad of the best players in modern English history, yet they never progressed beyond the quarter finals three times. After Eriksson, World Cup winner Luiz Scolari was all set to be appointed England coach and then backed out. Fabio Capello was probably the most qualified manager England have ever had and he went to the 2010 World Cup with John Terry , Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney – and won just one of their four games. So it really has to be Lee Carsley. He’s already part of the England set up since he managed the Under-21s to winning at the European Championship in 2023, beating Spain in the final. Make him interim manager for the Nations League and if it works, make it permanent.” Personally, I’m thinking of a fantasy managerial duo of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. What could possibly go wrong? We’ve been talking a lot about what’s next for England? But what’s next for Gareth? Ben Fisher has weighed up the outgoing England manager’s options here. Peter Ormerod writes in: “There have been quite a few comments along the lines of ‘if Southgate had only done what I wanted him to do, we’d be champions of everything by now’. It seems to me there’s a real sense of entitlement to that way of thinking: it assumes that the only thing holding England back is England. It ignores the fact that other countries might also be good at football (at least in the key position of midfield, which has been a weakness with all of England’s tournament defeats). The flipside though is that a sense of entitlement might be precisely what the England team need. I can’t remember the last time I saw Real Madrid play well, in a conventional sense. But they keep winning, and a big part of that seems to be that they just expect to win, that it’s just the natural way of things, that they’re just doing what they’re entitled to do. Southgate was so good at puncturing English exceptionalism and entitlement, but I wonder if you might need just a bit of that to win stuff. Inferior midfields notwithstanding, the thing that got England to finals might have been the thing that cost them those finals.” I thought England showed a bit of that expect-to-win-mentality in matches they should have lost at the Euros. They were disjointed in many a game but somehow found a way … Madrid-style. Without that mentality, which Jude Bellingham seemed to be driving, they could have been out in the round of 16, like 2016 all over again. A coaching reset might be no bad thing. Jürgen Klopp is among the contenders for the England job and our own Barney Ronay reckons the FA should pull out all the stops to get the German, who is currently living his best life in Spain as he takes a break from football. Sky is reporting that the FA will not restrict its search to English contenders and will appoint the best person for the job. This means Klopp is a possibility but it’s unlikely isn’t it? Stephen McCrossan emails in to say: “While I can understand the logic behind Barney’s contention that Jürgen Klopp would be the ideal replacement for (Sir) Gareth, I’m not sure he’s quite thought that one through. I seem to remember that big Jürgen was prone to being slightly tetchy with the ladies and gentlemen of the media during his time at Liverpool. I suspect he would spontaneously combust if he had to deal with the level of dog’s abuse he would get in the England job if things weren’t going according to plan.” Having an England manager regularly combust would be fun wouldn’t it? Personally, I reckon the timing isn’t right for Klopp, though, and having been at Liverpool – and on Merseyside for so long – I doubt it would appeal to him. Even if the FA paid him megabucks. Newcastle will fight to keep Howe Newcastle’s chief executive, Darren Eales, has warned the Football Association that the Saudi Arabian-owned club will fight to keep Eddie Howe and remain committed to a manager they “love”. Howe is high on the FA’s shortlist to succeed Gareth Southgate as England manager and it is understood his Newcastle contract contains a £5m release clause but Eales believes the 46-year-old would miss the day-to-day challenge of club management. “I’m not going to talk about the specifics of Eddie’s contract but he’s on a multi-year deal which was extended last summer,” he said. “He’s our employee and we’re not looking to release Eddie. “He’s a top coach, he’s the right coach for Newcastle United at the right moment. This is the coach we want to lead the club for the [foreseeable] future. We’re hoping that, with Eddie, we’ve got a coach for the long term. “He’s under a long-term contract, he loves the day-to-day of club football and we have an exciting project here in terms of the commitment from the ownership and the journey we want to go on. We are really excited about the season ahead.” Hello readers. How are we? Great. So Gareth Southgate has gone and the English FA will now begin its search for a new manager … for the first time in eight years! It will feel relatively novel won’t it? Here’s what we have on the Guardian sport website so far. Southgate resigns as manager after Euro 2024 final defeat Six contenders to succeed Southgate as England manager Jonathan Wilson on why it was right time for Southgate to go Farewell, Gareth: his eight-year reign – in pictures Get involved: was it the right time for Southgate to go? And with that, I’ll hand you over to Gregg Bakowski, who’ll see you through the rest of the day. Bye, and thanks for all your emails. Some thoughts (and verse) from Rick Harris Strange mix of emotions for me. On the one hand Gareth Southgate must be applauded by every England fan for taking us from the shambles we were in 2016 to the verge of greatness, and restoring pride not just in our football team, but also showing us that there is an alternative to loud, shouty touchline histrionics, which is one reason Tuchel is a no go for me. On the other hand there is that nagging conviction that two titles and an appearance in a World Cup final (2018) were there for the taking if only Gareth had been willing to be more adventurous in his selections and in his instructions to his players. The moments of exhilaration are just that, moments. We have generally only seen the England engine firing on all four cylinders for very brief spells as Southgate struggled to race tune it. They have of course been fantastic moments. That just makes the failure that more painful, as we really do have the talent if only it could be harnessed more effectively. So Farewell then Gareth South Gate Is over There Be sure to Clang It on your Way out Rick Harris (with apologies to E J Thribb (17) Some more post-tournament wash-up, and measured praise for England’s support. PA Media reports that the vast majority of England fans “represented the country in a positive light” at Euro 2024, the UK Football Policing Unit has said. The unit reported there had been only 77 arrests out of the estimated 240,000 people who had travelled to Germany for any part of the tournament … The UKFPU said 13 football banning orders had been served by the courts, and confirmed further work was ongoing “to identify and consider action against a small number of supporters who have committed offences overseas”. “In total it is estimated there were around 240,000 visitor trips to Germany from the UK, with the vast majority behaving well and representing the country in a positive light,” a UKFPU media release stated. “The high majority of those who travelled had tickets for matches, and England fans filled at least half of the stadium capacity at each venue the team has played.” Why are there so few English coaches at the highest level? Why doesn’t English football coaching or have its own culture or “school”? These questions have been addressed a lot lately, and Liam Fitzpatrick has his own thoughts: it’s the economics, stupid (among other things). Amidst all this discussion over who is going to be the next England manager, I think it’s important to draw attention to some worrying fundamental issues with becoming a football coach in the UK. The UEFA A badge is the highest level of coaching badge there is. In 2017 there were 15,089 UEFA A qualified coaches, as opposed to only 1,796 in the UK as per the Guardian. This number of UEFA A qualified coaches in the UK is also significantly lower than Germany, and lower than even Poland. And this is a problem of the FA’s own making, as it costs around £10,000 more to get your pro license and to get UEFA A qualified in this UK than it does in Spain. Having spoken to a few people interested in going down that path, another huge issue is that the number of spaces at St George’s Park is alarmingly limited and often swallowed up by ex-pros alone. The consequence of this is huge. Looking at the candidates for the England manager, it is slim pickings. It’s no wonder no English manager has won the Premier League. You can only contrast it to the abundance of coaching talent that the Spanish and Germans have. We are reducing the chance for both people and for unique ideas to flourish in a way they have abroad, as this goes beyond managers but will also affect wider coaching teams. We should be looking at a young manager like McKenna (given his opportunity at a young age by Mourinho) and start making changes as there should be a multitude more of these examples occurring for a nation that is blessed with willing participants in football who are not even getting the chance to grow. Unfortunately I don’t see this problem really being acknowledged. Richard Hirst offers a full-throated defence of Southgate, and an admonishment to us: Given the onslaught that Southgate has suffered from the media, including, unfortunately, some Guardian writers, I think on this of all days a one-sided eulogy from ordinary supporters is what we do want. Southgate has achieved more consistent success than any other England manager and has restored respect to English football in many ways. Give him the farewell he deserves! The FA’s inbox right now (or perhaps not): Back to the succession question: is Howe too young? Can Pochettino, Tuchel or Potter be tempted? Carsley as a continuity candidate? Ed Aarons has been running the rule over the likely candidates: Some more comment on that Senegal game in 2022: “Mention of that Senegal game brings to mind some of the nonsense Gareth had (and, no doubt, his successor will have) to contend with,” says Tom Hopkins. “I distinctly remember the reliably awful ITV kicking off their post match coverage with a warning that ‘it wasn’t perfect’. As if, to all intents and purposes, putting a game against the African champions to bed by half time isn’t a huge achievement. We’re never going to stroll through a tournament dispatching supine opponents in the casual manner. Gareth understood that, maybe we should too then we can enjoy the good days rather than bemoan the absence of a fantasy?” To which Matthew Hockey adds: “Your mentioning of the Senegal performance, I completely agree with, which is why I have been so baffled by the move away from the 433 shape. Bellingham looked better as an 8 than a 10, and the whole team looked better. I still don’t get the logic of tinkering with the best side we’ve had for generations for the sake of supposedly building the team around one player.” "An unbelievable human being": Bellingham hails Southgate Jude Bellingham paid tribute to “unbelievable human being” Gareth Southgate in an emotional Instagram post after apologising for England falling short in the final defeat to Spain, reports PA Media. The fact is that we came up against a great opponent and fell short, it hurts that we were so close to history and yet couldn’t deliver for the England fans that backed us throughout the highs and lows of the tournament whether that was from back home or out in Germany in the stadiums,” he wrote. “For that we can only hold our hands up and apologise.” The Real Madrid midfielder concluded: “Finally, I’d like to thank Gareth and his staff for the great memories during his tenure. From the point of view of a fan who has become a member of the squad, it’s been a rollercoaster of amazing emotions that has instilled hope and joy back into our country. “It was a privilege being led by someone who is so dedicated and passionate, not only is Gareth easily one of the best coaches in the history of the national team but also an unbelievable human being. Thank you for everything and all the best in the next chapter, Gaffer. “The weird thing with Southgate going is you bring in someone else and, the effectively build the business from the ground up,” writes Ben Tuff. “Am genuinely surprised that in this day and age there is no proper succession plan. Southgate walks out the door and someone new comes in. No overlap. In a well run business you’d have someone working through some kind of transition, especially where you have had a decent run of results. You want to share what works and what hasn’t. You want build on, not build up (again). Doesn’t mean those people have to be carbon copies. I feel more nervous about someone new than having had Southgate, with the things we know were not so good, staying. The FA still doesn’t have a business head in its shoulders.” To be fair, though Southgate and Holland are jumping ship, there are firmer and more coherent foundations in place within the whole St George’s Park setup than there ever used to be. Carsley for manager? A sign of the limitations of statistics, is that Southgate’s win percentage record as England manager (59.8%) is lower than Fabio Capello’s (66%) and only just above Roy Hodgson’s (58.9%) but it is considerably ahead of the only other managers to have reached a semi-final in the past 58 years, Bobby Robson (49.5%) and Terry Venables (45.8% – though most of those were friendlies as he never had to lead the Euro 96 hosts through qualifiers). Of course none can top Big Sam on 100% Some more comments on memorable Southgate moments, from anon: “6-1 vs Panama, Pickford scoring one then saving one in the NL third place playoff, Shaw scoring in the first minutes and then Maguire blasting his penalty in the Euro final. Trippier vs Croatia, 6-0 vs Iran. Kane against Germany, the recovery to 3-3 in Munich. 3-0 up vs Spain in the first half. Jude’s bicycle kick, steamrolling Ukraine 4-0, 5 from 5 penalties against the Swiss. “The inflatable unicorns, the biergartens, my mate running a full lap of the venue after we scored vs Denmark. Watching us win on penalties vs Colombia in the temporary stands at Munich airport, then driving into the city blaring Three Lions. These are all the things that were totally foreign to my formative experiences as an England fan until Gareth came along and they’re the stories I’ll reminisce about when the dust has settled. Ask me to remember a single moment like that (that was positive) between 2006 and 2018 and I’ll have nothing to draw on. “Congratulations on getting out of the toxicity, Gareth, you deserve so much better.” Some fine memories among that lot, which prompts me to add another: the 3-0 deconstruction of a very useful Senegal in 2022 – in that game England looked as balanced and composed – with some garnishes of style – as at any point in recent years. In fact there’s a case that Qatar 2022 saw England’s most complete tournament performances. Only the USA game was a stinker. And now for a left-field suggestion, and not one without its appeal … Here’s Jonathan Wilson’s assessment of the Southgate years: It says everything about the changes Southgate wrought that he has left his successor a hugely difficulty legacy: now there is expectation; now people think England should be winning tournaments. Which, when you consider where England were when Southgate took over in 2016, is a remarkable achievement. In a tournament full of political overspills – as if any tournament ever isn’t – Spain have added another layer: The Gibraltar government has criticised the “rancid remarks” that members of Spain’s Euro 2024-winning side made at a victory rally in central Madrid on Monday night, and the territory’s football association is to make a formal complaint to Uefa over the matter. The controversy, which follows Spain’s 2-1 victory over England in Sunday’s final, erupted after Spain’s captain, Álvaro Morata, and the midfielder Rodri chanted, “Gibraltar es español” (“Gibraltar is Spanish”), while on stage in front of a massive crowd in the Spanish capital’s plaza de Cibeles. Rodri named official player of Euro 2024 Uefa has released its official team of the tournament. It contains six Spain players and one England player. Have a guess? Yep it’s … Kyle Walker. The six Spanish players are Rodri, who was named player of the tournament, Lamine Yamal, Marc Cucurella, Dani Olmo, Fabian Ruiz and Nico Williams. France goalkeeper Mike Maignan and defender William Saliba, Switzerland defender Manuel Akanji and Germany forward Jamal Musiala completed the XI. They’re always stultifyingly conservative and obvious, these official XIs, and Giorgi Mamardashvili might have reason to feel aggrieved. Part of the issue – to jump back on to a favourite hobby horse – and as is currently being discussed on Sky, is that a manager such as Eddie Howe is reportedly on twice as much money at Newcastle as he would earn in charge of England. The suffocating financial dominance of European elite club football means that the best are out of national associations’ reach. And Howe hasn’t even won anything yet. Where next for Southgate? Readers Sharon Malley and Simon McMahon are both suggesting other national teams. “I have been pondering Southgate’s future,” says Sharon, “and wondering whether he would fancy an overseas stint – helming the USA, or Canada (semi-finalists in the Copa America) might be an attractive proposition, in the run-up to the North America World Cup. I doubt anyone from those countries would be too concerned that Southgate is not from their shores. Simon has a lively suggestion: “If Southgate wants to stay in international management, maybe Scotland would be a good fit? Never mind winning tournaments, he’d be lauded as a hero if he managed to get us past the group stage. #SouthgateforScotland” Gary Lineker had an up and down relationship with England’s performances during Euro 2024 but the former England striker has paid a strong and affectionate tribute to Southgate here: So, what are people’s favourite Southgate moments? For all its progress, there haven’t been loads of epics, of the 4-1 v the Netherlands in 96, 5-1 in Germany in 2001 variety, which is why I found myself declaring last Wednesday’s semi-final win as the best Southgate occasion. But here’s a contender, and a decisive one in raising the bar on what was expected from his teams ever since: Thanks Michael. Afternoon everyone. And we start with a royal tribute, from Aston Villa top boy Prince William: Thank you for creating a team that stands shoulder to shoulder with the world’s finest in 2024. Thank you for showing humility, compassion, and true leadership under the most intense pressure and scrutiny. “And thank you for being an all-round class act. You should be incredibly proud of what you’ve achieved. W. An email from Gary Naylor: “I rather hope Southgate goes to the House of Lords with a brief covering sport and education, fits with the new government’s approach I venture. It’s clear that he’s an innovative thinker, understands the psychology of young athletes and can communicate effectively. His weaknesses – tactical rigidity, an excess of misplaced loyalty, a reluctance to seize the moment – don’t really matter there. At least he would irk Ian Botham and that has to count for something”. Very difficult to argue against any of that. And I won’t, I’m handing the blog over to Tom Davies now. Cheers! We ask the questions, you give the answers. This was the front page of the Guardian’s sport section when Gareth Southgate was appointed in 2016. “Without wishing to sound dramatic, if we go for a foreign manager to replace Southgate then I’m ABE [Anyone but England?] until it’s all over,” emails Rob Kelly. “It’s international football, which means pitching the best players and manager from one country against those of another. If we aren’t producing good enough managers then that’s our problem and we need to fix it. Using our financial clout just to buy in someone good from another country won’t solve the deeper rooted problems we consistently face, like lack of coherent identity. Tough to say as a Brighton fan but Potter in for me”. I can see the purist logic in that, Rob, but still think it’s a fairly niche view. I’m sure the fans of Uruguay (led by Marcelo Bielsa, an Argentinian) and Georgia (led by Willy Sagnol, a Frenchman) are feeling pretty good about their country’s appointments. Rice"s Southgate tribute: "Thank you gaffer" Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, who has appeared in every game for England at the last three major tournaments, also posted: “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.” England and Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford wrote on Instagram: “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.” Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, who missed out on a place in Southgate’s Euros squad after picking up a calf injury in April, wrote on Instagram: “You made us all believe again – memories that will last forever. Thank you boss.” “I think Gareth Southgate stepping down is the best decision for everyone, emails Fin Fletch. “His man management can never be faulted and his overall record is obviously amazing. It was just that next step where he was found wanting coming up against top teams with set systems. We rode our luck this tournament and that papered over plenty of cracks. Thank you Southgate for breaking the penalty curse and showing quarter finals aren’t our limit.” Gary Neville reacts: I am not surprised. I thought Gareth would call it a day. I think there were hints through the tournament when he was speaking that he thought it might be the time. I am not sure it is based on Sunday’s result, it was just a feeling after that game. He has had an amazing eight years and exceeded all expectations of every single England fan. He deserves to call it a day on his own terms, and he has done that. He knows England better than anybody. It was the right moment for him, he has done an outstanding job. “He has achieved incredible things on the pitch, but he has also achieved incredible things off the pitch. How difficult it is to manage the politics of England, the media, the club-versus-country rivalries which existed, he has removed a lot of those barriers. He has handled penalties better than anybody, reduced the fear, so he has done an incredible job, but it will have taken a toll on him. Southgate’s tactical flaws have been well covered, and the reaction here should not simply be a one-sided eulogy to his stint in charge, but I think Neville’s last par here is a concise summary of Southgate’s obvious merits. Here is our gallery of Southgate’s tenure. The Prince of Wales speaks. With Steve Holland also gone, does this open the door for Ben White to return? White is another option at right back, or even right centre back as part of a back three, but his best asset in this England team is his relationship and link up with Arsenal teammate Bukayo Saka on the right wing. White understands Saka’s game perfectly, and makes really intelligent overlapping/underlapping runs to help Saka create space for himself, while also being an excellent defender. Gary Lineker reacts. Christian Falk is head of football at Bild, so should be a man in the know when it comes to Tuchel. David has redrawn his cartoon and it is not ready for your viewing pleasure. Southgate has spoken about it being “time for a change and a new chapter”. It is not immediately obvious what that would be. I’m not sure his obvious merits are that suited to club football, something he last experienced way back in 2009. What could be interesting is if he took a backseat role at the FA, maintaining what he has built from afar, although perhaps a new manager was find that obtrusive. It is the changes he has made to the culture around the England team – not just within the camp, where players are less cliquey, feel more supported, more welcome – but also outside of it, repairing the disconnect between his team and the fans/media. When he joined in 2016, off the back of a disastrous European Championship and the hiring/firing of Sam Allardyce, English international football was not in a good place. “He has been England’s most consistently successful manager, and has behaved with dignity and respect for others”, emails Richard Hirst. “The match against Spain was decided by the width of a toenail, and even then England almost got another equaliser. Small margins, as they say. So give Southgate the enormous credit he is due”. FA: interim solution in place if it is needed The full statement from Mark Bullingham, the FA’s CEO, is below. There is a very interesting line buried at the bottom. Of a successor to Southgate, Bullingham confirms that the FA “aim to have our new manager confirmed as soon as possible. Our Uefa Nations League campaign starts in September, and we have an interim solution in place if it is needed.” On behalf of English football, I would like to pay tribute to Gareth Southgate and to Steve Holland for everything they have achieved. Over the last eight years they have transformed the England men’s team, delivering unforgettable memories for everyone who loves the Three Lions. We look back at Gareth’s tenure with huge pride – his contribution to the English game, including a significant role in player development, and in culture transformation has been unique. However, it is his record of winning tournament games which is most extraordinary. In the 25 tournaments post 1966 before Gareth took charge, we had won seven knockout games. In his four tournaments we have won nine. So, in his eight years, he has won more games that really matter than in the previous 50 years. And of course, we have had strong tournament performances throughout their tenure. We came so close to winning the Euros in London and securing the first trophy for our men’s team for over 50 years – and came so close again in Berlin on Sunday. Before Gareth, our longest time ranked in the top five in the world was seven months. In his tenure we have been ranked there for six years. Gareth has made the impossible job possible and laid strong foundations for future success. He is held in the highest regard by the players, the backroom team, by everyone at the FA and across the world of football. We are very proud of everything Gareth and Steve achieved for England, and will be forever grateful to them. The process for appointing Gareth’s successor is now under way and we aim to have our new manager confirmed as soon as possible. Our Uefa Nations League campaign starts in September, and we have an interim solution in place if it is needed. We know there will be inevitable speculation, but we won’t be commenting further on our process until we appoint. Full statement from Gareth Southgate As a proud Englishman, it has been the honour of my life to play for England and to manage England. It has meant everything to me, and I have given it my all. But it’s time for change, and for a new chapter. Sunday’s final in Berlin against Spain was my final game as England manager. I joined the FA in 2011, determined to improve English football. In that time, including eight years as England men’s manager, I have been supported by some brilliant people who have my heartfelt thanks. I could not have had anyone better alongside me than Steve Holland. He is one of the most talented coaches of his generation, and has been immense. I have had the privilege of leading a large group of players in 102 games. Every one of them has been proud to wear the three lions on their shirts, and they have been a credit to their country in so many ways. The squad we took to Germany is full of exciting young talent and they can win the trophy we all dream of. I am so proud of them, and I hope we get behind the players and the team at St. George’s Park and the FA who strive every day to improve English football, and understand the power football has to drive positive change. My special thanks go to the backroom staff who have provided the players and me with unstinting support over the last eight years. Their hard work and commitment inspired me every day, and I am so grateful to them – the brilliant ‘team behind the team’. We have the best fans in the world, and their support has meant the world to me. I’m an England fan and I always will be. I look forward to watching and celebrating as the players go on to create more special memories and to connect and inspire the nation as we know they can. Thank you, England – for everything.