Not expecting the contract talks to be complicated at all, admits Gareth Southgate

Gareth Southgate was appointed as the temporary manager of the England national team when Sam Allardyce resigned after just one game due to the 2016 English football scandal. The Three Lions were in the thick of it as they aimed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and did so in style under Southgate who was then appointed on a permanent basis. Under his leadership, they went on to the semi-finals of the World Cup before they were sent packing by Croatia. 

The former Middlesbrough manager also took them to a third-placed finish in the UEFA Nations League which was England's first third-placed finish in a major tournament since Euro 1968. Over the past summer, the Three Lions looked to be frontrunners for Euro 2020 but while they did make their way to the finals, they were beaten by Italy. Southgate, who earlier stated that talks over an extension will only take place after overseeing qualification to Qatar, has revealed that talks will commence and he doesn’t expect it to be complicated at all.

“When you work with staff like I work with and with a group of players who are as receptive and have the talent that we have, then that’s clearly very enjoyable. There’s been no other reason for not sitting down [for contract talks] other than the fact that we felt it was right to concentrate on the European Championship and right to get this qualification done. Now it’s an appropriate time to be able to sit with John and Mark Bullingham and go through everything but I’m not expecting for that to be complicated at all,” Southgate told the Guardian.