Southgate Wants England Job Call Within A Month

Gareth Southgate wants to know within a month whether the Football Association will appoint him as England manager.

The 46-year-old’s last game as interim manager will be Tuesday’s friendly against Spain at Wembley (19:45 GMT).

An FA committee will then make a decision on who will be given the permanent job – with England Under-21 boss Southgate the heavy favourite.

“It will be important for me to know what I’m doing after the middle of November,” he said.

“We’ve got a European Under-21 Championship to prepare for and the seniors have got their next round of qualifiers [in March].

“Of course everybody is going to want to know, I guess, by the end of November, middle of December, where everything is heading so we can decide who is responsible for which parts of the organisation’s work.”

Southgate, a former England defender, was effectively handed a four-game trial period by the FA after the abrupt end to Sam Allardyce’s 67-day spell in charge in September, reports the BBC.

He has led the national team to seven points from a possible nine in World Cup qualifying, and they lead Group F by two points following Friday’s 3-0 win over Scotland.

FA chairman Greg Clarke, technical director Dan Ashworth, chief executive Martin Glenn and League Managers’ Association chairman Howard Wilkinson will decide who will be England’s next manager.

Southgate’s only job at club level was at Middlesbrough from 2006 and 2009, but he is not worried about a lack of experience.

“Maybe you prove yourself at a smaller one first or maybe you don’t,” he said. “Pep [Guardiola] was straight in at Barcelona having worked with the B team.

“Everybody’s path is different. I don’t think there is an ideal pathway.”