Gareth Southgate looks to have taken a step away from football, by reportedly changing his job title to ‘company director’ online.
The former England boss stepped down from his role in charge of the Three Lions last summer after defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2024.
Following his resignation, Southgate said he would be taking a break from coaching for at least a year, before revealing he would consider a future career outside of the game.
And he may now have done just that, with his latest move perhaps his biggest hint that a return to management isn’t on the cards right now.
On Companies House, the 54-year-old is named as one of two officers of MAS Investment Holdings Limited – the business that handles his £6.2million property portfolio.
But according to The Sun, documents online now list Southgate under the job title of ‘company director’.
The publication reported his occupation was previously recorded as “football manager” until recently.
And his latest move appears to confirm Gary Lineker‘s prediction following his final match in charge of England.
After the Euro 2024 final, Lineker said on BBC Sport: “I suspect this might be his last game in management.”
Since leaving the Three Lions’ set-up, Southgate has kept himself busy with various roles in and out of football.
This season, he has worked as a technical observer for UEFA, as well as speaking as a visiting lecturer at Harvard Business School in the US.
On top of this, the former Crystal Palace and Aston Villa defender has penned a self-help book called ‘Dear England: Lessons on Leadership’, which is set to be published later this year.
The book is expected feature some of the lessons he learned while guiding England to back-to-back European Championship finals, as well as the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.
Despite throwing himself into other projects, Southgate has been unable to escape speculation that he could return to the dugout.
In the aftermath of leaving his last coaching role, he was linked with the Manchester United job should Erik ten Hag have been sacked.
These rumours then re-emerged in October following the Dutchman’s dismissal, before the Red Devils appointed Ruben Amorim instead.
And while Southgate is now nine months into the year-long hiatus from management he previously planned, his latest hint isn’t the first time he has suggested he could be ready to leave football for good.
Posting on LinkedIn in November, the former England international admitted he was exploring all avenues to decide his next steps.
AFPSouthgate was among the headliners at Sir Keir Starmer’s Investment Summit in October[/caption]
He wrote: “After eight years serving in one of the highest profile roles in World Football, I’m consciously taking time to reflect on what I lived through and thinking deeply about what comes next.
On life after England, Southgate added: “This higher purpose kept me on track, gave me structure, made my life more fulfilling and is going to be extremely difficult to replicate.
“It’s why I’m not limiting my future options to remaining as a football coach.”
A Goodwill Ambassador for the Prince’s Trust and an ambassador for children’s hospice Martin House in Boston Spa, Southgate also revealed his charity roles had been keeping him busy of late.
On this, he said: “I’m comfortable with this period of ‘exploration’ and not having all the answers. I’m following the advice I would give to any young person, without a clear career vision.
“Keep learning, build or explore your network, seek different life experiences and when you decide what’s next, there will be no right or wrong, just one path or another.
“For now, I’m finding my required purpose within all that being able to dial up the days supporting my chosen charities.”
