Former English jazz Sir Gareth Southgate said he was not actively seeking to return to the canoe and admitted he was surprised to see himself connected with his Polish work earlier this summer.
It has been 13 months since Southgate’s resignation, after the final defeat in Berlin by the 2024 European Jockey League, which has brought eight consecutive years of heads to a close of consecutive European Championship finals and two deep World Cup matches.
Since leaving the position, the 54-year-old has taken time from football to balance business risks with leadership and coaching development while writing a book at the same time.
“I enjoyed my life,” Southgate told PA. “I have a lot of interests – business interests, working with young coaches, writing and traveling time, playing golf and paddle tennis. I really like that balance.”
When asked about the prospect of returning to management, he replied: “You will never say never say because I left Middlesbrough 15 years ago and I’m not sure I will manage it again.
“And then, I ended up on a weird path into the national team. But that’s not what I’m currently watching.”
Southgate admits that there have been recent rumors that he is confused about the framework in charge of Poland.
“I have connections with Poland’s work, and I don’t know anything about it, so it’s weird,” he said.
“There is something written and then there are reports everywhere. I’m just accepting it now.”
Southgate was awarded the Merit Awards for his speech at the PFA Awards ceremony in Manchester (PFA) for his contribution to football and his achievements in England. Current England manager Thomas Tuchel also attended the meeting.
“They obviously have a lot of good players and there are always exciting young players coming to the game. But for me, don’t say too much because I don’t want to step on Thomas’ toes.”
