Gareth Southgate vows to see out England contract

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Gareth Southgate vows to see out England contract

England manager Gareth Southgate has stressed his desire to see out the entirety of his contract with the Three Lions.

After leading England to the final of Euro 2020 last year, Southgate penned a new deal to commit himself to the team until 2024, but things have gone downhill since and England find themselves on a six-game winless streak heading into the World Cup.

Some fans have been calling for Southgate to step down after the winter showpiece in Qatar - a minority have even challenged him to leave beforehand - but the boss has no desire to leave early.

"As we speak now, I’m contracted to this time in 2024, but I am also well aware in football you have to get results," he said. "So the plan is there and the desire for continuity is there too, but I also don’t take for granted that you can underperform and expect to stay in that office."

Southgate has previously conceded that the decision over his future may well be taken out of his hands if England fail to perform at the World Cup.

England's recent struggles had a significant impact on their seeding for the recent Euro 2024 qualification draw, with the Three Lions ending up alongside Italy, Ukraine, North Macedonia and Malta.

"It’s clearly a tough draw given the quality of the opposition," Southgate said of the draw. "We’ve had draws in qualification that have probably been a little bit more comfortable.

"The draws are what they are, it’s how you perform on the day. England’s record against Italy is generally not very good - and we’ve got to improve that."