Ineos favourite rules himself out of replacing Erik ten Hag at Manchester United - for now
Man Utd look set to stick with under fire manager Erik ten Hag after a poor start to the new season.
Gareth Southgate has ruled himself out of taking any managerial job for the next year amid long-term interest from Manchester United's co-owners.
Southgate was highly admired by Ineos during their end-of-season review when they strongly considered changing first-team manager, but ultimately decided to stick with Erik ten Hag.
The 54-year-old was never going to leave the England national side ahead of a major tournament, nor was he going to unsettle the camp by agreeing to take a job after its conclusion either. It meant United never had a realistic chance of appointing him this summer, though he remains a figure of interest for any possible future role.
Ten Hag looks set to stay in the Old Trafford hot seat for the time being, and Southgate has added to the complex managerial situation by ruling himself out of as an immediate replacement.
"I won’t coach in the next year, for sure," he said at the European Club Association general assembly. "I’m certain of that. I need to give myself time to make good decisions. When you come out of a really big role you need to give your body time, you need to give your mind time."
Southgate is a boyhood United fan and has been admired by many key figures at Ineos. He is liked by sporting director Dan Ashworth, who he has a working relationship with from their time together at the Football Association while Sir Dave Brailsford invited him to his 60th birthday dinner earlier in the year. It is understood Southgate would be interested in the role at some point in his career if it was ever offered to him, though he would require assurances on the level of power he would possess when it comes to making key decisions.