Gareth Southgate’s Future and Kyle Walker’s International Retirement Looms After Heartbreaking Defeat
England’s Euro 2024 dreams were shattered as they suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final. The loss has raised questions about the future of manager Gareth Southgate and whether this was his last hurrah as the Three Lions’ boss.
The question on everyone’s lips is whether Southgate will be given the chance to turn things around ahead of the 2026 World Cup or whether it’s time for a new manager to take the reins.
The England camp’s reaction after the match was emotional, and for some, it seemed like this could be the last we see of a few senior players in an England shirt. Kyle Walker, in particular, appeared to be struggling to hold back tears as he left the pitch.
The 34-year-old full-back’s deal with Manchester City expires in the summer, and at 36, he’ll be an older and potentially wiser head when the World Cup rolls around. His on-pitch tears and reaction could suggest that Euro 2024 was his last chance to win a trophy with England.
Fans on social media were quick to speculate that this could be Walker’s international swansong, with some saying they’d be surprised if he’s not retiring from international duty soon.
"It’s definitely goodbye to Kane and Walker," said one fan on Twitter. "Kyle Walker retires from international football for me," agreed another. A third added, "Fairly certain Gareth Southgate will announce his leaving and Kyle Walker will retire now too."
Of course, the reaction from fans might just be a response to Walker’s emotional post-match comments, where he stated he’d trade away one of each of his Manchester City trophies for an England win.
Walker said, "Not all the trophies that I’ve won for Manchester City – I’d like to keep one of each – but every other one I’d quite happily swap for this one. Without a question. I’d give it you now."
While only time will tell if Walker is truly hanging up his international boots, his emotional reaction has raised questions about his future and the future of his manager.
The coming days will be filled with analysis and debate about what went wrong for England, but for now, it seems like a fresh start could be on the horizon for both Southgate and Walker.
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