Messi, Kane, Maradona, stars put Pochettino in perspective

Meet the stand-out NWSL teen tipped for a USWNT debut

GOAL's mid-season MLS team grades: Messi & Miami flying

30 star players who are still desperate for a transfer

Transfers LIVE: Chelsea 'exploring' Sancho swoop

📽️ | Pulisic makes history with goal vs Parma

League One life is easy: Lee & Palmer help dismantle Reading

James Rodriguez heading back to Madrid! Colombia star agrees La Liga move

Ancelotti sends Endrick message about Real Madrid minutes

Lasso star responds to rumors of AFC Richmond's return

Arteta explains why Trossard refused to celebrate vs Villa

'Doesn't get better' - Beckham hails 'greatest' Messi & Brady

Guardiola feels 'attached' to Chelsea outcast Sterling

<p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><script type="application/json" data-placement="better-collective-widget">{"type":"better-collective-widget","data":{}}</script><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><ul><li>Three Lions suffered more final heartache</li><li>Manager took in over 100 games at the helm</li><li>Has walked away before contract expired</li></ul><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script>

'Very close to footballing immortality' - Gary Lineker reacts to Gareth Southgate's England exit just three weeks after 'sh*t' assessment of national team at Euro 2024

UEFA Nations League B

Ireland

England

<p>Southgate has, after suffering defeat in a second successive European Championship final defeat, <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/gareth-southgate-resigns-as-england-manager-emotional-statement-after-euro-2024-final-heartbreak/bltd1a723cfd0ac920e" target="_blank">decided to step down from the most demanding of managerial roles</a>. He had been at the helm since 2016, taking in 102 games while <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/gareth-southgate-must-walk-away-england-new-direction-glorious-failure-euro-2024/blt97fcabab5bc40ce1" target="_blank">coming as close as anybody to ending a barren run on the trophy front</a> for England’s men’s team.</p>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>While he may not have boasted universal support among England's fans base, Southgate’s record speaks for itself and he walks away with his head held high. <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/thank-you-gareth-southgate-england-fans-tribute-outgoing-boss-restoring-pride-rollercoaster-euro-2024-campaign/blt58d937ce588eddf7" target="_blank">Praise has rained down on the affable 53-year-old</a> in the wake of his decision to cut short a contract that was due to run until the end of the calendar year.</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Ex-England international striker Lineker has added his voice to those saluting the efforts of a man that succeeded where many others have failed in finding comfort on the warmest of hot-seats: “Wishing Gareth Southgate all the very best in the future. He brought pride, respect and a togetherness to England that we hadn’t seen for a long time. He was close, very close to footballing immortality and he always did the job with humility, decency and dignity. Thank you, Gareth.”</p><center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wishing Gareth Southgate all the very best in the future. He brought pride, respect and a togetherness to <a href="https://twitter.com/England?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@England</a> that we hadn’t seen for a long time. He was close, very close to footballing immmortality and he always did the job with humility, decency and dignity. Thank you,…</p>— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) <a href="https://twitter.com/GaryLineker/status/1813168682706583604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

</center>

WHAT LINEKER SAID

<p>While happy to talk up Southgate’s achievements, it was only <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/gary-lineker-explains-shaft-assessment-england-ex-three-lions-star-revealing-whether-spoken-harry-kane-euro-2024-final/blt40fa811cfbcf66cb" target="_blank">three weeks ago that Lineker delivered a “sh*t” assessment of England’s performances</a> during the Euro 2024 group stage. They found a way of battling through to the final, only to suffer a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Spain with long-awaited major silverware up for grabs.</p>

WHAT NEXT?

'Very close to footballing immortality' - Gary Lineker reacts to Gareth Southgate's England exit just three weeks after 'sh*t' assessment of national team at Euro 2024 | Goal.com US

Gary Lineker has hailed Gareth Southgate for taking England “close to footballing immortality”, a matter of weeks after branding the same team “sh*t”.

&apos;Very close to footballing immortality&apos; - Gary Lineker reacts to Gareth Southgate&apos;s England exit just three weeks after &apos;sh*t&apos; assessment of national team at Euro 2024