SportFootballGareth SouthgateGareth Southgate has kept a low-profile ahead of the World Cup and the former England manager says he does not want to become a distraction for the national team during the tournament21:43, 14 Jun 2026Updated 21:45, 14 Jun 2026Gareth Southgate was conscious that his presence as a pundit during the World Cup may have had a detrimental effect on the England team before deciding not to cover the tournament on television.‌The former England manager led the Three Lions for four major tournaments, two World Cups and two European Championships, before announcing he would depart his post following defeat in the Euro 2024 final to Spain.‌Southgate, who has since been replaced at the helm by Thomas Tuchel, has kept a low profile since walking away from the England national team and it remains to be seen if he will return to management.‌It seems, though, that he could have been a pundit for this summer's World Cup - but was reluctant to do so due to the risk of him becoming a distraction for the team.Taking to Instagram to send England a good luck message, the 55-year-old explained: “This is obviously a very different tournament for me this one, I have been at the last seven World Cups as a player, as a broadcaster, as a scout and then as a manager.“This time I took a conscious decision not to do the TV. I didn’t think it would be helpful for me to be talking about the team.”‌He added: “I don’t want anything to be misconstrued or thrown at them in press conferences. So, best for me to keep out of the way.”Southgate took England to the final of Euro 2024 and Euro 2020 and also oversaw semi-final and quarter-final finishes in two World Cup campaigns.‌He is backing Tuchel's men to do well in the tournament, saying England are "ready to win" ahead of their Group L opener against Croatia on Wednesday.“I want to take a moment to say good luck to all the boys. All the knockout nights they’ve had means they are going to be full of confidence going into the tournament.“They have overcome so many hurdles to winning, penalty shootouts, semi-finals, we got so close and they are ready to win. I am looking forward to watching. I hope everybody has a great one and I will be staying out of the way.”Article continues belowJoin our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Gareth SouthgateEngland football teamWorld Cup 2026