Berlin, July 15 : Gareth Southgate has one of the most peculiar managerial reigns in the history of world football. The head coach is undoubtedly the greatest manager in the history of the England national team having taken the team to two consecutive finals but still is heavily criticised for his style of play.

The 53-year old had previously suggested that he will step down as the head coach if the side fails to win the European Championship. When asked about his future plans Southgate dodged the question by saying 'now is not the time' to speak about it.

"Now is not the time for me to speak about that. I need to talk to the right people and give myself a bit of time. To get to another final, it was a privilege to have the opportunity. But to come up short is hard at the moment.They have represented the shirt with pride and haven't been beaten until the very end. I just think Spain had more control of the game,' said Southgate to reporters in the post-game conference.

Since Southgate's comments on stepping down came out, England went on to reach their first ever finals on European soil and just missed out on what could have been historic. The manager was disrespected during the course of the tournament with English fans showering him with boos and some even throwing bottles and cans at the manager but rallied behind him as the tournament progressed.

According to recent reports the English Football Association wanted Southgate to stay no matter the result in the final and have full trust in him which is why they want to extend his contract till the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

"Of course to take England to two finals has never been done but we came here to win and we haven't been able to do that. England have some fabulous players. We have been consistently back in the matches that matter. It's the last step we haven't been able to do.England are in a really good position in terms of the experience they have. Most of this squad will be around for the next World Cup and maybe the next Euros. There's a lot to look forward to but at this moment, it's not any consolation," concluded the Three Lions boss.

/IANS