Gareth Southgate on his England future amid Manchester United talk ahead of Middlesbrough return

Gareth Southgate would not be drawn on speculation linking him with Manchester United, insisting his full focus is on England's upcoming European Championships campaign.

Southgate has been tipped to take his first club management role since leaving Middlesbrough in October 2009. It is said that he has been earmarked by Sir Jim Radcliffe and his new backroom officials at Old Trafford as an ideal replacement for under-fire Erik ten Hag.

But England boss Southgate, who is current bookies' favourite to be next Manchester United boss, says he is giving such talk no thoughts ahead of this summer's European Championships in Germany, where the Three Lions prepare for group games against Denmark, Slovenia and Serbia. Part of those preparations will see England and Southgate return to Rockliffe too.

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“I’m not a big gambling man and bookies, they can make their odds but it’s not conversations that’s been had with me,” Southgate told ITV News. “I’ve got one thing to focus on. That’s having as successful a tournament with England as possible. Everything else outside of that is a complete irrelevance to me.

“If I start talking about that, then I’m already distracted from what I’m doing. So, I think the country would expect that my focus is on England, and rightly so it is. We’ve had three tournaments where we’ve taken the public on a brilliant ride. I think we know that and I know that you’ve got that desire to go that one step further and this is a brilliant opportunity for us to do that.”

England have two warm-up friendlies before heading to Germany for their first Euro's game against Serbia on June 16. The first of those sees them take on Bosnia on June 3 at Newcastle United's St James' Park.

In the week leading up to that game, England have decided to base themselves at Boro's Rockliffe Park again - just like they did in 2021 ahead of their last European Championship campaign which saw them reach the final.

Back then, the Three Lions played two Riverside friendlies while based at Rockliffe for a camp and, knowing the base well from his time at Boro as player and then manager, Southgate spoke about why it was a perfect base for them.

Southgate said: "Coming here, it's been a really relaxed environment and Middlesbrough have been fantastic looking after us. In the time when I was here they were just building the hotel and the golf course, but we did already have the training facilities.

"To now be able to walk across from the hotel to the training pitches, thus minimising the travel, has been important. We want always a relaxed atmosphere. Obviously as the games approach the outside noise increases, but being here, it's a relaxed environment and everybody can just focus on their training and enjoying a lovely environment."