Gareth Southgate unsure on future after England miss golden chance

CONSOLING: England's head coach Gareth Southgate embraces Harry Kane after the World Cup quarter-final against France, at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar. Pic: AP Photo/Hassan Ammar

Gareth Southgate knew how close he had come. The scoreline here may have said that England needed one goal and then something else besides. But beyond the mere numbers was a truth: a golden chance had evaded them.

As he weighed up all of the implications of his England side falling short for a third-straight major tournament, Southgate was remarkably yet typically thoughtful, less than 45 minutes after his team had exited the World Cup at French hands and in heartbreaking fashion.