FA keen to reward Southgate as fans rush for tickets

in Moscow

Gareth Southgate could be offered a new contract to manage England beyond the next World Cup after Martin Glenn revealed that the Football Association wanted him to “stay for longer”.

It can also be disclosed that the team’s World Cup heroics have sparked a tenfold increase in daily ticket sales for their next match, against Spain on Sept 8.

Southgate appears certain to be offered a new contract to replace the one that nominally expires after the European Championship in 2020 but, as previously revealed by The Daily Telegraph, it contains a clause that would mean qualifying for that tournament results in a two-year extension.

Any further extension would, therefore, involve tying Southgate down in some fashion until the following Euros in 2024.

Glenn, the FA chief executive, told BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek programme: “We’re not talking about contracts right now but we would love him to stay for longer. He is at the start of a project. He is a credit to his country, the way he carries himself, the way he leads, the way he motivates.”

Glenn declared the standout achievement from Southgate’s team reaching a World Cup semi-final had been “reconnecting with the England fans” and that much is evident by the fact that ticket sales for their home game against Spain in the new Nations League have reached “unprecedented levels” this far out from the fixture.

An FA spokesman said: “Since the start of July, we were seeing 1,000 a day, rather than 100, for the Spain game.”

Tickets went on sale to England Supporters Club members on the opening day of the tournament and will go on general sale on Aug 1. Wembley will host seven matches at Euro 2020 – including the final and both semi-finals – and England could play in up to five of them.

The FA are also spending the next year deciding whether to bid for the 2030 World Cup – potentially in a British or Uk-wide joint proposal.

The Government was urged to back such a bid last night after Tom Watson, Labour deputy leader, and Rosena Allin-khan, shadow sports minster, wrote to Jeremy Wright, the new Culture Secretary.

“The performance of Gareth Southgate’s young England side has captivated millions of English football fans – uniting the country and creating pride in the national side that we have not seen for many years,” the pair wrote in a joint letter. “This is why we are imploring you to support any bid from the English FA and the other nations of the UK for the 2030 World Cup.”