England’s quarter final World Cup defeat against France on Saturday evening has left fans wondering if the England boss will remain in charge.

Gareth Southgate discussed his future after the defeat, saying: “I think whenever I finish these tournaments, I’ve needed time to make correct decisions.

“Emotionally you go through so many different feelings. The energy it takes through these tournaments is enormous.

“I want to make the right decision, whatever that is for the team, for England, for the FA. I’ve got to be sure whatever decision I make is the right one.

“I think it’s right to take time to do that because I know in the past my feelings have fluctuated in the immediate aftermath of tournaments.”

Braintree and Witham Times: Gareth Southgate's side lost against France on Saturday nightGareth Southgate's side lost against France on Saturday night (Image: PA)

Is Gareth Southgate out of contract?

Southgate is contracted until after the European Championship in 2024 but will take some time now to decide on his future as the England manager.

Gareth Southgate shares his thoughts about the decision he must make

When told he has the kind of talented players that may tempt him to stay, he said: “No, of course.

“We’ve always wanted to develop a group that can sustain the types of tournaments that we’ve had. I think we are continuing to do that.

“It’s more, you know, the decisions around… to go again is a lot of energy and you’ve got to make sure you are ready for that. There’s qualifiers in March.

“Tonight there is too much in my head to think logically about any of that.

“I wanted to focus totally on this tournament and to approach it in the way that we have. I think we have given a really good account of ourselves to the rest of the world.

“But, in the end, only one team wins and we wanted to win. Tonight we have just fallen short.”

England players reflect on quarter final defeat

Harry Maguire tweeted: “Last night hurt. Absolutely gutted. Special thanks to Gareth and you amazing fans who kept belief in me.

“I love my country and I hope we made you proud.”

Declan Rice took to Twitter after the game, posting: “The greater the talent, the greater the aim. The greater the aim, the greater the pain along the path to reaching it.

“This is all part of the journey to us being successful as a team.

“Thank you to everyone for your incredible support. We gave it absolutely everything.”

Captain Harry Kane posted a picture to Instagram, writing: “Absolutely gutted. We’ve given it everything and it’s come down to a small detail which I take responsibility for. There’s no hiding from it, it hurts and it’ll take some time to get over it but that’s part of sport.

“Now it’s about using the experience to be mentally and physically stronger for the next challenge. Thanks for all the support throughout the tournament - it means a lot.”