Trippier and England 'absolutely delighted' with Southgate's decision to stay

Gareth Southgate's decision to stay on as England manager has left his players "absolutely delighted", according to Kieran Trippier.

The former Middlesbrough boss considered quitting the job he has held since 2016 after his side were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the World Cup by France.

With a semi-final appearance at Russia 2018 and a runners-up finish at Euro 2020, there have been speculations about whether Southgate could leave before the end of his contract, which runs until Euro 2024.

The subsequent confirmation that he remains has been received positively by his players, with right-back Trippier indicating the 52-year-old has the full support of the squad he took to Qatar 2022.

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“We are all absolutely thrilled with it,” Trippier told the i newspaper. "Since he first took office until now, we have made great strides.

"The players want to play for England, they know what it means to put on the shirt. He's a great manager, and I think all the guys would say that.

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm glad he's staying, and I know all the other players are too."

After a difficult period that saw England relegated to the Nations League ahead of the World Cup, Southgate initially said he needed time to think about his future before re-engaging.

Trippier believes England continue to improve, pointing to the spirited performance against France as a sign of growth.

"I think we have moved on, for sure," the Newcastle United full-back added. "You see the freedom the players had to attack, and you just have to look at France's game. I thought we were brilliant.

"We've made tremendous progress. It was another learning curve for us, but we're moving forward now."

England will begin a potentially thorny Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with games against reigning European champions Italy and Ukraine in March.