LONDON (AP) — Five months after leaving his job as England coach, Gareth Southgate is still pondering where his future lies.
It might be outside soccer.
In a long post on social media platform LinkedIn, Southgate said he is searching for his next “purpose” in life after his time as the coach of the England men’s national team from 2016-2024 — a high-pressure role in which any comment, about soccer or beyond, was heavily scrutinized.
“This higher purpose kept me on track, gave me structure, made my life more fulfilling and is going to be extremely difficult to replicate,” Southgate wrote Tuesday.
“It’s why I’m not limiting my future options to remaining as a football coach.”
Southgate, who left the England job after losing the European Championship final in July, was linked with becoming Manchester United manager because of his connections with some members of the club’s board, but the team chose to hire Ruben Amorim after firing Erik ten Hag last month.
Otherwise, Southgate has slipped out of the limelight, with England having moved on — initially with an interim coach in Lee Carsley and, from Jan. 1, with a full-time replacement in Thomas Tuchel.
Southgate said much of his focus has been on his chosen charities.
“After eight years serving in one of the highest-profile roles in world football, I’m consciously taking time to reflect on what I lived through and thinking deeply about what comes next,” he wrote.
“I’m comfortable,” he added, “with this period of ‘exploration’ and not having all the answers. I’m following the advice I would give to any young person, without a clear career vision. Keep learning, build or explore your network, seek different life experiences and when you decide what’s next, there will be no right or wrong, just one path or another.”
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FILE - England's manager Gareth Southgate gives instructions during the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)
CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian naval forces rescued three people Tuesday and recovered four bodies, a day after a tourist yacht carrying 44 passengers sank in the Red Sea coastal town of Marsa Alam, officials said, after facing rough weather.
This brings the total to 31 survivors while nine remain missing.
Sea Story, a live-aboard used mainly for maritime activities, sent a distress signal after a large wave crashed into the boat, causing it to capsize, according to survivors' accounts. Some passengers were inside the cabins when the boat overturned within minutes, according to statements.
A rescue operation, still ongoing, was ordered and 28 people were rescued Monday from the vessel.
On Tuesday, the governor of the Red Sea region, Amr Hanafy, said the three survivors were two Belgians and an Egyptian. He also said the four bodies are yet to be identified.
The boat carried 13 Egyptians, including crew members, and 31 foreign nationals from the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia, Spain, and Ireland.
Live-aboards usually depart port for multiple-day excursions. Sea Story left Port Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday and was scheduled to deck in Hurghada five days later.
The boat had no technical problems, obtained all required permits prior to the trip, and was last checked for naval safety in March, officials said. According to the website of the boat operator Dive Pro Liveaboard, the Sea Story was built in 2022 and can hold 36 passengers.
The Egyptian Meteorological Authority on Saturday warned of turbulence and high waves, advising against naval activity on Sunday and Monday.
Marsa Alam is renowned for its pristine beaches, a wide variety of marine life, and regular shark sightings, particularly the curious Oceanic White Tip, drawing in scuba diving enthusiasts worldwide. However, some of the dive sites are challenging, with rough currents, and require advanced certification.
The Egyptian military is also involved in coordinating the rescue operation.
In this photo provided by the Egyptian Press Center on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, rescuers transport a survivor after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea, in Marsa Alam, Egypt. (Egyptian Press Center via AP)
