Gareth Southgate told he could lose every match at World Cup and still remain England manager

Gareth Southgate has been told he could lose every game at the World Cup and not be sacked as England manager.

Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn revealed Southgate’s job would not depend on results next summer in a major vote of confidence in the 47-year-old.

Glenn declared Southgate “the right man” to take England forward beyond Russia, with the FA happy with his first year in charge and convinced the country is on target for major success following their triumphs in the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups and other age-grade tournaments.

Confirming Southgate - appointed on a four-year contract last year - would keep his job irrespective of June’s results against Tunisia, Panama and Belgium, Glenn said: “We’ve got a long-term plan. You’ve seen it; you’ve seen some of the fruits of it.

“Long-term plans are hard to defend when the short-term results go against you.

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“No-one wants to have bad World Cups but we’re confident he’s the right guy to take us through for the next few tournaments.”

Glenn declared England would nevertheless travel to the World Cup with the intention of winning it, saying: “What we’re doing is making sure that players that have made it through to the first team by 21, 22, have had lots and lots of tournament experience.

“So, those Under-17 winners and Under-20 winners will be coming through - and they are serious, serious competitions to win.

“We know that worked for the Germans and we know that worked for the Spanish. So, we’re just repeating things they’ve done with our own emphasis on it.

“Gareth has a long-term contract. He’s not looking at Russia as a free pass; he wants to go out there and win.

“But we’re going to do it in a way that’s sustainable. So, we’re going to make sure that we’re picking the kind of players that can do their best in Russia and continue to kick on in 2020 and 2022.”

Glenn also challenged Southgate to inspire England to perform in a manner to make the nation “proud” again following limp exits from their last three major tournaments, the last of which cost Roy Hodgson his job.

He said: “After three disappointing tournaments, come back to a proud nation. Wherever we go, a performance at the World Cup that’s created a buzz, got people excited.

“For me, it’s recreate the excitement that a lot of us remember from the past but, probably, a generation of people haven’t really experienced. I think that’ll be brilliant.”

He denied England had been handed a “dream” World Cup draw, despite them being guaranteed to avoid the likes of Brazil, Germany, Argentina, France and Portugal until at least the quarter-finals.

“I don’t think any draw’s a dream draw,” he said.

“We are up against one of the top teams in the world in Belgium. They’re ranked four or five.

“We know a bit about Tunisia. I think we played them in the first game in the 98 World Cup.

“We’ve never played Panama so we need to get prepared for those games.

“There was definitely a group of death but no-one got it. And no-one got an absolute patsy draw either.”