Gareth Southgate is unconvinced of the need for a winter break in England

• New national manager is concentrating on what he can control
• ‘I don’t remember this debate happening when I was playing in 96 or 98’

Gareth Southgate has questioned whether the introduction of a winter break would improve England’s chances of winning a major trophy.

It has long been a point of contention that the intensity of the Premier League takes a physical toll on England’s players, leaving them too tired to perform at their best at summer tournaments. Southgate’s predecessor, Sam Allardyce, was a strong advocate of a mid-season break.

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In stark contrast, England’s new manager is not so sure. “It’s an interesting debate,” Southgate said. “The idea of a winter break will be flagged at this point but I don’t ever remember this debate happening when I was playing in 96 or 98. Other people came and took the team and it seemed to become part of the agenda a lot more.

“When I look at the league, there are as many players from abroad playing here in our league, if not more, so they have the same problem and maybe we can over-egg that. It’s another thing that is an assumption, rather than what is the reality. We can put hurdles in our way that maybe are not there.

“You then have to get the level of your training bang on at the end of a season like that and get the loading correct in order to peak for the right moments. That is the bit you can control. The bits that are outside of your control, a lot of other countries are going to have to pick up that problem as well.”

Although Southgate was not wholly dismissive of the idea of a break, he is more focused on areas that he can influence. “When I started working with the Under-21s, I worked on the basis of let’s not get distracted by what I can’t affect,” he said.

“If there are things that can happen on a wider scale around fixture planning and breaks, then fantastic and that sure could help. But I don’t want to get distracted by that. I have to plan within the boundaries we’ve got.”