Gareth Southgate has already started 2022 World Cup preparations – but the England manager knows a difficult Euros next summer could mean someone else leads the side to Qatar.

The past week’s comprehensive wins against Montenegro and Kosovo saw top spot in Group A wrapped up as well as a place among the top seeds for Euro 2020, where the Three Lions’ pool matches will be played at Wembley.

England are among the favourites to return to the capital for the semis and final after another impressive year that Southgate will take stock of during an international hiatus that will centre on preparations for what is shaping up to be another unforgettable summer.

Yet it is not just the Euros that the former defender has on his mind. The Three Lions boss is heading to Qatar in December as the groundwork gets under way for the 2022 World Cup.

“I think preparation-wise, we got that pretty close to spot on in Russia, so we obviously have the draw, which then will enable us to finalise friendlies, and that sort of thing.”

England intend to spend some time abroad before the Euros get under way in June, when Southgate is looking to embrace the expectation that has come with a swashbuckling qualification campaign and last year’s run to the World Cup semi-finals.

“I think we’ve got to accept that,” he added. “We should go in feeling confident about ourselves and, equally, we know there are areas of the game we’ve got to get better at.

“But I think all the top teams will feel the same; they’ve all got clear strengths and they’ve all got things that you’d highlight that you could exploit.”