Southgate’s resignation brought to an end his 13-year stint within the FA.
He was named the head of elite development in 2011, before taking charge of the under-21s in 2013 and the senior side in 2016.
One of his biggest achievements on taking over the senior team was changing the negative relationship with the media that had previously existed.
After enjoying favourable coverage at his first three tournaments, Southgate criticised the impact of negative reaction to England’s struggles in the early games at Euro 2024.
He told the ECA event in Athens that the “reconnection” with the fans through a positive media strategy “helps the team to feel more relaxed going into games”.
Southgate said: “We saw that in the summer when there was a shift with the media because it brought more pressure on to the team.
“That is a watch out for England going forward. They need to keep that strong relationship with the fans and the media because it is much harder if you don’t.”
“[Before his tenure] perhaps players had stopped thinking what might be possible and were worrying about what might go wrong. It can be a painful experience.
“Some of our players weren’t delivering at the highest possible level because they were inhibited and thinking about not being the guy who was responsible for losing rather than how do we go and win.”
Southgate said he felt England’s best tournament performances were at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, despite the quarter-final exit to France.
“We had a lot of physical issues [at Euro 2024]. We had players not at their best. This summer we couldn’t find the same flow and rhythm. But we still managed to find different ways to win,” he said.
“I am pleased we have left consistency. We have been ranked in the top five in the world for six years and we delivered over four tournaments.
“But that missing piece will always eat away that we weren’t able to deliver a trophy for supporters who have waited for a long time.”