Gareth Southgate becomes the new England manager with a deal reportedly worth more than £6 million

LONDON - Gareth Southgate has been confirmed as the permanent manager of the England football team, the Football Association (FA) has announced.

Southgate, the former coach of the England under-21 side, has been caretaker manager since September. He has signed a four-year contract, which the BBC said is worth between £1.5 million ($1.9 million) and £2 million a year.

"I am extremely proud to be appointed England manager. However, I'm also conscious that getting the job is one thing, now I want to do the job successfully," Southgate said in the FA's official announcement.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed working with the players over these past four games and I think there's huge potential. I'm determined to give everything I have to give the country a team that they're proud of and one that they're going to enjoy watching play and develop. For me, the hard work starts now," he added.

His four-year deal means that Southgate will be England boss for both the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and the 2020 European Championships, which will be held in venues across Europe.

Southgate's appointment follows the sacking of previous manager Sam Allardyce after he was caught offering advice on how to circumvent FA rules on player transfers as part of an undercover sting by The Daily Telegraph.

Southgate was interviewed last week by a five-person FA panel, according to the BBC. He has not lost any of the four games he has overseen during his spell as England's interim manager. Results included a 3-0 victory over local rivals Scotland as part of England's World Cup qualification campaign.