England boss Gareth Southgate has slammed critics for taking aim at his stint in charge of Middlesbrough.
The 53-year-old manager of Boro when they were relegated in 2009, having been appointed three years previously.
Southgate has since proceeded to lift England, with the Three Lions now a force to be reckoned with.
Some still doubt his credentials, however, due to the way Boro went down 14 years ago.
England boss Gareth Southgate has hit back at critics
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Yet Southgate has insisted he's happy with his achievements at the Riverside Stadium and believes Middlesbrough's relegation shouldn't be held against him.
"Everybody would talk about Middlesbrough," he told Sky Sports.
"'Oh, he got Middlesbrough relegated'. Well, yeah, in the third year, we got relegated.
"But I had three years of Premier League management."
Southgate also hinted that he feels he's ready to manage in the Premier League again.
There is an expectancy he will leave his role as England boss after the European Championships next summer.
And Southgate has suggested he feels tough enough to manage a big club side.
He has been linked with Manchester United in the past, with the Red Devils failing to acquire him while he was a player.
Southgate added: "There isn't a job in world football that would intimidate or daunt you, having lived this one (England), frankly.
"You're not going to have any higher profile, you're not going to have any greater pressure, you're not going to have any more complex issues."
And Southgate also provided details of a discussion he had with Jose Mourinho, too.
He continued: "I remember talking to Jose (Mourinho) when he was at Man United and he said: 'You know, when you've done the role you're in now, you'll be able to do anything'.
"Really? I thought that was probably right, but seven years into it, it's definitely right."
For now, however, Southgate's mission is to guide England to a major trophy.
There's no denying the Three Lions have come on considerately ever since his appointment in 2016.
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But England are still yet to win a trophy since securing World Cup glory in 1966.
They finished fourth at the 2018 World Cup, famously losing to Croatia in the semi-finals that year.
England reached the final of the European Championships in 2021.
But they failed to win Euro 2020 with Italy coming out on top following a dramatic penalty shootout.
Southgate also oversaw last summer's World Cup in Qatar.
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England were sent crashing out in the quarter-finals after a 2-1 defeat to France.
