by Max Meads, reporter

England’s World Cup hero Gareth Southgate has signed a new contract with the FA to keep him at the helm of the national team until the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The previous deal for the Watford-born and Crawley-raised manager was set to expire after the 2020 Euros, but after a magnificent run at the World Cup this summer, the FA elected to sign Southgate up for another two years.

He has agreed improved contractual terms with the FA, and his salary will be increased to £3m a year, as reported by the BBC.

The deal also sees assistant manager Steve Holland stay with the Three Lions until 2022.

In a press statement yesterday, Southgate said “I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the team through the next two major tournaments.”

“The job remains an incredible privilege and a true honour. Experiencing first-hand how the nation united behind the team this summer was special and it will be great to see how far this young squad can go in the years to come.”

The decision to extend Gareth Southgate’s contract was not met with much surprise from fans and pundits, with many deeming the extension of Holland and Southgate’s contracts to be a formality after the summer performances.

Southgate became a cult hero in England after leading the England team to the World Cup semi-finals this summer, eventually placing 4th in the tournament overall.

The Three Lions finished second in their group behind Belgium, and beat Sweden and Colombia to reach the final four for the first time since 1990.

Since returning from Russia, there have been calls for him to be nominated for an honour from the Queen, with Ladbrokes offering 5/2 odds in July on him being knighted in the next 12 months.

However, with the great success that England fans tasted this summer in Russia, the work has become harder for Southgate and Holland, who will be expected to deliver a similar performance in the Euros.

Southgate, who has shown himself to be keen to promote young players, has recently bemoaned the lack of investment by top clubs in home-grown talent, saying that he will have to look to England’s second tier to find youth prospects for the Euros and World Cup.