Gareth Southgate did not hesitate. The handbrake came off and, in a cloud of dust, he was gone.

If only he’d shown such decisiveness as a manager.

After yet another near-miss in a major tournament, we are left wondering what might have been.

But at least he has given us a chance to ponder the future and what might happen under someone else.

And, typical Southgate, he was decent enough to give his employers time to find a replacement before all the best guys get snapped up.

Maybe the fault lies with the players who might not be as good as they’ve been cracked up to be.

Jude Bellingham (one bicycle-kick excepted) and Declan Rice had mediocre tournaments.

Maybe Southgate got as much out of them as anyone could.

A new guy might not get anywhere near a final.

On the other hand… he might just win one.

At least, now we may find out.

That solitary World Cup win in 1966 must seem prehistoric to those who think football began in 1992.

It was way before the EPL was born, when shirts didn’t bear logos, before colour TV and when goalkeepers could pick up the ball from a pass.

For a country that invented the game and has given it so much, it’s an awful long time not to win anything.

Especially when its clubs have plundered trophies on a regular basis.

But let’s give Southgate credit where it’s due.

He was smart enough to make the decision quickly and not allow time for anyone to talk him round.

That’s what happened after Qatar when his mind was almost made up.

This time, he didn’t even tell the players. He just had a chat with his family and then told the English FA: “It’s time for another chapter.”

And this time FA CEO Mark Bullingham couldn’t talk him round – although he wanted to.

Now the 53-year-old is getting a favourable view of his tenure instead of the slings and arrows that would surely have come had he stayed.

He would have been harangued for playing a crocked Harry Kane for an hour; for his criminal neglect of his subs and his refusal to remove the handbrake.

Instead, he’s being lauded for dragging England from the depths to which it had sunk eight years ago.

One of the all-time lows was losing to Iceland in the 2016 Euros, when Kane was taking corners, under the hapless Roy Hodgson.

Sam Allardyce came and went after a newspaper sting and before Hodgson, it was the “Wally with the Brolly”.

Before the unfortunate Steve McClaren, England were taken to the cleaners by Sven Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello who were even bigger – and more expensive – duds.

Only when Southgate, stepping in as a temp when Allardyce was sacked, did the rot show signs of being stopped.

The former Middlesbrough boss had been praised for his work with England Under 21s and was considered a safe pair of hands.

In the absence of a big-name candidate, he was given the job on a permanent basis.

An unexpected run to the semi-final in the 2018 World Cup changed perceptions – of him and of England.

He was encouraging youth (many of whom he already knew), and creating a club atmosphere which players wanted to join.

And as the groin strains on the eve of international breaks diminished and new stars emerged, results picked up.

And so, with two finals, a semi and a quarter-final, he goes out as the second best manager England has ever had.

Sir Alf Ramsey remains No 1 with his World Cup triumph.

But the feeling is it could have been so much better. The biggest miss was the 2020 Euros at Wembley and 1-0 up after two minutes. He sat back.

The second biggest was last Sunday. When Cole Palmer equalised, Southgate sat back.

When that goal went in, there was a palpable sense among England fans that they could win – even on penalties.

Thanks to Southgate’s meticulous preparation, at least that dragon appears to have been slain.

But, no, Spain was allowed to come again – and this time, there was no time left.

So he goes out a qualified success. He laid the foundations, changed the DNA and was a perfect diplomat, seldom putting a word wrong.

He was an ambassador but what England wanted was a general.

England had the squad but not the team; they had the individuals but not the collective.

There was no plan, no cohesion: they just hung in there and hoped.

It worked but only against the lesser lights.

The harsh truth is that they fell to the first decent team they met.

Now the search begins with wild talk of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, among others.

With just four English managers in the EPL, plus one Welshman and one from Northern Ireland, the cupboard is almost bare.

There are five Spaniards and four are ripping it up – Pep, Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and Andoni Iraola – with Julen Lopetegui about to start with West Ham.

Of the English quartet, Newcastle’s Eddie Howe is the outstanding candidate and firm favourite.

But he may be tempted to stay – he has unfinished business at one of the richest clubs in the world.

Everton’s Sean Dyche, Wolves’ Gary O’Neil and Southampton’s Russell Martin are the others.

Graham Potter, once of Chelsea and Brighton, is second favourite – and without a club.

Lee Carsley, the current Under 21 boss, is another serious contender.

Of the foreign names, Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino are the most realistic – and also out of work.

But the English FA are likely to favour an Englishman although Guardiola might be available in a year’s time and Klopp may be bored of his sabbatical.

Another stop-gap would theoretically facilitate the dream scenario but no one knows if either would be tempted to coach another country when their own might need them.

We wish Southgate well in the future which for him must lie off the field, not on it.

A good man but you never got the sense that he was a winner.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.