Gareth Southgate was named Coach of the Year at the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year ceremony on Sunday after guiding England to the semi-finals of the World Cup and also into the inaugural Nations League Finals during 2018.
"If you win as a coach, then it means that your players have done something right," he said on the night.
"We've had an exceptional group of players who've really acquitted themselves brilliantly and an incredible support team, a lot of whom are here tonight, so it's a special night for them and thank-you to them for all of their help."
A sign of Southgate's increased standing is that he has been mentioned in connection with the newly-vacant Manchester United manager's job on Tuesday after the sacking of Jose Mourinho.