Sam Allardyce's 67-day reign as England manager ended in dramatic style on 27 September 2016 after newspaper revelations about the 61-year-old.
That thrust Southgate, previously in charge of the Under-21 team and seemingly happy in that role, into the spotlight as the man tasked with keeping the World Cup qualification bid firmly on track.
Having achieved that mission during his 'caretaker' spell, with seven points from nine and a positive display in a friendly against Spain, Southgate was named as manager on a permanent basis.
A place in Russia is now all but assured but, having come into the job at a time when the FA were being questioned about their decision to employ Allardyce in the first place, Southgate now sees the governing body back in the firing line following Mark Sampson's departure as manager of the Women's senior team.
Whether that will impact on his ability to plan ahead for next summer remains to be seen.