England coach wins nation’s heart by being a nice guy
In an age of tattoos, tongue piercings and tensions over Brexit, a soft-spoken man in a dark blue waistcoat and striped tie is uniting England amid dreams of victory in soccer’s World Cup. Coach Gareth Southgate is the buttoned-down leader of a new generation of players who speak softly and let their victories silence critics. And England supporters have found that refreshing after years of underperforming teams led by stars such as David Beckham, who became as much a celebrity as an athlete. “He’s very much about a team spirit. It’s more about the collective - you can see it in the way he deals with the squad,” said Paul Willis, who was in the stands last Saturday in Samara, Russia, when England reached the semifinals with a 2-0 victory over Sweden. “We had superstars, but we didn’t have a team.” Southgate’s focus on teamwork and civility has made him an unlikely icon in a country that is deeply divided by bitter arguments over plans to leave the European Union and a widening gap between rich and poor. England Captain Harry Kane may be the tournament’s leading scorer, but fans are donning waistcoats and ties - even as the country enjoys an unusually hot summer - in homage to Southgate as pundits extol the 47-year-old coach’s calm leadership. “He has shown us the value of courtesy, kindness, hard work and that most derided of virtues, niceness,” columnist India Knight wrote in the Sunday Times. “He has redefined not just how to be a manager, but how to be a man.” Southgate displayed his character after England’s July 3 victory over Colombia, offering a supportive hug to Colombian player Mateus Uribe after his miss in a penalty shootout helped England advance. The England coach understood Uribe’s agony, having missed a similar shot at the 1996 European championships. The moment of empathy also reminded the country how Southgate once lampooned his own failure with a Pizza Hut commercial in which he wore a bag over his head to shield his identity from angry fans. Southgate’s compassion sparked a hashtag for the coach’s real and imagined acts of kindness such as “#GarethSouthgateWould stop and help you put the chain back on your bike even if he was all dressed in his waistcoat and late for the game.” Southgate became manager less than two years ago after the Football Association’s first choice was forced out after unguarded comments to undercover reporters. Since then he has quietly ushered out the last of the old stars and brought together a group of youngsters who modestly shrug off compliments and give kudos to their teammates.