Pepperoni have eyes for you, Gareth

AS brilliant as Gareth Southgate has been in reducing pressure on his players by being open with the media, the true test awaits.

How will he handle the question, if England reach the knock-out stages, of what special work he’s doing on penalties? It comes up every time, with managers usually muttering that there’s no way you can prepare for taking one in the white heat of battle so why bother? Southgate should be cuter.

He should re-enact his infamous Pizza Hut TV advert (left, with Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle) and stick a bag, with eye-holes cut out, over his head. He can then say he’s been getting the lads to practise penalties with him stood next to the goal looking like this, to remind them of the humiliation and misery that awaits if they miss.

Maybe he should really give it a go.