Southgate: Do I not like that... a show on us like Taylor & Pep

GARETH SOUTHGATE fears it would be more Graham Taylor than Pep Guardiola if he ever opened the doors of the England dressing room to the TV cameras.

Manchester City boss Guardiola allowed Amazon Prime to film an eight-hour documentary series about his team’s record-breaking surge to the Premier League title last season – and Southgate found it entertaining viewing.

But former England boss Taylor was ridiculed after agreeing to take part in a similar project during his failed attempt to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.

And his catchphrase “Do I not like that” was used as a stick to beat him with for the rest of his career.

Southgate said: “I watched all of the Manchester City documentary, but there is absolutely no chance of me doing the same.

“I enjoyed watching Pep as a piece of TV and, of course, you are always looking for more tactical insight or what happens in training sessions.

“In that respect, it was very well edited, but I thought it was interesting to watch because you had an insight into Pep’s personality. So it was certainly fun to watch – but no, not a chance would I ever do the same thing.”

Southgate got on board with the FA’S attempt to make England’s players more accessible to the media and fans during the World Cup. It proved to be a successful initiative as the nation got behind the Three Lions as they progressed to the semifinals for the first time in 28 years.

But Southgate said: “I think it would be very difficult to film in our environment.

“At a club, players are probably more comfortable in their surroundings and when they play for England it is different from their day-to-day experiences.

“To expect them to relax, to be themselves and not be inhibited in meetings, would be a really tough challenge with TV cameras around.

“If a camera crew was with you for a year, then, after a period of time, I am sure it just fades into the background.

“But in an international environment, where you are there for a week and you are building trust all the time, I couldn’t encourage anything like that.” TOTTENHAM’S Son Heung-min (above) earned a military exemption after South Korea claimed gold with a 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Japan in the Asian Games final yesterday. South Korea still has national service, but athletes who win gold at the Asian Games, or any Olympic medal, are automatically excused.