Curry favour? Years ago I favoured a curry

GARETH SOUTHGATE watched England’s last World Cup semi-final with his mates – drinking beer and eating a curry.

And even then, when he was a 19-year-old starting out at Crystal Palace, Southgate was showing signs of being a future manager by videoing every game to study.

The England boss, earning rave reviews for his handling of the Three Lions in Russia, said of that England game (against Germany in Italia ‘90): “I watched it at a mate’s house with a curry and a beer.

“It was a brilliant tournament, with fantastic memories. I remember videoing every game to watch back and look at the players. I guess as a young player you wanted to see the best players, the level they were playing at, and see what you could learn.”