Penal- ty
GARETH’S MISS GOT ME JAILED
WRITE MINDED: His new book
GARETH Southgate was blamed by a man who ended up in jail for rioting after his infamous England penalty miss.
The 50- year- old’s crucial spot- kick against Germany was saved, sending the team crashing out of Euro 96.
England manager Southgate revealed getting a letter from the lag on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast.
He said: “Some of the letters I had, although the negative comments always register more prominently in your mind, they were far outweighed by the positive letters and messages that I received. There was a guy in jail, he partly blamed me for getting arrested because he was rioting on the night that I missed the penalty! I’m prepared to take responsibility for a lot of things but not that.”
Southgate, whose new book Anything Is Possible is out now, said he gained perspective from most letters.
He added: “There were people who had suffered massive events in their life – loss of really close family, people who had disabled children, people who’d lost their jobs.
“Those things give you a little perspective that ultimately this is a game of football.
“My whole life has sadly been dedicated to winning games of football, which is really of no importance.
“But football has a chance to change other people’s lives and you want it to be perfect.”
Southgate’s penalty miss is a sore subject to this day and the former Aston Villa and Middlesbrough defender has struggled to shake off the feelings of disappointment.
He said: “I felt very heavily that I’d let down those that had worked so hard with me. Walking down the street and lads poking their head out the van and shouting abuse at you – that’s hard to take.
“Inside that’s of course hurting you because part of playing for the national team is that you represent all those people.”