GARETH CAN FOLLOW IN MY FOOTSTEPS
A proud patriot and master selector, Southgate must seize magic moment
Euro 2020 has been a complete joy this summer, and as always I’ve taken a particular interest in watching how the England coach has gone about his business.
Gareth Southgate has been brilliant, building on the excellent foundations he put in place for the 2018 World Cup. And a hat-tip also to the FA — who do not always attract praise — who have fully backed him.
Those responsible for St George’s Park, take a bow. It was a massive, risky investment but it has paid off handsomely. As Southgate said recently: ‘You only need to see what I see when an under-15 comes to St George’s Park for the first time or when a senior player arrives on their first call-up. The pride for them, their families and communities is huge.’
rugby should take note and prioritise player facilities over corporate entertainment.
Football is the uK’s national sport and the players are our heroes and role models, but for quite a few years England’s failed to connect and inspire. Not now, though. This team is showing their nation the way forward again — with Gareth to the fore.
There is so much to like about this modest man from Crawley. Firstly he is a proud Englishman coaching England. At one stage the FA hired some of the world’s biggest overseas names who were excellent coaches with proven track records, but that is no guarantee of success.
Gareth knows what it means to the whole country. He has spoken about the idea of representing Queen and country and how national events such as the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and royal weddings have had an impact on his life.
It reassures me to have such a patriot in charge. He understands that patriotism and pride in representing your country is not just about the individuals wearing the jersey. rather it’s a moment in time when you can make magic happen.
‘How do you want to be remembered?’ was the mantra I always used.
Quite brilliantly, Gareth has captured and impressed this power upon his team without the weight of history or fear. on the contrary, they have become fearless and that is something they will carry forward regardless of the result tomorrow.
Gareth proudly wore the England shirt. He probably just failed to fulfill his dreams on the field, which leaves him very hungry as an England coach. I can relate to that.
I felt unfulfilled in my playing career so when I got my chance to coach, it almost felt like a second chance and I had so much energy and motivation.
Gareth is a brilliant selector of teams to do a specific job. He hasn’t picked the same starting XI for three years. I love that; he assesses the opposition and picks accordingly. England are sporting powerhouses in most sports and have strength in depth, which puts an even bigger onus on selection.
You are spoilt for choice but must make the right calls. That’s the No 1 skill of coaching. You need to be brave and singleminded. Gareth cuts out the media noise and does his own thing, knowing he will cop huge criticism if it all goes wrong. You also need to have a level of trust in your squad that means every player accepts those selection calls unblinkingly. No negativity, no moping in the corner.
Gareth seemed to connect from the very off with the public. He is a very likeable, honest, normal bloke but he also lives the match on the touchline. He celebrates goals like he has scored them himself and still seems like a participant in the game.
Coaching at international level is about seizing that moment and that’s exactly what Gareth is doing. When get it right, magic happens.