Life lessons from the man with 'the toughest job in football'
Getting to two UEFA Men’s European Championship finals was not luck. Winning more knockout games in major competitions than all other managers since 1966 combined was not just good fortune, nor was being capped 57 times for England as a player.
BecomingX interviewed Gareth Southgate to share his journey from a young boy with a dream to play for England, to retiring as one of the most successful England managers of all time. Southgate's story is one that mirrors many of the inspiring people BecomingX has filmed. It is a story that starts with promise, of the school boy playing at Southampton with a dream of making it big as a player. But all too soon, a dream that was shattered as he was released by Southampton. The late developer that simply wasn't going to be big enough. A turning point. As Southgate says, 'you either accept what is being said and that becomes your destiny, or you fight back to prove people wrong'. In our experience, it's that fight at a young age that builds the mindset and resilience needed to succeed. For Southgate, the fight was there. He trained harder than ever and was taken on by Crystal Palace youth team, and later went on to play for Aston Villa. Just months later he was called up to play for England.
The career defining penalty
Southgate talks in depth about 'the penalty', missing a critical 6th penalty against Germany in the European Championships in 1996. The nation's hopes were placed on the shoulders of a 25 year old who had never taken part in a penalty shoot out. The lesson was simple for Southgate 'I wasn't prepared well enough to execute a skill under pressure'. Missing this penalty he believes will always define his career as a player. In many ways, it also influenced his style as a manager and as a person. Having the press hounding him and his family severely impacted him, as did the chants of fans around the country whenever he set foot on a pitch. 'Scarred by the failure', he was dropped by England. Only to fight back once more, and regain his place in the team.
Becoming England manager
With a goal simply to help people become a better player than him, he went into management. First the England under 21s, later the Men's team. First he said no, 'worried by failures of the past', only later to accept the role with a bold determination to change the way England viewed playing football. He wanted it to become a fearless experience, 'one that we enjoy'. Recognising that 'everybody has insecurities' and 'even the most successful people I've seen have failed - they were just normal people like everybody else', his challenge was to change the culture of playing for England.
A legacy of resilience
Character. Values. Resilience. Words spoken by someone who has personally walked the path. Never quite achieving the ultimate prize for England, Southgate is now remembered as the manager that gave England hope once more. Two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi final. A career led with humility and leadership, showcasing the very values he learned the hard way. He has inspired a generation to dream big, and to always act with decency and respect. A legacy we should all be proud of.
