Gareth Southgate reveals he initially turned down the chance to become England manager.
He has since become England’s most successful manager. The 45-year-old has led his team to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and Euro 2020 final.
“Growing up, I saw the difficulties that some fantastic men encountered in this job, like Sir Bobby Robson, Graham Taylor, and Ron Greenwood. Then, as a player, I saw close-up what the job did to Terry Venables, Glenn Hoddle, and Kevin Keegan,” he told L’equipe.
“That’s why the first time they asked me, I said ‘No thanks!’ Then, I sat down and thought about it, and reminded myself that I told my children that they mustn’t hesitate to go for things in life and try things.
“In short, it’s a difficult job, but that’s the case for the managers of all countries. Particularly since everyone has an idea of the way that the national team should play and because we have little time to work with the group.
“Our job consists of putting the best players from our country on the pitch and making them play in a system that gives them the best chance of winning, which sometimes means developing a style of play that isn’t in line with the public’s expectations.”
