Gareth Southgate facts for kids

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Gareth Southgate
OBE

Southgate with England in 2023

Personal information

Date of birth

3 September 1970 (age 54)

Place of birth

Watford, England

Height

6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m)

Playing position

Defender, midfielder

Youth career

Southampton

Crystal Palace

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

1988–1995

Crystal Palace

152

(15)

1995–2001

Aston Villa

191

(7)

2001–2006

Middlesbrough

160

(4)

Total

503

(26)

National team

1995–2004

England

(2)

Teams managed

2006–2009

Middlesbrough

2013–2016

England U21

2016–2024

England

Honours

Men's football

Representing England (as manager)
UEFA European Championship
Runner-up	2020 Europe
Runner-up	2024 Germany
UEFA Nations League
Third	2019 Portugal

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Sir Gareth Southgate (born 3 September 1970) is an English football manager and former player. He played as a defender and midfielder. From 2016 to 2024, he was the manager of the England men's national team.

Southgate started his playing career at Crystal Palace in 1990. He became the team's captain in 1993. That season, his team won the First Division championship. After playing over 150 games for Palace, he joined Aston Villa in 1995. He won the League Cup in 1996 with Villa. He also played in the 2000 FA Cup final.

Later, he moved to Middlesbrough. There, he won another League Cup in 2004. He also reached the 2006 UEFA Cup final. Southgate played 57 times for the England team between 1995 and 2004. He played in UEFA Euro 1996, the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2000. He retired from playing in 2006 at age 35. He had played over 500 league games for his three clubs.

After retiring, Southgate became the manager of Middlesbrough until 2009. He also managed the England under-21 team from 2013 to 2016. In 2016, he became the manager of the senior England team. He led England to the 2018 FIFA World Cup semi-finals and the UEFA Euro 2020 final. He also reached the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals and the UEFA Euro 2024 final. He won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award in 2018 and 2021.

Gareth Southgate's Early Life and School

Gareth Southgate was born on 3 September 1970 in Watford, England. He went to Padnell Infant School and Pound Hill Junior School. He also attended Hazelwick School in Crawley, West Sussex. As a child, he supported Manchester United. His football hero was Bryan Robson. He earned eight O-Levels at school. He also studied at Croydon College from 1987 to 1989.

Gareth Southgate's Club Football Career

Playing for Crystal Palace

Southgate played for Southampton as a youth for two and a half years. He then joined Crystal Palace. He made his first professional appearance in October 1990. His first league game was against Liverpool in March 1991. Southgate became a regular player in the 1991–92 season. He played 39 games that year.

He became captain at 23 years old. He led the club to win the 1993–94 First Division title. He scored nine goals as a central midfielder. After Crystal Palace was moved down from the Premier League in 1995, Southgate joined Aston Villa.

Playing for Aston Villa

Southgate played 191 games for Aston Villa over six seasons. At Villa, he became a centre-back. He was part of a strong defence. In his first season, he won the League Cup. Aston Villa also qualified for the UEFA Cup. Southgate played in every Premier League game during the 1998–99 season.

He continued to play for Villa in the 1999–2000 season. The club reached the FA Cup final. Southgate asked to leave the club before playing for England at Euro 2000.

Playing for Middlesbrough

On 11 July 2001, Southgate joined Middlesbrough. He signed a four-year deal. He was the first player signed by manager Steve McClaren.

In July 2002, Southgate became the new Middlesbrough captain. On 29 February 2004, he became the first Boro captain to lift a trophy. They beat Bolton Wanderers in the League Cup final.

Southgate decided to finish his playing career at Middlesbrough. His last game as a professional player was in the 2006 UEFA Cup final. Middlesbrough lost 4–0 to Sevilla.

Gareth Southgate's International Career

Southgate first played for England in December 1995. He came on as a substitute against Portugal. He played every game for England as they reached the semi-final of UEFA Euro 1996. They faced Germany. The game went to a penalty shoot-out. Southgate's penalty was saved, and England lost. Later that year, he appeared in a funny advert for Pizza Hut.

Southgate also played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. He earned his 50th cap in a 1–1 draw with Portugal in September 2002. He played 57 times for England and scored two goals. His first goal was on 14 October 1998 against Luxembourg. His second was on 22 May 2003 against South Africa.

Gareth Southgate's Managerial Career

Managing Middlesbrough

Starting as Manager (2006–2007)

Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren left in June 2006. He became the manager of the England national team. Steve Gibson, the chairman, chose Southgate to take over. Southgate signed a five-year contract. He did not have all the coaching qualifications needed at first. However, he was allowed to stay as manager. Middlesbrough argued that he had been an international player. Southgate later completed his coaching qualifications.

Southgate's first game as manager was on 19 August 2006. His team lost 3–2 to Reading. However, they beat reigning champions Chelsea 2–1 at home. Middlesbrough finished the Premier League season in twelfth place.

Second Season (2007–2008)

Middlesbrough signed Jonathan Woodgate for £7 million. They also broke their transfer record for Afonso Alves. In December 2007, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger said Southgate was good enough to manage the national team. Southgate led his team to finish thirteenth in the Premier League. Their last game was an 8–1 win against Manchester City. This was the club's biggest Premier League win.

Relegation and Leaving (2008–2009)

The 2008–09 season started well for Middlesbrough. Southgate was named Premier League Manager of the Month for August. This made him the second person to win both Player and Manager of the Month awards.

However, Middlesbrough then went fourteen games without a win. They finally beat Liverpool 2–0 in February 2009. After a loss to Stoke City, some fans wanted him to be removed. On 24 March, chairman Steve Gibson said that sacking Southgate "would not help".

Middlesbrough's Premier League status went down to the final day. They lost 2–1 to West Ham United. This meant Middlesbrough was moved down to the Championship. This ended their eleven seasons in the top league. Southgate wanted to get the team promoted back quickly. However, on 20 October 2009, Southgate was removed as manager. This was after a 2–0 win over Derby County. The club was in fourth place at the time.

Managing England

With the Under-21s (2013–2016)

Southgate in 2013

After four years, Southgate returned to management. He signed a three-year contract to manage the England under-21 team. His first game was a 1–0 win over Moldova.

Southgate led his team to qualify for the 2015 European Championship. However, they finished last in their group and were knocked out. In June 2016, Southgate said he did not want to manage the senior England team.

Becoming Senior Team Manager (2016–2017)

Southgate was put in temporary charge of the senior England team on 27 September 2016. This happened when Sam Allardyce resigned. England was in the early stages of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Southgate won his first game 2–0 against Malta. England then drew 0–0 with Slovenia. They beat Scotland 3–0. In his last temporary game, they drew 2–2 with Spain. Southgate became the permanent manager two weeks later.

2018 World Cup Success

Southgate with England at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

The England team qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 5 October 2017. The Football Association said Southgate would stay as manager even if they didn't get past the group stage. They called the tournament "a really important staging post for our development".

England qualified from their group after beating Tunisia and Panama. Southgate's England team then beat Colombia 4–3 on penalties. This was England's first World Cup penalty shoot-out win. England then beat Sweden 2–0 in the quarter-finals. Southgate became the first England manager to reach a World Cup semi-final since 1990. Fans showed their support by wearing waistcoats like Southgate's.

On 11 July 2018, England lost 2–1 to Croatia in the semi-finals. England finished the World Cup in fourth place after losing to Belgium. Harry Kane, the England captain, won the Golden Boot as the top goal-scorer.

UEFA Nations League (2018–2019)

In 2019, Southgate led England to third place in the first UEFA Nations League. They finished top of a group with Spain and Croatia. They lost 3–1 to the Netherlands in the semi-final. But they beat Switzerland 6–5 in a penalty shootout for third place. This was England's first third-place finish in a major tournament since 1968.

UEFA Euro 2020 Final

At UEFA Euro 2020, England finished top of their group. They beat Croatia and the Czech Republic, and drew with Scotland. In the round of 16, England beat Germany 2–0 at Wembley Stadium. This was their first knockout win over Germany since the 1966 FIFA World Cup final.

In the quarter-final, Southgate's team beat Ukraine 4–0. In the semi-final, England beat Denmark 2–1. This meant they reached the final of the European Championships for the first time. In the final at Wembley, England led 1–0 against Italy. But Italy scored, and the game went to penalties. England lost 3–2 on penalties.

Leading to the 2022 World Cup

In September 2021, England reached their highest ever FIFA ranking at 3rd place. In November 2021, Southgate led England to World Cup qualification. A week later, he signed a new contract to stay as England manager until December 2024. In June 2022, England lost 4–0 to Hungary. This was England's worst home defeat since 1928. In September 2022, England was moved down to League B in the UEFA Nations League.

2022 World Cup Quarter-Finals

England won their group at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They beat Iran and Wales, and drew with the United States. In the round of 16, England beat Senegal 3–0. They reached the quarter-finals, where they lost 2–1 to France. The FA confirmed Southgate would stay until after UEFA Euro 2024.

UEFA Euro 2024 and Leaving England

On 17 October 2023, England qualified for UEFA Euro 2024. They remained unbeaten throughout the year. During the tournament, England won Group C. Southgate and his team faced criticism from fans and experts. This was especially after a 1–1 draw with Denmark.

In the round of 16, England beat Slovakia. Jude Bellingham scored a late goal, and Harry Kane scored the winner in extra time. England's quarter-final against Switzerland ended in a 1–1 draw. England won the penalty shootout. Southgate said he found the personal criticism difficult but that the team would keep fighting.

In the semi-final against the Netherlands, England won with a late goal from Ollie Watkins. England lost the final 2–1 to Spain. Two days after the final, Southgate resigned as England manager. He said it was "time for change, and for a new chapter". He managed England for 102 games.

Other Things Gareth Southgate Has Done

In 2003, Southgate wrote a book called Woody & Nord: A Football Friendship. It was about his friendship with Andy Woodman. The book won an award in 2004. He wrote another book, Anything Is Possible, in 2020.

Southgate was also a football commentator for ITV Sport at the 2006 World Cup. After leaving Middlesbrough in 2010, he worked as a pundit and commentator again.

In January 2011, Southgate became the FA's head of elite development. He left this job in July 2012.

Southgate is an Ambassador for The Prince's Trust and Help for Heroes. These are charities that help young people and injured service members.

Gareth Southgate's Management Style

Southgate's management style for England has been praised. People say he helps players feel strong and creates a positive team spirit. He is also known for bringing young players from England's youth teams into the senior team.

As England manager, Southgate often changed the team's formation. He used different setups like 4–3–3, 4–2–3–1, 3–4–3, and 3–5–2.

Some people have criticised his team's playing style. They called it "safe" or "too careful". He has also been criticised for picking players who were not playing well.

Gareth Southgate's Personal Life

Southgate married Alison Bird in July 1997. They have two children. Southgate and his family live in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

Southgate was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2019. This was for his services to football. In 2019, he was also named an Honorary Yorkshireman. This award is for people who have made a big impact on Yorkshire.

In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Southgate agreed to take a 30% pay cut. In December 2024, Southgate was made a Knight Bachelor.

Honours and Awards

As a Player

Crystal Palace

Football League First Division: 1993–94

Aston Villa

Football League Cup: 1995–96
FA Cup runner-up: 1999–2000

Middlesbrough

Football League Cup: 2003–04
UEFA Cup runner-up: 2005–06

England

Tournoi de France: 1997

Individual Awards

Premier League Player of the Month: January 2000

As a Manager

England U21

Toulon Tournament: 2016