Gareth Southgate (born 3 September 1970) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a defender and midfielder. He has been the manager of the England national team since 2016.
Southgate won the League Cup with both Aston Villa (in 1995–96) and Middlesbrough (in 2003–04) and captained Crystal Palace to win the First Division championship in 1993–94. He also played in the 2000 FA Cup Final for Villa and the 2006 UEFA Cup Final for Middlesbrough. Internationally, Southgate made 57 appearances for the England team between 1995 and 2004. He played every game of England's campaign in the UEFA Euro 1996, but his penalty miss sent England out in the semi-final. He also featured in both the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 2000. His playing career ended in May 2006 at the age of 35, after more than 500 league appearances.
Southgate was manager of Middlesbrough from June 2006 until October 2009. He also managed the England under-21 team from 2013 to 2016, before becoming the England national team manager in 2016, succeeding Sam Allardyce. In his first tournament as England manager, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Southgate became the third manager (after Alf Ramsey and Bobby Robson) to reach a World Cup semi-final with the England team, which won him the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award. At UEFA Euro 2020, he became the first England manager to reach the final of a European Championship and to reach any major tournament final since 1966; England eventually lost to Italy in a penalty shootout. He also led England to the 2022 FIFA World Cup where they reached the quarter-finals, losing to France.
Early life and education
Gareth Southgate was born on 3 September 1970 in Watford, Hertfordshire. He attended Padnell Infant School in Cowplain, Hampshire, along with Pound Hill Junior School and Hazelwick School in Crawley, West Sussex. As a schoolboy he supported Manchester United and his football hero was Bryan Robson. He left school with eight O-Levels at grades between A and C. He studied at Croydon College between 1987 and 1989, successfully completing a City & Guilds Certificate in Recreation and Leisure Industries as part of The Footballers Further Education & Vocational Training Society Youth Training Scheme.
Club career
Southampton
Southgate played as a youth for two-and-a-half years for Southampton before being released as a thirteen-year-old.
Crystal Palace
Southgate began his career at Crystal Palace, making his professional debut as a substitute in a Football League Cup tie against Southend United in October 1990. His league debut came against Liverpool in March 1991. Southgate became a regular in the first team during the 1991–92 season, making 39 appearances.
He became captain at the age of 23 and led the club to the 1993–94 First Division title, scoring nine goals from central midfield. After the South London club's relegation from the Premier League in 1995, Southgate moved to Aston Villa for a fee of £2.5 million, having made 191 appearances over four seasons.
His nickname at Palace was "Nord", given to him because his precise way of speaking reminded one of the coaches of Denis Norden's vocal delivery.
Aston Villa
At Aston Villa, he was converted into a centre-back and was part of a formidable defence. In his first season, he lifted the League Cup and Aston Villa 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 as the club reached the FA Cup Final, but handed in a transfer request just before playing for England in the European Championships, claiming that "if I am to achieve in my career, it is time to move on."
Middlesbrough
On 11 July 2001, Southgate signed for Middlesbrough for a £6.5 million fee. He joined on a four-year deal and was the first signing by Steve McClaren, whom he knew as an England coach.
In July 2002, after Paul Ince left for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Southgate was appointed the new Middlesbrough captain. On 29 February 2004, he became the first Boro skipper in their 128-year history to lift a trophy, as they defeated Bolton Wanderers in the League Cup final at the Millennium Stadium.
Southgate rejected media rumours that he was set to move to Manchester United following Rio Ferdinand's ban for missing a drug test in January 2004. He later committed his final playing years to Middlesbrough, signing until 2007. His final appearance as a professional player was in the 2006 UEFA Cup Final against Sevilla, which Boro lost 4–0 at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven.