Gareth Southgate

Sir Gareth Southgate arrived in the world on September 3, 1970, in Watford. He grew up to become one of the most recognizable figures in English football, first as a player and later as a manager. His journey began at Crystal Palace, where he joined the youth system before making his senior debut in 1990. The club trusted him with the captaincy in 1993, and he led them to win the First Division championship during the 1993–94 season. After more than 150 appearances for Palace, Aston Villa signed him in 1995. He helped the team reach the 2000 FA Cup final and secured the League Cup in 1996. His playing career concluded at Middlesbrough, where he served as captain from 2002 until his retirement in 2006. During his time there, he won the League Cup again in 2004 and guided the squad to the 2006 UEFA Cup final. Across three clubs, he accumulated over 500 league appearances. On the international stage, Southgate earned 57 caps for England between 1995 and 2004. He started every match during England's run at UEFA Euro 1996, though his missed penalty against Germany ended their hopes in the semi-finals. He also represented his country at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. Retirement came at age 35, but his involvement in the sport only deepened. He took the helm at Middlesbrough immediately after hanging up his boots, managing the club until 2009. His path eventually led him to coach the England under-21 team from 2013 to 2016. In 2016, he succeeded Sam Allardyce as the senior national team manager, a role he held until 2024. Under his leadership, England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the final of UEFA Euro 2020, the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the final of UEFA Euro 2024. His work earned him the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award in both 2018 and 2021.[edit]