World Cup 2018: Gareth Southgate reveals Chris Coleman inspired him to finally take the England job
Three Lions boss rejected becoming interim boss when Roy Hodgson departed after the Euro 2016 shambles but saw sense thanks to his ex-Crystal Palace pal who was then Wales chief
THE whole country should be sending Chris Coleman herograms.
Without him, Gareth Southgate would not be leading England on their World Cup charge.
Coleman made his old Crystal Palace mucker see sense after guiding Wales to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
Southgate turned down the role as interim England manager when Roy Hodgson walked out after the humiliating 2-1 defeat against Iceland in Nice.
By the time Sam Allardyce fell on his sword after only one game, Southgate had changed his mind.
The Three Lions manager said: “I remember Chris Coleman after the Euros saying you have to go for things in life and don’t be afraid to fail.
“That resonated with me because I’d probably just ruled myself out of taking the England job.
“From talking to young people, or my own kids, I would be saying exactly those things, yet I wasn’t prepared to live it.
“If there are opportunities in life you have to go for it. Even as a young player you maybe only get one World Cup.
“You assume there will be more but you might only get one.”
This goes down as Southgate’s World Cup because, whatever happens in the last 16 or beyond, he has given England fans something to dream about.
He is shaping English football, moulding the senior side after three years developing the country’s Under-21 players.
Southgate was hugely supportive of Hodgson and Big Sam, even if his ideology and approach is vastly different.
He added: “I wanted it to go well for Roy and for Sam. When Roy left I didn’t think there would be any enthusiasm for an internal appointment.
“I knew my record with Middlesbrough, even though what I achieved with them in the first two years was better than anything I’ve done in the last couple of weeks, would be held against me as a manager.”
But nobody dwells on his spell in charge at the Riverside now.
This is Southgate’s first World Cup as a boss, changing the mood of the nation after the Three Lions stormed into the last 16.
His popularity is soaring, off the scale after Harry Kane’s 91st- minute winner against Tunisia was followed by a thumping 6-1 victory over Panama.
It would be easy to think he has this management game sussed, that everything Southgate touches seems to turn to gold after two tournament wins.
He added: “Our public aren’t fools.
“They see when a team are together, they see when a team are proud to play for them and they see the style of play.
“I had quite a lot of messages after the Panama game but the messages you remember are the ones you’ve had in difficult times.
“I’m always conscious that when things are going well your appeal can change.
“But my life and my career in football have taught me not to get carried away with that.
“What’s lovely is the enthusiasm from people at home, the enthusiasm for the team.
“They deserve that because of who they are and what they want to do.”
The next big test is Belgium. England want to put them away, to build momentum by finishing the group stage with a third straight win.
To beat a highly fancied nation would send interest in this England side through the roof.
Southgate added: “If we beat them, it will be ‘It’s not their full team’, so there will always be something. In the first two matches we had some really good players who were unfortunate to be left out of the side.
“They will be pushing for places and I know, if they’re starting games or coming into games, they are going to have an impact.”
England are taking baby steps, no matter how tempting it is to get carried away with the euphoria of qualifying for knockout football after just two group games.
Southgate knows things can turn quickly, that public support will quickly slip away if England lose big matches.
He added: “You are always judged on results but I knew that when somebody needed to step in to the job I was the best person to do that.
WE'RE RON THE BALL All the latest action, news, goals and gossip from the World Cup
MOST READ IN WORLD CUP 2018
“I have actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
“But I could also see the players were hungry enough and humble enough to be ready to take on board some of the ideas we were going to try to implement.
“I thought it was worth having a go with them and that’s probably the biggest thing I am pleased with.”
For that, the country has Coleman to thank.
