Gareth Southgate Quotes

Always, as a coach, you have to be thinking not to flood the players with information. You have to think what’s key for the player, for that team, and how do we deliver it in a way that it might stick and have an effect.

When I think back to what my dreams were as a kid, the only one I had was to play for England.

I’m determined to give everything I have to give the country a team that they’re proud of and one that they’re going to enjoy watching play and develop.

We have to make the players who haven’t played matches feel valued.

I’m very conscious I’ve got a lot of faults, the same as everyone, and I have done plenty of things wrong.

I played international football for England, and in many games, we were technically inferior to the opposition.

You always have to be conscious of how your words can provide motivation to the opposition.

I want my players to enjoy playing football and not be scarred by the experiences.

I guess, at a club, you feel supported. Sometimes, with the national team, it hasn’t always felt that way.

Whenever you name a team and whenever you pick a squad, that is when you have to make the most difficult calls. To tell a player, ‘I’m not selecting you, and these are the reasons why…’ it’s tough.

More expectation is a healthy thing and something we have to embrace.

I don’t know how you get in the England squad without getting in the Arsenal team.

I think we have seen evidence that being brave enough to go abroad can lead to a proper opportunity.

I expect all the players, even the younger ones, to show leadership in their own way.

I don’t think, when you are involved with England, you can ever write any game or tournament off – that wouldn’t be acceptable.

We want to win every game of football we go into. I don’t know how we would go into a game not wanting to win and not wanting to play well.

It’s impossible to please everybody all of the time, but you just have to believe that you’re making decisions for the right reasons.

We always have to believe in what is possible in life and not be hindered by history or expectations.

The quality of our academy system is very high, as good as anything in the world. Around the country, lots of people in youth development are keen to get together and find a solution to that 17-to-21 age bracket and how we get those players playing.

I don’t think the qualifying fixtures excite people. They’re games against countries that we are expected to beat, rightly so, and then how many we score dictates whether it’s a good performance or not.

It’s important to recognise every player is different in their own characteristics, personality, and what they respond to.

In every position on the field, there’s really strong competition.

A lot of teams who go on to win trophies lose in quarter-finals or semi-finals first.

There are lots of statements that have been made and haven’t led to change and reform. For me, the broader discussion around racism – education is key.

First and foremost, I love the job I’m in. I’m proud to be England manager.

I have been in sport in different areas for long enough to know what my life is day to day.

My players’ feeling is the most important thing for me.

In life, there are really complex, difficult jobs, and some are more complicated and difficult than others. But when you look around at inventions, or records that have been broken, you have to tell yourself that anything is possible.

I didn’t like it as a player when I felt a coach was fudging the reasons for leaving me out. As a player, I wanted to know where I was lacking in my game and where I could improve in order to get back in the team.

I am not sure I will ever wear a waistcoat again, frankly!

When you become England manager, the change in profile and interest in what you’re doing is on another level.

Young players will suffer at times and have days when they can’t cope or adjust.

You don’t want to be too proud, to get carried away, but if people give you praise, you don’t want to throw it back.

You expect the players to fight for their club and fight for their shirt, and when they come together, they are fighting for England.

Whenever people speak, you give the opposition the opportunity to use those words as they see fit.

Good decisions are not necessarily playing it short every time you get the ball. The best teams can play longer or have a threat behind or play through or around. They adapt.

I’m not the authority on the subject. I’m a middle-aged white guy speaking about racism. I’m just finding it a really difficult subject to broach.

If we are encouraging kids to go into academies, then presumably we are selling them the dream that they can play first-team football.

Good teams, whatever the circumstances or the atmosphere or the pitch, find a way of playing.

You can never say you’ve ‘made it,’ because that’s the day you stop progressing and improving.

If we are gong to be an outstanding team, we need players who are going to step up in the big moments and realise, every time they play for England, they have the chance to be involved in an iconic moment, a historic performance, and that they have that choice every time they go on the field.

I was always the captain of every club I played for, so I would expect to be somebody who put themselves forward.

Always, as a player, you are questioned and challenged about the next step. That’s what drives the very best: they want to continually win.

Looking at the team sheets, you’re never quite sure one weekend to the next who’s going to be in a team and who isn’t.

Write your own stories.

I’m no David Beckham.

Sometimes you have to make decisions for the bigger picture.

My kids don’t think, for one minute, about where people are born, what language they speak, what colour they are. There’s an innocence about young people that is only influenced by older people.

Sometimes it’s not always a good decision to play if people’s energy isn’t quite there.

The world always changes, and teams go through evolutions.

Good teams score late goals.

For me, it is all about the bigger picture and what is right for England. I haven’t enjoyed watching us play in all our games, but away in Germany, against Spain and Germany at home, I’ve enjoyed the performance.

In a team, you need players who are technically good and can perform under pressure.