He has been public enemy number one, a national hero, a jacket-wearing fashion star, and the man who rekindled England's love for their national team.
And now at Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate is a manager with the weight of the world on his shoulders. With a generation of golden talent at his disposal, Southgate is set to end England's 58-year wait for international silverware this summer.
So, can he do it?
Can he end the pain of fifty years in England?
Can he exorcise the demons of his Euro 96 penalty miss?
How will Gareth Southgate end his England story?
To kick things off, let's go back to the beginning of Southgate's England story – Euro 96. Back then, the future manager was a fresh-faced defender with just four caps to his name, and perhaps the most unknown player of all. the group.
The back pages leading up to the tournament were instead reserved for stars such as Alan Shearer, Paul Gascoigne, Teddy Sheringham, and dentists' chairs like those England players had vodka down their throats in Hong Kong on the eve of the tournament. . Different times, eh?
By the end of the summer, Southgate had replaced them all on paper … but perhaps not in the way he had hoped.
Despite his lack of experience, Southgate was thrust into England's starting lineup at all levels of the team, being chosen as the playmaker alongside Tony Adams at the heart of the defence.
Things went very well at first.
Southgate helped England play more defensively, with the team conceding just two goals from open play en route to the semi-finals. The defender's outing against Spain was impressive, described by Sir Bobby Charlton as 'world class'.
Southgate and a well-played England side, fresh off a clean sheet against Spain and spurred on by fans chanting 'The ball is coming home' – that's where it all started in case you're wondering – were expected to start against their old rivals Germany at Wembley Stadium in the semi-finals, and book their place in the final. the first since 1966.
After a 1-1 draw however, England's Euro 96 final was to be decided on penalties.
There were 10 penalties, all goals. Then, in sudden death, rose Southgate.
After a long time, a lot long and a weak strike on the side, Andreas Kopke dived to his right to save Southgate's penalty and end England's hopes for another year.
The English press were brutal after Southgate's miss. Reporters camped outside his mother's house, his ex-girlfriend was offered £40,000 to spill the beans on his personal life, punk band The Business wrote a song with a chorus of “Southgate's going home”, even Prime Minister John Major called. to Gary.
Disrespect was everywhere.
Southgate, in a way, took it in his stride, appearing in a Pizza Hut advert with fellow shooting victims Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle.
“It hurts…still…always”
– Gareth Southgate on missing the Euro 96 penalty
That sad Euro 96 story of England and Southgate's beating after missing a painful penalty played in every tournament after that.
In 1998, Argentina beat England on penalties and David Beckham was made public enemy number one by being sent off.
In 2006, it was Portugal who beat England, yes, on penalties, and Wayne Rooney was shamed by the media for being sent off in that game.
That vicious cycle was ended when Southgate took over as England manager in 2016.
He didn't have a particularly illustrious record before taking up the job, with stints as Middlesbrough and England Under-21 manager the most notable. England's senior team have also not been in good form, having been knocked out of Euro 2016 in humiliating fashion by Iceland just a few months ago.
First drafted in as interim manager, Southgate secured a four-year contract thanks to a draw with Spain, and a huge 3-0 win over rivals Scotland.
Soon after taking over the job permanently, Southgate and a new crop of young talent combined with a high-profile set-up booked their place at the 2018 World Cup.
What is surprising is that the World Cup in Russia was a tournament that England fans entered with high expectations.
And under pressure, England do very well.
After progressing to the group stage, Southgate's England will go on penalties – yes, actually on penalties – against Colombia to book their place in the quarter-finals. For the first time since 1990, they would not fall behind in the quarter-finals, beating Sweden 2-0.
The semi-finals will prove to be a bridge too far, as a Luka Modric-inspired Croatia booked their place in the final at their own expense.
It didn't really matter.
Despite the defeat, Southgate managed to rekindle the nation's love for their football team.
He made England fans happy to cheer for their team again.
And even waistcoat sales up and down the region…although we're not sure that was a good thing.
After that World Cup run, England fans' expectations rose again, as did Southgate's stock.
The England manager received an OBE, had a hit national theater play written about his career, and was even named an Honorary Yorkshireman by Welcome to Yorkshire.
Riding a wave of interest, Southgate led a talented Three Lions side to the finals of Euro 2020 – in 2021, thanks to Covid – beating Germany at Wembley along the way. With the country expecting to beat Italy, and despite Luke Shaw giving England an early lead, it was not to be.
Leonardo Bonucci's goal and another penalty shootout would follow, with Bukayo Saka missing the final penalty.
As they had done with Southgate in the past, people tried to sack Saka for the loss, but it was something the England manager would not allow to happen again. Instead, Southgate laid the blame, saying he picked the penaltyers so the loss was on him.
After that disappointment, and the constant influx of exciting new talent coming into the senior set-up, the pressure on Southgate to get England over the line only built forward.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where yet another missed penalty – this time from captain Harry Kane – will help decide England's fate. It proved to be Southgate's biggest disappointment as a manager so far, losing 2-1 to France in the quarter-finals – the first exit of his tenure.
Now in the fourth international tournament of his reign, and with one of the most talented squads in English football history, it looks like it's now or never for Southgate's England at Euro 2024.
He is very close to ending England's wait for international glory before, both as a player and as a manager.
And now, indeedit's the time he did it.
The time Gareth Southgate finally won against England.
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