Skip to content

'It's a journey I didn't expect or want to be on'

Gareth Southgate’s England get their World Cup campaign underway tomorrow.

ENGLAND MANAGER GARETH has said that he never expected to lead his country into a World Cup, but is now excited by the prospect of doing it in Russia.

Southgate was promoted from the under-21 set up to guide England through qualifying when Sam Allardyce’s short reign was ended after one game in charge.

The 47-year-old has been impressive during his tenure as Three Lions boss so far, but admits he had reservations about taking the job given the circumstances.

“It’s a journey I didn’t expect or want to be on,” Southgate told BBC Sport . “I was hoping that in the last Euros the team was going to do really well and Roy [Hodgson] would still be there.

“When Sam Allardyce was appointed, I was under-21 coach and there to support him.

“I have said from the off I wasn’t comfortable with the manner in which I took the reins, but I have enjoyed the responsibility.

“I’ve enjoyed having the role and I think I was the best qualified person with the best experiences to take it at the time it came up.”

England get their tournament underway tomorrow when they face Tunisia in their opening Group G fixture.

Meanwhile, striker Harry Kane is adamant that captaining the side at the World Cup will not impact on his own game

“Whatever anyone says, my game has always been about putting the team first,” he said.

“For me, nothing changes whether I am captain or not. I make the best decision for the team – and hopefully it’s the right one.

“I feel exactly the same now as I did before I was captain. I don’t feel any extra pressure just because I’m wearing the armband. My game won’t change. Certainly my personality won’t change.

“I still look to push myself, to push other players, and I hope my team-mates can now look at me as someone they can talk to. But I’m still the same man. I haven’t changed.

“I don’t feel that just because I am captain I don’t have to maintain the standards I have set. When you are England’s striker, you have a responsibility to score the goals.”

The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!

Author
View 14 comments
Close
14 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Robert O Farrell
    Favourite Robert O Farrell
    Report
    Mar 24th 2020, 7:11 PM

    Brilliant stuff lads – cheers for that. Some great recommendations.

    147
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerard Browne
    Favourite Gerard Browne
    Report
    Mar 24th 2020, 8:06 PM

    You can add A Year Till Sunday. Best GAA documentary

    70
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tommy C
    Favourite Tommy C
    Report
    Mar 24th 2020, 11:43 PM

    @Gerard Browne: never knew there was a doc on Ring, will watch for sure

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stevie D
    Favourite Stevie D
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 5:28 AM

    @Gerard Browne: Was coming here to comment the same thing. An absolute classic. Watched it again last week. Ja is the man!

    12
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Lyons
    Favourite Stephen Lyons
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 9:27 AM

    @Stevie D: John Divilly…..sin é!

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fr Chewy Louis
    Favourite Fr Chewy Louis
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 9:53 AM

    @Gerard Browne: Not just GAA, one of the best sports docs ever made

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerard Browne
    Favourite Gerard Browne
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 2:12 PM

    @Fr Chewy Louis: it was before its time. Even a cameo appearance by Eamon Dunphy haha

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Robert O Farrell
    Favourite Robert O Farrell
    Report
    Mar 24th 2020, 9:32 PM

    If anyone has BBC 4 I cannot recommend OJ Simpson- made in America, highly enough. It’s a 5 part 30 for 30 documentaries series. It’s one of the greatest documentaries ever made- probably a bit of a stretch to put it in the sports bracket given the subjects infamy & notoriety. Part 2 is on tonight if anyone wants to series link.

    54
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute The Great Cornholio
    Favourite The Great Cornholio
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 4:52 AM

    @Robert O Farrell: check out a documentary called ‘madness on wheels rallyings crazy years’. Its about when car rallying turned into an arms race to make crazier faster cars in the 1980s with the inevitable banning of the particular group b class due to driver and spectator deaths. If it’s no longer on YouTube it will be on dailymotion

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Lyons
    Favourite Stephen Lyons
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 9:29 AM

    @Robert O Farrell: 30 for 30 are class, some great documentaries, Sole Man is a personal favourite of mine. Their podcasts are good too.

    1
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute The Great Cornholio
    Favourite The Great Cornholio
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 9:40 AM

    @Stephen Lyons: slaying the badger is hilarious. Hinault is meant to be the baddy as opposed to Greg lemond but hes so cool even in middle age you find yourself rooting for him

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute The Upside-down Triangle
    Favourite The Upside-down Triangle
    Report
    Mar 24th 2020, 7:25 PM

    Hoop Dreams a great doc to watch on YouTube

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute thomas patrick
    Favourite thomas patrick
    Report
    Mar 24th 2020, 9:55 PM

    Formula 1 drive to survive is superb

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Ryan
    Favourite Paul Ryan
    Report
    Mar 24th 2020, 10:04 PM

    For anyone missing Irish basketball there’s ‘We Got Game – The Golden Age of Irish Basketball’. A brilliant documentary on basketball in the eighties featuring Kelvin Troy, who once kept Larry Bird to 6pts in a college game, Dave Hopla, still regarded as the best shooter in the world, and Mario Elie, who went on to win 3 NBA titles after his time in Ireland. Whether you’re into Irish basketball or not it’s a fascinating sports documentary and well worth a watch.

    33
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Warren Mcdermott
    Favourite Warren Mcdermott
    Report
    Mar 24th 2020, 9:57 PM

    The gatti ward fights were unbelievable and round 9 will go down as one of if not the best round of all time

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian Dunne
    Favourite Brian Dunne
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 4:53 AM

    @Warren Mcdermott: two absolute warriors

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nathan Maguire
    Favourite Nathan Maguire
    Report
    Mar 24th 2020, 9:52 PM

    The weight of a nation, a documentary on New Zealand’s 2011 world cup win is brilliant too. Surprised it wasn’t in the original list.

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Phil Donnelly
    Favourite Phil Donnelly
    Report
    Mar 24th 2020, 7:35 PM

    If you’re interested in American Sports, would recommend Foul Play, the series documenting the Ole Miss/ Laremy Tunsil scandal, and how corrupt the NCAA system is.

    https://youtu.be/_Qm-P2foSE4

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adrian O Reilly
    Favourite Adrian O Reilly
    Report
    Mar 24th 2020, 9:21 PM

    Great article guys. Thanks for the recommendations.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick McCarron
    Favourite Patrick McCarron
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 7:04 AM

    Jim Stynes – Every Heart Beats Through. Watched it on YouTube last week for the first time in ages. What an inspirational man.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute EnKy
    Favourite EnKy
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 7:52 AM

    @Patrick McCarron: Great shout. An incredible watch.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Connoroconner
    Favourite Connoroconner
    Report
    Mar 24th 2020, 9:52 PM

    ‘A Sunday in Hell’ free on YouTube, for cycling fans.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Richard Cronin
    Favourite Richard Cronin
    Report
    Mar 24th 2020, 10:20 PM

    The Bert Trautman story on YouTube

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_RvDhsv8jjw

    If you have amazon then I highly recommend the best of men, it’s about Ludwig Gutterman he created the Paralympics

    https://www.amazon.com/Best-Men-Eddie-Marsan/dp/B00IWLJ3H0

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Richard Cronin
    Favourite Richard Cronin
    Report
    Mar 24th 2020, 10:24 PM

    @Richard Cronin: also I rather enjoyed the toughest trade

    https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+toughest+trade++

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Finn Toner
    Favourite Finn Toner
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 8:28 AM

    The 2009 Lions documentary is also available on YouTube. ROG like.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=97uxJmXMQuc

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Richard McBriar
    Favourite Richard McBriar
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 6:04 PM

    Road (2014) The story of the Dunlops and Knuckle (2011) are top documentaries

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Barry Dowling
    Favourite Barry Dowling
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 7:51 PM

    @Richard McBriar: Excellent

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jonathan Nolan
    Favourite Jonathan Nolan
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 4:19 AM

    “All for one” also for cycling fans.
    Great doco showing the team effort of a cycling team and that to a layman it may come across as an individual sport, but it is really anything but. The trials and tribulations (not to mention the funny sides) of a cycling team.
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ch1m085rpU

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane Murphy
    Favourite Shane Murphy
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 12:55 PM

    For me it’s the one and only ringy!! ( Christy Ring) xx

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Owen Lydon
    Favourite Owen Lydon
    Report
    Mar 25th 2020, 2:13 PM

    ‘The Names on the Cup’ brilliant documentary and ‘The Broadstreet Bullies’

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a comment

 
cancel reply