Let’s be honest, Gareth Southgate is far from your average theatrical protagonist. Worlds away from a booming Shakespearean king with a thirst for revenge and a serious case of hamartia (I can think of several football managers who more readily slot into that role), England’s quietly-spoken manager’s origin story isn’t exactly the ego-inflating rise to triumph you’d expect from the central figure in a National Theatre play.
Though admittedly there is a hint of tragedy, since the former pro-footballer is heavily associated with devastating loss, at one time most famous for missing a crucial penalty in 1996 as England faced Germany in the Euro semi-finals. The image of Southgate looking completely crushed, moments after smashing the ball straight into Andreas Köpke’s waiting gloves, is embroidered into his backstory, along with his more recent penchant for M&S waistcoats.
