Gareth Southgate has revealed that he actually turned down the England manager's job when it was first offered to him.
He took over as permanent boss in November 2016 after a four-game spell as caretaker following the sacking of Sam Allardyce. Since then, he has become the Three Lions' most successful boss since Sir Alf Ramsey.
Southgate has taken his side to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the final of Euro 2020, with expectations high for the upcoming tournament in Qatar. But the England boss has now revealed that someone else could have been taking charge of the team for the past six years.
He was offered the permanent job after his successful period in temporary charge. But after receiving the call making that offer, the former Aston Villa star turned down the job, with the experiences of previous England bosses at the forefront of his mind.
“Growing up, I saw the difficulties that some fantastic men encountered in this job, like Sir Bobby Robson, Graham Taylor, and Ron Greenwood. Then, as a player, I saw close-up what the job did to Terry Venables, Glenn Hoddle, and Kevin Keegan," he told L'Equipe.
"That’s why the first time they asked me, I said ‘No thanks!’ Then, I sat down and thought about it, and reminded myself that I told my children that they mustn’t hesitate to go for things in life and try things.
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“In short, it’s a difficult job, but that’s the case for the managers of all countries. Particularly since everyone has an idea of the way that the national team should play and because we have little time to work with the group.
"Our job consists of putting the best players from our country on the pitch and making them play in a system that gives them the best chance of winning, which sometimes means developing a style of play that isn’t in line with the public’s expectations."
Southgate came under fire during England's dreadful Nations League campaign this year, with the Three Lions failing to win a game. They were booed off the pitch after a shocking 4-0 defeat to Hungary, which Southgate is hoping to use as motivation.
“It wasn’t very nice and that happened again in Milan. If the results aren’t at the expected level, supporters can have a hostile reaction. I understand that. In my career, all the difficult moments have made me stronger," he added.
"That has been true again with the recent critics, which have led me to manage my players differently. Some of the senior management stepped forward and spoke in front of the group. We have been expecting that from them for a long time, but they haven’t had the chance to do it, because this team hasn’t faced adversity until now."
England start their World Cup campaign on 21 November against Iran, before clashes with the United States and Wales.
