As Spain's substitutes streamed onto the pitch and their backroom staff swallowed up Luis de la Fuente, Gareth Southgate stood stock still, hands on hips, briefly completely alone on the edge of his technical area.
After a beat, Southgate composed himself, first congratulating De la Fuente before taking a slow, purposeful walk around the pitch to begin consoling his broken players. He thanked the officials and fulfilled his media duties, saying it was not the time to discuss his future, before returning to stand sentinel in front of his squad to await the presentations, hands in pockets, distinctive in his now-familiar white polo shirt.
