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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Chloe Mac Donnell

The evolution of Gareth Southgate’s style – and what it says about how the players see him

England manager Gareth Southgate in his quarter-zip knitted polo at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022
England manager Gareth Southgate in his quarter-zip knitted polo at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Photograph: John Sibley/Reuters

While nobody can predict the outcome of Sunday night’s Euro 2024 final, there is one thing that is almost certain. Gareth Southgate will oversee England’s battle against Spain wearing a cream quarter-zip knitted polo top from Marks & Spencer. The England men’s manager has worn it for each of the team’s six matches in this year’s tournament and, similar to his 2018 World Cup waistcoat and Euro 2020 polka dot tie, the neat knit has become something of a “lucky” national emblem.

The £45 cotton polo is part of a collection created in partnership with the England team. M&S said that since England’s win over the Netherlands, the top has sold out both in stores and online. On TikTok the hashtag “polo shirt” has seen a 61.5% surge since England took on Serbia in June.

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