England manager Gareth Southgate opens up on what he had to do to ‘survive’ in football

Gareth Southgate has opened up on how he was forced to ‘survive’ in order to succeed as a professional footballer, as the England manager described the challenge of maturing at a young age in ‘a man’s world’.

The Three Lions boss has long championed the importance of mental health support for footballers and has nurtured an environment of openness in which players feel comfortable around the national camp.

Southgate, 50, came through at a time when such topics were rarely discussed, describing the transition from youth football into the professional ranks as a ‘step up’ into ‘a man’s world’.

Speaking on a brand new documentary, Raise your Game with Gareth Southgate, the England boss said: ‘I struggled a lot at the start [of my career]. It wasn’t just for fun anymore, it was your job. 

‘I was dropped from the youth team. You then have that realisation “if this is what I really want to do then I have to step up”. We all get rejected and we either allow that to define you or you bounce back. 

‘Football, like a lot of sports, you have got to mature at a very young age and very quickly. 

‘By that point your family can’t necessarily help you, they don’t understand the world that you have gone into.

‘I had to realise that “this is a man’s world, it is highly competitive and if this is what I want to do I have got to get better”.’

Southgate has been at pains to stress his understanding of the setbacks that players face throughout their careers, having been charged with reducing his 33-man provisional squad for the Euros to just 26-players last week.

The 50-year-old says that players must make the correct ‘choices’ if they are to ‘survive’ and reach the top of the game.

‘The process of surviving the cut off of different selections at different ages hardens you and you realise to survive in the professional game is almost an achievement in itself,’ he added.

‘To actually get to the top is so difficult. People would say “sacrifices” but maybe “choices” is the better word. That commitment to living your life in the right way. It gives you the best chance to succeed.’

Southgate has used his experience of responding from setbacks to inspire a mental resilience among his players to overcome obstacles, with England’s dramatic penalty shootout win over Colombia in the 2018 World Cup a real turning point for the confidence of the squad.

The England boss reflected that a team’s success naturally garners confidence among the players as individuals and a group. 

‘As we started to succeed as a time I gained in confidence,’ he said. ‘If you keep playing well you have got people’s respect anyway.’   

The new documentary features Southgate alongside a line-up of YouTube Creators as they explore how important social issues such as mental health and wellbeing, racial inclusion and gender inequality are being addressed in football.

Raise your Game with Gareth Southgate premieres on YouTube Originals on Tuesday 8 June.