GARETH SOUTHGATE deserved to win a trophy as England manager, write Shaun Custis.
Unfortunately, you don’t always get what you deserve in life.
No man could have worked harder to give the country the silverware it craved and no man cared more about our national team.
As a player he went through agonies after missing that fateful penalty against Germany at Euro 96 — and victory as a manager in the Euro 2024 final against Spain on Sunday would have been a wonderful redemption.
Southgate himself said he didn’t believe in fairytales — and there was to be no happy ending as ultimately England came up short again when it mattered.
But his legacy should be one of great achievement, not of failure.
This is an England boss who transformed our feelings towards the Three Lions.
Hardened fans, who claimed they only cared about their club, fell back in love with England during Gareth’s eight years in charge.
As The Sun’s chief football writer, I followed England through the Sven Göran Eriksson era, on to Steve McClaren, then Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson.
None of them could hold a candle to Southgate.
Southgate took it on reluctantly and, when the FA then wanted to make his position permanent, he made it clear he had to have free rein to do the job on his terms.
This was to be a new England with no club cliques, no wars with the media and an openness and honesty from coaches and players.
He never believed it was the impossible job as many claimed before him.
Yes, the Euros was a let-down and England were probably lucky to make the final.
But Southgate, by some distance, turned his England team into the most successful since Sir Alf Ramsey’s World Cup winners of 1966.
He gave us plenty of entertainment and fun along the way and a reason to feel proud.
We were even starting to crack it at penalty shoot-outs.
Most importantly, Southgate was a thoroughly decent human being throughout it all, treating everyone with respect — whether you were a player, a fan or part of the media.
Read Sun Head of Sport Shaun Custis’ full opinion on Gareth Southgate’s England exit…