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GARETH Southgate managed a total of 102 matches for England before resigning after the Euro 2024 final loss to Spain.
What were the memorable – and not-so-memorable – moments from the beloved manager’s eight-year spell before that heart-wrenching Sunday evening in Berlin? Let’s explore.
THE HIGHS:
Colombia 1-1 England (3-4 on penalties), 2018 World Cup
This was the night when long-suffering supporters began to genuinely believe it was finally coming home.
After conceding a late equalizer, England maintained their composure to progress to the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup via penalties.
It marked our first shootout win in 22 years.
Spain 2-3 England, 2018 Nations League
Building on their World Cup success, England recorded a historic victory in Spain after 31 years with a remarkable UEFA Nations League win.
Southgate’s squad stunned the Seville crowd with a riveting performance, leading 3-0 at halftime thanks to two goals from Raheem Sterling and one from Marcus Rashford.
Even as the hosts managed two goals in the second half, the way the Three Lions dismantled La Roja thrilled every fan.
England 2-1 Denmark, Euro 2020 semi-final
Southgate guided England to their first major final in 55 years by overcoming Denmark after extra time in the Euro 2020 semi-final.
After falling behind in the first half, the Three Lions equalized through an own goal.
Captain Kane then clinched the winning goal, converting a rebound after Kasper Schmeichel had saved his penalty during extra time.
England 3-0 Senegal, 2022 World Cup last 16
England had previously dominated Iran and Wales, winning 6-2 and 3-0 respectively, during the World Cup 2022 group stages before overpowering Senegal.
The scoring Three Lions secured another crucial victory, setting up an exciting quarter-final against France – what could possibly go wrong?
Italy 1-2 England, Euro qualifiers, 2023
On a memorable night when Harry Kane became England’s all-time top scorer, the Three Lions achieved their first away victory over Italy since 1961.
This match marked their first outing after the 2022 World Cup exit, providing a perfect start to their Euro 2022 qualifying campaign.
England 2-1 Holland, Euro 2024 semi-final
As doubts loomed regarding Southgate’s team during the semi-finals of Euro 2024, they delivered an outstanding performance.
Xavi Simons opened the scoring for the Dutch, but Harry Kane equalized from the penalty spot.
Then Ollie Watkins scored a brilliant winner in stoppage time, sending the Three Lions into their second consecutive Euros final.
AND THE LOWS….
Croatia 2-1 England, World Cup semi-final, 2018
After guiding England to their first World Cup semi-final since 1990, Southgate’s men started strongly with Kieran Trippier scoring early on.
However, Ivan Perisic equalized, allowing the Croatians to take control.
Some of Southgate’s substitution choices drew criticism after the team succumbed in extra time, although many regarded him as a hero for bringing the team back into prominence.
Italy 1-1 England (3-2 on penalties) Euro 2020 final
England will likely never get a better chance to secure a trophy than in this Euro Championship final.
Luke Shaw scored almost immediately, giving us an early lead, but, similar to the match against Croatia three years earlier, we sat back and allowed our opponents to equalize.
Leonardo Bonucci equalized in the second half, and the match ultimately went to penalties.
The unfortunate Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka were all introduced specifically for the penalty shootout, but bravely missed their attempts, allowing the Azzurri to claim the trophy and breaking our hearts.
England 0-4 Hungary, Nations League 2023
A year after the Euros, Southgate faced utter humiliation in this Nations League match at Molineux.
This defeat marked our largest home loss since 1928 and resulted in England’s relegation from the top tier of the Nations League back to a group containing the Republic of Ireland, Finland, and Greece.
England 1-2 France, World Cup 2022 quarter-finals
Another example of what could have been.
Having scored freely throughout Qatar 2022, many believed we were primed for a deep tournament run despite facing the defending champions in the quarter-finals.
We equalized with Kane after going behind, and many felt France was vulnerable, had Southgate chosen a more aggressive strategy.
Ultimately, the team seemed content with their performance until Olivier Giroud struck twelve minutes from time to secure the win.
To add insult to injury, the usually reliable Kane missed a late penalty, sending it high over the bar and leading to our exit from the tournament.
