World Cup - Football News - The Purist meets Gareth
EXCLUSIVE! England veteran defender Gareth Southgate talks about the England team, their opponents in the Group of Death, Sven Goran Eriksson, Middlesbrough, David Beckham and Buddhist temples in Bali.
Gareth Southgate biography
Born 3rd Sept 1970
Defender
Club team: Middlesbrough FC, England
Previous clubs: Crystal Palace, Aston Villa
No. of England caps: 42
England goals in competitive matches: 1
[Luxembourg 0 England 3 1998]
During the Euro 96 tournament in England, Southgate played well, but
his penalty was saved in the semi-final penalty shoot-out against Germany,
thus ensuring England’s exit from the competition.
Featured in the starting line-up, but was injured in the first match in
France 98.
Is currently trying to force his way back into England’s first XI
for Korea/Japan 2002.
The Purist meets Gareth Southgate
Soccerphile: There have been many plaudits for your performances since joining Premier League team Middlesbrough from Aston Villa. Are you happy with your own form?
Gareth Southgate: I have to say I’m pleased with the way
I’ve played in what has been a tough season for Middlesbrough Football
Club. I sat down and looked at what I considered my strengths and weaknesses
when I arrived, with the assistant manager, Bill Beswick.
He’s a qualified sports psychologist and he helped me come to the
conclusion that there was nothing stopping me competing at the highest
level. If others had an edge we felt it may just have been a physical
thing, so that‚s meant a few hours in the gym, which I believe has
really helped.
Soccerphile: How much was Steve McClaren’s role in the England
set-up an influence in your transfer last year?
GS: Well he convinced me straight away that the move was right
for me, regardless of his involvement with the national side. Boro put
up the money and at the end of the day Villa blocked any other moves,
so the gaffer’s role did not really play a part.
I would like to think, though, that he knew what he was getting. It’s
essential that you have an organiser and a communicator at the back and
I’ve gained in confidence as a result of being part of an effective
defensive unit.
Soccerphile: How different has it been under England coach Sven
Goran Eriksson, having played under other managers such as Venables, Hoddle,
Wilkinson and Keegan?
GS: Well no one knew Sven, of course, so whatever people thought
of having a foreign England manager, the main practical difference was
that personalities didn’t come into his selection, in fact, we could
be sure his thinking was entirely based on the matches he’d seen
for himself. By that, I mean usually you have players who’ve worked
under the incoming manager at club level, and as such have a history,
whereas when he came in we simply all had to earn his respect. Everyone
started from the same point.
Basically he’s such an impressive presence he just naturally commands
respect himself. But I return to the importance of his not being known:
players just don’t want to step out of line with him because we don’t
know what the penalty would be. This seems to keep us in line!
Soccerphile: Do you agree that he has inherited a phenomenally
strong group of young players?
GS: I do, but having said that, I don’t go along with the
school of thought that says we should use this World Cup as some kind
of trial run to put towards their future development! I’m old enough
to remember an England side not qualifying and in my book you should make
the most of playing in any major finals.
Sven’s arrival coincided with any number of young players who’ve
come through and impressed everyone. Steven Gerrard and Kieron Dyer are
just two examples, and both have more than dipped their toes in the water
as far as international football is concerned. But the one player to have
particularly impressed me is Owen Hargreaves of Bayern Munich. He’s
holding his own at such a high level and at such a young age.
Soccerphile: Have you been to Japan or Korea before?
GS: No, the closest I’ve come is Hong Kong and China with
England in 1996, in the build-up to Euro 96. I’m sure everyone can
remember that trip! But I’m looking forward to the World Cup from
a travelling point of view. I’m intrigued by different cultures,
and though I expect we’ll be shepherded around to some extent during
the tournament, let’s hope England are there long enough for us to
have a look beyond the confinement of our base camp.
Soccerphile: Is it an urban myth that you were recognised somewhere
exotic and far-flung just when you were trying to put the agonising end
to Euro 96 out of your mind?
GS: No, that’s true! I got away to Bali with my wife once
we were knocked out and we found ourselves in a Buddhist temple, with
these isolated lakes and volcanoes nearby. Unfortunately I was spotted
by a monk who told me, "You Gareth Southgate, England penalty drama!"
Actually, I reckon he was one of these famous long-distance Man United
fans!
Soccerphile: When it comes to relaxing at home, what kind of sites
do you surf on the Internet?
GS: When it’s not a matter of keeping up with football news
I’ll use Amazon, which allows me to pick out and buy music and books
very easily.
Soccerphile: How far has the region’s humidity played a part
in the England camp’s preparations, and can you see it influencing
Sven Goran Eriksson’s tactics?
GS: We have spoken about what to expect in terms of climate and
conditions already. There have been plenty of tests, which should at least
indicate who is and isn’t likely to be adversely affected within
the squad. I’m confident it won’t represent a problem, though,
as all the guys are at their peak if we’re talking about fitness,
anyway.
We’ll spend a week in Dubai and then two more in Korea, so we should
have been able to adjust by then.
We’ve obviously thought about the danger of haring around, and the
good thing is that counter-attacking is a viable option for us these days.
We have plenty of lads from Arsenal and Liverpool, and those clubs have proved that you can operate effectively away from home if you adopt the counter-attack as a tactic.
Soccerphile: Have you found the atmosphere at England games slowly
evolving and improving, compared with the negative image that persists?
GS: As long as I’ve been with England the support has always
been fantastic, and the bigger games, such as Germany away, for example,
have been all the better for their backing.
However, the three tournaments I’ve been involved in have all been
so much easier to travel to than this time around, so it will be interesting
to see the difference when the English can’t take over a whole stadium
at a time, as we’ve been able to do in the past.
Soccerphile: Which strikers do you fear most from Group F?
GS: Well that very much depends on the selections made by the respective
managers, but each have strikers that must not be underestimated under
any circumstances.
Going through them in the order we play, there’s Sweden’s Henrik
Larsson, who’s such a key player for them. He has this knack not
just of scoring goals but of scoring important goals, and there’s
every chance he’ll be ably assisted by Fredrik Ljungberg of Arsenal.
I remember they gave us a torrid time less than four years ago in the
opening Euro 2000 qualifier, and neither of them even played at Old Trafford
when the Swedes earned themselves a draw with us in a friendly back in
November.
With Argentina we’ve no idea who will take the centre-forward slot,
but the fact that Gabriel Batistuta may not even be involved tells you
all you need to know about their embarrassment of riches when
it comes to strikers. There’s Saviola, Cruz and Crespo also vying
for that position, and they are all playing a high standard of club football.
Although I followed as much of the African Nations Cup held in Mali earlier
this year as I could, I didn’t see as much of Nigeria as I’d
have liked. However, having played against Nwankwo Kanu on a few occasions,
I don’t need telling about any of the brilliant things he’s
capable of coming up with.
Soccerphile: What of the host nations’ chances?
GS: I’ve not even seen South Korea play, to be honest, but
I know a little more about the Japan team. Though they are not perceived
as football nations, I’m sure enough enthusiasm will be generated
to make it a memorable experience. Having been through a tournament played
at home I can vouch for how valuable a lift that enthusiasm can provide
for the players. It goes without saying that it’s far better for
the tournament as a whole the longer the home side can stay in and maintain
the interest of the man on the street.
Soccerphile: Who are your personal tips for the World Cup?
GS: Even though they’ve not been tested by a qualifying process
and certainly weren’t tested by Scotland the other week, I think
France rightly stand out as favourites.
They have quality throughout the squad and the fact that all their players
are competing in Europe with the very best tells me they have, if anything,
got stronger than when they won it last time.
Brazil, despite an uncharacteristically hard time in qualifying, are still
a very real danger as far as I’m concerned and people write them
off at their peril.
Then there’s Italy and Argentina, both of whom have the experience
and know-how to keep up their proud records in the World Cup. They always
seem to produce the goods when it matters and I was very impressed with
the Italians when we played them in our warm-up fixture at Leeds.
Soccerphile: How hard does the injury to David Beckham hit England’s
own hopes?
GS: Well although he was clearly in pain, I don’t think we
should be writing him off yet. The manager has already made it clear he’ll
be coming with us whatever happens, and, having had the same injury [metatarsal
break] myself, I know what he’ll be going through.
It’s essential for the blood flow that the injured foot is kept in
plaster, and while it’s a huge blow for United obviously, my fingers
are crossed that he will be able to participate [in the World Cup].
