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Gareth Southgate: The Truth About Leaving England

High Performance

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We welcome back Gareth Southgate to High Performance for his most open and reflective conversation yet.

In this episode, Gareth breaks his silence on England’s “almost” era, revealing the fear of failure, pressure of history, and fine margins that have shaped his time as manager. He discusses the burden of expectation, the culture of small daily habits and respect he’s built, and the empathy and vulnerability that define his modern approach to leadership.

From handling Wayne Rooney’s retirement to protecting players from public scrutiny, Southgate opens up about the realities of leading under relentless pressure, the evolution of England’s team culture, and what legacy truly means beyond trophies.

This is a rare, honest conversation with one of football’s most thoughtful leaders, about resilience, accountability, and what it really takes to lead a nation.

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#highperformance #Football #PremierLeague #England #WorldCup #Euros #GarethSouthgate #EnglandFootball #ThreeLions #HarryKane #Bellingham #Rashford #Saka #PremierLeague #Soccer #FIFA #uefa

📕Chapters
00:00 - Intro
00:33 - Leaving England
02:31 - Euro 2024
15:13 - English Football Media
20:20 - The Day After The Final
23:07 - 2016's Toxic England
28:15 - Changing The Culture
38:13 - 2018 World Cup
44:23 - England's Negative Mindset
49:29 - Euro 96
53:03 - England's Penalty Curse
1:00:20 - Euro 2020 Final
1:06:18 - Rooney's Retirement
1:12:40 - Southgate's Legacy

20 Comments

@HighPerformancePodcast Creator 10 months ago Pinned

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@Ed-Rosenthal7 2 months ago

I can never forgive those fans who threw the beer at Southgate.
No, he didn’t get over the line in those two finals, but my goodness, he reengaged us all with the national team again. I wish him all the best!

@colofsco1 3 months ago

Gareth was a fantastic English manager. I never thought I'd see us in a final. Emotional intelligent man.

@LPB10 10 months ago

I went away to watch England in tournament football for the first time last year in Germany. I thank Gareth for giving me my best ever summer. Ok, we didn't win but 4 weeks in Germany and a final was pure class. My generation and the one 2 before and the 2 after have never experienced the highs Gareth and his staff gave us.

@John-uz4zv 3 months ago

Gareth is an exception . In a country driven by social media he gives us wisdom based on experience . We need to hear more from him .

@ceebs2054 10 months ago

Being 35, the only Semi-final I experienced as an England fan was Euro 96. I saw the Golden Generation not quite make it and we never beat any of the big teams in competitive games (apart from a 1-0) group game against Argentina. On the back of Euro 2016 we were knocked out by Iceland which was dark...The last 8 years was night and day compared to the previous 20+. It was a great ride! Fingers crossed we can go one step further with Tuchel.

@liamm9953 2 months ago

This guy is a class act. He made me believe in the England team again. We didn’t win, but he took us closer than ever before and I have so many fantastic memories of that. Thanks Gareth!

@asimusicUK 10 months ago

I have nothing but love and respect and admiration for Gareth Southgate. Our society needs more people like him like him in public positions of authority. Decent. Honest. Unselfish. What a guy. 🫡

@JMJQuirky 10 months ago

An incredible man, he was so close on two finals, the abuse he got was horrible. Gareth thank you for the ride

@rowjoh3933 10 months ago (edited)

After decade upon decade of abject failure, not even qualifying for some tournaments, and only the briefest glimpse of getting anywhere near a final (Euro 96), a massive thanks to Gareth Southgate for delivering stress free qualifications and an exhilarating 8 year ride to semi's and finals. The legacy of the extraordinary culture shift he achieved was just as important as winning a trophy, perhaps even more so.

@topsecret6995 10 months ago

Hard to say about word about Gareth Southgate - he really did represent England well as the England manager - history will show how well he did while he was in charge

@alexanderrutland6349 2 months ago

Gareth gave me so much enjoyment and great memories during my 20s. And now people really believe we can do it again.

@raw_talk_33 2 months ago

I love Gareth limited as a manager but what a lovely lad gave us some great moments

@Barra32 4 months ago

He definitely got us closer than we’ve been in a long long time and got us believing again. The national team in the world cup and euros really unites the country more than any other event and promotes positivity more than many people know

@carlosbarton763 10 months ago

Brilliant interview. I'm not denying Southgate had some games which he could've handled a bit better, but listening to how he manages and approaches people and tricky situations, I am again reminded that this is someone who unquestionably transformed the mentality of the England squad for the better.
Many will hate that I'm going to say this but if we win the WC or Euros in the coming years it'll be at least partially because of the influence of Southgate's time in charge.

@mattdawe3937 10 months ago

He took us on a great ride, he changed the narrative of the team and achieved alot. IMO he got some decisions wrong in the big games although the team is in a better place now moving forward

@60SecInfoShot 9 months ago

Very wise when talking about mindset and influence. Met Southgate on a leadership course, was very humble and kind

@thefilmandmusic 10 months ago

I thought he took us on a fantastic ride

@ezza88ster 3 months ago

Thanks Gareth, you gave us our pride back. I'll never forget that. Great management, both in terms of the record compared to others, and to leave us with such positives that Tuchel and others are able to build upon. Anyone who thinks that's nothing is a fool.

@Marc-e-Marc 3 months ago

Still so under appreciated for his work. We were so close, and he could have been legendary if for a little bit of luck.

Shame he went through so pressure, but he’s paved the way for a brighter England. Have so much respect for the man