Gareth Southgate appealed to England’s war spirit ahead of their Euro 2020 final, urging fans to be proud of his accomplishments on and off the pitch.
The England manager said the nation had “much to be proud of” and urged fans to stop “looking at the negatives of our own country”.
Speaking on Friday, he underscored the wider significance of Sunday’s historic clash against Italy, with the Three Lions uniting the country at the end of the coronavirus pandemic, encourage diversity and take a stand against racism.
“I think these are historic things we can be proud of,” he told the Daily Telegraph.
“It’s a wonderful privilege to be able to make a difference.”
south gate, 50, claimed he believed the “Blitz spirit” was partly behind England’s victory over Germany earlier in the tournament.
“People tried to invade us and we had the courage to hold him back,” he told the newspaper.
“You can’t hide this energy in the stadium against Germany was because of it. I’ve never told the players about it, but I know it’s part of the story. “
He said England used to underestimate themselves but urged fans to look into their standing on the world stage as well as their footballing abilities.
“We have so much to be proud of,” he said.
“For an island our size, we have an incredible influence on the world and we have to keep it in a positive way.”
While politicians have condemned the England team to “kneel down” to show their anti-racist stance, Southgate urged them to do so under his leadership.
He said he was encouraged by people from all walks of life who approached him after the World Cup in Russia in 2018 to say that they finally felt included …
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-07-09 21:37:00
