The enduring themes of Southgate's England story

Southgate's ain floor plan had risen sharply.

He had only been a cardinal defender for a year, having been converted from a midfielder by Aston Villa head Brian Little.

He made his England debut successful December 1995. His first world commencement had travel conscionable a mates of months earlier Euro 1996.

Yet, he had go integral, playing each infinitesimal of nan tourney alongside Tony Adams successful nan bosom of nan defence.

It was a squad pinch a wild, chaotic side. A pre-tournament travel to Hong Kong had included an infamous nighttime retired pinch bottles of spirits being poured down players' gullets while they reclined successful in a dentist chair. On nan formation back, seats and TV screens had been damaged by mile-high high-jinks.

Southgate wasn't connected nan nighttime out. And, while nan squad took corporate work for nan level damage, it was difficult to ideate moreover a fraction of nan blasted belonged to Southgate.

As a teen astatine Crystal Palace's Mitcham training ground, he had stuck out; a small much provincial, a small little loud. His considered, precise measurement of talking earned him nan nickname 'Nord', successful a motion to tv big Denis Norden.

His youth-team head warned him that he would request to beryllium tougher mentally and physically to advancement to nan elder side.

Quietly, Southgate took connected nan challenge, filling retired and uncovering his voice.

One evening, he misjudged it. After a younker tourney successful Italy and an out-of-character evening drinking tequila, he vomited complete Palace president Ron Noades connected his measurement backmost to his edifice room., external

Typically, Southgate had Noades' apparel dry-cleaned nan adjacent morning.

It was a rare, perchance solitary, misstep.

By 23, Southgate was named Palace captain, starring them to promotion retired of nan 2nd tier and tangling pinch Roy Keane successful nan FA Cup semi-finals., external

Whatever he came up against - older team-mates, fierce opponents, a move of clubs, a alteration of positions - he stepped up and amazed those who thought his observant demeanour indicated a soft centre.

So, 3 days aft nan Sex Pistols gig, erstwhile England had exhausted their proviso of regular punishment takers successful nan semi-final, Southgate, nan newest and slightest knowledgeable of nan team, steeled himself and stepped up again.

“I was a volunteer, really," Southgate said successful 2018.

"The type of characteristic I was, I felt you should put yourself forward."

It wasn't nan first time.

In October 1992, 1 of Southgate's Palace team-mates had mislaid his nervus complete a precocious spot-kick to triumph a crippled astatine Ipswich. Southgate had taken it connected instead, hitting nan post. Palace were yet relegated connected extremity difference.

Southgate hadn't taken a punishment since.

His onslaught astatine Wembley was solid, but excessively central. Germany goalkeeper Andreas Kopke guessed correct and blocked pinch comparative ease.

The shot ricocheted away, and, from Wembley outwards, a bubble burst and a world collapsed down.

The adjacent morning, Southgate flew to nan Indonesian land of Bali pinch his girlfriend, attempting to flight nan affectional aftershock.

A fewer days into their holiday, while trekking up a volcano, a section man asked Southgate if he was English. On receiving confirmation, his look lit up. "You, punishment drama," he said.

Southgate returned to sacks of supportive letters from fans who had seen really nan aforesaid shootout acquisition six years earlier had chewed up Pearce and Chris Waddle. One was from Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Southgate gave an question and reply later that summer., external

“I don't deliberation you ever get that benignant of point retired of your system," he said.

"I’m judge group will ever say: 'He was nan idiot who missed nan penalty.' But hopefully I’ve sewage capable clip successful my profession to do different things.

"I've sewage nan ambition and nan expertise to make group retrieve maine successful different ways."