Former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate said football mad Prince William used to give him tips on who to pick – he also said he’s glad to be ‘out of it’ ahead of the World Cup
Sir Gareth Southgate has claimed Prince William used to tell him which stars to pick for England. And he revealed Wills would “go for every Aston Villa player”.
He said the football mad future King regularly visited the Three Lions’ changing rooms to deliver stirring speeches and console players. But the prime minister never told him who to pick.
Villa stars that Sir Gareth picked for England included striker Ollie Watkins and defenders Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa. The ex-footie boss, 55, also admitted he’s glad to be “out of it” ahead of the World Cup and refused to give his verdict on Thomas Tuchel ’s squad.
He said: “I definitely thank God I am out of it. You can see all the issues because you have lived them; you know when there is a bandwagon for certain players.
“But the person picking the team has more information than we do. I don’t know how fit they are, how they are training, how they work with the rest of the group.
“All the club managers to deal with. The PM never told me who to pick. Prince William did a couple of times – he’d go for every Aston Villa player.”
Meanwhile, Sir Gareth also reckons his time at the helm helped steady the country when there was so much political chaos, having gone through four PMs. He was praised at the time for his comments on Brexit, the culture wars, the Covid pandemic and backing England stars who suffered online racist abuse.
Sir Gareth, who quit the role in 2024, said: “I think the England team were a constant when there was a lot of upheaval. Families watch England; it brings communities together. I realised that people crave leadership when life is precarious.”
But he confessed he hasn’t watched BBC drama Dear England about his time in charge as it would make him “uncomfortable”.
Meanwhile, the ex-Middlesbrough boss reckons England captains like Harry Kane and cricketer Ben Stokes are “great role models” and can tackle the “online influencers who trick young men into believing that success is measured in money or dominance”.
He said: “I have worked with young boys for years. They always have a coach, discipline, a passion and a routine and they are good at football, so it’s easier to build their confidence. But until recently I was a little blind to what else was going on. So many boys now appear to be lost. It worries me.”