Terry Butcher believes that the mentality of England’s players has changed for the better under Gareth Southgate, who took his squad on a bonding trip to the Royal Marines Commando Training Centre.
Pictures emerged yesterday of the England squad in military fatigues during a 48-hour retreat in Devon where they undertook a four-mile hike and camped out by way of preparation for this weekend’s World Cup qualifying tie against Scotland.
Butcher instigated similar morale-building exercises as a manager, including once at Inverness Caley Thistle, but the former England captain never experienced them during an international career that earned him 77 caps. “I would have absolutely loved that,” he said. “I think I would have
stayed with the Marines rather than come back and play football. Some people say I played like a Marine when I was a defender. But I think it was great.
“It seems trivial, but he took away their mobile phones and to the modern footballer that’s like removing an arm. The players did well to get on board with it.
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“I used to do these team-bonding days when I was a manager. At Brentford, I took the boys to visit the army. We did an army training session and took part in the logistic puzzles. At Inverness we ended up in the harbour at Lossiemouth. It gets the players to think different things, to have a laugh and to bond. Even midway through the season they would be talking about it.”
It is one of many innovations that Southgate has introduced in an effort to address an age-old problem: why do so many world-class players who frequently excel in the Premier League struggle to reproduce their best in an England shirt?
One theory is that they are weighed down by expectation. Another is that they are motivated only by fame and finances. “They are millionaires, with jets, big houses and fancy cars,” Butcher said. “I think they had to reconnect with what playing for England means, what an honour it is. They have to enjoy the experience as well.”
Southgate has invited several England greats to share their experiences with the current team. Butcher has been one of them, presenting Gary Cahill with a memento to mark his 50th cap. “It was in front of the full squad and Gareth asked if I had any words for the players. I just told them: ‘you better f**king win’. I would get pelters if we lost.”
Meanwhile, Joe Jordan, the former Scotland striker, believes the team who face England should be built around Darren Fletcher. “I look at the players and ask if they can handle the circumstances,” Jordan said. “There are no qualms when it comes to Darren. I would put faith in him. That’s the sort of player I want in that game.
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● Terry Butcher was speaking as a guest of Mobilebet.