DATE OF BIRTH: September 3, 1970
NATIONALITY: English
MANAGERIAL CAREER:
2006-present Middlesbrough
PLAYING CAREER:
2001-2006 Middlesbrough
1995-2001 Aston Villa
1989-1995 Crystal Palace
HONOURS:
With Middlesbrough
League Cup 2004
With Aston Villa
League Cup 1996
With Crystal Palace
English Division One title 1994
Capped 57 times by England (2 goals)
Gareth Southgate moved into management with Middlesbrough at the age of just 35 after a career as a central defender. With over 50 caps, Southgate’s leadership skills and influence among the current squad convinced the Middlesbrough board to hire him after Steve McClaren left the club to take the England job.
Starting his career at Crystal Palace in 1989, Southgate helped the club to the Division One title in 1994, and Aston Villa paid £2.5m for his services the following year. While at Villa, Southgate earned international recognition in 1996, and was included in the England squad for the European Championships on home soil. Unfortunately, Southgate would go on to miss the decisive penalty in the semi-final loss to Germany at Wembley. He continued to develop at club level, and when he joined Middlesbrough in 2001 - he was regarded as one of the Premiership’s most consistent defenders.
As club captain, Southgate was reunited with his former Aston Villa colleague Ugo Ehoigu in the Middlesbrough backline, in what many at the time believed was the best centre-back pairing in the league. Southgate lifted Middlesbrough’s first ever trophy in 2004 as Boro won the League Cup, beating Bolton Wanderers 2-1. Two seasons of European football followed, and Steve McClaren’s name began to become linked with the England job. When McClaren left in 2006, fan favourite Southgate was quickly installed to replace him.