On the pitch, Southgate’s legacy will always be those agonising near misses, with the finger being pointed in his direction for conservative tactics, especially when early leads and domination ended with defeat to Croatia in the World Cup last four, as well as that defeat on penalties to Italy at Wembley.
For someone so often portrayed as “too nice” – something mistaken for his basic decency – Southgate showed steel as a player and again as a manager.
Even before he was appointed as the permanent manager, caretaker boss Southgate effectively signalled the end for Wayne Rooney’s England career by dropping the captain and record goalscorer for a World Cup qualifier in Slovenia before he was eased aside.
Sterling’s time with England ended after the 2022 World Cup, while Jack Grealish was cut from the Euro 2024 squad.
Southgate’s relationship with England’s supporters fluctuated, from the adulation between 2018 and 2021 to the toxicity of a night at Molineux in June 2022 when the personal abuse was such that it had a profound impact on the manager.
England’s Euro 2024 campaign, a somewhat joyless and mediocre affair in which much of the goodwill for Southgate had been diluted, also saw the manager pelted with empty beer cups and jeered by fans after a goalless draw with Slovenia in Cologne.
It was poor payback for what Southgate had given those England fans, only adding to the sense that this was an era drawing to a close, and perhaps the manager would not be sorry to see the back of it.
England flickered fitfully in Germany, reaching the final which ended in the familiar pain of defeat at Spain deservedly won 2-1.
It was a disappointing conclusion, making for a natural end to his time as England manager in which Southgate had made players and supporters dream again.
Once the short-term disappointment eased, it was right that Southgate should be judged with total respect, and befitting of his reign that he should have his investiture moment.
