GARETH SOUTHGATE has revealed he failed to fulfil his childhood dream of playing for Manchester United.
The England boss played more than 400 games in the Premier League for Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough and also won 57 caps for the Three Lions.
Gareth Southgate has revealed he regrets never playing for boyhood club Man Utd during his playing career
But Southgate admits he had two goals as a kid – turning out for United and his country.
When asked to reveal what his greatest moment was as a player, Southgate replied: “My England debut because that is what I wanted to do since I was small.
“I had two goals. I wanted to play for England and Manchester United actually. I never got the chance to play for Manchester United. One out of two wasn’t bad.”
Southgate’s admission brought a smile to Ryan Giggs’ face with the Wales boss sat next to him during BT Sport’s Meet The Managers.
The 49-year-old did not win anywhere as much as United legend Giggs, who lifted the Premier League title 13 times and Champions League twice.
Southgate won the League Cup twice, once with Villa in 1996 as well as Boro against Bolton in Cardiff back in 2004.
And he also cited that trophy triumph at the Millennium Stadium as a major highlight of his playing days.
Southgate added: “They hadn’t won anything in 128 years so to see what that meant to the town of Middlesbrough and it’s 150,000-odd people, they had been through the closing of the chemical
factories, the steelworks and everything else.
“To see emotionally what that meant to the supporters was just as good as winning something bigger with another club.
“I’d won the League Cup at Villa but they had a history of winning the European Cup and the league and they were a much bigger club.
Southgate played more than 400 Premier League games for Crsytal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough as well as winning 57 England caps
“I was 33, 34 by the time I got to Middlesbrough and I probably thought that is it, I’m not going to win anything else.
“And then we ended up in a European final two years later so it was an incredible period for the club.
“That meant a lot because of what it meant to other people as much as what it meant to me.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
