GARETH SOUTHGATE should have been at St George’s Park yesterday, preparing for England’s opening Euro 2020 fixture against Croatia on Sunday.
Instead, the Three Lions boss was at his Harrogate home, talking to the media in a video conference that was briefly interrupted by his son trying to find his homework.
Gareth Southgate believes Ashley Cole can inspire the next generation of BAME coaches in English footballCredit: Getty – Contributor
Sat in his wood-panelled office with a picture of Pele embracing Muhammad Ali, Southgate spoke with intelligence and passion on the racism debate after Raheem Sterling’s call for more black managers.
Southgate admitted English football has been slow to change and become more diverse.
Yet, equally, he was adamant opportunities are finally growing for BAME candidates — despite Sterling questioning why Ashley Cole and Sol Campbell have struggled for chances, while former England team-mates Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have landed top jobs.
Southgate said: “I heard Jermain Defoe talking a few days ago saying is it worth me taking my qualifications?
“We have to avoid the feeling that you can’t achieve something, because that stops some people going for it.
“We then have to make sure the opportunity is there when people are qualified and capable.
Cole is currently working at Chelsea with youth chief Neil BathCredit: Getty – Contributor
“Then, of course, they have to grasp that opportunity and do well and if they can they’ll be a role model to the next generation.
“I’m not a massive lover of initiatives because I don’t always think they deliver ultimately what is required. I think you need more forceful change.
“But there have been initiatives in the last four or five years that are starting to make a difference. We have some very good young black coaches coming through our development teams.
“Ashley Cole is developing very well on a similar route to what Steven did in working in Liverpool’s academy for a couple of years.
“Ashley is doing that with Neil Bath at Chelsea and I talked to Ashley amongst a group of coaches a couple of weeks ago and he is progressing really well.
“I must say he has impressed me on the calls I’ve been on with him.
Raheem Sterling has questioned why some BAME coaches are being overlooked for managerial jobsCredit: Reuters
“On a broader scale, we lack that representation. The biggest crime for us in any area, if we’re adults looking at kids, is if they sit and think a path in life isn’t possible or accessible.”
Mentioning England Under-16s head coach Justin Cochrane, a 38-year-old former lower league journeyman, Southgate maintained it is not vital to have been a top player to succeed.
He added: “Justin is somebody who, within our group of national coaches, is going to be a top coach.
“We shouldn’t look just at ex-players or high-profile players. So many top managers haven’t been top, top international players and that route must also be open to black coaches that haven’t played at the highest level.
“There will be some super bright lads out there who have come through universities, they might prefer the route that Graham Potter or somebody has gone on by going back into university.
“So we’ve got to make sure all those pathways are open.”
Jermain Defoe asked whether it was worth his time to get his coaching badgesCredit: PA:Press Association
Never afraid to answer a tough question, Southgate was also asked if the FA is institutionally racist, given that it is hardly famed for its multi-cultural committees.
Referring to former defender Paul Elliott as being chairman of the FA’s Inclusion Advisory board, Southgate added: “I would say you have to start at the very top and there has been a lot of work done to make the boardroom more representative. That is gender as well as race.
“Paul Elliott’s involvement is an important one, not only in the respect of diversity but also to have an experienced footballer on the board.
“We have not been great in English football at getting ex-players into those executive roles full stop, whereas across Europe I see that a bit more with their sporting directors.
“People have spoken brilliantly over the last week, people I have had the good fortune to meet.
“There are some really powerful messages and a lot of those will be uncomfortable for white people in particular, but they are critical voices to be heard.
“We are all very conscious of it, the power of what is happening across the world at the moment.
“People are standing together. It’s rightly leading to a broader debate on opportunity and privilege. It’s important people speak out.”
Raheem Sterling says black players are not getting chance to become top managers – compared to fast-tracked Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
