GARETH SOUTHGATE paid tribute to the Queen for “her impeccable duty” as the ultimate British leader.
England manager Southgate spoke on Friday of his pride at singing God Save the Queen before 57 matches as a player and 74 as boss.
Southgate said: “My thoughts today are with His Majesty King Charles III, the FA president HRH The Duke of Cambridge and the Royal Family.
“In remembering and celebrating the life of Her Majesty the Queen, we are also acknowledging her remarkable leadership and lifetime of dignified service.
“She showed the world what it is to be British.
“Her values, her dignity, her resilience were an exemplar to us all and she has provided us with stability and reassurance in the best and also most difficult of times.”
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The Queen was patron of the FA, who on Friday confirmed a period of silence will be held before England’s Nations League game with Germany at Wembley on September 26, with players to wear blackbands.
Southgate added: “I was proud to have her as our patron and to sing God Save the Queen before every match.
“The team will have the chance to pay our respects at our fixture with Germany later this month.
“An occasion that will, of course, bring to mind the World Cup final in 1966 and the moment when Her Majesty handed the Jules Rimet trophy to Bobby Moore. As Wembley and the country falls silent, I will think of that and her 70 years of impeccable duty.”
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Sarina Wiegman, who led England’s Lionesses to glory at this summer’s Women’s Euros, also paid tribute to Her Majesty.
The Dutch boss said: “The national anthem, sung with such respect by my players and staff, served as a reminder of what she meant to the country.
“The words ‘send her victorious’, a line written on our shirts, was also in our hearts.
“This summer she took the time to write to me and my players congratulating us for our success.
“In that letter she called us an ‘inspiration for girls and women’.
“It is you, Your Majesty, who was the inspiration with your unrelenting work ethic, leadership, dignity and kindness.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
