Former manager of England Gareth Southgate has revealed why he has so much admiration for Arsenal wing player Bukayo Saka.
Saka, 23, regularly became a national team during the last years of the government of England of Southgate after he had sustained the stage at Euro 2020.
England reached the final of that tournament, but was defeated by Italy in Wembley on penalties, with Saka missing the decisive Spot-Kick.
Saka, who was only 19 at the time, was subject to disgusting online racist abuse in the aftermath of that shootout -the defeat, but bounced back to become an important player for Arsenal and England. He then stepped up again to take a penalty last summer and to score in the quarterfinals victory of the Euro 2024 in England on Switzerland.
Southgate believes that the courage emphasizes Saka, making him such an important member of the English team.
Southgate said on the annual Richard Dimbleby lecture of the BBC about Saka: “I smile as soon as I see his name, who after his experience in Euro 2020 showed a fairly remarkable resilience, courage and faith in the successful scoring of his fine against Switzerland last summer.”
Southgate also reserved praised for England -captain Harry Kane and his colleague striker Ollie Watkins for overcoming difficult moments at the start of their respective career.
Kane struggled during various loan spells before he became Tottenham and England's Record Goalscorer, while Watkins started in Non-League football before enjoying a remarkable turnout to the international stage.
Southgate is convinced that the setbacks that Saka, Kane and Watkins have experienced have helped them to form and believe that their stories should inspire the next generation of young men.
“If I have learned something from my life in football, it is that success is much more than the final score,” Southgate explained. “It's not a straight line. And it's not a single moment.
'Take Harry Kane who was released by – I wonder if he still has the letter – had several non -convincing loan spells, but has also become the record position of England.
'Everyone will remember that Ollie Watkins scored the winning goal in the semi-final of our euros against Holland, but not so much will remember that he started his career with playing non-league football. An overnight success after 20 years.
'None of them had a perfect, continuous journey to success. Because it is really successful how you react at the most difficult moments. The point is to have the faith and the resilience to persist. And that is the message that we have to offer young men today. '
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