In Gareth Southgate’s first two seasons managing Middlesbrough, the club finished 12th and 13th in the Premier League—respectable, but hardly headline-worthy. That summer, he confidently claimed, “We already have English players who can control the ball. We have geniuses.” At the time, managing the England national team was the farthest thing from his mind. His focus was solely on developing young talents for the senior squad.

So when the opportunity unexpectedly arrived, Southgate was just as surprised as anyone. “I wasn’t aiming for this journey,” he admitted. “I had hoped England would perform well at Euro 2016 so Hodgson could stay on.” At the time Sam Allardyce was appointed head coach, Southgate was leading the U21 side, tasked with supporting the senior team. From the outset, he made it clear that he wasn’t comfortable with the way the role landed in his lap.

Between 2009 and 2013, Southgate spent four years out of management, overlooked and under the radar, until the FA came calling. In August of that year, he returned to the sidelines, taking charge of England’s U21s with the mission of qualifying for the 2015 U21 European Championship. But things hadn’t always gone smoothly. In his third season at Middlesbrough, the team plummeted to 19th and was relegated from the Premier League for the first time in a decade. In October 2009, he was dismissed, ending his first managerial stint in disappointment. At just 39, with neither a standout playing career nor a successful coaching resume—and fresh off relegating a well-established club—would any chairman in their right mind take a gamble on Southgate?

Especially during an era when foreign managers like Wenger, Mourinho, and Benítez had cemented their dominance in the Premier League. Unless a club wanted a seasoned English hand like Hodgson, Allardyce, or Redknapp, there was little appetite for unproven domestic coaches. In May 2006, Southgate retired as a player. Swapping his kit for a tailored black suit, white shirt, and Boro-red tie, he became the youngest Premier League manager at age 35—clean-shaven, sharp-dressed, and full of ambition.

To many, he seemed destined for football greatness, eagerly absorbing every ounce of knowledge he could. Even during his playing days, he already had the poise and presence of a future manager. It’s said he spoke with veteran coaches, trying to glean their secrets and strategies. A gifted speaker and, more importantly, a master listener, Southgate stood apart. But in a league skeptical of homegrown managers, especially those labeled as outdated, who would dare take that risk?

Bangla Cricket Live remembers when Southgate’s path seemed uncertain, when he wasn’t the face of calm leadership on England’s sideline, but a man once in a commercial wearing a paper bag—mocked, doubted, overlooked. And yet, he stayed the course, proving that sometimes, the darkest roads lead to the brightest destinations.