England boss Gareth Southgate: A man respected by all

Gareth Southgate was always seen as hardworking and committed to doing all he could to make it as a professional from his early days in the youth set-up at Selhurst Park, regularly playing for the youth team and reserves on the same day.

His leadership skills were apparent throughout his career, captaining Crystal Palace from the age of 23.

It was a decision from manager Alan Smith which paid dividends, as his young skipper led the team to the First Division title in 1994.

In those days he operated as a central midfielder, where he caught the eye of Aston Villa, moving to the club in 1995 after Palace were relegated back to where they came from.

The boost in profile quickly brought England recognition and silverware at Villa Park, as he was part of the League Cup winning team.

Internationally he is famed for one moment, a penalty he will want to forget, as he struck a weak spot-kick straight at Andreas Kopke in the summer of 1996, sending England out of the European Championships they were hosting.

But Southgate is a resilient character, even if his outward nature looks to be that of a quiet man. He describes playing for his country as the pinnacle of his career, a concept he undoubtedly carries into managing the England national team.

During his spell at Villa Park, manager John Gregory nicknamed his player 'Harry' due to the contrived reason that there is a borough of London named Southgate and Enfield, the latter being the surname of a well-known comedian at the time. As we said, it was contrived.

After Villa he went on to Middlesbrough to become Steve McClaren's first signing, captain and mainstay centre-back, lifting the League Cup and leading the team to the Uefa Cup final in 2006.

When McClaren left to become England manager, he replaced him in the Riverside hotseat - his first steps in management.

In his first season in charge, he took Middlesbrough to a respectable 12th finish in the Premier League, a feat he could not repeat.

In 2009 he was sacked with the club in mid-table in the Championship, a position it took them many years to recover from.

Unperturbed by this, the Football Association offered him the chance to become part of the organisation, as they recognised his potential, making him Head of Elite Development.

He also spent time working for ITV as a pundit, where he was highly regarded and respected.

Southgate moved back into management to lead the England Under-21 team in 2013, a role he kept until being promoted by the FA.

Widely seen to be a thoughtful man, who has a quick wit when called upon, Southgate. When Roy Hodgson stepped down in the summer, Southgate was seen as one of the favourites for the role, but admitted it wasn't for him at the time.

"I think with England there are one or two other things that I would want to have had experience of before I took that role. To be going into it from a real position of strength, maybe that happens in the future, maybe it doesn't?"

Now he has had the job thrust upon him and he'll be looking to prove he's up for the challenge, but has never shirked one before.