'Born leader': Gareth Southgate's Best Man praises the ultimate professional
As football friendships go, they don't get much closer than Gareth Southgate and Andy Woodman.
The pair first met at Crystal Palace as apprentices and were Best Men at each other's weddings.
Despite their football careers taking different paths the friendship is as strong as ever and for Andy the rise and rise of Gareth Southgate comes as no surprise.
"He always had leadership qualities he would never cut any corners, he prided himself on being the ultimate professional which between 15 and 18 some of us might have opted for a night out here and there," said Andy who now manages Bromley Football Club.
"He gained respect amongst the group of senior players and young players by just being a model player and when you're in football that speaks volumes - he got that respect by being an honest, model, professional," he added.
Their careers separated after the pair left Crystal Palace but they stayed in touch guiding each other "through life's ups and downs".
Southgate missed the key spot-kick in the Euro 96 semi-final shootout loss to Germany a moment which still hurts - but he's learnt to deal with.
"He's got this inner steel that people don't always see - I've seen that from day one and I've never doubted anything that's thrown at him he'll meet head on," Andy said.
Gareth Southgate said England were ready to end their semi-final hoodoo this week by making history and reaching their first final since 1966.
Having topped their Euro 2020 group and beaten old foes Germany in the round of 16, the Three Lions increased hope and expectation with Saturday’s thumping 4-0 quarter-final win against Ukraine in Rome.
Denmark stand between England and their second ever final, having fallen at the penultimate hurdle at major tournaments on four occasions since winning the World Cup in 1966.
England v Denmark: What you need to know about the Euro 2020 semi-final
When is the match happening?
When is the match happening?
The Euro 2020 semi-final kicks off at 8pm on Wednesday 7 July at Wembley Stadium.
Can I get a ticket?
Can I get a ticket?
The FA has said the England Supporters Travel club will have an allocation of nearly 8,500 tickets for the game, with remaining tickets going on sale to those who applied for tickets in the original ticket application process in 2019 but did not choose to return them or requested a refund. Otherwise, it looks like there isn't another way to get tickets - all tickets for the games are sold via the Uefa ticket portal and both England's semi-final and the final are marked as sold out.
Where can I watch the game on TV or online?
Where can I watch the game on TV or online?
The game will be broadcast on ITV, with coverage starting from 6.30pm. It will also be available to stream online on the ITV Hub (for viewers in the UK only).
When is the final?
When is the final?
The Euro 2020 final will take place at Wembley on Sunday 11 July at 8pm.
"What people see I think people can relate to - an honest person," said Andy.
"He's put a lot of pride back into his county... people need a smile on their face and something to cheer about," he added.