Gareth Southgate provided one of the images of the World Cup after overseeing England's penalty shootout win over Colombia in the round 16.
While many coaches might have simply basked in the victory, Southgate took the time and effort to offer words of consolation to several of the Colombian team, including Mateus Uribe who missed.
No hay momento más duro que el de la derrota 💔. Igual levanto la cabeza para darte gracias Dios por tus Bendiciones 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 tus tiempos son perfectos y sabes para que nos tienes. pic.twitter.com/uYzInKpNwr
— Matheus Uribe (@matheus_uribe8) July 4, 2018
Southgate's magnanimous sporting conduct was widely commended, with many concluding that it was a result of the heartbreak he himself experienced as a young member of England's Euro '96 team.
Then it was he who tasted the bitter sting of shootout defeat after missing a spot-kick in the crucial semifinal decider against Germany at Wembley.
If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters both the same... #Southgate #eng pic.twitter.com/KbyAzrKobX
— Alistair Griffin (@AlistairGriffin) July 4, 2018
All in all, Southgate has shown himself to be the type of leader not immediately synonymous with English football. Sensitive, compassionate and thoughtful.
Lest we forget that he is also the man responsible for single-handedly saving the UK waistcoat industry this summer. What a hero.
