Ex-England boss Southgate hails Saka's resilience and growth

Bukayo Saka, who became a regular in the England squad towards the end of Southgate's tenure, first made a significant impact at Euro 2020. Despite the heartbreak of missing the decisive penalty in the final against Italy, Southgate has praised the young forward for his courage and resilience.

In a speech at the BBC, the coach explained: "I smile whenever I see his name. After his experience at Euro 2020, where he displayed remarkable resilience, courage and belief, particularly when he stepped up to score his penalty against Switzerland last summer, he proved himself to be a key figure for England."

The former manager also commended England captain Harry Kane and striker Ollie Watkins, noting their ability to overcome setbacks in the early stages of their careers.

"If I've learned one thing in football, it's that success is about much more than just the final score," he reflected. "It's not a straight path and success isn't defined by a single moment."

He continued: "Look at Harry Kane, for instance. He was once released by a club – I wonder if he still has the letter – and had several less-than-impressive loan spells. Now he's England's all-time leading goalscorer. Or Ollie Watkins, who is celebrated for scoring the winning goal against the Netherlands in the Euros semi-final. But few remember that he started out playing non-league football. Success didn't come overnight for him."

Southgate concluded: "None of these players had an easy, uninterrupted rise to the top. True success lies in how you respond to the toughest challenges. It's about having the belief and resilience to keep going, and that's the message we need to pass on to young men today."