Gareth Southgate managed Middlesbrough before taking charge of England (Image: Getty)
A former team-mate of Gareth Southgate’s has revealed he wasn’t an “honest” manager. Southgate has received widespread praise for his man-management skills and cultivating a culture of togetherness during his eight-year tenure as England boss.
But former Spanish footballer Gaizka Mendieta claims that was not always his strong suit. Mendieta joined Middlesbrough in 2003 on a season-long loan, before making his move permanent and finishing his career in the North East in 2008.
The majority of his Middlesbrough stint was shared with none other than central defensive stalwart Southgate. As two of Boro's key players, they enjoyed success in the form of a League Cup triumph in 2003/04 and reaching the UEFA Cup final in 2005/06.
Off the pitch, they were friends and often roomed together. But their relationship soured after Southgate became Middlesbrough manager in June 2006.
Mendieta, who is now a pundit, DJ and restaurant owner, has shed light on Southgate’s ‘dishonesty’, accusing the manager of not informing him that he no longer wanted him. The Spain international retired at the end of the season after a string of constant injuries.
He previously told The Guardian: “I did not see Southgate becoming England manager at all but now that he is, he’s a perfect fit. We had a good relationship at Middlesbrough as teammates but when he became manager he still wanted to be a friend, a mate. But he wasn’t honest.
“Rather than just say, ‘We don’t want you here, find yourself another club’, he would keep telling me I was needed. We both knew it was not true.
Gaizka Mendieta fell out with Southgate at Middlesbrough (Image: Getty)
“Why did he tell me those things? He felt pressure from the board but later told me he would have done it differently.”
Mendieta came through at Valencia as an 18-year-old, making his first appearance in 1992. The energetic midfielder captained the side to successive Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001, losing out on both occasions.
He holds cult hero status in Middlesbrough thanks to his all-round brilliance and 204 appearances across all competitions. The Basque-born star also earned 40 caps for Spain, scoring eight goals between 1999 and 2002.
He was twice named the best midfielder in Europe by UEFA thanks to his Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana heroics with Spanish giants Valencia.
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