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Gareth Southgate was forced to undergo mental tests before taking England job
GARETH SOUTHGATE had to undergo tests to assess his mental strength before he was handed the job of England manager.
England boss Gareth Southgate had to undergo mental tests before taking the job
Southgate, 46, has signed a four-contract and such are the immense stresses and strains of the job that FA wanted to make sure he had the mental toughness to do it.
“It’s about thinking correctly under pressure,” said FA chief executive Martin Glenn on Thursday.
“It’s really important for the England team and important for anyone in a high-pressure role.
“We had Gareth independently assessed for mental strengths and how he takes decisions. We had extensive background checks. We went through the psychological assessments together.
FA chief Martin Glenn wanted to get the best man for the job
“It is a case of ‘what do we need to do to guarantee that England under Gareth can be as successful as they can?’
“It was a combination of things to compare and contrast against other people we had seen, looking at independent assessments of the type of manager he is, thinker he is, and then seeing him answer quite a few tough questions.”
Southgate's first game as permanent England boss will be against Lithuania at Wembley in March.