Blink scores ‘definitive’ account of Gareth Southgate’s time as England manager

Dear England delves into both the England team and Southgate’s transformation since he was hired as manager. With “extraordinary access”, Northcroft and Draper provide a behind-the-scenes look through interviews with staff and players “to give a complete account of the highs and lows of Southgate’s reign”. Interviewees include Southgate, Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Wayne Rooney and Steve Cooper, among others. 

Hallsworth commented: “The England men’s football team has undergone a seismic culture change under Southgate and there are no writers better placed to reveal how this transformation has taken place than Jonathan and Rob. They have had unprecedented access to the heart of the team throughout his tenure and through interviews with the key players and staff, they tell the real story behind this remarkable revival.”

Draper added: “It’s been a brilliant book to write as this story has dominated the past eight years of my life. In fact, arguably it’s dominated my whole life, if you go back to my first memories of watching England, being allowed to stay up late for the Brazil game in 1978. It starts out as a story about culture change and how you turn a failing institution around. It becomes a story about the essence of England, what it means post Brexit, the convulsions of Covid and what are the limits of footballer activism.”