Southgate hugely fortunate to get second England opportunity from seestyle's blog

Gareth Southgate feels "hugely fortunate" to havethe opportunity to manage after initially turning down the job in 2016.

Southgate had been working as England Under-21s manager when Roy Hodgson departed after a dreadfulEuropean Championship campaign, but he opted not to take up the senior role, which instead went to Sam Allardyce Ashtyn Davis Jerseys .

Allardyce's subsequent sacking amid off-field controversythrust Southgate into the spotlight as he impre sed in an interim role, going on to securethe job full-time before .

Although his stock has never been higher, the former Middlesbrough bo s acknowledges it was not Greg Van Roten Jerseys a foregone conclusion that he would get another chance to lead his country.

"I feel hugely fortunate now," Southgate said ahead of .

"It wasn't what I wanted to do after the Euros . I wanted it to go well Tim Ward Jerseys for Roy, just as I later wanted it to go well for Sam.

"I didn't think, when Roy left, there'd be any enthusiasm for an internal appointment. I knew that my record with Middlesbrough even though, for me, what I achieved Quinnen Williams Jerseys with them in the first two years was better than anything I've done in the last couple of weeks would be held against me as a manager.

"You're always judged on results without nece sarily all of the context and all the understanding of where you are, that you're learning.

"But I remember then Wales manager Chris Coleman after the European Championships, saying, 'You've got to go for things in life and not be afraid to fail.'

"That resonated with me because I'd Corey Davis Jerseys probably just ruled myself out of taking on the job. If I was talking to young people or my own kids, I would be saying exactly those things, but I wasn't living it myself.

"So I felt, then, actually I had to make sure Shaq Lawson Jerseys that, if there are opportunities in life, you've got to go for them.

"Even as a young player, you maybe only get one World Cup. You a sume there'll be more, but you might only get one because of an injury or something else."