Dear England: Gareth Southgate to write book on leadership
Former England manager Gareth Southgate will publish a book, Dear England: Lessons on Leadership, later this year.
It will draw on “the defining moments that shaped his leadership style, principles that defined his decisions, and the resilience that enabled him to perform under the most intense public scrutiny,” said publishers Century, part of Penguin Random House.
The book, whose title echoes the award-winning play by James Graham about Southgate’s tenure, is due to be published on 23 October.
“After stepping down as England manager following eight very special years, I’ve been reflecting on what I have lived through and what comes next,” said Southgate.
“Coaching top players and playing against some of the best teams in the world pushed me to operate at the highest level in football.
“Rather than write a memoir of those times I decided to share my experiences in a different way, through the lens of leadership which I hope will provide lessons for anyone who wants to discover their own authentic leadership style.”
Southgate, 54, left his post in July after losing the final of Euro 2024. While his spell in charge fell agonisingly short of silverware, he earned praise for his transformation of the culture around the national team.
The former England international, who also managed Middlesbrough and England’s under-21 team, has said that he does not wish to return to management for at least a year.
Southgate has since spoken at Harvard Business School as a visiting lecturer and was knighted in the most recent New Year’s Honours list.
Dear England was the title of an open letter that Southgate wrote to England fans during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was later used by Graham for his Olivier Award-winning play, which is being turned into a screenplay for the BBC and will be shown later this year.
“Just as Gareth inspired the nation with his England leadership, every page of his book will inspire readers with his characteristic sense of purpose, honesty, resilience and integrity,” said Ben Brusey, publishing director at Century.
“This will be a landmark leadership book, which I know will be enjoyed by readers for years to come.”