World Cup 2018: The handwritten letter Gareth Southgate's gave to all his England staff revealed
England lost in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night meaning they go into the third-place play-off
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Gareth Southgate left a handwritten individual letter to each member of staff who travelled to Russia with England for the World Cup 2018, it has been revealed.
England exited the World Cup on Wednesday night after a 2-1 extra-time defeat to Croatia in the semi-finals in Moscow, meaning they now have the unwanted task of a third-place play-off against Belgium on Saturday.
No one expected England to get this far though at one of the reasons for this success has been the togetherness and unity Southgate and instilled on the squad, and seemingly it was right from the get-go in June.
Upon arriving in Repino, which would be England’s base for the next month, staff arrived in their hotel rooms with a personalised note from Southgate.
Following the defeat, Jim Lucas, who does England’s social media, shared the note on his Twitter page.
It read: “The more I see, the more important it is that when ‘attacking this tournament’ we tell our own story.
“You’re capturing that brilliantly. Keep doing it and I hope this World Cup brings you unforgettable personal memories. Best wishes, Gareth.”
England are expected to arrive back in the country on Sunday following the third-place play-off in what will likely be a repeat of the when the Three Lions put out their second-string side against Belgium’s reserves in the final group game of the tournament.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments