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Dear England
- Author
- Gareth Southgate
- Narrator
- Gareth Southgate
- Publisher
- Cornerstone
- Publish Date
- 6 November 2025
- Run Time
- 9 hours 32 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Management: leadership and motivation, Self-help, personal development and practical advice, Sporting events and management
- Rating
- 4.0 (1 review)
What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
A major and inspiring new book on leadership by former England men's football manager Gareth Southgate
‘Many of us find ourselves called upon to be leaders at some point in our lives. Whatever meaning leadership has for you, I hope the stories I tell in these pages may resonate with your own experiences, and may even offer you some guidance.'
As England manager, in one of the highest profile roles in the country, Gareth Southgate forged a unique management style, combining calm empathy with mental resilience, and courageous integrity with strong accountability. His leadership at England propelled the men’s national team to its most sustained success in fifty years, reaching the 2018 Fifa World Cup semi-final, the 2022 quarter-final, and the Uefa Euro 2020 and 2024 finals. In the process, Southgate revitalised and reshaped the national team’s footballing identity.
In Dear England: Lessons in Leadership, Southgate reveals the defining moments that forged his leadership style, the principles that informed his biggest decisions, and the inner steel he developed that enabled him to perform under the most intense public scrutiny. Learn how to:
- Build resilience and define values
- Transform culture
- Shape a winning strategy
- Turn pressure into performance
- Lead through adversity
Southgate reflects on his early days as a Premier League captain, his lowest moment missing a penalty during Euro 96, through to his experiences guiding England through four major tournaments, and becoming a cultural figure whose open letter during the Covid-19 pandemic inspired a hit West End play. Southgate’s story is one of overcoming setbacks, building quiet resolve and enacting long-lasting change.
Written with warmth, honesty and wisdom, Southgate’s inspiring book transcends football to offer modern-day leadership lessons for any individual, team or organisation
‘Compelling, entertaining . . . Southgate articulated a moral vision that was beyond anything attempted by a generation of British politicians.' Guardian
‘A tremendous book’ Chris Evans
'What is remarkable is the insight it offers into Southgate’s psychology and motivation: what sustained him through the darkest times and enabled him to become an exemplary leader’ Times
© Gareth Southgate 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
User Reviews
Book 4.0
Narration 3.0
-
4.0 3.0
An insightful look into the complexities involved in managing the England team. It is also a very helpful insight into leadership, from offering up some new perspectives and to helping reaffirm some beliefs I already had.
I appreciate writing what you know but I felt like there were some other areas that could have been touched upon like 'managing upwards'.
I have a strong appreciation for Southgate as as a man and I respect that he is true to himself in terms of his delivery. Hearing him read the book reinforces a sense of authenticity. He is an effective writer in terms of conveying accurately what he means, but I feel it's sometimes lost in his delivery. There were moments that could have done with more emphasis and the joke delivery could have been stronger.
Still, a more profound read that most football books and making a hybrid between a biography and a self help book is inspired. I appreciate that Southgate doesn't presuppose our lives, but rather conveys his experiences and let's us take lessons from them. It's abundantly clear too he's a very considerate and intelligent man too.jbarn 2026-01-25
Details
- Author
- Gareth Southgate
- Narrator
- Gareth Southgate
- Duration
- 9 hours 32 minutes
- Release Date
- 6 November 2025
- ISBN
- 9781804956786
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Cornerstone
- Genre
- Management: leadership and motivation, Self-help, personal development and practical advice, Sporting events and management
- Rating
- 4.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 3.0(1 review)
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin.A major and inspiring new book on leadership by former England men's football manager Gareth Southgate‘Many of us find ourselves called upon to be leaders at some point in our lives. Whatever meaning leadership has for you, I hope the stories I tell in these pages may resonate with your own experiences, and may even offer you some guidance.'As England manager, in one of the highest profile roles in the country, Gareth Southgate forged a unique management style, combining calm empathy with mental resilience, and courageous integrity with strong accountability. His leadership at England propelled the men’s national team to its most sustained success in fifty years, reaching the 2018 Fifa World Cup semi-final, the 2022 quarter-final, and the Uefa Euro 2020 and 2024 finals. In the process, Southgate revitalised and reshaped the national team’s footballing identity.In Dear England: Lessons in Leadership, Southgate reveals the defining moments that forged his leadership style, the principles that informed his biggest decisions, and the inner steel he developed that enabled him to perform under the most intense public scrutiny. Learn how to:Build resilience and define valuesTransform cultureShape a winning strategyTurn pressure into performanceLead through adversitySouthgate reflects on his early days as a Premier League captain, his lowest moment missing a penalty during Euro 96, through to his experiences guiding England through four major tournaments, and becoming a cultural figure whose open letter during the Covid-19 pandemic inspired a hit West End play. Southgate’s story is one of overcoming setbacks, building quiet resolve and enacting long-lasting change.Written with warmth, honesty and wisdom, Southgate’s inspiring book transcends football to offer modern-day leadership lessons for any individual, team or organisation‘Compelling, entertaining . . . Southgate articulated a moral vision that was beyond anything attempted by a generation of British politicians.' Guardian‘A tremendous book’ Chris Evans'What is remarkable is the insight it offers into Southgate’s psychology and motivation: what sustained him through the darkest times and enabled him to become an exemplary leader’ Times© Gareth Southgate 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
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