PUBLIC ENEMY No.1

Southgate should be a national hero in England but he looks like a beaten man after Euro flop shows

- JOHN CROSS

GARETH SOUTHGATE looks like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The England boss has barely cracked a smile since Euro 2024 kicked off and has looked tired and drawn, like he knows this is a tournament too far.

This is a man who should leave as a hero for the way he has transformed the team's fortunes. Under Southgate they have gone from being perennial losers into genuine contenders in the space of eight years.

Instead, you have TV's most high-profile football presenter Gary Lineker branding England "s***" on a podcast.

His laughing lieutenants Alan Shearer and Micah Richards giggled sycophantically along and set an agenda that has only fuelled fan anger.

Without wishing to inflate Lineker's ego further, surely he should understand that supporters listen? Surely Southgate deserves better? He took over when England were at their lowest point, having lost to Iceland at Euro 2016, and took them to a World Cup semi and Euros final.

Southgate is now public enemy No.1 and the problem is that negativity spreads through the whole camp.

Even midfielder Declan Rice acknowledged earlier this week that those who have regularly covered and followed England have been fair because the performances have not been good enough and you should be able to criticise.