Gareth Southgate’s lecture had echoes of a sermon. Here’s what Christians can learn from it

The joke was always made that Gareth Southgate would make a better Prime Minister than football manager. A recent talk for the BBC’s annual Richard Dimbleby Lecture only confirms this – and might even suggest a career as a preacher. Okay, that last bit is perhaps a tad far-fetched (Southgate is not known to be religious), but as I watched snippets of the speech and read its transcript, I said to my wife (a vicar) that it has echoes of a sermon. 

Before you jump on me – yes, I know, Jesus isn’t mentioned and he must be the heartbeat of any decent sermon. But as Sir Gareth drew from personal experiences to unpack the importance of identity, community and culture – and specifically their importance for young men – he touched on buzzwords and truths, including redemption (yes, that penalty), that feature in sermons across the country weekly.  

A cultural moment? 

In what looks to be a happy accident, the lecture coincides with the release of Netflix’s Adolescence. Gripping and terrifying, the show highlights the dangerous content and influences being exposed to children online. 

Drawing from his own experiences working with young men – and highlighting studies such as a recent poll of 16-24 year olds that found that the majority believe social media has become more toxic and addictive in the past five years – he says: “Ignoring the negative impact of social media on our young people is not an option.” 

Are we approaching a crucial cultural moment? Time will tell, but one thing is clear: it’s not an option for the church to ignore, either. Indeed, it should be at the forefront of the conversation. 

“An epidemic of fatherless” 

That brings us to role models. Southgate references a report which highlights “an epidemic of fatherlessness”, with 2.5 million children in the UK having no father figure at home. Put more shockingly, boys are more likely to own a smartphone than live with their dad. 

“Boys are spending less time at youth centres, sports facilities and community events,” says Southgate. “They aren’t meeting the traditional role models I used to meet such as coaches, youth workers and teachers. 

“This void is filled by a new kind of role model who do not have their best interest at heart. These are callous, manipulative and toxic influencers, whose sole drive is for their own gain.”  

It brings to mind what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:15: “Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.” 

As we awake to the challenges facing young people, in society and in our churches, is there anything we can do help meet this urgent need? 

Boys are more likely to own a smartphone than live with their dad

Identity, community and culture 

For Southgate, what’s key for young men is resilience and belief, the foundations of which are identity, community and culture. While Southgate’s merits as a football coach can be questioned, it’s unquestionable how he made the England team likeable and approachable. He broke down the barriers between players and fans, helping turn global superstars into role models that go beyond football. 

You might recall the wave of emotion and fun that greeted England’s journeys to the Euro 2020 and 2024 finals. This was in no small part to the identity, community and culture instilled by Southgate, that’s what gives him gravitas when speaking of their value. 

“Young men in our society face the same questions of ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Who are we?’ And just like our players, owning your story, and understanding that you are part of a bigger narrative that existed before you and will continue long after you’re gone,” he says. It’s compelling stuff – how much more so in the context of the gospel.  

The tale of two penalties  

Southgate bookends his talk with the tale of two penalties – the one he missed in Euro 96 and Eric Dier’s historic spot-kick in World Cup 2018.  

For Southgate, the two are inextricably linked. “Missing that penalty was undoubtedly a watershed moment that made me stronger, a better man. It forced me to dig deep, and revealed an inner belief and resilience I never knew existed,” he said. “If you look at the photos of my reaction [in 2018], you can probably see the decades of pain. For me personally, that moment wasn’t just relief, but it was a small step of redemption.” 

It’s a story so rich in gospel meaning that it makes for a good sermon illustration! 

Of course, we can pick holes in Southgate’s speech, as some commentators have. He gives gaming a bad rep – is that fair? And it might have been powerful to name some of the ‘toxic’ influencers (e.g. Andrew Tate) to help steer young people from them. But to unduly focus on the holes does disservice to the wealth of wisdom and inspiration Southgate brings here. I for one am grateful for both his words and example.