Gareth Southgate hit the headlines back in July when he announced his decision to step down as England manager following the UEFA EURO 2024 final defeat to Spain.Â
He ended the year on a high, however, receiving a knighthood in the New Year Honours List for services to association football, after leading the Three Lions to the finals of Euro 2020 and 2024, and the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup.
While much is known about the starâs on-pitch life, you might know less about his glamorous wife Alison, who he walked down the aisle with in 1997, or the pairâs two lookalike children: Mia, 24, and Flynn, 20.
Hereâs everything we know about the former England managerâs life with his familyâŠ
Alison Bird
Gareth and wife Alison are childhood sweethearts with the pair meeting while Gareth was just a trainee at Crystal Palace F.C. At the time of meeting Gareth, Alison was working in a clothing boutique, however as she generally keeps out of the public eye, itâs unknown if she still has a career in the industry.
In his 2003, Gareth spoke about plucking up the courage to ask Alison out after meeting her at the shop where she worked. When they first got together, they would sneak around the Tesco car park for their dates.
Gareth and Alisonâs love quickly blossomed and the duo walked down the aisle in July 1997 with the ceremony taking place in Crawley, close to where Gareth grew up and studied. Despite their joy at tying the knot, the weather was not in their favour on their big day, with some of their wedding photos taking place underneath umbrellas.
The couple live in Harrogate, Yorkshire, and own several properties in the surrounding area.
Despite her husband having a successful career, Alison isnât actually too interested in football. Speaking to the Mail, the managerâs father, Clive, said: âActually, I donât think Alison likes football very much.
âObviously she has to take an interest because itâs Garethâs job, and she is always very supportive. She will sometimes go to Wembley for an international game â but not during the school term because she always puts the children first.â
Mia, 24
Gareth and Alisonâs eldest child, Mia, received an MA in Social Anthropology from the University of Edinburgh.Â
She is now a budding fashion influencer, boasting over 4,000 followers on her various social media platforms. In particular, sheâs garnered an impressive following on TikTok where she posts outfit-of-the-day videos in keeping with the âIt-Girlâ aesthetic.Â
Flynn, 20
Flynn is Gareth and Alisonâs youngest child, and he has opted to pursue a career away from his fatherâs sporting shadow. Instead of heading into the world of football, Flynn is a trainee lawyer and has achieved a bachelorâs degree in politics from Kingâs College London.
Life as a dad
Speaking about his parenting style, Gareth told the Standard in 2017: âOver the last couple of weeks Iâve just had a nice time spending it with the family though, and for me thatâs important because my kids are 18 and 14, and their development is as important for me as anything else in my life.
âYou do have to try to find a balance because my focus inevitably gets drawn towards making this team as successful as we can and driving them to be the best team in the world, but Iâm also a dad and a husband.â
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