He has only been England Manager since December 2016. One of the first things he did was to get rid of Wayne Rooney, who was England's captain. I don't know what Southgate's reasons were, but this decision is a very important one.

This is significant. Wayne Rooney represented some of the things about football that people have come to dislike - even though a top goalscorer, he sometimes presented himself as arrogant, a party animal, not always in the nicest of ways. Whilst we are all human, he did represent celebrity football; ego-driven football. 

Gareth Southgate was never into all of that. He didn't do the parties, was a family man, avoided all the celebrity life. 

As well as getting rid of Wayne Rooney, he then choose instead humble players, like he is, players who aren't so interested in the celebrity lifestyle, but who are passionate about teamwork, about working together, supporting one another, realising no one person is more important than anyone else, players that represent the whole of the UK. It's not only a humble team, it's a diverse team. 

Gareth Southgate has been clearing out the ego in football. 

Another thing he is doing is loving his players. When you look at how he speaks to them and treats them, he treats them not as prize race horses there to make him money, but as a loving father would treat a child. With kindness, supportiveness, but also drawing clear boundaries as and when they need drawing.

But here are other examples that I think are incredible:

He has taken his public failure and turned it into something transformative for others, that helps them - that is the Hero's Journey in action. 

One of the England players, Fabian Delph, was due the birth of his 3rd daughter this week. So Gareth Southgate sent him home for the birth saying "Sometimes, there are even more important things than football."

And finally, he did this.

On Tuesday, when Columbia's Mateus Uribe missed his penalty shoot that led to England winning, Gareth Southgate went up to console him, emanating kindness and compassion, understanding that, even though they had just opposed Columbia, Gareth understood what Uribe was going through, and the divisions of competitive sport melted away as he reached out to him as a fellow human being. 

This is the New Masculine in action. 

So, do you still think football is to be avoided? Then you are missing out.

You are missing seeing what happens when a true leader appears, a man of integrity, kindness, compassion appears in a culture that hasn't had much of it.

And the impact of this on ordinary people is amazing!

A new hashtag has appeared. #GarethSouthgateWould with people saying what kind, caring, compassionate things they think Gareth Southgate would do. 

Like #GarethSouthgateWould "pop in to make sure your nan's ok while you're on holiday, get her a bit of shopping in and sit with her to watch Countdown". 

His kindness as a leader is inspiring ordinary people to think about kindness. Imagine what would happen if we all got behind supporting him, and sending him and our team all our positive vibes, and HE got to have more time in the limelight as England do better and better with our support.

He is also shining a light on how awful the leaders we have are AND how they could act instead. 

Imagine if our politicians acted as Gareth Southgate does. This is a visible standard ordinary people understand that we can call them up to.

This folks is the light shining in the dark. I am a little bit in love with him, admittedly, but I genuinely believe he is an agent of change not just in football but in the UK, to the fabric of our society - and what a lovely thing it would be to support him to continue to be the inspiring leader he is. Changing a culture people think couldn't be changed.....he is a true hero showing how anything is possible.

© Danica Apolline 2018

#GarethSouthgateWould
#ComeOnEngland
#itscominghome

July 10, 2018