Ex-England boss Gareth Southgate and a former Aston Villa executive are set to spill the beans on the inner workings of football
Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate is undertaking an intriguing new role(Image: Claudio Villa, Getty Images)
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Gareth Southgate is poised to embark on a new venture with a former Aston Villa executive that will see them reveal the inner workings of football's boardrooms.
The former England manager, who stepped down from the Three Lions role after the Euro 2024 final loss to Spain, has yet to return to coaching despite links with several clubs, including Manchester United. Southgate has suggested he might not return to management at all as his career takes a different path.
The 55-year-old has announced the launch of a new podcast, The Football Boardroom, which will feature him alongside former Villa chief executive Christian Purslow and journalist Henry Winter.
Southgate has pledged to reveal behind-the-scenes details of his dealings with club officials, managers and owners throughout his eight-year tenure as England boss.
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He said in a statement: "What happens in the Football Boardroom? It's time to find out. Along with my business partner Jimmy Worrall, I'm pleased to announce the launch of a new podcast, The Football Boardroom.
Gareth Southgate with Christian Purslow and Prince William during a visit to Villa Park in 2023
Southgate with Christian Purslow and Prince William during a visit to Villa Park in 2023(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside via Getty Images)
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"It's a project that's been some time in the making, and one that comes directly from my experiences inside the game. As England Manager, I was invited into every Premier League boardroom whenever I attended a match.
"While I was there primarily to watch players, another important part of the role was building relationships with managers, football directors, chief executives and, when they were present, owners.
"Over eight years, that added up to well over a thousand opportunities to observe how football clubs really function behind the scenes. The decisions, the dynamics, the personalities."
Reflecting on what he gleaned from watching leading clubs operate behind closed doors, he continued: "It offered a remarkable insight into the business of the game and the people who shape it.
Christian Purslow
Purslow, who left Villa in 2023, will join Southgate on the new podcast(Image: Getty Images)
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"What became clear very quickly was that success or failure in football isn't decided solely on the training ground, in the dugout or on the pitch. Those moments are influenced, sometimes decisively, by a much bigger game being played off the pitch.
"A game of money, power and politics, often conducted behind closed doors, where the stakes are extraordinarily high. The Football Boardroom aims to open those doors."
Among the club officials Southgate encountered during that period was Purslow, who served as Villa's CEO between 2018 and 2023. Before that appointment, he held senior roles at Liverpool.
As managing director from June 2009 to October 2010, he oversaw the club's takeover from unpopular former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett by the current owners, Fenway Sports Group. Purslow also served as Chelsea's head of global commercial activities from 2014 to 2017.