Gareth Southgate's secret weapon is his wife of 20 years
As Gareth Southgate celebrated England's shock penalty win over Colombia last night, he made a beeline for the woman who played a secret but significant part in the team's success.
The England boss, 47, shared a tender embrace with his wife of two decades Alison, 51, whose off-pitch support the manager has credited with keeping him grounded.
He's spoken openly about how time with his wife and their two children helps to keep him sane away from the pitch, and his own experience has inspired a 'family first' strategy that could well be fuelling England's World Cup success.
Earlier this week, Jamie Vardy's wife Rebekah confirmed that Southgate's tactic is to allow players time with their loved ones, unlike in previous major tournaments.
The former player was in his early 20s and a trainee at Crystal Palace when he fell for Alison, a pretty boutique assistant almost four years his senior.
He would loiter around her boutique pretending to be browsing clothes, and was helped by the owner of an Italian restaurant in Croydon, which he and Alison frequented, who acted as a go-between.
Having been teased for his prominent nose, he was so unconfident of his looks that it took him about two years to ask her out. When he finally did, she told him she was living with someone. However, she eventually left her boyfriend for Southgate.
England boss Gareth Southgate, 47, shared a tender embrace with his wife of two decades Alison, 51, whose off-pitch support the manager has credited with keeping him grounded
Alison Southgate with the couple's two children Flynn, 15, and student Mia, 19
The couple married in 1997 at the Parish Church of St Nicholas, Worth, Crawley, West Sussex
In his book, Southgate recalls how he and Alison would meet in a Tesco car park to keep their romance secret from her ex.
However, when he was transferred to Aston Villa, she gave him an ultimatum: either she moved to Birmingham with him or the relationship must end.
His parents, were 'a little taken aback' when they announced they were living together because they had only met her once, and 'found it hard to believe that a son who had been so methodical, logical and weighed up everything' would behave so capriciously.
They married in June 1997, in a low-key ceremony at his parents' local church, carefully planned between World Cup and European Championship campaigns.
Supportive wife Alison celebrating the goal scored by Harry Kane during the Colombia vs England game
England manager Gareth Southgate celebrating at the end of Colombia vs England
They now have two children, Mia, 19, a university student, and Flynn, 15, a boarder at a private school in Yorkshire, who excels at cricket.
The family home is Swinsty Hall, a magnificent Grade I-listed Elizabethan manor nestled in the wilds of North Yorkshire, that he bought for £3.75 million when he moved to Middlesbrough.
And he's spoken frequently about how his wife and children help him to stay sane away from the pitch.
The glamorous blonde has been credited with helping keeping her husband sane away from the pressures of the pitch
Last summer he described how he was unwinding with his family ahead of preparing the England team for the world cup.
'Over the last couple of weeks I've just had a nice time spending it with the family though, and for me that's important because my kids are 18 and 14, and their development is as important for me as anything else in my life,' he told the Evening Standard.
'You 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 I'm also a dad and a husband.'
Alison with her daughter Mia. Her husband has made a point of prioritising family time away from the pitch
Earlier this week Rebekah praised the England's boss for prioritising players' time with their families.
'He's got the right idea of the team mentality,' she told The Sun. 'He's really relaxed with the players and he makes an effort with all of the families.
'He really encourages family days after games which relaxes the players, it brings a bit of normality in.'