Top-level managers are not usually known for their selflessness, but Gareth Southgate bucks the trend. Throughout his eight-year tenure as England boss he has been more than happy to be the nation's punching bag and turn the attention from the players to himself.
Many people in the same position would have been furious at the sight of their own fans launching cups towards them after a result, but Southgate took the angry reaction to his side's 0-0 draw with Slovenia on the chin. He could easily have puffed his chest out and pointed to his record as being England's best tournament manager since Sir Alf Ramsey, but his calm response summed up his humble nature: "I understand the narrative towards me. That’s better for the team than it being towards them."
Southgate has not just taken verbal bullets for the national team's greater good, he has also taken a financial hit. The manager declined the offer to sign a new contract ahead of Euro 2024 that would take him through to the 2026 World Cup, meaning he will get no financial compensation in the event he and the Football Association decide to part ways in July.
Every other manager in the Euros quarter-finals, with the exception of Switzerland's Murat Yakin, has a contract through to the next World Cup. England's main rivals Spain, France and Germany all know who their manager will be whatever happens by the end of the tournament, but the Three Lions do not. And that is becoming a problem for Southgate.