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London Tube station renamed in honor of England manager Gareth Southgate

16 Jul, 2018 13:44
London Tube station renamed in honor of England manager Gareth Southgate
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© Atsushi Tokumaru, Global Look Press / Hannah Mckay, Reuters

Gareth Southgate’s role in guiding England to their first World Cup semi-final in 28 years has been recognized by the London transport authorities, who have temporarily renamed a station in honor of the Three Lions manager.

Southgate station in Enfield, north London, has been renamed 'Gareth Southgate' by Transport for London (Tfl) for the next two days.

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Former international defender Southgate, 47, led his team to the semi-finals in Russia – the first time England had appeared at that stage since 1990.

They ultimately went down to a 2-1 defeat to Croatia in extra-time in Moscow, although the team surpassed the expectations of many heading into the tournament.   

READ MORE: Croatia 2-1 England (AET) : Cool Croatia stun England in extra time to book first-ever final berth

The England boss won plaudits throughout the World Cup for his respectful, thoughtful tone in press conferences and interactions with the public.

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He's also been praised for building a young, unified team that many hope will return long-awaited glory to English football on the international stage. 

On Monday, passengers posed for pictures at the renamed station, also taking the time to laud Southgate.

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"We have to celebrate the achievement, it's important," said Patricia Gomez, according to Reuters.

"[Gareth] was awesome, he gave the team motivation, he made them work as a family," she added.

After winning the tournament on Sunday, France also saw similar tributes on the Paris Metro, temporarily renaming six stations in recognition of the victory.

READ MORE: 'Thank you for your warmth and sincerity': Manager Southgate to Russia as England bow out

One station named after writer Victor Huge was restyled ‘Victor Hugo Lloris’, in honor of French goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris, while Notre-Dame des Champs was renamed Notre Didier Deschamps after the team's manager.