Boys need role models not gaming and porn, Sir Gareth Southgate says

Sir Gareth Southgate says helium fears young men are spending excessively overmuch clip gaming, gambling and watching pornography - and they request amended relation models beyond online influencers.

In a wide-ranging speech for the BBC's yearly Richard Dimbleby Lecture, the ex-England men's shot manager spoke astir his ain acquisition of missing a important punishment astatine Euro 96, saying helium didn't fto it specify him.

"That symptom inactive haunts maine today," helium said, "and I conjecture it ever will."

Referencing his ain experiences, helium said the UK needed to bash much to promote young radical - particularly young men - to marque the close choices successful beingness and to not fearfulness failure.

Rather than turning to teachers, sports coaches oregon younker radical leaders, Sir Gareth said helium feared galore young men were searching for absorption online. There, helium said they were uncovering a caller benignant of relation model, 1 that excessively often did not person their champion interests astatine heart.

"These are callous, manipulative and toxic influencers, whose sole thrust is for their ain gain," helium said.

"They willingly instrumentality young men into believing that occurrence is measured by wealth oregon dominance, that spot means ne'er showing emotion, and that the world, including women, is against them."

Sir Gareth spoke astir missing the important punishment successful the 1996 Euros semi-final, erstwhile England mislaid to Germany.

"Missing that punishment was undoubtedly a watershed infinitesimal that made maine stronger, a amended man," Sir Gareth said astatine the lecture. "It forced maine to excavation deep, and revealed an interior content and resilience I ne'er knew existed."

He contrasted his ain miss with Eric Dier's palmy punishment footwear against Colombia successful 2018, erstwhile - with Sir Gareth arsenic manager - England won a World Cup punishment shootout for the archetypal time.

During the intervening 22 years, helium said determination had been a alteration successful mindset among England players.

"In 1996, I had walked 30 yards to the punishment spot believing I would miss," helium said. "In 2018, Eric had walked 30 yards to the punishment spot believing helium would score."

During Sir Gareth's vocation arsenic a defender and midfielder, helium played for Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough and was successful the England squad betwixt 1995 and 2004. He took implicit arsenic manager successful 2016 and led the squad to the 2018 World Cup semi-final, 2022 World Cup quarter-final and Euro finals successful 2020 and 2024.

He stepped down arsenic manager successful July, 2 days aft England mislaid to Spain successful the Euros.

Sir Gareth has been credited with revitalising the England squad and was knighted successful the King's New Year Honours successful December.

He is the latest successful a enactment of academics, concern leaders and different notable figures to present the Richard Dimbleby Lecture, which has been held astir years since 1972 successful representation of the broadcaster.

Previous speakers person included King Charles III, erstwhile helium was the Prince of Wales, tech entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates, and Christine Lagarde, past the managing manager of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Sir Gareth's speech focused connected the value of content and resilience for young men, and helium cited 3 things needed to physique these: identity, transportation and culture.

He referred to a report, released earlier this period by the Centre for Social Justice, which said boys and young men were "in crisis", with a "staggering" summation successful those not successful education, employment oregon training.

"Too galore young men are isolated," Sir Gareth said successful his talk. "Too galore consciousness uncomfortable opening up to friends oregon family. Many don't person mentors - teachers, coaches, bosses - who recognize however champion to propulsion them to grow. And so, erstwhile they struggle, young men inevitably effort to grip immoderate concern they find themselves in, alone."

"Young men extremity up withdrawing, reluctant to speech oregon explicit their emotions," helium added. "They walk much clip online searching for absorption and are falling into unhealthy alternatives similar gaming, gambling and pornography."

He besides said young men don't get capable opportunities to neglect and larn from their mistakes.

"In my opinion, if we marque beingness excessively casual for young boys now, we volition inevitably marque beingness harder erstwhile they turn up to beryllium young men," helium said. "Too galore young men are astatine hazard of fearing failure, precisely due to the fact that they've had truthful fewer opportunities to acquisition and flooded it. They neglect to try, alternatively than effort and fail."

The ex-footballer besides reflected connected what his vocation has taught him astir content and resilience.

"If I've learned thing from my beingness successful football, it's that occurrence is overmuch much than the last score," helium said. "True occurrence is however you respond successful the hardest moments."

The Richard Dimbleby Lecture with Sir Gareth Southgate is broadcast astatine 10.40pm connected BBC One and available connected iPlayer now