England manager Gareth Southgate has been a fixture in the imaginations of two generations of soccer fans.
To those who came of age in the 1990s, he was a reliable defender for Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesborough (and, unfortunately, the goat of the 1996 European Championship). To those coming of age now, he is the impeccably dressed steady hand guiding England to myriad tournament success.
Either way, he is the type of personality popular enough to be serenaded on the street. No, check that—he is the type of personality popular enough that people that look like him are serenaded on the streets of other countries.
Take this video that circulated ahead of England's European Championship semifinal against the Netherlands Wednesday.
No wonder England won’t win anything when Southgate double shifting as a German copper. pic.twitter.com/2Gw18xWbOF
— Rob (@robtoone) July 10, 2024
A German police officer bearing a passing resemblance to Southgate is surrounded by English fans—all singing a parody of Atomic Kitten's "Whole Again" with lyrics reworked to praise Southgate.
Hilariously, one of his fellow officers appears to be filming the scene as well.
England, which lost the European final in 2021 to Italy, is seeking its first major men's trophy since winning the World Cup in 1966.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as England Fans Serenade Gareth Southgate Lookalike in Germany Ahead of Euro Semifinal.
