The former manager of the England national team, Terry Venables, passed away at the age of 80.
The former manager, who once helmed the Three Lions to the Euro 96 semi-final, also held managerial positions at Barcelona, Leeds, and Tottenham throughout his career. His final role was as the assistant to Steve McClaren during the latter’s challenging tenure as the manager of the England national team.
A family statement read: “We are totally devastated by the loss of a wonderful husband and father who passed away peacefully yesterday after a long illness.”
Venables was a part of Chelsea, Tottenham, and QPR during his playing career. One of his managerial highlights was guiding Tottenham to victory in the FA Cup at the previous Wembley Stadium in 1991. Gareth Southgate, the current manager of the England national team and a former player under Venables, has spoken positively about the influence Venables had on him.
He had said: “As a player, you play for coaches who help you develop as a person and a player. He (Venables) challenged us tactically. With international players, you’re dealing with top players so they want to keep learning. He created an environment that was fun to be in. One of his sayings was ‘this is not a rehearsal.”
Venables assumed the England managerial position in 1994 following the unsatisfactory tenure of Graham Taylor. However, he chose to resign just two years later, before Euro 96, citing issues related to contract demands.