Southgate draws on demons to boost Boro

GARETH SOUTHGATE has revealed how coping with the demons of his playing career has helped him deal with the demands of management.

Southgate infamously missed the Wembley spot-kick which condemned England to semi-final defeat by Germany at Euro 96 and, although that was 11-and-a-half years ago, he knows he must live with that stigma for the rest of his career.

But a battling victory at Portsmouth, which has pulled Boro away from the relegation zone ahead of a challenging new year programme, reminded him how it is possible to bounce back from even the biggest footballing disaster.