Southgate: We back Sven

Ken Dyer13 April 2012

Gareth Southgate today became the first England player to publicly back Sven-Goran Eriksson over the controversy surrounding his affair with Ulrika Jonsson.

The Middlesbrough defender and Standard Sport columnist, who is a certainty to go to the World Cup next month, believes the furore surrounding Eriksson's private life will be dismissed as a non-event by England's players.

His statement confirms the private message sent to the England coach by David Beckham, as revealed by this newspaper on Monday.

"It wouldn't be the first time that similar stories surrounding the international coach have surfaced," said Southgate.

"I can say definitely that it won't have any effect on the squad whatsoever. We will be just as focused as before.

"Obviously the events of the last few days have been an unwanted distraction to the coach but I am sure he will deal with it in his own way and in the manner he has coped with everything since he took over.

"I don't believe there is any possibility though, that anything will interfere with the way he prepares for the World Cup."

Southgate, who will be fit for Japan despite suffering a suspected broken nose against Ipswich last night, went on: "As always, we do put people under tremendous pressure at times.

"What the England coach does in his private life should really be his own business.

"I am truly staggered by the volume of the coverage over the last few days, although perhaps I shouldn't be."

The Football Association will be hoping the story now begins to die down after television presenter Jonsson admitted yesterday that her relationship with Eriksson was now over.

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