Ex-England manager Gareth Southgate declares war on "toxic" influencers harming young people's minds

Southgate, who played as a defender for Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesborough, was England manager for eight years. In that time, he guided the Three Lions to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and the Euros final twice, in 2021 and 2024.

The Hampshire-born manager stood down from the role after the 2024 Euros, with Lee Carsley replacing him as an interim boss before Thomas Tuchel was appointed. The German has recently named his first England squad ahead of World Cup qualifier games against Albania and Latvia.

Delivering a David Dimbleby lecture at the University of London, Southgate has talked about how young people are being “bombarded” by social media influencers. Visiting community centres, schools and a prison in recent months, the former defender has since learned the extent of the damage being done.

He said: “They [young people] are targeted with images of the perfect body, the perfect career and the perfect life. A beautifully crafted highlights reel where success appears to be instant and effortless. How can this make them feel good about themselves?

“Young men end up withdrawing, reluctant to talk or express their emotions. They spend more time online searching for direction and are falling into unhealthy alternatives like gaming and pornography.

“The solutions are complex because bad habits have been formed. But ignoring the negative impact of social media on our young people is not an option.”

Southgate also expressed his belief that boys are not given enough chance to experience failure as children and develop the resilience needed to overcome it. He was particularly scathing about a certain type of online influencer, calling them “callous, manipulative and toxic”.

“They willingly trick young men into believing that success is measured by money or dominance, never showing emotion, and that the world, including women, is against them,” he said. “They are as far away as you could possibly get from the role models our young men need in their lives.

“With England, we gave ourselves the best chance to succeed. And we must give our young men the best chance to succeed as well. That’s the message we need to offer young men today.

“Not everyone will win trophies, not everyone will be at the top of their field. But everyone can live a life where they can constantly strive to improve.

“That is how we will create a young generation, a society, and a nation of which we can all be very proud. And I’m looking forward to playing whatever role I can to help make it happen.”