Terry Venables was remembered as “the inspiration of a generation” as tributes flooded in for the former England, Barcelona and Tottenham manager following his death at the age of 80.
Venables made more than 500 appearances for Chelsea, Tottenham, QPR and Crystal Palace, but would go on to make his real mark as a coach, also taking charge at Palace and QPR.
The nation rallied behind Venables’ England team at Euro 96 in the summer football came home as the team brilliantly blew away the Netherlands 4-1 – Venables himself described the performance as “perfection: my most thrilling experience in football” – only to lose to Germany on penalties in the semi-final at Wembley.
The Football Association marked the passing of “a true football icon” and said: “Our modern game mourns the loss of not only a great character but an innovative, forward-thinking manager who was an inspiration to a generation of English players and coaches.”
Current England boss Gareth Southgate missed the crucial spot-kick in that game against Germany and led the tributes to his former manager, who made famous the ‘Christmas Tree’ formation.
“Any player will have great affinity with the manager that gave them their opportunity, but it was quickly evident playing for Terry Venables that he was an outstanding coach and manager,” he said in a statement.
“Tactically excellent, he had a wonderful manner, capable of handling everyone from the youngest player to the biggest star.
“He was open-minded, forward-thinking, enjoyed life to the full and created a brilliant environment with England that allowed his players to flourish and have one of the most memorable tournaments in England history.
“A brilliant man, who made people feel special, I’m very sad to hear of his
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