Fuming Gareth Southgate upset with Uefa for throwing third-place Nations League medals into bag and giving them to England players in dressing room

GARETH SOUTHGATE criticised Uefa for throwing England’s third-placed medals in a bag in the dressing room. Southgate wanted his players to receive them on the field so that they could show their appreciation to thousands of travelling fans. But instead Uefa officials shoved them in a bag and told England to dish them out to […]

GARETH SOUTHGATE criticised Uefa for throwing England’s third-placed medals in a bag in the dressing room.

Southgate wanted his players to receive them on the field so that they could show their appreciation to thousands of travelling fans.

EPA

But instead Uefa officials shoved them in a bag and told England to dish them out to their squad after they had finished third in the Nations League.

Boss Southgate, clearly miffed after being forced to stay out in Portugal for a third-fourth play-off against Switzerland, said: “I’ve not seen the medal yet.

“It’s ironic really. We’ve had to go through another third-fourth place play-off and we don’t even get them in front of our fans.

“Speaking to some of the Liverpool players I used to play against, Joe Fagan used to throw the medals down the back of the bus.

“He would say ‘get on with it, if you’ve played enough games, take one’.

“That would sum it up for us. The only other medals we’ve been involved in was Le Tournoi in France.

“It’s nice to have some acknowledgement. But we’ll be parking it to one side and looking forward to Euro 2020.”