England national team manager Gareth Southgate once mentioned Andy Murray during a team meeting as in 2016 he urged his young team to take lessons from Andy Murray. After losing his first four Grand Slam finals and suffering multiple heartbreaks on the Grand Slam level, Murray finally became a Grand Slam champion at the age of 25 after beating Novak Djokovic in the 2012 US Open final.
When Southgate took over as England’s manager in 2016, he had a very young team that was coming off a very disappointing campaign from that year’s European Championship. Since Southgate took over as England’s manager, England made the semifinal at the 2018 World Cup – finished as runner-up at the 2020 Euro and made the quarterfinal at this year’s Qatar World Cup.
In late 2016, Murray defeated Djokovic in the final at the ATP Finals. Following that win, Murray became the world No 1 for the very first time in his life – at the age of 29. After that match, Southgate spoke to his team and urged his players to draw inspiration from Murray.
Southgate urged his young team to learn from Murray
“You are a product of the experiences you have been through. Andy Murray had to go through semi-final defeats, final defeats. You have got to go through the big matches and get through the other side before you get belief,” Southgate told his young English team in 2016, as quoted on The Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, Murray is preparing for the 2023 season. Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, will be starting his 2023 season at the Adelaide International. “I’ll be starting the year in Australia, which I always really enjoy.
Playing at the Adelaide International for the first time is something I’m looking forward to. The crowds in Australia love their tennis and they’ve always been very supportive. I’ve been working hard in the off season and the Adelaide International will be great preparation for the Australian Open.
I’m looking forward to seeing what Adelaide and 2023 brings,” Murray said. In Adelaide, Murray will be joined by Djokovic.
