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#3 Southgate was eager to take the leap and could play a variety of roles
Simon Osborn recalls his former teammate Gareth Southgate as a young man eager to make a mark on English football and always prepared to take the big leap that could possibly land him in the higher echelons of world football. During his time with Crystal Palace, Southgate was keen to make the most of his opportunities and volunteered to slot in anywhere on the pitch.
He played at a number of positions including right back, centre back, left back, or in midfield during his time with the youth team at Crystal Palace and was always eager to help the team out whenever required. However, Osborn believed that his role as a utility player was one of his biggest problems and believed that he would be the perfect fit at centre-half.
Southgate later proved his teammate right after he nailed down a centre-half position at Aston Villa and slowly but steadily made a name for himself.
