Gareth Southgate joked that he might never wear a waistcoat again after he unveiled his first England squad since he guided the team to a World Cup semi-final in Russia.
The England manager’s dress sense became a talking point over the summer with Marks & Spencer reporting a 35% increase in waistcoat sales thanks to what it called “the Gareth Southgate effect”.
However, asked which kind of waistcoat he would wear for the Nations League match against Spain a week on Saturday, the England manager replied: “I’m not sure I’ll ever wear a waistcoat again.
“We only have one option with the current sponsorship agreement. But I’ll make a decision based on the weather.”
The popularity of Southgate’s waistcoat earned him a reputation as one of the more stylish managers at the 2018 World Cup – leading some to call him a style icon.
That reputation is a marked improvement on how he was viewed after Euro 96, when his missed penalty against Germany sent England out of the tournament – leading to him starring in an advert for Pizza Hut mocking his mistake.
The manager says the reaction to England’s World Cup performance – and his subsequently increased profile – has been far better. “It’s been more enjoyable than 20 years ago, when I was almost as famous.”
Southgate has chosen to reward his World Cup players in his latest squad, regardless of whether they are playing for their clubs.
Fabian Delph has not played a minute for Manchester City, while Adam Lallana (who was on stand-by for the World Cup) and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have also played just a handful of minutes for their clubs.
England face Spain in the UEFA Nations League before a friendly with Switzerland, and Southgate has made just five changes from his World Cup squad.
The injured Nick Pope is replaced by Southampton stopper Alex McCarthy while the injured Phil Jones also misses out as Joe Gomez and James Tarkowski are recalled.
The other three players omitted from the World Cup squad are the almost-retired Jamie Vardy and Gary Cahill, as well as Ashley Young.
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw is recalled along with Lallana.
“With us only being three games into the season, I felt some continuity was important so those who were with us in the summer deserve the right to go again. Others haven’t really had the opportunity to force themselves ahead of those guys.
“From here we have a two-year lead into the European Championships, so I want us to try and capture what we had this summer and why they felt it went well – but, once we’re through this camp, there’s going to be competition from others. People are going to have to play at a good level to retain their places.”