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Former England coach Sir Gareth Southgate has declared he is "concerned about unity" amid an ongoing debate about flying the St George's flag.

Over the past few months, a growing number of St George's and British flags have appeared across England.

While some people view the flag display as patriotic, others consider it threatening.

Southgate, who spent eight years in charge of the Three Lions, resigned as manager following a Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.

Though he didn't secure silverware with England, he is widely recognised for bringing together the country in backing of the England team and has now authored a book titled Dear England: Lessons in Leadership.

This Flag Discussion

During a recent TV appearance, host Jon Kay asked Southgate for his view on the flag discussion, saying: "Some people are supportive of them. Others are doubting the use of them in specific circumstances. What do you feel of that flag discussion in the framework of what you believe about patriotism?"

Southgate responded: "I worry about unity. I've seen what we did with the team [England] to bring together all communities."

"I believe there's greater that unites us all than divides us. We should try and focus more on what unites us together than what divides us."

Current Events and Responses

Ex- England defender and Salford City part-owner Gary Neville recently criticised the "unfavorable" display of the St George's flag and said he had instructed the removal of a flag from a building site that he invests in.

Salford City's League Two match against Oldham Athletic was delayed later that week when two pitch invaders tried to put a St George's flag within the center of the field at the Peninsula Stadium.

Extremist group Britain First took credit for the incident, saying they "joined forces with Salford nationalists" to demonstrate against the "treachery of Gary Neville."

The Manager's Viewpoint on Unity

"At any time there will always be some division beneath the surface," said Southgate.

"Living is economically tough for a lot of people so I understand why people are discontented."

"Covid was a prime instance where people did shopping for their neighbours, they supported one another, that's what British spirit is all about."

His Personal Experience

Southgate, who was named England manager in November 2016 following an temporary period, gained 57 appearances for the Three Lions during his time as a player.

The nearest the defender came to winning with the national side as a footballer was in 1996, when he missed a spot kick in a semi-final penalty shoot-out defeat to Germany at Wembley.

Questioned about the significance of failing, Southgate said: "It's one of the certainties of life that events are going to not work out for you. What I discovered from 1996 is that I was unsuccessful to execute a technique under pressure and that I needed to be better prepared."

"As I went to bed that evening I remember reflecting: 'I don't know how I'll possibly get over this.'"

"The entire nation was on this celebration of football in 1996 and progressing to the final, and I was responsible for us being eliminated."

"But you leave the house the following day and slowly move past it. People weren't shy of bringing it up about it when I competed at rival grounds but there's constantly a path past these situations and you have to discover that resilience to overcome it."