Terry Venables: 'One of football's brightest minds and most innovative coaches'

Terry Venables, who has died aged 80, was one of football's brightest minds and most innovative coaches both as a player and later in a management career that saw him lead England at Euro 96.

Venables was more than just a football person, even co-authoring novels that led to the successful 1970s television series "Hazell" about a fictional private detective.

It will be for his prowess as a player and his originality and brilliance as a coach and manager for which Venables will be best remembered, perhaps most notably for leading England to the Euro 96 semi-final, when they lost on penalties to Germany at Wembley after one of his successors Gareth Southgate missed a vital penalty.

He may have been an acquired taste to some with his colourful personality and well-chronicled life in business but never by those who played for him, where Venables is regarded with virtually unanimous respect and affection for his superb man-management style and his razor-sharp tactical acumen.

• Venables dies aged 80

Gary Neville, who played in that Euro 96 England side, wrote on X after his death: "He is without doubt the most technically gifted British coach we've ever produced." This from a man who enjoyed such success at Manchester United.

It was an ability that served him well with a succession of clubs in England but also abroad, where the man who was dubbed 'El Tel' led Barcelona to La Liga success in 1985 only to miss out agonisingly in the 1986 European Cup Final, which was lost to Steaua Bucharest on penalties.

Born in Dagenham, Venables was a highly-sought youngster but eventually signed for Chelsea as they embarked on the "Swinging 60s" era at Stamford Bridge, winning the FA Youth Cup in 1960 and 1961, playing alongside legends such as keeper Peter Bonetti, Ron 'Chopper' Harris and striker Bobby Tambling.

Venables made his senior Chelsea debut in February 1960 when he was described as "the new Duncan Edwards" such was his prodigious talent, but as the years progressed he endured a difficult relationship with manager Tommy Docherty, even though the League Cup was won in 1965.

In a time of huge competition to get into Sir Alf Ramsey's side that would win the World Cup in 1966, Venables' international career was limited to only two appearances in 1964 but he signalled his future intentions by taking his coaching badges aged only 24, which he passed with flying colours.

Venables moved to Tottenham, the club he would later manage, in an £80,000 deal in 1966, winning the FA Cup against Docherty's Chelsea at Wembley a year later.

He left Spurs for Queen's Park Rangers in June 1969 and it was here that his coaching aspirations started to flourish, with then manager Gordon Jago even allowing him to take training sessions.

There was a brief stay at Crystal Palace before retirement, then joining the coaching staff and working alongside charismatic manager Malcolm Allison - also a brilliant coach. They reached the FA Cup semi-final in 1976 as a Third Division team, losing to Southampton.

It was when he succeeded Allison as manager later that year that Venables showed his reputation as a high-class operator was fully merited, embracing and taking a talented group of young players, including Kenny Sansom and Vince Hilaire among others, into the top flight.

Such was their youthful exuberance, success and flamboyant style, Venables' Palace were widely labelled at the time as "the team of the 80s" - a tag they would not live up to, although they did briefly top the First Division table.

Venables left Palace to join another of his old clubs, QPR, as manager in October 1980 and led them to the 1982 FA Cup Final, where they lost to Spurs after a replay but his work in restoring them to the old First Division attracted the attention of clubs around Europe.

It was still a shock when he took over at Barcelona but he won over the Catalan public with his warm and open personality, even moreso when he led them to their first La Liga Crown in 11 years in the 1984-85 season, although that European Cup Final disappointment followed.

Venables brought both Manchester United's Mark Hughes and Everton striker Gary Lineker to Barcelona in the summer of 1986, the latter following a brilliant World Cup with England, but success was not sustained and he left the Nou Camp in September 1987.

A coach of such stature was never going to be out of work for long and he was appointed Spurs manager two months later, going on to prove a lure for the game's biggest names as he tried to re-create the 'Glory Glory' era of the early 1960s at White Hart Lane.

Venables signed Newcastle United's Paul Gascoigne from right under the noses of Manchester United in 1988 and brought Lineker back to England from Barcelona a year later, both playing prominent roles as Spurs won the FA Cup in 1991 with a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest.

In a complex managerial set-up following Lord Sugar's takeover at Spurs, Venables became chief executive then a backroom figure after his own failed bid to buy the club. He was eventually dismissed in May 1993 in a clash over his business dealings.

Venables, despite being regarded as perfectly suited for the post given his track record, had been overlooked for the England job but his chance came as successor to Graham Taylor in 1994 with the task of leading them in to Euro 96.

Many of the FA hierarchy, particularly the chairman of the FA's international committee Noel White, were never fully convinced by Venables and it was announced even before the tournament that Glenn Hoddle would be succeeding him.

It was at Euro 96 where Venables demonstrated the sure touch on and off the field that made players love him for his cool handling of all matters and which even now marks him out as England's lost great coach.

Venables stood by his England squad despite fierce media criticism of the 'Dentist's Chair' incident in Hong Kong before the tournament when several were pictured drunk, having strong liquor poured into the mouths.

This support of a squad under siege was rewarded, particularly with a masterclass in a 4-1 win over a powerful Netherlands side at Wembley, which Venable later called: "Perfection - my most thrilling experience in football."

He left his England post after that semi-final defeat by Germany and never really had another opportunity to show his class - although plenty still think it should have been with England.

Venables had a short spell coaching Australia then made an ill-fated return to Palace under rookie owner Mark Goldberg before joining Middlesbrough as head coach in December 2000 to work alongside Bryan Robson, who was in his backroom team at Euro 96, as they attempted to avoid relegation. They succeeded before he left the club, along with Robson in June 2001.

He returned to high-profile management at Leeds United in July 2002 but his chances of success were wrecked by a financial crisis engulfing the Elland Road club, with prize asset Rio Ferdinand sold to Manchester United a fortnight after his arrival. Other key players such as Lee Bowyer, Robbie Fowler, Robbie Keane, Olivier Dacourt and Jonathan Woodgate also went - the latter, in particular, infuriating Venables.

In reality, he was on a hiding to nothing at Leeds.

Venables remained held in the highest regard, as proved when he returned to England's colours as assistant to England manager Steve McClaren in 2006 but the whole enterprise was a dismal failure and broken up after the failure to qualify for Euro 2008.

The knowledge, charm and wit which made Venables such an enduring and popular figure shaped him the perfect TV pundit. He won huge respect in this field, both for BBC and ITV. When he spoke, even the biggest names in the game listened, such was his reputation.

It will be, however, the respect, admiration and love of those who worked with and for him in football that will be the true measure of what Venables had to offer and an accurate reflection of a coach they regarded as a genius.

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