Southgate visited Abbey Hill School and Technology College in Stockton in the latest stage of the Premier League's flagship community initiative, Creating Chances.

"Sometimes when things go wrong for you at a football club, which to a degree they did on Saturday, you relish afternoons like this, it helps you get a sense of perspective into your life. You look around are realise how lucky you are.

"As a club we are out and about in the community as much as any club in the Premier League. But even we need a check sometimes. We talk about triumphs and disasters and sometimes forget the true meaning of these words.

"Yes, the results we get can bring a smile to people's faces and make a difference, but equally, in the day to day world, what we do is fairly insignificant sometimes."

Southgate was full of praise for the staff at Abbey Hill, saying: "The hours they put in and the patience they have, plus the enthusiasm they have for their work, is great to see and they have a great facility here.

"I enjoyed the day thoroughly, but not the art room! I hopeless there, my skills are non-existent. It was the only discipline where I had all my faculties and the one which I failed most dismally in!"

He took part in wheelchair football, played another game with his hands tied together and learned some football sign language from the students at the community special school.

Abbey Hill caters for young people aged 11 to 19 with a range of special needs from moderate to severe learning difficulties, those with physical disabilities and others who are developmentally young. 

Development manager Liz Allison said: "Gareth's visit will go down as the most memorable visit the school has ever had. For our students, it represented a day for their achievements to be seen, heard and understood.

"We used Gareth's visit as a fun opportunity to highlight the barriers our students face when participating in sport and recreational activities.

"Gareth was 'de-skilled' for one game by simply tying his hands together to give him a disadvantage of a similar level to a disabled person, allowing him to experience how just a slight disability can affect things like balance and effort."

Liz explained: "His lesson in sign language helped to raise awareness of the communication challenges some of our students face and how these can be overcome."

To help the school celebrate a prestigious Artsmark Gold Award, Gareth also joined an art class to draw a football-related design that will be sold as a greetings card to boost the school's fundraising efforts.

He also paid a visit to the school's sensory education base to hear about the important role physiotherapy and water therapy can play for physically disabled pupils.

?The Premier League is donating £1m to charities and good causes throughout the country via the Creating Chances initiative. Middlesbrough Football Club chose 25 good causes to receive £2,000 each, while players are making personal appearances in support of eight different causes over a three-week period.