from there he returned to one of his former clubs, spurs, leading them to an fa cup win in1991. then came england. he led his nation at a home european champoinship in 1996, where football fervour gripped england as they reached the semi finals of the euros, to the strains of the song football s coming home. it was england s best major tournament achievement in 30 years. gary lineker, who venables signed for barcelona from everton and then brought him to tottenham when he took the manager s role at white hart lane, paid this tribute. first i would like to say what an incredibly sad day this is. it has actually hit me quite hard because i was very close to terry, he wasn t just a coach or manager. but he was a friend. i worked with him on television for many years. he was the only manager i had in my career that would regularly take out for lunch, where we just talked football and that started, as you rightly said, at barcelona when he signed me there. it an incredibly importa