Matthias Grafe tells Mail Sport he will never forget the day the England manager came to his resort in this quiet town in the heart of Germany.
He recalls how Gareth Southgate wasn’t fussed that the football pitch was covered by a blanket of snow but instantly knew his mind was made up.
Nestled in a forest on the outskirts of Blankenhain – a town with a population of less than 7,000 – this was the ideal location with the