The savior of football. Greater than Puskas, Eusebio, Maradonna and Pele combined. Hell, we might as well get on with it and just elect him president of the universe already....
Why England captain in waiting Phil Jones could be the man to restore your faith in footballers again
The accusation has been made for years, all the more so after the World Cup debacle.
England’s players don’t care, don’t get it, don’t understand how much it means to the fans who follow them over land and sea. They are only interested in money, not glory.
Except, of course, it is not true. Never was. Never will be.
Not when you have players like Phil Jones, youngsters who still remember shedding tears of despair at watching England bow out of a major tournament.
Admittedly, Jones was not talking about sharing Gazza’s tears in 1990. He was not born then and too young even to recall Gareth Southgate’s crushed expression after that penalty shoot-out miss in Euro 96.
The fact that Jones was talking about the 2002 World Cup, when Ashley Cole, a team-mate against Spain tomorrow, was still England’s first-choice left-back, does not diminish the force and passion.
Like the thousands who will fill Wembley tomorrow and head to Poland and Ukraine next summer, the Manchester United defender lives and breathes the essence of those proud Three Lions.
“I remember watching the game against Brazil in the Japan World Cup,” recalled Jones, set to make his second England start. “I watched the first half at home and then I went to primary school to see the second half.
“What I remember, still, is Ronaldinho chipping David Seaman from that free-kick. When that goal went in and the final whistle went and England were out, everyone was in tears.
“I’d never seen anything like it. That’s why I understand when I’m playing for England what it means to the fans who watch and support England.”
Jones’ memories, as well as his recall that his Blackburn idols were Matt Jansen and Jason Wilcox - “Alan Shearer was too early for me” - dated his inquisitors, reinforcing that he is, still, a teenager, not turning 20 until February.
But behind the youthful face is a mature, determined and utterly focused player, someone who is already able to put what he does into a real context, beyond being willing to speak of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand in the same sentence without nervousness, discussing their shared attributes rather than anything else.
“Nothing worries me, nothing,” added Jones. “I love playing football, I love what I am doing.
“Against Spain we are wearing poppies on our armbands to pay respects to those who lost their lives. It is just a massive honour and 100 per cent puts my job into perspective. When you think about those who have lost their lives for our country, playing football doesn’t come into that category.
“Obviously you get a few jitters before a game but that is natural. If I didn’t get that I would be thinking something is wrong. In general, though, what have I got to worry about? I am playing football, I love what I am doing, I am competing against the best players in the Premier League and the world.”
Certainly that is the case tomorrow, by his own admission “a natural centre-half” asked to negate the finest passing side on the planet, a likely midfield including Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas, world and European champions.
Not that you would know it. Jones said: “They are fantastic players, we all know that. But they are only human. Everyone can make mistakes if you get in among them.
“In training we’ve talked about different scenarios that can happen in a game. We could sit here and talk forever about how you stop Spain but we need to get in among them and around them and really bite away.
“If we do that and play the way we can, then we’ve got a good chance. If we do it wrong and they pass round us then we can give away free-kicks but if we stop that process before they can do that, then we can just eliminate that altogether.
“We’ve got to adapt our game in a different way to play against Spain and then probably a different way to play against Sweden. That’s what football is about.
“There has been a lot of talk about Spain and not much about England. If we concentrate on what we’re good at and what we can do, then hopefully we can come out with a good mentality and prove that we can compete against the best.”
The words of an England captain in waiting. The words of Terry’s long-term successor. The words of the future. But, also, the words of a player who can never be accused of not getting it. He has shed the same tears and does not want to again.
The accusation has been made for years, all the more so after the World Cup debacle.
England’s players don’t care, don’t get it, don’t understand how much it means to the fans who follow them over land and sea. They are only interested in money, not glory.
Except, of course, it is not true. Never was. Never will be.
Not when you have players like Phil Jones, youngsters who still remember shedding tears of despair at watching England bow out of a major tournament.
Admittedly, Jones was not talking about sharing Gazza’s tears in 1990. He was not born then and too young even to recall Gareth Southgate’s crushed expression after that penalty shoot-out miss in Euro 96.
The fact that Jones was talking about the 2002 World Cup, when Ashley Cole, a team-mate against Spain tomorrow, was still England’s first-choice left-back, does not diminish the force and passion.
Like the thousands who will fill Wembley tomorrow and head to Poland and Ukraine next summer, the Manchester United defender lives and breathes the essence of those proud Three Lions.
“I remember watching the game against Brazil in the Japan World Cup,” recalled Jones, set to make his second England start. “I watched the first half at home and then I went to primary school to see the second half.
“What I remember, still, is Ronaldinho chipping David Seaman from that free-kick. When that goal went in and the final whistle went and England were out, everyone was in tears.
“I’d never seen anything like it. That’s why I understand when I’m playing for England what it means to the fans who watch and support England.”
Jones’ memories, as well as his recall that his Blackburn idols were Matt Jansen and Jason Wilcox - “Alan Shearer was too early for me” - dated his inquisitors, reinforcing that he is, still, a teenager, not turning 20 until February.
But behind the youthful face is a mature, determined and utterly focused player, someone who is already able to put what he does into a real context, beyond being willing to speak of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand in the same sentence without nervousness, discussing their shared attributes rather than anything else.
“Nothing worries me, nothing,” added Jones. “I love playing football, I love what I am doing.
“Against Spain we are wearing poppies on our armbands to pay respects to those who lost their lives. It is just a massive honour and 100 per cent puts my job into perspective. When you think about those who have lost their lives for our country, playing football doesn’t come into that category.
“Obviously you get a few jitters before a game but that is natural. If I didn’t get that I would be thinking something is wrong. In general, though, what have I got to worry about? I am playing football, I love what I am doing, I am competing against the best players in the Premier League and the world.”
Certainly that is the case tomorrow, by his own admission “a natural centre-half” asked to negate the finest passing side on the planet, a likely midfield including Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas, world and European champions.
Not that you would know it. Jones said: “They are fantastic players, we all know that. But they are only human. Everyone can make mistakes if you get in among them.
“In training we’ve talked about different scenarios that can happen in a game. We could sit here and talk forever about how you stop Spain but we need to get in among them and around them and really bite away.
“If we do that and play the way we can, then we’ve got a good chance. If we do it wrong and they pass round us then we can give away free-kicks but if we stop that process before they can do that, then we can just eliminate that altogether.
“We’ve got to adapt our game in a different way to play against Spain and then probably a different way to play against Sweden. That’s what football is about.
“There has been a lot of talk about Spain and not much about England. If we concentrate on what we’re good at and what we can do, then hopefully we can come out with a good mentality and prove that we can compete against the best.”
The words of an England captain in waiting. The words of Terry’s long-term successor. The words of the future. But, also, the words of a player who can never be accused of not getting it. He has shed the same tears and does not want to again.
Comment