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What’s the story?
Former Liverpool star and England international Danny Murphy criticised the England U17 team after their victory in the FIFA U17 World Cup, in India, last month.
Murphy, who has had a long and successful career in football, having played for the likes of Liverpool, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, cited the fact that the England players were wearing their national jerseys backwards, as something that could sho disrespect towards their nation.
In case you didn’t know…
The England U17 side did brilliantly in their U17 World Cup campaign, as they went on the trophy after defeating Spain 5-2 in the final. The two stars of their campaign were Phil Foden of Manchester City and Rhian Brewster of Liverpool.
Heart of the matter
After the match, the England football players were seen celebrating with the trophy, while wearing their shirt backwards. Speaking to Talksport, Murphy criticised this, saying, “There's no England badge in the picture of them winning the World Cup – for me, that's wrong. They've all turned their shirts around because they want their names across their chests, so everybody across the world can see who they are.
"They're all saying, 'I'm a good young player coming through, look at me', but that in itself is what is wrong with society," he further said
“Some of those players could go on to be superstars. We're talking some amazing talent in that group and the freedom they played with, everybody should be happy to see that in an England shirt, and I am too, I was proud of them,” said Murphy. “But the England badge not being in that picture says a lot.”
What’s next?
The junior World Cup is obviously just a stepping stone for the football players, with scouts from many top clubs from around the world keeping their eyes on them. While most of them are already playing in some academy or the other, their good performances may just have earmarked them in their coach’s books as one for the future.
Author’s take:
It may be a junior world cup, but the players are representing their respective coutries, at the end of the day, and must respect their nation. However, wearing the shirt backwards while collecting the trophy has become a trend in recent years, and perhaps things like this should not be taken that seriously.
