The Three Lions didn’t roar to World Cup victory, but a new member of the squad will be coming home with them. Fleet-footed Dave the Cat will be swapping Qatari warmth for English chill – and just in time for the January transfer window.
The purring predator has won hearts as the players’ unofficial mascot.
They originally said they’d bring stray Dave back if they won the trophy, but decided to rehome him anyway despite their quarter-final heartbreak.
John Stones and Kyle Walker have been Dave’s biggest fans, posting regular updates and pictures of the cat most evenings.
“First day we got there … Dave pops out,” said Stones. “Every night he’s sat there waiting for his food.”
“He was just there one day so we’ve just adopted him, me and Stonesy,” Walker told the FA’s official media channel.
Dave became a regular fixture at the team’s dinner table, where Walker says he was “welcome” – but not everyone agreed.
One of those rumoured to jump in the air when Dave arrives is Bukayo Saka.
John Stones claims to have come up with the moggy’s no-nonsense moniker “because it’s just a good name”. And he took to calling him “Big Dave” after the four-legged dinner guest started to get a bit “greedy”.
Dave has won not just the hearts of the England players, but also the attention of the world’s media
Credit: bbc.com
