The next one was worse for England, because it was Sofyan.
But he heard the song before the ball ever reached him. Still going, telling him it was coming home. ["IT'S COMING HOME! IT'S COMING HOME!"] And I watched him lift his head and take it in, and I watched the jaw set.
Because Sofyan Amrabat did not grow up in that pub in Manchester.
Sofyan Amrabat grew up being told he was not quite Dutch, and had spent a week listening to a whole continent argue over whether he was even quite African, and now 38,000 people were singing that a trophy was on its way home, to a country that had never once counted him among its sons.
Modrić heard this song too, I thought. 6 days before he used it to knock England out. Ziyech got told no by Holland. This one got told no by Holland. Half my pitch got told no by somebody.
They did not need my team talk.
England were singing it for me.
