In an age where Alexis Sanchez plays the piano to announce that he is signing for Manchester United, and where Aston Villa create a fake Whatsapp group to create some buzz around the signing of John Terry, the FA have thought outside the box for their official World Cup squad announcement.
The FA released a video of various fans around the country revealing the surnames of each squad member with Harry Maguire’s name hanging from a balcony, Ashley Young’s name beaming across a smartphone and Jesse Lingaard’s selection included with a clip of him celebrating scoring a goal in FIFA.
It’s a very different approach to the standard team announcement of reading names off a sheet and its reception has been largely negative with a lot of fans lamenting the FA’s decision to stray from traditional methods.
For the nation, by the nation. The #ThreeLions’ official @FIFAWorldCup squad announcement. pic.twitter.com/YecUWPUZfJ
— England (@England) May 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/VirtuousVan/status/996737291585499137
Just as you think you couldn't dislike the English football team anymore – they go and do this https://t.co/qBuVcumbu2
— Enda Coll (@enda_coll) May 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/HamsterMckenzie/status/996741073711091712
Some of the replies. People are FEWMIN.
— Our Rach (@ourrachblogs) May 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/Shxdipo/status/996738881335767041
This is the absolute strangest squad announcement I've ever seen
— Fredrik (@F_Edits) May 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/chambersh2000/status/996737392571711488
Gareth Southgate’s England squad for this summer’s World Cup is as follows:
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Butland, Pickford, Pope
Defenders: Walker, Trippier, Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Cahill, Jones, Maguire, Young, Rose
Midfielders: Dier, Delph, Henderson, Loftus-Cheek, Lingard, Alli, Sterling
Forwards: Kane, Rashford, Vardy, Welbeck
