Are footballers really that thick?
From our UK edition
In the past few days, the good people of Football Twitter have rediscovered a Guardian article from 2014. Dick Bate, former manager of the England Under-17s, recalled an occasion from the 2002 European Championships in which a young Wayne Rooney, at a meal with the entire squad, stood up and read a self-composed poem called When Saturday Comes. In this poem, Rooney expressed his pride in representing his nation. This has got me thinking: are footballers truly thick? Have we judged Rooney unfairly? That is certainly the prevailing sentiment. Admittedly, I have not been able to obtain a copy of When Saturday Comes, to determine whether it is actually any good.
