How would the crowd react to him? What would his wife say? It was all too much; he jumped up in the middle of the commotion that was the changing room, so frustrated, so sorry, and so guilty. He couldn’t take the noise, the bustle. He ran out of the room but he wouldn’t go far, this game was too big and being the captain he couldn’t do anything to risk the future for his team and his country.
Everyone knew what was wrong with him, they’d all seen the papers, but it wasn’t their problem, was it? They were all so excited; nothing could bring them down from the high they were on, especially Georgie Leech. He was like a bumble bee on ecstasy! He was almost bouncing off the walls.
This was only his 10th cap for England but it was clear he was the new star and at every chance he had, he shone.
He jumped around from player to player either leaping on their backs and shaking their heads, or grabbing them so tightly they couldn’t breathe. He wasn’t very experienced and it showed in the changing room but once he was out on the field he was a different man; calm, collected, ready for the challenge ahead, ready to score some goals! He was causing most of the noise, but nobody minded, it was understandable for such a young lad and for such a big game. Nobody minded, apart from one that is.
Michael James had to be calm before he stepped onto the sea of green turf. He was the goal keeper so apparently he had to be more focussed and Jamie was messing up his pre-match good luck rituals. He liked to get everyone to be deadly still and silent so they could hear the buzz from the crowd outside, waiting for their hero’s, wanting victory so badly. When he got everyone quiet he would say a little prayer asking God to be with them throughout the match and to guide his hands to catch the ball. Everyone thought it was a bit sad but they went along with it anyway to keep the peace. After the almost-minute silence, the coach started them up again and him and the unusually quiet manager, David Parks, lead the team out to the tunnel.
There they waited, side by side with opposing team, Brazil. There was no small talk between them, which was to be expected.
Parks had recovered Jamie from the toilets on the way down to the tunnel and had a quiet pep-talk with him to calm him down and get his head together. Whatever he said had done the trick. He was psyched up and ready for action just like the others. He put on his captains armband and made his way to the front of the line of strapping English men. A few of his fellow team mates patted him on the back, a manly way of saying, “You’ll be OK”.
No more time to think, no turning back, this was it, out they ran to face the fans.