Perhaps Euro 2028 will inspire the future Marissa Callaghan or Steven Davis
Rishi Sunak with England captain Harry Kane (left) and manager Gareth Southgate (right).
On Monday mornings at offices and workplaces around the country, football fans congratulate and commiserate each other about the weekend's games. If my beloved Southampton FC have dropped points, you can be sure my colleagues will bring it up as item number one on the agenda.
The debates, the rivalries, the hope we have at the start of every new season — that's why we love the beautiful game. There's nothing quite like it. And if we're passionate about our clubs, then supporting our country is something else.
Football brings us together to mark difficult times too. And I know the footballing world will come together again to stand in solidarity with Israel.
In this, and so many ways, football is at the heart of our national life.
As a sports-mad teenager, watching Euro '96 was a defining moment for me. It gave me a love of the game which lasts to this day. The memories of that tournament — and that Wembley final against Italy two summers ago — stay with us for life.
Perhaps you remember Northern Ireland's win against Ukraine at the Euros in 2016 — or even Gerry Armstrong's iconic winner against hosts, Spain, at the 1982 World Cup?
And who can forget Northern Ireland's ladies and their qualification to last year's Women's Euros, inspiring a new generation of young girls.
Yesterday Uefa confirmed that the Euros are coming to the UK and Ireland in 2028. All our efforts campaigning and hitting the phones have paid off.
It's going to be a wonderful chance to celebrate our unique football heritage. But we're not just repeating past glories. This bid is different from what's come before.
First, because of the way it is bringing one of the
Read on belfasttelegraph.co.uk
