Prince William presents squad numbers to England’s World Cup hopefuls

With just days to go until the start of the World Cup, England’s men have been handed their squad numbers by Prince William.

The Prince, President of the Football Association, made a surprise visit to St. George’s as the players made final preparations for the tournament which gets under way in Qatar on November 20th 2022.

All 26 members of Gareth Southgate’s squad were presented with their number by the Prince of Wales.

Their time together to prepare for the biggest competition in men’s football has been truncated by the winter start to the tournament. However, Prince William told them ”Play for each other, support each other, enjoy it, and I’m sure you’ll go far.”

Harry Kane, who is just the sixth England player to captain the team at two World Cups, was the first to receive his number. He already knew he would most likely wear the number 9 shirt but several in the squad were unsure of what number they would get until the announcement and presentation by the Prince of Wales.

England’s captain, like every other player, received his number in a special box along with a handwritten message from their manager, reading ”Wear your shirt with pride and embrace the opportunity to make history.” The commemorative casket also contained a history of the number in the tournament and photos of other players who had worn it.

Three players made history as they received numbers never worn before by England players at a World Cup. Fifa’s decision to expand squads from 23 to 26 players meant that Callum Wilson (24), James Maddison (25) and Conor Gallagher (26) now have unique England shirts.

Gareth Southgate said afterwards “It was a nice moment to be with the group and Prince William, who has been a huge supporter of ours.”

Looking ahead to the tournament, which has been surrounded by controversy before it even starts, the England manager said ” As staff and players, we are all so privileged to represent England and we are excited to see what’s possible together. We want to make the fans proud again.”

England’s first match is on November 21st 2022 when they will play Iran.