Football might not be coming home, but Dave the cat definitely is.
After taking a shine to a stray cat that made itself at home at England's World Cup base in Qatar, Manchester City duo John Stones and Kyle Walker have made sure that Dave the cat is going to travel back to England and be rehomed.
The cat - nicknamed Dave by Stones and Walker - became a regular fixture on the official England Instagram page during the tournament when he started joining the players for meals and down time. He soon became the team's unofficial mascot, and the City pair even promised to adopt Dave if England won the tournament.
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England suffered quarter-final heartbreak at the hands of France on Saturday, but thankfully Dave is still going to find a new home.
Speaking on the England Instagram account, Stones said: "The first day we got there, we got like a little table around the corner, the next minute Dave pops up.
"Now every night he's sat there waiting for his food. But the other day he actually didn't eat all of his food, we were a bit annoyed at him, think he's getting a bit greedy."
Dave was even the subject of a question during the press conference Walker gave ahead of the France clash, a sign of the cat's popularity among the squad and the press pack.
"Dave is fine," Walker said. "He had a little scrap with another cat the other night. I think they are fighting over territory and the food. But he’s doing well.
"Hopefully I can stick to my promise that he will come home with us if we were to win the World Cup. Dave’s fine, thank you for asking."
Walker and Stones are keeping their promise despite England's exit from the competition. Dave left the Al Wakrah base a couple of hours after the squad to head to a local veterinary clinic. After receiving blood tests and vaccinations - reportedly paid for by the England players - Dave will have to spend four months in quarantine before he is allowed to move into his new home.
It is not yet clear who the cat will end up moving in with. “They’re still undecided as who’s having him but he’s going back,” said the woman tasked with taking Dave to the vets in Qatar.
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