Raheem Sterling and Kieran Trippier showed their classy nature by performing a kind gesture for a reporter at the World Cup.
Carrie Brown of beIN Sports has recalled the heartwarming story of the England duo taking time to speak to her parents, who both sadly have dementia, and care home staff following the Three Lions' opening 6-2 victory over Iran. After England's campaign ended on Saturday following a narrow 2-1 defeat to holders France, Brown was asked to recount any personal tales from covering Gareth Southgate 's side in Qatar.
"I've got a sweet personal moment that will really stick with me," the seasoned reporter began. "I think people ask me about the special relationship that this [England] team have and how they're a real family. My parents have dementia and there's only one hour of the day that I can ever get them on a Zoom call because the care home can only have the time to get that to them when they're really quite with it.
"For the first seven days of rushing around I hadn't managed it. I made a mental note that after the Iran game that might be quite a good time after the flash zone was done, and I saw one of the coaching staff, John McDermott, doing the same thing with his family and everything had been done and all the players had gone.
"But my mum, at the moment with dementia, doesn't believe I'm in Qatar, thinks I'm making it up and that I should go and visit her. So the nurses said, 'Carrie, you're gonna have to try and convince her. Can you show her anything to do with Qatar?' So I showed her the pitch and the England dugout, and she still wasn't convinced!
"So I took her into the flash area where we interview [the players] and I showed her the sign for Qatar, and I just looked over my shoulder and saw some of the players were down in the tunnel. It was really dark and I was like, 'You can probably see there's some players'.
"And Raheem Sterling came to look in my screen to see who it was and waved, and when he realised it was my mum and dad in a care home, he got Kieran Trippier over and they waved and they engaged. My dad didn't have words and my mum didn't know what to think!
"But you know who it meant the world to? The nurses and the doctors that have got so many people through Covid, they'll never forget the day that Raheem and Kieran spent some time with their care home, and that will stay with me longer than any goal from this tournament."
Sterling and Trippier both received plaudits for their actions, with one fan responding to Brown's story by saying: "More than just a game and more than just a team! These boys are a special bunch and they are inspiring role models." Another added: "Classy from Sterling and Trippier. Great story."
Classy stuff indeed, and the Three Lions are well and truly in the fight to tackle dementia. In January 2021, manager Southgate committed himself to a study set up by The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to research possible links between football and dementia.
"Our involvement is absolutely essential if we are to have a greater understanding of this issue," Southgate, now 52, explained. "Having turned 50 last year, I am now eligible to take part in the HEADING study, which could provide crucial and valuable insight to help people who play the game now and in the future."
