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鈥淲e all want to be loved.鈥� The words of the England manager Gareth Southgate bearing his soul. England had just beaten the Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday night. It was almost as if enough was enough after all the personal, often vitriolic criticism, the England Manager had endured. He added
鈥淲hen you are doing something for your country鈥�. and when you don鈥檛 feel it back, and all you receive is criticism, it鈥檚 hard.鈥�

And it must be. It was almost as if Southgate鈥檚 deeply philosophical approach to life and his work as England manager had gone up a gear. This was frank; deeply honest. In the past, he has often talked about empathy and respect. About the importance of the individual. If you show respect to another human being, they are more likely first, to listen to you and then to follow you.

For me. as priest, many of these words are of course deeply theological. They have overt Christian overtones. On Wednesday night as well as empathy, respect, following and listening a simple desire to be loved was added to the mix.

We read that human beings are created in the image of God at the very beginning of the bible. And because God is love, human beings then reflect that gift of love - because God does not want us to feel isolated and alone. A sense of belonging is a huge part of the pilgrim journey.

When challenged as to which is the greatest commandment, it鈥檚 not surprising then that Jesus responds that it is to love: first, to love God and then to show such love in action by how humans treat each other. It was the thirteenth century theologian Thomas Aquinas who wrote 鈥渢o love is to will the good of another.鈥�

Only with Gareth and the England team, we didn鈥檛 did we? The very public doubt and scathing judgement of the early games from many was, we now know in his own words, hard.

I鈥檝e loved football all my life. On the terraces, I know the passion it creates, even amongst strangers, united by a common goal. To support a team at any level, but perhaps most of all internationally, is a great shared experience which binds us together.

England鈥檚 Euro 24 journey has had many twists and turns. And tomorrow won鈥檛 be easy either against an enterprising and exciting Spain side. But it鈥檚 time for us England fans to show that we have listened to the manager. That we do care, whatever the result. To thank the team for all that has been achieved so far. Because it鈥檚 true [Gareth], in the end and at the end, everyone wants to be loved.

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