Ben Stokes had words of encouragement for England’s footballers © Getty Images
England’s footballers are “absolute legends” who have their best years in front of them, according to Ben Stokes.
Stokes, captain of the England ODI side which has taken an unassailable lead over Pakistan in the Royal London series, watched Sunday night’s Euro 2020 final with the rest of his squad while observing social distancing protocols to prevent further outbreaks of Covid-19 within the group.
And while accepting the football team would be “devastated” to have lost to Italy on penalties, he insisted their cricketing counterparts were “incredibly proud” of their achievements in reaching a major final for the first time in 55 years and had complete faith in them winning trophies in the years ahead.
“They’ll be absolutely devastated, no doubt,” Stokes said. “But what they’ve managed to achieve is incredible. The nation has been completely captured by what they’ve done on the field.
“Obviously everyone in the nation would have loved to see England win, but just watching the games you feel a real connection to the team. The way Gareth Southgate has led, the way Gareth Southgate speaks… I think he’s been phenomenal in everything he’s done.
“Us as a national team, albeit in a different sport, we’re just incredibly proud of what they managed to do.
“It’s such a young team full of talent that the sky is the limit for them. There’s so many more years ahead, so many more tournaments to go and prove themselves in. But in my eyes and everybody else’s eyes in this changing room, they are absolute legends already.”
Stokes is a man who has experienced both triumph and disaster on the biggest stage. Handed the responsibility to defend 19 from the final over of the 2016 World T20 final, he was unable to prevent Carlos Brathwaite thrashing him for four successive sixes to take West Indies to the trophy.
Three years later, however, Stokes held his nerve in the World Cup final at Lord’s to help England win the 50-over World Cup “by the barest of margins”. It later emerged that, ahead of the Super Over that settled that match, Stokes had helped calm Jofra Archer’s nerves by telling him that, whatever happened over the next five minutes, it would not define him.
Joe Root tries to console a distraught Ben Stokes at the 2016 World T20 final © AFP
As such, he is better placed than most to assure England’s footballers – and those who were unable to score from their penalties, in particular – that such a moment need not prove the defining moment of their careers.
“I hope they’re not defined by it,” Stokes said. “You look at where they’ve gone over the last two or three years and the things they’ve managed to achieve and you know it’s just such a young team. They’ve got so much more time on their hands to go out and win trophies for England. They’re blessed with youth.
“Never has an England team been so exciting to watch. I’m not massively into my football like some of the other lads, but I absolutely watched every time they’ve walked out into the field and they’re just a real exciting to watch at the moment.
“You know they will be devastated. They’ll probably hurt for a few more weeks. But I’m sure once they get over it and have an understanding of what they’re able to achieve, there will be a lot bigger occasions to come for those guys, no doubt.”
George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo
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