Section:GDN 1N PaGe:48 Edition Date:190906 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 5/9/2019 19:19 cYanmaGentaYellowbl
- The Guardian Friday 6 September 2019
(^48) Sport
Football
O
n a summer’s evening
in June 2018 Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain
headed to Boxpark in
London’s Shoreditch to
watch England’s World
Cup defeat by Belgium. His attempt
to go incognito in hat and spectacles
was swiftly rumbled by eagle-eyed
hipsters and, watching the game
unfold in Kaliningrad , he came to
feel part of an England crowd for
the fi rst time. And to realise the
magnitude of what he had lost.
For a player who has missed
England’s last three tournaments
through injury – the last one a
horrendous knee injury that
cost him a year of his career and
a planned starting role in Russia- Oxlade-Chamberlain exudes
remarkable positivity and refreshing
perspective. Visits to Zoë’s Place ,
a baby hospice in Liverpool, and
having friends with similar knee
problems but without “the luxury
of having doctors, physios and
specialists on-call day and night as
I had” ensured the lowest moments
of his latest rehabilitation were
fl eeting.
But that night in Shoreditch,
powerless to respond to Adnan
Januzaj’s winner and transfi xed
by the power of the World Cup,
the Liverpool midfi elder allowed
himself a moment’s regret.
“That was the fi rst time I’ve ever
watched a match with fans of my
team, if that makes sense,” Oxlade-
Chamberlain says. “I’m either
always in the stadium or at home.
I was shocked. I’ve never been to
a pub where there’s a bunch of
Liverpool fans or Arsenal fans and
watched it with them, never been to
a pub with England fans to see what
it means to them and it was surreal.
I could see my mates on the screen
doing what I usually do and how
everyone around them was reacting.
I was almost idolising them as well.
Just seeing what they were doing
and what that created around me I
was like, ‘Oh my God, do I really do
that?’
“What it created was special.
To see that fi rst hand, in that
environment, wasn’t what I
expected. It was a moment where I
realised – I can’t swear – I’ve missed
out on something big here. Seeing
what it meant to people. People
rushing in from work with their
shirts and ties on, it was like the
whole nation was watching. I met
a couple of doctors there, a couple
of boys from the city, a couple of
plumbers; all came into Boxpark.
It was just mayhem and meant so
much to everyone. I’d never seen
that fi rst hand, so it was really
special and a reminder of what it
means to play for England and how
special that is.”
It is a scene that will be replayed
again next summer should Gareth
Southgate’s team secure their place
at Euro 2020. They are on course to
do so with two victories from two
qualifi ers plus Bulgaria and Kosovo
to come at home tomorrow and on
Tuesday respectively. “That would
be great,” Oxlade-Chamberlain says.
“And I think the boys did themselves
proud to create the environment
where people have more belief
and more of a connection with this
young set of players. But we’ve got to
make sure we get there fi rst because
that would be a bit of a party ruiner,
wouldn’t it? That’s the main thing
we’ve got to do and then ... ” Win it?
“Yes, exactly.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain hopes to
be in the box seat for England next
summer, not Boxpark. His return to
Southgate’s squad has come quickly,
having made only two starts for
Liverpool this season, but with the
England manager in regular contact
throughout his 12 months out the
midfi elder was reassured he was not
forgotten. Oxlade-Chamberlain’s
fi rst competitive start for Liverpool- in the Super Cup against Chelsea
–came 477 days after his last, when
he damaged cruciate and medial
knee ligaments , plus the tendons
After missing Euro 2016 and
the last two World Cups, Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain feels
his time has come to shineAndy Hunter‘It’s written in the stars
for me to score the
winner at Euro 2020’
the power of the World Cup,‘The injuries’
timing was
unlucky but
I’ve had the
opportunity
to come back’
Alex Oxlade-
Chamberlain has
32 England caps▼ Alex Oxlade-Chamberl ain
is raring to go
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