Blog Feed

Wherever you’re from has a big influence on who you grow up to be, and as Fabio Capello’s squad flies out to South Africa, we wanted to celebrate this by created a commemorative wall in the hometown of each player. These are the places that the 23 players were tailored by – the leisure centre in Huyton where Steven Gerrard first played, Wayne Rooney’s school, the famous Wallsend Boys Club where Michael Carrick learned his trade – and which made them them the footballers they are today.

We didn’t forget the England manager either. To celebrate the massive role Fabio Capello has played in shaping the England team, we also created a celebratory wall in his hometown of San Canzian D’Isonzo in Italy. All the walls will be on display for two weeks from today, giving you plenty of time to check them out in the flesh. You can see them all in detail over on Flickr, and you can also take a closer look at exactly where the walls are situated over on Umbro.com.

As well as being a celebration of the player who was tailored by this particular town, village or city, each wall also has a great story to tell. David James’ wall in Welwyn Garden City played a key part in his footballing development. ‘I first discovered my passion for football on the streets of my home town,’ James explains. ‘Me and my mates would grab a football and setup a game at any opportunity. I think that is what makes football unique, it is accessible to all and that is why the footballers of tomorrow are just as likely to come from the streets as a top youth academy.’

John Terry’s wall is situated in Barking, close to where England’s 1966 captain Bobby Moore grew up. ‘Barking is where my passion for football started,’ says Terry. ‘Playing on the streets, for my school, district and county, and now representing my country makes me so proud. The area’s got a tradition of producing England players and the legacy of the 1966 team remains strong here. I’m proud this is where it all started for me’.

One of England’s newest internationals, goalkeeper Joe Hart, is equally proud to have his achievement celebrated in his home town. ‘To say I’m tailored in Shrewsbury makes me extremely proud,’ Hart stated. ‘I was born in Shrewsbury, went to school in Shrewsbury and made my professional debut for Shrewsbury Town against Gravesend & Northfleet in 2003. I stand here as an international today due to the upbringing that Shrewsbury provided me with.’

Speaking about how his hometown influenced his playing career, defender Stephen Warnock said, “My childhood in Ormsirk provided me with the perfect basis to learn about football. My first team Rumford Colts were the stepping stone to the Liverpool youth academy, which in turn provided me with the ideal environment to train towards becoming the professional footballer I am today.”