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Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek was invited to give a brief speech in front of the England national team after their recent 3-0 victory over Wales, following his first cap in almost seven years.
Loftus-Cheek was called into the England squad in September for the first time in over six years, and earned his first cap since November 2018 on Thursday night when England beat rival nation Wales 3-0 at Wembley.
The Rossoneri midfielder was brought on as a second-half substitute for Arsenal’s Declan Rice, and could potentially feature again when the Three Lions take on Latvia in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday evening.
Since Loftus-Cheek’s last cap, the England national team have brought in the concept of legacy numbers and legacy caps. Typically, after a player’s England national team debut, they will be given a cap with a unique number based on when they first made a competitive appearance for the team.
Loftus-Cheek was presented with his legacy cap in the Wembley dressing room after full-time by captain Harry Kane, and was invited to say a few words afterwards.
“Thank you for this. It’s been a long while since I’ve been back, so I’m grateful to be back, enjoying the team and seeing how well we’re doing,” Loftus-Cheek told the England squad.
“Some fantastic players here, I’m proud to be part of the squad again, so let’s keep going with the performances like tonight and kick on.”
FIFA World Cup
