Rob Page has said he found Michael Sheen’s rousing ‘pre-match’ speech deeply moving and that the Wales squad want to meet the Hollywood actor. Sheen’s speech on A League of Their Own has gone viral and Page said he planned to thank him for his stirring words.
Sheen was asked by the television programme’s host, Romesh Ranganathan, to provide a flavour of the kind of message he would give the Wales squad before they play England in their final World Cup Group B game in November. Sheen references Page, the late Gary Speed and the folk singer Dafydd Iwan in the address that has received more than 13m views on social media.
Page and his players are keen to meet the Damned United and The Queen actor. “I’d like to, absolutely,” Page said. “What he has done … Welsh football is in a good place at the moment. I’ve had pals that live in England going: ‘Wow, to be Welsh [must] be unbelievable.’
“I’ve already had messages from the players … they want to get him in straight away, absolutely. I was in a meeting in Cardiff and I was going back up north and my phone was going bananas so I knew something had kicked off. When I watched it, I was in awe of it, it was unbelievable. I’ve had some great reaction from the players and the staff. When you’ve got the passion to do that, we’ve got to use it to our benefit, absolutely.”
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Sheen gave his speech on a panel alongside Jamie Redknapp, Micah Richards and Aaron Ramsdale. “Outstanding, outstanding,” Page said. “’Give them some sugar.’ It’s fantastic. I well up every time I watch it.
“Personally I want to thank him for doing that. I do. I want to let him know that I appreciate what he’s done there. Because we’re on the map but he’s taken it to another level for us.”
Page, asked whether he had already invited Sheen to meet him and his players, jokingly replied: “Absolutely, he’s coming to the first [World Cup] game with me.”
Page, who has signed a new contract, will announce his squad on Wednesday for next week’s Nations League matches against Belgium and Poland.
- Guardian
