Delph’s too busy to get his nails done
“HEROES” screamed the front page of the Daily Express on July 1, 1998. And yes England’s players were exactly that after a superb display against Argentina in St Etienne, despite their World Cup dreams ending at the fi rst knockout stage.
Well, all but one player anyway. David Beckham became one of the most hated fi gures in the country after being sent off, above. His sly kick on Diego Simeone early in the second half FABIAN DELPH’S call to be England’s midfi eld enforcer in Russia could not have been better timed: he was about to be consigned to a summer of wearing wigs and having his fi ngernails painted pink.
The Manchester City player still has not represented England under Gareth Southgate, having played his last game for the Three Lions in a friendly against Spain in November 2015.
A series of injuries looked like he might miss out this summer – as he had done in Euro 2016 – until a late run of form in the Premier League earned him one of the last seats on the plane to Russia .
Delph insisted the message from Southgate last week was not a total shock but it is fair to say it may have come as a relief.
“I was at home when I got the text,” he said. “I thought I had a good chance of being involved, so I wouldn’t say I was surprised. But I was over the moon. I was doing cartwheels. My oldest one was at school. I have two daughters, Sophia, who is fi ve years old, and Aleya, nearly three, a baby on the way and the missus Natalie – and they all hate football. They couldn’t care less. In fact, my daughters are absolutely devastated I’m going to be away.
“When I’m on holiday, I’m doing stuff with my girls, letting them paint my nails pink and all that stuff, putting wigs on my head – wigs feel nice on this head, to be fair.
“I put 100 per cent into everything I do. I’m very intense, I train extremely hard and, while I don’t neglect them, there are times when I can’t do as much with them because I need to make sure my preparation is spot on.
“But once the season’s fi nished I try my hardest to switch off. It’s like an agreement I have with my missus and kids – no football. I’d probably prefer it to be like that. I fi nish a game and whether I played well or didn’t, I can switch off.”
While his daughters may be upset that daddy will not be home for a large slice of the summer, Delph said: “The missus is buzzing. She did a back fl ip!”
With their third child due on June 30, that seems a trifl e unlikely. “It’s a tricky time, but she’s a Yorkshire lass so she’ll deal with it,” added Delph.
But with that due date falling just two days after the potentially vital third group game against Belgium, the matter of paternity leave has already been discussed with Southgate ahead of the squad meeting up at St George’s Park this week.
“We’re not 100 per cent certain if I will be back for the birth ,” said Delph. “There might be an opportunity to fl y back and then get back fast.
“Gareth has been absolutely fantastic. There’s not just me, there’s Phil Jones as well, I think his wife’s expecting.
“There’s nothing more important than family to me , so if I do have the opportunity to get back, I will. But if not, she’s tough, she’ll deal with it.”
The pair met when Delph had already broken into the fi rst team at Leeds so Natalie had a fair idea of what she was letting herself in for – although Delph’s “Yorkshireness” does need the occasional top- up.
“Natalie rang me saying, ‘ You’ve forgotten your tea bags’,” said Delph. “So 100 per cent, I shall have to get some for Russia.
“I’m from Bradford and she’s local too so there are only Yorkshire Tea bags in my house.” SUITED TO A TEA: Fabian and Natalie