COADY HAS STERS IN HIS EYES
HIS kids play as Raheem Sterling on the FIFA video game – and now dad is training alongside their hero.
Conor Coady’s England call-up is a genuine dream come true. The Wolves captain was blown away by Gareth Southgate’s phone call and there is no prouder player in the squad.
He said: “My kids are massive football fans, massive Wolves fans first and foremost.
“My little man plays FIFA so he knows the likes of Raheem Sterling (above, with Coady) and he’s very excited I’m coming to train with people like that. I explained the situation to him and he was made up.
“From the moment I got the call on Saturday it’s been a bit of a whirlwind. It’s an honour to be here.
“Honestly, it really, really, really is because the standard of training is incredible. It’s everything I thought and more. I’m massively honoured to be here. It’s amazing for me.
“I was actually taking our little boy round to his friends’ house on our estate. We’ve got a bit of a pond in the middle of it.
“My phone was going off in my pocket and I was thinking: ‘I’ll ring them back when I get home…’
“I had the kids, that sort of thing, then I got my phone out and there was a text saying: ‘Gareth Southgate is trying to ring you.‘ I picked the boys up, ran back to the house with my missus! My little boy missed 10 minutes or whatever it was playing with his mates.
“My wife heard first and then I rang my mum and dad straight away. My wife was on the call and we actually said: ‘We have a bit of news for you.’
“I had my arm around my wife and my mum and dad said: ‘Amy isn’t pregnant again, is she?’ That is what they thought at the time!”
Coady’s call-up is long overdue as the hugely impressive Wolves defender has been the model of consistency for never missing games and a central part in the club’s back-three system.
He did represent England at junior level but that seemed a long way off when he was sold by boyhood club Liverpool in 2014. And yet the only surprising thing about this call-up is how long it has taken.
Now Coady, 27, could have a genuine chance of starting as England boss Southgate ponders switching to a back three.
Coady added: “We are lucky at Wolves in that we have a group of people who want to improve and real clever footballers who adapt very well.
“That has been a massive part of how we have done things the last three years.
“We have really clever footballers here in the England set-up p as well – so no matter what the manager goes with, it is something hing that we need to o be ready for.”