It’s not day by day one other country’s athlete celebrates a win by quoting a former United States president.
England’s midfielder Jude Bellingham posted “The Man Within the Arena” speech made by Theodore Roosevelt, the twenty sixth President of the US, following the team’s 2-1 Round of 16 win against Slovakia on Sunday.
Bellingham shared the famous speech on Instagram with the caption: “So happy with the boys tonight, we live to fight one other day.”
The speech, which was delivered in Paris in 1910, read:
“It shouldn’t be the critic who counts; not the person who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them higher.
“… But who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the nice devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause.
“Who at the very best knows in the long run the triumph of high achievement, and who on the worst, if he fails, at the least fails while daring greatly, in order that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
The Real Madrid midfielder scored a bicycle kick goal — a critical equalizer — within the fifth minute of stoppage time, tying the sport at 1-1 and saving England from what would have been a gut-wrenching defeat.
The 21-year-old mouthed “Who Else?” as he celebrated his acrobatic strike, which was England’s first shot heading in the right direction your entire match.
“I feel it was 20 seconds until we were out of the European Championship,” Bellingham said, per the Associated Press. “It’s hard to disclaim that it was one of the necessary moments of my profession to this point.”
Bellingham is under investigation by the UEFA for allegedly “breaching the fundamental rules of decent conduct” after motioning to grab his crotch following his goal against Slovakia.
England’s momentum was evident as captain Harry Kane scored the winning goal with a powerful header in the primary minute of beyond regular time to secure England’s spot within the quarterfinal.
That was Kane’s sixty fifth goal for England.
Throughout the match, English fans grew increasingly apprehensive that this could possibly be a repeat of their elimination at Euro 2016, where they suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat to Iceland.
Boos echoed throughout the stadium in the primary half, because the team experienced no luck.
Phil Foden had a goal ruled out by VAR, Kane headed wide near the goal and Declan Rice hit the post within the 81st minute.
“I had a funny feeling the sport wasn’t dead and I do know that sounds ridiculous. We were pushing and probing,” England manager Gareth Southgate said. “Ultimately it’s the one we have now thrown within the box that got us the goal.”
“Playing for England is an enjoyable feeling nevertheless it’s also lots of pressure,” Bellingham said in a post-match interview, in response to ESPN.
“You hear people talk lots of rubbish. It’s nice when you possibly can deliver and provides them a little bit bit back.”
England hasn’t won a serious tournament because the World Cup in 1966, but this could possibly be their shot.
The team will face Switzerland on Saturday within the quarterfinal.
