Cat-tar 2022! England players adopt stray cat called Dave and fly him back from Qatar following World Cup elimination
- England players adopted stray cat called Dave
- Dave flying to England soon
- England lost to France in quarter-final
WHAT HAPPENED? The Three Lions crashed out of the World Cup after losing 2-1 to reigning champions France in the quarter-final. During their time in Qatar, the English players were often seen with a stray cat that they named Dave - and they have now adopted him. Manchester City duo Kyle Walker and John Stones were seen pictured with their furry friend.
Dave the cat is coming home.
— PA Media (@PA) December 11, 2022
The England #FIFAWorldCup squad have adopted a stray cat in Qatar, who spent time around the players in between matches and has begun its journey to join them in the UK pic.twitter.com/eXMDEfSnIs
WHAT THEY SAID? Ahead of his side's quarter-final tie against France, Walker had mentioned that the Three Lions intended to fly Dave back to England with the team when they left the Middle East.
He said: "Dave is fine. He had a little scrap with another cat the other night. I think they are fighting over territory and the food. But he's doing well. Hopefully I can stick to my promise that he will come home with us if we were to win the World Cup. Dave's fine, thank you for asking."
WHAT NEXT FOR DAVE? While the players have already boarded their flight back home, Dave was taken to a local veterinary clinic where he will have a few tests, get vaccinated and spend four months in quarantine before heading to England.