We feel a weird frisson of excitement when successful professional footballers reveal themselves to be similar to us humble supporters. (The Daily Mail took this to extreme lengths earlier this season in accentuating how many Capri Suns Memphis Depay once bought).
For partly that reason, we are largely fascinated by footballer's WhatsApp groups. Luca Toni revealed last month that he is part of what may be the coolest WhatsApp group in the history of rapid digital transfer of information: a group consisting of the 2006 World Cup winning squad.
It would appear that most professional sports teams have their own WhatsApp group, and the Welsh side off to Euro 2016 are no different. Ashley Williams discussed each of his teammates with Wales Online, and in doing so, revealed the Welsh side have a weekly Joe Allen appreciation day:
Everyone loves Joe. We have a WhatsApp messaging group and at least once a week we have a Joe Allen Appreciation Day. Great beard, great haircut, great guy, he’s the main man in the squad. Class player too.
Perhaps Brendan Rodgers is not the only one bombarding Wee Joe with love. While this Appreciation Day is objectively the finest thing we have heard in some time, Wales lose marks for squad nicknames, which betray a terrible lack of creativity.
These include: "Baleo" (Gareth Bale); Wayneo (Wayne Hennessey); Wardy (Danny Ward); Gunts (Chris Gunter); Dave (David Edwards); Kingy (Andy King); Vaughany (David Vaughan); Vokesy (Sam Vokes); Churchy (Simon Church) and, bizarrely, Joniesta (Jonny Williams).
If they need divine intervention to cure themselves of this lack of creativity, perhaps they won't have to look to far...
