Without even having taken charge of a match, Sam Allardyce was already our favourite England manager since Terry Venables, so when Adam Lallana struck with almost the last kick of the game to hand Big Sam three points in his first game in charge of the Three Lions, we were overjoyed for the England manager/Friday night chippy tea enthusiast.
But what was the secret behind Lallana's dramatic late effort against Slovakia? Tactical nous? A 'never say die' attitude? Psychology? Nope. It was a lucky coin. Obviously.
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Following the Liverpool midfielder's 94th minute heroics, Allardyce shared with the press the story of how he came to have the coin in his possession:
"A father of a son in a wheelchair came to the hotel in the morning and asked if it was OK to have a picture with his son.
"When we finished he said 'Let me give you a lucky coin'."
"Here it is - a lucky penny. I'm not normally superstitious. I had it with me in my pocket, we won, so it will stay with me.
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"I wonder how far it will take us?"
All the way to a 2018 World Cup and 2020 European Championships double, Big Sam. That's where it'll take us. All the bloody way.
(H/T Dream Team FC)
Topics: Football, Sam Allardyce, England
