England have provided many incredible memories for their fans so far in the European Championship, rallying from seemingly impossible positions to go all the way to the final of the tournament in Germany.
Gareth Southgate's team looked riddled with problems, but when the time came, the Three Lions rose to the challenge. Just like they did against the Netherlands in the semi-final as they came back from a goal down to secure victory at the stroke of 90 minutes through a stunning effort from substitute Ollie Watkins.
England fans have had to develop nerves of steel watching their team leave it late to get over the finish line – they are the first team in European Championship history to reach the final despite trailing in both the last 16, quarter-final and semi-final.
And fans must have also spotted another trend among some of their players in the tournament – large holes in their socks.
It is a strange addition to the game, but is a quick fix to a problem that can be serious if not attended to in time.
Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Conor Gallagher have all been spotted wearing socks with gaping holes in them, leading to questions about the utility of them.
Why do football players cut holes in their socks?
First, let's look at the problem. Football players are some of the most well-trained athletes in the world, with their legs requiring incredible levels of conditioning. That means highly developed calf muscles, among others.
While a lot of attention goes in the development of their footwear, not a lot of thought had been given to the apparel covering their legs.
The socks footballers wear during matches need to cover their calves as it also has to contain the shin pads. That means they must be fairly tight.
That can lead to reduced blood circulation as muscles swell after constant running. So players have started cutting holes in their socks to ensure the skin can breathe and there is easier blood circulation.
England and Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has been wearing socks with holes in for years. Back in 2021, he explained the rationale behind it, saying: "The socks were actually too tight so it was causing pressure on my calves. It was just to release my calves – or release the tension. I just cut holes in them and all of a sudden I had a few alright games, and I was like, 'Ok, I'm keeping this now!'"
Do other sports use similar strategy?
Cutting holes in playing gear is seen in cricket as well. There, fast bowlers have been known to cut holes in the shoes to reduce the strain on their toes.
Fast bowlers are known to push five to eight times their body weight through their knees at the time of delivery. That means their landing foot bears the brunt of the force, which pushes the toes against the shoe.
Pacers usually have heavily damaged toes, a problem that many try to mitigate by cutting holes in their shoes to release the build-up of pressure.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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India team for Sri Lanka series
Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Bawaal%20
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The specs: 2018 Maserati Ghibli
Price, base / as tested: Dh269,000 / Dh369,000
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 355hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.9L / 100km
SPEC%20SHEET
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More coverage from the Future Forum
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Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m. Winner: Rio Angie, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,600m. Winner: Trenchard, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m. Winner: Mulfit, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 1,200m. Winner: Waady, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 2,000m. Winner: Tried And True, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
9.25pm:Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m. Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
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Test series fixtures
(All matches start at 2pm UAE)
1st Test Lord's, London from Thursday to Monday
2nd Test Nottingham from July 14-18
3rd Test The Oval, London from July 27-31
4th Test Manchester from August 4-8
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
