World Cup 2022: Dave the cat coming home with England team

The Three Lions didn't roar to World Cup victory, but a new member of the squad will be coming home with them.

Fleet-footed Dave the Cat will be swapping Qatari warmth for English chill - and just in time for the January transfer window.

The purring predator has won hearts as the players' unofficial mascot.

They originally said they'd bring stray Dave back if they won the trophy, but decided to rehome him anyway despite their quarter-final heartbreak.

Manchester City duo John Stones and Kyle Walker have been Dave's biggest fans, posting regular updates and pictures of the cat most evenings.

"First day we got there ... Dave pops out," said Stones.

"Every night he's sat there waiting for his food."

"He was just there one day so we've just adopted him, me and Stonesy," Walker told the FA's official media channel.

Dave became a regular fixture at the team's dinner table, where Walker says he was "welcome" - but not everyone agreed.

"Some people really don't like the cat, but I love him."

One of those rumoured to jump in the air when Dave arrives is Bukayo Saka.

John Stones claims to have come up with the moggy's no-nonsense moniker "because it's just a good name".

And he took to calling him "Big Dave" after the four-legged dinner guest started to get a bit "greedy".

Stray cats are a common sight around restaurants and hotels in host nation Qatar.

Dave has won not just the hearts of the England players, but also the attention of the world's media - with questions about him in the week building up to the quarter-final against France.

And, perhaps inspired by the drama of that game, Dave recently got into "a little scrap with another cat", according to Walker.

"Fighting over territory and the food. But he's doing well."

Dave joins an illustrious list of famous animals who have carved a special place in the hearts of the English public.

One of those has already tweeted his excitement at his impending arrival.

Dave left Al Wakrah just two hours after the squad had departed and will first head to a local vet.

There he will have a blood test and receive vaccinations, spending four months in quarantine before heading to his new digs.

So while football may not be coming home, Dave the cat is.

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