Our Hero Heurelho

Football can be a magical thing. The range of emotions and reactions it can deliver are the reason so many of us invest so much time, money and energy into lending support to our clubs.

The reactions can be pretty standard - delight if it’s a win, despair if it’s not. Sometimes though, it can give rise to something unexpected and wonderful.

When Heurelho Gomes failed to stop a regulation effort from Leicester City’s N'Golo Kante in the recent game at the King Power Stadium, it was a sickener. Watford had been holding their own against an in-form team, limiting the hosts and keeping themselves in the game. It was going well, but it all changed in an instant. Initially I was shocked, then disappointed then resigned. With a shrug of the shoulders I moved on - I’ve seen enough football to know that it’s rare a goalkeeper goes an entire season without making a mistake. Such is life.

Later that evening, I shared the news with my two young children. They demanded to see the incident, so I showed them. Their reaction was fascinating. My son was incredulous. “Why did he do that? He CAN’T do that! He’s rated four stars on Match Attax!*” Whilst I explained to my confused four year old that even the elite players make mistakes, I watched the response of my daughter.

She looked concerned.

“Are you cross with him, Dad?” she asked. “Will the rest of the team be upset?” She was clearly worried about the sort of reaction Gomes would get from colleagues and supporters. She wasn’t worried about the result. She was worried about him. It’s rare that football delivers such tender moments and I found it touching. I was proud of my daughter for recognising the human element of the sport and the impact it might have on the individual. She gave it some thought and then spoke again.

“I’m going to write to him. tell him not to worry.” And she did.

She returned shortly afterwards clutching a handful of A4 sheets. I read it and loved it. I asked her to record it. You can hear the result in the video below. For me it served to boil my complex relationship with football down to something simple, something wonderful. I hope you enjoy it, too.

*Match Attax is a collection of Premier League based trading cards.