Key Points
- England may not have won the World Cup, but they have come home with a prize that's arguably just as valuable.
- During the tournament, players John Stones and Kyle Walker befriended a stray cat who was named Dave.
- Now, Dave is coming to England and will spend four months in quarantine before he is reunited with his family.
England's FIFA World Cup campaign came to an end last weekend - but the team managed to bring home a different type of trophy.
England lost to France in a 2-1 quarter-final match on Saturday evening that dashed any hope for the Three Lions to bring the World Cup Trophy home.
As a consolatory prize, the team brought home a cat. Meet Dave.
England team have adopted "Dave", a stray cat who wandered into their training base, as the team mascot. Source: Getty / The FA/Eddie Keogh
Stones named the cat Dave.
After sharing photos of Dave on his Instagram stories, Walker pledged that if the Three Lions won the World Cup, the team would attempt to adopt Dave and bring him to England.
"Some people really don't like the cat, but I love him," he said.
In a media briefing, Walker was asked how Dave was going, to which he replied: "Dave's fine, thank you for asking."
"He had a little scrap with a cat the other night. I think they're fighting over territory and the food."
Dave left Al Wakrah around two hours after the national team and arrived in England to head straight to a local veterinary service, according to PA Media.
There, he will receive vaccinations and spend four months in quarantine before travelling to his new home. It's unclear which of the England players will be officially adopting Dave.
He's already received a wealth of support from the .
Larry shared the news of his furry friend landing in the UK on Twitter and wrote: "Welcome to the team Dave x."
