Ahead of Iceland’s visit to Wembley to play England, former Three Lions boss Steve McClaren has reportedly entered into a “self-imposed lockdown”.
The much-travelled manager was made to look a wally – minus his brolly – by the tiny nation when reporting on their Euro 2016 knock-out game with the then-Roy Hodgson managed side.
On this day four years ago, Steve McLaren produced an iconic piece of commentary as England faced Iceland at Euro 2016.pic.twitter.com/snGJ5FDDoS
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) June 27, 2020
And, in an effort to avoid flashbacks to the traumatic day, the former Middlesbrough boss will “quarantine” to ignore the fixture and all build-up around the game.
“I still can’t say that guy’s name. Sigpor… Sigthor… Sig…urdsson…
“Not just because it’s painful, but it’s a real mouthful,” he admitted, prior to entering a wifi resistant isolation bubble for at least five days around the game.
McClaren has been living with the consequences of Joe Hart palming the ball into his own net for four years.
“When mum’s gone to a certain, well-known supermarket chain specialising in frozen foods – please, don’t say the name – I’ve had to stay in the car or pop into Poundstretcher instead. I can’t go into the store. It’s too raw.
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“If I even see some fish fingers or an arctic roll I break down.”
And with the two sides set to clash at Wembley this week, the Eredivisie-winning coach has taken a series of measures to block out the game completely.
McClaren said: “My phone will be off all week. I already told Sky I couldn’t sit in and watch this game, but they said it was fine, they’d rather have another washed-up ex-England boss cover it.
“It’ll be Big Sam if they can keep him away from the sausage roll tray in the canteen.”
He’s also prepared an isolation unit in his garden using an old air-raid shelter that dates from the blitz.
When asked how he’ll pass the time he says he plans to continue his Teach Yourself Dutch audio course and will try to find new ways of combing his widow’s peak.
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