They all started at grassroots level. Harry Kane, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey forged careers for club and country but only after they began with kids’ clubs and junior coaching.
They have been replaced by a new breed of youngsters who dream of following in their footsteps. But the crisis facing grassroots football is arguably bigger than that of the Premier League as it will hit millions of Sunday League players, men, women, girls and boys up and down the country.
Those clubs have been told talks about a possible return will not begin until August at the earliest, and the fear is coaching and games will not be allowed for the foreseeable future.