England and Arsenal forwards Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah (both pictured above, Saka main picture) are also on God’s side.
The pair regularly play together for the Gunners in a God-fearing front line that’s also striking fear into opposition defenders.
But while they’re hoping for domestic and international glory – with Arsenal challenging for the Premier League title and England made Euro 24 favourites – their eternal glory is assured.
The duo are both vocal Christians, with their faith central to what they do on the pitch.
Saka, now aged 22, reads his Bible every day, and it helps him play.
“For me, it’s really important to obviously have the presence of God in me all the time, and it gives me more confidence that God’s plan is perfect so I can go on the pitch and know that God has my back,” said Saka.
“The main thing for me is just keeping my faith – having faith in God so I don’t need to be worried about any outcomes.”
Born in Ealing, London, to Nigerian parents who are Christians, Saka was also given a faith-based grounding at a Church of England primary school.
“When we were growing up we were taught by our parents to have faith in God,” Saka told GQ. “Throughout life, you keep exercising your faith, so when you get into different challenges, you decide, ‘This time I’m going to trust God,’ and God comes through for you. That’s how it kept building and building for me, so I can be confident and go into places knowing that God’s got me.”
His Bible is one of the 10 things he couldn’t live without, he told GQ: “Reading this Bible all the time helps me to learn more and more about God.”
He’s become one of the world’s hottest football properties, worth more than £100 million in a megabucks marketplace, and is a certainty to be in Gareth Southgate’s Euros squad.
Nketiah’s England place isn’t as assured, but an impressive start to the 2023-24 Premier League season won him his first full cap and makes him a contender.
The 24-year-old affirmed his Christian faith last season with a celebratory tweet after scoring against Manchester United which included the hashtag “GodsPlan”.
He revealed more in an interview with Sky Sports: “In life, you never know when your opportunity is going to come.
“I’ve still got a lot to improve and work on but at the moment I’m happy with my contribution to the team. When you play for Arsenal, you’ve got to perform. That pressure is always going to come, whether you’re coming off the bench or starting.
“We leave the rest up to God, but if we keep pushing and doing everything we can keep progressing. Anything is possible.”
Nketiah told The Mirror in 2020 how his faith in God helped him stay patient while he was warming the Gunners’ bench.
“I believe in God,” he said. “I know my time will come. So it is just about treating each day as it comes, not letting your head get down if you don’t get minutes, and proving each day that you deserve to play, and work hard for the chance so when you get it you can take it.”
His Arsenal chance duly arrived, and his international tournament bow could come at the Euros, which begin in Germany on June 24.
