Christianity is thriving on the football pitch. Despite the declining number of Christians in the UK, Instagram, X, and other social media sites are awash with biblical quotes. And those responsible? Professional footballers.
Over recent years, something of a movement appears to have developed in English football. Players, previously so determinedly secular, have become not only practising Christians, but also individuals who are happy to broadcast their faith to a wide audience.
Palace captain Marc Guehi wrote ‘I love Jesus’ and ‘Jesus loves you’ over a rainbow armband
Every weekend, top flight footballers either use quotes as motivation for their approaching match, or thank God if the contest reached a successful conclusion. Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka met the news of his recent injury by describing it as ‘#GodsPlan’. Following last weekend’s draw with Chelsea, Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze declared the outcome to be ‘not by might nor by power, but by his spirit’. Jurrien Timber, Arsenal’s Dutch defender, leaves supporters scrabbling for their nearest Bible by cryptically stating ‘Isaiah 43:19’, or ‘Luke 1:14’.
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