Identity of ‘England’s number one fan’ who has appeared again at Euro 2024
Much to the delight of the nation, England's so-called 'number one fan' was spotted cheering the Three Lions on during their opening match against Serbia.
Anyone whose a keen fan of watching England matches at home may be familiar with this face, who seems to be constantly popping up in the stands come rain or shine.
But who is this mysterious man who seems to never miss a match?
Advert
For anyone who isn't aware, this 'Steve McClaren lookalike' is Andy Milne and he's spent a lot of his time attending England matches.
Andy went viral during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar when he was pictured grinning at the camera while holding up a replica trophy - seemingly winning over fans with his enthusiasm.
Fans were, of course, delighted to see him back in the stands on Sunday (16 June) during England's 1-0 victory over Serbia in Germany, sharing their delight on social media.
"There's only one Andy Milne," one person wrote on X, alongside an image of Milne on his television.
"Convinced Andy Milne is an industry plant, how does the camera find him *every time*," a second person commented, while a third added: "Of course that bloke who looks like Steve McClaren is right in the front row. Only spawns for these games."
It turns out that Andy has led quite the interesting life outside of following England to the four corners of the world as well, as BBC journalist Faisal Islam revealed that 'Mr Milne' was actually his 'old Biology teacher'.
Small world, eh.
Qatar and Gelsenkirchen are far from Andy's first time watching his national team in person, as the super-fan has reportedly been attending Three Lions matches for the last 40 years.
Andy's whirlwind journey supporting England began in a less-than-glamorous fashion, with the 61-year-old's first trip to the tournament being a trip to Spain in 1982, which saw his belongings get stolen within moments of arriving.
However, he didn't let the setback of having no possessions besides the clothes on his back get him down, adding that it was during this time which he caught the 'bug' for World Cup football.
Explaining the reason he can't quit going to tournaments, Andy revealed its not the football but the 'culture' which keeps him coming back.
"People who haven’t been think of the World Cup as just coming to watch football, but you immerse yourself much more fully in a culture than you normally would," he said in an interview with inews in 2022.
"You make friends from around the world."
As for the reason why Andy keeps on managing to make it onto our TV screens, it's still a mystery. But a welcome relief from England fans being accused of fighting in the streets.
Brenna Cooper