England are set to face Belgium in the second of two friendlies during the March international break, and it has been confirmed that names will not appear on shirts for the second half.
The second half of England's friendly match against Belgium, today, Tuesday, will witness the return of coach Gareth Southgate's players to the field without names on their shirts, in a campaign aimed at raising awareness of dementia.
England's match is its second during the current international break, after the defeat at home to Brazil. The Belgium encounter will also take place at Wembley Stadium, with both teams looking to make a mark ahead of the Euros in the summer.
The upcoming match is dedicated to Alzheimer's Association International, with the FA making the move in partnership with the charity. This is not the first time England has made such a move, as the anonymous shirts were first used in the 2-1 win over Switzerland in March 2022.
On that occasion, England emerged victorious. Harry Kane scored the winner after coming from behind, while Luke Shaw also scored after Briel Embolo had gone ahead.
Kate Lee, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: “We hope this eye-catching gesture with the players' shirts will once again get fans across the country talking and thinking about the signs and symptoms of dementia.” The shirts will then be auctioned off, helping to raise money to support Alzheimer's research.
Lee added: “By using football to highlight and raise awareness of the symptoms of dementia, we hope to not only encourage fans to donate towards our early diagnosis research, but also to support their loved ones as much as they support their own football team.” “This means taking crucial first steps in seeking a diagnosis if they suspect that someone they care about may be affected. A diagnosis can be daunting, but it's better to know.”
According to the charity, one in three people with dementia in England and Wales do not have a diagnosis. In addition to the T-shirt campaign, fans were urged to do so Download the symptom checklist.
Have your say! Share your thoughts about the campaign at Comments section
The Belgium match is one of the last opportunities for players on England's fringes to prove their inclusion in Gareth Southgate's squad for the tournament. One of those in the mix is Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon, who has spoken openly about the praise he received from the coach after starting against Brazil.
Former Everton star Gordon said: “He was like, 'Wow.' He was very happy for me. I think he was happy with my performance which is always a good thing. Did he say I was on board? No!” Hopefully he'll say so in a couple of months.
“I'm happy with my performance. But I'm very hard on myself so I wanted to score and win. If I thought like that, I wouldn't be able to do myself any harm. I know I played well but I hope to achieve more.” “I've got a taste now so I want more.”
Join the new WhatsApp community And get your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also offer our community members special offers, promotions, and advertising from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check it out anytime you want. If you are curious, you can read our website Privacy Notice.
“Coffee trailblazer. Passionate thinker. Creator. Hipster-friendly internet enthusiast.”
More Stories
England vs Sweden: BBC Sport Readers' Lionesses in Euro 2025 qualifiers at Wembley Stadium
England Six Nations squad: Captain Jimmy George, Billy Vunipola and Kyle Sinckler have been dropped
Six Nations 2024: Ethan Roots and Fraser Dingwall will make their England debut against Italy