If Wales works wonders at the upcoming World Cup, Michael Sheen may have played his own small part.
The Welsh actor has gone viral on social media for the second time in as many weeks for his rousing pre-tournament pep talks for the Wales national football team as they make final preparations for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they face England. , Iran and the US in the group stage.
Two weeks ago, the Good omens star, appearing on the UK game show Your own competitionseemed to deliver a thoughtless, whirlwind speech to the Welsh team that drew on myth, legend, national identity and much more.
“A victory song that soars through the valleys, like a red mist, rolls over the mountaintops, like crimson thunder,” Sheen bellowed in the opening speech as he left the studio audience and panelists stunned. “A red storm is coming to the gates of Qatar!”
Clips of the speech, worthy of any Hollywood sports film, spread like wildfire on social media, and Wales team manager Rob Page was moved to ask the actor to come and give another speech directly in front of the team.
Sheen was duly obliged, and on Monday, images of the new speech similarly started trending on social media.
“Close your eyes and feel the breath on your neck. Because that’s every man, woman and child in this old land standing there with you after you. Those are the people of Wales, your people,” Sheen said in the new speech. “Feel their breath quicken with yours. Hear their blood thump in your ears, thump through your heart, burst through your chest. That is the blood of Wales, your blood, red as the old dream book. Red as Merthyr’s rising flag. Red as the great wall of Gwalia. Because you carry that with you, boys.”
He continues: “In 64 years, about half the world. It’s there, on your chest. It’s there, behind you. It’s there, by your side. They always say: we are too small, too slow, too weak, too full of fear, but yma o hyd, you sons of Speed! With that red wall around us, we’re still here!”
Wales will kick off their World Cup campaign against the US at 2 p.m. ET, November 21 on Fox and Telemundo.