The scrutiny that barrels its way in the direction of the manager of the England men's football team was visited upon Lee Carsley at the weekend when he found himself at the centre of the impassioned debate about whether it mattered if he sang the national anthem before a game.
For many of us who love sport, the heroes of football are deeper symbols of meaning than a prime minister or a monarch. In January last year, I queued happily for hours in the heat of the day in Brazil to pay my respects to Pele before his funeral in Santos, a rite I had never observed before.