England receive powerful rallying cry from legendary actor ahead of World Cup clash

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleLegendary stage and film actor Sir Ian McKellen, 87, has released a "love letter to England" video to rally the national football team and the supporting public. The video was shared ahead of England's first World Cup knock-out match against DR Congo, featuring McKellen's distinctive voice over black-and-white images of England. Written by playwright James Graham, the short film poetically explores England's identity, asking "Who are ya?" and highlighting the nation's spirit and resilience. The initiative aims to encourage viewers not only to support the team but also to participate in the National Conversation campaign. The National Conversation invites members of the public to submit 60-second voice notes by 31 August, sharing their views and visions on what unites the country. In full‘We are the lions that roar’: Sir Ian McKellen shares ‘love letter to England’ ahead of World Cup knock-outThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Raccontata damirror.co.ukindependent.co.uk