Unknowns ready to step into the spotlight

It was a telling reminder of how far they’d come, but also of their apparent place in the game. At the end of Gibraltar’s 7-0 defeat to Poland back in September, the tiny territory’s players obviously went to swap shirts with the opposition.

That may be an international ritual but, to them, it was a rite of passage. Given that this was their first competitive international, such a moment clearly meant much more than usual.

It meant absolutely nothing, however, to a particular Polish player. One of these rituals was rather one-sided. On handing his shirt to Gibraltar defender David Artell, so the story goes, this Polish international said he didn’t want a jersey in return. It didn’t have any value for him, he didn’t know who Artell was. That, to be fair, is not a new feeling for the Gibraltar squad.