Two weeks into a World Cup campaign, with the heat of knockout football on the horizon, England’s players have found an unlikely escape- a card game brought by Jude Bellingham that nobody in the camp had ever heard of.

Morgan Rogers revealed to BBC Sport that Skyjo has become a firm favourite after Bellingham introduced the numbers-based card game to camp. The Aston Villa forward was more than happy to talk about it- partly because he won: “A few of us yesterday when we rode our bikes to a coffee shop, played cards. Jude bought it, it’s a bit of a different one. I’ve never seen it before, but we’re addicted at the moment.”

Rogers beat Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Dan Burn, Anthony Gordon and Elliot Anderson. The camaraderie runs deep. Rogers described Henderson as a father figure to the group: “He’s looking after us while Jude and I are squabbling with each other, we call him unc (uncle) at the moment, which he’s not happy about at all.”

What Exactly is SkyJo?

Originally released in 2015 and designed by Alexander Bernhardt, Skyjo is a simple, straightforward card game aimed at the whole family. Don’t let that fool you however, it is a strategy-based game centered around finishing with the lowest score possible.

The game is played with a deck of 150 cards featuring numbers from -2 to 12, and can accommodate between two and eight players. Each player is dealt with 12 cards and places them face down in a grid- four cards across and three rows deep. To begin, every player randomly picks two cards to flip over, and the player with the highest card total starts first.

On each turn, a player may draw the top card from the draw pile or take the top card from the discard pile. If they take from the discard pile, they must exchange it for a card in their grid. The aim throughout is to shed high-value cards and accumulate low ones. There is also a bonus rule: if a player reveals three cards of the same number in a vertical column, that entire column is discarded.

Rounds continue unitl one player reveals all their cards; once any player’s cumulative total reaches 100 points or more, the game ends and whoever had the lowest score is declared the winner. A typical session lasts around 30 to 60 minutes- short enough for a coffee shop table, long enough to make players squabble.

How Do the Players Switch off at the World Cup?

Keeping a squad of elite footballers mentally fresh over a tournament that could run for over a month is one of a manager’s most underrated challenges. England’s squad are two weeks into their stay at camp, and could remain there for another three weeks should they reach the final.

England’s staff have put personal touches in the players’ rooms, including pictures of family members, as well as ensuring Sky Sports channels are available in every bedroom. There is also a basketball hoop in the grounds, outdoor seating areas and a fully equipped gym tent for those who want to work out between sessions. Some of the England players such as Harry Kane and Dan Burn were spotted attending a concert of US country music star Ella Langley.

It is the quieter moments that build a team. England have also been playing Wolf, a game similar to BBC One’s The Traitors, and a new addition called ‘Imposter’, where players are each sent a secret word via an app, except one, and the group must figure out who is in the dark.

But right now, it is Skyjo that has the players hooked. Bellingham bought it, Rogers won it, and Henderson is somewhere plotting his revenge.

The captain’s armband has been worn by some of the greatest figures in world football. Roy Keane barked instructions and set standards at Manchester United with an intensity that hasn’t been the same since he left.

Steven Gerrard dragged Liverpool through matches on his sheer force of will. Sergio Ramos organised Real Madrid’s defensive line with the authority of a general.

Carles Puyol was an ever-present figure at Barcelona, who led them to the Champions League. The captain’s armband is simple in design but enormous – a symbol that carries the expectation of leadership, accountability, and character every time a footballer pulls on a shirt.

But what does being a captain actually mean? Beyond the pre-match coin flip and the trophy lifts, it is one of the most demanding roles in sport.

The visible duties are straightforward enough. The captain represents the team in interactions with match officials, communicating decisions, and managing his teammates in fiery moments that could land them in trouble.

They lead them out, choose ends at the coin flip, and make the huddle speeches.

The real work happens away from the spotlight. A captain is a bridge between the dressing room and the manager- a translator of the coach’s demands into a language the players trust.

When performances dip, the captain is expected to identify problems and set standards. When a younger player is struggling, it is often the captain who pulls them aside before the manager does. On the pitch, a captain organises shape, communicates constantly, and makes split-second calls on pressing triggers, set-piece positioning, and who needs words of encouragement or harsher words to refocus.

The best captains are also emotional regulators. Football matches can swing wildly, and a team that follows its captain’s lead needs that captain to protect composure under pressure.

Keane’s ferocity was controlled by aggression in the service of the group. Whilst some other captains stay more calm, the function remains the same, keeping eleven individuals operating as one cohesive unit.

What Does It Take To Be a Captain?

Managers pick captains differently. Whilst Alex Ferguson chose a fiery Roy Keane, whose aggression could wake his teammates up, Jurgen Klopp elected for a slightly calmer Jordan Henderson and sometimes Virgil van Dijk in order for his team to operate. Both managers were successful in winning the Premier League; they just did it in different ways. But certain traits appear consistently in the best captains.

Respect from teammates is non-negotiable, you can’t lead people who don’t believe in you. That respect is earned through consistency, professionalism, and a willingness to put the team first. A captain who chases personal stats or hides in the hard games loses the dressing room quickly.

Communication is just as vital off the ball as on it. The ability to read people, to know when someone might need an arm around their shoulder and when they need a direct challenge, is a skill that separates good captains from the best. So too is the capacity for accountability. A captain cannot demand standards from others they aren’t willing to hold themselves to.

Sergio Ramos joined Real Madrid in 2005 as a young prospect. His time at the club saw him take the armband and lead Real Madrid to multiple Champions League titles, as well as the La Liga title. He led the side through a dominant spell both domestically and continentally,

John Terry was a stalwart in Chelsea’s defence for a decade and was part of the Jose Mourinho side that only conceded 15 goals all season. Terry himself is also the highest-scoring defender in Premier League history, and picked up multiple titles and even a Champions League trophy whilst at Stamford Bridge.

Before his managerial career, Didier Deschamps captained the France national team to World Cup glory in 1998. Deschamps was regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of his time, constantly sniffing out attacks.

Famously, at the time, he was called the ‘water carrier’ by his teammate Eric Cantona, who joked that the now France manager’s only role was to win the ball back and pass it to the more skillful players. Whilst that may seem like an insult, it was Deschamps selflessness as captain to understand his role and get the best out of his teammates, and it was he who lifted the trophy.

The armband doesn’t make a captain. If you give it to the right person, it can make a team.

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Legendary UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan has finally addressed the controversial slur that was aimed at former first lady Michelle Obama by heavyweight contender Josh Hokit at the White House earlier this month.

Hokit stopped veteran Derrick Lewis in the second round of their clash at UFC Freedom 250, with the win moving him to 10-0 as a professional. However, the former NFL player made far more headlines for what he did after the fight than for his victory.

In a moment that swiftly went viral, Hokit grabbed the microphone from Rogan during his post-fight interview and launched into an unprovoked attack on the wife of former President Barack Obama.

The 28-year-old declared: “Michelle Obama is a man,” before following that up with “Am I right, America?”

Rogan acted quickly to take the microphone away from Hokit before he attracted any further controversy. As the man who was stood alongside Hokit at the time, Rogan has broken his silence on the viral moment.

Joe Rogan on Josh Hokit’s Michelle Obama Slur

Speaking on the latest edition of the Joe Rogan Experience, the popular host explained to his guest, Tim Dillon, exactly why Hokit is so controversial.

“That guy, Josh Hokit, he’s got a shtick, a character that he does. He’s basically a pro wrestling bad guy, who also is a really good fighter. So there’s a real problem there, because this guy keeps winning.”

Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Rogan went on to reveal the major error that the UFC made when it came to Hokit and his distasteful comments about Mrs Obama.

“In retrospect, if they (UFC) wanted to avoid this, they probably shouldn’t have had him fight on the White House lawn. If he said that at the T-Mobile Arena or Madison Square Garden, outrageous, but not that big of a deal.”

In fairness to the UFC, Hokit wasn’t originally planned to be a part of the White House card. He was only added when President Donald Trump demanded that a heavyweight fight involving Lewis be added to the line-up.

Only UFC bosses will know if they truly regret their decision in light of Hokit’s behaviour. However, UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that the fighter will face no internal punishment for his actions.

Josh Hokit’s Explanation For Insulting Michelle Obama

Speaking on a recent episode of the Ariel Helwani Show, Hokit gave a tongue-in-cheek explanation for his comments, before vowing that he would never apologise for his words:

The California native then went on to reveal that his actions were motivated by self-promotion rather than any particular issue he has with Obama.

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game, and that’s the game we’re playing nowadays. We’re playing a numbers game, and I’m gonna win them every single time. Whatever brings the most eyes to my fight, that’s what I’m going to do.”