Are our borough's street names a good omen for England?

It might (whisper it!) be coming home ... but there's plenty of places in the borough where home has a distinctly '˜Three Lions' feel.
World Cup feverWorld Cup fever
World Cup fever

There are upwards of 10 streets in the borough that share their name with members of England’s World Cup squad.

Southgate, home of Wigan Pier, and namesake of waistcoated England manager and all-round nice guy, Gareth, is perhaps the best known example.

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But there are plenty others dotted across the borough where homeowners can boast an unlikely kinship with Southgate’s team.

As the nation prepares to watch England take on Croatia in tomorrow’s semi-final at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, 2,065 miles away in Walker Street,

Westhoughton, residents will be hoping Manchester City defender Kyle will be at his dynamic best.

Tottenham left-back Danny Rose has played a bit-part role in England’s charge to history, but in Rose Avenue, Beech Hill, fans will be cheering him on from the rafters.

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Lingard Street in Leigh can claim a special affinity with Manchester United attacking midfielder Jessie Lingard, while club-mate Ashley Young has a similar effect in nearby Young Street.

Midfield dynamo Jordan Henderson has been a driving force for Southgate’s team and, despite missing a penalty during England’s shoot-out win over Colombia, his name is front and centre in Henderson Drive, Crawford.

Fellow midfielder, Manchester City ace Fabian Delph, has played a crucial part in the World Cup campaign, with Southgate utilising his versatility to bolster the side late in games.

He also shares his name with two borough roads; Delph Meadow in Billinge and Delph Grove in Leigh.

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Meanwhile, Danny Welbeck has been used sparingly so far but residents in Welbeck Road, Marus Bridge, will nonetheless have extra reason to cheer should the Arsenal frontman’s strength and pace be called upon to find a way through the stubborn Croatian defence.

Lastly, but definitely not least, footie fans in Kane Crescent, Lowton, will be ‘Harry as Larry’ if the talismanic Tottenham striker manages to add to his tally of six goals.

So, are Wigan’s namesake streets a good omen?

We’ll only be able to, erm, ‘address’ that question come (extra time depending) 8.45pm on Wednesday!