Harry Maguire's image adorning the £50 note got more than 10,000 votes in the petition's first day online.
With the Bank of England set to introduce a new design for the £50 bank note, an unlikely movement is gathering pace to have a national hero featured upon it.
Football writer Jonny Gabriel is the man spearheading a semi-serious campaign to have Harry Maguire's image emblazoned on the new note -- specifically England defender riding on top of an inflatable unicorn.
pic.twitter.com/YQDLMlPGvI
— Jonny Sharples (@JonnyGabriel) October 14, 2018
The image of Maguire frolicking in the pool with some of his teammates at England's World Cup training base summed up the feel-good mood of the young squad in Russia, and gave their nation a smile.
Sharples also produced a mock-up of said bank note design, complete with a picture of Maguire astride his trusty steed, along with a petition for fans to sign.
Bank of England: Harry Maguire Riding An Inflatable Unicorn for the face of the New £50 Note - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/k7pZO6lLxy via @UKChange
— Jonny Sharples (@JonnyGabriel) October 15, 2018
As Sharples points out, while the £5, £10 and £20 notes have all undergone successful redesigns over the past few years, none of them have featured a World Cup semifinalist floating on a mythical creature -- a massive oversight on the Bank of England's part.
The petition attracted more than 10,000 signatures in its first day online, with Maguire's England teammate Kyle Walker also publicly backing the movement.
Indeed, the Tottenham right-back even offered to lend his image to a new £5 note.
Make it happen England! I'll be happy on a fiver. Plus a bigger amount needs a bigger head... https://t.co/JjuSEiwTBG pic.twitter.com/0puk94xyRO
— Kyle Walker (@kylewalker2) October 16, 2018
In the grand spirit of football coming home, it's the least our semifinal heroes deserve.
The current £50 note features the portraits of British industrialists and engineers Matthew Boulton and James Watt, pioneers of the steam engine during the Georgian age.
Honestly, we can't think of a more appropriate substitution.
@HarryMaguire93 "You probably recognise me from the fifty quid notes" pic.twitter.com/Uxj9QyVM0s
— Jonny Sharples (@JonnyGabriel) October 15, 2018
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Source: espn.co.uk