Northern Ireland striker Will Grigg will hear thousands of supporters sing his name in the Euro 2016 match against Germany on Tuesday -- and he probably won't even be on the pitch.
A re-working of the 1996 dance track “Freed from Desire” by Gala featuring a tribute to Grigg in place of the original words has become a hugely popular chant wherever the Northern Irish have played in France.
“Will Grigg’s on fire, your defence is terrified,” the fans chanted during the 1-0 defeat to Poland in Nice and then again at the raucously celebrated 2-0 win over Ukraine in Lyon.
Scroll down for video clip
The only problem is that 24-year-old Grigg hasn’t played a minute in the tournament -- and he looks unlikely to do so against Germany in the do-or-die final Group C match at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
But Grigg, despite just a handful of international caps, has become such a cult figure that Northern Irish fans even wore masks of his face during the Ukraine match.
The chant first caught on as Grigg netted 28 times in 43 appearances in all competitions this season to help former English Premier League team Wigan Athletic win promotion to the Championship.
In May 2016, Wigan supporter Sean Kennedy uploaded a video of the rejigged song to YouTube.
The beauty of the song is that it can be easily adapted by other teams -- just add your striker’s name.
The self-effacing Grigg told his club’s TV channel after they clinched promotion in May that hearing supporters singing the song spurred him on.
“It’s unbelievable, it’s a great feeling, it does give you that extra boost and it’s been the main song for quite a while now,” he said.
Wigan chairman David Sharpe has given Kennedy a free season ticket to thank him for “for inventing the best chant ever known to man”.
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
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- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
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Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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