Patrick Helmes bags a goal for Emmy

On Tuesday, (a full day before the rest of the English-speaking media caught up) we told you how Germany’s Patrick Helmes was planning to honour the memory of his dead golden retriever Emmy with a goal against England. Thanks to a Terry/ Carson communication breakdown of epic proportions, the Bayern Leverkusen striker was able to “point to the sky with his index finger, look at the clouds and think about Emmy”.

Sadly for Helmes, he had little else to celebrate last night.

Patrick Helmes plans to celebrate memory of his furry friend

When England and Germany’s reserve teams meet in Berlin tomorrow night, one player will be more determined than any other to ripple the net. Last month, Bayern Leverkusen’s Patrick Helmes was devastated by the passing of his 17-month-old golden retriever Emmy, and he has been banging in goals for her ever since:

“My dog was like my baby. I cried for days when she died.”

Since Emmy went to the big kennel in the sky, Helmes has scored twice, and on each occasion he has “pointed to the sky with his index finger, looked to the clouds and thought about her.”

If you see a thoughtful pointing man at the sky in the Olympic Stadium tomorrow night, you’ll know exactly why.

[Bild]