In defence of Alvaro Morata – script is written for maligned striker to inspire Euro 2020 glory

Watching Alvaro Morata toil at Euro 2020 has been almost tragic, with every miss seemingly guaranteed to invite some form of pile-on, whether on social media or from fans inside the stadium.

Rarely do footballers inspire feelings of sympathy, with fans perhaps generally forgetting that these entertainers performing for our satisfaction are humans too, carrying out a job like any other member of society.

Maybe it is the money they re paid that prevents certain individuals from feeling empathy for footballers, but surely even the most vociferous cheerleaders of footballers wages for soldiers and other comparable arguments must have felt some kind of compassion for Morata at one time or another during this tournament.

Even before a ball was kicked, Morata was alread…