McNamara thanks John Prescott for helping to inspire England

England coach Steve Mcnamara has highlighted the role played by former deputy prime minister John Prescott in helping to fire up the national team before their win over New Zealand on Sunday at Hull.

Lord Prescott, who was an MP in Hull for many years before moving into the House of Lords, presented the players’ jerseys to them on the eve of the game.

He also made a speech recalling some of the moments of his career when the pressure was on, and how important decision-making is at such time.

“John Prescott had the players on the edge of their seats during the shirt presentation in terms of his presentation,” McNamara told the official England RL website.

“He is an infectious man with a superb personality. He spoke about some serious things around making decisions under pressure, leadership and threw in some interesting stories.

“The balance of his speech really hit the mark with the players and the response from the group was what I was looking for.

“John came to the dressing room after the game to see the lads and congratulate them on their win. We like to expose the players to people from different walks of life and he fit the bill perfectly for us.

“His enthusiasm rubbed off on everyone and we’ve definitely got a fan in him now.”