Liverpool legend reworks iconic rap from England's most famous World Cup song

John Barnes and Neil Ruddock reunited ahead of England’s World Cup opener on an updated version of the iconic rap from New Order’s smash hit World in Motion.

Barnes will forever be remembered for his part on the song that reached number one in the UK charts before Italia 90 kicked off.

And with Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions ready to begin their Group L campaign in North America against Croatia, he took to social media with new lyrics in a light-hearted swipe at how football has changed since his heyday — aided and abetted by former Liverpool team-mate Ruddock. 

In the reworked words, Barnes raps: “You’ve seen the beautiful game but played the boring way.

“Just corners and crosses, no one willing to play. But the game we love, it didn’t start that way. It was jumpers for posts at the end of the day.

“With a ball and a dream, that’s how you make your name. Every touch and you feel our beautiful game.

“There’s no one telling you to just keep in your place. Just expression and style, and a bit of pace.

“Football’s changed a lot, the game’s gone safe. But it can still live on if we play the right way.”

So where does Ruddock fit in? Well, the no-nonsense former defender dances around in the background as ‘Digger’ takes centre stage.

Barnes, 62, was capped 79 times by England during a glittering career that also saw him play for Watford and Newcastle.

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He won numerous trophies with Liverpool, including the old First Division title on two occasions and the FA Cup twice.

Ruddock, 58, represented the Three Lions just once but enjoyed a career that also saw him play for Tottenham, Southampton, West Ham and Crystal Palace after starting at Millwall.

Initially, World in Motion was not going to feature a rap. That addition was the brainchild of comedian Keith Allen, who had been recruited to help inject some humour into the song in case it was not well received.

And as Barnes reminds everyone with his latest effort alongside ‘Razor’ Ruddock, the rap verse is arguably the most memorable part of the original.

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