Make England squad Vegan to get winning edge, PETA tells Hodgson

Group Offers Delicious Animal-Free Catering to Help Lead Team to Victory

London – On the back of England's disappointing result against Italy on Saturday night, PETA has written to Roy Hodgson to suggest that he increase England's chance of future success in the competition by putting the team on a vegan diet.

In its letter, available here, the animal rights organisation points out that vegan foods provide all the protein, complex carbohydrates and other nutrients athletes need to get stronger and faster, minus the saturated fats, cholesterol and contaminants that are found in meat, eggs and dairy. The group has offered to support the effort by providing delicious vegan caterers to help the team make the healthy switch.

"The extra oomph that the England squad needs may be as simple as replacing what's on their plates", says PETA Associate Director Mimi Bekhechi. "By trying delicious and healthy vegan meals, England's players have nothing to lose – and everything to gain!"

Eating plant-based foods has also been shown to improve blood and oxygen flow, helping repair torn muscles and tendons for faster recovery from training and injuries. And a vegan diet can help protect against heart disease, diabetes, strokes and cancer. In addition to keeping themselves lean, footballers can also lighten their conscience by giving meat the boot. In today's industrialised meat industry, chickens, pigs, turkeys and cows are crammed into filthy windowless sheds, wires cages, and other confinement systems where they live and die in misery.

PETA's suggestion echoes similar comments made by Ex-Everton and Swansea City player Neil Robinson, the world's first vegan professional footballer. Former England international Phil Neville recently teamed up with PETA to promote a meat-free diet in an exclusive video interview, during which he says after going vegetarian, "I started to feel healthier, leaner. I started to feel great". The video is available here. A growing number of top athletes are ditching animal products from their diets, including boxer David Haye, Olympic cyclist Lizzie Armitstead, strongman competitor Patrik Baboumian, squash world champion James Willstrop and ultra-endurance athlete Rich Roll.

For more information and to order a free vegetarian/ vegan starter kit, please visit PETA.org.uk or click here.