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    Forgotten Premier League star, 47, now working as fitness coach subbed on as STRIKER for non-league Wealdstone

    A FORGOTTEN Premier League star who is now working as a fitness coach ended up being subbed on as a striker for non-league club Wealdstone.Wayne Andrews, 47, enjoyed a glittering career playing up front for the likes of Watford, Coventry and Leeds.Wealdstone fitness coach Wayne Andrews came off the bench for a surprise appearance aged 47Credit: RexThe ace enjoyed a glittering career playing for some big namesCredit: Matthew PoverHe made nine Premier League appearances during the 2004/05 season with Crystal Palace.And after retiring in 2009 with 44 goals from 230 games, Andrews moved into the world of coaching.The ace reinvented himself as a strength and conditioning expert, training the likes of Andy Cole and Jermaine Jenas.Last summer Andrews took up an official role as Head of Strength and Conditioning with non-league club Wealdstone.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut he’s now ended up putting his boots back on for a shock appearance on the field.Last night saw Wealdstone take on Brighton’s U21s in the National League Cup.With his side 1-0 down, Andrews came amazingly came off the bench in the 76th minute in an attempt to level things up.Unfortunately for the ace, he was unable to make an impact as Wealdstone crashed out by a single goal.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSBut fans were loving seeing Andrews back on the field in such dramatic circumstances.One said: “Football ay?”Football stars’ weird phobiasHe scored plenty of goals along the wayCredit: AllsportAndrews made nine Premier League appearances at Crystal PalaceCredit: ArfaAnother declared: “Legend.”One noted: “One of my favourite players as a kid.”Another declared: “What a hero.” More

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    ‘Fire’ say fans as Lewis Hamilton unveils new tattoo with sweet hidden meaning and poses in Ferrari red for first time

    LEWIS HAMILTON unveiled his latest tattoo as he posed in Ferrari red for the first time.The seven-time world champion made the shock move to leave Mercedes and join Ferrari ahead of the 2025 Formula One season. Lewis Hamilton posed with his tattoo artist on social mediaCredit: https://www.instagram.com/mr.k_tattoo/The British racing driver got the ’11:11′ inking in redCredit: https://www.instagram.com/mr.k_tattoo/The driver left Mercedes for Ferrari for the 2025 F1 seasonCredit: https://www.instagram.com/lewishamilton/He will hope the iconic red brings him fresh joy on the track this year.But he has also got the colour inked on his skin with his new neck tattoo.And there is a beautiful meaning behind the simple bodywork.Hamilton, 40, was pictured wearing a white vest and black beanie hat with his tattoo artist Mr K.READ MORE ON F1And another pic showed a close-up of the new red ink of “11:11” in between four short lines.Mr K captioned the post: “I’m so excited about your new chapter bro. For his Mum 11:11.”And the hidden message is a nod to Hamilton’s mum Carmen who was born on November 11. That sparked a wave of classy messages of support from fans on social media.Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSOne wrote: “Sweet.”Another said: “Nice work and a beautiful tribute.”F1 star Lewis Hamilton tells us the stories behind his tattoosA third added: “Team LH approved – love this.”And a final user replied: “Bellissimo. Amazing Work.”On the same day as the news about his tattoo, Hamilton looked the part in his new Ferrari racing kit. He took to Twitter with a photo decked out in the all-red outfit and wrote “First time in red,” prompting one adoring supporter to proclaim: “This is fire.”Hamilton – who had his first day with The Prancing Horse on Monday – is desperate to secure a record-breaking eighth world crown with his new team.The Brit was cruelly denied No8 in farcical scenes in Abu Dhabi in 2021 as Max Verstappen clinched his maiden title on the final lap of the season.The Red Bull star has reigned for the following three years, while Hamilton has won just two races across that time. But after a more promising 2024 campaign, he will be hoping to match his talent and experience with a better Ferrari car than those produced by Mercedes in recent times. After his unveiling at the Scuderia where he will partner Charles Leclerc under a strict new rule, Hamilton wrote: “There are some days that you know you’ll remember forever and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days.”I’ve been lucky enough to have achieved things in my career I never thought possible, but part of me has always held on to that dream of racing in red.READ MORE SUN STORIES”I couldn’t be happier to realise that dream today.”Today we start a new era in the history of this iconic team, and I can’t wait to see what story we will write together.”Hamilton had his first day at Ferrari on MondayCredit: PAHe was given a hero’s welcome by adoring fansCredit: Getty More

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    Man Utd ‘LOWER Alejandro Garnacho demands with wantaway forward set for cut-price transfer to Napoli’

    MANCHESTER UNITED have reportedly lowered their asking price for Alejandro Garnacho.The Argentina international is on the radar of former club Atletico Madrid and Serie A big boys Napoli.Manchester United are said to have initially valued Alejandro Garnacho at £75millionCredit: AFPBut the Red Devils are said to have lowered their asking price for the 19-year-oldCredit: ALAMYChelsea are also said to be interested – with his agent at Stamford Bridge for the Blues 3-1 win over Wolves on Monday night.The Red Devils were initially said to be willing to part company with the winger if they received a bid in the region of £75million.But they are now claimed to have reduced their valuation of the 20-year-old by nearly a THIRD.That’s according to Sky Italia, who claim the Premier League giants are willing to sell the Argentine for £55m.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSNapoli – who are in the market for a new winger following Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s move to Paris Saint-Germain – will likely be thrilled by United’s reported lowering of their demands for Garnacho.The Italians have reportedly had a £40m offer rejected for the forward.Napoli have made no secret of their desire to land Garnacho before the transfer window shuts on February 3.And sporting director Giovanni Manna recently revealed the United star is “important” to Napoli’s plans.Most read in FootballWhen asked if they’re interested in Garnacho’s services, he said: “We are making some assessments.JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS”He is an important player, but he is not ours.“We must not get carried away even if we know that an important player has left.Which Manchester United stars should stay and go?”A top player as the manager defined him and therefore the expectations are high.”But we will do something on Napoli’s terms.”Garnacho and his Manchester United team-mates will be back in action on Thursday, welcoming Scottish giants Rangers to Old Trafford for their penultimate Europa League group match. More

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    David Beckham picks up philanthropy award for work with vulnerable children at Davos summit

    DAPPER footie hero David Beckham is on the ball yesterday at the World Economic Forum’s gathering of the super-rich.Becks, 49, chatted to US TV anchor Sara Eisen after accepting an award for his work improving the living conditions of children.David Beckham chatted to US TV anchor Sara Eisen after accepting an award for his work improving the living conditions of children at the WEF summit in DavosZelensky spoke at the event in SwitzerlandCredit: EPAThe Unicef Goodwill Ambassador told the audience in Davos that girls are “held back” by discrimination.He said he wanted his daughter Harper, 13, to have the same life chances as her three older brothers.Becks said: “Girls need opportunities. They need collective action and they need investment.”Also speaking at the 55th annual WEF meeting in Switzerland yesterday was Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.READ MORE ON THE BECKHAMSBeckham also recently revealed the highly contrasting reasons he and his mum idolized the same Manchester United legend.Becks as a kid had his eyes on his hero’s technique – while Sandra’s eyes were on the player’s thighs!The ex-England skipper “always waited outside” Old Trafford – to get the icon’s autograph.But when it came to watching on the pitch he regularly shared moments of awestruck wonder with his mum.Most read in FootballThe former Red Devils midfielder, 49, named ex-striker Mark Hughes as the object of his obsession.BBC Wales showed a clip of Becks as a wide-eyed child explaining to an interviewer: “I’m looking forward to seeing Mark Hughes and the stadium.”David Beckham reveals unlikely Man Utd idol and admits mum Sandra couldn’t get enough of his thighs More

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    How Arsenal boss Arteta is using MUSIC to motivate his players with huge speakers positioned around training pitches

    MIKEL ARTETA is willing to try anything to gain an extra inch in his pursuit of silverware.The Arsenal manager’s latest out-of-the-box thinking involves transforming the dreary weather of London Colney into a sun-kissed Samba Boys beach through the medium of MUSIC.Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is hoping to get a tune out of his players for the title run-inCredit: Amazon Prime Video SportArsenal’s players trained with Samba music on speakers ahead of Euro clashCredit: GettyBoss Mikel Arteta spoke with Brazilian-born Eduardo at London ColneyCredit: GettyAhead of their penultimate Champions League group phase match against Dinamo Zagreb tomorrow tonight, Arteta’s injury-plagued Gunners squad trudged out for training in chilly conditions at their North London base.But their moods were instantly lifted by a popular Brazilian tune blasting through several speakers around the pitches as they started their warm-up – the song in question being Mais Que Nada by Sergio Mendes.A beaming Arteta was clearly enjoying its impact, getting involved in the Rondo’s with his players to a soundtrack most people associate with Samba legends Ronaldinho and Kaka.And Arteta explained: “It’s something we’ve been doing for many years now.read more arsenal“And as part of training we use music as another element of our sessions to build the energy, to change some purposes that we want in the training session and I think the players enjoy it.“It depends on the drill, depends on the day. Some players pick the first song, the first two songs, the last song. It’s definitely interesting.”Arsenal and Arteta are in dire need of a mood change after a gruelling month that has seen them crash out of the FA Cup to Manchester United in the third round on penalties and lose the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final 2-0 at home to Newcastle.Their Prem title dreams have also taken another knock, blowing a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Aston Villa on Saturday night – leaving them six points off Liverpool who have a game in hand.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSMeanwhile, their treatment room is filling up with key figures Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu still on the road to recovery.In November 2021, Arteta tried to prepare his players for a trip to Anfield by playing the anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ during a training session, only to get smashed 4-0.’I’m flabbergasted’ – Paul Merson tears into Thomas Partey’s ‘schoolboy’ defending as Arteta blasts performance vs VillaArteta continued: “Music is very much part of our culture. We have music in a lot of different places, and music has the capacity to change your mood, to change your energy to a certain place.“It happens in all of us. You play a song and immediately you feel different, and we have certain songs that trigger something in our team, because they have some history as well with us.“I will use it when we believe it’s the right way to do it.“Sometimes I play a song many, many times with my family and [the kids] say: ‘Dad, can we stop it, please?’ I don’t know, it’s a feeling.”Winger Leandro Trossard – who is set to make his 100th appearance in all competitions for Arsenal after signing from Brighton two years ago this week – added: “I’m not sure who’s on the tunes when we’re doing the warm-up. You just get used to it, I guess.Bukayo Saka update as Arsenal star spotted at Emirates without crutches… but Gunners suffer fresh injury blow“At the start when I joined it was a bit weird for me that we had this, but now it’s just natural for us to have the music playing when we’re warming up.“[Arteta’s methods] are a bit different to any other manager I had. But it helps players on some days to focus more and get the meaning, the importance of the game.”Despite having two-and-a-half years with an option of a further 12 months left on his contract, Trossard has been linked with a move away from Arsenal this term.The Belgian has started just 14 Prem games term, and often shows his disappointment through grumpy facial expressions, with Arteta jokingly calling him a “moaner” in the past.Trossard laughed: “I wouldn’t use moan. I’m just a winner. If something goes against me and I think it’s unfair, I think that’s really personal, I would say. That’s how I am.“That should be the mind-set of every footballer. I don’t do it on purpose, maybe my body language at that point could be, but I am always ready. Even if I am on the bench, I can make an impact.”Arsenal can take a huge leap towards confirming a top eight spot in the new league format of the Champions League with victory over Fabio Cannavaro’s Dinamo Zagreb.With his men in third place with 13 points from six outings, Arteta said: “We are in a really strong position and now we try to capitalise.READ MORE SUN STORIES“I don’t want [my players] to feel unlucky with recent results. We have to control what we can control. Is there anything better we could have done to win [against Villa] by a big margin? Yes.“We focus on that. Now it is in our hands to change it and move forward.” More

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    Champions League LIVE SCORES: Liverpool CONFIRM place in Last 16, Barcelona BEAT Benfica 5-4 in thriller – updates

    LIVERPOOL have confirmed their place in the Champions League Last 16 after beating Lille 2-1.The Reds made it seven wins out of seven with the victory over Lille to reach 21 points and guarantee automatic progression.Liverpool can still be caught for the top spot though in the final matchround – after second-placed Barcelona defeated Benfica 5-4 in incident-packed classic.While Aston Villa blew their chance to all-but confirm their Last 16 place after losing 1-0 at Monaco.Start times: 5.45pm/ 8pmLive stream: discovery+/ Amazon Prime VideoTV channel: TNT Sports/ Amazon Prime VideoCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSFollow ALL the action from Matchday Six with our live blog below…Do it all again tomorrowHead over to the SunSport football page for more reaction to tonight’s bonkers Champions League night.Liverpool fans can sit back and watch tomorrow’s action knowing top of the table is pretty much secured ahead of next week’s final day.Can Arsenal, Man City and Celtic put themselves into a strong position? We’ll see tomorrow.Copy linkCopiedTomorrow’s gamesMore drama to come tomorrow? Hopefully!Here’s what we’ve got to look forward to (8pm unless stated)Leipzig vs Sporting 5.45pmShakhtar vs Brest 5.45pmMilan vs GironaArsenal vs Dinamo ZagrebCeltic vs Young BoysFeyenoord vs BayernPSG vs Man CityReal Madrid vs SalzburgSparta Prague vs InterCopy linkCopiedElite companyOptaJoe say Arne slot is only the second manager in Champions League history to win his first seven games in charge of a club.That feat was previously only done by Hansi Flick when at Bayern a few years ago.Copy linkCopiedMatch report – Liverpool vs LilleMo Salah claimed his 50th European goal for Liverpool as Arne Slot’s side stuck a red flag on the summit of the Champions League table.Harvey Elliott continued what has been an astonishing first campaign for the Dutchman who succeeded Jurgen Klopp.For while the German will always be seen as one of Anfield’s true icons, history so far suggests that Slot may yet over time be at least as revered. At this rate, anyway.Elliott’s 67th strike against a side reduced to ten men early in the second half means Slot’s men equalled the club’s best – ever sequence of seven successive wins the competition, a run set, of course, by Klopp.Yet when so many within the Kop feared his departure last summer might signal a down- sizing of intent, the current side just get better and better.Copy linkCopiedMatch report – Monaco vs Aston VillaAston Villa discovered the hard way.The last place in the world you can afford to be poor is Monte Carlo.Unai Emery brought his Premier stars to the millionaires’ playground in the South of France.But in front of watching royalty – Villa fan Prince William – his side performed like paupers.Wilfried Singo’s first-half header was enough to sink Villa who had 82 minutes to put things right but never came close.They trudged off at the end, deservedly beaten by Monaco’s energetic kids.Copy linkCopiedHot propertyJonathan David might well have added a few more million onto his price tag after his goal at Anfield tonight.The Lille man is hot property at the minute and has been linked with Newcastle, Arsenal and the Reds in the last couple of days, labelling the latter of those the ‘best team in the world’.Speaking to Amazon Prime after the game, he said: “We came against the first of the Champions League group so we knew it was going to be a complicated game even more so when we went to 10 men. It’s frustrating, we wanted to hold on as long as we could but it’s very difficult.”Today wasn’t our day. The togetherness. Everyone is very solid and compact. We want to play and play our game this is how we’re going to get further.”They’re a very good team. I think they might be the best team in the world at the moment.”Copy linkCopiedStrong showingA dominant night for Liverpool despite really getting out of first gear.Lille with plenty of the ball of their own and 461 passes is no mean feat at Anfield on a Champions League night.Copy linkCopied50 upMo Salah admits his pride at another landmark moment for Liverpool after his 50th European goal for the club.But he admits he hopes it’s not the last milestone for the club.He told Amazon Prime: “Hopefully not the last one but I’m very proud of it. I wasn’t focused on it before the game.”They have a really good game plan and they were unbeaten for 21 games so they’re a quite tough team. I’m glad we managed to win that game.”We got the ball and Curtis played the ball very well finally and I managed to score.”Copy linkCopiedHow we standA dramatic night then but it leaves us knowing that top spot will either be Liverpool or Barcelona.The Reds are in such a strong position having won all seven games and have a three-point gap to Barca, with just the final match day to go.Liverpool are at PSV, Barca host Atalanta.Elsewhere, Aston Villa are in a right scrap for a top eight finish, knowing they will need to beat Celtic next week!Copy linkCopiedLage rageBenfica boss Bruno Lage has taken a leaf out the Phil Brown playbook.The livid Portuguese boss kept his side out on the pitch to give them a dressing down in the torrential rain.The players still looked shell-shocked having thrown away that game to actually lose in the end.Copy linkCopiedChampions League resultsWhat a sensational night of Champions League drama.Here’s the results:Atalanta 5-0 Sturm GrazMonaco 1-0 Aston VillaAtletico Madrid 2-1 LeverkusenBenfica 4-5 BarcelonaBologna 2-1 DortmundClub Brugge 0-0 JuventusLiverpool 2-1 LilleRed Star 2-3 PSVSlovan Bratislava 1-3 StuttgartCopy linkCopied90+6 – GOAL!! Benfica 4-5 BARCELONAWow wow wow – what a stunning end to the game and a quite incredible comeback!RAPHINHA has won it for Barca!Benfica were pushing and thought they might’ve had a penalty for a shove in the back.Ferran Torres smashes it long and Raphinha is on the halfway line to run clean through. He drives in towards goal and waits to beat the defender on the inside before smashing beyond the keeper.4-2 down in the 78th minute, Barca have won with the final kick. Extraordinary.Copy linkCopiedFT! Job done for Liverpool at Anfield and they maintain top spot – and confirm their place in the top eight.Harvey Elliott’s second half goal the difference after 10-man Lille equaliser through Jonathan David.They’ll be hard to catch at the top now…Liverpool 2-1 LilleCopy linkCopied90 – GOAL! ATLETICO MADRID 2-1 LeverkusenJULIAN ALVAREZ with the winner!The Leverkusen players crumbling as tough as the referee in this one.Correa bundles his way through and a touch into his path inside the box works out to be a great pass for Alvarez.Kovar comes out to close the angle and the striker nips round him and taps into an empty net from a tight angle.Copy linkCopied87 – GOAL! Slovan Bratislava 1-3 STUTTGARTIt was game on for 60 seconds or so…Terrific counter attack ended by FABIAN RIEDER who slots beyond the keeper. Job done.Copy linkCopied87 – GOAL! Benfica 4-4 BARCELONAThe comeback is complete for the Spanish giants!They were piling on the pressure and this one comes from a corner taken short to Pedri and his cracking cross finds ERIC GARCIA to plant a header beyond the keeper.Wild scenes as the visitors celebrate but where was the Benfica marking!?Copy linkCopied86 – GOAL! SLOVAN BRATISLAVA 1-2 StuttgartIDJESSI METSOKO with the goal to make things interesting!Barseghyan with a stunning through ball for Metsoko who takes a great touch into the box and a clever dinked finish beyond the keeper.Copy linkCopiedClosing stagesEVERY game in the balance going into the closing stages as Slovan Bratislava have just scored!🔴 Atletico Madrid 1-1 Leverkusen 🔴Benfica 4-3 BarcelonaBologna 2-1 DortmundClub Brugge 0-0 JuventusLiverpool 2-1 Lille 🔴Red Star 2-3 PSV 🔴Slovan Bratislava 1-2 StuttgartCopy linkCopied77 – GOAL! RED STAR 2-3 PSVAn incredible comeback IS on the cards as Red Star get one back!Ivanic’s cross from the corner finds NASSER DJIGA who heads powerfully off the under-side of the crossbar and in!Copy linkCopiedFrom Ken Lawrence watching Liverpool vs LilleLiverpool got a little sloppy against Lille. But only for a little while.Jonathan David plundered an equaliser five minutes after Alissa Mandi got a second yellow card.But there is  a power and a presence about Arne Slot’s side and Harvey Elliott scored his first European goal at Anfield to send then further on the way to topping the Champions League table. And then some.Copy linkCopied76 – RED CARD – PIERO HINCAPIE (Leverkusen)Oh referee you’ve absolutely bottled it!He’s been itching and itching to level the teams up and crumbled under the pressure Atletico Madrid’s theatrics and their supporters’ noise.Hincapie is the victim of the referee’s crumbling, receiving a second yellow for a shoulder-to-shoulder clash on the right edge of the area. Copy linkCopied77 – GOAL! Benfica 4-3 BARCELONAGame on again in Lisbon!Again, it’s ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI and again it’s from the spot. So very harsh the decision as Lamine Yamal goes down easily but the Polish marksman makes no mistake. Now the joint-most penalty goals in this competition alongside Cristiano Ronaldo!Soccer Football – Champions League – Benfica v FC Barcelona – Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal – January 21, 2025 FC Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Rodrigo AntunesCopy linkCopied71 – GOAL! RED STAR 1-3 PSVThe home side back in it? Still work to do against the ten man as CHERIF NDIAYE gets it.Clever header. Too little too late?Copy linkCopied72 – GOAL! BOLOGNA 2-1 DortmundWhat a turnaround – Bologna trailed 90 seconds ago and now they lead through Englishman SAMUEL ILING JUNIOR.Just seconds after the restart they win the ball back and weak defending from Anton allows Dallinga in again but the keeper saves his effort.But it falls kindly to Iling Junior to smash home from eight yards. Incredible turnaround.Copy linkCopied68 – GOAL! BENFICA 4-2 BarcelonaJust as it looked like being game on, it’s not again!Benfica go back in front and it’s an own goal from Araujo. A great ball into the box is picked up at the back post and when played into the six-yard box, Araujo beats Wojciech Szczęsny to it and diverts it into his own net!Copy linkCopied More

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    Amateur footie team set unbelievable record after all ten outfield players scored in a 10-0 win

    AN amateur footie team believe they have set a world record after all ten outfield players hit the back of the net in one match.Sharp-shooters AFC Eastfield routed league strugglers Pocklington 10-0 in their biggest ever win, but they also achieved a unique feat when all players scored a goal.An amateur footie team believe they have set a world record after all ten outfield players hit the back of the net in one matchAFC Eastfield is based in North YorkshireThe club is now checking with Guinness World Records in a bid to get their historic win recognised.The team, from Scarborough, North Yorks, celebrated wildly at full-time — except for club secretary Stephen Crosby, who had promised to buy every player a pint if they could reach double figures and keep a clean sheet.At 9-0 I was offering our players £20 for an own goalClub secretary Stephen Crosby who had promised pints all round for a 10-0 winStephen, 64, told The Sun: “Never in my wildest dreams did I think they’d do it.“We were 3-0 up at half-time which was a pretty nice cushion to have.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS“The manager told the lads to put the pressure on them in the second half and to push on — and they did.“It’s not like our keeper had nothing to do. Pocklington broke forward a few times.“We kept rattling the goals in. By the time we were 9-0 up, I was offering our players £20 to score an own goal.”The first was scored by Ryan Herrington, with Chris Hannam and Brad Cawkwell also on the scoresheet before half time.Most read in FootballIn the second half, Martyn Kelly, Brad-Lee Craggs, Conor Fiddy and Cailum Webster took the score to 7-0 before Billy Lawson and Omer Issa Yousef helped the side reach 9-0.And in the 75th minute, striker Rio Scott headed the tenth goal into the net.Steam train bizarrely interrupts amateur football matchStephen, from Scarborough, said it was even more remarkable as the team lost all 18 league matches last season.He added: “We almost folded twice as we were so demoralised. In the end, the league collapsed and we were moved to the East Riding County League.”Of their win, he said: “I don’t think any side has had all ten outfield players score in one game. It’s unheard of.”Arbroath’s 36-0 demolition of Bon Accord in 1885 is the biggest win recognised by Guiness World Records — but only six different players scored.Nine scored as Liverpool thrashed Norwegian side Strømsgodset 11-0 in a European Cup Winners’ Cup match in 1974.And the Reds also had eight players hit on target in 1989 as the Anfield giants beat Crystal Palace 9-0.But AFC Eastfield reckon they are the first side to have all ten outfield players score.Ryan Herrington scored the opening goalChris Hannam scored the second goalRio Scott scored the record breaking goalOmer Issa Yousef was man of the match More

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    Liverpool 2 Lille 1: Reds maintain 100% Champs League record as Salah & Elliott put Kop club on brink of winning league

    MO SALAH claimed his 50th European goal for Liverpool as Arne Slot’s side stuck a red flag on the summit of the Champions League table.Harvey Elliott continued what has been an astonishing first campaign for the Dutchman who succeeded Jurgen Klopp.Liverpool welcomed Lille to Anfield in their penultimate Champions League group stage matchCredit: ALAMYMohamed Salah fired the Reds into a 1-0 lead in the 34th minuteCredit: RexSalah’s strike was his 21st in all competitions this seasonCredit: APFor while the German will always be seen as one of Anfield’s true icons, history so far suggests that Slot may yet over time be at least as revered. At this rate, anyway.Elliott’s 67th strike against a side reduced to ten men early in the second half means Slot’s men equalled the club’s best – ever sequence of seven successive wins the competition, a run set, of course, by Klopp.Yet when so many within the Kop feared his departure last summer might signal a down- sizing of intent, the current side just get better and better.They also sit top of the Prem. Nobody would suggest they won’t be there at the end. READ MORE UCL NEWSThey way things are going in Europe, nobody could say that they become the No.1 team on the continent – and follow Klopp’s 2019 success – is beyond them either.The most impressive aspect of Liverpool’s approach to this clash was their control.This didn’t need to be a raucous night. It was only really ever about ensuring progress and especially against opponents who were anything but mugs.Say what you like about French football and how soft it might be by comparison to the Premier League but Bruno Grensio’s side touched down boasting a club record 21 games unbeaten.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSJonathan David dragged the visitors level just after the half hour markCredit: GETTYLike Slot’s machine, they had also beaten the mighty Real Madrid and for over half an hour they threatened, probed and gave no impression whatsoever that they were intimidated in their hallowed surroundings.The Ligue 1 side are proper football team and they got the respect they deserved.Mo Salah calls out Jamie Carragher after Liverpool legend urged him to ‘take a leaf out of Virgil van Dijk’s book’Slot made four changes from the side that beat Brentford 2-0 thanks to the time added on double that proved Darwin Nunez actually can finish.The mercurial Uruguayan, who often has trouble hitting barn doors, was rewarded with a starting spot but there was no barn – storming for him in a cagey first third of the game.This was about cat and mouse. Precision. No gung-ho requirements, especially as Lille confidently stroked the ball around in possession.Then Curtis Jones dropped a bomb.Kostas Tsimikas robbed striker Jonathon David and the blossoming England midfielder pounced.In a flash, he delivered a fabulous fifty-yard pass into the path of Salah who motored forward, like he does and as Lucas Chevalier moved forward the icon of Anfield kept his cool and bent a trademark left-footer around him.Amazingly that was his first goal from open play in 440 minutes. You would never have known he’d gone that long.As finishes go for Liverpool’s all-time top European goal scorer, it was about as good as it ever was for him.Shortly after that landmark opener came another for the team that Brentford manager Thomas Frank described at the weekend as the best team in the world.They surpassed the first 36 minutes to set a new club record, beating the 572 set under Rafa Benitez without conceding a goal in season 2005-06 as Miracle of Istanbul Champions League holders.Harvey Elliot’s deflected strike fired the Reds back in frontCredit: AlamyHere was a team if not at the peak of their powers then one certain that most history could be written.In their previous six games of this Champions League campaign, they had conceded only once.They were now going for another major mark – bidding to become only the second team ever after Leeds United in the whole history of Europe’s premier competition to win six games in a row without their goalkeeper picking one out of his net.It all seemed to get more comfortable, too, in the 59th minute after Aissa Mandi got his marching orders.Already booked, his challenge on Luis Diaz was as stupid under the circumstances as it was cynical and German referee Felix Swayer had no option but to go yellow and red on him.Then Slot’s side got sloppy three minutes later. A low cross wasn’t dealt with and Jakan Haraldsson connected first – time.Alisson deflected that effort but then had no chance as David fired home the rebound to claim his 18th goal of a campaign – including five in Europe that is maker bigger fish than Lille across Europe take notice.Yet there was no real panic. Slot had replaced Jones and Ryan Gravenberch for for Alex Mac Allister and Elliott at the start of the second leg.Those fresher legs counted, too, for Mac Allister immediately got busy, pulling his midfielders into a tighter, more aggressive unit.Elliott got the reward in the 67th minute after that resurgence had pushed the French into retreat mode.He smashed home his first European goal at Anfield from around 25 yards after Lille half – cleared a corner.READ MORE SUN STORIESIt wasn’t the greatest of strikes, deflecting of a flailing Lille leg, but it didn’t matter. But it still meant job done. And then some. More