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    ‘I nearly joined Man Utd after Sir Alex Ferguson charmed me but I don’t regret it… then I ended my career at Barnet’

    EDGAR DAVIDS revealed he almost joined Manchester United after meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson in 1996.Davids, 51, enjoyed tremendous success playing for the likes of Ajax, where he won the Champions League and the Eredivisie, as well as Juventus, where he won three Serie A titles.Edgar Davids revealed he almost joined Manchester United in 1996Credit: Times Newspapers LtdDavids held talks with Man Utd’s legendary boss Sir Alex FergusonCredit: GettyDavids turned Man Utd down to play for AC Milan as that was where the ‘big boys’ playedCredit: Allsport – GettyHowever, the former midfielder’s career could have looked a lot different if he accepted Ferguson’s offer to join him at United just three years before the legendary Treble triumph.The Dutchman revealed he had a “charming” conversation with Sir Alex but opted for AC Milan as that was there the “big boys” played back in the day.And the Netherlands great insists he has no regrets despite United’s tremendous success under Fergie until 2013.Davids told BetMGM: “When I left Ajax in 1996 there was a good chance of me going to Manchester United.Read More on Football“I had a conversation with Sir Alex Ferguson and it was one of the most unbelievable experiences I had in my whole career. He was funny, charming, intelligent — basically everything you wanted.“The big boys were in Serie A and that’s where I wanted to go at that time of my career. That was the main reason why I chose to go to AC Milan.“I don’t regret not going to Manchester United. I’ve seen Sir Alex since and we had a good laugh about it all and there are still the same good feelings between us.”Davids did ultimately make the move to England nine years later as he played for Tottenham until 2007 before a short stint with Crystal Palace in 2010.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSThe ex-Barcelona star then turned into an EFL cult hero two years later as he took over as player-manager at Barnet in League Two, where he amassed 38 appearances until his retirement in 2014.Davids is now pursuing a career in management and currently works as Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman’s assistant.Steven Bergwijn gives a finishing masterclass with Edgar Davids in Netherlands training The ex-Inter Milan star revealed he cut his teeth learning under current United boss Erik ten Hag during his time in charge of Utrecht.The Juventus legend insists Ten Hag is a remarkable manager and hinted that the Red Devils’ troubles are caused by a lack of firepower up front.Davids added: “I know him [Ten Hag] very well. I did an internship at FC Utrecht and he was there. “He was very innovative with lots of different things and I was very impressed. He’s very focused and passionate about football.“We all know it hasn’t gone great at Manchester United. They are a club trying to rebuild and that’s never easy — but I do look at their options up front and think there’s not a prolific goalscorer there which makes such a difference.“For me, that’s what they are really missing. Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee are good, young strikers and have talent but they don’t have that experience yet.“It’s so hard to say if he’s going to stay but the one thing you do know is, just like Real Madrid, results are what you are judged on and they clearly haven’t been nearly good enough while he’s been in charge.”Ten Hag’s Man Utd signingsThe Dutchman has brought in 21 players since moving to Old Trafford in 20222022-23:Antony, (Ajax) £86mCasemiro, (Real Madrid) £70mLisandro Martinez, (Ajax) £46mTyrell Malacia, (Feyenoord) £13mChristian Eriksen, (Brentford) freeMartin Dubravka, (Newcastle) loanWout Weghorst, (Burnley) loanJack Butland, (Crystal Palace) loanMarcel Sabitzer, (Bayern Munich) loan2023-24:Rasmus Hojlund, (Atalanta) £72mMason Mount, (Chelsea) £60mAndre Onana, (Inter Milan) £47mSofyan Amrabat, (Fiorentina) loanAltay Bayindir, (Fenerbahce) £4.3mJonny Evans, (Leicester) freeSergio Reguilon, (Tottenham) loan2024-25:Leny Yoro, (Lille) £52mManuel Ugarte, (Paris Saint-Germain) £50mMatthijs de Ligt, (Bayern Munich) £45mJoshua Zirkee, (Bologna) £36.5mNoussair Mazraoui, (Bayern Munich) £12.8mDavids ended a successful career at Barnet in League TwoCredit: Getty Images – GettyDavids is now pursuing a career as manager and currently works as assistant boss for the Netherlands’ national teamCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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    ‘Is that you?’ ask Arsenal fans as they spot what Leandro Trossard did with eerie similarity to cult hero

    LEANDRO TROSSARD replicated an Arsenal cult hero during their win over Shakhtar Donetsk.Gunners fans spotted an eerie similarity between the pair at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.Arsenal fans spotted an eerie similarity between Leandro Trossard and a cult heroCredit: GettyMikel Arteta’s side continued their unbeaten start in the Champions League with a 1-0 win over their Ukrainian opponents.Dmytro Riznyk’s own goal was the difference but it could have been more comfortable after Trossard missed a penalty for the hosts.However, another part of his performance also got supporters talking on social media.The Belgian winger, who is right-footed, was spotted taking corners with his weaker left foot.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLTrossard whipped an inswinging ball into the box with his left just five minutes into the match.Fans quickly compared his antics to former midfielder Santi Cazorla, who also wore the number 19 shirt for the Gunners.The Spaniard was known for being two-footed and taking set pieces with both feet during his time in North London.Reacting on social media, one fan wrote: “Always said Trossard reminds me of Santi Cazorla and now he’s taking corners with his weak foot? He took the comparison to another level.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAnother added: “Trossard pulling a Santi Cazorla and using his weaker foot on a corner.”A third supporter also commented: “Trossard taking an inswinging corner with his left foot. Haven’t seen that since Santi Cazorla.”Mystery as Kai Havertz denied chance to make Arsenal history but Mikel Arteta has no idea why it happenedArsenal ratings vs Shakhtar: Jesus reminds fans of his quality but Trossard flops for poor GunnersARSENAL continued their unbeaten run in the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk – but it was far from a convincing performance.Gabriel Martinelli orchestrated the decisive goal when his low-driven strike hit the post and deflected in off the back of goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk.Here’s how SunSport’s Tony Robertson rated the Gunners…DAVID RAYA – 7Seldom asked to do much aside from recycle the ball to Gabriel or Saliba until the final stagesPushed a potentially dangerous cross out of danger in the 84th minute. Pulled out a magnificent low save in injury time before claiming a dangerous cross to keep his clean sheet.BEN WHITE – 6Back in at right-back today and played as if he had never been out of the team. Received a yellow card in the 34th minute. Subbed at half-time for Mikel Merino.WILLIAM SALIBA – 7In the team after his red card against Bournemouth, played like his typically assured self marshalling the defence.One or two sloppy passes late in the second half but otherwise can have no complaints with another solid performance.GABRIEL MAGALHAES – 5Sloppily gave the ball away to hand the visitors a dangerous chance out of nothing. Had another lapse just after the opener but in the end he was bailed out by Calafiori.Marked improvement in the second half.RICCARDO CALAFIORI – 6Skied a golden chance over the bar after six minutes. Tested the goalkeeper again after 24 minutes.Dragged his foot and went down injured after skipping under a tackle in the 67th minute. Replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly in 71st minute.THOMAS PARTEY – 6Comfortable evening in midfield for him. Recycled the ball well when at his feet and kept play ticking over.Moved to right back as White was hooked but didn’t have too many worries. When he was caught out of position Rice was able to cover.DECLAN RICE – 6Like Partey, he had a quiet night in midfield with Shakhtar unable to retain meaningful possession.Moved into the six as White was hooked and Partey moved to right-back. Cut out a dangerous low cross at the edge of the area. LEANDRO TROSSARD – 4Nothing quite went right for him all night with some sloppy touches ending attacks and putting Arsenal in trouble.Summed up his night by missing a 77th minute penalty and was hooked in the 88th minute.GABRIEL JESUS – 8Wore the captain’s armband and looked bright down the right wing.Denied a well-deserved goal by the feet of the keeper in the 43rd minute after Havertz played him in.Second half saw more good link play, but never had another chance to end his goal drought as he was replaced by Sterling in the 68th minute.GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 7Grew into the game following a quiet start and was rewarded with a goal, of sorts, after 30 minutes.Brazilian cut inside from the left wing before firing a shot to the near post before the shot rebounded off the woodwork and hit the goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk to go in the net. KAI HAVERTZ – 7Centimeters away from getting Arsenal’s second in the 39th minute after Jesus squared a volley back across goal.Returned the favour to set up his team-mate moments later only for the goalkeeper to prevent a goal.Won a free-kick at the very end of the game to run the clock down.SUBSMikel Merino (on for White HT) – 6Some nice touches and stitched play together well. A solid yet unspectacular performance.Raheem Sterling (on for Jesus 68 mins) – 6Tried to play on the shoulder of the last man but did not have the pace find the clear cut chance he would have liked.Myles Lewis-Skelly (on for Calafiori 71 mins) – 6Slotted in at left-back and was not afraid to show for the ball but often did not receive it while tucking infield.Jorginho (on for Trossard 88 mins) – N/AMeanwhile, one more said: “Leandro Trossard with left-footed corners. Santi Cazorla, is that you?”Cazorla spent six years with the Gunners, making 180 appearances for the club.During that time, he scored 29 goals, provided 44 assists and won four trophies, including two FA Cups.The two-time Euros winner is still playing in Spain for boyhood club Oviedo aged 39.Santi Cazorla also took corners with both feet and wore the number 19 for the GunnersCredit: GettyTrossard missed a penalty in Tuesday’s 1-0 over Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates StadiumCredit: Getty More

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    Man Utd title winner makes major career change at 40 as he swaps football for BANKING

    Former Manchester United keeper Anders Lindegaard has swapped saves for savings… by getting a job with a bank.The Denmark international spent five years at Old Trafford, making 29 senior appearances.Former Manchester United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard has turned to a career in bankingCredit: Bongarts – GettyHe left for West Brom in 2015, and went on to play for Preston and Burnley before retiring in 2022.Lindegaard, 40, has now landed a post with global investment bank UBS.He will advise top-level footballers and other sportspeople for the Swiss-owned company.The five-cap international said: “New beginnings, new job, new career.READ MORE ON MAN UTD”My role is to help the bank better understand successful athletes, and provide them with meaningful and valuable service from the leading asset manager.”I will always be an athlete by nature. Helping other athletes navigate through their sports adventures seems both natural and meaningful to me.”In that way I see myself and my role as being employed by UBS, but I work for the athletes.”For me personally this is the start of a different career. I always wanted to stay in football, but I didn’t want to work on the pitch.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAnders Lindegaard’s careerA brief look at Lindegaard’s playing career…2003 – 2009: Odense BK2008: Kolding FC (loan)2009: Aalesund (loan)2009 – 2015: Manchester United2015 – 2016: West Brom2016 – 2017: Preston North End2017 – 2019: Burnley2019 – 2022: Helsingborgs IF”I’ve been doing this all my life, and now I think it’s time to try something new.”It’s not easy to retire from professional sports. It is undoubtedly a high-risk moment in every athlete’s life.Where are they now: The unusual careers of former footballers”I am proud to have made what for me is a successful transition. And I’m relieved that I have developed Anders Lindegaard 2.0.”Lindegaard hung up his boots after a spell with Swedish top-flight club Helsingborgs.A £3.5million United buy from Norwegians Aalesund in 2009, he helped the Red Devils win their last Premier League title in 2013.Nine managers Man Utd considered before keeping Erik ten HagERIK TEN HAG appears to be safe as Man Utd manager, but the Dutchman edged dangerously close to the sack.Here are nine managers Red Devils chiefs are reported to have considered for the job and what allegedly happened with each.Gareth SouthgateEnjoys plenty of support among Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos chiefs but made clear he wouldn’t talk to any clubs until after Euro 2024. There is yet to be any suggestion that contact was made with the England boss.Kieran McKennaTalks were opened with McKenna’s representatives before the FA Cup final, but the former Man Utd coach opted to sign a new deal with Ipswich after Ten Hag’s Wembley win.Roberto De ZerbiAllegedly sounded out before the FA Cup final with salary expectations discussed. But Ineos chiefs concluded ex-Brighton boss was not the right fit for the project.Thomas FrankBrentford boss met Man Utd representatives the day before the FA Cup final. The Dane also dined with Ratcliffe, Roy Hodgson and Frank Lampard at the launch of a new Ineos car in February.Marco SilvaFulham boss reportedly met Man Utd representatives face-to-face two days before the FA Cup final, around the same time as Ten Hag was conducting his press conference.Mauricio PochettinoFell out of Man Utd’s thinking in the first week of June, despite being a favourite of Sir Alex Ferguson.Thomas TuchelMade a very strong impression and came across well during a Monaco meeting. Personal terms were discussed before the ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss decided to step back from the process.Ruben AmorimSporting boss was discussed by the Man Utd hierarchy but did not make the final reckoning.Roberto MartinezPortugal manager was considered in the early stages. More

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    Tottenham vs AZ Alkmaar: Get £40 in free bets and bonuses to spend with BetMGM

    TOTTENHAM’S 100% Europa League record is on the line on Thursday when AZ Alkmaar head to north London on Thursday.Bookmakers BetMGM are offering brand new customers a cool £40 in free bets when you register an account and stake a tenner on the European encounter.Find The Sun’s betting publishing principles hereHow to claim..BetMGM £40 welcome bonusVisit the BetMGM website HERE*Select SPORTS OFFER on the websiteRegister a new account – No Promo Code necessaryOpt in for this promotion by depositing and placing at least £10 on football at odds of Evens or greaterOnce that’s settled – win or lose – your account will be credited with £40 in free betsTottenham vs AZ Alkmaar: Get £40 in free bets — claim yours here*Not got a BetMGM account? No problem!This offer is just for you, and it’s incredibly easy to claim!Simply register a new account, deposit and stake a minimum of £10 on football at odds of Evens (1/1) or greater. This must be done within seven days of opening your account with the bookmaker.Once that’s settled – win or lose – your account will be credited with £40 in free bets!Tottenham vs AZ Alkmaar: Get £40 in free bets — claim yours here**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Remember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressedGamcare – www.gamcare.org.ukGamble Aware – www.gambleaware.orgFind our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk More

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    Arsenal announce replacement for Jack Wilshere after former star, 32, quit as U18s boss to take job with Norwich

    ARSENAL have named Adam Birchall as the new Under-18s head coach after Jack Wilshere’s departure to Norwich.Wilshere, 32, has left the Gunners to take his new role as first-team coach with the Canaries in the Championship.Jack Wilshere has left Arsenal as Under-18s boss to join Norwich as first-team coachCredit: GettyArsenal have announced Adam Birchall as Wilshere’s replacementCredit: GettyAnd the Gunners have announced that Birchall, 39, will be replacing the former England international in the youth side.The former forward is a product of the Hale End academy himself but never played for the North Londoners’ senior squad.The ex-Wales youth international went on to play in the EFL throughout his 13-year career until his retirement in 2016 at Bromley.Birchal returned to Arsenal’s youth system as a coach shortly after hanging up his boots.Read More on ArsenalAnd he will have a tough act to follow as Wilshere helped nurture talents, such as Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.Birchall is now tasked with handling some promising young talent, such as Max Dowman who has been dubbed the “next Kaka”.And he now faces a major task ahead as it was reported that Wilshere’s departure from Arsenal after two years in charge of the Under-18s could spell the end for Dowman, 14.Reports suggest the attacking midfielder’s family are “extremely disappointed” with the change in the dugout.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSThe England Under-16 international has 18 months left on his schoolboy terms and has yet to commit to a scholarship.Wilshere has been an important figure for Dowman both on and off the pitch.Ex-Arsenal star Jack Wilshere shows his skills at AGF training The new Norwich coach showed an understanding for the pressures the playmaker faces given he experienced a similar situation coming through as a highly-rated player in Arsenal’s academy.Arsenal ratings vs Shakhtar: Jesus reminds fans of his quality but Trossard flops for poor GunnersARSENAL continued their unbeaten run in the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk – but it was far from a convincing performance.Gabriel Martinelli orchestrated the decisive goal when his low-driven strike hit the post and deflected in off the back of goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk.Here’s how SunSport’s Tony Robertson rated the Gunners…DAVID RAYA – 7Seldom asked to do much aside from recycle the ball to Gabriel or Saliba until the final stagesPushed a potentially dangerous cross out of danger in the 84th minute. Pulled out a magnificent low save in injury time before claiming a dangerous cross to keep his clean sheet.BEN WHITE – 6Back in at right-back today and played as if he had never been out of the team. Received a yellow card in the 34th minute. Subbed at half-time for Mikel Merino.WILLIAM SALIBA – 7In the team after his red card against Bournemouth, played like his typically assured self marshalling the defence.One or two sloppy passes late in the second half but otherwise can have no complaints with another solid performance.GABRIEL MAGALHAES – 5Sloppily gave the ball away to hand the visitors a dangerous chance out of nothing. Had another lapse just after the opener but in the end he was bailed out by Calafiori.Marked improvement in the second half.RICCARDO CALAFIORI – 6Skied a golden chance over the bar after six minutes. Tested the goalkeeper again after 24 minutes.Dragged his foot and went down injured after skipping under a tackle in the 67th minute. Replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly in 71st minute.THOMAS PARTEY – 6Comfortable evening in midfield for him. Recycled the ball well when at his feet and kept play ticking over.Moved to right back as White was hooked but didn’t have too many worries. When he was caught out of position Rice was able to cover.DECLAN RICE – 6Like Partey, he had a quiet night in midfield with Shakhtar unable to retain meaningful possession.Moved into the six as White was hooked and Partey moved to right-back. Cut out a dangerous low cross at the edge of the area. LEANDRO TROSSARD – 4Nothing quite went right for him all night with some sloppy touches ending attacks and putting Arsenal in trouble.Summed up his night by missing a 77th minute penalty and was hooked in the 88th minute.GABRIEL JESUS – 8Wore the captain’s armband and looked bright down the right wing.Denied a well-deserved goal by the feet of the keeper in the 43rd minute after Havertz played him in.Second half saw more good link play, but never had another chance to end his goal drought as he was replaced by Sterling in the 68th minute.GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 7Grew into the game following a quiet start and was rewarded with a goal, of sorts, after 30 minutes.Brazilian cut inside from the left wing before firing a shot to the near post before the shot rebounded off the woodwork and hit the goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk to go in the net. KAI HAVERTZ – 7Centimeters away from getting Arsenal’s second in the 39th minute after Jesus squared a volley back across goal.Returned the favour to set up his team-mate moments later only for the goalkeeper to prevent a goal.Won a free-kick at the very end of the game to run the clock down.SUBSMikel Merino (on for White HT) – 6Some nice touches and stitched play together well. A solid yet unspectacular performance.Raheem Sterling (on for Jesus 68 mins) – 6Tried to play on the shoulder of the last man but did not have the pace find the clear cut chance he would have liked.Myles Lewis-Skelly (on for Calafiori 71 mins) – 6Slotted in at left-back and was not afraid to show for the ball but often did not receive it while tucking infield.Jorginho (on for Trossard 88 mins) – N/A More

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    English manager SACKED by EFL club after leaving side rooted to bottom of League One table

    BURTON have SACKED manager Mark Robinson with the club rock bottom of League One.Robinson, 58, left his previous job as Chelsea’s development squad boss to become Burton head coach in June.Mark Robinson has been sacked by League One outfit Burton AlbionBut Robinson has been dismissed just five months after replacing Martin Paterson, with the Brewers already 11 points from safety.Burton remain winless in League One this season, having lost seven and drawn four of their opening 11 games.Robinson has only won only ONE of his 14 games in charge – beating Leicester City’s Under-21s in the EFL Trophy in August.And the club’s Scandinavian owners decided enough was enough following Tuesday’s 3-2 home loss to Wycombe Wanderers.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSHe was the first appointment made by Burton’s new owners – the Nordic Football Group – when the Sweden-based consortium took control of the east Staffordshire club in the summer.Sporting director Bendik Hareide said: “During our time working together, we’ve all got to know and appreciate ‘Robbo’, which is why we have great regret over the fact that this has not worked out in the way any of us would have wanted.He told the club website: “We have to be objective with our decision-making, and we feel we have reached a point where a change is necessary to improve the team’s results.“We believe we have a talented squad, and we remain committed to our football strategy. Now is the time to re-group and look to deliver a positive season for our fantastic supporters.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAssistant manager Tom Hounsell will step up as interim head coach until a permanent successor is named.But coaches John Brayford, Jake Kean and Elliott Axtell will continue in their first team roles.’My pro football team-mate thought he was Spiderman after being spiked on night out’ | What the EFL?!Burton have conceded 24 goals this season, second behind Peterborough, who have sunk 25 – but also scored that many as well.After joining Chelsea’s development coaching set up in May 2022, Robinson steered the Under-21s to third place in a league of 26 teams during his second season.During his time at Cobham, Lewis Hall progressed to the first team with several appearances as well as Bashir Humphries and Omari Hutchinson making their debuts.Before Chelsea, Robinson spent 19 years as a coach at AFC Wimbledon before being announced as the permanent first-team manager in 2021. But AFC Wimbledon parted company with Robinson by mutual consent in March 2022 after a poor run of form.Meanwhile, Burton narrowly avoided relegation from League One last season – finishing 20th in the table. More

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    Dribble master Morgan Rogers offers unbeatable value-for-money for Dream Team gaffers

    HEAVY hitters like Erling Haaland (£8.9m), Cole Palmer (£6.5m) and Mohamed Salah (£7.4m) are big players in the world of Dream Team but their immense popularity means their returns often have little impact on Mini League standings and overall rank.Manchester City’s No9 appears in 72.6% of teams which means the majority of gaffers are in the same boat when he plays.It’s often the case that the cheaper, lesser-owned players are the ones who actually make a difference.Take Morgan Rogers (£3m) for example.A reminder that Rogers performed this celebration before Cole PalmerCredit: Dream TeamThe Aston Villa midfielder is currently the top performer in Gameweek 8 having banked 18 points from two outings.He scored against Fulham on Saturday, by virtue of a helpful deflection, but produced an even more impressive display against Bologna on Tuesday night.Rogers assisted Jhon Duran’s (£3m) goal against the Serie A outfit and earned three bonus points as a useful cherry on top, largely because of his impressive dribbling statistics.The 22-year-old registered SEVEN successful dribbles against Bologna to take his tally for the season to 31.MOST SUCCESSFUL DRIBBLES THIS SEASONMorgan Rogers – 31Mohammed Kudus – 29Jeremy Doku – 24Adama Traore – 21Eberechi Eze – 20Iliman Ndiaye – 20Bukayo Saka – 18Omari Hutchinson – 18Savinho – 18Luis Diaz – 17Most read in FootballThere’s generally a positive correlation between the most prolific dribblers and bonus points and so Rogers’ supremacy in this department is hugely encouraging.Catch him if you canCredit: PAThe England Under-21 star was used sparingly in the second half of 2023/24 following his mid-season transfer from Championship side Middlesbrough but he’s established himself as a regular starter this campaign.In fact, Pau Torres (£3.5m) and Youri Tielemans (£4m) are the only outfield players to have played more league minutes for Villa at this stage.Rogers’ overall tally of 61 points puts him joint-12th among Dream Team midfielders but the key to his viability is his affordability.Score PredictorPlay Score Predictor with Dream Team this season!FREE to play£250 weekly prizePredict scores of five selected Premier League fixtures and earn points for accuracyMost points wins weekly cash prizePLAY NOWEven now, after a spree of 41 points from his last five appearances, he’s available for just £3m prior to Gameweek 9 – although his price will inevitably increase when the next changes occur.To put that into perspective, only two other players among the top 50 in the overall rankings are currently available at a lower price – Christian Eriksen (£2.8m) and Dejan Kulusevski (£2.7m), who both have fewer points than Rogers.This is all to say Villa’s No27 offers exceptional value for money.A Dream Team gem in terms of value-for-moneyCredit: AlamyRogers, who features in 9.7% of teams at the time of writing, has passed the eye test from the get-go but it was notable that his returns didn’t align with the impressive nature of his performances across the first few Gameweeks of the season.READ MORE SUN STORIESHowever, he’s reaped his deserved rewards more recently and looks a solid long-term selection.Essentially, Rogers is a key player for a top-four side, one with European fixtures to bolster their schedule, and an excellent enabler at £3m.BetMGM sign up offerBetMGM: Get £40 in free bets — HERE**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org More

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    Diego Maradona’s eldest son takes charge of Spanish fifth tier side in biggest management step of his career

    A STRUGGLING Tenerife team has turned to Diego Maradona’s eldest son to save their season.Diego Maradona Junior has been appointed as the manager of Union Deportiva Ibarra, who are facing a fight against relegation after notching up just seven points from seven games.Diego Armando Maradona’s son has been appointed of a team fighting relegationDiego Sinagra will take charge of Spanish fifth-tier side Union Deportiva IbarraHis world-famous dad is still idolised in Naples after helping to turn their beloved Napoli into Serie A champions in 1986-87.And sources at the semi-professional Canary Islands club said last night they hoped their new man, with the instantly-recognisable surname, could turn things around for them too.UD Ibarra, who play in the fifth-tier of Spanish football, said in statement: “We are pleased to present Diego Armando Maradona Jr, who will form part of the coaching staff.”It added: “Welcome and every success in your new home.”READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSDiego’s son was born in 1986 when the late football great was still playing in Naples after an extramarital affair with Italian model Cristina Sinagra.Maradona Sr was still married to first and only wife Claudia Villafane at the time of his birth.The 38-year-old posted goodwill messages from fans on his Instagram.One said: “Hopefully you can put Ibarra where it belongs.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSDiego Jr, full name Diego Armando Maradona Sinatra, has always been linked to football and took up coaching after playing as a midfielder in Italy.He resigned from his first head coaching job as manager of amateur side Napoli United in protest at the club’s failure to pay players’ wages.Maradona- Blessed Dream trailer He left Eccellenza Campania club Montecalcio earlier this week before it was announced he was UD Ibarra’s new manager.Diego Maradona didn’t formally recognise his eldest son until August 2016.Diego Jr was forced to miss his dad’s funeral following his death aged 60 in November 2020 from heart failure after being diagnosed with the coronavirus.The late football legend’s other children include Dalma and Gianinna whose mum is his ex-wife Claudia, Jana who Maradona recognised as his following a court fight by her mum Valeria Sabalain, and 11-year-old Diego Fernando by former girlfriend Veronica Ojeda.Eight people, including Maradona’s doctor Leopoldo Luque, are due to stand trial next year over the football legend’s death.They were charged with homicide by negligence after a long-running criminal investigation and have been warned they face between prison sentences of between eight and 25 years if convicted.The trial was due to start this month but was recently rescheduled for March next year.Diego Maradona is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of footballWho are these famous footballers? More