Soccer

THE SON of Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon has received his first international call-up… for another country.Louis Buffon, 17, is a midfielder plying his trade in Italy for Pisa’s youth side.Louis Buffon has received his first international call-up… but it’s not for ItalyCredit: RexThe Pisa winger is the son of Italy and Juventus legend Gianluigi BuffonCredit: Getty – ContributorBut he is best known as the son of iconic former goalkeeper Gigi Buffon, who made over 1,000 professional appearances during his glittering career.The 47-year-old played for Parma, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain over the course of 28 years before retiring in 2023.And now his son Louis is hoping to continue his family legacy in Italian football with Serie B side Pisa.The winger is yet to make a senior appearance for the club but has impressed with four goals in 19 youth outings this term.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAs a reward, Louis has now been handed his first-ever U18 international call-up.But he has NOT been selected by Italy.Dad Buffon played 176 times for his country before retiring in 2018, helping them win the World Cup in 2006.However, Louis’ mother Alena Seredova hails from the Czech Republic.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSShe and Buffon Snr were together for nine years before they parted ways in 2014.And as a result of his mother’s nationality, Louis is a dual citizen of Italy and Czechia.Gianluigi Buffon makes world-class save aged 43 for Parma as Juventus legend proves he’s still got it Louis’ mother is Czech model Alena SeredovaCredit: AFPShe and Buffon were together for nine years before they split in 2014Credit: GettyNow, the latter have called him up to their U18s squad for the first time.Louis would still be available to eventually play for Italy, with only senior competitive caps cementing a national team position for a footballer’s entire career.But his decision to accept the nod indicates Louis plans on eventually representing his mother’s country over his father’s.The teen could now make his debut against England next month.The two sides meet on March 21 in a friendly, although the venue is yet to be confirmed.Yet Louis will have to have some career to match his father’s achievements, with Buffon Snr also playing 975 club games on top of his mega international record.Buffon started at Parma in 1995 and won an Italian Cup, Italian Super Cup and Uefa Cup before joining Juventus in 2001.He made 656 appearances for the Bianconeri, winning nine Serie A titles, a Serie B title, five Italian Cups and six Italian Super Cups.Buffon then made a surprise move to Paris Saint-Germain for the 2018/19 campaign, playing 25 times and winning the Ligue 1 title before returning to Juventus.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe made a further 29 appearances in Turin while winning a tenth Serie A title before rejoining Parma in 2021.And after 45 games in Serie B for his boyhood club, Buffon called it a day nearly two years ago. More

WAYNE ROONEY has started a new job in Dubai after leaving Plymouth Argyle in December.The Manchester United star has jetted off for the February half-term break and is soaking up the sun alongside fellow former pros.Wayne Rooney has landed a coaching role with Football EscapesCredit: Instagram / footballescapesHe has been tutoring young children in DubaiCredit: Football EscapesRooney is looking to get back into management after leaving Plymouth ArgyleCredit: Football EscapesHe has taken up a coaching role with Football Escapes tutoring young children at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai.Football Escapes offer a family holiday package at the hotel, with kids getting the chance to train under the tutelage of former players including Rooney, Michael Owen and Mark Noble.Rooney ran a group through their paces on day one wearing a Football Escapes shirt, as happy parents watched on and filmed videos.Packages cost between £7,500 to £8,650 to stay at the five-star hotel for five days.READ MORE ON MAN UTDThe hotel features multiple pitches as well as a gym and five swimming pools, including one 25m pool.There is also a waterpark on site and a private beach attached, along with a spa that contains 10 luxurious treatment rooms.Rooney is taking part as a coach with Football Escapes for the first time after leaving Plymouth on New Year’s Day.He wants to return to management but revealed it would “have to be the right club”.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSWayne Rooney’s record-breaking careerWAYNE Rooney took the football world by storm when he made his debut for 2002 with Everton.He quickly became the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer aged 16 years and 342 days and was named the BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year.The striker joined Manchester United in 2004 and spent 13 years at Old Trafford. He went on to make 559 appearances for the Red Devils and scored 253 goals. To this day he is still the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.Following his spell with United, Rooney returned to Everton for a season. He also spent one-season stints with D.C. United and Derby County at the end of his career.As well as his impressive club career, Rooney is also England’s second-highest goalscorer with 53 goals in 120 appearances, behind only Harry Kane.After hanging up his boots, the England icon turned to a career in management.He took charge of Derby County in 2020 and managed to just about save the club from relegation from the Championship at the end of his first season.However, with Derby handed a 21-point deduction the following campaign, he was unable to keep them up again and subsequently left.Then came a 15-month spell in charge of MLS side D.C. United. He failed to impress during his time in Washington and parted ways with the club at the end of the 2023 regular season.Rooney was controversially handed the Birmingham job in October 2023, replacing John Eustace with the club doing well and sixth in the Championship table.However, in 15 games he suffered nine defeats and managed just two wins. He was sacked in January 2024 with Birmingham down in 20th. The club were relegated to League One at the end of the campaign.He returned to management in May with Plymouth Argyle but managed just five wins in 25 games. The United legend now finds himself out of work once again.While he is yet to secure a new full-time job, he returned to punditry work on TV last week with Prime Video.Rooney was part of the coverage for Manchester City’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid as he made his debut appearance for the broadcaster.Inside Coleen and Wayne Rooney’s incredible £1k a night Disneyland trip with the kids – and a special birthday surpriseTraining sessions take place at the five-star Jumeirah Beach HotelCredit: https://footballescapes.com/courses/JBH170225/ More

FANS have been left baffled by Alan Shearer’s bonkers Premier League team of the week.The Newcastle United legend picked his eleven most impressive players from match week 25.Alan Shearer has left fans baffled with his team of the week picksCredit: GettyFans have compared the team to the previous picks made by Garth CrooksCredit: PA:Empics SportDjed Spence was one of two defenders to be pickedCredit: GettyShearer opted to choose Mikel Merino as a strikerCredit: AlamyShearer, 54, opted to pick a unique formation with just two defenders, Brighton’s Adam Webster and Tottenham’s Djed Spence.They were positioned behind two central midfielders in Bournemouth goalscorer Ryan Christie and Manchester City’s Nico Gonzalez.The record Prem goalscorer then selected six attacking players, including Seagulls duo Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma and Everton’s Carlos Alcaraz.They were positioned behind another trio made up of Arsenal’s Mikel Merino, Ethan Nwaneri and City ace Omar Marmoush.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLFans were left baffled by the attacking look of the team.Many compared it to the teams that Garth Crooks would famously pick when he would do the job for the BBC.The retired footballer became a cult figure for regularly picking players out of position in order to fit them into a team.One posted: “Garth’s legacy lives on.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSA second wrote: “Is this really Alan or Garth Crooks?”A third commented: “Bring back Garth.”‘Lineker never misses a chance’ – Fans in stitches as BBC show host trolling Alan Shearer in throwback clip from 2007Alex Palmer was in the team after impressing for Ipswich TownCredit: ReutersBrighton goalscorers Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh both made the teamCredit: GettyA fourth said: “Wow, this is very interesting, just two defenders.”Another added: “I don’t understand this formation.”The recent match week saw Manchester United lose to Spurs and both title contenders Liverpool and Arsenal win.Brighton also hammered Chelsea at home with Mitoma scoring a goal that left Jamie Carragher stunned.A supercomputer has provided its prediction for the final Premier League table following the results.Who are these famous footballers? More

GARY NEVILLE keeps an iconic Liverpool banner on the wall of his impressive Manchester HQ that helps to keep him humble.The Manchester United legend is approaching 50-years-old and is as busy as ever, combining his work as a pundit with his ownership of Salford and his management of his property empire.Gary Neville keeps an insulting banner on his wallNeville’s Manchester HQ also features a Rocky Balboa posterCredit: dmg media LicensingNeville still has time for date nights with his wife on Thursdays in Manchester city centre, not far from where they live and close to his HQ.The former defender owns six buildings in Manchester and his HQ is adorned with inspirational decorations.One is a framed poster with a with a silhouette of Rocky Balboa at the top of those Philadelphia steps.While another is more personal – Liverpool’s famous banner mocking Neville’s appearance, that was once displayed in the Kop.READ MORE ON MAN UTDNeville said of the banner: “There’s a Scouse lad who works on our podcast. Every time I played at Anfield they’d have a different banner for me. “One year they compared me to Dot Cotton off Eastenders. “We were talking about this one and the lad said he thought he knew who had it, so he went and got it. I like looking at it every day – it keeps me humble.”Neville is a frequent face on Sky Sports and hosts the popular Stick to Football podcast, but he revealed 90 per cent of his life is spent in his Manchester HQ.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSHis latest venture is a new 40-storey building in Manchester called St Michael’s, that will feature offices, apartments, a hotel and a rooftop restaurant.Neville said: “St Michael’s is going to be 40 storeys. As I said, I love the thrill of it all. The interior design, the selling part of it, the finding land, the planning.Man Utd squad is worse than Tottenham despite £553million MORE in transfer spending in last decade, says Gary Neville“I’d say 90 per cent of my life’s here. It’s not on television or with football. It’s literally in here, in meetings about all the businesses and the different things that we’re doing. It’s amazing.”Neville began his career as a hotelier and property mogul during his playing career, and would look over architectural plans on trips back from Europe.But he had to keep his secondary career under wraps as Sir Alex Ferguson forbid any distractions for his players.Neville explained: “(Things were done) under the radar. Purely because I knew that it would be deemed a distraction.“For me, my football was everything. But distraction was absolutely illegal at United.“You could not be distracted by anything. At the same time, I knew that my football career would one day come to an end, and I knew I had to plan for that.“I was going up on site every afternoon after training. I don’t know what other lads did.“But I would go on site, spend time in the design team meetings, sit on the construction meetings and make sure I was in cost meetings, bank meetings, sales meetings. I loved every aspect of it.“I used to bring the architects’ drawings with me in the bag for the plane on European trips. I wouldn’t read them before the game but you can’t sleep after, you’re wired.READ MORE SUN STORIES“I’d make sure no one was sitting next to me and then get them out and start looking at the drawings, the designs and all the things I needed to do.“For 10, 12 years, I had this almost double life. If you asked me what I know most about other than football, it would be property.”He has a hectic schedule but still makes time for date nights with his wifeCredit: RexNeville’s latest venture is the 40-story St Michaels building in ManchesterCredit: St. MichaelsHe also owns Hotel Football next to Old TraffordCredit: PANeville and his Class of 92 pals own and run Salford CityCredit: Getty More