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      ‘Best player in the world’ – Neymar leaves opponent’s legs tangled as he scores first goal in 500 DAYS

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      NEYMAR has been hailed the “best in the world” after scoring his first goal in over 500 DAYS.The Brazilian is currently playing back in his homeland at Santos after a shock switch away from Al-Hilal.Neymar has netted his first goal in over 500 daysCredit: EPAHe produced a brilliant bit of skill to win the penaltyCredit: XHe cooly slotted home from the spotCredit: XNeymar, 33, took a mega 99 per cent pay cut to sign for his boyhood club on a five-month contract.His spell in Saudi Arabia was not a happy one – apart from his £2.5m-a-week salary – as he only played seven times due to an ACL injury in October 2023.The attacker is now back on the pitch and enjoying his football again for Santos.He netted his first goal since his return on Sunday as he netted from the spot against Agua Santa.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLSantos won the clash 3-1 and Neymar put in a starring performance as he looked back to his skilful self.He won the penalty in a move that saw him drift past two defenders, leaving one’s legs in a tangle.Neymar converted the spot-kick in typical fashion with a staggered run-up and composed finish.Fans have reacted to the moment and believe he can get back to the heights that saw him labelled one of the world’s best.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSOne posted: “I was told Neymar was finished. Brother, if he is healthy… he still is Brazil’s best player and one of the best in the world.”A second wrote: “Current Neymar on a run of games with no injury would be the best player in the world.”Neymar and girlfriend Bruna Biancardi hold spectacular gender reveal to announce she is expecting their second child Neymar signed a short-term contract with SantosCredit: EPAA third commented: “He brings back the 2011 Neymar Santos vibe.”A fourth said: “Class is permanent.”Another added: “Neymar rolling back the years with this brilliant run and skill to win a penalty. Which he scores.”While Neymar may not have had much success on the pitch in Saudi, he did not leave empty-handed.He raked in an astonishing £200MILLION thanks to his £2.5m per week deal.Despite just returning to Santos, Neymar has already been linked with another move to another one of his former clubs.Multiple reports have claimed that he is keen on a switch to Barcelona at the end of his contract.However, Neymar’s father has claimed that his son is planning on staying at Santos.He said: “Our project is not only for five months, even though my son’s contract is only for five months.”We did not come here to play five months, we have come to give Santos the opportunity to restructure itself during this time, to find allies who can help the club get back on its feet – and a lot of people have appeared.READ MORE SUN STORIES”(Santos President) Marcelo Teixeira is a fundamental piece in all this, because he gave me the opportunity to help Santos. “This is a difficult time for the club. Knowing the weight of bringing Neymar here, it is necessary for the entity to reach an adequate level so that he can be happy here.”He has already been linked with a move to BarcelonaCredit: GettyWho are these famous footballers? More

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      Hat-trick hero Omar Marmoush puts Dream Team managers on notice but tricky fixtures loom large

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      ANY Dream Team managers unfamiliar with Omar Marmoush (£4.4m) now understand why Manchester City forked out just shy of £60million for his services in January.The Egypt international scored a sensational hat-trick in the space of 14 minutes against Newcastle on Saturday as Pep Guardiola’s side recorded one of their most impressive wins of the season.Statement madeCredit: Dream TeamMarmoush exhibited a range of finishes in a destructive first-half blitz against in-form opposition.The Magpies had won 12 of their last 14 games in all competitions prior to their 4-0 defeat at the Etihad.The ex-Frankfurt forward was substituted midway through the second half but the damage had already been done by that stage as the earned 26 points in one fell swoop.Marmoush’s hat-trick is clearly the headline but it shouldn’t go unnoticed that he also notched three bonus points for his efforts in other aspects of the game.For much of the campaign, Man City have been overly reliant on Erling Haaland (£8.1m) to score the goals and so fans will be thrilled that one of their new recruits has proven himself capable of clinical finishes.Marmoush is Gameweek 24’s top performer right nowCredit: PAAs is often the case, a sizeable chunk of Dream Team bosses have been enamoured by a hat-trick hero.The deadline is still a few days away but Marmoush is by far and away the most popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 25 at this stage after a tidal wave of transfers over the weekend.Man City will be in action again before the deadline as they’re due to face Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League play-off on Wednesday night.Most read in FootballNeedless to say, if Marmoush picks up an injury in the Spanish capital then many gaffers will be reversing their transfers and switching to Plan B.More broadly, the result in Madrid will impact the viability of all Man City players going forward as they will be without European fixtures for the remainder of the season if they are unable to overturn their 3-2 loss from the first leg.Marmoush appears in 3.5% of teamsCredit: GettyDouble Gameweek 25 will feature 20 fixtures in total with every Premier League side set to play twice.This opens up all manner of options for Dream Team managers.Marmoush’s hat-trick makes him an appealing differential as he currently features in just 3.5% of teams but City’s double header is far from favourable.The defending champions welcome Liverpool to the Etihad next Sunday before a trip to Tottenham the following Wednesday.Ange Postecoglou’s side have underwhelmed this season and victory over Manchester United has only lifted them up to 12th in the table but Spurs have long been a bogey team for Guardiola.James Maddison inspired his side to a 4-0 win in Manchester back in November.READ MORE SUN STORIESMan City host Liverpool next SundayCredit: RexAll things considered, Liverpool and Spurs represents a tough challenge for City in Gameweek 25.It’s not inconceivable that Marmoush will provide plentiful returns but gaffers who take a fixture-first approach will be reluctant to recruit the 26-year-old at this point in time.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 NOW More

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      Highly-touted Man Utd star returns from loan after just TWO WEEKS after he was publicly called out by manager

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      MANCHESTER UNITED youngster Dan Gore has returned to the club just two weeks after going out on loan.Gore, 20, had been sent to join Steven Evans’ Rotherham.Dan Gore has returned to Man Utd from his loan at Rotherham to rehabilitate from a foot injuryCredit: GettyRotherham boss Steve Evans publicly questioned how the injury had happenedCredit: GettyThe midfielder made his debut against Birmingham and looked sharp as he came off the bench to provide an assist.He had then been set to feature in their next match against Shrewsbury on February 8.However, Gore spoke to doctors the night before the match to indicate he had picked up a foot injury.Rotherham went on to lose the tie 2-1, and Evans was stunned by his abrupt absence and made no secret of those feelings post-match.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHe had said: “He worked for two days in the team and went home from training on Friday feeling good.”I got a call from the medical staff to say that he’d woken up with his foot really sore.”It’s unbelievable. We didn’t do enough in training for him to have a sore nose let alone a sore foot. He sat there afterwards having lunch with the boys and had a rub and got prepared. “Until I hear more from the medical staff as to how it’s happened and why it’s happened then it’s… maybe God will tell me when I go to sleep tonight.”Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSGore, who only made one appearance on loan at Port Vale last season after being riddled with injury, is believed to have suffered a hairline foot fracture during training.The injury is set to sideline him for around one month.Ruben Amorim reveals Man Utd must be ‘really careful’ over Christian Eriksen ‘heart situation’He has subsequently been sent back to Man Utd to be rehabilitated before he will return to Rotherham once he is deemed fit enough.On Gore returning to his parent club, Evans said: “I think that they have four full-time doctors and eight physios tells you where he should be.”We’ve done that with other loan players in the past. Their progress is quicker because they have more medical back-up on hand. He’s in a good place there. “The medical people say you can have a delayed reaction to it. It’s unusual for that to happen but it can happen. We have to accept that.”I saw how much the kid was hurting when he heard he was going to be out for that four-week period or so. The reaction was genuine, he wants to play. I’m an experienced manager.”You get a gut feeling about these things. He’s at the stage where – in the words of the coaching staff at Manchester United – he needs to be playing.”Rotherham have since drawn 0-0 with Blackpool and lost 2-1 to Reading, leaving them 14th in the League One table with their next game being at home to Barnsley.Man Utd ratings v SpursMANCHESTER UNITED slipped to a 12th defeat in the Premier League with Rasmus Hojlund coming under fire again.Here’s how SunSport’s Katherine Walsh rated the Manchester United players against an underachieving Spurs side – who are now three places above them in 12th – in North London.Andre Onana – 3United can’t do anything with him between the sticks. Can’t be trusted to collect anything.His opposite number Vicario showed him a thing or two after returning for the first time since Spurs thrashed Man City in November.At fault for the first goal when he palmed out a relatively weak bouncing shot into Maddison’s path in the 13th minute.Noussair Mazraoui – 5An OK performance. Clever link-up play with Zirkzee but couldn’t get hold of Spence down the left-hand side.Pulled out an excellent cross for the Dutchman’s headed chance late-on.Matthijs de Ligt – 6His clearance stopped an obvious 2-0 before the half-an-hour mark.Harry Maguire – 5A mixed bag. Long ball over the top for Hojlund’s chance in opening 10 minutes and went on a few attacking runs himself in the first half.Did well to stop Dejan Kulusevski from having a go at the edge of the box. But bizarrely stopped in his tracks when a cross came flying into Son later on.Diogo Dalot – 6A difficult afternoon for the Portugal international as Son and Djed Spence left him for dead a few times.Hesitated when asked to shoot from five yards to make it 1-0 but helped Onana out with some clearances too.Patrick Dorgu – 4A Prem debut to forget. He was almost invisible from the left-hand side. And lacked quality when asked to get involved more in the second half.Was stupidly caught offside with Bruno Fernandes offloading a stunning cross pitch pass and booked late-on.Casemiro – 5Looked every bit a player that hasn’t played Premier League football for two months. Unsurprisingly booked for a late one on Son.Bizarrely dropped to the turf asking for a free-kick when nobody touched him. Was forced to play 89 minutes with eight teenagers on the bench. A difficult afternoon, indeed.Bruno Fernandes – 5Interceptions and breaking up play is not a part of the captain’s game. An uncharacteristically poor cross left United open on the counter.Did get back to stop Son from having a shot at Onana on the hour mark and started ticking in attack in the final 20 minutes.Alejandro Garnacho – 4Looked shaky and cut a frustrated figure after blazing over an absolute SITTER from 10 yards to level the scores.A bit of a shocker and looked a completely different player to the one who got United into the fifth-round of the FA Cup last week.Woke up a bit in the second half as Vicario kept him at bay with several superb stops. But the 20-year-old is clearly better off the bench.Joshua Zirkzee – 6The best of a desperately poor front three. There’s a street player in there and he’s great with his touches at times.But curled wide from 23 yards, stuck a header wide in the 70th minute and kicked an air shot in the final five minutes.Rasmus Hojlund – 3Is Hojlund the worst No 9 in United’s recent history?The young Dane, who was unlucky to have a chance saved by Vicario, was second best in every loose ball and kept losing possession.He was even caught offside after a pass from an Onana goal-kick in the first half – how often do you see that happen?According to the Daily Mail, Evans’ comments about Gore are said to have “raised eyebrows” at Old Trafford.Club chiefs are monitoring the situation amid after putting a lot of work into what they believed would be a “good landing ground” for Gore.Gore joined the Red Devils academy in 2018 from Burnley.He made his senior team debut in the League Cup against Crystal Palace in September 2023 before making his Premier League debut against Aston Villa three months later.Ralf Rangnick invited him to train with the first team before he was named United Reserve Team Player of the Year for the 2022/23 season.Gore is recognised as a bright talent due to his tenacity, technical ability and unwavering determination.But his combative side has led to a few flare-ups in the past.Gore made his senior team debut in September 2023Credit: GettyGore had a training ground bust-up with Anthony Martial in 2022Credit: GettyAs reported by the Manchester Evening News, Gore infamously had a training ground scrap with Anthony Martial in November 2022 when much of the senior squad was away for the 2022 World Cup. It had come after he had clattered into the Frenchman despite Erik ten Hag saying first-team tackling was off-limits.Martial lost his temper after being sent tumbling and the pair had to be pulled apart by team-mates.He later apologised to the youngster, but Gore was given a stern warning by Ten Hag about his aggression.With Ruben Amorim calling up a host of youngsters for Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Tottenham, Gore may have counted himself unlucky to not be there.Amorim had personally gone to watch the Man Utd Under-21s as they beat Southampton 5-1 in December. Two goals from Jack Moorhouse were bolstered by strikes from Tyler Fletcher, Ethan Wheatley and Gore.READ MORE SUN STORIESMoorhouse was one of the seven academy stars selected on the bench for the visit to North London with 12 senior team stars sidelined through illness or injury.However, only Chido Obi made it onto the pitch in injury time, a move which bitterly disappointed fans. More

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      Lionel Messi ‘doesn’t want to play’ in coldest MLS match EVER with temperatures set to drop to -24 DEGREES

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      LIONEL MESSI is reportedly planning to sit out Inter Miami’s clash with Sporting Kansas City – because it’s too COLD. Miami are preparing to face Sporting KC in a CONCACAF Champions Cup opener on Tuesday night. Lionel Messi may sit out Inter Miami’s  CONCACAF Champions Cup first leg with Sporting KCCredit: GettyTemperatures at Children’s Mercy Park are set to reach recording-breaking lows on TuesdayCredit: GettyEight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is hoping to guide Inter Miami to another titleCredit: ReutersMessi joined Miami in July 2023 on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. The 37-year-old has since gone on to score 33 goals in 39 games for the MLS side. But the upcoming showdown at Children’s Mercy Park has reportedly left the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner with cold feet. Temperates are expected to plunge to an outrageous -24 degrees Celcius (-12 Fahrenheit) for Tuesday’s game.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLAccording to insider Franco Panizo, Messi is not keen on playing in the “blistering cold.”Panizo added: “Whether he does or not is still to be determined, but there is a chance Messi does not play in the CONCACAF Champions Cup opener.”Should the forecasted temperatures come to fruition, it would be the coldest football match on US soil since Colorado Rapids and Portland Timbers played back in 2019.On that occasion, a big freeze saw the game played out in -7 Celsius temps. Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAs well as falling temperatures, there is predicted snowfall of between 9 and 11 inches on Tuesday in Kansas City.Both teams have been in contact with CONCACAF officials and are monitoring the weather, per the Miami Herald. Lionel Messi beats Prem cult hero to win MLS MVP award after Inter Miami chief’s huge update on icon’s retirement plansThe game could potentially be postponed if heavy snowfall mixes with an ice-cold wind chill.Sporting KC president Jake Reid said: “Cold is one thing – we’ll see what the snow does.”We’ll be ready. Our concern is around safe access for fans to and from and clearing the parking lots and walking ways. “The cold is what it is. Bundle up. Bring your blankets, bring your hats. “No one should be surprised when they come out that it’s freezing cold.” More

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      ‘They literally do nothing’ – Michael Owen identifies three Man Utd stars who ‘frustrate me more than anything’

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      MICHAEL OWEN lambasted three Manchester United stars for “sleeping” throughout Sunday’s miserable loss at Tottenham.United suffered yet another poor result amid a turbulent campaign as fellow Premier League strugglers Spurs picked up a much-needed 1-0 victory thanks to James Maddison’s winner after just 13 minutes.Michael Owen slammed three Manchester United stars after the loss at TottenhamCredit: GettyOwen lambasted Harry Maguire, saying the defenders are “literally doing nothing”Credit: GettyOwen also blamed Matthijs de Ligt, saying of the defence “none of them are picking anyone up”Credit: RexNoussair Mazraoui was also picked out, with Owen saying “they sit there doing nothing”Credit: RexEx-Man Utd star Owen, 45, was left fuming with Ruben Amorim’s three centre-backs Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Harry Maguire and put them on full blast during his post-match analysis.The Liverpool legend blamed them all for Maddison’s goal as they “did nothing” when goalkeeper Andre Onana parried Lucas Bergvall’s shot.None of them chased the rebound and that allowed the England international to get to the ball first and beat Onana from close distance.The legendary striker, though, wasn’t just frustrated about the Tottenham goal as he was also incensed with Maguire, De Ligt and Mazraoui’s overall performance during the game.Read More on Man UtdOwen told Premier League Productions: “What frustrates me more than anything about the Manchester United team is that those centre-halves do nothing during the game.“They hardly pick up any players at all, yet when you ask them to do one job – stop the guy who’s shooting – they’re sleeping at that as well.“We’ve seen so many clips in the first half when there’s nobody to pick up, there’s three of them literally doing nothing. They won’t push in, they won’t go and mark anybody, they just sit there.“It’s the easiest position on the pitch in theory because they’re asked to do nothing. The manager plays so many defenders and none of them are picking anyone up.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS“The midfield for Manchester United has to be the hardest place to play in the Premier League and the defence should be the easiest because they literally mark no one, ever.“They sit there doing nothing and everyone else is outnumbered all over the pitch.”Gary Neville says he’s seen ‘nothing’ from Man Utd under Ruben Amorim United are now 15th in the Premier League table with 12 points separating them from the relegation zone. More

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      Real Madrid ‘want to QUIT LaLiga’ and seek ‘asylum’ in foreign league amid furious row over refereeing in Spain

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      REAL MADRID are considering QUITTING LaLiga, according to sensational reports.The Spanish giants are currently top of the table and on course for the title.Real Madrid are considering quitting LaLigaCredit: GettyFlorentino Perez would need approval from FifaCredit: GettyReal Madrid believe Javier Tebas is leading a ‘crusade’ against themCredit: ReutersBut Real Madrid are at loggerheads with LaLiga president Javier Tebas and the referee body.The club’s disgruntlement comes after a spate of apparent injustices on the pitch in recent games.These include the lack of a red card for opponent Carlos Romero for a challenge on Kylian Mbappe in the 1-0 defeat to Espanyol. Romero ended up going on to score the the match winning goal. The club responded to that incident with a strongly worded statement, which led Tebas to claim they had “lost their minds”.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSThere were also complaints over Jude Bellingham’s red card against Osasuna on the weekend.Carlo Ancelotti jibed that “VAR must have been turned off” as the midfielder now faces a 12-MATCH BAN.Real went on to draw the game 1-1 which has given Barcelona the chance to overtake them in the table if they beat Rayo Vallecano tonight.Referees in LaLiga have signalled they are willing to go on strike after claims by Real Madrid that their decisions were being “manipulated”.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSIn the latest twist, Spanish publication SPORT have claimed that the club is now seeking “asylum” from LaLiga and move into a foreign league.To make the transition a reality club president Florentino Perez would need to gain approval from Fifa.Real Madrid being sued for millions over VIP Bernabeu SkyBar that costs fans £2,500 a game Real Madrid were incensed over this challenge on Kylian MbappeCredit: ReutersJude Bellingham was sent off after a row with a referee on the weekendCredit: GettyHe would have to request a change of competition which would also need a green light from LaLiga.This would then be followed by asking for permission from Uefa – the organisation Real Madrid wanted to leave to form the European Super League.The report has also claimed that Real Madrid believes that Tebas has convinced the other clubs in the league against them on an anti-Madrid “crusade”.Forbes have suggested that potential destinations for Real Madrid would be the French, German and Italian leagues.It would be unlikely that the Premier League would be considered after the club sounded out a move to England in previous years. More

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      Chido Obi sends message to Ruben Amorim after teen, 17, brought off bench for three minutes in Man Utd loss to Tottenham

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      YOUNG striker Chido Obi sent a message to Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim following his short cameo against Tottenham.The 17-year-old made his senior debut for United on Sunday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.Chido Obi sent Ruben Amorim a message on social media following his Man Utd debutCredit: GettyObi came off the bench to replace Casemiro in added time against TottenhamCredit: AlamyHe came on for the final three minutes of the match to replace Casemiro with the Red Devils 1-0 down.But he didn’t have enough time to make an impact and United went on to lose.Despite the defeat, Obi was keen to thank Amorim for handing him his debut.The striker took to Instagram to write: “Disappointed with the loss. On a personal note thanks to the gaffer & the club for making a dream come true for me and my family.”Read More in FootballFans flocked to the comments to send him messages of support, with one person writing: “The beginning of something greater.”Another said: “Your time is coming.”While a third commented: “Congratulations. More opportunities to come.”Man Utd fans labelled Amorim a “coward” after he waited until added time to introduce Obi to the match.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSOne person said: “Unacceptable from Ruben and sends the wrong message completely.”While another wrote: “90th minute and you sub Chido on? Ruben you are a coward!”Man Utd squad is worse than Tottenham despite £553million MORE in transfer spending in last decade, says Gary NevilleAmorim was forced to name eight youngsters on the bench against Tottenham due to a series of injuries in the first team squad.Amad Diallo has been ruled out for the rest of the season with ankle ligament damage, while Kobbie Mainoo is set to miss up to six weeks.Centre-back Lisandro Martinez recently became a long-term absentee due to an ACL rupture.The Argentina international underwent surgery on the knee injury last week.Man Utd ratings v SpursMANCHESTER UNITED slipped to a 12th defeat in the Premier League with Rasmus Hojlund coming under fire again.Here’s how SunSport’s Katherine Walsh rated the Manchester United players against an underachieving Spurs side – who are now three places above them in 12th – in North London.Andre Onana – 3United can’t do anything with him between the sticks. Can’t be trusted to collect anything.His opposite number Vicario showed him a thing or two after returning for the first time since Spurs thrashed Man City in November.At fault for the first goal when he palmed out a relatively weak bouncing shot into Maddison’s path in the 13th minute.Noussair Mazraoui – 5An OK performance. Clever link-up play with Zirkzee but couldn’t get hold of Spence down the left-hand side.Pulled out an excellent cross for the Dutchman’s headed chance late-on.Matthijs de Ligt – 6His clearance stopped an obvious 2-0 before the half-an-hour mark.Harry Maguire – 5A mixed bag. Long ball over the top for Hojlund’s chance in opening 10 minutes and went on a few attacking runs himself in the first half.Did well to stop Dejan Kulusevski from having a go at the edge of the box. But bizarrely stopped in his tracks when a cross came flying into Son later on.Diogo Dalot – 6A difficult afternoon for the Portugal international as Son and Djed Spence left him for dead a few times.Hesitated when asked to shoot from five yards to make it 1-0 but helped Onana out with some clearances too.Patrick Dorgu – 4A Prem debut to forget. He was almost invisible from the left-hand side. And lacked quality when asked to get involved more in the second half.Was stupidly caught offside with Bruno Fernandes offloading a stunning cross pitch pass and booked late-on.Casemiro – 5Looked every bit a player that hasn’t played Premier League football for two months. Unsurprisingly booked for a late one on Son.Bizarrely dropped to the turf asking for a free-kick when nobody touched him. Was forced to play 89 minutes with eight teenagers on the bench. A difficult afternoon, indeed.Bruno Fernandes – 5Interceptions and breaking up play is not a part of the captain’s game. An uncharacteristically poor cross left United open on the counter.Did get back to stop Son from having a shot at Onana on the hour mark and started ticking in attack in the final 20 minutes.Alejandro Garnacho – 4Looked shaky and cut a frustrated figure after blazing over an absolute SITTER from 10 yards to level the scores.A bit of a shocker and looked a completely different player to the one who got United into the fifth-round of the FA Cup last week.Woke up a bit in the second half as Vicario kept him at bay with several superb stops. But the 20-year-old is clearly better off the bench.Joshua Zirkzee – 6The best of a desperately poor front three. There’s a street player in there and he’s great with his touches at times.But curled wide from 23 yards, stuck a header wide in the 70th minute and kicked an air shot in the final five minutes.Rasmus Hojlund – 3Is Hojlund the worst No 9 in United’s recent history?The young Dane, who was unlucky to have a chance saved by Vicario, was second best in every loose ball and kept losing possession.He was even caught offside after a pass from an Onana goal-kick in the first half – how often do you see that happen? More

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      Jesse Lingard reveals he broke down in tears after final Man Utd training session and admits he ‘needed’ to leave

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      JESSE LINGARD has revealed that he cried during his emotional Manchester United exit.The former England star, 32, left his boyhood club in 2022 having joined at the age of seven.Jesse Lingard has excelled in Korea despite enduring a difficult startCredit: GettyLingard played 232 times for the Red Devils and scored the winner in the 2016 FA Cup final.Having excelled on loan at West Ham during the second half of the 2020-21 season, the attacking midfielder returned to Old Trafford hoping to breathe new life into his United career.But following just two Premier League starts upon his return, Lingard knew it was time to leave at the end of the following season.Recounting his Man Utd departure while speaking to the Independent, Lingard said: “I was really dialled in and locked in at that time. The way I played, when you come back to your home club, you’re expecting to play.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”Obviously, that didn’t happen. You get frustrated.”My application in training each day was always 100 per cent, you know… But, you come to a certain time where you need to leave.”The last day, I was crying on the way home… to leave was obviously emotional but it was what I needed to do.”Rather than return to West Ham, Lingard moved to then-Prem new boys Nottingham Forest.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSHis stay at the City Ground would last just one year and 20 appearances.Lingard left Man Utd after the 2021-22 seasonCredit: GettyAfter being released by Forest, Lingard spent eight months without a club.Former Man Utd and England star Jesse Lingard back in training just TWELVE DAYS after undergoing knee surgeryHe then signed for South Korean side FC Seoul, and was subsequently labelled the “most important signing” in the K League’s history.Following a difficult start to life in Asia, Lingard eventually settled into it, becoming a vital player for his new team.He was appointed club captain after recovering from a knee injury last season, going on to score six times as FC Seoul qualified for the Asian Champions League.Lingard played the full 90 minutes as FC Seoul lost 2-0 to Jeju United in their season opener on Saturday.Last week, Lingard hit back at an unfounded accusation from an online troll that he, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba “destroyed Man Utd’s culture”.He responded: “Waiting for explanation????????”READ MORE SUN STORIESMany fans replied in support of Lingard and Co, with one fan saying: “You made us play well which some dumb b******* that ‘support’ this club don’t like because you dance and have fun.”Lingard said back: “Lool we was just enjoying our life of we played for biggest club in the world of course we made mistakes and we learn but we gonna have fun and smile and dance.”Lingard poses with the League Cup alongside fellow academy graduates Paul Pogba and Marcus RashfordCredit: Getty More