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      Newcastle fire hands-off warning to England over Eddie Howe – but even Toon legend Shearer says he’s the man for the job

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      NEWCASTLE UNITED have issued a hands-off warning to England over Eddie Howe – but even Toon legend Alan Shearer reckons he’s the right man for the job.Gareth Southgate’s resignation triggered the race to become the new Three Lions manager.Newcastle are not keen to let manager Eddie Howe leave for EnglandCredit: GettyGareth Southgate resigned as England manager after Euro 2024Credit: RexNewcastle legend Alan Shearer has claimed Howe is the right man to succeed SouthgateCredit: GettyHowe is a leading contender along with free agent Graham Potter — while another former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel also wants the job.A move for the St James’ Park chief could cost England more than they bargained in compensation after he signed a fresh Toon contract last summer.But Shearer admits Howe would be a good fit for the role.Speaking to Betfair, Newcastle’s record scorer said: “I would imagine the outstanding candidate would be Eddie Howe.Read More on Football”I think Eddie has a big decision to make because I’m certain the FA will ask him and then whatever happens after that, we don’t know.”I’m fairly sure that a conversation will have been had or will be ongoing now within the FA where Eddie Howe’s name will get a mention. “Whether Eddie wants the job or not will be the key. The fact we’re talking about Eddie and England again means he’s done a really, really good job at Newcastle.”He’s been fantastic and it’d be a big blow if he leaves because the fans love him, he’s done a remarkable job and he understands the club, but I get it and I understand it.Most read in Football”Whatever he chooses, if he is tempted by the England job, which I suspect he may be, I don’t think many people could or would stand in his way – albeit Newcastle would lose a very talented manager.”But even if England are interested and Howe fancies the switch to international management, Newcastle won’t make it easy for their gaffer to walk away.’Get him in’ – England fans reveal who they would like to replace Gareth Southgate after Euro defeatThis felt like our time… but keep Gareth’s culture and we can win it in 2026 instead, writes Jack WilshereIT will take a while for me and every England fan to get over this, writes Jack Wilshere.To come so close to winning that trophy, only to be beaten in a second Euros final in a row, is a huge disappointment.Especially when it really felt like this was our time.It seemed that everything was coming together for us to end the long wait for a major title.But Spain deserved it. They were the better team in the final and the best team of the tournament.We will all — supporters, players, coaches, the FA — have to move on and go again.Because English football is still in a good position.Gareth Southgate has taken us to two finals, a semi-final and a quarter-final in four tournaments. We have never produced a run like that before.The challenge now is to maintain this level of competitiveness and make England even better.Southgate and his staff have done a fantastic job in changing the whole environment and narrative around the national team.Now Gareth is gone, the wider culture he has put in place must be preserved.This tournament was the biggest test of that culture the team had to go through.They overcame the problems and went all the way, only to fall at the final hurdle.But there is every reason to believe we can challenge at the World Cup in 2026 and beyond.We’ve got a really good group of players, many of them young, who can go on playing and performing for England for years.Jude Bellingham, Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer — to name just five — have plenty more tournaments in them.This tournament will also be an inspiration for the next generations of players. Unfortunately there isn’t the trophy lift to take that to a completely different level.But England have delivered moments in Germany that will be replayed forever.The Bellingham overhead kick and Ollie Watkins’ semi-final winner will be recreated in playgrounds and cages up and down the country.What I would like to see now is England continuing to develop, to become a team that can consistently dominate opponents and can give a real identity to English football.We now have players who are comfortable on the ball and technically very good.The biggest disappointment of the tournament was that we didn’t see that as often as we would have liked. That leaves us with a ‘what if?’ feeling.England must not lose that old-school mentality of finding a way to win even when you’re not playing well — that never-say-die spirit which got us through this Euros more than once.But the next step is to allow other qualities to shine through, to give the players that our system is creating the platform to show  everything they can do.The job for me and for other coaches is to keep producing players that are comfortable on the ball and understand how to perform under pressure at a high level.English football is in a good place but we need to keep going. Then we will finally get over the line.Real all of SunSport columnist Jack Wilshere’s Euro 2024 columns…The Magpies’ Saudi owners are ready to back Howe big in the transfer market to help get them back into the Champions League.And a hush-hush deal penned 12 months ago has not only tied him down long-term to St James’ Park, it has also ensured that the FA would need to cough up even more compensation to get the ex-Bournemouth manager.FA bigwigs will consider putting England Under-21s chief Lee Carsley in interim charge for the next game against Ireland if the deal drags on.Newcastle CEO Darren Eales revealed the secret extension from the German pre-season training HQ: “It is speculation on Eddie.“He has been an amazing manager at the club and he is committed to Newcastle with the work that he has done.“We’re on an exciting journey and Eddie is the man to lead us on that.“He’s on a multi-year deal which was extended last summer. He’s our employee and we’re not looking to release Eddie.“He loves the day-to-day of club football and we have an exciting project here.“We are really excited about this season ahead.“Eddie is a great developer of players. He gets the psyche of the club, Newcastle and the fans.“He is exactly the right man for the project we are on at Newcastle United and that is why we are committed to a long-term deal with him. We love him.”After being forced to offload Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest to ease Premier League spending rules issues last month, Howe can now look forward to strengthening his squad.And Eales declared that there is money now they have entered a new PSR window.Southgate’s highs and lows as England bossGARETH Southgate took charge of 102 games for England before quitting in the aftermath of the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.But what were the best – and worst matches – from the popular gaffer’s eight-year reign before that devastating Sunday night in Berlin? Here we take a look.THE HIGHS:Colombia 1-1 England (3-4 on pens,) 2018 World CupThis was the night that long-suffering supporters finally started to believe that it was coming home.Despite conceding a late equaliser, England held their nerve to advance to the quarter final of the World Cup 2018 on penalties.It was our first shootout victory for 22 years.Spain 2-3 England, 2018 Nations LeagueFollowing on from the World Cup, England won in Spain for the first time in 31 years with a brilliant Uefa Nations League victory.Southgate’s boys stunned the Seville crowd into silence with a thrilling performance that saw them lead 3-0 at the break thanks to a Raheem Sterling brace and Marcus Rashford.Although the hosts scored two after the break, the way the Three Lions tore La Roja apart excited every fan.England 2-1 Denmark, Euro 2020 semi-finalSouthgate led England to their first major final in 55 years as they beat Denmark after extra-time in the Euro 2020 semi-final.Having fallen behind after half an hour, the Three Lions battled back to send it to extra-time courtesy of an own goal.Then it was captain Kane who converted a rebound after Kasper Schmeichel originally saved his penalty in extra-time to win it.England 3-0 Sengal, 2022 World Cup last 16England had already blown Iran and Wales, 6-2 and 3-0 respectively, away in the World Cup 2022 group stages before they breezed past Senegal.The free-scoring Three Lions recorded another big win to set-up a mouthwatering quarter-final against France – what could go wrong?Italy 1-2 England, Euro qualifiers, 2023On a night when Harry Kane became England’s all-time top scorer, the Three Lions recorded a first away win over Italy since 1961.It was the first game since their 2022 World Cup exit, and it ensured a perfect start to their Euro 2022 qualifying campaign.England 2-1 Holland, Euro 2024 sem-finalThe nation doubted Southgate’s men in the semis of Euro 2024, but they responded with a barnstorming display.Xavi Simons opened the scoring for the Dutch but Harry Kane’s penalty drew us level.And Ollie Watkins slotted in a brilliant winner in injury time to see the Three Lions into their second successive Euros final.AND THE LOWS….Croatia 2-1 England, World Cup semi-final, 2018Having led England to a first World Cup semi-final since 1990, Southgate men made a dream start as Kieran Trippier put them ahead in the early exchanges.But Ivan Perisic equalised as the Croats began to take control.Some of Southgate’s substitutions were then questioned after his team were beaten in extra-time, although many gave him the benefit of the doubt as he returned a hero.Italy 1-1 England (3-2 pens) Euro 2020 finalWill probably never get a better chance to have secured a trophy for the Three Lions than this final of the last European Championship.Luke Shaw gave us the lead after just seconds, but just like against Croatia three years earlier, we sat back and let our rivals back into it.Leonardo Bonucci duly equalised in the second half and the game eventually went to penalties.The unfortunate Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were all brought on to take a spot-kick, but the brave trio all missed as the Azzurri broke our hearts to take the prize.England 0-4 Hungary, Nations League 2023A year on from the Euros and it was utter embarrassment for Southgate in this Nations League game at Molineux.It was our biggest home defeat since 1928 and the result led to England being relegated from the top group of the Nations League and back to one that contained the Republic of Ireland, Finland and Greece.England 1-2 France, World Cup 2022 quarter-finalsAnother case of what could have been.Having been free-scoring throughout Qatar 2022, many fancied us to go all the way at the World Cup despite taking on the holders in the quarters.We fought back from going behind to level through Kane and many believe that France were then there for the taking had Southgate deployed a more attacking approach.Instead, they seemed content with what they had until Olivier Giroud pounced 12 minutes from time to win it.But there was still one more twist of the knife for England as the usually-reliable Kane skied a late penalty over the bar uncharacteristically as we crashed out.PSR boostAs quoted in The Chronicle, he added: “We’re into a new PSR cycle and we are having those discussions.“Paul Mitchell has come onboard and it is for him and Eddie to discuss what sort of targets they want and the areas they want to strengthen.“It’s then important to have those meetings to decide where we are going to allocate those resources to strengthen our squad. That is what we are looking to do, but these situations are very fluid.“On all of these things, we are compliant. We did what we needed to do.“Going forward we are into a new cycle and we do not want to be leaving ourselves in that situation again in such tight circumstances.“With all of these things, that deadline is needed for the whole market to focus minds and get those deals done.Southgate’s gone – now it’s time to go foreignBy Dave KiddThere is a natural preference to appoint an English successor.And in an ideal world, the England manager should always be English. But this is not an ideal scenario.So the FA must be ambitious in sounding out the best man for the job, regardless of nationality.Because England need a manager who would gain instant respect with players, who would be tactically bold enough to take on Spain and a strong enough character to deal with Jude Bellingham’s Real Madrid Galactico status, which threatens to cause future issues within the England squad. Yes, when the FA have gone foreign in the past, it hasn’t worked out well.Yet the problem with Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello was that neither had any previous involvement in English football.They lacked knowledge and understanding of the football culture — indeed, Capello barely spoke the language.Now there is a wealth of overseas managerial talent with significant Premier League experience, including Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino, Carlo Ancelotti and Thomas Tuchel.Read more from Dave Kidd on who England should turn to.Howe has all his stars“But coming out of it, from my perspective, PSR needs to be looked at because incentivising the selling of homegrown players is not a good protocol to have.“We did not want to lose those players but again we had to do the deals we had to do to leave the squad in the best place possible for Eddie moving forward.”And after keeping star names Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and with last summer’s big-money arrival Sandro Tonali due to return from his betting ban, Eales is confident that Howe and new sporting director Mitchell can enhance the squad even further.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe added: “With Bruno, Isak, Gordon, Joelinton and Tonali to come back, we’ve got Lloyd Kelly coming in as an addition already, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento, we’ve got the squad to kick on.“But we are always looking to add to that and that is the challenge now, that is what we need to do, we need to find ways to improve and that is what we are doing with Eddie and Paul.”Southgate deserved to win a trophy with England… he made us all proud of our team again, writes Shaun CustisGARETH SOUTHGATE deserved to win a trophy as England manager, write Shaun Custis.Unfortunately, you don’t always get what you deserve in life.No man could have worked harder to give the country the silverware it craved and no man cared more about our national team.As a player he went through agonies after missing that fateful penalty against Germany at Euro 96 — and victory as a manager in the Euro 2024 final against Spain on Sunday would have been a wonderful redemption.Southgate himself said he didn’t believe in fairytales — and there was to be no happy ending as ultimately England came up short again when it mattered.But his legacy should be one of great achievement, not of failure.This is an England boss who transformed our feelings towards the Three Lions.Hardened fans, who claimed they only cared about their club, fell back in love with England during Gareth’s eight years in charge.As The Sun’s chief football writer, I followed England through the Sven Göran Eriksson era, on to Steve McClaren, then Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson.None of them could hold a candle to Southgate.Southgate took it on reluctantly and, when the FA then wanted to make his position permanent, he made it clear he had to have free rein to do the job on his terms.This was to be a new England with no club cliques, no wars with the media and an openness and honesty from coaches and players.He never believed it was the impossible job as many claimed before him.Yes, the Euros was a let-down and England were probably lucky to make the final.But Southgate, by some distance, turned his England team into the most successful since Sir Alf Ramsey’s World Cup winners of 1966.He gave us plenty of entertainment and fun along the way and a reason to feel proud.We were even starting to crack it at penalty shoot-outs.Most importantly, Southgate was a thoroughly decent human being throughout it all, treating everyone with respect — whether you were a player, a fan or part of the media.Read Sun Head of Sport Shaun Custis’ full opinion on Gareth Southgate’s England exit… More

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      Gary Lineker hails England’s Euro 2024 heroes as ‘new Real Madrid’… but says he was RIGHT to blast ‘s***’ early games

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      GARY LINEKER knows more than most about England’s 58 years of hurt — the bloke even has his name mentioned in the lyrics of Three Lions.And the former World Cup Golden Boot winner believes that Gareth Southgate’s side can end decades of agony after developing a mentality reminiscent of Real Madrid in the Champions League.Three Lions’ boss Gareth Southgate may bow out but wants a final roarCredit: GettyEzri Konsa, Jude Bellingham, Ollie Watkins and Marc Guehi celebrate victory over the Netherlands, leaving England with just Spain to comeCredit: GettyGary Lineker has explained why he reckons Southgate deserves an honourCredit: APThe record 15-time champions of Europe at club level never know when they are beaten.And despite being a Barcelona man, Lineker recognises the same qualities in England after they came from behind to claim three dramatic wins in the knock-out stages of these Euros.Lineker, who will anchor the BBC’s live coverage of tomorrow’s final against Spain, said: “England didn’t start well but they have grown. They have developed a ‘Real Madrid in the Champions League’ mentality.READ MORE ENGLAND NEWS“The Bellingham overhead kick to equalise in the 96th minute against Slovakia, five perfect penalties against Switzerland, then the Ollie Watkins moment at the death against Holland.”Lineker was the six-goal leading scorer at the 1986 World Cup but was denied by Diego Maradona’s controversial Hand of God and then suffered the heartache of defeat in a semi-final shootout by West Germany at Italia 90.And the 63-year-old said: “It was always my ambition to win a trophy as a player for England.“Subsequently, as a broadcaster, it’s always been my ambition to be able to say ‘England are European champions’ or ‘England are world champions’. And I’m getting older, so it needs to happen soon!Most read in Euro 2024Harry Kane hailed his match-winning replacement Ollie Watkins vs the DutchCredit: APEngland vs Spain recordEngland have played Spain 27 times in total – here is a look at every result…May 1929, Spain 4-3 England – International Friendly (L)December 1931, England 7-1 Spain – International Friendly (W)July 1950, Spain 1-0 England – World Cup (L)May 1955, Spain 1-1 England – International Friendly (D)November 1955, England 4-1 Spain – International Friendly (W)May 1960, Spain 3-0 England – International Friendly (L)October 1960, England 4-2 Spain – International Friendly (W)December 1965, Spain 0-2 England – International Friendly (W)May 1967, England 2-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)April 1968, England 1-0 Spain – European Championship (W)May 1968, Spain 1-2 England – European Championship (W)March 1980, Spain 0-2 England – International Friendly (W)June 1980, England 2-1 Spain – European Championship (W)March 1981, England 1-2 Spain – International Friendly (L)July 1982, Spain 0-0 England – World Cup (D)February 1987, Spain 2-4 England – International Friendly (W)September 1992, Spain 1-0 England – International Friendly (L)June 1996, England 0(4)-(2)0 Spain – European Championship (W)February 2001, England 3-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)November 2004, Spain 1-0 England – International Friendly (L)February 2007, England 0-1 Spain – International Friendly (L)February 2009, Spain 2-0 England – International Friendly (L)November 2011, England 1-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)November 2015, Spain 2-0 England – International Friendly (L)November 2016, England 2-2 Spain – International Friendly (D)September 2018, England 1-2 Spain – Nations League (L)October 2018, Spain 2-3 England – Nations League (W)Overall, England have won 14, drawn three and lost 10 matches against Spain.BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS“Spain have been the team of the tournament so far — but the real team of the tournament are ultimately the team that wins it.“There’s no doubt Spain have been the best team to watch. They have had six games, six wins, none of them on penalties, and no one has ever done that before.SunSport’s Latest Euro 2024 headlinesGreatest English sporting moments since 1966David Platt’s last-minute extra-time winner vs Belgium at Italia 90Paul Gascoigne’s wondergoal vs Scotland at Euro 96Jonny Wilkinson’s drop goal to win the 2003 Rugby World CupAshes victory over Australia in 2005Super Saturday at London 2012Ben Stokes’ heroics to win 2019 Cricket World Cup finalLionesses winning 2022 Women’s Euros at Wembley“But England have given us three magical moments — and magical moments are what winning tournaments are based on.“First there was Bellingham’s overhead kick and if that hadn’t gone in we’d have been distraught.“Then the five boys stepping up to take the penalties, especially Bukayo Saka.“Along with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, Saka got racial abuse after missing penalties in the last Euros final. So to see five black or mixed-race players step forward courageously and take perfect penalties was brilliant.“Then Watkins’ moment, which was such a brilliant finish. He gives you something different, he makes runs that stretch a defence. That’s not Harry Kane’s game.“Gareth changed it and that was brave to bring his captain off. Now he knows that he can trust Watkins. “He will start with Kane in the final but if it’s not quite happening, he can bring on fresh legs that want to run in behind.”Lineker created a  storm  when he referred to England’s 1-1 draw with Denmark as being ‘s**t’ on his The Rest Is Football podcast.That caused skipper Kane to hit back at criticism from former players working as pundits.But Lineker said: “I think I was a bit shafted by the journalist who asked the question to Kane saying I’d said England were ‘s**t’, I’d actually said the game was ‘s**t’ — so I feel that was unfair.“The first couple of games were turgid, the balance wasn’t right. Harry and Gareth said they were struggling. We were basically right.“On the BBC and the podcast, you have to say what you think, as long as you don’t get personal — and we were talking tactically about how things could improve.You can say it hasn’t been pretty, but England are in the final… and we’re peaking at just the right time, says Jack WilshereAFTER what has been a tough tournament of times, what an opportunity Gareth Southgate and his team will have to end in the best possible way, writes Jack Wilshere.We might like a team that played better football. But it’s a results business.Germany, Italy, France, Portugal and of course Holland would love to be where we are.People will say we’re lucky because we’re on this side of the draw.But we won the group. France didn’t and then ran into Spain.You can say it wasn’t that pretty, but we’re there.Gareth and his coaches won’t have been happy with some of the performances.But I did like the way Gareth and his team have dealt with it.There was no panic coming out of the camp.Everyone gave the same message: ‘We know we can better, but we’re here still.’And on Sunday they will be in Berlin to play Spain.They will probably have to produce two halves of football as good as the first against Holland to beat them.We have improved as the tournament has gone on and that is how you win things.You want to peak in the final.If Gareth can lead England to that major trophy we’ve all been waiting for, it will be the perfect answer to the critics and a brilliant day for us all.Read Jack Wilshere’s England vs Holland verdict in full.Or check out all of SunSport columnist Jack’s Euros 2024 opinions…“Tournaments are hard. We kept stipulating that — being honest.“Alan Shearer and myself both got to semi-finals but there were times in those tournaments when we weren’t very good.“In the last two games, England have been much freer and we are eulogising them and that’s what we want to be doing — hopefully even more so after the final.”Lineker expects Sunday’s final to be the last match of Southgate’s eight-match reign and he hopes the Three Lions boss rides off with a Knighthood. He said: “I think Gareth will go, win or lose. It is very difficult to be England manager for that long.“You could see earlier in this tournament that he wasn’t himself, that he was finding it hard. I think he’ll probably call it a day.“If it doesn’t happen again, then the disappointment might be too much for him — but if we win, it is a glorious way to go.“Go off into the sunset, stick that Knighthood on his chest and everybody will love him forever.“Whether you agree with his tactics or not, Gareth  has brought harmony to that squad and given respect back to English footballers.“He’s a thoroughly decent human being. I’d love them to win it for him.“He’s got everything right in the last few games. He realised his system wasn’t working and he changed it — he deserves all the credit in the world. He’s got his subs and penalty-takers right.“But England have also had a bit of luck, especially the penalty against the Dutch, which was a poor decision.“I played in two tournaments where we didn’t have the breaks — the Hand of God and then in the semi-final in 1990, in extra-time, Chris Waddle had a shot like Watkins but it hit the inside of the post and came out.READ MORE SUN STORIES“You can add Gazza’s studs  just missing the ball for what would have been a winner in the ’96 semi-final and Frank Lampard’s goal being disallowed when it was a yard over the line in 2010.”‘All those oh so nears’, as the song goes. But perhaps Sunday will  be  the  night  when football finally comes home.Meet Spain’s Euro 2024 WagsSpain Wags range from teenager sweethearts to recently blossoming love stories.Alice Campello (Alvaro Morata’s wife)Alice Campello is an Italian model and fashion designer and has been married to Alvaro Morata since 2017. The pair has four children together.Sara Botello (Aymeric Laporte’s wife)Sara Botello is a trained dancer, having performed ballet and contemporary dance in shows around Spain. She married Aymeric Laporte in 2023 and the pair have two children together.Tatiana Trouboul (David Raya’s girlfriend)Tatiana Trouboul is the girlfriend of David Raya. Before moving to London with him, she worked in a nightclub. Now she is working as a model.Claudia Rodriguez (Marc Cucurella’s girlfriend)Claudia and Marc met in Barcelona after he messaged her on Instagram. The pair has third children together and have been together since six years.Lola Liberal ( Mikel Merino’s wife)Lola Liberal is a blogger and loves to share loving moments with ex-Newcastle star Mikel Merino. The pair married in January 2024.Laura Cascante (Rodrigo Hernández’s girlfriend)Laura Iglesias is a medical student and is training to become a surgeon. The pair met during university.Laura Abla Schmitt (Dani Olmo’s girlfriend)Laura Abla Schmitt and Dani Olmo made their relationship public on New Year’s Day in 2024. Read more about the Wags supporting Spain at Euro 2024 here More

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      Legendary Premier League owner worth £600m vetoed Zinedine Zidane signing because he already had Tim Sherwood

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      ZINEDINE ZIDANE could have found himself playing in the Premier League in the 90s.The French footie legend lit up Ligue 1 in the 90s with Bordeaux before securing a huge move to Juventus in the summer of 1996.Zinedine Zidane was one of the hottest prospects in world football while at BordeauxCredit: SPORTSFILEZizou was on the radar of Blackburn Rovers before his move to Juventus in the summer of 1996Credit: REUTERSBut late Rovers owner Sir Jack Walker decided against bringing Zinedine Zidane to Ewood ParkCredit: NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPERS LTDThe midfielder’s displays caught the eye of several scouts, including those of Blackburn Rovers.In fact, Zidane even visited Rovers’ training ground a few months after they pipped Manchester United to the 1994/95 Premier League title.But then club owner Sir Jack Walker didn’t pursue a move for the future global icon, a decision Rovers fans are no doubt cursing.The reason why: because he already had the services of Tim Sherwood at his disposal.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLDuring an appearance on the Squeaky Bum Time podcast, Sherwood said: “We were English champions and Zidane and Christophe Dugarry came to the training ground to have a look around.”It was an impressive training ground, by the way, but they decided or Jack Walker decided that they weren’t going to join us.”I think he was wrong. It was probably more coming from the heart than his head.”He was a very astute businessman but when it came to football and when it came to his club, which was Blackburn Rovers, he just played with his heart all the time.Most read in FootballEURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERS”And on this occasion, I think he was wrong.”The late Walker, who passed away in August 2000, is said to have been gobsmacked by then manager Ray Harford’s interest in signing Zizou.Zinedine Zidane suffers embarrassing wardrobe malfunction as he brings out Champions League trophy at WembleyHe said: “Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?”Nineties and noughties footies icon Zidane would go on to win a litany of trophies with Juve and Real.Zidane would win two Serie A titles with the Old Lady as well as the Suppercoppa Italian and the Uefa Super Cup.He’d win a solitary La Liga title with Los Blancos, whom he also won the Champions League and Super Cup with.Blackburn have only tasted glory once since their historic Prem victory, beating Tottenham in 2002 to win the League Cup. More

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      Gary Lineker will NOT present BBC’s Champions League highlights programme with another legendary host lined up

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      GARY LINEKER will not be presenting the BBC’s Champions League highlights show next season.The Match of the Day host has been busy this summer helping the broadcaster cover Euro 2024.Gary Lineker will not be hosting the Champions League programme for the BBCCredit: GettyGabby Logan is reportedly set to take the jobCredit: GettyLineker, 63, only has 12 months left on his contract at the BBC.The broadcaster is reportedly lining up a legendary host to present the Champions League show for next season.Gabby Logan has instead been the option chosen by the BBC, according to the Telegraph.The new show will air for the first time next season with shows being put on Wednesdays from September.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLLineker used to present BT Sport’s Champions League highlights show.However, he quit so he would be able to watch Leicester City’s matches in the competition in 2021.He said at the time: “I would like to thank BT Sport for the generous renewal offer but, after much thought, I have decided to call it a day.”I feel it’s time to do things that I’ve always promised myself I’d do: such as follow Leicester across Europe with my sons [how many opportunities will we have?].”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSThe report claims that the BBC spoke to Lineker about the role but did not make him a formal offer.The show is expected to run for the next three years.Watch moment BBC forced to censor Gary Lineker on live TV for dropping F-bomb as pundits celebrate wildly for Saka goalGabby Logan started presenting for the BBC in 2007 as she worked covering FA Cup games.She has also had experience presenting on different sports such as rugby, athletics and the London Marathon.She is also expected to present at the Olympics in France this summer.Meanwhile, while working for the BBC at the Euros, Lineker has also been producing his Rest is Football podcast alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.The podcast is owned by Lineker’s Goalhanger Podcasts company. More

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      Footballer, 21, who nearly died after being stabbed three times in a park ready to embark on Champions League adventure

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      A FORMER Aston Villa starlet who was left fighting for his life after being stabbed THREE times is now preparing for Champions League action.Brad Young was only 17 when the horrific attack occurred at a park in Solihull in May 2020.Brad Young has bounced back from his life-saving surgery in incredible fashionCredit: Michael SchofieldThe striker required life-saving surgery after he was left with a 12cm knife wound and required three blood transfusions.Now, four years later, he is preparing to lead the line for Welsh club The New Saints in the Champions League qualification rounds.Recalling the horrifying night of the attack, he said: “I was in a park with my friends and a random group of lads approached me, attacked me and tried to rob me.“I fought back, the guy that punched me in my face had me in a headlock and I just felt something weird in my back. I let go, looked down and saw I’d been stabbed three times.READ MORE ON FOOTBALL“I called the ambulance and then collapsed to the floor. They rushed me into hospital and they didn’t know what was going to happen, one of the stab wounds hit an artery and I lost a lot of blood.“It was 12cm deep and I needed three blood transfusions, that’s what saved my life.“Then I had to wait for the surgery and as I was lying there I was asking whether I could play football again.”He continued: “At that age I was messing about and going out, I wasn’t taking football seriously, I was partying, normal stuff 17-year-olds do, but not normal for a footballer to do.Most read in Football“If anything it was a good thing and it opened my eyes up for what I really wanted to do and what I had been working all my life to do.“It just woke me up and realised I had to stop messing about and knuckle down. I am proud of myself.”Premier League Fixtures released for 2024/25 season More

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      Man Utd and City learn Champions League fate as Uefa make decision on multi-club ownership which will affect transfers

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      MANCHESTER giants City and United will both play in Europe after their owners took advantage of a new Uefa loophole.The two clubs each faced issues over Uefa’s “multi-club ownership” rules and fears over the “integrity” of competitions.Both Manchester City and Manchester United will play in Europe next seasonCredit: The TimesWhile Premier League champions Man City were guaranteed to be in the Champions League next term, their Spanish sister outfit Girona would have been excluded.But the boot could be on the other foot in 2025-26 if the Catalan club earn a higher finishing position in La Liga than City do in the Premier League in the new campaign. Man Utd’s issues came as a direct result of new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe taking charge at the club because he was already boss of French outfit Nice, who also qualified for the Europa League. Two months ago, Uefa drafted new guidelines designed to give clubs currently part of the same stable a way to get round the “integrity” issues.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLOwnership groups were told that they can sell shares in EITHER club to an independent third party, as long as one of their stakes reduces to below the 30 per cent “control” threshold.Alternatively, all shares in one of the clubs could be transferred to a blind trust overseen by a Uefa-appointed panel but with a hand-picked trustee.And Uefa have now confirmed both the Premier League clubs have taken the second option.Uefa explained: “The concerned investors have transferred their shares in Girona FC and OGC Nice to independent trustees through a blind trust structure established under the supervision of the Club Financial Control Board First Chamber. Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS”Such blind trust was accepted by the Chamber on an exceptional basis for the 2024/25 Uefa  competitions. “The trustees will regularly exchange information with Chamber during the 2024/25 season.”Watch Man City fan silence Man Utd legend Gary Neville with cheeky ‘milk’ comment However, the agreement scuppers any chance of United signing Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo or City taking anyone on the books of the Catalan club.Uefa added: “As additional evidence of their independence, the concerned clubs committed that they will not transfer players to each other, whether permanently or on loan, directly or indirectly, from July 2024 until September 2025.”The exception is pre-existing transfer agreements that had been entered into before the opening of the proceedings.”Also, the clubs will not conclude any kind of cooperation, joint technical or commercial agreements between each other.”And the clubs will not use any joint scouting or player database.”If the clubs are not in the same Uefa competitions as their sister sides next season, the shares can be transferred back but the share transfers clear the way for all four clubs to compete from September. More

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      Toni Kroos avoids unemployment with new project as star, 34, looks to become Germany’s first clubless Euros winner

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      TONI KROOS joked he is looking to avoid unemployment after announcing his retirement from football.The German legend leaves the Spanish capital after his contract expired and in turn the game for good. Toni Kroos is looking to avoid unemployment after announcing his retirementCredit: GettyKroos won four LaLiga titles and five Champions League medals during his time at the Bernabeu. But after his deal expired, the midfielder looks set to hang up his boots following the conclusion of Euro 2024. It means he could technically become the first German to win the Euros while not contracted to a club. Kroos is now looking for his next venture, as discussed on the podcast he runs with his brother Felix. READ MORE IN FOOTBALLPer Bild, Former football Felix said: “From today on, you are without a club.” Older brother Kroos, with a laugh, replied: “It’s good that you call it without a club and not unemployed. “That gives me a good feeling until the end of the tournament.”Felix added: “But I read that you could become Germany’s first clubless European champion. That’s a goal, too.” Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSKroos responded: “I haven’t really thought about that.”The former Bayern Munich star could now turn his attention to his small-field “Icon League”.Kroos launched the league with YouTuber Elias Nerlich with footballers, entertainers and content creators to play against each other. The Sun’s Tom Barclay gives England squad update from training ahead of quarter final clash with Switzerland More

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      Abandoned Euros stadium bigger than Villa Park shadow of its former self with overgrown grounds and shattered turnstiles

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      A STADIUM which once hosted Champions League and European Championship matches looks completely different after it was abandoned. The historic Donbas Arena used to seat more 52,000 fans when it served as the home stadium of Shakhtar Donetsk, making it bigger than Villa Park.The Donbas Arena was abandoned by Shakhtar Donetsk in 2014Credit: AFPIt came as the Ukraine conflict escalatedThe ground once hosted Champions League and Euro 2012 matchesCredit: Twitter/Shakhtar_uaBut war has left the ground strew with debris including shattered glass and broken turnstilesCredit: Twitter/FCShakhtar_engThe ground took three years to build from 2006 until opening in 2009, costing an estimated $400million (£313.4m). The ground served as the home of the Ukrainian giants Shakhtar as they won five titles in a row.In the Champions League the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City all failed to come away with three points.On the international stage it hosted five games at Euro 2012, including the semi-final between Portugal and Spain.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLDuring this game alone, superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez all took to the hallowed turf.The England national team even had the chance to play there twice, first in a 1-1 draw with France before a goal from Wayne Rooney secured a 1-0 win over the host nation in a second Group D match.However, as a result of the growing conflict in Ukraine, in 2014 the ground was abandoned.That came despite it playing host to a “Peace March” against the violence of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine and the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSThe stadium cost £313m to buildCredit: AFPBut reported artillery shelling has hit the infrastructureCredit: GettyAnd this has left the ground looking completely unrecognisable from its heyday.As early into the conflict as 2014, the ground was hit by reported artillery shelling.SunSport’s Latest Euro 2024 headlinesPictures of the ground today show the mess it has become, with shattered glass, overgrown vegetation and broken turnstiles all visible features.Following the expansion of the conflict in 2022, the old football infrastructure has continued to sustain damage, with drone footage from February this year showing the damage that has been inflicted.Shakhtar have moved four times since abandoning the Donbas Arena.Between 2014 and 2016 they played in the the Arena Lviv, before moving to the Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv, some 155 miles to the northwest of Donetsk.The Stadion Wojska Polskiego in Warsaw, Poland, then played host to the club’s home European matches in 2022/23, with the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, Germany hosting games last season.And they are set for a fifth new home next season after it was announced the club will play their European home games at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen for the 2024/25 season.A club statement said: “Our new European Cup home.”Shakhtar will play the home games of the Champions League for the 2024/25 season in Gelsenkirchen in the Veltins-Arena.”Club CEO Serhii Palkin has hailed the deal and argued that the decision was made due to the club’s support in the country.He said: “We are glad to hold our Uefa Champions League matches at one of the best stadiums in Germany.”The positive experience of the last season shows that Shakhtar has a strong support of the fans in this country – both local residents and Ukrainian refugees.”This factor is of great importance to our club.”We thank the management of Schalke 04 and the city of Gelsenkirchen for solidarity and do not doubt the mutually beneficial cooperation.READ MORE SUN STORIES”We are looking forward to the Uefa Champions League matches.”The move to the Veltins-Arena is 1,582 miles from the club’s original home.The stadium could host some 52,000 people, making it bigger than Villa ParkCredit: PA:Press AssociationA drone showed the damage from the expanded conflict in 2022Shakhtar will play their home European games next season at the Veltins-Arena in GermanyCredit: AFP More