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      Man Utd fans only just realising Mark Goldbridge’s REAL name with YouTuber once enjoying very different job with police

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      MANCHESTER UNITED fans are just discovering YouTuber Mark Goldbridge’s real name – and a back story equally as intriguing.The presenter on The United Stand and talkSPORT watched Nottingham Forest as a kid and was a policeman who became a detective.
      Mark Goldbridge doesn’t hold back on fan channel ‘The United Stand’Credit: Instagram @markgoldbridge
      He’s outspoken now but went out of his way to avoid trouble on the beatCredit: Social Media – Refer to Source
      Mark also has his own show on national radioCredit: TALKSPORT
      But many Red Devils’ supporters have only now realised his true moniker is  Brent Di Cesare.
      The married dad of three, 44, who lives in Solihull, is of Italian descent.
      But that Azzurri association is the only thing supporters might be able to guess from his real name.
      Fans were amazed to discover his alternative details as they reflected on the Red Devils’ early exit from the Champions League.
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      One posted: “Wait y’all know who Brent Di Cesare is?”
      And others revealed they had dashed off to Wikipedia to check it out.
      But his marvellous moniker, which he changed at his police bosses’ request when he launched his YouTube career, is just one fascinating fact about the outspoken broadcaster.
      Goldbridge has gone from investigating crimes to laying down the law on United performances. 
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      He’s amassed around 3million followers across his four YouTube channels, regularly going viral with his rants
      But his football journey began watching Forest – as he was born in Nottingham and his dad would take him to the City Ground.
      However, his parents split when he was six and his mum’s dad got him into following United.
      After working in insurance in Ireland, he returned to England in his mid-20s – joining the police because he couldn’t find any other employment.
      Goldbridge told JackMaate’s Happy Hour podcast in December 2020: “When I came back from Dublin, I had no qualifications.
      “I had a C in Maths and English and that was it. And although I had quite a good job in Ireland, I couldn’t get a job anywhere. 
      “My wife said ‘why don’t you go in the police?’.
      “I wanted to do the fire service but I’m not very good with heat, I’m really irritable in the heat so I went in the police. 
      Mark Goldbridge was a detective with a far more exotic nameCredit: Instagram @markgoldbridge
      “Uniform about a year-and-a-half then a detective for 10 years.”
      And his reason for switching from the beat might surprise fans who know him best for his hard-hitting outbursts.
      He would “just walk about and try and stay out of trouble” as “I haven’t got the physique for it, have I?” – so he moved into detection.
      Goldbridge also revealed his trauma at seeing dead bodies on the job – with the “horrible smell” of the first occasion still remaining with him.
      His online persona kicked off when he set up Soccer Box TV after England exited the 2014 World Cup at the group stage for the first time since 1958.
      Read more on The Sun
      Now he’s speaking out on another team also departing a major competition without reaching the KO stages – United.
      Tuesday’s’s 1-0 defeat against Bayern Munich condemned the Red Devils to a bottom-place finish in their Champions League group. More

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      Fans say ‘Haaland who?’ as Micah Hamilton, 20, scores stunner on Man City debut 6 years after Guardiola ball-boy bust-up

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      MICAH HAMILTON needed just 19 minutes to score on his Manchester City debut.The 20-year-old put his side ahead in their final Champions League group stage match away to Red Star Belgrade.
      Micah Hamilton scored on his Manchester City debut against Red Star BelgradeCredit: AFP

      Hamilton skilfully shifted the ball past a defender before smashing it beyond the goalkeeper and into the roof of the net.
      In doing so, he became the fifth-youngest Englishman to score on their Champions League debut at 20 years and 30 days.
      He is also the youngest to score on their debut since Marcus Rashford in September 2017 aged 19 years and 316 days.
      Fellow youngster Oscar Bobb was also on target, doubling City’s lead after the interval with his first senior goal.
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      Reacting to Hamilton’s goal on social media, one fan wrote: “MICAH F***ING HAMILTON. STARBOY.”
      Another added: “Remember the name…”
      A third supporter also commented: “Who needs Haaland when we have Micah lol.”
      Fans also swooned over Bobb’s display, including one who said: “Oscar Bobb 2027 Ballon d’Or winner. I’m already there.”
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      Meanwhile, another also wrote: “Hear me out City fans when I say Oscar Bobb is better than Foden in that middle.”
      Erling Haaland was once again absent from the squad through injury, having also missed Sunday’s win over Luton.
      Hamilton instead lead the line for Pep Guardiola in Serbia, making his senior debut in the process.
      It comes six years after he went viral as a ball boy in a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace in May 2017.
      Hamilton was told to speed up by Pep Guardiola as a 13-year-old ball boyCredit: Enterprise News and Pictures
      Guardiola called over the then 13-year-old during the match to tell him to speed up when giving the ball back.
      Hamilton, who is currently the captain of City’s under-21 side, has been with the club for 12 years.

      The former England under-16 international joined the Treble winners’ academy as an eight-year-old in 2011.
      City had already booked their progression to the last 16 as group winners before Wednesday’s final match.
      Read more on The Sun
      Five wins from their first five fixtures had put them out of reach of second place RB Leipzig, and they made it a perfect six with a 3-2 win in Belgrade. More

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      Who is Man City starlet Micah Hamilton?

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      MICAH HAMILTON is making his senior debut in Manchester City’s final Champions League Group G – and it didn’t take him long to make an impact.Already-qualified City are hoping to round off their group campaign with a 100 percent win record
      Micah Hamilton scored on his senior debutCredit: EPA
      And Pep Guardiola has allowed a handful of youngsters the opportunity to get some Champions League experience.
      One of them is Hamilton, and he has certainly grabbed the chance with both hands.
      Who is Micah Hamilton?
      Born in 2003, Hamilton was raised in Manchester and progressed through City’s academy since joining the club’s Under-9 side.
      The winger is part of the Unique Sports Group agency who represent a number of high profile Premier League players including Chelsea captain Reece James and Newcastle star Anthony Gordon.
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      Hamilton’s mainly operates on the left hand side, but the Englishman has been used in the central or attacking areas.
      But his first introduction to the sporting world was when he was used as a ball-boy against Crystal Palace in 2017.
      Why is Hamilton labelled as a ‘street baller’?
      Hamilton is known for being a tricky customer who has a lot of pace and flare about his game.
      And Red Star Belgrade quickly found this out as the winger scored inside the first 20 minutes of his senior debut.
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      The Englishman displayed lighting quick feet to beat his marker before rifling the ball into the roof of the net.
      City’s young star is the current captain for the Elite Development Squad (EDS) – making 11 appearances so far this season and registering six assists.
      He has a staggering total of 62 appearances for the academy where Hamilton has scored 16 goals and provided 16 assists.
      What has been said about Hamilton?
      The Man City EDS coach Brian Barry-Murphy was the first person to describe Hamilton as a ‘street footballer’.
      Barry-Murphy said in September: “He can get a lot fitter and if you see him at his best he’s pretty unique and has distinct parts of his game which are really exciting.
      “I say to him he’s a street footballer, you see Oscar Bobb who’s very exciting to watch.
      “Micah is the same, someone who can eliminate players one by one, no matter how the game evolves, for a player to be able to beat a player one-v-one is one of the most exciting things.” More

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      Shocking moment Red Star hooligans storm Man City bar and beat supporters with sticks ahead of Champions League clash

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      FOOTBALL hooligans in Serbia have been caught on camera attacking rival fans with sticks ahead of a big night of Champions League action.The shocking video shows around 30 Red Star Belgrade thugs storming into a bar full of Manchester City fans and whacking them to the head and body in a brutal assault.
      Manchester City and Red Star Belgrade fans clashed outside a bar in Serbia as Red Star hooligans stormed at the City fans with wooden sticks for weaponsCredit: X/HooligansTV
      Red Star Belgrade hooligans were seen with masks and hoods up as they stormed the pub full of rival Man City fansCredit: X/Hooligans TV
      Riot police have now been put on standby in Serbia’s capital ahead of tonight’s feisty Champions League clash
      According to people in the area at the time, around 20 Man City fans – who had travelled over to Serbia for the match – were caught up in a big brawl that spilled out onto the streets at 11pm Tuesday evening.
      Serbian cops spent the night searching the area for the masked gang responsible for the attacks and continue to patrol the streets in case of a further brawl before tonight’s game.
      Many of the fans – thought to be young men – can be seen in clips on X, wearing face masks and with their hoods up to hide their identity as they throw punches and use weapons.
      Videos taken from inside the bar show Red Star fans banging on the glass and gesturing those inside to come out and fight.
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      Some Man City fans are later shown going toe to toe with the thugs but getting hit by multiple blokes wielding wooden sticks.
      In a different clip going around social media, piles of people can be seen fleeing the pub in opposite directions before the video jumps to show three police cars patrolling down the street.
      Sirens can be heard screeching through the town of Belgrade as three patrol cars made their way past the now empty street and towards the town centre.
      The confrontation was also recorded by the venues security cameras.
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      Riot police have been stationed around the stadium ahead of the feisty clash in case of further fighting.
      Manchester City fans have been talking about it online since the attack.
      In a statement, the club said: “Manchester City FC is concerned by the news of an attack on our travelling fans last night in Belgrade. We are working closely with the local police to provide additional safety advice and support to all fans attending this evening’s match.”
      Red Star supporters are often referred to as delije which in English means a brave, strong, tough, or even handsome young man.
      The two sides are set to clash tonight on the pitch instead of the streets in the final group stage match of this seasons elite European competition.
      Manchester City have breezed past RB Leipzig, Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade this year after winning every match with relative ease.
      Red Star on the other hand have faced an awful campaign having only won a single point in five games.
      The Serbian SuperLiga front runners are hoping for a win in tonight’s match to keep their hopes alive for a spot in the Europa League.
      The blue side of Manchester have had major fan troubles on the road before in the Champions League including after the final last year.
      City fans were caught smashing up a cop van and clashing with riot police after completing their historic treble.
      Thousands of fans went berserk at the match in Turkey and rocked pubs, bars and fan zones across the UK as City sent Inter Milan packing with an extraordinary 1-0 win in Istanbul.
      And just this week Turkey stopped all footie matches indefinitely after a referee was punched to the ground on the pitch by a club president.
      Greece also banned fans from top-flight football games for two months after violence erupted between rival volleyball supporters in Athens, severely injuring a police officer.
      Meanwhile, France is considering barring away supporters after a fan was stabbed to death ten days ago.
      Read more on The Sun
      In January an Italian motorway was closed when rival supporters piled into each other, and a year ago crowds of Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb fans delivered Nazi salutes in unison on the streets of Milan.
      Across the continent, authorities are struggling to control hooliganism — often aimed at travelling English fans, who receive massive police protection as continental supporters try to test their reputation for street brawling.
      The mass brawl happened the night before their Champions League tieCredit: X/hooliganscz1999
      Hooligans have plagued European football in the last few seasons More

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      Man Utd ‘set to be handed reduced summer transfer budget’ following shock elimination from Champions League

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are set to be handed a reduced summer transfer budget after their Champions League exit, a report claims.The Red Devils were booted out of Europe entirely as Bayern Munich beat a tepid United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
      Manchester United are set to be faced with a reduced summer transfer budgetCredit: PA
      United were knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday after a 1-0 defeat to Bayern MunichCredit: Rex
      After only winning a single fixture in the competition United failed to accumulate any of the winning bonuses Uefa offers for group-stage victories.
      And Erik ten Hag’s side have missed out on the revenue for qualifying for the knockout stage – or the potential riches had they dropped into the Europa League.
      According to the Manchester Evening News, their loss in revenues is expected to have a knock-on effect on their transfer activity as they must comply with domestic and European financial fair play rules.
      The report claims high-ranking sources at Old Trafford wanted to invest more in the squad last term but were limited due to FFP.
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      Despite spending £400million across Erik ten Hag’s three transfer windows as manager, Man Utd have actually spent less in the last six years than the preceding six.
      In comparison to other Premier League sides, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City all outspent Man Utd in the summer.
      Two of United’s seven summer signings are loanees – Sofyan Amrabat and Sergio Reguilon.
      Meanwhile, Jonny Evans arrived as a free agent and £60m Mason Mount was in the final year of his contract at Chelsea.
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      For deadline-day signing Amrabat, the £15m upfront fee for Dean Henderson to Crystal Palace was reinvested in the Fiorentina star.
      The Manchester outlet claimed senior United sources have said they are under no pressure to sell in January but the club are open to offloading several players should they receive an acceptable offer.
      On the cards for a move is Casemiro who has interest from Saudi Arabia.
      Anthony Martial is reported to be up for a transfer as well as Donny van de Beek who has played just 19 minutes this term.
      Outcast Jadon Sancho is also on the Red Devils priority list to sell in the new year. More

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      Inside incredible stadium built on top of a SHOPPING CENTRE hosting big European tournament

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      THERE are few stadiums where you can nip to McDonald’s and H&M at half-time and make it back for the second half.But at this unique ground you might just manage it.
      The pitch is on the roof of a shopping centre
      The Vozdovac Stadium is also known as the Stadion Shopping CentreCredit: AFP
      The Voždovac Stadium stands on the roof of a SHOPPING CENTRE but can still sit 5,175 fans.
      The Vozdovac Stadium is also officially known as Stadion Shopping Center.
      And it has a McDonald’s and H&M within it.
      There’s an Intersport as well if fans fancy buying a replica shirt on the way out.
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      The Vozdovac stadium opened in 2013 and is approved by Uefa to host Champions League and Europa League games if required.
      It is one of the few rooftop stadiums in the world.
      Similar to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley, the stadium utilises escalators to helps fans get to their seats.
      Week in, week out, the stadium is home to Belgrade side Vozdovac, a minnow who have made their way to Serbia’s first division this season.
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      But to aid the club with revenue, it’s loaned out to Red Star’s youth side for their Uefa Youth League games due to its Uefa approved status.
      That’s led to Manchester City taking on Red Star Belgrade there this week in the Champions League.
      City’s youth team managed to do the business at the Stadion Shopping Centre, with a 2-2 draw enough to see them advance to the knockout stages of the Uefa Youth League.
      The stadium seats 5,175 fansCredit: TNT SPORTS
      And was host to Manchester City in the Europa League todayCredit: TNT Sports More

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      Arsenal earn staggering £66m in Champions League bonus payments – and fans know how they want it spent

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      ARSENAL have accumulated a staggering bonus of £66million for qualifying into the round of 16.And fans know exactly what forward they want to spend the extra cash on.
      Arsenal secured a £66m bonus after going through to the round of 16Credit: Alamy
      The Gunners finished their group stage with a 1-1 draw against PSV EindhovenCredit: Alamy
      In total, the expected amount spent across all Uefa competitions is £3billion.
      And for the Champions League and European Super Cup, £1.7bn is being allocated, according to Uefa.
      Arsenal are believed to have managed to scoop up £66m of this fund so far after sealing top spot in Group B on Tuesday night in their 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven.
      And fans have already given their say on what forward the money should be spent on.
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      One supporter said: “Just enough for Douglas Luiz.”
      While another fan added: “Toney should be a small case then.”
      And a fourth even joked: “That’s one year of Mbappe’s salary if we sign him😂.”
      Mikel Arteta is desperate for a striker to bolster his side’s goal scoring prowess in January as they eye European and Premier League glory.
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      The North London outfit are keen on wrapping up a move for Villa star Luiz, who is reportedly at the top of their transfer wish list in January.
      Ivan Toney, who is set to return from his betting suspension in the new year, is another star being eyes for a move to the Emirates.
      Paris Saint-Germain superstar Mbappe is also primed for a big move either in January or next summer, but a move to the Emirates remains very unlikely.
      And £66million probably wouldn’t come close to funding the World Cup-winner’s wages.
      Just for qualifying into the group stage of the Champions League Arsenal were awarded £13.46m.
      In addition for each win they were awarded £2.4m and for each draw £800,000.
      As they won four out of their six group stages they accumulated £10.4m.
      The Gunners have now secured a place in the round of 16 and for their stellar effort Uefa have chucked in another £8.2m.
      Read more on The Sun
      While Arsenal have also been rewarded £21.5m for their performances based on UEFA’s ten-year coefficient ranking.
      And for both market pools, which is given by the proportional value of each TV market represented by clubs taking part, Mikel Arteta’s men received £12.77m. More

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      Owen Hargreaves ‘tries to do his own version of Michael Owen’s apple story’ live on TNT Sports during Man Utd clash

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      FOOTBALL fans were left baffled after former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves began speaking about painting a fence live on TV.The 42-year-old was commentating on Man Utd’s crucial Champions League clash with Bayern Munich for TNT Sports on Tuesday.
      Owen Hargreaves told a story about painting a fence as a youth playerCredit: Getty
      Fans likened it to a recent story from Michael OwenCredit: Getty
      However, during the first half he went off on a tangent and began speaking about a time he went to his youth coach’s house to paint a fence.
      Hargreaves went on to joke that he wasn’t good at painting and that he failed to finish it as the weather was too hot.
      He then elaborated and revealed that his coach told him to finish before the next game.
      Football fans took to social media to react, with one person writing: “It shows how bad Manchester United are when the commentators decided to talk about the time Owen Hargreaves had to paint a fence.”
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      Another added: “I’m not saying Man Utd v Bayern has been boring but Owen Hargreaves has just told us about the time in his Bayern Munich youth coach made him paint fences. The influence of Mr Miyagi lives on!”
      A third wrote: “The only thing I remember happening in the Man United v Bayern game last night was Owen Hargreaves saying he was made to paint fences before games by the Bayern Physio.”
      While a fourth likened it to Michael Owen’s apple story that recently went viral, commenting: “Hargreaves trying to do his own version of Owen’s apple story with this painting fences s*** you haven’t got the juice mate.”
      Speaking on Upfront with Simon Jordan, Owen shared a bizarre story about being “brave” enough to throw apples in the bin at home as a kid.
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      The England icon explained: “You know, everything was a challenge. You know I would eat an apple while watching the TV at night.
      “The bin would be by the TV, six metres away or whatever. I would just do it.
      “I had the bravery to miss and for their to be a stain on the wallpaper and my Mum to absolutely scream at me and send me upstairs.
      “I wasn’t cocky at all, but the next day I would do the same and I’ll be ‘bump’ and it’ll go right in the middle and my Dad would give me a nod of approval.
      “My Mum would be seething, but couldn’t say anything, because it went in.
      “That confidence, that sort of daring, that nod of approval that ‘I don’t want to get b******ed by my Mum here’, but I’m desperate for a little wink, a little nod from my Dad, to say ‘here you cocky little, you know’. That’s what I always yearned as a kid.” More