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      Amazing XI of stars playing in Championship in 2019 ‘would challenge for title’ now with Bellingham and World Cup winner

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      JUDE BELLINGHAM and World Cup-winner Emi Martinez were playing in the Championship in 2019 along with a host of other stars.Some were on loan while Bellingham was enjoying his first year as a professional at Birmingham.
      Several 2019 Championship stars are now England playersCredit: Getty
      Several high-profile players do not even make the starting line-up including an England star
      The Real Madrid man is the superstar in a line-up from that season, with fans suggesting the side of Championship all-stars would challenge for the Premier League title if they were a team today.
      Nine out of 11 players in the team have gone on to represent their country while Martinez, who was on loan at Reading from Arsenal in 2019, won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina.
      Rico Henry is the only other player in the squad not to have represented England, but he has impressed since arriving in the Premier League with Brentford.
      He is joined on the left flank by £100million man Jack Grealish, who was a talisman for Aston Villa in 2019.
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      Now the Villa faithful have a new hero – Ollie Watkins – who also played for Brentford that season.
      He is joined in attack by Jarrod Bowen, who scored 52 goals in 124 games for Hull before leaving in 2020.
      There are also four players with Chelsea links in the side – Reece James, Fikayo Tomori, Conor Gallagher and Mason Mount.
      They were all on loan from the Blues and while Tomori and Mount have since departed on permanent deals, James is Chelsea captain.
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      Ben White also features in the line-up while his former Leeds team-mate Kalvin-Phillips is unfortunate to miss out.
      There are several notable absentees with the 2019 Championship also featuring the likes of Harvey Barnes, John McGinn, David Raya, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Dean Henderson.
      Fans were in awe of the team and many claimed it could challenge for the title if they played together now.
      One said: “As a manager if you didn’t get this team in the top 4 you’d have underperformed.”
      Another added: “That team could compete for the title tbf if City weren’t around.”
      A third wrote: “With Jude [Bellingham] in the team they should be comfortably top four.” More

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      I’m an EFL star but I have a degree and invested in firm selling boots made of kangaroo leather, carpet and castor beans

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      GEORGIE KELLY’S football boots are made partly from kangaroo leather.But it has not had a negative impact on the way he plays – and he can pouch for it!
      Georgie Kelly has a Masters degree in renewable energy and environmental scienceCredit: Rex
      He has also invested in start-up company SokitoCredit: Instagram @officialsokito
      The Rotherham striker is an investor in start-up company Sokito, whose handmade boots are also made from earth-friendly materials such as carpet, plastic bottles and castor beans.
      It is one of the ways boffin Kelly – who has a Masters degree in renewable energy and environmental science – is contributing to the planet.
      And he is also passionate about climate change.
      Kelly, 27, said: “Climate change is such a huge issue which needs to be addressed.
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      “But it isn’t really a topic I discuss with my team-mates – not that many of them would be interested.”
      Two years ago the EFL announced its Green Clubs scheme, which helps support teams to improve their environmental practices and operations.
      Irishman Kelly added: “It is definitely becoming a thing among all the professional clubs and you can see them getting on board with it.
      “The trouble for EFL clubs is the cost, such as wanting to do an energy audit at their stadium.
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      “I’d love our ground, for example, to have solar panels, but it is all about the money.
      “It is easier to invest in for clubs who have lots of it.”
      Premier League Tottenham are one example, having committed to halve their carbon emissions by 2030.
      And, earlier this year, Wycombe midfielder David Wheeler became the Professional Footballers Association’s first sustainability champion.
      Kelly was raised in County Donegal, where his grandfather was a farmer – and which gave him an understanding of the challenges for agriculture in his native Ireland.
      Last year the country’s government agreed on an emissions ceiling of 25 per cent for its agriculture sector, much to the ire of farmers.
      Kelly said: “There has been a backlash among the farmers I’ve spoken to.
      “The problem is that plans look easy on paper, but then there is investment in things such as wind farms and to deal with planning regulations, so it slows everything down.
      Sokito produce handmade boots from earth-friendly materialsCredit: Instagram @officialsokito
      Kelly plays for Championship side RotherhamCredit: Rex
      “The way forward is to help small high-tech companies and let them create what is needed.”
      Away from the fields and on the pitch, Kelly is enjoying life at Rotherham – who axed boss Matt Taylor earlier this month.
      The managerless Millers sit in the Championship relegation zone and host Leeds on Friday night in a Yorkshire derby.
      He played for Derry City and Dundalk before joining University College Dublin, where he gained a degree in business commerce.
      After a short spell at Bohemians, he joined The Millers in January 2022 – where his first goal was the one which sealed promotion back to the Championship.
      Kelly added: “I was actually flying to and from Ireland three times a week when I joined Rotherham to complete my Masters.
      “I never thought I’d be playing in the Championship, so I am savouring it while I can.
      “Our home form has been good, but we know it is going to be a tough season.
      Kelly is one of a number of footballers who have invested in SokitoCredit: Rex
      Sokito make boots from carpet, plastic bottles and castor beansCredit: Instagram @officialsokito
      “We have a lot of new players, so it will take time for us to grind out results.”
      As for Sokito, its investors also include former Dutch international brothers Siem and Luuk de Jong, Borussia Dortmund striker Felix Nmecha and Norwegian midfielder Morten Thorsby.
      Kelly said: “Sokito is a start-up company, so I am buzzing to come on board and see how I can help.
      “There are a lot of pessimists out there when it comes to environmental issues, but I am optimistic and think it will be addressed, whether that is in the next 10 years or 20 years.” More

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      Wayne Rooney hasn’t earned the right to be given Birmingham job, slams ex-England star as he hits out at Tom Brady

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      FORMER Birmingham and Arsenal star Jermaine Pennant has hit out at the Blues’ decision to appoint Wayne Rooney.The former winger, 40, says that Rooney’s managerial CV – which includes stints at Derby and D.C. United has not earned him the chance to have a crack at the Birmingham job.
      Wayne Rooney is yet to win a game as Birmingham managerCredit: Getty
      Pennant had a successful couple of seasons at BirminghamCredit: PA:Press Association
      Birmingham were in a play-off spot in sixth place when they sacked John Eustace in October.
      The club’s new owners, Knighthead, who were fronted by former NFL legend Tom Brady wanted to appoint a marquee name and saw Rooney as the man for the job.
      So far, Rooney is yet to win a game as Birmingham manager and his appointment is coming under increased scrutiny.
      Speaking to King Casino Bonus, Pennant said: “It’s sad to see what’s happening at Birmingham. John Eustace will be sitting there with a cigar and a cup of tea at home.
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      “Birmingham were sitting pretty in sixth, but they’re now 18th and eight points off relegation. That’s a catastrophe and a massive blunder.
      “There was no reason to look at Wayne Rooney or any other manager considering what they did last season. I know it’s early days, but it doesn’t look as if it’s going anywhere. 
      “Wayne Rooney hasn’t earned the right to be given a job like this, but I thought the American owners saw him as a marquee name.
      “They need to understand it doesn’t work like that. It’s not American football or basketball, it’s English football, and you need a manager who knows how to win games.’”
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      Fans have said the Rooney decision now looks like a vanity appointmentCredit: PA
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      Rooney’s attempt to shift Birmingham away from Eustace’s direct style to a more progressive brand of football has been catastrophic so far.
      The England legend has just a solitary point from his five games managed – with that coming surprisingly against second in the table Ipswich.
      Rooney has already been subjected to booing from sections of the St Andrews crowd who cannot get their head around the appointment.
      And Pennant has said that he does not think the manager has what it takes to turn things around: “We need to ask ourselves how long we give Rooney and his staff.
      “I’m not very confident based on what I’m seeing. I’m not sure if things can get better.
      “It’s not like they can go out and splash £100 million on players. I’m not sure what they can do in six months’ time to help turn things around.
      “I think Birmingham will be in the bottom half, and I think they won’t be far off where they are now – fighting with relegation.”
      Pennant also said he was surprised to see Rooney’s assistant Ashley Cole join Rooney at Birmingham, saying: “I can’t say I ever saw Ashley Cole going into coaching.
      “We used to speak about it, and he used to say he’d never go into it.
      “It was strange to hear he was at the Under-18s a few years ago, and then he went to Chelsea and Derby.
      “Fair play to him, but I never saw him having that desire when we played together.” More

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      Only one side is worse than Birmingham since Man Utd icon Wayne Rooney became boss – Tom Brady might have a call to make

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      TOM BRADY had Wayne Rooney’s number on speed dial in the weeks before the Three Lions legend was made manager of Birmingham.The seven-time Super Bowl winner joined the St Andrew’s board in an advisory capacity in early August after becoming a minority shareholder.
      Wayne Rooney has had a horrible start to life as Birmingham City managerCredit: PA
      He then made it his business to lure Roo back to England.
      Apparently, the fact that John Eustace had been doing a great job at the Blues was of no consequence.
      What the Birmingham board wanted was someone sexier in the dug-out, a coach who would deploy more exciting attacking tactics.
      He also needed to be a sexier name, a figure admired world-wide – just like Brady.

      So an English icon joined an American icon last month, Brady having persuaded Rooney that once his deal with MLS club DC United ended he should return to Blighty and make Birmingham big.
      It will all have made perfect sense to new owners Shelby Companies, a subsidiary of US-based Knighthead Capital who took over in July.
      Rooney, along with Brady, would illustrate the vision head honcho Tom Wagner and CEO Garry Cook had for the club – one that saw Brum in the Premier League, maybe even out-shining neighbours Aston Villa.
      Rooney, said the board, would bring a “winning mentality and a culture of ambition.”
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      He would be a new appointment responsible “for creating and identity and clear ‘no fear’ playing style.”
      Five games after Eustace was dropped like a stone there is plenty of fear around the place – among the fans, at least.
      Rooney has collected only one point – only Burnley out of the 92 have a worse record in that time – and after getting his hands on a team that lay sixth, he takes them into Saturday’s clash with rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday in 18th position.
      Wagner had purred that “Wayne is a born winner” and true enough he was in making himself Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer with 253 goals and also England’s record hitman until Harry Kane came along.
      But he’s not showing that trait with Birmingham.
      Defeat against the Owls, run by their cuckoo owner Delphon Chansiri, is almost unthinkable.
      Wagner insisted Roo would always have the support of the board, when he signed his three-and-a-half year deal.
      He may be revising that stance.
      Brady’s main role is to apply his extensive leadership experience and expertise across the science department to advise on health, nutrition, wellness and recovery systems.

      Well, that’s according to the blurb that accompanied his entrance.
      He’s got a job on, then, for Rooney’s players don’t seem well.
      The boss used last week’s international break to give them a few days off, which was somewhat of a surprise given that he has revealed they aren’t fit enough to deal with his high-press football.
      Rooney gave them personal fitness programmes to be completed at home.
      After the latest defeat at Sunderland he said: “It’s a chance for the players to put some really good fitness work in ahead of a tough three or four months.
      “The fitness work is such an important thing with how I want my teams to play.
      “This is nothing to do with the former manager and nothing to do with the fitness coaches.
      Rooney’s appointment is now looking like an accident waiting to happenKen Lawrence
      “The way they played before was a completely different way and involved sitting back a lot.
      “What I’m asking the players to do now is be front-footed and press high, it’s really intense and hard work, so it’s a different fitness level.”
      Or maybe he was just sick of the sight of them – and perhaps the other way round, too.
      Rooney arrived with a decent CV. DC United were a basket case when he took over last year and while he didn’t take them to the play-offs he made the side better.
      His work at Derby won him plenty of plaudits.
      He guided the Rams to safety in the Championship then in his first full season failed bravely to keep them up due to a 21 – point points deduction.
      The 55 points won in that campaign would have been good enough to ensure safety in any other Championship season.
      Now it looks like safety is all he can hope for again, not a glorious stride towards the top of the mountain of money aka the Premier League.
      Birmingham co-owner Tom Brady might have a decision to make if Rooney cannot turn things aroundCredit: Getty
      Unless things improve fast Brady might have to get back on the blower, this time to persuade Wagner to keep him and not sack him if things get any worse.
      As things stand however, he’ll be making a 999 call.
      For Rooney’s appointment is beginning to look like it was an accident waiting to happen. More

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      Sunderland line up transfer for Uruguay U20 World Cup hero to replace £8million Ross Stewart

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      SUNDERLAND want Uruguayan striker Luciano Rodriguez from Liverpool of Montevideo.Head of recruitment Stuart Harvey was in South America last week trailing the teenager.
      Sunderland want Uruguayan striker Luciano Rodriguez from Liverpool of MontevideoCredit: Getty
      Ross Stewart moved to Southampton for £8million in the summerCredit: PA
      The 19-year-old, looks an ambitious target but the Black Cats have funds from selling Ross Stewart to Southampton for £8million in the summer.
      Rodriguez hit the  winner when Uruguay beat Italy 1-0 in the Under-20 World Cup final in June and is keen on a move to Europe — so Sunderland want to be in a position to move fast.
      Meanwhile, Sunderland are set for a transfer battle with fierce rivals Middlesbrough over rising star Nathaniel Adjei.
      The race for the talented 21-year-old is not solely limited to these two bitter rivals.
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      Fellow Championship promotion rivals Preston North End also keen on the Ghanaian defender.
      All three want the blossoming centre back on loan in January to help give their chances of reaching the Premier League an extra push.
      Adjei is currently with Swedish top-flight side Hammarby but has alerted scouts in England after already being tracked by Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers.
      Rangers sent scouts to watch him play last month.
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      But his options could come from far wider than just the UK, with teams in Belgium and Italy also interested.
      Adjei is enjoying a fine breakthrough season, having helped Hammarby reach sixth in the table after 29 games.
      A regular starter, he has played in all but nine league games to date, as well as in both of their UEFA Champions League qualifiers.
      Sunderland and Middlesbrough are interested in rising star Nathaniel AdjeiCredit: Getty More

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      Sunderland and Wales rising star Niall Huggins opens up on two-year injury hell

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      NIALL HUGGINS is determined to make up for lost time after a two-year injury ‘nightmare’.The Sunderland full-back, 22, had career-threatening injuries including a stress fracture of his back and a mystery injury which left him with weak bones.
      Sunderland are currently sixth in the Championship and occupying the final play-off positionCredit: Rex
      Huggins and Wales are preparing to face Armenia after Harry Wilson’s double put them two wins away from automatic qualification for Euro 2024Credit: Rex
      But the Wales newcomer, handed a first senior call-up into Robert Page’s squad ahead of qualifiers with Armenia and Turkey which could take the Dragons to Euro 2024, is eager to kick on.
      Huggins, who received the Championship’s Goal of the Month award for October, had to take injections every morning for three months to strengthen his bones and solve the issue.
      The full-back, who joined Sunderland from Leeds in 2021, said: “The last two seasons have been a nightmare. It’s been horrendous and awful.
      “I’ve only started 16 professional games and I’m nearly 23.
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      “When I first joined Sunderland, I suffered an initial stress fracture in my back. That put me out for four or five months.
      “100 per cent I felt my career was at risk.
      “It got to the point where every time I was doing the rehab, the first few steps back on the grass, it was always there in the back of my mind: ‘Is this going to happen again?’
      “The years are going by on the contract and you are worrying about it.
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      “My body struggled to get to the impact of matches and so I was suffering smaller, muscular injuries.
      “When I was doing my rehab, I had problems with the backs of my knees.
      “We struggled to get to the bottom of it. All the tests we did, nothing seemed to stand out.
      “It was just that the bones were weak, which made it tough. It literally feels like I’m starting my professional career.”
      The injuries limited the York-born defender to just four Sunderland appearances last season.
      Huggins, whose father was born in Bangor, played one Premier League match for Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa against Arsenal at the Emirates but has impressed with the Black Cats this term.
      Huggins, who has played for Wales’ U21s, added: “I had a full, proper off-season which was massive for me.
      “When I did finally start to get fit, it helped so much mentally. It is still hard to look back. You feel as though you wasted a lot of time.
      “But I feel really good and I’m playing the best football I’ve ever played.
      “We had a couple of injuries and that has allowed me to slot in. I’ve started the last 11 games and now I feel the fittest I’ve ever felt.
      “I’ve always been confident but the last two years I’ve struggled to show that.
      “This is the first year where I can really show what I can do and what level I can play at. To have the call-up to the senior team shows that even more.” More

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      Pharrell Williams gives Wayne Rooney food for thought as Birmingham academy ace scores twice and fans say ‘he got lucky’

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      WAYNE ROONEY could be tempted to give Pharrell Williams a chance in the first team after his double for the Birmingham academy side.Roo has not enjoyed the best of starts since taking over at St Andrew’s.
      Wayne Rooney is under pressure at Birmingham CityCredit: Getty
      Pharrell Williams, left, netted twice for Birmingham’s academy teamCredit: Getty
      Fans were quick to point out his namesake as music star Pharrell WilliamsCredit: AFP
      The Manchester United legend was appointed as John Eustace’s replacement in October but has lost four matches and drawn one of his five in charge.
      The Blues have fallen from sixth in the Championship to 18th.
      In a bid to add more goals to his team, Rooney, 38, could look to Blues youth prospect Williams.
      The 17-year-old came off the bench to net a brace against Coventry United in the Birmingham Senior Cup Second Round.
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      However, fans could not help themselves but make jokes about his achievement due to his music star namesake.
      One joked: “Bet he is happy.”
      A second commented: “He’s about to get lucky.”
      A third wrote: “It might seem crazy what I’m bout to say.”
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      A fourth posted: “He’ll be Happy with that.”
      A fifth jested: “Bet he feels like a room without a roof with that goal!”
      A sixth said: “Was it a good strike or did he get lucky?”
      Another added: “You could argue he got lucky with that tap in!”
      The Blues won the tie 4-0 with the other goals coming from Rico Patterson and Junior Dixon.
      They have now put their hat into the third round of the competition.
      Despite the club’s poor form under Rooney, he has remained optimistic.
      Speaking after Saturday’s defeat by Sunderland, he said: “The last three games have seen positives and improvement.
      “It could have gone either way. We caused them some big problems throughout and got into some excellent positions.” More

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      Jude Bellingham’s brother Jobe leaves Sunderland legend stunned with ‘phenomenal’ attribute at just 18

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      SUNDERLAND legend Niall Quinn has praised Jobe Bellingham’s immediate impact at the Stadium of Light.Jobe, who is the brother of Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham, has put together a raft of impressive performances since joining the Black Cats.
      Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham has been praised by Niall QuinnCredit: Rex
      Jobe hasn’t escaped comparisons to his brother and Real Madrid star Jude BellinghamCredit: Rex
      The versatile midfielder moved to Wearside last summer following a £3million deal with Birmingham, just hours after his big brother’s record £115m switch to Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund.
      It is of course impossible for Jobe to escape the comparisons with the England international but he is so far doing the family name proud.
      Fans have described the 18-year-old as a “copy and paste Jude” whereas SunSport columnist Troy Deeney claims he can become an “absolute monster” like his sibling.
      Jobe’s ex-Birmingham boss John Eustace even claimed the Sunderland star has a significant advantage over Jude as he came out of an academy with equally talented youngsters sharing the spotlight while his sibling was a one-off and thus carries more pressure.
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      Quinn echoed all those statements as he insists the midfielder replicated the Real star’s brilliant start in Madrid by playing as someone much older and experienced than his age.
      The former Republic of Ireland international even went as far as to say Jobe is carrying himself much better than he did at his age back in the day.
      Quinn exclusively told Ladbrokes Fanzone: “I’ve watched Jobe Bellingham a lot since he arrived at Sunderland, and if you take him as an individual, it’s as if the stage was just set for him.
      “He looks so comfortable playing the game, at such a young age. I can remember being his age, and being afraid to look at the first-team players.
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      “I’d be cleaning boots and looking down so they wouldn’t look me in the eye! I think it’s phenomenal that somebody his age can come in and be that solid. Not big headed, not flash, just solid.
      “One of the great weaknesses we had at the Stadium of Light, in the early days, when the Kevin Phillips’ of this world had moved on, when 49,000 people were turning up every week, loving the game, expecting success… players came in and weren’t able to match those expectations.
      “For a long period of time it was just too much for players to cope with up there. They found it very difficult to play in the Stadium of Light.
      “And here we have, now, a whole new feel around the place. Players are stepping out and fans are delighted with their attitudes, and the type of football they’re playing.
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      Quinn praised Jobe for performing like a player much older and experienced than his ageCredit: Sportsfile
      “And Bellingham leans into that brilliantly, you know? He’s a breath of fresh air. To be like that, at his age, it’s absolutely incredible.
      “Look, there are so many positives up there, right now. The fans won’t sit there and be happy with a mid-Championship status for the next few years, I can tell you that.
      “But it’s a process, and everybody believes in the process right now. I suppose their signing of players has been really good in terms of what they’re trying to achieve.
      “They’re not just bringing players in because they’re fashionable. They’re finding players who fit into a system that’s really easy on the eye.
      “Bellingham is obviously one of those guys, but there are many more. Jack Clarke is another one… I won’t single too many out, but there’s a bit of hope in the air at Sunderland right now. It’s good! More