Championship

JACK CLARKE has come a long way since collapsing and being rushed to hospital following a seizure when he was 18.The Sunderland winger had made his fourth Championship start for Leeds at Middlesbrough in February 2019 but, after being substituted at half-time, lost consciousness on the sidelines.
Jack Clarke is on fire as Sunderland target a promotion pushCredit: PA
Clarke sparked fears with this loss of consciousness in 2019 but is fine nowCredit: Rex Features
Paramedics and club medical staff tended to him before he was taken to hospital where he later came round.
It thankfully proved to be a freak incident and fast forward four years Clarke, now 22, is one of the hottest talents outside the Premier League, already netting eight goals this season.
His form won him the Sky Bet Championship player of the month for September.
Reflecting on that scary day at the Riverside, Clarke said: “Everything was normal leading into the game.
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“I didn’t think anything like that was going to happen, neither did any of the staff or medical team, because they wouldn’t have put me at risk.
“I played the first half then came off at half-time because we were losing.
“As I was coming back out for the second half, the incident happened.“I don’t remember too much after that until a couple of hours later that evening when I woke up in hospital.
“I was told I had suffered a seizure due to a combination of things.
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“I had a virus in my blood, and combined with the adrenaline from the game and the caffeine supplements I’d taken, it proved a recipe for disaster.
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“You never know what’s going on inside  because I felt fine and there was nothing unusual happening on game-day.
“I’ve since been thoroughly checked and it’s gone down as a one-off.
“Touch wood, something like that hasn’t happened again to me or  anybody else.”
Clarke was back in action just a month later.
He went on to make a further eight sub appearances in a season that saw Leeds lose in the play-off semi-finals  to Derby before making an  £8.5million switch to Tottenham.
The winger never got a serious look-in during his three years at Spurs — making only four sub outings in cup competitions.
He was loaned out initially to Leeds then QPR, Stoke and Sunderland before making his Black Cats move permanent in July 2022.
Yet despite being fortunate to work under legendary bosses Marcelo Bielsa and Jose Mourinho, Clarke admits playing for current Sunderland chief Tony Mowbray has been the most enjoyable time of his career.
And the Black Cats are reaping the rewards of that relationship with the young ace on fire as they chase a play-off spot for a second successive year.
Clarke and Co succumbed 1-0 to leaders Leicester on TuesdayCredit: Getty
Although the Wearsiders suffered their third straight Championship defeat on Tuesday, going down 1-0 at Leicester, they produced an excellent performance against the runaway leaders that deserved a point.
Mowbray took over last August from Alex Neil, who walked out six games into the season to join Stoke.
But Clarke says his arrival proved a release.
He said: “A lot of the other boys will echo me but I’ve loved working with him.
“Ever since the gaffer came in, he’s been a breath of fresh air for us attackers especially and the young lads.
“We’ve been given freedom to play and express ourselves and, when things don’t work, he wants us to try it again.
“As long as we’re working hard and trying to do the right thing, he’s a top man to work under.
“I can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for me during the past year.
“You can never pick who you’re going to work for but, thankfully, I’ve had some brilliant managers at the start of my career that have helped me in terms of what I’ve learned and the player I’ve so far become.
“It’s hard to compare different managers but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working under them all for different reasons. But playing under Tony is the most enjoyment I’ve had in my career and that’s due to him and the environment he’s created here.
“When I was working under Bielsa and Mourinho, I was younger and naive. I just wanted to learn.
“Playing was obviously what I wanted but the situation I was in and the age I was at, I couldn’t be expecting to play every week or, when I wasn’t playing, knocking on the door and asking, ‘why am I not playing?’
“It was more about being there, learning, being the best version of myself and, if I got the chance to  contribute, just trying to contribute what I could.”
It was a surprise Sunderland reached the play-offs last season following promotion from League One.
 But their chances of emulating that again are not helped by the summer departures of star attackers Ross Stewart to Southampton and Amad Diallo, who returned to Manchester United after a successful loan stint.
Added to that, defenders Danny Batth and Lynden Gooch left for Norwich — who Sunderland host today — and Stoke respectively.
But midfielder Jobe Bellingham has proved to be a good buy from Birmingham while the emergence of youngsters such as Abdoullah Ba and Adil Aouchiche  has been crucial.
Clarke said: “It’s hard to replace the players we lost last year like Amad, who scored 14 goals, and Ross Stewart who got 11 in just 12 games.
“Even when we brought Joe Gelhardt in on loan from Leeds at the back of last season, he played a big role, so it’s hard to replace these types of players, but the club’s done well in its recruitment.
“The likes of Jobe, Abdoullah and Adil might not be the  finished article yet and we’re not expecting them to be.
 “But they all offer us something different and there’s a reason why players get signed here for different things. I think the club’s got that balance right.
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“We’d like to replicate what we did last season, if not go all the way.“That’s our ambition — we’re not saying it’s going to happen but we know how good we are as a team, how good we can be on our day and feel we can beat anybody.
“So we’re not going to limit ourselves to what we can do this season.” More

WAYNE ROONEY has been backed to succeed at Birmingham City by his former assistant – who says he can read a play just by how they eat breakfast.The 39-year-old Liam Rosenoir worked with the Manchester United legend after he took charge of Derby County.
Liam Rosenior was assistant manager to Wayne Rooney at Derby CountyCredit: Getty
The two stars went head-to-head at St Andrew’s this week in the ChampionshipCredit: PA
After keeping the Rams up in his first season, a huge points deduction proved too much to overcome as they suffered relegation to League One in 2022.
That November Rosenoir was appointed manager of Hull City after an interim spell as replacement for Rooney, who departed Derby to become head coach of MLS outfit DC United.
But the ex-England striker, 38, returned to the Championship with Birmingham City three weeks ago, despite two underwhelming campaigns in the US, after John Eustace’s controversial departure.
Eustace, 43, was sacked despite back-to-back wins, which had seen Birmingham climb to sixth, but Rooney has since overseen two losses out of two, with Blues falling to 12th.
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The second of those setbacks came at St Andrew’s on Wednesday against his old assistant’s Hull.
A Birmingham fan told Rooney to “f*** off back to America” as Brum’s players were booed off at full time.
But ahead of their upcoming trip to Southampton tomorrow, Rosenior is backing his friend to succeed despite his tricky start in his new job.
And he revealed some of the amazing reasons why he feels Rooney will make a great manager.
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Rosenoir told The Times: “Wayne’s one of the most emotionally intelligent people I’ve ever met.
“We were sat in the canteen at Derby and he always used to eat his lunch or breakfast sitting watching the players.
“There was a certain player who was eating breakfast and Wayne looks across and said, ‘He’s not eating his breakfast the same as he normally does, he’s having a different breakfast and he’s eating a different way, I need to speak to him.’
“Wayne pulled him aside, speaks to him and something really bad happened in his family the day before.”
Rosenior added: “People don’t give Wayne the credit that he deserves for his intelligence.
“He’s so street-smart, he understands people straight away.
“Wayne saw that I was outstanding at what I did in certain areas of football and he allowed me to do that, and that is top management.
“We created a trust that still goes on to this day. He knows if he ever needed anything from me I’d be there for him and I know the same the other way around. He will prove himself as a manager over time.” More

WAYNE ROONEY has broken his silence on fan criticism following a torrid start to life as Birmingham City manager.The former England and Manchester United legend has lost his first two matches in charge of the Blues after replacing John Eustace this month.
Rooney was told to “f*** off back to America”Credit: Rex
A 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough was followed by a 2-0 loss to Hull City, with a section of fans booing Rooney and the team as they trudged down the St Andrews tunnel.
According to ESPN’s Mark Ogden, one fan told Rooney to “f*** off back to America” as he headed for the exit.
Eustace, 43, was sacked despite back-to-back wins, which had seen Birmingham climb to sixth in the Championship table.
That’s led to particular anger from the St Andrews fans at Rooney’s poor start.
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While Rooney accepted that fans are unhappy, he pleaded for time as he aims to get his philosophy across to the Birmingham players.
Rooney told Sky Sports: “Be patient. I get it, I understand.
“They parted ways with a very popular manager who did a good job in stabilising the club, so I understand a bit of frustration, of course I do.
“But we need to realise where we’re trying to go. Not where we are now, where we’re trying to go.
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“That’s our aim, that’s our ambition and that’s what we’re hoping to achieve.
“My first line to the players is that we’re going to try and play in a different way, which might be a bit uncomfortable for some of you.
“If you’re not comfortable with it, please tell me.
“What you don’t want to do… Of course you want to change how we want to play, I’m very open and clear on what I’m saying on that.
“What I don’t want to do is put someone completely out of their comfort zone, which I probably think the last two games, in terms of building out from the back, we have been. So that’s something for me to adjust.
“Then obviously throughout January, throughout the summer you start building your squad for what you want.
“But that’s not saying that the players now don’t have an opportunity to show me what they can do and that they’re on board with that. The players have been great from that point of view.’
Rooney explained that the Birmingham City job is a chance for him to prove himself as a manager that plays attractive football.
He continued: “We need to get better on game management, on decision-making, that needs to improve a lot.
“For me now this is an opportunity for me to prove myself as a coach here at Birmingham, to get Birmingham out of the Championship.”
Rooney’s side travel to Southampton in their next fixture in The Championship as they look to get their first win under the England hero.
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Southampton are currently fifth in the league on 21 points and playing decent football under Russell Martin.
But victory for Birmingham would see them move above The Saints on goal difference. More

QUEENS PARK RANGERS’ historic ground has been given a fresh new name – MATRADE Loftus Road Stadium.But fans are livid at the club calling it a “f***ing disgraceful” decision – with some even claiming they will “not be going” to future games.
QPR have renamed their stadium to MATRADE Loftus Road StadiumCredit: PA
The West London club’s home ground has undergone a number of name changes over the last couple of years.
And now they have signed a three-year agreement to sell the naming rights of the stadium to the Malaysian trade government agency MATRADE.
The century-old ground Loftus Road will be now known as the “MATRADE Loftus Road Stadium” until the 2025-26 season.
And QPR fans are not happy about the new name.
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One fan called the decision “f***ing disgraceful.”
Another said: “Right that’s it I’m not going anymore.”
A third then put: “This is the ugliest thing i’ve ever heard.”
A fourth kindly added: “Not the time to start p***ing off the fans lads.”
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In 2019, the club gifted the naming rights to the stadium to The Kiyan Prince Foundation, a charity set up in honour of former QPR youth player Kiyan Prince.
As a result, the Championship side’s stadium became known as the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.
But only last May did the club declare that the ground name would revert to Loftus Road ahead of the 2022–23 season.
Meanwhile, the second-tier club are off to an awful start to the season having lost nine out of their 13 league matches.
Having only secured eight points, they are on the verge of hitting the bottom of the table with only Sheffield Wednesday trailing behind.
And it does not look promising for Queens Park Rangers’ who take on front-runners Leicester this Saturday at their newly-named ground. More

FANS have been left startled by the entertainment at Stoke before their game against Leeds.With the players shortly emerging from the tunnel for the Championship clash, supporters in the stands got a huge shock as the club tried to build the atmosphere.
Fans were left shocked by Stoke’s light showCredit: X/StokeyyG2
The stadium was lit up in a range of coloursCredit: X/StokeyyG2
Darkness suddenly fell at bet365 Stadium with a lights show in store for fans.
The floodlights started to flash, red and white lights began to flicker and from nowhere everything was illuminated in a range of colours to give the ground a nightclub look.
It was all to the tune of Sandstorm by Darude with the pitch looking more like a dance floor.
Fans were left baffled and some even joked that former old school gaffer Tony Pulis would not have enjoyed it.
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One supporter commented: “That’s not ‘can he do it in a cold rainy night at Stoke’ anymore.”
Another added: “Tony Pulis is sat somewhere in this country absolutely seething right now.”
A third reacted: “You’d think you were at a concert with all the lights.”
And more laughed: “They think it’s a Champions League night.”
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However, it did the trick as Stoke beat Leeds 1-0.
The three points moved the Potters up to 17th in the Championship and Daniel Farke’s side are third.
Tony Pulis has legendary status at StokeCredit: Action Images – Reuters More

BIRMINGHAM have confirmed that a man was arrested at last night’s match on suspicion of a “racially aggravated public order offence”.Blues star Juninho Bacuna reported a racist incident during his side’s clash with Huddersfield earlier this month.
A man was arrested shortly after last night’s clash between Birmingham and Hull kicked offCredit: Getty
Ahead of last night’s clash with Hull, West Midlands Police identified the 52-year-old male and arrested him shortly after the match kicked off.
The individual remains in police custody for questioning.
West Midlands Police also confirmed that a further man in his 20s was arrested after the match on suspicion of assaulting a steward at St Andrew’s.
He also remains in custody.
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Last night’s match was Wayne Rooney’s first in charge of Birmingham at home.
Blues began life under the former England and Manchester United captain with a 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough.
For his St Andrew’s debut, Rooney was handed an assignment against his former Derby assistant boss Liam Rosenior and Hull City.
Birmingham went 1-0 down on 12 minutes via Manchester City loanee Liam Delap.
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Former Aston Villa starlet Jaden Philogene then made it 2-0 on 74 minutes.
After the game, Rooney was reportedly told to “f*** off back to America” by a fan.
The 38-year-old previously managed DC United in MLS, winning 14 of his 53 games in charge.
Rooney took over at St Andrew’s after the sacking of John Eustace with Blues sitting sixth in the Championship table.
Blues have since fallen to 12th, and face Southampton on Saturday with Rooney aiming to earn his first points as boss.
Wayne Rooney took charge of his first game at St Andrew’sCredit: Reuters More

KEEPER Gavin Bazunu caused chaos with his part in a sensational injury-time leveller for Southampton.Bazunu got his head to a corner that deflected past North End opposite number Freddie Woodman in a spectacular ending.
Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu rose to claim a last-gasp equaliser but so far it’s been given as a Ched Evans own goalCredit: Getty
Bazunu understandably went crazy after his amazing interventionCredit: Getty
Whatever the official verdict, team-mates mobbed BazunuCredit: Getty

The Dubious Goals panel may have their say — it has already been credited as a Ched Evans own-goal — but that did not stop the Republic of Ireland youngster celebrating.
A little bit of Osmajic sparked a Preston comeback after Kyle Walker-Peters had put Saints ahead.
Lilywhites boss Ryan Lowe sent on Milutin Osmajic at half-time and the move paid off spectacularly with a quickfire double.
The Montenegro international striker cracked in a volley from a half-cleared free-kick that took Bazunu, 21, by surprise in the 52nd minute.
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And Southampton caved in again when wing-back  Potts rampaged down the right, played a one-two with Osmajic and fired a shot between Bazunu’s legs on 55 minutes.
Potts powered past Sammy Edozie on his way to scoring — and that was enough for Southampton chief Russell Martin to whip off the wideman immediately.
Saints hit the front when Walker-Peters found the perfect way to end a goal drought stretching back 14 months — with a strike worth the wait.
Southampton’s right-back charged forward, cut inside and curled a beauty with his left foot to beat Woodman’s stretch and get his side going just after the half hour.
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It was only Walker-Peters’ third league goal in 118 appearances for the Saints but the quality made up for his lack of scoring quantity.
But how Martin needed that bolt from the blue after a frustrating start to the game.
He made a few changes and was left waving his arms in horror at some of the wayward passes from a side that prides itself in using the ball well.
Preston had been the bigger threat with a slightly more direct style but they were also weak when it came to finishing off chances.
Liam Millar’s teasing cross tested Bazunu and the Canadian attacker also fired wide as North End made the running.
But the opener raised the game considerably and both sides showed their teeth as they battled to stay in the play-off chase.
Adam Armstrong was inches from putting Southampton two-up when he slid in to send a Will Smallbone cross just wide.
But Preston went desperately close when Will Keane’s low stab was dramatically kicked off the line by Bazunu from close range.
The ball hit Shea Charles on the back of the arm as it flew clear — but there was no penalty despite loud appeals. More

FANS are amazed and amused by a “leaked list” of fines for Plymouth Argyle stars – with offences involving flip-flops, nutmegs and singing.And many observers were “tickled” to see the roll-call of naughty behaviour at the Championship club include a £10 penalty for sending footballs “over the fence”.
Players at second-tier Plymouth can be fined for an unusual list of offences, according to a ‘leaked list’ on social mediaCredit: Rex

One supporter claimed Plymouth have their “priorities all over the place” as a £200 fine for being “late for matchday” comes BELOW punishments for more oddball rules.
But the West Country outfit clearly make a song and dance about team spirit, if the list is to be believed.
That’s because the two top offences are all about strengthening the bond within the squad.
Sharing pride of place on £250 are “not singing” and a “no show on Xmas do or team night out”.
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One perplexed Pilgrims fan responded: “Fined for not singing? Not singing what?”
At the other end of the scale Plymouth also appear to be rather particular about cleanliness and hygiene.
Players at last season’s League One champions are allegedly penalised £10 for “no flip flops in the shower”  and “not cleaning plates/cups in the canteen”.
Leaving kit or bottles around the place, as well as using phones in the wrong place or at the wrong time, are likewise punished.
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And a red face is not the only sanction for anyone who has the ball nicked between their legs during training – at least when they should be at their most alert on the eve of matches.
The list includes a £10 fine for “megs in boxes the day before a game”.
One fan said of the fine collection: “Class isn’t it? Priorities all over the place, but who cares – wins you league titles.”
Another posted: “Strange sense of priorities. Late for Matchday £200 fine. Not singing is £25O fine!”
And a third argued: “Bloody heck that’s harsh the strictness.”
Maybe they didn’t spot that the icing on the list includes a fine of “£20 plus cakes” for forgetting to bring in a cake on your own birthday.
So it’s just possible this fan didn’t pick up the slice of fun intended with the punishments. More