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      Forgotten ex-Tottenham and England star now unemployed aged 33 after he is released from Championship club

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      FORMER Tottenham and England star Jake Livermore is now unemployed after being released by his club. Livermore, 33, has seen his exit from Championship side West Brom confirmed following the release of the club’s retained and released lists.
      West Brom have confirmed the release of club captain Jake LivermoreCredit: PA
      Livermore was named on England’s standby list for the 2018 World CupCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      He won seven England capsCredit: REUTERS
      His departure ends his six-and-a-half stay at The Hawthorns, having joined from Hull in January 2017.
      Livermore was called up for England selection during his time with the Baggies, earning seven caps while also being named on Gareth Southgate’s standby list for the 2018 World Cup.
      On top of his 68 Premier League apperances for West Brom, he also played 92 times for Hull and 36 times for Tottenham in England’s top flight.
      In the division he scored seven goals and added nine assists.
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      Club captain Livermore said goodbye to the Baggies faithful in an open letter in April.
      He said it was: “an honour and privilege to represent this great football club.
      “I have called The Hawthorns my home for the last six-and-a-half years, and such is my love for this club, it’s fans and, especially, its incredible, hardworking staff, that it will remain my football home forever – but now the time for me to say goodbye as a player is approaching.
      “There have been some unforgettable highs on the pitch that I will always cherish.
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      “The emotion of my late goal against Tottenham, representing the club at international level for England, my winner against Birmingham City and, of course, captaining the side to promotion in 2020…
      “This will always be my football club, if you will accept me as an honorary Baggie.
      “My kids have been brought up as Albion fans and, no matter what happens next, I’ll be a regular visitor to The Hawthorns – which will always hold a special place in my heart – long into the future.”
      Livermore’s time as a Three Lion marked a remarkable turnaround for his career.
      He had tested positive for cocaine in April 2015 after revealing he had struggled to come to terms with the tragic death of his baby boy.
      Staff claimed the baby was not born alive in May 2014 but heartbroken Livermore said: “I heard him cry faintly.”
      Livermore has made 216 appearances for West BromCredit: Getty
      Livermore struggled with depression following the harrowing events.
      His drug use did not result in a ban after the FA ruled the death was an overwhelming mitigating factor.
      He said of the positive test: “It was like getting out of prison, people finally knew there was something not right in my head.
      “It was completely out of character for anything that I have ever been about.
      “Finally I could be myself instead of putting on a brave face 24/7.
      “At home, at work, getting a coffee, at the shops, you’re constantly trying to be someone you’re not and show emotions you’re not really feeling, because as soon as you shut your front door you become the broken man you actually are.
      “So for me, it was a relief. The drugs were irrelevant. It could have been drugs, a gun, a car crash or whatever, the self-destruct button was the problem.
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      “The way in which [his death] happened made it difficult to fight my own demons.
      “If you lose a child in God’s hands it is completely different. To find out why he had died, that was too much for my head and my heart to take.” More

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      Coventry vs Luton: Ultimate underdogs battle it out for last Premier League spot in Championship play-off final – Stream

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      COVENTRY take on Luton in the unlikeliest of Championship play-off finals this weekend at Wembley. Both clubs were in League Two in the 2016/17 season and Luton were a non-league club just a decade ago.
      Coventry fans will be ecstatic to see their team run out at Wembley on SaturdayCredit: PA
      Luton overcame Sunderland over two legs to reach the play-off finalCredit: Reuters
      But now they find themselves in football’s richest game as they prepare to battle it out for a place in the Premier League.
      Coventry beat Middlesborough 1-0 on aggregate to reach Wembley’s showpiece while Luton overcame Sunderland 3-2 across two legs.
      The winner will join Burnley and Sheffield United, who finished first and second in the Championship, in the top flight.
      When is Coventry vs Luton?

      Coventry’s big play-off final clash with Luton will take place on Saturday, May 27.
      The game will kick off at 4.45pm UK time.
      The game will be held at Wembley Stadium in London.

      What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

      Coventry vs Luton in the Championship play-off final will be shown live on Sky Sports Football.
      You can live stream the action from the NOW TV or Sky Go apps, both of which are available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.

      Odds

      Coventry – 2/1
      Draw – 2/1
      Luton – 29/20

      *Odds courtesy of Betfair and correct at time of publication. More

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      Southampton to appoint Russell Martin as club win race for manager dubbed ‘next Brendan Rodgers’

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      RUSSELL MARTIN will take over as Southampton boss this summer.The Swansea gaffer has verbally agreed terms with the relegated Saints, who are overhauling things on and off the pitch following a dismal season.
      Russell Martin first took charge as a manager in 2019 at MK DonsCredit: Getty
      Southampton are now negotiating compensation with the Championship outfit and the fee is set to be well under £1million.
      Martin, 37, who has led Swansea to 15th and tenth-placed finishes on a limited budget in his two seasons in Wales, is expected to bring his backroom staff with him.
      Ruben Selles, Saints’ third manager this season, will leave following Sunday’s game with Liverpool.
      The Saints ownership see Martin’s possession-based style as key to bouncing straight back into the Premier League.
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      His style of play and position as Swansea boss has seen him draw comparisons to Brendan Rodgers.
      Former Norwich defender Martin is not the only change on the south coast, with owners Sport Republic announcing a board reshuffle.
      Chief executive officer Martin Semmens has left after falling out with Sport Republic and the director of football Rasmus Ankersen.
      Jason Wilcox is set to arrive from champions Manchester City as technical director and has already had a hand in  Martin’s appointment.
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      Saints also announced that Andy Young, previously chief financial officer of City Football Group, will join as an independent director.
      And Darren Mowbray, the brother of Sunderland boss Tony, is their new head of recruitment.
      Southampton were relegated after defeat to Fulham earlier this month. More

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      Troy Deeney, 34, released by Birmingham as star falls victim to 13-player end-of-season cull

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      TROY DEENEY has been released by Birmingham City.The former Premier League star is one of 13 players to be released by the Championship side.
      Troy Deeney has been released by Birmingham CityCredit: Reuters
      The 34-year-old lifelong Blues fan and SunSport columnist signed from Watford two years ago and scored 11 goals in 54 Championship appearances for his boyhood heroes.
      Other senior players who have been told they can leave include former captain Harlee Dean, Jordan Graham, defenders Kevin Long, George Friend and French left-back Maxime Colin.
      Blues boss John Eustace has also lost five loan players who have returned to their parent clubs as new owner Tom Wagner and Knighthead Capital Management clear the decks of some of their highest earners.
      City suffered losses of £24.8million in their last financial figures and an estimated £12million for the first six months of the current one.
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      Some of Blues’ released stars could renegotiate new deals according to club sources.
      Krystian Bielik, Hannibal, Reda Khadra, Dion Sanderson, Auston Trusty have all also left the club following the end of their loans.
      Prior to Deeney’s arrival at Birmingham, he spent 11 years at Watford.
      He became a club legend at Vicarage Road as he scored 140 goals in 419 games for the club.
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      Deeney was able to help the club earn promotion to the Premier League in 2015.
      He also made one of the most memorable moments in Championship history by scoring an iconic playoff semi-final goal against Leicester City in 2013. More

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      Pair of Premier League icons with nearly 600 appearances between them left unemployed after release from League One club

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      READING have released two Premier League heroes after their relegation to League One. Scott Dann and Shane Long have 575 top-flight appearances between them.
      Scott Dann has been released by ReadingCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Shane Long is now unemployed as Reading will not be giving him a new dealCredit: PA
      But both are now unemployed after their deals at Reading expired and they will not be receiving new contracts.
      The Royals were dropped out of the Championship after finishing 22nd this season.
      Dann is one of a number set to head for the exit after playing just 13 times in the campaign.
      The 36-year-old centre-back used to play for Birmingham, Blackburn and Crystal Palace.
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      He won the League Cup with the Blues in 2010-11 and was the Eagles’ player of the year in 2015.
      In total, Dann played 241 times in the Prem.
      Long leaves Reading after netting only two goals in 32 games this season.
      It was his second spell at the club, having also spent time at West Brom, Hull, Southampton and Bournemouth during his lengthy career.
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      The 36-year-old striker appeared 344 times in the Premier League, netting 56 goals.
      The 88-capped Irishman even holds a league record for the fastest goal scored when he netted versus Watford when at Southampton after just 7.69 seconds.
      Meanwhile, Reading have also got rid of Lucas Joao, Liam Moore, Luke Southwood and Dejan Tetek.
      Junior Hoilett and Yakou Meite have been offered new contracts.
      Another Prem cult hero Andy Carroll has one-year left on his deal at the club and was spotted partying with West Ham fans in Holland last week before their semi-final win over AZ Alkmaar in the Conference League. More

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      Forgotten ex-Chelsea star who won it all for academy and England youngsters now a free agent at 25 after being released

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      A FORMER Chelsea whizkid who won it all in their star-studded academy side has today become unemployed.Full-back Jay Dasilva was tipped to reach the very top as he burst through the ranks with both the Blues and England.
      Former Chelsea and England youth star Jay Dasilva is looking for a new clubCredit: Getty
      The left-back has been released by Bristol City after his contract expiredCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Alongside the likes of Tammy Abraham and Dominic Solanke, the 25-year-old lifted almost every trophy possible for club and country at youth level.
      Dasilva captained England to Under-19 European Championship success back in 2017.
      Then he was part of the U21 Three Lions squad that won the prestigious Toulon Tournament the following year.
      He also made history by winning the FA Youth Cup three times at Chelsea.
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      Dasilva, alongside team-mate Jake Clarke-Salter, is one of the only players in history to triumph in the competition three times along with five of Manchester United’s famed Busby Babes.
      And it was not only domestically that the all-conquering Chelsea young guns dominated – they also lifted the Uefa Youth League twice.
      After a brief loan spell at Charlton Athletic in 2017, DaSilva rejoined the club again for the entirety of the following campaign, and his displays saw him crowned the Fans’ Player of the Year.
      The defender then decided that he wanted regular first-team football, and after failing to make a single senior appearance at Stamford Bridge, he left Chelsea permanently for Bristol City in 2019 after a successful season-long loan with the Robins.
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      DaSilva has gone on to make nearly 100 appearances for them in the Championship but he is now looking for a new club after it was announced that he was being released today.
      He and City were unable to renegotiate his contract with the club offering significantly reduced terms on the lucrative agreement he signed four years ago.
      But there seems to be no hard feelings as he penned a classy farewell message on social media that read: “To everyone at Bristol City, my time at the club has come to an end and I would like to thank everyone involved.
      “The last four years have flown by but they will stay with me forever.
      “Thank you to all my team-mates, managers and staff along the way and, of course, thank you to all the fans. It’s been nothing but love from the start! I’ve loved every minute here and I will miss playing in red at Ashton Gate.
      “I wish the club nothing but success for next season and the future. Thanks for everything.”
      Jay Dasilva won the lot with Chelsea’s youth teamCredit: Getty More

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      Everton poised to hand striker lifeline with Calvert-Lewin and Maupay set for transfer away from Goodison

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      RELEGATION fighting Everton will keep striker Tom Cannon if they need him to fire them out of the Championship next season.Sean Dyche is keen to see the striker at first hand after a breakthrough loan at Preston.
      Tom Cannon is set to be handed an Everton lifelineCredit: Sportsfile
      Dominic Calvert-Lewin is set to leave Goodison Park this summerCredit: Getty
      Neal Maupay is set to join him out of the doorCredit: Getty
      Cannon hit eight goals in the second tier and will return ahead of Ellis Simms in the queue for a game, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Neal Maupay likely to leave.
      Everton hope to stay up and then review the 20-year-old’s future.
      Blackburn have joined Preston and Swansea  keen to recruit the Republic of Ireland prospect for next season.
      North End are even cooking up a bid to buy Cannon.
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      Although that would need a serious offer to make it happen.
      On top of his eight strikes in the Championship, Cannon has hit seven goals in Premier League 2 for the Toffees Under 21 side.
      He also added five goals in as many games in the EFL Trophy.
      Injuries have kept Calvert-Lewin sidelined for much of the season, limiting him to 16 league games.
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      His inconsistent game time has yielded just two goals this season.
      However, this tally is still more than Maupay, who has just one goal to his name. More

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      Arsenal flop Chuba Akpom could be set for stunning £15m return to Premier League after 29-goal Middlesbrough season

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      MIDDLESBROUGH fear bids for top scorer Chuba Akpom — and will want £15million for the hitman.Akpom’s potential availability comes after Michael Carrick’s side failed in the play-offs.
      Chuba Akpom is a man in demand after a stunning season at BoroCredit: Alamy
      Despite an incredible turnaround since the Manchester United legend took charge in October, Boro’s promotion hopes were ended by Coventry in midweek.
      And now the striker, 27, may go to the Premier League under his own steam.
      After a remarkable season in which he scored 29 times, Boro may get the big money they want for Akpom as several top-flight sides look for a new goalscorer.
      The former Arsenal forward, who failed to make the breakthrough at the Emirates, started the season training with Boro’s Under-21 team.
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      He arrived at the Riverside in 2020 from PAOK.
      However, he was soon shipped out back to the Greek club first by Neil Warnock and then left on the sidelines by Chris Wilder.
      Carrick replaced the axed Wilder in October with Boro sitting 22nd in the table.
      But he soon transformed the Teessiders into promotion contenders.
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      Akpom fired 29 goals in all competitions, including 28 in the Championship, making him the division’s top scorer.
      He also became the first player since Bernie Slaven 33 years ago to score 20 or more league goals in a season for the club. More