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      Brighton complete £30m club-record transfer for Watford striker Joao Pedro with Liverpool’s James Milner lined up next

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      BRIGHTON have completed the club record signing of Joao Pedro from Championship side Watford.The Seagulls have forked out just shy of £30million for the Brazilian striker, with the deal having the potential to rise to £35m.
      Joao Pedro has completed a move to BrightonCredit: Getty
      Brighton announce the transfer earlier todayCredit: https://twitter.com/OfficialBHAFC/status/1654508753536835585
      The deal smashes Brighton’s previous transfer recordCredit: Getty
      Pedro, 21, has signed a five-year deal at The Amex and will join the club when the summer transfer window officially opens following this season.
      The deal breaks Brighton’s previous club record signing of £20m paid to Bristol City in 2019 to sign defender Adam Webster and is a huge fee for Watford.
      Pedro has 11 goals and four assists in 35 Championship appearances this season.
      Roberto De Zerbi’s side are also set to sign Liverpool midfielder James Milner on a free transfer.
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      Milner, 37, is out of contract at Anfield this summer and is expected to agree a one-year deal on the south coast, joining former Liverpool teammate Adam Lallana at The Amex.
      Following the Pedro announcement, Seagulls technical director, David Weir, said: “Joao has been a long-term target of ours, and he has also attracted a lot of interest from across Europe.
      “So, we are delighted to have reached an agreement with a key target for the club ahead of the summer window opening, and it is great for Joao that he can focus on the new season, with his immediate future settled.
      “He’s a brilliant young talent, technically very good, quick and with an eye for goal.
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      “He will complement our existing forward line very well.
      “He also has settled well here, with good experience of both the Premier League and Championship and more than 100 games for Watford.”
      Here’s how the 21-year-old has performed this season More

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      Fuming Reading fans tell Andy Carroll to ‘get CV updated’ after star’s X-rated apology following Championship relegation

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      ANDY CARROLL has shocked and divided Reading fans with a caring, swearing X-rated apology for relegation.The former England striker posted he was “so sorry” for the drop to League One and will be “Working My F***ing A**e Off” to get the “fantastic club” back up. 
      Former Newcaste, Liverpool, West Ham and England frontman Andy Carroll said sorry online to Reading fans in a what that split opinionCredit: Getty
      Some Royals supporters reckon this moment led to the drop as Carroll picks up a second yellow card against Luton in April and is sent offCredit: Getty
      One angry supporter urged the ex-Newcastle hero to “get your cv updated” and another suggested he stops thinking he is “playing volleyball”.
      A few also blamed Carroll for demotion following his red card in a 1-1 draw with Luton last month.
      But many fans were moved by the ex-Liverpool targetman speaking so bluntly from the heart and were delighted he’s keen to stay.
      Carroll, 34, shared snaps of his time at Reading, including with his family, in an emotional Instagram message.
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      He wrote: “The People The Place I Love You All. I’m So So Sorry We Weren’t Enough This Season. I Know I’ll Be Working My F****ing A**e Off This Summer To Get This Fantastic Club Back Up And Beyond. Thank You For Making This Club My Home.”
      Reading were well-placed for a play-off push earl;y in the season after Carroll returned on a four-month deal.
      But after he signed a  contract extension in January to 2024 they fell away, not helped by a six-point penalty in April.
      But some fans believe they would have stayed up had Carroll not gone from potential matchwinner to sinner at home to Luton last month.
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      The 6ft 4ins frontman headed the Royals in front but was then sent off for a second yellow card – when handling the ball as he nodded a second “goal”.
      Promotion hopefuls Luton suddenly burst into life, with Carlton Morris heading a later equaliser.
      Now Reading are doomed – five points from safety with just one game left.
      One fan replied to Carroll’s post with: “Sorry to say but genuinely think we get 3 points if you didn’t get red against Luton. You owe it to the fans to grind it out in L1.”
      Two others referred to his personal record, saying: “This don’t look good on the CV” and “Get your CV updated hey. You all let down ever single fan this season.”
      And a fourth anti-Carroll poster wrote: “So this means you’re staying” – following by sad-face emojis.
      But there was also plenty of backing for the controversial Tynesider.
      One fan said of his apology: “Spoken like a true leader – behind you all the way.”
      Similar sentiments included: “One player I’ll always defend” and “Believe in you Carroll… get us back up”.
      More support came with: “Class. We’re behind you Andy” and “Please stay”.
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      And in a miserable year for the Royals – at least in the world of football – one even said of his Instagram outpouring: “One of the only highlights of this season! 
      “I can’t help but like the guy. He’s been nothing but 100% committed since the day he arrived. More

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      I played under Frank Lampard but we didn’t get on at all… if we met on a night out we’d probably get into a fight

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      ANDRE WISDOM reckons he’d get into a fight with Frank Lampard if he saw him on a night out.The defender, 29, played for the Chelsea caretaker boss during their time at Derby County in the 2018-19 season.
      Frank Lampard managed Derby during the 2018-19 seasonCredit: PA:Press Association
      Andre Wisdom lifted the lid on what his experience playing under Lampard was likeCredit: YouTube / The Beautiful Game Podcast
      Wisdom became a bit-part player under Lampard, as the Rams made it to the Championship play-off final.
      Speaking four years on, the former Liverpool ace has lifted the lid on what his experience under the Chelsea legend was like.
      Asked about what he makes of Lampard being back at Stamford Bridge as caretaker boss, he told The Beautiful Game podcast: “His job is his job, all the best to him. I don’t have no bad vibes to him.
      “If he was sat here would I speak to him? Nah. What is the other guy called? Jody Morris. I just didn’t rate them.
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      “They’re just not my type of people. On a night out I’d probably get into a fight with them.”
      On what Lampard was like as a manager, Wisdom said: “My experience was weird. It didn’t feel like I was at football.
      “I think what kind of threw me was the fact it was Frank Lampard. I don’t want it to be misinterpreted but it was not like I was in awe.
      “I think I expected something that I wasn’t getting. I just expected more from him as a man. We had a good team as well so it’s easy when everything is going well.
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      “We got to the (play-off) final and lost against Aston Villa. But I think it was cliquey. It felt like there was people speaking behind other people’s backs.
      “I remember in pre-season some of the lads came back late or something and the next day we were all running for it.
      “I understand the message, but it just felt very negative. Like I said, I’ve had one manager scream at me during my career and it was Lampard.”
      Wisdom, who played just 13 times that season, then opened up further on the incident – adding: “I didn’t react. We got smashed 4-0 by Aston Villa (in the league) and I said some comments after the game, and he just went in.
      “It was nothing to do really with football. It was more about me as a person which was very strange to me. He said some things that were just very strange. You know when someone says to you, ‘They’re not scared of you’.
      “He said I bully people. I know this might sound egotistical but if you ask anybody they will say, ‘Nah, Andre is cool’. As a player, he was a don. We just didn’t click.”
      Wisdom has been without a club since leaving Derby in 2021.
      He was stabbed during a robbery in June 2020, and claims that he has not been the same player since.
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      The former England youth international said: “It was frustrating as when I’ve come out of hospital after like three days, I had a couple of operations, it was like my body just wasn’t the same.
      “I tried to get back into football and it wasn’t the same, I wasn’t getting the same output in terms of power or speed.”
      Wisdom, 29, played for Derby between 2017 and 2021Credit: Reuters
      Lampard guided Derby to the Championship play-off final before losing out to Aston VillaCredit: Getty – Contributor More

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      Neil Warnock given guard of honour by his own players after 74-year-old miraculously saves Huddersfield from relegation

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      NEIL WARNOCK was given a guard of honour by his Huddersfield players after leading them to safety.The Terriers beat newly-promoted Sheffield United 1-0 at The John’s Smith Stadium on Thursday night to secure their Championship status as Warnock prepares to depart the club at the end of the season.
      Neil Warnock was given a guard of honour after leading Huddersfield to survivalCredit: News images

      Warnock’s final game in charge will come against Reading on MondayCredit: News images
      He has led Huddersfield to safety 28 years after helping them to promotion to the second tierCredit: PA
      Reading were relegated as a result of Huddersfield’s win.
      It comes less than three months after Warnock returned to the club which he took into the second tier back in 1995.
      Arriving to begin his second stint, Huddersfield sat one point adrift of safety.
      But the 74-year-old veteran coach has guided them to six wins and four draws in 14 matches to clinch survival, moving them up to 18th place with one game remaining.
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      And Warnock’s players showed their appreciation for their manager by giving him a guard of honour at full-time.
      The boyhood Sheffield United fan applauded the Huddersfield crowd as he made his way down the tunnel with a beaming smile on his face.
      Speaking about the guard of honour in his post-match press conference, he said: “I wasn’t expecting that at all. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever had one of them.
      “It was an emotional night all round for the fans. They really got behind us and it’s been a rollercoaster ride.
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      “I think tonight will have converted youngsters for years to come.
      “I remember going to Bramall Lane as a kid, I think it was Arsenal we were playing under floodlights. That just did me, I had to be a Unitedite, and I’m sure we’ll have done the same for a few young Town fans tonight.”
      Despite the success, Warnock has confirmed he will not be carrying on at Huddersfield next season.
      He only signed a short-term deal until the end of the campaign and insists he still plans to leave in the summer.
      Asked if he is tempted to stay, Warnock added: “No, I can’t do ten months of this. I’ll be back somewhere in February I’m sure! No, I think the job is done now for me.
      “I didn’t want to leave it on a bad note and getting relegated but the job’s finished now. They’re a great group of lads – still a bit naive but a good honest group of lads.
      “You only see me laughing and joking and doing pressers but behind the scenes it’s bloody hard work.”
      Warnock’s final game as Huddersfield boss comes at home to Reading on Monday.
      Warnock is the toast of Huddersfield after a stunning end to the seasonCredit: Getty
      Huddersfield’s win over Sheffield United guaranteed survivalCredit: PA More

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      Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick tipped for huge managerial move if he fails to secure Premier League promotion

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      MICHAEL CARRICK has been tipped as “one to keep an eye on” regarding a vacant Premier League manager job.The Middlesbrough manager has enjoyed an incredible breakthrough season in the dug-out at the North East club.
      Michael Carrick has been linked with a potential shock return to former club TottenhamCredit: Rex
      Boro were sitting 21st in the Championship when he replaced Chris Wilder back in October but he has now transformed them into huge promotion contenders.
      They currently sit fourth and have already secured their place in the play-offs – but now Carrick has been linked with a return to one of his old clubs.
      Tottenham are searching for a new permanent manager after Antonio Conte’s departure.
      His assistant Cristian Stellini initially took caretaker charge, but he was replaced by Ryan Mason on a temporary basis following the 6-1 defeat at Newcastle United.
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      Sun Sport exclusively revealed that Vincent Kompany, who has led Burnley to the Championship title, was Tottenham’s top target.
      The 37-year-old has refused to comment on those links and now former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann is among the top contenders for the job.
      And Bayer Leverkusen’s is another name that is believed to be on the shortlist – but now TalkSPORT’s transfer guru Alex Crooks has thrown Carrick, who spent two years at Spurs before signing for Manchester United in 2006, into the mix.
      It came as he was providing an update on Spurs’ pursuit of Nagelsmann when he told talkSPORT: “This one was always a very slim chance that he would go.
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      “Obviously that chance improved when he took himself out of the running to be the new Chelsea manager.
      “Watching Chelsea last night, he might be quite pleased with that decision.
      “But I think it always had to be 100 per cent right for Nagelsmann to go to Tottenham, particularly as they’re not going to be in the Champions League next season.
      “I think he’s concerned about the lack of a sporting director and who they might appoint in that position, so he’s not going to commit himself until he knows who he is going to be reporting to.”
      Crooks added: “I still think they might go down the young, up-and-coming route.
      “We know they’re big admirers of Vincent Kompany, he’s definitely on their list of potential targets.
      “Michael Carrick I think would be an interesting one to keep an eye on if Middlesbrough don’t go up.” More

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      Jobe Bellingham piles on almost two stone as he is tipped to become ‘absolute MONSTER’ like brother Jude

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      JOBE BELLINGHAM has been tipped to be an “absolute monster” after he bulked up to compete in the Championship. The 17-year-old is looking to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Jude, who has taken Europe by storm in recent years.
      Big things are expected from the younger Bellingham brother, JobeCredit: Rex
      Jude Bellingham is already among the world’s best midfielders and could be set for a huge summer transferCredit: Getty
      The midfield ace began his career at boyhood club Birmingham and made such a huge impact the Blues retired his shirt when he left for Dortmund in 2020.
      Jobe is also expected to do big things in his career and will be looking to make a bigger impact at Birmingham next season.
      SunSport columnist Tory Deeney, who joined the second-tier side in 2021, has seen Jobe’s development up close and is excited for the future.
      He revealed that the youngster was bulking up to be more of a physical presence on the pitch.
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      Deeney told Kammy & Ben’s Proper Football Podcast: “There’s a cluster of six or seven (at Birmingham) under the age of 22, Jobe being the youngest – he has just turned 17.
      “He’s put on 10 kilos this year, he’s going to be an absolute monster just like his brother is.
      “He is going to be unbelievably talented, you can’t deny that, but it is just going to take him a year or two longer than his brother. He’s in that shadow isn’t he? Wonderful kid, wonderful family.”
      Despite his potential, Jobe has only made four starts within his 21 Championship appearances this season.
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      Brother Jude made 41 outings during his extraordinary breakthrough 2019-20 campaign when he was just a 16-year-old.
      Birmingham manager John Eustace has spoken about the importance of not shoving Jobe onto the frontline too early.
      He told BirminghamLive last month: “There’s a lot of pressure on Jobe because of who his brother is and we have to protect him, and I have to protect him.
      “I think he (Jobe) was 16 in the first half of the season and he’s turned 17. We are talking about very young players. It’s my job to develop them in the right way.
      “Throughout the season Jobe has had very good minutes. We’ve put him in, we’ve pulled him out and rested him at times.
      “In the last couple of appearances you can see how he’s grown and developed, and there’s still a hell of a lot more to come from him. We’re going to have a super player on our hands.”
      Despite Lee Bowyer being unexpectedly sacked in pre-season, Birmingham have overcome the chaos to have a decent campaign and are set for a mid-table finish. More

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      Plymouth keeper Callum Burton at centre of tug-of-war with Birmingham one of three Championship clubs eyeing transfer

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      BIRMINGHAM are one of three Championship clubs eyeing a move for Plymouth keeper Callum Burton.The Blues as well as Swansea and Reading have sent scouts to Home Park in recent weeks to track the Pilgrims stopper.
      Callum Burton is wanted by three Championship clubsCredit: Rex
      While Scottish Premiership outfit Hearts have also been monitoring £500,000-rated Burton.
      Burton, who has represented at youth level up to England U18s, has impressed since replacing injured No1 Michael Cooper in February.
      The 26-year-old helped Plymouth win promotion to the Championship in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Burton Albion – his seventh clean sheet in 16 League One starts.
      Burton has one year remaining on his contract but got his break with the Devon club when Cooper was crocked in the 1-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday three months ago.
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      Plymouth top English football’s third tier with 98 points, one ahead of fellow automatic promoted side Ipswich.
      Steven Schumacher’s Argyle can win the division with a victory – which will break the 100-point barrier – at Port Vale on Sunday.Second-placed Ipswich travel to Fleetwood.
      They have led the way for much of the season and only the Tractor Boys can pip them to the title after also sealing promotion on Saturday with a 6-0 win over Exeter.
      Kieran McKenna’s side have won 13 out of their last 14 games including their last five on the bounce.
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      As well as eyeing the League One trophy they will also be looking to break the 100-point and 100 goals scored barrier in what has been a terrific campaign in East Anglia. More

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      Coventry stadium’s away toilets trashed by yobs with sinks ripped off walls after hosting Birmingham

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      FOOTBALL yobs destroyed the sinks in Coventry’s away toilets as the club hosted Birmingham in the Championship. The Sky Blues are going for the play-offs and gave their promotion chances a big boost by winning on Saturday.
      This was the state of the away toilets at the CBS Arena after Coventry hosted BirminghamCredit: Twitter
      Viktor Gyokeres scored his 21st Championship goal of the season in the Coventry winCredit: PA
      But some misbehaving fans left the away toilets at the CBS Arena in a shocking state.
      Pictures from Twitter account Football Away Days shows two sinks ripped from their hinges in toilets for travelling fans.
      The sinks appear to have been purposely dragged from the walls and left hanging above the ground by yobs.
      The bathroom also has litter strewn across its floor.
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      Coventry and Birmingham have been contacted for comment.
      Fans were left unimpressed by what they saw.
      One said on Twitter: “That’s muggy. ‘We may have lost the game but we gave the sinks a good seeing too’ ffs wise up.”
      While another quipped: “How could they sink down so far?”
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      The CBS Arena is currently owned by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group after they stepped in to buy the ground from Wasps, the rugby union club who went into administration last year.
      Coventry agreed a five-year deal to be allowed to play at the ground with Ashley’s company last week.
      Coventry beat Birmingham 2-0 with first-half goals from Josh Eccles and Viktor Gyokeres.
      They ended the weekend fifth ahead of the final set of fixtures in the Championship next Monday.
      Coventry have a strong chance of reaching the play-offs despite not winning any of their first nine league games in this campaign. More