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      Leicester targeting ‘next Brendan Rodgers’ to replace Dean Smith with Foxes in Premier League relegation scrap

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      RUSSELL MARTIN will be top of Leicester’s wanted list this summer.But that’s only if the Foxes go down to the Championship.
      Leicester will target Swansea’s Russell Martin if they are relegatedCredit: Getty
      Caretaker Dean Smith is hoping to keep the Foxes in the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
      Dean Smith is trying to keep Leicester in the top flight in a nail-biting relegation scrap.
      But his long-term future at the King Power is uncertain.
      And if Leicester have to start again, they have their eyes on the Swansea boss.
      Martin, 37, is seen as a “new Brendan Rodgers”, who was sacked last month.
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      That is what the Foxes are looking for if they are in for a reset eight years after winning the title.
      Swansea will want compensation for their highly-rated manager.
      But Martin only has one year left on his deal, leaving the Welsh side with little room to manoeuvre.
      In the meantime, Smith will make his own case for the hot seat by attempting to keep Leicester in the Premier League.
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      The ex-Aston Villa boss lost his first game to Man City.
      But he has since beaten Wolves while drawing against relegation rivals Leeds and Everton.
      Leicester’s next game sees them travel to Fulham on Monday.
      The Foxes still have tough fixtures against Liverpool, Newcastle and West Ham to follow.
      Leicester sacked Brendan Rodgers last month and have four games to save their seasonCredit: PA More

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      Shocked fans are just realising which team King Charles supports as they say he’ll be home in time for the match

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      FANS are shocked to discover King Charles III is a Burnley fan on the day of his coronation.King Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey alongside Queen Camilla.
      King Charles was crowned at Westminster AbbeyCredit: Rex
      The King is a Burnley fan and received a shirt in 2012Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      And some viewers watching at home have been discussing the topic of his favourite football team – Burnley.
      Some have only just learned the King is a Clarets fan, while others joked he will be happy not to have missed Vincent Kompany’s side in action, with the last game of the season against Cardiff moved to Monday.
      One fan said: “I’m today years old when I’ve found out king Charles is a Burnley fan.”
      Another added: “King Charles is just happy Burnley play on Monday and he ay missing the match 🤣”
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      A third said: “The most important thing to remember about this historic day is that King Charles is a Burnley fan. 😉
      “God save the King! #Coronation.”
      And another commented: “The reason King Charles hasn’t smiled is because he keeps remembering Ashley Barnes will play his last game for Burnley on Monday.”
      King Charles revealed he is a Burnley fan during a charity visit to the area in 2012.
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      In a more recent visit he was even presented wth a shirt by the club with ‘HRH 1’ printed on the back.
      King Charles said of his support: “A consortium of my charities, including the British Asian Trust, has been working in Burnley.
      “Hence, some of you asked this evening whether I support a British football club and I said “yes – Burnley”. And people have responded “Burnley?”
      “Oh yes, because Burnley has been through some very challenging times and I’m trying to find ways of helping to regenerate and raise aspirations and self-esteem in that part of the world.
      “My charities have been working there together to demonstrate that an integrated approach can produce the best dividends.”
      The King follows in the footsteps of his great grandfather King George V, who also supported Burnley after watching them claim their only FA Cup title with a win over Liverpool in the 1914 final. More

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      Fans are just realising all the ‘spooky’ similarities between Ted Lasso’s AFC Richmond and a real life team

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      FANS have been left stunned after realising that Ted Lasso’s AFC Richmond and Burnley are remarkably similar. The hit comedy-drama show follows the story of an American coach taking over an English football team, with the third season underway on Apple TV.
      Ted Lasso’s AFC Richmond have been compared to BurnleyCredit: Apple TV
      The similarities between Burnley and the fictional club have been described as “spooky”Credit: PA
      And fans of the programme have drawn comparison between the storyline and what’s happening at Burnley, dubbing them the “real life AFC Richmond”.
      Ted Lasso first aired in 2020, the same year that American chairman Alan Pace took over Burnley.
      The similarities continue when, spoiler alert, AFC Richmond are relegated in their first campaign under him.
      Burnley were also demoted to the Championship in Pace’s opening term as chief.
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      After relegation captain and legend Roy Kent then becomes manager as Burnley appoint former Manchester City skipper and hero Vincent Kompany as their gaffer.
      The coincidences don’t stop there as both teams begin the following season with a number of draws.
      The fictional club then signs Jamie Tartt on loan and the real side pen a deal for Tayor Harwood-Bellis until the end of the season, both players join from Man City.
      Things get weirder as AFC Richmond lose in the FA Cup 5-0 and Burnley lose 6-0 to Pep Guardiola’s side in the competition.
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      Both teams then gain promotion back to the Premier League.
      Burnley chairman Pace shared the video of the comparisons on his social media with fans calling it “spooky”.
      Another joked the show’s writers should make them win the league next year. More

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      EFL clubs agree £1BILLION TV deal with Sky Sports.. but fans will be devastated by key part of mega-money agreement

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      EFL clubs voted for a record new five-year live TV deal with Sky Sports worth almost a BILLION POUNDS.The £935million agreement will see more than 1,000 matches broadcast, starting in 2024-25.
      Fans will see a hefty increase in live EFL games from 2024-25Credit: Rex
      Club chiefs unanimously approved the new deal —  a 50 per cent increase on the current terms in place since 2018 — after being informed of Sky’s offer on Friday morning.
      The EFL were willing to consider ending the Saturday 3pm TV blackout but it WILL remain as part of the new  deal.
      In total, 1,059 league, EFL Cup — including all 93 ties — and EFL Trophy matches will be shown live on Sky or a streaming platform, replacing the iFollow service.
      Currently, Sky televises 138 EFL league games each season.
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      The league entered into an exclusive  negotiating period with Sky  in April.
      The deal is made up of guaranteed payments of £895m — plus £40m in marketing benefits.
      EFL chief exec Trevor Birch called it a “landmark  deal for EFL clubs”.
      He said: “This  will showcase much more of our compelling match action to fans while delivering record rights values as we seek to make our clubs sustainable at all levels.”
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      Birch added: “With some 20 million attending Sky Bet EFL matches each season and significant interest in the League at home and abroad, we look forward to growing our collective fanbase further.”
      Sky Sports Managing Director Jonathan Licht said: “This is a ground-breaking deal for Sky and our long-standing partners, the EFL.
      “This is the biggest deal in football, in terms of the number of matches being broadcast.”
      Licht also promised: “Between Sky and the league, we’re pleased to be able to make a commitment to fans that will ensure greater notice periods around the movement of matches for broadcast.
      “There’ll also be greater parity in the number of times clubs are selected to be live on Sky Sports.” More

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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