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      in Motorsport

      I was an F1 heiress with a jet in back garden but lost it all… I ended up on £60 benefits & got rejected from McDonald’s

      by

      AS the daughter of a British Formula 1 legend, Christianne Ireland lived a life few could imagine.With a private plane in the back garden of her mansion home, she was driven around in Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce cars, attended a private boarding school, had her hair cut by Vidal Sassoon and had a wardrobe of designer clothes.
      Christianne Ireland is an F1 heiress but lost everythingCredit: Chris Balcombe
      Dad Innes Ireland won the US Grand Prix in 1961Credit: SUPPLIED/CHRISTIANNE IRELAND
      Her dad Innes Ireland won the US Grand Prix in 1961 and counted racing icons Stirling Moss, Graham Hill and F1 team founder Frank Williams as his closest friends.
      Her incredible upbringing should have been the springboard for a life of success.
      But Christianne’s world came crashing down after she became an alcoholic, went through two divorces and her dad failed to leave her money in his will. 
      By 2016, she was on benefits of around £60 a week, living in a homeless hostel and was even turned down for a cleaning job at McDonald’s.
      Read More Features
      She describes her astonishing riches-to-rags story as “like falling out of an ivory tower”.
      Christianne, now 65, says her life was saved when she started volunteering at an allotment and she has rebuilt a future as a support manager at a charity called Unity which helps the most vulnerable in society.
      She said: “When I think back on the life I had it seems crazy.  
      “My childhood was bizarre, bonkers. We lived in a Grade One-listed Georgian mansion house with its own stream-fed lake and a miles messenger plane parked out the back.
      Most read in Motorsport
      She grew up in a Georgian mansion house with its own private lakeCredit: SUPPLIED/CHRISTIANNE IRELAND
      Innes was pals with F1 legends like Stirling Moss, Graham Hill and team founder Frank WilliamsCredit: SUPPLIED/CHRISTIANNE IRELAND
      “They were very heady days. I got a pony and trap as a Christmas present aged five and I remember Frank Williams and F1 racer Charlie Crichton-Stuart coming to paint it one weekend.
      “We always had wonderful exotic cars parked outside and we used to go to the village in the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO built for Stirling Moss, which later sold for £27million.
      “He never got to race it after his terrible accident that ended his racing career but I used to get into the passenger seat, my mum would shove the chocolate Labrador in the footwell and we’d go shopping.
      “When I fell out of the ivory tower years later and had to clean up my drinking, I’d look at beggars on the street and think ‘do I want to be one of them, because I have that option, or do I want to get off my backside and do something to get myself sorted?’”
      Cursed by fame
      Christianne’s story is full of twists and turns and a long battle with the bottle which left her homeless with just a suitcase full of expensive clothes – remnants of her past life.
      Her dad Innes was a former paratrooper and apprentice engineer with Rolls-Royce who started racing in an old three-litre Bentley when he was 22 after being left the car by a dead relative.
      After winning the Motor Sports Brooklyn Memorial Trophy in 1957 he joined the Lotus team, taking part in 50 Grand Prixs.
      He was a larger-than-life character who, according to a rival team boss, “lived without sense, without an analyst, and provoked astonishment and affection from everyone”.
      He married Christianne’s mum Norma Thomas, a Scarborough school teacher, three years before his career took off but the trappings of fame cost Innes his marriage.
      An exhausted Innes trying to push his Lotus 18 up the Sainte Devote hill at the Monaco Grand Prix, 1960Credit: Getty
      Step mother Eddie, step brother Jamie, Innes and and Christianne around age 16 at the backCredit: SUPPLIED/CHRISTIANNE IRELAND
      Christianne said: “My father’s success was a double-edged sword.
      “He was travelling to a lot of races which took him away from my mother and the family and it elevated him into a jet-set world. 
      “ My mother wasn’t really kitted out for that life. I think she was quite happy with the little life they had, it was very suburban and nothing flash and I think she would have preferred that.
      “When the money came on board we had a big mansion house called Downton in Powys, Wales, with an airstrip out the back. Dad got a private plane and really enjoyed the lifestyle but mum was often left rambling around alone in this big home.”
      Christianne says her mum struggled to cope and she was sent to a convent  boarding school just before her fifth birthday which she “hated” because “we weren’t from a strict Catholic family, dad was becoming famous and I was the oddball there”.
      When she next returned home, Christianne’s mother had gone and they never really reconciled.
      She said: “My dad got custody of me and I didn’t dare ask what had happened. I remember saying Goodbye when I went to boarding school and that was the last I saw of her at that time.
      “Dad wasn’t the type to sit you down and talk about what happened and a lot was shoved under the carpet.
      “There was a lot of hurt and I would later use that as a ‘poor me’ excuse to drink.”
      Battle with the bottle
      By the time her dad retired in 1967 to become a journalist for Autocar magazine, he had remarried and the family moved to London where Christianne would have her hair cut by Vidal Sasoon.
      She said: “I would go home from school whenever dad was around and we did have some wonderful times. I watched him race at Le Mans for one of my birthdays and I was taken to designer shops where I was allowed to buy lots of beautiful French clothes.
      “In London we shopped in Harrods and Fortnum and Mason. I had lovely things, but in hindsight I’d have swapped it to spend more quality time with my father.”
      Christianne was sent to private girls boarding school Oxenfoord Castle in Midlothian where she says she developed into a “rebellious teenager”. By now her dad had remarried.
      “I would do anything to shock my father and, looking back, I think I must have been angry.
      “I’d wear dreadful make-up, hippy afghan coats smelling of patchouli oil and bring home unsuitable boyfriends. I had a best friend whose father had also been a driving racer and we used to go to Annabel’s nightclub with our fathers’ cards and dance on the tables.”
      Christianne has taken up racing herself nowCredit: SUPPLIED/CHRISTIANNE IRELAND
      Innes in Monaco in 1960Credit: Getty
      When she was 20, Christianne married farmer John Gee and had three children Charles, now 45, Sasha, 43, and Jeffrey, 41.
      The couple married at Welford Park in Newbury, the home of C4’s Bake Off, in a lavish ceremony where she says dad Innes told her: “Right darling, that’s the last big thing I do for you.”
      Christianne says she started drinking copious bottles of wine throughout her marriage, adding: “My poor husband didn’t know how to cope with it, none of it was his fault.
      “I had no instruction manual and my marriage failed.”
      When her dad died of cancer at a rented cottage near Welford, Newbury, in 1993, Christianne was left out of his will.
      Eventually her relationship with her father’s third wife, ex-model Jean Haworth, became estranged.
      Christianne went on to meet Tristram, her second husband, who she wed in 1995, at an AA meeting in what she describes as a “typical cliche.”
      “He was very smartly dressed and I thought ‘oh he’s got money’ while I think he probably thought I had. Neither of us had a pot to p*** in,” she laughs.
      Christianne volunteered with the local AA and went on to speak to prisoners in Broadmoor, the psychiatric hospital which has housed lags like Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe and four-times killer Robert Maudsley.
      She said: “I wasn’t allowed near people like that but I spoke to people with mental health issues who had issues with drinking or drugs.
      “I was terrified going in there for the first time but came across people who had committed terrible crimes when they’d been on drink or drugs and blacked out, and I thought ‘there by the grace of God go I.’
      “One 6ft 4in man murdered his mother with an axe and a woman who set her house on fire with her family in it. Neither of them had any recollection of what had happened.” 
      Rock bottom
      Nine years into her marriage, Christianne said she started secretly drinking again after moving to Gloucestershire and becoming unhappy.
      She said: “I’d do a bit of social drinking but most of it was in secret.
      “I was socially a bit anxious and I needed to drink before we went anywhere. If it wasn’t vodka it would be half a bottle of wine before stepping out the door and the tolerance started to go up.
      “At its worst I’d secretly down half a bottle of brandy.”
      She and husband Simon, who Christianne says “didn’t know how to help me”, broke up after nine years of marriage and he moved to New Zealand.
      She said: “Over the next five years I went through all my savings, sold some jewellery to live off and tried to find jobs, but I wasn’t in the right headspace.
      “I even tried for a cleaning job at McDonald’s but was turned down.  My children weren’t able to help me financially or put me up.
      “They never actually asked me to stop drinking, because nobody should ever ask anyone to stop. Instead they distanced themselves from me.
      “Eventually I moved to Camberley in Surrey when I got a job in a clothes shop for a couple of years, but then the drinking caught up with me.”
      Christianne found working at an allotment helped her turn her life aroundCredit: Chris Balcombe
      In 2015, Christianne went to live in London to help support a distant relative but it didn’t work out and her daughter advised her to make herself homeless to get a flat.
      She said: “By this time I was on benefits of about £60 a week. I thought maybe I should try the Southampton area because I’d lived there for a little while when I was younger.
      “From there the local authority sent me to Romsey and then to Andover where I was given a crash room in a hostel.”
      Christianne spent eight weeks in a hostel where she had to sleep in a single bed in the dining room.
      She said: “All I had was my suitcase. It was quite large with some of my best clothes in it but that was it.
      “You had to be out of the hostel most of the day so it was quite hard. There were quite a few drug addicts there and I’m not very streetwise.
      “The local authority eventually got me a flat but I had no furniture for three weeks and just slept on the floor.”
      Brighter future
      Christianne started to volunteer at a charity called Unity, and a locally-run allotment – a move she credits with saving her life.
      She said: “When I started digging, clearing, growing, pruning it felt like I was getting rid of debris, not just from the allotment but from my life.
      “On the days I wanted to drink I’d go there instead and I slowly started feeling better.
      “I found my local drug and rehabilitation services and signed up with them. I did a course called smart recovery for three months and it gave me strategies to cope with my drinking.
      “I realised it was an ability to cope with life on life’s terms and I was given a toolbox of strategies to help me cope.”
      Now Christianne works as a voluntary sector support manager for Unity and helps oversee a food pantry project.
      She has also taken up racing herself after joining the Brighton and Hove Moto Sports Club, taking part in speed trials and hill climbs.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      She said: “I don’t regret all those things that happened because they brought me to where I am now. I’m like a snake shedding its skin.
      “I’ve had an amazing, crazy life.” More

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      Shamed Kyle Walker seen for first time since being dumped by wife when she found out he fathered Lauryn Goodman’s child

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      SHAMED Kyle Walker has been seen for the first time since being dumped by wife when she found out he fathered Lauryn Goodman’s child.The Manchester City defender was spotted arriving at training in his Audi this afternoon.
      Kyle Walker has been seen the first time since his split with Annie KilnerCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
      The Manchester City star was spotted arriving at trainingCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
      Walker put down his car’s sun shade in an apparent effort to hide his faceCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
      He is thought to have fathered a second child with Lauryn GoodmanCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
      Walker put down his car’s sun visor in an apparent effort to hide his face.
      Annie dumped Walker after confronting him over claims he’d fathered a second child with model Lauryn Goodman.
      She had previously agreed to stand by the Manchester City ace despite his 2019 fling with model Lauryn.
      A source said the marriage had been on the rocks for months after Lauryn, 32, taunted her online about the identity of the baby’s father.
      Read More Kyle Walker
      The insider said: “Annie didn’t want to believe it, but she was obviously suspicious after his previous love child.
      “If it is true, how can he be so stupid to do it again?
      “I feel sorry for Annie and the kids. The truth is she loves him.”
      Friends said there was “no chance” Annie would reconcile with Walker.
      Most read in Football
      The love rat defender, 33, is no longer living at his family’s sprawling £2.5million pad in Cheshire.
      Lauryn – who gave birth to a baby girl in July – has long been dogged by rumours that Kyle is the father.
      She was seen for the first time since the couple’s split on a coffee run in Sussex while cradling her daughter. 
      Lauryn juggled car keys, a coffee and her phone while wearing black flared leggings, a black fleece and Adidas shoes.
      SHOCK SPLIT
      Walker’s shock split with Kilner comes after a series of sex scandals involving the Three Lions full-back who captained his country for the first time in November.
      The pair first met in their home city Sheffield when she was 15 and he 17.
      He moved from Sheffield United to Tottenham and established himself as a first team regular.
      But Walker was dogged by a series of controversies after his £50million move to City in 2017.
      Annie kicked him out in 2019 after Ex On The Beach star Laura Brown said they repeatedly romped in his Bentley.
      She took the £160,000-a-week defender back but gave him the boot again when he revealed Instagram influencer Lauryn Goodman, 32, was having his baby.
      Walker moved into an £8,000-a-month flat nearby Hale, Cheshire -— but was then caught breaching lockdown rules by having an orgy with two sex workers.
      The defender and a pal agreed to pay escort Louise McNamara, 21, and a 24-year-old Brazilian call girl £2,200 in cash.
      He told the girls his name was “Kai” before pulling out gold-coloured Shine condoms.
      He apologised before breaking lockdown rules a second time just weeks later during visits to see his family.
      Despite fathering another child, the couple reunited after Annie vowed to stay together for the sake of their three young kids.
      Last March the City star was seen on CCTV exposing himself in a bar and snogging a woman.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      He dirty-danced with the woman — not his wife — and a female friend after he arrived at the Manchester venue drunk with male pals.
      Walker later voluntarily attended a police station for an interview for indecent exposure. More

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      Lauryn Goodman seen for first time after it’s revealed Kyle Walker fathered model’s baby while married

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      LAURYN Goodman has been seen for the first time since Kyle Walker was dumped by his wife. The England star was dumped after wife Annie was sent a message about a “second love child” with Instagram influencer Lauryn.
      Lauryn Goodman has been seen for the first time since reports that Kyle Walker is the dad of her daughterCredit: Splash
      Kyle has been dumped by his wife Annie
      Devastated Annie, 30, was sent a message on Boxing Day
      Lauryn was spotted carrying the five-month-old tot while on a coffee run in SussexCredit: Splash
      The model – who gave birth to a baby girl in July – has long been dogged by rumours that Kyle is the father.
      She was seen for the first time since the couple’s split on a coffee run in Sussex while cradling her daughter. 
      Lauryn juggled car keys, a coffee and her phone while wearing black flared leggings, a black fleece and Adidas shoes.
      Lauryn had a brief relationship with footballer Kyle in 2019. The pair then had a son called Kairo in April 2020.
      They conceived the youngster during their short relationship when Kyle was temporarily split from Annie Kilner – who finally dumped him this week.
      In November 2021, Kyle and Annie – who have three sons together – got married, before announcing their separation. 
      In March 2023, Lauryn revealed that she was expecting her second child – and kept tight-lipped about her daughter’s paternity, only revealing he “is a footballer”.
      Yesterday The Sun revealed Annie, 30, was sent a message “out of the blue” on Boxing Day alleging that Kyle was the father of Lauryn’s second baby.
      Most read in Football
      Tearful Annie confronted the Man City full-back and the pair argued before she ordered him to leave the family home.
      A source said: “It absolutely floored her, he’d humiliated her once and now she suspected he’d done it again with the same woman.
      “It came out of the blue on Boxing Day- couldn’t have been a worse time to receive such a claim about her husband.”
      Another source told how the marriage had been on the rocks for months after Lauryn taunted her online about the identity of the baby’s father.

      They added: “She didn’t want to believe it, but she was obviously suspicious after his previous love child.”
      The source said Kyle had moved into a luxury apartment in Prestbury, Cheshire, but continues to see the three kids he has with Annie.
      Friends said there was “no chance” Annie would reconcile with the shamed player who has remained tight-lipped.
      Annie wrote on Instagram yesterday: “I am posting this in response to growing recent media enquiries about my marriage to Kyle and in an effort to protect my family against the intensity of the media spotlight.
      “Sadly, after many years of marriage and three wonderful children together, I have decided to take some time away from Kyle.
      “I do not wish to comment on the position any further.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      “For now, I ask that the privacy of myself and our three young children is respected during this difficult time.”
      Any divorce could spark a multi-million legal battle over his £30million fortune. More

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      in Soccer

      Kyle Walker was dumped after wife confronted him over claims he’d fathered SECOND child with model Lauryn Goodman

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      ENGLAND ace Kyle Walker was dumped after his wife confronted him over claims he’d fathered a second child with model Lauryn Goodman.Annie, 30, received a ­message “out of the blue” on Boxing Day alleging that Kyle, 33, was the dad.
      Kyle Walker was dumped after his wife Annie confronted him over claims he’d fathered a second child with model Lauryn GoodmanCredit: BackGrid
      Lauryn gave birth to Kyle’s son Kairo in April 2020Credit: Instagram
      Devastated Annie, 30, was sent a message on Boxing Day alleging that Kyle was the dad of the model’s second babyCredit: Getty
      Furious Annie Walker has hired Coleen Rooney’s victorious Wagatha Christie lawyer in her battle with love-rat hubby Kyle.
      Pals say Annie has privately vowed to seek a divorce with a fight looming over his £30million fortune.
      We told yesterday how she has booted out the England star — and her family are also keen for her to make the split permanent.
      The Sun can also reveal that Annie dumped Kyle over claims he had fathered a second love child with model Lauryn Goodman, 32.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      The pair have son Kairo, three, following a fling in 2019 while he was briefly separated from Annie.
      Lauryn gave birth to a girl last July and has been dogged by rumours Kyle is the dad.
      Sources say Annie was “floored” after receiving a message on Boxing Day which made the same claim.
      The source added: “He’d humiliated her once and now Annie suspected he’d done it again with the same woman.
      Most read in Football
      “It came out of the blue, it couldn’t have been a worse time.”
      The couple had a showdown and Annie kicked him out of their £2.5million mansion in Cheshire.
      She has had a series of heart-to-hearts with Coleen, wife of former England striker Wayne.
      Annie has “lawyered up” with legal whizz Paul Lunt, who acted for Coleen in her libel battle with Wag Becky Vardy.
      Annie has also recruited top PR agent Rachel Monk.
      Incredibly, Kyle ditched his spokeswoman and also hired Miss Monk to manage the scandal.
      Annie had previously agreed to stand by the Manchester City ace despite his 2019 fling with model Lauryn.
      Annie branded his betrayal “obscene” but insisted on ­keeping their family together. But she finally snapped after their ­Boxing Day row.
      Another source said the marriage had been on the rocks for months after Lauryn taunted her online about the identity of the baby’s father.
      The source added: “Annie didn’t want to believe it, but she was obviously suspicious after his previous love child.”
      The source said Kyle has moved into an apartment in Prestbury, Cheshire, but still sees his and Annie’s three kids.
      The source added: “If it is true, how can he be so stupid to do it again? I feel sorry for Annie and the kids. The truth is she loves him.”
      Friends said there was “no chance” Annie would reconcile.
      Kyle, who captained the Three Lions against North Macedonia in November, has remained silent.
      She announced their separation on Wednesday following a series of secret legal meetings.
      Annie wrote on Instagram: “I am posting this in response to growing recent media enquiries about my marriage to Kyle and in an effort to protect my family against the ­intensity of the media spotlight.
      “Sadly, after many years of ­marriage and three wonderful children together, I have decided to take some time away from Kyle.”
      She added: “I do not wish to ­comment on the position any ­further.
      “For now, I ask that the ­privacy of myself and our three young children is respected during this difficult time.”
      The couple wed in November 2021 but have been together for 15 years after meeting as teenagers in their home city of Sheffield.
      Annie loyally followed Kyle when he signed for Tottenham, and when he made his £50million move to Manchester City in 2017.
      But sex scandals followed — including a sordid 2019 fling with TV reality star Laura Brown.
      Annie took him back, but within weeks Lauryn was pregnant with Kairo.
      He confessed to Annie in a phone call from training in ­February 2020 and Kairo was born that April.
      Despite the ­heartache, Annie agreed to take him back again for the sake of their kids.
      She later revealed the pain he had inflicted in an exclusive interview with The Sun on Sunday, saying: “I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again because of what he’s done.
      “It makes me really sad that I’ve been damaged so badly when I’ve done nothing to deserve it. I love Kyle dearly and I’ll always love him, but to do this to me . . . after three kids?”
      She added: “I’ve tried to hate him but how can I hate the man my kids love so much?
      “Before the infidelity he was my best friend, my soulmate. I could count on him for anything. But none of what I thought we had feels real because he stabbed me in the back.”
      She also spoke of her pain as she wondered if Kairo looked like Kyle.
      Kyle had promised to have nothing to do with Lauryn or his son.
      But after a legal meeting in September 2022 they began communicating and he was secretly seeing Kairo up to twice a week.
      A source said: “Lauryn has always wanted Kyle to be a part of Kairo’s life.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      “Kyle and Lauryn only discussed their son and there was nothing else to it, but if he didn’t tell Annie it’s not surprising she was upset to find out.
      “They are constantly in touch but it is all for the sake of their boy.”       
      Pals Annie and Coleen Rooney pictured last summerCredit: BackGrid
      Friends said there was ‘no chance’ Annie would reconcile with the playerCredit: BackGrid
      Instagram influencer Lauryn gave birth to a baby girl in JulyCredit: Splash More

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      Sadio Mane wed teen, 18, in ‘arranged marriage’ but pair never dated because she was ‘too young’, dad-in-law reveals

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      FORMER Liverpool star Sadio Mane appeared to have a traditional arranged marriage to his teenage wife but the pair never dated, his father-in-law has revealed.Mane, 31, tied the knot with Aissata Tamba, 18,  in a secret ceremony in Keur Massar, in Dakar, just days before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
      Aisha’s dad said the couple never dated before getting marriedCredit: Magvision Evens
      Mane is said to have met Aisha when she was 16 years oldCredit: Magvision Evens
      Aisha posing before her wedding that took place in Keur Massar on SundayCredit: Magvision Evens
      Aisha’s dad confirmed his daughter is 18 years oldCredit: Univers info TV
      The happy couple were pictured smiling following the low-key ceremony in Senegal which was attended by close friends and family.
      The pair met through Mane’s agent who was friends with Aisha’s construction boss dad when she was 16, it has emerged.
      Aisha’s dad Amadou Tamba said the pair was introduced “more than two years ago” but clarified his daughter is now 18 years old amid conflicting reports she is 19 years old.
      The couple is thought to have kept their relationship secret before their wedding but Mr Tamba also said they never dated before getting married.
      READ MORE ON MANE
      He told local Univers Info: “My wife and Aisha visited their (Mane’s) family one day, and this is where he met her for the first time.
      “He probably saw something special in her and his parents appreciated her as well. They came to see me.
      “We discussed as per the tradition, agreed on everything and waited for this day to happen.
      “They were not dating because Aisha was still young.”
      Most read in Football
      The marriage was reportedly agreed when Aisha was still at school but both families decided to wait until she reached 18 – with Mane taking care of her bills.
      Mr Tamba, a constructor, added: “With the values and all that she heard about him, she accepted voluntarily. But as parents we also guided and advised her to freely make up her mind. God did what’s best for her.”
      And friends of the family said Aisha’s dad is good friends with Mane’s uncle, who acted as a go-between between the two families for a formal marriage proposal to be made.
      The couple were introduced after her constructor dad Madou Tamba met with Sadio’s agent Bacary Cisse for a project.
      The ex-Bayern Munich footballer has funded a number of charitable construction projects in his hometown Bambali, including a school, a health centre, a post office and most recently a small football stadium.
      He has also provided laptops for the school, a 4G network for the entire community and £60 (70 euros) a month for every family in his old neighbourhood.
      The pair, who are from the same area in Senegal are seen grinning in photos surrounded by friends and family during the ceremony in Dakar.
      Snaps of the wedding were shared on Instagram and received more than 85,000 likes in less than 24 hours.
      Unlike her sports star spouse, Aisha appears to remain out of the spotlight and has no presence on social media.
      Speaking to local media following the wedding, Sadio admitted he was overjoyed after receiving so many congratulations.
      “Honestly, I am happy [with] the fact the president has congratulated me just as much as, well, I would say not just my team-mates,” he said.
      “I think that all the people have congratulated me and wished me [luck] so I am happy and I hope that it’ll be okay.”
      Mane also made light of jokes surrounding his marriage to his 18-year-old bride as Senegal’s president Macky Sall received the national squad ahead of AFCON.
      “First of all, I would like to warmly congratulate our national Nianthi, Sadio Mane, who has just got married,” Sall said.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      “I called him up so that we could applaud him and wish him a happy marriage.
      “May God bless your home and your descendants. From now on you have another job apart from scoring goals.”
      The former Liverpool star is said to have been paying Aisha’s bills while she was at schoolCredit: Instagram / @magvision_evens_official
      The pair got married in a secret ceremony in SenegalCredit: Bayo News Network
      The footballer speaking for the first time after tying the knotCredit: DATV More

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      I’m godfather to Neil Ruddock’s kids but still tried to throttle him on the pitch – anything goes in the Premier League

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      ALAN SHEARER is a godparent to the kids of his long-time pal Neil Ruddock – but that didn’t stop the duo from trying to kick lumps out of one another.Shearer and Ruddock struck up a friendship when they played at Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool respectively, with the duo being neighbours.
      Alan Shearer is a godparent to the children of his good pal Neil RuddockCredit: NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPER LTD
      The pair were neighbours when they played for Liverpool and BlackburnCredit: NES GROUP NEWSPAPERS LTD
      But their friendship didn’t stop them from trying to kick lumps out of one another when they were on the pitchCredit: RICHARD PELHAM
      That led to the pair – who lived a stone’s throw away from each other – naming one another as the godparents of their kids.
      One would think being close pals would stop them from going at it when they were on the pitch.
      That, however, couldn’t have been any further from the case.
      After being asked by Gabby Logan if it was “weird” playing against someone he knows following a joint pre-match interview between former Italy team-mates Jorginho and Angelo Ogbonna ahead of Arsenal’s clash with West Ham, Shearer said: “When you go through different clubs, you make friends at those different clubs.”
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      “And inevitably, at some stage, you’re going to come back and you’re gonna play against them.
      “I’m godparent to Neil Ruddock’s kids and vice-versa.
      “And when I was at Blackburn and he was at Liverpool, we used to live about 100 yards from each other.
      “But then you get on to the pitch, and we all know Neil, he couldn’t wait to stand on me.
      Most read in Football
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      “He’s (Thierry Henry) right. We got up and there is a picture of us virtually trying to throttle each other.”
      The hostilities with Ruddock, however, would end after the final whistle – which was followed up by a few drinks at the pub.
      Amazon Primepundit Shearer continued: “But then two hours later, we’re at the bar having a pint and having a laugh and a joke about it.”
      Some international or former team-mates opt not to speak to their pals ahead of matches to remain focused on getting the three points.
      That wasn’t the case for Shearer, who said: “I had no problem speaking to friends before the game.
      “Whether you text them, whether you see them in the tunnel.
      “But once you get on to that green grass, anything goes.”
      Alan Shearer had no problem speaking to his pals on opposition teamsCredit: Getty More

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      Harry Kane uses AI app to help read his kids bedtime stories in German after move to Bayern Munich

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      HARRY Kane is reading his children bedtime stories in German — with the help of an AI chatbot.The England captain has been using Google Bard to help his family adjust to life at Bayern Munich.
      Harry Kane is reading his children bedtime stories in German — with the help of an AI chatbotCredit: Getty
      Harry has scored 21 times in his first 16 games since moving from SpursCredit: PA
      The £100million goal ace, who has four children with wife Kate, also turns to the app for translation tips for post-match ­interviews and to cook local delicacies.
      Last night he said: “I recognise how the potential of AI can help me in all sorts of ways with my move to Germany and to get my kids settled in.
      “Bard even suggested some new goal celebrations.
      “We’ll have to see if I use them on the pitch…!”
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      Harry, 30, has already scored 21 times in his first 16 games since moving from Spurs.
      He has filmed a video as part of his partnership with the app.
      And a press release explained: “Bard uncovers Harry’s most commonly used post-match interview phrases and translates them into German to use after his next matches.”
      A source added: “Harry was already using tech to help him adjust to a new culture, so the team-up is perfect.
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      “He has really thrown himself into the German way of life.” More

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      I don’t know what I’d have done without football – The Sun’s Footie For All fund is vital for kids, says John Obi Mikel

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      BOUNDING about a pitch, Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel greeted the 20 kids from Wapping FC one by one with a high five or handshake at a special training session.While Mikel, 36, has retired from elite football, the former midfielder has kept his foot in youth teams with his own foundation in Nigeria.
      Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel bounding about the pitch with 20 kids from Wapping FCCredit: Paul Edwards – Commissioned by The Sun
      He believes it is vital to support clubs for kids in the cost of living crisisCredit: Paul Edwards – Commissioned by The Sun
      He said: “For many kids, growing up nowadays you play a sport or you’re on the street.
      “I chose sport just like these kids and it completely changed my life.
      “I don’t know what I would have been without football.
      “I remember being this age like it was yesterday.”
      READ MORE FOOTIE FOR ALL
      Founder Nahimul Islam, 25, started Wapping FC, in Mile End, East London, when he was just 17 to give kids a place to play football and keep out of trouble.
      Now more than 250 children are on their books, including 50 girls and 16 players with a range of disabilities.
      Parents are charged £5 a week for their children to join in training, and if they can’t afford it the club will do what it can to subsidise or waive fees.
      Nahimul said: “We operate in one of the most deprived areas of the country, and this incredible grant will help us give the boys high-class training and facilities without passing that cost on to mum and dad back home.
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      “Having someone like Mikel come visit the club is inspirational to our players.
      “It shows them just what is possible.”
      Mikel met 20 kids aged between 11 and 13.
      When he was growing up in Nigeria, the former Chelsea ace played in any open area of grass with his friends and a beat-up ball, rather than being coached by professionals.
      But he reckons the joy he found in football is the same for the kids he saw training.
      Mikel, who has launched his second series of The Obi One Podcast, added: “What I tell kids at this age is don’t look at the money or fame that comes with football now.
      “Just enjoy the time you have with your friends because that’ll go by really quickly.
      “If you’re focused on the Ferrari or the fancy watches, you’re not playing football for the right reasons.
      “Money comes and goes, but this kind of joy doesn’t last for ever.”
      Mikel reckons the youths he saw training have found the same joy for footie that he has doneCredit: Paul Edwards – Commissioned by The Sun
      NET WIN
      Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has declared herself a “proud supporter” of The Sun’s Footie For All campaign.
      She praised our initiative to inject £150,000 into the grassroots game with the help of Tesco after the cost-of-living crisis led to many kids dropping out of local sports clubs.
      Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer is a ‘proud supporter’ of Footie For AllCredit: Roland Leon – Commissioned by The Sun
      Meanwhile, we sent Towie football fan Joey Essex and former Chelsea ace John Obi Mikel to surprise teams awarded one of our Footie For All Fund grants.
      Talking to The Sun today at the FA’s national centre at St George’s Park in Burton upon Trent, Staffs, the Culture Secretary said: “It’s really important that we have football access for everyone.
      “I’m a proud supporter of The Sun’s campaign.
      “We are combining with the sporting bodies, the Department for Education and the Department of Health to achieve our aims, so Footie For All is complementary to that.”
      The minister was speaking at the announcement of a £30million plan funded by the Government and the FA to build around 30 state-of-the-art pitches across the country.
      Inspired by the Lionesses making it to the final of this year’s women’s World Cup, the new sites will have dedicated female changing rooms, shower facilities and accessible toilets, as well as priority booking for women and girls’ teams.
      Elsewhere, TV favourite Joey enjoyed a training session with Broomfield FC in Essex, which caters for children with disabilities.
      The club was awarded one of our 1,500 £1,000 grants to help with the cost of pitch hire and specialist staff to keep the sessions free for kids.
      Joey, who grew up watching Millwall with his dad, said: “Seeing how much these kids love to play and the difference it makes to their confidence is amazing. I’m so proud to support Footie For All.”
      Chelsea’s John Obi was mobbed by enthusiastic young players when he dropped in on Wapping FC in East London after they too were also awarded a grant.
      He said: “For many kids, growing up nowadays you play a sport or you’re on the street.
      “I chose sport, just like these kids, and it completely changed my life. I don’t know what I would have been without football.
      “I remember being this age like it was yesterday.
      “It’s great to still see kids running around and enjoying themselves. That’s the most important bit.”
      The Sun launched Footie For All this year after statistics revealed how the cost-of-living crisis was forcing many young children to drop out of local sports clubs.
      We invited grassroots football clubs which work with kids under 18 to apply for one of 150 grants worth £1,000 each.
      The fund was generously provided by Tesco as part of its Stronger Starts campaign, which provides healthy food and activities for children.
      Since September, in partnership with the supermarket giant, we have been funding essentials including kits, free places and the cost of pitch hire for kids’ footie clubs up and down the UK — including dozens of girls’ teams.
      England team captain Millie Bright has already backed our Footie For All campaign.
      She said: “It’s amazing what The Sun and Tesco are doing to support local teams.
      “It will help a lot of children keep playing. And who knows, maybe some of the kids they help could become lionesses.
      “As a kid, my parents had a hard time getting me away from a football pitch.
      “But it wasn’t something I knew I loved until some friends took me to a local club, Killamarsh Dynamos, then it became my focus.
      “It opened up a whole new world to me aged nine and without playing when I was little, I wouldn’t be where I am now.
      “It’s heartbreaking to hear that some kids won’t get the same opportunities because their parents can’t afford it.”
      Lionesses training at FA’s national football centre todayCredit: Roland Leon – Commissioned by The Sun
      HAMILTON IN ESSEX LEAGUE
      LITTLE Hamilton Hunt put Joey Essex through his paces — five months after he could barely walk.
      The six-year-old, who has developmental difficulties in his legs, got his confidence back thanks to volunteers at Broomfield Football Club in Chelmsford, Essex.
      Tyreece knocks a ball past Joey Essex at Broomfield FC’s training groundCredit: Louis Wood – Commissioned by The Sun
      His mum Skye said: “Coming here has been life-changing for Hamilton and me.”
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      The Sun’s grant is being used to help cover pitch hire and training costs for staff.
      Joey also handed out a new team strip paid for by art business Quantus Gallery, owned by James Ryan.
      The Towie star lines up with Hamilton, in blue hat, and his palsCredit: Louis Wood – Commissioned by The Sun
      Joey continues to join in with Essex club’s kidsCredit: Louis Wood – Commissioned by The Sun More