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      League One drop scrap nothing for Rotherham skipper Richard Wood compared to son battling diabetes

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      RICHARD WOOD knows about struggles so Rotherham’s fight against relegation is water off a duck’s back.The Millers captain’s 12-year-old son Jenson everyday lives with type 1 diabetes.
      Rotherham captain Richard Wood and 12-year-old son Jenson set off for a 100km bike ride to raise funds for a diabetes research charityCredit: RICHARD WOOD

      Richard Wood relishes the relegation battle that Rotherham currently find themselves in
      It is something Woods and his partner Jade have had to worry about since their son was diagnosed with the condition aged two.
      Rotherham are in a battle against dropping into League One and have a crazy schedule – which after Friday’s trip to Millwall and Monday’s home game with Wycombe – includes them playing four games in just eight days.
      But this pales into insignificance when people like Jenson are battling more serious problems.
      Wood, 35, said: “It’s a condition where something is triggered when you’re young.
      “In Jenson’s case, he got ill and his immune system attacked the cells that produce insulin in his pancreas, causing permanent damage.
      “The insulin converts sugars and carbs into energy so we manually have to put it in each day and calculate how many carbs he has had or whatever he is drinking and match that with the amount of insulin his body needs.
      “It’s a constant balancing act. If you’re eating something sugary or high in carbs, your blood sugars increase. If you have too much sugar in your blood, you can become ill.
      “The insulin moves the sugar from your blood to your muscles.

      “But if he has too much insulin, it takes too much sugar out of your blood and you don’t get enough to your brain and you can pass out – and people with this condition can die in that scenario.
      “He’s been low a few times and got dizzy. We’ve had to give him adrenaline injections to bring him back up. It’s a constant balancing act.
      “Exercise affects it because you’re using sugar and energy.
      “He’s growing older and doing things with his friends so he must manage it a little himself. Now he wears an insulin pump that injects it automatically.
      “I’m constantly ringing him and texting him to say how are your blood sugars?
      “But he’s doing brilliantly and living as normal a life as possible. He even plays football.”
      Wood has become so passionate about helping others who suffer this horrible condition that he has become an ambassador of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
      And in November – to mark the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin – the Rotherham defender decided to raise funds for the charity by cycling 100km.
      Richard Wood’s son Jenson joined him for the first 20k of his 100k charity bike ride
      No journey is too far for Wood
      He said: “I wanted to do a marathon but couldn’t risk getting injured. I’ve recently got into mountain biking so thought to keep within the theme of 100 years, why not do a 100km cycle.
      “So during the international break in November, I set off one day early in the morning with Jenson. He did the first 20k with me.
      “I did the ‘Wakefield Wheel’, which is 60k all around Wakefield and then the Trans Pennine Trail.
      The 101.5km route taken by Richard Wood took him six hours, 26 minutes
      “I went out towards Huddersfield and back home from there. It was mostly on trails because I’m not keen on road biking.
      “I’d much rather be on a country trail or hills. I also don’t listen to music – I just enjoy my day out. It helps clear the mind.”
      And while Wood is fortunate enough to be a Championship footballer, he knows full well how difficult this pandemic has been as he and his partner Jade run a soft-play centre in Horbury, near Wakefield.
      We can relate to all the small businesses who have struggled and people who have been furloughed during these tough times
      Secret Garden, like many businesses, has been shut down because of lockdown restrictions.
      Wood said: “We opened it three years ago but it’s been shut for the last year so we’re looking forward to getting that going again.
      “We can relate to all the small businesses who have struggled and people who have been furloughed during these tough times.
      “When our two boys – Jenson and Graye – were younger we had been to that many play centres, we wanted to have a go at it ourselves.
      “I love going there for my coffee. I’ve worked there as well when we’ve been busy by picking up the trays and plates from the customers in the cafe.”
      Rotherham are three points adrift of fourth-bottom Birmingham with four games in hand – but have won two out of their last three.
      Richard Wood is still going strong for Rotherham at the age of 35
      And even before that, despite the Millers losing five on the spin, each one was by the odd goal and four of the opponents are challenging for promotion in Bournemouth, Cardiff, Norwich and Reading.
      Wood said: “We haven’t played badly in those games we lost either.
      “It’s not like we’ve been struggling and confidence has been low. We’re in a good place. The lads are positive about it and we’re looking forward to it and the mad schedule we’ve got coming up.
      “Watford aside – where we got battered 4-1 – we’ve been decent and fancy our chances of staying up. It’s in our own hands.”
      Wood is in his seventh season at Rotherham in a career that has also taken in Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry and Charlton as well as loans at Crawley, Fleetwood ad Chesterfield.
      So what is it that he loves about the Millers?
      He said: “We know we don’t have the biggest budget and are not a big team on paper.
      “For a club in the bottom three, there is no sign of a lack of confidence and morale is high.
      “Everyone just pulls together at Rotherham, we do a lot of community work and are hard working. That is what this club is all about. We’re similar to Barnsley in a lot of ways and look what they’re doing right now.”
      Wood puts this down to boss Paul Warne and the squad he has assembled.
      He said: “He’s a great person. I’ve known him a long time. He was a fitness coach when I first came to the club and he helped me out a lot before he became the manager.
      “Since taking over, he’s grown into the role really well.
      “He wants good people in. He wants proper human beings. He believes in that side of it.
      “The manager also cares about all his players and staff as people. That is a really good trait he has got and he’s a really genuine guy.
      “He has rejuvenated the club and it’s a happy place to come to work now.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Rebecca Welch is hoping she can inspire others after becoming the first female referee to be appointed to an EFL match More

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      Premier League clubs splash out £272m on agent fees in last season alone after huge transfer payments despite pandemic

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      AGENTS walked away with a staggering £272million from the 20 Premier League clubs this season – despite the pandemic.While top-flight transfer fees were down by £201m in the summer and more than £150m in January, cash paid to agents and intermediaries over the season went UP by £9m.
      Chelsea splashed out more than £35million on agent fees alone this season, the most in the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
      Chelsea spent £250m in January on signings including Germans Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, neither of whom have pulled up many trees.
      And the Blues were ‘top’ of the agent table too, splashing out £35,247,822 in fees.
      They were followed by Manchester City, who paid out £30,147,615 and Manchester United, whose outlay was £29,801,555.
      Another seven Premier League clubs paid out more than £10m in fees, led by Liverpool who paid £21,652,589.
      The others were Arsenal, Everton, Leicester, Newcastle – which will shock and surprise Toon fans – Spurs and Wolves.
      Promoted West Brom were the lowest payers on £4,222,059.
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      Many of the payments are related to existing contracts with staged payments made to selling clubs and agents, while new deals and bonuses also see intermediaries in the money.
      Lower down the pyramid, Championship clubs paid out £40.7m, ranging from the £6,827,037 paid by relegated Norwich to Wycombe’s bill of just £126,053.
      Seven League One clubs and Salford in League Two paid more to agents than Wycombe, with Hull splashing out more than £543,000.
      League One Gillingham were the only club in the top four divisions of the English game not to pay out a penny in fees to agents.

      Liverpool boast the most-valuable squad in the Premier League
      Transfer windows play into hands of agents and are the last thing we need.. especially after coronavirus More

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      Rebecca Welch’s rise from Sunday League ref to become the EFL’s first female referee

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      REBECCA WELCH picked up a referee’s whistle 11 years ago at 27 after being dared to do so by a friend.And now the Sunderland-based former NHS worker is set to enter the history books as the first woman to take charge of a men’s English Football League fixture. 
      Rebecca Welch will make history as the first woman to referee an EFL game when Harrogate Town play Port ValeCredit: PA
      Harrogate Town’s League Two Easter Monday clash with Port Vale will see Welch take on one of her most significant match officiating challenges yet. 
      Welch, 37, jokingly told Sky Sports: “A good game on Monday is, by 10 to five (o’clock), they’re talking about the game and not about the ref.
      “I like] the games when nobody remembers who the ref is.”
      Who is Rebecca Welch and how she did become a referee? 
      Welch, who is originally from the town of Washington, took up match officiating while still working in the health service. 
      She earned her qualifications as an official through Durham County FA
      The former NHS admin officer, who has played football since childhood, started her life as a ref in university football clashes and Sunday League games. 
      And while the college football encounters involving teams of female students was a “doddle” her experience of refereeing men’s Sunday division fixtures was less straightforward. 
      Welch, 37, began her life as a referee in university matches and Sunday League clashesCredit: Prime Media

      Welch told the FA’s web site: “I played football and didn’t even think about refereeing until one of my really good friends, who is a referee, refereed us.
      “I spent the whole game telling her how to do her job!
      “Her response was, ‘If you think it’s that easy, give it a go. That’s how it happened and years later here I am.
      “The first couple (of matches) I did were women’s university games and the players weren’t really that bothered about so it was a doddle. 
      “Then the third game I did was Sunderland Sunday league football and it was a completely different kettle of fish. 
      “That took some getting used to but I am so grateful for the grassroots football experience because I never would have got to where I am now without it.
      “Sometimes I used to go home and chuck my bag down and I’d tell myself I’m never doing it again but you soon realise that not every day is going to be a good day in the office – it’s just like anything else. 
      “I had to analyse my performances and work out what I could do to improve and that’s something I really enjoy. 
      “I’ve been doing this for more than ten years now and I guarantee that the good days will far outweigh the bad ones in the long run.”
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      Welch’s match officiating performances have led to her being added to Fifa’s international list of refereesCredit: Getty
      Rise to the top 
      Welch eventually worked her way into the higher echelons of match officiating, becoming part of an elite group on Fifa’s international list. 
      The Sunderland-based administrator also made her mark on the women’s game covering domestic and international encounters. 
      In addition to refereeing the Women’s FA Cup final twice, in 2017 and 2020, Welch has officiated in the men’s National League for three seasons and taken charge of WSL, Women’s Champions League and international clashes. 
      And she has been selected to oversee Harrogate’s clash with Port Vale following an ongoing review of her performances this season and official approval from referee chiefs Mike Riley and Mike Jones.
      The Washington-based ref is reported to be among the individuals included within the Professional Game Match Officials top group of referees. 
      Welch added: “I’ve always said, through all my promotions, I want to be appointed because I am in the top 10 match officials on that list. 
      “I never want to be appointed based on anything else. I’ve got faith in the system, and I’ve been rewarded.”
      Welch took charge of Fiorentina’s Women’s Champions League clash against Slavia PragueCredit: Zuma Press
      What next for Welch 
      Welch, who took charge of the 2020 Women’s Community Shield duel which saw Chelsea beat Man City, wants to be considered for selection for the 2022 Euros and 2023 World Cup. 
      The football official, who describes Sian Massey’s efforts as a Prem assistant referee as “amazing”, hopes to one day see a woman take charge of a Premier League fixture.
      And Welch remains open-minded on the challenge falling to her or another breaking through the glass ceiling. 
      I’ve been very lucky that I turn up and they don’t see me as a female referee, they just say, ‘Rebecca’s here and she’s the ref today’ so that’s quite nice.Rebecca Welch
      And she counts herself lucky not to have encountered any abuse or sexist behaviour so far in her career.
      Welch told Sky Sports: “I’ve got no doubt, in the next ten to 15 years, we will see a female referee in the Premier League. 
      “I don’t really try to focus too much on the future, I always take one game at a time. 
      “If I finish in the top one or two per cent at the end of the season, I put myself in a position to be selected. I’ve got to keep on performing, achieving those marks, to get those rewards. 
      Welch regards Sian Massey as a trailblazer for women refereesCredit: Eddie Keogh Telegraph Media Group
      “I’ve received criticism for my refereeing, and that’s part of football. 
      “But I’ve gone through the men’s pathway and I’ve never experienced anything like that (abuse) because I’m a female referee.
      “I’m aware that not everybody is as fortunate as me and I’m aware it does happen. 
      “We need to keep on educating people, about how it makes that person feel. 
      “I’ve been very lucky that I turn up and they don’t see me as a female referee, they just say, ‘Rebecca’s here and she’s the ref today’ so that’s quite nice.”
      Welch believes a woman taking charge of match officiating in the Premier League could happen in ten to 15 yearsCredit: Getty
      Referee Stephanie Frappart ‘not afraid’ to officiate her first men’s game at Super Cup More

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      Joey Barton ‘facing legal fight against former Bristol Rovers bosses after blasting them as negligent in explosive rant’

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      JOEY BARTON is reportedly facing a legal fight after blasting former Bristol Rovers bosses as negligent in an explosive rant. The former Manchester City midfielder, 38, only took over at the Memorial Stadium in late February.
      Joey Barton could be involved in a legal challenge after his criticism of previous Bristol Rovers bosses Paul Tisdale and Ben GarnerCredit: PA
      He replaced Paul Tisdale on a contract until 2023, with Tisdale himself only succeeding Ben Garner in November.
      And according to the Daily Mail, lawyers have been contacted after Barton accused the duo of negligence and described their training sessions as a ‘farce’.
      Speaking after Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland, Barton directed his anger at the two previous managers, Tisdale and Garner.
      He fumed: “They’ve set these boys up for failure and we’ve got to try to reverse that trend.
      “Whatever has gone before me has been negligent. If they were doctors, they should certainly be struck off for what’s gone on here before.
      “I could show you the footage of the training sessions. They’re a farce. It wasn’t done correctly.
      “How do I know that? Look at the league table. Look at the fact two managers have been removed from the job.”
      Barton – who had an acrimonious departure from Fleetwood in January – took over with the Gas just two points above the League One relegation zone.
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      In his ten games in charge, Rovers have won twice and now sit 23rd, two points adrift of safety.
      He continued his rant by detailing some of the specifics of what he believes Tisdale and Garner got wrong, with neither playing professionally consistently at the top level like Barton.
      The one-cap England international then appeared ready for a comeback from the pair and offered to talk through their so-called errors.
      Barton continued: “Two-and-a-half-hour sessions on a Friday — what chance have the lads got?
      “It’s like having a 15-round spar the night before you have a 12-round scrap. What chance have you got? You’re going to get your head punched in.
      “It’s because they don’t know what it’s like to go in the ring, the Colosseum. They’ve read it in a book and they’ve done it on a course and they don’t know. It’s criminal.
      “Those coaches will probably want to take me to task on that and I’ll have absolutely no issue in showing them exactly what they got wrong and where they got it wrong, and they’ll be better coaches for it.
      “If they want to get on the phone and have a conversation with me, no problem at all.”
      Garner was head coach at Bristol Rovers between December 2019 and November 2020Credit: Getty
      Tisdale replaced Garner at the Memorial Stadium but lasted just 19 matches, losing 11Credit: PA:Empics Sport
      Joey Barton says QPR were the least favourite of his ex-clubs More

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      National League dishing out punishment to Dover Athletic shows more incompetence in football’s hall of power

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      THE EFL and FA need to take a long, hard look at the credibility of the National League – and it is high time for the Government to start regulating football.Spare a thought for Dover Athletic, docked TWELVE points for next season and fined £40,000 by the bright sparks who run football’s top two tiers outside the EFL.
      Dover Athletic’s picturesque Crabble ground is located in the village of River – but the club will be docked 12 points at the start of next season
      What could their crime be? Running up huge debts they can ill afford and trading while insolvent, which is illegal under Company Law? No.
      This small, well-run club on the Kent coast had the sheer audacity to not do that. To not rip up their model of prudence.
      To not join other clubs in taking out a huge loan that they could be paying off for a decade.
      Faced with the real prospect of doing what football was supposed to be frowning upon after seeing what happened to clubs like Bury, Blackpool, Bolton and countless others, they instead joined thousands of other businesses in the real world by furloughing their staff.
      Gillingham and Watford legend Andy Hessenthaler and his players were put on furlough in February – almost two months after grant support to National League clubs from the Government ended – and they indicated to the powers-that-be that they could resume playing only once they had funds to afford it.The league however charged them with not having “just cause” to stop fulfilling their fixtures and after finding the club guilty expunged their results from this season’s records. The team had only contested 15 games when they ceased playing.
      What made the sanction stink was that clubs were given assurances by the National League that if fans were not allowed in beyond December, the grant support would continue. Goalposts were moved and suddenly it was no longer grants but loans.
      In Dover’s case, they would have needed to take out £450,000 – and, for a small club, that is a big deal.
      I happen to know Dover Athletic well as a proud Man of Kent.
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      Jim Parmenter is the Dover chairman who put his whole playing squad on furlough when government grants that were promised beyond December did not materialise
      Gillingham and Watford legend Andy Hessenthaler manages the Kent port team

      As a kid, I used to climb over the fence behind the River End stand at their Crabble ground with a couple of school friends when our pocket money didn’t cover the turnstile fee.
      Aged 19, as a fresh-faced sports reporter for the East Kent Mercury, I covered their matches home and away.
      It’s a great little club that relies on its community and volunteers, like so many in the lower leagues.
      Chairman Jim Parmenter, who I’ve known for the best part of 25 years, is a local businessman who has a decent amount of money to support the club but cannot just bankroll it without any funds coming through the gates.And his own business – a fruit and vegetable importing company – has been hit hard by the pandemic too.
      When he took over a debt-ridden club 16 years ago, they were hours from being liquidated.
      He promised that they would never be put into that position again while he was running the show.
      And without paying out what they cannot afford, they have climbed three divisions, built a new clubhouse, a new, environmentally sustainable stand and opened an academy.
      Dover also won their status as an FA Chartered club.
      The National League’s disciplinary panel that heard this case was supposed to be independent.
      But former FA head of football administration Graham Noakes and FA judicial panel members Peter Barnes and Alan Hardy have all been closely involved with football.
      SunSport’s Justin Allen (right) with Dover chairman Jim Parmenter, director Steve Parmenter and veteran club secretary and local legend Frank Clarke (left) enjoy a pint together
      Parmenter and Ian Wright pose for the camera when Dover and their directors were taken to meet the Crystal Palace legend by SunSport ahead of their 2015 FA Cup third-round tie
      Back in the days when fans came through the turnstiles but without them Dover were expected by the National League to take out a £450,000 loan to finish their season
      And, while there is no suggestion they have done anything wrong, they do not sound very independent to me. Shouldn’t it have been composed of business experts and lawyers?
      Their justification of the sanction is also crazy. Dover submitted compelling evidence, backed by lawyers and insolvency practitioners (people who actually know what they are talking about) that carrying on their season was not viable.
      But the panel, although saying they had regard to the financial information provided and respecting the responsibility of the club’s directors under Company Law, could not have one of its clubs doing things correctly.
      No, because 22 other clubs decided to run up debts, Dover were expected to, as well. Even though, it’s against the league’s own rules.
      The other finding was that the club had received a basic award payment of £70,000 for the season and “were significantly benefiting from not completing the season compared to the other clubs that continued”.
      Again, the club are simply being punished for not joining the rest.
      The National League also says Dover’s actions went against the “integrity” of the competition.
      What tosh. Some clubs have furloughed high-earning players and replaced them with cheaper ones, which is against the government’s furlough rules and some are fielding significantly weaker teams than what started the season.This whole mess, as I wrote in recent weeks, could have been avoided by postponing the season until spring and finishing it when fans are likely to be back.
      As for the Government, why could they simply not have allowed grants for struggling clubs like Dover to continue until the summer? They are having to pay out on the furlough scheme anyway.
      This whole sorry episode – along with those of the other 15 clubs in the sixth tier charged with non-fulfilment of fixtures – is another example of gross incompetence in football.
      Even during a global pandemic, not an ounce of common sense has been shown with those in football’s corridors of power far removed from the real world.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Forest Green Rovers’ Jamille Matt’s fingers bent out of shape in horror injury before distraught striker stretchered off More

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      Forest Green Rovers’ Jamille Matt’s fingers bent out of shape in horror injury before distraught striker stretchered off

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      FOREST GREEN star Jamille Matt suffered a gruesome hand injury just six minutes into his side’s clash with Bolton this afternoon.His fingers were bent at a horrible angle with the striker visibly in agonising pain.
      Matt’s fingers were left sticking out at horrifying angles
      Jamille Matt required extensive treatment on the gruesome injuryCredit: PA
      Matt, 31, was stretchered off just minutes into the gameCredit: Rex
      The Jamaican started up top for Rovers in their televised League Two clash with the Trotters.
      But it ended in nightmarish, premature fashion just a few minutes into the game.
      Following an accidental collision with Bolton’s MJ Williams, the 31-year-old’s fingers appeared to be bent at all kinds of sickening angles.
      And the clearly distressed front-man was subsequently stretchered off.
      It was all a bit much for one fan on social media, who wrote: “Jamille Matt of Forest Green Rovers putting me off my scrambled egg on toast with this horrific injury to his hand against Bolton.”
      While another added: “Jamille Matt’s hand looks vile – looks like he has broken all finger.”
      Matt went into the game enjoying the most prolific season of his career.
      The former Plymouth Argyle, Fleetwood and Blackpool star has scored 15 goals this term, already surpassing the 14 he managed for Newport two seasons ago.
      Both Forest Green and Bolton are chasing automatic promotion into League One.
      Matt clashed innocuously with MJ Williams
      The Jamaican was in agony while receiving treatmentCredit: Sky Sports

      Rovers went into the game sitting in third, although Bolton knew that they could leapfrog their opponents with a win.
      After today’s match, Forest Green will have just nine games remaining, as they chase promotion to the third tier for the first time in their history.
      And manager Mark Cooper will be desperate not to be without his star striker for too long as the season approaches its conclusion.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Mark Wright comments on training with League Two’s Crawley Town More

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      Ricardo Santos has helped Bolton go on best unbeaten run in Premier League and EFL – better than Man Utd and Chelsea

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      RICARDO SANTOS has played every minute of Bolton’s League Two campaign this season.And the 6ft 5in centre-half, nicknamed ‘The Wall’ by adoring Wanderers fans, is tipped by boss Ian Evatt to lead them back up the divisions after their spectacular fall from Premier League grace.
      Bolton are on the best unbeaten run in the country
      Ricardo Santos has been at the heart of Bolton’s resurgenceCredit: Rex
      It is a far cry from just three years ago when Santos hit rock bottom – crashing into non-league with Barnet after leaving Peterborough and injuring his knee so badly he could not even walk.
      The 25-year-old – who joined the Trotters in the summer from the National League Bees – said: “I had tendonitis and did what Ledley King used to do at Tottenham. I’d train once a week on Friday and then play Saturday and be in the gym for the rest of the week.
      “I was doing that for a while and my knee started hurting seriously. I couldn’t even walk. I thought, ‘I can’t do this anymore’ so sat out and did rehab for eight or nine months.
      “Thankfully it’s all good now and I’m the only Bolton player to have not missed a minute of league action this season.”
      Santos appreciates the good times because he is well versed how football fortunes can change swiftly in either direction.
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      Santos has impressed with his strength, power, pace and passing at Bolton
      The Portuguese-born ace, who was brought up in East London, failed to make the grade first with Dagenham then Dover – forcing him to drop into the EIGHTH tier to get games at Thurrock.
      But within a few months he found himself snapped up by Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson and got plenty of game time in League One before falling out of favour with Grant McCann.
      So he dropped into League Two with Barnet but they were relegated into the National League, which coincided with his injury setback.
      But three managers have shown faith in him when he was at a low ebb in his career – former Gillingham boss Mark Stimson at Thurrock, Posh chief Ferguson and now Evatt.
      He said: “It’s crazy how things change quickly in football – good or bad.
      “Stimson had always liked me from when he coached at Dagenham and kept trying to get me to Thurrock but I didn’t want to go because it was so low down the pyramid.
      “But when I couldn’t even get into the Dover team who were then in National League South, he persuaded me to join on loan and within no time I had an agent telling me about Peterborough.
      “I couldn’t believe it because it hadn’t worked out at Dagenham, it hadn’t worked out at Dover, and suddenly there is a team flying in League One looking at me.”
      Ferguson invited him to train for a day then gave him a 45-minute run-out in a trial game before signing him the next morning.
      Santos said: “I learned a lot in my three years with Peterborough and enjoyed playing for Darren. He always wanted you to be confident playing from the back.
      “I also learned with him you couldn’t take the p***. You had to be professional because he had a hard, strict side to him that you would associate with his dad Sir Alex.”
      Santos enjoyed his time at Peterborough – especially under boss Darren Ferguson
      But after dropping out of the picture under McCann and leaving for Barnet, within 16 months he found himself back in non-league and injured.
      However, little did he know his fortunes were about to change again, when he made his comeback in an FA Trophy game against a Barrow team managed by Evatt.
      He said: “I played the last 15 minutes. Ian had put a quick winger on and kept telling the lad, ‘Get at him’ but the Barnet management told him, ‘No chance.’ Ian said, ‘We’ll see.’
      “But as the boy on the left tried to take me on, I beat him for pace and strength and he said, ‘Wow.’
      “Since then he was interested in me and he contacted me at the end of last season asking me to come to Bolton.”
      Santos’ joy at soring for Barnet in League Two against Orient was short-lived with the club crashing into non-league and the defender suffering a serious knee injury
      It was a no-brainer for a player who has done the hard yards in non-league to join a club that was playing Premier League football as recently as 2012 with ambitions to return to the top level.
      He said: “I hadn’t even been to Bolton’s ground before and the first time I visited I thought, ‘This is crazy.’ It was mad. Even though the club are in League Two, everything is still Premier League standard. I couldn’t wait to get started.”
      Despite his towering frame and being physically strong, he has bags of pace and is a composed footballer with a good range of passing.
      His performances have seen him named in nine EFL teams of the week this season and he won February’s SkyBet League Two Player of the Month.
      Ricardo Santos proudly shows off the SkyBet League Two player-of-the-month award
      Santos is moving back in the right direction thanks to Bolton and boss Ian Evatt
      And despite losing their first five games this season with fears growing that Bolton might become the first former Premier League team to drop into non-league, they are now flying with the best unbeaten record in the country.
      Sitting fifth, on Saturday they travel to third-placed Forest Green Rovers just two points behind them and only five adrift top-of-the-table Cheltenham.
      He said: “We haven’t lost for 12 games and have kept seven clean sheets in that run. We have such confidence and belief that we can win automatic promotion with 30 points still to play for.”
      Such is the respect in the Bolton camp of Santos’ performances that the captain’s armband has been thrown at him four times now.
      The defender said: “I’m so glad that people see me as a leader. I like to think I do that with my performances and my character around the building.

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      “I can chat to everyone and get on with everyone. I like to make everything enjoyable at the training ground and the first thing I do is put music on in the changing room just to make it fun. Football is a serious business but we all first and foremost got into the game because it was fun.”
      Now Evatt wants Santos to go through the divisions with the club.How does he feel about being talked about like that?
      He said: “With the history this club has and to be able to do that and be liked by the manager, I’d love it.
      “Bolton will one day get back to the Premier League. The set-up is Premier League and the owners want to build and don’t mind spending money to get in players. I want to be part of that journey. We’re going the right way.”
      And so – finally – is Santos.
      RICARDO SANTOS ON …
      HIS PORTUGAL ROOTS: My parents are Portuguese so I was born there. We moved to East London when I was two or three.
      BIGGEST INFLUENCES: I’m a big Arsenal fan and used to be a striker as a kid. I idolised Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires. I grew bigger and moved back to midfield and eventually centre-half where I was able to dominate.
      WINNING PLAYER OF THE MONTH: I thought it must have been some sort of a joke as I always was under the impression only strikers really win that. Eoin Doyle has been massive for us this season upfront – he has 15 goals already – so I did well to beat him this time!
      HOW HE GOT INTO FOOTBALL: I used to play with my two brothers while growing up in East London. I joined a Sunday team called Stratford FC and then went to Dagenham at 14, where I ended up doing my scholarship.
      LIVING UP NORTH FOR THE FIRST TIME: The locals have been so welcoming and friendly. The weather is a lot different though – rains much more and is colder than down south. I’m happy, though, as I have my other half and two-year-old son living with me. More

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      Newcastle cult hero Joey Barton goads Sunderland and says he could never manage rivals as his ‘heart is black and white’

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      JOEY BARTON has goaded Sunderland fans by claiming: I will never be your manager.The Bristol Rovers boss, 38, reckons some Wearsiders would love to see him in charge at the Stadium of Light.  
      Joey Barton celebrates beating Sunderland as a Newcastle player in 2011Credit: Bradley Ormesher – The Times
      Barton celebrates with Kevin Nolan during Newcastle’s 5-1 win over Sunderland in 2010Credit: Getty
      But he maintains his playing days at fierce rivals Newcastle have put paid to that idea.   
      Barton said: “The red-and-white side of the north-east don’t like me and they’ve made that clear every time I’ve played and managed there.  
      “But, deep down, I think there’s a side to them that secretly does like me  and they would one day probably want me to manage Sunderland. But they just can’t say that out loud because they know I’d reject them. 
      “As much as they want me, I could never do it because my heart is black and white. I love Newcastle.”  
      Barton will love nothing more than denting Sunderland’s promotion bid when lowly Rovers host their high-flying League One rivals today.  
       In a bid to halt a run of three defeats on the spin, Barton has turned teacher.
      He added: “We had a psychology class on Monday — a bit of Jungian archetypes about embracing fear.
      “On Thursday, it was a football history lesson — how the Italians like Franco Baresi defend.”
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      Barton’s Bristol Rovers face Sunderland on SaturdayCredit: Getty

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      Black Cats boss Lee Johnson is on a mission to banish the demons, knowing the side have not won in six matches against Barton.
      He said: “It’s another one of these Sunderland hoo-doos! Another one we have to try and banish.
      “They’re fighting for their lives and I don’t think there is a better person to have at the helm. Joey has been a winner all his career.”
      Danny Simpson in training to return to the field More