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      Wrexham owner Rob McElhenney makes ambitious transfer approach for Gareth Bale to come out of retirement

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      WREXHAM owner Rob McElhenney has made a cheeky attempt to convince Gareth Bale to come out of retirement.The Welsh hero retired from the game earlier this year after representing his country at the World Cup in Qatar.
      Gareth Bale posted a video congratulating Wrexham
      Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds lift the National League trophyCredit: PA
      Bale, 33, is clearly enjoying retirement, and took time out to congratulate McElhenney on Wrexham’s promotion.
      In a short video clip, the former Tottenham and Real Madrid star said: “Hi Rob, just want to congratulate you on your promotion and everything you’re doing at Wrexham.”
      McElhenney posted the clip to his Twitter account, alongside a cheeky message.
      Tagging the five-time Champions League winner, he wrote: “Hey @GarethBale11 let’s play golf, where I totally won’t spend 4 hours trying to convince you to un-retire for one last magical season 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ❤️”
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      Bale finished his club career with LAFC in MLS, appearing 14 times and scoring three goals.
      He subsequently scored at the World Cup for Wales in their 1-1 draw with the USA.
      Wrexham have already convinced one former Premier League star to come out of retirement this season.
      The newly-crowned National League champions signed Ben Foster ahead of the run-in, with the former England goalkeeper playing a huge part in getting them over the line.
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      Ben Foster saved a late penalty against Notts CountyCredit: Getty
      Foster’s highlight was surely his last-gasp penalty save that sealed victory against title rivals Notts County.
      McElhenney and co-owner Ryan Reynolds were emotional last weekend as their team sealed the title.
      The former could be seen in tears as joyous Wrexham fans flooded the pitch in glee.
      Reynolds and McElhenney’s actions have seen them named the “best owners in football” by fans online.
      Bale brought the curtain down on his illustrious career after the World CupCredit: AP More

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      Premier League legend wanted by Walsall as new manager after sensationally quitting his club despite winning title

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      WALSALL will look to see if Kevin Phillips wants to be their next boss.The Saddlers sacked Michael Flynn this week.
      Michael Flynn was sacked by Walsall this week after a dismal run of resultsCredit: Getty
      They now want Kevin Phillips after the Sunderland legend led South Shields to promotionCredit: PA
      Now they are keen on Sunderland legend Phillips, who has impressed as a boss with a title win at non league South Shields.
      The ex-England striker, 49, and North East club announced the mutual decision following their final day 3-0 defeat to Stafford Rangers.
      Despite the result, South Shields are still looking forward to playing National League North football this term.
      A club statement read: “Since promotion to National League North was confirmed earlier this month, discussions over the future direction of the club have been held between Kevin and chairman Geoff Thompson.
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      “It has now been decided it is in the best interests of all parties to go their separate ways as the club continues on its road to a more sustainable model.”
      Phillips added: “I feel that this is the right time for me to depart, for a number of reasons.
      “To be manager of South Shields has been an amazing experience and I’m very grateful for everything Geoff has done during my time at the club.”
      The 2000 Premier League Golden Boot winner worked as a coach at Leicester and then Derby and later Stoke after retiring from playing in 2014 before taking over South Shields a year ago.
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      Walsall axed Flynn having won just once in League Two since the start of the year.
      That miserable run left them floundering in mid-table, with his final match in charge being Tuesday’s 3-0 home defeat to Harrogate.
      Assistant coach Wayne Hatswell also left the Bescot Stadium with Mat Sadler placed in charge for the rest of the campaign. More

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      Football star receives death threats on social media as sick fans blame him for not stopping goal

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      BRADFORD CITY star Romoney Crichlow has deactivated his social media accounts after claiming to receive death threats from fans.The defender was in action for the Bantams yesterday as they took on Gillingham at Valley Parade.
      Romoney Crichlow has played 35 times for Bradford this seasonCredit: Rex
      The Huddersfield loanee had his pocket picked by Timothee Dieng in the 12th minute, with the Gills ace going on to score.
      After the 2-2 draw, Crichlow revealed on Snapchat that he had deactivated his other social media accounts following a barrage of vile messages.
      He wrote: “The way I’m getting death threats in my DMs right now, I had to deactivate my socials. This is going private now.
      “I always take accountability for my mistakes but no time to dwell, still got a job to do! Three games left to get the job done.”

      Crichlow, 23, is on a season-long loan at Valley Parade from Huddersfield.
      He has appeared 35 times in all competitions – helping Mark Hughes’ side in their promotion bid.
      After revealing the abuse he had received, fans rallied round the centre-back.
      One wrote on Twitter: “This is absolutely disgraceful whoever has sent this to Rom deserves a lifetime ban.”
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      Crichlow revealed on Snapchat that he would be deactivating his social media accountsCredit: Snapchat / RC
      A second commented: “Find them, ban them, prosecute them.”
      While a third Bantam tweeted: “What in the hell 😳 some of our fans are beyond a disgrace.”
      Another added: “Disgusting people. No true fan does anything remotely like this, shame on them.”
      Bradford rallied after Dieng’s opener.
      Andy Cook’s header levelled for Hughes’ men on 48 minutes, and it looked as though League Two’s top scorer had won it for Bradford when he converted an 84th minute penalty.
      Gillingham came roaring back, however, with Oliver Hawkins equalising seven minutes into stoppage time.
      The draw saw Bradford fall to seventh in the table, four points off the automatic promotion spots and only above the non-playoff positions on goal difference.
      They travel to second-placed Northampton on Saturday before a mid-week trip to Crewe.
      On the final day Bradford host Leyton Orient, with Richie Wellens’ side having already been crowned champions. More

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      Fan arrested mid-game after appearing to SPIT at Ipswich goalscorer as club condemn him

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      A FOOTBALL fan was arrested mid-game after appearing to spit at an opposition player.The disgraceful incident occurred during Peterborough’s crunch League One clash against visitors Ipswich.
      A Peterborough fan was arrested after appearing to spit at Ipswich’s Wes BurnsCredit: Alamy
      The incident occurred after Burns fired his side ahead in an eventual 3-0 win
      The hosts needed a win to keep their playoff dream alive.
      But they got off to a terrible start when Wes Burns gave Ipswich the lead after just 17 minutes.
      The wide-man turned towards Peterborough fans as he celebrated by cupping his hands to his ears.
      But for one home supporter, it was too much to take.
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      The man was caught on camera leaping from his seat as Ipswich players joined Burns for a group hug.
      The fan then appeared to lean forward and spit at Burns before swearing.
      And as the game continued playing, Peterborough took their official Twitter account revealing the supporter in question had been nicked by cops.
      A statement read: “The football club can confirm that a gentleman was arrested by police following an incident after the first goal scored by Ipswich Town this afternoon.
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      “There is no place in the game for incidents like this. The club would like to thank the police for swiftly dealing with it.”
      Other fans were delighted with Peterborough’s quick actions.
      One said: “Well done for responding.”
      Another declared: “No room for it, fantastic effort from the club in taking action swiftly.”
      Unfortunately for Peterborough, their fortunes did not improve over the course of the game.
      Ipswich found a second in the 57th minute through Conor Chaplin.
      And Freddie Ladapo made it 3-0 with eight minutes remaining.
      The result means Ipswich remain second in the table, one point behind Plymouth Argyle.
      Meanwhile, Peterborough have dropped to seventh, with Derby leapfrogging them into the final playoff place. More

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      I played just one half of football for Tottenham – getting promoted out of League Two was a bigger achievement

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      KEVIN DEARDEN ranks his League Two promotion with Torquay United over his Premier League debut with Tottenham Hotsppur.The goalkeeper came through the ranks at White Hart Lane in the early 1990s.
      Kevin Dearden played one games for Tottenham’s first teamCredit: Getty
      He found himself initially stuck behind his hero Ray Clemence – before Erik “The Viking” Thorstvedt and Bobby Mimms came along.
      Dearden was around the first team squad at Spurs but wasn’t handed an opportunity… until an injury to Thorstvedt during a clash with Nottingham Forest during the 1992-93 season saw his number called.
      Speaking to Planet Football, Dearden recounted: “I’d been there a long time, I was 22, I felt that I was ready – I’d been on loan, I’d played in League One, League Two and the Championship with Hull.
      “I was on the bench, I obviously I didn’t wish anyone any injury, but I felt I was ready if called upon.
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      “Erik dived at the base of the post, he fractured his finger or his thumb, and at half-time I was told I was on.
      “I didn’t have much time to think about it, I just went out and it means I didn’t take in the enormity of it.
      “We were losing 2-1 at half-time and that was the result in the end, so I always tell everyone that I never let a goal in in the Premier League!”
      Despite a promising debut, Dearden would never play for Spurs again.
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      He continued: “The next game I was on the bench against Oldham at home, and they were a bottom four or five team, and I thought if I was to ever start a game for Spurs this was it.
      “But they brought Ian Walker back in and that told me the writing was on the wall. I knew then my time was up and it was just a case then of where to, really.”
      After just one Spurs appearance and nine loans away from White Hart Lane, Dearden finally left permanently.
      He moved to Brentford, where he would get his wish of regular first-team football – playing over 200 times in six years.
      Following two subsequent seasons with Wrexham he moved on to Torquay – where he would enjoy the highlight of his career.
      Dearden added: “The year we got promoted with Torquay from League Two to League One I look back on more fondly. I felt I achieved something with a group of players.
      “The budget was minuscule, we had a skeleton squad, but we had a togetherness and a team ethic which was second-to-none.
      “For Torquay to get promoted that season was unbelievable and we almost stayed up the following year. I look on that more fondly than the Spurs game, as it seems a very, very long time ago now.”
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      Having earned his coaching badges while still a player, Dearden moved seamlessly into his new career after hanging up his boots in 2006.
      Now 53, he works as a goalkeeping coach with hometown club Luton, having also done the same job at Brentford, Millwall and Leyton Orient.
      Dearden’s one Spurs appearance ranks below promotion with Torquay UnitedCredit: PA More

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      EFL star forced to retire aged 26 due to cancer battle as he writes emotional letter to fans

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      BRISTOL ROVERS defender Nick Anderton has been forced to retire at the age of 26 amid his battle with cancer.The ex-Preston, Blackpool and Carlisle man took to social media on Friday to confirm the news in an emotional post.
      Nick Anderton has announced his retirement from footballCredit: Rex
      It comes four months into his chemotherapy treatment for a rare form of bone cancer, osteosarcoma.
      He has been forced to hang up his boots due to an operation on his femur which required a “complete knee replacement”.
      Speaking the day before his 27th birthday, he said: “I’ve had six months to prepare some words for this moment and I still don’t know what to say.
      “It’s been extremely difficult to come to terms with but I’ve decided today is the day to announce at the age of 26 I have to retire from professional football.
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      “This is due to an operation I had in October 2022 to remove a cancerous tumour from my right femur. This resulted in a complete knee replacement, and a further 12cm of my femur replaced.
      “There was optimism that I could return to playing after the initial planned operation/treatment but a scan five days prior revealed it would not be safe if they didn’t replace the full joint, therefore the operation changed.
      “Looking back on the last 10 years, I have nothing but fond memories.
      “To every club I’ve represented, thank you for the opportunity. To every manager and coach I’ve worked under, thank you for the time you’ve invested in me. To every player I’ve shared a dressing room with and every player I’ve competed against on the pitch, thank you. It’s been an absolute pleasure.
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      “I want to say a massive thank you to every single person who sent messages, donated and said a prayer. Your kind words and support for my family throughout this journey has been incredible and we can’t thank you enough.
      “It’s given me even more motivation to continue fighting and to complete every single millilitre of chemotherapy that I need.
      “Thank you, Nick.”
      Anderton was diagnosed with the illness back in July after undergoing a scan on what he believed to be a leg injury.
      He made 245 senior appearances during his nine-year professional career.
      Last season, he played a crucial role in helping Bristol Rovers secure promotion to League One on the final day of the season.
      They did so in the most incredible fashion, beating Scunthorpe 7-0 to go up on goals scored.
      His No16 jersey is hung up in the Rovers dressing room before every match.
      And the club’s fans have been giving a round of applause in the 16th minute of their games.
      The Rovers squad shaved their heads in solidarity with Anderton in January.
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      A fundraiser has also been set up for him which has raised £46,000 to date.
      And Rovers manager Joey Barton completed the Manchester Marathon last weekend following a promise he made to Anderton. More

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      Sheffield United hero Billy Sharp believes FA Cup run has helped put Blades on the brink of Premier League promised land

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      BILLY SHARP believes Sheffield United’s FA Cup run has given them the confidence to return to the Premier League.The Blades take on Manchester City at Wembley in the semi-final on Saturday needing only a maximum of three points from their final four Championship games to seal automatic promotion.
      Billy Sharp believes the FA Cup has helped Sheffield United’s promotion bid
      Despite being the ripe old age of 37, Sharp has still clocked 40 appearances in all competitions this season — and played the whole 90 minutes as United dumped Tottenham from the competition in the last 16.
      They have also overcome Millwall at The Den, Wrexham at home after a replay, which Sharp scored in, and Blackburn in a quarter-final thriller at Bramall Lane.
      Sharp told SunSport: “Cup competitions can be a distraction but, this one, this year, has helped us. 
      “It has also given us belief and momentum because we’ve won games in the cup after we’ve failed to win the previous match in the league. So it’s got us back on track. 
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      “Cup nights under the lights at Bramall Lane are special and ones that’ll be remembered more than some of the league games. 
      “It’s a day out that we’ve got to embrace and enjoy, we’ve got to go there, have belief and give a good account of ourselves, and who knows, cause an upset.”
      Out of the three possible opponents they could have faced, the Blades have clearly drawn the toughest.
      Pep Guardiola’s men are chasing a Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup treble, which no English team has managed since Manchester United 24 years ago.
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      And Sharp knows the only way the Blades are going to cause one of the greatest Wembley shocks is to break the game into stages — and try to be in with a shout late in the game.
      But the wily veteran has been in the game long enough to know anything is possible. Just ask Wigan, who not only beat City in the 2013 FA Cup final but knocked them out again a year later as a Championship team.
      Sharp said: “Everyone dreams of winning the FA Cup but we’ve got to get past Manchester City. It’s going to be like a cup final for us — we’ve got to raise our game, but this is what football is about.
      “Hopefully it’ll be our day and, who knows, if we can get to the final then it would be an unbelievable day.  
      “We’ve got a big task on our hands, so we’re taking one step at a time. 
      Sharp celebrates scoring in injury-time against Wrexham
      “We’ll just try to stay in the game and give ourselves something to play for in the last half an hour. 
      “It’ll be a special day regardless though.”
      He is right. For a Championship team to be on the same table with three Premier League clubs, all currently occupying European spots, is a great achievement.
      And Sharp added: “The FA Cup is the biggest cup competition in England with a lot of history, and rewards that make memories for a lifetime. 
      “We’re massive underdogs but we have belief we can go there, put on a good performance, and hopefully cause a shock.  
      “We’re going to have to be at the top of our game, and City will have to be below par, but it can happen in football. We have to believe and enjoy the day because they don’t come around often.
      “If we can manage the occasion, and give our fans a good day out, then I’m sure the whole club and the supporters will be happy.”
      But there is no doubting that the priority this season has been returning to the Premier League at the second attempt — after the agony of being edged out in a penalty shootout at Bramall Lane by Nottingham Forest in last season’s play-off semi-finals.
      It was a hard one to take for the Blades and Sharp, in particular, who had to sit out the end of the season after getting crocked.
      Sheffield United’s Sharp is still going strong at the ripe age of 37
      There has been no doubt that the Blades have been the second best side in the Championship after Burnley.
      At one stage, they were coasting with the league leaders to automatic promotion but a few slip-ups and the relentless form of Middlesbrough and Luton made it squeaky bum time.
      But they have come up with the answers in the last week by beating Cardiff and Bristol City at Bramall Lane to put them on the brink.
      Sharp said: “That’s down to showing mental strength in games. We’ve got a squad where we can fill two teams, and everyone who comes into the starting eleven has done their bit.  
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      “Even in the cup competitions we’ve managed to change the team around and get through the rounds – we’ve got a great cup tie in the semi-final at Wembley to come – but the main priority is to get promotion into the Premier League, which we’re confident we can do, we just need to keep grinding out the results.” 
       BILLY SHARP was speaking to SunSport courtesy of EFL sponsors Sky Bet, More

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      Man Utd loanee Charlie Savage suffers heartache as Duncan Ferguson’s Forest Green are relegated from League One

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      ROBBIE SAVAGE’S son Charlie has suffered relegation agony out on loan from Manchester United.The midfielder, 19, played the first 58 minutes as Duncan Ferguson’s Forest Green Rovers were sent down to League Two with Saturday’s 5-1 home thrashing by Barnsley.
      Leicester-born Wales Under-21 midfielder Charlie Savage has endured relegation in his first taste of league football, on loan at FGR from Man UtdCredit: Rex
      Ferguson’s men become the first EFL side demoted this season – only 12 months after reaching the third tier for the first time.
      And for Savage Junior it underlines the rollercoaster ride for youngsters attempting to reach the top.
      The Wales Under-21 star made his only appearance for United so far in the Champions League in December 2021.
      He was a last-minute sub in a 1-1 home draw with Switzerland’s Young Boys when Ralf Rangnick was in charge.
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      Then he joined fellow Old Trafford starlets Charlie McNeil and Di’Shon Bernard in making temporary exits in January for the rest of the season.
      Striker McNeil, 19, joined Rovers’ League One rivals Newport and 22-year-old centre-back Bernard went to Portsmouth.
      In the same month, Forest Green appointed ex-Scotland and Newcastle striker Ferguson as boss after sacking Ian Burchnall.
      But they are in exactly the same position as when he arrived – bottom.
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      And although Savage has won praise for his displays, Saturday was a low point for Rovers – in performance, result and confirmation of the drop.
      Just a month ago, Savage senior was seen beaming with pride and celebrating with arms wide open live on BT Sport Score after Charlie notched his first senior goal.
      But even that 12th-minute opener at home to Bristol Rovers came in a 3-1 home defeat.
      Now Savage must wait to see the next twist in his fledgling career. More