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      Man City ace Erling Haaland applies to trademark his initials – lining up possible range of silk pyjamas

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      MAN City striker Erling Haaland has applied to trademark his initials — potentially for a range of personalised PJs.The Nordic goal-getter, 23, known for his love of jim-jams, wants to lock down his rights to the scrawled letters EBH.
      Erling Haaland is known for his love of pyjamasCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      It would mean no one but Haaland — middle name Braut — could put his stamp on an array of items, including clothing.
      He would also like to protect personalised soap, deodorant, perfume, computer games, mobile phones, smartwatches, jewellery, umbrellas, drinks bottles, sunglasses, yoga balls and sweatpants.
      The Norwegian, often seen in designer silk pyjamas — even on nights out — registered the application in his homeland.
      However, last June his bid to trademark his name was rejected.
      READ MORE ON ERLING HAALAND
      He was beaten to it by another Erling Haaland — a 29-year-old from Oslo.
      But he was permitted to trademark his signature and his lotus goal celebration. More

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      Mason Greenwood enjoys family Christmas at home after jetting into Manchester with partner Harriet Robson

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      MASON Greenwood enjoyed a family Christmas at home after jetting into Manchester with his partner Harriet Robson.The Manchester United forward – on loan with Spanish club Getafe after Old Trafford bosses ruled he couldn’t play for the club following abuse allegations – was pictured shopping with Wag Harriet Robson in Hale, Cheshire, in the run up to Christmas.
      Man United star Mason Greenwood enjoyed a family Christmas at home with his partner
      The forward, 22, on loan at Spanish club Getafe, was seen out shopping with Harriet Robson in Hale, Cheshire
      The couple, who have a daughter, flew back during the La Liga winter break
      The couple, who have a baby daughter, flew back to the UK to see family during the La Liga winter break which runs from December 23 to January 3.
      A source said: “Mason and Harriet have really enjoyed living in Spain. They have had time and space to enjoy being a young family and are facing up to the challenge of living in a foreign country.
      “He has had lots of problems off the pitch in his short career, but he finally seems to be addressing them and sorting himself out.
      “He has made some good friends with teammates and Harriet has been welcomed by some of the Wags. They like being able to go out in Madrid without feeling like everyone is watching them.”
      READ MORE ON MASON GREENWOOD
      Greenwood moved to the Madrid-based side in September after United announced the previous month he wouldn’t play for them again.
      The decision came after allegations of attempted rape, assault and controlling coercive behaviour were dropped by the CPS when a key witness refused to co-operate with the prosecution.
      United then launched an internal investigation into Greenwood’s conduct and kept him suspended on full pay of £75,000-a-week.
      Getafe are understood to have told United they would like to buy Greenwood for £40m, but United want to keep Greenwood’s deal as a loan move.
      Most read in Football
      His future remains uncertain with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and AC Milan all keeping tabs on his form.
      The 22-year-old has scored five goals and provided four assists in 15 games since moving to Getafe in September.
      His form has led to some United fans to call for his return to Old Trafford despite bosses previously saying he needed to leave to rebuild his career and that they had no plans to bring him back.
      Former United starlet Ravel Morrison tweeted: “What a player. United need to bring him back!!” after watching a highlights reel of Greenwood playing for Getafe.
      After Greenwood led a late comeback against Atletico to draw 3-3, France striker Antoine Griezmann heaped praise on him, saying “Mason Greenwood was really causing us problems in the second half. We couldn’t stop him and it cost us the game.”
      Greenwood moved to the Madrid-based side in September after United announced the previous month he wouldn’t play for them againCredit: Getty More

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      Aston Villa icon Gabby Agbonlahor revels in Man Utd’s miserable decline and says ‘It’s like they’ve never met’

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      GABBY AGBONLAHOR seems to be loving Manchester United’s miserable decline as much as Aston Villa’s astonishing rise.The former England striker is envious of his old club’s current stars, who he believes boss Unai Emery has transformed into the best Villa team of his lifetime.
      Gabby Agbonlahor is revelling in the rise of Aston VillaCredit: The Sun
      And he, like most Premier League fans, is lapping up United “playing like strangers” after sucking up years of defeats during Sir Alex Ferguson’s trophy-laden era of dominance.
      Agbonlahor says Villa, sat third in the league, have “nothing to be scared of” when they go to Old Trafford chasing a victory which would fire them to the summit, 14 points clear of United.
      The Red Devils’ woeful 2-0 defeat to West Ham on Saturday means they have gone four games without netting for the first time since 1992, while the 13 games Erik ten Hag’s flops have lost this season is the club’s worst pre-Christmas tally in 93 years.
      Agbonlahor, Villa’s 74-goal record Prem scorer, said: “The mighty have fallen at Manchester United. This game is massive and Villa have got nothing to be scared of.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      “United are not the team they used to be and you’ve got sides like Bournemouth going to Old Trafford and winning 3-0, with opposition players nutmegging theirs.
      “United’s owners, the Glazers, look like they’re hiding in Florida and the fans despise them.
      “They are playing like strangers and the manager has got problems left, right and centre.”
      Agbonlahor’s 13-year Villa career brought 17 painful defeats in 22 games against United — with just one victory in 2009 at Old Trafford clinched by his own header.
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      Villa went an agonising 23 seasons without a home league win over the Red Devils until Emery shattered the hoodoo in his first game in charge 13 months ago.
      Spaniard Emery’s remarkable 88-point haul in 43 Prem games — with a club-record run of 15 league wins at home — is eight more than United boss Ten Hag has chalked up over the same period.
      Agbonlahor has previously said he believes only Red Devils skipper Bruno Fernandes is good enough to get in Villa’s current XI.
      He added:   “They’re 11 points behind Villa. That shows you, especially with the money United have spent, the difference between both clubs.
      “Villa are on the up and United are on a decline.
      “Villa are flying. We’ve got one of the best managers in the league and positive energy from top to bottom. The owners, manager and fanbase are all together.
      “The mighty have fallen at Manchester United. This game is massive and Villa have got nothing to be scared of.”Gabriel Agbonlahor
      “In 2023, nobody in the league has got more points than Villa, other than Manchester City.”
      Agbonlahor, 37, was a key part of Martin O’Neill’s thrilling team which fell just short of a Champions League place between 2008 and 2010.
      It was the last Villa side that had their fans pumped up and dreaming — before a steady decline which bottomed out with three seasons in the Championship.
      Emery, heavily backed by billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, now has the club back in Europe for the first time since O’Neill’s days and battling with the elite.
      Agbonlahor added: “This is the best Aston Villa team that I’ve seen.
      “I played in a good side, finishing sixth for three seasons in a row. But now, technically, especially the centre-halves like Pau Torres, they look very good.
      “I would have loved playing in this side. I look at Ollie Watkins and the way Unai Emery has got the team playing for him. They find his runs in behind so quickly.
      Man Utd have lost 13 games before Christmas for the first time in 93 yearsCredit: Alamy
      Agbonlahor reckons only Bruno Fernandes could get into Aston Villa’s teamCredit: Alamy
      “When I watch them, I’m a bit jealous. It’s exciting, attacking football.
      “Fans that are older than me would have been used to Villa being up there and winning the European Cup in 1982.
      “It’s exciting times, with the football they’re playing, beating Manchester City and Arsenal at home and going toe-to-toe — Aston Villa haven’t done that for years.”
      Agbonlahor fired Villa to their first win at United since 1983, with the club’s only other Old Trafford victory coming under Dean Smith in 2021 — also 1-0.
      Remembering his goal, 14 years ago, he said: “United were still a top team then. It was the season after Federico Macheda got that winning goal — I scored in that game as well.
      “We were probably the better team so we were determined a year later, thinking ‘let’s have a go at Man United’.
      “We were pouring forward and Ashley Young put in a great cross. We all knew about the record. It shows that if you go there and have a go, you can get something.
      Read more on The Sun
      “Normally you’d be parking the bus, defensive, counterattack but this Villa team are not scared of anyone.
      “That comes down to the manager. He has put that faith in the players to say ‘we’re not scared of anyone, we’re Aston Villa’.” More

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      Arsenal fans wind up rivals the most by gifting merch from their own club for Christmas – where does your club rank?

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      MORE than half of Premier League fans wind up rivals with merchandise gifts from their own club for Xmas.Arsenal supporters topped the table in buying friends the wrong scarf or cap a poll found.
      Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City fans topped the list of fans getting ready to wind up their mates on Christmas DayCredit: Getty
      Sixty-five per cent of them gave Gunners gear to mates who follow Spurs.
      Next were Liverpool supporters, with 62 per cent buying Everton pals merchandise from Anfield.
      Man City fans came third, with 60 per cent winding up United muckers.
      At the bottom end, Fulham were 18th with 30 per cent admitting joke buys, and Brentford 19th on 28 per cent.
      READ MORE ON CHRISTMAS 2023
      Bournemouth fans on 26 per cent were least likely to prank their pals, according to a poll of 2,200 supporters by BettingTips4You.com.
      Spokesman John Pentin said: “Our survey brings to light the lighter side of football fan culture.” More

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      German footie fans caught fondling life-sized model of Harry Kane at FC Bayern Store in Munich

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      FOOTIE fans have been caught offside — fondling a life-sized model of Harry Kane.The mannequin is part of a Christmas display at an official club shop.
      German football fans have been fondling a life-sized model of Harry Kane
      Harry has netted 21 goals in 15 games for Bayern since moving from SpursCredit: Getty
      But staff keep having to adjust the shorts worn by the Bayern Munich striker’s dummy because of over­zealous man-handling by his German admirers.
      Last night a worker at the FC Bayern Store in Munich city centre said: “Everyone is always touching Harry’s body here on display.
      “No one is disrespectful, just in awe of him and all of his achievements.
      “Definitely we have seen fans, of all sexes, give him a little pinch or pat on the bottom.
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      “Sometimes his bottom gets touched so much that we have to make sure his shorts are on properly.”
      England hero Harry, 30, has netted 21 goals in 15 games for Bayern since moving from Spurs in the summer.
      Last night he revealed he was leaving his Munich hotel base to move into a new home in the city.
      He posted on Instagram: “A massive thank you to the hotel staff who have made me feel at home since moving to Munich.
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      “It’s been a huge part of being able to settle in so well.” More

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      Max Verstappen snubbed from hiring Mercedes AMG GT with top speed of 195mph on holiday — as he’s ‘too young’

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      FORMULA One world champion Max Verstappen was snubbed when he tried to hire a high-performance car on holiday — as he was too young.The 26-year-old Dutch ace — used to racing at well over 200mph — was denied access to the Mercedes, which has a top speed of 195mph.
      Formula One ace Max Verstappen was unable to hire a Mercedes from car rental firm Sixt when he went on holidayCredit: Splash News
      Staff said that allowing Verstappento take the AMG GT motor would have breached its insurance policyCredit: Mercedes
      Staff at car rental firm Sixt said that allowing Verstappen — who won his first grand prix aged 18 — to take the AMG GT motor would have breached its insurance policy as he is under 30.
      The Red Bull racer, who this season won his third consecutive F1 world championship, instead had to make do with a less powerful BMW 5 Series.
      He flew to the Algarve in Portugal with family and friends on three private jets last Monday.
      The party had rented around 20 cars from Sixt at Faro Airport and hired the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve racing circuit for two days before Verstappen flew on to Brazil.
      READ MORE ON F1
      A source said: “Max and the group went to Portugal for a fun racing trip and had booked the cars they wanted.
      “When they got to the airport, Max was shocked when he was told he wasn’t allowed to drive the Mercedes he wanted.
      “He’s a seasoned F1 driver who’s used to handling powerful cars, so it’s quite astonishing to think he wasn’t allowed to get behind the wheel of this one — but those are the rules, so he abided by them.”
      Verstappen, who has hit a top speed of 213mph in his RB19 F1 car, had picked out the Mercedes AMG GT, which can do up to 195.7mph.
      Most read in Motorsport
      The BMW he was eventually given can cruise at up to 155.3mph.
      His manager Raymond Vermeulen ended up driving the Mercedes.
      Belgium-born Verstappen has won 54 races and made the podium 98 times in his F1 career.
      He has raced for Red Bull since 2016 and is said to have earned £43million this year alone.
      He began karting aged four and was competing in championships at seven. Dad Jos, 51, was also an F1 driver.
      Former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan has said of Verstappen: “I believe he will turn out to be the greatest driver of all time.”
      A Sixt spokesman said: “The employees of our franchise partner in Portugal have only followed the rules that arise for insurance reasons.
      “In order to find a customer-friendly solution on site, Mr Verstappen was provided with another premium vehicle.
      “However, there can be special circumstances that justify a deviation from rules. This is such a case.
      “We apologise to Mr Verstappen. He can rent the car he wants from us at any time.
      “There is of course no doubt at all about his driving skills and his experience with powerful cars.”
      In August, Verstappen appeared to break the speed limit while driving a £2.3million Aston Martin Valkyrie supercar through a tunnel in France.
      Read more on The Sun
      A video showed him to seemingly be at 73mph on a 55mph road.
      His representative was asked to comment.
      Verstappen has hit a top speed of 213mph in his RB19 F1 carCredit: Getty More

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      England boss Gareth Southgate makes £2.5million in one YEAR with lucrative side hustle

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      ENGLAND gaffer Gareth Southgate has also shown great management off the pitch — with his property company adding £2.5million of assets in a year.His firm MAS Investment Holdings deals in the “buying and selling of real estate”.
      Shrewd England manager Gareth Southgate has added to his property portfolio this year
      Its holdings grew from £1.2million to £3.7million in the year ending April 30, accounts filed yesterday reveal.
      Gareth, 53, now owns 11 buy-to-let properties via the firm, which he runs alongside wife Alison.
      The company snapped up a £305,000 apartment in June — one of four flats it owns in Birmingham.
      Ex-England player Gareth — who earns £3million a year as the Three Lions’ boss — owns half of the firm, Alison has a ten per cent stake and their two grown-up children each have a 20 per cent stake.
      READ MORE GARETH SOUTHGATE
      A source said: “Gareth is very astute. He is a meticulous planner and has a keen eye for business.”
      The firm returned a profit of £65,962 in its property dealings in the past year.
      Southgate also has an image rights firm, FHS Promotions.
      He has managed England at two World Cups, reaching the semi-finals in 2018 and quarter-finals in 2022.
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      Southgate’s England also made the Euro 2020 final, losing to Italy at Wembley on penalties.
      His contract with the FA runs until the end of 2024. More

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      Most expensive Premier League Christmas jumpers revealed – where does your club rank?

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      NEWCASTLE United fans are knit amused by the £45 price tag for one of their club’s footie- themed Christmas jumpers.Despite the Magpies having the richest owners in the world — the Saudi sovereign wealth fund — the black, white and gold jumper is more than any other Premier League club’s festive winter woolie.
      Newcastle United were the Premier League club selling the most expensive Christmas jumperCredit:
      Arsenal are selling their jumper, with yellow stripes on a blue background and red and white dots, for £40.
      Manchester United have designed a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer jumper, selling at £36.
      They are also offering one in the original club colours of green and yellow.
      Defending champions Manchester City have set their price tag at £30 — while Chelsea and Liverpool are among several clubs selling their jumpers for £35.
      READ MORE PREMIER LEAGUE
      The cheapest sweater in the Prem can be found at Luton Town, whose Santa-inspired design retails at just £22.
      Fellow strugglers Burnley are the only club not selling a festive jumper.
      Clubs have hiked prices by up to 15 per cent compared with last year.
      But last night, the cost of the festive jumper on NUFC’s online shop was slashed to £13.
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