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      Footie ace Jermain Defoe ‘serious’ with new girlfriend after introducing her to his mum

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      FORMER footballer Jermain Defoe’s new girlfriend Alisha LeMay has already formed a winning partnership — with his mum.Defoe, 40, and model Alisha, 31, were seen with his mum Sandra, below, outside her shop in Waltham Abbey, Essex.
      Jermain Defoe was snapped with his new girlfriend Alisha LeMayCredit: UniquePictures.co.uk
      The pair were seen with his mum Sandra outside her shop in EssexCredit: UniquePictures.co.uk
      A source said: ‘It must be serious if Jermain has introduced her to Sandra’Credit: UniquePictures.co.uk
      A source said: “It must be serious if Jermain has introduced her to Sandra.
      “The pair are extremely close and her opinion matters a lot to him.”
      The Sun on Sunday revealed last month that Defoe was with Alisha following his split from wife Donna Tierney, 40, after four months of marriage.
      Their Cliveden House marriage ceremony, featured in OK! magazine, was thrown into doubt after we revealed there was no official marriage registration.
      Read More on Jermain Defoe
      A beaming Alisha, wearing a green puffer jacket, shared a joke with Sandra from Defoe’s Land Rover.
      They have been seen enjoying a number of dates near her Essex home and she has known him as a friend for several years.
      Defoe has always credited Sandra’s strict parenting with setting him on the road to a successful football career.
      Defoe’s dad, Jimmy Defoe, died aged just 47 in 2012
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      Defoe split from wife Donna Tierney after four months of marriageCredit: instagram
      Defoe always credited Sandra’s parenting with his successful football careerCredit: Reuters More

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      Mason Greenwood eyes drastic move to restart his football career if Manchester United choose to sack star

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      MASON Greenwood is eyeing a football career in China if Manchester United sack him over sex attack claims.The club launched a probe on Thursday when prosecutors dropped the charges against him because 12 witnesses refused to cooperate.
      Mason Greenwood is eyeing a football career in China if Manchester United sack him over sex attack claimsCredit: EPA
      The club launched a probe on Thursday when prosecutors dropped the charges against him because 12 witnesses refused to cooperateCredit: PA
      Sources say Greenwood has now “begrudgingly” accepted United’s stance, which gives the club more time to assess whether his alleged conduct has crossed a line.
      But after being suspended by the club last year, Greenwood told pals he had no intention of playing for United again.
      A source said: “At the time he was adamant he didn’t want to put on the red shirt again.
      “He felt like the club didn’t stand by him.
      Read More on Mason Greenwood
      “He said he would be happy to go and play in China as long as that meant he was getting paid well and was playing.
      “His view may have softened over the last few months, but he was not happy at all.”
      Other sources suggest Greenwood would struggle emotionally with abuse from opposition fans if he played again in England.
      The 21-year-old was charged with attempted rape, ABH and coercive and controlling behaviour.
      Most read in Football
      He was arrested in January 2022 and suspended by the club after images and audio were posted on social media alleging he had abused a woman.
      Yesterday, his alleged victim’s father said outside the family’s home: “We are just absorbing it all. The bail was only lifted yesterday.
      “We are just relieved to get on with our lives and for our daughter.
      “She is OK but it has been very stressful.” More

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      Newcastle United’s £45m signing Anthony Gordon could face jail after being caught driving just two days into a road ban

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      NEWCASTLE United’s £45million signing Anthony Gordon could face jail after driving just two days into a road ban.The star, 21, got a six-month disqualification on Monday for twice failing to disclose details of the driver of his car.
      Anthony Gordon was photographed behind the wheel of his £100k Mercedes G-Wagon on Wednesday – days after being banned from the roadCredit: BackGrid
      Wearing a black puffer jacket and with his unmistakable bleached blond hair, Gordon was seen clambering out of the driver’s sideCredit: BackGrid
      Gordon joined Newcastle from Prem strugglers Everton on SundayCredit: Getty
      But on Wednesday he was pictured driving his £100,000 black Mercedes G-Wagon with his girlfriend Annie Keating.
      Gordon, who joined from Prem strugglers Everton on Sunday, shamelessly parked in daylight outside the Hilton hotel in Gateshead’s busy town centre.
      Wearing a black puffer jacket and with his unmistakable bleached blond hair, Gordon was seen clambering out of the driver’s side before going inside.
      Flouting a road ban can mean up to six months’ jail.
      READ MORE ON ANTHONY GORDON
      A source said: “What a way to start his Newcastle spell.
      “He could face prison.”
      He was banned after offences linked to parking and speeding raps last year.
      Girlfriend Annie Keating drove the star to training on FridayCredit: NNP
      Yesterday, he was dropped off and picked up at training by his girlfriend.
      Most read in Football
      Northumbria Police said: “As is standard practice, we wouldn’t confirm or deny the identity of anyone who may or may not be part of a police investigation and who has not been charged with a criminal offence.”
      Newcastle United have been contacted for comment. More

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      Max Aarons rejected two Premier League transfer moves on deadline day to help Norwich get promoted for third time

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      MAX AARONS turned down two offers from unnamed Premier League clubs on deadline day in order to win promotion from the Championship with Norwich for a third time.The England Under-21 right-back had interest from a number of clubs from home and abroad before the window closed on Tuesday night.
      Max Aarons turned down the chance to move to the PremCredit: Rex
      Aarons has starred in the Championship for Norwich this season
      SunSport revealed last month that Aarons was being monitored by suitors including Fulham, Bournemouth and German outfit Borussia Monchengladbach, who had a bid rejected for Aarons in August.
      Clubs in Italy were also keen.
      But the highly-rated defender, who will have 12 months left on his deal this summer, wanted to stay put at Carrow Road and focus on promotion rather than jump ship mid-season.
      And Aarons, who won the Championship twice with the Canaries in 2019 and 2021, is hugely committed in helping David Wagner’s side make an instant return to the Prem.
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      Seventh-placed Norwich, a place and a point outside the play-offs, host league leaders Burnley on Saturday.
      Ambitious Aarons retains the dream of returning to the Prem and then establishing himself as a top-flight player.
      The 23-year-old is currently valued at £10million by Norwich but once he enters the final year of his contract at the end of the season he is likely to be available for a smaller fee.
      Aarons, who has made almost 200 appearances for the club, will also have one eye on England’s Euro U21 finals this summer.
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      Lee Carsley’s junior Three Lions face Czech Republic, Germany and Israel at the tournament hosted by Romania and Georgia in June.
      And Aarons, who qualifies to play for England in the finals by just four days with his birthday on January 4, 2000, wants to achieve success with his country after a strong end to the domestic season. More

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      Biggest shake up to football ownership in years leaked – what it means for your club

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      DODGY owners will be blocked from getting hold of our footie teams under a huge clean-up.A leaked Government paper seen by The Sun will mean multi-millionaires who cannot prove the source of their wealth won’t be able to complete takeovers.
      The new charter will see dodgy owners blocked from getting hold of our footie teams under a huge clean-up
      Chelsea fans helped sink European Superleague plans in 2021 and the new rules will help stop such schemes in the futureCredit: Getty
      New rules would also see the likes of sanctioned Russian Roman Abramovic kept out of the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
      It would mean the likes of sanctioned Russian Roman Abramovich would be kept out of the Premier League.
      Fans will get a say in running clubs and stop bosses radically changing logos and kits.
      Clubs will fund a regulator which will have powers to ban them from breakaway leagues.
      The major shake-up will also:

      BAN greedy clubs from joining a breakaway competition like the European Super League — which triggered huge protests by fans in 2021; 
      TAX teams an annual fee to fund the regulator and expose them to breach sanctions;
      LET the regulator raid money from the Premier League to help prop up lower leagues.

      The charter plans to tackle murky moneymen and stop them from getting their hands on our clubs — to defend teams against financial and cultural ruin.
      A new regulator will enforce four tough terms clubs must meet to gain a legal licence.
      Teams must only take part in tournaments that have been approved by the regulator — meaning a ban on “breakaway” competitions such as the proposed European Super League. 
      Most read in Football
      Wannabe proprietors will face robust checks on their “source of wealth”.
      It means multi-millionaires who cannot prove they amassed their fortune legitimately will not be allowed to complete takeovers.
      The legal regulator will ensure only “fit and proper custodians” are allowed to own clubs.
      This seemingly rules out oligarchs eyeing Premier League sides and grifters who have previously put smaller teams at risk. 
      Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan wants the regulator in place for the 2024/5 season and will formally unveil legislation imminently.

      Under the proposals — expected to be signed off by Cabinet shortly — all clubs in the top five flights of English football would need to gain a fresh licence to play from the regulator.
      They would be charged a yearly levy — with richer clubs paying more and small sides less.

      But getting the permit depends on meeting tough criteria, including a rigorous vetting of prospective owners and directors.
      The regulator would carry out due diligence checks so undesirable investors are prevented from staging a takeover.
      Last year, Chelsea faced collapse when Abramovich was sanctioned for his links to the Kremlin after Russian leader Vladimir Putin sent his troops to invade Ukraine. 
      The club was banned from making a profit and only allowed to run a severely limited amount of activities so that it could carry on playing. Smaller sides like Bury FC have suffered too. They were booted out of their league altogether after owner Steve Dale failed to show proof of funds and a takeover bid imploded.
       More than 60 sides have gone bust since the Premier League was founded in 1992.
      The reforms could set ministers on a collision course with clubs resistant to more regulation.
      The regulator would require clubs to have deep enough pockets to stop themselves going bust — and establish a new code of conduct ensuring financial stability. Ministers hope the regulator will significantly reduce the prospect of clubs going bankrupt.
       But Ms Donelan is clear that it would not guarantee that no club will fold.
       In such a “worst case scenario”, the regulator will prioritise preserving its cultural heritage.
      The Sun can further reveal that the regulator will have Robin Hood-style powers to take money from the mega-rich Premier League to distribute funds across lower leagues. EFL clubs earn a fraction of the cash clawed by the top-flight competition.
       In 2019 Huddersfield, who finished bottom in the Premier League and were relegated, received £97million in funds — dwarfing the £8.5million awarded to promoted Championship winners Norwich.
      Struggling sides in lower leagues will also get a cash boost so they do not have to rely on Hollywood A-listers — like Wrexham-backer Ryan Reynolds — to stump up much-needed funds. While the Government wants to see a “football-led resolution” by the Football Association, it plans to hand the regulator powers of last resort to distribute money if no agreement is reached. 
      As part of the overhaul, supporters will also be given rights in the running of their club to prevent new management from destroying its roots, like changing the logo or kit colours.
      Minimum standards will be enforced so that supporters are consulted on all key legacy decisions surrounding their club.
       However, despite the widespread powers, the regulator will not be able to stop soaring ticket prices or interfere with fixtures or the rules of the sport.
      Plans for the controversial European Super League infuriated fansCredit: Reuters
      Fans will get more say in how clubs are run under the new plansCredit: PA
      Rishi Sunak vowed to press ahead with the watchdog plans when he became PMCredit: Getty
      The Football White Paper, expected to be published as early as next week, follows a Government-commissioned report into the game in November 2021. 
      Tory MP Tracey Crouch made the case for an independent regulator in her fan-led review, which was accepted by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
      It was thrown into doubt last year when Liz Truss briefly entered No10 — with speculation that she deemed it too meddling. 
      But Rishi Sunak later vowed to press ahead with the watchdog plans when he became PM.
      Mr Sunak has said he is a “massive football fan” and supports Premier League club Southampton FC. He was born in the port city.
      However, ministers will say some of the suggestions in the review fall outside the scope of the regulator. Some fans hoping for a pint at a match will be disappointed as ministers have not settled on whether to allow alcohol in lower leagues.
      Read More on The Sun
      The Government is expected to kick the issue into the long grass, — acknowledging the case for alcohol pilots but saying it remains complex and should be consulted upon further.
      A separate review into women’s football is due this year. 
      NEW LEAGUE BARGREEDY clubs will be forbidden from joining breakaway tournaments like the doomed European Super League.
      One of the four iron-clad rules of the new regulator will limit teams to approved competitions, with other moves subject to the approval of fans and the FA.
      Ministers hope this protective lock will prevent a repeat of the 2021 storm that saw six English clubs join an exclusive European league drawn up by Real Madrid’s president Florentino Perez.
      They quickly bailed following uproar from fans and rival clubs. More

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      Hand of God ref who tried to net £3million for match ball faces hefty loss in his second attempt to sell it

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      THE greedy Hand of God ref who tried to net £3million for the match ball faces a hefty loss in his second attempt to sell it.A would-be buyer last month offered £2million for the ball which Ali Bin Nasser, 78, grabbed after the 1986 World Cup quarter-final.
      Hand of God ref Ali Bin Nasser who tried to net £3million for the match ball faces a hefty lossCredit: Darren Fletcher
      Bin Nasser failed to spot Maradona blatantly punch the ball past Peter Shilton for the game’s first goalCredit: Popperfoto
      The bid for the deflated Adidas was £500,000 below the London auction reserve price, so it was not sold.
      Bin Nasser, 78, is now flogging it online with US firm Goldin.
      But he could be kicking himself as, with eight days left on the auction, the highest bid is only £847,276.
      He stashed the ball in a cupboard after Argentina’s controversial 2-1 victory over England in Mexico.
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      Tunisian Bin Nasser failed to spot Diego Maradona blatantly punch the ball past goalie Peter Shilton for the game’s first goal.
      The midfielder, who also netted the second, later said the opener had been scored with “a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the Hand of God”.
      Bin Nasser, who never refereed at a World Cup again, decided to flog the ball last year.
      Fifa rules stated that he was exclusive owner.
      Most read in Football
      He plans to share the cash with family.
      England’s Steve Hodge, who swapped shirts with Maradona after the game, flogged the star’s No 10 jersey for £7million last year.
      Bin Nasser, who never refereed at a World Cup again, decided to flog the ball last yearCredit: AFP
      Bin Nasser could be kicking himself as, with eight days left on the auction, the highest bid is only £847,276Credit: AFP
      The ref stashed the ball in a cupboard after Argentina’s controversial 2-1 victory over England in MexicoCredit: The Mega Agency
      Maradona shakes hands with Peter Shilton under the watching eye of ref Ali Bin NasserCredit: Getty More

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      Chelsea’s new £88m ace Mykhailo Mudryk forced to apologise after racist video emerges

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      CHELSEA footie star Mykhailo Mudryk was slammed after using the N-word in a video clip for fans.The new £88million signing, 22, repeated the toxic racial term in TikTok footage which has been viewed nearly 214,000 times.
      Mykhailo Mudryk was slammed after using the N-word in a video clip for fans viewed nearly 214,000 timesCredit: Getty
      Chelsea’s new £88million signing, 22, repeated the toxic racial term in the footageCredit: Getty
      The Premier League ace appeared alongside a pal in front of an Audi sports car for the 40-second TikTok clip
      Sources close to the Ukrainian winger, insist he was just trying to recite lyrics from US rapper Lil Baby’s 2017 hit Freestyle.
      Premier League new boy Mykhailo Mudryk has made a grovelling apology for the video.
      But fans and campaigners blasted the Ukrainian winger, 22, for using the language in the TikTok clip “irrespective of context”.
      Mudryk’s representative told The Sun: “Mykhailo is deeply sorry for any offence caused by the video posted on his TikTok account last July.
      READ MORE ON Mykhailo Mudryk
      “Whilst his intention was solely to recite lyrics of a song, Mykhailo regrets his decision and wholeheartedly accepts it was not appropriate. The video has since been removed.”
      “The video has since been removed.”
      Leading football anti-racism group Kick It Out blasted: “Kick It Out condemns the use of all racial slurs, including the N-word irrespective of context.
      “The N-word is deeply offensive and the use of this term by high-profile figures in football can only serve to alienate people from the game.
      Most read in Football
      “It is important that footballers use their significant platform in a positive way, and we’re encouraged to see that Mykhailo Mudryk has acknowledged the hurt caused by his use of this offensive slur.”
      Mudryk made his mega-money move to the Blues this month from Shakhtar Donetsk in his war-torn homeland.
      But last July, he appeared alongside a pal in front of an Audi sports car for the 40-second TikTok clip.
      With hands on their chests, the pair are seen repeating a line from Lil Baby’s 2017 hit Freestyle.
      The full track, lasting two minutes and 43 seconds, features the N-word 16 times.
      Black artists have blasted people of white heritage for using the term in the past.
      Sources close to the Ukrainian winger, insist he was just trying to recite lyrics from US rapper Lil Baby’s 2017 hit FreestyleCredit: Getty
      Mudryk’s representative told The Sun: ‘Mykhailo is deeply sorry for any offence caused by the video posted on his TikTok account last July’Credit: Getty
      Singer Kendrick Lamar declared in 2018: “I’ve been on this earth for 30 years and there’ve been so many things a Caucasian person said I couldn’t do.”
      He added: “So if I say this is my word, let me have this one word, please let me have that word.”
      Grime artist Yizzy has said: “If you use the word . . . and you’re not of any black heritage, in this modern day world, be prepared to face a backlash.”
      And Public Enemy rapper Chuck D has called for all artists to stop using the N-word in their music, highlighting “double standards” in the industry.
      Read More on The Sun
      Labour MP David Lammy said it was “probably the most offensive word” in the English language.
      Kick It Out said it works closely with clubs and players to “educate those involved in the game about the importance of being inclusive”.
      Grime artist Yizzy said: ‘If you use the word… and you’re not of any black heritage, in this modern day world, be prepared to face a backlash’ More

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      London Sunday league footballer enjoys taste of the professional game….in Kazakhstan

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      A SUNDAY league footballer has enjoyed a taste of the professional game — in Kazakhstan.Isima Musa, 24, was once on Wycombe Wanderers’ books but was released at 18 and feared his dreams were over.
      Isima Musa was once on Wycombe Wanderer’s books but was released at 18Credit: SWNS
      Now Isima has gone from parks football to the elite level — turning out for FC Kyzylzhar.
      He was invited to play for the Kazakhstan Premier League side in a pre-season game after impressing in training.
      Isima, from Farringdon, Central London, said: “I played the second half and got an assist.
      “We lost 4-1. But I was just happy to be on a professional pitch getting minutes.
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      “I’m excited for the opportunities now.”
      Isima, who also got a surprise call-up to the Rwanda under-23 squad in 2021, is looking for a team back in the UK.
      Isima trained for a month-and-a-half before being given 45 minutes in a game earlier this month.
      He said: “I was out there for pre-season.
      Most read in Football
      “I played one game, against a Romanian team.
      “My agent’s connections sorted it out.
      “The club was looking for a forward.
      “I was out there for a month and everything was all paid for – travel, food and accommodation.
      “I couldn’t stay as there was an issue with the visa.
      “But, for my own journey, just being on the pitch – it was a blessing.
      “I’m excited for the opportunities now.”
      Kazakhstan, the home country of the fictional Borat Sagdiyev, adopted Sacha Baron Cohen’s brash, moustachioed character’s catchphrase – “Very nice!” – for a new tourism campaign.
      But Isima, now back in the UK and on the hunt for another team, loves the country. More