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      in Soccer

      Kyle Walker’s furious wife Annie ‘will only give their troubled marriage another go if he pays her HALF his fortune’

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      KYLE Walker’s wife has demanded £15million cash to save their marriage.Mum-of-four Annie Kilner, 31, wants around half of the Manchester City star’s £27million fortune to fix their relationship after he fathered two kids with Lauryn Goodman.Kyle Walker’s furious wife Annie Kilner has demanded £15million cash to save their marriageCredit: Eamonn and James ClarkeAnnie, 31, wants around £27million of Kyle’s fortune after he fathered two kids with ex-mistress Lauryn GoodmanCredit: Dan CharityAnnie learned the truth in a text from Lauryn last December – pictured, Annie, Kyle and their children at the Qatar World Cup in December 2022Credit: GettyShe is understood to have obtained preliminary legal advice ahead of any split that would see her net half of Manchester City defender Kyle’s fortune.The £150,000-a-week ace, 34, played in their 1-1 draw with Newcastle United at the weekend — but off the pitch his personal life continues to backfire.Tensions are said to have risen recently after Annie’s sister Sian gave birth to a son after a fling with a married man.It mirrors Kyle’s torrid situation with influencer Lauryn, who had two children with him while he was with Annie.READ MORE ON KYLE WALKERA source told The Sun: “It’s a s***show at the moment.“Kyle and Annie are arguing about pretty much everything.“She’s told him she will only consider giving it another go if he gives her half of his money first.“She’s been told she’s entitled to half of his wealth if they split — and doesn’t want another penny of her share going to Lauryn.Most read in Football“She wants the independence and security divorce would bring her, but wants to try and keep her family together at the same time.“Annie and Kyle have spoken with solicitors about making this financial arrangement happen.Kyle Walker moves back in with wife Annie Kilner after fathering second child with ex“He is happy for her to have the money as he wants security for them — regardless of how their relationship ends up.“Kyle wants financial security for Annie and his boys. “Their relationship changes from week to week, but at the moment she can’t see a way of saving the marriage and has said she is considering filing for divorce. “It has been a really tough time for Annie.”Sources say revelations about Sian have created tensions between both families.Another said: “Sian gave it to Kyle with two barrels over everything with Lauryn but now it seems it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black.“Kyle is throwing Sian’s behaviour back in Annie’s face every time there’s an ­argument and using it as an excuse to make his behaviour acceptable.“He is saying that Annie can’t have a go at him when Sian has done a very similar thing — basically acting as if it is the norm.“Sian has always had a go at him about what he has done to her big sister — now she has done the same with another man.“Sian doing this is just an extra layer to the mess that Annie doesn’t need.”Kyle fathered two kids with Lauryn GoodmanCredit: SplashTensions are said to have risen recently after Annie’s sister Sian gave birth to a son after a fling with a married manCredit: InstagramLauryn, 33, became pregnant while Kyle was on a break from Annie in 2019.Their son Kairo was born in April 2020. Kyle and Annie then rekindled their relationship and got married in 2021.But a year later he reconnected with Lauryn and she gave birth to their second child — daughter Kinara — in August 2023.Annie learned the truth in a text from Lauryn last December.A source said: “They had an emotional phone call. “They both apologised to each other — Annie for revealing the gender of Lauryn’s child which had devastated her.”Annie, who was pregnant with her and Kyle’s fourth child at the time, was left reeling and announced their split two weeks later. This April she gave birth to her and Kyle’s son Rezon.The family holidayed in Turkey this summer. Pals said Annie is still weighing up her options and, while Kyle was in and out of the family home, she wanted him in their sons’ lives.A source said: “Annie is insisting to friends they are not back together and just trying to navigate a way forward. “All she really cares about is the kids and will do all she can to protect them.”The Man City star with his wife Annie and three of their four kidsCredit: AFP or LicensorsPals said Annie is still weighing up her optionsKyle spoke to The Sun in January of his regret over cheating on Annie.He said he wanted to repair the relationship but admitted he had broken Annie’s heart. Kyle said: “I’m sorry I’ve had a second child with Lauryn and hurt my best friend. It’s horrible to say that out loud. I’ve hurt someone I truly believe is my soulmate.”In June and July, Annie travelled to the Euros in Germany with their sons, but the couple appeared worlds apart in pictures.READ MORE SUN STORIESLess than 48 hours after England’s final defeat to Spain, Kyle was in court to thrash out a financial settlement with Lauryn.A judge later accused Lauryn of using him like “an open-ended cheque book”. More

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      Football’s most cringey adverts revealed from Southgate at Pizza Hut to Messi flogging face cream & Beckham’s Sharpies

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      THEY are often accused of hamming it up on the football pitch.But the game’s top stars can be just as bad off it – you only need to look at former Man United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, who dressed up as a butcher and played an accordion to advertise Danish bacon.We look back at the footie stars who have flogged everythingCredit: GettyAnd he is not the only ace with a side hustle in cringey commercials.Nadia Cohen looks back at the footie stars who have flogged everything, from tomato juice to pens . . . Kevin Keegan appeared in an ad for Sugar PuffsDutch legend Robin van Persie and Ryan Giggs did a Japanese tomato juice advertGareth Southgate did a commercial for Pizza Hut following his famous Euro ’96 penalty missCredit: PAPETER SCHMEICHEL – Danepak baconPeter Schmeichel dressed up as a butcher and played an accordion to advertise Danish baconDavid Beckham promoted SharpiesRONALDO – Japanese ‘facial fitness’ gizmoChristiano Ronaldo in an ad for a Japanese ‘facial fitness’ gizmoJimmy bullard flogs Wash n Go shampooJohn Barnes apeared in an ad for Just EatHarry Kane has become the face of 3Bears porridgeCredit: 3 BearsFootball genius Lionel Messi once did an ad for Japanese face creamFootball genius Lionel Messi once did an ad for More

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      in Boxing

      Inside Daniel Dubois’ strict upbringing from hours of press-ups, no internet to vid that made him want to be world champ

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      DANIEL DUBOIS’ fearsome fists that floored Anthony Joshua bear the scars of a childhood being relentlessly drilled for boxing stardom.The 27–year-old South Londoner stunned Wembley Stadium on Saturday night when he knocked out the crowd favourite in the fifth round to retain his IBF heavyweight title.Daniel Dubois’ fearsome fists bear the scars of a childhood being relentlessly drilled for boxing stardomCredit: GettyDubois stunned Wembley Stadium on Saturday night when he knocked out the crowd favourite in the fifth roundCredit: GettyDaniel floored Anthony Joshua and secured his world heavyweight titleCredit: AFPAfter defeating two-time world champion Joshua, 34, Daniel looked towards his dad Dave, who had moulded him to be a king of the ring with a punishing training schedule.From the tender age of five, Daniel, whose nickname is Dynamite, was being coached at home to be a boxer. And by the time he was in his teens, his regime would include three to five hours of gruelling press-ups every day without food or water.Spending so much time with his hands against the floor left them permanently marked.Read More on SportDaniel’s market trader dad Dave, 63, whose real name is Stan, revealed he pushed his son hard in the quest for boxing glory.He said: “I wouldn’t give him food or water until he’d finished. That’s why he’s so powerful.“I just wanted to strengthen his mind because boxing is a hard sport. Not anyone can do it.”The Sun’s boxing correspondent, Wally Downes Jr, who had a ringside view of Daniel’s knockout right hook during Saturday’s showdown, said of the fighter’s reaction to winning: “Dubois’ celebration seemed muted for a kid who’s torturous training regime has left permanent scarring on his shovel-like hands.Most read in Boxing’Very disciplined’“But behind the scenes, he got to hug his giant father and we saw in full flow this unconventional family affair that has just derailed the AJ gravy train.”Before to the Joshua fight, Don Charles, who is 6ft 5in and Daniel’s current trainer, told how the young champ invests everything in his sport.AJ vs Dubois: Round-by-roundHe said: “He’s very disciplined away from boxing. You never read about Daniel Dubois going to night clubs, causing havoc, drinking, smoking, none of that.“He eats well. His dad does all his meal preps. They’re all home cooked.“It comes from a very strict background. His father is very, very, very strict with him. Always has been with all his children, not just Daniel, and that’s the product of that. He’s a very, very disciplined individual.”Daniel, who still lives at home, does not booze or party, and reportedly has little time for girlfriends due to his determination to be a boxing icon. His mobile has no internet after he was warned off phones as a kid.But he is not the only Dubois that father-of-11 Dave has sculpted for boxing success.Sculpted for boxing successHis daughter Caroline, 23, is considered to be one of the world’s best female boxers, while two of his other sons, Prince, 20, and Solomon, 12, are also aiming for glory in the ring.Dave would make Caroline and Daniel run laps around their estate in Deptford, South London, every other day to keep fit. Once, cops intervened, fearing the youngsters were being forced to do it by their father.Both children were home-schooled by Dave, who briefly put Caroline into mainstream education after being warned that social services may pay him a visit.I didn’t see much of the street because, from about the age of eight, dad kept me in the boxing ring. The training he put me through became so toughDaniel DuboisBut none of Daniel’s siblings has yet matched what he did at the weekend.Most of the record 96,000 crowd at Wembley were there to cheer on Anthony Joshua.Few commentators gave Daniel much chance of beating his Olympic gold medal-winning rival.Dubois had previously lost to Britain’s Joe Joyce and Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in controversial circumstances in major bouts.In 2020, he was cruelly branded a “coward” by fellow heavyweight Dillian Whyte for signalling he could no longer go on in his European title fight against Joyce.It was revealed later that Daniel’s eye socket had been broken and he was struggling to see.Young talent Daniel, aged 12, triumphs in the ringCredit: InstagramHard press-up routines marked young Daniel’s handsCredit: InstagramThen, in August 2023, Usyk dropped to the canvas in the fifth round of their world heavyweight bout. But the referee ruled Daniel had landed an illegal “low blow.” Usyk went on to win, with the British boxer dropping to his knee at one point, unable to take the blows any more.Since then, Daniel has come back stronger than ever.He became the interim International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight champion in June by beating Croatian Filip Hrgovic.Usyk’s decision to continue with a rematch against Tyson Fury rather than take on Daniel again meant that the belt was handed to Dubois.After that, Daniel revealed that his dad had said, “You’re going to be world champion,” adding: “It’s all come to pass now, hasn’t it?”The way Dave tells it, he had a heavenly vision that Daniel would take one of boxing’s biggest crowns.He said: “I used to have a lot of visions when I was young, and I always followed them.From left, Prince, Caroline, dad Dave, Daniel and SolomonCredit: GettyDubois poses with his father Dave after a training session at the Peacock Profighters GymCredit: GettyDaniel aged nine with ex-boxing champ James DeGaleCredit: Instagram“I got a vision saying I needed to have some children and put them into boxing, so that’s what I did.“It was like I had been blessed by God. Everything I touched turned to gold.”Dave, who is a single parent, sold posters on market stalls in London.His fascination with boxing rubbed off on Daniel, who is the eldest son from his former second wife.The boxer said: “My dad would tell me stories about the world heavyweight champions.“One day, he put on a video of Lennox Lewis against Frank Bruno. That fight was the moment I knew that I wanted to be a world champion.”Dave started taking his son to a boxing gym from the age of eight.It kept him out of trouble.Daniel said: “I didn’t see much of the street because, from about the age of eight, Dad kept me in the boxing ring. The training he put me through became so tough, incredibly hard.“But my dad knew what the reward could be. Not once did I think of walking away. I dedicated myself totally.” The young sportsman also had a go at sprinting and swimming, but it was clear his talents were most suited to throwing punches.He trained in the renowned Peacock and Repton boxing clubs in East London.But it seems that his single-minded father often fell out with the coaching staff there. Daniel once said: “We changed gyms so often because the coaches didn’t seem to get along with my dad.”My dad knew what the reward could be. Not once did I think of walking awayDaniel DuboisStarting out, the future world champion won a couple of schoolboy titles and joined the Team GB set-up in Sheffield, with the intention of representing his country at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. But his dad convinced him to turn professional rather than continuing as an amateur in the Olympic set-up.While sparring in Sheffield aged 17, it is rumoured he knocked out AJ, a story Daniel will not confirm.In 2017, Daniel signed with promoter Frank Warren and knocked out his first opponent in a professional bout, Marcus “Caveman” Kelly, in 35 seconds.From then on, he won fight after fight, using his quick punches to floor sparring rivals. Until this weekend, though, he was not a household name — and that is because he is far from your typically flamboyant boxer.He does not boast about his victories or dance around the ring. Even when he beat Joshua, he stood calmly on the canvas as chaos erupted.Before Charles, he was trained by Martin Bowers and Shane McGuigan. Shane, who is the son of Irish boxing legend Barry, was coaching Caroline, too. However, a family rift means that Caroline, a gold medallist for Team GB at the 2018 Youth Olympics, is no longer in the Dubois fold.Instead, she is being trained by Shane and has moved away form their Hertfordshire family home. What was behind the differences is unclear.READ MORE SUN STORIESMeanwhile, Daniel does not have any regrets about sticking with his dad’s disciplinarian approach — retreating from the world to train for his bout with Joshua.The title-holder, sometimes called Triple D for Daniel Dynamite Dubois, said: “It’s been like prison, I’ve just been grinding. Have all the pleasure later. There is plenty of time for that.” More

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      in Soccer

      From a ‘Wetherspoons plate’ to something you’d throw up after a night out, the worst footie kits ever revealed

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      MANCHESTER City fans are looking back in anger at their side’s 0-0 draw on Wednesday against Inter Milan in the new “Oasis-inspired” fourth kit.After the match, City defender Manuel Akanji admitted he’d accidentally passed to the assistant ref because the official’s top looked like his side’s special-edition shirt.Erling Haaland in Wednesday’s disappointing 0-0 Champions League draw with InterCredit: AlamyThe Definitely City strip was part-designed by Noel Gallagher to mark the 30th anniversary of debut album Definitely MaybeCredit: PUMA / BEEMOne supporter fumed that the Definitely City strip – part-designed by the band’s Noel Gallagher to mark the 30th anniversary of debut album Definitely Maybe – was “the worst footie kit I’ve ever seen.”But in the league of garish football garb, the peach and blue shirt is nowhere near top of the table. Garish classic replica football shirts are trendy with Gen Z, who are as likely to flaunt an obscure top as they are a team’s main colours.True collectors will want all three – home, away and third kits, which can cost £80 to £110 each. READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIf the strips have been “match-worn” by a star player in a memorable game they can fetch thousands of pounds.That has led to clubs battling to put out even more eye-catching kit.Premier League champs City went further, by introducing the Definitely City strip – inspired by the front room shown on the album’s cover – to be worn during home matches in the Champions League this season.The “authentic” shirt will set fans back £125. But it does come in a “collector’s box” featuring Noel on the front.Most read in FootballSo which club kits are winners and which deserve to be relegated to the nearest charity shop?Fashion Editor Clemmie Fieldsend is our referee.How much every Premier League club earns in shirt sponsorsMANCHESTER CITYBOSS Pep Guardiola strummed the guitar in a photoshoot recreation of Oasis’s Definitely Maybe album for the fourth kit’s launch.And while the shirt’s colours, seen above on Erling Haaland, are inspired by the famous album cover, they don’t appear to be in tune with fans who prefer the famous sky-blue hues.Clemmie says: “Some might say this Oasis themed shirt is Wonderwall, but Man alive, it’s reminding me of a dinner lady’s tabard.”NORWICH CITYThere is no excuse for this Norwich City multi-coloured goalie kitCredit: Norwich CityTHE Canaries can’t do much about the fact their yellow and green colours resemble what might be regurgitated after a heavy night out.But there is no excuse for this multi-coloured goalie kit, which is even more offensive to the eyes than their much sought-after early Nineties home shirt.Clemmie says: “The print looks like it’s come straight off a bus seat, and that’s not a fashion goal or a keeper.”TOTTENHAMTottenham’s army-green kitsCredit: tottenhamhotspur.comIT’S perhaps understandable that Tottenham fans might want to go out in camouflage after the Premier League side’s poor start to the season.But surely their army-green third shirt blends in too much with the turf and will make it difficult for team-mates to pick each other out.Clemmie says: “It may be ‘first the worst’ in the children’s rhyme, but third has outdone it when it comes to Tottenham’s reserve shirt.”IPSWICH TOWNIpswich Town’s pink and white third kit is sponsored by Ed Sheeran’s world tourED SHEERAN has worn his beloved Ipswich Town’s third kit, which is sponsored by his world tour.While the ­pop collaboration makes sense, the pink colour with white musical frequencies on it is nothing but a bad equation.Clemmie says: “Featuring sound waves from fans at Portman Road, plus the local coastline, Framlingham Castle and Wolsey’s Gate – local tourism chiefs must be thrilled.”CHELSEAIt looks like Chelsea have stuck a white top in a washing machine with blue dye to create this kitHAVING splashed out more than £300million on players this summer, it seems the West London club didn’t have much cash left over to hire a kit designer.Instead they seem to have stuck a white top in a washing machine with blue dye and left it to see what would happen.Clemmie says: “It’s not very likely that this child-like design is going to ignite any fires in fashion.”STOKE CITYStoke City’s third kit reminds Clemmie of ‘Lady Gaga’s famous meat dress’Credit: Southampton FCTHE Championship side have just sacked their manager Steven Schumacher – but the designers who did their third kit deserve the push as well. For a part of the world that is famous for its potteries, you might think they could do better.Clemmie says: “Stoke City’s third kit reminds me of Lady Gaga’s famous meat dress with its patchy pink design – and not in a good way.”ARSENALArsenal supporters blasted the decision to have kits with similar colours to those of Man CityTHE Gunners have gone for a sky-blue third kit, with very similar colours to those of their biggest league rivals, Man City.But that decision has been blasted by supporters of the North London side.Clemmie says: “The light blue and lilac colours have a look of the Premier League title holders’ shirt about them. “But despite the critics, it is the most versatile and fashionable of the lot.”SUNDERLANDSunderland’s shirt looks like a Wetherspoons plate, say fansSTARE too long at The Black Cats’ third kit and you are liable to be hypnotised by its Seventies-style pattern.Look closer at the blue shirt and you will see a colliery wheel, which celebrates the city and wider North East’s proud coal mining history.Clemmie says: “Some fans have taken a stand against it saying it looks like a Wetherspoons plate.”LEICESTER CITYLeicester City’s black Adidas shirt, with gold and pink splashes, looks fadedTHERE is nothing foxy about the away kit Jamie Vardy is wearing for The Foxes this season.The black Adidas shirt, with gold and pink splashes, looks faded – a bit like Leicester City’s ­survival hopes.Clemmie says: “There’s the vintage look and then there’s ‘mouldy’. Bit of an own-goal.”BRIGHTONBrighton’s striped yellow and blue away kit ‘has a retro feel’, says ClemmieCredit: NikeBRIGHTON’S striped yellow and blue away kit has drawn comparisons with those pesky cartoon Minions.But the Seagulls have had a strong start to the season, so maybe those bright colours are helping to put off the opposition.Clemmie says: “Brighton’s new kit has a retro feel that bumps it right up the fashion league table.”SOUTHAMPTONSouthampton’s pink kit has been described as ‘up there with the worst kits ever’Credit: Southampton FCFANS of newly promoted Saints described their new third kit as “needing sunglasses to see it” and “up there with the worst kits ever”.Pondering the South coast side’s dodgy history of questionable shirts, Clemmie says: “While they say their strip ‘follows the dazzle concept’, the Pepto Bismol pink colour makes me feel a little queasy and should be quickly relegated.”READ MORE SUN STORIESHOW THEY PEPPED UP  OASIS  LP  COVERMan City stars recreate Oasis’ legendary album coverCredit: PUMA / BEEMThe original Definitely Maybe cover by OasisTHE Definitely City kit is inspired by the Definitely Maybe cover, and the publicity material for it was shot in a living room based on the cover, with City’s Kyle Walker, Jess Park, Ederson and Mateo Kovacic joining manager Pep Guardiola. It also features images of City legends Colin Bell and Sergio Aguero. More

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      in Soccer

      Spice up your sex life & DON’T watch Celebs Go Dating – my 8 rules for Kyle Walker and Annie to rescue rocky marriage

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      LOVE rat Footballer Kyle Walker has been taken back into the family home by Annie Kilner. His long-suffering wife, 32, has allowed the Manchester City player, 34, back for the sake of their children but has told pals they have not fully reconciled. Annie has allowed Kyle to move back into the family home for the sake of their kidsCredit: BackGridKyle’s former mistress Lauryn Goodman, 33, is currently appearing on Celebs Go DatingCredit: PAA source said: “They either had to make a go of it or move on, and they’ve decided to see how things go.“It’s on a trial basis.“Kyle’s been back for over a week now, and he’s sleeping in a separate bed on the third floor of the house.“Annie is determined to do what she thinks is best for her kids.”READ MORE FEATURESBut patching things up between the pair is going to be extremely hard, warns relationship expert Jo Hemmings. “This situation has been a rather excessive love triangle as he’s had an affair twice with the same woman,” she said. “Making things work after getting back together once is hard, but doing it a second time reduces the chances of it working even further.“But it is possible with work from both parties.”Most read in FootballHere, Jo gives her no-nonsense rules for the couple to have the best chance of a successful marriage after Kyle’s infidelities.Turn off the TVKyle’s former mistress Lauryn Goodman, 33, is currently appearing on Celebs Go Dating, which is sure to make things harder for Annie and Kyle as they make a go of their marriage.Lauryn Goodman breaks down in tears as she describes Kyle Walker drama as ‘going to war’Lauryn is still wearing a necklace embalzoned with Kyle’s initialsCredit: RexShe’s been breaking down in tears on the E4 dating showCredit: Channel 4Jo said: “They need to avoid watching Celebs Go Dating, no matter how tempting it might be.“Lauryn is wearing a necklace with KW engraved on it, which suggests that she isn’t over Kyle.“It’s not something either of them need to see while mending fences. “It could make Annie want to fight for her man if she sees Lauryn’s behaviour, but I would just recommend they don’t watch it. Especially Annie.”Spice up sex lifeThe couple share four children and have been together since they were 16 years oldCredit: AFP or LicensorsSince returning to the family home earlier this month, Kyle has been sleeping in a separate bedroom to Annie, which is also on a different floor of the house. But if they want to make this reconciliation work and go the distance, they need to bring back intimacy into their relationship.Jo said: “They 100 per cent need to work on their intimacy if things are going to work out. “But he’ll need to behave scrupulously well before Annie is likely to even consider letting him back into her bedroom again.“To start working on it, they need to spend time together one on one. Starting with dedicated date nights is a good idea. “If they’re not having a full, proper relationship, then it won’t work.“It also means he’ll be more likely to stray again, be it to Lauryn or someone else.”Couples counsellingJo’s top recommendation for Kyle and Annie is to get in touch with a couple’s counsellor and book in session to work through their issues. She said: “I can’t see them working this out without getting external help. Their relationship is so fragile at this point.“This is a very messy situation and they are going to need structure and external advice from someone who is neutral and will listen without judgement to get their relationship back on track. “Part of that counselling will require full candour from Kyle. He needs to be honest about what has happened and why he strayed.“Thrashing it out in private during a couple’s session is a great way to work through their issues, away from their young children.”Drop the pastAnnie needs to accept the children Kyle has with LaurynCredit: INSTAGRAMOne of the hardest things to do for any couple that has gone through issues is to leave the past behind. Jo reckons this is absolutely vital for Kyle and Annie to make their relationship work.“They do initially need to have conversations about what has happened in the past with Lauryn and properly wring everything out,” Jo said. “But once that is done, they need to focus on what their future can be like. “They’ve already got four children together, so they’ve got a good reason to try.“But having another baby to bring them closer won’t work. This is more about looking at what their life could be like if things work out. “They need to make plans to help them move forward, rather than constantly looking back.” Accept the kidsKyle’s betrayals have been made very clear with the two children he’s fathered with Lauryn.While this may be a painful reminder for Annie, Jo says she needs to accept they exist and aren’t at fault. “These children are innocent at the end of the day, and they deserve to know their father,” she said. “While their existence is likely to be painful to Annie and a constant reminder of his betrayal, I am sure she would want him to be a good father to all his children.“That said, I imagine for now she’ll want things reasonably restricted because of Lauryn and I can’t see them going away as a blended family any time soon. “But accepting the children as part of life is a step towards things being easier.”Annie makes the rulesKyle needs to understand he has betrayed his wife’s trust and needs to follow her leadKyle has shattered his wife’s trust by straying not once, but twice, with the same woman. As a result, Jo says he needs to accept that Annie will rule their house, and he has to prove his trustworthiness to her. “Annie is going to struggle to trust Kyle, and that means he has to prove himself to her in any way possible,” she told The Sun. “So if she wants to know where he is and have access to his phone, he needs to give her that while they rebuild. “If he feels like it’s ridiculous and an invasion of his privacy, then he probably isn’t really up for repairing things. “A lot of making this work is based on him being willing to be honest. He has got to play by Annie’s rules if he wants to make this work.”Grow up The couple need to rediscover their romantic sideCredit: Tim StewartJo reckons that Kyle’s infidelities are a result of him not being mature enough to handle being a father and a husband. In order to make things work with Annie, he needs to start growing up. “Kyle has got a lot of growing up to do emotionally,” she said. “He’s not the first Premier League footballer to stray, and won’t be the last. Kyle’s love life2007 – Kyle Walker meets Annie in their hometown of Sheffield when she is just 16. The pair start dating shortly after.2013 – Annie and Kyle welcome the birth of their first son, Roman, 11. 2016 – Rumours first arise of Kyle’s bad behaviour when he was caught messaging Playboy model Carla Howe. Sources claimed she cut it off when she found out he had a partner and a child.2017 – Annie and Kyle’s second child, Riaan, is born.2019 – Reign, Annie and Kyle’s third son is born. May 2019 – Annie leaves Kyle after it came to light that he had an affair with reality star Laura Brown. Laura claimed they had romped in the back of Kyle’s Bentley. February 2020 – Lauryn Goodman gives birth to her first child with Kyle, Kairo, who was conceived when he was on a break from Annie. It causes Annie and Kyle to briefly split. April 2020 – It was revealed that Kyle had a lockdown sex party with escorts. June 2020 – It is reported that Kyle has proposed to Annie.November 2021 – Kyle and Annie get married in secret after reconciling. March 2023 – Lauryn announces she is pregnant with her second child but doesn’t reveal the father. Kyle allegedly flashes and kisses a woman in the bar.August 2023 – Lauryn announces the birth of her son, and says it is fathered by a footballer. She then tells Annie privately that Kyle is the father of her latest child. January 2024 – Kyle is publicly revealed as the father of Lauryn’s second child. Annie announces she has split from Kyle after his infidelities. Kyle then issues a public apology to his wife. May 2024 – Annie gives birth to Kyle’s fourth son by her, Rezon. July 2024 – Kyle takes Annie to North Wales to try and win her back.September 2024 – The Sun reveals that Annie has allowed Kyle to be back in the family homeKeep clear of negative palsJo reckons Annie, pictured, will have a fight on her heands to keep Lauryn from KyleCredit: InstagramLauryn with baby KairoCredit: instagram/@lauryngoodman91Given the public nature of Annie and Kyle’s struggle, everyone has an opinion on what they should do. But talking with pals who don’t support their attempt to reconcile will make things tricky, Jo claims. She said: “I’m sure Annie has heard everyone express their doubts about Kyle and views on his behaviour.”But she, and Kyle, need to find a close pal who they can talk to who is supportive of their attempts to get back together. READ MORE SUN STORIES”They both need to hear people saying they can make it work by giving it another go and that they have their unconditional support. “Hearing negative things about how Annie should dump him won’t help now they’re trying again.” More

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      in Motorsport

      Savage sackings that prove F1 is world’s most cut-throat sport – including star axed by email from PA… on his birthday

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      WITHIN days of smashing his car at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend, Logan Sargeant’s career was up in flames too.The Williams driver crashed and burned during practice for the race at Zandvoort, and was swiftly removed from his seat in the team for the rest of the season.Logan Sargeant was axed after crashing out of the Dutch Grand Prix last weekendCredit: GettySargeant’s car was badly damaged at the Circuit Park ZandvoortCredit: GettyMagnussen, with his wife Louise Gjorup, was fired by emailCredit: AlamyMick Schumacher, pictured with girlfriend Laila Hasanovic, was reportedly told he was being released from Haas while standing in a hotel lobbyCredit: InstagramOf course, in the savage world of motor racing, Sargeant, 23, is just the latest in a long line of drivers to be brutally axed without warning.Here, we explore the scandalous sackings that prove Formula One is the world’s most cut-throat business – including the racer unfortunate enough to be let go by email on his birthday.Sacked by PA on his birthdayDanish driver Kevin Magnussen was a rising star of the McLaren team when he made his debut in 2014 alongside Jensen Button.But when he finished the season trailing in eleventh place, he was swiftly replaced by two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso.Instead of breaking the bad news to him in a face-to-face meeting, boss Ron Dennis got his assistant to send Magnussen a short and impersonal email.Worst still, the curt message landed in Kevin’s inbox on his 23rd birthday.”It was a short paragraph explaining that there would be nothing for me in the future,” recalled Magnussen, now 31. “It arrived on my birthday actually.”A year earlier his predecessor Sergio Perez, 34, had been offered a contract, signed the documents and sent them back to McLaren – only to learn he was being dropped in favour of Magnussen.Most read in Motorsport’Crashgate’ scandalWhen Renault decided to axe Nelson Piquet Junior in 2009 it led to one of the biggest scandals to ever engulf the sport.After Piquet, the son a of a three-time F1 World Champion, failed to score any points at all in the first half of the season, team boss Flavio Briatore fired him.Formula One’s Highest EarnersBut Piquet shot back – alleging that Briatore and other members of the management team had ordered him to deliberately crash out of the Singapore Grand Prix to help teammate Fernando Alonso secure a victory.Renault and Briatore launched criminal proceedings, claiming that Piquet was blackmailing them so he could finish the season.Investigations eventually revealed that Piquet’s claims were true, in what became known as the ‘Crashgate’ scandal.Renault were slapped with a two-year suspended ban by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) for conspiring to cause a crash.The aftermath of Nelson Piquet’s crash into a wall at the Singapore Grand Prix in September 2008.Credit: Sutton ImagesNelson Piquet leaves FIA headquarters in Paris after hearing at the World Motor Sports Council as part of the “Crashgate” affair in 2009.Credit: AFPItalian Flavio Briatore in October 2008, shortly before firing Piquet from the Renault team.Credit: EPA”The conditions I had to deal with have been very strange to say the least,” said Piquet later. “There are incidents that I can hardly believe occurred myself.”A manager is supposed to encourage you, support you, and provide you with opportunities. “In my case it was the opposite – Flavio Briatore was my executioner.”‘Dumped by text’Red Bull picked up a reputation for being ruthless right from the start.They were said to be tough on all their drivers, even four-time ChampCar winner Sebastien Bourdais, who signed up to partner with Sebastian Vettel at their team Toro Rosso in 2008.Bourdais car flew as he crashed with team mate Sebastien Buemi, Force India’s Adrian Sutil and Renault’s Nelson Piquet the start of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix in 2009.Credit: ReutersSebastien Bourdais and his wife Claire in the pits after the qualifying session of the French Grand Prix in June 2008.Credit: AFPWhen the Frenchman struggled to make progress, he was swiftly dropped in favour of young Spanish driver Jaime Alguersuari.And he later revealed he had been dumped by a brisk TEXT from team boss Franz Tost.”The way they got rid of me was very disappointing,” said Bourdais. “He did not speak with me. He did not call me. “Everything was done by SMS, which to me has no style.”Tost denied the allegations, saying: “I told Monsieur Bourdais personally that he is not going drive anymore and did not write any SMS.”F1 2025 gridHere are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season so far:Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio PerezFerrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis HamiltonMercedes: George Russell and Kimi AntonelliMcLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar PiastriAston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance StrollWilliams: Alex Albon and Carlos SainzSauber: Nico Hulkenberg and TBCAlpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack DoohanRB: Yuki Tsunoda and TBCHaas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban OconDitched for last race over rantAlthough he almost triumphed in the 1990 World Championship for Ferrari, the following year was a disaster for Alain Prost.He finished in fifth place but openly criticised his car at the Japanese Grand Prix.”After a few laps, the shock absorbers no longer worked and the steering was incredibly hard,” said Prost, now 69.”At the end of the race, I said it was like driving a horrible truck, no pleasure.”Prost with Ferrari’s Sporting Director Cesare Fiorio in Portugal back in 1990Credit: GettyProst retired from the 1990 Hungarian Grand Prix after his clutch seized and he spun off the trackCredit: GettyBoss Claudio Lombardi was furious and fired him ahead of the season closer in Australia.Lombardi said later: “The behaviour of Alain Prost during this season has not been at the level that Ferrari would like from a top driver.”His behaviour insider and outside the team meant that Ferrari had to stop the relationship.”Read of sacking on AutosportJolyon Palmer smashed into Romain Grosjean of Haas F1 Team at the Russian Grand Prix in 2017.Credit: EPAPalmer in the pit lane at Silverstone in July 2017.Credit: EPAWhen he was a member of the Renault team in 2017, British commentator Jolyon Palmer, now 33, was replaced by Carlos Sainz.The problem was that nobody had told him and Palmer only realised what was happening when he logged on and saw the news online. “I knew when I read it on Autosport,” he explained.”And then I knew it was true as well, I spoke to some people. “That was it.”Axed by faxHeinz-Harald was supported by wife TanjaCredit: GettyHeinz-Harald crashed into the guard rail during the Monaco time trials in May 1997.Credit: ReutersJordan driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen was axed by the Irish team midway through 2001 – by fax.His contract was unceremoniously torn up following an exchange of views at Silverstone, which resulted in Frentzen taking Jordan to court.The contract dispute was resolved ‘amicably’ at the end of 2002.Mick SchumacherLast year Mick Schumacher was reportedly told he was being released from Haas while standing in a hotel lobby with team boss Guenther Steiner.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe German driver, 25, had failed to secure his seat, and with Haas bringing in veteran Nico Hulkenberg for 2003, he was sacked ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.Steiner told Bild+: “He was certainly suspecting something, he doesn’t live under a rock.”Mick and his partner Laila Hasonovic during the Spanish Grand Prix in June.Credit: GettySchumacher with Haas F1 team’s Italian team principal Guenther SteinerCredit: AFP More

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      ‘I threw me f***ing dinner at him & said: ‘Want to say something now, big ears?’ Vinnie Jones on feud with Gary Lineker

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      FOOTBALL’S most notorious hardman Vinnie Jones is glad to have turned his back on his “lunatic” heavy-drinking past that featured brushes with the law in its wilder moments.Twelve years sober, the 59-year-old former Wimbledon midfielder who became a Hollywood star reveals all is now “quiet” in his life with new partner Emma Ford on his West Sussex farm.Vinnie Jones is glad to have turned his back on his ‘lunatic’ heavy-drinking pastCredit: Perou/WBD/discovery+.Vinnie is filming an advert for the British Heart FoundationCredit: SuppliedBut when I meet the actor at his former club’s stadium, where he is filming an advert for the British Heart Foundation charity, there is still a mischievous glint in his eye.Memories of a three-decade feud with Gary Lineker suggest that although he is no longer in Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang of wildman players, there may still be a bit of the Crazy Gang left in the man who was sent off 12 times in his career.Last week Gary told how the only player who had had a “pop” at him over critical comments he had made on Match Of The Day was Vinnie.And according to the man himself, it was far more than a “pop”.READ MORE ON VINNIE JONESVinnie — whose best-known roles include 1998 crime caper Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and this year’s hit Netflix series The Gentlemen — recalls how Gary “said he’d rather watch [now-defunct teletext service] Ceefax than watch Wimbledon”.Vinnie was not amused, and said: “If I’d got hold of him I’d have ripped him a f***ing new ahole.Christmas list“So when I saw him in a hotel in Dublin, I threw me f***ing dinner at him and said, ‘Well, you want to say something now, big ears?’”The 1995 set-to also involved Vinnie throwing slices of toast at Gary.Most read in FootballBut the Ceefax putdown was not Gary’s only snipe at the Crazy Gang, and a year later he said that Vinnie was “no benefit to the game”.The club then hit back at former England striker Gary, saying he had the “charisma of a jellyfish”.Vinnie Jones shares major update on beloved Discovery+ show In the Country after one series on air Three years later all appeared to be well when the pair appeared together in a Walkers crisps advert.But today Vinnie says with a grin: “He’s not on my Christmas card list. I’m sure I’m not on his.”The in-demand actor — who has a second series of The Gentlemen coming up as well as Paramount+ fly-on-the-wall documentary series Vinnie Jones In The Country — admits he was too aggressive in the old days.And he reveals it was Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones who turned his life around.Vinnie’s problems started when he was 12, with the divorce of his parents Peter and Glenda.He said: “It was my first kind of trauma in my life, because it wasn’t common then. It was looked down on.“I had a lot of aggression as a young man. And when I went to a psychologist, we pinpointed it back to the aggression, mental health and frustration.“Put that in a glass and put beer with it, and then you’ve got a fing lunatic on your hands.”Grabbing Gazza’s gooliesWhen Vinnie became a semi-pro player with non-league Wealdstone in 1984, aged 19, there was an ingrained drinking culture in football.Four years later, after signing for Wimbledon in 1986, he became a household name when he famously grabbed Paul Gascoigne’s private parts during a match against Newcastle United.After he retired from football a decade later aged 34 he made his movie debut in Lock, Stock and headed to Los Angeles.There he formed a celebrity football team called Hollywood United, whose players included Steve Jones and Robbie Williams.The hard-drinking party lifestyle continued, until ex-punk wildman Steve told him some home truths.Vinnie recalls: “We’d had a good drink one night and I phoned Steve. I said, ‘I haven’t got a problem’. He went, ‘Yeah, you have’. He knew.He said, ‘we’ve all got a dog.’ He said, ‘yours is a big bastard. You’ve got to control it. You’ve got to keep it in the kennelVinnie on advice he received from Guy Ritchie“Steve’s 30, 40 years sober now. And he was the one I turned to.”But on the rocky road to quitting alcohol he fell off the wagon, and it was Lock, Stock director Guy Ritchie who helped him, with an alcohol analogy about his “dog” being out of control.Vinnie recalls: “He said, ‘We’ve all got a dog. Yours is a big bd. You’ve got to control it. You’ve got to keep it in the kennel’.Jones had a long-running feud with Gary LinekerCredit: PA:Press Association“That helped me, what Guy said.”Now sober, Vinnie is glad to have put past dramas behind him, such as doing community service for a drunken air rage incident in 2003.He says: “When you’re getting a shower at nine o’clock at night and crash out and go to sleep, you know you’ve had a great day, you ain’t caused any bks.“There ain’t no copper coming round the next morning. You ain’t speed-dialling the florist on a Monday morning to send flowers to people you’ve upset.“And your morals are intact, aren’t they?”Vinnie’s level-headedness is even more remarkable given the heartache he has faced in the past decade.In July 2019 his wife Tanya died aged 53 after suffering cancer.It was her health problems that first got him involved with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in 2012.Tanya’s heart had stopped while giving birth to daughter Kaley and she had needed a heart transplant.Vinnie says: “We definitely had a connection with heart troubles. We’ve had our fair share.”Vinnie met Tanya when they were both 12, when they became next-door neighbours in Watford, Herts, and he says: “We dated at 16.”Wimbledon footballer Vinnie with the FA Cup in 1988Credit: News Group Newspapers LtdVinnie with partner TanyaCredit: RexBut they both found other partners.Tanya gave birth to Kaley in 1987 with her footballer husband Steve Terry, and Vinnie had a son, Aaron, with his then-girlfriend Mylene Elliston in 1991.However, the relationships did not last, and eventually he and Tanya got together and married in 1994.The first thing I do is make my bed in the morning. I’ve got that level, absolutely pristine it isVinnieIn his first advert for the BHF he urged people to perform life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, on anyone who had suffered a cardiac arrest by pushing down “hard and fast” on their chest in time to the Bee Gees song Stayin’ Alive.That campaign, he says, “saved a lot of lives” and now he hopes to encourage 270,000 people to learn the five steps of CPR through a new social media advert.Titled Every Minute Matters, it was made in conjunction with bookie Sky Bet, which is donating £10,000 to the charity for every stoppage-time winner scored this season.The quieter lifeAfter Tanya died, Vinnie said it would be an “impossibility” for him to wed again because their marriage had been “perfect”.However, he has grown close to personal assistant Emma, 47, who works on his TV show Vinnie Jones In The Country.Together they tackle all the problems that come with running a farm.Vinnie has not commented publicly on the relationship, but when asked if he is going to settle down with Emma he replies: “It’ll all be nice and quiet. Everything’s nice and quiet at the farm, put it that way.”At the moment it is harvest time, so they have their hands full getting the crops in.He continues: “It’s my favourite time of the year, the harvest. I love it when they cut all the corn.“I’ll jump on the tractor and help the lads bale in. It’s great.”He reveals that he has sold his Los Angeles home and only has a pad at a golf club in Palm Springs, where he spends three months of the year.In January the former wild man of football will turn 60, but there will be no big party with his old mates Guy, Steve and Brad Pitt.He says: “The old Vinnie would have had a big bash. I’m done with it all really.READ MORE SUN STORIES“I like being in Sussex, where I’m out of the bubble. I’m off the radar.”Vinnie Jones and Emma Ford In The CountryCredit: Discovery +Vinnie Jones and Frank Leboeuf with Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, who Vinnie says turned his life aroundCredit: FirsttouchonlineGrant Rollings with VinnieCredit: Supplied More

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      How former teacher Sven-Goran Eriksson became ice cool England hero and unlikely playboy – before tragic cancer battle  

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      THE scoreline still makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end: Germany 1, England 5.In the dugout, masterminding the demolition of the old sporting enemy that day, was a thoughtful Swede who stayed ice cool amid the pandemonium around him.Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has died aged 76Credit: ReutersSven with Italian former girlfriend Nancy Dell’OlioCredit: Rex FeaturesEngland’s first foreign manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson, seemed like nothing would ruffle him.Few would have guessed — from his owlish exterior at least — that away from the football pitch he led such a tumultuous personal life.That crazy night in Munich in 2001, now part of English footballing folklore, proved something of a high watermark for Sven and his Golden Generation of players.His three international tournaments with England all ended at the quarter-finals.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLBroken metatarsals, bodged penalties and a Ronaldinho free kick that looked to be a mis-hit denied him sporting immortality.And his time as Three Lions coach will be remembered as much for his shenanigans off the pitch as his successes on it.With receding grey hair, rimless specs and a demeanour seemingly as chilly as a Scandinavian fjord, he didn’t seem like a ladies’ man.Yet appearances were very deceptive.Most read in FootballHis glam Italian former girlfriend Nancy Dell’Olio wrote breathlessly of their first meeting: “The attraction was electric before we touched — but one touch was all it took.”And there were affairs with Britain’s other famous Swede Ulrika Jonsson and FA secretary Faria Alam — both while he was still dating Nancy.Elk huntingSven, who has died of pancreatic cancer aged 76, landed the Three Lions job after Kevin Keegan quit the post after England lost 1-0 to Germany in October 2000. David Beckham shares heartbreaking tribute video after tragic death of former England manager Sven-Goran ErikssonTerry Venables — who had guided England to the Euro 96 semi-final — was overlooked. Instead, the FA chose Sven, who had won Italy’s Serie A with Lazio but was largely unknown in Britain.The elevation of a foreigner to the top job in the motherland of football was not welcomed by all.One leading sports writer complained that England had “sold our birthright” to a “nation of seven million skiers and hammer throwers who spend half their lives in darkness”.When Eriksson’s name was announced, I was dispatched by The Sun to his remote home village of Torsby, set in thick pine forest not far from Sweden’s border with Norway.Many of the 4,000-odd inhabitants of the village, where temperatures can drop to -30C, were as well versed in elk hunting as they were in football.Some said that, away from footie, Sven enjoyed Tibetan poetry and tennis — quite a departure from the usual lifestyle of the English game.Known as Svennis in Torsby, the truck driver’s son had worked as a sports teacher before a short-lived career as a pro footballer.A solid, right-footed defender for teams in Sweden’s lower leagues, Sven was forced to retire in 1975 after an injury, aged just 27.After the appointment of Tord Grip — one of his old managers and later his No2 at England — at part-timers Degerfors in Sweden’s third division, he asked Sven to be his assistant.The pair aped the English game, playing 4-4-2 formations.When Grip took over as boss of the Swedish national team, Sven was given the Degerfors top job.A boyhood Liverpool fan, he later said: “I was always drawn to the physical strength and commitment of the English game. It was my model in the early days in Sweden.”In March this year he achieved a life-long dream when he was invited to Liverpool’s Anfield ground to manage the club’s Legends veterans for a day, and led the side to a 4-2 win against Ajax Legends.At Degerfors he brought in a sports psychologist and the side won promotion.He was on his way.In 1979, when he was just 30, Swedish giants Gothenburg gave him the manager’s job, and three years later they won the Uefa Cup.In 1982 he left his homeland for successful stints at Benfica in Portugal — twice — plus Italian sides Roma, Fiorentina and Lazio, before securing the England job.In 1977 he had married Ann-Christine Pettersson, daughter of the principal of a teacher-training college where he had been a student.They had two children, Lina, now a charity worker, and Johan, a football agent.The couple divorced in 1994, then in 1998, while at Lazio, Sven was introduced to a raven-haired Italian with a taste in plunging necklines.The Swede was a boyhood Liverpool fanCredit: Sunday TimesA young Sven Goran Eriksson in uniformCredit: Nina PerssonMarried lawyer Nancy Dell’Olio later recalled her first impression when she met Sven at a Tuscan spa resort was that he appeared “quite distinguished but nothing special”.She added: “Later he told me that he was completely transfixed from the first moment he saw me.”Sven invited her to lunch and Nancy later said she had “hated” deceiving her husband Gianfranco, also a lawyer and a friend of Sven’s.Eventually Sven asked her to leave her husband, and they broke the news to Gianfranco together.At Christmas 1999 Sven produced “a beautiful diamond engagement ring” and they seemed set for a happy marriage.Yet Nancy later wrote in her life story My Beautiful Game: “Little did I know that even stormier waters were lying just ahead.”England had come calling for Sven in October 2000.He was one of world football’s sharpest and most decorated managers, with the BBC calling him “the man with the Midas touch”.Sven said of what has been called an impossible job: “All England managers have been declared idiots at some times in their career, even Sir Alf Ramsey.England’s ‘first lady’“I knew what to expect. I didn’t take the job for the money or the weather. I took it because it’s England.”He and Nancy moved into a luxury home overlooking London’s Regent’s Park and she later described herself as “the first lady of English football”.His first game in charge — a friendly against Spain at Villa Park in February 2001 — saw England win 3-0.Victories against Finland, Albania, Mexico and Greece followed, with Sven the first England manager to win his first five games.Then, on September 1, 2001, came a far greater challenge — the might of Germany in a World Cup qualifier at the Olympic Stadium in Munich.The Germans had only ever lost one World Cup qualifier at home.Since losing to England in the 1966 final, they had beaten the Three Lions at tournaments in 1970, 1990 and 1996.Yet Sven’s England destroyed them, with the fifth goal scored by Liverpool’s Emile Heskey, who had a reputation for being goal shy.To this day England fans still chant to the tune of the Village People’s Go West: “5-1 — even Heskey scored.”Then automatic qualification for the 2002 World Cup was secured ahead of Germany with a 2-2 draw with Greece at Old Trafford.Yet in April 2002, with the World Cup just weeks away, came news that left many flabbergasted.Sven had been having an affair behind Nancy’s back with Ulrika Jonsson, who was 19 years his junior.But the TV presenter later said: “This was no great passionate affair.“It was devoid of passion. He had all this power and money, yet he was the weakest man I have ever met.”The pair had met when she had asked for his autograph at a party thrown by Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell.It was devoid of passion. He had all this power and money, yet he was the weakest man I have ever metUlrika on SvenUlrika added: “When news of our affair broke he didn’t confirm what went on between us.“This meant I was left high and dry, even to the point that people believed I had made it up to get Press attention. That really angered me.”Yet Nancy stayed with Sven, despite the affair.Ulrika added: “I sensed he feared her. He admitted to me that she loved the attention she was getting from the media, so it’s little wonder if she didn’t want to give that up.”In the group stage of the 2002 World Cup England beat Argentina — in one of international football’s biggest grudge matches.In the quarter final against Brazil England scored first, then Brazil equalised in injury time.SGE played for Swedish division III team SK SifhallaCredit: Pressens BildWhen Sven was just 30, Swedish giants Gothenburg offered him the manager’s jobCredit: EmpicsGareth Southgate — then a player — allegedly said of Sven’s half-time talk: “We needed Winston Churchill but got Iain Duncan Smith [referring to the “quiet man” former Tory leader].As Sven stood on impassively in the second half, Brazil won it with a fluke free kick from Ronaldinho that wrong-footed goalie David Seaman.It was best summed up with what became a Sven catchphrase: “First half good, second half not so good.”Perhaps the most glorious missed chance for Sven and English football was Euro 2004 in Portugal, when teen sensation Wayne Rooney limped off with a cracked metatarsal in the quarter-final with the host nation.England went on to lose on penalties.That year Sven had a fling with another far younger woman — ex-model Faria Alam, an FA secretary.She later said: “After he’d filled the dishwasher, he led me upstairs to his bedroom. He didn’t have the mindset of a super-rich man.“He was saying how he did yoga and things like that. And I just fell in love with him, I guess.”Sven with ex wife Ann-Christine and son Johan in 1980Credit: Pressens BildMatters were complicated by the fact that Faria had also had a fling with FA chief executive Mark Palios.Yet again, Nancy stayed with Sven, who later admitted there were other lovers, including a singer, a Romanian ex-gymnast and a Swedish employee of Scandinavian Airlines.In January 2006 it was announced he would leave his £4.5million-a-year job after that summer’s World Cup.The tournament again ended in failure at the quarter-finals and will largely be remembered for Sven perhaps wisely allowing the Wags to grab centre stage.But his record of 40 wins and 17 draws in 67 fixtures was not matched by his successors until Gareth Southgate’s reign.Don’t be sorry, smile. Thank you for everything – coaches, players, the crowds, it’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live itSven’s farewellLater management roles included stints with Manchester City, Notts County and Leicester City, as well as the Mexican, Ivory Coast and Philippines national teams.His turbulent relationship with Nancy also ended.Sven saw out his days back in Sweden with long-term partner Yaniseth Bravo Mendoza, a Panamanian former nightclub dancer 21 years his junior who he met outside a bar in Mexico City.In January he revealed he had terminal cancer.In a poignant Amazon documentary, he said of his impen-ding death: “Don’t be sorry, smile.“Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the crowds, it’s been fantastic.READ MORE SUN STORIES“Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it.”A maxim he certainly abided by.Sven posing at the front of a motorbikeCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdThe coach had an affair with fellow Swede Ulrika JonssonCredit: PA:Press AssociationThe Swedish football manager with partner Yaniseth Alcides during the Sports Gala 2024Credit: RexThe footie icon had an affair with FA secretary Faria Alam while he was still dating NancyCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdSven led England to a 5-1 win against Germany in 2001Credit: Getty Images – GettyMichael Owen scored a hattrick during Sven’s demolition of Germany in MunichShrewd Swede’s greatest gamesBy Thomas GodfreySVEN’S Three Lions teams left fans with some spine-tingling memories.5-1 vs Germany, 2001Boss recalled out-of-form Michael Owen who scored a hat-trick. Skipper Steven Gerrard and Liverpool’s Emile Heskey also netted to stun 60,000 home fans in Munich.Becks free kick, 2001Sven kept David Beckham on against Greece and was rewarded when he lashed home a 93rd-minute free kick for a 2-2 draw and 2002 World Cup qualification.Argentina KO’d, 2002Four years on from being sent off against our bitter rivals, Beckham’s penalty secured a 1-0 win and eliminated them.Argies encore, 2005Michael Owen scored two late goals in 3-2 friendly win in GenevaRooney rescue, 2004Wayne Rooney, then 18, scored twice in a comeback 4-2 Euros group stage win over Croatia. More