Features

Subterms

    More stories

    • 250 Shares119 Views

      in Soccer

      How England’s Qatar World Cup squad are relaxing before Wales clash – The Crown binges to team’s worst basketball player

      by

      TENSIONS are high ahead of the World Cup’s first home nations clash between England and Wales. The historic match, dubbed the ‘Battle of Britain’, could eliminate the Dragons from the tournament after they qualified for the first time in 64 years.
      England’s John Stones, Eric Dier and Jude Bellingham were snapped topless on a beach ahead of the Wales gameCredit: Channel 5 News
      John Stones and Bellingham battle it out during a game of water poloCredit: Twitter / England
      The Three Lions are under the cosh too after a dull 0-0 draw against the USA, but have been finding plenty of ways to unwind ahead of tonight’s showdown.
      Yesterday, team members including John Stones, Eric Dier and Jude Bellingham were snapped soaking up the sun at the beach, while others lapped up luxury in the palm-tree-laden Souq Al-Wakra Hotel.
      But it’s not the only way England’s World Cup squad have let their hair down – here we reveal what they’ve been up to… when they’re not trying to bring it home.
      Posh grub and massages
      The Three Lions are staying in an opulent five-star resort, just 10 miles south of Doha and it’s been kitted out to tailor to their needs.
      MORE ON ENGLAND
      Jack Grealish shared behind-the-scenes snaps showing off a lush swimming pool at night with illuminated palm trees, comfy recliners and a couple of floating seats in the water.
      Another showed forward Bukayo Saka tucking into a delicious-looking meal with tomato ketchup and a side.
      The Arsenal midfielder has also been snapped preparing and drinking a blended fruit smoothie, which the England team have used to keep cool in Qatar.
      After lengthy training sessions in the plus 40-degree heat, the players also had massages – one snap showed Grealish and Jude Bellingham receiving one.
      Most read in Sport
      Jack Grealish and Bellingham receiving a massage at the luxury hotelCredit: Instagram
      Bukayo Saka tucking into a lush-looking evening mealCredit: Instagram
      Grealish revealed the stunning views around their hotel pool at nightCredit: Instagram
      Harry Maguire revealed the famous inflatable unicorn was back in England’s training campCredit: Instagram
      And of course, any England campaign wouldn’t be complete without the now-famous inflatable unicorn, which has accompanied them since the 2018 Russia World Cup.
      Harry Maguire shared a snap of the rainbow-haired blow-up, which he captioned: “Nice to meet you again.”
      The unicorn was sat on a small diving board alongside an inflatable crocodile by an impressive-looking indoor pool with a water polo net.
      Darts, video games and basketball 
      Between training sessions, the England team have found fun ways to compete without kicking a ball.
      John Stones was captured in action as he tried to throw a ball over another player during a game of water polo. 
      The team also have a pool table and game consoles which were hauled in especially to their hotel. 
      Former England star turned pundit Ian Wright revealed they had also been playing darts.
      The ITV star, who joined them for a game, said it kept them “upbeat” and in good spirits.
      In one darts challenge, Declan Rice, Luke Shaw and Mason Mount all scored 66, which was some dubbed a “good omen” conjuring up memories of the 1966 World Cup win. 
      The players regularly enjoy darts tournaments and in one challenge, three England stars scored 66 points – perhaps a good omen reflecting the 1966 World Cup winCredit: Getty
      Grealish was said to be the ‘worst’ basketball player in the England squadCredit: Instagram
      Another sporting pastime has been basketball, with Kalvin Phillips claiming he was “the best in camp” and “Jack [Grealish] is definitely the worst”.
      To kill time, Phillips also revealed the team had been playing a “wolf card game” – believed to be called Werewolf, a murder strategy game.
      In his World Cup diary, he wrote: “At first, it was a small group and now there’s probably a group of 12 or 13 of them involved.
      “It’s definitely one you can watch, as it’s quite funny and even if I’m not around there, when they get somebody out, you can hear them cheering by the pool.”
      Beach dips and stray cats
      Yesterday, a handful of the England team were seen walking down to the beach ahead of their clash with Wales.
      The gang included Maguire, John Stones, Jude Bellingham, Eric Dier, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale, Conor Coady, Calum Wilson and Kalvin Phillips.
      Later, Stones, Dier and Bellingham took off their tops while strolling on the beach and edged close to the water. 
      Before England’s first game, it was revealed they had befriended a local cat, who Stones named ‘Dave’, and another that was missing an eye, nicknamed ‘Paul’.
      A number of the Three Lions squad left their lush hotel for a walk around the local areaCredit: Channel 5 News
      Kyle Walker and John Stones befriend two street cats, who they named Dave and PaulCredit: Instagram
      TV shows and yoga
      Recently, Harry Kane and Dier recently revealed the essential items they bring ahead of a major tournament.
      Among the skipper’s choices were a leather diary, fluffy slippers to soothe his achy feet and facial cleanser.
      Describing the product, which he branded his “nighttime beauty essential”, Kane said: “You’ve got to keep yourself looking young nowadays! Well, that’s what the wife says.”
      Opening up on his TV downloads, he said: “I just finished House Of The Dragon, I’m still watching Formula 1: Drive To Survive.
      England players have been unwinding and loosening their muscles with yogaCredit: Getty
      The team practised their moves at their hotelCredit: Getty
      “There’s always something that pops up before a major tournament and I’ll just dive in… like the Euros was Game Of Thrones – for me that’s a fantastic series.”
      When Dier was asked what show he was into, he sheepishly confessed: “The Crown… the new season just came out, so I’m into The Crown. I love it.”
      Away from their viewing habits, the players have been practising yoga poses to unwind.
      Personal hotel touches
      During the World Cup, the players have rarely seen their families – some of whom are 6,700 miles away back in the UK.
      However, to help the Three Lions deal with being away from their nearest and dearest, the hotels have added a few personal items. 
      James Maddison told talkSPORT: “The set-up we got to the hotel it’s been absolutely brilliant. It is all down to the finer things, like the little touches.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I checked into my room and there are little framed pictures of my little boy and my family. It is just little things like that.”
      He explained that it made him feel instantly at home in the camp, which is a 30-minute drive to capital city Doha and close to their 12,000-seater training base, the home of Al Wakrah SC. More

    • 200 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Football is a game of two halves if you’re English and Croatian… you have my sympathy

      by

      IF you’re English or you’re Welsh, the result of tonight’s match will be straightforward for you. It’ll either be great, or terrible.But what if you’re a bit of both?
      If you’re English or you’re Welsh, the result of the match will be straightforward unless you’re bothCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      But what if you’re a bit of both, or English and Croatian like me?Credit: Getty
      What if your mum’s from Merthyr and your dad’s from Derby?
      And what if they’re both from Bangor but you were born and bred in Bradford?
      Or vice versa? Which way do you swing? Whose shirt will you be wearing?
      If you’re in this situation, you have my sympathy.
      READ MORE OPINION
      Having a dad from Brum and a mum from Zagreb has had many advantages, but for someone stressed out by football at the best of times, it’s been one more nightmare to negotiate.
      I’ve not even examined this World Cup draw to see if and when England and Croatia could meet.
      I just can’t go through another semi-final like the one I witnessed in Russia last time around.
      How you deal with these things says a lot about your personality.
      Most read in The Sun
      Somebody bright and bubbly would see only positives. How fabulous is this?
      I can’t lose! I’m guaranteed to be on the winning side either way!
      Try as I might, I couldn’t find a way of framing it like this.
      As far as I was concerned, however it turned out, I was going to be on the losing side.
      I didn’t celebrate when England scored. I didn’t celebrate when Croatia equalised, or when they went ahead, or when the final whistle went.
      I was deeply proud Croatia had got to the final but deeply upset that England hadn’t.
      Back in the hotel where my BBC Radio colleagues and I were staying, I went to the bar to drink my joy/sorrow away.
      But Chris Waddle kept glowering at me, so I took myself off to bed.
      I had no energy to fight him, I’d worn myself out fighting myself.
      I’m an England football fan through and through.
      I remember like it was yesterday my grandad stopping the car outside a sports shop on the Hagley Road in Quinton in Birmingham.
      I think the place — now long gone, like most small sports shops — was called Allsports.
      Gravest of sins
      He bought me the England shirt for that summer’s World Cup.
      I tore the wrapping off and buried my head in the shirt.
      I swear I can still smell it.
      This was 40 years ago.
      Then Croatia came along, with that chequered strip even neutrals seem enamoured of.
      And so I fell in love all over again.
      And as my Croatian nan used to say, he who sits between two stools will fall between them.
      And she was right.
      My backside’s still bruised from that night in Moscow.
      It’s possible that the Anglo-Welsh among us won’t be tearing themselves apart like this.
      Perhaps they took sides a long time ago and aren’t for changing.
      This, after all, is what we demand of fans of football clubs.
      Here the changing — or even division of — loyalties is the gravest of sins.
      I watched England’s Gazza’s Tears semi-final in 1990 with a friend of mine called John.
      A really lovely guy, apart from the fact that he was a Villa fan.
      Then, going to watch West Brom at Arsenal several years later, I bumped into him.
      What was he doing there?
      He told me he was now a Gooner, as if I’d be pleased that he wasn’t a Villa fan any more.
      Not a bit of it!
      Reprehensible behaviour.
      He’s a stranger to me now.
      Hypocritically enough, I’m inclined to judge some international fans for their choices.
      I’ve never been sure about otherwise completely English football fans who walk around in, say, Ireland shirts because their nan was from Tipperary.
      Unacceptable.
      This is obviously rich from someone born English, bred English, who sounds English and lives and works in England, who nevertheless owns up to divided loyalties.
      To resolve what’s right and wrong here, I suggest a qualification system, similar, but stricter, than the one selectors of national teams have to abide by.
      So tonight, in my book, a nan from Narberth or a grandad from Great Yarmouth isn’t qualification enough to support that country.
      Only a parent will do.
      Or if you were born there and spent a good part of your life there, I’ll let you off.
      Otherwise pipe down.
      On the other hand, this is all nonsense.
      Because apart from being perfectly entitled to support whoever you like, I really don’t think it’s a choice you make.
      You don’t choose your team, your team chooses you.
      So whether it’s England or Wales which has chosen you to support them tonight, enjoy the game.

      THE Z in Generation Z might just stand for zero, as in zero alcohol.Research suggests more than a quarter of the under-25s don’t touch booze.
      This doesn’t surprise me. While problem drinking remains a massive issue, fewer people of all ages drink than you might think.
      And of those who do drink, it’s amazing how many are drinking within the Government’s safe drinking guidelines of 14 units a week — that’s roughly seven pints of beer or 14 shots or a bottle and a half of wine, A WEEK!
      The Z in Generation Z might just stand for zero, as in zero alcoholCredit: Alamy
      Incredibly, to heavy drinkers like me, 70 per cent of drinkers ARE drinking within these guidelines. It’s among the other 30 per cent, the big boozers, that most of the problems arise.

      Be tree ‘n’ easy at Xmas
      I’M not one for too many rules about things, but here’s one I think we need to abide by: No Christmas trees to be erected before the first day of December.
      It’s simple, it’s clear and it makes sense.
      No Christmas trees to be erected before the first day of DecemberCredit: Alamy
      I must admit, I thought December 1 was the first day of advent, but no, it turns out that’s the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day.
      So you’d have been within your rights having yours up for two days now.
      But what’s the rush? Take your time.
      Apart from anything else it’ll save you bother at the other end when, by New Year’s Day, the poor thing’s bone dry and dropping needles everywhere.
      Match after match
      IT’S great being at a World Cup, but it’s almost as great watching it from home.
      Match after match after match. Four a day!
      I moaned long and hard about it being in Qatar and will continue to do so long into the future.
      But I’m still loving every minute of it.
      As for it being played at this time of year, well, how to put this?
      All I’m saying is that I agree with a football fan who lowered his voice conspiratorially to say something to me without being overheard: “You know, I’m quite liking it in November.
      It’s somehow easier to justify sitting indoors watching football all day. It suits me.”
      Also, while our international players might disagree, I suspect we’re enjoying a mid-season break from whatever our club sides are putting us through.

      Book these poncy refs
      I’VE long given up moaning about footballers’ use of hair products.
      That battle’s lost.
      Match officials should not be officating games with these pooncy hair styles, they have a job to doCredit: Getty
      If they must, they must. So be it.
      And I’m developing a relaxed view of managers and coaches taking too much time with their hairdos, as they’ve generally grown out of gel use, having torn most of their hair out anyway.
      But I’m drawing a line with match officials.
      Some of their hair arrangements have no place in the game.
      So it’s a yellow card from me to the Italian referee Daniele Orsato for all the care he’s put into teasing his quiff into shape.
      And I’m afraid it’s a straight red for the Dutchman Danny Makkelie, left, and his slicked-back Ray Reardon tribute.
      What’s wrong with these people?
      Anyone would think they want to be the centre of attention
      Pleased for her
      THERE’S a brilliant German TV series on Sky Atlantic called Babylon Berlin.
      It’s set in Berlin before the Second World War.
      Even as the plot has moved well beyond my comprehension, I’ve stuck with it because it’s generally beautiful to look at, especially the star, Liv Lisa Fries.
      I’m not saying I’m obsessed with this woman, but when Germany equalised against Spain on Sunday night, I found myself feeling pleased for her. I just want her to be happy.

      No more shots of pretty fans (er like this one)
      THE World Cup, quite rightly, should be all about inclusivity.
      And part of that involves attracting the kind of people who don’t watch football week in, week out. I get that.
      I cannot bear the shots of ‘fans’ in the crowds in Qatar who plainly aren’t engaged in the matter at handCredit: The Mega Agency
      But I cannot bear the shots of “fans” in the crowds in Qatar who plainly aren’t engaged in the matter at hand.
      Classically, this will be someone in a country’s colours who, despite their side hanging on desperately in the 99th minute, will still somehow find time to jump up and wave excitedly at the sight of themselves on the big screen.
      There are also the long, lingering shots of the most beautiful women the cameramen (and they are doubtless men) can pick out.
      I don’t mind so much if they look engrossed in the match, but please, no pouting to camera.
      Read More on The Sun
      It’s sexist to show this and it’s probably sexist of me to complain about it and it’s obviously sheer hypocrisy to publish examples of what I’m talking about on this page.
      But, honestly, I’m dead against this kind of thing.
      Recognisable?
      THE tricky thing about being reasonably well known is gauging whether people recognise you or not.
      Obviously, some do and some don’t.
      It’s in a third category – those who can’t quite place you – where the fun lies.
      In the past few weeks I’ve had three memorable ones.
      “Were you my maths teacher at Malton School?” (I wasn’t.) “Are you John Motson?” (I’m not.)
      And, best of all: “Did you used to drink with Dennis Waterman?” (I didn’t, but wish I had.) More

    • 250 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Inside Brit WAGs’ Qatar World Cup jolly – £600 outfits to poolside cocktails and huge slide on £1bn ‘floating palace’

      by

      OH how the other halves live!They may not be able to spend time with their fellas, but the England and Wales WAGs are clearly living their best lives this World Cup.
      The Wales WAGs were out in full force to support their husbands and partnersCredit: Instagram
      Conor Coady’s wife Amie Coady is in Qatar with their three sonsCredit: Instagram
      Enviable snaps shared to their social media pages show it’s been non-stop sunbathing, eating and enjoying cocktails in Qatar between matches.
      Jack Grealish’s girlfriend Sasha Attwood and the rest of the British footballers’ partners touched down in Doha earlier this week ahead of England’s 6-2 win against Iran and Wales’ 1-1 draw with the US.
      While the men are all housed at the Al Wakra resort, the England WAGs are staying on a luxury £1billion cruise liner, dubbed a “floating palace”.
      It boasts six swimming pools, 30 bars and the tallest slide on a ship.
      More on World Cup
      Meanwhile their Welsh counterparts are staying at the luxurious Grand Hyatt Dubai.
      All the girls have been busy sharing photos and videos of themselves soaking up the 30 degree heat in bikinis.
      And they seem to be getting round the strict alcohol rules in Qatar, where it’s largely only served in hotel restaurants and bars with special licences.
      Thanks to the England WAGs’ cruise ship being “off-shore”, those on board can sip boozy cocktails to their heart’s content.
      Bukayo Saka’s girlfriend Tolami Benson looked stunning for an evening outCredit: Instagram
      Paige Milian strikes a pose in her roomCredit: Instagram
      Tolami and Raheem Sterling’s girlfriend Paige Milian enjoyed cocktails togetherCredit: Instagram
      Tolami also had some sushi for dinner at one of the cruise’s many restaurantsCredit: Instagram
      More on Wags
      And they’ve got 30 bars to choose from on the ship, as well as a micro-brewery and mixology classes in its Elixir gin bar.
      Paige Milian, 27, girlfriend of England’s Raheem Sterling, Tolami Benson, 22, who’s dating Bukayo Saka, and Raheem’s little sister Kima-Lee Sterling have clearly been making the most of it.

      The trio shared a video of cocktails they were drinking at one of the bars, where they were dressed to the nines.
      Tolami posted a snap of some sushi and dim sum at one of the many restaurants on-board, along with what looked like a white Chanel bag.
      She also shared a video of the inside of the cruise ship – which houses beauty salons, boutiques, dodgems, 14 ocean-view Jacuzzis and the longest dry-slide at sea, ominously called The Venom Drop.
      Swanky restaurants
      Aaron Ramsdale’s fiance Georgina Irwin wore a £640 Nadine Merabi suit for a night outCredit: Instagram
      She then had dinner at Novikov – a swanky restaurant originating in MayfairCredit: Instagram
      Some of the girls enjoyed an al fresco dinnerCredit: Instagram
      Aaron Ramsdale’s fiancee Georgina Irwin obviously fancied a little taste of home for dinner.
      She headed to the swanky Japanese-Chinese fusion eatery Novikov, which originated in London’s Mayfair – and had some delicious-looking tacos.
      Prices at Novikov go up to 420 Rial (£95.82) for just nine pieces of sashimi, while the cheapest item on the menu is apple juice for 25 Rial (£5.70).
      Georgina was dressed for the occasion, looking stunning in a black, sequined suit and trouser set with matching bralet – an outfit which would’ve set her back around £640.
      Paige also headed out for an outdoor dinner by the pool, wearing a stunning brown dress that showed off her amazing figure.
      In a video she shared of the formal dining table outside, there were lots of seats so she and the girls most likely got together for the meal.
      Fun with the kids
      Amie’s sons must be having a great time on the cruiseCredit: Instagram
      Amie took the boys out for an evening scoot in Doha tooCredit: Instagram
      Paige shared a snap of the ships’ massive slideCredit: Instagram
      Paige is in Qatar with her and Raheem’s children, Thiago, five, and Thai-Cruz, three, as well as his daughter from his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Melissa Clarke, Melody Rose, 10.
      And Amie Coady, 29, the wife of England’s Conor Coady, has brought along their sons Henry, seven, Louie, five, and three-year-old Freddie to support their dad.
      They’re all probably having a ball on the cruise ship with so much to do, including a range of clubs for children, a Sportplex zone offering basketball, bumper cars, and even a roller disco rink.
      Amie has also found time to enjoy an evening scoot with the kids, as she shared a video of them whizzing along the seafront, as well as a view from her room on the cruise showing off the stunning view – and the 26 degree heat.
      She posted a string of pictures from her room, which overlooks the sea, posing in a black and white bikini and matching sarong – costing £102 for the set from Grace Jacob – and some very glamorous Chanel sandals.
      Beach days
      Wales footballer Connor Roberts’ wife Georgina is at the Grand Hyatt Dubai hotelCredit: Instagram
      Nicole Hagan, who has been linked to Welsh player Neco Williams, posed in a bikiniCredit: Instagram
      The Welsh WAGs all posed together when they supported their men at their first game against USA.
      But it seems like many of them are doing their own thing when it comes to the non-match days.
      Georgina Roberts, the stunning wife of Welsh footballer Connor Roberts, is staying at the Grand Hyatt Dubai hotel – where rooms start at 950AED (£214) a night – with their eight-month-old daughter and her mum.
      She has shared loads of photos of the three generations enjoying a wholesome holiday together.
      In one snap Georgina looks very happy holding her daughter in the sea at the Dukes The Palm Hotel’s beach.
      And in another picture, she’s seen enjoying some cocktails by the pool with her mum.
      Meanwhile others have been enjoying the sun, sitting by the pool and beach, relaxing.

      Jodie Francis, the fiancee of Wales player Chris Mepham, showed off her toned abs in a gorgeous black one-shouldered bikini top with some loose, white trousers, as she sat on the beach.
      Nicole Hagan, who has been linked to Welsh player Neco Williams, also looked like she was enjoying the sun, in a glamorous photo wearing a lilac bikini.
      Chris Mepham’s fiancee Jodie Francis showed off her abs on the beachCredit: Instagram
      Jodie was sipping some delicious cocktails by the beachCredit: Instagram
      Georgina has taken her daughter to the beachCredit: Instagram
      She’s also there with her mum and they’ve been enjoying cocktails togetherCredit: Instagram More

    • 275 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      I tracked down the Qatar World Cup’s most expensive beer – it’s only a bottle and it’s not exactly a premium brand

      by

      EVEN for wallet-busting Doha, my bar tab came as a sobering shock.Watching France thrash Australia at popular sports bar Shots I was charged a whopping 65 riyals – that’s around £15 – for a bottle of Becks.
      Sun man Oliver Harvey was stunned by the price of his bottle of BecksCredit: THE SUN/MAX MOLYNEux
      Two beers and a salad set our reporters back £44Credit: THE SUN/MAX MOLYNEux
      A Saudi Arabia supporter – celebrating his team’s World Cup win over Argentina – told me: “The prices are ludicrous. How are we supposed to party?”
      After a day in the Qatari sunshine my 275ml bottle of Becks  – just over half a pint – disappeared in a flash. 
      And that is approximately 20p per millilitre on beer.
      An apologetic barman told me: “We’ve run out of draught beer tonight so it’s bottles only. Draught will be back on tomorrow.”
      READ MORE ON WORLD CUP
      A draught pint of Budweiser in the bar costs 60 riyals (around £13.90).
      The wine list was equally lumpy. A glass of pino grigio would have set me back 70 riyals (around £16.15).
      My bill for the evening at the popular sports bar – inside the Hilton Doha Hotel with stunning views of Doha’s bay – was 190 riyals – around £44 – for two bottles of Becks and Greek salad.
      Fans have been searching for an affordable beer in Doha’s hotel bars with prices in the fan zone also eye-wateringly steep. 
      Most read in The Sun
      The fan zone at Al Bidda Park on the waterfront Corniche has room for 40,000 people – yet there was just one designated beer tent with 78 fridges packed with tins of Budweiser.
      A 500ml glass of the lager goes for 50 riyals – around  £11.50 – and you’re limited to four alcoholic drinks.
      A bog standard slice of pizza to soak it up is around £8.
      Alcohol isn’t served until after 6.30pm and you’re only allowed four measly 500ml cups of World Cup sponsor Budweiser’s fare.
      Only alcohol-free beer is on sale in stadium perimeters.
      According to the 2021 World Beer Index by Expensivity, Qatar has the most expensive beer prices in the world.
      Analysing prices in the capitals of 58 nations, Doha came out tops with a 330ml bottle of beer costing around £9.45.
      Bottles of beer cost £15 a pop at the pricey bar in Doha More

    • 238 Shares119 Views

      in Soccer

      How Jude Bellingham went from footie-loving copper’s son to England’s wonderkid – & quirky reason he wears number 22

      by

      AT the Adidas concession here in Doha’s sprawling fan zone, a giant picture of Jude Bellingham stares out alongside another of Lionel Messi.Before the tournament kicked off some were wondering if the marketing bods hadn’t got a little ahead of themselves.
      Jude Bellingham celebrates after scoring England’s first goal at the World CupCredit: EPA
      Toddler Jude with dad Mark at a non-league gameCredit: Tim Stewart
      Aged 19, Jude has only played 117 league games — 41 of which were for Birmingham City in the Championship.
      Messi is considered to be the greatest footballer of all time.
      But on Monday afternoon, at Qatar’s Khalifa International Stadium, Jude confirmed he had earned his spot next to the Argentinian.
      After a deft headed goal and a thrilling box-to-box performance in his first game in the World Cup finals, England fans awarded him a rousing rendition of Beatles song Hey Jude.
      Read More on Jude Bellingham
      No English teenager has lit up the world stage quite so effervescently since Michael Owen burst on to the scene in 1998 with a wonder goal against Argentina.
      Born in Stourbridge, West Mids, to working-class parents, articulate Jude — with model good looks — remains remarkably grounded.
      “I’m just Jude,” he told a podcast for his German side Borussia Dortmund.
      “I don’t see myself as some sort of special person because I play professional football. I’m no better than anyone else just because I can kick a ball around.”
      Most read in Football
      It is a humility ingrained in him from childhood by his mum Denise and dad Mark.
      He has also said of both Mark, 46, and Denise, 54: “Before being great parents they’re great people. Both are working-class and filled me with the things you need to get along.
      “You can take those lessons in your personal life and social life, but also into football: Not giving up, working hard and if you want something, putting in the graft to go and get it.”
      His dad, a police sergeant before retiring last week, was a journeyman non-league striker.
      On blustery, mud-splattered afternoons, Jude, accompanied by his mum and little brother Jobe, watched his father at football outposts from Southend to Sutton Coldfield.
      One photo tweeted by Jude showed him being cradled by his crop-headed dad as he trudged off the pitch before a game for Southend’s Catholic United in Essex.
      Southend-born Mark reached 700 goals aged 40 at Midland League Division Two side Paget Rangers in 2016.
      The landmark — achieved in approximately 850 games — had begun with a strike for East Thurrock United in 1994.
      He had spells with some 15 different clubs, including Bromsgrove Rovers and Stourbridge, but described himself as “not very good!”
      The England midfielder said of his dad: “I used to watch him play all the time, it’s where I started to get that love for football.
      “That non-league style of toughness and being gritty when you need is reflected in my game, and I do think that comes from watching my dad play — even though he never tackled!”
      When Jude signed for Dortmund aged 17, he and Denise moved to the north German city and shared a flat.
      Jude showed ‘unreal’ raw talent at cricket & football aged just 11Credit: Tim Stewart
      Jude and his mum Denise share a cuddleCredit: Twitter
      Last May he said: “My mum keeps me in check on a daily basis, does pretty much everything for me. She keeps me level-headed and grounded, which is the most important thing.”
      Born in June 2003, Jude Victor William Bellingham’s footballing career began on a scrap of grass outside the family’s home in Hagley, near Stourbridge, West Mids.
      Former West Bromwich Albion winger Gary Hackett, who later managed Mark Bellingham at Stourbridge, remembers Jude and Jobe playing in a local park.
      He recalled: “Even if they weren’t involved in the session they would be running and kicking a ball and you could just see they had a passion for football.
      “You could see they were naturally gifted athletes. They could run and they had good technical skills.”
      Jude and Jobe also played cricket.
      Fady Jadayel, coach at Hagley Cricket Club, said: “At 11, Jude stood out as unbelievably talented. He had a raw sporting ability. It’s difficult to express it without sounding weird but he moved with a poise and a grace. His co-ordination was unreal.”
      Cricket would ultimately lose the boys to football.
      Jude signed for Birmingham City’s pre-academy aged seven. Former academy manager and mentor Mike Dodds remembered: “At under-sevens he was just like any other boy, really.
      “He was very good, obviously, but he wasn’t this mercurial, generational talent that people label him now.
      “He wasn’t the best at his age group, he wasn’t completely in love with the game. We liked him but if someone had said he would be in the England squad at 17 we’d have thought that person was crazy.”
      In 2015 Dodds had a conversation with a 12-year-old Jude which would help shape his young charge’s career.
      ‘Poise and grace’
      He explained: “I sat down with him and said, ‘I think you have the ability to play all areas of midfield’, so sitting midfield was a No4, No8 was a box to box and No10 was a scorer and creator.
      “We added all those numbers up and it came to 22. So we decided that was his number.”
      On August 6, 2019, Jude jogged out to face Portsmouth in the Carabao Cup with number 22 on the back of his Blues shirt.
      Aged 16 years and 38 days, he was Birmingham City’s youngest ever first-team player.
      He would play another 43 games for City that season, earning £145 a week, but the Championship was no place for his glittering talents.
      Soon Manchester United were sniffing round.
      But Premiership Big Six teams are tough places for youngsters to break through.
      Dad Mark was keener on Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, who offered a £25million deal and have a track record of blooding young talent, including England’s Jadon Sancho.
      Some believed Birmingham be- haved a little theat- rically when they retired the No22 shirt worn by a teenager on just 44 occasions, but they have been proved prophetically correct.
      In October 2020 he became the youngest Englishman to start a Champions League match, facing Italy’s Lazio aged 17 years and 113 days.
      A month later Gareth Southgate came calling.

      Wearing his beloved No22 shirt, Jude made his England debut as a substitute against the Republic of Ireland at Wembley.
      At 17 years 136 days he became England’s third-youngest full international behind Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney.
      After his first start for England, against Austria in June 2021, Southgate said: “You can’t help but marvel at the performance of a boy that age. It’s a bit disrespectful maybe at 17 to call him a boy, and he certainly plays like a man.”
      Jude with his family signing for Birmingham City in 2019Credit: Birmingham City FC
      Jude’s dad Mark on patrol as a copperCredit: PA
      Former academy coach Dodds credits Jude’s close-knit family with nurturing his stellar career.
      He said: “They’re so consistent and the bond they have is so strong it’s made him very humble and incredibly focused. He’s so driven to be the very best and such a strong family bond is almost the perfect storm.”
      Brother Jobe, 17, is following his trajectory, making his debut for Birmingham last year.
      Last week Mark handed in his West Midlands Police warrant card, tweeting: “As of midnight I became a civilian after 24+ years service. Cops ain’t perfect but they’re trying their best under difficult circumstances. If we can show kindness to each other, we have a chance.”
      In his prime, Mark earned around £200 a week from football.
      Jude earns around £50,000 a week with Dortmund, but could more than triple that with a move to an English or Spanish giant.
      His opportunities off the field also appear limitless.
      So far he has used his new-found fame to fundraise for a school in Kenya.
      Read More on The Sun
      But despite being showered with adulation and riches, Jude is quick to remember those windswept days watching his dad on the muddy playing fields of England.
      He may be billed opposite Messi but it’s the hotshot non-league striker Mark Bellingham who he calls his “first footballing hero”.
      Proud Jude joining Borussia Dortmund in 2020Credit: Getty
      Young Lion Jude in his England trackie with mum DeniseCredit: Twitter
      Jude celebrates with team mate Mason MountCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The Sun reported on Jude leading England to thrash Iran 6-2 in their opening game More

    • 213 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Inside unfinished £175-a-night Qatar fan village with sweltering 37C container cabins and builders are still at work

      by

      WORLD Cup fans are facing sweltering 37C container cabins with broken air conditioning units, dirty water and builders still working on the unfinished camps. Qatar has a popped up a number of temporary villages to help accommodate the more than one million fans expected to descend for the sporting extravaganza.
      Sun man Oliver Harvey stayed at one of the £175-a-night cabins near DohaCredit: Dan Charity
      Temperatures inside our cabin hit highs to 37C – and the air conditioner was brokenCredit: Dan Charity
      The tube connecting the air con unit to the outside wasn’t set up – leaving a gaping hole in the wallCredit: Dan Charity
      Parts of the fan village simply looked unfinishedCredit: Dan Charity
      Workmen were still on site even as fans moved in for the World CupCredit: Dan Charity
      But despite billions of pounds being ploughed into infrastructure – including an entirely new city – some of it appears to have been hastily knocked together on a tight budget.
      Sun man Oliver Harvey forked out £175 to spend the night at the Fan Village Cabins Free Zone just outside of Doha.
      The tiny container-style cabins house two people in a cramped bedroom with an en suite shower – and the metal structures are left baking beneath the blazing sun.
      “[It is] constructed on a site which resembled an unfinished car park,” said Oliver.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP
      Staying in cabin E11-15, the site is wedged between two busy roads and is around 30 minutes away from the luxurious hotel being enjoyed by England.
      After opening up his digs for the night, our reporter was met with a blazing wave of hot air as he stepped inside the “shipping container” cabin.
      He found the air conditioner was not even hooked up – with the tube connecting it to the outside world not even attached and a gaping hole left in the wall of his cabin.
      The container did have a desk-style fan attached to the wall – but it only offered light relief from the insufferable heat.
      Most read in Football
      Our man came prepared, and the sweating Oliver got out his thermometer to measure the staggering temperature.
      The mercury quickly climbed to nearly 38C.
      “It [was] really stifling,” said Oliver, “We are going to be ‘oven ready’ England fans after a night in here.”
      When he did manage to get the aircon working, it was incredibly noisy and would made it hard to sleep.
      And it only managed to drop the temperature down to 31C.
      Oliver went to test the shower and sink, only to find it was piping hot and the water appeared to be dirty.
      Finding he could not spend another “sweltering second” inside his cabin, Oliver headed out to explore the rest of the fan village.
      What he found was rows upon rows of hundreds of metal boxes arranged on a flat, barren piece of land which appeared to be little more than a disused car park.
      Beyond hunkering down between the rows of cabins, there was very little shade.
      And that made sitting on prearranged bean bags around the village’s big screen extremely unappealing as the sun beat down.
      Low-flying planes roared overhead in the blue skies in what was quite a strange and bleak World Cup experience.
      Worth the price for a baking hot room? Probably not, says our reporter Oliver HarveyCredit: Dan Charity
      The fan village looks more like an ‘unfinished car park’Credit: Dan Charity
      At least there was ice cream to help you cool offCredit: Dan Charity
      The water in our cabin’s bathroom ran dirty when we first got thereCredit: Dan Charity
      And the pepperoni pizza – with just four pieces of pepperoni – cost £15Credit: Dan Charity
      There are beanbags to watch the big screen – if you can endure the sweltering heat and baking sunCredit: Dan Charity
      Oliver managed to find some other fans, running into two men from Japan.
      They agreed their room was “tiny, hot and expensive”.
      “I don’t like it”, one said.
      And the two Japan fans admitted they had a staggering 16 NIGHTS at the camp to endure, questioning whether they would even be able to get to sleep.
      “Outrageous,” they laughed.
      Oliver also ran into two Mexican fans who, despite being in good spirits, agreed it was incredibly hot in their cabin.
      Continuing to explore, our man decided to settle down for a meal.
      He picked himself up a pepperoni pizza for £15.
      And despite the grub being quite small with just four pieces of pepperoni on it, Oliver admitted it was “not too bad”.
      After enjoying his lunch, he then found himself in a massive unfinished grey gravel expanse in the middle of the village.
      Workers were still setting up the giant marquee – which Oliver wasn’t sure it was exactly meant to be, maybe a dining area?

      Qatar has already faced questions over organisation of the World Cup – with reports weeks before the start that the nation simply was not ready.
      Confusion over the sale of beer, infrastructure problems and reports of crowd trouble at the fanzone have already surfaced.
      The tiny country is expected to welcome more than one million fans during the tournament – when the country only has a population of 2.9million.
      Billions have been spent to try and ready the nation for its first attempt at holding an event of this scale.
      Japanese fans at the box village, Naota Endo and Daisuke Kusaba, were also unimpressedCredit: Dan Charity
      Oliver also ran into Mexican fans at the villageCredit: Dan Charity
      Other fans agreed with him the rooms were incredibly hotCredit: Dan Charity More

    • 250 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      I’m a sexpert – my bedroom tips for England heroes and their WAGs will help us win the World Cup

      by

      THE pressure of representing their country at the World Cup can take a huge toll on players. But a sex and relationship expert reckons she knows exactly how Gareth Southgate can revitalise his team after matches.
      Natalia believes players like Eric Dier should be able to let off some steam with fiancee Anna Modler after matches
      Natalia Kobylkina believes the England squad should be able to have sex after matches – but not the day beforeCredit: Supplied
      Sexologist Natalia Kobylkina is urging the England manager to let his players go into sex-tra time with their wives and girlfriends – but ban romps the day before a game.
      She tells The Sun: “If they win and perform well they should be rewarded by being able to perform equally well when they see their loved ones after the game.
      “That will also, hopefully, get them in the right frame of mind for the next fixture.”
      But while she firmly believes sex games are good for the squad, too much nookie could hamper their chances of bringing home the World Cup.
      READ MORE ON WAGS
      She explains: “It is very important for the guys to be ready for action when they get out onto the field.
      “You can’t expect that to happen if they have been putting all their energies into making love with their partner in the run-up to matches.”
      Natalia, 38, believes to get the best out of his team, Southgate must ban any performances in the bedroom 72 hours before each game and save the reward for when the game is over.
      She argues the players need to have heightened levels of testosterone and cortisone in their bodies to maximise their prowess on the pitch.
      Most read in Football
      Annie Kilner will be cheering on her man Kyle WalkerCredit: Instagram
      Sasha Atwood, who has been in an on-off relationship with Jack Grealish for years, will be supporting himCredit: Instagram @sasha__rebecca
      Natalia adds: “If Gareth Southgate follows my advice, England can go all the way to lift the trophy – and the wives and girlfriends will have fulfilled an important role in winning the World Cup.”
      No to ‘sex ban’
      Natalia, 38, says it’s not feasible to ask players not to have sex for more than a month throughout the tournament.
      She says: “They will start to get depressed and frustrated. Their heads will drop and they won’t be at their best. 
      “You wouldn’t impose a month-long sex ban for players during a normal season. It just wouldn’t work.
      “So it’s not going to work in Qatar either. It’s not as if the WAGS aren’t there!”
      Romp o’clock
      Natalia believes a month-long sex ban is impossible for the likes of Raheem Sterling and fiancée Paige Milian
      Harry Maguire and wife Fern will have to say no to sex too close to matches, says NataliaCredit: Instagram
      Natalia, who is based in London and boasts an international client list of athletes, entrepreneurs and politicians, reckons she knows the best time a player should have sex in order to give their best performance – on the pitch, that is.
      “The optimum time for a male footballer, like any elite male athlete, to have sex before a major sporting event is 72 hours,” she says.
      “That way the players can be at their peak mentally and physically for the challenge ahead.
      “Sex can be a reward for winning or a consolation for losing. So a win-win scenario for the players and, of course, their wives and girlfriends!
      ‘Stay strong for England’
      Natalia says WAGS like Anouska Santos, Luke Shaw’s partner must “stay strong” for EnglandCredit: Instagram @anouskasantos
      In order for the Squad to bring the World Cup home, WAGS must only have sex with their men after matches, says NataliaCredit: Instagram
      For the WAGS who have made it to Qatar to cheer on their men, Natalia says: “If you want your man to do well on the pitch you have to say ‘no’ to sex for 72 hours before each game.
      “You need to stay strong for England. Once the games are over, that’s when you can let your defences down – and hopefully the boys can rise to the occasion!
      “The lads need to reach the maximum levels of their animal potential. They need to be hungry for sex and hungry for the ball – obviously not at the same time!
      Read More on The Sun
      “That way their all-round game will be so much better.
      “If they have sex too close to kick-off they won’t have either the energy or the motivation to do their best.”
      Natalia has worked with high profile athletes, entrepreneurs, and politiciansCredit: Supplied More

    • 250 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Where the Baden-Baden WAGs are now… including model who’s rebranded as a home organising expert & I’m A Celeb star

      by

      With the World Cup kicking off in Qatar tonight, a new set of glamorous wives and girlfriends have flown out to support their men.But in recent years, the England team has been given much stricter rules for their spouses to abide by, so it’s unlikely we will see the levels of partying witnessed at the infamous 2006 tournament in Baden-Baden, Germany – when the WAGs went wild.
      It’s unlikely we will see the levels of partying witnessed at the infamous 2006 tournament in Baden-Baden, Germany – when the WAGs went wildCredit: Photography: Alamy, Getty Images
      Cheryl Tweedy, Coleen McLoughlin and Victoria Beckham in the stands ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2006Credit: Photography: Alamy, Getty Images
      Their outrageous tales of drugs, dancing on tables and sky-high hotel bills rocked the quiet resort town and arguably made more headlines than the Three Lions’ performance on the pitch – they were knocked out in the quarter-finals.
      Victoria Beckham was often pictured sitting next to Girls Aloud’s Cheryl, who married Ashley Cole a few weeks later.
      Coleen Rooney was 20 at the time and yet to tie the knot with Wayne.
      Already famed for her love of fashion, she was rumoured to be among the group who racked up a £57k bill after an hour of retail therapy.
      READ MORE ON WAGS
      It was so eventful, in fact, that the presence of wives and girlfriends was heavily restricted at the 2010 World Cup. 
      But Victoria, Cheryl and Coleen aside, what became of the other women?
      We take a look at the WAG class of 2006…
      Most read in The Sun
      Alex Curran, 40
      Alex Curran and Steven Gerrard started dating in 2002Credit: Photography: Alamy, Getty Images
      The pair married the following summer and are now parents to three daughters and a sonCredit: Getty
      Husband: Steven Gerrard
      Then Alex had been dating Steven for four years prior to the World Cup, and was one of the WAGs to put her credit card to good use.
      She’s said to have run up a £25k hotel bill, which included 60 bottles of £75 pink champers.
      Now She and Steven married the following summer and are now parents to three daughters and a son, Lilly-Ella, 18, Lexie, 16, Lourdes, 11, and Lio, five.
      In 2015, they relocated to the US after Steven signed an 18-month deal with LA Galaxy.
      But after getting homesick, they returned to the UK the following year, and Steven has just been sacked as manager of Aston Villa.
      Carly Zucker, 38
      I’m A Celebrity! star Carly married Joe Cole in 2009 the year after she appeared on the showCredit: Photography: Alamy, Getty Images
      Her outfits were said to have enraged Victoria Beckham, who reportedly felt she was stealing all the attentionCredit: Getty
      Husband: Joe Cole
      Then She became best known for taking early-morning runs past the paparazzi in skimpy cropped tops.
      Her outfits were said to have enraged Posh, who reportedly felt she was stealing all the attention. 
      Now Carly starred on I’m A Celebrity! in 2008, but was the third person to be voted off.
      She married Joe the following year and they had children Ruby, 12, Harry, 10, and Max, seven.
      Following Joe’s retirement from football in 2018, the pair have both stayed out of the limelight.
      Michaela Henderson-Thynne, 36
      After her separation from Stewart Downing, mother-of-two Michaela lives a life out of the public eyeCredit: Photography: Alamy, Getty Images
      Partner: Stewart Downing
      Then She sang karaoke about her man at Garibaldi’s nightclub and loved the designer shopping.
      She admitted to having “a thing for expensive handbags”.
      Now Michaela went on to star in ITV2 show WAGs Boutique in 2007, where she tearfully announced to fellow WAGs: “Unfortunately, after four years together, we have separated. But we are still friends.”
      No longer in the public eye, she is a mum to two children.
      Elen Rivas, 47
      Elen and Frank separated in 2008 but have daughter Isla
      Spanish model Elen started dating Frank Lampard in 2002 before splitting in 2008Credit: Photography: Alamy, Getty Images
      Partner: Frank Lampard
      The then Spanish model began dating Frank in 2002 and welcomed their daughter Luna in 2005.
      She made a name for herself in Baden-Baden after belting out Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive while standing on a table.
      Now Elen and Frank went on to have daughter Isla, but the couple split in 2008.
      The footballer is now married to TV presenter Christine Lampard, while Elen has been dating businessman Dino Costas since 2017 and  runs her own home-organisation business, La Organiser.
       Toni Poole, 41
      Toni stood by husband John Terry after rumours of his affair with his teammate’s ex-girlfriendCredit: Photography: Alamy, Getty Images
      Husband: John Terry
      Then Officially the most forgiving woman in Britain, Toni stood by John after rumours of his affair with his teammate’s ex-girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel, emerged in 2010, which cost him the England captaincy.
      Now Toni has twins, Summer and Georgie, 16, with John.
      She enjoys horse riding and has published a fitness and healthy lifestyle book.
      Lisa Roughead, 35
      Childhood sweethearts Michael Carrick and Lisa seek to maintain low profilesCredit: Photography: Alamy, Getty Images
      Nowadays Lisa is a Pilates teacher with a business degreeCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Husband: Michael Carrick
      Then The “quiet one” known to go a bit wild when she’d had a drink, there were rumours she’d snogged Carly Zucker after an alcohol-fuelled night out.
      Now Nowadays she’s a Pilates teacher with a business degree.
      Lisa maintains a low profile, but is still a constant support for Michael after they met in secondary school.
      Abbey Clancy, 36
      Abbey has carved out a successful TV and modelling career, since her and Peter’s marriage in 2011Credit: Photography: Alamy, Getty Images
      Husband: Peter Crouch
      Then Just months into their relationship, Abbey flew out to support Peter.
      But she was soon sent home in shame after old photos of her taking cocaine resurfaced.
      Peter tried to distance himself from the drama and dumped her.
      Now Abbey and Peter reconciled and married in 2011, welcoming daughter Sophia that same year.
      They went on to have Liberty, seven, Johnny, four, and Jack, three.
      Abbey has also carved out a successful TV and modelling career. 
      Vanessa Perroncel, 46
      Vanessa split with partner Wayne Bridge after accusations of an affair with John TerryCredit: Photography: Alamy, Getty Images
      Partner: Wayne Bridge
      Then Pregnant with son Jaydon at the time, Vanessa kept a low profile throughout the tournament.
      Now All hell broke loose when Vanessa and Wayne split in 2009, and she was accused of having an affair with John Terry – which she denied.
      Read More on The Sun
      Wayne’s now married to Frankie Bridge and the pair have two sons.
      Vanessa was briefly linked to Cheryl’s second husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini. More