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      Footie-mad dad finally completes his £10k sticker collection after scoring rare England badge

      by

      A FOOTIE-mad dad has finally got his huge sticker album collection up to date — with a 1998 World Cup England badge.Simon Livermore, 45, paid £11.41 in an online bidding war for the elusive crest.
      Simon Livermore has finally got his huge sticker album collection up to dateCredit: Paul Edwards / The Sun
      He has now completed every World Cup and Euros album produced by Panini since 1974.
      And he is already busy filling in his Euro 2020 sticker album.
      Brighton and Hove Albion fan Simon said: “Half the fun is the hunt. I’ve needed two for France 98 for absolutely forever but the badges, the foils, are particularly hard to come across.
      “I was always led to believe there was equal numbers printed, But I swear it’s not the case.”
      The project manager caught the collecting bug with the Mexico 86 World Cup album.
      Over the years he has spent up to £10,000 on packs of stickers, selling swaps online to fund his habit and buying missing stickers from Europe, Egypt and the US.
      The footie-mad dad has spent over £10,000 on roughly 23,000 stickersCredit: Paul Edwards / The Sun
      His extensive collection was finally completed when he scored a 1998 England cardCredit: Paul Edwards / The Sun
      Simon paid £11.41 in an online bidding war for the elusive crestCredit: Paul Edwards / The Sun
      The most expensive sticker Simon sold was a rare Diego Maradona from 1982Credit: Paul Edwards / The Sun
      Simon caught the collecting bug with Panini’s Mexico ’86 albumCredit: Paul Edwards / The Sun
      The most expensive sticker he sold was a rare Diego Maradona from 1982 — which went to an American collector for £90.
      And Simon reckons he could wallpaper his spare room with Bulgarian swaps from Euro 96.
      It’s the childlike feeling of just opening a pack that’s kept me going. Simon Livermore
      As well as stickers, he also buys old books online then re-pastes what he needs into his albums.
      Simon, who has a daughter aged 25, reckoned: “It’s the childlike feeling of just opening a pack that’s kept me going.
      “The haircuts are some of the best bits. They remind me of my childhood.”
      Simon says ‘half the fun is the hunt’Credit: Paul Edwards / The Sun

      He also has Panini albums for the English top flight from 1978 to 1990 and the past two seasons.
      He refuses to buy albums produced by Merlin in the 1990s and 2000s as he says they are not as good.
      He said: “The feeling of opening a pack and getting your favourite player just won’t ever get old.”
      Panini land official Premier League sticker album for first time More

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      in Soccer

      How soccer ace Frank Worthington bedded a different woman every night – but had no regrets

      by

      FORMER England striker Frank Worthington was a legend for strutting his stuff at clubs across the land and satisfying adoring fans with his keepy-uppy.The question always lingered, though, how much of a star Frank would have been if he’d reserved those skills for the football pitch.
      Ladies man Frank Worthington has died aged 72Credit: Mirrorpix
      The former striker, pictured with George Best and Alex Higgins, was known as ‘the working man’s Best’Credit: Raymonds Press Agency
      The cult hero passed away after a long battle with dementia
      For this mercurial talent, who has died at the age of 72, was just as well known for his inexhaustible exploits in the bedroom and on the dancefloor as his prowess in front of goal.
      He boasted of sleeping with a different woman every night, bedding a teenager followed by her mother and dating a string of beauties.
      They included Miss World Mary Stavin, Miss Barbados Lindy Field, Profumo Affair model Mandy Rice-Davies, his first wife Birgitta who won Miss Sweden and his second spouse Carol Dwyer, who had been a Page 3 Girl.
      And when he was asked to name his ‘previous clubs’ he answered: “The Playboy, Tramps and Sandpiper.”
      A flamboyant maverick, who sported flowing long hair, a manicured moustache, medallion and John Travolta flares, Frank’s passion for the high life cost him his chance to reach the very top.
      A record breaking deal to sign for Liverpool in 1972 fell through because two weeks of sex and partying left him with high blood pressure.
      While his England caps ended at just eight after manager Don Revie discovered Frank had ignored a strict curfew by going out drinking and gambling at a casino.
      BORN TO PLAY THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
      Frank, who played for 24 clubs including Leicester City and Leeds United, also confessed to taking cocaine and nearly drove a car off a cliff in Spain.
      Extravagant spending, including buying a Ford Mustang and drinking champagne at breakfast, left him bankrupt when he couldn’t pay the taxman.
      Frank played for 24 clubs including Leicester City and Leeds UnitedCredit: PA:Press Association
      But he wouldn’t have changed anything.
      Frank said: “Yeah, I was a bit of a rascal. I loved football and the ladies and I was not prepared to give up either. Why should I? I never have regrets. I did all right for myself, thanks very much.”
      A naturally gifted attacker, Frank was born to play the beautiful game.
      The West Yorkshireman, from the village of Shelf near Bradford, was the son of two football players, with his dad Eric turning out for Halifax Town and mum Alice for the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force.
      He quickly made a big impression at his first club Huddersfield Town, scoring 41 goals in 171 appearances.
      I loved football and the ladies and I was not prepared to give up either. Why should I?Frank Worthington
      Huddersfield were not exactly a glamour club, but that didn’t stop Frank becoming a major attraction.
      Shortly after leaving the club in 1972 he boasted: “I was pulling girls every night. Sometimes I’d wonder if they were with me because I was Frank Worthington, the footballer, or if they genuinely fancied me as a bloke.
      “But I soon realised this didn’t matter a damn.”
      He kept a flat in Leeds so the club did not know about his “nocturnal activities” or that he was “abusing my body” by staying out late.
      Frank was a notorious ladies man until he eventually settled down with his second wife Carol DwyerCredit: Mirrorpix
      The Elvis fan, seen rocking out with TV’s Grumbleweeds, tried to keep his ‘nocturnal activities’ secretCredit: Getty
      Frank’s ability to juggle the ball on the pitch and go past defenders at will persuaded Liverpool manager Bill Shankly to offer a then £150,000 club record to sign him.
      Having put pen to paper, Frank failed two medicals.
      There were rumours that he had a sexually transmitted disease, but the player insisted it was blood pressure due to constant carousing.
      Before the second medical, Shankly sent Frank off on holiday to relax.
      Instead the player seduced a young woman on the aeroplane and went on a two week bender with her.
      With Liverpool out of the picture, Frank signed for Leicester City instead, scoring 72 goals in 210 games for the Midlands side.
      Ex-Leicester and England star Gary Lineker described him last night as “my boyhood hero” and a “wonderful character”.
      In 1973 Frank married his first wife Birgitta, who had already given birth to his son Frank Junior.
      Displaying some eye-raising parental priorities he said he wanted to teach Frank Junior “all the tricks” so he could be “the greatest Casanova of all time”.
      Frank also had a daughter, Kim-Malou, with Birgitta but parenthood did not slow him down.
      Touching tributes
      LEGENDS of the game, footie experts and celebrity fans paid tribute to Frank on social media.
      “Profoundly saddened to hear Frank Worthington has died. He was my boyhood hero when he was at LCFC. A beautiful footballer, maverick and wonderful character who was so kind to this young apprentice.” Gary Lineker
      “What a character, and one of the most talented footballers I played with.” Ally McCoist
      “What a character & what a player! Very sad news.” Tony Cottee
      “A great player, entertainer and character, even at 9 we had to go just to see him play. Rest in peace, Elvis.” Stan Collymore
      “A true showman and great footballer but even better bloke.”John Fashanu
      “Absolute luxury. RIP Frank Worthington, one of the greats.”Paddy McGuinness
      “One of the great entertainers, scorer of one of the greatest ever goals.” Sky Sports’ Gary Taphouse
      “What a player, got fans off their seats, a great entertainer.” TalkSport’s Ian Abrahams

      Frank boasted of sleeping with Miss World Mary Stavin, Miss Barbados Lindy Field, Profumo Affair model Mandy Rice-Davies and his first wife Birgitta, who won Miss Sweden (pictured)Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      He later confessed: “In my Leicester days, it wasn’t a night out unless you were in at six in the morning after a visit to the Playboy Club.”
      Around 1978 the marriage broke down, giving Frank the freedom to play the field even more.
      In his autobiography One Hump or Two?, which certainly wasn’t a reference to camels, he wrote extensively about his sexual exploits.
      Describing meeting a Belgian brunette in Magaluf, he wrote: “It was appropriate that she came from Knokke, because you should have seen her Knokke-ers when I got them out back at my villa.”
      Never shy about discussing his pulling prowess, he also told a journalist what happened after bedding a teenager in Sweden.
      He said: “Next morning, after the girl had got up early for work, her ‘muzzer’ woke me up with a cup of tea. She was young and attractive, so what was a man supposed to do?”
      ‘I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BIT OF A PEACOCK’
      Great pals with the late George Best he lived with Lindy, the sister of the Manchester United star’s first wife Angie.
      But Frank – described as “the working man’s George Best” by the late Bolton manager, Ian Greaves – reckoned he was even more of a womaniser than the Belfast ladies’ man.
      He said: “This is where I differ from George Best. He wants everyone to love him. I just wanted every girl to go to bed with me.”
      Frank was famed for his ability to juggle the ball on the pitchCredit: George Herringshaw
      He won the Golden Boot title in 1979 for the 24 goals he scored for Bolton Wanderers
      He played until he was aged 43, running out for over 20 clubs here and in the USCredit: Getty
      Many England fans wondered why Frank, whose majestic skills were compared to Best, didn’t play more for his country.
      Frank thought it was because his unconventional approach upset the national side’s bosses.
      Sir Alf Ramsey swore when he turned up to fly with the England team wearing cowboy boots, a velvet jacket and silk shirt.
      Frank, who reckoned he was ‘the first man in Britain to own a tank top’, said: “I suppose I have always been a bit of a peacock.”
      Best wants everyone to love him. I just wanted every girl to go to bed with me.Frank Worthington
      He also upset England’s caretaker manager Joe Mercer by sneaking a girl up to his hotel room after a game.
      Tough guy boss Revie wasn’t so forgiving when Frank ignored his clear instructions not to go out.
      Slipping out the hotel through a side door with a few other England players they visited a casino.
      Gambling was a major part of football back in those days and one marathon card game in 1974 went on until 9am in the morning after England beat Bulgaria.
      Newcastle United striker Malcolm Macdonald ended up losing £1,200 to Frank. Living close to the edge was what Frank was used to.
      He once recalled: “On one trip to Spain, I was driving a car with three other players and ended up crashing it and almost going over the end of a cliff.
      “When we walked back the next day, there was the car balancing on the edge of a big drop.”
      The football legend spoke extensively about his sexual exploits in his autobiography One Hump or Two?
      That wild behaviour went too far when Frank was playing for Birmingham City between 1979 and 1982.
      He confessed to smoking cannabis and snorting cocaine through a bank note. It was, he admitted, a mistake.
      Elvis fan Frank said: “I don’t see any harm in trying things out, but drug taking is certainly not something I would recommend to anyone.”
      Around that time he declared bankruptcy because he couldn’t pay off tax bills of £36,000.
      Gradually, though, he started to calm down and after he married second wife Carol in 1986 he was content to be in bed by 10pm.
      Despite failing that Liverpool medical Frank played until he was aged 43, running out for over 20 clubs here and in the US, before finally hanging up his boots in 1992.
      The only silverware he picked up during that long career was the old Division Two title with Huddersfield Town.
      Frank also won the Golden Boot title in 1979 for the 24 goals he scored for Bolton Wanderers in the top division.
      But he had to sell that precious memory in 2005 to fund his retirement.
      Frank’s wife says ‘he brought joy to so many people throughout his career and in his private life’Credit: Reuters

      Frank’s cause of death has not been announced. His daughter claimed in 2016 that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s due to heading the ball during his playing days. But Frank denied suffering from the brain disease.
      After his death his wife Carol said in a statement: “Frank brought joy to so many people throughout his career and in his private life.
      “He will be greatly missed by everyone who loved him so much.”
      Ally McCoist pays tribute Leicester legend Frank Worthington who has died at 72
      GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk More

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      in Soccer

      How Frank Worthington’s passion for the high life cost him his chance to reach the very top

      by

      FORMER England striker Frank Worthington was a legend for strutting his stuff at clubs across the land and satisfying adoring fans with his keepy-uppy.The question always lingered, though, how much of a star Frank would have been if he’d reserved those skills for the football pitch.
      Ladies man Frank Worthington has died aged 72Credit: Mirrorpix
      The former striker, pictured with George Best and Alex Higgins, was known as ‘the working man’s Best’Credit: Raymonds Press Agency
      The cult hero passed away after a long battle with dementia
      For this mercurial talent, who has died at the age of 72, was just as well known for his inexhaustible exploits in the bedroom and on the dancefloor as his prowess in front of goal.
      He boasted of sleeping with a different woman every night, bedding a teenager followed by her mother and dating a string of beauties.
      They included Miss World Mary Stavin, Miss Barbados Lindy Field, Profumo Affair model Mandy Rice-Davies, his first wife Birgitta who won Miss Sweden and his second spouse Carol Dwyer, who had been a Page 3 Girl.
      And when he was asked to name his ‘previous clubs’ he answered: “The Playboy, Tramps and Sandpiper.”
      A flamboyant maverick, who sported flowing long hair, a manicured moustache, medallion and John Travolta flares, Frank’s passion for the high life cost him his chance to reach the very top.
      A record breaking deal to sign for Liverpool in 1972 fell through because two weeks of sex and partying left him with high blood pressure.
      While his England caps ended at just eight after manager Don Revie discovered Frank had ignored a strict curfew by going out drinking and gambling at a casino.
      BORN TO PLAY THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
      Frank, who played for 24 clubs including Leicester City and Leeds United, also confessed to taking cocaine and nearly drove a car off a cliff in Spain.
      Extravagant spending, including buying a Ford Mustang and drinking champagne at breakfast, left him bankrupt when he couldn’t pay the taxman.
      Frank played for 24 clubs including Leicester City and Leeds UnitedCredit: PA:Press Association
      But he wouldn’t have changed anything.
      Frank said: “Yeah, I was a bit of a rascal. I loved football and the ladies and I was not prepared to give up either. Why should I? I never have regrets. I did all right for myself, thanks very much.”
      A naturally gifted attacker, Frank was born to play the beautiful game.
      The West Yorkshireman, from the village of Shelf near Bradford, was the son of two football players, with his dad Eric turning out for Halifax Town and mum Alice for the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force.
      He quickly made a big impression at his first club Huddersfield Town, scoring 41 goals in 171 appearances.
      I loved football and the ladies and I was not prepared to give up either. Why should I?Frank Worthington
      Huddersfield were not exactly a glamour club, but that didn’t stop Frank becoming a major attraction.
      Shortly after leaving the club in 1972 he boasted: “I was pulling girls every night. Sometimes I’d wonder if they were with me because I was Frank Worthington, the footballer, or if they genuinely fancied me as a bloke.
      “But I soon realised this didn’t matter a damn.”
      He kept a flat in Leeds so the club did not know about his “nocturnal activities” or that he was “abusing my body” by staying out late.
      Frank was a notorious ladies man until he eventually settled down with his second wife Carol DwyerCredit: Mirrorpix
      The Elvis fan, seen rocking out with TV’s Grumbleweeds, tried to keep his ‘nocturnal activities’ secretCredit: Getty
      Frank’s ability to juggle the ball on the pitch and go past defenders at will persuaded Liverpool manager Bill Shankly to offer a then £150,000 club record to sign him.
      Having put pen to paper, Frank failed two medicals.
      There were rumours that he had a sexually transmitted disease, but the player insisted it was blood pressure due to constant carousing.
      Before the second medical, Shankly sent Frank off on holiday to relax.
      Instead the player seduced a young woman on the aeroplane and went on a two week bender with her.
      With Liverpool out of the picture, Frank signed for Leicester City instead, scoring 72 goals in 210 games for the Midlands side.
      Ex-Leicester and England star Gary Lineker described him last night as “my boyhood hero” and a “wonderful character”.
      In 1973 Frank married his first wife Birgitta, who had already given birth to his son Frank Junior.
      Displaying some eye-raising parental priorities he said he wanted to teach Frank Junior “all the tricks” so he could be “the greatest Casanova of all time”.
      Frank also had a daughter, Kim-Malou, with Birgitta but parenthood did not slow him down.
      Touching tributes
      LEGENDS of the game, footie experts and celebrity fans paid tribute to Frank on social media.
      “Profoundly saddened to hear Frank Worthington has died. He was my boyhood hero when he was at LCFC. A beautiful footballer, maverick and wonderful character who was so kind to this young apprentice.” Gary Lineker
      “What a character, and one of the most talented footballers I played with.” Ally McCoist
      “What a character & what a player! Very sad news.” Tony Cottee
      “A great player, entertainer and character, even at 9 we had to go just to see him play. Rest in peace, Elvis.” Stan Collymore
      “A true showman and great footballer but even better bloke.”John Fashanu
      “Absolute luxury. RIP Frank Worthington, one of the greats.”Paddy McGuinness
      “One of the great entertainers, scorer of one of the greatest ever goals.” Sky Sports’ Gary Taphouse
      “What a player, got fans off their seats, a great entertainer.” TalkSport’s Ian Abrahams

      Frank boasted of sleeping with Miss World Mary Stavin, Miss Barbados Lindy Field, Profumo Affair model Mandy Rice-Davies and his first wife Birgitta, who won Miss Sweden (pictured)Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      He later confessed: “In my Leicester days, it wasn’t a night out unless you were in at six in the morning after a visit to the Playboy Club.”
      Around 1978 the marriage broke down, giving Frank the freedom to play the field even more.
      In his autobiography One Hump or Two?, which certainly wasn’t a reference to camels, he wrote extensively about his sexual exploits.
      Describing meeting a Belgian brunette in Magaluf, he wrote: “It was appropriate that she came from Knokke, because you should have seen her Knokke-ers when I got them out back at my villa.”
      Never shy about discussing his pulling prowess, he also told a journalist what happened after bedding a teenager in Sweden.
      He said: “Next morning, after the girl had got up early for work, her ‘muzzer’ woke me up with a cup of tea. She was young and attractive, so what was a man supposed to do?”
      ‘I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BIT OF A PEACOCK’
      Great pals with the late George Best he lived with Lindy, the sister of the Manchester United star’s first wife Angie.
      But Frank – described as “the working man’s George Best” by the late Bolton manager, Ian Greaves – reckoned he was even more of a womaniser than the Belfast ladies’ man.
      He said: “This is where I differ from George Best. He wants everyone to love him. I just wanted every girl to go to bed with me.”
      Frank was famed for his ability to juggle the ball on the pitchCredit: George Herringshaw
      He won the Golden Boot title in 1979 for the 24 goals he scored for Bolton Wanderers
      He played until he was aged 43, running out for over 20 clubs here and in the USCredit: Getty
      Many England fans wondered why Frank, whose majestic skills were compared to Best, didn’t play more for his country.
      Frank thought it was because his unconventional approach upset the national side’s bosses.
      Sir Alf Ramsey swore when he turned up to fly with the England team wearing cowboy boots, a velvet jacket and silk shirt.
      Frank, who reckoned he was ‘the first man in Britain to own a tank top’, said: “I suppose I have always been a bit of a peacock.”
      Best wants everyone to love him. I just wanted every girl to go to bed with me.Frank Worthington
      He also upset England’s caretaker manager Joe Mercer by sneaking a girl up to his hotel room after a game.
      Tough guy boss Revie wasn’t so forgiving when Frank ignored his clear instructions not to go out.
      Slipping out the hotel through a side door with a few other England players they visited a casino.
      Gambling was a major part of football back in those days and one marathon card game in 1974 went on until 9am in the morning after England beat Bulgaria.
      Newcastle United striker Malcolm Macdonald ended up losing £1,200 to Frank. Living close to the edge was what Frank was used to.
      He once recalled: “On one trip to Spain, I was driving a car with three other players and ended up crashing it and almost going over the end of a cliff.
      “When we walked back the next day, there was the car balancing on the edge of a big drop.”
      The football legend spoke extensively about his sexual exploits in his autobiography One Hump or Two?
      That wild behaviour went too far when Frank was playing for Birmingham City between 1979 and 1982.
      He confessed to smoking cannabis and snorting cocaine through a bank note. It was, he admitted, a mistake.
      Elvis fan Frank said: “I don’t see any harm in trying things out, but drug taking is certainly not something I would recommend to anyone.”
      Around that time he declared bankruptcy because he couldn’t pay off tax bills of £36,000.
      Gradually, though, he started to calm down and after he married second wife Carol in 1986 he was content to be in bed by 10pm.
      Despite failing that Liverpool medical Frank played until he was aged 43, running out for over 20 clubs here and in the US, before finally hanging up his boots in 1992.
      The only silverware he picked up during that long career was the old Division Two title with Huddersfield Town.
      Frank also won the Golden Boot title in 1979 for the 24 goals he scored for Bolton Wanderers in the top division.
      But he had to sell that precious memory in 2005 to fund his retirement.
      Frank’s wife says ‘he brought joy to so many people throughout his career and in his private life’Credit: Reuters

      Frank’s cause of death has not been announced. His daughter claimed in 2016 that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s due to heading the ball during his playing days. But Frank denied suffering from the brain disease.
      After his death his wife Carol said in a statement: “Frank brought joy to so many people throughout his career and in his private life.
      “He will be greatly missed by everyone who loved him so much.”
      Ally McCoist pays tribute Leicester legend Frank Worthington who has died at 72
      GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk More

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      in Soccer

      How ‘drugs kingpin’ Daniel Kinahan, linked to boxing world champ Tyson Fury, is now planning to move into football

      by

      SITTING on a scruffy trading estate in a Lancashire village, the office of the MTK football agency appears a world away from the glitzy Premier League.
      Now it aims to grab a slice of the £500million spent each year on agency fees — and while company director Danny Vincent is a complete unknown, the founder of the business’s parent company, Daniel Kinahan, is certainly not.

      Tyson Fury with Daniel Kinahan

      Known as “Big Dan” by Tyson Fury, Kinahan made his name in the ­boxing world — and is also a ­notorious figure in his native Dublin.
      He has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime boss — something he has always denied and he has never been convicted of any criminal offence.
      Kinahan, 43, has been labelled a senior figure in organised crime by Ireland’s high court, while a 2009 diplomatic cable sent to the Pentagon by a US Embassy described him as a “suspected international drug-trafficking figure”, resulting in him being banned from entering the US.
      And police in Ireland suspect the Kinahan cartel — founded by his convicted drug-smuggler father Christy, who is now living in Dubai — has made at least £1billion selling narcotics globally.

      MTK Football’s director Danny Vincent, 36, was surprised when The Sun called last week at his £200,000 home just a stone’s throw from Aintree racecourse.

      Kinahan has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime bossCredit: Refer to Caption

      The building where MTK Football is registeredCredit: .
      The tattooed Liverpool FC fan was unprepared for questions — despite his company’s links with Kinahan.
      Vincent, who counts Kinahan’s cage- fighter pal Darren Till among his shareholders, claimed he knew ­nothing about the alleged crimelord.
      He said: “I’ve got nothing to do with that. I work with Darren Till.”

      When pressed again about Kinahan, he said: “No, no — it’s bang out of order knocking at my door.”
      Prior to that, Vincent had admitted to our reporter that MTK Football had no clients, adding: “We have only just started out. This is mad — I’m not used to all this.”
      While Vincent may claim not to know Kinahan, The Sun understands the alleged mobster is already on first-name terms with dozens of ­Premier League players and even a club chairman.

      Amir Khan called Kinahan ‘one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met’Credit: Reuters
      That is because Kinahan has been plotting his move into the world of football for at least five years, from his base in Dubai.
      One well-placed source connected to multiple Premier League players revealed: “Kinahan has been planning this for years. He has been getting close to players and close to agents.
      “He has got to know lots of them while living in Marbella and more recently since he moved to Dubai.
      “Both destinations are playgrounds for footballers and underworld figures ­— and those worlds collide in high-end restaurants, bars and clubs.
      “He will definitely end up representing top-level players at some point.”
      Kinahan’s blueprint for success is the world of boxing, where he has acted as an “adviser” to Tyson Fury ahead of his £400million fight with Anthony Joshua.

      Danny Vincent, director of MTK Football, outside his homeCredit: .
      He founded MTK Global in 2012 and the firm now has more than 250 fighters on its books.
      In 2017 he claimed to have stepped away from the company, but he recently admitted he is still heavily involved in the fight trade.
      The source said: “It’s harder to find a boxer not linked to Kinahan than one who is. He dominates the boxing world and everyone knows it.”
      Kinahan operates in the shadows and is not registered with the British Board Of ­Boxing, or the Football Association, leaving them powerless to regulate him.
      In 2007, Kinahan and his ­younger brother Christy Jnr were held by police in Spain on suspicion of drug-smuggling. He was not charged. His father — known as “the Dapper Don” — is said to have passed on control of the cartel’s narcotics and money-laundering operation to him in 2016.
      Prior to moving to Dubai — where his dad and brother also live — he is alleged to have helped the cartel to amass a ­ fortune from drug-trafficking.
      Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau filed a high-court ­affidavit describing how ­Kinahan managed and ­controlled the day-to-day operations of the gang.

      Lee Byrne, Troy Parrott and Dele Alli
      Police forces in three ­countries currently want to question him. And in 2016, Kinahan was the intended target of an horrific shooting in Dublin’s Regency Hotel.
      Six gunmen from the rival Hutch gang, including one dressed in drag and others disguised as police officers, stormed in with AK47 assault rifles during a boxing weigh-in.
      They murdered alleged cartel enforcer David Byrne and seriously injured associate Sean McGovern — but Kinahan escaped.
      After a BBC Panorama documentary investigated his links with both boxing and organised crime last month, he said in a statement: “There is no evidence or proof against me. I have said repeatedly I have no criminal record anywhere in the world.”
      Despite the allegations, sports stars appear to love him. Last month Amir Khan called him “one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met” while Tyson Fury and Billy Jo Saunders respectfully call him “Big Dan”.
      A respected boxing source told The Sun: “The boxers that he represents absolutely love him because he treats them like kings.
      “And all the people who support him will always say thwaat he hasn’t been convicted of any crimes, so why shouldn’t he be involved in boxing?”
      But another source from the fight world urged more caution.

      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money
      The source, who has met Kinahan on several occasions, said: “He is very intelligent and very dangerous. He is comfortable knowing that you know of his reputation.
      “He pushes and probes you and sizes you up. It’s disconcerting and very difficult to deal with.” And while the Premier League and the FA may hope that Kinahan’s new ­football venture never gets off the ground, The Sun can reveal that he is already embedded at the game’s top table.
      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money.
      Players from clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Leicester, Aston Villa, Burnley, Leeds and Middlesbrough were all fleeced after handing over up to £250,000 on the promise of being sold rare Richard Mille, Philippe Patek and vintage Rolex watches.
      The jeweller, who cannot be named for legal reasons, failed to deliver the goods to around 30 footballers, agents and other watch-traders despite pocketing the cash.
      Unable to get their money back after he went bankrupt, several stars reportedly turned to Kinahan, who agreed to help.
      A source said: “If you’re owed £250,000 and someone gets it back for you, you’ll like them no matter what their alleged past is.”
      Kinahan has also helped out when players have got into trouble in Dubai.The Sun was told that when a Premier League stalwart got into an altercation while on holiday there, “Kinahan sorted it out”.
      But while Kinahan and his ­associates are happy to court ­players for business, they will not tolerate disrespect.

      One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.
      Source

      The source said: “One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.”
      Links between Kinahan’s associates and young football stars have already begun to emerge.
      Spurs and England star Dele Alli and Troy Parrott, an Irish clubmate of his at Tottenham, were spotted in pictures taken on a winter break in Dubai with Lee Byrne, son of Liam Byrne, a key associate of Kinahan.
      Liam Byrne was previously named in court as being at “the very top tier” of organised crime in Ireland, and a “close and trusted associate and lieutenant of Daniel Kinahan”.
      So how will Premier League managers and owners ­handle the situation if, or when, a player signs to MTK?
      The reality is that the clubs may never know who they are dealing with. A source said Kinahan has been wooing a top-level football agent who has more than 150 ­players on his books.

      “Kinahan won’t start representing a player,” said the source. “He’ll just go and buy an agency and absorb it. And bang, he’ll be into football in a big way.
      “But no one will ever know because the Kinahan name will never appear on any paperwork.”
      But as he looks to expand his influence into the world’s most popular — and richest — sport, it is clear that Kinahan is not someone who can be ignored.

      Eddie Hearn says he was ‘a little surprised’ by the uproar over Daniel Kinahan being praised by Tyson Fury
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      How ‘drugs kingpin’ Daniel Kinahan, linked to boxing champ Tyson Fury, is now planning to move into football

      by

      SITTING on a scruffy trading estate in a Lancashire village, the office of the MTK football agency seems a world away from the glitzy Premier League.
      Now it aims to grab a slice of the £500million spent each year on agency fees — and while company director Danny Vincent is a complete unknown, the founder of the business’s parent company, Daniel Kinahan, is certainly not.

      Tyson Fury with Daniel Kinahan

      Known as “Big Dan” by Tyson Fury, Kinahan made his name in the ­boxing world — and is also a ­notorious figure in his native Dublin.
      He has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime boss — something he has always denied and he has never been convicted of any criminal offence.
      Kinahan, 43, has been labelled a senior figure in organised crime by Ireland’s high court, while a 2009 diplomatic cable sent to the Pentagon by a US Embassy described him as a “suspected international drug-trafficking figure”, resulting in him being banned from entering the US.
      And police in Ireland suspect the Kinahan cartel — founded by his convicted drug-smuggler father Christy, who is now living in Dubai — has made at least £1billion selling narcotics globally.

      MTK Football’s director Danny Vincent, 36, was surprised when The Sun called last week at his £200,000 home just a stone’s throw from Aintree racecourse.

      Kinahan has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime bossCredit: Refer to Caption

      The building where MTK Football is registeredCredit: .
      The tattooed Liverpool FC fan was unprepared for questions — despite his company’s links with Kinahan.
      Vincent, who counts Kinahan’s cage- fighter pal Darren Till among his shareholders, claimed he knew ­nothing about the alleged crimelord.
      He said: “I’ve got nothing to do with that. I work with Darren Till.”

      When pressed again about Kinahan, he said: “No, no — it’s bang out of order knocking at my door.”
      Prior to that, Vincent had admitted to our reporter that MTK Football had no clients, adding: “We have only just started out. This is mad — I’m not used to all this.”
      While Vincent may claim not to know Kinahan, The Sun understands the alleged mobster is already on first-name terms with dozens of ­Premier League players and even a club chairman.

      Amir Khan called Kinahan ‘one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met’Credit: Reuters
      That is because Kinahan has been plotting his move into the world of football for at least five years, from his base in Dubai.
      One well-placed source connected to multiple Premier League players revealed: “Kinahan has been planning this for years. He has been getting close to players and close to agents.
      “He has got to know lots of them while living in Marbella and more recently since he moved to Dubai.
      “Both destinations are playgrounds for footballers and underworld figures ­— and those worlds collide in high-end restaurants, bars and clubs.
      “He will definitely end up representing top-level players at some point.”
      Kinahan’s blueprint for success is the world of boxing, where he has acted as an “adviser” to Tyson Fury ahead of his £400million fight with Anthony Joshua.

      Danny Vincent, director of MTK Football, outside his homeCredit: .
      He founded MTK Global in 2012 and the firm now has more than 250 fighters on its books.
      In 2017 he claimed to have stepped away from the company, but he recently admitted he is still heavily involved in the fight trade.
      The source said: “It’s harder to find a boxer not linked to Kinahan than one who is. He dominates the boxing world and everyone knows it.”
      Kinahan operates in the shadows and is not registered with the British Board Of ­Boxing, or the Football Association, leaving them powerless to regulate him.
      In 2007, Kinahan and his ­younger brother Christy Jnr were held by police in Spain on suspicion of drug-smuggling. He was not charged. His father — known as “the Dapper Don” — is said to have passed on control of the cartel’s narcotics and money-laundering operation to him in 2016.
      Prior to moving to Dubai — where his dad and brother also live — he is alleged to have helped the cartel to amass a ­ fortune from drug-trafficking.
      Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau filed a high-court ­affidavit describing how ­Kinahan managed and ­controlled the day-to-day operations of the gang.

      Lee Byrne, Troy Parrott and Dele Alli
      Police forces in three ­countries currently want to question him. And in 2016, Kinahan was the intended target of an horrific shooting in Dublin’s Regency Hotel.
      Six gunmen from the rival Hutch gang, including one dressed in drag and others disguised as police officers, stormed in with AK47 assault rifles during a boxing weigh-in.
      They murdered alleged cartel enforcer David Byrne and seriously injured associate Sean McGovern — but Kinahan escaped.
      After a BBC Panorama documentary investigated his links with both boxing and organised crime last month, he said in a statement: “There is no evidence or proof against me. I have said repeatedly I have no criminal record anywhere in the world.”
      Despite the allegations, sports stars appear to love him. Last month Amir Khan called him “one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met” while Tyson Fury and Billy Jo Saunders respectfully call him “Big Dan”.
      A respected boxing source told The Sun: “The boxers that he represents absolutely love him because he treats them like kings.
      “And all the people who support him will always say thwaat he hasn’t been convicted of any crimes, so why shouldn’t he be involved in boxing?”
      But another source from the fight world urged more caution.

      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money
      The source, who has met Kinahan on several occasions, said: “He is very intelligent and very dangerous. He is comfortable knowing that you know of his reputation.
      “He pushes and probes you and sizes you up. It’s disconcerting and very difficult to deal with.” And while the Premier League and the FA may hope that Kinahan’s new ­football venture never gets off the ground, The Sun can reveal that he is already embedded at the game’s top table.
      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money.
      Players from clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Leicester, Aston Villa, Burnley, Leeds and Middlesbrough were all fleeced after handing over up to £250,000 on the promise of being sold rare Richard Mille, Philippe Patek and vintage Rolex watches.
      The jeweller, who cannot be named for legal reasons, failed to deliver the goods to around 30 footballers, agents and other watch-traders despite pocketing the cash.
      Unable to get their money back after he went bankrupt, several stars reportedly turned to Kinahan, who agreed to help.
      A source said: “If you’re owed £250,000 and someone gets it back for you, you’ll like them no matter what their alleged past is.”
      Kinahan has also helped out when players have got into trouble in Dubai.The Sun was told that when a Premier League stalwart got into an altercation while on holiday there, “Kinahan sorted it out”.
      But while Kinahan and his ­associates are happy to court ­players for business, they will not tolerate disrespect.

      One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.
      Source

      The source said: “One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.”
      Links between Kinahan’s associates and young football stars have already begun to emerge.
      Spurs and England star Dele Alli and Troy Parrott, an Irish clubmate of his at Tottenham, were spotted in pictures taken on a winter break in Dubai with Lee Byrne, son of Liam Byrne, a key associate of Kinahan.
      Liam Byrne was previously named in court as being at “the very top tier” of organised crime in Ireland, and a “close and trusted associate and lieutenant of Daniel Kinahan”.
      So how will Premier League managers and owners ­handle the situation if, or when, a player signs to MTK?
      The reality is that the clubs may never know who they are dealing with. A source said Kinahan has been wooing a top-level football agent who has more than 150 ­players on his books.

      “Kinahan won’t start representing a player,” said the source. “He’ll just go and buy an agency and absorb it. And bang, he’ll be into football in a big way.
      “But no one will ever know because the Kinahan name will never appear on any paperwork.”
      But as he looks to expand his influence into the world’s most popular — and richest — sport, it is clear that Kinahan is not someone who can be ignored.

      Eddie Hearn says he was ‘a little surprised’ by the uproar over Daniel Kinahan being praised by Tyson Fury
      GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk More

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      in Soccer

      How ‘drugs kingpin’ linked to boxing and Tyson Fury is now planning to move into football

      by

      SITTING on a scruffy trading estate in a Lancashire village, the office of the MTK football agency seems a world away from the glitzy Premier League.
      Now it aims to grab a slice of the £500million spent each year on agency fees — and while company director Danny Vincent is a complete unknown, the founder of the business’s parent company, Daniel Kinahan, is certainly not.

      Tyson Fury with Daniel Kinahan

      Known as “Big Dan” by Tyson Fury, Kinahan made his name in the ­boxing world — and is also a ­notorious figure in his native Dublin.
      He has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime boss — despite never having been convicted of any criminal offence.
      Kinahan, 43, has been labelled a senior figure in organised crime by Ireland’s high court, while a 2009 diplomatic cable sent to the Pentagon by a US Embassy described him as a “suspected international drug-trafficking figure”, resulting in him being banned from entering the US.
      And police in Ireland suspect the Kinahan cartel — founded by his convicted drug-smuggler father Christy, who is now living in Dubai — has made at least £1billion selling narcotics globally.

      MTK Football’s director Danny Vincent, 36, was surprised when The Sun called last week at his £200,000 home just a stone’s throw from Aintree racecourse.

      Kinahan has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime bossCredit: Refer to Caption

      The building where MTK Football is registeredCredit: .
      The tattooed Liverpool FC fan was unprepared for questions — despite his company’s links with Kinahan.
      Vincent, who counts Kinahan’s cage- fighter pal Darren Till among his shareholders, claimed he knew ­nothing about the alleged crimelord.
      He said: “I’ve got nothing to do with that. I work with Darren Till.”

      When pressed again about Kinahan, he said: “No, no — it’s bang out of order knocking at my door.”
      Prior to that, Vincent had admitted to our reporter that MTK Football had no clients, adding: “We have only just started out. This is mad — I’m not used to all this.”
      While Vincent may claim not to know Kinahan, The Sun understands the alleged mobster is already on first-name terms with dozens of ­Premier League players and even a club chairman.

      Amir Khan called Kinahan ‘one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met’Credit: Reuters
      That is because Kinahan has been plotting his move into the world of football for at least five years, from his base in Dubai.
      One well-placed source connected to multiple Premier League players revealed: “Kinahan has been planning this for years. He has been getting close to players and close to agents.
      “He has got to know lots of them while living in Marbella and more recently since he moved to Dubai.
      “Both destinations are playgrounds for footballers and underworld figures ­— and those worlds collide in high-end restaurants, bars and clubs.
      “He will definitely end up representing top-level players at some point.”
      Kinahan’s blueprint for success is the world of boxing, where he has acted as an “adviser” to Tyson Fury ahead of his £400million fight with Anthony Joshua.

      Danny Vincent, director of MTK Football, outside his homeCredit: .
      He founded MTK Global in 2012 and the firm now has more than 250 fighters on its books.
      In 2017 he claimed to have stepped away from the company, but he recently admitted he is still heavily involved in the fight trade.
      The source said: “It’s harder to find a boxer not linked to Kinahan than one who is. He dominates the boxing world and everyone knows it.”
      Kinahan operates in the shadows and is not registered with the British Board Of ­Boxing, or the Football Association, leaving them powerless to regulate him.
      In 2007, Kinahan and his ­younger brother Christy Jnr were held by police in Spain on suspicion of drug-smuggling. He was not charged. His father — known as “the Dapper Don” — is said to have passed on control of the cartel’s narcotics and money-laundering operation to him in 2016.
      Prior to moving to Dubai — where his dad and brother also live — he is alleged to have helped the cartel to amass a ­ fortune from drug-trafficking.
      Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau filed a high-court ­affidavit describing how ­Kinahan managed and ­controlled the day-to-day operations of the gang.

      Lee Byrne, Troy Parrott and Dele Alli
      Police forces in three ­countries currently want to question him. And in 2016, Kinahan was the intended target of an horrific shooting in Dublin’s Regency Hotel.
      Six gunmen from the rival Hutch gang, including one dressed in drag and others disguised as police officers, stormed in with AK47 assault rifles during a boxing weigh-in.
      They murdered alleged cartel enforcer David Byrne and seriously injured associate Sean McGovern — but Kinahan escaped.
      After a BBC Panorama documentary investigated his links with both boxing and organised crime last month, he said in a statement: “There is no evidence or proof against me. I have said repeatedly I have no criminal record anywhere in the world.”
      Despite the allegations, sports stars appear to love him. Last month Amir Khan called him “one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met” while Tyson Fury and Billy Jo Saunders respectfully call him “Big Dan”.
      A respected boxing source told The Sun: “The boxers that he represents absolutely love him because he treats them like kings.
      “And all the people who support him will always say thwaat he hasn’t been convicted of any crimes, so why shouldn’t he be involved in boxing?”
      But another source from the fight world urged more caution.

      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money
      The source, who has met Kinahan on several occasions, said: “He is very intelligent and very dangerous. He is comfortable knowing that you know of his reputation.
      “He pushes and probes you and sizes you up. It’s disconcerting and very difficult to deal with.” And while the Premier League and the FA may hope that Kinahan’s new ­football venture never gets off the ground, The Sun can reveal that he is already embedded at the game’s top table.
      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money.
      Players from clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Leicester, Aston Villa, Burnley, Leeds and Middlesbrough were all fleeced after handing over up to £250,000 on the promise of being sold rare Richard Mille, Philippe Patek and vintage Rolex watches.
      The jeweller, who cannot be named for legal reasons, failed to deliver the goods to around 30 footballers, agents and other watch-traders despite pocketing the cash.
      Unable to get their money back after he went bankrupt, several stars turned to Kinahan, who agreed to help.
      A source said: “If you’re owed £250,000 and someone gets it back for you, you’ll like them no matter what their alleged past is.”
      Kinahan has also helped out when players have got into trouble in Dubai.The Sun was told that when a Premier League stalwart got into an altercation while on holiday there, “Kinahan sorted it out”.
      But while Kinahan and his ­associates are happy to court ­players for business, they will not tolerate disrespect.

      One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.
      Source

      The source said: “One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.”
      Links between Kinahan’s associates and young football stars have already begun to emerge.
      Spurs and England star Dele Alli and Troy Parrott, an Irish clubmate of his at Tottenham, were spotted in pictures taken on a winter break in Dubai with Lee Byrne, son of Liam Byrne, a key associate of Kinahan.
      Liam Byrne was previously named in court as being at “the very top tier” of organised crime in Ireland, and a “close and trusted associate and lieutenant of Daniel Kinahan”.
      So how will Premier League managers and owners ­handle the situation if, or when, a player signs to MTK?
      The reality is that the clubs may never know who they are dealing with. A source said Kinahan has been wooing a top-level football agent who has more than 150 ­players on his books.

      “Kinahan won’t start representing a player,” said the source. “He’ll just go and buy an agency and absorb it. And bang, he’ll be into football in a big way.
      “But no one will ever know because the Kinahan name will never appear on any paperwork.”
      But as he looks to expand his influence into the world’s most popular — and richest — sport, it is clear that Kinahan is not someone who can be ignored.

      Eddie Hearn says he was ‘a little surprised’ by the uproar over Daniel Kinahan being praised by Tyson Fury
      GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk More

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      Wayne Bridge reveals kids keep interrupting him and wife Frankie having sex between homeschooling lessons

      by

      AS any parent will ­testify, home-schooling is not easy.
      But it has proven harder than most — or not, as the case may be — for Wayne and Frankie Bridge.

      Wayne Bridge says he and wife Frankie have ditched evening sex for quickies between lessons

      The former England star says the exhausted couple have ditched evening sex for quickies between lessons . . . but keep getting interrupted by the kids.
      While on I’m A Celebrity in 2016, Wayne had told his jungle campmates Down Under that he liked sex every day with his wife, former Saturdays singer Frankie.
      But that can be pretty tricky, what with the couple having sons Parker, seven, and Carter, five, in addition to Wayne’s 14-year-old son Jaydon from a previous relationship.
      Wayne, 40, says: “I’m up and down to be honest — it’s one of them because of our kids and the lockdown.

      Wayne says the couple’s kids keep interrupting them having sexCredit: Frankie Bridge Instagram
      “Bedtime’s become harder so [sex] has become a daytime thing.
      “But that’s also been quite tough because of home- schooling . . . it’s quite difficult.
      “There have been times with them coming close to catching us!
      “I like a late-night one but my missus isn’t as keen — she likes a bit earlier, and she likes to go to bed early as well. I do like daytime [sex] as well — it makes you feel good afterwards.”

      While on I’m A Celebrity in 2016, Wayne had told his jungle mates that he liked sex every day with his wifeCredit: Brian Roberts
      Unlike most parents I know, who are too frazzled to do anything after 4pm bar crack open the Chablis, Wayne ­reckons the couple still have great chemistry.
      They amused fans last April by taking part in the Flip The Switch TikTok challenge, swapping clothes in a hilarious clip.
      Last month, ever the romantic, Wayne says he got his stunning wife a Valentine’s Day card bearing the words: “You still make my kn*b throb.”
      He adds, poetically: “You can be together for a long time and it doesn’t make it do it, but she still makes me stand to attention.

      Wayne showed off his impressive abs while in the jungle showerCredit: Rex Features
      “So I thought it was a good card. She liked it.”
      He and Frankie, 32, were introduced by comic James Corden at a club when Wayne was on a boozy night out with the Late Late Show host.
      They swapped numbers and exchanged a few early ­messages but, says Wayne, Frankie “pied me off on text” before they finally got together.
      Their first date in 2011 was at posh ­Japanese restaurant Zuma, in London, and they tied the knot in 2014.

      Wayne and Frankie amused fans last April by taking part in the Flip The Switch TikTok challengeCredit: Instagram

      The couple swapped clothes in the hilarious clipCredit: Instagram
      And while Frankie has walked red ­carpets for the past 20 years — she was in child group S Club 8 before joining The Saturdays — Wayne is also increasingly a celebrity in his own right.
      After finishing fifth on I’m A Celeb, he went on to win C4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins in 2019.
      It’s safe to suggest he has long had the ­champagne-swilling, celeb lifestyle down pat, though.
      Of his erstwhile boozy days as a £90k-a-week footballer, he says his drinking got so bad he once ended up having to hitch a ride home on a milk float to get to training.

      Wayne was capped 36 times for England between 2002 and 2009Credit: Getty
      On the pitch Wayne, capped 36 times for his country between 2002 and 2009, was equally ­troublesome — once telling then-boss Jose Mourinho to “f*** off”, prompting the Portuguese coach to never talk to him again.
      He tells Archie Curzon on The Rig Biz podcast:  “I’ve been in trouble for football — not turning up for training, or not turning up on time, or drinking before training and stuff. I’ve been barred from a few places.
      “When I first started at Southampton, the drinking culture was still there.
      “But I’ve got a great story — I got home on a milk float once. I didn’t know where I was, I walked outside and there was a milk float.

      The couple have two sons together, Parker, seven, and Carter, five
      “I said, ‘Mate, you’ve got to get me back. I’ve got training!’ I was out in Winchester.
      “I was with a mate and he’d taken me back to a house party and I’d fallen asleep and woken up, and thought, ‘Oh no’. So I got a lift home from a milk float. It took ages.
      “I said my fan belt had broken, but then (manager) Glenn Hoddle called me into the office and said, ‘I won’t fine you for being honest but next time you’re gonna get fined’.
      “These days you can’t do anything because of social media.”

      Wayne says Frankie ‘pied him off on text’ before they finally got together
      Wayne recalled that at the 2002 World Cup, having been beaten 2-1 in the quarter-finals by Brazil, the England squad headed to the airport without him, after he slept through their meeting-up time.
      “In Japan, we’d finished the World Cup,” he explains.
      “I woke up, we’d had a night out, and I’d been left behind. They forgot about me. They left me in the hotel. How bad’s that?
      “The night out had been in the hotel, we couldn’t really go out — whenever we left the hotel it was just like carnage, hounded by people.”

      Wayne won Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins in 2019Credit: Channel 4
      Having made his debut with Southampton in 1998, Wayne stayed there for five years, then joined Chelsea in 2003.
      During his six years at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea were Premier League ­champions twice.
      While there, Wayne had a bust-up with Jose that ­culminated in the self-proclaimed Special One sending him to ­Coventry — the idiom, not the Championship side.
      He explains: “There’s only one time when I lost it a ­little bit. He [Jose] was on my case in training — ­everything I did, there was something wrong with it, and I carried on.

      Wayne and Frankie tied the knot in July 2014
      “Eventually I turned to him and said, ‘What is your f***ing problem?’. And he didn’t say anything and I said, ‘Seriously, what is your f***ing problem?’
      “He never answered me at all . . . to this day. He never said a thing to me, and he never spoke to me after.
      “He doesn’t use that method with everyone, so he’s either had enough of you or he’s hoping for a reaction.”
      Wayne insists he and Jose, 58, eventually patch­ed up their differences.

      Wayne once told then-boss Jose Mourinho to ‘f*** off’, prompting the Portuguese coach to never talk to him againCredit: PA:Press Association
      He claims Jose regularly threw pre- season socials for the players — and even once booked US rap legend Snoop Dogg.
      Wayne adds: “He was good for the lads. There were times we’ve had pre-seasons in America, and he’s thrown a party.
      “And when I say thrown a party, I mean Snoop Dogg’s there — everyone’s there.
      “But you see how he treats some players and think it’s a bit harsh sometimes.

      Wayne stayed at Southampton for five years after making his debut in 1998Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      “He’s a great coach but where he’s had a bit of a tough time at Man United and Tottenham, sometimes he looks like a spoilt brat throwing his teddies out of the pram.
      “I don’t think he deals with it that well sometimes. But it’s funny to watch, I love seeing that.”
      Wayne also helped the Blues to FA Cup and League Cup glory, before moving to Man City in 2009.
      He retired having been released from Championship club Reading in May 2014 after just 12 games.

      Since retiring from football, Wayne has spent his time dabbling on the showbiz circuitCredit: Brian Roberts – The Sun
      Since then, he has spent his time dabbling on the showbiz ­circuit and, more recently, in playing teacher in lockdown.
      He adds: “I’ve lacked self-confidence since I was a kid, mainly because of probably my intelligence in school.
      “I was always afraid to get up and speak in case I got it wrong. Football was a bit of a release for me.
      “And since my career ended I thought, ‘I need to do something’, and never found out what it is.

      Wayne says he is now ‘more happy within himself as a person’Credit: frankiebridge/Instagram

      “But I am really happy in the position I’m in and being able to stay at home with my kids.
      “I don’t want to chase the next big thing.
      “I’m more happy within myself as a person.”

      Frankie and Wayne Bridge invite viewers into their home for hilarious new BBC game show packed full of pranks and celeb house tours
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      Pele reveals he had so many affairs he didn’t know how many kids he had

      by

      HE is the footballing legend who scored 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches — and had so many affairs that he must have lost count.
      Now, at the age of 80, Pele lays bare how he took advantage of women throwing themselves at his feet during the height of his sporting fame.

      Football legend Pele has revealed he had so many affairs he didn’t know how many kids he hadCredit: Getty – Contributor

      Now 80, Pele reveals all in a new Netflix documentaryCredit: Netflix

      And the Brazilian hero, who has been married three times, admits he has fathered so many children that he had been unaware that some of them even existed.
      He says: “In all honesty I’ve had a few affairs, some of which resulted in children, but I’ve only learned about them later.”
      Pele has seven known offspring, including Sandra Machado — who he refused to acknowledge even after the courts ruled in 1996 that she was his daughter.
      Five of his children — Kelly, 54, Edinho, 50, Jennifer, 42, and twins Joshua and Celeste, 24 — came from his first two marriages to Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi and Assiria Lemos Seixas.

      Sandra, who died from ­cancer in 2006, was the result of an illicit romance with housemaid Anisia Machado. An affair in 1968 with journalist Lenita Kurtz produced daughter Flavia, 52.
      But in a new documentary out next week, Pele claims that he told his wives and girlfriends that he was unfaithful.

      Pele has seven known offspringCredit: PA:Press Association

      Pele was first married to Rosemeri dos Reis, who knew he was unfaithful to herCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Assiria Lemos Seixas was Pele’s second wifeCredit: Time & Life Pictures
      He says: “My first wife, first girlfriend, knew about it. I never lied.”
      While that may be true, playing the field was a one-way street for Pele.

      Maria da Graca Xuxa — a 57-year-old former model who started seeing Pele when she was just 17 — revealed last month: “He said it was an open ­relationship, but open only to him.”
      In the Netflix film, simply entitled Pele, the South American shows a lack of ego normally associated with ­preening footballers.
      Shuffling carefully with his Zimmer frame, it is hard to believe elderly Pele was once the soccer superman who left countless defenders flat on their faces with his deft turns of speed.
      He has been dogged by health ­problems including a hip operation, infection and prostate condition.
      ‘We came from nothing, we didn’t have much’
      With his infectious grin, sublime skills and unmatched goal-scoring record, Pele has long been regarded as the best advert for the beautiful game.
      While his rival for the title of the greatest player of all time, the recently deceased Diego Maradona, was constantly dogged by scandal, the Brazilian has been venerated.
      A United Nations goodwill ambassador, he scored a remarkable 1,283 goals in 1,363 games, and is the only man ever to win three World Cups.
      Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, his parents were poor even though his father Dondinho played football for one of the top teams in the south eastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
      As a young boy, Pele would play with a ball made from a sock stuffed with paper and earned money by shining shoes before turning professional.
      He says: “We came from nothing — we didn’t have much. We were poor but my father always worked.”

      Maria da Graca Xuxa is a former model who started seeing Pele when she was just 17Credit: Time & Life Pictures

      Pele scored 1,283 goals in 1,363 games, and is the only man ever to win three World CupsCredit: Alamy
      It didn’t take long before his goalscoring talents were noticed.
      When his youth team coach Waldemar de Brito took Pele to Sao Paolo side Santos, he told them the 15-year-old unknown would become the “greatest player in the world.”
      Less than a year after making his league debut, Pele was called up for the national side and earned his first cap aged 16.
      The following summer, in 1958, he played a major role in Brazil’s first World Cup victory.
      Back then, some locals at the tournament in Sweden had never seen or met someone black.
      Pele recalls: “This Swedish girl kept rubbing my skin to see if it would come off.”

      Pele is now a United Nations goodwill ambassadorCredit: Rex Features
      In the final, the striker scored two amazing goals, including one where he flicked the ball into the air before ­volleying it, as his side defeated the hosts 5-2.
      After that, everyone in the world had heard of Pele, with people calling him the king of Brazil.
      He says: “I couldn’t go outside. Everywhere I went, people came up to me.”Pele had women flocking to his door from a young age.
      The constant attention of young women, who would cuddle up to the hero to have their photos taken, was tough on his first wife, who he wed in February 1966 when he was 25.
      Pele had known Rosemeri for many years and he believes he was not ready to tie the knot with her. He explains: “I married her because I met her when I was too young. I liked her a lot. But that passion when you are madly in love — we didn’t have any of that.”
      Their son Edinho developed a serious drug problem when he grew up and got involved with the trade of illegal substances.

      Pele now lives in a mansion near Sao Paulo with his third wife MarciaCredit: Reuters
      In 2017, the former goalkeeper was jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of drug trafficking and money laundering.
      Pele’s first marriage ended in 1982 after he was romantically linked to Brazilian model Xuxa, who later dated Formula 1 star Ayrton Senna.
      It took him another 12 years to walk down the aisle again, this time with gospel singer Assiria, but that ended in divorce in 2008.
      With all that personal turmoil it is perhaps surprising that Pele describes “getting knocked out of the World Cup in England” in 1966 as “the saddest moment in my life”.
      Having won two World Cups in a row, Brazil arrived as the favourites to lift the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley Stadium.
      But they could not cope with a much more physical approach to the game, which saw defenders hacking down Pele in full flow.
      ‘At that moment, I didn’t want to be Pele’
      After they were knocked out in the group stage, he announced, at the age of just 26: “I don’t intend to play in the World Cup again.”
      It needed a firm word from Brazil’s military junta to persuade their star player to change his mind four years later.
      Some critics claim that the conservative Pele was too cosy with the ­country’s brutal dictator Emilio Medici.
      The player, who met and shook hands with Medici, admits “my doors were always open” to the government and that he knew about the state-backed tortures.
      But he knew that speaking out against the regime could result in a person being “disappeared.”
      Having agreed to return to the pitch, the still ­brilliant player was now gripped by terrible self-doubt and asked his manager not to select him for the starting 11 in Mexico 1970.

      Pele has been dubbed the ‘greatest player in the world’Credit: PA:Empics Sport
      He recalls: “At that moment, I didn’t want to be Pele. I didn’t like it. I prayed this was my last World Cup.” Even half a century on from that tournament, he weeps in the documentary as he recalls seeing the Brazil fans ­lining up in the streets to celebrate their success in the group stage.
      Anyone who questions what the game means to Pele only needs to watch this film. Through tears, he says: “I needed this World Cup.”
      He got it through sheer strength of will, scoring a header plus two selfless assists in his side’s 4-1 victory over Italy in the final.
      Even though the star made a fortune through advertising deals — including famously, promoting Viagra — money was not his number one motivation.
      Turning down moves to top European sides, he stuck with his first team ­Santos throughout the majority of his career before joining New York Cosmos at the end. More then ten million people watched his debut on US TV in 1975.
      Pele now lives in a beachfront mansion near Sao Paulo with his third wife Marcia, 48, who he married in the summer of 2016, but is not seen publicly very often due to his health ­problems. Thanks to his artistry on the pitch, he will always be cherished by the fans.
      And the lack of vanity from the true king of football will continue to endear him to anyone with just a passing interest in the sport.

      Glory, Pele concludes, was not what the game gave him.
      He says: “The greatest gift from ­victory isn’t the trophy, it’s the relief.”
      Pele streams on Netflix from Tuesday.

      Maradona and Pele play header challenge on game show
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