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      Championship star forced to take £500 taxi to match after 15-hour flight back from international break he didn’t play in

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      WATFORD star Francisco Sierralta was forced to take a £500 taxi for his side’s next match after a 15-hour flight from Chile — where he was left on the bench for the entire international break.Hornets ace Sierralta, 27, faced a rough trip back to England after being called up by international boss Ricardo Gareca for World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Venezuela.Francisco Sierralta took a £500 taxi after a 15-hour flight to make Watford’s next gameCredit: GettyChile drew with the former 0-0 before ending the break with a 4-2 win over the latter.But Sierralta’s 15-hour flight to South America proved fruitless as he was an unused sub in both games.The defender then had to make another 15-hour flight back to London’s Heathrow Airport.Yet his torturous trip was far from over.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAfter touching down in the capital, Sierralta next had to jump straight in a taxi and drive for five straight hours to Plymouth.His side Watford play Argyle in a crunch Championship match tonight.And the Hornets stumped up a crisp £500 to ferry Sierralta directly to their seaside base.It meant the centre-back was on the move non-stop for over 20 hours.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSWhile his entire round trip clocked in at a mammoth 15,620 miles.It now remains to be seen whether Sierralta faces Plymouth tonight, with Watford boss Tom Cleverley keen to assess his condition.Watford interim head coach Tom Cleverley explains what attracted him to managing The Hornets gaffer said: “It’s a situation I’ve never seen before in my career where you’ve got a player who is going straight to the team hotel without a training session.“He lands at Heathrow this morning and then will get a cab straight down to Plymouth.“We’re sending a physio down there to work with him and help get the journey out of his legs and back.“The first time I’ll see him will be when I get to Plymouth, which will be strange. “He’s an important player for us, so we’re managing things to give him the best chance of being in the best condition.” More

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      Sir Alex Ferguson reveals Ryan Giggs would have ended up playing for MAN CITY if it wasn’t for Man Utd steward

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      SIR ALEX FERGUSON says Ryan Giggs was his first big win over Manchester City.Fergie’s dismissive taunt about the “noisy neighbours” after the Abu Dhabi takeover has gone down in football history.Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed Ryan Giggs nearly played for Man CityCredit: GettyA steward told Sir Alex about Giggs’ talent when he was a kidCredit: Times Newspapers LtdBut the former United boss told Tony Pulis in Sky’s “Chasing the Dream” documentary that prising Welsh wizard Giggs out of City’s clutches was a key moment in his Old Trafford success story.Ferguson recalled: “At United, our first-team squad there were quite a few over 30.“City were getting all the best young players at the time, absolutely. They would win the Youth Cup.“We had to put a stop to that, so we increased the scouting and worked really hard at that, particularly in Manchester.READ MORE MAN UTD NEWS“We got the Phil and Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt. David Beckham was the only one from down south.“With Ryan Giggs, we had a steward at the club who came to me and said ‘there’s a young boy training at City, but he’s a United fan. You need to get hold of him.’“We got him down the training ground right away, they played a practice match against Viv Anderson, and Viv was screaming: ‘Can I kick him? Can I tackle him?’And I said: ‘Don’t you dare touch him! He’s only 14.’”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSGiggs and Co were part of the group known as “Fergie’s Fledglings” when they broke into the first team squad.The Scot added: “When you get a gem like Giggs or Scholes, it’s staring you in the face.Man Utd’s best XI of academy graduates“Scholes was an incredibly young player. You get diamonds like that, whereas Beckham was a late developer..“The Nevilles – always hard working, always making great sacrifices to be footballers. “Nicky Butt – determined young lad, always going to make it.“You have a responsibility too, to give them the right guidance, to be strong in terms of the path you’re taking them through.“Playing for Manchester United, playing in front of 75,000, playing in cup finals, playing for your country – these are all the stepping stones that you’re guiding them for.”What Man Utd said on hiring EACH of their post-Fergie managersDavid Moyes”All the skills needed to build on United’s phenomenal legacy.”Louis van Gaal”One of the outstanding managers in the game today.”Jose Mourinho”Quite simply the best manager in the game today.”Ole Gunnar Solskjaer “A wealth of experience, with a desire to give young players their chance and a deep understanding of the culture of the club.”Erik ten Hag”One of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe.”Ruben Amorim “One of the most exciting and highly rated young coaches in European football.” More

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      Forgotten former Newcastle star who swapped national teams now a RAPPER after leaving Saudi minnows

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      A FORMER Premier League star-turned-rapper has switched hitting crossbars to spitting bars.The 35-year-old has gone from being released by Saudi Arabian minnows Al-Orobah to releasing his fourth single earlier this year.Vurnon Anita played 155 times for NewcastleCredit: PA:Empics SportThe midfielder now balances football with rappingCredit: Dreams Never End Records
      Vurnon Anita is best known for the five years he spent at Newcastle.But he is now going down a different path under the pseudonym JR.He has gone from getting on the ball in midfield to picking up the microphone, having launched a career as a rapper.Anita’s biggest hit “On Top” has amassed 600,000 listens on Spotify and he averages 3,000 plays per month.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAs a player, he featured 155 times for Newcastle and won the Championship title with the Toon in 2017.The Ajax academy graduate also had a brief loan spell at Leeds the season after.Since leaving England, he has played for Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia, Willem and RKC Waalwijk in Holland and Al-Orobah in Saudi Arabia.He is currently without a club but is keeping busy in the music studio.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAnita was capped three times by Holland and was included in their provisional squad for the 2010 World Cup.But he has since changed his allegiance represent Curacao.Where are they now: The unusual careers of former footballersThe country is a Caribbean island just 37 miles away from Venezuela that classes itself “within the Kingdom of the Netherlands”.Their national team, ranked 90th in the world, are managed by ex-Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat.Former Aston Villa star Leandro Bacuna and ex-Southampton defender Cuco Martina are their top two-capped players.Anita is not the only footballer with Dutch descent to try their hand at rapping.Memphis Depay, Ryan Babel and Royston Drenthe all had spells in the Prem and in the charts. Who are these famous footballers? More

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      Arsenal boss says players’ progress to Women’s Champions League knockouts is the ‘perfect end’ to an intense run

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      RENEE SLEGERS described Arsenal reaching the Women’s Champions League’ last eight as the “ultimate end to an intense” block of games. It took her Gunners 89 minutes to break Juventus’s resistance with Lina Hurtig’s strike securing their sixth win in seven matches across all competitions. Arsenal have gone a seven-game unbeaten run since Renee Slegers became interim manager of the WSL sideCredit: GettyLina Hurtig’s first goal in the Women’s Champions League this season secured the Gunners’ place in the contest’s quarter-finalsCredit: AlamyWhile their performance last night at the Emirates was less goal-laden than their 4-0 demolition of the Serie A side last week, the result maintained their unbeaten run under Slegers. The stand-in boss has impressed since taking charge of the side in mid-October following Jonas Eidevall resigning from his role as head coach. Following a mixed start to the season, Arsenal have looked more fluid in attack in three of their last four games with 12 goals scored. During their 5-0 defeat of Brighton on November 8 one fan was spotted holding a placard with the words “In Renee we trust” daubed across it. Read More Football StoriesThe team’s fourth win on the bounce since then has strengthened the case for the Netherlands-born stand-in Arsenal boss to continue in her role. Although the result gave the Gunners what she describes as “breathing space”, she sees the situation as surreal. Of their seven-game unbeaten run, Slegers said: “It’s the ultimate end to a very busy and intense block we have had here. “It is the perfect ending for this block. It means a lot. Most read in Sport”All of the players totally deserve it because of the work they put in. It gives us some breathing space in the last two games as well.”We wouldn’t give ourselves a ten out of ten but we will give ourselves a big fat ‘enough’. “We will never play the perfect game so it won’t be a ten, but we are very happy with what we have done so far.  “I never felt we would get into this situation. “We have done really well but I was part of Jonas (Eidevall’s) staff and there was so much that was built during his time. I don’t want to separate that. “There is so much we are still building on. It’s surreal in so many ways but we are very happy. “Compared to last term with Chelsea the only WSL side in the contest’s knockout phase, all three English clubs competing this season have fared well in the group stage. Gareth Taylor’s Manchester City currently sit top of group D above Barcelona with four wins from four matches including their 2-0 win against the LaLiga Women’s leaders in October.  An efficient 2-1 defeat of Hammarby last night, with City also entering the tournament’s last eight, came courtesy of two goals netted by Khadija Shaw.Khadija Shaw struck twice to seal Manchester City’s away win against Hammarby in their fourth Champions League group stage game this termCredit: GettyThe Jamaica striker has been in fine form in Europe for City so far this term netting three times in four Champions League appearances. READ MORE SUN STORIESMeanwhile Chelsea also maintained a hundred per cent win record in the group stages so far The team claimed a quarter-final place by beating Celtic 3-0 on Wednesday ahead of duels with FC Twente and Real Madrid next month.  More

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      Ruben Amorim ‘to introduce one of the most radical mid-season changes in strategy ever’ as Man Utd face Ipswich

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      JAMIE CARRAGHER has revealed he is excited about watching Manchester United take on Ipswich on Sunday.The Red Devils return following the international break with a trip down to Portman Road. Ruben Amorim will deploy a ‘radical’ change of system at Man UtdCredit: GettyJamie Carragher is intrigued to see how United play against Ipswich on SundayCredit: PAHowever, they will be boasting a new manager and coaching staff to boot in the form of Ruben Amorim, who is taking charge of his first competitive game after taking charge on November 11.Amorim’s tactics are known to be quite divorced from previous boss Erik ten Hag’s, particularly in formation with the Portuguese preferring a 3-4-3 over Ten Hag’s 4-3-3.The 39-year-old whetted the appetite for what he could achieve by beating Manchester City 4-1 in the Champions League in his final home game with Sporting Lisbon.However, Liverpool icon Carragher is intrigued to find out whether Amorim’s radical new system will yield the same success it did for him at Sporting, where he won two league titles. READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd in particular, he is keen to see whether former Man Utd coach Kieran McKenna will be able to exploit the weaknesses in the team he will be aware of.Writing in his column for The Telegraph, Carragher said: “I cannot wait to see United take on Ipswich Town on Sunday afternoon.”We are about to witness one of the most radical mid-season changes in formation and strategy ever imposed by one of the elite clubs. “Facing the side fourth from bottom might seem a gentle introduction to English football for Amorim. Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS”My suspicion is it will be much trickier than many think. “United are not just playing Ipswich at Portman Road. How Ruben Amorim will resurrect Marcus Rashford’s Man United career with subtle position change”They face a manager who arguably knows more about the strengths and weaknesses within United’s squad than the new coach.”SunSport have taken an extensive look into how Amorim is expected to get the team playing in the latest edition of our Tactics Exposed series.A win can put Man Utd seventh in the table if results elsewhere go in their favour.Meanwhile, Ipswich are one point above the drop zone but are coming off the back of a win over Tottenham before the international break.Ruben Amorim leaves Sporting on a highBy Charlie WyettRUBEN AMORIM would have preferred to leave Lisbon in a blaze of glory after winning a third Primeira Liga title.Yet football does not work like that. And in what was surely his final game before taking charge of Manchester United, Amorim prepared to say his goodbyes at a half-empty Estadio Jose Alvalade in a League Cup quarter-final against Nacional.Sporting won 3-1 thanks to  second-half goals by captain  Morten Hjulmand and Viktor Gyokeres, who scored two.Luis Esteves pulled back for Madeira-based Nacional.The stadium  will be a good deal more lively on Tuesday when Manchester City are here for  a Champions League match — although Amorim should by then have his feet firmly under his desk at Old Trafford.Liverpool and Aston Villa were both interested in Europe’s most sought-after coach. Even City could have been a possible destination post-Pep Guardiola.Yet the United job is one Amorim, 39,  could not turn  down — even if not everyone saw it that way at Sporting last night.There is clearly a huge split in the Portuguese club’s fan base over their coach leaving at this stage of the season with many believing he should have seen the job through.Yet Amorim, along with the three-man coaching team who are expected to follow him, leaves a club in a much better state than when he arrived here in 2020.Inside the stadium, there was applause — albeit muted — when his name was read out before the game along with the line-ups.And there did not appear to be any jeers when Amorim shuffled out from the tunnel awkwardly towards the dugout.So, while his departure is hard to take for some, none of the fans will forget his legacy.This is a club which is back as the dominant force in Portugal. Even this term, Sporting have won their first nine league games, scoring 30 goals and conceding just two.They are also eighth in the Champions League table, which is one hell of an effort.In contrast, Lisbon was not exactly hit by League Cup fever last night.Amorim made lots of changes, which saw Sporting’s star man Gyokeres, the former Coventry striker, start on the bench.There was, however, a first appearance in six weeks for former Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards. He is certainly one player who has been transformed by Amorim since arriving at the club from Vitoria in 2022 and will be sorry to see the coach leave.While he changed his team, Amorim stuck with his tried and trusted formation of a back three.It will certainly be something Manchester United’s fans will have to get used to over the  coming months.But looking at the Premier League table, none of them will be complaining about the change. More

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      Man City star Rodri opens door to astonishing Real Madrid transfer just weeks after club’s Ballon d’Or snub

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      MANCHESTER CITY star Rodri has opened the door to a potential move to Real Madrid.It comes just weeks after the midfielder won the Ballon d’Or, leading Real Madrid to boycott the event.Rodri has opened the door to a switch to Real MadridCredit: GettyLos Blancos’s star Vinicius Jr was tipped to win the award and the snub led Real president Florentino Perez to turn down the invite.But Rodri still admires the club and said it would be difficult to ignore the Spanish giants if they came knocking.He told Spanish podcast El Larguero: “When Real Madrid call you, the best club in history and the most successful… it makes you proud and you always have to listen.“It’s obvious. You always have to pay attention.”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLRodri, 28, also has no qualms about joining Real despite his affiliation to fierce rivals Atletico Madrid, having come through the club’s youth system.He recently stated he was not bothered about Real Madrid’s claim that Vinicius deserved to win the Ballon d’Or.Rodri said: “All the Spanish clubs would have to congratulate me and they haven’t.“I care about my family and my club. They must have their reasons, I wouldn’t have done it that way and there’s no point in going over it.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSBallon d’Or 2024 results1: Rodri, Man City and Spain2: Vinicius Jr, Real Madrid and Brazil3: Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid and England4: Dani Carvajal, Real Madrid and Spain5: Erling Haaland, Man City and Norway6: Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid and France7: Lautaro Martinz, Inter Milan and Argentina8: Lamine Yamal, Barcelona and Spain9: Toni Kroos, Real Madrid and Germany10: Harry Kane, Bayern Munich and England11: Phil Foden, Man City and England12: Florian Wirtz, Bayer Leverkusen and Germany13: Dani Olmo, Barcelona and Spain14: Ademola Lookman, Atalanta and Nigeria15: Nico Williams, Athletic Bilbao and Spain16: Granit Xhaka, Bayer Leverkusen and Switzerland17: Federico Valverde, Real Madrid and Uruguay18: Emi Martinez, Aston Villa and Argentina19: Martin Odegaard, Arsenal and Norway20: Hakan Calhanoglu, Inter Milan and Turkey21: Bukayo Saka, Arsenal and England22: Antonio Rudiger, Real Madrid and Germany23: Ruben Dias, Man City and Portugal24: William Saliba, Arsenal and France25: Cole Palmer, Chelsea and England26: Declan Rice, Arsenal and England27: Vitinha, PSG and Portugal28: Alejandro Grimaldo, Bayer Leverkusen and Spain29: Mats Hummels, Roma and Germany30: Artem Dovbyk, Roma and Ukraine“The mistake is giving so much attention to a club that hasn’t decided to participate.”Rodri is also hopeful he will be back from his ACL injury before the end of the season.Erling Haaland does pull ups on cliff edge and runs with wolves as Man City ace stars in insane Beats by Dre advert He said: “The seasons are getting longer and this one has the Club World Cup.“It is good to have a challenge and I have it in my head to return this season — we’ll see when.” More

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      Inside Plymouth Argyle’s 46,000-seater World Cup stadium plans as Wayne Rooney’s side battle relegation to third tier

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      PLYMOUTH ARGYLE are battling relegation from the Championship under former England captain Wayne Rooney’s management.And the Pilgrims’ home form has been crucial in keeping their heads above water – with Rooney’s men currently sitting 18th in the Championship and a point ahead of the bottom three.Plymouth Argyle once had ambitious plans for a stunning 46,000-seater stadiumCredit: Rotolok/JLLIt would have hosted four World Cup matchesCredit: Rotolok/JLLArgyle have lost just one home game so far this season at their 17,000-seater stadium.But in a parallel universe, Home Park could have looked very different.That’s because Plymouth once had ambitious plans for the 2018 World Cup, and was chosen by the FA as one of the host cities.However, England’s failed bid to host the World Cup that year – with the tournament instead being handed to Russia – ultimately saw the plans fall flat.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHad England won the bidding, Home Park, where Plymouth have played since 1893, would have been set to become a stunning 46,000-seater arena.This would have been surrounded by a £150million project of shops, cinemas, restaurants, a hotel and an ice rink.State-of-the-art tramlines, as well as a new pier and stunning Drake’s Island would attract the super-rich.The city’s rejuvenation would also see it playing host to other major sporting events such as the America’s Cup – sailing’s own version of the World Cup.Most read in FootballThe ambitious project would have created 3,700 jobs and £292m in investment for the city.Argyle would have hosted four World Cup matches, along with training camps around the region and “Fan Fests” on the Hoe and at Stonehouse Creek costing over £15m over 31 days.There was widespread support for the bid from locals, while politicians jetted to South Africa to try and promote Plymouth’s campaign.BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSHowever, the light of ambition became shrouded in the darkness of the ashes that nearly became Plymouth Argyle.The Plymouth Herald revealed the city council itself lost £700,000 in the failed bid.Every Premier League stadium ranked by the number of pubs nearby with one boasting over 130 local boozersPlymouth City Council alone spent £147,000 with another £250,000 being underwritten by Argyle.The Devon outfit owed £17m due to the project, sending the club into administration in 2011.James Brent’s Akkeron Group eventually agreed a deal with administrators to buy the club, with former chairman Peter Risdale leaving the club when the deal was completed.Argyle sold Home Park back to the city council for £1.6m and agreed to pay £135,000 a year in rent.READ MORE SUN STORIESIf this project had not been torpedoed by Fifa, Plymouth may well have been among the first names when considering who might host games for Euro 2028.However, the tournament – which will be across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland after Northern Ireland pulled out – will not feature any trips to the West Country. More

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      Premier League clubs rebel against Man City and agree new financial rules in huge win for Richard Masters

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      PREMIER LEAGUE clubs have voted in favour of new financial rules – in a huge win for embattled chief exec Richard Masters.Manchester City had led the charge against the tweaks to the Associated Party Transaction rules.Man City failed to convince the other clubs to vote against the rule changesCredit: GettyThe decision is a huge win for league chief Richard MastersCredit: GettyCity had warned the other 19 top-flight clubs that the changes – backed by an independent KC – remained unlawful.But at this morning’s meeting of the shareholder clubs at a central London hotel, the measures were passed by 16 votes to four.League bosses propelled the matter to the top of the agenda in a sign of their confidence.And in a surprise twist, Chelsea, who had been thought to be in City’s corner, backed Masters and spoke up – alongside Manchester United – in support of the “need for rules”.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIt is understood that Aston Villa, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest joined City in voting “no”.But the scale of the support for the Prem board, which significantly exceeded expectations, is a huge victory for Masters.League chiefs tabled the new regulations after an Arbitration Tribunal of three senior former judges found aspects of the rules, introduced in February despite fierce opposition led by City, were “unlawful”.Senior commercial expert Daniel Jowell KC advised the revised rules met the demands of the Arbitration Panel and commercial law.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSIn a statement, a Prem spokesperson said: “At a Premier League Shareholders’ meeting today, clubs approved changes to the League’s Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules.“The amendments to the rules address the findings of an Arbitration Tribunal following a legal challenge by Manchester City to the APT system earlier this year. Moment Pep Guardiola launches furious F-word rant at ‘unacceptable’ Phil Foden captured in Man City documentary“The Premier League has conducted a detailed consultation with clubs – informed by multiple opinions from expert, independent Leading Counsel – to draft rule changes that address amendments required to the system. “This relates to integrating the assessment of Shareholder loans, the removal of some of the amendments made to APT rules earlier this year and changes to the process by which relevant information from the League’s ‘databank’ is shared with a club’s advisors.”The spokesman added: “The purpose of the APT rules is to ensure clubs are not able to benefit from commercial deals or reductions in costs that are not at Fair Market Value (FMV) by virtue of relationships with Associated Parties.“These rules were introduced to provide a robust mechanism to safeguard the financial stability, integrity and competitive balance of the League.” More