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      Steven Gerrard tipped to become new PSG boss in shock move as Liverpool legend looks for new job after Aston Villa axe

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      PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN should look at appointing Steven Gerrard as their next manager, according to former Liverpool star Gregory Vignal.Gerrard, 42, was sacked by Aston Villa back in October after less than 12 months in the job.
      Steven Gerrard was sacked by Aston Villa earlier this seasonCredit: Getty
      Gregory Vignal, right, spent five years playing for LiverpoolCredit: Reuters
      He departed following a run of six defeats in 11 matches with Villa just one place above the Premier League’s relegation zone.
      Since then, successor Unai Emery has lifted them up to 11th in the table, 10 points adrift of danger.
      Yet despite an underwhelming stint in the Midlands, Vignal, who worked as a coach under Gerrard at Rangers, has backed his former team-mate to return to management in the near-future.
      And the ex-Reds left-back, 41, who won the FA Cup, Uefa Cup and Uefa Super Cup during his spell at Anfield between 2000 and 2005, has named PSG as a potential destination.
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      Speaking to The Scottish Daily Express, he said: “I’m pretty sure that Steven is ready to crack on again. I think he is strong enough mentally to start a new project.
      “Why not Paris Saint-Germain? They have been talking about him.
      “I am sure he can get a good job soon whether that is in the Premier League or abroad.”
      Christophe Galtier is the current PSG boss after taking over from Mauricio Pochettino last summer.
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      The French champions sit eight points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table.
      But they are in danger of being eliminated from the Champions League in the last-16 following a 1-0 first-leg loss at home to Bayern Munich.
      The second leg of the tie takes place on Wednesday, March 8. More

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      Kylian Mbappe filmed telling fan which Italian club he would make transfer to if he left PSG

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      PARIS-SAINT GERMAIN star Kylian Mbappe has been filmed telling a fan who his next club could be. The Frenchman was asked if he left the Ligue 1 team, which Serie A side would take his fancy.
      Kylian Mbappe was asked what Italian side he would join if he left PSG
      Mbappe’s contract does not expire at PSG until 2025Credit: Getty
      Mbappe did not have to think about his answer, swiftly responding: “If I came it’s only AC Milan.”
      He was asked the question by a fan at the FIFA Best Awards ceremony.
      The 24-year-old did not win the trophy for top player as it went to his PSG team-mate Lionel Messi after his World Cup triumph.
      Mbappe did however make the FIFPRO World XI for the best team of 2022.
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      He managed to squeeze into the side alongside other attackers Erling Haaland, Karim Benzema and Messi in a side some fans believe is unbalanced.
      Mbappe is enjoying yet another stellar season with PSG, netting 29 goals in the same number of games in all competitions.
      He is continuing his fine form on from the World Cup where he scored eight goals in seven matches.
      Mbappe’s contract in Paris does not expire until the summer of 2025 and it is unclear whether he would choose Milan over Real Madrid in the future.
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      Los Blancos tried to sign him before but he ended up staying to sign a contract worth half a billion at PSG.
      Although there has been rumours that Mbappe wants to leave the club as soon as next year.
      Milan currently sit third in Serie A and face Tottenham next week in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16, the Italians currently lead 1-0. More

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      Lionel Messi equals Cristiano Ronaldo tally as he wins Fifa The Best Men’s Player award for 2022 after World Cup heroics

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      LIONEL MESSI continued his stellar season after being named World player of the year at the FIFA Best Awards in Paris tonight.The Paris Saint-Germain star, 35, crowned his career by leading Argentina to their first World Cup since 1986 in December and scooped a second Best men’s player title here.
      Messi has won FIFA’s The Best AwardCredit: Reuters
      Lionel Messi was joined by his wife AntonelaCredit: Getty
      Messi exchanges a look with his PSG team-mate Kylian MbappeCredit: Getty
      The pair pose with their FIFPRO World XI awardsCredit: Reuters
      Man Utd ace Casemiro jetted to Paris for the ceremony with his WagCredit: AFP
      Man City ace Joao Cancelo, on loan at Bayern Munich, was also at the doCredit: Reuters
      Aston Villa keeper Emi Martinez and his wife were in attendanceCredit: Reuters
      The Argentina World Cup winner picked up the Best Goalkeeper awardCredit: Reuters
      England star Mary Earps picked up the Women’s Goalkeeper award after helping the Lionesses to Euro gloryCredit: Getty
      Fellow England star Beth Mead was also at the glitzy ceremonyCredit: Getty
      But Mead was snubbed for the Best Women’s Player award, which went instead to Alexi PutellasCredit: Getty
      Messi, who scored twice in the final against France, also won the Golden Ball in Qatar, having claimed the Ligue 1 title with PSG earlier in the year. His 12 league goals this season have helped the champions to an eight point lead in defending their title this term.
      Messi, whose Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni was named as the best men’s coach ahead of Pep Guardiola, pipped PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema to the award.
      Messi has now won two ‘The Best’ awards, meaning he is level with Robert Lewandowski and his old rival Cristiano Ronaldo who have also been honoured twice.
      The former Barcelona man also now has ten individual gongs across both the FIFA Best, Ballon d’Or and FIFA player of the year awards, two more than Ronaldo.
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      He said: “It is an amazing pleasure to be here, alongside Benzema and Mbappe, who had a wonderful year.
      “It was an amazing year and I achieved a dream that I had been hoping for for so long.
      “I want to pay tribute to all of my teammates and my coach, without them I wouldn’t be here.”
      The star attended the exclusive bash alongside his wife Antonela and a host of fellow stars.
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      Kylian Mbappe was there with his dad Wilfried and was named in the FIFPRO World XI alongside Messi, but lost out on the Best Player award to his PSG team-mate.
      Prem stars including Emi Martinez – who won Best Goalkeeper – and Casemiro and Virgil van Dijk, both also named in the Team of 2022, attended with their other halves.
      In the Women’s game, England boss Sarina Wiegman and Manchester United’s Mary Earps won best women’s coach and goalkeeper respectively following their Euro 2022 glory last summer.
      Earps said: “I don’t really know what to say, thank you to everyone who voted for me. I feel really honoured to be holding this really heavy trophy. I want to say thank you to my loved ones who have picked me up off the kitchen floor to be here today, not today but in the past.
      “This is for anyone who has ever been in a dark place. You can achieve anything you set your mind to. There’s only one of you in the world, be unapologetically yourself.”
      Wiegman, winning the award for a third time, added: “The Euros were incredible, as the English say we brought it home.”
      Meanwhile Beth Mead was pipped to the best women’s award by Alexia Putellas but she was named in the women’s World XI alongside three Lionesses teammates, Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh.
      Other huge names at the star-studded do in Paris included Brazil legend Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Arsene Wenger, Joao Cancelo and, of course, FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
      Jermaine Jenas was there to host the event – which left fans hugely impressed with the job of his agent.
      As many had expected beforehand, the night belonged to Messi, who has been enjoying yet another record-breaking season for both club and country.
      Since the start of the 2022-23 campaign he has recorded an incredible total of 17 goals and 16 assists in 28 appearances for PSG.
      And he also managed to finally get his hands on the only trophy to have eluded him previously – the World Cup.
      Messi led his Argentina teammates to glory in Qatar last year and claimed the prestigious Player of the Tournament Award in the process.
      His red-hot form has continued into 2023 with PSG in pole position to retain their Ligue 1 title.
      Messi left fans stunned when he scored his 700th career club goal on Sunday.
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      He netted once for PSG during the club’s 3-0 win over Marseille and claimed the assist for both of Mbappe’s goals.
      So it hardly came as a surprise to fans when he took to the stage in Paris to accept ‘The Best’ award.
      Virgil van Dijk, who was named to the FIFPRO World XI, was at the event with his familyCredit: Getty
      Jermaine Jenas hosted the FIFA Best ceremonyCredit: Getty
      Mbappe showed up to the Paris bash with his dad WilfriedCredit: Reuters
      Former Premier League ace Dimitri Payet was on the green carpet with his wifeCredit: Reuters
      FIFA President Gianni Infantino was, of course, presentCredit: AP
      Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on the green carpetCredit: Getty
      Brazil legend Ronaldo made an appearanceCredit: AP
      Ex-Chelsea star Didier Drogba was also thereCredit: Getty More

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      Watch Lionel Messi score 700th career club goal in huge PSG win over Marseille as Argentine breaks another record

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      LIONEL MESSI made history once again as he netted his 700th club career goal.The 35-year-old Argentine World Cup winner bagged a goal and two assists to help Paris Saint-Germain beat Marseille 3-0.

      Lionel Messi scored his 700th club career goalCredit: Getty
      He has reached the feat after 840 gamesCredit: AFP
      After setting up the opener for speed demon Kylian Mbappe, the Frenchman then returned the favour.
      Picking up the ball on the left wing, Mbappe then played a wonderfully weighted pass into the penalty area for Messi to run on to and tap in club goal number 700.
      The goal sees Messi join GOAT rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the only other player to reach the milestone, with the Portuguese reaching the mark after scoring for Manchester United against Everton.
      However, while Ronaldo still holds the record with 709 goals following his move to Al-Nassr, Messi achieved the feat far quicker and completely in top five European leagues.
      READ MORE ON LIONEL MESSI
      Messi took 840 games to reach the 700 goal milestone, while Ronaldo did it after 943 games.
      The breakdown of Messi’s phenomenal record sees him with a whopping 672 goals to his name from his time at Barcelona, before adding the final 28 since joining PSG.
      Fans online praised Messi’s achievement and declared him to be the GOAT.
      One fan said: “The greatest of all times by some distance. No more Pele and Maradona comparison because Messi completed the football in every aspect of the game.”
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      A second declared: “THE GOAT.”
      A third wrote: “Messi is the greatest player the world has ever known.”
      Messi is expected to be named as Fifa’s The Best Men’s Player for the second time after the winner was allegedly leaked online.
      Meanwhile, a fourth highlighted the importance of Mbappe in the goal, adding: “Messi and Mbappe duo is scary.”
      Mbappe, 24, made his own history with his brace of goals supplied by Messi as he went level with Edinson Cavani as PSG’s all-time leading goalscorer on 200 goals.
      The 3-0 win is also significant for the Ligue 1 title race, with the Parisians now moving eight points clear at the top of the table. More

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      PSG star Presnel Kimpembe out for season after undergoing emergency surgery on ruptured Achilles injury

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      PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN have confirmed that defender Presnel Kimpembe is out for the remainder of the season.Kimpembe, 27, missed the World Cup last November-December through injury and returned to action for PSG earlier this month.
      Presnel Kimpembe was injured early on in Sunday’s crunch clash with MarseilleCredit: AFP
      The defender was taken off on a stretcherCredit: Reuters
      Kimpembe requires surgery on his ruptured Achilles tendonCredit: AP
      However, the defender’s return lasted less than a month after he ruptured his Achilles tendon against Marseille on Sunday.
      Kimpembe was withdrawn after 16 minutes at Stade Velodrome.
      The Frenchman was tracking back to stop Arsenal loanee Nuno Tavares when the injury occured.
      The injury saw Kimpembe stretchered off and he was replaced by Danilo Pereira.
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      And the PSG ace will require surgery on the tendon in the coming days.
      PSG said in a statement: “Presnel Kimpembe has ruptured his right Achilles tendon.
      “He will undergo surgery to repair the tendon in the coming days.”
      PSG went on to win Le Classique 3-0 thanks to a brace by Kylian Mbappe and a goal by Lionel Messi.
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      The match also saw manager Christophe Galtier get involved in a spat with a Marseille fan.
      Galtier and the fan spat words of fury at each other across the subs bench.
      Kimpembe is out for the remainder of the seasonCredit: Getty More

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      Lionel Messi’s next club ‘revealed’ after Sergio Aguero let slip private chat he had with PSG superstar

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      SERGIO AGUERO has “revealed” his close pal Lionel’s Messi’s next club as he let slip a private conversation he had with the legend.The World Cup winner has been in sensational form for the Ligue 1 leaders this season with 16 goals and 14 assists in his 27 appearances, but his deal in the French capital runs out this summer.
      Sergio Aguero has let slip Lionel Messi’s next destinationCredit: Getty
      The Argentina legend will become a free agent in JuneCredit: Getty
      Although PSG are desperate to get him to extend his stay at the Parc des Princes.
      And with no signs of Messi slowing down despite turning 36 at the end of the campaign, PSG want him to sign an extension.
      Talks over a new deal were reportedly set to take place this month.
      However, Messi’s former club Barcelona and David Beckham’s MLS side Inter Miami are also keen to sign him.
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      But now another team appears to have entered the race – and it is the South American’s boyhood team Newell’s Old Boys.
      That is according to Messi’s close friend and Manchester City’s record goalscorer Aguero.
      In an interview with UOL, Aguero said: “He is seriously considering the possibility of playing for Newell’s.”
      Messi spent five years in Newell’s academy and was even a ball boy for them prior to joining Barcelona as a schoolboy in 2000.
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      But former Liverpool ace Maxi Rodriguez was quick to shoot down those claims, saying: “Kun is Kun. He can’t keep quiet. We will see. 
      “It is hard to talk about this because then a giant ball of rumours is made. Let’s wait and see what happens. We will not get ahead of the facts.”
      Messi is apparently set to feature in a testimonial for Rodriguez with Newell’s later this year which reports in his homeland claim “could be seen as a trial” as they attempt to get him to come home.
      The friendship between Aguero and Messi started nearly 20 years ago and the pair regularly roomed together while on international duty with Argentina. More

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      Ex-Premier League cult hero looks unrecognisable as he becomes huge pundit in France… but can you guess who it is?

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      THIS Newcastle cult hero looks unrecognisable over a decade on from his playing days in the Premier League.The 45-year-old introduced himself to English football in 2007 after being a rampaging success at Strasbourg and Marseille.
      The ex-Newcastle ace can be seen as a pundit in FranceCredit: AFP
      He joined the Toon for £2million in the closing minutes of the summer transfer window, penning a three-year deal.
      Newcastle manager at the time, Sam Allardyce, called the acquisition of the right-back a “bargain”.
      The Senegal ace was also named Newcastle Player of the Season based on fan votes in 2008.
      However, his time at St James’ Park came to an end in 2009, following Newcastle’s relegation, with the player leaving the club in order to save his career.
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      After making 54 appearances in two years, the defender joined Aston Villa.
      But his bid to revive his career at Villa Park was unsuccessful.
      He made just 18 appearances for Villa and found it hard to break into the first-team.
      In fact, his spell at Villa was so bad that in 2011 he went on loan to Doncaster Rovers.
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      And in February 2012, his contract was cancelled by mutual consent.
      With his new free agent status, he joined Doncaster on an 18-month contract.

      However, Doncaster turned out to be the final club of his career, retiring in 2012.
      The mystery footballer can be revealed as Habib Beye.
      After retiring, Beye has tried his hand in management and punditry.
      Beye, now rocking short hair and a grey beard, can be seen on Canal+.
      The charming 35-capped Senegal icon is also the current manager of Red Star Football Club.
      Red Star play in the French third tier, the Championnat National.
      Habib Beye joined Newcastle from Marseille in 2007Credit: PA:Press Association
      Beye also manages Red Star in FranceCredit: Action Images – Reuters More

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      Lionel Messi breaks silence after Rafa Nadal begs panel NOT to vote for him to win Sportsman of the Year

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      LIONEL MESSI was left “speechless” after Rafael Nadal admitted he wants him to win the Laureus Award, despite having been nominated himself.The icons are both among a star-studded shortlist of nominees for the prestigious gong, handed out each year to the world’s best sportsman.
      Lionel Messi reached the pinnacle of football in 2022 when he won the World CupCredit: Reuters
      Rafael Nadal won his 22nd Grand Slam in 2022 at Roland GarrosCredit: Getty
      Nadal, 36, could win the prize for the third time – having also picked it up in 2011 and 2021.
      But the humble Spaniard, while honoured to be nominated, says he wants Messi to win it instead.
      He wrote on Instagram: “An honour to be nominated again to the Laureus Sportsman of the year… but… this year… let’s go Messi, you deserve it.”
      In response to tennis favourite Nadal, Messi gushed: “That an athlete as great as you says that about me leaves me speechless…
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      “Thank you very much, Rafa Nadal, you also deserve everything for the way you compete every time you go out on the court.
      “You’re a winner, maybe we have a lot of competition there, huh? You also deserve the Laureus award this year, really.”
      Messi, 35, inspired Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022, winning the tournament’s Golden Ball award and scoring twice in the final.
      He also helped Paris Saint-Germain reclaim the Ligue 1 title from Lille.
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      Nadal, meanwhile, endured an injury-plagued year – but was imperious when he was able to play unencumbered by physical ailments.
      He scooped a stunning Australian Open title in January 2022, somehow defeating Daniil Medvedev from two sets down.
      He then won his 14th French Open – and record 22nd Grand Slam overall – comfortably beating protege Casper Ruud in the final.
      In the Sportsman of the Year category, Nadal and Messi are up against Kylian Mbappe, Steph Curry, Max Verstappen and Mondo Duplantis.
      While footballer Alexia Putellas and tennis world No 1 Iga Swiatek have been included on the Sportswoman of the Year shortlist.
      Steph Curry is also nominated for the prestigious gongCredit: Reuters
      Max Verstappen waltzed to F1 glory last yearCredit: Reuters More