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    I famously humiliated Steven Gerrard as a Chelsea mascot before going on to play non-league under ex-Premier League star

    IT appeared to be a harmless prank at the time.But a five-year-old playing a trick on Steven Gerrard lived long in the memory of the former Liverpool legend.Gerrard went on to write about the incident in his autobiographyCredit: YouTube – Sky Sports RetroThe prankster would go on to play under Jamie O’HaraCredit: Refer to CaptionThe incident saw a blue-haired Chelsea-mad Jake Nickless offer to shake Gerrard’s hand before withdrawing it and leaving Gerrard hanging.The clip was immortalised by Sky Sports and became one of the earliest viral YouTube football clips – going on to be watched by millions.And Gerrard would go on to write about the incident three years later in his 2009 autobiography “My Captains Book”.The midfielder wrote: “If it was an adult I would have wanted to wring their neck!”READ MORE ON FOOTBALLInstead, the former Liverpool captain was all smiles at the time, and would even go on to ruffle the cheeky youngster’s blue hair.Gerrard went on to say in his autobiography that it is the only time he remembers chuckling to himself in a pre-match tunnel, as he preferred approaching games with a stoic steely-faced determination.Whether the prank played any part in Chelsea going on to win the game 2-0 that day thanks to goals from William Gallas and Hernan Crespo remains unclear.But what many don’t know is that Nickless would go on to have a football career of his own one day.Most read in FootballCHELTENHAM BETTING OFFERS – BEST FREE BET DEALS FOR THE FESTIVAL Nickless would sign for National League South team Billericay Town in 2020, playing under none other than former Spurs and Hull midfielder Jamie O’Hara.When O’Hara signed the then 20-year-old prankster he said: “He’s a good little player. He’s decent, left footed and can score a goal.”Former Chelsea hardman left red-faced after losing battle with punching machine leaving former team-mates in hystericsHe also made it clear that he was aware of his prankster history, saying: “It’s mad to think he was so small, it feels like yesterday. I remember laughing myself at it.”I put it on our group chat and said boys get on this! That lad on trial with us, that’s him. They were having a giggle about it.””They all remember it as an iconic moment in the Premier League but I don’t think Gerrard will be coming down to watch us that’s for sure!”Speaking about the prank to SportBible after signing for Bilericay, Nickless said: “I remember my dad putting me up to it.”I kept saying I wasn’t going to do it and I think he eventually believed it, so he stopped.”But in the moment I was just excited and thought why not. I knew the game was also on TV and loads of people were watching, so I just provided a bit of entertainment.”Jake said while Gerrard didn’t appreciate it, the Chelsea players did.”Me and Gerrard actually didn’t speak at all, All I said was “Gerrard!” to get his attention.Jake Nickless – Instagram Mascot who pranked Gerrard now plays for BillericayCredit: Refer to Caption”I remember Claude Makelele and Michael Essien laughing as it happened, and John Terry gave me a pat on the head afterwards, when I walked back to hold his hand.”I think everyone found it funny…apart from Stevie G.”READ MORE SUN STORIESNickless would go on to make two appearances for Billericay.He also had non-league spells with Harlow Town and Tillbury FC but it is unclear as to whether he is still playing football now. More

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    How serial prankster Jarvo managed to pull off porn prank at Euro 2024 draw

    PRANKSTER Daniel “Jarvo” Jarvis today told how he strolled past security to plant a phone and blast sex noises at the Euro 2024 draw.He taped a £20 Chinese Yepen mobile, said to be the world’s loudest, to a lectern a day before Saturday’s event.
    YouTuber Daniel ‘Jarvo’ Jarvis told how he pulled off a prank and got sex noises to blast at the Euro 2024Credit: Supplied
    Former Danish international Brian Laudrup smirked as the prankster repeatedly rang the loud phoneCredit: Supplied
    Then, as former Danish international Brian Laudrup helped make the draw at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Jarvo repeatedly rang the phone from his hotel a mile away.
    The 31-year-old YouTuber said: “There was a security guard there checking people’s accreditation, but we just walked past and he didn’t pull me up.
    “You’ve just got to walk in like you own the place and are meant to be there and get past them fast.
    “There were a lot of people there but no one asked what I was doing.
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    “I rang it late that night to make sure it hadn’t been found and when it came off it was the best feeling — seeing their reactions was hilarious.”
    Jarvo, from Gravesend, Kent, pulled the same prank on Match of the Day earlier this year.
    And after repeating the feat on Saturday he celebrated by partying until 6am — then missed his flight back to Stansted today. More

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    I’m a former Arsenal star – I was convinced I’d time travelled two years into the future and became a laughing stock

    FORMER Arsenal star Anders Limpar once believed he had time travelled two years into the future after being the subject of a TV prank.The midfielder played for the Gunners between 1994 and 1997, winning the First Division and FA Cup.
    Anders Limpar was at the centre of an iconic TV prankCredit: Getty
    Anders Limpar is an ex-Arsenal midfielderCredit: Getty
    Spells at Everton and Birmingham followed for the man with 58 international caps.
    However, in his homeland of Sweden he became a laughing stock after falling for the two-day long prank.
    Limpar exclusively told Ladbrokes Fanzone about the unbelievable story.
    He said: “I think this is easily one of the best pranks ever. I actually thought I’d flown two years into the future; that’s the long and short of it.
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    “For years afterwards, I was a laughing stock in Sweden, no one could understand how I believed it all. But it was unreal, the production levels were so, so good. 
    “There were something like 20 guys involved, all to fool me, and I just bit.”
    Limpar was on a plane from Gothenberg to Stockholm when he believed he had gone from 1997 to 1999.
    The ex-Arsenal star continued: “There were these two ‘scientists’ on the flight who were talking about being able to time travel, and the plane was diving up and down and all over the place.
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    “I can laugh at it all now, but at the time, my God, it was scary, it was really, really scary.
    “They actually involved these jet fighters to guide us into Stockholm… actual jet fighters. 
    “We could hear everything that was going on over the radio: ‘Where have you been? This is the tower speaking, you’ve just shown up on the radar.’
    “The whole production was so cleverly done. I felt it was all real. It was absolutely crazy.
    “We had two doctors on board in case I flipped, there was someone who could essentially press a button and the plane would just start diving up and down and all over the place.
    “Food and drink was flying everywhere in the plane, and then we started to level out. I’m just thinking ‘what the f*** is going on?”
    The ‘scientists’ managed to trick Limpar into believing they had gone into the future and the prank didn’t stop there.
    He explains: “I went into the pilot shouting at him, demanding to speak to the tower. He ordered me to go back and put my seatbelt on. 
    “We were fighting with the scientist in the plane because we wanted to know what was going on.
    “Apparently they’d done something similar with a Canadian guy two years before me and he actually had to have psychological help afterwards because he was in such a bad state. 
    “We landed the plane, and they took us straight into a hanger, where there were science guys asking all of us questions.
    “They wanted to know what happened to us, where we’d been, had we been in space? All of these things. It was all absolutely mind-blowing.
    “It was such a horrible feeling. We thought we were dead. When we landed, we were told they’d had funerals for us and everything, because apparently the assumption was that we’d died.
    “This prank went on for two days, by the way. It wasn’t just a quick joke.
    “They showed us newspapers, which obviously weren’t real, where crazy things had apparently happened.
    “They told us Norway had won the World Cup in 1998.
    “From the two days we spent in this prank, they cut the whole thing down to just one hour for TV. There was so much more to the whole story.
    “Of course I was so glad when the guy, Lennart Swahn, finally showed up to tell us it was all a prank. I felt like I’d had a rucksack full of stones just fall off my back, I was so relieved.
    “I couldn’t believe it. I was happy, of course, but I just felt ridiculous for something like half an hour afterwards, to even think that I was flying two years into the future. 
    “But, for years afterwards, I was angry with it all, because it made me a laughing stock in Sweden. I wasn’t happy with that at all.
    “That’s why, when they asked me if they could sell the whole thing as a DVD, I said no.
    “Look, it was an incredible prank, so funny when I look back now, and I felt so many emotions at the time. But when everyone in the country laughed at me for years afterwards… that was hard to deal with. It affected my personality, my profile.
    “I was later told that their normal production budget per stunt was £10,000, this one was £200,000.
    “They had to pay for jet fighters, take over the airport, and everything. It was the biggest production ever made in Sweden, when it came to prank shows.
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    “I never found out why they chose to do it on me. I’m probably too trust-able a guy, easy to fool, naive, whatever you want to call it.
    “It’s one of the cleverest pranks ever done.”
    Limpars with David Seaman during his time at ArsenalCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd More

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    Watch hilarious moment moaning neighbour drives MOPED on pitch during match and rows with players

    A FOOTBALL team saw the wheels come off at the weekend – after a man invaded their match on a MOPED.Dutch side Veenhuizen were level with relegation rivals Vitesse ’63 when the angry local rode his scooter on to the turf.
    A furious neighbour invaded the pitch on a moped to complain to officialsCredit: RTV Drenthe
    The man was furious with young fans setting fireworks off and scaring his horseCredit: RTV Drenthe
    He confronted home coaches in their dugout, then drove into the centre circle to harangue players before riding off.
    The man was reportedly angry that fireworks let off by young football fans before kick-off had frightened his horse.
    When play resumed Veenhuizen quickly went 3-0 down, and lost the eighth-tier clash 4-1.
    Club chairman Kees van der Leest said: “We are not doing well in the league, and we had to play the bottom team.
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    “The youngsters wanted to support the team [with the fireworks], but it turned out unfortunate with our neighbour driving on to the field.
    “It was annoying.  We don’t want to be a burden to anyone, but we have to monitor safety on the field.
    “We know the neighbour.  He played for us in his youth.
    “We will talk with him.  I think he acted out of emotion.
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    “We want a good relationship with him – we are neighbours after all.
    “We are responsible as a board, and regret what happened, but the youngsters meant well.
    “The event may have influenced our players’ concentration. Vitesse had a better understanding of what the game was about.” More