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      Tottenham splash out on ‘well-being guru’ so under-fire stars can relax with yoga, art classes and poetry readings

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      MILLIONAIRE stars at Prem giants Spurs were branded selfish and savaged for not being able to perform under pressure – and now they are being pampered with a “well-being guru” to keep stars happy.Fiery boss Antonio Conte faces the boot for turning on his own team after a string of dismal results culminating in last weekend’s capitulation at rock bottom Southampton which ended in a 3-3 draw.
      Tottenham stars spotted in trainingCredit: Rex
      They are in line to be supported by a ‘well-being guru’Credit: PA
      But rather than toughen up the “Spursy” line-up, the club is splashing out on a new employee to meet their off-field needs – including yoga, art classes and poetry readings.
      The executive will work alongside Tottenham’s psychologists who monitor stars’ state of mind, and player care officers who tackle mundane tasks like sourcing motors and opening bank accounts for players including Harry Kane.
      They will be expected to set up health and well-being activities for the squad, and create a network of mental health “first aiders” to assist struggling staff and players.
      An ad reveals: “The Club is seeking a Health & Wellbeing Lead to develop the Health and Wellbeing Services across the club.
      READ MORE ON TOTTENHAM
      “As the Health & Wellbeing Lead, your primary focus will be on our employees.
      “You will work with key stakeholders on supporting our development of elite players (including boys / girls and Women’s).
      “The Health & Wellbeing Lead will drive workforce awareness and development about mental health and embed it into all aspects of the business.”
      The exec will “produce quarterly and annual reports on health & wellbeing noting key areas of progress and development, including documented rates of staff and player wellbeing and present to key stakeholder groups”.
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      Spurs stars will be treated to yoga classesCredit: Getty
      And also be taught in art classesCredit: AFP
      And “facilitate appropriate risk assessments and risk management”.
      The candidate will “work closely with already existing health & well-being contributors within the business (this includes, e.g. Club Psychologists, Player Care Manager, Player Liaison, Medical, the Head of Safeguarding, HR, and Safeguarding Officers)”.
      And “develop a programme of day-to-day wellbeing activities for staff on all sites”.
      Last night furious Spurs fans hit out at the club.
      Shiraz Harwood said: “No wonder the players can’t cope on the pitch – they are pampered and treated like princesses. It’s pretty pathetic.”
      John Hobson said: “Conte was right after all. The club is a joke.” More

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      Losing baby Angel wasn’t our first tragedy – we had three miscarriages, reveals Ronaldo’s partner Georgina Rodriguez

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      IT’S almost a year since Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez welcomed their daughter Bella Esmeralda into the world in a very bittersweet way, with the tragic loss of Bella’s twin brother Angel.And Spanish influencer Georgina, 29, has now revealed she had suffered three miscarriages before.
      Georgina Rodriguez said: ‘I was very afraid at each ultrasound. I felt very tense because I’d had three previous miscarriages and I came home in pieces’Credit: Reuters
      The couple on Instagram with the ultrasound scan of their unborn twins
      She says: “Every time I went to the gynaecologist’s at night I had nightmares because I was worried about what position they would be in, what the delivery would be like, if it would be a Caesarean section.
      “I was very afraid at each ultrasound. I felt very tense because I’d had three previous miscarriages and I came home in pieces.”
      She describes her visits to the gynaecologist as “horrible, because I was always vomiting”.
      Soon after Georgina gave birth in April 2022, she and Ronaldo, 38, announced Angel’s death as they paid tribute online.
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      He wrote on social media: “It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel.
      ‘You ask yourself how you’ll carry on’
      “Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness.
      “We would like to thank the doctors and nurses for all their expert care and support.
      “We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time.
      Most read in Football
      “Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you.”
      Georgina makes her shock revelations in the new series of Netflix documentary I Am Georgina, which is set to premiere on Friday.
      As well as Bella, she shares daughter Alana, three, with Ronaldo, while the former Manchester United star also has son Cristiano Jr, 12 — whose mother’s identity he has never revealed — and four-year-old twins Eva and Mateo, who he had with an American surrogate.
      Georgina, who treats all of Ronaldo’s brood as her own, says she didn’t immediately tell her other children that Angel had not survived, instead saying he would be born a little later than his sister.
      She says: “They were born on Easter Monday. The most-awaited moment arrives and your heart stops.
      “Bella was born strong and healthy but a piece of my heart shattered.
      “You ask yourself how you’re going to carry on. I wasn’t prepared to accept or recognise what had happened to me and I wasn’t ready to tell my children about it.
      “As I still had a belly, I told them that Angel was still going to wait a bit to be born, until Cris told them that Angel was in Heaven. That was a dose of reality.”
      Ronaldo has previously spoken of the challenging conversations he had to have with his other children when they returned home from hospital without Angel.
      The smiling family with their new addition, their daughter Bella
      Ronaldo holds the couple’s new baby Bella
      He told Piers Morgan on TalkTV: “In the beginning Gio (Georgina) arrived home and the kids start to say, ‘Where’s the other baby?’
      “I had a conversation with Cristiano (Junior) on the day, because he’s 12 years old, he knows, understands everything, and I had a nice conversation with him.
      “We cried together in his bedroom and explained and he does understand, but in the same way he was a little bit confused.
      “The other ones in the beginning, the kids start to say, ‘Mum, where is the other baby, blah blah blah’. And you know, she had a little bit of a belly because they had two, it’s a hard process.
      “And after one week I say, ‘Let’s be up front and let’s be honest with the kids, let’s say that Angel, they go to Heaven’.”
      Before Georgina returned home from hospital, her sister Ivana helped by removing the cot, Moses cradle and teddy bear that Georgina had prepared for Angel at the Cheshire home where the family were then living.
      This year they moved to Saudi Arabia, after Ronaldo signed for Riyadh club Al-Nassr.
      And after the turmoil of the last year Georgina has found that being a mum to Bella has provided some comfort.
      She says: “She has managed to fill to some extent that hole that is present in my life.
      “When she’s older and we tell her what happened, she will be very proud of what she has achieved.”
      But she continues: “I will never be the same person again. Every time I look at Bella I ask myself, ‘Would Angel be like that?’
      “The truth is I feel I am not ready to think about it, as if I still haven’t accepted it.
      “I always say to my children, ‘Your little brother is in the sky, he doesn’t want to walk, he wants to fly. Every time you look at the sky, think of him’.”
      There are other reminders of Angel for Georgina and Ronaldo.
      In the documentary, Georgina is filmed getting a tattoo done, thought to be in memory of Angel, and Ronaldo has said he keeps his son’s ashes with him in the house, as well as those of his father José, who died of liver failure in 2005.
      ‘We are a nice couple and we help each other’
      The couple met when Georgina was working as a £10-an-hour sales assistant at the Gucci shop in Madrid, and she has previously said it was “love at first sight”.
      They were first seen together going on a string of dates towards the end of 2016.
      In the new Netflix series Georgina, who now has 47 million followers on Instagram, thanks her partner for his “unconditional support and love” and helping her through one of the toughest periods of her life.
      She adds: “Cris really encouraged me to continue with my agenda.
      “He said, ‘Gio, get on with your life, it’ll do you good’.
      “He has played a really important role. Gods put the right people in your path.”
      Likewise, Ronaldo has spoken about the support that Georgina has given him.
      He said: “She’s very mature for this age. We help each other sometimes when I’m a little bit down she pushes me up and I do it the other side.
      “So we are a nice couple and we help each other, so I’m really pleased that she’s on my side.”
      For now, it seems Georgina is trying to be as strong as she can for the sake of herself and her family.
      She says: “Life’s hard, life goes on. I have reasons to move on and be strong. My priority right now is my family and my children. I’m so happy and thankful.”
      Having taken on the mother role for all of Ronaldo’s children, Georgina says she feels “like a super mum, and Superwoman”.
      But for now at least, it doesn’t sound as if they will be having any more kids.
      Ronaldo, the all-time leading goal scorer in men’s football, has said that he and Georgina are content with their family set-up and plan to enjoy their time with their children while they are little.
      He said: “I’m not thinking more kids now, I think we are done, but we never know the future, only God knows.
      “But right now we all want to have a break to enjoy these ones because they are little. We want to enjoy a little bit of these ones. Let’s see in the future.”
      However, marriage does sound like it is on the cards, as Ronaldo says it would be his mum Maria’s dream to see him and Georgina walk down the aisle.
      “We’ll be (married) one day, for sure,” he said.
      “It’s my mum’s dream as well, so one day. Why not? It’s great.”
      And he said of Georgina: “She’s my friend. We have conversations. I open the heart for her and she opens the heart for me.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I’m not thinking now about that but I can see in the future I think I deserve, she deserves.
      “But it’s something that’s not coming now in my plans but in the future is yes, I want.”
      Tearful Georgina breaks down on the show
      Georgina and Cristiano united in 2019Credit: Splash News More

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      Sven-Goran Eriksson seen for first time after health scare as ex-England boss attends Rome derby

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      FORMER England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has been seen for the first time after having health problems.The Swede, 75, attended the Rome derby between Lazio and Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.
      Sven-Goran Eriksson was spotted at the Rome derbyCredit: Reuters
      It is the first time he has been seen since his health scareCredit: EPA
      Eriksson used to manage both Roma and Lazio earlier in his career.
      He won the Coppa Italia with Roma in 1986, but enjoyed a much more successful spell with Lazio.
      During his time in charge of the Biancocelesti, he won the Serie A title and two Coppa Italias as well as the Uefa Cup Winners Cup and Uefa Super Cup.
      It was after his success with Lazio that he was hired by the FA to take control of the England national team.
      READ MORE ON SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON
      More recently, he had been sporting director at Karlstad Fotboll but stepped down in February amid serious concerns about his health.
      He told Karlstad’s website: “I have chosen to limit my public assignments for the time being, due to health problems which are under investigation.
      “Now I will focus on health, family and limited assignments for Karlstad Fotboll among others.
      “I thank you for all the support from friends and football contacts, and ask you to respect my decision and my privacy.”
      Most read in Football
      His lawyer Anders Runebjer told Swedish paper Aftonbladet that neither he, Eriksson or his family would reveal details about the health concerns.
      Runebjer said: “He has a disease, and that means he has limited powers to be the ‘Svennis’ we are all used to seeing.
      “That’s the way it is.  But at the same time he wants to do as much as he can with football – if he can’t do so he gets bored.” More

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      I had to retire from football after a nasty head clash – it was so bad doctors had to drill a hole in my skull

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      RYAN MASON has opened up on the sickening aerial collision that forced doctors to drill a hole in his head and ultimately put paid to his football career.The former Tottenham star, now 31, was playing for Hull when he suffered a sickening clash of heads with then-Chelsea ace Gary Cahill in 2017.
      Ryan Mason is now coach at Tottenham after being forced to retireCredit: Rex
      Mason was involved in a sickening collision with Gary Cahill in 2017Credit: Getty
      Mason underwent emergency surgery to put 14 metal plates in his skull – held together with 28 screws and 45 staples – to save his life.
      Aged just 26, the one-cap England midfielder was forced to retire.
      In a recent interview with Jake Humphrey on the High Performance podcast, Mason spoke about the time he says he ‘died’.
      He revealed he “remembered everything” from the incident and was conscious the whole time.
      Read More Football
      He said: “The pain was pretty unbearable, I could tell it was quite a serious thing, the body was just telling me that.
      “I heard voices, people speaking, the process of getting off the pitch, putting a neck brace on, going into the ambulance and going to hospital, it was very very painful.
      “Id be lying if I [say] I wasn’t scared and fearing a lot.”
      Mason says he realised his career as a footballer was over when he came around a couple of days later and saw he had “50 staples in his head”.
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      Ryan Mason had to have 50 staples in his head after the horror collision
      He added: “You could tell by the luck on people’s faces, my parents were worried, my now-wife was at my bedside, scared.
      “My auntie, uncle and sister would walk into the room and burst out crying, it was like, ‘woah’.”
      “I guess I was quite lucky at that stage as I didn’t get to see myself.
      “The body is powerful The body was telling me I needed to sleep, I was listening and sleeping.
      “It was a feeling of ‘I need to get out of this hospital, I need to get back to playing football’ that was my initial thoughts, which were crazy at the time.
      “But I just wanted to get better.”
      Mason then went on to explain how people close to him tried to “protect him” to how serious things really were.
      He explained: “I didn’t know that I had a tube in my head, that they had to drain the blood from my brain.
      “Four days in a doctor came in and wanted to take the tube out of my head, I was like ‘woah, I’ve got a tube in my head’?
      “The next minute he is pulling that out and stitching the skin of my head.”
      Explaining when the tube was inserted in, Mason added: “Just before I went in to get scanned I went unresponsive, so at that point, it is code red, very serious.
      “They drilled through my skull to start draining the blood as soon as possible, and that bought time to go through the operating theatre to open me up and see what’s going on.”
      After recovering from the injury and trauma, Mason is now an integral part of Antonio Conte’s backroom staff at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
      Read More on The Sun
      The Italian boss visited Mason when he was in hospital, and the bond has strengthened since then. More

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      I was diagnosed with cancer back in 2018 and credit Tottenham coach and Charlton legend for saving my life

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      PROSTATE CANCER UK advocate Chris Powell is the reason Southend United fan Keith Smith believes he is still alive.Back in 2018, the Shrimpers fan was diagnosed with prostate cancer by his GP.
      Chris Powell is an advocate for Prostate Cancer UKCredit: Getty

      Lucky for Smith, it was caught early.
      The football supporter had heard Powell, who was manager of Southend at that point, champion the renowned charity.
      So, Smith took on the now Tottenham coach’s advice and went for a check up.
      Not only was prostate cancer detected, a small tumour on his kidney was also found.
      Read more football news
      Emotionally connected to Powell, Keith has stayed in touch with the Charlton legend.
      The pair were recently reunited at an U21 fixture between Spurs and Brighton at Hotspur Way.
      Keith told Tottenham Hotspur’s website: “Since I was diagnosed with cancer back in 2018, I’ve felt this kindred spirit with Chris.”
      “I’ve got no doubt in my mind that if it wasn’t for Chris, I wouldn’t be standing here today, it’s a simple as that. I’ll be eternally grateful to him, he’s a top guy as everyone already knows and it’s just nice to catch up again.
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      “I’ve followed his career, seen him on the England bench, here at Spurs as well, so to be here today with him at the Training Centre is a real honour. The facilities here are brilliant, absolutely unbelievable, out of this world.
      “I never realised, especially supporting a lower league team, how different it could be – everything is new, crisp, the people are so nice, the staff are so friendly… it’s absolutely fantastic and anyone who works for the club or plays for the club here is a very lucky person.
      “My message now is the same as the one Chris gave me – it’s very important that awareness of prostate cancer is raised among the general public and to encourage people to get checked.
      “My mantra has always been ‘a blood test won’t kill you, but prostate cancer can’ so everyone has that incentive to go. If you’ve previously had any cases of prostate cancer in your family, go and get yourself checked as well so that we can help to beat this disease.”
      Today, Keith is an ambassador for Prostate Cancer UK along with Powell.
      And they support the ‘Prostate FC’ initiative, which aims to raise awareness of the risk factors, fund research and save lives in every football club across the UK.
      Powell said: “It means so much to me that I’ve got to know someone who was suffering from prostate cancer, who heard my message and is a survivor. Sometimes I don’t realise how big that is, to have helped save someone.
      “If it wasn’t for my work and involvement with Prostate Cancer UK, we may have lost Keith but thankfully he’s still here to enjoy his life. It’s great that we’re still in touch – he loves football, he loves Southend, but I think I’ve got us another Spurs fan now!
      “He and his wife were my guests to watch an Under-21 game and I know they couldn’t believe what the club is like in terms of the Training Centre, how it works and how great everyone here is. I just wanted to spend some time with him, as we’re both big ambassadors for the cause now.
      “What I would say to any Spurs fan is to be aware of the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer, which include age, ethnicity and family risk.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Fans can go on the Prostate Cancer UK website where there is so much information, including a brilliant 30-second risk checker which may save your life.
      “More importantly tell your partner, your uncle, your brother and talk to your GP if you are worried. I get myself checked on my birthday every year – that’s my gift to myself – so that’s the way I remember.”
      Powell was a Charlton legend as a playerCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd More

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      My dad cried when he saw me ill with kidney failure.. my old boss Sir Alex Ferguson always told me pride would kill me

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Andy Cole has revealed his father burst into tears after seeing the devastating effects of his kidney failure.The Cole family were rocked by the Red Devils legend’s diagnosis with the disease, which has had a crippling effect on his life, in 2015.
      Manchester United legend Andy Cole was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2015Credit: Getty
      His diagnosis had a crushing effect on his friends and familyCredit: THE SUN
      The entire family took the news very hard, but none more so than dad Lincoln after seeing his son severely ill.
      Andy told The Times: “The first time my dad saw me ill, I could see the tears in his eyes.”
      The pain in Lincoln’s eyes, understandably, had a devastating impact on Andy.
      He said: “I remember saying to my dad, ‘Don’t cry for me, whatever’s going to be is going to be.’ My dad was really good with me.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      “In sickness, you found out who’s really there for you. My dad was.”
      Times were particularly hard for Cole when Covid first hit.
      He said: “The first lockdown was tough, Yorkie [Dwight Yorke] called me and said, ‘Come on, get your head right, work out and stay positive.’ I did that.”
      Cole’s friends and family were quick to rally around him, with nephew Alexander donating a kidney to him.
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      He said: “My mates have been phenomenal.
      “My nephews, and a couple of my sisters, have been so good.
      “He’s done such a noble thing as such a young man.”
      Cole has showcased remarkable tenacity and determination in his eight-year battle with kidney failure, which he also showed on the pitch throughout his career.
      Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson (r) with new signing Andy Cole (l)Credit: PA
      But his mentality, in particular his pride, didn’t always sit well with former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
      He said: “Sir Alex [Ferguson] always used to say to me, ‘Your pride will kill you in the end. I didn’t take any nonsense.
      “I never took people questioning me because that’s what they did to my dad when he first came to this country.”
      Manchester United will be back in action on Thursday night, travelling to Spain to take on Real Betis. More

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      ‘I’ve never felt anything like that before’ – Anthony Joshua receives bizarre brutal treatment ahead of Franklin fight

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA has undergone a bone-crunching chiropractic treatment ahead of his showdown with Jermaine Franklin.The former two-time unified heavyweight champ is beginning to wind down his gruelling training camp for his comeback fight on April 1.
      Anthony Joshua is gearing up for a showdown with Jermaine FranklinCredit: REX
      The former unified heavyweight champion has visited a chiropractor to decompress his body ahead of the fightCredit: TIKTOK@DRELAHI
      AJ felt a million dollars after the adjustmentCredit: TIKTOK@DRELAHI
      The 33-year-old was quick to thank Dr Elahi for the treatmentCredit: TIKTOK@DRELAHI
      Joshua is now focused on recovering from the brutal stress he’s put his body under – and that’s included some spinal decompression.
      AJ recently visited chiropractor Dr Ali Elahi to get an adjustment and relieve some of the pressure in his back and the rest of his body.
      Joshua, 33, laid down on a drop table and had his spine crunched by Elahi’s trademarked Ring Ding apparatus.
      Elahi also used a towel to crack AJ’s neck, wrapping it under his chin and yanking it.
      READ MORE IN BOXING
      After having his neck cracked and feeling the release of pressure, Joshua said: “That was a lot of decompression.
      “I feel like that was a lot of built-up tension that has just been released from my body.”
      Joshua continued to marvel at the effectiveness of the treatment, saying: “Oh my gosh.
      “I understand what you say when you say, ‘I’ll never feel anything like that before.’ Respect.”
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      In addition to having his neck adjusted via towel, AJ also had Elahi give him a more traditional neck adjustment.
      After having his final adjustment, Joshua said: “I felt it through my whole ribs.
      “It wasn’t just my spine. Everything.
      “Like my whole back, my shoulders – everything felt like it went.
      Credit: SUNSPORT
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      “Wow, thank you so much. It feels good, really good.”
      Joshua will be hoping his recent trip to the chiropractor will help him in his bid to return to the win column against American gunslinger Franklin.
      AJ is currently on a two-fight skid following consecutive losses to unified heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk.
      And defeat to Franklin could spell the end of his glittering career. More

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      David Brooks hails ‘special’ Liverpool win as Bournemouth star returned for first time in 529 days after cancer battle

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      DAVID BROOKS hailed the ‘special’ feeling of returning to Bournemouth’s squad for the first time in 529 days following his cancer diagnosis.The Wales attacker, 25, was a substitute in the Cherries’ 1-0 victory over Liverpool on Saturday.
      David Brooks, centre, came off the bench in the win over LiverpoolCredit: Getty
      His return to the pitch comes just five months after being given the all clearCredit: Getty
      Brooks was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021 but revealed he was ‘cancer free’ last October.
      Brooks tweeted: “529 days I’ve had to wait for that feeling!
      “Been a long wait and a very difficult period for me and my family but to be able to step back on that football pitch and feel part of the team again was special!
      “Thanks to all the fans for the great reception.”
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      Brooks’ return to Bournemouth first-team action saw him receive a warm welcome from team-mates and fans at the Vitality Stadium.
      And he could now be in contention to make a Wales comeback this week.
      Boss Robert Page names his squad for this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Croatia and Latvia on Tuesday.
      Brooks, who has won 21 caps, last played for Wales against Denmark at the last-16 stage of Euro 2020.
      Most read in Football
      But the former Sheffield United winger linked up with Page’s squad at the World Cup in Qatar last November.
      Aaron Ramsey returned from a hamstring injury for Nice in a 2-2 draw at Nantes on Sunday but Page will be sweating over news on injuries to Wayne Hennessey and Brennan Johnson.
      Hennessey was named on the bench and pulled out of the warm up before Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 loss to Spurs while Johnson limped off in the second half.
      Forest boss Steve Cooper said: “Wayne felt his knee so was unable to go on the bench. Brennan went off with a groin strain, which we don’t know how bad it is. We’ll see over the next day or two.”
      Jonny Williams became the fourth player to retire from Wales since the World Cup, joining Gareth Bale, Joe Allen and Chris Gunter.
      The Swindon midfielder, 29, won 33 caps and said: “I have decided that the time is right for me to step back and retire from international football. From the age of 15, it has been an absolute honour and privilege to wear the red dragons on my shirt.
      “Going to two European championships and a World Cup was beyond my wildest dreams but it was all made possible together.” More