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    Steve Bruce reveals he has turned down several jobs in English football as Man Utd legend ponders move abroad

    STEVE BRUCE has revealed that he has turned down several offers to return to management in England.The Manchester United legend has been out of work since leaving West Brom in 2022.
    Steve Bruce is open to working abroadCredit: Getty
    Bruce, 62, was at Newcastle before joining the Baggies but was sacked in 2021 following the takeover by the Public Investment Fund.
    He has now admitted that he is keen on returning to work but has remained coy about working in Saudi Arabia.
    He told Gambling Zone: “I’ve had many people ask me if I’d go to Saudi Arabia and the simple answer is, I’m not going to reveal anything.
    “I’ve turned down a number of clubs recently as I didn’t think they were quite right.
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    “I’d be open to a job abroad if it comes up. I’m very open-minded.
    “I think revealing the clubs who were interested in me would be very disrespectful, so I won’t.”
    Bruce has also suggested that he would like to avoid speculating about management jobs while there is a person in place.
    He added: “I’ve stated before that I’d like to get back into management but I find speculation when there’s a manager in place to be very disrespectful.”
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    Bruce has also admitted that he is open to working that may not necessarily see him return to the dugout and could work behind the scenes.
    He said: “I’m looking to get back into football, whether that’s an international job, a director of football, an assistant to an up-and-coming manager, or a consultation role.
    “I’m open to anything as I miss the game.
    “International management would appeal to me at my age, but I find speculation disrespectful while a manager is in place.
    “Once the manager position is free, then they can give me a call.”
    Bruce has plenty of experience as a football manager having coached the likes of Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, Wigan, Aston Villa, Sunderland and Birmingham City. More

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    Ex-Tottenham and West Ham star Matthew Etherington lands new job after managing just THREE games as Crawley boss

    MATTHEW ETHERINGTON has been named the new manager of Colchester.Etherington took over the U’s Under-21 side during the summer but stepped up to replace Ben Garner at the senior squad last month.
    Matthew Etherington has been named the new manager of ColchesterCredit: Rex
    This comes after Etherington left Crawley Town following three gamesCredit: PA
    The ex-Tottenham ace then led the League Two side to two wins and one draw in his first three matches in the third tier as caretaker boss.
    That convinced Colchester chairman Robbie Cowling and sporting director Dmitri Halajko to make the former West Ham ace’s appointment permanent.
    Etherington said: “I’m extremely pleased, and obviously grateful to the chairman and Dmitri for giving me this opportunity, and I’ll give everything I can to make sure this club is successful.
    “It’s been a decent start in terms of the league form, but we need to make sure we maintain that going forwards.
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    “I’m a big believer in ‘what will be will be’ and here we are. I’m really looking forward to it and I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”
    Etherington hit the headlines last year in December when he was sacked by Crawley Town after just three games in his first managerial job.
    However, the 42-year-old tactician’s fortunes completely changed at Colchester Community Stadium.
    Halajko said: “Matty has had a good response from the players and his league points’ return has been excellent as interim head coach.
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    “He’s a Pro Licence coach who has had experiences of first team coaching at other clubs, along with a playing career at the highest level.
    “These experiences will put Matty in a great position to be a successful at Colchester United.
    “He will now have the opportunity on a full-time basis and will have the full support at everybody at the club as we look to continue climbing up the league table.” More

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    My dad’s a world-famous ex footballer but I was useless and quit at 16 – now I have a normal job

    GARY Lineker is one of the greatest footballers ever to play the game – but his son freely admits he’s not anywhere near his level.In fact, he quit aged 16 and now has a much more normal job running a tech company.
    Gary Lineker’s son says he’s useless at footballCredit: Instagram
    The 32-year-old spoke candidly on The Online Disrupter podcast with Liam Chick about living up to his father’s fame.
    He said, “I was always useless at football. I played for a bit with the school team and then at 16, I sort of thought, ‘This isn’t working, I’m useless at this, I’ve got to move on.’
    “But every kid wants to be a footballer, so obviously I wanted to be.”
    George recently launched the app, YourBusinessNumber, which allows users to set up a second mobile phone number without the hassle of getting another phone.
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    Alongside his business partner, entrepreneur Sebastian Lewis, the pair have politely declined any funding from Gary, determined to forge their own path.
    The app is being targeted at the self-employed, and those working from home post-pandemic.
    George previously told The Sun, “We need financial help but I don’t want to just go running to my dad.
    “I want people to invest in me because they believe in the product – not because of who my dad is.” 
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    He’s the eldest of four boys, the others being Harry, 29, Tobias, 27, and Angus, 25, from Gary’s marriage to first wife Michelle Cockayne.
    And, unsurprisingly, George has been asked to go on “almost every reality show out there” — including Love Island.
    “That was something I was tempted by,” he said.
    “But then I have to look at it and think I’m only getting asked because of my dad. And if he’s not keen on it, then I wouldn’t do it.
    “The thought of him seeing me snog someone on telly is a bit sketchy too. You’ve got to be a big personality, and be in silly shape — and I’m neither of those things. I’m quite chilled and laid back.”
    The pair are pictured at last night’s GQ Men of the Year AwardsCredit: Rex
    Gary is one of the greatest footballers ever to play the gameCredit: Getty
    George now runs a tech companyCredit: Twitter/@LiamChickCEO More

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    Premier League manager tipped to replace Gareth Southgate as England manager after brief ‘sabbatical’

    GARETH SOUTHGATE’S England replacement has been tipped to be Pep Guardiola, but not before he has a break from football.The former Barcelona boss has Manchester City top of the Premier League table after 12 games having won the Treble last season.
    Pep Guardiola has been tipped to replace Gareth Southgate as England bossCredit: PA
    But it will not happen until he has a sabbaticalCredit: Rex
    Reports have suggested Guardiola will end his stint at the Etihad when his current contract expires in 2025.
    He has also been linked with the England job as one target to succeed Southgate.
    And former Oasis member and City fan Noel Gallagher says he would not be surprised to see Guardiola take on the Three Lions gig.
    Speaking to talkSPORT, Gallagher said: “I wouldn’t be surprised, or a shock to me, if he was offered and took the England job.
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    “I know he loves being in England with the culture, English players and all that, but it wouldn’t be a shock to me.”
    However, Gallagher believes he would only take the England job if he left Man City first.
    He said: “I think he would have to leave City first and probably have a break.
    “I don’t think City would allow him to leave for England, there’s no way.”
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    Asked about the possibility of doing both the England and City jobs at the same time, he replied: “City wouldn’t have that.”
    Gallagher then offered his analysis on Guardiola’s future, revealing he does not believe he will head to another league.
    He said: “I can see him retiring at City after maybe ten years and having one of his sabbaticals.
    “I can’t think he would go anywhere in world football. What league is he going to? So the only other thing is international football.
    “There are a few prestigious jobs which might turn him on like the Dutch job because of Johan Cruyff, the Brazil job, the Argentinian gig and England.
    “I don’t know any of this, I’m just hypothetically pointing out, but lets say England still haven’t won a trophy, he would see that as a big challenge.
    “[If he won one] He would be a god then in this country wouldn’t he.”
    England men have failed to win a major trophy since the 1966 World Cup.
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    The Lionesses have fared better recently by lifting the Euro’s in 2022.
    However, they fell to defeat against Spain in the final of this year’s World Cup. More

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    I quit my job to play Football Manager full time and sit in my room all day – now I make DOUBLE my old salary

    A YOUTUBER who ditched his old job to play Football Manager says he has doubled his salary since making the switch.Tom Kelsey, 26, from Lincoln, sacked off his old job as a business support assistant at Lincolnshire County Council to play the simulation video game full-time.
    Tom Kelsey quit his old job to play Football Manager full-timeCredit: TomFM/YouTube
    The YouTuber claims to have doubled his salary since making the switchCredit: TomFM/YouTube
    The gamer had started a YouTube channel dedicated to the popular game while studying at Nottingham Trent University.
    He now runs operations from his bedroom at his parents’ house.
    “It’s the freedom that I get from it, that’s what I love,” Tom told the BBC.
    Football Manager allows players to take charge of their favourite football team and manage them all the way to glory.
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    Since its release, the gaming community has expanded rapidly, with last year’s game played by six million people.
    “As [the channel] got more popular and more people started watching it, you start to earn money from the adverts that you see,” he said.
    “Suddenly this became an idea – that I could do this as a job one day.
    “In terms of the money I make now, it’s double what I was earning in my full-time job before I did YouTube.
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    “For me to be able to earn that money whilst also being my own boss and having my own choices and not work for someone else is the best part of it.”
    The former council worker earned around £25,000 for his previous position, meaning his new passion project sees him rake in a significantly higher £50,000 annually.
    The savvy YouTuber’s channel boasts nearly 120,000 subscribers and attracts around one million views per month.
    “I can easily spend 50 to 60 hours a week playing Football Manager, which may sound like it would drive some people crazy but it’s a dream for me,” he continued.
    “It’s a very unusual career path when you say you’re going to play video games for my job.
    “It keeps growing year on year, month on month, so I’ll try and do this for as long as I can.”
    Elsewhere, a woman who was bullied over her love for gaming now has turned her passion into a full-time job – earning a staggering £7k a month.
    Natalie Barnes, from Greater Manchester, started her career playing video games for hours from the comfort of her bedroom in Wigan.
    The 20-year-old ditched her law degree at the University of Liverpool after forking thousands each year.
    Tom has 120,000 subscribers and attracts around one million views per monthCredit: TomFM/YouTube More

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    Arsenal legend Sol Campbell begins new career ‘in a different space’ after going to Harvard and giving up on management

    SOL CAMPBELL has confirmed that he will not be applying for jobs in football management anymore.The Arsenal legend is now “in a different space” after studying at Harvard University.
    Sol Campbell will not be applying for manager jobsCredit: Jamie McPhilimey – The Sun
    He has been studying at Harvard UniversityCredit: Getty
    Campbell, 49, had tried to make a career for himself in football management after hanging up his boots.
    However, he had become frustrated at a lack of opportunities after spells at Macclesfield and Southend.
    The retired defender had been without a job in management since leaving The Shrimpers in 2020.
    He told PA: “For me, it is about getting opportunities to fail.
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    “Some of my peers have had jobs and it’s not worked out and then they have had opportunities again straight away, they’ve always had a lifeline.
    “That is a nice position to be in. I am not in that position, I would love to be, but those situations are not coming to me. I would love to be involved in football and have chances, but that is not happening.
    “You have to look at football in a different way and that is what I am going to start doing and hopefully it will work out and I will be able to help players, just in a different way.
    “I love coaching, so I am going to go back into football in a meaningful way. I have had to go away, studied at Harvard. I want to be in football in a meaningful way. It won’t be on the sideline.
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    “I am not applying anymore for jobs.
    “I’m happy to be in a different space now and one I want to be in.”
    Campbell believes that there is more that can be done to help improve diversity among the top clubs in England.
    Vincent Kompany is the only black manager in the Premier League having led Burnley to promotion last season.
    Campbell added: “Football needs that diversity in terms of management, but for me it seems to have gone backwards in some cases.
    “We need to understand not everyone is going to make it to be an amazing manager, but you have to get the opportunity or a chance to prove yourself right or even show you can do the job.
    “Sometimes you get to the stage where you can’t fail. Sometimes you have to fail to succeed, but if you don’t get that opportunity how can you succeed.
    “There are a few managers who are slowly having diversity in the backroom staff, that can help.
    “Some of the top managers know if they could diversify their coaching staff it would help. That is a start.
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    “They are the ones in a strong position, where they have won things and are at great clubs.
    “I think that is how people should start thinking, that is an easy way to kind of get experience and get through the door. Some of the top, top managers have to look at their coaching staff and mix it up a little bit.” More

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    Erik ten Hag catching out staff with very early starts as Man Utd boss puts in extra time at Carrington training base

    ERIK TEN HAG is putting in extra time at the training ground as he tries to get things right at Manchester United.The under-fire boss has caught out staff at United’s Carrington base by arriving before 7am — then staying on long after the players have left.
    Carrington has seen Erik ten Hag turning up earlier and leaving laterCredit: Getty
    Man Utd boss Ten Hag may believe his extra hours bore fruit with Saturday’s 1-0 Premier League victory over Luton at Old TraffordCredit: Getty
    Security and kitchen staff have sometimes been ‘caught on the hop’ by Ten Hag arriving so early at CarringtonCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
    Sometimes he goes home in the afternoon for a couple of hours, returning to work until 8.30pm.
    A source said: “Nobody can accuse Ten Hag of a lack of effort.
    “He’s been coming in very early and leaving very late, sometimes not leaving until 7.30pm.
    “Sometimes he’s there so early he’s catching the security and kitchen staff on the hop.”
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    Ten Hag might feel he got some reward for his additional hours with Saturday’s 1-0 home win over Luton.
    United went sixth in the Premier League thanks to a first goal in three years for recalled centre-back Victor Lindelof.
    Nonetheless, the Red Devils have lost nine of their first 18 games in all competitions.
    And last Wednesdays’s 4-3 loss at FC Copenhagen leaves United struggling to qualify for the Champions League KO stages.
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    Not only that, injury scares continue to mount.
    Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund were both forced off against third-bottom Luton.
    It means Ten Hag will surely be delighted to see the international break.
    Unied are now out of action until a Prem trip to Everton on November 26.
    Ten Hag will be banned from the dugout for that one after picking up his third yellow card of the season on Saturday.
    Then come three crunch games, starting at Galatasaray in the Champions League on November 29.
    December begins with big Prem clashes away to Newcastle and at home to Chelsea. More

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    Man Utd icon Phil Neville ‘in advanced talks to land new manager job’ five months after Inter Miami sacking

    PHIL NEVILLE is in “advanced talks” to become Portland Timbers boss – five months after Inter Miami sacked the Manchester United legend.The ex-England defender is keen to return to the MLS and has also been linked with New England Revolution.
    Ex-England and Man Utd full-back Phil Neville is poised for an MLS boss returnCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    But The Athletic say Neville, 46, who managed the Lionesses from 2018-2021, is close to being named Portland coach.
    Miami supremo David Beckham axed his former Old Trafford team-mate in June after the ambitious club went bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference.
    Having taken over in 2021, Nev took Miami to the play-offs the next year.
    But ten defeats in 13 MLS games in 2023 cost him his job.
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    In his final season, Neville’s team were hit by injuries and a $2.3million (£1.9m) cut in allocation funds.
    Miami suffered that cash reduction after being fined $2m (£1.6m) for the club breaking pay and roster guidelines three years ago.
    Becks’ fledgling outfit were also saving funds for a summer spree that saw Barcelona icons Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba arrive.
    But Nev didn’t last long enough to manage those greats.
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    He has since admitted not expecting to be in charge when Messi came in.
    And indeed his successor Gerardo Martino had a far richer pedigree at the highest level of management.
    The Argentine bossed Barca as well as his home nation and Mexico.
    But Neville has also said: “Forget Messi, the results weren’t good enough the last month I was in the job and I knew that. That is the reason I left.”
    Soon after exiting Miami, Nev took on the assistant manager’s job with Canada for this year’s CONCACAF Nations League Final and Gold Cup. More