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      I worked as a McDonald’s cleaner but lasted just TWO DAYS – now I’m tearing it up in the Premier League

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      SPURS ace Dejan Kulusevski plans to become a dab hand in the kitchen — but he was not even trusted with fast food as a teen.The Sweden midfielder, 23, went on work experience at McDonald’s as a cleaner when he was 15 — but he lasted just two days.
      Dejan Kulusevski lasted two days working in McDonaldsCredit: Tottenham Hotspur
      But now he is tearing up the Premier League at TottenhamCredit: Getty
      Now he is trying cooking at home, and it is proving far more successful than his first-ever job.
      Kulusevski said: “I did work at McDonald’s! It was my first job. My best friend, his father worked there. I worked there for two days and didn’t go back. So it was a good week off!
      “I was just doing the cleaning there and they did not let me touch the food.
      “I like meat and I  am learning, looking at YouTube.
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      “I don’t like numbers so I  don’t like recipes — trying to make things up.
      “I love everything in life so it is fun to improve with everything.”
      Kulusevski also lifted the lid on what life is like under manager Ange Postecoglou.
      Kulusevski told SunSport: “He gets angry for sure.
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      “There have been a couple of half-times when he thinks we’re not doing enough, playing safe and not pushing enough to win the game and then he lets us hear it.
      “He goes really, really mad. But we always play better afterwards so it works!
      Postecoglou dubbed ‘nicest man in football’ for response to fan’s question
      “It is not fun but it is part of the job, you cannot always just give love to players sometimes you have to be hard on them like parents do. It is not scary because it helps us in the end.”
      There is no denying it has worked. Only Manchester City and Liverpool have won more than Spurs’ 16 points from losing positions this season.
      Postecoglou has players and supporters on side like no manager since Mauricio Pochettino in North London, there are no longer protests or toxic chants if Spurs are struggling late on in a game – only hope.
      His arrival has sparked a huge change of mood and culture at the club after the brutal messages and frustrating football from the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.
      Kulusevski was called upon to sell the club to new signing and fellow Swede Lucas Bergvall a few weeks ago, and spoke in glowing terms about the club.
      Bergvall, who also spoke to Postecoglou, ended up choosing Spurs over Barcelona.
      He said: “I met him and it was nice to see him because I know him a bit. I told him the truth, the same as what I tell everyone. How good this club is and the plans for the future.
      “I didn’t want to tell him which club to join because that is hard, but it is the first time I’ve played with a Swedish player.”
      Kulusevski has been a key player for Spurs this season
      Kulusevski also acknowledges that the sales pitch may well have been different a year ago.
      The winger added: “Yes, it has changed at the club, absolutely.
      “It has been a fantastic change and now it feels like the club is going on the right path and we are doing the right things.
      “We are more focused on better things. It is a different mentality, we have to improve.
      “It is not about we have to win otherwise it’s a catastrophe, it is about improving every day and if things are going to happen they will happen. It is more about the positive things.”
      It certainly helps that Postecoglou plays the style of football that Kulusevski has loved since he was a boy.
      The self-confessed football “nerd” who grew up playing Fifa all night and playing front-foot football during the day, loves the philosophy.
      And having considered a coaching career of his own, it is one he would stick to.
      The former Juventus man took time to help out with Tottenham’s Under-14s this week and paid a surprise visit to the club’s Spurred 2 Coach programme this week.
      The Foundation initiative helps young adults without coaching qualifications take the first steps towards earning FA badges and Kulusevski surprised last weeks participants by taking part in a training session with them in the shadow of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
      He said: “I love teaching kids as they make you so happy. I would like to train kids in the future.
      “I played like that as a child.
      “When I grew up, we kept the ball on the floor and wanted to have possession, we didn’t want to be afraid of anybody.
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      “That is exactly the same things as we are doing now. For a player to play this style is a blessing. It is brave and the most important in life is to not care about mistakes.
      “As a coach I would not care about mistakes. I would just want my players to feel free to express their talent as every man and woman has talent.”
      Kulusevski has been helping young adults start their coaching coursesCredit: Tottenham Hotspur More

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      Jose Mourinho gives blunt three-word response to Man Utd return rumours & admits being unemployed makes him ‘depressed’

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      JOSE MOURINHO is desperate to get back into work, saying being unemployed makes him “depressed”.But the ex-Roma boss gave a blunt three-word response when asked about returning to the leading role at Manchester United.
      Jose Mourinho said being unemployed has made him’ he has been ‘depressed’Credit: x @rioferdy5
      Mourinho gave a blunt response amid rumours of his return to Man UtdCredit: AP
      Mourinho coached United between 2016 and 2018, winning the EFL Cup and the Europa League during his first season.
      And he was sacked from Roma last month despite leading the Italian giants to back-to-back finals.
      Speaking on Rio Ferdiand’s FIVE podcast the ex-United boss quickly made clear the rumours were “not from me” about his return to the Red Devils.
      But the 61-year-old did say he was ready to take on his next challenge as being away from the dugout is making him “depressed”.
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      He continued: “I was having lunch with my friends and people that works with me and we were in the lift.
      “I was telling the guys if I can work tomorrow, I work tomorrow.
      “I don’t enjoy any day without work. I don’t understand, I’m sorry guys.
      “But I don’t understand people that speak about sabbatical time.
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      “Sabbatical time gives me only one thing – depression. So I want a different job. I just want to work but I need to be patient.”
      His time at Roma ended after the Italian side sat ninth in Serie A at the time with Mourinho’s touchline antics causing problems for the club.
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      The Special One’s departure from the club was inevitable after a run of one win in six matches that included dropping to ninth in the table, two red cards and a Coppa Italia exit to arch-rivals Lazio.
      Mourinho added he has received job offers since leaving Roma but “it was not something I was interested in”.
      And a sabbatical would not be uncommon if Mourinho chooses to take it.
      Pep Guardiola took a sabbatical between the Barcelona and Bayern Munich jobs in 2012-13 and lived in New York. 
      Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp may also opt to take some time out when he leaves Anfield at the end of the term after revealing the job has made him “exhausted”.  More

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      Man who has spent 8 per cent of his life playing Football Manager becomes boss of real team after double relegation

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      A FOOTBALL MANAGER addict has become a real-life boss aged just 27 – of a professional team relegated twice in a row.Orri Thorisson claims he’s spent eight per cent of his life playing the computer game. 
      Orri Thorisson says he feels like he’s succeeding in life when he does well onlineCredit: https://twitter.com/KVfotbolti
      And Icelandic fourth-tier side KV admit they’ve gone down a “different route” in appointing the rookie to their top job.
      Chairman Auounn Orn Gylfason agrees Thorisson has no “magic wand”.
      But he does have a wizard record on Football Manager.
      Thorisson recently won his sixth successive Premier League crown with Leicester City – at least, on his keyboard and screen.

      He saved 600 hours of playing time to achieve that feat… no doubt at the King Powered-up Stadium.
      But it’s not all it seems – as until last year he was a gamer of two halves.
      Thorisson shared his love for Football Manager online with almost equal playing time on the pitch.
      But hip surgery ended his physically-active career, leaving him feeling he had “lost something in my life”.
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      But incredibly Thorisson was quickly appointed head coach of sixth-tier Kria – thanks to his friends owning the local club.
      He won instant promotion after 13 wins in 16 games, before agreeing to move to KV on a one-year contract.
      Cristiano Ronaldo throws runners-up medal into the crowd as former Premier League star wins player of the tournament
      Thorisson insists Football Manager has helped him in the dugout as well as tackling personal demons.
      He told SportBible: “I genuinely believe it’s had a positive impact on my real-life management abilities.
      “The game’s intricate mechanics, strategic decision-making and pressure-filled scenarios have allowed me to hone my analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.”
      Thorisson also called the game a “therapeutic escape during harder periods in my life”.
      He added: “I find solace and distraction from playing the game and it allows my mind to momentarily detach from real-world struggles.
      “I know it sounds bad but when I’m doing good in the game, I feel like I’m doing good in life.
      “For me, it’s the thrill of leading your favourite team to victory and the satisfaction of nurturing young talents.
      The job could be a really good stepping stone… And to have some extra income for my family, including my pregnant girlfriend, is huge.Orri Thorisson
      “Oh, and the 4-2-3-1 formation I’ve used throughout my entire FM career? I’ll definitely play a form of that tactic in real life.”
      Thorisson dreams of one day matching the levels he’s reached gaming with real-life achievements.
      He said: “I took the job knowing it could be a really good stepping stone in my career.
      “And to have some extra income to provide for my family, including my pregnant girlfriend, is huge.”
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      Club supremo Gylfason confessed: “We know success in Football Manager doesn’t just happen with the swing of a magic wand.
      “You need to have a deep understanding of the game and now time will tell if he can meet up to our expectations in real life.” More

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      I played with Messi for seven years at Barcelona but he wasn’t a great friend – we had to be separated during a bust-up

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      A BARCELONA legend – who could soon be their new manager – has lifted the lid on a row with Lionel Messi that forced Pep Guardiola to intervene.And he insists that both he and the icon Argentina forward were just merely work colleagues and not friends.
      Rafael Marquez became a legend at Barcelona and now coaches their B teamCredit: Getty
      He had a bitter falling out with Lionel Messi while at the Nou CampCredit: AFP
      The man in question is Mexican icon Rafael Marquez, who is now back at the Nou Camp as boss of their second team.
      The 44-year-old, who has been touted as the replacement for Xavi in the Barcelona dug-out this summer, spent seven years playing for the club until 2010.
      He won the LaLiga titel four times and the Champions League plus a number of other honours during that period as the then-teenage Messi burst onto the scene.
      However, Messi’s continual dribbling in training left Marquez fuming.
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      He has now revealed how it led to him losing his temper as a huge argument erupted between them.
      And he says it got so bad that ex-boss Guardiola, now in charge of Manchester City, had to step in.
      Speaking to Yordi Rosada, Marquez said: “We knew that Leo could dribble to three or four players, but sometimes exaggerated it a lot.
      “We tried to direct it, saying to him: ‘Here you dribble, here you don’t’.
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      “By my strong insistence in these instructions, started a problem between Messi and I.
      “We began to exchange words and Guardiola had to intervene to solve the problem.
      GRAPHIC-VID_LIONEL_MESSI
      “Messi and I were not big friends, we were colleagues.”
      Marquez had spells with New York Red Bulls, Leon, Hellas Verona and Atlas prior to hanging up his boots in 2018.
      Messi, meanwhile, left in 2021 to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer after smashing dozens of records at Barcelona, before moving on to Inter Miami, where he currently plays.
      Both players have starred in five World Cups, with the latter leading Argentina to glory in Qatar in December 2022. More

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      Micah Richards reveals England team-mate had SECOND JOB while playing… and it led to infamous tweet

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      MICAH RICHARDS has revealed that former team-mate Joleon Lescott had a second job during his playing days.The retired defender also claimed that Lescott’s other occupation job is what led to his infamous tweet in 2016.
      Micah Richards says that Joleon Lescott had a second job during his playing daysCredit: Reuters
      Lescott sent an infamous tweet after losing to LiverpoolCredit: Jamie McPhilimey – The Sun
      Lescott posted a picture of a £121,000 Mercedes after the defeatCredit: Refer to Caption
      Lescott, 41, got himself into hot water after Aston Villa’s humiliating 6-0 defeat to Liverpool as one of his tweets went viral.
      The defender posted a picture of a Mercedes S63 Coupe worth £121,000 without any caption or context.
      Lescott followed up the tweet defending himself as he claimed that the post happened when his phone was in his pocket.
      Richards, 35, claimed that his team-mate was telling the truth and argued that the picture was to do with Lescott’s second job with a car company.
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      He told The Rest is Football podcast: “We play Liverpool and we get absolutely spanked 6-0.
      “I think I was at fault for about three of the goals. That tweet, I was actually in the car when Joleon sent that tweet.
      “The thing is, he is actually telling the truth.
      “How he described it was something ridiculous – he’s sent it from his pocket and he didn’t know it went out.
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      “But if you remember Twitter back in the day, the last picture in your photos – if you went on Twitter and press a button that picture would be on.
      “It must have been ready to send, and he’s put it in his pocket, and he’s accidentally sent the tweet.
      I’m a former Premier League winner who set up side hustle at 18 and it’s now worth millions – I was dubbed ‘Mr Monopoly’
      “Joleon used to have a car company, and he used to give us cars for good prices, like lease deals.
      “In the picture was a S63 Coupe, all singing, all dancing and top of the range.
      “It was offered to the lads. That’s the picture which went out.”
      Richards and Lescott were team-mates at Manchester City, Aston Villa and England.
      The two defenders appeared 100 times together accumulating 7,626 minutes of playing together. More

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      Former Chelsea star reveals the only job Jose Mourinho would take in England after Roma sacking

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      JOSE MOURINHO could still return to England despite his dramatic dismissal from Roma.That is according to Chelsea hero Mario Melchiot, who claims the Three Lions position is probably the only team Mourinho would return to the UK for.
      Jose Mourinho could return to the UK to take over as England bossCredit: Rex
      The Special One had two glittering stints with the Blues as he won three Premier League titles, an FA Cup trophy and three League Cups.
      The Portuguese tactician also won the EFL Cup as well as the Europa League with Manchester United before a two-year stint with Tottenham.
      Melchiot is not sure if the ex-Real Madrid manager has anything left to prove in the Premier League.
      However, the former Birmingham and Wigan star believes the England job poses as a major possibility as long as Mourinho is open to “slowing down” after 24 years of club football.
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      Plus, a lot will depend on how England fare in Euro 2024 with manager Gareth Southgate’s deal running out in December.
      Melchiot told Ladbrokes Fanzone: “Jose Mourinho has always been a strong character, and football teams need characters, whether that’s on the pitch or in the dugout.
      “He’s so instrumental; if you talk to any players who have worked with him, they love him. I wasn’t fortunate enough to work with him during a season, as I left Chelsea just as he arrived in 2004.
      “But I’ve had enough conversations with him over the years to know what he’s like as a person. And whenever I came up against Chelsea in my career, Jose would always go out of his way to stop and talk to me.
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      “He’s the kind of guy who respects good players, whether they’re on his team or not. And if he respects you as a player, he will stop you in the tunnel, and shake your hand. And every time I played against his team, he would do that to me.
      “Do I see him coming back to England? I’m not sure. Why would he? He has done so many great things in this country. He had two spells in charge of Chelsea and was successful in both, he’s also managed Manchester United and Tottenham before going out to Italy.
      Glum Jose Mourinho fights back tears as he leaves Roma training ground after being brutally sacked and replaced
      “I just don’t know what else he’d need to prove in England. What is he going to do next? Go to Liverpool? Probably not. I suppose the only job he might take in England, now, is the national job.
      “It’s something that has been spoken about in the past and, personally, I think that would just come down to what the FA want from their next manager.
      “Then you’ve got to ask whether or not Jose wants to slow down… Taking a national job is a sign of a manager slowing down, because the demands of that kind of role are completely different to those within club football management.
      “Everyone knows how he likes to play, so you’ve got to look at that, too. His style of play… Does that suit England right now, and where they want to be?
      “If England want him, then he’s a great name to bring in when Gareth Southgate moves on, for sure.”
      Chelsea hero Mario Melchiot claims Mourinho may not be done with English footballCredit: Getty More

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      I scored a stunner in Maidstone’s stunning FA Cup giant-killing… 24 hours later I’m back to my day job as minibus driver

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      LAMAR REYNOLDS has become English football’s most famous minibus driver.Less than 24 hours after playing a huge part in one of the truly magnificent FA Cup shocks, Reynolds was back at work — ferrying around young adults with autism for a day of activities in East London.
      Maidstone United hero Lamar Reynolds celebrates after his opener against IpswichCredit: Reuters
      The star was back driving a minibus less than 24 hours after his FA Cup heroicsCredit: Instagram @lamar_rey10
      The fact Reynolds, 28, often also has to work on some midweek matchdays was a timely reminder of the enormous gulf between Maidstone of National League South and Ipswich.
      Town are second in the Championship and with hopes of promotion to the Premier League under bright young manager Kieran McKenna.
      With 22 of the 24 National League clubs now professional, you have to dip down to tier six to find the traditional non-league players who have to work to top up their part-time wages.
      TV companies have been rightly criticised this season for ignoring some of the smaller clubs in the FA Cup.
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      But the BBC were rewarded for sending their cameras to Portman Road as Maidstone became the first club from their level to reach the fifth round since Blyth Spartans in 1978.
      And they will visit another Championship side next after being drawn to face Sheffield Wednesday or Coventry — who face a replay after drawing 1-1 on Friday.
      Reynolds — a summer arrival at Maidstone from Braintree — had not even scored a goal this season before putting his team ahead just before half-time with a superb chip.
      Knowing he was due a heroes’ reception when reporting to work yesterday, he said: “I work for a company that provides social support work. It is called Links Support Solutions in Gants Hill.
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      “I work there once or twice a week. I am a driver. If we have a game on a Tuesday I will probably do it in the mornings.
      “They are young adults with autism so I take them to events like live wrestling, maybe a basketball game.
      “They are just young local lads and a lot of them will have watched this game.
      “At Maidstone, a lot of the players do football coaching as jobs while a few have their own little business.”
      But boss George Elokobi was not going to have any of his players using that as an excuse.
      Reynolds added: “Our gaffer put it in our heads that we had to believe. Anything can happen and you can see that in the FA Cup. Playing a tough team like Ipswich, Premier League-bound, our belief was still strong.
      “I work there once or twice a week. I am a driver. If we have a game on a Tuesday I will probably do it in the mornings.”Lamar Reynolds
      “Before the game, the boss spoke about believing and trusting in each other, knowing we are all capable of winning the game. We did the analysis and the belief was there.”
      Stones keeper Lucas Covolan made some key saves to keep his team in it before Reynolds raced on to a pass from Liam Sole and delivered a sublime finish over home keeper Christian Walton.
      Jeremy Sarmiento did level for Ipswich on 56 minutes but Stones showed major cajones ten minutes later as Reynolds set up Sam Corne’s winner.
      Jamaica-born Reynolds has spent much of his career at Essex non-league clubs like Thurrock, Brentwood, Concord Rangers and Braintree before crossing the border into Kent with Maidstone.
      And he said: “I would wait another ten seasons for a goal like that. It felt so special.
      “It is funny as I share a room with Liam Sole on away trips and, when we spoke about the game on Friday, we said we would do an assist for one of us to score — and it happened.
      “Now, we are in the round of 16. Who would have thought? It sounds ridiculous.”
      Maidstone defender George Fowler, who started his career at Ipswich, said: “I was there from 12 to 19 but never got to walk out in a first-team game. I was very proud to do that here. My friends and family all still live around here.”
      As for Ipswich, after a hugely impressive season, they are suffering a bit of a wobble.
      They have now just won two of their last nine games.
      Midfielder Sam Morsy said: “There was not much to like about our performance.
      “We had 38 shots and if you don’t score more than one goal, the game will be in the balance.
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      “It hurts. We must be better.  The day belonged to them and it’s an incredible achievement. They will always remember it.
      “But we felt deflated and we felt that we let the fans down.” More

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      I didn’t want to eat or see or speak to anyone as a Premier League manager… I understand Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool exit

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      TO the outside world, Jurgen Klopp looks like a manager who’s got it made.Adored by the fans, his team on top of the table, already in one final with maybe more to come and a fantastic journey that’s been full of highs and very few lows.
      Jurgen Klopp has announced he will quit as Liverpool managerCredit: Rex
      So if anything tells you about the pressures of the job, it’s Jurgen’s decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season.
      I must admit I never saw it coming . . . but I can also totally understand him, because it’s impossible to explain what every manager works under every day.
      I’ve been there. I know what it’s like. I know that feeling of carrying the responsibility of an entire club on your shoulders. Everyone who’s been in Jurgen’s position does.
      It’s difficult for people to understand. They just see a manager — especially at a big club — and think ‘he’s earning so much money, how can that be true’. But it is, believe me.
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      The pressure is incredible. It’s relentless, constant, every minute of every day. The buck stops with you, not your assistant, not your players, but you.
      In the early days when I’d first gone to West Ham, and we were in a relegation battle, I’d be lying on the settee, just staring at the ceiling.
      Sandra was still living back home in Bournemouth, I was in a little flat by the training ground, and at times I’d be really, really low.
      I didn’t want to eat, didn’t want to see anyone or speak to anyone. It was absolutely crazy. I honestly think I was close to cracking up.
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      When you get a win on a Saturday, there is no feeling like it. It really is the best in the world.
      I’d be driving home punching the air, the radio would be turned up and I’d be singing along to anything and everything.
      But when the opposite happened, I’d be absolutely at rock bottom. I couldn’t face going out because I didn’t want to see anyone, to bump into people.
      I look back and think ‘my god, how low was I getting?’
      When I think about it, I must have been very close to having a breakdown.
      Sometimes I’d go home and be so down. Only now do I realise how close I must have been to the edge, because it’s a feeling you come to accept as being part of the job, part of your life.
      In one spell when I was away from the club, my assistant was running things for a while and it aged him ten years!
      I didn’t want to eat, didn’t want to see anyone or speak to anyone. It was absolutely crazy. I honestly think I was close to cracking up.Harry Redknapp on managing West Ham through relegation battle
      You have your assistant, you can be really close, but they don’t feel it the same. The buck stops with the manager, end of.
      And however much a player cares, it really doesn’t compare. Of course you’re down if you lose, but then you go out with your mates or for dinner with your family and that’s it.
      As a manager, it stays with you. Every day is a real challenge, and not just what happens on the pitch.
      Maybe a player who’s got an issue at home, a kid from the youth team who’s smashed his car up or in trouble . . . there’s always something beyond football.
      It’s the fans, the club, the whole business. Everything is on your shoulders and there’s no escaping it, it’s scary.
      And it doesn’t matter if you’re standing there in front of 50,000 or a few hundred, at whatever level the pressure is the same.
      You want to win, you want to be a success, you dread being seen as a failure. That’s on you all the time.
      ‘I certainly didn’t see the signs’
      Well there’s no way Jurgen has been a failure. Yes, there have been some disappointments, some defeats, but really it has been all about the ups, not downs.
      I looked at him after the Carabao Cup game at Fulham in midweek, and he was laughing, looking forward to going to another final.
      He’s been bringing the kids through, beaming that big smile of his, and you’d imagine his life as a football manager couldn’t be better.
      Liverpool are top of the league and he’s absolutely adored by the fans. He’s done an amazing job, built an incredible team, and everything is going forwards.
      Maybe Jurgen thinks the players need to hear a new voice, and now wants a break to recharge his batteries and enjoy life for a year or so.
      There’s no doubt that when he does come back, he’ll have the choice of some of the best jobs in the business.
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      He’s certainly leaving a great club in a great position.
      It just goes to show that you never know what is going on underneath. I certainly didn’t see the signs. More