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    Dennis Wise squares up to Jay Spearing in legends game as clash turns ugly with Chelsea icon wagging finger in his face

    DENNIS WISE squared up to Jay Spearing in a charity legends match between Liverpool and Chelsea.The former midfielders collided in the friendly at Anfield on Saturday, with all proceeds going to the LFC Foundation plus supporting beneficiaries including Forever Reds, Chelsea FC Foundation and Chelsea Players’ Trust.Dennis Wise squared up to Jay Spearing in a charity legends matchCredit: YouTube / LFCThe pair collided as Liverpool hosted Chelsea at AnfieldCredit: YouTube / LFCBoth teams saw plenty of ex-stars turn out, with Liverpool boasting big names like Steven Gerrard, Jerzy Dudek and Dirk Kuyt.Visitors Chelsea gave starts to aces including Claude Makelele, Florent Malouda and Ramires.And it was Liverpool who emerge victorious in a 2-0 win thanks to a brace from super-sub Peter Crouch.But despite the peaceful nature of the game, things got a bit heated during the first half when Wise and Spearing had a collision.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe duo were both combatative midfielders in their prime.And neither man was willing to back out when trying to win the ball in the 27th minute.But Wise, 58, was not happy with Spearing, 36.The former Chelsea captain, who won two FA Cups and a Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup among others, squared up to Spearing following their duel.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSWise eyeballed the Liverpool League Cup winner as player from both sides intervened.And he even wagged a finger in Spearing’s face as verbal blows were traded.’This is a joke’ – Danny Drinkwater reveals moment he was told he had ONE HOUR to leave ChelseaWise won several trophies during his time as Chelsea captainCredit: ReutersJay Spearing came through the academy at LiverpoolCredit: GettyHowever, the pair eventually parted ways as the referee broke thing up before continuing with the good-natured game.Spearing played 55 times for Liverpool after coming up through their academy.He left for Bolton in 2013 and also played at Blackpool and Tranmere before taking up a player-coach role with Liverpool’s youth teams in 2022.As for Wise, he started life at Wimbledon in 1985 and won the FA Cup three years later.Wise then became Chelsea’s record signing at £1.6million in 1990  and ended up playing 446 times for the Blues.The 21-time England international also featured for Leicester, Millwall, Southampton and Coventry before retiring in 2006.READ MORE SUN STORIESWise spent time as a player-manager with Millwall and moved into the dugout full-time with both Swindon Town and Leeds.Later he took up executive roles at Newcastle and and Italian side Como, who are now managed in Serie A by Cesc Fabregas. More

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    Liverpool and Premier League rivals given huge transfer boost after Rayan Cherki reaches exit agreement with Lyon

    LIVERPOOL have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of Lyon star Rayan Cherki.The Ligue 1 side have decided to sell Cherki, 21, this summer – though Arne Slot’s Reds will face significant competition.Rayan Cherki is set to leave Lyon this summerCredit: GettyCherki impressed against England U21’s last nightCredit: RexWith eight goals and 18 assists for Lyon so far this season, the flamboyant midfielder is one of the hottest prospects in French football.Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have both expressed an interest in the France Under-21 international, while he also has admirers in Italy.Cherki dazzled against England U21s in a 5-3 friendly win in Lorient on Friday night.The Reds target scored one and claimed two assists in a stellar performance against Lee Carsley’s side which included plenty of showboating.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLFulham and Crystal Palace have both been keen on Cherki in the past, with the Cottagers failing in a bid in January 2024.Borussia Dortmund saw a £19million bid knocked back in January, believing this would trigger a release clause but it was rejected.Cherki and Lyon have now come to an agreement that the club will not stand in the way of a move at the end of the season.The player’s contract expires in the summer of 2026.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKCherki has the chance to catch the eye against Manchester United in their Europa League quarter-final on April 10 and 17.Meanwhile, Liverpool are reportedly keen on Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez.Fans convinced Frimpong will join Liverpool after spotting his Holland camp antics More

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    Undercover cops wear Liverpool kit to arrest Newcastle Utd fan suspected of drug-dealing

    UNDERCOVER cops wore Liverpool kit to bust a Newcastle United fan suspected of drug-dealing.Their sting proved sweet revenge four days after the Toon won the Carabao Cup final 2-1.Thai undercover cops donned Liverpool shirts to bust a drug dealer who was wearing a Newcastle topCredit: Three cops in Liverpool shirts who visited the man’s meatballs stall were each sold £200 bags containing 200 methamphetamine tablets.They arrested him then posed for a photo in Krabi, Thailand, where many locals support the Reds. The accused, Aphichat Nayaw, 33, faces the death penalty or a long jail term if found guilty depending on the amount of drugs he had.Liverpool are the most popular Premier League team in Thailand and thousands of fans flock to bars to watch their games – including many police officers.READ MORE ON CARABAO CUPDistrict Police Chief Preecha Saingthong, who led the drug bust, said:“Me and most of my colleagues are Liverpool supporters. Of course I watched the cup final, I would not have missed it.“It was a shame we did not win but I was not that sad because Liverpool have already won this cup 10 times and Newcastle have not won any cup for 70 years.”And at the end of the season I am confident we will be celebrating when Liverpool win the league.Most read in Football“We have a Liverpool fan club here and are preparing for a celebration – hopefully there will be no case on that day.”Ant & Dec scream with joy and Alan Shearer loses his hat as Geordies go wild after Newcastle win Carabao CupNewcastle United stunned Liverpool to win the Carabao Cup final 2-1 last weekendCredit: GettyLiverpool players and fans were left in agony at their defeat to Newcastle at WembleyCredit: AP More

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    Liverpool star Andy Robertson gives own team-mate death stare before X-rated rant in feisty clash

    ANDY ROBERTSON clashed with Liverpool team-mate Kostas Tsimikas when the pair faced off in a Nations League tie between Greece and Scotland on Thursday night.The Reds left-backs showed that they have no club loyalties when they don their national shirts as they locked horns in a feisty exchange on the pitch in Greece.Andy Robertson shot a death stare at a Liverpool teammate during Scotland’s clash with Greece on Thursday nightRobertson clashed with fellow Red left-back Kostas TsimikasTempers seemed to flare in the second half when VAR overturned a Greece penalty that would have levelled the scores in the 86th minute of the Nations League play-off tie.During the lengthy wait for VAR to make their decision, Robertson was seen discussing the incident with referee Tobias Stieler – something that Tsimikas appeared to take issue with.Seemingly saying something to Robertson off camera, the Scot appeared to snap back in what fans think was an X-rated rant. Robertson, who was wearing the captain’s armband for Scotland, shot a death stare at his counterpart before launching the fierce words.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLFans online reckon he was referring to his role as captain during the rant.With one writing: “No love lost between Robertson and fellow Liverpool left-back Tsimikas. ‘Because I’m the f*****g captain, Kostas, outside.’”And another adding: “I canny be sure exactly what Robertson is shouting at Tsimikas, but it includes “…because am the f*****g captain'”.It was Robertson’s Scotland that wound up victorious in the first leg, taking a 1-0 advantage into the second leg at Hampden Park on Sunday afternoon.Most read in FootballTsimikas and Robertson have only played together five timesCredit: GettyCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSIt appears there will be no grudges between Robertson and Tsimikas back in Liverpool after the international break either, as the pair shared a hug at full-time.Despite both being on the books at Liverpool together for almost five years, the pair have actually only shared the pitch as teammates five times.’Reminded me of Gerrard at Liverpool’ – Cole Palmer told he needs to LEAVE Chelsea and has outgrown the club alreadySharing the same position means they often spend more time jostling for a place in the lineup than they do playing alongside one and other.And their time at Anfield together could be coming to an end too, with Liverpool reportedly keen to sign a new left-back in the summer.Even Robertson has opened up on a potential replacement at the end of the season.He said recently: “I think we’ve been linked with pretty much every left-back in the world.“That comes with playing for one of the greatest clubs in the world. I look back on these eight years I’ve had as the starting left-back at that club and I feel a lot of pride.“Your time comes and I don’t think it’s my time yet but even if we do bring someone in, then so be it. I’ll always back myself.”Sure, this season there have been a couple of moments when I haven’t covered myself in glory but some things have been taken way out of proportion.“I think the performance levels have been there for me. I think I’ve had a relatively good season but one thing people will say about me is that’s I’ve been pretty consistent, so when you make a couple of mistakes, then people can talk.READ MORE SUN STORIES“That’s the world we live in, that’s the Premier League. Everyone has eyes on you, everyone has an opinion. “It is what it is but I’m always confident in my ability. I’ve shown that right throughout my career but especially during my time at Liverpool.”Robertson has opened up about his future with LiverpoolCredit: Reuters More

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    Liverpool star Alisson crumples to the floor after horror head injury in sickening clash with ex-Premier League hardman

    LIVERPOOL star Alisson was forced off with concussion following a sickening clash while in action for Brazil.The goalkeeper suffered a serious knock during an aerial duel.Alisson suffered a horrible head clash with Davinson SanchezCredit: APThe keeper was concussed and had to be taken offCredit: APAlisson jumped to punch the ball clear before colliding with former Tottenham star Davinson Sanchez, who was featuring for Colombia.Both players hit the deck following the brutal coming together and received medical treatment.Alisson was taken off with a suspected concussion according to Brazil’s doctor Rodrigo Lasmar after feeling dizzy and experiencing ear pain.Lasmar offered an update, saying: “[Alisson] Becker suffered a trauma to the head region, he was replaced by a suspected concussion. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL“Now we will do all the CBF protocol, it will undergo recommended imaging tests, a computed tomography, then a resonance with diffusion.“If all the tests are normal, we’ll follow up and do a cognitive test. And then we will evaluate the player. “In the possibility that everything is normal, we will make a sequence of observations in the coming days. Today, we will do the tests, all the necessary evaluations.“Alisson is normal, with no complaints. He reported no fainting and no memory loss. Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS“He thought it was a little slower. In this complaint, the recommended is the replacement of the player.”Alisson, 32, will likely sit out Brazil’s next match against Argentina and the keeper now faces a race to be fit in time for Liverpool’s next clash – the Merseyside derby on April 2.Moment Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are pulled apart after apparent spat during Liverpool training More

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    Liverpool ace Alexis Mac Allister and girlfriend have loved ones in tears as they announce pregnancy in emotional video

    LIVERPOOL star Alexis Mac Allister and his partner have announced they are expecting their first child together in an emotional video.The Anfield midfielder shared a touching clip his girlfriend Ailen Cova posted on her Instagram revealing their happy news.Alexis Mac Allister and partner Ailen Cova have announced they are expectingCredit: https://www.instagram.com/ailencova/?hl=enThe Liverpool star surprised his girlfriend in an amazing videoCredit: https://www.instagram.com/ailencova/?hl=enIt showed the footballer’s 26-year-old partner of nearly two years wrapping her arms round him as he showed her the positive pregnancy test and her ultrasound scan as well the reaction of friends and family as they told them Ailen was pregnant.At the end of the emotional video the pretty brunette, whose friendship with Mac Allister’s former influencer partner Camila Mayan ended when she began dating him, turned her phone to the camera and revealed the unborn child was a girl.Ailen wrote in a message alongside the footage she posted to her 138,000 followers which the Liverpool player shared with his 7.8 million fans: “We want you and love you with all our hearts. We’ll see you very soon” followed by a heart emoticon.Mac Allister’s teammate Luis Diaz’s wife Gera Ponce was among the first to respond with heart emoticons.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe footballer’s DJ cousin Pam Mac Allister wrote: “Congratulations. Happy and anxious to meet the new member of the family. I love you.”Last year it emerged Mac Allister, 26, was being sued by his former girlfriend.The model and influencer is demanding financial compensation from him for the years they lived abroad together.She has also accused him of keeping her belongings and being unfaithful with his current partner and childhood friend.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSThe World Cup winner, who signed for Liverpool in June 2023 for £35 million from Brighton and Hove Albion, broke his silence on the lawsuit last November, saying: “There was no more relationship.“She took her path, I took mine, and that’s it.Moment Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are pulled apart after apparent spat during Liverpool training The pair have been together for nearly two yearsCredit: https://www.instagram.com/alemacallister/?hl=enAilen has reportedly been expecting for three monthsCredit: https://www.instagram.com/ailencova/?hl=en“As for the lawsuit, everything is in court, where it should be, and we are awaiting.”In relation to the accusations of infidelity, he added: “I think it’s normal in a relationship; she made the decision to come out and make public things that she felt or that she believes happened, but I know how things went and that’s why I’m very calm.”Speaking on Argentinian TV channel America TV after news Mac Allister was going to become a father for the first time with his new partner came out, Camila confirmed the court case was still ongoing.She said: “There is nothing new. Hopefully things will speed up a bit.”Although Ailen hasn’t said when her due date is, Argentinian TV commentators have said she is in the third month of her pregnancy.Camila Mayan was with Mac Allister for the World Cup in Qatar in December 2022.But he reportedly ended their five-year-long relationship just six days after Argentina beat France in a penalty shoot-out.Journalist Marcela Taura went on to claim Camila had been ditched so he could start a formal relationship with their mutual friend Ailen.READ MORE SUN STORIESCamila has described what happened as a “betrayal”, telling an Argentine TV show soon afterwards: “Everything that happened, I could have never imagined even in my worst nightmare.“I would never have imagined so many negative things about such a close person as Cova.” More

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    Ex-Juventus star Han Kwang-Song mysteriously disappeared for three years, thanks to North Korea’s nuclear bomb tests

    HAN Kwang-Song was a teenage sensation courted by Liverpool and Manchester City.In only his second senior game in European football, Han beat former England goalkeeper Joe Hart to become the first North Korean to score in Serie A.He spent a brief spell with JuventusCredit: AlamyHan Kwang-Song currently plays for DPRK Premier League club April 25Credit: GettyBarely two years later the striker joined Italian giants Juventus.But a mysterious chain of events was already in motion that would wreck Han’s promising career and deliver him back him to obscurity.Han, who once had the world at his feet, finds himself a virtual prisoner of global politics.He is back in North Korea and playing for army team April 25 in the domestic league, leaving the pariah state only for national team games.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut even that is better than being stranded abroad for three years by the Covid-19 pandemic and being forced to train on his own at an embassy, with his promising career in ruins.It was a trip to Barcelona that set Han on the road to short-lived stardom.North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un loves using sport as a political tool – just like his dad Kim Jong-Il, who once claimed to have hit a 38 under-par 34, including several holes in one, in his first ever round of golf.At the Pyongyang International Football School, the motto is said to be: “Better than Messi.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSThe regime was looking for an academy in Europe to train their best young footballers and chose Fundacion Marcet in Barcelona.Coaches travelled to Pyongyang and selected 18 players, including Han, to go to Catalonia in the autumn of 2013.Football icons’ strange hobbiesJose Ignacio Marcet, president of the academy and a former Barca and Real Madrid player, explained how the young visitors took time to adapt.Marcet said: “They couldn’t take losing. They understood that the norm was to win.“Because of this we had to teach them that losing and making errors was vital in the learning process and it’s one of the keys to success.“Week by week they began to change their mentality.“They became more relaxed and quickly started to adapt to the dynamics of Spanish culture.“The players that left were completely different to ones they were when they arrived.“I think we managed to leave a mark on a country that doesn’t easily take in foreign influence”.Some of those youngsters made a mark on the global football stage less than a year later.Han was previously scouted by Man City and LiverpoolCredit: GettyNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-unCredit: ReutersDeranged dictator Kim Jong-un has been ramping up weapons testsCredit: AFPHan scored the equaliser as North Korea’s under-16s came from behind to beat South Korea 2-1 in the final of the Under-17 Asia Cup in September 2014.He continued his European football education at an academy in Perugia as part of a collaboration between the North Korean government and agency Italian Soccer Management, but could not officially play because of Fifa rules about the transfer of minors.Nevertheless City and Liverpool were among those to show interest in his progress, with Reds chief scout Barry Hunter reportedly travelling to meet the player and his representatives.In 2016, Han was close to joining Fiorentina with compatriot Choe Syong-Hok, who had scored the winner in that Asia Cup final.But instead he went on trial at Cagliari in February 2017 and was so impressive for the youth teams that by April he was making his senior debut against Palermo.And in Cagliari’s next match, at home to Torino, he made history after coming on as an 81st-minute substitute.With his team trailing 1-3, Han beat Hart in the Torino goal. It was particularly big news because one of Italy’s biggest football embarrassments, at the 1966 World Cup of 1966, was a defeat by North Korea.Han said: “I feel at home here. I’m very happy and I would like to thank the manager, my team-mates and the club.”Yet the political issues that would eventually send Han into football exile had already surfaced.International team-mate Choe’s time at Fiorentina had ended after four months because it was found that his salary was being funnelled back to the North Korean authorities.Similar concerns were raised about Han’s wages, especially after he signed a five-year professional contract with Cagliari in June 2017.But for now he was free to continue his promising career – albeit with some interference from back home.Han went on loan to Serie B side Perugia where his goals had to do the talking for him – because the North Korean regime blocked an interview on Italian television.Perugia president Massimiliano Santopadre said: “A call from a shadow ministry figure arrived and it blocked everything.“Negotiating, like on the transfer market, was impossible, too, because Pyongyang want to talk only and exclusively with Han.”The situation with their government has become even more rigid and their footballers have been prohibited from appearing on TV, otherwise they would have repatriated him. Han is scared.”Whatever his fears, the striker kept doing well and after two seasons at Perugia, he went on another loan, this time to Juventus’ Under-23 side and with an obligation to buy at the end of the two-year deal.Han, in a written post via the ISM International Scouting Center, said: “It has been a long way but finally I can say my dream came true [after] scoring my first goal in the Serie A and becoming the first North Korean to wear such an important shirt as Juventus’.”Juventus called Han up to the bench of the first team in October 2019 and on January 2 202,0 they bought him from Cagliari for around £3m.But only six days later, the 21-year-old was sold on for twice the price to Qatari side Al-Duhail.What was going on? Well, let’s rewind to the end of 2017, the year Han arrived in Cagliari.In June of that year, Han had made his senior debut for North Korea in a friendly against Qatar.But in September, his country carried out its sixth nuclear test, prompting the United Nations Security Council to announce further sanctions.In November, North Korea upped the ante still further by launching an intercontinental ballistic missile.So in December, the UN announced that all North Koreans working and “generating foreign export earnings that the DPRK…uses to support its prohibited nuclear ballistic programs” would have to be sent home by December 22 2019.Given the stipulations of Resolution 2397,  it remains unclear how Cagliari, Juventus and Al-Duhail got away with selling and buying Han in January 2020.And only Han knows what was going on in his head, but on the pitch he scored five goals in 16 appearances as Al-Duhail won the Qatar Stars League and finished runners up in the Cup.But Han’s appearance as a substitute in the final game of the 2019/20 season, on August 20, would be the last time that the wider world saw him for more than three years.Official documents and the odd media report are all there is to fill in the blanks.UN records show that Han’s contract with Al-Duhail was terminated by early 2021, in compliance with the prohibition on employing North Koreans.Yet Han could not even go home because his homeland had closed its borders completely in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.There is allegedly evidence that he flew from Doha to Rome on January 26. And then the trail goes cold and relies on hearsay for nearly three years.An article in China quoted a former North Korean international player named An Yingxue as saying: “Han Guang-shong was trapped in the North Korean Embassy in China due to the pandemic and trained alone for about two to three years.“It is a pity that Han Guang-shong could not return to the North Korean football team to participate in the game earlier during his time in China.”But the first time anyone in the outside world knew for sure what Han was doing and where, was when North Korea finally resumed competitive football in September 2023 after a gap of nearly four years.Han played the first half of a 1-0 defeat in Syria in the opening game of the second round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.In early 2024, Japanese media reported that Han was back in North Korea and playing for the April 25 Sports Club.The team’s name derives from the date that Kim Il-Sung, grandfather of Kim Jong-Il, established the predecessor of the Korean People’s Army in order to fight the Japanese occupiers.Multi-sports institution April 25 belongs to the Ministry of People’s Armed Forces and all its players are considered army officers.Little is known now about the life and career of footballer/soldier Han, who is still only 25.His last international appearance was on November 19 last year in a 1-0 home defeat by Turkmenistan that left North Korea rock bottom of their group in the third round of World Cup qualifying.The game, like earlier “home” matches, was staged in Laos, because of what the regime described as “security concerns”.READ MORE SUN STORIESNorth Korea finally re-opened to limited numbers of tourists last month after a gap of more than five years.But the door seems to have slammed shut on Han’s dreams of becoming a global football star. 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    Newcastle make Carabao Cup trophy announcement as club ‘consider scrapping open-top bus parade’

    NEWCASTLE could reportedly consider scrapping their proposed Carabao Cup trophy parade in favour of an alternative celebration.The Magpies ended their 70-year wait for a domestic trophy on Sunday with a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Wembley.Newcastle could scrap their open-top bus parade for a celebration at Town MoorCredit: GettyEddie Howe is set to be awarded the freedom of NewcastleCredit: GettyAn open-top bus parade – penned in for March 29 – was announced earlier this week to celebrate the achievement.However, the Telegraph has revealed that club officials are now looking to stage the event at the Town Moor – a huge green space that is close to the city centre.Players will be in attendance, as well as Eddie Howe and his staff members.Howe is set to be awarded the freedom of Newcastle in the wake of his accomplishment.Read More in FootballFollowing Sunday’s final, the manager said: “I am very, very emotional and have been all day, which is unlike me.”We knew what was at stake today for all of our fans, we wanted to do them proud and win the trophy.”I am so, so pleased with the result and the performance – we deserved to win today.”It was tough when Liverpool scored. I was thinking about extra time. We always make it difficult for ourselves.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”We were well aware of the history, and we wanted to do the club proud. We wanted to score, we wanted to perform and we wanted to win.”We are breaking new ground. I thought we were magnificent today.”‘Try getting that lot into work tomorrow’ – Gary Neville tips ‘Geordie Bank Holiday’ as Newcaslte fans celebrate cup win More