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      in Soccer

      Becoming Match of the Day host was like finding out I was PREGNANT, says Kelly Cates as she reveals how she landed job

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      WHEN Kelly Cates was told she and Gabby Logan would become the first female Match Of The Day hosts in the show’s 60-year history, she wanted to shout it from the rooftops. But unfortunately for the new presenter, she was ordered by BBC bosses to keep quiet about her new role — a scenario which felt ­familiar to the mum of two. Kelly Cates wanted to shout with joy after making history as one of Match Of The Day’s first female hosts – but the BBC told her she’d need to keep it quietCredit: RexThe appointment of Kelly, who is the daughter of Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland great Kenny Dalglish, above, was widely welcomed by the football worldCredit: AlamyKelly will be joining Mark ‘Chappers’ Chapman and Gaby Roslin as the lead MOTD presenter teamCredit: PABecause, for Kelly, sitting on the enormous secret felt just like ­hiding a pregnancy. Speaking in depth for the first time about taking over from Gary Lineker next season, Kelly, 49, said: “I’m not good at secrets — it killed me! Genuinely, once the news was announced I could have slept for two days. “I found the stress of ­keeping it a secret so hard and even though it is a nice secret, it was a little bit like the early stages of pregnancy where you feel terrible that you can’t tell anybody. “It was awful lying to genuinely good friends. I hated it.” READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSKelly will be part of a new three-strong presenting team, alongside Gabby and Mark Chapman, both 51. And she is thrilled she can now share how she managed to land the biggest job in British sports broadcasting. An industry veteran of nearly 30 years, Kelly had been working for the BBC as part of 5 Live’s football coverage, as well as anchoring live games for Sky Sports, when she was called into a meeting by Beeb executives. ‘Ego-filled world’ It had been rumoured for some time that new BBC Director of Sport boss Alex Kay-Jelski wanted to shake up Match Of The Day, the world’s longest-running football highlights show. Most read in FootballBut Kelly had not bargained for being a part of his plans. Speaking on the White Wine Question Time podcast, she explains: “I had the conversation early on but in very vague terms. ‘Won’t be able to look him in the eye’ – Christine Lampard and MOTD’s Kelly Cates in hysterics over ‘Frank’s hot sauce’“I was already doing radio for the BBC, already working on 5 Live so it was natural for me to have meetings when a new boss came in, and everything was being changed so that was quite natural. “But in the course of one of those meetings it was, ‘Well, we’re rethinking how we’re going to do Match Of The Day and would you be interested to be in the mix?’ Inside I couldn’t wait for the meeting to end so I could shout ‘Oh my God! This is incredible’Kelly Cates“And I was trying really hard to keep a ‘not bothered’ face, saying, ‘Yeah, that would be great’. “But inside I couldn’t wait for the meeting to end so I could shout ‘Oh my God! This is incredible’.” Kelly added: “And they were brilliant around the whole thing — trying to balance the two and the fact I can keep doing live football, which I think is really important because if you don’t do that you forget why you’re covering it, you forget about those big moments and what it is like.” It was only when Kelly’s new gig was officially unveiled in January that the enormity began to sink in. She added: “Suddenly friends of mine who don’t even like football were phoning me saying, ‘Oh my God, this is so exciting — congratulations’. I didn’t even think it would be on their radar. “They’re not in that sports world and then you realise something like Match Of The Day goes past all of that. It’s in people’s lives — it’s in the background.” The appointment of Kelly, who is the daughter of Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland great Kenny Dalglish, along with Gabby and Mark — aka Chappers — was widely welcomed by the football world. All three are hugely respected figures within the industry and there was a general consensus they had done their time, working up the ranks and honing their craft over several decades. Kelly believes landing the gig came at the perfect time for all of the new line-up. She explains: “That was the big draw for the three of us. Kenny with wife Marina, Kelly and brother Paul in 1980Credit: Getty“To be in the mix with Chappers and Gabby, who I really like as people, first of all, but really admire as broadcasters as well . . . it’s just a really lovely group to be in. “People have this perception that it is a massive ego-filled world, and it is at times and you need a certain sort of ego to feel like you can do the job because you need a certain amount of confidence. “But you don’t want to be in a position where we’re all trying to scramble over each other. “The fact we’re all the same age, we’re at the same stage of our careers, we’ve all got other things outside of Match Of The Day that we’re all passionate about and really invested in, it means none of us are treading on each other and preying on each other’s insecurities. “We’re all really comfortable about who we are and where we are in our careers, so it really works for all of us. “We’re all at a stage in our lives as well where we want to spend time with our families. “We have kids of different ages and different things going on in our home lives as well. “It’s really nice to be able to keep all that in the mix.” Kelly’s grounding in sports broadcasting came in the early days of Sky Sports News, a rolling news channel launched in 2010. ‘Kicked up a fuss’ The female-heavy list of anchors, including Kirsty Gallacher, who is godmother to one of Kelly’s daughters, became synonymous with the channel. However, the presenters were often sexualised by viewers and when that attitude seeped into the brand marketing, Kelly was the one who put a stop to it. Don’t start undermining us from inside the organisation because we can take it from other people — we’re used to that — but we thought you had our backs here, that’s the way it should beKelly on sexualisation of female sports presentersThe star has always taken her position as a role model for women in sport seriously. She explained: “It was seen as ‘fruit on the barrow’, where you would put your juiciest fruit on the barrow — there was that attitude to it. “But we didn’t feel like that from the inside. That was very much an external thing. “Then I remember there was an ad put out with four female Sky Sports News presenters on, saying ‘There’s always something worth watching on Sky Sports News’. “I remember it happened on the Sunday and I think by the Tuesday or Wednesday I’d gone into the office and said, ‘No. I get that this comes from the outside but don’t do that to us from the inside’. “Don’t start undermining us from inside the organisation because we can take it from other people — we’re used to that — but we thought you had our backs here, that’s the way it should be’.” She added: “The reaction was they didn’t think I would be the person who came in and kicked up a fuss. “I was like, ‘That says something. If you think I’m easy-going and it upset me then you should probably read something into that’.” Kelly took an extended break from sports broadcasting to concentrate on bringing up her children. She returned to work in 2013 at Radio 5 Live where she hosted the station’s famous 606 football phone-in on Sundays alongside ex-Arsenal striker Ian Wright. She later returned to Sky Sports to anchor live games and previously made history as the first female presenter on talkSPORT. Glasgow-born Kelly, whose brother Paul was a professional footballer for Newcastle, is now separated from Tom Cates, the father of her two daughters. Like most working mums, Kelly admits taking care of her career and their teenage daughters can be challenging. She added: “It’s juggling lots of diaries, and I’ve got a really good relationship with my ex-husband. “He’s great with the girls in terms of being flexible because we have to be around my job. “You just make it work. I’m really lucky — I have a great job. “People do this and work three jobs and are stressed about putting food on the table and heating the house. “Although it’s tricky to do everything and all problems are relative, it’s manageable.” READ MORE SUN STORIESSaturday nights are about to get a whole lot busier for Kelly. Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club.Kelly will be one of the team taking over when Gary Lineker leaves MOTD at the end of the current seasonCredit: BBC More

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      in Soccer

      Inside the rise of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly as Arsenal pal reveals what England wonderkids are really like

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      WHILE Prem stars Myles Lewis-Skelly and Levi Colwill are ready to do battle for England, two old team-mates are fighting the drop to League Two.Crawley midfielder Bradley Ibrahim, 20, was captain of the Arsenal team which got to the FA Youth Cup final two years ago and featured Lewis-Skelly as well as Ethan Nwaneri.Crawley ace Bradley Ibrahim played with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri at ArsenalArsenal ace Myles Lewis-Skelly is eyeing an England debutCredit: GettyEthan Nwaneri has enjoyed quite the breakout season with ArsenalCredit: EPAMeanwhile, Burton midfielder Charlie Webster, 21, came through the ranks at Chelsea with 22-year-old Colwill and worked with England boss Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge.Ibrahim, on loan from German club Hertha Berlin, believes this England call-up for Lewis-Skelly, 18, will be the first of many.The pair grew up together at Arsenal, and Ibrahim told SunSport: “I spoke to Myles on Friday after his selection was announced while on the way to Cambridge. He was buzzing.”Ibrahim says Lewis-Skelly’s aggression, strength, fearlessness, self-confidence and humility drove him to the top.Read More on ArsenalHe said: “Myles was always brave — he’ll never play with fear. No matter where he is or who he’s against, Myles has a belief in himself that he’s one of the best and is going to be the best.”But Ibrahim insists off the field the teenager is humble because of his family roots.He recalled how the Arsenal star’s mum, Marcia, always kept him on the straight and narrow. He said: “His progress has been helped by having great parents.“His mum is a strong character and always kept him well disciplined.“He was never one to go out. His mum sometimes didn’t let him.Most read in SportJoin SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from The Emirates“He’s well-spoken and talks to everyone exactly the same — whether it’s the kitchen staff, cleaners or manager. He’s so humble.”Lewis-Skelly, who could make his senior debut on Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Albania, only made his Prem bow in September at Manchester City. He was red-carded against Wolves and West Ham this season.’It’s like Messi… there I said it’ – Pundits rave about Arsenal ace Nwaneri as Shearer dubs him ‘potential superstar’And Gunners boss Mikel Arteta had to sub him after 35 minutes at PSV Eindhoven this month to safeguard him after the teenager picked up an early booking. Although the dismissal against Wolves was rescinded, there have been concerns raised about his aggression.But Ibrahim said: “If you take a bit of his aggression away, you take a big thing out of his game.“If he was an older player, people wouldn’t talk about it but because he’s young, people spin it negatively. Even in training and mini-games he’d take it seriously.”He’s well-spoken and talks to everyone exactly the same — whether it’s the kitchen staff, cleaners or manager. He’s so humble.Bradley Ibrahim on Myles Lewis-SkellyIbrahim’s favourite memory of his pal was his last-gasp extra-time winner in the FA Youth Cup semi-final against Manchester City in 2023.However, the Gunners lost 5-1 to West Ham in the final.Part of that team was Nwaneri, 18 today, who incredibly broke into the Under-18s side at 14.The Arsenal whizkid has already clocked up 21 top-flight appearances since making his debut two-and-a-half years ago, aged 15 years and 181 days, the youngest in Prem history.Ibrahim, whose third-from-bottom Crawley side host Bristol Rovers on Friday, said: “It’s not like he’s overhyped. He’s unbelievable and one of the best I’ve played with.”Ibrahim now turns out for Crawley in League OneCredit: RexHe has been shining for Crawley in a tough seasonWebster signed for Burton in the summer after 12 years at Chelsea.The midfielder first joined the Blues at Under-10 level and says he will be forever grateful for Tuchel naming him on the bench for a Carabao Cup game against Brentford in December 2021 when he was 17.He said: “Tuchel will be unbelievable for England. He’s intense in terms of how he focuses on key details, he never misses anything.”READ MORE SUN STORIESCentre-back Colwill, now a first-team regular, was a team-mate of Webster for the Blues’ youth teams.Webster, whose Brewers side are not in action due to international call-ups, added: “Every player’s journey is different but he has been given his chance and taken it. That’s all down to him. He’s a brilliant footballer.” More

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      in Soccer

      Model pupil Ethan Nwaneri handed in HOMEWORK on morning after Arsenal debut and scored 98 per cent on maths test

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      ETHAN NWANERI is not one for unnecessary fuss or over-the-top celebrations.Less than 24 hours after becoming the Prem’s youngest player – making his Arsenal debut on Sunday September 18, 2022 aged 15 years and 181 days off the bench at Brentford – he was handing in GCSE English homework at St John’s Senior School in Enfield.Arsenal wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri continues to focus on schoolCredit: GettyArsenal’s Nwaneri scored 98 per cent in a maths’ test for his school entrance examsCredit: Jamie McPhilimeyNwaneri handed in GCSE English homework right after his historic Arsenal debutCredit: Jamie McPhilimeyNwaneri spent time diligently studying in hotel rooms alongside Myles Lewis-SkellyCredit: GettyTeacher Elle Bewley revealed: “I’m not joking, he just walked into school on Monday, gave me his homework, sat down and got on with it. No discussion, no distraction. Nothing.”So, it is no surprise that Nwaneri will not be celebrating his 18th birthday on Friday like any normal teenager would. Instead, he is part of Lee Carsley’s England Under-21 camp taking on France in Lorient.The Hale End wonderboy – already with eight goals across all competitions in his breakthrough season under boss Mikel Arteta – is now technically a man.This landmark day also means he can finally get changed in the same dressing room as Arsenal’s seniors at the Emirates and their London Colney training base – safeguarding restrictions prevented him from doing so until now.Read More on ArsenalBut those that know Nwaneri best will tell you he has been a wise old head on young shoulders for some time, such is his eye-catching maturity and humble personality.It is assumed he gets that from his father, a guiding figure in his life on and off the pitch so far.At the Under-17 European Championships in Hungary back in May 2023, Nwaneri spent time diligently studying in hotel rooms – alongside pal and fellow academy grad Myles Lewis-Skelly – for his GCSE exams as his father had warned that education comes before football.At St John’s, he would ask teachers for extra revision papers to take home. For a GCSE English spoken language project, he avoided basing it on football, instead researching and presenting it on conspiracy theories.Most read in FootballJoin SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from The EmiratesHis speciality was mathematics, scoring 98 per cent in his school entrance exams. His headteacher Alexander Tardios commented: “He is a very academic boy. He could have easily ended up at King’s College or UCL.”Nwaneri would order Ubers from London Colney back to his school to ensure he did not miss any tests.Ethan Nwaneri’s rise at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta’s guiseAnd on days off, Nwaneri would have childhood friend Lewis-Skelly – who lived nearby – cycle over so they could get in some extra training.Even now, as a first-team regular, he has remained down-to-earth. After training, he is often seen waiting in the car park to be picked up while his team-mates drive off in luxury sports cars.Nwaneri was first introduced to the Arsenal fans as an eight-year-old in May 2015 when the Under-9s were paraded around the pitch at half-time of a 4-1 Premier League victory over West Brom.I’m not joking, he just walked into school on Monday, gave me his homework, sat down and got on with it. No discussion, no distraction. Nothing.Nwaneri’s teacher, after his Arsenal debutFour-and-a-half years later, a 12-year-old Nwaneri was on the radar of newly-appointed manager Arteta. The Spaniard asked academy coach Dan Micciche for videos of his progress.Soon, Nwaneri was training with boys much his senior, scoring on his Arsenal Under-18s debut aged 14 having played for the Under-14s aged 12.He was also encouraged to play in numerous positions to enhance his development, toughen him up: No10, a left-sided No8, a centre-forward and winger.’Continues to develop’Ex-Arsenal midfielder Steve Morrow was the Gunners’ head of youth development when Nwaneri arrived at Hale End after a brief stint in Chelsea’s youth set-up.Morrow told SunSport: “We always had that philosophy that the players needed to be at a level where they were being more challenged than their actual age group.“The traits that he had from 11 and 12 years old, you still see. That balance, that drop of the shoulder, that power, that acceleration. How he is so direct as well.“It’s incredible how all those super-strengths that he had have continued to develop.Arsenal ratings vs ChelseaARSENAL collected three points at the Emirates with a comfortable display as they fight to keep their fading title hopes alive.“Going down to Hale End and watching him on a Sunday, he was scoring goals for fun every week with pure skill and intelligence and technique, not just physical qualities.“He didn’t always play wide, he often played centrally. That really helped his development because it gave him spacial awareness of what was going on around him.Seizing his chance“It is quite rare for young players to be such good decision-makers. He had it early and you can see it today. Ethan can go as far as he wishes.“Sometimes you see players that you think have similar levels of talent but it’s always the ones that have the right attitude, character and focus, the ones who are brave and able to deal with disappointments, who make it.”At the end of his scholarship year in the summer of 2023, he was linked with a move back to Chelsea, with Manchester United and Manchester City also sniffing around, but eventually committed to the club with his first senior contract signed in March 2024.It has paid off, seizing his chance with Bukayo Saka out for three months this term following hamstring surgery in December, shining both in the Prem and the Champions League so far.It is quite rare for young players to be such good decision-makers. He had it early and you can see it today. Ethan can go as far as he wishes.Steve MorrowCurrent Under-18s coach Adam Birchall said: “We treated him like any other person. And the parents were outstanding in understanding the importance of that.“That’s such a key thing, because it really helped in values — in everything, as people.READ MORE SUN STORIES“What I’ve seen throughout is [Nwaneri’s] application to be the best he can be, that mentality, just being relentless.“That’s what being a Strong Young Gunner is all about — that real strength as a person and understanding yourself to be able to go into that environment.” More

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      in Boxing

      ‘Like I was made in a lab’ – How Moses Itauma became ‘Project Thanos’ with background from Slovak mountains and Nigeria

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      MOSES ITAUMA is a super-freak of a fighter built in a fantasy lab somewhere between the icy Slovak mountains and scorching Africa.The 20-year-old heavyweight prodigy, with a Nigerian father, was born in his mum’s Kezmarok home but raised in Chatham, Kent.Moses Itauma has credited his Nigerian father and Slovakian mother with inspiring him to successCredit: GettyItauma revealed his uncle woke him up at 2am to go to the world’s largest ice bathCredit: GettyItauma’s coach has likened him to Avengers character ThanosLike Itauma, former world champion Anthony Joshua has talked extensively about his Nigerian heritageCredit: GettyThe union between the rugged central-European region – where freezing dips in the Poprad river instill an ice-cold will – and the West-African hotbed of professional warriors like Anthony Joshua, has created the 6ft 3in southpaw superstar.And the code of ultra-discipline his military-focused maternal uncles have taught him has swirled with his father’s fearsome genepool to create a boxing force comparable with Marvel comic super-villain Thanos.When SunSport asks Itauma if the unlikely blend of cultures has created a monster, he tells us: “Yes. 100 per cent.“You probably wouldn’t think of putting those two nations together but I am very proud of my heritage.READ MORE BOXING NEWS“I have a military-like discipline from my mother’s side and I am just a genetic freak from my dad’s side.“It is like I was made in a lab and this was all planned: Project Itauma.“My old nutritionist actually used to call me ‘Project Thanos’, the Marvel character.”When SunSport drops our guard and reveals our age by admitting we have only heard of Thanos via our schoolboy sons, we are firmly informed: “He’s a big powerful purple guy who fights the Avengers.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS“He is the villain in the film but, at the same time, he is very powerful and it takes all of the Avengers – who are all individually very powerful – to come together to beat Thanos.”Back on planet Earth, Itauma explains how bringing together two countries separated by 3,000 miles and the Mediterranean Sea has helped British boxing spawn a new superpower who can carry the hopes of the nation on his shoulders, after Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have retired.Moses Itauma ‘could beat’ Mike Tyson’s youngest heavyweight champ record after impressive first round KO of Demsey McKeanHe explained: “Being born in Slovakia and living there for a couple of years, to a Nigerian father, I have that little brag of being a weird mix of heritage.“But I have learned a lot from everyone, if you ever go into my bedroom or my car, everything is spotlessly clean and I know where everything is.“I went to go and work with my uncle in Switzerland for a while and I remember his apartment there being so spotlessly clean and he knew where absolutely everything was and everything had its place.“I remember him telling me that it makes your life so much easier if you know where all the important things are. That’s just one aspect.Itauma is unbeaten with nine of his eleven victories coming via knockoutCredit: GettyIn his last fight, Itauma demolished the highly-rated Demsey McKean in one roundCredit: Getty“Another is, I have a cousin who I went running with in Slovakia, at high altitude, and he is not a boxer or an athlete, he does not run, he’s chubby. But he outran me.“And he was telling me ‘we never quit, we never lose’.“His heart must have been doing cartwheels inside his body but that mentality is nice to see and know it is part of me.”It would be easy to assume that Itauma’s giant dad, who also sired light-heavyweight Karol and amateur footballer-turned-boxer Samuel, might be the sole source of the family’s fighting credentials.But Itauma reveals that the fearless Slovak side of his DNA has played a huge part in his rapid and ruthless rise to world title prominence among so many other Nigerian fighters.He said: “My mum’s maiden surname was Blaschek.“Which is quite well known, where we are from, for the men loving fighting and – not being crazy – but doing crazy things like running up mountains, doing 1000 press-ups and running back down again. They are known for being disciplined.“They are not crazy but they are so disciplined that people might think they are odd.“I remember one Christmas day my uncle saw on the news that there had been the world’s biggest ice bath somewhere and then, at 2am, he got me and my brother down to the lake to jump in for five minutes.“He’s not a complete nutter, just a very disciplined man.“I went to live and work with him for a little while in Switzerland, he might still be up drinking at 2am but then he was up at 4am, doing his press-ups and pull-ups, and taking a cold shower. I was only waking up at 4:30am and he was ready to go.Itauma revealed his family instilled a high level of discipline in him from a young ageCredit: Instagram / m.itaumaThe boxer has trained in extreme conditionsCredit: Instagram / m.itaumaItauma in Zdiar, Slovakia in 2019Credit: Instagram / m.itauma“And then, on my dad’s side, everyone knows about African culture and them being stupidly strong.“Just look at the boxing landscape now, Lawrence Okolie, Richard Riakporhe, Anthony Joshua, Joe Joyce, Daniel Dubois and Deontay Wilder, all of Nigerian heritage.“And in the UFC you have guys like Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman, the proof is in the pudding.”The buzz around Itauma has been shaking gym walls for five years, when aged just 15 he started arriving to spar the likes of Joyce and Okolie while still in his school uniform.There has been a concern that the latest British boxing ace was being overhyped and – like Dubois – was destined for a fall.But the one-round demolition of respected Demsey McKean in December opened the floodgates for fanfare and outrageous predictions that we have a mutant mix of Mike Tyson and Oleksandr Usyk on our lucky hands – and Itauma isn’t interested in dampening those flames.“Anything outside of the boxing ring is not really my expertise,” he told us at a Mayfair lunch arranged by manager Francis Warren.“When I get asked questions, I try to articulate the answers as best I can, but it’s not my job, it’s my job to fight. It doesn’t matter how I answer these questions, as long as I am respectful. It’s not my job to talk.“I had a couple of problems going into that fight and my coach even thought about pulling me out.“Dempsey was a big test for me but my coach wondered if it was worth potentially losing.“But I knew I could breeze into the fight, not get hit, and potentially knock him out early and that’s the only reason that the fight happened.“Before the fight, I said to myself ‘if I am the person that I think I am, then I should breeze through Dempsey’. And I did.READ MORE SUN STORIES“So I am the person I think I am.“I don’t need to be overhyped.”Itauma sat down to chat to SunSportCredit: The Sun More

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      in Soccer

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

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      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. More

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      ‘My daughter thought I was a referee’ says England legend Ashley Cole as he’s inducted into football Hall of Fame

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      ASHLEY COLE was an Arsenal Invincible, a European champion at Chelsea, a record seven-time FA Cup winner and a member of England’s exclusive 100 Club, once recognised as the best left-back on the planet. But ask him to reflect on that glorious career, after being inducted into the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame, and Cole highlights his regret at the “silly bitterness” which overshadowed a large part of his career.Ashley Cole was inducted into the National Football Museum’s Hall of FameCredit: PAEngland Under-21 assistant boss Cole won major awards with Arsenal and ChelseaCredit: Getty Images – GettyCole, now a well-respected assistant to England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley, insists he is a very different person now to the hot-headed player who left Arsenal under a cloud after being tapped up by Chelsea.Back then he infamously wrote in his autobiography that he “almost swerved off the road” when being informed that Arsenal were offering “only £55,000 a week”.And Cole, 44, admits: “I’ve grown up since then, from making silly mistakes, silly words, bitter words, feuds – I’m so grown and so over that now.“I respect the both clubs I was at, they gave me a lot, they gave me opportunities.Read More on Arsenal “There isn’t one memory that sticks out, I’ve won Premier Leagues, Champions League, created history in the FA Cup, I look back and say, ‘Yeah you’ve done well and they were your rewards’.“And competing for my country at World Cups and Euros was really important to me.”Cole’s career was one of English football’s finest but after his tumultuous high-profile marriage to pop star Cheryl Tweedy and the controversy over his move to Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, he shied away from speaking to the media.As a result he is often under-appreciated and it turns out that even extends to his own home.Most read in FootballJoin SUN CLUB for the Chelsea Files every Tuesday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from Stamford BridgeCole, who won 107 England caps, said: “I’ve got two young kids who are always asking me, ‘Was I a good player?’ My daughter thought I was a referee!“Getting this award did open my eyes as to what an achievement it was to get to the level I got to.Ashley Cole picks his all-time team-mates XI… but does it boast more Arsenal or Chelsea stars?“Working with these young [England Under-21] lads, I can see a lot of me in them. They are a very humble, hard-working group. It’s inspirational for me to watch these players grow and hopefully get into the senior team.“I look back at the journey from where I was as a 14, 15, 16-year-old, all the hard work and sacrifice. Then to make my debut for my boyhood club [Arsenal] and to win trophies and to grow as a player is something I won’t take lightly.“I really enjoyed the journey. There’s a message for the kids – keep working hard on the training pitch, keep persevering and hopefully you have a career like me.”Cole has urged patience with Arsenal’s teenage duo, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri.I’ve grown up since then, from making silly mistakes, silly words, bitter words, feuds – I’m so grown and so over that now.Ashley ColeLeft-back MLS has gone straight into the England senior squad, while Nwaneri will make his Under-21 debut away to France under Carsley and Cole on his 18th birthday on Friday.Cole said: “I’ve seen Myles in the last year and a half. I’ve seen it with Ethan too. When you have so much talent, there is sometimes an urge to play them and do they sometimes fall short? These two haven’t.“Now he [Lewis-Skelly] is in the seniors, he has just got to continue to play well for Arsenal and continue to get himself in the senior squad.“But you’ve got to be careful with these young players. They are special and precious so you have to take your time sometimes.”After winning the last Under-21 Euros two years ago, Cole believes England are capable of retaining their crown in Slovakia this summer.Cole said: “That group two years ago, they had real pride in playing for the Three Lions, working for the badge.I’ve got two young kids who are always asking me, ‘Was I a good player?’ My daughter thought I was a referee!Ashley Cole“They were a great bunch and what they did in the last Euros showed a great team spirit and belief.READ MORE SUN STORIES“We’ve told this group that they have left a legacy for you and we want to continue that and hopefully do well in the Euros and leave a legacy for the next generation.“Every day I watch them train, I see the hunger and desire and if we don’t win the Euros, I know they will have given everything.” More

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      Lost lads are filling void with callous, manipulative & toxic influencers like Andrew Tate, warns Sir Gareth Southgate

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      FORMER England manager Sir Gareth Southgate has lashed out at “manipulative and toxic influencers” — and insisted young males need better role models.He said teenage boys are spending too much time gaming, gambling and watching pornography, and risk falling under the spell of internet personalities like vile Andrew Tate.Sir Gareth Southgate has lashed out at ‘manipulative and toxic influencers’Credit: BBCHe said teenage boys risk falling under the spell of internet personalities like the vile Andrew TateCrossbow killer Kyle Clifford was under the influence of misogyny ‘poster boy’ TateCredit: PASir Gareth, 54, spoke out after it was revealed crossbow killer Kyle Clifford was under the influence of misogyny “poster boy” Tate, 38, when he murdered his ex-girlfriend, her mum and her sister.His comments, at the BBC’s annual Richard Dimbleby Lecture, also come as Netflix hit Adolescence, starring Stephen Graham and teen Owen Cooper, highlights toxic masculinity.The Centre for Social Justice also released a “Lost Boys” report about the problem.Sir Gareth said many young men end up “searching for direction” and fill the void with a “new kind of role model who do not have their best interest at heart”.read more on gareth southgateHe said: “These are callous, manipulative and toxic influencers, whose sole drive is for their own gain.“They willingly trick young men into believing that success is measured by money or dominance, never showing emotion, and that the world, including women, is against them.“They are as far away as you could possibly get from the role models our young men need in their lives.”Sir Gareth delivered the 46th Richard Dimbleby Lecture at the University of London.Most read in FootballIt has been held in honour of the broadcaster most years since 1972.Previous speakers have included King Charles and Bill Gates.In his speech, Sir Gareth continued: “As real-world communities and mentorship declines, young men end up withdrawing, reluctant to talk or express their emotions.Stephen Graham and Ashley Walters’ acclaimed drama Adolescence smashes huge Netflix record by DOUBLE after taking world by storm“They spend more time online searching for direction and are falling into unhealthy alternatives like gaming, gambling and pornography.“And this void is filled by a new kind of role model who do not have their best interest at heart.”Sir Gareth, who led England to two Euros finals, added: “Young men are suffering. “They’re feeling isolated. “They’re grappling with their masculinity and with their broader place in society.“We need leaders to set the right tone — to be the role models we want for our young men.“We have to show young men that character is more important than status; that how you treat others is more important than how much money you make.“That values matter — courage, humility and integrity over selfishness, greed, arrogance. “The culture we create today will shape the kind of men that we inherit tomorrow.”During his speech, the former centre-back spoke about his penalty miss in England’s 1996 Euros semi-final defeat to Germany.Gareth consoles Jude Bellingham after England’s loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 finalCredit: AlamyHe said: “Missing that penalty was undoubtedly a watershed moment that made me a stronger, better man. “It forced me to dig deep and revealed an inner belief and resilience I never knew existed.”Sir Gareth stepped down as England boss last July, two days after England lost to Spain in the Euro 2024 final in Germany.He was credited with reviving the Three Lions’ flagging fortunes and was then knighted in the New Year Honours for services to football.Sir Gareth also referred to the Centre for Social Justice report, which warned young men were “in crisis” amid an increase in those not in education, employment or training.He said: “Too many young men are isolated. Too many feel uncomfortable opening up to friends or family. “Many don’t have mentors — teachers, coaches, bosses — who understand how best to push them to grow.“And so, when they struggle, young men inevitably try to handle whatever situation they find themselves in alone. “Young men end up withdrawing, reluctant to talk or express their emotions.”The former Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough star also warned that young men are often denied the chance to fail — and learn from their mistakes.He said: “If we make life too easy for young boys now, we will inevitably make life harder when they grow up to be young men.“Too many are at risk of fearing failure, because they’ve had too few opportunities to experience and overcome it. “They fail to try, rather than try and fail. “If I’ve learned anything from my life in football, it’s that success is much more than the final score.“True success is how you respond in the hardest moments.”Sir Gareth recently visited the “brilliant” OnSide youth zone in Oldham. He said: “I saw children from all backgrounds playing, talking, having fun. READ MORE SUN STORIES”There was online gaming but no one was on it.“If we can create the right environments for [youngsters] they will still want to go and play and that might be a very important message.”Owen Cooper in Netflix’s Adolescence, which highlights toxic masculinityCredit: Courtesy of Netflix. More

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      ‘I’ll never speak to them again’ – Phil Jones opens up on emotional moment he quit Man Utd WhatsApp group after retiring

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      PHIL JONES says leaving the England and Manchester United WhatsApp groups were some of the most difficult moments of retirement.The 33-year-old left boyhood club Blackburn Rovers to sign for Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and won the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League.Phil Jones retired from professional football in AugustCredit: ReutersThe defender has recalled leaving the Man Utd WhatsApp groupCredit: GettyJones spent 12 years at Old Trafford and also won 27 caps for the Three Lions, but after a number of injury struggles he called time on his playing career last summer.Discussing the hardest parts of retirement, he revealed that departing the WhatsApp groups was one of the toughest.Jones said: “Believe it or not, it was quite emotional. I’d been on the WhatsApp for years and banter and you’re sending people pictures and all sorts.“I remember sitting in the bedroom going like, ‘Lads, it’s been a pleasure and blah blah blah. Some I’ve played with a lot, some I’ve only just met, but it’s been an absolute pleasure. I wish you all the best and I’ll be your biggest supporters.’ It was a tough moment actually.Read More in Football“Do you know what I gave it a minute and there was no response. I was like ‘gone, gone, gone, I’m gone!’ No-one cares. But that’s it. It’s football. “Things move so quickly and people come in. I played with people for six years. I will never see them again. I’ll never speak to them again.”Jones admitted he could not watch football for the first six months, saying: “I found myself getting really bitter towards the game and that’s not who I was, but I needed that time to reflect and come to terms with what happened and how it happened. “I look back now and I’m in a great place.”Most read in FootballJoin SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from Old TraffordJones then embarked on a return to the game, doing a football directorship course and then completing his Uefa coaching A Licence while working with United’s U18 squad.He sat down with SunSport while doing his FA Pro licence badge at St George’s Park last week and said: “It was nice for the first few weeks, but then after that I was getting itchy feet and ready to embark on something, which is why I went down the director’s route just to give me a different sort of focus to football. Phil Jones reveals how Sir Alex Ferguson convinced him to sign for Man Utd “But my bread and butter is on the grass and it’s what I really enjoy doing. I know exactly what I want to do, where I want to be.“I’m ambitious as I was as a player. I wanted to play at the highest level, compete against the best players in the world.“I love being out on the grass, working with kids, watching players develop. Whether that’s at United, or that’s elsewhere, I love watching new players come through. “I’ve been lucky enough to help out with U18s at United, which has given me a different perspective on the game now.“I don’t watch a game any more, you’re analysing it a little bit differently. I love the game. I love everything about it. I love being involved in it.”It’s given me a purpose and I’m really ambitious and it’s something that I really want to go into.”Jones has seen the likes of Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard both endure difficulties in the dug-out but is still determined to do it rather than earn an easier living as a pundit.He added: “I just feel that I’ve got too much to offer with the managers I played under and the players I played with just to go, you know what, I’ll leave it there.I found myself getting really bitter towards the game and that’s not who I was“I want to be involved. I love being involved. The media work I’ve enjoyed. I’ve enjoyed it more than I actually thought I would but my bread and butter is certainly on the grass and coaching and going into that.“Listen, I’m not naive enough to think that I’m going to become a head coach or a manager in the next two or three years. “I understand that now I’m on the other side of the ladder where I’ve got to work myself up and build myself up. But I’m absolutely ready to do that and my family knows that.“When I visualise and try to manifest where I want to be in five years time, absolutely, I want to be the guy taking the team. “I want to be the guy making the decisions and having support and backing from the club and the owners and choosing that right moment to step in at that time.“I want to win games of football and I win at all costs. Whether that means I have to change personnel, whether that means I have to go down a different route to get results. It’s a results business game. Of course we all want to play expansive, attractive football but it doesn’t always work like that.”Jones, who had awful luck with injuries in his career, also backed Luke Shaw to bounce back from his “terrible” spell on the sidelines.Jones coached United’s Under-18 team for a seasonCredit: GettyHe said: “I feel so sorry for Mason (Mount) and Luke. The feeling for me was almost an embarrassed feeling.“You’re at Man United, the biggest club in the world and all you want to do is play football. “I love playing football, I just loved playing football like a little kid, and when you can’t do something, you have something taken away from you, it’s difficult to deal with.“You have the fans, you have social media. I can absolutely sympathise with them.“What I would say is they’ve got to come back to a state where they feel comfortable playing. READ MORE SUN STORIES”Medical staff these days will always try and promote you to come back sooner, but they’ve got to feel right in themselves, feel confident that they’re ready to come back and play and compete at a high level.“I absolutely sympathise with them. It’s a really, really terrible and tough place to be.”Man Utd ratings vs LeicesterMANCHESTER UNITED leapfrogged Tottenham into 13th in the Premier League by beating Leicester.Rasmus Hojlund was left to run in behind and shoot low into the bottom corner from an angle to open the scoring on 28 minutes.The Danish striker had not found the net since December 12 – a run of 21 matches.Alejandro Garnacho saw a goal chalked off for offside but there was no taking his snap-shot finish off him on 67 minutes.And skipper Bruno Fernandes rounded off the comfortable 3-0 win in style in the closing stages.Here’s how SunSport’s Graham Hill rated the Man Utd stars. More