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      Ex-West Ham star Jack Collison, 34, agrees first job in management as he takes over US side Huntsville City

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      FORMER West Ham star Jack Collison has agreed his first job in football management. Collison, 34, has agreed to take over United States side Huntsville City, a brand new football team.
      Ex-West Ham star Jack Collison has taken over at Huntsville City FCCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      Collison arrives with vast experience at youth level coaching
      Taking to Twitter, Collison said: “Can’t wait to get going… Excited for the challenge ahead.”
      A club statement on Collison’s appointment read: “Huntsville City FC announced today the appointment of Jack Collison as the club’s first Head Coach in team history.
      “A former player of West Ham United in the English Premier League with a vast history of developing young talent in the U.S. and abroad, Collison will lead Huntsville in its inaugural MLS Next Pro season this spring.”
      Nashville SC – who Huntsville will be an affiliate team to – CEO and Huntsville City FC President, Ian Ayre added: “Huntsville City FC is a unique opportunity that sits astride a number of key objectives…
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      “Jack is the ideal fit for this team with his broad mix of playing experience at a high level and the management of youth soccer programmes in the UK and the US which give him a broad mix of experience.
      “We believe with the guidance and support of our coaching staff at NSC, Jack and his team have the ideal platform to create something very special at HCFC.”
      Collison retired back in 2016 after a short stint at Peterborough.
      The Welshman also enjoyed periods throughout his career at Bournemouth, Wigan and Ipswich, but made his name at West Ham between 2007 and 2013.
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      The central midfielder emerged through the club’s academy and made 121 appearances, including 74 games in the Premier League where he scored seven goals and added six assists.
      Following retirement, Collison started work as a youth coach, managing Peterborough’s Under 21 and U18 sides before becoming West Ham’s youth manager.
      Collison then headed to the US to work for Atlanta’s Academy in 2019, before becoming Atalanta United 2 manager in 2021.
      He remained at the club until now, as he takes over Huntsville.
      On his appointment, Collison told club media: “I am very excited at the prospect of bringing soccer to Rocket City and building a team that really represents the community.
      “I will look to build an exciting, fast-paced brand of soccer that can bring success on the pitch in Huntsville, whilst helping to develop some of the future stars for Nashville SC.
      “My staff and I are currently hard at work to achieve these goals and can’t wait to see everyone packed inside the Joe Davis stadium supporting a team we can ALL be proud of.”
      The club are a newly formed team based in Huntsville, Alabama, with partner club Nashville SC being based in the neighbouring state of Tennessee.
      However, they will not be competing against the likes of David Beckham’s Inter Miami or Wayne Rooney’s DC United, as they are not in Major League Soccer.
      Read More on The Sun
      Instead, Huntsville will enter the MLS Next Pro League, which started in March 2022.
      The league is geared towards helping young talent develop, and links the MLS to the affiliate league MLS Next. More

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      Wayne Rooney’s DC United sign Leeds star Mateusz Klich as Man Utd legend says he’s tracked ‘first-rate’ star for years

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      DC UNITED have signed Leeds star Mateusz Klich, leaving his new manager Wayne Rooney thrilled. The MLS side have completed the transfer for the midfielder on a two-year deal with an option to extend the contract by an additional 12 months.
      Mateusz Klich has been unveiled at DC UnitedCredit: Instagram / @cli5hy
      He was given a special send off by his team-mates and fansCredit: Reuters
      Manager Wayne Rooney has had his eye on Mateusz Klich for three yearsCredit: Getty
      He arrived at Elland Road back in 2017 and swiftly became a fans’ favourite, helping the side gain promotion and then stay in the Premier League.
      The 32-year-old was a key figure under Marcelo Bielsa but Jesse Marsch has not started him in a league match this season.
      Klich said an emotional farewell to the club after they drew with West Ham 2-2.
      The Polish star was seen crying as his team-mates formed a guard of honour for him, all while wearing replicas of his No43 shirt.
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      He joins DC United with a big challenge ahead after the club finished bottom of the Eastern Conference last season.
      But his manager is full of confidence that he can be the key to a better season in 2023.
      Rooney showed his delight in signing him even claiming he had been scouting him for three years.
      The ex-Manchester United striker told the DC United website: “Mateusz is a first-rate midfielder who will add top-level experience to our roster.
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      “I’ve been watching him since he helped lead Leeds to promotion to the Premier League.
      “His vision, range of passing, and scoring ability will be a huge asset for us this season.”
      Klich played a total of 195 times for Leeds, finding the back of the net on 24 occasions.
      He has been capped 41 times by the Polish national side and previously had spells at FC Twente and PEC Zwolle.
      Klich will join a squad featuring former Prem stars Christian Benteke and Ravel Morrison in Washington. More

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      Inside Wayne Rooney’s DC United dressing room as Man Utd icon says there’s ‘no f***ing way’ he will finish bottom again

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      WAYNE ROONEY gave a passionate speech to his DC United squad ahead of the 2023 season – and vowed not to finish “bottom of that f***ing league again”. The Manchester United legend, 37, was appointed manager of the MLS side last summer.
      Wayne Rooney gave a passionate speech to his playersCredit: YouTube / D.C. United
      He is keen to improve after a disastrous 2022 campaignCredit: YouTube / D.C. United
      But he could not prevent the Washington-based club from finishing bottom of the Eastern Conference as they failed to win any of their final six league matches.
      And Rooney, who spent two years with DC United as a player, is determined to improve their position in the MLS.
      Speaking to his players in a video uploaded to DC United’s YouTube channel, he said: “How are we going to improve day to day? There’s different things: of training sessions, of games, game management.
      “The lads who were here last year, you already know, you heard me talking about it all the time. The f***ing mentality every single day has to be right. That belief every single day has to be right. Cos if it’s not, you might as well go home now.
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      “That mentality has to be at a f***ing high level for us to perform every week.
      “It’s a tough, tough league. There are some very good teams in the league. And we have to compete this year. We have to have that f***ing desire to be successful.”
      The MLS gets underway at the end of February, with DC United kicking things off at home to Toronto – who finished second bottom last season.
      Rooney went on to add: “Walking around in England, even went to Dubai for a couple of weeks on holiday, and people come up to me and say: “Oh how’s America? Is it nice? Football is different over there’.
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      “No it f***ing isn’t. Football is football.
      “We have to stay together as a group. So just a reminder, if we stay together, we’re a f***ing good team.
      “We’ve got time now to work on how I want to play, how we want to evolve as a team, improve and how we want to get better. How we want to be successful. Because there’s no chance I’m finishing bottom of that f***ing league again.”
      And Rooney, who has players such as Christian Benteke and Ravel Morrison in his squad, finished the lengthy speech by calling for his squad to have the belief to succeed this season.
      He said: “There’s a lot of history at this club. It’s the most successful in the MLS. We need to get back to that. And we can. I think we will.
      “But it’s on you to do that. You need to believe in yourselves. It’s the most important thing.
      “Believe in yourself as an individual, believe in your team-mates and believe in yourselves as a group. And you can do that.”
      Rooney was a player for two years at DC United before returning as managerCredit: Getty More

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      David Beckham reacts to son Romeo, 20, joining Brentford on loan from Inter Miami until the end of the season

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      DAVID BECKHAM has praised his son Romeo after he signed for Brentford B on loan until the end of the season.Right midfielder Romeo, 20, has been with his dad’s MLS side Inter Miami since 2021.
      Romeo Beckham posed with David outside Brentford’s performance centreCredit: Instagram @romeobeckham
      Romeo will be hoping to impress in Brentford’s reserve teamCredit: Instagram @romeobeckham
      He has made 20 appearances for the American outfit’s second side – who play in the third tier – scoring two goals.
      But now he has agreed a short-term loan spell with Brentford’s reserve team until the end of the campaign.
      Following the announcement on Friday, David shared an image on Instagram of him and Romeo holding up a Brentford shirt in front of the club’s performance centre.
      And the Man Utd legend then added the caption: “Exciting start to the year ❤️. Now the hard work and fun begins.
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      “Proud of you mate @romeobeckham.”
      Romeo first trained with the Bees’ B side in October and has been working with the club regularly since the end of the 2022 MLS Next Pro campaign.
      Speaking to Brentford’s official website after signing, he said: “I’m very proud and very happy to be here.
      “I came here at the start to keep fit during the off-season. The chance then came to come on loan here and I’ve never been so excited.
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      “It was a fun season [in the USA] and there were a lot of ups and downs but I’m excited to come here and see what I can do.”
      Romeo scored two goals and provided 10 assists as he helped Inter Miami II to sixth in the MLS Next Pro Eastern Conference last season.
      Brentford B head coach Neil MacFarlane said: “We’ve been absolutely delighted with Romeo since he arrived with us.
      “He came to us from Inter Miami with the aim of working with us during their close season. Romeo has applied himself unbelievably well, he’s really bought into the culture and the group which he has become a big part of.
      “I love his standards and the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch.
      “He’s been able to get fitter and fitter during his time with us and it leaves him in a good place to now step forward having joined us on loan.
      “He is very technical, and he is somebody who can shift the ball quickly and cross.
      “He is also a really good finisher and he has the ability to play a number of positions for us, which is also pleasing.
      “I think it’s testament to us as a club, and as a B team, that Inter Miami have asked us to work with him and [put] trust in us to continue working with him to help him with his development.”
      Romeo was once on Arsenal’s books alongside brothers Brooklyn and Cruz but was released in 2014.
      After a five year absence, Romeo returned to his footballing roots and in 2021 signed for his dad’s MLS side.
      Meanwhile Romeo’s brother Brooklyn, 23, gave up from playing altogether after being released by the Gunners aged 16.
      Read More on The Sun
      He told Variety that he stopped playing after realising it would be “difficult” to live up to his dad.
      David, 47, who played 115 times for England, “wasn’t sad” to see budding chef Brooklyn quit as he wanted his son “to be happy”. More

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      How David Beckham earned more than £400MILLION from two incredible LA Galaxy contract clauses after shock MLS transfer

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      DAVID BECKHAM’S shock LA Galaxy contract has earned him more than £400MILLION – thanks to two genius clauses. The former England captain shocked world football in 2007 when he left the glitz and glamour of Real Madrid to move with his wife Victoria and their three sons to Los Angeles.
      David Beckham’s move to LA Galaxy earned him more than £400mCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      An incredible contract clause enabled him to launch Inter MiamiCredit: Getty
      Becks and wife Victoria moved to California in 2007 for five yearsCredit: Getty
      Not only was Beckham turning his back on elite-level Champions League football for the MLS which had only started 11 years earlier – but he was also taking a major pay cut.
      Beckham, just 31 at the time, was earning £16.6m per year at the Bernabeu and accepted a deal worth £5.4m per year in LA – a whopping 70 per cent drop.

      However, in a brilliant Twitter thread by sports business and investing expert Joe Pompliano, the two incredible sections of the Galaxy contract reveal how Beckham earned more than £42m per year during his five years with the club.
      But it also explains how and why Inter Miami are now one of the newest of the 29 MLS clubs.
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      Although Beckham’s basic salary may have been £5.4m when he joined LA Galaxy in 2007, the reality was he earned on average as much as seven times more than that.
      That is because Beckham negotiated a deal to ensure he took a percentage of all the team’s revenue.
      Therefore he earned a cut of everything – from ticket sales and sponsorships to every beer and hot dog.
      That saw his earnings sky-rocket to around £212m across the five years – an extra £185m on top of his original wages.
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      So £42m per year made Beckham the highest-paid footballer on the planet as he made 118 appearances and won two MLS Cups.
      Incredibly, though, it was another deal that has helped Beckham’s bank balance even more.
      When he signed for LA Galaxy, he was able to insert a clause guaranteeing him the right to buy an MLS expansion team for £20m after he retired.
      At the time, that looked a great deal for the MLS as Toronto FC had just joined the league for £8m.
      However, Beckham’s arrival sparked a major growth in the MLS with attendances up 40 per cent and the current £207m annual TV deal now worth 3,025 per cent of the £6.7m contract agreed in 2006.
      It also means the franchises are also worth more, averaging at a whopping £484m in 2022 compared to £31m in 2008.
      As a result, expansion fees are up significantly.
      New York City FC paid £83m to join, Austin and Nashville £125m and Charlotte FC a staggering £270m to enter the MLS.
      But Beckham had his own deal already in place and Inter Miami could join in 2020 for a fraction of the price of Nashville in the same year.
      Read More on The Sun
      By the time the Herons played their first match in March 2020, the club was the tenth most-valuable franchise in the MLS worth £487m – more than 24 times the original £20m expansion fee.
      It means overall Beckham’s risky move to America 16 years ago on a budget £5.4m per year that guaranteed him just £27m has returned more than £400m across his time at LA Galaxy and launching Inter Miami.
      Beckham played 118 times for LA Galaxy, winning the MLS Cup twiceCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      He was a major driving force behind the growth of the MLSCredit: USA TODAY Sports
      Inter Miami are playing home matches at Fort Lauderdale until their new stadium is readyCredit: Getty More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo urged to make MLS transfer as £173m Saudi Arabia move will leave him ‘out of sight and out of mind’

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO has been urged to snub a switch to Saudi Arabia and join the MLS instead.That’s because his proposed £173million-a-year Middle East move risks leaving him “out of sight and out of mind.”
      Cristiano Ronaldo has been told to snub Saudi Arabia for a move to the MLSCredit: Getty
      Alexi Lalas reckons Ronaldo could hurt his brand moving to the Middle EastCredit: Getty
      Ronaldo, 37, is mulling his options after leaving Manchester United last month.
      The Portugal star, who has been dropped for tonight’s World Cup last-16 clash against Switzerland, has received a mega-money offer from Saudi side Al-Nassr.
      The £173m-a-year contract would see Ronaldo become the best-paid athlete in history.
      But the veteran has been warned that joining Al-Nassr could end up damaging his brand and reputation.
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      Former USA star Alexi Lalas feels a move to the Middle East is not a sensible option.
      He argues that Saudi Arabian football is not well followed, and Ronaldo risks vanishing off the map as a result.
      Lalas, who knows about star deals after signing David Beckham for LA Galaxy in 2007, believes Ronnie would be far better off playing in America.
      Becks enhanced his global appeal playing in the MLS, with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney also enjoying major success.
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      SunSport exclusively revealed Beckham’s Inter Miami have already held talks with Ronaldo.
      And Lalas believes the five-time Ballon d’Or winner should be crossing the Atlantic instead of the Mediterranean.
      He told Fox: “It sounds like he’s going to make a boatload of money and go to Saudi Arabia and play.
      “It kind of is out of sight and out of mind. I can’t remember the last time we heard about the Saudi Arabian league.
      “For a guy that is so concerned about his brand, and certainly has more money than he can do with, it’s a strange type of thing for him to do.
      “For 200 million dollars you’ll figure it out, but if the alternative is making less money and I get to go and play and live in Miami or Los Angeles…
      “MLS can’t compete with that type of money, but what MLS can give him is a much bigger entrée into the American market – he’s already huge in America.
      “For a guy that’s cultivated this brand over the years, that might have been more appealing.
      “In the moment he might not have made the money, he might have also established his brand.
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      “I’m not saying we’re not going to hear from Cristiano Ronaldo or his brand can’t grow, but it’s sure as hell I would think not going to grow as much being in Saudi Arabia relative to the United States.
      “We’ve seen it with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Beckham, Thierry Henry or Wayne Rooney. The moments they have from a MLS perspective do go viral, it’s not completely out of sight, out of mind.” More

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      Who is Japan vs Croatia referee Ismail Elfath at World Cup 2022?

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      THE biggest tournament in world football is underway, and referee Ismail Elfath is set to be in the thick of it.Elfath is not the only American official in Qatar and he takes charge of Japan vs Croatia in the last 16, after whistling for Cameroon’s win over Brazil.
      Cristiano Ronaldo complains to referee Ismail ElfathCredit: Reuters
      And he gave Cristiano Ronaldo a penalty during the second half of his first game between Portugal and Ghana, with the decision looking very soft after a foul by Mo Salisu.
      Here is all you need to know about him.
      Who is Ismail Elfath?
      Ismail Elfath was born in Morocco in 1982 before moving to the United States at the age of eighteen.
      Elfath started his career as a fourth official in 2011, and made his MLS refereeing debut the following year.
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      Four years on, the 40-year-old became a registered FIFA official.
      Later that year, Elfath refereed the first ever match involving VAR, a system now used in the Premier League.

      In 2019, the Amercian got his international call-up, officiating at the 2019 Under-20 World Cup final between Ukraine and South Korea.
      This led to his involvement with the 2019 Club World Cup where he took charge of Liverpool’s semi-final 2-1 win over Monterrey.
      Elfath was the referee for the World Club Cup semi-final between Monterrey and LiverpoolCredit: Alamy
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      He has since won the MLS Referee of the Year two times and been selected to referee at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

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      Who is Cameroon vs Brazil referee Ismail Elfath at World Cup 2022?

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      THE biggest tournament in world football is underway, and referee Ismail Elfath is set to be in the thick of it.Elfath is the only American referee boarding the plane to Qatar, and will be a part of a large group of officials managing the games – and he takes charge of Cameroon’s game against Brazil.
      Cristiano Ronaldo complains to referee Ismail ElfathCredit: Reuters
      And he gave Cristiano Ronaldo a penalty during the second half of his first game, with the decision looking very soft after a foul by Mo Salisu.
      Here is all you need to know about him.
      Who is Ismail Elfath?
      Ismail Elfath was born in Morocco in 1982 before moving to the United States at the age of eighteen.
      Elfath started his career as a fourth official in 2011, and made his MLS refereeing debut the following year.
      Read More on World Cup
      Four years on, the 40-year-old became a registered FIFA official.
      Later that year, Elfath refereed the first ever match involving VAR, a system now used in the Premier League.

      In 2019, the Amercian got his international call-up, officiating at the 2019 Under-20 World Cup final between Ukraine and South Korea.
      This led to his involvement with the 2019 Club World Cup where he took charge of Liverpool’s semi-final 2-1 win over Monterrey.
      Elfath was the referee for the World Club Cup semi-final between Monterrey and LiverpoolCredit: Alamy
      Most read in Football
      He has since won the MLS Referee of the Year two times and been selected to referee at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

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