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      in Soccer

      From snorting coke to moaning he was ‘too big’ to ref Coventry, nine moments in David Coote’s downfall

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      TWO days after his Klopp comments went viral, The Sun revealed on November 13 Coote snorted cocaine in a video taken on July 6 while he was officiating at the Euros.COOTE: “The drugs happened on an entirely ad-hoc basis. It fills me with a huge sense of shame to sit here and to say that I took that route.”The nine moments in Premier League referee David Coote’s downfallCredit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd1.The Sun revealed that Coote snorted cocaine in a video taken while he was officiating at the Euros2.Coote said in video chats table toppers Liverpool ‘will not win the Premier League’Credit: GettyCOOTE said in video chats table toppers Liverpool “will not win the Premier League”.COOTE: “I guess I’m a human being who made a mistake in a moment I now deeply regret.”3.He branded the Reds defender Andy Robertson a ‘Scottish p****’Credit: GettyTHE ref branded the Reds defender Andy Robertson a “Scottish p****.”COOTE: “I certainly don’t think that. Everybody who takes to the football field is full of emotion. When we’re involved in the game, things will be said that people don’t mean. Read More on Sport”I’m pretty sure there’s been plenty of players or managers that have said things about me they wouldn’t sit here and say they believe. The same is true of us as match officials.”4.Coote said Everton’s Goodison Park was the worst place to referee, due to the fans ‘shouting abuse so close to the pitch’Credit: GettyHE said Everton’s Goodison Park was the worst place to referee, due to the fans “shouting abuse so close to the pitch”.COOTE: “It’s certainly not the worst place to officiate. Each ground, depending on how the result goes, can be just as difficult as any other. “So there’s no particular ground that’s more difficult than the other because it’s all really circumstance dependent.”Most read in Football5.The ref said he hates officiating at Bournemouth games because it is ‘too far away’Credit: GettyCOOTE said he hates officiating at Bournemouth games because it is “too far away”.COOTE: “We’re asked to go north, south, east and west, and all over Europe. Scandal-hit Premier League ref David Coote SACKED after videos emerged of anti-Klopp rant and snorting white powder”There’s teams of officials that have been as far as Kazakhstan to do games. I was sent to Indonesia, so distance travel is never an issue.”6.He moaned he was ‘too big’ to have to ref at Coventry’s ground for their Championship clash against Oxford UtdCredit: GettyTHE ref moaned he was “too big” to have to ref at Coventry’s ground for their Championship clash against Oxford Utd on August 16.COOTE: “The Championship is a fantastic league and my experience of Coventry and all of the other games in the league have been really good ones — some of the most exciting football you’ll get to see.”7.The ref arranged a drugs party during Tottenham’s Carabao Cup win over Manchester CityCredit: ReutersCOOTE arranged a drugs party during Tottenham’s Carabao Cup win over Manchester City on October 30. During the interval he messaged his pal to say: “Hope you’re getting ready for me.”COOTE: “It never happened. These kinds of messages were among the behaviours I engaged with in order to escape.“It was almost like a different me and it’s something I really regret doing.“Clearly now I regret entering into those conversations.“I’ve paid the price for having them and that’s been a heavy one from a career and emotional perspective.”8.Coote giving a yellow card to Leeds’ Ezgjan Alioski before a 2019 match against West BromCredit: YouTubeAT the centre of an FA betting probe after he discussed giving a yellow card to Leeds’ Ezgjan Alioski before a 2019 match against West Brom. He messaged a pal: “I hope you backed as discussed.”COOTE: “I can categorically say that I’ve only ever done my best when I’ve gone onto the field of play.”9. Coote was sacked by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL)Credit: PASACKED by the PGMOL.COOTE: “I have nearly 30 years experience of refereeing and I understood the implications of the situation I found myself in and the position the PGMOL were in.”The Sun’s back page reported on Coote’s X-rated Klopp rantIT’S VERY BRAVE MOVEBy AMAL FASHANU, Niece of Justin who runs foundation in his name“IT is very brave for anyone to come out, but more so for someone in the public eye.“This will affect David Coote and is a big step but it should have less of an effect that in would on a player. It’s not the same level of fame.”Amal Fashanu, niece of JustinCredit: Darren FletcherNorwich striker Justin killed himself in 1998 after becoming the first top-flight player to come outCredit: Getty – ContributorAmal, whose former Norwich striker uncle killed himself in 1998 after becoming the first top-flight player to come out, added: “We’d love to chat to him at the foundation.“We’d be there to offer any support and counselling.“We also help people with mental health problems and would be there for him if that was an issue.“There’s still something very wrong at the top of football.READ MORE SUN STORIES“We’re in 2025, when everyone is supposedly liberal and accepting, yet something is stopping these men accepting who they are.“Football is still failing in this regard.” More

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      in Soccer

      I’ve had deaths threats after games with thugs hoping my mum dies of AIDS & I end up paralysed, says ex-ref David Coote

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      DAVID Coote last night revealed the sickening abuse aimed at match officials — including death threats and warped internet trolls saying they hope his mum dies of AIDS in her sleep.Sacked Coote called for TV pundits to stop “whipping up” fans into a frenzy against referees amid “hysterical” analysis, claiming messages he has received from crazed supporters added to his spiral into cocaine abuse.David Coote revealed the sickening abuse aimed at match officialsCredit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers LtdThe sacked ref has received death threats and had warped internet trolls saying they hope his mum dies of AIDS in her sleepCredit: PAMichael Oliver sent off Gunner Myles Lewis-Skelly during Saturday’s Wolves versus Arsenal Premier League clashCredit: PAWeeping, the 42-year-old, who described some messages as “abhorrent”, told The Sun: “I’ve received death threats during my career. “I’ve needed an accelerated response tag on my home address for me to speak to the police in an emergency.“I’ve also had messages from irate supporters hoping that I had an accident on the way home from a game. “They didn’t just want me to die but to be paralysed, so I’d suffer every day for the rest of my life.Read More on Sport“Other messages included hoping that my mum dies of AIDS overnight.“People target referees without accountability on social media, and at matches. “I can’t see how that is acceptable. “There is standard abuse on a regular basis, but some crosses any line of acceptability.Most read in Football“I’m sorry people are talking about me for the wrong reasons. “I’m not here looking for sympathy. Scandal-hit Premier League ref David Coote SACKED after videos emerged of anti-Klopp rant and snorting white powder“I just want to say that I am a human being that’s made mistakes.“I’m paying the consequences. “I’m taking responsibility for making those mistakes. “I hope that others in my situation seek help in the right ways as I’m now trying to do.”Coote revealed that at the elite level of the game it’s not always a stadium full of 60,000 fans screaming ‘the referee’s a w*****’ that causes the most upset.He said: “We have an earpiece in, and are on comms. “We’re constantly talking to each other and listening to players on the field, so actually the noise in the stadium doesn’t impact us very much.“But what is more impactful is the things you hear and see that are individual — the targeted abuse.“There are fans who decide to hang around for an hour or two after a game to individually abuse us, hanging over the barriers as we leave the stadium.“And there are those who take to social media. “Some refs might not be on social media, but it still has an impact on friends and family.“Some of the things said are abhorrent. “That has more impact on us as individuals, and as people.”He went on: “Every official that takes the pitch up and down the country from a local playing field to the Premier League is a human being, not just a referee.“They have feelings. “They may not show them, but it will impact them when they’re receiving abuse. “I’ve struggled and I’ve tried to get through it in my own way and made poor decisions in doing so.“I hope that others make better decisions  and that referees are given an easier ride in the levels of scrutiny, and levels of abuse that come in their direction.“I hope this shines a light on the impact it can have on a person.”Coote spoke out as fellow referee Michael Oliver, his partner Laura and two-year-old daughter, received death threats after Saturday’s Wolves versus Arsenal Premier League clash, when he sent off Gunner Myles Lewis-Skelly.Fans said they knew where he lived and were going to brick his windows.Three weeks ago, after Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United, someone said they were going to blow up Oliver’s car with his family inside it.Coote said of the menaces towards his friend: “This isn’t the first time this season we’ve heard of such abuse. “Sadly, it won’t be the last.“I know only too well the toll these appalling and frightening threats can have, but you have no option other than to take it.“Referees have no right of reply, while those who make the threats face no action. “It has to change.”Referees have no right of reply, while those who make the threats face no action. It has to changeDavid CooteDespite his fall from grace, Coote is keen to draw attention to how tough refereeing can be. He pointed out that officials are increasingly forced into “centre stage”.In the January 8 Carabao Cup semi-final between Spurs and Liverpool, Stuart Attwell became the first ref in England to announce a VAR decision in the stadium when he explained why Dominic Solanke’s late goal for Spurs was ruled out. Coote said: “The difficulty with being a referee is that the concept of resilience is key to doing what we do.“That means the opposite of resilience is a vulnerability or a weakness. “If I’ve got to be resilient to do the job then showing weakness and vulnerability immediately casts doubt over the ability to do that role.“I hope others who are finding things difficult are given the support they need to be able to show weakness and vulnerability because it’s impossible to keep up the facade over the course of time.”Coote’s sacking triggered change in the PGMOL, the referees’ governing body, including providing psychological support.He said officials had had the chance to have their say on “what could be done differently”. He said he was grateful for the support of colleagues, the PGMOL’s Howard Webb and Danielle Every and well-wishers in the street.The support has helped me get through some really tough timesDavid CooteHe said: “The support has helped me get through some really tough times.“My episodes hit the whole refereeing community hard because it showed just how accountable everybody in the game is.”Coote, a fan of League Two Notts County, began his route to top-level officiating by running the line for his dad and uncle’s Sunday team aged 14.He was urged to take a referees’ course and progressed through the levels of the game until he was invited to become a full-time Championship official.The Premier League followed and, a few years later, he added the VAR skill set.He said: “Nobody really prepares you for moving through each level and then arriving in the Premier League, which is like a goldfish bowl.”You don’t apply for promotion, people just take a judgment on your performances and you as a person, and give you the opportunity at a new level.“All of us who operate at the top levels of the game, we’re just normal guys, football fans who’ve been fortunate enough to be selected and move through the levels.“I’ve been really fortunate as a football fan to have seen the great players at such close quarters. “But there is a trade-off. “We don’t get an easy ride of it.”Coote said there’s no a simple fix to make football genuinely inclusive.He said: “It’s a difficult world to work in. “To be ‘me’ in football wasn’t easy. “I didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to myself and I understand why others wouldn’t want to do the same.“I’ve no doubt that if somebody did come out there would be a lot of support but also they’d be opening themselves up to online abuse and prejudicial views that have no place in the society we live in.“It’s much more than a football problem. “It’s more of a society problem, particularly given how tribal football fans can be in a win-at-all-costs game.”Despite the scandal, Coote hopes to remain in the game and is keen to play a role speaking out for refs in the media.For now, he is training for a marathon in May to raise funds for research into motor neurone disease, which his uncle has.He said: “I’ll be looking to make sure my health and wellbeing is in the best possible place.”IT’S VERY BRAVE MOVEBy AMAL FASHANU, Niece of Justin who runs foundation in his name“IT is very brave for anyone to come out, but more so for someone in the public eye.“This will affect David Coote and is a big step but it should have less of an effect that in would on a player. Amal Fashanu, niece of JustinCredit: Darren FletcherNorwich striker Justin killed himself in 1998 after becoming the first top-flight player to come outCredit: Getty – Contributor“It’s not the same level of fame.”Amal, whose former Norwich striker uncle killed himself in 1998 after becoming the first top-flight player to come out, added: “We’d love to chat to him at the foundation.“We’d be there to offer any support and counselling.“We also help people with mental health problems and would be there for him if that was an issue.“There’s still something very wrong at the top of football.READ MORE SUN STORIES“We’re in 2025, when everyone is supposedly liberal and accepting, yet something is stopping these men accepting who they are.“Football is still failing in this regard.” More

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      in Soccer

      Football host Jeff Stelling opens up about daughter’s battle with anorexia

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      FOOTBALL host Jeff Stelling has opened up about his daughter’s battle with anorexia.He said Olivia, 21, got “skeletal” from the mental health condition and spent months in hospital.Jeff said he faced the “heartbreaking” sight of girls in wheelchairs with no energy to walk.In 2023 Jeff, 69, told how “a friend” was struggling, and his comments went viral. He said Olivia was now happy for him to say it was her, and is doing well as a student.Dad-of-three Jeff has spoken to Parliament on the issue and said: “The reaction was astonishing.”READ MORE ON FOOTBALLHe said the numbers who relapse is “horrific”, adding: “If they relapse two, three or four times . . . they say they’re going to provide a pathway, in other words we’re not going to try and save you we’re going to try and help you die.”Last year Stelling promised go one step further than Gary Lineker if his beloved Hartlepool get to the Championship.The departed host memorably presented Match of the Day in his PANTS after Leicester won the Prem in 2015-2016.But that is nothing compared to the lengths talkSPORT host Stelling is prepared to go.Most read in FootballAsked whether he would emulate Lineker: “I would host talkSPORT breakfast without my pants in order for Hartlepool to get into the Championship.“League Two would be fine, never mind the Championship.”Fans have ‘tears in eyes’ as Sky Sports icon Chris Kamara reunited with old pal Jeff Stelling on shock commentary returnFootball pundit Jeff Stelling has opened up about his daughter’s battle with anorexia More

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      in Soccer

      Football stars are ‘super-clever’, study claims…putting old sterotype to bed

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      FOOTIE stars are “super-clever”, according to a study — putting an end to stereotypes of stupidity.They have “exceptional cognitive abilities” and are better at mental planning, focus, memory and decision-making.Football players are ‘super-clever’, a study claimsCredit: GettyThis is honed by working out when to pass, dribble or shoot while quickly predicting what other players will do.Teams from Oxford University and Sweden’s Karolinska Institute compared 204 top-flight male and female players from Sweden and Brazil to 124 regular people.Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr Petrovic said: “Our study demonstrates that elite soccer players significantly outperformed others in memory, problem-solving and planning tasks.“The ability to plan several steps ahead in a quickly changing environment may be one of the most crucial processes.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS“Being an elite player may not solely depend on athletic capacities and instead, it may be crucial to have a deep understanding of the game, process information quickly, and make decisions faster than others.”Dr Petrovic added: “They might have a superior ability to perform under pressure.”Similar studies have found above-average intelligence in other athletes including volleyball, basketball, chess and ice hockey players, as well as in elite musicians.Study co-author Professor Leonardo Bonetti, from Oxford University, said footballers might keep their unintelligent reputation because many are not book-smart.Most read in FootballHe added: “Even if they are clever, they are not educated – most stop at high school, possibly before.“This might be related to lower knowledge, not lower intelligence.”Ben Doak gives hilarious answers at Middlesbrough Q&A More

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      Arsene Wenger changed my life with two-minute meeting and life lesson – I’ll never forget that conversation

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      EMMANUEL PETIT has revealed the major impact a brief training ground conversation with Arsene Wenger had on the rest of his life.Wenger brought his fellow Frenchman to Arsenal in the summer of 1997 from his former club Monaco for a fee of £2.5million.Arsene Wenger brought Emmanuel Petit to Arsenal along with Marc Overmars in the summer of 1997Credit: PAWenger knew his country from his time in charge of MonacoCredit: NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPERS LTDA conversation he had with a teenager Petit still lives in the retired midfielder’s memoryCredit: NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPERS LTDThe pair, however, were already well acquainted as Wenger handed the defensive midfielder his professional debut with the Ligue 1 club.A teenage Petit shone in that match against then big boys Sochaux but cut a dejected figure in training the following day.Sensing something was up, Wenger pulled him for a chat – in which he gave the future France star a life lesson he’d never forget.During an appearance on That Peter Crouch podcast, Petit said: “After that game, I was man of the match but the following day at the training session, it was a beautiful day on Sunday morning, and I was not happy at all.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS”And I was very quiet, I didn’t talk to anyone. I knew I did something good the day before but for my first game, I should’ve been proud of it.”But I was not happy at all and he asked me to have a meeting with him for a couple of minutes on the pitch.”And he looked at me and he said, ‘Manu, if you want to discover what kind of player you can be on the pitch, you must discover what kind of human being you want to be in this world.'”And he said, ‘If you are able to open your eyes, you will see the beautiful things in the world. Most read in SportJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS”There is not always bad things in the world.”‘There are beautiful people and beautiful things. You just have to see and to look at [them] the right way.Football fans say ‘I’m dying of cringe’ as Arsene Wenger DANCES on stage at live Fifa Club World Cup draw”So he taught me lessons, but he was supporting me all the time.”And he looked at me and he said, ‘That’s why I want you to go outside after the game.”‘I want you to socialise with people to open your heart and your mind to people and you will discover the world is bigger than what you think in your head.'”So I said, ‘Why are you asking [this] from me?’ He said, ‘I want you to go to nightclubs, I want you to have drinks.”‘I want you to see girls or boys whatever you want. “‘I want you to live your life to understand what kind of guy you can become and then I can help you to become a better player.’Emmanuel Petit will never forget that conversation he had with Arsene WengerCredit: REUTERS”So I said, ‘Gaffer, you ask me to go t nightclubs?’ So he said, ‘I trust you because we know everything behind players.”‘We don’t have a spy at the club. We know because it’s a small town. We know exactly what’s going on in Monaco.”‘And we know that every single when you finish your training session you go back home.”‘Every time you finish the game you go back home. You don’t have a life. You live alone in the dark.'”READ MORE SUN STORIESPetit would go on to make 118 appearances for Arsenal over a three-season period, in which he won the double with the North Londoners in the 1997/98 season.He’d also make 63 appearances for his country, whom he scored for in a successful 1998 World Cup final against Brazil. More

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      in Boxing

      Tyson Fury retirement would be the right decision – it’s no good raking in a fortune if you’re unable to spend it

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      TYSON FURY is on his way to making more comebacks than Frank Sinatra if the sceptics are to be believed.He has never found it difficult to change his mind after announcing he’s hanging up his gloves.Tyson Fury announced he is retiring from boxingCredit: InstagramIt is the fourth time he has retiredCredit: PAQuestions remain on whether Fury will return or notCredit: ReutersUnexpectedly on Monday, Fury — for the fourth time — said he is quitting but nobody is sure if he really means it or if he’s behaving like a naughty schoolboy sniggering at everyone after pulling off a prank.If true it means he has snubbed a mega-million-pound showdown with bitter rival Anthony Joshua this summer to the disappointment of so many fans who waited ten years for it to happen.But I hope this time he is being sincere because it is the sensible thing to do.The two-time world heavyweight champion is 36 and has been a pro for 16 years and, hopefully, understands it’s better he doesn’t fight again for his long-term health.READ MORE IN boxing The years of intense training, weight reducing and taking punches to the head in sparring sessions — besides the big-occasion real wars — eventually takes a heavy toll on the body however good a boxer is.You either love or loathe the Gypsy King but no one can deny he deserves a long and happy retirement — a just reward for the entertainment he has provided.There are horror stories concerning the fate of so many elite fighters who have continued fighting long after their prime, Muhammad Ali being the classic example.Yet another tragic saga to prove the point concerns Don Curry, 63.Most read in BoxingNot his first retirement…THIS isn’t the first time Tyson Fury has retired.His first came 12 YEARS ago, when in 2013 he grew frustrated when a fight with David Haye fell through.He declared at the time: “Hi everyone, I have officially retired from boxing. There’s too many bent [crooked] people in the sport. They will have to f*** someone else. Goodbye boxing.”Then, he took a three-year break from the sport between 2015 and 2018, during which many didn’t expect to see him again.In 2022 he retired TWICE.Speaking in the ring after defeating Dillian Whyte at Wembley with a sixth-round finish, he revealed he’d made a promise to wife Paris.He stated: “I’m a two-time undisputed world champion. [I have] £150million in the bank and nothing to prove to anybody.”Later in the year, he stated his plan to “100 per cent” return to the ring.But then just four days later he posted on X that he was quitting again.He posted: “Massive thanks to everyone who had an input in my career over the years & after long hard conversations I’ve finally decided to walk away & on my 34th birthday I say Bon voyage.”It means there will be serious doubts that his latest declaration truly means we’ll never see him in the ring again.CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSThe Texan former undisputed world welterweight and light-middleweight champ was recognised as the best fighter on Earth 40 years ago.In 1994, three years after retiring, Curry was charged and acquitted of supplying cocaine — but the cost of his legal fees financially ruined him.Anthony Joshua’s ‘reaction’ to Tyson Fury retirement revealed by Eddie Hearn as £500m fight lies in tattersBecause he could no longer afford to pay child support he ended up spending six months in jail.Desperate for money six years after he’d packed it in, he made a comeback at 36. He took a severe seven-round beating and now suffers from severe brain disease.Fury might also like to know of the conversation I overheard at the poolside of a Kuala Lumpur hotel a few hours after Ali had outpointed Joe Bugner, 50 years ago.While Ali was confined to bed with heat exhaustion, Bugner was swimming and drinking champagne.Promoter Mickey Duff, angry at Bugner for running from Ali like a thief for 15 rounds, said: “I suppose, Joe, at the end of the day, the name of the game is money.”Quick as an Ali left jab, Bugner replied: “Yes, Mickey — and being able to spend it.” More

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      in Soccer

      I was Man City prospect who fell into booze and drugs, was stabbed twice and jailed… now I’m earning coaching badges

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      FORMER Manchester City prospect Daniel Warrender has opened up about being jailed and stabbed twice after falling into booze and drugs.Manchester-born Warrender has since turned his life around and is working hard to earn a Uefa B coaching badge.Former Man City prospect Daniel Warrender has bravely opened up how he turned his life aroundWarrender came through the ranks at Man City before turning professional in 2005The later stages of Warrender’s non-league career was derailed by prisonWarrender bravely opened up about overcoming past struggles on the ‘I Had Trials Once Podcast’.The former Man City youth star was first stabbed outside a city centre nightclub following a Manchester derby match in 2010.Warrender’s wound was reportedly minor, but doctors informed him that the shock of the incident had brought on a heart problem.And the ex-defender unfortunately went on to land himself in a world of trouble with the law a year later in 2011.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSWarrender was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2013 after punching a man in a nightclub bust-up.According to court reports at the time, he left the victim scarred after he fell over on to a broken pint glass.The shards tore a 3.5cm wound down the man’s right cheek, and made several other cuts on his face, nose and arm, a court heard.The judge noted that Warrender was usually a “decent, hard working man” but had drunk “a skin-full” of alcohol before the attack in Stockport. Most read in FootballJustice Bernard Lever told him that his single blow had “absolutely tragic consequences” for both men, according to the Manchester Evening News.And that it did, as Warrender, who was playing football for non-league side Ramsbottom United at the time, found himself behind bars.Pep Guardiola reveals Kyle Walker has asked to LEAVE Man City with England defender set or £400K-A-WEEK Saudi transferWarrender said: “I’ve been at Manchester City, decent little prospect whatever.”And then within two years I was in prison for various violent offences and drugs and drink, whatever, you name it, I’ve done it. “I was stabbed on two different occasions and hospitalised a total of nine times.”But that was normal life to me. But now I’m on the Uefa B course. I’ve got two beautiful kids. One of them is a superstar at City.”Warrender’s son George is currently playing for Man City’s Under-11 youth side.Fans have dubbed the youngster a “mini Phil Foden” for his skill – but also because of his uncanny resemblance to the England superstar. Warrender was part of the squad who beat Manchester United’s youth in the Senior Cup in 2005Warrender’s son is coming through the ranks at his dad’s former sideAnd tearful Warrender added: “I’ve got my own coaching pitch, which I own outright…sorry I’m going again. I told you I cry all the time.”But now, honestly, when kids give me a thank you and that, I’m in the house with my missus crying. But I love it.”The now 38-year-old was brutally attacked for the second time on New Year’s Eve in 2017. His brother David Warrender, a convicted drug dealer, was said to be in control of the bar.But it was substantially worse on this occasion as Warrender was stabbed several times and suffered a punctured lung and kidney.Warrender was part of the squad who beat Manchester United’s youth in the Manchester Senior Cup in 2005.He was shipped out on loan to Blackpool a few months later, before he joined the League One side permanently in 2006.But his time at The Tangerines was cut short when he moved down into the non-league game with Rossendale United.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe then spent time in the USA with San Francisco Seals before returning to the UK with FC United of Manchester. Warrender was shipped back and forth between Ramsbottom and FC United before and after his time in prison.Who are these famous footballers? More

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      in Soccer

      ‘That was incredibly kind of him’ says Harry Kane as he reveals what Wayne Rooney told him that would ‘change his life’

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      HARRY KANE has opened up on Wayne Rooney’s efforts to include him in the England set-up.The former Tottenham Hotspur hitman was called up to the Three Lions senior team in March 2015 by Roy Hodgson.Harry Kane was called up to the England squad in March 2015Credit: TIMES NEWSPAPERS LTDWayne Rooney gave the then 21-year-old some words of encouragement ahead of his debutCredit: TIMES NEWSPAPERS LTDKane is still grateful for Rooney’s welcomingCredit: PAKane was a million miles away from being the lethal striker he now is when he was called up for the Euro 2016 qualifiers against Lithuania and Italy.The then 21-year-old was incredibly nervous ahead of his debut, although some words of wisdom from Rooney helped quell those nerves.The Bayern Munich ace said: “I remember, when Wayne Rooney received an award for the greatest number of goals scored for England, he said he expected me to be the next.””I found that incredibly kind of him. It’s Wayne Rooney, one of the greatest strikers in history, he didn’t have to have a word for me.READ MORE ON FOOTBALL NEWS”You know, Wayne was the captain when I started in 2015, and he welcomed me personally.”He explained a lot of things to me about what it meant to represent England, how it would change my life forever.”It obviously helped me to understand this stage and I use it in turn today to integrate the new talents who arrive here.”Rooney’s chat with Kane had the desired effect as the former Spurs star opened his account for his country in a 4-0 romp over the Lithuanians.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSHarry Kane reveals his favourite England goalsHARRY KANE is already England’s all-time record goalscorer.But the Three Lions skipper will NOT be stopping there.To mark his 100th cap for his country, Kane spoke to SunSport’s CHARLIE WYETT about some of his special England goals….FIRST ENGLAND GOAL“My debut v Lithuania. March 2015.”There was a lot of talk in the build-up to that camp because I was playing well for Spurs.“I got a great reception and within a couple of minutes I scored a goal.“I don’t think I could have dreamed it any better.“My friends and family were there. That was a really special night.”FAVOURITE ENGLAND GOAL“It’s between two, for me.“Against Germany, the one at Wembley in Euro 2020.“Also, the header against Tunisia at the World Cup in 2018.“That moment of scoring a last-minute winner at my first World Cup was special.”BEST ENGLAND GOAL“The one I scored in Poland away in a World Cup qualifier in 2021. It was from 25 yards.”(Kane picked up the ball from Kyle Walker, advanced towards goal and put his foot through it.)“It kind of drifted away and it was a good strike, probably my furthest-out goal for England.”Kane hasn’t looked back since that memorable night at Wembley, scoring a further 68 goals to surpass Rooney as the nation’s all-time leading goalscorer.And his sights are firmly set on bagging 100 goals for his country.’It felt like the beginning of the end for Harry Kane’ says Man Utd legend as he admits fears for England captain In March 2023, he said: “Getting 100 will be tough for sure, but I never count out anything.”I am still young – I am 29, I am still fit and strong. I want to play for England for as long as I can.”He added: “A hundred is not out of the question.”It will be extremely tough but we will have to see how the next few years go.”Kane and his England team-mates will be back in action in March, welcoming Albania to Wembley for their first 2026 World Cup qualifier. More