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      in Soccer

      Jadon Sancho set to miss Man Utd’s Premier League return as physical and mental fitness battle continues away from club

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      JADON SANCHO will miss Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest as he continues his physical and mental recovery.The winger, 22, hasn’t featured for the Red Devils since October and was absent from their warm-weather training camp for players not at the World Cup.
      Jadon Sancho hasn’t featured for Manchester United since OctoberCredit: GETTY
      The winger missed United’s recent warm-weather training campCredit: Getty
      Erik ten Hag has revealed the winger is unlikely to feature against ForestCredit: Getty
      Sancho has been training alone in Holland with coaches recommended by United boss Erik ten Hag, who doesn’t foresee him being available for the visit of Forest next week.
      When asked if he thinks the England international will feature in the match, Ten Hag said: “I don’t think so.”
      Ten Hag recently revealed Sancho – who has taken a break from social media – was struggling both physically and mentally.
      The Dutchman said: “I don’t think he will be back this week, no.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      “We want to bring him back as quickly as possible, but I can’t give a prognosis of when that will be.
      “Sometimes there are circumstances with fitness and mood.
      “We got a drop in quality level and sometimes you don’t know why or what is causing it.
      “That is what we are doing now to try to get him back there. It is a combination of physically and mentally.”
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
      The former Ajax chief has brought in sports psychologist Rainier Koers to work with his players.
      Ten Hag said of Koers: “He is here continually the whole season working in the coaching staff, working with the squad but also with the staff and departments.
      “That’s his job to get the right spirit in the individual and the team.”
      United could find themselves six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham before they take on Forest.
      Jadon Sancho has been dealing with physical and mental issuesCredit: GETTY
      And Ten Hag admits he’s under pressure to guide the Red Devils back to the top four, saying: “I accept how it is, I accept that pressure.
      “But also for the manager of Chelsea and of Newcastle United, those clubs who have invested a lot in their squad.
      “It’s big pressure for all of us to get into the top four.
      “We want to be in the top four and fighting for trophies, that’s our aim.” More

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      in Soccer

      Rio Ferdinand reveals he has blazing rows with wife Kate – and admits it’s always over the same thing

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      RIO FERDINAND has confessed he and wife Kate have full-blown rows — and most of the time he is to blame.Though the former no-nonsense Manchester United and England footballer thanks Towie’s Kate for his reinvention, teaching him how to talk about his problems.
      Rio Ferdinand revealed he has rows with wife KateCredit: PA
      But former Man Utd footballer Rio thanks Towie’s Kate for his reinventionCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      The 44-year-old’s told of his troubles in the podcast Football Ramble, broadcast this week to mark the launch of his new three-part TV documentary series Tipping Point.
      He shared on it: “My missus will tell me a problem that she’s got going on, and I talk about it from my point of view.
      “Most men are like this, we try to help them solve the problem. And she’s going ‘I don’t want you to try and solve it’.
      “And I end up having arguments with her. We only argue about stuff like this. We get into a full-blast row because you’re trying to solve it.
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      “She says, ‘I don’t want you to solve my problem for me. I just want to be able to vent, and you listen, and just help me that way’.
      “As a man you’re sitting there going ‘Well why are you telling me then if it can’t be solved? Just solve it’.
      “Men feel ‘don’t discuss it if you’re not trying to make a solution’.
      “What’s the point in discussing it if there’s no solution-based foundations of why you’re making that conversation’, which is probably the wrong way to look at it.”
      Most read in Football
      Rio has become concerned about mental health in football, especially among young players.
      While playing for Queen’s Park Rangers in West London he would drive to training with team-mate Bobby Zamora.
      But Rio refused to confide to fellow players that his first wife Rebecca Ellison was dying with breast cancer.
      She passed away, aged 34, in May 2015, leaving him to look after their three children Lorenz, Tate and Tia, then aged nine, six and four respectively.
      Two years later he started dating Kate, now 31. They married in Turkey in 2019.
      But Rio said he has become a better communicator since meeting Kate, with whom he has a 23-month-old son Cree.
      He said: “I think that’s an important factor in feeling good, when you communicate how you feel to someone else or people around you that you care about.
      “It’s since I met my missus. I was never really a good communicator before that.
      “Then I met Kate. She’s really good and has got really open lines of communication, and she’s pushed me into that way of thinking.”
      Talking about why he did not tell his team-mate about Rebecca’s condition, Rio said: “A big part of my make-up as a football player was you don’t show emotion, you don’t show weakness, especially.
      “If you’re going to show any type of emotion, weakness isn’t the one you show.”
      Rio continued: “Young men in our generation, we were definitely brought up to have a stone face and a hard exterior. If you did have those feelings of vulnerability or emotions you better make sure you quash them quickly.
      Rio with Kate and dad Julian with his OBE at Windsor CastleCredit: AP
      “I very much became that, quite hardened. I had no real empathy for some people when they had issues. I wasn’t where I am today.
      “I saw people come into the dressing room who, when I look back now and I think about it, they were going through a tough time.
      “I didn’t even have any time in my headspace to even think about addressing that because I thought they were a negative impact on our team’s quest to try and win.
      “And it was such a backwards way of looking at it.
      “If you’d looked and taken an interest and spoken to those people and paid a bit more attention to those things you might have been able to help those people get back on track and then become a positive impact on your team’s chances of winning.
      “Mental health wasn’t even part of any sentence.
      “I remember Carlos Queiroz, Manchester United’s Portuguese former assistant manager, and his approach to training was very different to us English lads.
      “We were 100 miles an hour in training every day and he used to just chill in training. Come a game, he was an animal.
      “I remember one day, as we walked out to training, he was actually laying face down on the bed getting a massage.
      “I went to the coach ‘What’s going on with Carlos, what’s he doing having a massage, he’s not injured?’
      “He said ‘No, he’s not injured, he’s just had a baby and he’s a bit tired, a bit drained’.
      “Looking back now, mentally and physically, that was the right way to approach it.
      Once you open up about how you’re feeling from your mental standpoint, how light you feel after you’ve had that conversation, you can’t put into words.Rio Ferdinand
      “Whereas us English guys would just bat on, got to be hard, got to get through this, and we all kind of laughed at Carlos about that.
      “We were like ‘this is a joke’, with disbelief really, ‘we’ve all had kids mate. Jesus, what makes you special?’
      “Everyone’s case is very individual, everyone deals with things very differently.
      “My previous wife was passing away and the fella I went to training with every day in the same car, Bobby Zamora, didn’t know for a long time.
      “My team-mates, that I shared a dressing room with, didn’t know.
      “That’s football, that’s a place where I go to work and no one needs to hear that. No one needs to be a part of that.
      “I can deal with this outside. I don’t want to put any more strain and pressure on those guys, they’ve got enough pressure to win a football match. So I didn’t really feel it was a place to do it.
      “You don’t want to put an extra burden on anyone else’s shoulders when they’ve got enough going on in their life.
      “With situations like that, with hindsight, you think people would actually embrace that more.
      “They’d want to help you, they’d want to open their arms and give you a cuddle and bring you in and have a coffee together and just discuss how you’re feeling and help you along the way.”
      The angry Rio is a long way from his apparently perfect family depicted on social media.
      This week the couple were photographed outside Windsor Castle, where the once England centre back received his OBE from Prince William.
      Rio and Kate pose on the beach on holidayCredit: Instagram
      Kate gushed: “I am so proud. An inspiration to us all, my husband. I love you.”
      Tipping Point covers racism in football and sexuality and mental health in soccer academies.
      The ex-player believes many professional footballers struggle when they retire.
      He said: “I’d get up every day at 7.30, sort the kids out, drop them to nursery, go to training, get home by two o’clock. Routine, routine. All of a sudden that disappears.
      “You start seeing your missus another six, seven hours a day, ‘hold on, this is someone I don’t even know, didn’t know she was like this, didn’t know she had these habits’.”
      Rio now urges people to open up if they’re suffering mentally.
      He said: “One bit of advice I’d always give to people in workplaces, in schools or at home, is every now and again to just ask someone ‘How you doing?’ — not once, twice.
      “Because normally people can get away with going ‘I’m all right, I’m all right’.
      “And you go ‘Really, is everything all right for real?’.With that second one you might get a different answer and then a conversation could start that might help that person.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Once you open up about how you’re feeling from your mental standpoint, how light you feel after you’ve had that conversation, you can’t put into words.
      “It’s just a beautiful feeling.”

      Rio with first wife Rebecca Ellison who died from cancer in 2015Credit: Getty – Contributor
      Rio and Kate pose for a family Christmas photo on the beach More

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      in Boxing

      Ricky Hatton sheds FOUR STONE in stunning body transformation ahead of comeback fight aged 44

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      RICKY HATTON’S exhibition fight with fellow legend Marco Antonio Barrera is an exercise in mental strength and nostalgia and nothing to do with a serious comeback.Alarm bells have to ring when a 44-year-old grandfather announces a fight, ten years after his last one ended in a second consecutive defeat.
      Ricky Hatton has undergone an incredible body transformationCredit: Instagram / @rickyhitmanhatton
      Hatton, 44, lost four stone after this pointCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      But the former two-weight world champ and Manchester icon has explained how a gruelling training regime, four-stone weight loss and chance to walk out at his local arena on Saturday has hugely improved his life – not threatened it.
      The Hitman is in such a good mental space he has even treated himself to the occasional pint in the build-up and even stayed on track over a family holiday where he would usually go OTT.
      “I’ve been having a few Guinness here and there,” he said with the trademark smile fans fell in love with. “Because I’ve been able to keep on top of it.
      “I went to Tenerife for five weeks. Normally I’d put on a stone and a half but I went there and put four or five pounds on. Everyone was like “f***!”  but that’s the way it’s going to be now.
      READ MORE IN BOXING
      “It’s not gonna be ‘I’m 44, I’m gonna put my feet up, pipe and slippers’.
      “You get a little bit older, a bit wiser and things have to change – a little bit.”
      Hatton added: “When I jumped on the scales at the start of training it was 15st 4lbs.
      “And the weigh-in is this Friday which is made at 11st 7lbs. And I’m 11st 7lbs now.
      “It’s been a long way to come. I’m 44years of age, and the shape that I’ve got myself in has taken a lot of hard work.
      Most read in Boxing
      “It’s been great to give myself a target, a goal. It’s been great for my own wellbeing.
      “I’ve had so many message of support from people who have struggled with their weight. They say to see my from where I was a few years ago to where I am now is an inspiration.
      “It makes me feel very, very proud that I’m not just going to be back in the ring again, and hear the roar of the crowd again, but it’s also that it’s inspired people. That’s more important for me.”
      It was an all-too-rare TV appearance that sparked Hatton’s transformation and a clear out of his wardrobe even more ruthless than his assault on the super-lightweight division.
      “I went in and filmed A Question of Sport three weeks before I started training,” he said.
      “I’d been in camp for eight weeks when they told me it was coming on.
      “I flicked it on and went “F***ing hell!’.
      “I was alright mentally and I have been for a while but when I saw the show I emptied my entire wardrobe.
      “I’ve got a new wardrobe now, I’m a 30in waist at the minute. I’ve got a few 32s. As soon as the 32s get a bit too tight, I’m not going for the 34s again.
      “If I can’t get the button fastened, I don’t f***ing go out!”
      The dance with the 48-year-old Mexican warhorse was originally scheduled for July 2 but suffered a postponement.
      He handled the heartbreak and extended training camp with typical humour and honesty.
      He said: “Physically I’d look in the mirror at 15 stone and think, ‘Rick, you don’t look too bad’ and it never bothered me while I was fighting, because in six or seven weeks I’d be back training and it would come off anyway.
      ‘IT’S BEEN SO INSPIRING’
      “But I’m 44 now, I can’t keep dragging some poor f***er out of retirement every time I want to get some weight off!
      “I’ve enjoyed the compliments, people coming up to me with mental health and saying, ‘f***ing hell, Rick, I’ve been struggling with my weight and seeing you shift all that weight has made me want to’.
      “Then other people have said, ‘Jesus, Ricky, seeing you a few years ago with all that weight, suicidal, wanting to kill yourself, heavily drinking, heavily into drugs, the way you were, to see you now, it’s been so inspiring’.
      “So even when the original fight was postponed, I knew it had not been for nothing.
      “It was the first training camp I had in 10 years and now I’ve had two in 10 years. I’ve stayed on top of things, I do 10-rounds of sparring, I wouldn’t have been able to in the last time. Now I can.
      “Nobody can say this exhibition is a bad thing. When fighters make comebacks, you never want to see your heroes being bashed up or hurt. In an exhibition, it’s controlled.
      “You can see your heroes for one last time, showcase their skills, with the knowledge they won’t get hurt.
      Read More on The Sun
      “With me, people who have struggled with their weight and depression, the shape of me now, the way I’m talking, how I’ve changed. I’m not ready for my pipe and slippers yet.
      “It’s inspired a lot of people, I’ll hear the crowd roar again and share the ring with Marco, it’s a dream. I can’t see a negative thing about it.”
      Hatton vs Barrera, November 12, Manchester Arena. Live on Sky Sports Main Event – Buy Tickets at https://www.hattonbarrera.com
      You’re Not Alone
      EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
      It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
      It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
      And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
      Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
      That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
      The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
      Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
      If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:

      CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
      Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
      Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
      Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
      Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
      Movember, www.uk.movember.com
      Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm More

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      in Soccer

      Prince William makes awkward comment to Harry Kane ahead of World Cup

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      PRINCE William risked an awkward clash with Harry Kane — by saying England defeats have helped him deal with life’s disappointments.The royal sat down for a chat with the England skipper and fellow Three Lions’ ace Declan Rice, a fortnight from their opening World Cup match in Qatar.
      Prince William sat down with Harry Kane a fortnight before England’s World Cup opening matchCredit: YouTube/COPA90 Football
      William photographed with footie royalty – World Cup hopefuls Harry Kane and Declan Rice
      Discussing football’s effect on mental health, William told them that England crashing out of previous tournaments had taught him valuable life lessons.
      He also revealed he loved the “carnage” of school football matches, and how he modelled his own game on former England defender Rio Ferdinand, though far less successfully.
      Meanwhile, Rice spoke about the current England squad’s positive mindset — and revealed the Euro final loss to Italy at Wembley last year had brought them closer together.
      William, 40, told the pair: “You learn by playing a number of times, and many other things in life, that disappointment is part of life and how you handle it is crucial.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP 2022
      “Handling some of those really disappointing England results in the past, that was hard.
      “I found that really difficult, because again the same euphoria that we had comes crashing down.
      “You feel high and all together, and then normal life just gets on again.”
      William told how at school he would sometimes join in four games with 60 pupils playing at the same time.
      Most read in The Sun
      He said: “Some of the greatest friendships are born from playing games and being pushed together in slight adversity.
      “The sheer size and scale and just the fun of everyone running around chasing each other, I loved it.
      “I was a defender, I was stuck at the back and told to just tackle.”
      The prince said he looked to former Man United defender Rio for “inspiration” but joked: “He was ahead of me just a little bit as time went on.”
      He added it was a “big moment for me” when then-boy wonder Wayne Rooney made his first England appearance at the age of 17.
      West Ham captain Rice, 23, told how the heartache of losing to Italy on penalties in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley last summer was eased by manager Gareth Southgate.
      The prince said it was a ‘big moment’ for him when Wayne Rooney made his first England appearanceCredit: PA
      He said: “There was a special moment after that game, the togetherness when we all came into a huddle after we’d lost that, and Gareth said some really important words.
      “As a group, I think that brought us forward together because then we had to qualify for a World Cup in the next round of games.
      “We really overcame that setback of losing that final, showed our togetherness and our strength and I feel that we are in a really good place as a national team.”
      In the 25-minute video chat – released a fortnight before England play Iran – William praised the work of Shout, a free and confidential 24-hour text messaging service for people struggling with their mental health.
      Kane, 29, revealed his love of football began when his dad gave him a fiver after he scored his first goal aged five.
      And he was now trying to help youngsters himself, as Shout has worked with his charitable Harry Kane Foundation.
      Read More on The Sun
      The Spurs forward said: “My aim is to, especially to the younger generation, talk to them and try and provide ways of talking about mental health and wellbeing.
      “The more we talk about it and open up, it will definitely help solve and hopefully encourage people not to be afraid to ask for help, especially when you are feeling a little bit lower.”                    More

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      in Motorsport

      Lewis Hamilton slams ‘toxic’ social media and claims everyone should come off it for sake of their mental health

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has slammed “toxic” social media and urged people to come off it. The seven-times World Champion has never been afraid to give his view on things outside the track.
      Hamilton made his feelings on social media clearCredit: Getty
      And while he continues to search for his first race win of the season after a frustrating tactical error left him high and dry in Mexico, Hamilton had an important message for his fans.
      He urged people to put their mental health above social media and criticised “hurtful” comments that people leave.
      He said: “Social media is getting more and more toxic as the years go on and I think we should all come off it ultimately.
      “Mental health is such a prominent thing right now. So many people are reading the comments and the stuff people say, and it is hurtful. 
      READ MORE ON F1
      “Fortunately, I don’t read the stuff but the media platforms need to do more to protect people, particularly young kids and women, but at the moment they are not doing that so I think this will just continue.”
      His observation comes just days after he had his own social media run-in with former teammate Fernando Alonso.
      The outspoken Spaniard suggested that Hamilton’s titles were of less value than Verstappens’ as the Brit only had to “fight [his] teammate.”
      In response, Hamilton posted a picture on Twitter of himself on the top step of the US Grand Prix podium in 2007 looking down on his then-McLaren teammate Alonso.
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      F1 also finds itself at a particularly divisive time as old rows rear their heads and drivers being booed becoming an increasingly common sight.
      Confirmation that Red Bull broke the cost cap has led to fans question the legitimacy of their title victories.
      And the team have even boycotted Sky after roving F1 reporter Ted Kravitz claimed that Hamilton had been “robbed”. More

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      in Boxing

      Anthony Joshua reveals he won’t box until next year while he battles his mental demons following Tyson Fury fight talks

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA will not box in December as he battles to rebuild his mental health after back-to-back Oleksandr Usyk losses.The 33-year-old London 2012 Olympic golden boy was dethroned of his WBA, IBF and WBO world titles by the Ukraine mastermind in September 2021.
      Anthony Joshua renewed his rivalry with Oleksandr Usyk in AugustCredit: GETTY
      The former unified heavyweight champ suffered a second consecutive defeat to the UkranianCredit: Getty
      Joshua was overcome with a wave of emotion after the Saudi showdownCredit: GETTY
      AJ plans to take some time off to mentally relaxCredit: PA
      And he failed with his August rematch – despite a vastly improved performance – and broke down in the aftermath, throwing a couple of his old belts to the floor and crying in the post-fight press conference.
      A decade of carrying such huge expectations on his giant shoulders came pouring out of the father-of-one, after he lost his crowns and any chance of his career-long goal of an undisputed decider,
      And despite the Watford icon and promoter Eddie Hearn vowing he would fight in December, the powerhouse pin-up has now confirmed – although he is fighting fit – his head is still not fully recovered.
      AJ entered talks with undefeated WBC Gypsy King Tyson Fury about a potential December 3 showdown.
      READ MORE IN BOXING
      But he pulled out of talks when his commercial and sponsorship partnerships clashed with playing second fiddle on the Fury show, planned for the Cardiff stadium.
      And he has now confirmed to broadcasters DAZN, that his family has urged him to take an extended break to let his huge heart and mind recover from the punishing losses.
      “You saw after my last fight, I swear it tore me apart,” Joshua bravely admitted.
      “I had so much riding on it, for me, the British fans, the undisputed fight.
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      “It just really tore me apart so, from a mental capacity, my close ones are telling me to rest, mentally.
      “Physically I am down to ride, I am a warrior, I like this game and I like competing.
      “But, from a mental aspect, I think people have really seen it means a lot.”
      Bitter nemesis Fury has made a second career out of being a mental health campaigner, after his own breakdown coincided with a 2017 back-dated doping ban.
      But Joshua bottled up all of his struggles until his rock-hard facade melted away in the scorching Saudi Arabia desert.
      He now faces another rebuilding process and will most likely return to the ring in the Spring of 2023, against a mid-level opponent, to help get him back to winning ways.
      But watching seven-year-old son JJ learn to handle defeats has also taught the 6ft 6in ace to roll with the punches.
      He said: “Even if I am not fighting, my name is getting called out every day so it’s a mental pressure of being AJ and holding up a reputation, they go hand-in-hand.
      “Trying to do this thing – and do it properly – is tough. Boxers are rough and tough but this boxing is a lot of mental pressure.
      “I won’t know how I will feel until I am back in there. But the best feeling, that will be good for me, is winning.
      “That feeling of losing is not nice. Now I know why my son gets so angry when he loses at anything. I never understood it before.
      “Regardless of the belts, the feeling of winning will be amazing again, internally.”
      Joshua has now missed out on the two elite heavyweight fights of his era – against fellow Brit Fury and American KO king Deontay Wilder – over money and contracts.
      Tyson Fury offered Anthony Joshua a world title lifeline after his loss to UsykCredit: Getty
      But the fight failed to come to fruitionCredit: GETTY
      AJ will now return to the ring next yearCredit: GETTY
      A trilogy fight with Dillian Whyte is on the cards for the Watford WarriorCredit: NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPERS LTD
      But he still hopes he can prove himself by eventually getting the 34-year-old Morecambe master in the ring, even though Fury insists that ship has now definitely sailed.
      “I love doing business, good business and good contracts,” he said. “All that social media stuff is just time-consuming.
      “My dance partner, the last geezer I was supposed to fight (Fury), he’s a good dance partner.
      “He handles the social media side. I think we’d do good business behind the scenes.
      “It will happen, we’re in the same era.
      “Just as two competitors, two fighters. He’s definitely someone that’s a fighting man.”
      SunSport expects Joshua’s steady comeback trail will lead to a third fight with Dillian Whyte – who he beat a 2015 barnstormer and lost to in a 2009 amateur slugfest.
      After an April knockout loss to Fury, the 35-year-old Body Snatcher returns to ring on November 26 – on AJ’s DAZN broadcasters – suggesting the pair are back on a collision course while Fury and Usyk plan a March undisputed bout.
      Joshua said: “If you look at the way I have handled my business, I have never had to call anyone out or disrespect anyone to make a fight, or make it bigger.
      “I have always just handled my business in my fashion and, in doing that, I have won every belt twice, apart from the WBC.
      “I still have targets and goals to achieve but, so far, I feel like my strategy has been working.
      “I like fighting good opponents and, as important as it is for me to be a champion, I always wanted to fight the best of my era because there has been this stigma about cherry-picking.
      Read More on The Sun
      “If you want to get to the top in boxing you have to take risks, calculated risks.
      “And it’s not how popular you are, it’s how good of a fighter you are that makes you popular.”
      You’re Not AloneEVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
      It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
      It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
      And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
      Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
      That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
      The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
      Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
      If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:

      CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
      Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
      Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
      Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
      Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
      Movember, www.uk.movember.com
      Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm More

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      in Boxing

      Boxing can be a tough sport – but I just find it hard to walk away, reveals Tyson Fury

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      MY boxing life has been made up of two careers.The first took place between 2008 and 2015, a period in which I was unable to recognise the psychological demons dragging me down.
      Walking away from boxing is the hardest thing I have ever tried to do, says Tyson FuryCredit: instagram
      The boxer’s new autobiography Gloves Off, is out on November 10
      Tyson Fury says boxing will have a void of charisma when he finally hangs up his glovesCredit: Reuters
      They pulled on me like a rucksack full of stones, despite the fact I was on my way to becoming the heavyweight champion of the world.
      The second career kicked off in 2018 after a brutal battle with my mental health, a war I’m still locked into today.
      Through sheer will I was able to overcome my issues and return as the planet’s most entertaining pugilist.
      But then I started to think I should leave the stage while still at the peak of my powers.
      READ MORE TYSON FURY
      While I’ve long been admiral of HMS I Don’t Give A Crap, the most entertaining showman since the days of Muhammad Ali and the greatest fighter of my generation, it’s important to know that, as far as I’m concerned, boxing has always been a business with a shelf life.
      Statistically the people that stay in the game for too long have a tendency to get damaged, really damaged, and I don’t want that happening to me.
      There’s also a risk that my career has been shortened by the way in which I’ve lived my life.
      Health and nutrition was not exactly a priority for large chunks of my time as a pro: I ballooned in weight between bouts and then, during the mental health breakdown that started in 2015, I boozed, binged and tried cocaine.
      Most read in The Sun
      There was even an attempt at ending it all a year later when I pointed my Ferrari at a bridge and slammed on the accelerator, though I changed my mind at the last second and pulled ­away — thank God.
      When I eventually asked for help I was diagnosed as bipolar, paranoid and suffering from anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
      I later recovered, but my mental health issues remain a constant work in progress — from time to time I can have suicidal thoughts, though I now understand what’s needed to keep my demons at arm’s length.
      So while getting my face punched in for a living has put millions of pounds in the bank, a fighter needs to know when their time is ­up — and mine is near.
      Walking away from boxing may be the hardest thing I ever do.
      All I know is that I don’t want to overstay my welcome, ruin my legacy, or die from a big right to the side of the head.
      And believe me, an ending like that has felt worryingly real at times.
      I even experienced short-­term memory loss following that bruising encounter with Wilder in 2021, when, in the hours after the win, my head covered in tennis ball-­sized lumps, it was impossible to remember how many times I’d gone down.
      Everything was foggy, and the experience frightened me.
      No way do I want to end up living out my days in a wheelchair, or eating my dinners through a straw.
      I wanted to leave boxing at the peak of my powers, but have been tempted back, says Tyson FuryCredit: EPA
      Tyson Fury fully intended to quit boxing for good after beating Deontay Wilder in 2021Credit: Rex
      After that fight with Wilder, I told my promoter Frank Warren that I planned to retire.
      But then…Bang! he approached me with the opportunity to fight at Wembley Stadium in April 2022.
      Wembley was a showcase venue, an opportunity to bow out in style.
      And after the hardship and pain of the coronavirus pandemic, I felt I owed it to the fans.
      Boxing deserved a hell of a party, and with my triumph over Dillian Whyte, I gave them a showdown for the history books.
      I told the world it would take half a billion to drag me back into the ring.
      At one point, I was so confident that nobody was going to cough up the cash that I threw down a bet with Piers Morgan on live TV.
      He said, ‘How about if you do fight again, you have to give me a million pounds?’ Piers couldn’t believe his luck when I agreed, though I also knew that if there was a £500million fight on the cards, I wasn’t going to feel that sad about giving him a million of it. (Though he’ll get it in pound coins and fivers.)
      The other fight I’ve been interested in is a showdown to stop the nation in its tracks.
      Tyson says his battle with mental health is a never ending fightCredit: PA
      A match with Anthony Joshua would fall into this category, and in September 2022, I even offered to battle him in the UK with a 60-40 split in earnings.
      I wanted it to be a moment in sporting history, a fight for Britain.
      But so far we haven’t been able to make it happen.
      Now I’m due to fight Derek Chisora on December 3 — having already beaten him twice.
      Chisora and I used to be pals but when it came to my Wembley showdown against Dillian Whyte, Chisora tipped the other bloke to knock me out.
      I couldn’t get my head around that. How can you claim to be someone’s friend and then back another fighter to send him to the canvas?
      I really had no idea what was eating him at the time. Perhaps it was jealousy.
      I have a potential meeting with Oleksandr Usyk next year. I don’t rate his chances against me either.
      Sure, Usyk has beaten AJ twice now, but he’s hardly a killer.
      When I do finally retire, there’s bound to be a void in boxing, in the same way athletics got boring once Usain Bolt had disappeared from the scene — there’s no one around with the same charisma.
      With that in mind, staying on the stage is bloody tempting.
      You might be wondering, ‘Well, hang on, what about those risks you were talking about earlier — the ones that made you consider retirement in the first place?’ And sure, a purse is worthless if you die or get seriously injured in the process, but the thing is, I don’t plan on doing either of those things. I plan on winning.

      ADAPTED from Gloves Off by Tyson Fury, published by Century on November 10 in hardback and audiobook.

      MY PAL ROBBIE
      TYSON says he’s not impressed by celebrity but has bonded with stars like Robbie Williams — after he recorded a song on the singer’s Christmas album.
      Fury said: “Robbie’s a top bloke and we had plenty in common.
      Tyson says he has forged a bond with singer Robbie WilliamsCredit: instagram
      “Robbie and me are both people that have hit the top, having worked hard for something all our lives — him: pop stardom; me: the world heavyweight championship — only for the realities of our success to become massively destructive and very different to what we’d expected at the beginning.”
      Read More on The Sun
      Tyson said another “genuine” person was singer Ed Sheeran, who he met after a gig.
      He said: “We are both very similar in character. Ed is grounded.” More

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      Tyson Fury to release debut single to raise money for mental health charity after revealing his own battle

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      TYSON FURY plans to raise funds for a mental health charity by releasing a music single.The Gypsy King will fundraise for Talk Club by releasing his own rendition of Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’.
      Tyson Fury will release his debut single next month to raise funds for mental health charity Talk ClubCredit: PA
      Fury recently recorded his own rendition of Sweet CarolineCredit: PA
      All the funds raised from The Gypsy King’s single will go to Talk ClubCredit: AP
      Fury, 34, has already recorded his version of the iconic anthem, which will be available from November 11 – just before the World Cup
      The WBC heavyweight champion said: “Sweet Caroline is a record I’ve always loved and I’m excited to record and release it.
      “And thanks to the folks over at Warner Music, they’ve given me the opportunity to do that, and what better time to release it than around the World Cup.”
      Fury is no stranger to singing on the microphone, regularly serenading his fans, and wife Paris, after his fights.
      READ MORE IN SPORT
      All the profits from Fury’s single will go to Talk Club, a charity focused on getting men to open up about their mental health struggles.
      Fury dealt with his own issues after his toppling of Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015 and still fights a daily battle with his demons.
      He said: “I have been very vocal about my mental health struggle, especially since my comeback.
      “It has been widely printed about my highs and lows, ups and downs, so I’ve tried my best to keep talking about it as much as I can and keep trying to smash the stigma.”
      Most read in Boxing
      Talk Club founders Ben Akers and Gavin Thorpe believe Fury’s involvement will inspire other men battling with depression and other forms of mental health problems to speak up.
      They said: “Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 in the UK.
      “Tyson Fury is a champion, in and out of the ring to many of those men.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Men see themselves in Tyson, so when he talks – or sings – they listen.”
      Fan favourite Fury will be back in action on December 3, locking horns with Derek Chisora in a trilogy fight at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
      Contact the Samaritans
      If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, contact The Samaritans on 116 123. They are available for free at anytime.
      Or email https://www.samaritans.org/ More