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      Ex-West Ham top scorer who ‘left £200k Lambo when he quit club’ announces shock retirement after ‘suffering huge pain’

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      FORMER West Ham star Diafra Sakho has retired aged 33 after “suffering huge pain” from a back injury.The Senegal international was the Hammers’ top scorer nine years ago, with 12 goals in 26 games.
      Diafra Sakho has retired aged 33Credit: AFP – Getty
      He once crashed his Lamborghini while playing for West HamCredit: Refer to Caption
      A £4million buy from French club Metz in 2014, Sakho spent four Premier League seasons in East London.
      He departed in 2018 but remarkably left his £200,000 Lamborghini at the training ground after quitting.
      As well as leaving an orange Lamborghini behind in East London, he also crashed one in Hornchurch, Essex, in 2016.
      He left for Rennes and went on to play for clubs in Turkey, Switzerland and Djibouti.
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      Sakho joined French third-tier side AS Nancy-Lorraine last summer, and is under contract until 2024.
      But the striker told Senegalese TV channel RTS: “I have a year left on my contract with Nancy, but I have decided to end my playing career.
      “I have had a lot of physical problems and injuries. I need to discuss matters with the club.
      “My back injury makes me suffer a great deal. Maybe other people can’t see this.
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      “But I am suffering huge pain. I don’t want to take the club’s money and then spend six months without playing.
      “That doesn’t motivate me, and this is why I have taken the decision to stop.”
      Sakho won 12 caps for Senegal’s Teranga Lions, scoring twice.
      He hit 24 goals in 71 West Ham appearances, but had disappointing spells with Rennes, Turks Bursaspor and Swiss side Neuchatel Xamax.
      To widespread surprise he then moved to African football backwater Djibouti, playing alongside ex-Arsenal and Hammers ace Alex Song for Arta/Solar 7. More

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      Premier League manager keeps bizarre object in a case on his desk to remind him of ‘fine margins’ in football

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      PAUL HECKINGBOTTOM keeps a bizarre object in a case on his desk to remind him of the “fine margins” in football.The Sheffield United boss is preparing for his club’s return to the Premier League following promotion last year.
      Paul Heckingbottom will manage Sheffield United in the Premier League this seasonCredit: Getty
      However, the Blades could have been back in the top-flight a year earlier had it not been for play-off heartache in 2022.
      Heckingbottom’s side were beaten on penalties by Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals after drawing 2-2 on aggregate.
      During the second leg, midfielder Iliman Ndiaye was agonisingly denied by Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba.
      The Senegal international’s shot deflecting wide after scraping one of Samba’s studs.
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      Heckingbottom now keeps a stud in a clear case on his desk as a reminder of the fine margins in football.
      He sees it as a symbol to control every controllable, with everything else in football down to fortune.
      Speaking to I in October last year, he explained: “When I was playing, I used to have a manager who would constantly say to us that it is better to be a lucky manager than a good one.
      “Even when he messages me now, he always signs off with ‘Be lucky’.
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      “Those moments can often define a match or a season and you aren’t in control of them.
      “As long as you know everyone has given their best, you are happy. And if you have the right environment, you can eliminate risk.
      “The more details you get right over time, you will win more of those marginal moments than you lose.”
      Heckingbottom has been in charge of the Blades since November 2021, following spells as both a caretaker boss and their under-21 manager.
      Having taken over with the club 16th in the Championship, he guided them to fifth place and the play-offs in that maiden campaign.
      The former Leeds gaffer then went one better last season, finishing second and achieving automatic promotion to the Premier League.
      His side will kick-off their top-flight return at home to Crystal Palace on August 12.
      Heckingbottom keeps a stud on his deskCredit: PA More

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      Former Premier League Wag and ‘world’s most beautiful woman’ thrills fans in low-cut swimsuit

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      FORMER Premier League Wag, Viktoria Varga, has left her fans stunned in her latest Instagram post.The 32-year-old posted a photo of herself on the social media app wearing a low-cut black swimsuit.
      Viktoria Varga shared a photo of her smiling for the camera in a black swimsuitCredit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CvMtkoftMuY/
      She is known for her online presence and has over 600,000 Instagram followersCredit: Instagram @vikyvarga
      Viktoria regularly shares snaps of her travelling the worldCredit: Instagram @vikyvarga
      Viktoria shared the image with her 603,000 followers, with many quick to shower her with compliments.
      One fan wrote: “Such a pretty smile”
      Whilst another added: “The woman with the most beautiful smile in the world.”
      A third wrote: “You look gorgeous Vicky.”
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      And one other fan simply commented saying: “Too beautiful.”
      Viktoria is no stranger to sharing bikini and swimsuit photos as the owner of her own luxury swimwear brand.
      She is also the wife of ex-Southampton striker Graziano Pelle, who most recently played for Italian outfit Parma.
      Pelle spent two years in the Premier League with the Saints where he bagged 23 times in 68 appearances.
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      The 38-year-old footballer married the Hungarian influencer in July of last year in the south of Italy.
      The pair previously spent some time in China after Pelle was offered a monster £260,000-per-week contract at Chinese Super League side Shandong Lueng.
      Viktoria is married to former Premier League star Graziano PelleCredit: INSTAGRAM @vikyvarga
      Pelle has been without a club since 2021Credit: INSTAGRAM @vikyvarga
      Viktoria is the founder of her own swimwear brandCredit: Instagram @vikyvarga More

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      Sam Allardyce reveals he begged Leeds for job 12 games before being hired… only to snub them when asked to stay on

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      SAM ALLARDYCE has admitted he asked for the Leeds job 12 games before they reached out to him.Leeds’ relegation battle went down to the last day when a 4-1 defeat to Tottenham saw them back down to the Championship – after three consecutive seasons in the Premier League.
      Allardyce took over with four games to go despite offering his services to Leeds 12 games before his appointment.Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Allardyce has vast experience of keeping teams up and reckoned he had a good chance with Leeds.
      He revealed on a William Hill podcast that he called Leeds CEO Angus Kinnear saying: “Take me, I’ll save you.”
      Allardyce made this call 12 games prior to his appointment, but Leeds returned the call after sacking Javi Gracia with four games to go.
      Kinnear said: “Can you come; will you do it, please?”
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      Upon reflection he said: “We were really close in the four games because we should have won the Newcastle match.
      “It was always going to come back and bite us because we didn’t defend very well.
      “We didn’t keep a clean sheet since last February – and we couldn’t score goals or create chances.”
      The former England boss, whose many clubs included Bolton, West Ham and Newcastle, said he had “nothing to lose” with the Leeds job.
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      Explaining his reasons for declining the task of bringing them back up from the Championship next season he said: “I got to choose who I wanted to be.
      “I chose whether I was going to get Leeds back up again, and under the circumstances of what I saw in a short space of time, I thought it was going to be hugely difficult because the reasons behind it are a lot deeper.
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      “The two factors in not staying were: do I think there are enough goals up front for Leeds? If they kept all the players, probably. Defensively, they are going to have to lose some players for financial reasons.”
      On the podcast Allardyce touched on his viral first press conference as Leeds manager – where he seemed to compare himself to Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
      Allardyce gave an interesting perspective on his comments, saying: “Alex Ferguson always said that when you are in trouble, divert the attention on to you. When I turned up, the players looked so dejected – there was barely a smile on their faces.
      “We had to pick the players up, so I thought that taking the pressure off by creating a headline was a good way to do that. It made the press really easy.”
      Sam Allardyce admits he called Leeds 12 weeks before his appointment claiming he could ‘save’ them.Credit: PA More

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      Which defenders will benefit most from Dream Team’s new scoring system this season?

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      DREAM TEAM is up and running for the 2023/24 season!If you haven’t yet selected an XI, what are you waiting for?
      You can make as many changes as you like before Gameweek 1 gets underway so there’s no reason to delay in picking a team, even if it’s just a first draft.

      CLICK HERE TO PLAY DREAM TEAM 2023/24 NOW – FREE TO PLAY, MORE WINNERS THAN EVER BEFORE!

      Marc GuehiCredit: DREAM TEAM
      This season’s edition features an improved scoring system, one that recognises individual performance in more detail than ever before.
      Click here to get the full lowdown on 2023/24’s scoring system if you’re not already familiar.
      A change in how points are distributed means even experienced Dream Team gaffers will need to think carefully about which players to select for the campaign ahead.
      In hope of providing a helping hand, we’ve listed the ten defenders whose points tally would have increased the most last season had the new scoring system been implemented – we’ll cover all the positions before the action starts.
      This should give you an idea of which individuals are likely to benefit from the new methodology.
      HIGHEST POINTS INCREASES AMONG DREAM TEAM DEFENDERS

      Adam Smith (£2m) -10 points to 85 points
      Rico Henry (£2.5m) 61 pts to 149 pts
      Vladimir Coufal (£2.5m) 44 pts to 126 pts
      Marc Guehi (£2.5m) 63 pts to 141 pts
      Tyrick Mitchell (£2.5m) 53 pts to 130 pts
      Nelson Semedo (£2.5m) 43 pts to 120 pts
      Tyrell Malacia (£3m) 87 pts to 162 pts
      Joel Veltman (£2.5m) 61 pts to 134 pts
      Antonee Robinson (£2m) 53 pts to 125 pts
      Ezri Konsa (£2.5m) 52 pts to 124 pts

      At first glance, Bournemouth’s Adam Smith may be an underwhelming name to top this list (no offence, Adam!) but the 32-year-old is actually the perfect man to highlight the fundamental change in how points will be earned this coming season.
      In reality, the Cherries’ long-serving defender finished 2022/23 on minus ten points, a reflection of his club’s poor defensive record as a whole – Bournemouth conceded 71 league goals last term, only Southampton and Leeds leaked more.
      Smith would have been 90 points better off last season had the new scoring system been implementedCredit: GETTY
      However, our new scoring system would have rewarded him with 85 points – a modest score, granted, but one that reflects his individual efforts more accurately.
      Smith featured in all but one of Bournemouth’s league fixtures last season (34 starts) and he ranked relatively highly for the metrics that will matter going forward (blocks, tackles, clearances, etc) among his team-mates. 
      Even if the new scoring system had been applied, Smith wouldn’t have been a smart selection but it’s worth noting the significant difference between relatively inactive players and those who are near ever-present for their team and actually contribute to how the games unfold.
      Rico Henry is another defender possibly set to benefit from Dream Team’s new scoring system.
      The Brentford faithful would probably agree that his individual performances were worthy of more than 61 points last season – only Mathias Jensen (£2.5m) made more tackles in the top flight for the Bees last season and the marauding left-back also ranked highly for chances created and dribbles.
      Full-backs who offer plenty going forward have always thrived in Dream Team but gaffers would do well to note that individuals who noticeably impact their side’s fortunes in a positive manner will now receive just rewards even if they don’t end up with bucket-loads of goal contributions and clean sheets.
      Crystal Palace’s best defenders could be viable in 2023/24Credit: GETTY
      Could Selhurst Park be a haven of value-for-money points this season?
      Tyrick Mitchell and Marc Guehi registered underwhelming points tallies of 53 and 63 respectively last term but again that was a reflection of the fact Crystal Palace mustered just nine clean sheets in the league.
      Their respective revised totals of 130 and 141 paint a more accurate picture of their individual performances, which aligns with the pair’s deserved statuses as England internationals.
      A quick look at the stats reveals that Guehi and Mitchell played the most minutes for the Eagles in 2022/23 – the latter ranked first for tackles won and blocks.
      If you take nothing else away from this article when selecting your XI, make sure you’re fully aware that individual performance will be more of a factor in determining the success of defenders this coming season.

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      Best pound-for-pound Premier League managers revealed by fans with Ten Hag lower than LUTON boss and Pochettino 17th

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      PREMIER LEAGUE fans have voted for the best pound-for-pound managers in the league and it’s thrown up a few surprises. Sky Bet asked fans who they think is the best boss irrespective of budget and playing squad as part of their Fan Hope Survey.
      Fans voted for who they thought was the best manager in the Premier League
      Pep Guardiola came out on topCredit: Getty
      Julen Lopetegui is considered the worst manager in the league by fans after his Wolves side finished 13th last seasonCredit: Getty
      Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola unsurprisingly topped the list after leading his team to the Treble last season.
      Whilst Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui sits in last place after getting just 0.5 per cent of the vote.
      Following Newcastle’s stunning return to the Champions League, fans voted Eddie Howe as the third best boss in the division.
      But he still finished behind Jurgen Klopp who got 13.3 per cent despite failing to guide his team back amongst Europe’s elite last term.
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      Premier League newbies Luton Town are clearly in good hands according to fans after boss Rob Edwards was voted the eighth best manager in the league.
      Edwards is rated higher than the likes of Erik ten Hag, Unai Emery and Mauricio Pochettino and is yet to manage a game in the top flight.
      Despite ten Hag seemingly changing the fortunes of a struggling Manchester United, he finds himself considered only the 13th best manager in the league.
      Chelsea’s new boss Pochettino has a lot of work to do in West London after The Blues shocking campaign last season, but he may not have the fans on board just yet.
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      The former Spurs boss is rated higher by his old fans than his current ones after 14 per cent of Tottenham fans considered him the best in the league – more than any other fan base, including Chelsea.
      Only Lopetegui and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola are rated lower than Tottenham’s new manager Ange Postecoglou though.
      The Aussie coach got a measly one per cent of the vote and will be hoping to prove his critics wrong when the season kicks off in August.
      Mikel Arteta led Arsenal to their highest league finish since 2016 last season, but according to fans he falls behind the likes of Thomas Frank and Roy Hodgson pound-for-pound.
      Another of Pep Guardiola’s coaching prodigies, Vincent Kompany, seems highly respected too.
      The Burnley manager got 3.4 per cent of the vote and is considered the tenth best gaffer in the league after guiding The Clarets to a 101 point promotion campaign.
      Fans have high expectations of what Vincent Kompany can do with Burnley next seasonCredit: Getty
      Mikel Arteta has been given a harsh ranking considering Arsenal’s turnaroundCredit: Getty More

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      Pick up your FREE Premier League Guide for 2023-24 with The Sun on Sunday

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      WHAT better way to kick off the new season than with The Sun on Sunday’s FREE Premier League Guide for 2023-24.Free with The Sun on Sunday on Sunday August 6 we’ll bring you 32 pages of unmissable football analysis.
      Your guide to the Premier League 2023-24 season
      There is a full lowdown on all 20 clubs, with expert assessments from our team of reporters, along with fixtures, facts, stats, new kits and Dream Team heroes.
      Chief sports writer Dave Kidd previews the forthcoming title race and asks who can stop Manchester City’s Treble winners.
      We also shine the spotlight on Arsenal’s Invincibles 20 years on and celebrate Luton’s return to the top flight.
      There’s all the key dates plus we reveal who has spent more days at the top and bottom of the league than anyone else.
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      Pick yours up FREE with The Sun on Sunday on August 6. More

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      Man Utd expect to seal £60m Hojlund transfer in days but will have to break budget and step up efforts to flog deadwood

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are convinced they will have striker Rasmus Hojlund in time for their season opener against Wolves.Talks have progressed this week and a £60million deal for the 20-year-old Danish striker at Serie A side Atalanta is close to being agreed.
      Rasmus Hojlund has been a top target for Man United this summerCredit: Getty
      United still face competition for Hojlund’s signature with reports that PSG have launched a £42.6million bid for the striker.
      They have already bought Mason Mount and goalkeeper Andre Onana leaving them with £13million left of the £120million they were able to spend due to FFP rules.
      But as long as they can offset that with sales this summer and in the New Year market they will be ok.
      A number of current players have been linked with an exit.
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      Midfield duo Fred and Scott McTominay are among those who could easily be sold to raise funds.
      Former captain Harry Maguire continues to be linked with a departure after being stripped of the armband.
      Eric Bailly, Anthony Martial and Donny van der Beek’s futures are also uncertain.
      The Red Devils are desperate for a new frontman as the 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in Houston proved.
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      Manager Erik ten Hag was asked if the game emphasised the need for that major move in the transfer market.
      Ten Hag said: “Absolutely, two things: the pressing can be better from the start and scoring goals and I think we need more players capable to be one-on-one, we had the situations, it was Rashford, Scott McTominay, Garnacho, you have to score.”
      It was a tough night for United 24 hours after their second team was beaten 3-1 by Wrexham.
      They also had Kobbie Mainoo injured early in the game and he left the NRG Stadium with his ankle in a protective boot.
      Midfielder Mainoo, 18, has impressed Ten Hag in training and started the pre-season win over Arsenal as well as this game.
      Ten Hag said: “Hopefully he is not too bad and chances will come.
      “I wanted to see what levels he could play against Arsenal, we were pleased with his performance, and I wanted to see if he could repeat that and set conclusions, now I have to wait for the diagnosis”
      Scott McTominay could be sold to raise fundsCredit: Getty
      Fred is expected to goCredit: Reuters
      Harry Maguire is being eyed by a number of clubsCredit: Getty
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