Premier League

FREE agent Andros Townsend impressed during his trial for Vincent Kompany’s Burnley yesterday.The former England winger, 32, was released by Everton this summer after Everton gaffer Sean Dyche deemed him surplus to requirements.
Andros Townsend has impressed during his trial for Vincent Kompany’s BurnleyCredit: Getty
Townsend missed the entirety of last season with an ACL injury and found himself without a club going into this season.
But he impressed while on trial during Burnley’s 2-0 victory over Portuguese heavyweights Benfica.
The Toffees won comfortably courtesy of goals from Owen Dodgson and Hjalmar Ekdal at the Restelo Stadium in Lisbon.
Kompany was keen to get a good look at his squad, making five changes throughout the game.
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However, Townsend played the whole game yesterday and left fans impressed by his performance on the right flank.
One Burnley fan on Twitter said: “If I don’t wake up to an Andros Townsend announcement video tomorrow morning I’ll be fuming.
“Looked class tonight, sign him up.”
Another wrote: “Admin better have an announcement video lined up ready for Andros Townsend”
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A third added: “Andros Townsend really showing his class tonight.
“Can’t see a world where we don’t offer him a contract after this, quality player.”
While a fourth wrote: “Almost as though these two games have been his job interview – passed with flying colours.”
Burnley fans weren’t the only ones sitting up and taking notice of Townsend’s performances, with some Everton fans now regretting Sean Dyche’s decision to let him go.
An Evertonian wrote: “After watching Burnley Vs Benfica last night I can’t see why the club didn’t try harder to keep hold of Andros Townsend.
“He was electric against a full strength Benfica team.”
Benfica made it to the quarter-final of last season’s Champions League so Burnley fans will no doubt be impressed by his performances against such quality opposition.
Townsend also played an hour in Burnley’s previous friendly against Belgian side Genk.
He initially began training with the club to recover from his ACL injury but after impressing, he has been given a formal trial by Kompany. More

PRINCE ABDULLAH BIN MOSA’AD BIN ABDULAZIZ AL SAUD is hardly a household name in the UK.But anyone who has visited the Middle East on holiday has likely benefited from his business.
Prince Abdullah originally bought his 50 per cent stake in Sheffield United in 2013Credit: Rex
The Blades are preparing for life back in the Premier LeagueCredit: PA
Prince Abdullah bought the Bramall Lane club for £1Credit: Getty
Prince Abdullah, 58, runs the Saudi Paper Manufacturing Company, which produces toilet rolls, tissues and kitchen rolls, distributing them across neighbouring countries and into North Africa.
The firm is valued at around £225million… but it took just a single coin for Prince Abdullah to buy his 50 per cent stake in Sheffield United.
His £1 payment to Kevin McCabe in September 2013 saw the prince become a co-owner of the then-League One side.
However, the token gesture came with the promise of a further £10m in investment into the Bramall Lane club.
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A tense and lengthy legal battle started in 2017 when McCabe tried to convince his business partner Prince Abdullah to sell his 50 per cent stake for £5m while the Saudi man wanted to buy McCabe’s half out for the same price.
Nearly two years later, the High Court ruled in Prince Abdullah’s favour and when rival McCabe’s appeals were rejected, the toilet paper tycoon became the sole owner.
United were relegated in 2021 but their second-placed finish in the Championship last season sees them return to the Premier League this term with an estimated value of £75m.
It means there are now two Saudi-backed clubs in England’s top flight – but the connections to the royal family are far looser at Sheffield United than at Newcastle.
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Prince Abdullah does have a link to the state’s ruling family – but simply as one of an estimated 1,000 grandchildren of Saudi’s founder and first king, Ibn Saud.
It is understood he is keen to sell Sheffield United, despite the Blades’ return to the Premier League and his United World portfolio of football clubs that also features Belgian side Beerschot, Kerala United in India, the UAE’s Al-Hilal United and most recently Chateauroux of France.
One day he dreams of owning an NFL side.
But it is his paper business that remains the prince’s priority after so much hard work went into getting the company on its feet.
He told Campden FB in 2015: “[As a prince] you have to fight strong perceptions. Everybody assumes that you have got it easy and everything was handed to you. You have a lot of money. That was not the case for me.
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“Growing up we had decent money, we never felt that we needed the money, we always travelled to good places, ate good food. I had a good car. I didn’t think money was an issue.
“I went to a decent college, I was an honours student. But then when I wanted to get married and start the business, I did not have the money to do it. I knew then that I had to do everything myself.
“We went to the 13 banks in Saudi Arabia and I was turned down by 12 of them. They would not give a loan to a prince because they thought ‘If he doesn’t pay back then we cannot go after him.’
“Hard work was key. There would be 16-18 hour working days for me. It didn’t matter if I was sick or if it was Friday or Saturday. I would work every day. I had no life.”
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“I think being a prince can be a curse if you don’t quickly grasp that being a prince is not enough to have a good life.
“You have to work as hard. You have to do something. Nothing big will be handed to you.”
Prince Abdullah joined in the promotion party at the end of the 2022-23 seasonCredit: PA
He owns a paper company that specialises in toilet roll and tissuesCredit: Getty More

THIS former Manchester United star looks very different from his Old Trafford days.He joined the Red Devils in a controversial 2004 transfer.
Former Man United star recently took part in an All-Star fives gameCredit: Getty
He played alongside a host of other ex-Prem stars including Joe ColeCredit: Getty
His team triumphed in a thrilling matchCredit: Getty
At the time he sported spiky blond hair and a clean-shaven face.
Aged 42, he now has a very different style.
Recently appearing in an All-Star five-aside match at Universal Studios, Florida, he wore his hair in a ponytail.
He has also ditched his clean cut look, now opting for grey stubble.
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Fans will be delighted to see him back in action, after he recently admitted that he still feels the after-effects of his awful 2006 leg break.
It was “touch and go” whether he would be able to resume his playing career.
But while he left Man United in 2007, he was able to keep playing for another 11 years.
He dropped down the leagues, such was his love of the game – even playing for £500 a week at one point.
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Our former Prem favourite is… Alan Smith.
The forward burst onto the scene with boyhood club Leeds United in 1998.
He helped the Whites to the Champions League semi-finals, but watched things fall apart as financial issues subsequently took hold.
Following Leeds’ relegation in 2004 he dismayed fans by joining huge rivals Man United in a £7million deal.
He went on to win a Premier League title with the Red Devils, despite suffering an awful broken leg after being struck by a John Arne Riise free-kick.
Smith left United in 2007 after making 93 appearances, scoring 12 goals.
His next stop was Newcastle, where he continued to adapt his game into a withdrawn midfield role.
He played five seasons at St James’ Park, which included a relegation and subsequent Championship title win.
As he got older he dropped down to League One with MK Dons, before eventually finishing his career at Notts County in League Two.
He went on to perform a player-coach role with County, even taking charge of a game as caretaker manager.
The injury made me a better personAlan Smith
Following his 2018 retirement, Smith emigrated to Orlando, Florida.
He has worked coaching kids at the XL Soccer World Academy.
On what life has been like since his horrible leg break, he told the Mirror: “The injury made me a better person after doing so well so young.
“I learnt at any time, football can be over. I am lucky through sheer grit and determination I carried on playing.
“The good people I met lower down the leagues probably drove me on to stay in football longer. But by the end, the day-to-day training was doing more harm than good.
“I couldn’t compete at a level I felt I could easily before. I get out of bed and can’t walk properly, my ankle is stiff all the time.”
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Smith remains pals with former Leeds team-mate James Milner.
The duo smiled for a snap as they played golf together in New Jersey last year.
Smith began his career at Leeds UnitedCredit: PA:Press Association
He went on to join Man United in 2004Credit: Getty
After three years he moved to NewcastleCredit: AP:Associated Press
Smith grew his hair and beard out by the time he played for Notts CountyCredit: Getty – Contributor More

KYLE WALKER captained Manchester City to victory – against the club that is trying to sign him this summer.Bayern Munich are hopeful of luring the England ace to Germany in the coming days but the Treble winners want to keep him.
Manchester City beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in TokyoCredit: AP
James McAtee helped fire Manchester City to victoryCredit: AP
Aymeric Laporte celebrates the winnerCredit: Getty
And as if to show he remains very much a City player, Pep Guardiola handed him the armband for this game in Japan.
The former Spurs man now add the Audi Football Summit trophy to his long list of honours thanks to a late winner from defender Aymeric Laporte.
Ironically the defender is another player whose Etihad future is in doubt with the new season just over two weeks away.
Despite reports in Germany that Walker would be left out of this one, he started it as skipper.
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But it was another man who has played for both clubs who almost opened the scoring.
Former City wide man Leroy Sane thumped a free-kick against the bar with Ederson struggling to get across.
But midway through the half, Rico Lewis got away down the right and cut back for Julian Alvarez whose shot was saved by Yann Sommer.
However the ball dropped nicely for James McAtee to prod over the line from close range.
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The England Under 21 ace impressed during a loan spell at promoted Sheffield United last season – but Guardiola wants to have a proper look at him in the Far East.
Both managers made wholesale changes at the break with Thomas Tuchel swapping all 11 of his Bayern players.
Guardiola made eight – with Walker having a rest but one of the replacements was Erling Haaland who scored twice in his first appearance of the season here on Sunday.
But the Norwegian hitman did not get much of a look-in – much to the disappointment of the 65000 crowd in the Japan National Stadium.
And inside the last 10 minutes, the Germans equalised as French teen Mathys Tel scrambled home a loose ball.
Joao Cancelo – who spent the second half of last season on loan at the Allianz Arena – saw a shot blocked as he looked for the winner.
But four minutes from time a shot from Phil Foden was only parried and Laporte was on hand to fire home.
Pep Guardiola’s side conclude their Asian tour on SundayCredit: Reuters More