Premier League

ENZO MARESCA gave Ruud van Nistelrooy the Leicester lowdown and convinced his mate it was the right job.And Chelsea’s boss believes it is still a good gig even though his pal has won only two Premier League matches since taking over in December.Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has lifted the lid on his time at LeicesterCredit: GettyThe ace convinced pal Ruud van Nistelrooy to take charge at the King Power StadiumCredit: RexMaresca guided The Foxes to last season’s Championship title but they are now in freefall straight back out of the top flight. The Italian bids to further hammer his old club and Van Nistelrooy on Sunday at Stamford Bridge.Maresca said: “Ruud is a friend of mine. We played together and then after we have been in contact.“When Leicester called, he thought to call me and we had a chat. I said to him that Leicester is a fantastic club run by fantastic people.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL“I have said many times, I’m 30 years in football and it was probably the best people in football that I’d met. So I told him many good, positive things about Leicester.”Maresca and Van Nistelrooy briefly shared a dressing room while playing for Spanish side Malaga but will be in opposing dugouts on Sunday afternoon.City are desperate for points having taken only three points this calendar year.Maresca remains close to Van Nistelrooy’s players, too. Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSThey even posted a picture of a banner declaring ‘Enzo we miss you’ during their Christmas party.The Italian said: “The only thing I can say is that I try to create a relationship with players where at the end, I feel very close to them and they probably feel very close to me.Chelsea legend John Terry goes on 5k run in preparation for London Marathon “This is probably the only reason. I still speak with many of Leicester’s players because we had a fantastic season last year and I’m very close to some of them.“I’ve been in football for more than 30 years. You struggle to find people so, so, so nice, that they care about the family, about the kids, about everything. They are fantastic.“But the most important thing, let me say, is that we need our fans on Sunday – 95 minutes, 100 minutes, we need to win the game. That is the most important thing.“At this moment, I’m focused on us. Now I’m here, I’m just thinking about us, how we can improve and then it’s more for Ruud, for the sporting director, for the owner to find a solution.”Leicester can expect no favours nor an easy approach with squad rotation.Key midfielder Moises Caicedo is one booking away from a two-game ban and Chelsea have arguably tougher matches looming against London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham.But Maresca will not consider resting his tough tackling £115million star.He said: “At this moment for us, it’s about winning games. We need to win games, so we cannot plan on giving Moi a rest thinking that he can play against Arsenal.“We need to win against Leicester and then we need to focus on how we can beat Arsenal. It’s just game by game and we need our best players on the pitch.“The position of Moises, if you see his background, last year he had 11-12 yellow cards, the year before the same, because he’s a midfielder. You are in the traffic. Sometimes you have to make some fouls. It’s normal.READ MORE SUN STORIES“Hopefully, he can avoid that until the end, knowing that probably it’s difficult, but the good thing is that we also have Romeo Lavia now, he’s started with us already. “He can be back. We need to be ready. Reece James can be a midfielder too so we’ll see.” More

FOOTBALLERS need to be sharp.And that is why haircuts are so important.Joe and Huw run Kings Cuts in EpsomCredit: SunSportThe barbers boast a load of Premier League footballers as customers including Declan RiceCredit: @kingscutsltdTheir pranks with clients including Cole Palmer have gone viralCredit: @kingscutsltdSo it is no wonder Kings Cuts in Epsom – just a 20-minute drive from Chelsea’s Cobham training ground – are trusted to deliver the trims for some of the Premier League’s top stars.Founders Joe and Huw have a whole host of big names among their regular clients – including England stars Cole Palmer and Declan Rice.Plenty of players with Chelsea connections also get their hair cut at Kings Cuts.A fair chunk of the Fulham squad do, too, given the barber shop is only three miles from the Cottagers’ training ground.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThat is partly because club captain Tom Cairney recommends the hairdressers to new signings, having been a loyal customer for a decade.Huw told SunSport’s Football Fixers YouTube show: “We’ve got players from non-league to Sunday League to Premier League to Champions League.”Tom Cairney is probably my longest customer, Declan Rice as well was probably around the same time.”Cole Palmer for the last couple of years since he’s been at Chelsea, Jamal Musiala is a good one but he’s obviously in Germany so he’ll come in whenever he’s in England.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”I’ve done Levi Colwill since he was young and still do Tino Livramento when he can pop in.”Joe does Billy Gilmour but he’s at Napoli now so he flies out to Italy every now and then.How Ruben Amorim will prove Wayne Rooney wrong despite FA Cup loss to Fulham”With doing Tom nearly ten-plus years, that’s brought through a lot of other Fulham players.”Being club captain, people turn to him for advice on haircuts if they are new to the area.”And the fact that he does have very good hair does help.”When asked how often he swings by Kings Cuts for a fresh fade, Cairney revealed: “Once a week. Is that bad?”I think it’s quite normal these days. “I’ve never had a bad haircut. He can do it in about four minutes. Rapid.”Huw is so trusted among his celebrity customers that Rice even managed to get him into an England set-up to provide haircuts for the Three Lions team.He added: “When I got invited into the England camp, that was a pinch-me moment.”You go in and spot X, Y, Z… yeah this is a bit mental. “Dec’s told a few of the boys at England I can be trusted which is a nice feeling.”Kings Cuts’ footballer customersCole PalmerDeclan RiceJamal MusialaLevi ColwillMarc GuiuBilly GilmourTino AnjorinTino LivramentoTom CairneyAntonee RobinsonHarrison ReedShane DuffyJoe BryanConnor WickhamJamie CummingRyan TafazolliBut the hairdressers have made the most of that trust by playing some pranks on the footballers in their Surrey store. Many of the hilarious videos have gone viral on TikTok, none more so than when they tried to put a “Baby It’s Cole Outside” Christmas jumper on Palmer, which has racked up more than 12million views.And the Kings Cuts jokers performed another trick in front of the SunSport cameras when Cairney came in – bringing out a pair of giant scissors midway through the trim. Cutting the hair of Premier League footballers is not always plain sailing, though.Tom Cairney swings by every week for his fresh fadeCredit: SunSportJoe revealed: “My experience with footballers, they don’t plan their haircuts at all.”Whether they’ve got a game or training or a bit of spare time, they’ll just ask you an hour before.”You always make room for them somewhere. There’s always after work or after hours or you might have a little gap where you can [squeeze them in]”.But the extra attention – and custom – from the high-profile clients means business is thriving for Kings Cuts.And the future is very bright indeed.Huw concluded: “I think our plan is just to grow as a business, just to keep building one step at a time. There’s no rush or pressure.READ MORE SUN STORIES”Once we’ve maxed out here, potentially opening a new shop, building on social media, building on more footballers, but not just footballers, just to grow as a business.”With their warm personalities, willingness to have a laugh and top-quality trims for some of the best footballers in the land, it is clear to see why Joe and Huw are a cut above the rest…The jokers pretended to use giant scissors to cut his hairCredit: SunSportThere are a load of signed framed shirts on the wallCredit: SunSportLevi Colwill gets his hair cut by Huw just 20 minutes from the Cobham training groundCredit: @kingscutsltdRice invited him into the England camp to trim up the Three Lions squadCredit: @kingscutsltd More

MANCHESTER CITY officials are aiming to open the expanded Etihad Stadium North Stand next January, according to reports.The reigning Premier League champions previously revealed that the new-look stand would open at some point during the 2025-26 season.Man City are currently in the process of expanding the North StandCredit: APCity have invested £300m in the developmentCredit: APBut, as per the Forever Blue podcast, City’s managing director of operations, Danny Wilson, has earmarked January 2026 as the main target should everything go as planned.Man City’s £300million development is set to turn the Etihad Stadium into a 61,470-seater venue.The Prem giants aim to deliver one of the best matchday experiences in world sport.Club officials also want to create an elite entertainment destination for supporters and visitors.Read More in FootballThe renovation of the North Stand will see a Sky Bar introduced, which is set to have premium seating for 450 fans.As well as development inside the ground, there’s a host of new areas being created in the renovations.The Cityzens are building a new fanzone, club museum, City Store, and a huge 400-bed hotel.However, those developments are not expected to be completed until late 2026.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSCity’s Director of Infrastructure and Development, Ed Dalton, said: “Work is progressing at pace.”The project is split into four different sections.Premier League club reach new milestone in £300m stadium expansion with special ‘bolt-on’ project set to boost capacity “We have the North Stand development, the hotel, a commercial wing, and the covered fan zone from City Square.”Over the summer and winter months, we’ve completed all ground works.”We did as much work as we could during the close season to minimise disruption to fans.” More

BRIGHTON could have unearthed another hidden gem after the acquisition of 19-year-old Malick Yalcouye on a five-year deal.The midfielder left his home country, Mali, as a teenager to move to the Ivory Coast and chase his football dreams by joining the famed ASEC Mimosas academy which produced the Toure brothers, Gervinho and Salomon Kalou, among others.Malick Yalcouye is tipped to be the next big thing for BrightonCredit: PAMalick Yalcouye was named Man of the Match in the Champions League for Sturm GrazCredit: GettyYalcouye signed for Brighton from IFK Goteborg last summer for £6million, having only joined the Swedish side in the February before for around €400,000. In the Swedish Allsvenskan league, Yalcouye was dubbed the next N’Golo Kante due to his ability to cover ground and hunt the ball like the legendary Chelsea midfielder.Brighton were willing to pay the hefty fee for a player who had been in Europe for less than six months. But they immediately loaned him out to Austrian side Sturm Graz, where he has played 15 league games, helping his side top the Austrian Bundesliga.He’s also played eight times in the Champions League, gaining invaluable experience on his developmental journey.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe rationale behind the decision to loan him out, despite his strong pre-season performance, was to ensure that his young shoulders weren’t burdened with being the record sale for Goteborg, nor tasked with replacing the likes of Moisés Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister straight away.Brighton had a similar plan for Caicedo when they first signed him from Independiente del Valle in 2021 on a four-year deal.The main midfielder at the time was Yves Bissouma, so to allow Caicedo to develop Brighton chairman Tony Bloom and the sporting directors agreed it was best for him to go out on loan to Belgian side Beerschot.By the time he returned from his loan spell, he was ready for the Premier League and stepped in perfectly under then-manager Graham Potter. Most read in FootballHis success was so evident that both Chelsea and Liverpool were willing to break the Premier League transfer record to sign him.Mac Allister also followed a similar loan development path before returning to explode at the Amex.Sun Sport sources at Brighton say the club is very happy with the midfielder’s development so far in Austria and believe he’s ahead of schedule, possibly being ready for the Premier League squad next season.Brighton players in tunnel post match after beating Bournemouth 2-1Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler also described him as a potential world-class player when he first arrived at the club.He said, “We are really pleased to bring Malick to the club. He is a talented midfielder with lots of potential to develop into a top-class player. “He’s excited about this next stage of his career, and we’re looking forward to helping him progress.” More

TEDDY  SHERINGHAM  would put his old skipper Roy Keane in charge of Manchester United — if Ruben Amorim gets axed.Former Republic of Ireland midfielder Keane, 53, has worked as a TV pundit since leaving his assistant manager role at Nottingham Forest in 2019.Teddy Sheringham would put his old skipper Roy Keane in charge of Manchester UnitedCredit: GettyRuben Amorim faces pressure at UnitedCredit: AlamyAnd ex-England forward Sheringham said: “Roy’s been out of work for a little while now.“I wouldn’t be averse to having him back at the football club.“But there’s only one role for Roy Keane and he needs to be the leader.“If they’re thinking about changing Amorim, it would be a leadership coup to get Roy in.”READ MORE ON MAN UTDSheringham told Prime Casino: “There’s no leaders — you need leaders at top football clubs.“Get Roy Keane in there to ruffle a few feathers, make sure they all understand what they should be doing and do it.”Keane lifted SEVEN Prem titles at United and the Champions League in 1999 as part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Treble-winning side. But he left in 2005 after a falling out with Sir Alex – moving to Celtic where he would retire as a player.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSKeane moved into coaching with Sunderland in 2006 for two years and later Ipswich from 2009-2011. The former Ireland international also worked as Martin O’Neill’s assistant for the national side from 2013-2018. Ruben Amorim says Man Utd must make more of opportunities after draw with Real Sociedad Ruben Amorim’s United are languishing in 14th with his future already in question just four months after replacing Erik ten Hag. Keane actually opened up on taking the United job last year when Ten Hag was facing the sack. But he said on The Overlap: “They’re not gonna be asking me. They just wouldn’t. They just wouldn’t.”Former United star Mikel Silvestre has also backed Keane for a role at Old Trafford.He said: “I think it would be great.  The thing is with Roy, he always treated everybody exactly the same way. It didn’t matter if you were a new signing, an old guy, the manager, everybody.”That’s how he got respect. That’s how Sir Alex got respect. If you treat everybody the same, no problem.”Keane has talked down accepting the United job beforeCredit: Getty More