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      Why Pep Guardiola is greatest manager ever – the brilliance of his football makes him better than Ferguson and Mourinho

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      WHEN Manchester City first announced that Pep Guardiola would become their manager in the summer of 2016, I interviewed Thierry Henry about his former Barcelona boss.Four hours later I was finally able to put the phone down on the greatest player of the Premier League era telling me about the man who was going to revolutionise English football.
      Pep Guardiola is the greatest football manager ever thanks to the brilliance of his footballCredit: Getty
      Pep Guardiola’s amazing trophy haul
      Coming from someone who had spent his entire Arsenal career playing for Arsene Wenger that was quite some statement.
      Now obviously Guardiola’s prior record at Barcelona and Bayern Munich confirmed that he was going to be pretty special. But surely he couldn’t be that good, could he?
      But it turns out that even Henry was underselling him when he spoke  – at extraordinary length – about Pep’s obsessive eye for detail, his clarity of vision, tactical awareness, drive, passion and ability to get the very best out of every player he coached.
      And with City now standing on the brink of a Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup treble, it is time to crown the 52-year-old Spaniard the greatest manager of all time.
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      Since becoming the youngest coach to lift the Champions League in his very first season in charge of Barcelona, Guardiola has won 30 major trophies in 14 years, including ten League titles across Spain, Germany and England.
      Of course he has been fortunate to work with some of the greatest players to ever kick a ball including Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Henry, Lewandowski, Neuer, Aguero, De Bruyne and Haaland.
      And, no, he hasn’t yet won as many League titles as Sir Alex Ferguson nor as many European Cups as Carlo Ancelotti.
      Others will argue that he has simply inherited the Total Football blueprint developed by Rinus Michaels and passed on by Johan Cruyff.
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      Guardiola’s achievements already outweigh those of serial Premier League winner FergieCredit: PA
      And I’m sure some broadsheet nerds will argue the case for Arrigo Saachi, Valery Lobanovskyi and Ernst Happel as contenders for managerial GOAT.
      Others might suggest names like Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp.
      Or figures from the past such as Bill Shankly, Matt Busby, Bob Paisley and Alf Ramsey
      But Pep tops them all.
      It’s not just the sheer weight of success which makes Guardiola stand out from the crowd. It’s the absolute brilliance of his football.
      His teams don’t just beat opponents, they overwhelm them.
      When Erling Haaland hammered the final nail into Arsenal’s coffin on Wednesday night, that was the 995th City goal of Pep’s reign.
      The way things are going, there’s every chance they will make it to 1,000 at Fulham on Sunday.
      Poor Arsenal were reduced to chasing shadows at the Etihad the other night as the painful realisation of how far they are behind the Champions hit home.
      After the game Kevin De Bruyne spoke of how they had changed their tactics to counter Arsenal’s man marking.
      But they made the transition look so easy that you were left wondering if they have discovered some kind of cheat code to cope with every question opponents ask of them.
      It wouldn’t be the first time they have been accused of bending the rules after they were hit with more than 100 historical charges of financial impropriety by the Premier League last month.
      But the rest of Europe shouldn’t hold their breath on that independent commission clipping City’s wings any time soon because the club have vowed to fight their corner in every court in the land.
      And we all know how quickly the wheels of justice usually turn.
      Guardiola has loudly proclaimed his club’s innocence even though he wasn’t at the Etihad when most of the alleged chicanery was taking place between 2009 and 2018.
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      Perhaps it’s that permanent whiff of backstage dodginess which prevents many observers from giving City the credit for their brilliance on the pitch.
      What they can’t deny is that Pep has raised the bar so high that it is going to require a football version of the Fosbury Flop to catch him. More

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      I’m a former Man Utd star who dressed up for training like I was going to prom while Rooney wore flip flops and shorts

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      DIMITAR BERBATOV has slammed the fashion sense of Wayne Rooney, claiming the striker would turn up to training in “flip flops”.Former Manchester United star Berba was known for his unique flashy style of football and that transcended into his clothing choices.
      Dimitar Berbatov made an effort to look coolCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      He was often one of the coolest players on the pitch tooCredit: AP:Associated Press
      He was critical of Wayne Rooney’s fashion senseCredit: Splash News
      Rooney’s fashion was never the bestCredit: @waynerooney
      Berbatov joined the Red Devils in 2008 for a £30million fee and went on to score 56 goals in 149 appearances, helping the club to two Premier League titles.
      The Bulgarian was able to effortlessly influence games and this charisma continued off the pitch.
      He would often turn up to training looking chic, but would be left unimpressed with his team-mates’ style.
      He told BT Sport’s What I Wore: “When I was going to the training session, I was dressing myself as if I was going to my prom.
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      “With the jeans, with the shirt, with the shoes.
      “Everyone was watching me, probably laughing at me because, for example, [Wayne] Rooney was coming with the flip flops into training and the shorts.
      “And here is me next to him with my shirt and blazer.
      “This transitioned onto the pitch where I wanted to look good with the shirts.”
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      Berbatov’s determination to be cool even left him criticising one of his former club’s kits.
      He slammed Tottenham’s 2006/07 home shit as an “ugly” shirt and revealed he offered to design the kits.
      He added: ” “I was saying this to everybody when I was playing at [all] my teams, ‘Who is designing this shirt?! Who is designing our suits? I don’t like them. Put me in charge!'”
      Berbatov called this Spurs shirt ‘ugly’Credit: Getty Images – Getty More

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      Harry Kane opens up on meeting with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy and admits he heard Man Utd chants amid transfer link

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      HARRY KANE says he heard Manchester United supporters’ chants regarding a potential transfer move as he opened up on Daniel Levy’s meeting with the Tottenham squad.The England captain played a key role in helping Tottenham come from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with United on Thursday.
      Harry Kane admits he heard the chants of Man Utd supporters last nightCredit: Getty
      Daniel Levy asked for a meeting with the squad after the thrashing at NewcastleCredit: PA
      And at half time of the game, when the Old Trafford club were leading by two, the visiting supporters were heard chanting: “Harry Kane, we’ll see you in June.”
      Erik ten Hag is desperate to bring in a new No9 this summer to spearhead his attack next term.
      As well as Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, United have also long-been linked with a swoop for Spurs star Kane.
      When asked about the songs from the away end last night, the star said: “I heard what they were saying but I’m just focussed on this team and trying to finish strongly.”
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      The comeback stopped the rot at Spurs after last weekend’s 6-1 thrashing at Newcastle – a game which led the squad to refund supporters who had the trip to the North East.
      Following that debacle, which led to interim boss Cristian Stellini being replaced by Ryan Mason for the rest of the campaign, the club’s chairman met with the players.
      Kane explained: “The chairman asked for a meeting. Obviously I won’t go into what was said but I think it was important [for him] to understand where the players’ heads were at that moment.
      “Obviously coming off the back of that result. And it wasn’t just that result. It had been building up since the international break when we conceded the two goals against Southampton.
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      “It was an honest conversation of where everyone is at and what we need to try to do to give us the best possible chance to finish the season with something.
      “We’re still fighting for fourth place but if it’s not fourth we’ll try to finish fifth or sixth, as high up as we can.

      “In this league, it’s so competitive, you can easily end up 8th or 9th if you’re not careful. That’s what it was – to give us the best chance. And I’m glad we reacted like that today.”
      Next up is a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday, and Kane has called on his team-mates to show the same battling spirit they showed against United in order to bring home the points.
      When asked if they can win on Merseyside, he said: “I think so. We spoke about these two games this week, just getting results: finding a way to win, finding a way to come away with something. Liverpool’s going to be the same.
      “Anfield is a very tough place to go. They’re in a similar position of fighting for the spots we’re fighting for so there’s a lot riding on it.
      “It’s down to us to recover and show the character we did in the second half and be brave away at Anfield.” More

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      Jermaine Jenas uses bizarre ‘fighting my dad with bum fluff on my chin’ analogy to explain Arsenal loss to Man City

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      JERMAINE JENAS used a bizarre analogy to explain Arsenal’s title-crushing defeat at Manchester City.That’s by claiming the manner of the loss was like “fighting my dad.”
      Jermaine Jenas used a bizarre analogy to describe Arsenal’s defeat at Man CityCredit: BT Sport
      The Gunners’ dismal performance was likened by Jenas to ‘fighting my dad’Credit: Getty
      Arsenal saw their hopes of winning the Premier League torn apart by City at the Etihad on Wednesday.
      Pep Guardiola’s defending champs romped to a dominant 4-1 victory.
      And Arsenal were left to lick their wounds after seeing City move within two points of top spot –while still having two games in hand.
      The Gunners have come undone in recent weeks, drawing three straight games before losing to their rivals.
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      Mikel Arteta’s men were second best all over the field.
      And at several stages they seemed incapable of laying a glove on the home side.
      Many summed up the match as “men vs boys.”
      But Jenas found another novel way of describing Arsenal’s performance.
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      The ex-Spurs star and TV pundit told BT Sport: “I think the manner of the game said a lot to me as well.
      “It was a bit like, you know when you’re a young teenager and you get to that age where you get a bit of bum fluff on your chin and you think ‘you know what, I could fight my dad here’.
      “Or you could fight your older brother, then they’ve got you in a headlock and you realise very quickly you can’t fight them anymore. It was a bit like that.
      “I don’t think I’ve ever seen – and bearing in mind Arsenal can still win this – but I don’t think I’ve ever seen that game where it’s like Liverpool vs Man City last year, but the gap just seemed so big.
      “I think Arsenal have been sensational this year and I just think if they have a good summer they’ll get closer, but that gap felt too big for me.”
      Rio Ferdinand also joined in with his own analogy, adding: “I thought it was a bit like, you know when you’re the oldest in primary school and you think you’re the man and you’re the best?
      “Then you go to secondary school and play against the seniors and you go ‘Oh my god there’s different levels’.
      “I thought there was a level yesterday that Arsenal looked at and thought ‘Woah actually we’re quite a way off.”
      Erling Haaland was among the City scorers in a dominant 4-1 winCredit: Getty
      Arsenal were left flustered as they failed to match City’s intensity and qualityCredit: Getty More

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      Arsenal vs Chelsea: Gunners look to reignite title charge against torrid Blues after Man City hammering – stream, TV

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      LONDON’S bragging rights are up for grabs again as Arsenal and Chelsea face off in a tasty Premier League affair – but there is much more than pride on the line.The Gunners had put themselves in an unbelievable position to finally lift their first league title since the Invincibles in 2004.
      Arsenal were blown away by Manchester City in their huge title clashCredit: Getty
      Chelsea have now lost five on the bounceCredit: Rex
      Until Wednesday when Kevin De Bruyne’s double and an Erling Haaland masterclass put Manchester City in the driver’s seat despite sitting in second place.
      But the Gunners have the perfect chance to bounce back against a struggling Blues side who have lost FIVE consecutive matches which includes a recent 2-0 defeat to rivals Brentford.
      And pressure is mounting on owner Todd Boehly to secure the services of Mauricio Pochettino after news broke earlier this week that the ex-Spurs boss has verbally agreed to join Chelsea 
      However, form often goes out the window when these two English giants take centre stage so it’s set to be an all-out war at the Emirates.
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      When is Arsenal vs Chelsea?

      Arsenal’s mouthwatering Premier League match against Chelsea will take place on Tuesday, May 2.
      It is scheduled to get underway at 8pm UK time.
      Emirates Stadium in North London is the allocated arena for this match and it can host approximately 60,000 fans.
      Gabriel’s close-range strike saw the Gunners escape Stamford Bridge with all three points in the reverse fixture

      What TV channel is it on and can it be live streamed?

      Arsenal vs Chelsea will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
      Coverage is expected to commence from 7pm UK time – a whole hour before kick-off.
      Subscription members of NOW TV can stream the entire action online.
      Alternatively, SunSport will have minute-by-minute coverage of the game including build-up and post-match reaction.

      What is the team news?
      Mikel Arteta would have hoped that William Saliba could be fit enough to return for this huge London rivalry.
      But the Frenchman is highly unlikely to feature and reports suggest that Saliba could even miss the remainder of the season due to his ongoing back issue.
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      While Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny continue their knee recovery sessions.
      Elsewhere, Chelsea’s interim boss Frank Lampard has a lengthy injury list.
      England duo Reece James (thigh) and Mason Mount (groin) join Armando Broja (cruciate ligament) in being ruled out for the rest of the campaign.
      Mason Mount (L) and Reece James (R) have kicked their last ball for the seasonCredit: Getty
      Kalidou Koulibaly (muscle) and Marc Cucurella (thigh) are also expected to be unavailable.
      And Kai Havertz’s knee problems could mean a start for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on his return to the Emirates.
      While Mykhaylo Mudryk will be determined to show Arsenal what they missed out on in the bidding war with Chelsea.
      What is the latest odds?

      Arsenal to win 4/6
      Draw 14/5
      Chelsea to win 21/5

      *Odds courtesy of Ladbrokes are correct at time of publication  More

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      Declan Rice ‘top of Arsenal’s summer transfer wishlist along with Chelsea star and Blues target’

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      DECLAN RICE has been touted as top of an all-star target list for Arsenal ahead of this summer’s transfer window, according to reports.Arsenal are stepping up plans to revamp the squad after guaranteeing a spot in next season’s Champions League.
      Declan Rice is top of Arsenal’s target list for the summer transfer windowCredit: Rex
      Arsenal have placed Declan Rice high on their priority list as they want a high-class midfielder, according to Telegraph Sport.
      Boss Mikel Arteta has made Rice, 24, a top pick for the centre of the pitch due to his technical ability and strength.
      The West Ham United captain would certainly add more dynamism and technical quality to the midfield, but will not come cheap.
      West Ham manager David Moyes has said Rice will set a new British transfer record if he does leave the club.
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      Arsenal had originally wanted to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo back in January, before adding Rice in the summer.
      But a £70million offer for Caicedo was rejected in the final few days of the winter transfer window.
      Caicedo remains on Arteta’s list of targets, and is joined by several other players.
      According to Telegraph Sport, Arsenal have had exploratory conversations with Chelsea star Mason Mount, who is coming to his final year of his contract at the club.
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      Mount could be a potential alternative first-choice signing to Rice, who happens to be one of his close friends.
      Arsenal could also pursue their interest in Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda.
      The recruitment team at Arsenal put in a lot of work in their assessment of the 18-year old in January, possibly looking at a move in the summer for him.
      Money from player sales will also affect Arsenal’s financial situation.
      Mason Mount is also a potential recruit for ArsenalCredit: Getty
      Ivan Fresneda has been on Arsenal’s radar since JanuaryCredit: Getty
      Left-back Kieran Tierney is said to have interest from Newcastle and on-loan striker Folarin Balogun has generated interest from multiple clubs across Europe.
      Arsenal’s record signing Nicolas Pepe may not feature again for the club after his loan to Nice, as his contract expires in summer 2024.
      That makes it difficult for Arsenal to ask for a large transfer fee for him in the summer.
      The Gunners will make around £6million from the sale of Pablo Mari to Monza at the close of this campaign.
      But this depends on the Italian side avoiding relegation and the defender playing the required amount of games.
      Manager Mikel Arteta is looking to upgrade the teams squadCredit: Reuters
      Arsenal are returning to the Champions League after a three-year break, with their qualification for the competition set to be worth at least £50million.
      The team are hoping to rely on the riches from the league to help their long-term financial stability, having watched the four English clubs that took part last season making an average of £88million each.
      To compare, Eintracht Frankfurt only took home around £34million when they won the Europa League.
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      This will be good news to Arsenal’s sporting director, Edu, as the team continues its upward trajectory.
      Qualifying for the Champions League also puts Arsenal in a strong position to attract new recruits. More

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      Supercomputer predicts Premier League top four race after Man Utd throw away two-goal lead against Tottenham

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      A SUPERCOMPUTER has predicted how the Premier League season will play out after Manchester United’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur. The Red Devils had taken a 2-0 first-half lead thanks to Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, but threw it away as Pedro Porro and Son Heung-Min replied with goals of their own in the second half.
      A supercomputer has predicted how the league table will look at the end of the seasonCredit: Alamy
      And it’s bad news for TottenhamCredit: Rex
      The result ensured the gap between them remained at six points with United having two games in hand.
      But how might this impact on the final table at the end of the season? Well, FiveThirtyEight’s supercomputer has had a crack at predicting this outcome.
      Following Manchester City’s 4-1 demolition job of title rivals Arsenal, they are predicted to cruise to a third title in a row with a five-point gap.
      In terms of the top four race, Newcastle will finish their impressive season in third place, one point ahead of their next closest rival.
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      And that team in question will be… Man United.
      They are predicted to finish the season on 72 points, seven clear of fifth place Liverpool.
      Below the Europa League spot the Reds are tipped to earn, Brighton will also make their first foray into European football with a sixth-place finish.
      Meanwhile, Ryan Mason-led Spurs are predicted to finish a lowly seventh place, handing them Europa Conference League qualification.
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      The top half will then be comprised of Aston Villa, Brentford and Fulham, with Villa missing out on the Conference League on goal difference.
      Chelsea’s embarrassing season will see them finish in a humble 11th place, while Crystal Palace will finish directly behind them.
      Wolves, West Ham and Bournemouth are all predicted to reach the magic 40-point mark, while Leicester and Leeds survive the drop by the skin of their teeth.
      It means Nottingham Forest are set to go straight back down, while top-flight mainstay Everton will relinquish their place in the top flight for the first time in the Premier League’s history.
      Southampton are also set to say goodbye to the league after finishing bottom of the table.
      Here’s how the supercomputer thinks the table will be at the end of the season More

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      Last Chelsea team to lose five matches in a row, including public masturbator and Songs of Praise host

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      THE LAST Chelsea team to lose five Premier League games in a row included a public masturbator and a man who went on to present Songs of Praise.The Blues shambolic campaign hit a new low on Wednesday as they were beaten 2-0 at home by Brentford.
      Frank Lampard’s Chelsea hit a new low on Wednesday as they were beaten by BrentfordCredit: Getty
      Glenn Hoddle was player-manager the last time they lost five Premier League games in a rowCredit: PA

      Since sacking Graham Potter last month, Frank Lampard has become the third person in the Stamford Bridge dug-out this term that has failed to get a tune out of the big-money squad.
      Chelsea do fortunately have enough points on the board to avoid being sucked into the relegation battle but it is still their worst run for 30 years.
      Glenn Hoddle was at the helm the last time they lost five in a row in the top-flight – which eventually stretched to six – but still managed to keep his job.
      And they even managed to qualify for Europe after reaching the FA Cup Final despite getting thrashed 4-0 at Wembley by Manchester United.
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      Here we take a look at the starting XI from November 1993 when Hoddle’s Blues were thumped 4-1 at Elland Road by Leeds to make it five defeats on the bounce: 
      KEVIN HITCHCOCK
      The goalie spent 13 years at Chelsea before going on to finish his career with stints at Northampton, West Ham and Watford.
      He later became a goalkeeper coach and had spells abroad in both India and America as well as working for West Ham, Fulham and QPR.
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      FRANK SINCLAIR
      A Chelsea stalwart throughout the 1990s and went on to win the FA Cup, League Cup and the Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup.
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      Later played for the likes of Leicester and Burnley before dropping down the leagues and then embarking on a coaching career with him now currently at Doncaster.
      ERLAND JOHNSEN
      A Norwegian defender who moved to Chelsea from Bayern Munich in 1989 and spent eight years there.
      Now back in his homeland as a youth director at Sarpsborg 08.
      JAKOB KJELDBJERG
      He retired from playing in 1997 after four years playing for the Blues and has been assistant manager various times for Chelsea legend Roberto Di Matteo.
      The star has also ventured into television and hosted the Danish versions of Gladiators and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
      DAVID HOPKIN
      FAMED for his missing front teeth, the Scottish international midfielder also played in England for Crystal Palace, Leeds and Bradford.
      He would manage Bradford and Scottish sides Morton and Aye United after hanging up his boots.
      GAVIN PEACOCK
      Peacock for QPR and Newcastle and then went into media and TV work following retirement.
      He is a devout Christian and presented Song of Praise in 2008 before moving to Canada to become a minister where he has served as pastor at Calvary Grace Church in Calgary.
      EDDIE NEWTON
      Another stalwart of the 1990s for Chelsea and scored in the 1997 FA Cup Final.
      The ex-midfielder became Di Matteo’s assistant boss for spells at MK Dons, West Brom and briefly back at Chelsea.
      Gavin Peacock went on to host Songs of PraiseCredit: Rex
      GLENN HODDLE
      The legendary Spurs and England ace was player-manager at the time and regularly played himself as either sweeper or in midfield.
      The now BT Sport pundit, who also went on to manage the Three Lions, provided the assist on this day at Elland Road.
      DENNIS WISE
      An icon in West London and captained the club for a number of years and lifted numerous trophies.
      He later moved into management with Millwall, Southampton, Sweden and Leeds before becoming a much-maligned executive director at Newcastle for a brief period.
      The former England star is now chief executive of Italian side Como 1907.
      MARK STEIN
      The striker spent five years at Chelsea and scored 21 times in 50 Premier League games.
      After dropping down the leagues, he later became a physio and worked at both Barnet and Crawley.
      TONY CASCARINO
      The powerhouse forward famously represented Republic of Ireland at international level – but later found out he was adopted and was not therefore eligible through his parents as he thought.
      He wrote in his autobiography: “I didn’t qualify for Ireland. I was a fraud. A fake Irishman.”
      He also played for Aston Villa, Celtic and Marseille.
      Cascarino is now a presenter on talkSPORT.
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      NEIL SHIPPERLEY
      The striker scored the consolation against Leeds and later embarked on a journeyman career with spells at Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Wimbledon and Crystal Palace.
      Ex-footballer Neil Shipperley exposed himself from a white van as a mum walked along a street with her daughterCredit: Simon Jones – The Sun
      Neil Shipperley scored the goal that day against Leeds UnitedCredit: Rex
      Tried his hand at management in non-league before he was found guilty of public masturbation in December 2019 and given a 12-month community order and told to complete 120 hours unpaid work.
      A court heard how he had admitted exposing his genitals from inside his van as he drove alongside a mother and her teenage daughter in West London.
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      MAL DONAGHY
      The ex-Northern Ireland defender retired from playing at the end of this season.
      He had spent a decade at Luton prior to a spell at Manchester United and then Chelsea. More