Premier League

THIS former Premier League star, now working as a coach after being declared bankrupt, looks unrecognisable.The 35-year-old was declared out of cash after failing to repay gambling debts and money owed to a friend.
The ex-Prem star now coaches in DubaiCredit: Instagram @tfa_epc
He begun his career with LiverpoolCredit: Instagram @bigguth20
He now works in Dubai with young players and looks very different to his playing days, with a more muscular physique.
The Uefa C licensed trainer is head coach at the Elite Performance Centre, looking to bring through the next generation of talent.
As a player, he begun his career at Liverpool, featuring seven times.
He then moved on to play in the Premier League for five years with Bolton, Newcastle and Reading.
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He also played in the Championship with Southampton, Fulham and Blackburn.
The midfielder spent a year with Mitra Kukar in Indonesia, where he discovered his passion for Asian football.
He then ended his playing career with Fram in Iceland.
Have you worked out who it is?
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The unrecognisable star is… Danny Guthrie.
Guthrie is currently working towards becoming a B licensed Uefa coach.
He was part of the Newcastle squad that won the Championship in 2009-10 and he has one Champions League appearance to his name.
Danny Guthrie won the Championship with NewcastleCredit: Action Images – Reuters More

MANCHESTER CITY’S former kit man has revealed what he found in Mario Balotelli’s locker during his time at the club.Balotelli, 32, spent three years at the Etihad between 2010 and 2013, scoring 30 goals in 80 games and winning the Premier League and FA Cup.
Mario Balotelli’s ‘Why always me?’ shirt was one of his most famous momentsCredit: AFP
Man City boss Roberto Mancini struggled to control BalotelliCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
But he will also be remembered for his off-field antics – which included setting fireworks off inside his house and receiving thousands of pounds worth of parking fines.
And Man City’s kit man from back then, Les Chapman, has now told a hilarious story about discovering the tickets for those fines in Balotelli’s locker.
Speaking on the Ninety Three Twenty Podcast, he said: “I used to do tours of the training ground. And I can remember going in the dressing room with the first tour after Mario had left. 
“And I said to them, ‘This is Mario’s locker’. Opened the door and about 30 parking tickets fell out! And a wage slip. He’d been fined by the club, that month, £100,000.
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“He had his car impounded 27 times and owed Manchester City Council 10s of thousands of pounds when he left and I think the club paid it up for him.”
Chapman also revealed the backstory to the famous “Why always me?” shirt.
The story about Balotelli setting fireworks off inside his house had broken the day before the Manchester derby in 2011.
The Italian then started the game at Old Trafford and scored the first goal in City’s historic 6-1 victory.
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Les Chapman has recalled some of the best stories from his time as Man City kit manCredit: YouTube/Manchester City
After netting the opener, he lifted up his top to display an undershirt which read: “Why always me?”
Explaining the process of getting that printed, Chapman said: “Every morning we used to go to this little area at the back of the dressing rooms. There was this little area with a few tables where you could have a tea or coffee.
“He’d have one my fags – I used to smoke then – and he’d probably have two cigarettes, one after the other. Never brought his own. He must have had 80 packets and 70 lighters but never got me one cigarette. 
“This particular day Mario took me around and said ‘I want this printed on my shirt, what do you think?’ I said yeah I’ll print it up, but [I told him] you can’t have anything that’s offensive to United fans or anybody really.
“He came out with one or two things and I said ‘No, Mario’ and then he said ‘what about why always me?’ As soon as he said it I thought that’s just about perfect and then I got in trouble after the game. 
“They wouldn’t let me print anymore shirts after that game because instead of just lifting his shirt up to there, he lifted it over his head and got booked so David Platt said ‘message from [Roberto] Mancini, don’t print anymore shirts’. 
“After five minutes it had gone global so Mario said to me ‘Get onto Umbro, we want commission on this stuff being sold’. So I rang Umbro and requested and they said ‘we can’t do anything about it’. 
“He came out with it and it’s the most ideal thing he could have said.”
Balotelli had a fiery relationship with Man City manager Mancini.
The Italian coach often found it difficult to control the striker – as was shown when he was sent off in the 36th minute of a Europa League clash against Dynamo Kyiv in 2011.
Recalling what happened immediately after Balotelli’s dismissal, Chapman added: “We played Dynamo Kyiv one night and he got sent off after about 20 minutes. So he’s gone in the dressing room and I’ve followed and he’s just sat there in front of his locker quietly,’ Chapman said.
“The next 10 seconds Mancini stormed into the dressing room, swearing and screaming at the top of his voice in Italian expletives, waving his arms around like a man possessed and just going bezerk while the game’s going on. 
“He turned to go back out to the game and saw one of the players’ bags – [Costel] Pantilimon’s Louis Vuitton case – Mancini picked it up, turned and threw it at Balotelli’s head. Mario’s ducked and it’s the back of his locker. 
“Mancini’s run up to him again, screaming Italian expletives again and I’m thinking ‘Hit him, Mario’. I’d stepped in between them thinking it’s going to kick off. Then he just turned back and went to watch the game.”
Balotelli left Man City 10 years ago and joined AC Milan.
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Since then he has had spells with Liverpool, Nice, Marseille, Brescia, Monza and Adana Demirspor.
He is now playing for Swiss side FC Sion where he has been since 2022. More

JOHN BOSTOCK thought he would become Notts County’s hero after scoring his first goal in SEVEN years against Wrexham. Former Crystal Palace and Tottenham star Bostock stepped up to take a free-kick towards the end of the first half between the two National League title contenders.
John Bostock scored a stunning free-kickCredit: PA
It was his first goal in seven yearsCredit: Getty

The 31-year-old then wrapped a beautiful goal into the top corner past the fully-stretched arms of former England and Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster.
And you would have never guessed it was his first goal since September 2016.
Unfortunately for Bostock and Co, Wrexham fought back to lead 3-2 and set up a blockbuster finale not even Hollywood’s own Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney could predict.
County had the chance to score a late equaliser after being awarded a penalty in injury time.
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But Foster was able to deny the visitors and send the Welsh outfit to the top of the National League as they chase the single automatic promotion spot to the Football League.
The Magpies are Bostock’s 15th club.
Though he could have had a wildly different career had he not turned down a TEN-YEAR contract offer from Spanish giants Barcelona.
Speaking to the BBC in 2020, Bostock revealed: “When I was 14, Barcelona offered me a ten-year contract.
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“Ronaldinho was my favourite player at the time so they sent me a signed poster from him.
“I’ve still got it at my house in London. It said: ‘To John from Ronaldinho’.
“You name the club, I had interest from them. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter [Milan], Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool – the who’s who of European football.”
However, the south London-born midfielder has instead been on a journeyman career.
He has played in England, France, Belgium, North America and Turkey before winding up at the oldest club in the world last December. More

RIO FERDINAND has responded to Jamie Carragher’s claim that Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is “far better” than Nemanja Vidic ever was for Manchester United.Carragher, 45, was critical of Liverpool’s back line in the first half against Arsenal at the weekend as the Reds fell 2-0 behind before coming back to clinch a thrilling 2-2 draw.
Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic formed a formidable centre-back partnershipCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Jamie Carragher believes Virgil van Dijk is a better defender than Vidic wasCredit: Getty
Yet in the aftermath of the match he then leapt to the defence of Van Dijk – who was receiving criticism for his display at Anfield.
In response to comparisions with Ferdinand, John Terry, Vincent Kompany and Vidic, Carragher said: “VVD is far better than Vidic, who was a top CB, but have you forgot his performances against [Fernando] Torres?”
Vidic, who spent eight years at Old Trafford between 2006 and 2014, was sent off on two occasions when playing against ex-Liverpool striker Torres.
Carragher then went on to add: “Rio & JT had poor seasons in their career like all players, VVD is having one now. No CB in the PL era has ever had VVD’s impact on a team.
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“Never mind the best CB in the league, he’s been the best player in the league along with KDB [Kevin de Bruyne] for four years before this one.
“We have never spoken about about other CB’s being the best player before, that shows the level he was at.”
Ferdinand has now hit back at Carragher’s comments by defending his former centre-back partner Vidic.
Speaking on the Vibe with Five YouTube channel, he said: “I see Jamie Carragher tweeted something about Van Dijk being better than Vidic. 
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“I think Torres scored three goals in 15 games against Vidic. It’s a bit of a myth, he had a couple of dodgy moments in those games and got sent off a couple of times and that’s been amplified into saying he got tortured every time he played against Torres which wasn’t the case.
“[Marcus] Rashford’s got six goals in 13 games against Liverpool, does that mean he’s tortured Van Dijk?”
Van Dijk, who has been named in the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions, was slammed by both Roy Keane and Gary Neville following Liverpool’s draw with Arsenal.
When analysing the Gunners’ second goal, Keane said: “Really poor defending. Liverpool not at it. No intensity. Jesus standing in the middle of the box.
“Van Dijk’s ball watching. There’s no pressure on the ball. Far too easy for Arsenal. I bet he can’t believe his luck.”
Neville then added: “There is an element of luck in that Liverpool back four.
“You can defend them as they have the credit in the bank over the years, the performances, but it’s getting really difficult.
“They’re not doing the basics. Even there, Trent not sprinting back. Van Dijk idling across, legging someone up. It’s schoolboy stuff.”
Liverpool have endured a difficult campaign and look set to miss out on the Champions League next season.
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Jurgen Klopp’s men sit 12 points adrift of the top four with just nine games remaining.
And they could miss out on European football altogether as they are eighth in the Premier League behind Aston Villa and Brighton.
Virgil van Dijk struggled during the first half against Arsenal on SundayCredit: Alamy More