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      Gareth Bale names his dream Tottenham five-a-side team and picks Cristiano Ronaldo as the best he’s ever played with

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      GARETH BALE picked Harry Kane and Son Heung-min in his dream Tottenham five-a-side team.The Welshman opted almost entirely for Spurs players that he starred alongside during the 2020-21 season – but revealed Cristiano Ronaldo stands above them all.
      Bale’s best Spurs five-a-side team
      The Welshman listed Cristiano Ronaldo as the best he’s ever played withCredit: REUTERS
      Following a storied career, Gareth Bale hung up his boots at the age of 33 n January following his World Cup appearance with The Dragons..
      Although Wales boss Rob Page has admitted he’d love to have Bale involved in their international set-up in some capacity.
      The five-time Champions League winner featured alongside the likes of Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart during his first stint at White Hart Lane.
      But Bale, who originally picked himself in his dream team, snubbed both of them when asked for his best Spurs side during a Twitch Q&A in 2021.
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      He said: “I’d go Hugo [Lloris] in goal just because he’s the best I’ve seen in a Tottenham shirt.
      “I would go Ledley King at the back just because he’s the king and he was the best centre-back I’ve ever seen.
      “If it wasn’t for injuries he would have been the best in the world no doubt.
      “I would go up front Harry for the amount of goals he’s scored and he’s an amazing player. Then I’d go me and Sonny beside him. An attacking trio.”
      Joe Rodon picked Tanguy Ndombele which prompted the presenter to quiz Bale about why he didn’t pick the Frenchman or Mousa Dembele.
      I would go up front Harry for the amount of goals he’s scored and he’s an amazing player. Then I’d go me and Sonny beside him…Actually I’d take myself out and put Tanguy inGareth Bale
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      He replied: “I’ve only got five and I feel loyal to Sonny and H. I’ve got to see them tomorrow.
      “Actually I’d take myself out and put Tanguy in. I’ll be manager.”
      Elsewhere in the interview, Bale overlooked all of his old Spurs pals when he named Cristiano Ronaldo as the best he’s ever played with.
      He gushed: “Cristiano Ronaldo. For me, just the amount of goals he scores and the titles that we won together.
      “I think arguably one of the best ever to play football. For me, I will have to say him.”
      Gareth Bale loved playing with Harry Kane and Son Heung-minCredit: Getty More

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      I played for Man Utd in the Champions League in 2003, but now I am a builder and trained plumber

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      ON March 18, 2003 Lee Roche was thrown in at the deep end – handed his Champions League debut against Deportivo La Coruna in a 2-0 defeat.Some five years later, he was left on the football scrapheap and now works on building sites installing cavity wall insulation, and is a trained plumber.
      Former Man Utd youngster Lee Roche made his Champions League debut in 2003Credit: AP:Associated Press
      Today, Roche is a builder and trained plumber

      Now 42, Roche was given a free transfer two months after his bow in Europe’s premier club competition.
      And when a football career petered out after spells at Wrexham, Burnley and Droylsden, the youngster had to come up with a different plan in life with the help of the PFA.
      COMING TO AN END
      At the age of 27, Roche was admittedly fed up of the game.
      He’d bounced from a loan deal at Wrexham to Burnley, then back to Wrexham again.
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      Injuries began to take their toll, and the former England U21 star lost his hunger for playing.
      “I was coming home and not wanting to even watch football on the TV, he told Planet Football.
      After he was released by the Welsh club, he trained with Royal Antwerp and former United youth Warren Joyce.
      But when a move failed to materialise, he signed for non-league Droylsden in 2007.
      It was there he started to think about a life after the beautiful game.
      Promising youngster Roche was released by Man Utd in 2003 and after bouncing around at different clubs needed to find a different careerCredit: Getty
      Roche, chatting to PFA member Don Goodman, was helped by the organisation to retrain in a new careerCredit: Twitter @PFA
      With the help of the PFA, Roche now has his own cavity wall insulation business
      The PFA supported the lost talent and helped him retrain in another profession.
      Today, Roche is a qualified plumber and has his own cavity wall insulation business.
      “I have had a few fellow workers on the building sites asking me about United and how have I ended up here,” he revealed.
      “It can get pretty tiresome so I don’t go shouting about that I played for United. I do think young players today should be made to train as something, so they know about the real world.
      “Most of them probably don’t have a plan to fall back on if they don’t make it as a professional.”
      BAPTISM OF FIRE
      Roche made two starts for United, but it was always in scratch sides.
      His debut came in 2001 in a Worthington Cup tie against Arsenal – a 4-0 thrashing in a team that featured mainly reserve players.
      In 2001 Roche appeared for Man Utd for the very first time against Arsenal in a Worthington Cup tieCredit: PA
      Roche, up against Arsenal striker Kanu, couldn’t believe the size of his opponents feetCredit: PA
      “Sylvain Wiltord scored a hat-trick and I remember Kanu being a massive handful – I couldn’t get over the size of his feet,” Roche joked.
      “At one point, he flicked the ball over my head and volleyed it, but it went just over the bar, thankfully, otherwise it would have been one of those goals which would have been shown forever.
      “There was no hairdryer from Sir Alex afterwards because he knew we had been up against it. I took what I could from that game and tried to learn from it.”
      A year later, Roche came on as a sub against Newcastle United in front of a packed house at Old Trafford in a 5-3 win.
      “It was unbelievable, coming on in front of 75,000 fans at Old Trafford,” he said.
      “I did okay, but I remember Sir Alex talking to me afterwards because Alan Shearer had beaten me at the far post to win a header, so he told me to get up first and not let the forwards do that to me.”
      THE BIG LEAGUE
      Roche’s third and final performance for United was in the Champions League.
      Roche made his final appearance for United against Deportivo La Coruna in the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty
      At half-time Roche was hauled off as United lost 2-0 to the LaLiga sideCredit: PA
      He appeared against Deportivo, who at the time were LaLiga challengers to Real Madrid and Barcelona.
      Playing in a back three with Laurent Blanc and John O’Shea, the Red Devils look disjointed in a different formation.
      Roche, himself, was hauled off at half-time with the Premier League giants trailing 1-0 at the break.
      “I was up against (Albert) Luque and thought I had done alright, but I wasn’t going to come off and start arguing with Sir Alex,” he said.
      “Giggsy told me to keep my chin up and that I had not done anything wrong. Sir Alex didn’t tell me why I had been substituted, but I didn’t want to overthink it.”
      ‘NO REGRETS’
      Despite how his football career turned out, Roche is thankful for his time at Manchester United.
      Although he doesn’t have any regrets, there is one thing perhaps he might’ve done different.
      “I don’t have any regrets,” Roche revealed.
      Despite his career not panning out how he had hoped, Roche was no regretsCredit: Rex
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      “The only thing I would point out is that I was known at United for being really quiet, so perhaps I should have been more assertive and mingled more with the lads.
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      “I’d be straight off home after training to hang out with my own group of friends. I look back now at team-mates like John (O’Shea) and Darren Fletcher and think I should have been more like them and gone out and socialised.
      “I think it would have gone down better with United.” More

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      Man City ace Phil Foden has unusual hobby that ’95 per cent of football lads don’t enjoy’ but it helps him rest his legs

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      ENGLAND star Phil Foden has revealed his favourite hobby outside of football – and it’s not what you might expect.Foden, 22, has been a regular presence in Pep Guardiola’s squad since he made his debut five years ago – and has rediscovered his form in the past month.
      Phil Foden is a star for club and countryCredit: Reuters
      He has already accumulated a long list of accolades which includes four Premier League titles, four League Cups and an FA Cup as well as two PFA Young Player of the Year awards for his individual performances.
      But what Foden gets up to in his spare time is very different compared to those at the same level.
      The young star revealed that his favourite pastime is fishing.
      In an interview with Man City, he said: “The odd one likes fishing, so when people find out they say: ‘What a weird sport to enjoy’. They don’t understand why you enjoy it.
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      The Man City star has revealed that his favourite hobby is fishing
      He regularly makes time for fishing trips with his dad
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      “I think it’s the perfect hobby to rest your legs and have some down time.”
      Foden’s dad ignited his passion for the sport at a young age, so much so that the pair still regularly travel across the UK and Spain for fishing trips.
      The winger even admitted that he MISSED City’s 2018 Premier League title celebrations so that he could go on a pre-planned trip with his dad.
      He claimed that it’s the “buzz” that has made him want to keep going, as well as the quality time he gets to spend with his old man. More

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      Worrying scenes for Arsenal fans as Takehiro Tomiyasu leaves Emirates on crutches after Sporting loss in Europa League

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      ARSENAL are sweating over the fitness of Takehiro Tomiyasu.That’s after the defender was seen limping out of the Emirates on crutches last night.
      Arsenal star Takehiro Tomiyasu was seen in crutches after getting injured against Sporting LisbonCredit: Reuters

      Arsenal’s time in the Europa League came to a bitter end on Thursday as they suffered a penalty shootout defeat to Sporting Lisbon.
      But Mikel Arteta had already been dealt a huge blow earlier in the evening.
      Japan star Tomiyasu was forced off injured after just nine minutes.
      He appeared to be in agony after overstretching for a tackle.
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      And Tomiyasu was hauled off to be replaced by Ben White.
      Fans are keeping their fingers crossed for good news, with versatile Tomiyasu proving himself to be a key squad player.
      But their worst fears could yet be realised after the ace was photographed leaving the Emirates with the support of crutches.
      Tomiyasu kept his right foot off the floor as he hobbled out of the stadium.
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      And fans wished the popular player all the best in his recovery on social media.
      One said: “Come back quickly Tomi.”
      Another declared: “Ge plenty of rest and get well back soon Tomi.”
      One noted: “I feel bad for the guy he finally gets in good form and again another injury, it’s gotta be tough.”
      Another added: “Quick recovery to Tomiyasu.”
      There were further worries for Arteta last night when star centre-back William Saliba was forced off injured in the 21st minute.
      And Gabriel Jesus, who has just returned from a lengthy setback, had to make way at the break for Leandro Trossard. More

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      Crystal Palace SACK boss Patrick Vieira after disastrous run of results leaves club in Premier League relegation battle

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      CRYSTAL PALACE have sacked under-fire manager Patrick Vieira.The Eagles pulled the trigger after a dreadful run of just one win in their last 14 Premier League matches.
      Crystal Palace have sacked manager Patrick VieiraCredit: Getty
      Palace now find themselves in a battle for top-flight survival following Tuesday’s defeat at rivals Brighton.
      And the hunt is already underway for Vieira’s replacement, with former goalie Paddy McCarthy taking charge of Sunday’s clash against Arsenal.
      According to the Athletic, Vieira was told he was gone in a 7am phone call with chairman Steve Parish while on his way to training.
      The bookies say the favourites are former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, the ex-Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl and former Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
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      Other candidates include Marcelo Bielsa, Michael Carrick and Vincent Kompany.
      As well as the Frenchman, the Londoners have also parted ways with coaches Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson and Said Aigoun.
      Chairman Steve Parish said: “It is with enormous regret that this difficult decision has been made.
      “Ultimately, results in recent months have placed us in a precarious league position and we felt a change is necessary to give us the best chance of retaining Premier League status.
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      “That said, Patrick’s impact since joining us in the summer of 2021 has been significant, and he is held in the highest regard by myself, and all of his colleagues.
      “He led the team to a Wembley FA Cup semi-final and respectable 12th placed finish last season playing some exciting football, which was a challenging and crucial campaign for the club given the changes we made to the squad prior to his arrival.
      “Patrick has given his all to the club, and we all thank him and his team for their service.
      “We also wish Patrick, Osian, Kristian and Said the very best for their futures.”
      Vieira took charge of 65 Premier League matches with the Eagles and had a 26 per cent win ratio.

      Fans had mixed feelings about the sacking, with one calling it a “real shame”.
      Another said: “What is the actual point of sacking him now with about 10 games to go?”
      While one wrote: “Thank you Patrick but this was the time to go.”
      Former Palace star Clinton Morrison this week warned results were not good enough.
      He said: “The noises at Selhurst Park from the fans, they’re not happy, obviously, with the results.
      “The performances have been good, but it is not being clinical enough.
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      “We say season upon season with the club: can they get a centre forward who could score them 10-15 goals?
      “They have evolved… they do try to dominate the football now & create chances, which Patrick implemented, but they’re not clinical enough. It’s the same old story.” More

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      Barcelona ‘prioritise signing Man City outcast’ Joao Cancelo but will have to pay £17.5m loan transfer fee

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      BARCELONA have reportedly made Manchester City outcast Joao Cancelo their “priority signing” this summer.The defender, 28, joined German club Bayern Munich on loan for the rest of the season after falling out with Pep Guardiola.
      Barcelona have prioritised signing Joao Cancelo from Man CityCredit: Getty
      The pair were reportedly involved in a training ground bust-up after Cancelo found out he was dropped for the club’s FA Cup clash against Arsenal.
      This came as Guardiola tweaked his system after questioning his players’ hunger to win the Premier League again.
      With Cancelo’s and the City boss’ relationship becoming strained, the club took the bold decision to allow Cancelo to leave on loan.
      The Portuguese international started life at Bayern in impressive fashion and already has one goal and four assists from his eight appearances.
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      However, it has now emerged that the star is growing frustrated after being benched by the Bundesliga side’s boss Julian Nagelsmann.
      And it seems unlikely that Bayern will take up their option to buy him permanently for £60m.
      But he will still have another option regarding his future with Barcelona making him a priority signing, according to Spanish outlet SPORT.
      City are allegedly prepared to do business and would sanction another loan departure.
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      Although they are demanding a fee of at least £17.5m from Barcelona to borrow him.
      Nou Camp president Joan Laporta has already revealed that he will attempt to sign a new full-back over the summer.
      Veteran Sergi Roberto is the only recognised right-back in the current squad.
      City signed the player in a £60m deal three-and-a-half years ago from Juventus.
      Cancelo only signed a contract extension with City 12 months ago and is currently tied to the club until summer 2027. More

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      Gareth Southgate scouting Championship to fill England squad as number of homegrown Prem players drops to worrying low

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      GARETH SOUTHGATE will look to the Championship after an alarming drop in home-grown Premier League players.But he remains bullish over England’s Euro 2024 hopes after naming his 25-man squad for qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine next week.
      Gareth Southgate, left, plans to look at Championship players for his England squadCredit: Reuters
      Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell are two of the four English left-footed left-backs in the Premier LeagueCredit: The Sun
      In recent weeks, the number of English players starting Prem games has dropped to a season-low of 28 per cent.
      Boss Southgate said: “The numbers are not going up. The 28 percentage has happened in a couple of weekends in the last few weeks.
      “It has been around 32 but that’s down from 35 when I took over and 38 in the years before. The concern would be the most recent trend. 
      “We’ve got four left-footed left-backs in the league at the moment so we will have to start looking in the Championship.
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      “In January, there were 55 transfer deals and 44 were players that were either new foreign players coming in or the two that were here already —  Jorginho and Albert Sambi Lokonga.
      “Of the English deals a couple of those were second or third-choice goalkeepers, three were youth transfers — one was Romeo Beckham — so that’s 80 per cent of the deals coming in through January were non-English.
      “That impact of January has played out in the last couple of weeks. If we keep going in that direction it is clear that those numbers are going to drop again.”
      Southgate is positive about his chances of winning a major tournament with England but cited the case of Thursday’s opponents Italy, who missed out on the Qatar World Cup.
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      He said: “We know there is still a step for us to take. 
      “Yes, we want to be European champions and we’ve had a lot of experiences that could help us to get there but as our opponents next week found, you can very quickly be in trouble qualifying. 
      “We’ve got to respect the challenge that qualifying holds for us.”
      Malta and North Macedonia also await the Three Lions in Group C.
      Asked if he would have stayed on had he thought England could not win Euro 2024, he said: “I don’t know. But I do think we can — that’s the challenge.
      “The scenario of going to Italy, where we haven’t won for decades is a classic of the type of game that we’ve got to start winning. If we are looking for the next step to take as a team, that is it.”

      England play in a hostile Naples and have actually not won in Italy since 1961.
      One player lucky to be involved in the squad is Kalvin Phillips, who has made only two starts at Manchester City.
      Southgate explained: “Well, if you look in the Premier League, who can play as a single-pivot defensive midfielder?
      “You’d be talking Declan Rice and Phillips while Jordan Henderson has done it for Liverpool but it’s not his number one position.
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      “So yes, that’s why we’re picking Kalvin. We think he’s a bloody good player and to get in Man City’s team is much harder than to get into other teams.
      “Is it perfect he’s not getting as many minutes as we’d like? No. But we still think he’s the best option to help us.”
      Some eyebrows were raised by Kalvin Phillips’ inclusionCredit: Getty More

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      N’Golo Kante to sign new two-year Chelsea contract, with option for one more, as Blues secure key man despite injury woe

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      CHELSEA are ready to back N’Golo Kante despite his injury record as he closes in on a new deal.Final details are yet to be confirmed.
      N’Golo Kante is set to sign a new long-term Chelsea deal despite his injury woesCredit: PA
      But the French midfielder is poised to sign a two-year contract with the option of a third.
      That’s after his season was ravaged by fitness problems.
      Kante, 31, has not played since mid-August.
      And he needed hamstring surgery during the World Cup while his France team-mates went all the way to the final in Qatar.
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      His current deal expires at the end of this season.
      But Chelsea are confident the inspirational star is over the worst of his ills.
      SunSport understands the new contract will be a straight two-season agreement.
      That will take Kante up to his 33rd birthday and possibly beyond.
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      And it will not contain any ‘pay-as-you-play’ clauses.
      Kane signed for the Blues for £29million in 2016 after lifting the Prem trophy with Leicester.
      He has since gone on to win every major tournament both domestic and foreign bar the EFL Cup.
      And Kante is regarded as one of Chelsea’s best players when fully fit. More