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      I’m a Premier League winner and England international who quit to become a SOLICITOR and my son is a pro keeper

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      NOT many professional footballers can say that they’ve enjoyed the university experience – and become a solicitor.But one former player has now been there and done that.
      This former Premier League star is now a qualified solicitorCredit: Richard Saker/The Guardian
      And as a result he is now a enjoying a totally different lease of life to when he was one of the stars of English football.
      The 55-year-old, who is a Premier League winner, studied French, criminology and law at the University of Central Lancashire when he retired at the age of 34 in 2002.
      And he hasn’t looked back since.
      That player is, of course, former Blackburn Rovers star Stuart Ripley.
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      Ripley shot to stardom in the late 1980s while playing for Middlesbrough.
      In 1992 he joined Blackburn for a then-record transfer fee of £1.3million.
      He made 212 appearances for the Blue and Whites, scoring 14 goals and assisting 34.
      The winger also helped his team to the Premier League title in 1995, beating the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal to the trophy.
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      Ripley made two senior appearances for EnglandCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      He also won the Premier League with BlackburnCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      During his time at Ewood Park, Ripley’s impressive form earned him a spot in the England squad, although he made just two senior appearances.
      He joined Southampton in 1998 and spent loan spells with Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday respectively before retiring.
      After hanging up his boots, Ripley enroled at the University of Central Lancashire in order to begin pursuing a different career.
      And in 2010 he became a solicitor after studying French, criminology and law.
      When speaking to The Guardian, Ripley said: “The only thing I knew I wanted to do when I retired was to go to university.
      “I got nine O-levels and then joined Middlesbrough at 16, so that option was taken away. I was in the first team at 17 and life was taking care of itself.
      “I won the Premier League and represented my country, but when I retired at 34, I felt I’d missed out by not going to university. So, after taking a bit of time out, I enrolled at the University of Central Lancashire.
      “My first intention was to do a foreign languages degree, but that meant a year abroad and I couldn’t just up and leave; by then, the kids were in school. So I ended up on a combined course: French, criminology and law.”
      He also admitted that he needed to find another goal after retiring, adding: “Football’s not real life, and if you do move away from it, you get a different perspective and a different grasp on things.
      “The rhythm of your life changes completely. When you’re playing, you’ve got two potentially very big highs within a week – you play on a Tuesday or Wednesday and then at the weekend.
      “That’s a huge adrenaline rush. When you retire, that’s very difficult to replace. You’ve got to find another goal in life.”
      Despite his unique new career, Ripley still has a strong link to football.
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      His son, Connor, 30, currently plays for League One club Morecambe.
      The goalkeeper has made 33 appearances for the Shrimps so far this season after joining the club last summer.
      Ripley’s son, Connor, plays for MorecambeCredit: Alamy More

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      I’m a former Chelsea and Southampton star who quit football to run a PANCAKE SHOP making 150 tasty treats a day

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      A FORMER Prem ace traded boots for batter after quitting football and buying a pancake shop. The defender tallied just under 300 Premier League appearances for Chelsea and Southampton.
      The former Premier League star made just under 300 appearances in the top flight – now he’s flipping pancakes for a livingCredit: Michael Powell – The Times
      The Dutchman played as a centre-back at ChelseaCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      He played 94 of these for the Blues and 198 games for the Saints as a centre-back after starting out at Feyenoord.
      The Dutchman bagged ten goals for Southampton from the back and offered great help to them during relegation battles.
      The former star, now 58, played with some world-class players such as Matt Le Tissier.
      At the end of his career, he moved from the South Coast to Huddersfield Town for a two-year spell.
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      And we can reveal the man who flipped from football to pancakes is Ken Monkou.
      When finding out that a pancake shop was up for sale, Monkou decided to buy it.
      His family had a history of running a bar bistro so he chose to pursue a similar route by following a career in food after retiring from football in 2001.
      Monkou told Planetfootball: “It’s quite a difference, from playing to standing behind the stove flipping the pancakes.
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      “It’s good, though, and for me it’s sport.
      “Once you’re busy it gets you going and you’re trying to make 150 pancakes a day. I don’t reckon any of the present players would do it.”
      Monkou also works on Chelsea TV and is an ambassador for the Show Racism the Red Card campaign.
      Due to these other occupations Monkou shut down the pancake shop in 2009.
      Ken Monkou moved to Southampton after playing for the BluesCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      Monkou celebrates avoiding Premier League relegationCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd More

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      How Rashford’s stats with and without Cristiano Ronaldo prove axed legend WAS the problem as incredible run continues

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      GARTH CROOKS claimed earlier this week that Marcus Rashford had been unlocked because of Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Manchester United. For some, this is a bold claim considering Ronaldo’s world-renowned position as a GOAT candidate in football.
      Marcus Rashford has been in sensational form in recent weeksCredit: Reuters
      This was put down to the departure of Cristiano RonaldoCredit: PA
      Here’s how Rashford performs with and without Ronaldo
      However, the numbers BACK UP Crooks’ claim, with Rashford performing far better without the Portuguese talisman than with him.
      Shortly before the World Cup, Ronaldo vented his frustration about a poor club season in an explosive interview with Sun columnist Piers Morgan.
      He blasted the club’s owners – who are now set to make way for new ones – and declared he did not respect manager Erik ten Hag.
      The 38-year-old’s contract was then ripped up, with him now playing his football in Saudi Arabia – providing two assists on Friday – after signing a £173million-a-year deal to play in the Middle East.
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      Meanwhile, back at Old Trafford, Rashford’s form has exploded, and he is the most prolific forward in Europe since the World Cup ended.
      His overall record without Ronaldo sees the Englishman with 15 goals in 25 games, or a goal every 123 minutes.
      On the other hand, Rashford had managed just 12 goals in 42 games, or a goal every 204 minutes, alongside the ex-Real Madrid and Juventus forward.
      Other key attacking metrics have also shot up in Ronaldo’s absence.
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      Rashford registers 3.2 shots per 90 minutes with 1.7 of these hitting the target, while he only managed 2.9 shots with 1.2 on target with Ronaldo.
      Ronaldo’s departure has also seen Rashford’s role in the team change.
      With Ronaldo, Rashford would need to do more tracking and pressing to make up for his team-mate’s lack of it, whereas now he has less work to do overall, with significantly fewer touches per 90.
      But crucially, Rashford has MORE touches in the opposition penalty area.
      This suggests Rashford is doing more work in the attacking third, where he can be more dangerous while leaving the task of creating to the likes of Bruno Fernandes or (currently injured) Christian Eriksen.
      Rashford is now doing more work in and around the penalty area
      This was proven in the latest game against Barcelona, where Ten Hag used Wout Weghorst deeper to help bring the ball up the field while Rashford peeled off the backline.
      The tactical switch stumped Barcelona’s anti-Rashford plan and proved dividends as the 25-year-old lasered an effort past Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
      United face Leicester on Sunday at the beginning of a potentially season-making or breaking week for the club.
      A Champions League spot is well and truly up for grabs this season, and with Newcastle and Tottenham in action against Liverpool and West Ham respectively, there is a chance of widening the gap to the teams below them.
      A Europa League second leg against Barcelona will also see the dramatic sequel to Thursday night’s Camp Nou thriller.
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      While the week will end with a visit to Wembley against top-four rivals Newcastle for a chance to lift the Carabao Cup – and United’s first trophy in more than half a decade.
      Rashford, as he has been throughout the season, will be pivotal to these efforts succeeding. More

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      Reason why Petr Cech wears a different shirt number in ice hockey than he did for Chelsea

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      CHELSEA legend Petr Cech has chosen a different shirt number after crossing over from football to ice hockey.Cech swapped the pitch for the rink shortly after stepping down as the Blues’ technical director in June when Todd Boehly took over from Roman Abramovich.
      Petr Cech enjoyed a stunning career as a Chelsea and Arsenal legendCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Petr Cech has crossed over from football to ice hockey after his retirementCredit: Getty
      Petr Cech has chosen a different shirt number in his new careerCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The legendary goalkeeper began a fresh chapter in his career by becoming the Chelmsford Chieftains’ new goaltender at the age of 40.
      But the Czech hero opted to drop his iconic No1 shirt, which he donned at Rennes, Chelsea and Arsenal.
      Now Cech wears the No39 shirt.
      He does so in homage to legendary Czech goaltender Dominik Hasek, who was also known as The Dominator.
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      That number has a special meaning for the Prem legend, who would cut out articles about his favourite goalies, including Hasek, from the age of six to add to a fat scrapbook.
      The four-time Premier League champion insists he still “loves” football, which is why he is also working on his coaching badges.
      But the former Czech Republic international is also living a childhood dream as an ice hockey player.
      Cech told the Mail: “When I was a kid, I wanted to be an ice hockey player.
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      “For some reason when you see the goalies with the gear, the pads, the gloves, it resonated with me.
      “Don’t get me wrong, I love football. But in terms of playing, I felt being an ice hockey goalie was more fun.
      “But as a family, we couldn’t afford to buy all the equipment – the stick, the pads, helmet, gloves, everything. It was super expensive.
      “So my dad [Vaclav] took me to football. The timing collided and in the end, football won.’ More

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      Why is Erling Haaland always eating carrots? Fans in hysterics as they realise Man City star’s bizarre habit

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      WHEN you’re on the Prem summit, just ahead of Arsenal and Manchester United, surely the last thing you want to think of is a red top.But not Erling Haaland.
      Man City superstar Erling Haaland likes eating on the go, but not in the way most of us might considerCredit: Twitter
      Carrots seem to have become an integral part of Haaland’s in-car experienceCredit: Twitter
      Perhaps the Norwegian is just trying to set his young fans a healthy exampleCredit: Twitter
      Fans have noticed the Manchester City striker is a machine not just at scoring goals but also for munching carrots – even dangling them out of his mouth as he signs autographs.
      Haaland rounded off City’s return to the top of the table with a cracking finish in Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Arsenal.
      And he’s a gold-carrot performer off the pitch as well.
      The £51million Norwegian will never be short of vitamin A, judging by his knack for the healthy snack.
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      the 22-year-old was snapped with his car window down as a carrot hang from his lips while he scribbled his name for supporters.
      And in another picture he can be seen driving off with one hand on the wheel, the other on a half-eaten carrot.
      One fan dreamed: “I want to be to Erling Haaland what carrots are to him.”
      And another pondered: “Maybe the trick is to eat whole carrots to become Haaland.”
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      But in fact the orange sticks are just the tip of the ex-Borussia Dortmund hero’s incredible eating regime, designed for peak power and fitness.
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      He downs 6,000 calories a day – leading to some amazing claims from his international team-mate Josh King.
      The former Watford and Everton frontman, now with Fenerbahce, once said Haaland “eats like a bear”.
      King told Ben Foster’s ‘The Cycling GK’ podcast: “He’s just a freak. I’ve never ever seen anyone eat as much as he does.
      Haaland himself has revealed he also eats chunks of liver and heart beef from local butchers.
      He told the ‘Haaland: The big decision’ documentary: “You (other people) don’t eat this, but I am concerned with taking care of my body.
      “I think eating quality food that is as local as possible is the most important.
      “People say meat is bad for you but which? The meat you get at McDonald’s?
      “Or the local cow eating grass right over there? I eat the heart and the liver.”
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      Add in his vegetable-chewing antics, and it might not sound too tasty.
      But he’s in prime condition, with amazing stats, so perhaps the carrot-and-kick approach works best for him. More

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      Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe SUBMITS bid for Man Utd after Qataris offered £5bn to buy club from Glazers

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      SIR Jim Ratcliffe has confirmed his rival bid for Manchester United.Britain’s richest man put in an offer following a £5billion approach from Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the head of Qatar’s biggest bank.
      Sir Jim Ratcliffe is behind a rival approach to buy out the GlazersCredit: AFP
      United fan Ratcliffe has reportedly told the global bank overseeing bids to buy out the Glazers that he wants ownership for the long haul.
      He added that he has Wall Street backing. 
      A source close to his company Ineos told The Telegraph: “His aim is to be a long-term custodian of Manchester United and set the standard for a progressive approach to club ownership.
      “As locally born, he wants to put the Manchester back into Manchester United.” 
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      The club’s current owners, the Glazers, supposedly want as much as £6bn.
      Ratcliffe, 70, is worth £15billion, having made his money via chemicals firm Ineos.
      But an offer from Qatar came in first.
      Sheikh Jassim, whose father Hamad is a former Prime Minister of the country, wants full control of United.
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      He promised to make the club debt-free and vowed to “return the club to its former glories”.
      The next step in the buy-out saga is down to the Raine Group – the bank conducting negotiations over any sale.
      That could mean putting together a shortlist of bidders – similar to when Chelsea went up for sale last summer. More

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      Antonio Conte could give Tottenham team talk from TURIN as stricken boss recovers from gallbladder surgery

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      RECOVERING Antonio Conte will be “involved 100 per cent” in key Tottenham decisions in the Premier League clash with West Ham – despite being 570 miles away!Assistant coach Cristian Stellini will be on the touchline on Sunday for this London derby while absent Conte is back home in Turin resting up after gallbladder surgery.
      Antonio Conte is staying in Italy to recover from gallbladder surgeryCredit: PA
      Conte, 53, managed Spurs in their Champions League defeat in Milan last Tuesday but has remained in Italy after realising he had rushed back too soon after the emergency op.
      SunSport understands Spurs are exploring all options for Conte to communicate with the squad – perhaps even some form of video link in the dressing room.
      Stellini says all-consuming manager Conte will return only when he is fully fit but the pair have been speaking non-stop in the build-up about tactics and logistics.
      The 47-year-old said: “It’s not like last time when we had Antonio on the bed to rest immediately after the surgery.
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      “It’s a different time, Antonio is involved 100 per cent. Probably we have some communication with him better than the last time.
      “Antonio’s feeling was that maybe he underestimated the procedure after the surgery.
      “Coming close to the game, the stress and the tension he lives normally before a game creates some problem.
      “He needs to take it easy again. He’ll come back soon but not like he had hoped.
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      “My phone is on 24 hours a day. We have a call every day. Probably three times a day and every time he wants to come back.
      “Health is more important than football – this is the reason why the club, the doctors decided to take these responsibilities and leave Antonio in Italy after the last game.
      “It was a surgery with emergency. The inflammation was big and maybe they underestimated this situation.
      “He needs time to be 100% and Antonio not at 100% is not Antonio. That creates stress over stress. And this is dangerous after surgery like that.
      “When Antonio is 100%, he’ll come back and not one day before. We made a mistake before and we don’t want to repeat this.
      “People around Antonio like our doctor, the doctor that did the surgery, his wife and his family, to force him.
      “After the Milan game, I felt sad because maybe I didn’t push enough to the team this decision before.
      “I felt responsible because Antonio’s pain continued under stress. I don’t want to feel like this again.”
      Substitute boss Stellini is becoming a cult hero among Spurs fans and he has won all FIVE of the matches when he had been Conte’s stand-in.
      It happened three times during Inter Milan’s 2020-21 Serie A title triumph and Stellini oversaw Spurs’ Champions League win over Marseille in November – Conte was suspended – and this month’s victory over Manchester City.
      Asked how it felt to be the main man, Juventus and Genoa defender Stellini said: “It’s a bit strange for me because normally the assistant coach works behind the spotlight.
      “It’s a big responsibility and I feel this but it’s not the first day I’m here.
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      “When I see the players and the team during the training, I feel we are capable to win every game and to progress in the Champions League.
      “I sleep well. I have the team and I follow them every day and this gives me the feeling to be confident.”
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      Arsenal are the people’s champs and the most of the country wants us to beat Man City to Prem title, claims Mikel Arteta

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      MIKEL ARTETA has declared Arsenal the People’s Champions and claims most of the country wants them to win the title.Wednesday’s 3-1 home defeat by Manchester City knocked the Gunners off the top of the Premier League for the first time in five months.
      Mikel Arteta believes most people want Arsenal to win the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
      Yet Arteta is convinced that most people still want his team to win and is determined to tap into that public support.
      Ahead of the trip to Aston Villa, Arteta said: “People want us to win the title because they have a lot of sympathy for us, for our players and the way we have done things.
      “But I don’t think we have ever been the favourites and that hasn’t changed.
      “Manchester City have been the No 1 candidates from day one because they have been in that position for most of the last five years.
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      “Before this season, if you had to bet your house on one team, I don’t think a lot of people would have put their money on us.
      “But when you see the team performing and winning matches like we have been doing this season, there is more enthusiasm to try to achieve something bigger.
      “We have not had many situations to win the title recently, but we want to be in the mix.
      “It doesn’t happen overnight and we cannot control what other teams will do, so the only challenge is to win our next game because what happens in the table this weekend is going to change in three weeks’ time, that’s for sure.”
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      Yet Arteta is unhappy at today’s lunchtime kick-off at Villa Park coming just 63 hours after Wednesday’s final whistle against City.
      And he is calling for the Premier League to change its fixture scheduling to give teams more time to recover from their midweek exertions.
      He complained: “There are certain rules with the Champions League teams.
      “When you are playing on Wednesday night, you cannot play on Saturday lunchtime. That should apply to any competition.
      “It’s been discussed at the managers’ meetings and that is why the changes were made towards the Champions League teams.
      “If you follow the same principle physiologically, it is very difficult to turn around in that period to get the best outcome and reduce the injury risk for players.”
      Premier League chiefs changed their kick-off rule for the teams involved in the Champions League in May 2021 following a rant from Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
      But it doesn’t apply to domestic fixtures selected by BT Sport for their 12.30pm Saturday slot.
      And now Arteta fears his team could pay the price as they look to end a run of four games without a win.
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      He said: “They put the schedule the way they did and it’s a bit unusual, but it is what it is.
      “The players are highly motivated for the Villa game because we want to perform well and win.” More