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      Getafe president says Mason Greenwood ‘has clear conscience and wants to stay another year’ after Man Utd hint at return

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      GETAFE president Angel Torres has claimed that Mason Greenwood wants to stay at the club for another season.Greenwood, 22, was loaned out to Getafe by Manchester United last summer.
      Getafe’s president insists Mason Geenwood wants to stay at the clubCredit: Getty
      Angel Torres is waiting on a decision from Man UtdCredit: Getty
      The striker has not featured for United since he was suspended after being arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault in January 2022.
      All charges were subsequently dropped with the Red Devils suggesting that he recommences his career away from Old Trafford.
      However, new United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe this week refused to rule out the possibility of Greenwood returning to the club.
      Ratcliffe said: “We will make a decision. I don’t know if he (Greenwood) could still have a future.
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      “All I can do is talk about the principle of how we will approach decisions like that.
      “Is he the right type of footballer? Are we happy with that? Is he a good person or not?
      “He (Greenwood) is a Manchester United footballer and we are in charge of football. So the answer is it’s quite clear we have to make a decision.”
      Despite Ratcliffe’s comments, Torres believes the striker wants to remain at Getafe for another season.
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      Greenwood has been in good form this season
      The club president told Spanish radio station Cope: “They asked us about it, there was a lot of talk about the issue of abuse and we found out what had happened and I said, ‘let’s go’.
      “He has a clear conscience, he is very comfortable and crazy about staying another year.
      Mason Greenwood ‘could make sensational Man Utd return as club consider him their best player & boss wants him back’Inside Ratcliffe’s Man Utd plansEverything you need to know as Sir Jim Ratcliffe takes charge at Manchester United…

      “It’s a matter that they (United) have to decide. There is new ownership. They have to decide.
      “In Spain he has a market but they [Barcelona] have money. Barca’s way of playing would suit him well but it depends on Manchester United. If it’s true, he’ll tell me.”
      Greenwood has scored seven goals and provided five assists in 24 games for Getafe since joining the club. More

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      Crystal Palace 0-0 Burnley LIVE SCORE: Visitors look to bounce back from Arsenal thrashing against Eagles – Prem updates

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      BURNLEY will be determined to bounce back from an Arsenal battering this afternoon against Crystal Palace.Vincent Kompany’s men suffered a humiliating 5-0 defeat in front of their home fans.
      While Palace were held to a 1-1 draw by Sean Dyche’s struggling Everton side.

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      Brighton vs Everton LIVE SCORE: Premier League latest as Toffees continue fight for survival against Seagulls – updates

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      BRIGHTON host Everton in a Saturday afternoon Premier League encounter – and the Toffees are in need of three points.Amadou Onana’s 84th-minute strike against Crystal Palace earned Sean Dyche’s men a vital point last time out.
      But they’ll be in for an even tougher time as they face a Brighton side who recently thrashed Sheffield United 5-0.

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      Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest LIVE SCORE: Unai Emery’s men continue top four hunt against relegation-battlers

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      ASTON VILLA’S hunt for a top-four spot continues with a home fixture against Nottingham Forest.Unai Emery’s men reclaimed fourth place from Tottenham with a marginal 2-1 win against Fulham.
      While Forest go into this game fresh from a huge 2-0 triumph over West Ham.

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      Man Utd to play Liverpool in USA pre-season tour as Jurgen Klopp successor faces arch-rivals AND Arsenal Stateside

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      MANCHESTER UNITED will face Liverpool and Arsenal during a pre-season tour of the USA this summer.The Red Devils travelled to Stateside last summer to face Arsenal, Wrexham, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in preparation for the 2023-24 campaign.
      Man Utd will face Arsenal in the USA again this summerCredit: Getty
      Over 82,000 fans attended the fixture last summerCredit: Getty
      They won two and lost two games while in the USA before returning to England ahead of the Premier League kick-off.
      But the trip was deemed so successful that club chiefs have organised a return.
      United will face Arsenal once again this summer, this time in Los Angeles.
      The match will take place at the 70,000-capacity SoFi stadium on July 27.
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      Erik ten Hag and his players will then travel to Columbia, South Carolina, to face Liverpool on August 3.
      That game will take place at the University of South Carolina’s William Brice Stadium.
      It will be the first time the two sides have met in the US since 2018, when they played in front of 101,000 fans at the Michigan Stadium.
      Liverpool and Arsenal will also come up against each other on July 31 in Philadelphia.
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      It will be the Reds’ first pre-season without Klopp nine years.
      Xabi Alonso is understood to be Liverpool’s top managerial target ahead of the summer, with Roberto De Zerbi also high on the shortlist.
      Erik ten Hag insists he does have Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s backing amid rumours Man Utd boss faces sack in summer
      Ange Postecoglou and Ruben Amorim have also been linked with the job.
      The Red Devils will also face LiverpoolCredit: AFP
      It will be Liverpool’s first pre-season without Jurgen Klopp in nine yearsCredit: Getty More

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      I got a Premier League winner’s medal but ex-Man Utd star pinned me against a wall for not cleaning his boots properly

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      LENNY PIDGELEY claims that Mark Bosnich once pinned him to the dressing room wall by the throat for failing to clean his boots properly.Pidgeley, 40, came through Chelsea’s academy in the early 2000s.
      Lenny Pidgeley played alongside the likes of John Terry and Claude MakeleleCredit: Rex
      Mark Bosnich played for Chelsea while Pidgeley was in their academy set-upCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      As a teenage hopeful the goalkeeper was made to clean the senior stoppers’ boots before training.
      This left him the responsibility of looking after Carlo Cudicini, Ed de Goey and former Manchester United star Bosnich’s footwear.
      Recounting one frightening run-in with the latter, Pidgeley told the Telegraph: “At Harlington, the old training ground, there was one outdoor tap, so there would be loads of us around it trying to clean the boots.
      “We’d get in at 8am and the players would want to wear their boots for training at 10am, so you’re all in a mad rush.
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      “One morning, I was in the youth team changing room with all the young lads. Bosnich walked in and shouted at me that his boots were still wet.
      “Next thing, he had me by the throat, pinned up against the wall. I had probably just turned 17 and weighed about 12 stone, and I was terrified.
      “I might be wrong, but I don’t think anyone really got on with him.”
      Pidgeley would eventually make his way into the first team squad, playing the role of third choice behind Petr Cech and Cudicini.
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      Having scarcely featured in matchday squads during the 2004-05 season, the boyhood Chelsea fan didn’t expect to receive a title winners’ medal.
      With a little help from John Terry and Jose Mourinho, however, Pidgeley did manage to get his hands on one.
      I played with Lampard and Mata at Chelsea but flop who made just six appearances was most talented, says Eden Hazard
      He explained: “Petr Cech played 95 per cent of the games in that season and Carlo was his No2, so I hadn’t played at all before the final League game.
      “Jose called me in the week of that game and said that he was going to put me on and I played the last eight minutes of the final game of the season against Charlton.
      “I didn’t think I’d get a Premier League winners’ medal, but JT sorted it out. I remember him saying at training ‘go and look in your locker’ and there it was.
      “I’ve got both my medals [Pidgeley won a League Cup winner’s medal in 2005] framed. One day I’ll get round to putting them on the wall.”
      Pidgeley left Chelsea in 2006 and went on to play for 12 more years before hanging up his boots in 2018.
      Following his switch from Stamford Bridge to Millwall, Pidgeley began experiencing panic attacks, and even contemplated taking his own life.
      Recounting that period, Pidgeley braveley recounted: “It had started during the summer, in the off-season. I started getting anxiety attacks and I’d be in bed, door locked under the covers with all the curtains closed.
      “Millwall had sent me to the Priory and I hadn’t played for months. I’d just got back training a little bit and the goalkeeper who was on loan couldn’t play. 
      “I had been feeling a little bit better and the next thing I knew I was playing at Elland Road, first game back. I was in the toilet 10 minutes before kick-off having a panic attack. 
      “I was dripping with sweat, vomiting, my heart was pumping out of my chest and I was trying to convince myself that my hamstring was going to go. 
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      “I thought about it so much that I could feel my hamstring actually tightening up. Then I was running out there, standing in front of 30,000 people. 
      “Three weeks earlier I was thinking about killing myself and now they’re calling me a w****r, and whatever, and I’m just thinking ‘oh my God, if you knew what was going on in my head.’”
      You’re Not AloneEVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
      It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
      It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
      And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
      Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
      That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
      The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
      Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
      If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: More

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      We’re former Premier League stars who now play U21 football for top six giants despite approaching 40

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      MONDAY night’s Manchester derby between United and City’s U21 teams was meant to give us a glimpse into who would be the next Cole Palmer, Oscar Bobb, or Kobbie Mainoo.And yet the winner was struck by a grizzled veteran in the form of 37-year-old Tom Huddlestone.
      Huddlestone has featured for United’s U21 side regularly, and scored the winner against City on Monday nightCredit: Getty
      Jay Spearing plays a similar role at LiverpoolCredit: Getty
      The midfielder made 242 appearances Premier League appearances for Tottenham and Hull City and is fondly remembered for his rasping long range strikes down the years.
      And his goal for United’s U21s was another of that genre, pinging a bobbling ball from the edge of the box off the post and into the bottom left corner.
      But why is the midfielder playing for United’s U21s exactly? Especially given that he had no previous affiliation to the club during his playing career.
      His involvement with United’s youth setup began in the summer of 2022, when he was signed by United to play a “hybrid role” in the academy as a coach and player.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      Speaking to the now off-air Soccer AM, he revealed how the move came about and admitted his own surprise when United first got in contact.
      Huddlestone said: “It was quite random to be fair. Paul McShane, who I played with at Hull, did the role in 2021 before retiring.
      “He then put my name forward and it was midway through pre-season when I got the phone call [offering me the job].
      “The first week [in the job] the first team was away so there was no eyes on me or any pressure like that. It’s a big old building so I was saying to Macca [McShane] ‘I’m just going to shadow you for the first week’.
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      Tom Huddlestone had a successful spell at TottenhamCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      Spearing was known for his tough tackling at LiverpoolCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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      “But the five or six coaches I’m working with daily are top notch and really helpful for me, coming from that playing side into a sort of hybrid role.
      He explained that the role sees him use his experience to coach United’s young stars while on the pitch with them, and said: “When you’re on the pitch you’re expected to give a bit of info so its similar to that really. The hardest part is mindset-wise, remembering that you’re not fighting to stay in the team.
      Where are they now: The unusual careers of former footballers
      “You want to do as well as you can but you know your main job is to try and develop the players around you rather than try and stay in the team for the next game.”
      United aren’t the only top six side to utilise a hybrid coach, with Jay Spearing playing a similar role for Liverpool.
      Spearing broke into Liverpool’s first-team from their academy in 2010, spending four years at the club before leaving for Bolton Wanderers in 2014.
      During his spell in Merseyside, he made 55 appearances for the club.
      After a journeyman career in the lower leagues, Spearing returned to Liverpool in 2022 to perform the same hybrid style role as Huddlestone.
      Speaking to Goal, Spearing said it is still a dream to pull on a Reds shirt, and described re-joining the club as a hybrid coach following a call from academy director Alex Ingelthorpe as a “No brainer.”
      Spearing said: “I’d been in [the club] for about two years coaching the U15s and U16s, while I did my UEFA ‘A’ licence.
      “Then, one day Alex called me in and said ‘Can I have a word?’ I was thinking ‘Have I done something wrong?’ but he just sprung it on me and asked me if I’d be interested in a player-coach role.
      Spearing featured a handful of times for Liverpool’s U21 side as they played in the EFL trophyCredit: Getty
      “It caught me by surprise, obviously. My head was still focused on playing, but I went away and did a bit of investigating, and I quickly realised it wasn’t something I could walk away from. There were just too many positives.”
      Speaking about the wisdom he is able to impart to the young players he is coaching, Spearing said: “I’ve seen a lot of things in this game. I’ve experienced highs, lows, promotions, relegations. I’ve worked under different managers and different owners, and seen just about everything you could wish to see.
      “I hope that I can use those experiences as a coach. My main role, to start with, is to get in and amongst the lads, set the standards on the training ground, and try and show them what it takes to be a professional footballer.
      “But I also hope they’ll feel they can speak to me too, that I can offer advice with certain things.
      “I’ll never tell them what they should or shouldn’t do with their career, but I can share my experiences from 15 years in the professional game and hopefully help them on their own journey.”
      Spearing has made nine appearances for Liverpool’s U-21 side this season, playing a total of 204 minutes for the club.
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      He played in the EFL trophy for the U21s against Barrow in November last year, playing 51 minutes before subbing himself off.
      His substitution saw the side let a 1-0 lead slip to lose 2-1 on the night – showing the valuable experience the player can bring to the youth team. More

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      ‘I just don’t have the energy’, admits Ben Chilwell as he embraces new John Terry role in youthful Chelsea squad

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      LEGENDS are in short supply at Chelsea right now — but in Ben Chilwell they have a solid vice-captain and leader.To the extent that, at 27, he is one of their oldest players — and with that comes the task of leaving his young team-mates in no doubt about job requirements at Stamford Bridge.
      Ben Chilwell says he is relishing his role as a leaderCredit: Getty
      After John Terry called on him to be an ‘elder statesmen’Credit: PA:Press Association
      ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ is a phrase synonymous with Chelsea’s iconic former skipper John Terry. And a banner with that simple message hangs on permanent display at the ground.
      Terry was the embodiment of what was once a football factory for trophies which is now finding silverware harder to come by.
      It says so much about modern Chelsea that Chilwell signed less than four years ago but is now considered an elder statesman and one of only a few players with a trophy to his name.
      And even with nearly three years until his 30th birthday and not a grey whisker in his well-trimmed beard, the left-back admits he is starting to feel like a father figure
      READ MORE ON CHELSEA
      Chilwell said: “There are occasions where I actually do feel old. Even in the gym before we start the sessions and all the younger lads are messing about.
      “That used to be me messing about and sometimes I am sitting there feeling a bit too tired to be getting involved. I’d love to, but I don’t have the energy.
      “Those are the moments where maybe I just feel like yeah, maybe I am a bit more mature than I was a few years ago. I’d still love to be one of the kids but I just don’t have the energy to join in 24/7.
      “When I joined Chelsea, I came in as one of the younger players and pretty much in the last few years it has flipped to being one of the older players.
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      He is now one of the few players in the Chelsea dressing room to have won a trophyCredit: Getty
      “I still like to see myself as a young player, still trying to grow and learn. But I have taken on the role as one of the more experienced players and as one of the only players here that has won trophies it is important for me to try to emphasise how important it is at the club to all the new players why silverware is so important.
      “I guess it is such a young team now I am one of the more experienced players. It’s definitely something I have welcomed and try to take on as much as possible.
      I played under Jose Mourinho when Chelsea had seven national captains in starting XI… I know what truly made him special
      “When you join the club, there’s a lot of outside noise that Chelsea wins and in the past has won a lot of trophies.
      “That’s not something we need to be drilling into the boys. It’s more the levels and the standards that are required. As soon as that’s nailed, with the talent that we have, the trophies will follow.”
      Only Raheem Sterling, 29, and 39-year-old Thiago Silva are older than Chilwell in Chelsea’s squad.
      Slowly and unsteadily, Chelsea’s young squad is finding its feet. Two steps forwards and one back.
      But there is tangible progress under boss Mauricio Pochettino. If there was not, they would not be playing in their first cup final for nearly two years tomorrow.
      They have not managed more than three wins on the trot this season.
      Just over three weeks ago, they were spanked 4-1 by tomorrow’s opponents Liverpool.
      But earlier this month, they crushed Aston Villa — one of the season’s form teams — 3-1 away.
      Pochettino is piecing things together but his predecessor last season, Frank Lampard, Chelsea’s record goalscorer who spent 13 years winning trophies there, noted that the ferocious competitive streak in the dressing room had evaporated since his day.
      I’d still love to be one of the kids but I just don’t have the energy to join in 24/7.Ben Chilwell
      Chilwell said: “I can see why he said that but it wasn’t intentional or something we wanted to happen but a lot of circumstances contributed to that last season.
      “When I joined we had a lot of leaders here. We knew the standards. As a new player, I knew what was expected in training or in a game.
      As a senior player, I have to take on that role of setting the standards every day. In the Premier League now there are no easy games. 38 tough games and the cups.
      “You can’t have weeks in training where you just get through the week and turn up at the weekend. You can’t get away with that in this country.
      “It’s important that myself and the other leaders, whether old or young, lead the way. We have seen that a lot of the young boys have stepped up this year. Maintaining the levels that are expected at Chelsea. That is important.”
      Pochettino is reviving the mothballed sense of competition within the camp in his own way — with a recent example from last weekend just to underline it.
      The defender attended London Fashion Week ahead of the cup finalCredit: Getty
      The club have not won a trophy since their 2021 Champions League triumphCredit: Reuters
      Chilwell said: “Er, the Man City game when I didn’t play the ball over the top to Raheem Sterling. The ground was packed and I still heard him from the touchline.
      “He is a very demanding manager, which is what you want of course. There will be training sessions and games where personally you think you have done well and then he will pull you in and tell you what you could have done better.
      “Then there will be other games when maybe you didn’t think you did very well and he does. It’s a balance really.
      “Nobody gets ahead of themselves if they have a few good games, likewise, if things aren’t going our way he keeps the spirits high.
      “There’s an accountability. It’s not all dressing it up and making it look better than what it is. He keeps spirits high and lets you know if you are not up to standard.
      “He knows the players he can dig out and he knows the ones he needs to put an arm around. That’s the sign of a good manager.
      “Not everyone has the same personality — some need digging out and some need an arm around the shoulder
      “If I am not good in training or not up to standard I would expect the manager to have a word with me whether that is just me and him, or in front of anyone. It is fine with me
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      The Chelsea vice-captain has praised his relationship with Mauricio PochettinoCredit: Getty
      “It doesn’t fire me up, I just expect it if I am not up to standard in training or in matches.
      “I wouldn’t want to be able to get away with it. I don’t welcome it but I accept it.” More