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      in Soccer

      Inside the football clubs making sure EVERY child can play as Harry Maguire and Phil Foden back our grassroots scheme

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      AFTER years of desperately wanting to be picked first for the football team, Eddie finally found somewhere that let him play every match.The nine-year-old, who is affected by autism and skull birth defect craniosynostosis, has found confidence with a group of friends.
      Ashford United’s under-11 disability team offers a way into football for youngsters and transforms their lives for the betterCredit: Louis Wood
      And it’s all thanks to Ashford United –– one of the football clubs that The Sun wants to benefit from our Footie For All campaign to help grassroots sport.
      Eddie’s grandmother, Linda Burrows, credits the Kent club’s under-11 disability team, run by Dan Ambler, with giving her grandson new confidence.
      She said: “When Eddie first went along he was hiding behind his mum, but now he is straight out of the car and playing with the other kids.
      “It’s amazing what it has done for his confidence. He believes in himself now.
      “He’s always smiling when he’s playing — even if he doesn’t always get a chance to touch the ball.
      “It’s really nice seeing Eddie do ­normal things that he wasn’t comfortable doing just a few months ago.
      “Dan and the team have made a world of difference. Eddie was never going to be able to play in a traditional team, but this club has made sure he doesn’t miss out.”
      Figures show the cost-of-living crisis is forcing kids away from football, with 94 per cent of grassroots clubs voicing concern about the impact of soaring prices on their membership, according to the charity Sported.
      Most read in Football
      Clubs across the country have told The Sun how parents are struggling to afford to keep their children playing sports as the cost of everyday essentials continues to spiral.
      England stars John Stones, ­Raheem Sterling, Jarrod Bowen and Eric Dier, who all started out in local football, have already lent their support to our campaign.
      Ashford United ace Dan, 37, set up the disability team when he realised his autistic son Jack could not keep up when playing alongside mainstream kids.
      He said: “I saw him being left out, and I wanted to do something about it. I thought other parents might see their children in the same position so I asked around — and within a few days I had 17 other parents whose kids wanted to play.
      “It’s been amazing seeing the kids coming out of their shells. They’ve formed close friendships and the confidence they’ve developed is incredible.
      “Eddie went from being very shy to doing the “worm” celebration in front of everyone at our last match.
      “It’s incredible. It doesn’t matter if you have the skills of Ronaldo or can’t kick a ball — all are welcome.”
      Kids who play on one of the two Ashford under-11 teams have a mix of disabilities, from neurodivergent conditions to physical disabilities such as a missing limb.
      Ashford Town United has been heavily involved in keeping the team going and it provides a lot of ­support to Dan, a podiatrist by day, to get everything right.
      But he has to raise around £800 to keep things afloat, on top of the £25-a-month payment from parents.
      Thanks to huge interest, he is opening up three new teams for this season, bringing the total to six, all of which will need sponsorship.Dan added: “I never turn anyone away.
      “They are welcome whatever disability they have, and I don’t want that to change.
      “It’s going to be quite a challenge, but I’m always up for it and we are used to overcoming difficulties. Hopefully, we’ll make it all work.”
      Today, England footballers Harry Maguire and Phil Foden back our campaign to keep kids playing.
      Two teams also reveal how they are dedicated to making sure all children have access to the sport amid the cost-of-living crisis.
      Phil Foden
      Premier League winner Phil Foden started out with Reddish VulcansCredit: PROVIDED
      Phil Foden now stars for Manchester City and EnglandCredit: Getty
      GRASSROOTS football is where it began for all of us. Whether you play in the Premier League, for your country or on your local park, we all started out playing for our grassroot teams.
      For those of us lucky enough, it goes on to become our jobs. But the grassroots game is for everyone, and it’s important that we continue to support it so that boys and girls across the country can benefit from everything it has to offer.
      For me, playing for my local team gave me the chance to make new friends and learn new skills.
      I loved football then as much as I love football now.
      Knowing you could go and train with your mates during the week and play at the weekend was such an important part of growing up.
      It brings happiness for so many people across the country and it’s so important nothing gets in the way of everyone having that opportunity.
      Harry Maguire
      World Cup ace Harry Maguire began his career with Brunsmeer AthleticCredit: PROVIDED
      He has gone onto play for Sheffield United, Hull City, Leicester City and Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
      I SPENT my childhood with a football at my feet whenever I had the chance.
      My first memory is having a kickabout with my brother.
      Playing in youth teams for Brunsmeer Athletic, then later Barnsley and ­Sheffield United, gave me a chance to make football into a career, not just a ­passion.
      Kids these days should have that same option, no matter what else is going on around them.
      There is nothing better than playing with a team, winning and learning how to lose.
      It also gives them an outlet and a chance to learn discipline, teamwork and friendship with people they might otherwise not have met.
      I loved my time in grassroots football. Those memories never leave you.
      Beacons FC, Kidbrooke, South East London
      Beacons FC are trying to help make football more afforable for parents and have launched a boots swap schemeCredit: Olivia West
      BEACONS FC has recently launched a boot swap shop to help families keep their kids in footie ­footwear without breaking the bank.
      Club secretary Adam Gillham said: “They are a necessary item parents have to shell out for each season but they can be so ­expensive – especially when kids outgrow them so quickly.
      “At the swap shop, they can donate a pair of boots their child has outgrown and swap them for a pair that fits. Anything we can do to help them save a few quid helps.”
      The club started in Kidbrooke, South East London, in 2001, and now fields eight teams of boys aged seven to 17.
      To play for the season, each player pays a one-off £50 registration fee and £245 in subs which parents are able to pay off in monthly instalments.
      Praising the Sun’s Footie For All drive, Adam said: “We are well aware of the impact of the cost of living on our players’ families in the past year, so any campaign like this will certainly help the grass- roots game.
      “We deliberately kept the fees as low as we could this season, for that reason.
      “We have not increased them since before the pandemic because we know times are hard for so many families – even though we have seen our own costs going up year on year. Football should be for all – not just for those who can afford it.
      “As a club, we do everything we can to help mums and dads who may be struggling financially.
      “If a parent comes to us and says they cannot afford the subs any longer, then of course we would not stop their child playing.
      “Each child deserves a chance to play football – no matter their ability or background. It’s the people’s game.
      “I would like to see more money filter down from the Premier League to real grassroots football – youth football in parks and recreation grounds around the UK – where it is truly needed.”
      Blackburn Eagles FC, Lancs
      Blackburn Eagles vow never to turn away anybody despite parent money strugglesCredit: BLACKBURN EAGLES
      BLACKBURN Eagles has seen more kids struggling to afford to play – but it never turns anyone away.
      The Lancashire academy’s vice chairman Chris Hughes says prices haven’t been raised in around eight years, in a bid to maintain access for all children.
      Kids as young as two take part in the Little Eagles under-six mini-kicker sessions, which cost £15 a month for weekly training.
      As the kids progress through to teams, parents pay £25 a month for a one-weekend game, and £30 a month if kids play Saturdays and Sundays every weekend.
      The club’s team keeps on growing and now has 650 players on its books, making it the biggest in the area.
      Chris, 39, said: “We don’t turn anyone away. We just take on more children, create new groups, create new training sessions and create new teams.”
      The Eagles has a hardship fund to help out families who start to struggle with the costs of subs and kits.
      The club has also recently taken teams out of the Junior Premier League due to the cost of the regular four-hour round trips to play against other teams across the North West.
      Chris said: “There have been conversations about the cost of living and cost of petrol.
      “Stuff is getting expensive, so we’ve brought some of our teams back a little bit more local to help with that.”
      To give even more kids the opportunity to play, Blackburn Eagles is currently looking to link up with local schools and charities to potentially start providing free after-school sessions in poorer communities and deprived areas.
      And Chris believes every child should have the opportunity to play football, due to its benefits for physical and mental wellbeing.
      He added: “It gives kids a good focus and we find that football can be a ­massive part of certain children’s lives.
      Read More on The Sun
      “That might be the one thing they’ll look forward to all week, and sometimes it gets them out of situations where they don’t want to be at home all the time.”

      The Sun’s Footie For All campaign aims to support families through the cost of living crisis More

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      in Soccer

      How Erling Haaland went from lanky teen to goal machine thanks to cow’s heart diet and very strict rule

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      ERLING Haaland was once a “little guy” with a buzz cut who couldn’t score for the first team of his home town side in Norway.Now the 6ft 4in Manchester City striker is football’s most deadly predator, breaking the Premier League goal-scoring record with seven games to spare.
      Ering Haaland is football’s most deadly predator and has broken the Premier League goal-scoring recordCredit: Getty
      With his long blonde locks lapping his shoulders, he fired home against Arsenal on Wednesday to notch up 33 Prem strikes.
      In all, he’s scored 49 times on his debut season in England.
      On Twitter, former Five Live presenter Peter Allen branded City “a petrodollar powered juggernaut driven by a Nordic goal monster easily beating everyone”.
      But even those who aren’t fans can admire the work that has gone into his transformation from a lanky teen to Viking marauder.
      Read More on ERLING Haaland
      Here, Grant Rollings looks at how the 22-year-old became a goal-scoring machine.
      Calorie-controlled killer
      It is hard to believe now but as a baby Erling was a small, thin boy.
      Over the years he has worked hard to bulk up his 6ft 4in tall frame.
      Haaland shows off his milk smoothies with kaleCredit: https://www.instagram.com/erling.haaland/
      He eats his dad’s home-made lasagne before every home game, wolfs down cow’s heart and liver and drinks milk laced with kale, which he calls “my magic potion”, to maintain a 6,000-calorie-a-day diet.
      Most read in Football
      Erling also pays for his own chef, who cooks up a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired lunch of boiled fish and vegetables.
      The young player’s development was undermined by growth spurts which meant he suffered injuries.
      To prevent them, he installed a £50,000 walk-in cryotherapy chamber in house in Cheshire and takes regular ice baths.
      He spends hours in the gym every day honing his six-pack, earning him the nickname The Terminator.
      It has paid off because defenders bounce off the powerful player when they try to bring him down.
      It has paid off because defenders bounce off the powerful player when they try to bring him down.
      Man City manager Pep Guardiola called the Norwegian a “machine”.
      Nearly two million rival fans signed a petition calling for Erling to be deported because he’s a “robot.”
      Not a Jack the Lad
      ERLING is very different from City’s most expensive-ever signing, £100million England forward Jack Grealish.
      While Jack is often seen out on the town with his pals and girlfriend, the Norwegian keeps a low profile with his 19-year-old girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen.
      Erling Haaland was born in West YorkshireCredit: Instagram
      It was during a trip back home to Scandinavia around two years ago that he fell for Isabel, who, like him, had been part of the Bryne FK team’s football academy.
      Erling is not one for partying or boasting about his exploits, preferring to do his talking on the pitch.
      Ex-coach Alf Ingve Berntsen said: “In our part of the country we used to have a lot of farmers. People had to work very hard and not speak too much.
      “So it’s in our genetics. It’s better to do the work than to talk a lot. So Erling is a typical person from our region.”
      The player, though, thinks he’s been able to adapt to the laddish Premier League.
      He said: “My father spent ten years in England so he kind of brought me up to have a bit of English banter.”
      Since moving to Manchester last summer, though, pals back in Norway have apparently seen less of their golden boy.
      Bryne player Robert Undheim says: “We see little of him. I think he has cut out a lot of people he knows and is halfway friends with.
      “But he has a very good team around him that is easy to relate to. That makes a lot of sense, I think.”
      Self-belief in his DNA
      Even though Erling was incredibly quick and skilful, few people in his home town thought he’d go on to be a superstar – apart from the player himself.
      This week classmate Robert Undheim, who was replaced when a 15-year-old Erling made his debut for Bryne football club in 2016, revealed: “In high school he said he was going to be the best in the world in football.
      Proud Erling as a kid with his mum, dad, brother and sisterCredit: INSTAGRAM/Gabrielle Braut Haaland
      “People made fun of him. But he meant it. One hundred per cent.”
      His former coach Alfe Ingve Berntsen said: “Erling was the best when he was a little guy, but we didn’t think when I began to coach him when he was seven that he would become top scorer in the Champions League.”
      Erling never scored in his 16 first team games for Bryne.
      But his pace attracted the attention of Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he was manager of Norwegian side Molde.
      He saw his potential and signed him as a 16-year-old, teaching the youngster how to head the ball.
      He then joined Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg in 2019.
      A year later he moved to Borussia Dortmund in Germany, before joining Man City last summer.
      Football farm
      THE striker isn’t the first top flight player off the Haaland production line.
      He was born in West Yorkshire when his dad, Alfie, was playing for Leeds United in England’s top division.
      His dad Alfie played for Leeds United in England’s top divisionCredit: alfiehaaland/Instagram
      Athleticism and mental toughness are in Erling’s DNA.
      Alfie was brave enough to get into an on-field feud with Manchester United hardman Roy Keane, while his mum Gry Marita Braut was a Norwegian heptathlon champ.
      At the age of three, Erling moved to Bryne in Norway, where generations of the Haaland family are from. It is a farming community, and in the summer Erling has been known to help out his maternal great-uncle, former Norway international Gabriel Hoyland, with his pigs and potatoes.
      He regularly returns to see his older brother Astor and sister Gabrielle, while his dad has helped to manage his career.
      Erling’s relentless drive to improve came from a desire to be better than his footballer dad, who also played for Man City.
      Explaining his motivation, he said: “When I was young it was getting better than my father and getting as good as I can.
      “Now there is something inside me that just thinks about football all the time, about what I can do better.”
      Money-making machine
      THE world’s most in-form striker has enough star quality for big brands to pay big bucks so they can be linked to him.
      He has a £20million deal with Nike, earned a reported £2million from Samsung and was paid around £1million by luxury watch firm Breitling.
      Haaland owns a £300,000 Rolls-Royce CullinanCredit: Cavendish
      He has spent some of that money on a string of luxury cars, including a £300,000 Rolls-Royce Cullinan and a £120,000 Carbon Black Audi RS 6.
      He also flies on private jets and splashes out on good food, reportedly adding a £25,000 tip to a £400,000 bill at a restaurant in Greece.
      City pay him a reported £385,000 a week, with some suggestions that bonuses are worth another couple of hundred grand.
      Bryne, a coastal town of just 12,000 people, is cashing in on the association with their most famous citizen.
      There is talk of building an Erling Haaland museum to attract tourists who already visit to see the mural and statue of the striker and to buy shirts from the club shop.
      Local businessman Inge Brigt Aarbakke said: “Imagine a place where people can come and look at the shirts he has used in the different clubs, not least the match balls he has scored his hat tricks with.
      “I’m convinced that families on holiday would want to visit Bryne. The children would want to see where Erling grew up.”
      Getting some shut-eye
      THE athlete is dedicated to the trend of following the body’s natural sleep pattern – known as the circadian cycle.
      He revealed: “The first thing I do in the morning is to get some sunlight in my eyes. It is good for circadian rhythm.”
      The striker taking a nap with a match ballCredit: Instagram / @erling.haaland
      Erling won’t touch his smart phone or any other electronic device two hours before bed time and at night he filters out blue light from digital screens with special spectacles.
      He said: “I see this as key to improving performance by even just a few percentages. It’s a matter of mentality.”
      The striker is so wrapped up in the Champions League that his morning alarm plays the competition’s anthem.
      It is having the right effect because Erling is the top scorer this season with a dozen goals so far.
      Read More on The Sun
      He knows that City’s United Arab Emirates billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour is paying him a fortune to win the most coveted silverware in club football.
      Erling said: “The club want to win the Champions League. They didn’t bring me in to win the Premier League because they already know how to win it.” More

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      in Soccer

      I’ll never forget the summer of 1996 – the country buzzed about the Euros and we need that back

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      LIKE most Sun readers, I will never forget the summer of 1996. The whole country was buzzing because of the Euros.As a teenager, I soaked up almost every second of the tournament, convinced that it would be England’s moment of glory.
      PM Rishi Sunak is backing a historic joint bid by the UK and Ireland to host the Uefa European Championships in 2028Credit: Dan Charity / The Sun
      England captain Harry Kane is joining with sides to back the bid to hold the prestigious tournament in the UK and IrelandCredit: Getty
      Scotland’s Andy Robertson is also behind the push to secure the tournament on home soilCredit: Rex
      Steven Davis, Northern Ireland captainCredit: Sportsfile
       It gave me a love of the game — its highs and lows — that I still have to this day, especially as a long-suffering Southampton fan.
      As a country, our passion for football is unparalleled. It is known the world over.
      From the Premier League to Sunday league, the game brings us together.
      Our stadia aren’t just ­sporting venues where the best players in the world want to play and fans ­everywhere dream of visiting, they are part of who we are — cultural icons at the heart of our communities, monuments to the game we love.
      READ MORE ON EURO 2028
      Again and again in recent years, those stadia have hosted some of the biggest games in world football.
       We have hosted Champions League finals, Euro 2020 matches — including almost all of England’s epic run  to the final — and the record-breaking 2022 Women’s Euros.
      We have got world-class sporting infrastructure and a  brilliant track record.
      So it would be fantastic to bring a full, international men’s tournament back to these shores.
      Most read in Football
       That’s why today the UK and Ireland are launching a historic joint bid to host the Uefa European Championships in 2028.
      By bringing the whole of the UK together, along with Ireland, we will showcase our shared love of the beautiful game.
      It will be the most ambitious sporting event our islands have jointly staged — five Football Associations with Uefa united in delivering one of the best tournaments Europe has ever seen.
       The captains of each of the host nations — Harry Kane, Séamus Coleman, Steven Davis, Andy Robertson and Aaron Ramsey — may be rivals on the pitch, but they are all on the same side in cheering on this effort.
      Imagine it — the best teams in Europe battling it out at the Etihad in Manchester, Hampden Park in Glasgow, the Principality in Cardiff, Casement Park in Belfast, the Aviva in Dublin, and of course, Wembley Stadium.
      Not to mention Villa Park, St James’ Park, Everton’s new ­Stadium and the Tottenham ­Hotspur Stadium.
      And imagine, just for a second, our boys following in the Lionesses’ footsteps and lifting that trophy five years from now. What a summer that would be.
      All about the future
      This year marks the 160th anniversary of the laws of the game — 160 years since they were first adopted and ­published, here in the UK.
       We are rightly proud of that unique legacy. There is so much to celebrate and savour — from Jackie Milburn to Jack Charlton, from 1966 to Euro ’96.
      Aaron Ramsey is on the same side as his rival in cheering on this effortCredit: Getty
      The Republic of Ireland’s Séamus Coleman is hoping to bring the tournament to the UK and IrelandCredit: Sportsfile
       But this tournament will be all about the future.
       On a rainy day last month we held a kickabout at No 10 with the Lionesses. As Beth Mead, Jill Scott and Ellen White showed a group of excited school kids their skills and rattled some of the historic furnishings, you could see the inspirational impact of their Euro triumph last summer.
      So Euro 2028 is about inspiring even more boys and girls not just to cheer on their team but to lace up their boots and get out there themselves.
      It’s about supporting the game at the local level and lifting up our communities — together the bid partners have already committed more than £500million to improve grassroots football.
      It’s about delivering new investment to upgrade facilities — including the regeneration of Casement Park in Northern Ireland.
       It’s about harnessing the power of the tournament to drive long-term benefits through volunteering, tourism and new business opportunities.
       It’s about pubs, front rooms and fan parks filling up across these islands — friends and family coming together, in victory or defeat.
      We estimate the bid could generate benefits of up to £2.6billion for our nations.
       It’s the ultimate win-win — a festival of football to cheer the nation and benefit us all.
      Read More on The Sun
      Let’s bring people from across Europe and beyond to our host cities, to see the best football on the best stage anyone can offer.
      Let’s create new memories for a new generation. Let’s back our bid. More

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      in Soccer

      Kids’ football is more than just physical activity – it helps youngsters learn good behaviour, says Raheem Sterling

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      PLAYING weekend football with a local team has been a rite of passage for kids for generations.But a Sun investigation today reveals that the cost of living crisis is forcing scores of kids to drop out of sports clubs as families struggle to make ends meet.
      The cost of living crisis has driven more children away from clubs – here Brent Cross under-11s celebrate championship victory with head coach Jamie Kavanagh, far leftCredit: Olivia West
      Almost 50 per cent of Football club leaders surveyed told The Sun that a lack of money was affecting participation in sportCredit: Olivia West
      In the wake of the crisis, today The Sun is launching Footie For All — backed by some of England’s top players — to highlight the importance of grassroots sports clubs.
      A shocking new poll from Sported, a charity which supports community sports clubs, has found 94 per cent of grassroots clubs are concerned about the impact of soaring prices on their membership.
      And football clubs across the country have told The Sun how the economic crisis is forcing kids out of training and weekend matches, even though the clubs are doing all they can to give their players a chance.
      One such club is Brent Cross Football Academy in North London, which offers matches and training to almost 200 children, aged from four to 14.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      The players come from a huge mix of social backgrounds and to keep things as accessible as poss-ible, the club still charges £400 to £500 a year for subscriptions, while other clubs have raised theirs to more than £600.
      The academy is determined to try to avoid any young player missing out on sport, and the management team make it clear to parents they will help out any family with financial struggles when they can.
      And the Brent Cross chiefs’ worries are shared across the country, with 92 per cent of clubs saying they are extremely concerned about the negative impact on the young people they serve, according to the Ring/Sported Community Pulse Survey.
      And almost 50 per cent of club leaders surveyed told how lack of money was affecting participation in sport.
      Most read in Football
      Some 31 per cent of those surveyed believe the long-term con-sequences of the economic pinch will see fewer young people taking part in sports and physical activity.
      The benefits of grassroots sports for kids is well documented.
      From the obvious health benefits, community sports teams also offer huge social benefits by channelling kids’ energy into physical activity.
      The UK is home to more than 40,000 clubs, and almost all those we spoke to declared that they would never want to stop a child playing with them — but often find themselves under pressure due to the cost of registration, pitches or transport.
      Nicola Walker, chief executive of Sported, said: “The cost of living is putting grassroots sports groups under extreme pressure. It’s making it harder to raise the cash to operate.
      “And it’s making it tougher on our kids to afford the price of participation, or even just the cost of travelling to take part.
      “That means they could miss out on a boost to their physical and mental wellbeing.
      Struggling families
      “But time spent kicking a ball or in a dance class is also time in a safe space where young people meet positive influences and get a priceless chance to learn and grow.
      “So it’s important that the Government recognises all the amazing ways in which sport contributes to building stronger, safer communities and offers the support it needs.”
      At Brent Cross the country’s economic woes started to become apparent at the beginning of the year, when head coach Jamie Kavanagh noticed he was losing children because families were struggling with paying the subs.
      He sent a message to all parents asking if those who could afford it could spare a little more to help fund sponsorships for ten children who could no longer afford to play.
      Jamie, 27, said: “We’re finding that a lot of the children are struggling to make every session purely because of the cost of the subs, new football boots, kit and travel to fixtures and training.
      “We hoped to be able to help ten children but we’ve managed to get the money to sponsor 12, thanks to the generosity of the parents.
      Every one who donated extra told us how amazing the initiative was.
      “The parents of the kids who get to play for free are hugely grateful and it allows them to focus on other things without the worry of their children missing out on activities they enjoy and keep them active.
      “Football is so important for helping kids with communication skills, having an outlet, and it gives them a family feeling. I’d never want anyone to lose that due to money issues.”
      With so many football clubs telling how the cost of living crisis risks harming the health of our youngsters, it was clear something needed to be done.
      Here we highlight some of the grassroots clubs which are making a big difference in their communities and finding ways to try to beat the negative effects of the cost of living crisis.
      And four England aces, who know only too well the benefits of grassroots football, back our call for Footie For All.

      TELL us about your inspiration grass roots club. Email us at footieforall@ the-sun.co.uk

      John Stones
      Barnsley, Everton, Man City & England
      “PLAYING grassroots football as a kid with my friends for my local team was the first step into football for me, and I never looked back.
      Playing grassroots football was incredibly important for England and Man City defender John StonesCredit: Alamy
      He says: ‘Football can give children something to look forward to, even when things may be difficult’Credit: Rex Features
      “It played such an important part of my childhood and I’ll always be so grateful for the opportunity it provided for me and so many other children.
      “Grassroots football often provides a happy and safe environment for children to play, meet friends and learn new skills.
      “If it wasn’t for that start I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn important life skills on and off the pitch while having fun with my mates.
      “It can give children something to look forward to, even when things may be difficult, and make such a positive impact for both parents and kids.”
      Raheem Sterling
      Alpha & Omega FC, QPR, Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea & England
      “WE can’t just look at the physical benefits of grassroots football because it also has the ability to bring people together.
      Raheem Sterling thinks football is more than just the physical benefitsCredit: Getty
      Raheem says: ‘My mentor Clive Ellington was the one that actually got me into football to focus my energy and correct my behaviour’
      “My mentor Clive Ellington was the one that actually got me into football to focus my energy and correct my behaviour.
      “He was a great role model. I found something I wanted to put my maximum energy in to and it paid off.
      “I fell in love with football through that Sunday league team – and made friends for life.”
      Eric Dier
      International Prep School, Lisbon, Sporting CP, Spurs & England
      “FOOTBALL is a lifeline for many.
      Tottenham and England defender, Eric Dier, feels football is a lifeline for someCredit: Getty
      Eric loved football as he says it ‘encourages teamwork, discipline, friendship, improved health and wellbeing’Credit: ericdier15/instagram
      “It encourages teamwork, discipline, friendship, improved health and wellbeing, and a sense of community.
      “I know kids will benefit from the game and all that comes with it.”
      Jarrod Bowen
      Leominster Miners, Hereford Utd (Herts), West Ham, England
      “WHEN I was little I had a dream of playing football for my entire life.
      West Ham winger, Jarrod Bowen, dreamt of playing pro football ever since he was a childCredit: Getty
      Jarrod says: ‘Football is for everyone and it’s massively important it stays that way’
      “It was the most important thing in my week and I know it’ll be the same for boys and girls across the UK.
      “We can’t let kids see that dream die simply because mum or dad can’t afford to pay for the subs, kit and travel. Football is for everyone and it’s massively important it stays that way.
      “It’s more than just kicking a ball about, it’s building lifelong friendships, getting to do something you love and a chance to learn   about healthy competition.
      “It gives a routine and a chance to zone out from anything that might be going on in their lives. If that’s taken away it’ll leave children in a bad place because they’ve lost something they love.
      “One of the best things for me is seeing young kids play football at my old club. I saw an under-eights team in a penalty shootout. It brought me so much joy to see how happy and determined they were. That’s what football is really about – bringing joy to everyone.”

      Helston AFC, Cornwall
      HELSTON AFC plays a vital role in supporting nearly 400 kids in 17 teams, including many families from nearby Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, one of Europe’s biggest helicopter bases.
      But youth co-ordinator and under-13s coach Chris Strike says the cost of living crisis has badly impacted this region of Cornwall, making it harder for families to pay the £80 annual membership.
      Helston AFC plays a vital role in supporting nearly 400 kids in 17 teamsCredit: Apex
      Chris, 42, an architect from Helston, said: “We’ve had a number of parents say this year they can’t afford the membership fees.
      “I’m proud to say we don’t and we won’t ever stop a child registering because they can’t pay their fee.
      “Either the club will fund it or a couple of us have funded kids. Others ask us to pay monthly and that’s fine, we have always found a solution.
      “I’m lucky I own my own business and sponsor my team and there are a couple of coaches in that position, but a lot of the teams will try to raise money from local businesses.”
      Chris added: “Each of the 17 teams has two coaches trying to help the players, both in and out of football. Some kids want to talk about difficulties at home and you are there to support them in that respect as well. There’s a lot more to being a football coach than just coaching football.”
      The club has close ties with Plymouth Argyle and Southampton’s academies, and this year 19 youth players from Helston have represented Cornwall.
      Among their recent successes is striker Luke Jephcott, who plays for Swindon, and who was with Helston before joining Argyle’s academy.
      The Pythian Club, Nottingham
      COMMUNITY sports club and outreach centre The Pythian Club in Nottingham offers free sports sessions, including football and boxing, to youngsters aged up to 19.
      Yet even without subs, its bosses fear that costs such as travel and kit are becoming unaffordable for the families of its youngsters.
      The Pythian Club in Nottingham offers free sports sessions, including football and boxing, to youngsters aged up to 19Credit: Pythian Club
      The club performs an important social role, often taking on children who have been involved in gangs and crime, or who have been referred to it by probation services.
      Currently it looks after 400 children and teenagers who come to the centre to play a range of sports.
      Founder Benjamin Rosser told The Sun: “It absolutely breaks my heart that so many kids are missing out. Sport is such an important way for us to reach out to kids and stop them from going down the wrong path. Part of our work is actively seeking out young people that would otherwise fall through the gaps and give them a chance at a better life.
      “We have around 120 to 150 young people we work with that are really financially struggling and need extra support.
      “We try to find ways to work around that to make sure they don’t have to make difficult choices such as having to pay their bus fare to school and not be able to access a sports activity that week.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Sometimes it’s getting food in their belly or playing football. Those are the difficult choices that they’re making.
      “Running a session on a Friday for about 180 kids sets us back about £280, which is expensive, but we never pass those costs on. We’re a family and we’ll always provide what we can.”
      Tell us about your inspiration grass roots club. Email us at footieforall@the-sun.co.uk More

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      in Soccer

      I appeared on Soccer AM and it was the greatest day of my life – Sky shouldn’t axe this icon and here’s why

      by

      JUST when I thought I had avoided a full-blown mid-life crisis, Sky have axed Soccer AM.After three decades “All Aboard The Showboat” we are being forced to disembark.
      It had taken me six years to get over the departure of former host, Helen Chamberlain — and now this?Credit: PA:Press Association
      The Luther Blissett stand will fall silent for ever after the final show goes out on May 27 – Gordon on show in 2013 with Helen, James Corden and Max Rushden
      Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain in 2003 on the show’s sofaCredit: Rex
      The Luther Blissett stand — the studio audience’s enclosure — will fall silent for ever after the final show goes out on May 27.
      It had taken me six years to get over the departure of former host, Helen “Hells Bells” Chamberlain — and now this?
      It feels like my team has gone into administration, failing to find a billionaire buyer. We’ve had points deducted, been relegated, lost a derby to our local rivals and been bought by a dodgy consortium.
      There’s no chance VAR has cocked this one up — the referee’s decision is final. In football terms, the clearout has started. Big Sam Allardyce won’t be getting the call to save the day.
      The veteran on and off-screen team — who have entertained us through four decades — have failed to survive the dreaded vote of no confidence from Sky executives.
      It’s not even a fire sale of the big names. They are all being unceremoniously turfed out for a younger, fresher, social media-focused format.
      Magical camaraderie
      The Sun broke the news online yesterday with a heavy heart — yet another TV institution running its course.
      The loyal, hard-working and passionate team have been told they will be made redundant at the end of this season — with only ten more shows to go.
      Most read in Football
      In a statement colder than a wet Wednesday in Stoke, Sky said: “Soccer AM has played an important role in our coverage of football for the past three decades, and we continually adapt to the evolving needs of our customers.
      “We now go into a period of consultation to discuss the proposed changes with our people. We are unable to provide more detail while these consultations are underway.”
      Soccer Saturday anchor and pal of the show, Jeff Stelling, will be seething. Chris Kamara has definitely said: “Unbelievable, Jeff!”
      The fabric of this fine country is held together by football, and Soccer AM has long been the unofficial starting whistle for weekend shenanigans for lads (and lassies) like me since 1995.
      The love affair started with Hells Bells and Tim Lovejoy back in the 90s. Like the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, or peak Chris Evans with TFI Friday, you felt like you were part of the gang.
      I’ll never forget the first time former Rangers defender Scott Wilson came up to me in a nightclub and said I had something on my shoe. I raised my heel and he said, “Oh sailor!”
      That infantile banter was stolen straight from Soccer AM and repeated around the country on a daily basis, until the jokes wore thin and they found a new one.
      If you’ve ever heard “taxi!” shouted at any football occasion (when somebody has shamed themselves on the pitch) THAT came from Soccer AM.
      Third Eye, Nutmeg Files, Sky Spoof News, Skill Skool — if you know the show, they immediately bring a smile to your face.
      The Crossbar Challenge — attempt to hit it with a shot from the halfway line — is one of the greatest games invented for football teams at any level.
      The word “tekkers”, for sublime technique, was popularised on Saturday mornings, signposting an amazing display of talent.
      It hasn’t been without controversy. I’d argue that’s the sign of any good show.
      The Soccerettes — young women who were the subject of the male presenter’s innuendos — ceased to be in 2015.
      They were out of date in the post-lads mag world. It was time to go and the show evolved. Fans of the week, Colonel & Ginger, Frankie Fryer away days, Tubes’ Question and rap, the end of season dance-off — they were all TV gold for my generation.
      The sketches with the original team made the show essential viewing through my teens and 20s – pictured John with Helen
      Noel Gallagher, who loved the show, and Jimmy ‘Bully’ Bullard appearing on Soccer AMCredit: Sky
      The sketches with the original team — John Fendley, Joe “Sheephead” Worsley, Robbie “The Tramp” Knox, Peter Dale and James Long — made the show essential viewing through my teens and 20s.
      Then, in my 30s and now 40s, with Fenners — AKA John Fendley, the current co-host — taking the reins with Jimmy Bullard, and ace comedian Lloyd Griffiths for a few years, I’ve fallen in love with it all over again alongside my teenage son on the sofa.
      Soccer AM still pulls great guests and it should be admired for shining a light on new music talent. It’s not just about football, it’s about the bands that soundtracked our weekends, and so many of the show’s clever collages of video clips.
      We still quote Bob Bradley, Fenners’ pastiche of a US soccer coach. Yorkshire News and Barry Proudfoot sketches still make me laugh.
      Fenners’ voiceover and lip sync to old pictures of Gary Lineker and Alan Smith at Leicester in the ’80s makes me laugh every week. Without sounding too much like Alan Hansen and his infamous “You’ll win nothing with kids . . . ”
      Match Of the Day barb about Sir Alex Ferguson’s Class of ’92, I don’t see where the new show will recreate that magical camaraderie.
      Saturday morning without Fenners and Bully laughing at hapless fans failing to hit “top bins” — positioned in the upper corners of the goalmouth — will be like getting in the team bath with your socks still on. It will feel so wrong.
      It’s the kind of emotional turmoil a man in his 40s, who still thinks he’s in his 20s and dresses like it’s the ’90s, just can’t process without careering off the rails.
      Critics will say the show’s been slipping down the leagues for years, but I admire the way it has evolved.
      We’ve grown to love the effervescent Jimmy “Bully” Bullard.
      Producer turned show star Peter Dale — “Tubes” to the uninitiated — has survived a heart attack and alcoholism, for heaven’s sake. We lived through that with him. He is our North Star, but he is going, too.
      Last night former star Rocket, real name James Long and the face of show segment Skill Skool, posted on Twitter: “End of an era!”
      Former host, now TalkSport presenter, Andy Goldstein added: “Honoured to have been a part of it, all be it for just a season (a bit like Cantona at Leeds) Tim and Helen were incredible. To be a fan for so long and then sit on the orange sofa was the stuff of dreams.”
      I was very lucky to take part in the car park challenge twice, in 2011 and 2013.
      My first outing, dressed in full Scotland kit, witnessed one of the greatest moments of my life — right up there with my kids being born. I rolled the ball up the inside of my leg, then hit on the half volley as it dropped. Wallop! I’d dreamed of doing that for 15 years — straight through.
      It was only usurped by Sergio Pizzorno from Kasabian, who flicked it up in a pair of winklepickers then volleyed it clean through the inflatable Wembley Arch.
      All the more impressive when you knew he hadn’t been to bed the night before.
      That was the magic — Soccer AM had authentic rock’n’roll spirit that will be hard to replace.
      The Gallagher brothers loved the show, and Hollywood stars such as The Rock were more than happy to get involved in the Pro-Am.
      Sky are hoping a new phoenix will emerge from the flames with those painful words middle-aged men fear, “whilst hoping to attract a younger audience . . . ”
      It all feels a bit like that journeyman footballer when his legs have gone.
      Remember Gary Neville’s last game at Manchester United? He was knackered, the legs gave in and even for his biggest detractors, there was something sad about seeing him hauled off by Sir Alex Ferguson in the first half.
      But I believe there’s still room for an Indian summer for Soccer AM — the format is too good to give up.
      Read More on The Sun
      Paul Gascoigne on the long-running Sky Sports showCredit: Sky
      Simon Le Bon with Asim Chaudhry on Soccer AM in 2021
      Kasabian star Sergio Pizzorno also made an appearance More

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      in Soccer

      I was a Soccer AM Soccerette TWICE – it was great fun for models like me but I have a different view of it now

      by

      I LOVED watching Soccer AM so much that I appeared as a Soccerette twice.The weekend show was perfect when you had a hangover from a night out and was essential viewing for a football fan like me.
      I was a Soccer AM Soccerette TWICE – it was great fun for models like me, says Peta Todd
      Peta Todd believes the end of Soccer AM is a sign of the timesCredit: Louis Wood
      I wouldn’t take my kit off on television now, but back then I was a model and was glad to be invited on.
      I enjoyed it enough to return to show off my West Ham top for a second time.
      The hosts were always great to work with – it was always fun.
      I wasn’t the only one who wanted to be on Soccer AM.
      READ MORE ON SOCCER AM
      The calibre of guests such as Wayne Rooney shows how popular it was.
      Soccer AM was the first time I really felt that a female host was holding their own on a football show.
      Torquay United fan Helen Chamberlain was a trailblazer for women in sports presenting.
      There weren’t that many female pundits 30 years ago and few are as well respected as her.
      Most read in Football
      She was able to hold her own with all the banter of those laddish men.
      If there was nonsense going on, she would put her foot down.
      A lot of people will be nostalgic about Soccer AM and it is a shame it is ending.
      But it was a show that thrived in the 1990s and I don’t think it would get commissioned now.
      Its main problem is that younger audiences prefer to watch YouTube shows or listen to podcasts.
      The end of Soccer AM is a sign of the times. More

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      in Soccer

      Losing baby Angel wasn’t our first tragedy – we had three miscarriages, reveals Ronaldo’s partner Georgina Rodriguez

      by

      IT’S almost a year since Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez welcomed their daughter Bella Esmeralda into the world in a very bittersweet way, with the tragic loss of Bella’s twin brother Angel.And Spanish influencer Georgina, 29, has now revealed she had suffered three miscarriages before.
      Georgina Rodriguez said: ‘I was very afraid at each ultrasound. I felt very tense because I’d had three previous miscarriages and I came home in pieces’Credit: Reuters
      The couple on Instagram with the ultrasound scan of their unborn twins
      She says: “Every time I went to the gynaecologist’s at night I had nightmares because I was worried about what position they would be in, what the delivery would be like, if it would be a Caesarean section.
      “I was very afraid at each ultrasound. I felt very tense because I’d had three previous miscarriages and I came home in pieces.”
      She describes her visits to the gynaecologist as “horrible, because I was always vomiting”.
      Soon after Georgina gave birth in April 2022, she and Ronaldo, 38, announced Angel’s death as they paid tribute online.
      Read More on Georgina Rodriguez
      He wrote on social media: “It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel.
      ‘You ask yourself how you’ll carry on’
      “Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness.
      “We would like to thank the doctors and nurses for all their expert care and support.
      “We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time.
      Most read in Football
      “Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you.”
      Georgina makes her shock revelations in the new series of Netflix documentary I Am Georgina, which is set to premiere on Friday.
      As well as Bella, she shares daughter Alana, three, with Ronaldo, while the former Manchester United star also has son Cristiano Jr, 12 — whose mother’s identity he has never revealed — and four-year-old twins Eva and Mateo, who he had with an American surrogate.
      Georgina, who treats all of Ronaldo’s brood as her own, says she didn’t immediately tell her other children that Angel had not survived, instead saying he would be born a little later than his sister.
      She says: “They were born on Easter Monday. The most-awaited moment arrives and your heart stops.
      “Bella was born strong and healthy but a piece of my heart shattered.
      “You ask yourself how you’re going to carry on. I wasn’t prepared to accept or recognise what had happened to me and I wasn’t ready to tell my children about it.
      “As I still had a belly, I told them that Angel was still going to wait a bit to be born, until Cris told them that Angel was in Heaven. That was a dose of reality.”
      Ronaldo has previously spoken of the challenging conversations he had to have with his other children when they returned home from hospital without Angel.
      The smiling family with their new addition, their daughter Bella
      Ronaldo holds the couple’s new baby Bella
      He told Piers Morgan on TalkTV: “In the beginning Gio (Georgina) arrived home and the kids start to say, ‘Where’s the other baby?’
      “I had a conversation with Cristiano (Junior) on the day, because he’s 12 years old, he knows, understands everything, and I had a nice conversation with him.
      “We cried together in his bedroom and explained and he does understand, but in the same way he was a little bit confused.
      “The other ones in the beginning, the kids start to say, ‘Mum, where is the other baby, blah blah blah’. And you know, she had a little bit of a belly because they had two, it’s a hard process.
      “And after one week I say, ‘Let’s be up front and let’s be honest with the kids, let’s say that Angel, they go to Heaven’.”
      Before Georgina returned home from hospital, her sister Ivana helped by removing the cot, Moses cradle and teddy bear that Georgina had prepared for Angel at the Cheshire home where the family were then living.
      This year they moved to Saudi Arabia, after Ronaldo signed for Riyadh club Al-Nassr.
      And after the turmoil of the last year Georgina has found that being a mum to Bella has provided some comfort.
      She says: “She has managed to fill to some extent that hole that is present in my life.
      “When she’s older and we tell her what happened, she will be very proud of what she has achieved.”
      But she continues: “I will never be the same person again. Every time I look at Bella I ask myself, ‘Would Angel be like that?’
      “The truth is I feel I am not ready to think about it, as if I still haven’t accepted it.
      “I always say to my children, ‘Your little brother is in the sky, he doesn’t want to walk, he wants to fly. Every time you look at the sky, think of him’.”
      There are other reminders of Angel for Georgina and Ronaldo.
      In the documentary, Georgina is filmed getting a tattoo done, thought to be in memory of Angel, and Ronaldo has said he keeps his son’s ashes with him in the house, as well as those of his father José, who died of liver failure in 2005.
      ‘We are a nice couple and we help each other’
      The couple met when Georgina was working as a £10-an-hour sales assistant at the Gucci shop in Madrid, and she has previously said it was “love at first sight”.
      They were first seen together going on a string of dates towards the end of 2016.
      In the new Netflix series Georgina, who now has 47 million followers on Instagram, thanks her partner for his “unconditional support and love” and helping her through one of the toughest periods of her life.
      She adds: “Cris really encouraged me to continue with my agenda.
      “He said, ‘Gio, get on with your life, it’ll do you good’.
      “He has played a really important role. Gods put the right people in your path.”
      Likewise, Ronaldo has spoken about the support that Georgina has given him.
      He said: “She’s very mature for this age. We help each other sometimes when I’m a little bit down she pushes me up and I do it the other side.
      “So we are a nice couple and we help each other, so I’m really pleased that she’s on my side.”
      For now, it seems Georgina is trying to be as strong as she can for the sake of herself and her family.
      She says: “Life’s hard, life goes on. I have reasons to move on and be strong. My priority right now is my family and my children. I’m so happy and thankful.”
      Having taken on the mother role for all of Ronaldo’s children, Georgina says she feels “like a super mum, and Superwoman”.
      But for now at least, it doesn’t sound as if they will be having any more kids.
      Ronaldo, the all-time leading goal scorer in men’s football, has said that he and Georgina are content with their family set-up and plan to enjoy their time with their children while they are little.
      He said: “I’m not thinking more kids now, I think we are done, but we never know the future, only God knows.
      “But right now we all want to have a break to enjoy these ones because they are little. We want to enjoy a little bit of these ones. Let’s see in the future.”
      However, marriage does sound like it is on the cards, as Ronaldo says it would be his mum Maria’s dream to see him and Georgina walk down the aisle.
      “We’ll be (married) one day, for sure,” he said.
      “It’s my mum’s dream as well, so one day. Why not? It’s great.”
      And he said of Georgina: “She’s my friend. We have conversations. I open the heart for her and she opens the heart for me.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I’m not thinking now about that but I can see in the future I think I deserve, she deserves.
      “But it’s something that’s not coming now in my plans but in the future is yes, I want.”
      Tearful Georgina breaks down on the show
      Georgina and Cristiano united in 2019Credit: Splash News More

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      in Boxing

      I was suicidal after being accused of taking banned drugs before big fight, Conor Benn tells Piers Morgan

      by

      BOXER Conor Benn has revealed he wanted to kill himself after being accused of taking a banned testosterone-boosting drug.The welterweight champ — son of ring legend Nigel Benn — confessed to Piers Morgan that he contemplated suicide after testing positive.
      Conor Benn revealed he wanted to kill himself after being accused of taking a banned testosterone-boosting drugCredit: Getty
      Conor told Piers Morgan: ‘It’s hurt me. I didn’t think I was going to make it through this period’Credit: TALK TV
      Conor faces off with Chris Eubank Jr, left, and promoter Eddie Hearn before there 2022 bout was cancelledCredit: Reuters
      With tears in his eyes, he revealed he also suffered night terrors and panic attacks in the wake of the drugs tests last autumn, while his son was subjected to vile racist abuse.
      But Conor, 26, comes out fighting in his first televised interview since the scandal, to be shown on TalkTV at 8pm tomorrow night.
      He strongly denied any wrongdoing and vowed to clear his name.
      And in Piers Morgan Uncensored, Benn also reveals he wants to sue British boxing’s governing body for loss of earnings and damage to his reputation.
      Read More on Conor Benn
      Piers asked him: “To be branded a cheat in the court of public opinion, what has that done to you?”
      Conor said: “It’s hurt me. I didn’t think I was going to make it through this period.
      “It’s hard because I feel like I was on death row for something I hadn’t even done.
      “If I had done something wrong, you know, I am human. I would raise my hands to it, ‘I made a mistake’.
      Most read in Boxing
      ‘I was sobbing most nights’
      “Whatever it is, my personal life, I raise my hands. Never this.
      “I felt like seven years of hard work and sacrifice and leaving my family, and the image I maintained, was just ruined at someone else’s incompetence. It’s been hard for the family.”
      Piers asked: “When you say you didn’t think you would make it, what did you mean?”
      Conor said: “I was taking it day by day. I didn’t think I would see another day.”
      Asked if he was feeling suicidal, Benn replied: “Yeah, I would say so.
      “And it upsets me now because I don’t know how I got so bad. I got in a really bad way.
      “If you think I’m innocent or if you don’t think I am innocent — I am innocent.”
      Conor’s nightmare began as he was about to fight Chris Eubank Jnr — the son of another boxing legend — at London’s O2 Arena last October.
      Although I had done nothing wrong, I was having night terrors, panic attacks. I was really struggling. I was in a really bad way.Conor Benn
      But the British Boxing Board of Control — BBBofC — suddenly cancelled the much-hyped bout after two tests appeared to show that undefeated welterweight Benn had traces of testosterone-altering drug clomifene in his system.
      Becoming emotional, he said: “I would never do this to my family. I would never do this to my supporters.
      “Do you think I would do this to my dad? Do you think I would do this to my son, who’s now got to grow up and look at this?
      “It’s not who I am and it killed me because I was transparent with the public my whole career from 19 years old.
      “I’m a grown man now who has worked hard over the years.”
      Since being accused, Conor and his family — including young son, Eli — have been subjected to vile abuse on social media.
      Piers asked him what had been the worst things he had read about himself in the last four months.
      Conor said: “There’s been too many. Kill yourself. Racist comments to my son, with my family.
      “Nothing in person. It’s cowardly. I don’t even think it was social media that bothers me.
      “It was more so of the shame I felt leaving the house, although I had done nothing wrong. I was having night terrors, panic attacks.
      “I was really struggling and I was coping terribly with it. I was in a really bad way.”
      Later, the boxer said: “I was sobbing most nights. I didn’t want to go to sleep because I knew what I had to wake up to.
      “You’ve got to remember this was a nightmare for me.
      “How has this happened? How have I got in this situation? My faith let me down.
      Proud Conor in church with his wife Victoria and baby son Eli in 2021Credit: INSTAGRAM/CONOR BENN
      Son Conor is hoisted by dad, boxing legend Nigel, after his 2018 Welterweight title winCredit: PA
      Conor told Piers: ‘It’s been brutal. It does feel like a witch-hunt’Credit: TALK TV
      “I felt like I didn’t understand why this had happened when I’ve done nothing but work diligently hard. I was in a dark way.”
      Benn returned adverse findings for clomifene in two samples ahead of his bout with Eubank.
      According to the World Boxing Council, there is no conclusive evidence Conor intentionally took the banned substance, which can boost testosterone levels by 50 per cent.
      But he is now awaiting the verdict of a separate investigation by BBBofC and the UK Anti-Doping Agency which will decide whether Benn will receive a ban from boxing.
      Conor told Piers: “It’s been brutal. It does feel like a witch-hunt.
      “I’ve never seen anything quite like this before in any other athlete, whether they’ve raised their hands to it or they’ve just taken a small ban.
      “I was willing to fight and prove my innocence — although there was an easy way out at the beginning in lying and saying, ‘I may have accidentally done this, I may have done this by accident’ and taken a small six month ban.
      “Instead I chose to fight this because my integrity mattered more to me.
      “I would never ever, ever raise my hands to something I ain’t done.
      “This is the first time I’ve been able to speak on this.”
      I would never do this to my family. I would never do this to my supporters. Do you think I would do this to my dad?Conor Benn
      Conor refuses to believe there were any traces of the drug in his body and told Piers the test results could have been caused by “contamination” due to mistakes in the lab.
      He said: “I’m not saying that anyone in their labs deliberately did this. I’m not saying that at all, but it may be an accident, it may be an error.
      “Why are people saying I may have needed a testosterone boost? I’m 26 years old!
      “I didn’t even know what this thing was at the time.
      “I don’t accept it was in my body, not at all. Based on independent scientists looking at the reports, based on my own scientists looking at the reports and what we found.
      “People say you may have paid for the best legal team. Damn right I paid for the best legal team, damn right I paid for the best scientists — my career is on the line.
      “My image is on the line. My name is on the line and I can’t be known for this.”
      Conor’s team of experts submitted a 270-page dossier, which he says clears his name, to the WBC.
      Last month the WBC ruled that eating too many eggs could have produced the positive drug tests — but Conor has dismissed that theory.
      He is not giving his legal team’s file to the BBBofC, which has filed seven misconduct charges against him and has the power to ban him from fighting in the UK.
      ‘My name is on the line. I can’t be known for this’
      Conor said: “My dad tore up his British boxing licence on TV in the 80s.
      “I don’t have to be licensed by the board. I don’t plan on fighting in Britain any time soon.”
      And when Piers asked what was stopping him from handing over the dossier to the UK boxing authorities, the fighter said: “My pride, the way they have dealt with this.
      Conor, who believes cheats in contact sports should be banned for life, said: “I want this to be finished and I want to resume with my career.”
      He has has asked his promoter Eddie Hearn to find him the biggest fight possible.
      The boxer would love to take on Chris Eubank Jnr next — but before he does that, that he has to clear his name.
      As he told Piers: “I was born fighting, it’s in my blood.
      Read More on The Sun
      “But this is the hardest fight I’ve ever had to face.”

      Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored weekdays on TalkTV at 8pm. Available on Sky 522, Sky Glass 508, Virgin Media 606, Freeview 237 and Freesat 217 as well as on DAB, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung TV Plus, YouTube, the Talk.TV website and TalkTV iOS and Android apps.

      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:

      CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
      Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
      Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
      Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
      Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
      Movember, www.uk.movember.com
      Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm More