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      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

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      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

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

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      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

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      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

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      in Boxing

      How Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae have become America’s favourite new reality TV couple – and will make MILLIONS stateside

      by

      MOST couples leaving Love Island find the only thing shorter than their new careers is their romance.Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague are the exception to the rule and are now set to break America, earning millions in the process as they cement their place as the Posh and Becks for the Instagram generation.
      Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury are poised to become a global power coupleCredit: Social Media
      Tommy poses with his belt after defeating Jake Paul in Saudi ArabiaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Molly-Mae with new arrival, baby BambiCredit: Instagram
      Power couple Molly-Mae and Tommy’s earnings
      The power couple, both 23 years old, met on the ITV2 show in 2019 and were reportedly worth £7million before Tommy took to the boxing ring against Jake Paul on Sunday night.
      Now, thanks to his victory against the American YouTuber in Saudi Arabia earning him a fanbase beyond the UK, PR experts believe Tommy will only see his earning power grow, with the help of super-influencer Molly-Mae.

      The Manchester-born boxer is reportedly set to receive a £1.6million purse from his victory against Jake – as well as 35 per cent of the pay-per-view money, taking his earnings up to at least £3.7million for the fight.
      Experts have predicted he’ll earn £10million by 2025, and that both Molly-Mae and Tommy will use this exposure in the States to break America.
      Read More on Tommy Fury
      PR Expert Jack Cooper, from Ed Hopkins PR, told us: “In terms of Tommy’s career, this was a huge step for him not only in terms of boxing but overall exposure for his brand.
      “He could certainly now be commanding up to six figures for a multi platform campaign, depending on the brand.”
      Meanwhile, Molly-Mae is already the highest paid Love Island star of all time, earning £4.8m a year for her role as creative director for Pretty Little Thing as well as £2million more from sponsored posts and her fake tan Filter brand.
      And with the birth of their first child Bambi last month, she is already eyeing a move into the lucrative “mumfluencer” sphere.
      Most read in Boxing
      Of all the couples to meet on Love Island, it is these two who have managed to monetise their profiles so effectively.
      Savvy Molly-Mae, from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, candidly described her decision to appear on the show as a “business move.”
      Already an established influencer before she entered the villa, she claimed that she wasn’t “bothered” if she found love or not.
      While she did end up falling for Tommy, and establishing one of the most enduring relationships to come out of the show, the couple only finished second.
      But her plan to boost her profile worked, and brands were queuing up to partner with her.
      The blonde star has spoken of how she shunned a £2million offer from a well-known high street brand because she didn’t wear their clothing, choosing to instead partner with Pretty Little Thing, the fast fashion giant.
      Two years later, they rewarded her loyalty by making her creative director.
      Ben Jeffries, CEO of Influencer, explained: “Influencer marketing is built on trust and authenticity, and it is incredibly transparent to followers when a brand partnership isn’t authentic.”
      Molly-Mae hammers home her “authenticity” with her enormously popular YouTube vlogs, in which she shares the details of her life, from driving to pick up Starbucks to going to the cinema with Tommy.
      Her most recent vlog, about the birth of baby Bambi, in which Molly-Mae reveals she pooed while giving birth, had 2.2million views.
      Tommy, who makes frequent appearences on Molly-Mae’s social channels, was a boxer before going into Love Island, although very much in the shadow of his heavyweight champion brother Tyson Fury.
      While brand work also poured in for him, Tommy chose to remain focused on sport but it has enabled him to reach an audience beyond the confines of UK reality TV.
      ‘Sexy, engaging couple’
      Culture expert Nick Ede agrees: “I think that Molly-Mae could really do well in the USA with Tommy by her side.
      “Her fabulous life is great fun and her social media is engaging.
      “Breaking the USA will always be hard for anyone.
      “But Molly-Mae and Tommy are a sexy, engaging couple.”
      Key to their success is that the couple see nearly everything in their life as content that can be monetised.
      Despite a terrifying break in at their Manchester apartment in 2021, in which thieves made off with £800,000 worth of items Molly had flaunted online, she wasn’t put off sharing the details of the Cheshire mansion she and Tommy bought last year.
      Her Instagram account Molly Maison documents the interior design and renovation of the £4million six-bedroom home, with the likes of England footballers Marcus Rashford, 25, and Jordan Pickford, 28, as neighbours.
      Announcing the beginning of her “new chapter” to her Instagram followers, she wrote: “I know a lot of you won’t have been expecting me to do a home account as I have become a lot more private about what I post of our home life.
      “However, having a home account is something that I have always dreamed of doing.”
      The account has 1.2million followers and opened up a new revenue stream from partnerships with home brands.
      And it seems the couple may have their eye on using daughter Bambi to earn even more dosh, too.
      The Sun has seen new documents filed to Companies House indicating she is undergoing a total overhaul of her portfolio, which will allow her to consider new brand opportunities.
      A source said: “Molly has top level advisers around her and is able to draw on their expertise.
      “She’s streamlining her businesses under the one name which will allow her to explore other avenues without setting up new firms.
      “It makes total sense as she begins to explore options around her new ‘mumpreneur’ image since she had Bambi.”
      Tommy and Molly met on ITV’s Love Island in 2019Credit: Rex
      Molly-Mae shows off her curves in a bikini in IbizaCredit: Instagram
      Tommy and Jake fight on Sunday nightCredit: Getty
      Champ and brother Tyson cheers Tommy’s winCredit: Enterprise
      Nick Ede believes the couple may have chosen their daughter’s unique name for strong branding.
      He said: “Her daughter’s name Bambi is brilliant and can be used from a brand point of view.
      “It’s fun and unique and also has a place in everyone’s childhood memories from the Disney film.”
      Nick predicts that Molly-Mae will follow in the footsteps of Towie’s Billie Faiers and Ferne McCann, as well as Loose Women panellist Stacey Solomon, by designing baby clothes for PrettyLittleThing.
      He said: “I can see Molly-Mae jumping on this bandwagon and appealing to her millions of fans by creating a baby-wear line.”
      Tommy faced online criticism throughout Molly-Mae’s pregnancy, as well as since Bambi was born, due to the fact he left his partner and new child in favour of training for his fight against Jake.
      In fact, he was so focused on beating Logan Paul’s brother that he moved out of their mansion and into a “hellhole” apartment.
      Before the fight, he told Sky Sports: “I’m in a training camp. I’m in bed nine o’clock every single night, I’m up 4.30/5am running. Solely focussed on this man.
      “One man is flying around the globe, coming here to do media stuff going here, there and everywhere and you’ve got one man that’s living in a hellhole.
      “I’ve moved out of my own house, I’m living in a little apartment, I’ve gone back to the dog mindset.”
      However, he proved his love for his daughter by wearing a jacket and shorts emblazoned with ‘Bambi’ when he entered the ring, while Molly-Mae sent supportive messages from home.
      Jack Cooper says the next move for Tommy should be to work with a “top-tier athletic brand” like Gymshark or MyProtein, and release a gymwear range for men.
      Breaking the USA will always be hard — they are more about talent there — but Molly-Mae and Tommy are a sexy, engaging couple.Nick Ede, culture expert
      He adds: “I’m sure the likes of Nike, Adidas are very much having internal talks.
      “I think this could be a huge move for him and could be a multi million pound deal.”
      But whatever happens for the couple, there’s no doubt they’re on their way to the big leagues, as they build Brand Hague-Fury.
      Read More on The Sun
      He finishes: “Together, as a couple, the opportunities are endless, from male and female clothing ranges, a homeware brand, to now even a baby brand.
      “With the status of online presence and combined following as well as winning over the nation and not making any wrong moves since leaving the villa, this power couple are definitely on their way to the rich list.” More

    • 275 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      I was UK’s first Wag & blew money like toilet paper – now I’m £500k in debt, says ex-glamour model Suzi Walker

      by

      AS Britain’s first Wag, she once enjoyed a lavish life of champagne, Gucci dresses and nights out with Victoria Beckham.Former model Suzi Walker admits she and her fellow England wives and girlfriends blew money like they were “getting through toilet paper”.
      Suzi Walker says she is now half a million in debt and has had to sell her possessionsCredit: Channel 4
      Suzi says her life changed when Ian Walker was called up into the England squad – the pair pictured at home in 1997Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      But today she tells how she has been forced to pawn thousands of pounds of cherished jewellery after ending up with £500,000 of debt.
      Suzi, 52 — former wife of Spurs goalie Ian Walker and ex-partner of former Crystal ­Palace boss Simon Jordan — told The Sun on Sunday: “Ending up around half a million in debt and not having the money I once had has changed me as a human being.
      “I now know more than ever what’s important in life.”
      The former Page 3 girl says a costly court case and chronic health ­problems have left her having to sell off belongings.
      READ MORE ON WAGS
      Suzi, who married businessman Mark Pitman in 2018, and now lives in Ashtead, Surrey, ­continued: “I pawned and sold everything I could just to keep going.
      “Last year it was the engagement ring Mark gave me, which broke my heart, and some diamond earrings and a ring that were gifts from him.
      And I also pawned a diamond tennis bracelet worth thousands that Simon gave me.
      Cristal champagne
      “They were sold for something ridiculous, a couple of thousand, but were worth so much more.
      Most read in Football
      “I can see people might think when I’ve had such wealthy partners that I’d always have money but I’ve never wanted to lean on anyone. I’ve never married for money.”
      Suzi, who divorced Ian in 2007 after he bedded a Las Vegas lap dancer, was threatened with repossession of her £950,000 house just last week because she owes £20,000.
      It is money she now doesn’t have.
      The debts racked up after she and financier Mark had to shell out more than £600,000 in legal fees two years ago, trying to recoup ­millions that he claimed a company owed him in work fees.
      She says they won the case in 2021 but have still not recouped the money.
      Suzi, the inspiration for the character Chardonnay in Noughties ITV drama Footballers’ Wives, also spent £60,000 on health bills fighting a chronic illness that went un- diagnosed for years and which she is still convinced will one day kill her.
      She said: “I knew I was dying, but I couldn’t get a ­diagnosis from my local hospital. I paid to get private tests.
      “I’ve been so ill that I’ve barely been able to look at the post.
      “I was ignoring calls from the mortgage company, and the house is in my name.
      “It’s about a year’s worth of ­payments — I owe over £20,000 — but I’ve been able to show them GP notes as proof of my ill health and now I have a little more time to find the money.
      “It’s amazing my electricity and other things haven’t been cut off.”
      Suzi married her current husband Mark Pitman in 2018Credit: Oliver Dixon
      Wags used to swap expensive watches and drank only the finest Cristal champagneCredit: Oliver Dixon
      It’s all a far cry from her Wag years in the 1990s and 2000s.
      She became pals with Coleen Rooney, Alex Gerrard and Victoria Beckham as they saw their husbands Wayne, Steven and David play for England.
      She said: “We enjoyed the finest of everything when it was Euro 96.
      “We had some amazing times and Coleen, Victoria and Alex were lovely. It was the Wag fairytale.
      “But we used to blow money like we were getting through toilet paper.
      “We’d spend thousands at Gucci and Prada, drank only the finest Cristal champagne.
      “Coleen, Alex and I loved swapping Jacob and Co watches for other styles or Cartier diamond-encrusted ones.
      “I can’t remember the prices but they were worth thousands and thousands.”
      When Suzi got engaged to Ian in 1994 he was playing for Tottenham and she was an aspiring model.
      They went on to have daughter Sophie, now 24.
      Suzi said: “We weren’t rich then. I bought the engagement ring for about 20 quid from the department store Allders.
      “We rented our TV. Our ­relationship was not about money.
      “But when Ian got into the England team it became a different life.
      “He bought me a beautiful, pear-shaped diamond — God knows how much that cost.
      “I didn’t think about money. I’d get blow-dries to my hair every week. I had Botox. I would spend thousands every month on clothes.
      “I had fake tan, I had my boobs made bigger, smaller, then bigger again — I can’t even remember how many I had but I think they cost about £8,000 each time.
      “We flew first-class. I’d spend thousands having floral arrangements in our house at Christmas.
      “Ian gave me these amazing Cartier love bangle bracelets which were worth at least £10,000. I had a tennis diamond ankle chain.
      “I’d have a personal shopper at Selfridges. It seems crazy but it is just the life you got used to.
      “A pal joked we’d change cars more times than he’d change his underwear.”
      Suzi describes Ian as a “wonderful” dad and is adamant she would never turn to him for cash, despite the situation she is in.
      She said: “When I divorced him I got about £800,000. I put that towards a new home and getting my daughter into the best school.
      “I never went after him financially for more because I’m just not one of those greedy money people.”
      Suzi fell for then Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan and share a daughter togetherCredit: Oliver Dixon
      Not long afterwards, in 2007, Suzi fell for an even wealthier man in Simon Jordan.
      She said: “Simon would spend £50,000 on fine wines.
      He had a limo driver who would take me to Dior. It was on a different level.
      “One night at the Grosvenor House Hotel he got me a vodka and tonic.
      Set in the ice in the drink was a diamond necklace. I was blown away.
      We were so in love and I knew he wanted a child.
      So my gift back to him was to present him with my contraceptive coil to say: ‘I am happy to try’.
      “Another time there was a new Range Rover waiting for me outside the Grosvenor.
      “One night we went for dinner and he really wanted me to have a starter. When it arrived there was a diamond bracelet on the plate.”
      ‘I think I’m going to die’
      The couple split in 2008 and Simon is paying maintenance for their daughter Cameron, now 15.
      Suzi has been plagued by ill health for years and nearly died giving birth to Sophie.
      Then she was diagnosed with ME, which she now believes was a misdiagnosis.
      Suzi has struggled with ill health in recent years and been in and out of hospitalCredit: Oliver Dixon
      She said: “I’ve had decades of ill health but I think the stress of the 2021 court case made it worse.
      “Last October my face swelled up so I was unrecognisable. I kept falling unconscious.
      “I was getting lesions and bruises all over my legs and knuckles. I called dozen of ­ambulances because I felt so ill.
      “They’d say it was mental heath problems. Even Mark didn’t believe I was physically ill at one point, which really hurt.
      “There was a point last year I said to my mum, ‘I think I’m going to die’. And I just didn’t want to live any more.”
      Finally, earlier this year at the private Levitas Clinic in Guildford, Surrey, tests revealed Suzi has a rare and chronic variant of Lyme disease — the bacterial infection caused by ticks — called babesiosis.
      She said: “Getting a diagnosis was such a relief and I am speaking out to try to help others who may feel in the same situation. It has been absolutely dreadful.”
      The condition has led to Suzi suffering a host of other illnesses, including meningitis, brain inflammation and discharge behind her eyes.
      She says: “The clinic has literally saved my life because I was put straight on to some very strong drugs to help reduce the inflammation in my brain and body, and I was on IV drips daily. I’ve no idea how it got this chronic.
      “I don’t remember being bitten by a tick but it may have been decades ago.
      “Lately I’ve felt worse and there is no cure. I feel so ill I said to my mum recently, ‘I’ll be amazed if I’m alive by the end of this year’.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I still feel unwell and the money worries don’t help. But if this has taught me anything, it’s that money isn’t the most important thing.
      “I don’t know what the future holds. I just want my health back.”
      Suzi has been forced to sell off her jewellery to attempt to pay off her debtsCredit: Oliver Dixon More

    • 225 Shares129 Views

      in Boxing

      I’ll smash Jake Paul for what he said about Molly-Mae – this fight is personal, says Tommy Fury

      by

      AS major boxing grudge matches go they don’t get much bigger – or unlikely – than the upcoming fight between Tommy Fury and Jake Paul.The Love Island star and the US YouTuber will finally meet in the ring after years of trading verbal blows, and two postponements, in the most eagerly-anticipated bout of 2023.
      The upcoming fight between Tommy Fury and Jake Paul is finally happening after years of trading verbal blowsCredit: Rex
      23-year-old Tommy is pumped up for the fight against the US YoutuberCredit: AFP
      Tommy Fury said of Jake ‘He’s absolutely rubbish, I’ve been in boxing all my life. He can’t fight’Credit: Getty
      To say 23-year-old Tommy is pumped up for the fight is an understatement, thanks in no small part to Jake, 26, ruining his rival’s baby announcement and branding Tommy’s influencer fiancée Molly-May Hague the couple’s “breadwinner”.
      Ahead of the fight at the Diriyah Arena, Tommy left those in Saudi Arabia in no doubt of his determination to exact a bitter revenge on rival Jake for his barbed comments about Molly-Mae.
      As one insider at the build-up in Riyadh said: “Tommy says he wants to get revenge, and he won’t feel like he’s got it until he has knocked him clean out.
      “He’s angry, and he means every word — they’re not empty threats. This is personal.”
      READ MORE ON TOMMY FURY
      Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Tommy said: “He can say what he wants because talking is his game. Fighting is mine.
      “On Sunday night, it is not about who can talk the best. It is about who can fight the best. He’s absolutely rubbish.
      ‘Jake can’t fight’
      “I’ve been in boxing all my life. He can’t fight.
      “Jake Paul, he is what he is. He’s a white-collar boxer.
      Most read in Boxing
      “He’s going in there with somebody who wants to take his head clean off with every shot and he’s going to be dealing with everything that comes with a boxer.
      “He’s not dealt with that before and it’s a big jump.”
      Never before has there been a buzz this big around a fight between two such inexperienced boxers, who have just 14 official fights between them.
      The bout is expected to break pay-per-view records, which will handsomely top up their fight fees — which are believed to be around £4million between them.
      So for the fans tuning in to watch or listening for free on talkSPORT, how much action does Tommy think they will actually get to witness?
      “Tommy TNT Fury wins the fight. 9-0. Here we come,” he predicts.
      “It will be very, very lucky for him if he escapes the fourth round. Don’t be surprised if he goes in one or two.
      “Whenever I hit this guy, it’ll be over.”
      Jake, 26, ruined his rival’s baby announcement and branded Tommy’s influencer girlfriend Molly-May Hague the couple’s ‘breadwinner’
      It will be hard to see the reality TV star, half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, taken seriously in the sport, should the bout end in defeatCredit: Social Media
      It will be hard to see the reality TV star, half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, taken seriously in the sport, should the bout end in defeat — especially as he put his boxing career on hold in 2019 to appear on Love Island, where he met his other half.
      Even his own family have joked they’ll disown him if he loses.
      Tyson said: “I expect Tommy to chin him. If he doesn’t, he can stay in Saudi Arabia.”
      A defeat for Jake, meanwhile, is unlikely to derail his career.
      Many experts believe he will just reinvent himself in another sport, having previously dabbled with Mixed Martial Arts and even featured in WWE wrestling, while his promotions firm continues to go from strength to strength.
      But despite having only previously fought six fights, all of them with non-professional boxers such as retired NBA star Nate Robinson, Jake is the bookies’ favourite to win in what they predict will be an incredibly tight contest.
      And he also has the extra incentive of being awarded a ranking in the sport, should he win.
      Former Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson has tipped him to do just that, saying anyone who disrespects Jake “is out of their minds”.
      Speaking to talkSPORT’s Spencer Oliver, Iron Mike, 56, said: “He’s won against people that he shouldn’t beat. And listen, I don’t think they brought him here to lose.
      “He makes more money than the champions of boxing. So he’s an enigma.”
      Another boxing great, Floyd Mayweather, said: “It’s good that Jake Paul is able to take his social media following and get some new eyes on the sport of boxing.
      “And it’s a good match-up with those two. May the best man win.”
      Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays in the Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr, is expected to be among the 15,000 fans in the Diriyah Arena, while A-listers including US comedian Kevin Hart and superstar rappers Drake and Kanye West are also tipped to attend.
      It is yet to be confirmed if Tommy’s fiancée Molly-Mae will be joining the rest of the Fury clan in the Middle East, given she only gave birth to the couple’s daughter Bambi last month — which Jake informed the world about days before they did, much to their annoyance.
      During his pre-match trash talking, Jake claimed Tommy was forced into taking on the fight for a much-needed payday.
      The American said: “Molly is probably sitting there going, ‘Yo, I just had a baby — I can’t be the one to pay the bills the entire time’.
      “He is going to be paid 20k a fight, minus taxes. He can only pay for so many diapers. It’s a hard business.”
      Jake is so confident of a victory he even offered to change the terms of the bout during a pre-fight press conference, turning it into a winner-takes-all contest.
      He has been in Saudi Arabia for weeks on his training camp, which has been compared to some of the Rocky movies after he was filmed jogging alongside locals on the street. And speaking to Piers Morgan on TalkTV on Thursday night, Jake was supremely confident his preparation will help him get the edge over his long-time rival.
      Asked if he has “any doubt” the fight will end in anything other than victory, he replied: “No, I don’t. I’m confident in my preparation.
      “Anything can happen in a boxing match but you work to make those things not happen. He just doesn’t have the power, the capabilities, to do anything to be able to defeat me.
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      “You’re going to see me knock this guy out.”
      Whatever the outcome, the world will be watching.
      It is yet to be confirmed if Molly-Mae will be joining the rest of the Fury clan in the Middle EastCredit: Rex
      She only gave birth to the couple’s daughter Bambi last monthCredit: Instagram
      Jake sends Tommy warning ahead of fightCredit: Twitter @MostVpromotions More