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      in Soccer

      Inside ex-England ace Ashley Cole’s incredible reinvention from serial cheat to family man – and the secret behind it

      by

      HE was the bad boy of football whose cheating and wild partying destroyed his high-profile marriage to Cheryl Tweedy.But fast forward nearly two decades and Ashley Cole appears to be a changed man, tamed by Italian model Sharon Canu, 30, who he married at the weekend.
      Bride and groom, Sharon Canu and Ashley Cole say ‘I do’ as they tie the knotCredit: Instagram
      The happy couple celebrate their wedding near the bride’s native Rome
      In contrast to his first marriage, the ex-Chelsea and England full-back, 42, has kept this near decade-long romance out the spotlight, rarely posting snaps of his new love or their two children, Jaxon, seven, and Grace, five.
      But last night the loved-up couple released another picture from their fairytale wedding showing them under a huge floral arch as smoke cannons created a rainbow overhead.
      The romantic nuptials, near the bride’s native Rome, were intimate, with just a few of their close family and friends — including Ashley’s former England team-mates John Terry and Frank Lampard — as guests.
      They exchanged vows at the Hotel La Vecchia Posta in Ladispoli, on a clifftop overlooking the Med, with the children as bridesmaid and page boy. The newlyweds then took the floor for their first dance to The Greatest Showman’s Never Enough.
      READ MORE ON ASHLEY COLE
       Spectacular fireworks lit up the al fresco reception before the guests partied late into the night.
      Their big day comes 16 months after Ashley popped the question.
      When he met Sharon in Italy in 2014 he was at his lowest ebb, with his divorce from Girls Aloud singer Cheryl and brushes with the law in his wake, as well as the accidental shooting of a work experience student with an air gun at Chelsea’s Surrey training ground.
      But his romance with Sharon and the birth of their two children has turned him into a devoted family man.
      Most read in Football
      ‘Amazing on and off pitch’
      In a rare 2019 interview with The Telegraph, he said he had “grown up”, adding: “I was a young, angry kid at the time and now I’ve grown up and understand the things I did is life, it happens. I’ve learnt from it, it’s made me a better person. It’s made me a great dad.
      “These are the things I focus on now, my kids and my girlfriend. It’s a different me, I’m more of a family man now. You won’t see me in nightclubs any more, you’ll see me at a park pushing my kids.”
      His latest wedding was much more low-key than the ceremony with Cheryl, at Wrotham Park, Herts, in 2006.
      With her band Girls Aloud riding high and Ashley at the height of his footballing prowess, it was the showbusiness wedding of the decade and cost a reported £500,000.
      The bridesmaids were Cheryl’s bandmates Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh and Sarah Harding.
       And the guest list was said to include Sugababes stars Amelle Berrabah, Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range, Blue’s Simon Webbe and singer Jamelia, plus footballers Joe Cole, John Terry, Jermaine Jenas, Jermain Defoe and Sol Campbell.
      Cheryl, then 23, celebrated the union with a Mrs C tattoo on her neck.
      But at 25, Ashley was clearly not ready to settle down and a string of cheating allegations plagued the marriage. In 2008, hairdresser Aimee Walton told of an alleged hook-up with Ashley, claiming he was so drunk he threw up on her carpet twice during sex.
      On the moment she learned about his cheating, Cheryl wrote in her explosive memoir: ‘“I hope you enjoyed it!’, I screamed. ‘I hope she was worth it! It’s the end of your marriage. You don’t understand what you’ve done. It’s f***ed!’.
      “After hours of me ranting, screaming and crying uncontrollably, I was exhausted.”
       Cheryl eventually took him back, but called it quits after 2010 claims that he cheated on her with four more women and that he allegedly paid one £10,000 to keep quiet. As well as cheating accusations, Ashley’s wild partying and reckless antics led to two minor brushes with the law.
      In March 2009 he was hit with an £80 fine after an altercation outside a nightclub, where he refused to stop swearing in front of a cop.
      The following January he was slapped with a four-month driving ban and a £1,000 penalty for speeding at 104mph in a 50mph zone.
      Cheryl filed for divorce in May 2010 and the split was finalised that September. But the pair remain close, and Ashley was among the first to text her when she split from second husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini in 2016.
      She has also messaged congratulations on the birth of both his kids, as well as wishing him well before last weekend’s wedding. The press-shy footballer also hit the headlines in February 2011 when he accidentally shot a student, 21, at Chelsea.
      Ashley was “larking about” with a .22 air rifle when he fired the gun at Tom Cowan, who was hit in the side and received a minor injury.
      He was fined two weeks’ wages — around £220,000 — but dodged a police rap as no charges were filed.
      Manager Carlo Ancelotti defended the player, insisting: “There was never any chance of Ashley being sacked. He has always behaved very well. He made a mistake. It was an accident.”
      Following his split from Cheryl, Ashley dated reality star Anna Kelle and Towie’s Pascal Craymer.
      But his 2014 transfer to Italian club AS Roma led him to Sharon. The couple kept their blossoming relationship under wraps in the early years, posting no pictures of each other on social media. But Sharon revealed a huge bunch of red roses on her page on Valentine’s day 2016, with the caption, “Miss you”.
      The couple became more public after their first child, Jaxon, arrived in February that year, with Sharon posting snaps of all three of them.
      On his son’s first birthday, Ashley told how fatherhood had changed him after an underprivileged background, and fame and fortune, saw him forget what was important.
      “I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have most things I wanted in life, cars, houses, watches, clothes,” he wrote. “Coming from East London with not a lot growing up and a mum looking after two boys alone, life wasn’t always easy. So of course it’s easy to lose your way in life sometimes, to forget about the things that are most important. But this morning I woke up to something that exceeds anything I’ve ever had before: A smile that never goes away.
      “Every day I wake up to the most beautiful thing I could ever dream of, a son that makes my heart melt, a son that never stops smiling, a son that can make me laugh no matter what kind of mood I’m in.
      “A son that I’m proud of, a son I watch fall asleep because I never want to leave him, a son that reminded me what’s important in life.”
      The couple’s daughter Grace was born in February 2018 and Sharon’s social media is now full of photos of her family and tributes to her “handsome man” and “better half”.
      Hugely supportive, the model’s messages reveal her admiration for her man. In 2019, after Ashley announced his retirement at 39, she wrote: “I love listening whilst you talk about your memories, when you started, when you understood it would have been your job and when you realised you could have made it. You did, you realised your dream, the dream of a kid. It’s been hard and sacrificing but it’s been worth it. You are an amazing man, on the pitch and off. A wonderful father and my biggest love. You make me proud every day.”
      On Ashley’s 40th birthday in December 2020, Sharon wrote: “I love you so much! Happy 40th birthday to the man of my dreams, the love of my life, the kindest heart I’ve ever met. You are the sweetest feeling I know.”
      Ashley was once the bad boy of football whose cheating and wild partying destroyed his high-profile marriage to Cheryl TweedyCredit: Rex Features
      Ex-Chelsea and England full-back, Ashley, has kept this near decade-long romance out the spotlightCredit: PA:Press Association
      Sharon followed Ashley from Rome to Derby for his final playing stint before he went on to coach the team. After joining Frank Lampard at Chelsea, Ashley and Sharon moved to a Surrey mansion where, in 2020, they suffered a horrifying ordeal at the hands of armed raiders who tied Ashley up, threatening to cut off his fingers with pliers.
      Sharon and the children were at home at the time and Ashley had been holding his baby girl just before the attack. The thugs made off with watches, phones, cash, a Gucci bag and a BMW smart key.
      Ashley finally popped the question to Sharon in March 2022, getting down on one knee after filling the room with flowers. She revealed she was celebrating the “easiest yes she’d ever said”. A source said at the time: “Ashley loves Sharon to bits. He’s really happy. He loves his kids. For him, it was the right time. His life is his kids and family now.”
      In June, Sharon posted snaps of her Ibiza hen do with ex-Towie star Sam Faiers, who has become a close pal, plus Ashley’s sister-in-law Lisa and six other mates.
      She wrote: “We laughed a lot, sang a lot, danced a lot, drunk a lot, ate a lot. Barely slept, barely looked nice, barely took pictures. Wouldn’t change one second of it.”
      Ahead of the wedding, a source told The Sun: “Ashley and Sharon are madly in love and have spent months planning their special day.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Loads of her family live there and it’s very romantic. As a couple they have been very private, so they don’t feel the need for a flashy, public wedding.”
      And the quiet, classy nuptials send the ultimate message that the former hellraiser has settled down.
      Ashley and Sharon with their two children on a family break More

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      in Soccer

      Inside David Beckham’s amazing US life…from A-list pals to convincing Lionel Messi to join Inter Miami

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      WHEN Lionel Messi lined up for David Beckham’s Inter Miami football team, it was the biggest coup in the history of the sport.In a remarkable piece of wheeler dealing, the former England captain persuaded the world’s greatest player to sign for a team at the bottom of their United States league.
      David Beckham persuaded the world’s greatest player to sign for a team at the bottom of their United States leagueCredit: Getty
      Beckham with new Inter Miami signing Lionel MessiCredit: instagram
      David, Victoria and Harper with the Kardashians at Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami debutCredit: Instagram
      Not only that, 36-year-old Messi, who captained Argentina to victory in last summer’s World Cup, turned down a reported billion-pound offer from Saudi Arabia’s top team.
      Business-savvy Becks has cleverly harnessed the power of his celebrity pals to entice Messi with the kind of glamour that can’t be matched in the Middle East.
      A-listers such as reality TV queen Kim Kardashian, basketball superstar Lebron James and tennis legend Serena Williams were there to watch the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s Inter Miami debut on Friday night.
      When Beckham announced the creation of the Florida football side five years ago, music mogul Jay-Z, superstar singer J-Lo, A-list actor Will Smith and Olympic athlete Usain Bolt were by his side.
      Read More on David Beckham
      The 48-year-old appeared to be close to tears after Messi scored an injury time winner in a cup match at the club’s temporary home ground.
      That is understandable, given the setbacks he has endured in setting up a football team from scratch.
      A promised state-of-the-art stadium is yet to be built following legal challenges, residents’ protests and the discovery of arsenic in the soil.
      ‘It’s a dream’
      David’s wife Victoria, 49, has been his rock throughout, uprooting the family to spend a lot of the year in Miami.
      Most read in Football
      A source close to the family told us: “Signing Messi has put the team on the global map.
      “It’s not just players backing the team, however. David and Victoria’s famous friends have all put weight behind it. Kim Kardashian’s son Saint is a huge football fan and Messi is his idol.
      “The same can be said of the Beckhams’ pals like singer Marc Anthony, American football star Tom Brady and Lebron James, who can often be seen at games.
      “It’s not just a club, it’s being seen as more of a brand which is hugely commercially viable.”
      They added: “From the beginning of the venture over five years ago Victoria said she would support David at every step and that couldn’t be more true.
      “Miami is fast becoming a second home for the family and they loved the relaxed pace of life there.”
      Two years ago the Beckhams bought a £18.5million Miami penthouse in a 707ft tower designed by star architect Zaha Hadid, boasting a helipad and views of the Atlantic ocean.
      The couple’s four children now have close ties to the area, too.
      Eldest son Brooklyn, 24, married actress Nicola Peltz, 28, at the home of her billionaire father just down the road in Palm Beach, while footballer Romeo, 20, was on the books of Inter Miami’s reserve team.
      Daughter Harper, 12, spends most of her summer holidays in Miami and musician Cruz, 18, has enjoyed hanging out on the £5million family yacht on the city’s sun-soaked waters. 
      Becks is often seen out on the town himself with celebrity pals, including Tom Brady. 
      Another close pal is nightlife impresario David Grutman, known as the “King of Miami” due to his restaurant and nightclub empire.
      David was best man when Marc Anthony, ex-husband of Jennifer Lopez, wed model Nadia Ferreira at Miami’s Pérez Art Museum in January.
      Goldenballs created a huge buzz when he appeared at the Miami Grand Prix last year, while Victoria has been spotted out locally with her pal, Desperate Housewives’ actress Eva Longoria.
      The Beckhams have eaten at hotspots including Makoto, where the Kardashians have been seen, and Zuma Miami, a favourite of rap star Drake and Will Smith.
      But David also enjoys more humble food and regularly stops by Enriqueta’s Sandwich Shop, a Cuban eatery where the most expensive dishes are £9.
      Leidys Pla, whose family own the restaurant, told us: “He — has a little coffee — he likes Costa Rican coffee and loves the pork or a Cubano sandwich.
      He’s always very nice and takes pictures with anyone who wants them.Leidys Pla
      “He’s always very nice and takes pictures with anyone who wants them.”
      Her mother Lucia Pla added with a smile: “David Beckham is my friend.”
      But even Becks’ A-list pals have been overshadowed by the arrival of Messi, who is being treated like a deity in the majority Latino city.
      Everyone wanted to be at the game to see the South American maestro, with touts charging as much as £85,000 for tickets.
      Murals celebrating the Argentinian striker have sprung up in countless places, while enterprising businesses are offering Messi-themed sandwiches and even a Messi beer.
      Inter fan Maximiliano Infantino, 46, told The Sun: “It’s a dream to have Messi here. Beckham can really make things happen.
      “Miami doesn’t know what’s going to hit it.
      “You look at the bus stops and all you see are pictures of Messi. It’s going to change everything.” 
      One mural covers an entire side of a seven-floor building and shows two images of Messi painted by a local graffiti artist and touched up by Beckham, who stopped by to paint Messi’s teeth.
      Axel Montano, 30, who was selling T-shirts by the mural, said: “I want to thank David Beckham for bringing Lionel Messi to this city.
      ‘Cocktail for success’
      “They are equals and they understand each other.”
      Convincing the sublime soccer superstar to join the club clearly meant a huge deal to Beckham.
      The ex-England captain, who co-owns the club with Miami businessman Jorge Mas, said: “The moment that Leo went on TV and announced that he was coming to Miami, that was an emotional moment.” 
      He has been pursuing Messi for at least two years. 
      The former Barcelona star is rumoured to be on a basic annual wage of £15million, plus £30million in bonuses, and is also due to get a stake in the team when his contract ends in 2025.
      Messi arrived on a free transfer from Paris St Germain and his earnings will be partly funded by a streaming deal with Apple Plus.
      For us it’s a dream to have Messi here. Beckham can really make things happen.Maximiliano Infantino
      Landing his signature has impressed fellow bosses in the game, including The Apprentice star and West Ham vice-chairman Baroness Karren Brady.
      She told The Sun: “With his boots on, Becks proved that unique technical ability and a tireless work ethic — aided by no shortage of charm and a sharp understanding of his own marketability — was a surefire cocktail for success.
      “In the boardroom he is proving just the same as a football club owner.”
      Anyone who dismissed Beckhams as a footballer-turned-underwear model couldn’t be more wrong.
      He earned £657,000 per week last year, with most of the money coming from his brand, which is licensed to Adidas, Electronic Arts video games, Haig Club whisky, Maserati cars and Tudor watches.
      Those sums could be overshadowed by Inter Miami in the future.
      The club is Beckham’s personal project, after he cut a canny deal when he signed to play football for LA Galaxy 16 years ago.
      With his boots on, Becks proved that unique technical ability and a tireless work ethic — aided by no shortage of charm and a sharp understanding of his own marketability — was a surefire cocktail for success.Karren Brady
      As part of the agreement, Major League Soccer promised Beckham could set up his own football team in the US for less than a quarter of the normal fee demanded by the competition.
      But he has had to overcome objections from locals to various plans for a permanent stadium in the Florida city.
      At the moment, the team plays 30 miles away in Fort Lauderdale’s 21,000-capacity DRV PNK Stadium, which used to be the home of another football team.
      The first Inter Miami home match in 2020 had to be postponed due to Covid restrictions — and Beckham has gone through four managers in four years.
      He displayed a ruthless streak by sacking old England and Manchester United team-mate Phil Neville last month, with the club currently languishing bottom at 15th in the Eastern Conference league. 
      The success of the Apple TV football comedy Ted Lasso and the Disney Plus Welcome To Wrexham documentary — about Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney taking over other Welsh non-league side — proves there is an appetite for the sport in the US.
      That interest will only increase when the United States, Mexico and Canada co-host the World Cup in three years.

      Baroness Brady adds: “We can all look on with pride as we see one of our greatest national treasures now helping to inspire another generation by sprinkling more stardust in the US.
      “It can only be positive for the future welfare of our beautiful game as the love of it continues to spread across the world.”
      Messi captained Argentina to victory in last summer’s World CupCredit: Reuters
      Beckham goes grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s in MiamiCredit: BackGrid
      Posh and Becks with Marc Anthony and Serena Williams
      The Man United legend with Tom Brady and their respective daughtersCredit: Instagram / @davidbeckham
      Becks with LeBron James at Messi’s Inter Miami debutCredit: Instagram
      David with Leidys Pla at Cuban eatery Enriqueta’s Sandwich ShopCredit: Instagram
      Miami goes mad for Messi with murals appearing on walls
      Another mural of the Argentinian World Cup winner
      Beckham’s luxury liner named Seven after his shirt numberCredit: Mega
      Beckham’s Miami apartment buiding was designed by star architect Zaha Hadid
      Inside the posh pad with stunning viewsCredit: Mega More

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      in Soccer

      Kalvin Phillips reveals why having a dad in and out of prison drove him on to Premier League glory with Man City

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      FOOTBALLER KALVIN Phillips has just had the most important year of his career, with a £46million move to Manchester City, playing for England in the World Cup and a treble-winning season.But he knows the odds were stacked against him becoming a superstar due to a poverty-stricken childhood with his dad in prison.
      Kalvin Phillips tells how his upbringing has driven him to strive for successCredit: Getty
      Kalvin’s dad Mark has been in and out of prison throughout his life and is currently serving a 12-year sentenceCredit: Prime Video / NEO Studios
      A new Amazon Prime documentary will see Kalvin talk about growing up on a deprived council estateCredit: Instagram
      Mark Phillips, who has been in and out of jail throughout Kalvin’s life for offences involving violence and drugs, is currently serving a 12-year sentence.
      He has missed his son’s meteoric rise from teen academy player to Premier League and England glory.
      Now the former Leeds midfielder has revealed in new Amazon Prime documentary Kalvin Phillips: The Road To City how life on a deprived estate as the eldest of four kids made him determined to succeed.
      Kalvin, 27, says: “My drive is probably from not having a father figure there.
      READ MORE ON MAN CITY
      “I’ve always wanted to make my mum proud.
      “Dad was in and out of prison.
      “It affected our relationship because we didn’t see him all the time.
      ‘I want to have a better relationship with him’
      “When he went away we knew he wasn’t coming back for a while, which was the worst thing.”
      Most read in Football
      Kalvin was born a triplet, although one of the two girls died.
      A 40ft mural of Kalvin appeared in Leeds city centre in 2020Credit: PA
      After his transfer to Man City, Kalvin moved into a plush penthouse apartment with childhood sweetheart Ashleigh BehanCredit: Instagram
      Kalvin speaks about how his dad missed his meteoric rise to Premier League and England gloryCredit: Getty
      Mum Lindsay Crosby, who went on to have another daughter and a younger son, held down two jobs to make ends meet.
      She worked in a cash-and-carry from 9am to 3pm, going home to cook dinner for the four children, then putting in a shift at a pizza takeaway from 7pm to midnight.
      Lindsay also did her best to protect the children from the truth about their dad.
      In the documentary, she explains: “I tried to hide a lot of things from the kids because I didn’t want them to think that this was OK.
      “I used to say he’d gone to work because I didn’t want them to think it was normal to behave like that.”
      The footballer visits the house in Armley, Leeds, where he lived until he was 21, and the pitch where he played for his first team, Wortley, from the age of eight until he was signed to Leeds Academy at 14.
      Best pal Liam Duggan recalls Kalvin’s dad supporting his team between stretches inside.
      He says: “He’d be on the touchline, smoking weed and shouting different things.
      “Kalvin respected his dad a lot.
      “He was the alpha figure and when he wasn’t there, Kalvin took that kind of role.”
      Kalvin rose through the academy ranks and was signed to Leeds United at 19, making his professional debut in 2015 and going on to become one of the club’s most accomplished players.
      In 2020, a 40ft mural of the player, painted by street artist Akse P19, appeared in Leeds city centre.
      “It’s emotional seeing that big mural of his face as you drive through town,” says sister Jade Charlton.
      “It’s crazy. It fills me with pride.”
      While in jail, Mark followed his son’s career with pride and the pair spoke over the phone every couple of weeks.
      Kalvin recalled in an interview with The Times in 2020: “He rang me a couple of weeks after we’d been promoted and said, ‘Listen to this’.
      “All the people who were waiting for a phone call in prison were there, all singing (Leeds anthem) Marching On Together, banging on the walls. It was mad.”
      But as Kalvin honed his footballing skills, he did not reveal to his team-mates that his dad was locked up in Wealstun Prison, just yards from the Leeds training ground.
      Revealing he hasn’t seen his father for seven years, he said: “It was strange, because every time I drove past it I would think about him.
      “When I was young I didn’t want to talk about it but now it’s like, ‘Yeah, my dad’s in prison’. It’s not that big a deal.”
      After his transfer to Manchester City, Kalvin moved in to a plush penthouse apartment overlooking the club’s Etihad Stadium with childhood sweetheart Ashleigh Behan.
      He says in the documentary: “I never thought I’d be so lucky as to live in a house like this, especially if you compare them to where I lived when I was younger.”
      But the programme shows how he dislocates his shoulder 30 minutes into his first game for City — and during his seven-week recovery, thoughts turn to his dad.
      He says: “He’s been in for so long.
      “I don’t want him to think he’s got nowt when he comes out, when obviously we’ve done so well and I’ve done so well.
      “When my dad comes out I just want to try and have a better relationship with him so he doesn’t feel like he’s missed out.”
      Kalvin reveals his guilt at not visiting Mark in prison for seven years.
      He says: “I could have done more to see my dad but I’m very busy and, to be fair, he has said he doesn’t like us to visit him because he doesn’t like us to see him in prison and he doesn’t want us to be in the environment.
      ‘My nan is the only reason why I’m here’
      “Obviously he’s made some wrong decisions but I don’t judge him for them because I’ve heard about the upbringing he had, and it was tough.
      “When he was younger my dad was racially abused all the time — he’s told me that himself.”
      Kalvin also talks about his beloved ‘Granny Val’ who helped raise him and his three siblingsCredit: Instagram
      The £8million-a-year Manchester City star also visits the grave of his beloved “Granny Val”, who helped raise him and his three siblings.
      She died two years ago from Covid and the family were not allowed to visit her in hospital in person because of lockdown, though they made video calls.
      Kalvin says: “I miss my nan every day.
      “I owe Granny Val probably everything that I’ve got right now.
      “I remember her being in hospital and struggling to breathe and we were saying, ‘we love you’.
      “Everyone was very emotional on that call.
      “We knew that was the last time we’d see our gran’s face.
      “If I could give away all my money to spend another hour with her, I would do that.
      “She’s the only reason why I’m here.”
      Throughout the hour-long special, filmed over a year, Kalvin comes across as down-to-earth as he chats to fans and poses with them for selfies outside the Etihad Stadium.
      He says: “I was a very shy kid but if I asked anyone for an autograph, even if they said no, I was starstruck.
      “So if anyone asks me I will go out of my way to sign an autograph or pose for a photo because I remember what it was like to be that kid.”
      In a telling moment, Kalvin returns to his home turf of Elland Road in Leeds, shortly after being labelled “overweight” by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and left out of December’s Carabao Cup game against Liverpool.
      He is taunted by fans chanting: “You’re too fat to play for Leeds.”
      But while many Premier League players might have reacted badly to the slur, cheeky Kalvin smiles and applauds the crowd for their jibes.
      Childhood friend Liam insists fame and fortune have not turned his head.
      He says: “Kalvin’s got amazing talent and he’s come from nothing.
      “He’s worked for what he’s got and he’s never changed.
      “That’s a great example for kids that are wanting to follow in his footsteps.”
      After a rocky start at City, rumours are rife that he could be moving on again before next season, possibly to replace Declan Rice following his move from West Ham to Arsenal.
      Yet wherever he is playing in two years’ time, he’ll be looking out for a very special spectator in the crowd.
      The documentary culminates with Kalvin visiting his dad in prison for the first time in seven years — and he is keen to make up for lost time when Mark is released.
      Kalvin says: “He’s only got two more years in the prison and he’s told me exactly what he wants to do when he gets out, which is to come and watch football, and that’s one thing I can help him do.
      Read More on The Sun
      “It will be nice because I’ve not had him there for such a long time.”

      Kalvin Phillips: The Road To City is available on Amazon Prime from tomorrow More

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      in Soccer

      Lionesses winning Euros last summer was wonderful – here’s three reasons why we should roar them on again at World Cup

      by

      IF I tell you I have a hunch about a sporting event, then have a hunch of your own that the opposite will happen. I have a terrible track record with these things.But last year I got something right.
      Alessia Russo’s stunning surprise backheel against Sweden in the semi-finalCredit: Getty
      Ace Chloe Kelly celebrates her winnerCredit: PA
      The Lionesses gatecrash the press conference and partyCredit: Getty
      I wrote in The Sun that England’s women would win the Euros.
      And they did. Thrillingly, miraculously, brilliantly, inspiringly . . . they only went and did it.
      There were a trio of Three Lionesses moments which are right up there with anything our men have done. Moments which changed everything.
      Oh the joy of Russo’s backheel in the semi-final.
      Read More on Football
      Very occasionally a player will do something which no one sees coming. They sell a dummy which everyone buys.
      Their teammates, their opponents, the commentators, the cameras, the crowd and the TV audience all look for the ball to go one way, but it goes ­somewhere else.
      No matter how many times you watch it back, Alessia Russo’s backheel takes you by surprise.
      This was the moment even the most cynical, not-for-me women’s football refusenik went “Oof! Wow! OK.”
      Most read in Football
      Then there was Chloe Kelly’s winner in the final. By then we were so into it.
      Earlier, as we became true believers, it dawned on us that while everything was different, it could all yet turn out the same.
      Same old England, sure to lose in the end, to Germany, inevitably.
      But no! Into the net went the ball and over her head came Chloe’s shirt. Iconic.
      This was the moment we knew the Lionesses were different.
      They were winners. And we all felt like winners too.
      And then there was the invasion of the press ­conference.
      The all-singing, all-dancing, conga of ­mischief and joy.
      This was the moment we were reminded that, at its great beating heart, football is actually about, you know, having fun.
      Total ­uninhibited happiness.
      Great, great times.
      And this week we go again.
      Conga of ­mischief and joy
      It’s going to be harder this time.
      Not just because it’s the World Cup, nor because it’s happening a world away in a land down under.
      No, it’s because now England expects.
      Success creates its own pressure.
      And this means they need us to get behind them more than ever before.
      They gave us something wonderful last summer and now, in a sense, we need to give them something back.
      Someone once said that success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.
      True that. We need to demonstrate that we’ve not been fairweather friends to our Lionesses.
      We need to be with them all the way.
      We can’t bide our time and wait for a moment of glory to be within our grasp.
      They need us right behind them from the off. They need us now.
      Shirt-shedding
      And it’s not just about the World Cup either.
      Last week Karen Carney, former Lioness midfielder and chair of a major review into the women’s game, published her report.
      It’s not a back-patting, look-how-far-we’ve-come exercise.
      It’s much more important than that.
      Her call is for the top two tiers of women’s football to be made fully professional; for a new regular broadcast slot on television; for better investment, better facilities, higher standards all around.
      This isn’t romantic stuff about backheels, shirt-shedding or crazy congas.
      This is the gritty, tricky, challenging stuff needing to be done to get more girls playing, and more women winning, in the environments they’ve earned the right to enjoy.
      There’s 126 pages to this report, and it’s well worth a read, but Karen sums it up rather neatly for us in just a few words.
      “Nothing can take away from our great achievements,” she says.
      “But it is like Instagram vs reality, and the latter is worrying and we need to address it.”
      She’s right. The Instagram posts tell a story of shiny new success with money to match.
      The reality is huge areas of the women’s game underfunded and underloved. The poor relation.
      The seeds of failure are often sown in times of success.
      Power is in our hands
      It would be all too easy for us to say, “Oh yeah, women’s football. Love it! I get it! We’re brilliant! Job done!”
      Never mind the facilities, let’s just admire that backheel again.
      Even if the Lionesses win the World Cup and conga all the way home with the trophy, the gap between Instagram and reality won’t be closed.
      If anything, it will be wider. The ­Instagrams will look even glossier, and the reality will change barely a jot.
      A massive opportunity could go ­begging, and that would be a dreadful thing.
      So what, you might ask, can we, the fans, do to close Karen’s Instagram vs reality gap?
      Well, much of it, to do with finance and administration and business planning, we have no direct control of.
      But the power is still in our hands.
      Because if we carry on seeing the power and potential of the women’s game, and stick with it, and demand ­better, all the good stuff will follow.
      Read More on The Sun
      More than ever before, at this World Cup and way beyond, everyone from the Lionesses to the little girl in the park wanting a kickabout, need our backing.
      Let’s do this. More

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      in Soccer

      Inside Man City legend Jack Grealish’s epic month long boozy bender from Champions League triumph to Ibiza partying

      by

      SINCE Jack Grealish belted out a version of Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac to celebrate Man City winning the Champions League, he has stayed true to his word.The £100million winger, 27, has been all over the world in party mood after a treble- winning season.
      Jack Grealish, pictured with girlfriend Sasha Attwood, has been all over the world in party mood after a treble- winning season
      On his tour of holiday hotspots, Jack, whose girlfriend Sasha Attwood is on a break in Italy, has taken his bucket hat and spade to Ibiza twice.
      He has also had a ball in Las Vegas, the South of France, Malta and Manchester after the heady Champions League final celebrations in Turkey last month.
      GRANT ROLLINGS imagines the party boy’s postcards from his ultimate bender.
      Istanbul, June 10
      WHAT a night! I’m still buzzing from that win over Inter Milan.
      read more on jack grealish
      It all started with a few cans of Heineken as we passed the European Cup around.
      Jack Grealish after Man City won the European trophy
      Did I really sing Don’t Look Back In Anger with the lads in the dressing room?
      It should really have been Champagne Supernova.
      Not sure why I took so much luggage with me.
      Most read in Football
      I didn’t need all those designer shirts after all.
      I was still in my City top at six o’clock the next morning, living it up with the big man, Haaly.
      Desperately needed fresh air.
      Took a nice nap with the trophy on the plane.
      Ibiza, June 11
      ONLY nine hours in Ibiza, going to have to hit it hard.
      Fuel up with some grub at Tatel, a nice little diner by the beach, before heading to Pacha to party with Fodey.
      Jack partied hard in Ibiza in MayCredit: Splash
      Four hours in the club.
      Kyley (Walker that is, not Minogue) gave me a shoulder to lean on when we left the hotel the next morning.
      Some cheeky so- and-so even offered me a wheelchair at the airport.
      Good job I had some shades to hide the red eyes.
      Manchester, June 12
      HONESTLY, like, what time is it? Got my Dolce & Gabbana jim-jams on and it’s dark out.
      Been at a nightclub, again. Up on the stage singing to the crowd.
      Jack on the open-top bus during the Manchester City trophy paradeCredit: Getty
      Only a few hours ago I was in the centre of Manchester on a bus.
      Makes a change from the Lamborghini.
      This coach didn’t have a proper roof on it, but there was lots of booze.
      Lads drenched me in bubbly, so I had to take my shirt off. Just for a change.
      Malta, June 15
      REALLY needed some r&r, so it was nice to chill out for a few days at a training camp with the England boys.
      Then I jumped on a plane in Birmingham and it was off to Malta for the Euro qualifier.
      Jack boarding the plane as the England team travel to MaltaCredit: Getty
      Gareth didn’t play me.
      Something about my ability to down shots not being a relevant criteria in the fitness test.
      Still, it was wicked to cheer on the boys from the stands – and add another stamp to my passport.
      Las Vegas, June 20-26
      WHAT happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?
      Six days in the party capital of the world, showing off my moves at Zouk nightclub.
      Jack poses with air hostess Yasmine
      Had my photo taken with a lovely air hostess called Yasmine.
      Off to see the missus next in France.
      South of France, end of June
      THIS spot is right swanky – it’s all chandeliers and silk.
      The marble is almost as well sculpted as my six pack, which I’ve been told not to show off so much at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc.
      Jack in the South of France at the end of JuneCredit: Instagram @jackgrealish
      Food portions are a bit stingy – even less calories than Pep lets us eat.
      Great to be back with Sasha for a few days. The Press call it an on/off relationship.
      I’m not sure that’s fair, just because I’m off to Ibiza next without her.
      Ibiza again, July 5
      IT’S hot, hot, hot and the air hostesses here are super-friendly.
      I had a bit of a dance with one called Dolly.
      Jack was back in Ibiza at the beginning of JulyCredit: The Mega Agency
      Jack was seen partying with different girls in IbizaCredit: The Mega Agency
      But I doubt anyone noticed me as I popped on a baseball cap and some cool, white circular shades and enjoyed chatting to some girls.
      Best to keep things low key I reckon.
      I also bumped into Wayno – no, not Rooney.
      I mean Wayne Lineker. We might have had more shots than his brother Gary.
      Some people say I shouldn’t hit the deck so much.
      Read More on The Sun
      But they obviously haven’t heard me DJing!
      Jack also met up with Wayne LinekerCredit: Instagram
      Next stop…Far East
      PEP’s fixed a nice little trip to Japan and South Korea…I might even play some football. More

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      in Motorsport

      I’m an F1 expert – I know exactly why stars Like Cara Delevingne and Tom Cruise are making the starting grid a hot spot

      by

      MOVE over Cannes, take a running jump Ascot . . . the new place for any self-respecting celebrity to be seen at is Formula 1.The hallowed grid, where drivers prepare for the race, is a hotspot like no other, with incredible access to the sport’s top drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
      Shakira was one of the many celebs seen at the Formula 1 grid this yearCredit: NICOLAS GERARDIN
      Tom Cruise was seen with Shakira at the 2023 Miami Formula One Grand PrixCredit: AFP
      And the 2023 season has seen it flooded with A-listers, from Tom Cruise, Kylie Minogue and Paris Hilton to Cara Delevingne, Shakira and Brad Pitt.
      Last weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone was packed with celebs and, in a bizarre moment, even had Homeland actor Damian Lewis singing the national anthem.
      But while the stars add an even glitzier veneer to the world’s most dangerous sport, not all are willing to play the game.
      Cara’s cringeworthy refusal to speak to F1’s legendary roving reporter and former driver Martin Brundle was blasted “rude”.
      read more on f1
      Here, two people who know all about it – our Formula 1 correspondent Ben Hunt and former grid girl Lizzie Cundy – explain why the high-octane sport is No1 for showbiz royalty.
      ACCESS to the grid before a Formula 1 race is rather like walking out on the pitch before the Champions League Final.
      It marks one of the most exclusive areas on the planet. A rare opportunity for the worlds of F1 drivers to collide with Hollywood A-listers, sport stars and politicians.
      You are only allowed on to the grid if you are invited.
      Most read in Motorsport
      You cannot buy the passes that gain you entry, that’s not how it works.
      Brad Pitt filmed scenes for a new movie at the British Grand Prix in SilverstoneCredit: Splash
      And I’ve had the privilege to do it for the past 11 years as The Sun’s F1 correspondent.
      I’ve seen them all, from Pele to Pamela Anderson, Arnold Schwarzenegger to Sir Elton John — and many better examples.
      But in recent years, under the ownership of Liberty Media and fresh off the wave of popularity created by Netflix’s Drive To Survive show, the list of A-listers is growing.
      Last Sunday’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone was a peculiar mix of The Speaker of the House of Commons and Eurovision singer Sam Ryder.
      The idea is that celebrities are allowed on to the grid to see the cars and the drivers before they set off on their two-hour race.
      It is good for them to get the experience, it is good for F1 to have them associated with the sport, with the images beamed across the world.
      Usually, the guests are invited by the F1 teams to the races and then F1 chiefs will in turn offer them access to the grid.
      They are ushered on a few minutes before the national anthem while a team of mechanics put the finishing touches to their race cars.
      It is an assault on the senses. It is hectic.
      The mechanics and engineers are running through their checks while the engines are fired into life, prompting people to press their hands over their ears to deaden the noise.
      Then there are the additional engines powering air-blowers used to cool the cars’ radiators.
      There’s smell of fuel and usually the heat coming off the cars and from the asphalt below your feet.
      Sometimes it is all too much and I bail out, such is the crush of mechanics going about their business and the TV crews seeking out their interviews.
      The grid interviews have long been a part of Formula 1.
      The broadcasters had traditionally focused on the drivers. But now, the celebrities are fair game, too.
      It reached a point in 2021 when Megan Thee Stallion had an awkward exchange with Sky F1’s Martin Brundle.
      Cara Delevingne’s reluctance to be interviewed on Sunday was another toe-curling moment of live TV.
      The reality is, these celebrities should be made aware of the enormity of the experience of being allowed on the grid.
      F1 says it makes it clear to their guests TV interviewers will seek an opportunity to speak to them and encourage the celebrities to agree to their requests.
      But the fact is, for the best part, it is a brilliant experience.
      I just can’t wait to see who is on the grid for the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix later in the year, which promises to be the biggest show on Earth.
      ‘ONLY ELITE GET IN’
      LIZZIE CUNDY, 55, worked as a grid girl at Silverstone from 1988 to 1996.
      Here, she reveals just how glamorous being at a Formula 1 race has always been . . . 
      Lizzie Cundy worked as a grid girl at Silverstone from 1988 to 1996Credit: Getty
      “AS a former Wag, I’ve been to every big, glamorous sporting event you could go to.
      But I’ve never known anything quite like Formula 1.
      These drivers are risking their lives and it’s so fast, so scary. And the noise . . .  there’s just something so special about it all.
      With the likes of Brad Pitt and Cara Delevingne attending this year’s event, you can see how glamorous and super-wealthy you have to be to get in.
      Only the elite get to go.
      I was lucky enough to work as a grid girl and experience the lifestyle with my own eyes, every year for eight years.
      As well as the talented racing drivers, including Ayrton Senna, we would see loads of cricketers and footballers, as well as Hollywood actors, all coming to watch the race.
      Read More on The Sun
      We’d also work at the celebrity races too, and there would always be a big party in the evening in this huge marquee, which was loads of fun.
      There would always be so many famous faces. Anyone who was anyone was there, and it just made you feel so special.”
      Cara Delevingne had a cringeworthy moment when she refused to speak to F1’s roving reporter Martin BrundleCredit: Getty
      Kylie Minogue at the Formula 1 Monaco Grand PrixCredit: Getty
      Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas at the Formula 1 Monaco Grand PrixCredit: BackGrid More

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      in Soccer

      Inside Man City ace Jack Grealish’s rise from lad with footballing dream to perfect man who’s hit with ladies & lads

      by

      FLOWING locks, sensational body and a love for a cold beer . . . I think I’ve developed a new crush, in an unlikely spot.The surprise entry at the top of my list of affections is Jack Grealish, the superstar midfielder who was shirtless and clutching a cold pint as he led Manchester City’s victory parade this week.
      Jack Grealish’s big appeal is he seems just like a normal 27-year-old lad who’s living the dreamCredit: Getty
      Jack has no airs or graces, he’s no media-trained robot and he is not afraid to tell it how it isCredit: Getty
      Successful, carefree, the life and soul of the party — and a clearly decent bloke to boot.
      I want to be his mate, I want his looks and I want to be just like him.
      And it’s not just me who’s been won over by headband-wearing Jack in recent days.
      He’s now safely entered “girls want to sleep with him, men want to go for a pint with him” territory, placing him in an exclusive clique at the very top of the showbiz stratosphere alongside A-list actors Ryan Reynolds, Brad Pitt and Tom Hardy.
      READ MORE ON JACK GREALISH
      Jack’s big appeal is he seems just like a normal 27-year-old lad who’s living the dream, playing football at elite level and enjoying every minute.
      He has no airs or graces, he’s no media-trained robot and he is not afraid to tell it how it is.
      Indeed, he’s still exactly the same lad — except with bigger calves — who grew up in Bromsgrove, Worcs, dreaming of becoming a footballer.
      His legs have become such an object of desire they even have their own Instagram profile, with tens of thousands of devoted followers.
      Most read in Football
      And he’s a family man too. He remains close to his parents, cares deeply for his disabled sister Hollie, 19, who has cerebral palsy, and racks up the charity work, having recently been named a principal ambassador for Special Olympics GB.
      On paper, he’s the perfect man, a hit with the ladies — including a fling with pin-up Inbetweeners actress Emily Atack in 2021 — and has model girlfriend Sasha Attwood, 27, cheering from the sidelines when he plays.
      Jack’s partying after Manchester City clinched the Treble will go down as the stuff of legend — and certainly provided more entertainment than his side’s scruffy 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday night.
      He started the celebrations on the pitch as his team-mates lifted the trophy.
      Then he was snapped inside the dressing room downing booze and leading a rendition of Manchester anthem Don’t Look Back In Anger, by Oasis.
      Grealish has model girlfriend Sasha Attwood, 27, cheering from the sidelines when he playsCredit: Instagram
      Jack remains close to his parents, cares deeply for his disabled sister Hollie, 19, who has cerebral palsy
      He remained in his team kit hours after the final whistle, while his team-mates changed into partying threads, and was still in his jersey when filmed singing fan chant “Have you ever won the Treble?” at 6am on Sunday morning.
      After finally making it back to his team hotel he was pictured again popping his head out of a skylight of the team coach as the Treble winners headed for the airport to catch a flight back to Manchester, where he was then pictured lying down cradling the Champions League trophy next to team-mate Bernardo Silva.
      His airport pint was still cold as Jack and some of his team-mates jetted off on another European adventure, this time to Ibiza for a nine-hour bender, landing on the White Isle at 11.59pm on Sunday.
      After finally removing his team jersey, Jack was snapped in a Hawaiian shirt as he headed to megaclub Pacha until sunrise.
      Hours later he was pictured being held up by team-mate Kyle Walker as they left their hotel, and was offered the loan of a wheelchair at the airport ahead of their return to Manchester for City’s open-top bus party.
      Even the downpours back on home turf didn’t rain on Jack’s parade as his boozing continued and team-mates poured champagne over his head.
      Drenched, he removed his soaked shirt, setting up for the now iconic picture of him topless and stretching his arms out, which could have been mistaken for a Calvin Klein advert.
      Knuckled down
      No matter that he was scheduled to meet up with the England squad last night for the next round of international clashes.
      Surely even England manager Gareth Southgate, football’s straight-laced head boy, will forgive him.
      Jack says these past few days have been the best of his life, and he’s had the class to thank his club manager, Pep Guardiola, who turned him into a world-class performer.
      Following his British-record move from Aston Villa in the summer of 2021, Jack struggled to hold down a starting berth with Man City, initially sparking talk he’d become a £100million flop.
      Yet despite his love of partying, he’s knuckled down and learned Pep’s ethos — and was rewarded with an extended run in the team this season. And he hasn’t looked back, becoming a pivotal player in this all-conquering City side.
      Following his British-record move from Aston Villa in the summer of 2021, Jack struggled to hold down a starting berth with Man CityCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Jack with his parents Karen and KevinCredit: Sportsfile – Subscription
      Speaking after securing the Treble on Saturday night, Jack said of Pep: “He’s a genius, isn’t he? I just went and said to him, ‘You’ve made this happen for me’. He put so much faith in me, buying me for a lot of money.
      “Even last year, when I was playing cr*p, he stuck with me and spoke to me. And now he’s given me this platform to perform and I just said thank you to him.”
      Holding back tears, he also thanked his family, adding: “This is just what you work for your whole life. I am so happy, man.
      “I was awful today. I don’t care. To win the Treble with this group of players is so special.
      “Anyone who knows me knows how much of a family person I am and how much I love football, and this is my whole life.
      “You think of all the people who have helped you along the way and I saw my family in the crowd, and it just made me emotional.”
      English football has provided many mavericks in recent years, including Wayne Rooney, David Beckham and Paul Gascoigne.
      The latter is the player Jack is most commonly compared to, as he is also a good dribbler who takes players on in dangerous areas.Gazza won the hearts of the nation following his exploits at Italia ’90.
      But unlike Jack, he had a troubled side and well-publicised controversies — including being accused of attacking then-wife Sheryl — leading to a loss of big endorsement deals and withdrawal of support from the public
      Read more on The Sun
      But if Jack continues to keep on the straight and narrow, and playing with a smile on his face, his popularity will certainly outlast the other booze-loving England star — and he’ll become his generation’s talented talisman.
      And if he ever fancies a post-match pint, I’m buying. More

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      in Soccer

      When my kids ask how much I did to help when war was in Ukraine, I want to say I did my best, says Oleksandr Zinchenko

      by

      ARSENAL footballer Oleksandr Zinchenko is struggling to keep his emotions in check as he wrestles with the enormity of the horrors being inflicted on his homeland.The 26-year-old captain of Ukraine’s national side has not long returned from a visit to a school almost entirely destroyed by Russian missiles.
      Oleksandr Zinchenko said: ‘This game is not just to raise funds, it is also to show the world we stick together, we are united’Credit: Getty
      Alex and Andriy Shevchenko at the destroyed school during a recent trip to Ukraine
      Alex and Andriy with their team shirts and President Zelensky during their visit to their countryCredit: Instagram @u24.gov.ua
      Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will manage Alex’s teamCredit: Getty
      Pupils told him how President Vladimir Putin’s troops had raped and pillaged after marching into their homes.
      Oleksandr, known as Alex, was in tears during the warm up before his first match following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
      Today he is expressing very different feelings.
      Leaning forward, he told The Sun: “I’m angry even now, not just since the invasion. I am angry every single day.”
      Read More on Oleksandr Zinchenko
      The question this footballing hero keeps asking himself is: How can he best help his country?
      Alex had considered signing up to serve with Ukraine’s armed forces, but was persuaded that he could support his brave nation in other ways.
      The eastern European country’s most famous current player is both raising awareness about the true cost of the war and funds to repair some of the shelled schools.
      He will be the captain of one of the celebrity sides in the Game4Ukraine charity match taking place at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium in West London on August 5.
      Most read in Football
      Alex’s team, who are lining up against one captained by Ukraine’s goalscoring legend Andriy Shevchenko, 46, will be managed by former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.
      ‘I was in shock’
      More than 800 schools have been badly damaged by Russian missiles, with 220 beyond repair.
      Through the Game4Ukraine match Alex aims to raise enough money to rebuild the Mykhailo- Kotsiubynsky Lyceum in Chernihiv Oblast that he visited with Andriy just over a week ago.
      This thoughtful young father explains: “I have a daughter who is nearly two and I hope to have another baby soon and I just want to do something good.
      “Because when they grow up they will ask me, ‘Daddy, when this war was in our country, what did you do? How much did you help?’ I want to look in my kids’ eyes and say, ‘Well, me and your mum we were trying to do our best’.”
      Alex’s daughter is called Eva, and his wife Vlada Sedan, 27, a football journalist, is pregnant with their second child.
      The player is certainly doing his bit to make them proud.
      This game is not just to raise funds, it is also to show the world we stick together, we are united, we feel your support, we know we are not alone.Oleksandr Zinchenko
      He is an ambassador for United24, Ukraine’s official fundraising platform, helped organise humanitarian aid supplies and set up the charity Football for Ukraine to fund sporting projects for young people affected by the conflict.
      The defender also had the day job of playing for Arsenal as they reached second place in the Premier League this season, the London side’s highest position since 2016.
      Footballing commitments, which included captaining Ukraine in World Cup qualifying games last year, meant he had been unable to return to his homeland since Russia failed to take the capital Kyiv last April.
      But the defender this month saw the price of Putin’s aggression for himself.
      He said: “It is a completely different story when you see all these destroyed buildings by your eyes, rather than by your phone.
      “I can’t say it wasn’t scary.”
      Mykhailo-Kotsiubynsky Lyceum is in an area in the north that was occupied by Russian troops for 33 days.
      The building is a mangled mess, its windows blown out and ceilings draping down to the floorboards.
      Alex continues: “We have seen the damage to this school. I spoke with the kids who study in this school and some of them saw Russian army in their houses, because they were so close to Chernihiv.
      “Some of them were stealing, some of them were doing the other stuff, which I don’t really want to speak about. Honestly, I was in shock because kids, they cannot lie.”
      He recognises the long-term impact on the mental health of Ukraine’s youth, some of whom are already displaying signs of PTSD.
      Team Zinchenko play Team Shevchenko on August 5 at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge ground in West London
      Alex adds: “I understand this is a big, big mental injury for them, living in war time.
      “Imagine you are five, six, seven years old and someone comes to your house with the guns, this is already mental torture.”
      But he also sees the positive power of the beautiful game.
      Alex and Andriy, who played for AC Milan and Chelsea, had a kickabout with the kids during their visit.
      He recalls: “They love football and when we were playing football together, me and Shevchenko, they were smiling, they were laughing.”
      The Game4Ukraine is a way of harnessing the world’s obsession with the sport to give those children hope for a better future.
      Alex says: “We have no option, we have to move forward.”
      The two 11-a-side teams taking part in Game4Ukraine, which will be broadcast live on Sky, will feature ex-players and showbiz talent.
      The line-up is yet to be named, but Alex will have to captain from the sidelines due to an injury.
      Born in Radomyshl, 60 miles west of Kyiv, his talent on the field took him to Shakhtar Donetsk, where he became captain of the youth team.
      He was forced to leave in 2014 after marauding troops backed by Putin waged war in and around Donetsk.
      The football team, once one of the best in Europe, were not able to give him game time due to the upheaval and his parents took him to what they thought would be the safety of Russia.
      In 2016 he was snapped up by Manchester City, where he won four Premier League titles.
      Alex was part of manager Pep Guardiola’s side when Putin expanded his attack to the whole of Ukraine in February 2022.
      Alex and Andriy visited Mykhailo-Kotsyubinsky Lyceum in Chernihiv OblastCredit: Instagram @u24.gov.ua
      The devastated Northern Saltivka residential area of KharkivCredit: Doug Seeburg
      He moved to Arsenal last summer for £32million.
      Alex has been lifted by the backing of the British people.
      He said: “After one week of the invasion, kids in Manchester came to me and they said, ‘Alex, we are all with you, with your people’. They were ten years old, they really understood.”
      But Alex cannot understand why Putin started this bloody war, in which more than 60,000 Russian and Ukrainian forces are estimated to have been killed.
      Throughout the interview he puts his hands together and stretches, as if his whole being is straining to comprehend this outrage against humanity.
      He is supposed to be talking about football, but the only thing on his mind are the atrocities being carried out by what he describes as “Russian terrorists”.
      There are many questions, including: “For what? They came to our land, to occupy?
      Alex also asks why Putin’s forces drop missiles on civilian targets or why they destroyed a dam last week, leading to the flooding of 29 towns and villages.
      But he has great faith in the inspirational President Volodymyr Zelensky, who the footballer met during his recent trip.
      Alex declares: “We are independent, we have our president, we have our people.”
      He is grateful for the military aid being offered by PM Rishi Sunak, saying: “I would like to say to the Prime Minister massive thanks for the help we have received.”
      That solidarity is vital to the ongoing effort of the Ukrainian people to assert their right to freedom.
      Game4Ukraine will help to spread the message of unity.
      Read more on The Sun
      Alex concludes: “It is a great idea to organise this game not just to raise the funds, it is also to show the world we stick together, we are united, and we are all in the same situation. We feel your support, we know we are not alone and it is so important for us and for all Ukranians.”

      SUPPORT GAME 4 UKRAINE
      THE celebrity fundraiser for Ukraine will be unlike any other football match.
      Stars from sport, music, TV and film will take to the field to play for Team Zinchenko and Team Shevchenko on August 5 at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge ground in West London.
      There will also be an extended half-time break, not just so the celebrity players can have a longer breather but because there will be a special show put on by “leading music icons”.
      The match will kick off at 6pm. To buy tickets visit game4ukraine.com.
      Adult ticket prices start at £28, with juniors and seniors from £15.
      The charity game has also been endorsed by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
      If you can’t attend the game but would still like to make a donation, you can do this at donorbox.org/game4ukraine. More