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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

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      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

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      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

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      in Boxing

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

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      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.
      Read More on The Sun
      “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

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      in Soccer

      How John Motson became the voice of football after a muddy afternoon at Hereford changed his life forever

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      BRITISH football lost its voice yesterday when legendary commentator John Motson died aged 77.For half a century, “Motty” and his sheepskin coat brought the beautiful game to life with his infectious enthusiasm, unmatchable statistics and iconic tones.
      British football lost its voice yesterday when legendary commentator John Motson died aged 77Credit: PA
      Motson takes the mic at Old Trafford in his first season of 1971/72
      And in his final season for the BBC at Arsenal in 2021Credit: Getty
      The former BBC broadcaster was behind the microphone for more than 2,000 games, including 29 FA Cup Finals, and covering ten World Cups and ten Euros.
      Last night tributes poured in from across the world to the commentator Piers Morgan hailed as the G.O.A.T — greatest of all time.
      Match of the Day host Gary Lineker called him “brilliant” and “the voice of football in this country for generations”. Ex-England star Alan Shearer wrote: “RIP Motty. An incredible career. The voice.”
      Prince William added: “Very sad to hear about the passing of John Motson — a legend whose voice was football. My thoughts are with his family and friends.”
      READ MORE ON JOHN MOTSON
      Motson’s success was down to preparation as much as perspiration in that heavy jacket, with wife Anne helping him collate information on players and games.
      They did not use a computer — preferring instead to draw on their own archive of press clippings, and Motson’s laser focus for detail produced many memorable moments.
      Before his first FA Cup Final in 1977, he walked up the Wembley steps to where the trophy would be collected and counted 39.
      Then, when Man United’s winning captain Martin Buchan strode up, Motson delivered a killer reference to John Buchan’s classic novel. He said to the millions at home: “How appropriate that a man called Buchan should be the first to climb the 39 steps to the Royal Box.”
      Most read in Football
      However he may never have been there at all if not for a muddy FA Cup Third Round replay at non-league Hereford United against mighty Newcastle in 1972.
      When Ronnie Radford hit a late 30-yard screamer to equalise, an excitable Motson screamed into the mic: “Oh, what a goal! What a goal! Radford the scorer, Ronnie Radford, and the crowd, the crowd are invading the pitch and it will take some time to clear the field.”
      Having captured the moment so perfectly, Motson would no longer be a junior commentator.
      He later said: “I was on trial at Match of the Day for a year and I got given this game, and then Ronnie changed everything.
      “He changed his life, my life, the history of the FA Cup with a goal that came out of nowhere.”
      Born in Salford, Motson moved around the country as his Methodist minister dad William went from post to post.
      His first taste of football came in London aged seven when he watched Chelsea play at Charlton Athletic, near where he then lived.
      He was instantly hooked and became a Chelsea fan, although he later pretended to support Barnet to avoid accusations of bias. 
      Motson’s first job was on a local paper in Barnet, North London, in 1963, before moving to the Sheffield Morning Telegraph four years later.
      On reading his work, one cruel editor suggested he try broadcasting instead. He joined the BBC in 1968 — but it was not until Radford’s rocket that his own career took off. It landed him a three-year contract, covering a range of sports.
      In 1974 he co-commentated with heavyweight legend Muhammad Ali on a Joe Bugner fight in London. He tried to hand the mic to Ali only to discover he had vanished.
      Motson recalled: “He was in the ring trying to box Bugner.”
      Reporting on Wimbledon tennis in 1981 he landed an impromptu interview with actor Jack Nicholson. When Motson got a message in his ear from the studio demanding the tennis latest, Jack said in his scary Shining voice: “Just give ’em the score, Johnnnyy.” 
      But it is football for which Motson will be forever remembered. 
      A huge factor in his success was Anne, who he married in 1976. She kept a log detailing all his games.
      Motson said: “My research is based mainly on my wife’s wonderful record book which she keeps dutifully and diligently every day of the season with all the teams, matches, appearances, goalscorers, newspaper cuttings, you name it.”
      However Motson was not immune to the odd blunder. He once said: “Brazil — they’re so good it’s like they’re running round the pitch playing with themselves.” 
      In the 1990s his rival Barry Davies got two FA Cup Finals so the perfectionist felt he had to raise his game. Motson, awarded an OBE in 2001, said: “You felt that if you dropped a clanger you might be out of work. I would have sleepless nights sweating on getting it right. 
      “There were recriminations if something went wrong, naked fury.”
      Getting his MBE with wife Anne who helped him collate information on players and gamesCredit: PA:Press Association
      John in the hot seat during the 1986 World Cup finals in MexicoCredit: Getty
      It started at a muddy FA Cup Third Round replay at non-league Hereford United against mighty Newcastle in 1972Credit: PA
      The affable Motson also had to face occasional bouts of rage from angry managers. Then-Man United boss Alex Ferguson, who had been a good pal, snarled at him in 1995: “You’ve no right to ask me that question, John. You’re out of order.” 
      All he did was ask if Roy Keane would be punished for being sent off for the third time in 14 games.
      His toughest career moment was in 1989 commenting at the FA Cup semi between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at Hillsborough. His son Fred said the disaster, where 96 fans were killed, “was really something that weighed on him”.
       Motson’s last day at the BBC came at Crystal Palace’s 2-0 home win against West Brom in 2018. Palace’s then-boss Roy Hodgson presented him with a framed copy of the programmes from his first and last matches. 
      He then joined TalkSport radio soon after and was awarded a Bafta that year to mark his contribution to broadcasting. 
      He and his wife, who lived in a village near Milton Keynes, both had major health scares.
      First Anne beat breast cancer and then ten years later in 2014 her husband was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Motson said: “I knew what courage she showed in the operation. I thought to myself, ‘Come on, keep yourself together and don’t make too much fuss.’ 
      “I was trying to be nearly as brave as she was.” 
      His family said yesterday: “It is with great sadness that we announce that John Motson OBE died peacefully in his sleep today.” 
      Huge rounds of applause are sure to ring out at grounds around the country tomorrow. As the BBC’s director-general Tim Davie said: “John had the right words, at the right time, for all the big moments.” 
      grant.rollings@thesun.co.uk
      ‘HE SET STANDARD’By NICK PARKER
      FELLOW commentators and pundits paid tribute to Motty yesterday.
      Sky’s Martin Tyler said: “John was the standard-setter for us all. 
      “We basically all looked up to him — his diligence, his dedication, his knowledge. He was a very serious broadcaster but he was a real fun guy to be around.”
      Clive Tyldesley said: “As a teenager I just wanted to be John Motson. Nobody else.” BT Sport’s Darren Fletcher posted: “An iconic commentator with his own distinctive and brilliant style.
      “The soundtrack to my youth watching football #RIPMotty.”
      BT Sport and ESPN commentator Ian Darke said: “Probably the most famous football commentator of them all. Meticulously researched and retaining boyish enthusiasm and love of the game over half a century of the biggest games — he set the gold standard.”
      Ex-Blackburn forward and pundit Chris Sutton said: “He was a legendary figure in the commentary box and will be sorely missed. 
      “Thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

      Classic lines of icon
      ONE of Motty’s most famous quotes was a joke, not a gaffe.
      Commentating on a Tottenham game he said: “For those of you watching in black and white, Spurs are in the all-yellow strip”.
      It was a nod to Ted Lowe’s snooker line: “For those of you watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green.”
      Some of his other lines include: 
      “Villa . . . and still Ricky Villa! What a fantastic run! He’s scored!” — on the Argentine’s mazy winner for Spurs in the 1981 FA Cup Final replay.
      The ‘crazy gang’ of Wimbledon got the Motto treatment as they beat the stars of Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup finalCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      “And there it is, the Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club!” — when no-hopers Wimbledon beat the stars of Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup Final.
      “It’s there by David Platt. England have done it in the last minute of extra-time. England are through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup and Bobby Robson is ecstatic!” — late drama at the Italia 90 World Cup.
      “Oh dear, oh dear me . . . here is a moment that almost brings tears to his eyes” — on Paul Gascoigne after his booking against West Germany would rule him out of the final at Italia 90.
      Paul Gascoigne was hailed by Motson after his famous volleyed goal against Scotland at Euro 1996Credit: PA:Press Association
      “Here’s Gascoigne . . oh brilliant, oh yes!” — Gazza’s famous volley against Scotland in Euro 96.
      “Ohhh, this is getting better and better and better. One, two, three for Michael Owen!” — Owen gets his hat-trick in England’s 5-1 win over Germany in Munich 2001.
      David Beckham sends England to the 2002 World CupCredit: Allsport – Getty
      “Beckham . . . Yes! He’s done it!” — David Beckham’s brilliant last-gasp free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford in 2001 sends England to the 2002 World Cup.
      “Hold the cups and glasses at home . . . you can smash them now!” Beckham’s penalty beats Argentina at the 2002 World Cup in Japan, broadcast at breakfast time in the UK.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Gerrard! He’s done it! Oh Steven Gerrard!” — injury-time thunderbolt for Liverpool against West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup Final.
      “And the referee has gone across now with his hand in his pocket. He’s been told about it. He’s off, it’s red, it’s Zidane! You can’t excuse that   —   Zidane’s career ends in disgrace!” — Zinedine Zidane’s sending-off for France after a headbutt in the 2006 World Cup Final against Italy. More

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      I died for 8 minutes – but something special happened that day & gave me will to live, says footballer David Ginola

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      FOOTBALL star David Ginola thought he was in remarkably good shape when he agreed to play a charity match in Mandelieu on the south coast of France – even scoring a goal.But the celebrations suddenly turned to horror when David ­collapsed and “died” for eight minutes after his heart stopped.
      Footie ace David Ginola with girlfriend Maeva DenatCredit: BackGrid
      David is backing The Sun’s Save A Life In 15 Minutes campaign, in which we are calling on people to learn CPRCredit: Splash News
      Footie ace Ginola cooling down after a game in 2001Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      His friend, fellow footballer Frederic Mendy, valiantly performed CPR, keeping the blood pumping to David’s brain until medics arrived with a defibrillator that sent a series of ­electric shocks through his body, helping his heart restart.
      David, 56, says: “When you are unconscious, you are at a crossroads, and there are two paths: Life or death.
      “Why I chose life, I don’t know, because I was unconscious. But I am a fighter.”
      David is speaking exclusively to back The Sun’s Save A Life In 15 Minutes campaign, in which we are calling on people to learn CPR.
      Read More on David Ginola
      February is the British Heart ­Foundation’s heart month and as the charity’s latest ambassador, David is promoting its free online tool, ­RevivR, which can teach CPR and defibrillation skills in just 15 minutes
      Only half of us say we would be able to perform CPR if a loved one had a sudden cardiac arrest, despite latest data showing that around 80 per cent of such attacks out-of-hospital happen in the home.
      ‘Life brings you gifts’
      There are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year and sadly fewer than one in ten people survive, often because those around them do not have the skills or ­confidence to perform CPR.
      David says: “At the match in 2016, a firefighter shocked me three times with the defibrillator then told my friend I was dead.
      Most read in Football
      “She said if the heart doesn’t start again after three times, it is over — she was wrong.
      “But my friends could see I was fighting and told her to keep going.
      “She shocked me two more times and then my heart started again.
      “I met that firefighter a year later in Nice and she cried when she saw me.
      “She said it was like seeing a ghost.
      “I have to thank her and my friend.
      Maeva was introduced to David through mutual friends in a Cannes restaurantCredit: instagram
      David, pictured with Maeva and daughter Ever, says: ‘When your heart stops beating, they need to treat you as soon as possible’
      “The doctors said that if Frederic had not acted so quickly and performed CPR for over eight minutes, I would have been dead or left in a vegetative state as my brain was starved of oxygen.”
      One reason the former Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United player believes he came round was meeting his future ­girlfriend earlier that day.
      In a moment of fate, Maeva Denat, 38, was introduced to David through mutual friends in a Cannes restaurant.
      Less than an hour later, he left to play the fateful charity match.
      Model Maeva — who already has a daughter from a previous relationship — is now the mother of his five-year-old daughter, Ever, and the family live happily in the south of France ­having moved there from London during the pandemic.
      Fighting back tears, David says: “Life sometimes brings you gifts when you least expect it.
      “When I look at Ever, I realise that she wouldn’t be there if I didn’t choose to live.
      “That makes me full of joy and passion and affection because she is an amazing little girl who brings me joy. Sometimes she brings me to tears.”
      Christian Eriksen is helped by teammates after collapsing in 2021Credit: AFP
      Outwardly, the football legend seem­ed like the last person you would expect to suffer heart problems.
      But his mother Mireille died from a heart attack in 2005 aged 74, and dad Rene, now 87, had oper­ations to clear blocked arteries in 2003.
      And when it was later found that David’s arteries had been severely clogged, it was perhaps no surprise that he suffered a cardiac arrest in May 2016.
      It came just two months after he separated from his wife of 25 years Coraline, 54, the mother of his ­children, son Andrea, 31, and 28-year-old daughter Carla.
      After his heart was restarted, David was taken by air ambulance to a ­specialist cardiac hospital, Centre Cardio-Thoracique in Monaco where his blocked arteries were discovered.
      Surgeons performed a six-hour quadruple bypass.
      Thankfully, he was able to return to working as a TV host soon ­afterwards and by 2021 he was well enough to compete in a freezing Welsh castle on I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here!
      David says: “When your heart stops beating, they need to treat you as soon as possible. So performing CPR becomes vital. The doctor was relieved because I had been dead for so long, and it was a miracle I had not suffered brain damage.
      We need to educate people so at least one person in every ­family knows first aid. You will probably never have to use it but the ­knowledge will let you react if something happens.David Ginola
      “I thanked him for saving my life, but he told me, ‘My job was to ­perform the bypass. The one that saved your life was the person that performed CPR. Without him you would be dead.’”
      David later watched aghast as ­Manchester United midfielder ­Christian Eriksen, now 31, collapsed with a cardiac arrest while playing for his native Denmark at the Euros in 2021.
      He was also commentating at St James Park when a Newcastle fan suffered a suspected cardiac arrest in the stands that October.
      David said: “Those two incidents brought back bad memories, obviously. The good thing was that the medical staff reacted very quickly so they could do the right thing at the right time.
      “And that’s why it’s so important to learn CPR and how to recognise a heart issue.
      “We need to educate people and at least one person in every ­family should know basic first aid.
      “You will probably never have to use it, but the ­knowledge will allow you to react if something happens at home or at work.”
      David suffered depression after his near-death experience as he questioned his life and why he had been brought back.
      He reflects: “Life goes on and time is a healer. I have a new girlfriend for seven years now and a baby who is going to turn five in ten days’ time.
      “Life continues and you have to go along with it.
      “On the other hand, I still sometimes look at the scar on my chest and it reminds me, I was a lucky guy. I think there must be someone up there that pushed me to stay, but I don’t know why. I still have so many questions I cannot answer.
      “When I introduce Maeva to people, I say, ‘This is my girlfriend and we met the day I died.’
      “You could make a movie script out of our relationship because it’s hard to believe but this could happen to anyone. I’m proof that it does.”

      David is backing the British Heart Foundation’s Heart Month and its partnership with Omaze, which is offering the chance to win a stunning £3million house in North London.
      The draw will help raise funds for BHF’s research into heart diseases.
      Find out more at omaze.co.uk.
      For more information about Heart Month, visit bhf.org.uk/heart-month-2023.

      What are the symptoms?
      A CARDIAC arrest is an emergency that usually happens without warning.
      If someone is in cardiac arrest, they collapse suddenly and will be unconscious, unresponsive, not breathing or not breathing normally – this may also mean they are making gasping noises.
      CPR – Call, Push, Rescue
      Without immediate treatment, the person will die.
      If you see someone having a cardiac arrest, phone 999 and start CPR.
       Q) WHAT causes a cardiac arrest?
      A cardiac arrest is caused by a dangerous abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia), cardiomyopathies (disease of the heart muscle), inherited heart conditions, heart valve disease, myocarditis, a heart attack, a severe haemorrhage, a severe drop in oxygen levels, electrocution or a drug overdose.
      Q) WHAT’S the difference between a cardiac arrest and a heart attack?
      A heart attack happens when the blood supply to the heart muscle is cut off. This is often caused by a clot in a coronary artery.
      A heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest. It is important to get medical attention immediately by calling 999 for an ambulance if you have heart attack symptoms.
      Read More on The Sun
      Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, says: “Every second counts when someone has a cardiac arrest, and knowing CPR could be the difference between life and death.
      “It only takes 15 minutes to learn with our free RevivR training tool – that’s a coffee break, half-time in the football or the time you might spend scrolling through social media. It could be the most important lesson you ever learn.”
      The Sun’s Save A Life In 15 Minutes campaign More

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      Inside Wrexham revolution where footie fans buy beer by suitcase load and bucket hats sell out – thanks to Ryan Reynolds

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      DRIVING into football’s unlikely new hotbed, you are greeted with 3ft-high letters on a pub roof reminiscent of the famous Hollywood sign – but this time reading “Wrexham”.The grey skies above the Grey-hound Inn and the bitter wind blowing off the Welsh mountains, however, are hardly Californian.
      Wrexham beat  Coventry 4-3 in previous round of FA CupCredit: Getty
      Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds’ reaction as he celebrates the equalising goal against Sheffield UnitedCredit: Rex
      The Grey-hound Inn is hardly Californian but Reynolds has helped transform the fortunes of this North Wales former coal and steel cityCredit: .
      Even so, celebrity glitter has helped transform the fortunes of this North Wales former coal and steel city that’s had its fair share of hardship.
      The dozens queuing for FA Cup tickets in Wrexham AFC’s car park are quick to credit American actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney — who bought the club in 2021 — for the transformation.
      Ryan, best known for his starring role in the Deadpool films, was at the club last week with daughter James, eight, to watch his non-league side’s dramatic FA Cup clash against Sheffield United.
      And it seems the club have had a similarly transformative effect on the Hollywood star.
      READ MORE ON Wrexham
      He was pictured celebrating with fans as Wrexham looked to have pulled off a shock win against a team who sit second in the Championship, three leagues above them.
      It was not to be as a last-second equaliser saw the game end 3-3, prompting Ryan to later tweet it was “one of the most exciting things I’ve ever seen”.
      His wife Blake Lively, who stars in Gossip Girl, posted a snap of Ryan with his head in his hands and added: “I bought ESPN+ today. Just to watch my husband experience crippling anxiety live. Worth it.”
      ‘On the up’
      Talking to me outside the ground, fan Les Buxton, 66, a retired Royal Navy submariner, said: “When I heard two Hollywood stars were taking over the club I thought it was pie in the sky.
      Most read in Football
      “The club was on its knees but they’ve come in and they’ve turned the place around. I sit below Rob and Ryan in the stands and can see what this club means to them.
      “They’ve taken the town to their hearts, as well as the football club.”
      Wrexham, with a population of around 62,000, was once a heavy industry powerhouse. Its coalfield boasted 38 pits and employed 18,000 people at its peak.
      Fans queue for tickets for the next game in the FA Cup against Sheffield United at Wrexham Football clubCredit: .
      Mark, pictured, and Vaughan Roberts, managing directors of brewery Wrexham Lager, say sales of their beer have risen ‘exponentially’Credit: .
      In 1864 a football club was formed, making it the third oldest professional side in the world, and it was soon a cornerstone of the working-class city.
      A stalwart of lower-division football, its league high watermark was 15th in the old Second Division (now the Championship) in 1979.
      As Welsh Cup winners, there were European competition nights, with celebrated victories at its atmospheric Racecourse Ground against Antwerp and Porto.
      The last local coal mine, Bersham, closed in 1986 with the loss of 700 jobs. And the city and its proud football club went into decline.
      Retired building manager Graham Roberts, 74, who watched his first Dragons game 60 years ago, told me: “My father was a steel worker and my grandfather a miner.
      “Every family had someone that was a miner. When the pits closed, the town struggled, and so did the football club.”
      In 2004 the club went into administration with massive debts and was given notice to quit the Racecourse Ground by its former owner so it could be sold as a retail site.
      In 2008, after 87 years, the club was relegated from the Football League, with its Kop stand dilapidated.
      It had hit rock bottom, then stayed there. It would take a fan buy-out to save it from going under.
      Then came a twist that could have been written in Hollywood. And in a way, it was.
      Actors Ryan and Rob, who stars in US sitcom It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, bought the club, injecting glamour and £2million.
      Their ownership saga was filmed for documentary series Welcome To Wrexham — screened on Disney+ — which turned the Dragons into one of the best-known clubs in the world.
      At the Chevron Clothing shop in the High Street, manager Jamie Powis said: ‘Since Rob and Ryan came in it’s gone through the roof for us’Credit: .
      Ex-steel worker Alan Hughes, 61, said of the new owners: ‘I think they genuinely love the club and the city’Credit: .
      Kit sponsor Ifor Williams Trailers, based nearby, was joined by multinational heavyweights TikTok and Expedia as backers.
      Fans from as far away as New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the US have flocked to the city, giving a boost to local commerce and business.
      In December Ryan and Rob met the King and Queen at the Racecourse Ground after visiting Wrexham to celebrate it gaining city status.
      At her constituency office, local MP Sarah Atherton told me: “Wrexham is on the up and football has been a catalyst. The global reach of Disney has helped. It’s fantastic, there’s a real buzz around the town.”
      THEIR HONOURS

      1977/78: Third Division champions
      1976: European Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-finalists
      1974, 1978, 1997: FA Cup quarter-finalists
      1961, 1978: League Cup quarter-finalists
      2005: Football League Trophy
      2013: FA Trophy
      Welsh Cup: Won 23 times
      Welsh Premier Cup: Won 5 times

      A giant industrial estate on the edge of Wrexham — soon to be Europe’s biggest — announced a further 56-acre development last month, citing the “feelgood factor” engendered by the football club.
      Tim Knowles, managing director of FI Real Estate Management, which has invested more than £136million at the site, said of the Hollywood connection: “It’s supercharged Wrexham.
      “It’s so exciting. Wrexham is a great place and we know we can attract major tenants which will create more jobs.”
      At the Chevron Clothing shop in the High Street, manager Jamie Powis said: “Since Rob and Ryan came in it’s gone through the roof for us.
      “Our themed bucket hats have completely sold out and we’ve been selling T-shirts to America.”
      ‘Down-to-earth guys’
      Jamie, 49, who sells hoodies emblazoned with Ryan’s face for £45, added: “We had a couple over from Texas last week to see the game but it was sold out.
      Local MP Sarah Atherton revealed: ‘Wrexham is on the up and football has been a catalyst. The global reach of Disney has helped’Credit: .
      Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the club in 2021 for the transformationCredit: PA
      “They ended up watching it in a pub by the ground instead.”
      At the Cross Foxes pub nearby, landlady Joanne Mee said Ryan has popped in for a game of darts.
      She told me: “We just let him get on with it. He was playing darts with a friend.
      “Since Rob and Ryan took over we’ve had a massive improvement in sales and foot traffic. I think the documentary has boosted tourism.
      “We get lots of Americans coming in, drinking shots and pints.
      “The atmosphere on match day is fantastic.”
      Just up the road, Ahmet Karakaya and Zico Yunus run the Central Kebab And Pizza House, and say match days are “crazy”.
      Ahmet, originally from Turkey, said: “Before the football and after the football the fans love a kebab.
      “It’s the busiest I’ve known in my five years working here. Wrexham is booming.”
      Locals say the Hollywood pair are approachable and genuine, giving cash to a number of good causes.
      In August 2021 they donated £20,000 for four-year-old Aria Hodgkiss to have treatment for a rare brain cancer.
      Last month Ryan gave £1,600 to local indoor football team FC United of Wrexham’s under-12 boys’ side to pay for new kit.
      Mark and Vaughan Roberts, managing directors of brewery Wrexham Lager, say sales of their beer have risen “exponentially”, spurred on by the city’s Hollywood connection.
      With a picture of their great-grandfather, Wrexham and Wales footballer Jack Jones staring down from their city-centre office wall, Mark, 62, says that the celebrity pair have “brought a new lease of life to the city”.
      He adds: “We get tourists from all over because of the documentary series. The furthest was from New Zealand.
      “They take beer home in their suitcases and some of our branded merchandise.”
      Wrexham Lager’s Pride Of The Celts was first brewed in 1882, making it Britain’s oldest.
      It was served on the Titanic — prompting Mark’s joke, “It went down well”. The firm now sponsors a stand at the Racecourse Ground.
      Actor Rob has visited the brewery and Mark’s brother Vaughan, 59, said: “The club was kept alive by the fans and attendance was down to around 4,000 diehards.
      “What Ryan and Rob have done for the city is amazing but they’re just normal, down-to-earth guys. I’ve never heard a bad word said about them.”
      The celebrity pair have clearly won over the city but they have found escaping the National League — England’s fifth tier — tough.
      There’s just one automatic promotion place and last season Wrexham lost to Grimsby in a play-off semi-final.
      Tomorrow evening the Dragons, who beat Coventry in the previous round of the FA Cup, head to Bramall Lane for their replay against Sheffield United.
      In the queue for tickets, the hum of mechanical diggers can be heard as work continues for a new 5,500-capacity Kop stand.
      It’s heady days for the fans. But after so much heartache in previous years, are they worried the Hollywood duo will quit if ratings slump?
      Ex-steel worker Alan Hughes, 61, said: “If they left we would be on a sound footing but I don’t think they will. I think they genuinely love the club and the city.”
      Rob has said that he and Ryan are “in this for the rest of our lives”, while Ryan said recently: “It has been the greatest experience of my entire life.
      “I love it because it’s a project that’s going to be multi-decades. The part I find most gratifying is the support from the community outside the club.”
      Also queuing for his cup ticket, technician John Michael, 49, said: “The club has been totally reborn.
      “Ryan and Rob have brought jobs to the town and got the whole place buzzing.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Kids are now proudly walking around the city in their Wrexham strips, even if their parents support Liverpool or Manchester United.
      “Ryan and Rob have really changed people’s lives. How could you walk away from that?”
      WHY DID ACTORS BUY IT?
      WREXHAM fans can thank Netflix – not Disney – for their Hollywood takeover.
      Rob, 45, got the idea to buy a team while watching the platform’s documentary Sunderland ’Til I Die.
      He needed a wealthy entrepreneur to join him and Deadpool actor Ryan said yes even though the two men had never met.
      They were just text friends before becoming business partners. The pair made a list of clubs they might be able to afford and in November 2020 chose Wrexham because of its 158-year history.
      Ryan, 46, said “the thing that really hooked me” was “getting involved in the community around that club and growing that”.
      Another key factor was British actor Humphrey Ker, 40, who got Rob into football while working with him on It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.
      He is now executive director at Wrexham, helping to oversee the day-to-day running of the club. More

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      From an ex-teacher whose man signed for £106m to celebrity ace’s model girlfriend – the glam WAGS of the transfer window

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      FROM a Polish twerking champion to a Portuguese soap star, meet the Wags who will be adding an extra dash of glamour to the Premier League.With the World Cup interrupting the football season, the January transfer window was busier than usual – and will see a host of new faces hit our shores.
      The transfer window has given us some glamorous new Wags such as Margarida CorceiroCredit: magui_corceiro/instagram
      A football insider said: “A lot of talent has been arriving in the Premier League – both on and off the field.”
      Here, Michael Hamilton and Grace Macaskill meet the stunning women who will be cheering their partners on from the stands.
      Angelina Zabarnyi & Illia Zabarnyi
      Angelina Zabarnyi is studying philosophy at Kyiv UniversityCredit: https://www.instagram.com/angelinarr_/?hl=en
      BRAINY Angelina is the partner of Illia, 20, one of the Ukraine national team’s youngest players, who is headed to Bournemouth.
      Angelina is studying philosophy at Kyiv University but also runs her own business helping people grow their social media profile.
      read more on wags
      Illia Zabarnyi, from Ukraine, is headed to BournemouthCredit: Getty
      She is fiercely proud of her country’s fight against Russia, stating “Glory to Ukraine” on her Instagram bio.
      The couple have been dating for three years and got engaged last year.
      Fanny Neguesha & Mario Lemina
      Fanny Neguesha used to date Man City bad boy Mario BalotelliCredit: BackGrid
      WOLVES moved quickly to snap up ex-Southampton and midfielder Mario, 29, from Nice in France for an undisclosed fee.
      And his model partner, Fanny, 32, will be familiar to footie fans – she used to date Man City bad boy Mario Balotelli.
      Most read in Football
      Fanny is now dating Mario Lemina who has been snapped up by WolvesCredit: Getty
      The couple, who have been together since 2017, have a son and a daughter, who feature in their glamorous social media snaps.
      Fanny previously attempted a music career, releasing pop singles in 2016.
      Margarida Corceiro & Joao Felix
      Margarida Corceiro has appeared on Portugal’s version of Strictly Come DancingCredit: magui_corceiro/instagram
      A SOAP star in her native Portugal, Margarida, 20, has also appeared on her country’s version of Strictly Come Dancing.
      She has been dating Felix, 23, who signed on loan to Chelsea from Spain’s Atletico Madrid, since 2019 after the pair met on social media.
      Joao Felix has signed on loan to Chelsea from Spain’s Atletico MadridCredit: Getty
      Mia Regan & Romeo Beckham
      Mia Regan is a model, working with brands including Balmain, Gucci and VogueCredit: The Mega Agency
      SON of former England captain David, 20-year-old Romeo joined Brentford on loan from Inter Miami as he bids to follow in his famous dad’s footsteps.
      His girlfriend Mia, 20, from Chippenham, near Bath, has her own flourishing career as a model, working with brands including Balmain, Gucci and Vogue.
      Romeo Beckham has joined Brentford on loan from Inter MiamiCredit: Getty
      Valentina Cervantes & Enzo Fernandez
      Valentina Cervantes is a former English teacher
      ARGENTINIAN Enzo, 22, became the Premier League’s most expensive signing ever when he transferred to Chelsea from Portugal’s Benfica for £106million.
      He will be joined in West London by girlfriend Valentina, 22, who gave up her career as an English teacher to travel the world with him.
      Enzo Fernandez became the Premier League’s most expensive signing ever when he transferred to Chelsea from Portugal’s Benfica for £106millionCredit: Getty
      The couple began dating in 2019 and had daughter Olivia the next year.
      Claudia Kowalczyk & Jakub Kiwior
      Claudia Kowalczyk won the Queen of Twerking competition in Germany in 2017Credit: Instagram / @claudia.redheaded_babe
      STUNNING Claudia, who is reportedly engaged to Arsenal’s new Polish defender Jakub, 22, won the Queen of Twerking competition in Germany in 2017.
      The 30-year-old Pole also leads dance workshops around the world – as well as posting raunchy snaps and videos on Instagram.
      Jakub Kiwior, from Poland, has signed to ArsenalCredit: Getty
      Noa Van Der Bij & Cody Gakpo
      Noa Van Der Bij is a model who also works as a booker for agency Cachet ModelsCredit: @noavdbij
      DUTCH model Noa has seen her Instagram followers more than double, from 17,000 to 35,000, since hotshot Cody, 23, joined Liverpool from Netherlands outfit PSV Eindhoven at the beginning of January.
      Noa, 23, also works as a booker for agency Cachet Models.
      Cody Gakpo joined Liverpool from Netherlands outfit PSV EindhovenCredit: Getty
      Katja Kuhne & Marcel Sabitzer
      Katja Kuhne rose to fame in the German version of reality show The BachelorCredit: Refer to Caption
      LEGGY Katja rose to fame in the German version of reality show The Bachelor.
      At 37, Ukrainian Katja is nine years older than Austrian Marcel, 28, who joined Manchester United on loan from Germany’s Bayern Munich.
      Read More on The Sun
      The couple have daughter Mary Lou, born in 2019.
      Katja, who was born in Kherson, is raising funds for her country following Russia’s invasion.
      Marcel Sabitzer joined Manchester United on loan from Germany’s Bayern MunichCredit: Getty More

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      Inside Shakira’s very petty split from Gerard Pique – from brutal diss track to row over bizarre witch doll

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      SHE styled herself as a She Wolf in one of her bigg­est hits — and Shakira’s claws are certainly out as she takes aim at her ex Gerard Pique.Once one of the world’s most glamorous showbiz couples, the singer and the Spanish football ace are now engaged in an extra­ordinarily bitter split.
      Superstar Shakira and Spanish football ace Gerard Pique are engaged in an extra­ordinarily bitter splitCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Ever since Gerard ditched Shakira for the then 22-year-old Clara Chia Marti this summer, no act of revenge has been considered too pettyCredit: EPA
      Shakira with Gerard after his team won the Spanish cup in 2015Credit: Getty
      Ever since Gerard ditched Shakira for the then 22-year-old Clara Chia Marti this summer, no act of revenge has been considered too petty — with a brutal diss track, savage jibes and even a row over a bizarre witch doll playing out in public.
      Last week, 45-year-old Shakira dropped a new track which takes a swipe at love rival Clara’s age with the lyrics: “I’m worth two 22s. You traded a Ferrari for a Twingo, you traded a Rolex for a Casio.”
      Gerard, 35, responded by turning up to work in an £8,000 Renault Twingo this weekend and boasting his new seven-a-side project the King’s League had landed a sponsorship deal with Casio — adding that the cheaper watch would “last a lifetime”.
      In another twist Shakira put a terrifying life-size witch doll on her balcony, facing her mother-in-law’s house in the same street.
      READ MORE ON GERARD PIQUE
      Neighbours reported she also blasted out the new song — BZRP Music Sessions #53 — on repeat so Gerard’s mum, Montserrat Bernabéu, could hear.
      The singer was devastated when he went public with new love Clara, now 23, just three months after she kicked him out of the family homeCredit: BackGrid
      Shakira was also deeply hurt by Gerard’s frequent visits to his parents’ home with Clara, which is in full view of her ownCredit: EPA
      ‘You left me because of your narcissism’
      The vitriolic break-up comes after a 12-year romance which began on the set of the video for Shakira’s 2010 World Cup anthem, Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).
      The first of the couple’s two sons, Milan, nine, was born in 2012, prompting Shakira to move from the US to Barcelona. Sasha, seven, arrived two years later.
      Although Shakira and Gerard never married, the Colombian singer insisted he was “the one” in a 2014 interview.
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      “We already have what’s essential. We have a union, a love for each other, and a baby,” she told Glamour magazine.
      “Those aspects of our relation­ship are already established, and marriage is not going to change them. But if I’m ever going to get married, he’s the one.”
      Ironically, she later revealed she feared becoming a wife would make him lose interest.
      “Marriage scares the sh*t out of me. I don’t want him to see me as the wife. I’d rather him see me as his girlfriend, his lover,” she said. “It’s like a little forbidden fruit. I want to keep him on his toes.”
      In 2021, the couple appeared to stand together as Shakira faced allega­tions she had dodged £12million in tax owed to the Spanish authorities — a claim she has dismissed as “false” although she has now paid the money in full.
      Shakira says Gerard has swapped ‘a Rolex’…Credit: Rolex
      …for a Casio instead and his Ferrari for a Twingo
      Pique turns up at work in a Twingo and says he’s signed a deal with CasioCredit: Twitter @KingsLeague
      But rumours the former Barcelona star was having an affair emerged in June 2022, and days later, the couple shocked fans with a joint statement announcing their split.
      They added: “For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect our privacy. Thank you for your understanding.”
      Spanish outlet El Periodico reported that they had been living separately for a few weeks, after Shakira kicked Gerard out of the family home.
      Three months later, she was devastated when he went public with new love Clara, now 23. She was also deeply hurt by Gerard’s frequent visits to his parents’ home with Clara, which is in full view of her own.
      And she wasn’t going to keep quiet about it. In September, she broke her silence with an emo­tional interview in Elle magazine, saying her situation was “probab­ly the darkest hour of my life”.
      She revealed her ex had left her while her 91-year-old dad fought for his life in hospital after a bad fall.
      She continued: “For [women] like me who believe in values like family, who had the big dream of having a family for ever, to see that dream broken or shredded into pieces is probably one of the most painful things you can ever go through.”
      Shakira also claimed she had sacrificed her own music career by moving to Barcelona saying: “I put my career in second gear and I came to Spain, to support him so he could play football and win titles. And it was a sacrifice of love.”
      Her heartbreak hit, Monotonia, released in October, bewailed the monotony that led to the bitter break-up and contained the dig: “Suddenly you were no longer the same.
      “You left me because of your narcissism. You forgot what we once were.” The video shows the singer being shot in the chest, then her heart pulled out and stamped on.
      As their life unravelled, claims that Gerard had been dating his new love long before the split have fuelled the bitter feud, with some unconfirmed reports suggesting they met at the Davis Cup in 2019.
      The scandal has fuelled constant headlines in Spain — and seemingly, more heartbreak for Shakira.
      ‘A lot of gyms. But work your brain too’
      In a New Year message to her 80million Instagram fans, she wrote that she knew how it felt when “wounds are still open”.
      She added: “Even if someone’s betrayed us, we must continue to trust others. When faced with contempt, continue to know your worth. Because there are more good people than indecent ones.”
      But the sniping and revel­ations have continued to escalate, leading to a brutal war of words.
      This month, Shakira was said to be “devastated” over new footage of a Zoom interview from August 2021, which seemed to show Clara at the family home in Spain.
      It was ten months before she and Gerard announced their separation. The video shows a woman resembling Clara stepping into the frame as Gerard spoke to US video live-streaming service Twitch, while Shakira was reportedly abroad with the boys.
      The bitter star’s new diss track, which has had more than 110million views on YouTube, swipes at Gerard, Clara and her mother-in-law.
      In an apparent dig at the former Manchester United and Barcelona defender, Shakira sings: “A lot of gyms. But work your brain a little bit too.”
      Shakira put a witch effigy on her balcony facing mum-in-law’s home and blasts out her new revenge trackCredit: Splash
      She adds: “No hard feelings baby, I wish you the best with my supposed replacement.”
      Referring to her tax fraud case and her proximity to Gerard’s family home, she sings: “You left me my mother-in-law as my neighbour, press at my door and in debt with the treasury.”
      She also uses a play on words against her rival, adding: “She has the name of a good person, It’s clearly not what it sounds like”. The Spanish word for “clearly” — “claramente” — which sounds similar to Clara Marti’s name, is emphasised.
      Defending her song on Twitter, amid accusations of misogyny against Clara, Shakira wrote: “This is for all the women who taught me that when life throws bitter lemons at you, all you can do is make lemonade.”
      Fans took it as a reference to Beyonce’s album Lemonade, about the infidelity of husband Jay-Z. The feud reached a new level this weekend amid reports Shakira has installed a witch on a broomstick at her home — looking directly at Montserrat Bernabéu’s house.
      Reports say relations between the two turned sour after Gerard’s mum readily welcomed her son’s new girlfriend into the family.
      Journalist Marc Leirado said the mannequin, with long grey hair and a witch’s hat, had spooked Montserrat. “Weeks ago, I got some information that Gerard’s mother was worried about an alleged ritual that was done to her with a black witch,” Marc wrote.
      He says Gerard’s mum had asked a member of Shakira’s staff to remove it and it was temporarily taken down before being put back.
      Read More on The Sun
      Yesterday, Shakira was having the last laugh as the new song made history, by becoming the fastest Spanish track to make 100million views on YouTube.
      Whatever happens next in the savage tit for tat, you can expect the She-Wolf to bite back.
      HER REVENGE LYRICS
      THESE are the most brutal lyrics in Shakira: BZRP Music Sessions #53
      I’m worth two 22sYou traded a Ferrari for a TwingoYou traded a Rolex for a Casio
      – Clara Marti is rumoured to have started dating Pique when she was 22. The lyric also alludes to his goal celebration, which was a two formed with each hand in tribute to his and Shakira’s shared birthday on Feb 2.
      So much talk of being a championAnd when I needed you, you gave me the worst version of youYou left me my mother-in-law as my neighbourPress at my door and in debt with the treasury
      – A reference to her tax fraud case.
      You thought you’d hurt me, but you made me tougherWomen don’t cry anymore, women invoice.She has the name of a good personIt’s clearly not what it sounds like
      – An apparent pun on the Spanish word “Claramente”, meaning clearly, and its ­similarity to Clara Marti.
      Lots of time at the gymBut your brain needs a little work too More