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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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      in Soccer

      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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      in Soccer

      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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      in Soccer

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

      by

      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.
      Most read in Football
      “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

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      in Boxing

      I once asked my dad Muhammad Ali which fight was his toughest and his answer surprised me

      by

      FEW names carry as much weight as Muhammad Ali – so it’s no surprise his son and heir faced an epic fight to live up to his legacy.Not only was the late legend considered to be “The Greatest” boxer of all time, he had a ­magnetic personality and a moral purpose championing his anti-racism campaign in the US.
      Boxing legend Muhammad Ali with son Muhammad Ali Jnr, who has struggled to live up to his legendary father’s nameCredit: Sports Illustrated – Getty
      Muhammad Jnr practising his boxing skills in 2016, but he had previously been hooked on drugs, surviving on food stamp benefits and living in a leaky hovel — cut off from his famous father
      Boxing legend Ali aged 20 in 1962Credit: Getty
      It was therefore inevitable that his namesake, Muhammad Ali Jnr, had high expectations to meet.
      But the younger man had struggles of his own, ending up hooked on drugs, surviving on food stamp benefits and living in a leaky hovel — cut off from his famous father.
      The 50-year-old American has now cleaned up his act and will be the subject of both a documentary and a dramatised movie.
      The films will delve into the trials of being the offspring of Muhammad Ali — born Cassius Clay — probably the world’s best-known athlete.
      READ MORE ON MUHAMMAD ALI
      While you might imagine that Ali Jnr would have been brought up in the lap of luxury, he was in fact raised by his grandparents, who struggled for cash.
      And while he could have chosen to adopt his dad’s birth surname of Clay, he stuck proudly with Ali.
      Speaking exclusively to The Sun, he says: “I was born with the name Muhammad Ali, so I had to be protected because, later in life, my father said, ‘This is Muhammad Ali — when I’m done, he’ll take over’. 
      “Now I’m taking over the legacy. I’m going to keep the legacy going. I am Muhammad Ali Jnr.”
      Most read in Boxing
      Ali Snr was 25 and already a divorcee when he married Jnr’s actress mum, Belinda Boyd, in 1967. She was aged just 17.
      ‘My father was just a teddy bear’
      They had three daughters, Maryum, Jamillah and Rasheda, before the boxer’s male heir arrived.
      By this time, Ali was known the world over thanks to his quick feet, devastating glove work and his refusal on conscientious grounds to fight for the US military in Vietnam.
      But with fame and fortune came the attention of numerous women — a temptation he could not resist.
      He cheated on Belinda, who changed her name to Khalilah Ali, before leaving her for his third wife, Veronica Porche, when Ali Jnr was four years old.
      Ali Jnr reveals that messing with his mum was a bold move — because she was one of the few people to ever floor the champion.
      He recalls: “I once said to my father, ‘Of all the fighting you did, what was the one fight you’d never do again?’ He thought for a minute and said to me, ‘Your mother’.”
      That was because she had thrown him to the ground with a thump in a judo move when he’d crept into the house behind her.
      After the divorce, Ali Jnr went to live with his maternal grandparents and would only stay with his dad during school holidays.
      But his dad, who had at least nine children, made sure those visits were very special.
      Ali Jnr says: “He would take us everywhere. It was all good back then. My father was basically a teddy bear.
      “He loved his kids and he’d do anything for us. I never got spanked by him.
      “It was someone we called ‘Daddy’ — I don’t know any other way to put it. He was a good father even though he wasn’t always there for us.”
      The lack of contact with his children was something that the boxer came to regret. He warned Ali Jnr, “Don’t make the same mistake and same decision I made in my life”.
      His son took the message to mean “having too many women and being with other women. And also the mistakes he made of not being there for his children”.
      Despite earning a fortune from bouts — including the $100million 1974 Rumble In The Jungle against George Foreman — Ali Snr did not provide enough cash to support all his kids.
      Ali Jnr says: “He was away a lot, so our grandparents raised me when I was a child. My grandfather was going to retire, but he had to work to pay the bills, the mortgage.”
      Carrying the name Muhammad Ali around the school playground also proved to be a curse for his son.
       He says: “I got bullied because the other children wanted to know if I could fight like my dad. 
      “I never showed my technique to anybody and I never will.”
      Ali Jnr was more fearful about what might happen to his father as the older man stood up for the rights of black Americans, making him a target for right-wing groups.
       Ali Jnr states: “I thought he was going to be martyred like Martin Luther King was.”
       His dad also warned him about the dangers of a professional boxing career and Ali Jnr decided not to follow the same path. It was a wise decision in terms of health, because repeated blows to the head left the heavyweight king with Parkinson’s disease.
      The brain damage meant that Ali Snr was so forgetful he once abandoned his son at a roadside eatery when the boy was 14.
      ‘I used to smoke weed, crack and cocaine’
      Ali Jnr says: “One time my father picked me up from where I was living in Chicago to go to his home in Michigan and we stopped at a place on the way. 
      “He told me to go get something to eat and when I came back, he was gone. It was scary. I was crying.”
       Around this time, Ali had married his fourth and final wife, Yolanda Williams, who is better known as Lonnie. After that, the boxer and his eldest son drifted apart. Lacking purpose and unable to escape his father’s shadow, Ali Jnr started taking illegal drugs.
      Muhammad Ali Junior pictured outside his former home in one of Chicago’s roughest areasCredit: www.thisischriswhite.com
      Ali Snr was 25 and already a divorcee when he married Jnr’s actress mum, Belinda Boyd, in 1967. She was aged just 17Credit: AP:Associated Press
      The boxing legend with third wife Veronica PorcheCredit: Getty – Contributor
      He admits: “I used to use weed and smoke crack and heroin.”
      In 2005 he married Shaakira and they have two children, Ameera, 14, and 13-year-old Shakera.
      Ali Jnr says: “It was hard financially. I actually had to sleep on the floor because from my bed every day, every night, you would hear gunshots going off.
      “Beside the crime, the water wasn’t right, the electricity wasn’t right, the building wasn’t right. When it rained it leaked into the room.”
      Financial worries only increased the tension with Lonnie, who was his dad’s primary carer.
      His son claims: “I asked him for some money. And she told me not to ask him for money. I really hated her for that.” Eventually, Ali Jnr began taking positive steps and quit his drug habit. He says: “I got off that and turned my life around. I stay away from drug addicts now.”
      But marriage to Shaakira did not survive that turbulent existence and the couple are working out a divorce.
      For a long time he was either unemployed or doing odd jobs, such as painting and decorating.
      Recently, he helped set up The Muhammad Ali Legacy Continues, an organisation that aims to establish gyms in his father’s name and to campaign against bullying.
      Much of his time at the moment is taken up with the movie projects. The documentary, My Father Muhammad Ali, is due out in here in March and there are plans to make a dramatised version of Ali Jnr’s life.
      He reveals: “A biopic is going to start filming on my life story later next year by the same producer who did The Irishman with De Niro.” Ali Snr died aged 74 in 2016, but his son was left upset by the high-profile nature of the funeral, which was packed with celebrities. He says: “It was like a circus.”
      There seems little point in Muhammad Ali Jnr trying to escape his father’s name — because his legacy is all round.
      He concludes: “Everywhere I go, somebody has heard of Muhammad Ali and everywhere I go I see a picture of my father somewhere. 
      Read More on The Sun
      “It’s now like a dream. I never thought my father would die.
      “The greatness he had, I never thought he would literally die.” More

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      in Soccer

      Gareth Bale is NOT Britain’s GOAT – Sun writers from Piers Morgan to Arthur Edwards pick their faves but do you agree?

      by

      GARETH BALE has been hailed the “greatest British footballer of all time” after hanging up his boots.He won five Champions League trophies and led Wales to a Euro semi-final – but is he really the best?
      Here, pundits and writers name their top pick.
      And you can have YOUR say by voting in our online poll at thesun.co.uk/the-greatest.

      Harry Kane
      ENGLAND, 2015-present
      Appearances: 80
      READ MORE ON GARETH BALE
      Goals: 53
      By Clemmie Moodie
      Clemmie Moodie points out that Harry Kane will soon be England’s highest ever goal scorer – and he’s still only 29Credit: Getty
      WHEN Diego Maradona passed away, Pele said the pair would one day play football together in heaven.
      Well, sadly, now they can – quite possibly using the ball Kane punted there during the Qatar World Cup.
      Most read in Football
      That penalty blip aside, in today’s very modern game – VAR, Wags, tattoos and multi-million-pound salaries – England’s captain is an old-fashioned hero.
      A legend in the making, he will soon, surely, be England’s highest ever goal scorer. And he’s still only 29.
      A World Cup Golden Boot and 53 goals in 80 appearances for his country is a tremendous return.
      He may not have the speed of a gazelle, the tricks of a circus chimp or the surging runs of a Madrid bull.
      But he has the rat-like cunning of a true predator.
      Gentleman Harry is the glue that holds this England generation together.
      Steven Gerrard
      ENGLAND, 2000-2014
      Appearances: 114
      Goals: 21
      By Adrian Chiles
      Adrian Chiles thinks Steven Gerrard definitely deserves a mentionCredit: Getty
      THOUGH he never won the Premier League and, with England, was part of the under-achieving so-called golden generation, in my book he is as great as anyone.
      With Liverpool, you felt their trophies wouldn’t have been won without him.
      There was that corker of a last-minute equaliser against West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup final and his incredible second-half performance in Istanbul to win the Champions League in 2005.
      Always trying harder and seeming to care more than anyone else, time and again he was unstoppable.
      His love for the game – and his club – shone out.
      And he didn’t seem to care much for the trappings of his fame.
      He must be the only player of his generation who, boy and man, stuck with the same haircut.
      A mark of greatness in my book all day long.
      John Barnes
      ENGLAND, 1983-1995
      Appearances: 79
      Goals: 11
      By Oliver Harvey
      Oliver Harvey lists John Barnes’s many achievements – including how he took on racistsCredit: Getty
      PERCHED on the sofa at home in 1986, I screamed at the TV as cheating Maradona’s Argentina were 2-0 up against England in the World Cup quarter-final.
      Then, when all seemed lost, Barnes was thrown into the fray with 15 minutes to go.
      The Watford winger soon went on a mazy run and delivered an exquisite cross, which Gary Lineker headed home.
      Shortly afterwards he did it again, yet this time Lineker’s header was cleared. Denied by a whisker.
      Then there was that brilliant 1984 solo goal where he out-Braziled Brazil, in Brazil.
      Despite his mould-breaking wing play, Barnes was subjected to vile racist abuse from the terraces.
      Yet through measured words he took on the racists.
      A brilliant player and thoughtful man, he helped change the face of football – and wider society too.
      Wayne Rooney
      ENGLAND, 2003-2018
      Appearances: 120
      Goals: 53
      By Dylan Jones
      Dylan Jones thinks Wayne Rooney deserves top spotCredit: Getty
      THE numbers don’t just speak for themselves, they scream.
      Rooney is record goalscorer for both Manchester United and England (now joint with Harry Kane).
      He also holds the record for the most appearances of any outfield player for England.
      Along with former team-mate Michael Carrick, he is the only player to win the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Europa Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the Champions League.
      He is still England’s youngest ever goal scorer (17).
      He played in three World Cups and won the England Player of the Year Award four times.
      Wazza also played football like a tank on roller skates and always attacked the opposing team like a primate on steroids.
      Oh, and to cap it all, he never played for Tottenham. Job done.
      Kenny Dalglish
      SCOTLAND, 1971-1986
      Appearances: 102
      Goals: 30
      By Bill Leckie
      Bill Leckie holds up Kenny Dalglish as the greatest Scottish player ever – and a man who clearly loved the game so much
      WHEN my first kid was on the way we were only ever going to have a girl or a Kenny.
      Dalglish was the most creative footballer Scotland ever produced.
      But even more than that, a guy who played the game not so much with a smile on his face as a grin that split it in two.
      Every time he scored – 250-plus times for Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland – his happiness lit up the dreariest day.
      He loved putting the ball in the net, he loved setting up goals. He just loved being on that pitch, full stop.
      That’s what I wanted for my kids – for them not just to love whatever they chose to do but to let the world see that they loved it.
      Because when you radiate happiness, it can’t help but brighten up the lives of all those around you.
      King Kenny had so many talents as a player. He saw passes others could only dream of and he calculated angles like a maths genius.
      But it’s the joy he took from doing what he did that set him apart as my hero.
      Paul Gascoigne
      ENGLAND, 1988-1998
      Appearances: 57
      Goals: 10
      By Piers Morgan
      Piers Morgan makes his case for glorious Gazza
      THERE have been many great British footballers down the years but none that stirred the soul quite like Paul Gascoigne.
      He was quick, strong, impish, swashbuckling and wondrously skilful.
      Gazza, in full, glorious flight, was a supreme entertainer.
      And if it hadn’t been for injuries and his addiction issues he would be right up there in the same conversation as the two Ronaldos, Maradona, Messi and Pele as one of the world’s all-time greats.
      Gazza was indisputably the most fantastic character to ever play the game – a hyperactive, ebullient, crazy bundle of Geordie fun never happier than when he was pulling pranks on team-mates, opponents or even referees.
      But with a football at his feet, he was a genius and, for me, the British GOAT.
      George Best
      NORTHERN IRELAND, 1964-1977
      Appearances: 37
      Goals: 9
      By Ally Ross
      Ally Ross thinks George Best is a hidden genius and the player who had it all
      HE was a player who had it all. He could run like an antelope, pass, dribble, score with both feet, ride the most brutal tackles, head the ball better than most and, if nothing else was on, nutmeg a defender.
      George had the genius to do it and knew, instinctively, he was in the entertainment industry.
      Just listen to Pele, who described him as “a footballer without comparison” and so good “all you could do was foul him”.
      If George was a clean-cut, Home Counties people pleaser there wouldn’t even be any debate about his supremacy.
      But he was a tormented soul from east Belfast who, when he got bored of being better than everyone else, went to the pub and never really came back.
      George walked out on Manchester United aged just 27 and ended his significant playing days with Hibernian instead of rising to even greater glory than he’d known at Old Trafford and signing for Aberdeen.
      Oh Georgie Boy. What might have been.
      Gareth Bale
      WALES, 2006-2022
      Appearances: 111
      Goals: 41
      By Hugh Woozencroft
      No recency bias here – Hugh Woozencroft explains why he thinks Gareth Bale is truly the British GOAT
      IT is easy to make the case for a number of players if you use a multitude of factors.
      Some of those factors are relevant – longevity, success, big moments. Some just aren’t.
      It doesn’t matter if Bale was injured a lot. It doesn’t matter if he retired early. It doesn’t matter if he wasn’t at his best at the last World Cup and it doesn’t matter if he loves golf more than football (allegedly).
      What matters is talent.
      On his day, and in his generation, the only two other players who could grab a game and win it all on their own were two of the greatest of all time, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
      Bale was capable of majestic, powerful, skilful, unflinching, inspirational football.
      He carried the game in Wales from a laughing stock to the pride of Britain at Euro 2016 and to a first World Cup in 64 years in 2022.
      Maybe it was all too fleeting, I don’t care. Unless you reached those incredible heights you can’t get into the conversation with Gareth. He was The Best.
      Bobby Charlton
      ENGLAND, 1958-1970
      Appearances: 106
      Goals: 59
      By Jeremy Kyle
      Jeremy Kyle makes a good case for the man who won it allCredit: Getty
      WITH a thunderbolt shot, exquisite, slide-rule passes and raw athleticism, Sir Bobby was the complete footballer.
      And Bobby won it all. The World Cup, the European Cup, three First Division titles and the FA Cup.
      Not only that but he was a consummate gentleman who played the game with a British sense of fair play.
      No backchat to referees or disrespect for opponents.
      Can you imagine Bobby – a survivor of the Munich air disaster – rolling around feigning an injury?
      In that glorious summer of ’66 Bobby scored three goals on the way to the final before winning the Ballon d’Or as Europe’s best footballer.
      As his Man Utd manager Sir Matt Busby said: “He was as near perfection as man and player as it is possible to be.”
      Jimmy Greaves
      ENGLAND, 1959-1967
      Appearances: 57
      Goals: 44
      By Arthur Edwards
      Royal photographer Arthur Edwards argues that Greavsie is the greatest of all timeCredit: Getty
      JIMMY was a goal-scoring genius. The hat-trick king.
      No other player excited me like Greavsie. At Tottenham I’d watch him dribble through the defence before scoring the most incredible goals.
      Lionel Messi does it now but Greavsie was playing on pitches that were a sea of mud. He scored an incredible 266 goals for Spurs.
      I have watched Gareth Bale, Gazza and Bobby Moore, but Jimmy, although he was only 5ft 8in, stood head and shoulders above them.
      When I started covering West Ham’s matches I switched allegiance.
      Jimmy joined The Hammers and, as he did at every club he joined, he scored on his debut – two goals in a 5-1 victory at Man City.
      Despite him not being in that amazing ’66 World Cup team, to me he was Britain’s greatest footballer.
      Bobby Moore
      ENGLAND, 1962-1973
      Appearances: 108
      Goals: 2
      By Karren Brady
      Karren Brady sticks with a classic choice – the only Brit to accept the Jules Rimet Trophy from a delighted QueenCredit: AP
      WIPING the mud from his hand like a true gent, Bobby Moore accepted the Jules Rimet Trophy from a delighted Queen, the only Brit ever to do it.
      But it’s not just that trophy that makes Bobby the greatest.
      He was the ultimate defender – a fantastic tackler who was brilliant in the air and who glided over the turf as he began an attack. His reading of the game was astonishing, too.
      Bobby was also a captain and leader who inspired the players around him to greater heights.
      Don’t just take it from me. Pele called him the greatest defender he’d ever played against.
      Ex-West Germany captain Franz Beckenbauer described Bobby as “the best defender in the history of the game”, while Sir Alex Ferguson called him “the best defender I have ever seen”.
      Alan Shearer
      ENGLAND, 1992-2000
      Appearances: 63
      Goals: 30
      By Ken Gibson
      Ken Gibson goes with Shearer, a Geordie local heroCredit: Getty
      AS a Geordie, I have to go with my local hero.
      For me, and thousands of Toon fans, Shearer was the greatest, a supreme striker who terrorised the best defenders in the world.
      The Premier League’s top scorer, he could score with left or right foot and was brilliant with his head. He was also a great team player.
      Shearer delivered at club and international level. His record was phenomenal over a long period of time.
      He also had the perfect temperament. Fiercely competitive, he knew how to play right on the edge and bend the rules.
      Read More on The Sun
      I also loved the fact that he gave up the opportunity to win major medals with other clubs, preferring Newcastle.
      Loyalty is also a key part of being Britain’s greatest footballer. More

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      in Soccer

      How Italian rich kid Gianluca Vialli brought the fizz to English football and gave the Prem some much-needed glamour

      by

      AS Gianluca Vialli prepared to lead out Chelsea for his first game as player manager, he ordered the Champagne to be uncorked.The Blues were 2-1 down against Arsenal from the first leg of their 1998 League Cup semi-final.
      Gianluca Vialli drank champagne before leading Chelsea out for his first game as player managerCredit: Getty
      Vialli kisses his winners’ medal after Chelsea defeated Stuttgart in the 1998 Cup Winners’ Cup finalCredit: Alamy
      Yet the Italian, who has died of pancreatic cancer aged 58, said that as his team were “starting on a new adventure” it was cause for celebration.
      “You should mark the occasion with a toast and some champagne,” he said afterwards.
      “We wished each other all the best and said we must enjoy ourselves. Sometimes in modern football, it is hard to enjoy yourself.”
      Vialli picked himself to play upfront and Chelsea duly turned the tie around with a 3-1 victory.
      READ MORE ON CHELSEA FC
      Cultured and flamboyant, he was a man who knew how to win — and also how to enjoy life.
      The club went on to claim the trophy at Wembley and also lifted the Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup that season.
      Stylish and charismatic, Vialli was among the vanguard of foreign talent who brought a cosmopolitan new glamour to our Premier League.
      Arriving at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge in the summer of 1996, the club — then owned by eccentric Ken Bates — was emerging from the doldrums.
      Most read in Football
      ‘A gorgeous soul’
      The team hadn’t won a title since 1955 and had been in the old Second Division just seven years before Vialli’s arrival.
      Like London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal — who had signed Jürgen Klinsmann and Dennis Bergkamp respectively — Chelsea recruited abroad.
      Footie hero Gianluca didn’t have the typical rags-to-riches story and was born to a self-made millionaire dadCredit: Instagram @lucavialli
      Graeme Souness broke down in tears as he described his friend’s legacy in a TV interviewCredit: Sky Sports
      Gianluca with actor pal Sean ConneryCredit: Instagram
      Bates had brought in Dutch superstar Ruud Gullit as player manager in 1995 and Vialli’s arrival a year later helped transform the club into one of the biggest names in world football.
      At 32, Vialli was one of the best forwards in Europe and had just won the Champions League with Italy’s Juventus.
      Joined at Stamford Bridge by countrymen Roberto Di Matteo and Gianfranco Zola, Vialli was Chelsea’s top scorer that season as the club lifted the FA Cup.
      It was Chelsea’s first trophy in a quarter of a century.
      Vialli’s was far from the usual rags-to-riches footballing story.
      The youngest of five children, his self-made millionaire dad owned a construction firm and young Luca was brought up in a castle in Cremona, Lombardy.
      At 16 he made his debut for local team Cremonese, then in the third tier.
      The boy from a wealthy background made sure he always worked hard because: “I never wanted anyone to question my attitude on the football pitch.”
      In 1984 he moved to Italian side Sampdoria, where he played alongside ex-Liverpool great Graeme Souness.
      On one occasion Souness got one up on renowned practical joker Vialli — dressed in club blazer and tie — by pushing him into a lake.
      Vialli later responded by cutting the legs off Souness’s favourite trousers, putting shaving foam in his shoes and itching powder in his pants.
      Vialli spoke good English but mangled phrases. In a press conference he said “when the fish are down”, not “the chips”. English football was hard to get used to, too. A Leeds game was “like playing rugby”
      The Italian would later joke: “I never saw him move so quickly.”
      Souness today broke down in tears as he described his friend as a “special person” and a “gorgeous soul” in a TV tribute.
      Vialli left Sampdoria for Juventus in 1992 for £12.5million — then a world record.
      He would win the Uefa Cup and European Cup for the Turin club before London came calling.
      Suave Vialli loved the capital, living in splendour in a luxury flat in exclusive Eaton Square, Belgravia.
      There were trips to the theatre and meals at Knightsbridge’s San Lorenzo, his favourite Italian restaurant.
      The Italian superstar said: “Here I can walk down the street with my girlfriend, I can go shopping, sit in a pub or go out to dinner and nobody asks me for an autograph.
      “That’s a dream. After 15 years of worrying, I’m finally a free man.”
      On match days Vialli would speed away from Stamford Bridge on a Piaggio scooter to avoid the traffic.
      The striker, who scored 16 goals in 59 games for the Italian national side, soon became proficient in English but sometimes mangled turns of phrase.
      Once, during a press conference he remarked “when the fish are down”, rather than chips.
      English football also took a bit of getting used to.
      He described a game against Leeds as “like playing rugby”.
      While swerving the then heavy drinking culture in the English game, he did like a cigarette — even while sitting on the substitute’s bench.
      Despite a successful first season with Chelsea, a lack of minutes on the pitch — including a short run out as the clock ticked down in the 1997 FA Cup final — soured his relationship with Gullit.
      Then, with Chelsea second in the table in 1998, the club sensationally sacked Gullit and replaced him as manager with Vialli.
      Just 33 and still a player, he was the first Italian to manage in the Premier League and guided the Blues to victory over Real Madrid to win the Uefa Super Cup.
      Chelsea came third in the Premier League that year — their highest finish since 1970.
      In 2000 Vialli led Chelsea to FA Cup glory and a quarter-final in the Champions League.
      The practical joker sometimes found the transition to stern boss difficult, saying of his players: “They wanted me to be Luca, having a laugh all the time.”
      After falling out with senior players, Chelsea sacked him in September 2000.
      ‘Sense of shame’
      He stayed in Britain to take his coaching badges and improve his golf.
      Then, in 2001, Watford offered him a route back into management.
      Gianluca married interior designer Cathryn White-Cooper in 2003Credit: REX
      Gianluca at a charity event with former Watford chairman Elton JohnCredit: REX
      Gianluca had other famous friends like Mel CCredit: REX
      A year later he was dating interior designer Cathryn White-Cooper.
      The couple married in 2003 and they had two daughters, Olivia and Sofia.
      “I never wanted to move back to Italy,” Viall said in 2002.
      “My girlfriend is English, I love London.”
      Watford sacked Vialli after a season but he remained in London and worked as a commentator for Sky Sports Italia.
      Then the football world was left reeling in November 2018 after he revealed he had suffered pancreatic cancer for almost a year.
      He initially tried to hide weight loss by wearing a sweater under his shirt as he underwent eight months of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiotherapy.
      “I knew it was hard to have to tell others, to tell my family,” Vialli said.
      “You would never want to hurt the people who love you, my parents, my brothers and my sister, my wife Cathryn, our little girls.
      “It gives you a sense of shame, as if it is your fault.
      “I would wear a sweater under my shirt so others did not notice anything, that I would still be the Vialli they knew.”
      The tumour returned in March 2019, requiring nine months of chemotherapy, when he lost the hair from his beard and eyebrows.
      At first he tried to draw them back on himself, adding: “Then my daughters helped, and I got my wife advising which make-up looks better.
      “We laughed. You have to laugh. You need to find the funny side if you can.
      “I hear people say ‘fight with cancer’. It’s not a battle for me.
      “It’s more like a journey. I see it as a journey with an unwanted travel companion.”
      In 2020 he revealed he had been given the all clear from the disease after 17 months of chemotherapy.
      He admitted: “It was difficult, even for someone as tough as me, both physically and mentally.”
      In 2019 he was appointed as new delegation chief of Italy’s national football team under head coach and great friend and teammate from his Sampdoria days Roberto Mancini.
      “Being on the bus, the music pumping, hugging the players before the match, the national anthem, the joy afterwards — I was missing football and I didn’t realise how much,” he said.
      He had to step away from the role on December 14 last year due to the aggressive return of cancer.
      In his final public statement he said he hoped his absence from the national team was “temporary”.
      His death in a London hospital, with his family at his side, was announced today.
      Before his passing, he and great friend Mancini had enjoyed a final sweet triumph with Italy’s Euro 2020 win over England.
      Before the final at Wembley, Vialli read Theodore Roosevelt’s rousing “Man in the Arena” passage to the Azzurri players.
      The speech includes the lines that “credit belongs to the man” who “at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.
      Read More on The Sun
      “So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
      It stands as something of an epitaph for a man loved both in his birth nation and his adopted homeland. More