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      in Boxing

      Tyson Fury will be back. The only fight fans will pay attention to is him vs Anthony Joshua, says George Foreman

      by

      BEFORE Tyson Fury, there was another heavyweight champ who charmed his way into a fortune and kept promising to hang up his gloves for good.Like the Gypsy King, US fighter George Foreman was ridiculed for his ballooning weight, having scrapped his way to the top from the streets.
      Tyson Fury has been ridiculed for his ballooning weightCredit: Rex
      George Foreman went from being a mugger to Olympic gold medallist and world boxing champCredit: Rex Features
      The ring legend fought Muhammad Ali in 1974’s era-defining Rumble In The Jungle.
      He took a ten-year break from boxing before coming back in 1987, aged 38, to complete one of the most remarkable stories in sport.
      Foreman stunned naysayers to become the oldest heavyweight champ the world had seen, just days before his 46th birthday, when he defeated 26-year-old Michael Moorer in the tenth round of their Las Vegas bout.
      It was like something out of a Hollywood movie  — and now it is about to become one.
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      A biopic titled Heart Of A Lion is in production and will remind the world that George, 73, should be remembered for far more than selling “lean, mean grilling machines”.
      The Texan, who made a reported £120million from the George Foreman Grill, went from being a mugger to Olympic gold medallist, world boxing champ, ordained minister and five-times-married father of 12.
      While Foreman says a rest would do the current champ good, he reckons it is unlikely Fury — who beat Dillian Whyte last month to retain his title — will follow through on his threat to quit.
      A must-see clash with fellow British fighter Anthony Joshua would be worth as much as £100million.
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19, dress up for Ladies Day at Chester races
      In an exclusive interview, George tells The Sun: “To get a new breath of life, he may need to take off a couple of years and enjoy retirement.
      “But the fans are not going to pay any attention to any other fight until Fury and Joshua get into the ring.”
      When Foreman burst on to the fight scene in the early Seventies he was described as mean and moody.
      But he was a jovial figure and consummate performer by the time of his unlikely midlife triumph.
      He says: “Fury has taken a page out of Ali’s book. He is the greatest show on earth.
      “He loves what he’s doing. He has fun when he is training and when he’s in front of the microphone and the audience, a light comes on.”
      Fury would recognise a lot of himself in Big George. The Texan had a tough start in life before finding purpose in the ring.
      His father Leroy Moorehead left his mum Nancy when he was little and he was brought up by his stepfather JD Foreman.
      Houston’s troubled Fifth Ward, where he grew up, was considered a ghetto, littered with boarded-up housing.
      He says: “Everybody was rough in the neighbourhood. There were two roads, literally two sides on the street. One was all about trouble.
      “The other was all about getting a good education and making something out of yourself in life.
      “I was on the other side. It was rough because that’s the way I wanted to live.”
      His was a wild youth, with George and his six siblings forced to fend for themselves.
      He adds: “Mum and Dad broke up early, so there wasn’t a whole lot of supervision for me. I didn’t have a lot of confidence, and it took a lot of years and a lot of trouble to remove myself from that lifestyle.”
      My life was going nowhere. I was a teenage delinquent. I was out on the street robbing and mugging people. George Foreman
      With great honesty, George admits to being a bully and a menace.
      Looking back, he reveals: “I always fought. One of the schools I went to, I became a bully. Because once when someone tried to bully me, I decided I wanted to bully everybody.
      “My life was going nowhere. I was a teenage delinquent. I was out on the street robbing and mugging people.”
      A brush with the law after a theft led to Foreman choosing a different path at the age of 16.
      He said: “My mum was really proud of me. She didn’t know what I was up to. Once, I climbed outside of the window of a house hiding from the police — and I said to myself I would never steal again.”
      He signed up for a jobs programme that took him to California and the boxing ring.
      Still imposing in his seventies at 6ft 3in, George added: “I met my first trainer, called Doug, who taught me how to box. That was a life-changing experience.”
      He became a US hero by winning gold at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and turned pro a year later.
      Foreman was expected to retain his title in his fight against Ali in Kinshasa, Zaire, on October 30, 1974.
      He had beaten fellow ring legend Joe Frazier the year before to seize the crown and seen off tough Ken Norton in March 1974.
      He and Ali could not have been more different.
      Ali, the jester, courted the world’s media while Foreman shunned interviews.
      After one fight night I saw blood on my hands and forehead and I had cuts. I started screaming, ‘Jesus Christ, come alive!’ I became an ordained minister in the church of Lord Christ Jesus and for ten years I didn’t do anything else.George Foreman
      Ali’s cruel taunts meant there was real animosity between them when the opening bell rang.
      Foreman tired himself out throwing countless punches while Ali stayed on the defensive, his “rope-a-dope” tactic destined to enter boxing folklore.
      Ali later floored Foreman for the first time in his career, ending the fight in the eighth round.
      There would be no rematch and Foreman became friends with Ali, who died in 2016 after long suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
      Foreman said: “When Muhammad Ali became ill, we already had a close relationship, but we got even closer.”
      George took a year off from boxing after losing to Ali, before a short-lived return in 1976.
      In 1977 he took such a beating at the hands of Jimmy Young, that Foreman feared he might die.
      He asked God for help — and believes that his prayers were answered.
      That year he retired from boxing for good and was then ordained as a Christian minister.
      He says: “After one fight night I saw blood on my hands and forehead and I had cuts. I started screaming, ‘Jesus Christ, come alive!’ I became an ordained minister in the church of Lord Christ Jesus and for ten years I didn’t do anything else.”
      But he admits: “I was broke and I told my family I was going back to boxing to earn money for my youth centre and to take care of my kids. They thought I was crazy. My wife didn’t want me to fight.”
      By the time of his comeback in 1987 he was married to Mary Joan Martelly.
      And they are still together, while none of his previous four marriages lasted longer than four years.
      His five sons are all called George Edward — and one of his seven daughters is named Georgetta.
      When Muhammad Ali became ill, we already had a close relationship, but we got even closer.George Foreman
      Of parenthood, George says: “I’ve raised many children. I don’t think anyone can say that I’ve been a failure with children.
      “It’s a continuous growing thing. There’s no such a thing as a good father and bad father — you’re a father. And I love it.”
      When he announced that unlikely return, Foreman weighed more than 21st, much of it flab.
      He recalls: “Everybody laughed at me because I had ballooned. I had to fight my way to get into condition.”
      Over the course of several fights, he got back into shape.
      George claimed part of his success was down to healthy eating and he agreed to put his name to a “fat-reducing” grill.
      That endorsement made him millions and allowed him to buy a 300-acre estate in Texas, where his collection of 40 luxury cars is parked.
      A 1991 title fight against undisputed champ Evander Holyfield ended in defeat, although Foreman lasted the full 12 rounds.
      He lost another title tilt two years later against Tommy Morrison.
      And when new champ Michael Moorer opted to fight Foreman rather than Britain’s Lennox Lewis in 1994, only one winner seemed possible.
      Moorer had beaten Holyfield, at 26 was 19 years younger than Foreman and proved faster for most of the fight.
      Yet even at 45, George’s devastating punching power proved too much — and he knocked out Moorer.
      It is a tale of a never-say-die underdog that promises to have audiences cheering when Heart Of A Lion hits cinemas next April.
      The biopic stars Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker as George’s former trainer Doc Broadus, with Judas And The Black Messiah actor Khris Davis as George — and it is long overdue.
      The subject of the film says with a smile: “If you live long enough you’ll see everything — even a movie about yourself.”
      Foreman fought Ali in 1974’s era-defining Rumble In The JungleCredit: Getty
      George Foreman said: ‘I became an ordained minister in the church of Lord Christ Jesus and for ten years I didn’t do anything else’Credit: Corbis
      The Texan made a reported £120million from the George Foreman GrillCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      George said: ‘The fans are not going to pay any attention to any other fight until Fury and Joshua get into the ring’Credit: Sportsfile More

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      in Boxing

      Inside mad world of Tyson Fury opponent Dillian Whyte who’s been shot and stabbed…and is one of world’s youngest dads

      by

      WHEN Tyson Fury steps into the ring tonight he will take on a boxer who has recovered from far tougher blows than even the Gypsy King could land on him.Dillian Whyte’s formative years would have floored lesser mortals for good.
      Tyson Fury’s opponent Dillian Whyte has survived being shot in a gang war and stabbed three timesCredit: Getty
      Dillian and Tyson Fury back when they were sparring partnersCredit: Instagram
      The British heavyweight saw his dad get his throat cut and was beaten by his father after his mother left him behind, aged two, in his childhood home in Jamaica to escape grinding poverty.
      Even after Dillian joined his beloved mum in London at the age of 12, his turmoil did not end.
      The 6ft 3in, 18st boxer, now 34, became one of the country’s youngest dads at 13, removed a bullet from his leg with pliers after being shot in a gang war and was stabbed three times.
      It is fair to say then that facing Fury’s fists in a record £31million, all-British bout in front of 94,000 people at Wembley Stadium for the WBC crown is not the scariest situation he has been in.
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WHYTE.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-h98a3b{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(236,245,247,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-xpuujo{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(149,199,208,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-tqcu81{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(149,199,208,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-bq4915{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,97,108,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-bq4915:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}AGREED A DILL .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Real reason Dillian Whyte broke media boycott for Tyson Fury fight revealed
      The undefeated Fury is the clear favourite, but his opponent, who has only lost twice in his professional career of 30 fights, is not to be underestimated.
      Nicknamed The Body Snatcher, he is a former kickboxing champion and mixed martial arts fighter who put one amateur opponent in a coma.
      Like Fury, 33, he has been suspended on the grounds of doping, having been banned for two years in 2012 for accidentally taking a prohibited stimulant.
      Yet just being alive is a miracle, let alone having a shot at the ultimate boxing glory.
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      Dillian said this week: “I didn’t think I’d be alive after 20 or I’d be in prison doing charges for some murders or something crazy.
      “I didn’t think I’d be alive because that was the lifestyle forced on to me because of the way I was brought up and the things I was exposed to.”
      Born in Port Antonio, Jamaica, and one of 12 children, Dillian discovered early that life was not going to be easy.
      His mum Jerroleen left for England in search of better-paid work as an NHS nurse. He stayed behind, living with another family.
      She sent back money for her son, but the family kept it. He had to sell used bottle tops to buy food and later helped his dad on fishing trips.
      Even though Dillian couldn’t swim, his dad once threw him overboard 200 yards from shore.
      Dillian saw things children should not witness, including his dad having his throat cut during a card game.
      He recalled: “He was winning and doing his thing and this guy came from behind and cut his throat.
      “There was blood squirting everywhere. He still punched the guy and knocked him out. But he was bleeding everywhere and about to pass out.”
      But rather than faint, his gutsy dad placed his winnings in his underwear, then wrapped a towel around his neck to stem the bleeding.
      “My dad really was a crazy guy,” Dillian says.
      After a decade away from his mum, she arranged for Dillian and his “bro” Dean to join her in Brixton, South London, following his brothers and sisters.
      ‘I FELT BAD, ASHAMED’
      But that just led to more problems for the youngster, who had been denied an education in Jamaica and struggled in school here.
      Not one to back down, he got into fights and ended up joining gangs.
      Rivals attempted to stab him when Dillian rode on the bus through their area and he was shot in the leg when he strayed into nearby Clapham.
      Rather than go to hospital, Dillian chose to pull out the bullet with a pair of pliers.
      He says: “I took the bullet out and hid out. It was out of respect for my mum. I didn’t ever want to bring police to her house.”
      In his late teens, Dillian found himself in prison in Bristol awaiting trial and facing up to 20 years behind bars after one too many fights.
      A visit from his tearful mum made him realise he had to change his ways.
      He said: “My older brother died and she was saying she didn’t want to lose another son.
      “I looked at my mum’s face and the tears rolling down her cheeks and I felt bad, ashamed.”
      There was another reason to quit gangs — parenthood.
      Now with four kids, he said: “I was a dad at 13 years old, so I had to grow up a lot faster. When you become a dad it changes everything.
      Where most kids were running around, I’m working two jobs and doing other things to get money to feed my children.
      “There have been attempts on my life. I never want my family, my brothers, sister, my kids to go through these things.”
      A job as a club bouncer was no safer. Dillian said: “I finished working at a club and came home and a guy jumped out of a bush outside my house and started letting off a submachine gun. I had to just run.”
      He needed a better way to earn a living. Then a friend introduced him to kickboxing and he turned professional in his late teens.
      He became European champion and fought in mixed martial arts, then found a passion for boxing.
      In his first amateur bout, aged 20, he knocked out future heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua.
      He won seven more fights and turned pro in 2011.
      An impressive start was derailed a year later when he tested positive for a banned substance after a win against Hungary’s Sandor Balogh.
      ‘I’M A PRETTY RELAXED GUY’
      He had used Jack3D, an energy supplement sold legally in Britain but banned for athletes due to its performance-enhancing ingredients.Relaxed guy
      An anti-doping panel accepted it was an innocent mistake, yet the boxer was banned for two years.
      Unlike Tyson Fury, who has battled with alcohol use, Dillian is a clean-living athlete.
      He says: “I’m a pretty relaxed guy. When I’m not training I just hang with my family.
      “I’m not a party guy. I don’t smoke or drink. Alcohol just ain’t for me. I haven’t had a drink for 16, 17 years. It’s just discipline.”
      Dillian keeps his love life private, but he has known Italian bodybuilder Carolina Pasquali for around five years, sharing her passion for fitness.
      They are believed to have met at Loughborough University, where Dillian trained and she played rugby.
      His dedication to big-fight preparation means Dillian is away from Carolina for long periods, and he told The Sun: “I’m not a better fighter for going away from my family, I am a better fighter now because I have so much more experience.
      “I train and live properly.” Despite the years they spent apart, he is now extremely close to his mum, and said: “She is my hero. She is probably the strongest woman around.
      “Brought up all 12 of us kids by herself and worked three jobs. She is a nurse but also used to be a dinner lady at school and a cleaner at night.
      “My oldest sister, Debbie, is also a nurse working 12-hour shifts in Covid wards.
      “They have seen so many bad things in this pandemic.
      “So on my hard days I think about my mum and sister. Boxing is difficult, but they do much more exhausting work.”
      His ascent to the top has only suffered two setbacks — the first when he lost to old rival Joshua in 2015 in a seventh-round knockout, then a defeat by Russian Alexander Povetkin two years ago.
      Dillian’s bid for the world heavy-weight belt is long overdue.
      Tyson has sparred with him and knows he deserves respect, admitting this week: “If I’m not on my A-game, that man will knock my head right off my shoulders.”
      As they are on friendly terms, this is no grudge match, but the contender will try to put on a show for fans.
      Dillian said: “Victory by any means necessary, I’ll do that. I’m not scared to take risks.
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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-xpuujo{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(149,199,208,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-tqcu81{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(149,199,208,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-bq4915{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,97,108,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-bq4915:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}KILLER MUM .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Vile mum GUILTY of killing son, 7, left to die in garden while ‘gasping for air’
      “It means everything to fight in my home country for the world title. It’s massive.
      “Me and him didn’t expect to be here — especially me.”
      Dillian has been dating Italian bodybuilder Carolina Pasquali for around five yearsCredit: Instagram / @carolinapasquali
      Dillian grew up in Jamaica, as one of 12 children
      Dillian’s mother Jerroleen poses with his WBC belt More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo is f***ing annoying, Rio Ferdinand is arrogant and Tevez was biggest disappointment, Wayne Rooney says

      by

      AS Man Utd and England’s leading goal scorer, Wayne Rooney is used to being one of football’s most popular stars – with fans and teammates alike.But while they rave about the retired pro’s skills, it seems the Derby County boss has more of a comedy take on some of his most esteemed peers.
      Wayne Rooney is Manchester United and England’s leading goal scorerCredit: Getty
      Rooney says Cristiano Ronaldo is ‘so good and so f***ing annoying at the same time’Credit: Getty
      And nobody, no matter how impressive they are on the pitch, escaped the 36-year-old’s jibes when he appeared on stage at an exclusive black-tie dinner event in Manchester on ­Saturday night.
      Recalling playing alongside ­Cristiano Ronaldo, he joked: “Cristiano was so good and so f***ing annoying at the same time. He is probably not as good now but he is probably just as annoying.”
      Mocking Ronaldo’s tactics during the 2006 World Cup, when he famously got Wayne sent off — with England later crashing out of the competition — Wayne ­jokingly added: “He likes diving.”
      He continued: “I had no issue with Cristiano whatsoever. I spoke to him in the tunnel. I said, ‘I have no issue with you getting me sent off’, because I’d spent the first half trying to get him booked for diving.
      .css-16e4f55{margin:16px 0;}.css-1546w7m{background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);margin:16px 0;}.css-1tapza8{padding:20px 15px;}.css-1bk4jdt{padding:20px 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Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-1x7hydu::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -0.5px);}.css-1x7hydu::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}Read more on Wayne Rooney.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-1exhbll{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-n392go{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-1p5s3t0{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-i1acvs{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,99,73,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}WAYNE CLOONEY .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}I’d love to buy Derby & help Rooney, says Hollywood superstar George Clooney
      “I am English, he is Portuguese. When we are playing I do not give a f*** about him. He is not my mate. But when we have finished, we are mates again.”
      Rio Ferdinand, who played alongside Wayne at Old Trafford, also copped some of Wayne’s lip.
      He told fans, who had paid up to £300 a ticket to hear him speak at the Mercure Hotel: “Rio is a top player, but he is just arrogant.
      “You get paid a lot of money at Man United to kick the ball into the net, so just do it. I said: ‘Do your job, and give me the ball, give Ronaldo the ball. Stop standing there messing about.’ Rio is a top lad but he sometimes did forget he was a defender.”
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      And Carlos Tevez, who alongside Cristiano was part of United’s famed attacking force between 2007 and 2009, was also sent up by wise-cracking Wayne.
      Recalling his time playing with the Argentine striker, Wayne said: “For two years I loved playing with him.
      “I used to pick him up from his house for Champions League games and drive him to the airport. We’d play the game and come back. And, honestly, I spoke to him for 30 minutes, and I had no idea what is coming out of his mouth.
      “He is just mumbling. I am not a great speaker and I am thinking, ‘F***ing hell. He is mumbling and nothing, nothing’. “I was devastated, it was the biggest disappointment of my life.”
      But while mocking his former teammates and foes, Wayne was also quick to call out his own faults. At his self-deprecating best, the star grinned as he admitted he was “an arrogant p***k” when he first started out in football.
      And he said a run-in with his Everton youth team boss at the age of 14 while walking home with two bottles of booze and a cigarette had put an end to his early partying ways.
      He added: “Sir Alex ­Ferguson tried to sign me when I was 14. He was on the phone to my mum and dad. They said, ‘Alex is on the phone, Manchester United want to sign you’. I said, ‘Tell him to f**** off. I want to play for Everton’.
      “Then, as time went on, I knew I had to play for Alex Ferguson. The reason I signed for United was Alex Ferguson.”
      I loved playing with him but chatting to Tevez was biggest disappointment of my life, revealed RooneyCredit: Getty
      Rio is a top player but he is just arrogant, revealed WayneCredit: Getty
      After making his debut for Everton aged 16 in 2002, Wayne later went on to become Man United’s leading goal scorer, with 253 during his 13-year career at Old Trafford from 2004 to 2017.
      For England he overtook Charlton to nab the national record, nailing 53 goals on ­international duty. Wayne also still holds the record for being England’s youngest ever goal scorer aged just 17 — setting the bar high for future footballers.
      And he made it clear on Saturday night that he is keeping an eye on Marcus Rashford, one of United’s brightest young players. The 24-year-old has scored 93 goals for the club to date, but has suffered a dip in form this season.
      Calling Marcus out, Wayne told the room: “To get the record and be Manchester United’s highest goal scorer, it is f***ing massive. But I hope the record is broken.
      ‘Give me my f***ing pants’
      “What I hope is that Marcus Rashford f***ing gets his head out of his a**e and goes and breaks that record. He’s a Manchester lad.”
      As well as his love for being on the pitch, Wayne enjoyed the camaraderie and changing room banter just as much.
      And as his teammates quickly learnt, the striker, who has four sons with wife Coleen, was incredibly easy to wind up.
      He told the sold-out dinner event: “I was just always angry. I was so f***ing angry. I was always arguing. They knew how to push my buttons and I would explode.
      “One time we’d been away for three weeks pre-season. I got on the plane, took my suit off, put my pyjamas on and took Night Nurse.
      “We’re about an hour from landing and I am getting changed. I put my shirt and tie on and I think, ‘Where the f*** are my pants?’
      “I knew straight away. I went to Rio and I said, ‘Lads, I am not ­playing, give me my f***ing pants’.
      “As soon as the plane landed I marched to the front of the plane. “You had people like Sir Bobby ­Charlton and Alan Shearer there. “People were looking at me like, ‘What the f is going on?’
      “I said to everyone, ‘No one, not even you Sir Bobby, is leaving this plane until I get my pants. I am not walking through the airport in a shirt, tie and pyjama bottoms’. These s**thouses, my pants made it to the front of the plane.”
      But Wayne, or Wazza as he was known to his teammates, could give back as good as he got.
      Recalling a prank he played on his good friend and fellow United player Wes Brown, Wayne recalled: “Wes came in with new trainers thinking he was cool.
      “Me and Darren Fletcher got a kitchen knife and cut his trainer clean down the middle. He goes to pick his trainer up and he just picked the heel up.”
      After leaving United, Wayne briefly returned to Everton before playing in the US for D.C. United.
      He later signed a major player-manager deal with Championship side Derby in 2020, and in January last year retired from life on the pitch after being appointed as Derby’s boss full time.
      Just eight months after he took the reins, Derby went into administration — leaving Wayne navigating the club through difficult waters.
      Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign Wayne Rooney when he was 14Credit: PA
      Wayne and Coleen with their four sonsCredit: Instagram
      As The Sun revealed last week, movie star George Clooney is considering helping Wayne by leading a consortium to buy the struggling club.
      The Hollywood legend said: “Derby has a fantastic history and I am sure there is a great future too.”
      Wayne said on Saturday: “It is such a shame what the club is going through because they deserve more and they deserve better.
      “I am doing everything I can to bring the players and the fans together. That is all I can do.”
      The hardship is all good training for Wayne’s next big ambition — a move back to Old Trafford.
      Much to the delight of the audience, he revealed he would like to one day return as United manager.
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      He added: “I will be honest, the whole reason for me going into management is Manchester United.
      “I am not ready now. But I have to plan everything I do to make sure that one day it will ­happen.”

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      Wayne Rooney reveals the ONLY reason he got into management is to take over at Man Utd after snubbing Everton interview

      by

      WAYNE ROONEY has vowed to do “everything” to fulfil his dream of managing Manchester United.The Red Devils legend is cutting his teeth as boss of Championship crisis club Derby, who are battling relegation.
      Derby boss Wayne Rooney has revealed he dreams of managing Manchester United in the futureCredit: Getty
      Roo, 36, snubbed an interview at boyhood club Everton earlier this season.
      And he admitted: “The whole reason in me going into management is Manchester United. I got offered the job interview for the Everton job.
      “I want to be Manchester United manager. I know I am not ready now but I have to plan everything I do to make sure one day it will happen.”
      The Scouser is adored by United fans worldwide after becoming their greatest-ever goalscorer, with 253 goals during 13 trophy-laden seasons.
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SunSport.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-1exhbll{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-n392go{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-1p5s3t0{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-i1acvs{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,99,73,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}ROO THE DAY .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Ronaldo is f***ing annoying & Rio Ferdinand is arrogant, says Wayne Rooney
      And he delivered a blunt message to former team-mate Marcus Rashford, who is considering quitting the Theatre of Dreams.
      Rash, 24, has 93 United goals and ex-striker Roo wants him to focus on beating his record.
      Speaking at a black-tie event in Manchester on Saturday, Rooney added: “To get the record and be United’s highest goal scorer is f***ing massive.
      “What I hope is that Marcus Rashford f***ing gets his head out of his a*** and goes and breaks that record. He is a Manchester lad.”
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      Rooney also recalled to The Sun how he infuriated Roy Keane after he turned off a rugby league match to watch X Factor instead.
      And he has also labelled former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo as “f***ing annoying”, while branding Rio Ferdinand as “arrogant”.
      The ex-DC United ace also revealed he told Sir Alex Ferguson to “f*** off” when he tried to sign him as a 14-year-old.
      He remarked: “Sir Alex ­Ferguson tried to sign me when I was 14. He was on the phone to my mum and dad.
      “They said, ‘Alex is on the phone, Manchester United want to sign you’. I said, ‘Tell him to f*** off. I want to play for Everton’.
      “Then as time went on, I knew I had to play for Alex Ferguson. The reason I signed for United was Alex Ferguson.” More

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      in Soccer

      Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign me for Man Utd at 14 but I said ‘f*** off I want to play for Everton,’ says Wayne Rooney

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Wayne Rooney has revealed he told Sir Alex Ferguson to ‘f*** off’ when he tried to sign him aged 14.The Derby gaffer, 36, has stated he only had eyes for Everton after being approached by the Red Devils’ legendary manager.
      Wayne Rooney has declared he rejected Manchester United when he was just 14 due to his dream of playing for EvertonCredit: PA:Press Association
      Derby boss Rooney has declared he told Sir Alex Ferguson to ‘f*** off’ when he first tried to sign himCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Rooney burst onto the scene for the Toffees at the age of 16 – notably scoring a last-minute winner against Arsenal in October 2002.
      After 17 goals in 77 outings for the Merseyside outfit, the Red Devils once again approached the Liverpudlian.
      And Rooney has revealed he couldn’t resist the lure of the Red Devils a second time after coming to the realisation he had to play under Ferguson.
      United signed the England icon in 2004, with the player going on to become the club’s all-time top scorer, before he returned to Goodison Park for a solitary season in 2017.
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Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}PUSHED HIS BUTTONS .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Rooney recalls bust-up with Keane over turning off rugby for X-FACTOR
      Rooney told The Sun: “Sir Alex ­Ferguson tried to sign me when I was 14. He was on the phone to my mum and dad.
      “They said, ‘Alex is on the phone, Manchester United want to sign you’. 
      “I said, ‘Tell him to f*** off. I want to play for Everton’.
      “Then as time went on, I knew I had to play for Alex Ferguson. The reason I signed for United was Alex Ferguson.”
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      Despite Ferguson nurturing Rooney through the best years of his career, the former DC United ace did not want his former mentor to be interviewed in the Amazon film of his life.
      Rooney’s Everton manager David Moyes and his last United boss Jose Mourinho both contribute to his life story.
      But astonishingly no approach was made to Ferguson to contribute to the film entitled ‘Rooney’.
      While the pair fell out twice during their time together at Old Trafford, Ferguson is understood to have been more than happy to have contributed to the film.
      In the end all there was from the club’s legendary boss was a few snippets of footage from the archives. More

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      in Soccer

      Wayne Rooney recalls hilarious bust-up with ex-Man Utd team-mate Roy Keane over turning off rugby league for X-FACTOR

      by

      WAYNE ROONEY recalled a hilarious bust-up he had with Roy Keane over turning off rugby league to watch X-FACTOR. Following an away game, former United captain Keane was left fuming after Rooney turned over the rugby to watch the singing show.
      Wayne Rooney recalled a hilarious bust-up he had with Roy Keane over a TV remoteCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      Rooney, 36, revealed: “We played ­Newcastle away and afterwards Roy was watching the rugby league.
      “When he went out of the room I put X Factor on and hid the remote.“He came back in and asked who turned it over.
      “I said, ‘I don’t know.’ He went up to the plug, pulled it out and said no one could watch anything.
      “At midnight I was asleep and there was a bang on the door. It was security and he said, ‘Roy said, Where’s the remote?’ 

      “The next morning we go ­downstairs to get our pre-match meal and I’m stood next to Roy.
      “I said, ‘Roy, you OK mate? Did you find that remote?’ He said, ‘What the f**k has it got to do with you?’
      “Roy is not everyone’s cup of tea but I really like him.”
      Keane, who was fired by United in 2005 following an never-before-seen TV outburst, offered his take on the incident last year.
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      Keane, 50, said: “We certainly didn’t have an argument, let me tell you.
      “I like my rugby league and yeah, someone did change the channel and I wasn’t happy.
      “But we didn’t have an argument about it. I came down for breakfast the next day and Wayne said ‘Did you find the control?’
      “So I told him where to go. If that’s an argument, God help us.
      “I certainly didn’t respect Wayne because he stood up to me and wanted to watch the X Factor.
      “I had a lot of respect for Wayne because I thought he was a brilliant player.
      “I wouldn’t say I warmed to the guy, [but] I certainly didn’t dislike him.
      “But the lad’s on a different wavelength, different banter and if hiding the control was his type of banter then… not for me.”
      Wayne Rooney on the red carpet for his Amazon Prime documentaryCredit: BackGrid
      Former Manchester United captain Roy KeaneCredit: Getty More

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      in Soccer

      Ronaldo is f***ing annoying, Rio Ferdinand is arrogant and Carlos Tevez was biggest disappointment, says Wayne Rooney

      by

      AS Manchester United and England’s leading goal scorer, Wayne Rooney is used to being one of football’s most popular stars – with fans and teammates alike.But while they rave about the retired pro’s skills, it seems the Derby County boss has more of a comedy take on some of his most esteemed peers.
      Wayne Rooney is Manchester United and England’s leading goal scorerCredit: Getty
      Rooney says Cristiano Ronaldo is ‘so good and so f***ing annoying at the same time’Credit: Getty
      And nobody, no matter how impressive they are on the pitch, escaped the 36-year-old’s jibes when he appeared on stage at an exclusive black-tie dinner event in Manchester on ­Saturday night.
      Recalling playing alongside ­Cristiano Ronaldo, he joked: “Cristiano was so good and so f***ing annoying at the same time. He is probably not as good now but he is probably just as annoying.”
      Mocking Ronaldo’s tactics during the 2006 World Cup, when he famously got Wayne sent off — with England later crashing out of the competition — Wayne ­jokingly added: “He likes diving.”
      He continued: “I had no issue with Cristiano whatsoever. I spoke to him in the tunnel. I said, ‘I have no issue with you getting me sent off’, because I’d spent the first half trying to get him booked for diving.
      .css-16e4f55{margin:16px 0;}.css-1546w7m{background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);margin:16px 0;}.css-1tapza8{padding:20px 15px;}.css-1bk4jdt{padding:20px 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Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-1x7hydu::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -0.5px);}.css-1x7hydu::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}Read more on Wayne Rooney.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-1exhbll{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-n392go{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-1p5s3t0{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-i1acvs{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,99,73,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}WAYNE CLOONEY .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}I’d love to buy Derby & help Rooney, says Hollywood superstar George Clooney
      “I am English, he is Portuguese. When we are playing I do not give a f*** about him. He is not my mate. But when we have finished, we are mates again.”
      Rio Ferdinand, who played alongside Wayne at Old Trafford, also copped some of Wayne’s lip.
      He told fans, who had paid up to £300 a ticket to hear him speak at the Mercure Hotel: “Rio is a top player, but he is just arrogant.
      “You get paid a lot of money at Man United to kick the ball into the net, so just do it. I said: ‘Do your job, and give me the ball, give Ronaldo the ball. Stop standing there messing about.’ Rio is a top lad but he sometimes did forget he was a defender.”
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      And Carlos Tevez, who alongside Cristiano was part of United’s famed attacking force between 2007 and 2009, was also sent up by wise-cracking Wayne.
      Recalling his time playing with the Argentine striker, Wayne said: “For two years I loved playing with him.
      “I used to pick him up from his house for Champions League games and drive him to the airport. We’d play the game and come back. And, honestly, I spoke to him for 30 minutes, and I had no idea what is coming out of his mouth.
      “He is just mumbling. I am not a great speaker and I am thinking, ‘F***ing hell. He is mumbling and nothing, nothing’. “I was devastated, it was the biggest disappointment of my life.”
      But while mocking his former teammates and foes, Wayne was also quick to call out his own faults. At his self-deprecating best, the star grinned as he admitted he was “an arrogant p***k” when he first started out in football.
      And he said a run-in with his Everton youth team boss at the age of 14 while walking home with two bottles of booze and a cigarette had put an end to his early partying ways.
      He added: “Sir Alex ­Ferguson tried to sign me when I was 14. He was on the phone to my mum and dad. They said, ‘Alex is on the phone, Manchester United want to sign you’. I said, ‘Tell him to f**** off. I want to play for Everton’.
      “Then, as time went on, I knew I had to play for Alex Ferguson. The reason I signed for United was Alex Ferguson.”
      I loved playing with him but chatting to Tevez was biggest disappointment of my life, revealed RooneyCredit: Getty
      Rio is a top player but he is just arrogant, revealed WayneCredit: Getty
      After making his debut for Everton aged 16 in 2002, Wayne later went on to become Man United’s leading goal scorer, with 253 during his 13-year career at Old Trafford from 2004 to 2017.
      For England he overtook Charlton to nab the national record, nailing 53 goals on ­international duty. Wayne also still holds the record for being England’s youngest ever goal scorer aged just 17 — setting the bar high for future footballers.
      And he made it clear on Saturday night that he is keeping an eye on Marcus Rashford, one of United’s brightest young players. The 24-year-old has scored 93 goals for the club to date, but has suffered a dip in form this season.
      Calling Marcus out, Wayne told the room: “To get the record and be Manchester United’s highest goal scorer, it is f***ing massive. But I hope the record is broken.
      ‘Give me my f***ing pants’
      “What I hope is that Marcus Rashford f***ing gets his head out of his a**e and goes and breaks that record. He’s a Manchester lad.”
      As well as his love for being on the pitch, Wayne enjoyed the camaraderie and changing room banter just as much.
      And as his teammates quickly learnt, the striker, who has four sons with wife Coleen, was incredibly easy to wind up.
      He told the sold-out dinner event: “I was just always angry. I was so f***ing angry. I was always arguing. They knew how to push my buttons and I would explode.
      “One time we’d been away for three weeks pre-season. I got on the plane, took my suit off, put my pyjamas on and took Night Nurse.
      “We’re about an hour from landing and I am getting changed. I put my shirt and tie on and I think, ‘Where the f*** are my pants?’
      “I knew straight away. I went to Rio and I said, ‘Lads, I am not ­playing, give me my f***ing pants’.
      “As soon as the plane landed I marched to the front of the plane. “You had people like Sir Bobby ­Charlton and Alan Shearer there. “People were looking at me like, ‘What the f is going on?’
      “I said to everyone, ‘No one, not even you Sir Bobby, is leaving this plane until I get my pants. I am not walking through the airport in a shirt, tie and pyjama bottoms’. These s**thouses, my pants made it to the front of the plane.”
      But Wayne, or Wazza as he was known to his teammates, could give back as good as he got.
      Recalling a prank he played on his good friend and fellow United player Wes Brown, Wayne recalled: “Wes came in with new trainers thinking he was cool.
      “Me and Darren Fletcher got a kitchen knife and cut his trainer clean down the middle. He goes to pick his trainer up and he just picked the heel up.”
      After leaving United, Wayne briefly returned to Everton before playing in the US for D.C. United.
      He later signed a major player-manager deal with Championship side Derby in 2020, and in January last year retired from life on the pitch after being appointed as Derby’s boss full time.
      Just eight months after he took the reins, Derby went into administration — leaving Wayne navigating the club through difficult waters.
      Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign Wayne Rooney when he was 14Credit: PA
      Wayne and Coleen with their four sonsCredit: Instagram
      As The Sun revealed last week, movie star George Clooney is considering helping Wayne by leading a consortium to buy the struggling club.
      The Hollywood legend said: “Derby has a fantastic history and I am sure there is a great future too.”
      Wayne said on Saturday: “It is such a shame what the club is going through because they deserve more and they deserve better.
      “I am doing everything I can to bring the players and the fans together. That is all I can do.”
      The hardship is all good training for Wayne’s next big ambition — a move back to Old Trafford.
      Much to the delight of the audience, he revealed he would like to one day return as United manager.
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      He added: “I will be honest, the whole reason for me going into management is Manchester United.
      “I am not ready now. But I have to plan everything I do to make sure that one day it will ­happen.”
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      Christian Eriksen collapsed & I thought ‘please God, not again’ – now I’m returning to football too, says Fabrice Muamba

      by

      HOLDING the ripped shirt and muddy football boots he “died” in for 78 minutes, Fabrice Muamba beams from ear to ear as he acknowledges how lucky he is to be alive.Ten years ago the Bolton Wanderers ace collapsed from a cardiac arrest on the pitch while playing at Tottenham, only to be miraculously brought back to life by the quick actions of a handful of heroes at the stadium.
      Fabrice poses with his wife ShaunaCredit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
      Fabrice suffered a huge heart attack on the pitch in 2012Credit: PA:Empics Sport
      Fabrice poses with the ripped shirt doctors tore off him to treat himCredit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
      Today, in a remarkable update to his story, Fabrice has told how he is finally getting back into football — as a coach to his former team’s rising young stars.
      The ex-central midfielder, now 33, said: “I’m lucky to even still be here. Every day for the last ten years has been a blessing.
      “To be back on the grass, kicking a ball at Bolton Wanderers, coaching in their academy, the club I was playing for when they brought me back round, feels fitting. I’m so happy.
      “My dream is to one day manage, to be manager of Bolton and take them back to Tottenham, where I had my accident. Wow, that would be written in the stars.”
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Muamba.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-1exhbll{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-n392go{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-1p5s3t0{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-i1acvs{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,99,73,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}FAB ADVICE .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Muamba urges Eriksen to ‘control emotions’ on pitch return after cardiac arrest
      In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Fabrice revealed how he has become close friends with the hero doctors who saved his life — and how he watched in horror as fellow player Christian Eriksen collapsed in similar circumstances last summer.
      Fabrice, who made 130 appearances for Bolton and played for England Under-21s, felt “completely fit and healthy” as he travelled to London for Bolton’s crunch FA Cup game against Spurs on March 17, 2012.
      The dad of four said: “The night before, I’d prayed with my dad, like I usually would.
      “I felt fine the next day at the stadium. I remember walking around the ground and just feeling excitement — nothing strange.
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      “The game started and it soon became a blur. I can only remember five or ten minutes before it happened.
      “I remember almost scoring and then running back. All of a sudden my vision started to be very blurry and literally out of nowhere I hit the ground, and that was it.”
      Fabrice had suffered a huge heart attack. Players stood around stunned and in tears as medics desperately tried to resuscitate him.
      Then out of the stands came Tottenham fan and consultant cardiologist Dr Andrew Deaner, who swiftly told staff what to do and to get him to the nearby London Chest Hospital.
      As supporters from both sides sang Fabrice’s name, he was given 15 defibrillation shocks to try to restart his heart — two on the pitch, one in the tunnel, then 12 in the ambulance.
      Once in hospital, Fabrice slowly began to improve, and amazingly, 48 hours later, he woke up.
      He said: “I was heavily drugged up and came round for a couple of minutes. The first person I saw was Dr Deaner. He whispered to me, ‘are you a good footballer?’ I said, ‘I try’.
      “I then started to come back more regularly. I didn’t know the severity of it. People I hadn’t seen for ages kept coming in. I was thinking, ‘this is surreal, what’s going on?’
      “Two of the doctors eventually explained how big it was. I was in disbelief. I thought, ‘this can’t happen to me’. They said, ‘you are very lucky just to be here with us’.
      “The longer I stayed in hospital I realised I was in big trouble. The first issue was getting my kidney working, then they put a pacemaker in. Even then I thought I could play again.”
      Fabrice was in hospital for 41 days. Four months later he was taken to Belgium to see another specialist.
      He said: “I still thought the doctor could perform a miracle, but he said, ‘you going back to playing is like running into your own grave’.
      ‘IT WAS DEVASTATING’
      “It was devastating. I felt like my dream had been taken away. But then I realised so many people had gone down the same dark path and had not had such a good outcome. I quickly realised I was just lucky to be at home with my family, alive.”
      Fabrice’s ordeal came to mind again last June when Danish international Christian Eriksen collapsed with a cardiac arrest while playing for his country at Euro 2020.
      Miraculously, the 30-year-old midfielder survived too, and has even managed to return to his playing career after signing for Brentford.
      Fabrice said: “Christian’s collapse really brought it home for me. I was like, ‘oh my god, please, not this again, please come through’. I was thinking of him but also his family.
      “Him being alive is remarkable. Him playing again is unbelievable. I just hope he is safe and well.”
      For Fabrice, the toughest part of his recovery was adjusting to his forced retirement from football.
      He said: “In the days after, I was getting up and thinking, ‘I’m going to training’ and then you realise you’re not. It was difficult. I had to find a new routine. I threw myself into the housework, taking the kids to school, stuff like that.
      “I thought in my mind that I would retire at 34 or 35. But instead I was 23 and didn’t know what to do. When I collapsed on the pitch I was a professional footballer and when I woke up I was an ex pro, just a normal person. It was tricky.”
      Fabrice threw himself into raising awareness of cardiac arrests and the need for life-saving defibrillators.
      He worked for the Professional Footballers’ Association and did his coaching badges. But he found it hard to watch football.
      He said: “Until very recently I found it very difficult to watch the warm-ups at live games or even the players coming on to the pitch because I missed the ambience of the ground and the camaraderie.”
      He realised he had to try to find closure, and said: “I saw a neurologist and I went to a PFA therapist and had counselling. It was very helpful. I also decided I wanted to watch what happened to me.
      “I watched it twice. It was emotional and hard to watch. It was surreal and like an out-of-body experience, like it wasn’t me. But it helped me to process it.”
      In November 2012 he was invited back to White Hart Lane and at half time he stood on the spot where he had collapsed.
      ‘GAVE ME GREAT CLOSURE’
      He said: “That was emotional, I needed it. I’m glad I did it. People were clapping and I was able to piece it together. It gave me great closure.”
      At Fabrice’s home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, there is little sign of his footballing days. Instead, pictures of his wife Shauna, 35, boys Joshua, 13, Matthew, eight, and five-year-old Gabriel and 20-month-old daughter Zuri adorn the walls.
      He said: “I don’t have much stuff around the house because we try not to live in the past and focus on the present.
      “I’ve still got the boots I was wearing that day, and the ripped shirt and shorts which the doctors tore off me to treat me, but I don’t get that out very often.”
      Eldest son Joshua was three when Fabrice retired and just old enough to have seen him play, but he said: “The other lot don’t even believe I played football. They think I’m lying.”
      Fabrice, who is still a picture of athleticism, added: “My life is so different now. I take the kids to school and get on with work at home. I usually try to go to the gym.
      “On Saturday, instead of going to play in the Premier League, I’m the taxi man for the kids. I take them to swimming, football and jujitsu. It’s a new normal.”But from his trauma some great friendships have grown. Fabrice, who was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Bolton, said he talks to Dr Deaner and his cardiologist Dr Sam Mohidin most weeks.
      He added: “We have a real bond. I will for ever owe my life to them. They came to our wedding in 2012 and I speak all the time to them. I always joke, ‘I’m a doctor too now, remember’.”
      Fabrice still has regular check-ups, as do his sons, as they have inherited the gene for the defect, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The condition causes the heart muscle to grow abnormally thicker, making it harder to pump blood and raising the risk of a heart attack.
      ‘WHY ME?’
      He finds it hardest to deal with seeing others who were less fortunate than himself and said he was “really set back” at the death of cricket legend Shane Warne from a heart attack this month at just 52.
      He said: “Things like Shane’s death get to me. It makes me question, ‘why me?’
      “For me, it couldn’t have happened at a better place. Everything aligned. I had the best medical staff I could have asked for that day. They made sure they did the job. Dr Deaner was there as a fan. I was very fortunate.”
      For now, Fabrice is counting the days until he begins coaching at Bolton’s Academy this summer.
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      He said: “Now is a great time. It’s been a while and I’ve wanted to get back in and make a contribution to the football club.
      “It’ll be nice to help them. I feel I owe them one, I owe the people of Bolton. There’s an unfinished story there.”
      Fabrice, pictured over 10 years ago, is back on the grass, kicking a ball at Bolton Wanderers and coaching in their academy’Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Fabrice watched in horror as fellow player Christian Eriksen collapsed in similar circumstances last summerCredit: AFP
      Fabrice poses with the boots he was wearing on the day he suffered from a heart attack on the pitchCredit: Arthur Edwards / The SunFighting for lives

      JUST months after Fabrice’s collapse he presented a British Heart Foundation petition backed by The Sun to 10 Downing Street calling for life-saving skills to be a mandatory part of secondary education.
      And he has campaigned for 1,000 defibrillators – which shock the heart back into beating properly – to be installed in public places around the UK.
      Fabrice said: “I would never have got married or seen three of my four children born if I hadn’t been in the right place at the right time, near the doctor who saved my life, and near a defibrillator.
      “One person told me a person at their work had been saved by a defibrillator that was installed in the past few years.
      “I want defibrillators in every building, youth and sports club in the country. That’s the dream.”
      To learn more about defibrillators and how to administer CPR, visit bhf.org.uk. More