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      in Soccer

      Ex-Chelsea stars who left West London and became world class, like Kevin De Bruyne, Mo Salah and Declan Rice

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      EVERY time Kevin De Bruyne or Mohamed Salah put in a Man of the Match performance, Chelsea fans are hit with a pinch of ‘what might have been’.Unfortunately for Blues supporters, those two are now undisputed world superstars.
      De Bruyne has evolved into arguably the best midfielder on the planet since leaving ChelseaCredit: AFP
      Nathan Ake stars for Man City and HollandCredit: Getty
      But, before they reached their current elite level, they were once allowed to leave Stamford Bridge as underplayed, underachieving youngsters.
      And they’re not the only two either.
      We’ve taken a look at SIX players who could have been starring in West London, if they had not failed to make the grade at Chelsea before going on to become superstars elsewhere.
      It’s enough to make you weep… if you’re a Blues fan that is.
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      NATHAN AKE
      THE Dutch defender joined Chelsea’s youth ranks from Feyenoord in 2011, before moving to the senior squad a year later.
      But Ake made just seven appearances for the Blues in the Premier League and was loaned out to Reading, Watford and Bournemouth.
      Ake eventually found a permanent home on the south coast and became a star for the Cherries.
      Bournemouth fought hard to keep Ake for three years – in which he played over 100 times in the Premier League.
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      But with Manchester United and City both knocking, the Cherries eventually cashed in to the tune of £40m following their relegation in the summer.
      Now at the Etihad, Ake has helped Guardiola’s City to two Premier League title wins.
      KEVIN DE BRUYNE
      NOW quite possibly the best midfielder on the planet, it’s barely-believable De Bruyne was a Chelsea misfit.
      Having signed from Belgian side Genk in 2011-12, the now-Manchester City star played just two Premier League games for the Blues.
      On the periphery of the first-team squad, De Bruyne was loaned to Werder Bremen, before being sold to Wolfsburg for just £16.7m.
      There, De Bruyne’s class shone through and his career took off, joining City for £55million in 2015.
      The pass-master has won three Premier League trophies at City in easily the club’s greatest era.
      MOHAMED SALAH
      SALAH joined Chelsea from Basel in 2014 – but played just 13 times in the league, scoring twice.
      In 2015 and 2016, the Egyptian was loaned out to Fiorentina and Roma – before joining the latter permanently, in a deal worth around £11m.
      After just one season in the Italian capital, Liverpool were surprise suitors, bringing Salah back to the Premier League in a deal worth £36.7m.
      In his first season at the Reds, Salah broke the Premier League record for most goals in a 38-game season.
      In his second campaign, he won the Champions League.
      And in his third, Salah inspired Liverpool to Premier League success.
      Salah is now easily ranked as one of the world’s best forwards – and will always be the one who got away from Chelsea.
      Salah has gone from strength to strength since leaving ChelseaCredit: AFP
      DECLAN RICE
      THE England international and his family were all huge Blues and he must have thought he was well on his way of achieving his childhood dream of playing for them when he was signed to their academy.
      But the midfielder was released by Chelsea aged 14 back in 2013.
      The determined star was not to be deterred, and after a successful trial, he was quickly snapped up by West Ham.
      Rice has not looked back since and has progressed through the ranks in East London and broke into their first-team at the end of the 2016-17 season.
      He is now the stand-out performer for the Hammers on an almost weekly basis, and one of the first names on the team sheet for England.
      Those displays caught the eye of several big boys, including Arsenal and Manchester United, but it is Chelsea who desperately want him to return.
      Declan Rice was released by Chelsea aged 14 but is now a star at West HamCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      NEMANJA MATIC
      SIGNED from now-defunct Slovak side Kosice in 2009, Matic was tipped to become an attacking midfield superstar at the Blues.
      The Serbian midfielder had played just twice in the Premier League and was loaned out to Vitesse in Holland.
      But after two years – and a switch to a more defensive role – Matic was sold to Benfica as part of the 2011 deal that saw David Luiz arrive at Stamford Bridge.
      But after starring at Benfica, Chelsea splashed out £21m – nearly 20 times what they initially bought him for – to re-sign him in 2014.
      Matic would later join Man Utd in 2017 but has now reunited with Jose Mourinho at Roma.
      Nemanja Matic left and rejoined Chelsea for nearly 20 times the original feeCredit: Getty
      TARIQ LAMPTEY
      THE full-back is another one that got away after his departure from Chelsea in 2020.
      He joined their academy aged just eight and won a host of honours alongside the likes of Tammy Abraham and Reece James on their rise through the youth ranks.
      Tariq Lamptey has suggested that he moved away from Chelsea in order to take his career to the next level.  The 22-year-old is a product of the Blues youth development system, having joined the club when he was just 8-years-old.
      Lamptey was promoted to the Blues first-team in 2019 after the arrival of Lampard in the dug-out.
      But he failed to receive as much game time as some of his other fellow academy graduates, making just one Premier League appearance for the club last season. 
      Brighton came in for Lamptey and Chelsea were happy to do business and cash-in on the youngster for £4m on deadline day.
      But since then he has blossomed for the Seagulls with a series of stunning displays, leading to speculation he could even be on the verge of a senior international call-up.
      Arsenal were linked with a swoop for the starlet, who Chelsea failed to include a buy-back option as part of his exit, but he committed his future to Brighton last year by penning a new long-term contract.

      Explaining his decision to quit Chelsea, he said: “I had to look at where I would get the most football and how I could take my game to the next level.
      “I sat down with the coaches, family members and agents and thought about what’s best for me. It was a really tough decision.”
      Tariq Lamptey has blossomed at Brighton since his Chelsea exitCredit: Getty More

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      in Boxing

      UFC chief Dana White claimed rapper 50 Cent kick-started negotiations for Conor McGregor’s fight with Floyd Mayweather

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      RAPPER 50 Cent kick-started the negotiations for Floyd Mayweather to fight UFC legend Conor McGregor.The two mavericks met in a blockbuster crossover bout in August 2017, with Money Mayweather winning by 10th round stoppage.
      50 Cent kick-started the negotiations for Floyd Mayweather to fight Conor McGregorCredit: Getty – Contributor
      UFC boss Dana White helped promote the 2017 crossover eventCredit: USA TODAY Sports
      It marked an end to months of build-up and trash-talking between the pair, with the event gripping both fighting codes.
      But UFC president Dana White revealed a chance meeting with 50 Cent – a long-time friend of Mayweather’s – was the catalyst for the super-fight taking place.
      White told ESPN: “When the demand is there. I felt the demand for McGregor vs Mayweather, felt it, I knew it would be big, so we started talking.
      “I bumped into 50 Cent in New York, and he said, ‘Floyd wants to fight your boy.’ I said, ‘My boy who?’
      “He’s like, ‘The Irish kid.’ And I’m like, ‘He’ll kill him,’ because I’m thinking MMA.
      “He said, ‘We’ll box him.’ I said, ‘You guys are crazy.’
      “He said, ‘He’s serious. I’ll call him right now.’

      “And then that’s how it all really got started. And then everywhere I went, it was all anybody asked me about.
      “Then once I started to really feel it, that’s when I started to take it serious, and I made an offer.”
      After Mayweather beat McGregor on the Irishman’s boxing debut he officially retired from the sport.
      He returned at the end of 2018 for an exhibition bout against Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in Tokyo.
      The now 46-year-old announced he was ‘coming out of retirement in 2020’ to work on a ‘spectacular event’ with White in 2021.
      UFC boss White revealed: “We both started talking. The easiest way to explain it to you is Floyd and I both feel that we add value to each other, and we’re going to figure something out.
      “Some things have to play out, and then I’m going to start talking to [Mayweather’s advisor Al] Haymon maybe this summer and then I’ll have something for Floyd in the fall.
      “We can do some crossover stuff here or we can do something in boxing.
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      “Our last experience, Floyd was actually pretty easy to deal with. Haymon is incredible to deal with.
      “Floyd and I got a handshake deal at the basketball game, and we’ll get the rest figured out.”
      However, since that claiom Mayweather has fought exhibitions against Logan Paul, Don Moore, Mikuru Asakura, Deji Olatunji and most recently Aaron Chalmers at the O2 Arena in London.
      Mayweather claimed he is coming out of retirement to work with WhiteCredit: Splash News More

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      Chelsea manager target Luis Enrique is an extreme sports junkie who ran the Marathon des Sables and an Ironman Triathlon

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      MOVE over Robert Downey Jr, here’s the real Iron Man.Should Luis Enrique land the Chelsea job, expect the Spanish coach, 52, to demand his team give their all and don’t stop running for 90 minutes.
      Luis Enrique competed in the gruelling Marathon des Sables in 2008
      Enrique loves to cycle the most testing sections of the Tour de FranceCredit: Twitter @LUISENRIQUE21
      The ex-Spain boss has reportedly flown to London for more talks with Chelsea, according to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook.
      That follows the preliminary talks Enrique had, along with another target Julian Nagelsmann.
      Chelsea are hopeful the former Spain boss will take over immediately with caretaker boss Bruno Saltor potentially unwilling to stay until the end of the season due to his connection to Graham Potter.
      If Enrique is unwilling to take charge now Todd Boehly could appoint Frnak Lampard on an interim basis until the end of the season, SunSport understands.
      If he takes the hotseat, the Blues will have an adrenaline junkie who has shown tremendous stamina in the past and has completed the most gruelling race EVER.
      In 2008, the LaLiga winner (as both a manager and player) ran the Marathon des Sables, an endurance race that’s the equivalent of six marathons.
      And it’s not the mileage that’ll kill, but the extreme conditions.
      Des Sables takes place in the uncompromising surroundings of the Sahara desert, where temperatures can exceed 50 degrees centigrade.
      Over six days, competitors have to complete 156 miles to finish the ultramarathon.
      The longest stage lasts an incredible 57 miles.
      And it’s such a hard task, competitors MUST carry all their provisions in a backpack.
      The Marathon des Sables was created by French concert promoter Patrick Bauer in 1986.
      Ever since then it’s been an annual event attracting thousands of runners every year.
      Chelsea manager target Enrique was in amazing shape as he trained for the Bilbao marathon in 2012Credit: Twitter @LUISENRIQUE21
      Former Barcelona coach Enrique, right, finished the Florence marathon in 2007 in under three hours
      Keen cyclist Enrique loves endurance races both on foot and by bikeCredit: Twitter @LUISENRIQUE21
      Luis Enrique, third left, takes a break on a team cycle raceCredit: Twitter @LUISENRIQUE21
      Enrique was renowned for being a hard-working and energetic player during his days at Barcelona and Real Madrid.
      So, when he hung up his boots in 2004 it wasn’t too much of a surprise to see him keep up his fitness.
      However, his love of pushing himself to the limits seems now more impressive than his football career.
      In 2005, he ran the New York Marathon in a time of 3:14:09.
      Cycling and swimming are totally different from running. The training is far more pleasant.Luis Enrique
      A year later he tried his hand at the Amsterdam Marathon and clocked in at 3:00:19.
      Then at the Florence Marathon in 2007, Luis finished the race in an astonishing 2:58:08.
      And if you think that’s great, wait till you hear this.
      In the same year, Enrique took part in the 2007 Ironman competition in Germany.
      That’s a 140-mile triathlon race that’s been dubbed the hardest endurance race in the world.
      The adrenalin junkie isn’t just partial to a spot of running either.
      The keen surfer, who loved crashing waves when he lived in Australia, loves cycling too.
      He finished the Quebrantahuesos – a 127-mile race through the Pyrenees – which loosely translated means “bone crusher.”
      Still, that didn’t deter Enrique, and in an interview with FourFourTwo he spoke about his fitness regime.
      The most gruelling race on earth
      THE Marathon des Sables is justifiably known as the most gruelling race on earth.
      The monstrous course is 156 miles, equivalent to six marathons, run through the Sahara desert in six days in Morroco.
      The conditions are horrendous.
      Temperatures can hit 120F (50C) and all the 1,5000 competitors must carry all their provisions for the whole race in a backpack.
      This must include all their food, of at least 2,000 calories a day,  and mandatory kits such as a venom pump.
      Racers sleep in an open sided tent with seven other competitors.

      “When I left football I wanted to take up running, but after 45 minutes my feet would swell up because I was used to football,” he revealed.
      “In football it’s 50 metres, then stop, 10 metres, then stop.
      “I was used to that. I could run for a long time, but in a football way.
      “Marathons were at the same pace all the time. That was hard to adapt to, but I did after a lot of training and then I started doing triathlons.
      Enrique won La Liga twice and the Champions League once as Barcelona bossCredit: AFP or licensors
      Enrique celebrates a goal with Fernando Couto in 1997Credit: AP:Associated Press
      Hard-working Enrique will be pushing his team to run the extra mileCredit: Getty
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      “Cycling and swimming are totally different from running. The training is far more pleasant.”When I’m training, for three days I run in the morning and swim in the afternoon.
      “Then I go on the bicycle every three or four days.”
      Judging by the high-standards Luis has set himself, his training sessions must be hell on earth. More

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      in Boxing

      Boxer David Haye knew his career was over just 35 seconds into his rematch against Tony Bellew

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      FORMER world champion David Haye knew his boxing career was finished just 35 seconds into his rematch with Tony Bellew.The now 42-year-old was dropped three times before being stopped in the fifth back at The O2 on May 5, 2018, leading to his retirement a few weeks later.
      David Haye knew just 35 seconds into his final fight his career was overCredit: PA:Press Association
      The 40-year-old was dropped three times before being stopped in the fifth against Tony Bellew in May 2018Credit: Getty Images
      ‘Hayemaker’ had suffered a ruptured Achilles during the first fight with the Liverpudlian a year previous, forcing his corner to stop the clash in the eleventh.
      But despite coming into the second bout as heavy favourite, the Londoner admits he realised he was finished as a boxer inside the very first round of the one-sided affair.
      Speaking to the Daily Star, Haye said: “I knew about 35 seconds into the first round of that second fight with Tony Bellew that this was it. “It just felt all wrong, it was really weird. I’ve never had it before. It just didn’t feel like a boxing match, it felt really strange.
      “I was kind of posturing and hoping something would click into how it always was, and it just didn’t click in at any stage.
      “Even in the early rounds, the rounds I was winning, it just felt that everything was an effort. Even to move and bounce, it was all an effort.
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      “I’d see opportunities after they’d gone, whereas before I’d see it and just deal with it. But it just got to that point where I just couldn’t see and it was too late. “Where I’d normally slip and counter I was just getting hit.
      “It was a feeling I’ve never had before and would never like to have ever again to be brutally honest!”
      The ex-two-weight title holder continued: “I’m glad it ended as conclusively as it did so it doesn’t leave me with any thoughts that ‘maybe one day I can do a little bit better, if it wasn’t for my Achilles then I could have done it.
      “I knew that was it. I can remember that feeling of ‘that’s it, you’ve pushed it as far as it’s humanly possible to push it, you’ve given it a good go, you’ve given yourself the best chance, you’re as healthy as you’ve ever been, you’re as strong, you’re as fit’ – but it’s not about strength or fitness, it’s about how much fight your body can fight. “And once that flame’s out, it’s out for good.”
      In 2021, Haye did return to the ring for an exhibition match against pal Joe Fournier.
      He won by unanimous decision after eight rounds, but despite admitting he enjoyed it there’s no chance he will return again
      “The itch was there for me at the time, I really enjoyed it,” Haye said of his exhibition bout.
      “I did like a month’s boxing training for that, I don’t usually do boxing training anymore I just do weight training and circuits and general all-around fitness so I had a month to do some sparring and general boxing training – really got the juices flowing.
      “But, since then I’ve packed up the gloves so the vibe’s gone now [laughs]. I’m just enjoying my world tour at the moment, just bumping around enjoying life,” Haye concluded.
      Credit: PA:Press Association More

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      in Soccer

      I was taken to Pizza Express by Roy Keane who tried to persuade me to sign for Sunderland but I knew we would not get on

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      MIDO once deep panned Roy Keane after revealing all about the meal that persuaded him never to play for the Manchester United legend.No amount of dough would have persuaded the Egypt striker to sign after the then-Sunderland manager invited him to Pizza Express in 2006 for what he thought would be a friendly “come and join us” chat.
      Mido was taken for lunch at Pizza Express by Roy Keane but the pair didn’t exactly hit it off
      Mido, who was with Spurs at the time, said Keane “didn’t talk much” – and he would “end up fighting” with the former Republic of Ireland legend if he played under him.
      Ex-Ajax and Marseille star Mido told talkSPORT how he couldn’t wait to dessert his less-than-topping dining experience with Keane.
      So instead he left Tottenham for a three-year spell with Sunderland’s North East rivals Middlesbrough.
      The now 40-year-old said: “My agent Mino Raiola said, ‘Mido, Roy Keane wants to have lunch with you and show you the training ground’.
      “So I went to Newcastle airport. He came to pick me up in his Range Rover, we went to Sunderland and he took me to lunch to Pizza Express.
      “I was very surprised that he didn’t talk to me much.
      “Normally you get a player for lunch, you try to talk to him and try to convince him to sign for your club, but he didn’t talk much, he was just very quiet.
      “I knew straight away that me and him, we could not work together, we would end up fighting. He was talking to me and looking at the ceiling.
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      “I knew straight away that it would not work.”
      Ultimately, Keane’s managerial career crumbled – after two-year spells with Sunderland and Ipswich.
      Mido has grabbed a slice of the managerial action himself – with four Egyptian clubs before taking over Saudi Arabia’s Al-Wehda Club in December 2018.
      He was most recently in charge Egyptian side El Makkasa, but was sacked in 2020 after just six months in charge. More

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      in Soccer

      Inside Lionel Messi’s luxury £12million private jet with family names on steps, No 10 on tail, kitchen & two bathrooms

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      STEP inside Lionel Messi’s private jet.The £12million luxury plane is the perfect means of transport for the Argentine to travel, especially if he wants to haul his many trophies along for the ride.
      Lionel Messi has got a luxury planeCredit: Goal
      There are names on the steps and a No10 on the tailCredit: Goal
      The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Brussels several years after a technical fault was reported
      It was made by a company in Argentina and designed for Paris Saint-Germain star Messi as well as his family.
      It boasts a number of incredible features, including its very own kitchen.
      There are two bathrooms and enough seats for 16 people.
      Incredibly, the chairs can also be folded up and turned into eight beds.
      Unfortunately it had to make an emergency landing in Brussels three years ago due to a technical fault.
      To top things off, the steps feature the names of Messi and his family – wife Antonela, plus children Thiago, Ciro and Mateo.
      However, the plane – which also boasts his No10 on the tail – is not owned by the superstar, instead he leases it.
      But that is sure to not bother Messi in the slightest as he continues his jet-set lifestyle.
      There are 16 chairs which can be folded into eight bedsCredit: Goal
      The private jet boasts a kitchen and two bathroomsCredit: Goal

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      The ace has rediscovered his form at PSG this season, scoring 13 goals and assisting 13 in just 23 Ligue 1 games.
      He has returned to club football after achieving his dream of winning his first-ever World Cup.
      Argentina beat France in a final for the ages last December with the game decided on penalties after a bonkers 3-3 draw after 120 minutes. More

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      Eight ex-Liverpool players who should never have left, including Philippe Coutinho, Fernando Torres and Michael Owen

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      PHILIPPE COUTINHO is redeeming himself at Aston Villa after returning to the Premier League last year.The Brazilian, now 30, flopped at Barcelona after a staggering £142million from Liverpool, but playing on our shores has reignited some of the old spark.
      Coutinho and Can are just two players to regret quitting Liverpool
      But Coutinho is by no means the first former Liverpool player to see his career stall after quitting the Kop, with Sadio Mane the latest who appears to not be enjoying his time away.
      Take a look at EIGHT stars who’ve all regretted a move away from Merseyside…
      SADIO MANE
      Bayern Munich (June 2022)
      FOR many years, Sadio Mane was a king at Anfield. The winger may have not have received as many plaudits as teammate Mohamed Salah, but he was equally dangerous and devastating going forward.
      The Senegalese legend made a surprise move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022 after six dazzling years at Anfield.
      But his first season has not quite got going and reports in Sport1 from Germany have suggested that the club’s hierarchy are growing concerned by his performances.
      The 30-year-old has not scored since October but has missed three months of the season with injury.
      EMRE CAN
      Juventus (July 2018)
      AFTER his drawn-out Anfield exit, Can – now at Borussia Dortmund – played a big role in Juventus’ success in 2018-19, playing 29 times in Serie A, as well as making six Champions League appearances.
      However, after another big summer of signing at Juve, Can was left staring into the wilderness.
      Huge, free arrivals in the form of Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot quickly shifted Can down the pecking order. He departed for Germany and the midfielder, now 29, is now playing his football at Borussia Dortmund.
      The Reds would go on to win their first-ever Premier League crown not long after he left. Can could have been a part of history.
      PHILIPPE COUTINHO
      Barcelona (January 2018)
      Coutinho has been given a second chance to prove himself at BarcelonaCredit: Getty
      AFTER leaving Inter Milan in January 2013 for just £8m, Coutinho quickly became one of Liverpool’s best players.
      As the years rolled on and the “Little Magician” continued to put in a series of glittering performances, the Brazilian then became one of the best on the planet.
      Barcelona came knocking and as is often the way, the South American’s head was turned.
      Coutinho quit the club in January 2018, much to the disgust of the Liverpool faithful.
      Ever since, the Brazilian playmaker has quickly faded into mediocrity. However, his reunion with Steven Gerrard at Villa Park appeared to briefly get a tune out of him again.
      And since Gerrard’s sacking, he has still occasionally manages to show glimpses of his old self under Unai Emery.
      JORDON IBE
      Bournemouth (July 2016)
      Jordon Ibe left Liverpool just as his stock was rapidly risingCredit: Getty
      THE English winger may not be in the same league as Coutinho or Can – but you had better believe he could have been.
      After joining the Reds from Wycombe, the Londoner worked his way through the youth ranks before bursting into the first-team in the 2014-15 season.
      After spells on loan at Birmingham and Derby, Ibe quickly showed his promise – before taking on a key role in 2015-16.
      Ibe made 27 appearances that season in the Premier League alone – and 41 in all competitions – including some Man of the Match displays, including the Merseyside derby against Everton.
      But as he believed he was slipped down the pecking order, Ibe left Anfield just one year into his new five-year deal to join Bournemouth.
      At the time, the winger was being tipped for a call-up to the England set-up – but now he is playing in the second tier of the Turkish league for Adanaspor.FERNANDO TORRES
      Chelsea (January 2011)
      Fernando Torres was left to regret leaving Liverpool for Chelsea in 2011Credit: Reuters
      NOW this one always shows up on lists of “worst transfers ever”…
      Torres infamously left Liverpool in the January window of the 2010-11 season for a whopping £50m fee.
      The Spanish legend had shown signs of slowing down at the Reds after a series of frustrating injuries.
      But after joining Chelsea, Torres looked a shadow of his former self, scoring just 20 times in 110 Premier League games, compared to 65 goals in 102 Liverpool matches.
      The 110-cap international bounced around the world for the rest of his career, having spells at AC Milan, Atletico Madrid and Sagan Tosu in Japan, before hanging up his boots.
      MICHAEL OWEN
      Real Madrid (August 2004)
      Michael Owen spent just one season at Real Madrid after leaving LiverpoolCredit: AP:Associated Press
      LIVERPOOL born and raised, Owen spent 13 years at Liverpool in all, including his five seasons in the youth team.
      The striker scored 118 Premier League goals in just 216 games, quickly establishing himself as a legend for club and country.
      The 40-goal Three Lions forward believed he could do better, as Liverpool continued their PL title drought.
      He moved to Real Madrid in a shock move in the summer of 2004 for a fee of just £8m.
      Owen scored 13 times in his sole season at the Bernabeu before he made the “biggest mistake of his career” as he called it, in joining Newcastle in 2005.

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      NICK BARMBY
      Leeds (August 2002)
      Nick Barmby struggled to maintain his best form when joining LeedsCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      OFTEN a forgotten man amongst Liverpool fans, Barmby enjoyed plenty of success at Anfield.
      The 23-cap England star was part of the squad that won a hoard of trophies including the FA Cup and Uefa Cup around the turn of the new millennium.
      But he left after just two seasons, in 2002, to join Leeds United – in what should have been then prime years of his career.
      Both the player and club quickly suffered a downturn in form, with the Elland Road giants relegated and Barmby making just 25 appearances in two years.
      After a loan spell at Nottingham Forest, Barmby played the final eight years of his career at his home-town team, Hull.
      ROBBIE FOWLER
      Leeds (November 2001)
      Robbie Fowler fell out with Liverpool management and quit in 2001Credit: PA:Press Association
      IN defence of “God”, as he was known by Liverpool fans, Fowler had spent 17 years at Anfield – including nine years with the youth teams.
      Fowler quickly became a club legend, scoring 120 Premier League goals in just 236 outings.
      But after reports of a rift with boss Gerard Houllier and his assistant Phil Thompson in 2001, Fowler left just a handful of games into the 2001-02 season.
      Having been a true icon in Liverpool, Fowler failed to settle anywhere else after joining Leeds.
      Fowler spent two years in Leeds, leaving the season before they were relegated to join Manchester City.
      He returned to Liverpool three years later for a cameo spell at the club, in which he scored eight times.
      The 26-cap England star wound-down his career with spells at Cardiff, Blackburn, North Queensland Fury, Perth Glory and Muangthong United before he returned in 2012. More

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      Anthony Joshua needed to be ‘helped up’ after being knocked out by David Price with a ‘big right hand’ in sparring

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      DAVID PRICE claimed Anthony Joshua had to be “helped up” after he knocked him out with a “big right hand” in sparring. The pair of British heavyweights were former training partners at Team GB’s Sheffield HQ.
      Anthony Joshua once admitted to being dropped in sparring by David PriceCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      And one session in 2011 stands out among them all as Price floored then-amateur champion AJ.
      Opening up on the incident, Price told iD Boxing: “I just caught him with a big right hand and down he went.
      “He had to get helped up, type of thing, and ushered out the ring.
      “And it was no big deal to me at the time, and there was no shame in that happening to you if I hit you.”
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      Joshua was one year away from winning Olympic gold in London, which later paved the way for two unified world title reigns in the professional ranks.
      And in 2018 he admitted to being put down by Price, just hours after leaving a police cell.
      Joshua revealed: “I had come out of a police cell the day I went up to training. I won’t use it as an excuse.
      “I was coming up to training camp, Thursday to Sunday, because I was on a development course.
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      “But I got nicked on the way to training camp – for just trouble – and I got out on the Saturday.
      “I started sparring as soon as I got up there, straight from the station, I do think he was very good at the time, very strong and I was making too many mistakes.
      “Those circumstances don’t help when you’re sparring an elite fighter.
      “I even had to get the train to Sheffield because they took my car – just to show my commitment. What I learnt was you cannot stop someone like me.
      “They say you have two types of fighters; those that get dropped and stay down.
      “But the ones you have to be wary of are the ones who keep on coming. You just cannot stop someone like that.
      I just caught him with a big right hand and down he went. David Price on flooring Anthony Joshua
      “I learnt it will take more than just power or durability to stop me.”
      Joshua, 33, is now set to return in the spring of 2023 following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, 36.
      AJ is scheduled to fight Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena on April 1.
      Meanwhile Price, 39, is currently retired and insisted he only ever made the sparring tale with Joshua public to chase a fight with the star.
      He said: “I never ever mentioned it until I started getting mentioned as a potential opponent for him in 2016 when he fought Erik Molina.
      “I was in the IBF top ten so it could have been a voluntary defence for him and I was calling for the fight and people were laughing at the thought of me fighting him, and that’s when I thought I’ll spill the beans then and let the people know that he isn’t indestructible.
      “Because at that time people thought AJ was the terminator and that he would never ever be hurt.
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      “Or it was this new generation of fans that people were talking about him and I thought I’d just let the cat out the bag type of thing.
      “Only for my own benefit, not to try and put him down it was to try and gain something from it myself. But it didn’t work out anyway, I didn’t get the fight.”
      David Price opened up about dropping Anthony Joshua in sparringCredit: Getty More