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      in Soccer

      Five amazing transfers Newcastle boss Eddie Howe unearthed, including £800k Aaron Ramsdale signing

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      NEWCASTLE manager Eddie Howe has a knack for finding talent that others fail to unearth.The ex-Bournemouth boss is likely to be handed a transfer war chest by the Magpies’ Saudi owners in the coming years.
      Eddie Howe has proved himself as a shrewd operator in the transfer marketCredit: Reuters
      But club officials have warned they won’t be opening their cheque books for the sake of it.
      If that is the case, the good news for Toon fans is that Howe has a proven track record of locating hidden gems.
      Here SunSport runs the rule over five unsung heroes who were brought through the ranks by the Newcastle tactician.
      AARON RAMSDALE – £800K
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      Aaron Ramsdale has been performing heroics between the sticks for Arsenal since his £30million move to the Emirates in 2021.
      He produced what was hailed as one of the best saves of all time in the Gunners’ 2-0 victory over Leicester last season.
      But the stopper cost Howe less than £1m when he brought him to the Vitality Stadium in 2017.
      Three years later he was sold back to boyhood club Sheffield United before Arsenal came knocking.
      Aaron Ramsdale has cemented his place as Arsenal’s first-choice keeperCredit: Getty
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      CALLUM WILSON – £3M
      Howe linked up with former Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson when he arrived at St James’ Park.
      The 30-year-old bagged 67 goals in 187 appearances for the Cherries between 2014 and 2020.
      He cost just £3m when he moved to the south coast from League One side Coventry.
      But by 2020 his stock had risen so high it cost Newcastle £20m to take him up north.
      Callum Wilson moved to Newcastle from Bournemouth in 2020Credit: Getty
      RYAN FRASER – £400K
      Ryan Fraser is another ex-Cherry man now plying his trade with the Magpies.
      The Scotland international cost Bournemouth just £400k when they signed him from Aberdeen back in 2013.
      The skilful winger was once linked with the likes of Arsenal but his form declined in the 2019-20 season as he was distracted by speculation.
      Now armed with a five-year contract at St James’ Park, the 28-year-old has been given the opportunity to rekindle his working relationship with Howe.
      Ryan Fraser joined Callum Wilson at the MagpiesCredit: Reuters
      JOSH KING – FREE
      Josh King is another who owes his top-flight opportunities to Howe.
      The Norway-born forward joined Bournemouth on a free from Blackburn Rovers back in May 2015.
      He went on to score an impressive 53 goals for the club before heading to Everton on the last day of the 2021 January transfer window.
      Another move followed in July when he joined newly-promoted Watford – again for a free transfer – before he signed for Turkish giants Fenerbahce.
      Watford’s Josh King tussles with Arsenal defender Ben WhiteCredit: Reuters
      DAVID BROOKS – £11.5M
      Wales international David Brooks was tipped for big things before illness temporarily cut short his playing days.
      The Wales international cost Bournemouth around £11m when they bought him from Sheffield United in 2018.
      The 25-year-old was nominated for the PFA young player of the year award back in 2019.
      Read More on The Sun
      A cancer diagnosis in October 2021 forced the midfielder to step back from football and begin treatment for the disease.
      But he returned to training in 2022 after winning his battle with cancer and is now keen to resume his playing career in the Premier League with Bournemouth.
      Brooks battled cancer to return to football in 2022Credit: Reuters More

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      in Soccer

      Amazing body transformation of Sergio Ramos, from slim teen to ripped machine over sensational 20-year career

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      SERGIO RAMOS didn’t enjoy the best of luck with injuries during his first season at Paris Saint-Germain.But the Spaniard, 36, has enjoyed a better run this term, following a stunning trophy-laden 16-year career at Real Madrid.
      Sergio Ramos showed off his new shredded physique during the 2020 lockdown
      Sergio Ramos has packed on the pounds – in muscle – since this photoshoot, then aged 18
      Ramos got himself into ridiculous shape after working tirelessly during lockdown
      Ramos managed just 13 matches in all competitions for PSG in 2021-22 after a string of injuries. This season, he’s already played 20.
      And like old team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, you can’t fault his commitment to keeping fit.
      In 2020, during the height of the Covid pandemic and initial lockdown, Ramos shared a picture of himself looking absolutely shredded.
      Hiking up his sorts – again like old pal Ronny – Ramos showed off his chiselled abs, bulging biceps, toned quads… and glorious beard.

      But that took a lot of work, with the 180-cap Spain legend not always the ripped Adonis he is today.
      After all, he looks completely unrecognisable from his naked photoshoot aged 18…
      And Ramos claimed his time away from the pitch during lockdown helped him get into tip-top shape.
      In April 2020 – then at Real Madrid – Ramos said: “I think I’m in better shape than before the quarantine.
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      “We gave so much importance to this situation that after losing our training routine in Valdebebas and also the games, we focused so much on our diet, our rest and obviously the individual work.
      “I’m in better condition now than I usually am during the middle of the season.
      “Then you are playing once every three days and you don’t have time to work, you only rest.
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      “I’m stronger.
      “We knew that this was going to be long but now we see the end of the tunnel and are relaxing a bit so that we don’t come back with too much muscle.”

      Sergio Ramos looks almost unrecognisable from his early days More

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      in Soccer

      Man Utd legend Roy Keane was John Obi Mikel’s bodyguard when midfielder first went for trials at the Red Devils aged 15

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      JOHN OBI MIKEL has previously revealed that hard nut Roy Keane was his own personal bodyguard when he was just a schoolboy.The Nigerian midfielder, 35, was involved in one of the biggest transfer tussles in football history when he sensationally rejected Manchester United for Premier League rivals Chelsea.
      John Obi Mikel revealed all about his month-long trial at Manchester United as a schoolboyCredit: PA:Press Association
      Roy Keane was Jon Obi Mikel’s bodyguard when he was just 15Credit: Getty – Contributor
      Sir Alex Ferguson invited a young Mikel to train with the first-teamCredit: PA:Press Association
      But when Sir Alex Ferguson invited Mikel to train at United after impressing for his country at the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in 2003, the youngster was thrown in the deep end with the first-team.
      During the month long-trail Mikel recalled the time no-nonsense Keane took him under his wing.
      Speaking exclusively to SunSport, he said: “I trained with the first team. Roy Keane was my bodyguard.
      “Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt always tried to kick me but couldn’t when Roy was there because he’d have killed them.
      “Sir Alex called me Obi Wan (after the Star Wars character).
      “He called me into his office one day and said: ‘Obi Wan, do you know what Keane, Scholes and all the senior players have told me? They said you have to sign that boy’.
      “I couldn’t believe it. Here was I, a schoolkid from Africa, training with some of the best in the world.”
      United thought they had signed the next sensation when Mikel put pen to paper at a hastily-arranged press conference in 2005 and was photographed in a United shirt.
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      But following a series of secret meetings with Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovich, Mikel eventually decided to join Chelsea… leaving Fergie furious.
      Chelsea ended paying Manchester United £12million in compensation over the move.
      But it proved the correct one as Mikel became one of the club’s most decorated players, winning the Champions League and Europa League, two Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups in his 11 years there.
      Mikel left Stamford Bridge in 2017 and headed to China with Tianjin Jinmen Tiger before a return to England for a six-month spell at Middlesbrough in January 2019.
      He then joined Turkish side Trabzonspor for a season but came back to the Championship 12 months later to join Stoke City.
      In July 2021 he then moved to Kuwait FC but his contract was terminated after just four months – leading to the star officially announcing his retirement from playing at the age of 35 in September 2022.
      John Obi Mikel was a wanted man after impressing at the Under-17 World Cup for NigeriaCredit: AP:Associated Press
      John Obi Mikel now plays his football at Tianjin TEDA after leaving ChelseaCredit: Rex Features More

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      in Soccer

      Fans in hysterics as they’re reminded of time Phil Neville ‘forgot how to count’ as footage resurfaces

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      FOOTAGE of former England international Phil Neville struggling to count to FOUR has resurfaced on social media.Speaking on Sky’s The Debate show alongside Craig Bellamy in 2017, Neville, 46, stumbled over his basic numbers while discussing Ross Barkley.
      Phil Neville has been brutally trolled for his inability to count to fourCredit: Sky Sports
      Phil Neville was speaking on Sky Sports’ The Debate when he made the blunderCredit: Sky Sports
      When speaking about then-Everton star Barkley, Neville listed a number of issues surrounding his former team-mate.
      But the one-time Manchester United star completely fell to pieces, saying: “He [Barkley] so desperately wanted to…
      “1. Score goals, 1. Play well, 1. Be the star, 2. err, 4. Play for England.”
      Understandably, Twitter was sent into a typical meltdown at the time as users were left rolling on the floor after the incredible blunder.
      On social media user claimed: “Someone grab Phil Neville an abacus.”
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      Another simply stated: “Just watched this a dozen times can’t stop laughin… love how he goes to say 2 then realises he’s said one 3x & switches to 4 #Tekkers”.
      One football fan added: “Phil Neville’s brain nearly imploded trying to count to 4.”
      However not all viewers were convinced by the blunder, with one suggesting Nev is actually a “genius”.

      The user suggested: “Can’t stop laughing at this. I refuse to believe it’s real.
      “I think Phil Neville’s a comedy genius having us all on.”

      The video resurfaced on Twitter earlier this week, almost six years after it initially emerged.
      And fans are finding it just as entertaining.
      One person tweeted: “Just been reminded of the time Phil Neville forgot how to count and it is absolutely glorious.”
      Another added: “I’ve laughed way too many times at this!”
      A third said: “Oh my god I’ve never seen this!”
      While another joked: “This is glorious!” More

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      in Soccer

      Man Utd icon Wayne Rooney’s amazing property portfolio includes £20m ‘Morrisons’ mansion and secret luxury Barbados pad

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      THEY might be worth an estimated £115million, but Wayne and Coleen Rooney’s Cheshire mansion has been mocked for ‘looking like a Morrisons’.However, the six-bedroom palatial home – which cost £20m – isn’t the only property in the couple’s lavish portfolio, which also includes pads in Florida and the Caribbean.
      The Rooneys’ Cheshire home has been mocked for “looking like a Morrisons”Credit: The Mega Agency
      Wayne and Coleen splashed out £20million on their latest residenceCredit: Instagram
      Manchester United legend Rooney, 37, left Derby last summer to take over as DC United boss in the MLS and is currently in pre-season ahead of the 2023 campaign.
      However, he has been linked with a sensational return to England with the Premier League’s bottom club Southampton, which could see him move back full-time into the family home.
      Rooney grew up in a council house in Liverpool – but has shown off his real estate skills with his sprawling Barbados villa, which he rents out for £25,000 a week.
      He also snapped up a £320,000 waterfront apartment in the Sunshine State of Florida in 2007 – and even splashed out £450,000 on a detached home in Liverpool for his parents to live in.
      Today, he and Coleen, have properties across the globe.
      Below, SunSport looks at the couple’s impressive property portfolio…
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      Secret £5m Barbados pad
      The Rooneys’ housing portfolio stretches to overseas – where they rent out a spectacular Barbados villa for more than £25,000 a week in the high season.
      The five-bedroom property boasts an infinity pool, a media room and a shared golf course while inside the walls feature pictures of Hollywood icons Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe.
      The Rooneys own this spectacular villa in Barbados, which they rent out to wealthy guests
      The magnificent residence boasts an infinity pool, a media room and a shared golf courseCredit: Splash News
      It cost the couple a cool £5 million – but is rented out for as much as £25,000 a week
      The paradise pad sits on the island’s exclusive Jasmine Ridge estate, with celebrity neighbours including Ant and Dec and Roo’s old United team-mate Rio Ferdinand.
      Boxer Joe Calzaghe, and motorcycle racer Carl Fogarty are also said to own homes there.
      Over the years, the swish Bajan resort has become so popular with Manchester’s rich and famous that its residents have dubbed it the Northern Quarter.
      The Rooneys bought the villa for £5million in 2010, but put it on the rental market as a holiday home several years ago, the Manchester Evening News reported.
      The mansion has some famous neighbours – including Ant and Dec and Rio Ferdinand
      Its outdoor dining area is perfect for entertaining family and friends
      United fans who want to live like Wayne himself will need to cough up around £10,000 to stay at the Royal Westmoreland pad during low season.
      And those staying at high season will have to fork out up to £25,410 a week.
      Based on the Rooneys renting out the property from 2015, they could have netted more than £5m from wealthy guests by now.
      It won’t be long until they’ve reached the price they paid for it a decade ago after renting was no doubt affected by the pandemic.
      The villa is a far cry from Rooney’s childhood home, picturedCredit: Mark Robinson – The Sun
      £300k Florida apartment
      Not all of Wayne and Coleen’s purchases have seemingly done as well as their Barbados one.
      In 2007, the couple splashed out around £320,000 on a luxurious waterfront apartment at Harbor Pointe in Port Charlotte, Florida – but property prices later collapsed.
      They bought the pad via Your Place Abroad – whose former clients also include footie star Michael Owen and former cricketer Andrew Flintoff, the Daily Mail reported.
      Wayne and Coleen bought a Florida apartment for £320,000 12 years agoCredit: Zillow
      The firm has since gone into liquidation.
      Public records list Rooney as being the owner of a three-bedroom condo in the riverside resort, which has a balcony and more than 1,750 sq ft of living space.
      It also boasts a master suite with a study and an ‘oversized walk-in closet’, with a fitness centre and in-ground heated pool available in the resort’s grounds.
      It is thought the ‘spacious’ condo is currently being rented out.
      This swimming pool is believed to be shared among residents at the apartment complexCredit: Zillow
      This image appears on an online rental listing for an apartment in Rooney’s nameCredit: Zillow
      In the years after the Rooneys snapped up their apartment, property prices in the area collapsed, with some homes dropping in price by more than £150,000.
      Waynesor Castle
      The Rooneys lived happily in a £6m home in Prestbury, Cheshire, for more than a decade before they were the victims of an attempted burglary.
      A former serviceman tried to break in while Wayne played in a testimonial match in August 2016,  leaving a worried Coleen fearing for her kids’ safety.
      Dubbed ‘Waynesor Castle’ among other nicknames, the Rooneys’ home reportedly featured six en-suite bedrooms, a cinema, a Jacuzzi and a swimming pool.
      There have also been rumours of under-lawn heating and a hairdressing salon.
      The Rooneys’ Prestbury home, which they lived in for more than a decadeCredit: Cavendish
      ‘Beautiful’ Maryland home
      In 2018, the Rooneys were rumoured to be set to move into a stunning £12m Washington DC mansion, after Wayne joined DC United – where he is now head coach.
      The property, in Wesley Heights, boasted a wine cellar, a home gym, an outdoor swimming pool, a recreation room and even a massive cinema screen.
      But it was since been reported that the family opted to live in Maryland instead. They were thought to be living around a 50-minute drive from the US capital.
      The Rooneys were rumoured to be moving into this DC mansion – but apparently chose Maryland insteadCredit: Fortitude Press
      The mansion in Wesley Heights boasted this home gymCredit: Fortitude Press
      One source close to Coleen told SunSport: “They live in Maryland, which is really quiet, so if they do go out it’s bowling or cinema with the kids.”
      They added: “They have a massive house and it’s beautiful.”
      New £20m Cheshire mansion
      Features: Man-made fishing lakes, an orangery and a football pitch
      The Rooneys’ new pad sits on a 40-acre plot in Cheshire.
      The £20m property, includes a number of buildings, stables, two man-made fishing lakes and an orangery.
      But we reported how the luxurious new home has been compared to a Morrisons supermarket and even a Travelodge because of its exterior.
      The impressive new pad, featuring two man-made fishing lakes and an orangery, is nearing completionCredit: The Mega Agency
      Social media users have compared the Rooneys’ new property to a supermarket
      They have likened the home to this Morrisons store in SunderlandCredit: Wikipedia
      One person wrote online: “Looks like my local Morrisons supermarket. £20million for that?”
      Another said: “Surely that is a new Tesco build…?’  while a third quipped: “More of a Morrisons I’d say”.
      The mansion boasts a TV room, snooker room, bar, wine store, cinema, gym and swimming pool, as well as an underground tunnel to a six-car garage.
      And there are believed to even be separate lifts – one for the family, the other for visitors.
      It is thought that former England striker Wayne has also requested a panic bunker in the home over fears his family will be hit by another attempted burglary.
      What the sprawling site looked like as work beganCredit: Flynet Pictures
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      A mansion for Wayne’s parents.. and one for Coleen
      As well as his own properties, Wayne bought his parents, Wayne Snr and Jeanette Rooney, a £450,000 detached home in West Derby, which reportedly has three reception rooms.
      Several years ago, reports claimed he’d also bought his wife a £5m villa in Portugal.
      And with a net worth of more than £100m (Coleen is worth an estimated £13m), it’s likely Wayne’s portfolio of luxury properties will only continue to expand.
      Wayne Rooney admits he wants to be Manchester United manager one day More

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      in Soccer

      Trent Alexander-Arnold set up his own company aged 18 and is reaping rewards with seven-figure assets

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      TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD’S limited company has recorded more than £3.5million in assets six years after he launched it aged 18.All Star Sports Ltd was set up in October 2016 to focus on the Liverpool wing-back’s image rights.
      Trent Alexander-Arnold has seen his limited company thriveCredit: Getty
      Now the England defender is being rewarded for his vision.
      The 24-year-old’s latest annual accounts up to the end of March 2022 show assets of £3,658,911 – an increase of more than £1.5m from the previous financial year.
      TAA joined his hometown club aged six and has long been known for his wise head on young shoulders.
      As a kid, he made a small fortune selling clothes worn by Liverpool and Everton players, saying the profits went to buying his parents a house.
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
      And in 2019 he signed an extension to his boot deal with Under Armour in 2019, reportedly worth £6.4m over four years.
      On the pitch, Alexander-Arnold has won seven major honours since breaking into the Reds’ first team.
      The first of those was the 2019 Champions League, followed by the Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup.
      His first domestic honour was the 2019-20 Premier League title before Liverpool won both the League Cup and FA Cup in 2021-22 then secured the Community Shield.
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      The full-back and Calvin Klein model remains the No1 choice for Jurgen Klopp, who has repeatedly defended some question marks over his ace’s defensive abilities.
      Alexander-Arnold has racked up more than 250 appearances for his boyhood club and represented England at two World Cups – but missed the Euro 2020 tournament through injury.
      He managed just 34 minutes at the 2022 World Cup, though, as he found himself behind Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker in the pecking order with Reece James out injured. More

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      in Boxing

      Wladimir Klitschko tried to ‘cheat’ five ways, before Tyson Fury fight including dodgy scales, stilts and foam ring

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      TYSON FURY once claimed Wladimir Klitschko “cheated” by allegedly using five dirty tricks before their epic 2015 fight.Current WBC champ Fury, 34, beat Klitschko in Germany to end his nine-year grip on the WBA, IBF and WBO belts in November of that year.
      Fury claims one way Klitschko tried to cheat ahead of their 2015 fight was by altering the weigh-in scales
      But the Gypsy King laid bare the skulduggery he claims Klitschko used ahead of their battle to get the upper hand.
      Here are the five ways Fury insists Klitschko cheated.
      1 Weigh-in scales
      Fury said: “Even the week of the fight, they messed around with the weigh-in scales to start with.
      “They said I weighed 17st 9lbs – I’ve not been 17st 9lbs since I was about ten years old. It was another mind game because you think you’ve lost a stone in weight.
      “Even my uncle Peter said, ‘I thought you’ve been eating? Have you not eaten your food?’
      “I said, ‘I’m 18st 4lbs.’ We went back, on my scales – 18st 4lbs. So that was one little cheat.”
      2 Stilts in his shoes
      Fury – who also faced claims he tampered with his gloves in his rematch against Wilder – said: “I said to him across the weigh-in, ‘You’ve rigged the scales, while you’re at it you can take them heels out of your shoes as well’.
      “He was as tall as me. Wladimir is 6ft 5ins, I don’t look up at a 6ft 5ins man. I said, ‘You’ve got stilts in your shoes, like platforms.’ So that was two things.”
      Fury claims Klitschko tried to make himself tallerCredit: Getty – Contributor
      3 Ring like a mattress
      Speaking last year, Fury alleged: “The day of the fight, I go down to the venue like I do every time, to check the venue out and check the ring out.
      “I get in the ring and there’s ten inches of foam in this ring. It was like a memory foam mattress.
      “I got on it and I said to my dad and my uncle Peter, ‘I cannot fight in this ring.’ I felt like I was on the moon.
      “It’s energy sapping and the thing is that I’m a mover, so he wanted to take the legs away.
      “[Sky pundit] Johnny Nelson told me he was training on the same canvas in Austria in his training camp. So he was used to it.

      “For the first time in a long time he was boxing someone who wasn’t bothered about how much money he was getting, who wasn’t bothered about winning his belts. I was there to win.
      “If he’s done that to me, how many people has he done it to over the career? And how many people needed that money and didn’t say anything?
      “I was like, ‘I don’t need the fight anyway, so let’s just go home.’ With an hour left to go there was still no fight on, we were going home. I had my flights planned to leave.
      “In the end, Vitali Klitschko said, ‘Take it out.’ And then it was a normal canvas.”
      4 Gloves like cushions
      Fury said: “Then there was the problem with the gloves. In a world title fight as the mandatory challenger you can pick your gloves, whatever you want to wear.
      “The gloves I ordered were puncher’s gloves and the gloves they gave me were like two big cushions. They said, ‘These are the gloves we have, take them or leave them.’
      “I said, ‘You know what, give me the gloves, I’m not bothered about the gloves.’
      “At that point we couldn’t fly any gloves in, it was too late in the day. So we took the s***ty gloves that I didn’t want.”
      5 No one witnessed Klitschko’s hands being wrapped up
      Fury said: “In championship fights a person from the opposite team comes in the changing room and watches you get [your hands] wrapped up.
      “Vitali was in my changing room, so we sent my dad to go into his changing room and watch him get wrapped up.
      “But by the time my dad’s got there, he’s already wrapped up, bandages on, gloves on, ready to go.
      “So dad says, ‘Take them off or we’re going home again.’
      ‘CHEATING C***S’
      “Anyway, my dad stormed out the changing room and had an argument with his manager, he said, ‘Come on, let’s go home, they’re cheating c***s.
      “At that point I’m thinking, ‘God almighty, does it mean this much? Do you have to mess around this much to get a victory over a ten-to-one underdog?
      tyson fury news
      “Every single cheat he tried, we pulled him up on it, we made him change and play fair…
      “I believe Wladimir Klitschko was already beaten before he got in the ring on the night.
      “Watching him walk to the ring, he had the face of a loser straight away because all of his little antics didn’t work. All I had to do was go in there, play my part and win.” More

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      in Soccer

      David Beckham was a member of Real Madrid’s Brazilian clique leaving Spanish-speaking stars jealous, Robinho reveals

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      DAVID BECKHAM left Spanish-speaking members of the Real Madrid squad jealous thanks to being part of the Brazilian clique at the club, according to Robinho.The 39-year-old Brazilian and former Manchester City star recounted his time at the Bernabeu to Italian media outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport.
      David Beckham was a popular member of the dressing room at Real MadridCredit: Reuters
      Beckham spent four seasons at the Bernabeu before leaving for LA Galaxy in 2007Credit: EPA
      In April 2020, he spoke of the chemistry in the team and his ex team-mate Beckham, who owns MLS side Inter Miami, saying: ”When Madrid came, I saw that they had a large Brazilian presence in the team and they had Vanderlei Luxemburgo as their coach at the time.
      ”So, why go to Barcelona? There was a great harmony among the Brazilians in the squad. Beckham was always with the Brazilians. He was part of our group.
      ”The Spaniards were jealous because he spoke more Portuguese than Spanish, so he ended up spending more time with us.”
      After scoring more than 80 goals over four seasons at Santos, Brazilian Robinho moved to Europe and helped Real Madrid win back-to-back LaLiga titles in 2007 and 2008.
      Spanish giants Barca had had their eyes on the starlet at around that time, but Real swooped in with a deal before their rivals had the chance to steal their prize.
      He then stayed in Spain for three seasons before moving over to City in 2008.
      Things did not end on good terms for him and Real when his time with the club came to its eventual end.
      He also told Gazzetta: ”My goal was to go to Chelsea. But things ended badly with Real Madrid.
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      ”They didn’t like Chelsea selling shirts with my name on them before the deal was concluded.
      “I don’t regret leaving Madrid. But I am sorry I made mistakes with them when I left.
      ”Madrid was the club that opened my doors and offered me the opportunity to conquer Europe.”
      Former England captain Beckham joined LA Galaxy from Real in 2007 and part of his contract gave him the option to buy an MLS franchise at a reduced rate in the future.
      It took him several years, but he took up that option and he now owns Inter Miami.
      And the ex-Manchester United winger recruited former Old Trafford pal Phil Neville as his manager in January 2021. More