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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.
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      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?
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      “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

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      in Soccer

      Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti’s all-time XI of players he has managed includes Chelsea legends Terry and Lampard

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      CARLO ANCELOTTI once named his best XI of players he has managed during his long career – and included Chelsea flop Andriy Shevchenko.The Real Madrid head coach, now 63, has bossed the likes of AC Milan, Chelsea, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Napoli in his illustrious career.
      Ancelotti’s best XI includes Chelsea stars John Terry, Frank Lampard and Andriy Shevchenko
      But somehow the Italian picked his favourite team of stars he coached during the earlier days of his career.
      Ancelotti has four league titles to his name as a manager, with another on the way this season at the Bernabeu.
      Added to that the Italian lifted the Champions League on three occasions – two of which were with AC Milan.
      It’s little wonder Ancelotti has his best XI stacked with San Siro stars, either, with the Milan giants dominating European football for much of his reign.
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      Ancelotti’s XI is based on players he coached, prior to those he worked with at Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and his second spell at the Bernabeu.
      Which explains why there is no room for Cristiano Ronaldo.
      Karim Benzema too would certainly be in with a shout if Ancelotti named his team again in today’s age, with the Frenchman  Ballon d’Or following a scintillating season in front of goal.
      But who did make the cut?
      MADE IN MILAN
      In goal, Ancelotti has gone for Gianluigi Buffon, who he managed during his time at Parma, before the Italian stopper became a Juventus stalwart.
      The defence reads like a real dream back-four, with Milan stars Cafu and Paolo Maldini joined by former Chelsea captain John Terry and current Blues ace Thiago Silva.
      In a star-studded midfield diamond, Andrea Pirlo and Kaka are the Milan stars at the base and the tip.
      Zinedine Zidane, who Ancelotti managed at Juventus, and now-Everton boss Frank Lampard sit in the middle of the park.
      Ancelotti pictured with Zidane during their time together at JuventusCredit: PA:Press Association
      And while Sevchenko failed to ever really live up to expectations during his time at Stamford Bridge, Ancelotti still has him down as one of the two best striker Ancelotti has managed.
      Milan-era Shevchenko starts up front with current AC Milan man Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Ancelotti’s best XI. More

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      in Boxing

      Tyson Fury applauded Sky Sports’ Adam Smith after the presenter took offence to Johnny Nelson’s verdict on Usyk

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      TYSON FURY has revealed he applauded Sky Sports’ Adam Smith when he slammed Johnny Nelson for labelling Oleksandr Usyk an ‘average southpaw’. Nelson, who was cruiserweight world champion between 1999 and 2005, incredibly claimed in 2021 that pound-for-pound superstar Usyk was not a standout boxer compared to other southpaws.
      Fury has defended Usyk’s ability as he praised Smith for his assessment of the UkrainianCredit: Getty
      Smith hailed Usyk as a fantastic fighter – both as an amateur and a professionalCredit: Getty
      Sky Sports presenter and commentator Smith took umbrage to that view.
      And Fury has declared he agreed with Smith in slamming Nelson’s controversial point.
      Grabbing the mic and interviewing the Sky man on iFL TV, Fury said: “A couple of months ago Johnny Nelson said to you that Oleksandr Usyk is an average southpaw cruiserweight.
      “And I was actually very impressed with your thing. You was absolutely livid, absolutely boiling. You was like ‘arghhhh’. Can you tell us a bit more about it?”
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      And Smith explained: “I was doing an interview and Johnny just said he was an average southpaw and I just took complete offence to that.
      “I think he is a fantastic fighter. I think he was a wonderful amateur. He was brilliant against Joshua and I thought that was a disgraceful thing for my good friend and colleague to say.
      “But there we go, that’s his opinion.”
      Fury then replied: “I was actually clapping in the room because that was amazing. So well done for that.”
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      Usyk, an Olympic gold medallist from London 2012, beat Anthony Joshua by unanimous decision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September to claim the IBF, WBA and WBO world titles.
      And he defended his belts in their rematch on August 20 in Saudi Arabia last year.
      Meanwhile, Fury followed up his win against Dillian Whyte with a resounding victory over Derek Chisora.
      It sets up a potential Usyk v Fury fight – which has been pencilled in for April 29, according to Frank Warren.
      The venue is yet to be confirmed – with Saudi Arabia and London as suggestions.
      Recent reports have suggested Fury already has another opponent on his radar, should he be victorious over the Ukrainian.
      Fury is said to want a meet with Joe Joyce on home soil. More

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      in Soccer

      Josef Bican was ‘Czech Cristiano Ronaldo’ who would cost £300m today, but Portugal star still well off his 1,468 goals

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      JOSEF BICAN would have been as famous as Pele if he had played in a different era.That is the view of a Fifa historian as Cristiano Ronaldo remains miles off is unofficial 1,468 goal tally.
      Josef Bican is the highest official goalscorer of all timeCredit: Getty
      Cristiano Ronaldo overtook Bican’s 805 goal haulCredit: Getty
      Although no one is certain of the exact number of goals he bagged as Bican’s career spanned from 1931 to 1955 when record keeping was not quite as efficient as it is in 2022.
      But the most common tally credited to the former Slavia Prague ace is 805 goals – 779 for club and 26 international – according to Fifa.
      As with the late Pele, the lines are somewhat blurry when it comes to official and unofficial goals scored.
      The Brazil legend changed his Instagram bio to read ‘Highest goalscorer of all time (1,283)’ in a bid to cling onto his self-awarded title.
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      Pele is actually only credited with 757 official strikes – with his higher total generally understood to include goals scored in friendly and tour matches.
      Ronaldo, now 38, returned to Manchester United the summer before last and bagged 24 goals – as well as becoming international football’s all-time leading scorer – to surpass Pele’s total.
      However, he has since left the club for Al Nassr after a fallout with the Red Devils and opened his account in his second game for the club.
      He has 820 goals to his name in his career, according to records.
      But even on unofficial goals, Fifa still give the crown to Bican with a staggering 1,468 – even though Ronaldo has now overtaken his official tally of 805 goals.
      Fifa note on their website: “The Brazilian legend [Pele] includes in his tally goals scored in unofficial games.
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      “And if we were to do the same for Bican, his mark would be an estimated 1,468 – even if these figures are difficult to verify given their era.”
      Bican was born on September 25, 1913 in Vienna and died in Prague on December 12, 2001.
      He is believed to have scored his stunning 805 goals in just 530 games – a goal rate which would surely see him worth at least £300million in today’s market.
      Bican played for Austria at the 1934 World Cup in Italy before switching his allegiance to his adopted homeland of Czechoslovakia – now the Czech Republic.
      He scored 14 goals in 19 games for the Austrians before making the switch – which was still permitted in the 30s.
      Having played for Hertha Vienna – like his father had – Bican switched to Rapid Vienna in 1931 and started his professional career where he spent six years.
      In 1937, Bican transferred to Slavia Prague where he fell in love with the club and the country.
      Bican played for Slavia for 11 years and later became their manager.
      During his time in Prague, he successfully applied for Czech citizenship and played for the country 14 times between 1939 and 1949 – scoring 12 times.
      Bican did not represent his new nation at the 1938 World Cup in France because of an admin error. And the next two tournaments were cancelled because of World War II.
      Pele claimed he holds the crown but his 1,283 unofficial tally includes goals scored in friendlies and tour matchesCredit: Instagram / @pele
      Czechoslovakia – along with several other Soviet countries – refused to participate in the 1950 World Cup.
      And these World Cup absences are why Fifa historian Radovan Jelinek thinks the goal machine was not more well known.
      He said: “Bican was incredibly unlucky at the height of his career. There was no World Cup in 1942 or 1946 because of the war.
      “If the 1942 edition had taken place, for example, he would surely have become more widely known. Perhaps he might even have been as famous as Pele.”
      Describing his goalscoring prowess on Czech TV in 1990, Bican said: “When I talk to young reporters, they always say, ‘Mr Bican, scoring was easier back in your day.’
      “So I ask them, ‘How come? Look, are there opportunities today?’ And they tell me, ‘Of course there are, many of them’.
      “And I say, ‘There you go. If there weren’t opportunities, it would be difficult. But if there are, scoring is the same as it was a hundred years ago, and it’ll be the same in a hundred years’ time too. It’ll always be the same.”
      Reports suggest Bican could run 100m in 10.8 seconds – just half a second slower than the world record at the time.
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      Bican’s father Frantiesk fought in World War I and returned unscathed but ironically it was football that killed him.
      The Hertha player picked up a serious kidney injury during a game and eventually died from the problem. More