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      in Boxing

      Anthony Joshua’s amazing claim he sparred against champ Tyson Fury for a Rolex watch over 10 years ago

      by

      ANTHONY JOSHUA has called time on his big rival Tyson Fury – and revealed they sparred for a brand new Rolex watch.The former British world heavyweight champ was just an amateur when he first fought the Gypsy King.
      Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury sparred for a Rolex in 2010 when the Watford star was just an amateur
      AJ revealed that he read in boxing bible Boxing News that Fury was in London looking for sparring partners – and if anyone knocked him down they would get his expensive Rolex watch.
      Joshua told Sky Sports: “This was early on when I was an amateur and I didn’t know who Tyson was.
      “I was reading in Boxing News he was going around London gyms asking if anyone knocks him out they get to keep his Rolex.
      “Me and him had a straight war. We both have heart.
      “I didn’t get to knock him out. He said afterwards ‘Watch out for this kid, he will be champion of the world one day’.
      “And he got his prediction right.”
      AJ posted pictures before he hit the big time and this one was taken around 2010, when he would have sparred with FuryCredit: Instagram / @anthony_joshua

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      Any talk of a possible fight between AJ and Tyson Fury has been put on hold, after Joshua was beaten by Oleksandr Usyk.
      The Ukrainian is set to face off against Joshua in a heavyweight rematch this summer.
      While Fury faces off against Dillian Whyte on April 23.
      Anthony Joshua practices new left hook power shot he aims to KO Tyson Fury with as he trains while contract talks go on More

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      in Boxing

      Tyson Fury’s hardest fights, from McDermott ‘robbery’, to 47 stitches against Wallin and dropped by Cunningham

      by

      Tyson Fury is currently the heavyweight king following his two wins over Deontay Wilder.The Gypsy King demolished Wilder with an 11th round KO in October of last year – his second victory over the American in 20 months.
      Tyson Fury is out for another knockout in Las Vegas this monthCredit: PA:Press Association
      And yet in 2021, Anthony Joshua questioned his rival heavyweight CV – before losing to a man with only three bouts at heavyweight.
      Fury has fewer stellar names on his record but his two wins over Derek Chisora have improved with age thanks to Del Boy’s impressive recent run of form.
      And the Gypsy King did end Wladimir Klistchko’s 11-year unbeaten run, in his adopted German home and a full three years before AJ’s triumph.
      In fact, he should have three Wilder wins on his record after drawing the first of their trilogy contests before a demolition job in the rematch.
      But it has not all been one-way traffic.
      Here, SunSport remembers a few of the times Fury has come close to losing his unbeaten record and only his freakish combination of size and skill – and some dubious judging – have helped him survive deep water.
      John McDermott, 2009 – 98-92 points win – 8-0
      Fury, then just 21, showed plenty of guts and confidence by jumping in with a veteran McDermott for the English title in just his eighth pro fight. But the gamble should have backfired.
      McDermott, who never looked like much of an athlete, repeatedly whacked Fury with looping right hands and bullied the gangly novice over ten rounds.
      The Brentwood crowd gasped when referee Terry O’Connor, in charge of scoring the bout single-handed, raised Fury’s arm with a score of 98-92 or 8-2 in rounds.
      McDermott claims Fury’s father John met him in the Essex car park afterwards and said “the wrong man won”.
      The heartbroken slugger never bore a grudge, was stopped in the rematch and went on to become a sparring partner as Fury rose up the ranks.
      McDermott credits Fury with the bravery to face him so early in his career and the chin to take some of his best whacks but he knows who really won that fight.
      Tyson Fury was lucky to be handed a points win over John McDermott in 2009Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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      Neven Pajkic, 2011 – R3 TKO – 17-0
      Fury welcomed his Bosnia-born Canadian challenger to Manchester for the first defence of his Commonwealth title.
      Fury was 11 years younger but also two stone heavier and six inches taller.
      The Brit was coasting for the first five minutes, against a challenger not noted for his power, but he was thumped by a looping right hand and floored for the first time in his career.
      After making the count and battling back, Fury was clipped by the same shot with seconds of the round left but he remained vertical.
      And, with his frantic home crowd and family roaring him on from ringside, Fury dropped Pajkic twice in the second and was nailed on for the hat-trick before the ref saved him.
      Fury was dropped for the first time in his career against Neven PajkicCredit: Rex Features
      Steve Cunningham, 2013 – R7 KO – 21-0
      Fury wanted to put on a show for his US debut and spent the opening round switching stances, taunting Cunningham and landing a flamboyant range of shots, usually with his fists flying up from his waist.
      But, in the middle of another second-round showboat, Cunningham looped in the same overhand right McDermott and Pajkic had enjoyed success with and decked Fury.
      Unlike in the Wilder rematch, when it looked like Fury was unconscious for five seconds, Fury’s lights remained on.
      He got up and dominated the former cruiserweight for the five following rounds and, with Cunningham exhausted after being mauled and whacked by a man three stone heavier for 20 minutes, he was floored and stopped by a right hook.
      Fury was put to the canvas in the second round against CunninghamCredit: Action Images – Reuters
      Deontay Wilder, 2018 – split draw – 27-0-1
      Fury’s own father, himself a former fighter, thought taking on the unbeaten KO artist after three years of depression, obesity and drug abuse was madness.
      Only Tyson and promoter Frank Warren seemed to really fancy his chances of flying over to America and dethroning the terrifying Alabama slammer.
      But Fury raced into Los Angeles and befuddled Wilder for most of the fight until the drastic weight loss, inactivity and a couple of lapses in concentration cost him the win – officially – but secured his place as an almost mythical fighting figure.
      Wilder landed two cuffing blows around the back of Fury’s head in round nine and he folded into the canvas for a count but he rose and returned fire.
      Then, in the 12th, Wilder almost decapitated Fury with a right hand and left hook that robbed him of all his senses.
      For five seconds Fury, eyes closed in the land of nod, looked like a beaten man. But he rose in the nick of time and was harshley handed a draw after somehow fighting back and dominating the round in one of the most stunning rounds in modern boxing.
      Tyson Fury somehow salvaged a draw after being KO’d by WilderCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Otto Wallin – 2019 – unanimous decision – 29-0-1
      After penning a £100m contract with ESPN, Fury was allowed a couple of ‘easy’ Stateside fights to charm the pay-per-view buying fans ahead of the Wilder rematch.
      Tom Schwartz three months earlier was a jolly-up but Swedish southpaw Otto Wallin was almost a bloody disaster.
      Without a bonafide cut man in his corner, Fury had his right eye slashed open by a left hand in the third round that required a whopping forty seven stitches.
      Fury and then trainer Ben Davison, at the time an untested 27-year-old, kept ice cool heads in the Las Vegas heat and held on for a points win.
      If Wallin – or any out-of-town challenger – had suffered a similar slash against a champion with a mega-money TV deal, he would have been hauled out and handed a loss.
      But Fury got the benefit of the doubt from referee Tony Weeks and deserved the win after showing unflappable nerves and solid skills.
      Tyson Fury required 47 stitches in his win over Otto WallinCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Eddie Hearn says Tyson Fury ‘doesn’t look ready’ for Deontay Wilder trilogy fight but will still ‘win comfortably’ More

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      in Boxing

      Tyson Fury lets trainer SugarHill Steward live rent free in his stunning Las Vegas luxury mansion

      by

      TYSON FURY revealed he lets coach SugarHill Steward stay in his Las Vegas mansion RENT-FREE ahead of his clash with Dillian Whyte.The Gypsy King is gearing up for a long-awaited domestic dust-up with the Brixton Body Snatcher on April 23 at Wembley Stadium.
      Tyson Fury will prepare for his April showdown with Dillian Whyte in Morecambe
      And coach SugarHill Steward will get to stay in Fury’s Vegas mansion for freeCredit: Getty
      Fury showed off his plush Vegas digs ahead of his trilogy fight with Deontay WilderCredit: INSTAGRAM
      But the WBC heavyweight champ has not headed Stateside for his training camp as he did for his back-to-back fights with American Deontay Wilder.
      And that meant coach Steward got to lap it up in Fury’s plush Sin City digs until he jetted over to Morecambe to put the finishing touches on the star’s preparations.
      Discussing his preparations previously, he said: “The time difference is too much for me to go back to Las Vegas to train again, for a UK fight.
      “When I fight in the UK I train here, when I fight in America, I train there.
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      “But after April I will go back to Las Vegas because that is the home of the Gypsy King, those rays of sunshine is where I belong.
      “I have bought a big beautiful house out there and never really used it, one camp.
      “My trainer SugarHill is living in the house rent-free right now, sending me photos of all the fun he is having. I love it over there.”
      Meanwhile, despite admitting Whyte packs a devastating blow too, Steward claims it will be no match for Fury’s on the night in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley.
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      Speaking to Boyle Sports, Steward explained: “We’ve seen Dillian Whyte’s punching power over the years, he’s no different than these other heavyweights are.
      “Everybody has a chance in the heavyweight division, that’s why it’s the most exciting division.
      “Everybody wants one heavyweight to hit the other heavyweight and them to go down. That’s it.
      “That’s what the heavyweight division brings. That’s what the heavyweight division is about.
      “It’s about that one punch knockout at any given time, it can happen.
      “Yeah, Dillian Whyte has a chance. He can punch, he’s a tremendous puncher.
      ‘THE KO KING’
      “He’s almost got as many knockouts as Tyson Fury. The only real difference if i’m really being honest is Tyson Fury is the knockout king.
      “He dethroned the previous knockout king, so that makes Tyson legitimately the knockout king.
      “He’s the big puncher in boxing now, the same way he dethroned Wladimir Klitschko, he dethroned Deontay Wilder by knocking him out – giving him a taste of his own medicine – twice.
      “That makes Tyson legitimately, factually the biggest puncher in boxing.
      “You can’t become the biggest puncher in boxing if you don’t take out the bigger puncher.”
      Fury is ditching all his social media accounts ahead of his clash with Dillian WhyteCredit: INSTAGRAM@GYPSYKING101 More

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      Nine Arsenal wonderkids who never lived up to their potential in North London including Eddie Nketiah and Serge Gnabry

      by

      ARSENAL have been responsible for producing some of the Premier League’s finest young talents over the years.Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have been the latest to take the league by storm in the last couple of seasons.
      Nketiah is expected to leave Arsenal at the end of the seasonCredit: Getty
      However, some youngsters have not lived up to expectations.
      Ian Wright recently slammed Eddie Nketiah, 22, for not making the most of his chances at the club.
      In a passionate rant on the Arseblog podcast, he said: “If you’re at Arsenal, in London, a team that’s so capable, the manager has got something, you could be that f***ing centre-forward there for f***ing years.
      “Something has happened somewhere along the line.”
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      With Nketiah running the risk of becoming another failed Arsenal wonderkid, SunSport looks at eight others who failed to make an impression.
      Chris Willock
      Chris Willock was sold to Benfica in 2017Credit: Getty – Contributor
      Brother of former Arsenal midfielder Joe, Chris was expected to become a club hero after his consistent performances for the U23’s.
      However, things did not quite go to plan.
      He made just two appearances for the club in the 2016/17 season – both in the Carabao Cup.
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      He was eventually sold to Benfica in 2017, when Arsene Wenger decided that there was no permanent place for him.
      In 2020 he signed for QPR on a three-year deal for a fee of around £750,000.
      Willock has since revealed that he is determined to return to the Premier League to play alongside his brother, who is now at Newcastle.
      Fran Merida
      Fran Merida joined from Barcelona in 2005 but never established himselfCredit: Bradley Ormesher – The Times
      Merida broke into the Gunners’ first team during the 2007/08 season – two years after he joined the club from Barcelona.
      He was loaned out to Real Sociedad once during his three-year stint at the club, but on his return he still struggled to secure a regular place in the first team.
      In 2012 he joined Atletico Madrid, but that spell was just as unsuccessful.
      He was sold by Atletico in 2012 but remained in Spain by joining second division side Hercules, but he was there for a matter of months.
      He moved on to Atletico Paranaense, then Huesca, then Osasuna before settling at Espanyol, where he is currently playing.
      Carlos Vela
      Carlos Vela made most of his appearances in the League CupCredit: Jamie McPhilimey – The Sun
      The Mexican international was tipped for greatness when he burst onto the scene in the 2008/09 season.
      He scored a hat-trick on his full debut for the Gunners against Sheffield United in the League Cup.
      Vela failed to nail down a regular place in the starting line-up and his appearances were limited to the league cup.
      He was loaned out five times whilst at Arsenal.
      In 2011 he joined Real Sociadad, where he found some form in the six years he spent at the club.
      He is currently at Los Angeles FC, where he has scored an impressive 71 goals in 106 games.
      Arturo Lupoli
      Arturo Lupoli is now playing in Serie DCredit: PA:Press Association
      The Italian striker joined Arsenal in 2004 from Parma after an impressive season for their U17’s side.
      He continued his impressive form the following season, scoring 27 goals or Arsenal’s youth squad.
      Lupoli was loaned to Derby in 2006, where he scored seven goals in 35 games.
      The next season, Arsenal decided to sell him and he returned to Italy to play for Fiorentina.
      He is now with Serie D side Borgo San Donnino.
      Wellington Silva
      Silva did not make an appearance for the GunnersCredit: Kenny Ramsay – The Sun Glasgow
      Wenger praised Silva’s talent when the Brazilian joined Arsenal in 2010.
      However, the winger never appeared for the first team.
      Until the 2015-16 term, he failed to obtain the necessary work permit in order to play in England.
      That year he joined Bolton on loan, but he failed to secure a spot in the starting line-up.
      He then moved back to Brazil with Fluminense before going out on loan to Gamba Osaka, where he currently plays.
      Gedion Zelalem
      Zelalem made his debut at the age of 16Credit: Getty – Contributor
      The midfielder made his Arsenal debut in 2014 at the age of 16.
      In doing so, he became the first player born after Wenger took charge of Arsenal in 1996 to play for the Gunners.
      Injuries prevented him from permanently featuring in the first team and he was loaned out twice to Rangers and VVV-Venlo.
      He is now playing for New York City FC, where he is still limited by injuries.
      David Bentley
      Bentley scored a fantastic chip against MiddlesbroughCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Bentley joined Arsenal in 2001.
      Many compared him to Dennis Bergkamp after his sensational chip against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup in 2004.
      But, he failed to impress after that and was sold to Blackburn in 2006.
      His career failed to take off again during his time at Rovers, and after a poor spell at Tottenham he retired in 2014 at the age of 29.
      Serge Gnabry
      Gnabry has become a Bundesliga superstarCredit: Getty
      Gnabry joined the club in 2012 and spent a four-year spell in North London.
      During his stay he was loaned out to West Brom where Tony Pulis infamously claimed that he was “not at the level” to play for the Championship club.
      He was sold to Werder Bremen in 2016.
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Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}bargaining chip .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Ukraine snatches Putin’s pal ‘Prince of Darkness’ & offers trade for POWs
      He was with the Green and Whites for a year and made 27 appearances.
      Gnabry then signed for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, where he has become a key asset, scoring 61 goals in 160 appearances. More

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      in Soccer

      Carlo Ancelotti’s all-time XI of players he has managed including Chelsea stars Terry and Lampard plus flop Shevchenko

      by

      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, 62, 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.
      .css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}.css-q8gelu{margin-bottom:24px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1x7hydu{font-family:The Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-1x7hydu::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -0.5px);}.css-1x7hydu::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}Most Read In Football.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-zdjvqv{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:space-around;-ms-flex-pack:space-around;-webkit-justify-content:space-around;justify-content:space-around;margin-top:calc(-12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(-12px/2);}.css-zdjvqv:before,.css-zdjvqv:after{content:”;display:block;}.css-1meuhfk{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-top:calc(12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(12px/2);}
      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 one of the favourites for this year’s 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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      How Romelu Lukaku lost a stone and a half after Inter Milan discovered dodgy digestive system which Man Utd missed

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      BEFORE returning to Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku turned into the striker Manchester United thought they had signed – not the one that failed to set Old Trafford alight.At Inter Milan, Lukaku lost the bulk and the brawn, but none of the goalscoring ability that lay dormant at Old Trafford.
      Lukaku looked much slimmer around the midsection at Inter than he did at Man Utd – and it was down to a ‘malfunction’ in his digestive system
      The numbers speak for themselves.
      He was the fastest signing to reach 20 goals for Inter Milan, needing just 29 games, after he signed in 2019 from the Red Devils.
      For comparison, the great Brazilian Ronaldo needed 31 matches, Hernan Crespo 36 and Christian Vieri 38 to reach the same mark.
      In the 44 games he played in the 2019-2020 season he scored 30 goals, helping Inter to their first Serie A title in 11 years, winning the league’s MVP award in doing so.
      And it was all done by shedding more than half a stone in just 12 days.
      United and Lukaku failed to realise the reason he was so bulky was that his digestive system had been ‘malfunctioning’, according to The Telegraph.
      The results of a new diet and conditioning programme were clear when Lukaku took off his shirt and hung it on the corner flag after scoring the final goal in a memorable 4-2 win over Milan in February.  
      Romelu Lukaku Bolingoli celebrates after scoring against AC MilanCredit: Getty
      Lukaku previously did not take too kindly to comments about his weight
      None of the bloat that was apparent at United, where he still scored 42 goals in 77 starts, is there any more.
      The definition in his arms was clear as he kissed the shirt of the club that gave his career a real purpose again.
      In fact, he resembled the Lukaku at Everton, with an overall smaller frame.
      It was clear the jibes about his physique riled him.
      Gary Neville called Lukaku ‘unprofessional’ after he admitted he turned up to United’s pre-season overweight at 16st 3lb.
      Neville blasted: “He admitted he was overweight! He is over 100kg! He’s a Manchester United player! He will score goals and do well at Inter Milan but unprofessionalism is contagious.”
      SunSport told you Lukaku was shown the exit door after being 9lb overweight at United.
      But he said a new diet of fish, sweet potatoes, pasta and raw vegetables had worked wonders.
      Lukaku’s frame was bulkier when he was UtdCredit: PA:Press Association
      Now he looks a lot leaner after changing his diet and realising there was an issue with his digestive systemCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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      A new playing formation that suited him, a coach in Antonio Conte who knew how to get the best out of him and closer attention to his body and his needs.
      But unfortunately for Lukaku, Conte departed after winning the league in Italy amid a row over the club’s transfer policy.
      In a farewell post online, the striker hailed his ex-boss and referenced the physical and mental turnaround the Italian helped mastermind.
      Lukaku wrote on Instagram: “2014 we spoke for the first time and we have had a bond ever since.
      “We had many moments to work together but only god knows why it never happened earlier.

      “You came at the right time and basically changed me as a player and made me even stronger mentally and more importantly we won together!
      “Winning is and it’s all that matters to you and i’m glad that i have had you as a coach.
      “I will keep your principles for the rest of my career (physical preparation, mental and just the drive to win…) it was a pleasure to play for you!
      “Thank you for all what you did. I owe you a lot..”
      Hardly groundbreaking ideas. These are things United could surely have provided easily, too.
      How, now, they must be kicking themselves. These are certain lessons that could also be learned by Chelsea, where he struggles once more. More

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      Hidetoshi Nakata, the David Beckham of Asia, launched luxury sake business worth £2,350-a-bottle

      by

      HIDETOSHI NAKATA doesn’t do things for the sake of it.Japan’s footballing superstar, dubbed the David Beckham of Asia, spent 11 years at the top before ending it all at the age of 29 to pursue a new dream of producing rice wine.
      Retired Japanese superstar Hidetoshi Nakata now has a booming business selling sake
      It wasn’t quite that straight forward, though.
      The midfielder shocked his nation when he retired from football just a few weeks after Japan’s 2006 World Cup came to an end with defeat to Brazil.
      Nakata was his country’s star in Europe after earning a move to the Italian Serie A and impressed at Perugia, Roma and Parma before ending his career with Sam Allardyce’s Bolton.
      “Every country I went to people asked me about Japan but I didn’t know anything about it,” Nakata told CNN.
      Nakata’s rice wine sake costs between £1,570 and £2,350 a bottleCredit: AFP – Getty
      Nakata has even sold a Kit Kat flavoured sakeCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Former Bolton midfielder Nakata is now a sake connoisseurCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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      “That’s a part of my life, so I need to become a better Japanese person.”
      Nakata had left his country at an early age for football so went in search of his roots.. and ended up finding rice.
      He drove to all 47 prefectures in Japan to immerse back in his own culture and came across sake, the alcoholic drink made from fermented rice.
      Nakata went to 200 of the 1,300 breweries in Japan.
      Nakata is known as the David Beckham of AsiaCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Nakata played retired after Brazil knocked Japan out the 2006 World CupCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      “Once I started understanding the culture behind sake and the industry, I started to understand the quality of sake and the people behind it, the history behind it,” he said.
      Nakata was so enthralled by the drink he turned it into a business.
      Using his initial, Nakata launched his own label called “N” and chose the Takagi Shuzo brewery in Yamagata prefecture to produce his sake.
      It was unveiled in 2013 and cost between £1,570 and £2,350 a bottle with only 1,000 produced.
      Experts in the sake-sipping industry say it goes well with fatty fish and red meat.
      Nakata was Japan’s footballing superstar who broke into EuropeCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Nakata played for Perugia, Roma, Bologna and FiorentinaCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Nakata battled with Serie A’s best including Edgar DavidsCredit: Reuters
      Brazilian legend Ronaldinho and Nakata battled for both club and countryCredit: Getty – Contributor
      After retiring, Sake visited all 47 prefectures in JapanCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      To the untrained eye, you wouldn’t know it was Nakata’s sake though as it comes in a black bottle without a label.
      And the former footballer wasn’t foolish enough to compete with his fellow countrymen so he only sold in Europe.
      “In Japan, the beer market is growing, and the young generation don’t know about sake,” he said in 2016.
      “They know more about wine instead. The potential of sake outside of Japan is bigger, but there is a lack of information and education.”
      Nakata’s final move was to the Premier LeagueCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Nakata played for Bolton Wanderers in the 2005-06 seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Nakata starred in Sam Allardyce’s midfield at the Reebok StadiumCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Nakata has worked with hundreds of brands to promote sake across the globe, and some were stranger than others.
      In September last year, Nestle announced a partnership with the former footballer to create a Kit Kat sake and opened a pop-up bar in Tokyo.
      There were chocolate bars with sake flavour and rice wines to complement a Kit Kat.
      Nakata has immersed himself in this new world of his, a sake connoisseur bringing a taste of Japan to the rest of the globe.
      “I just do things I have a passion for. Soccer, craft, culture,” he said. “I’m not doing it for money or fame. That’s why, for me, there is no real success or no real fail.” More

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      Chelsea star N’Golo Kante is the nicest man in football, and one of the richest with a £25m fortune

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      N’GOLO KANTE is a regular among football’s most popular players and broke into the Sunday Times Young Sport Rich List.The Chelsea and France midfielder has amassed impressive fortune of £25million but he is well-known as a humble, down-to-earth figure off the pitch.
      The much-loved midfielder is currently starring for France at Euro 2020Credit: Getty
      Kante has enjoyed a rapid rise from his early days playing in the French second-tierCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Despite his wealth, Kante still drops by local mosques to pray and hang out with fans or even showing up at a supporter’s wedding.
      Even on the pitch, his sparkling attitude comes across when deliberately refusing to punish teammates in a fun training game and memorably being too shy to hold the World Cup.
      It is clear his humble mantra spills over into his finances too with Kante saving more than a few pennies by driving a Mini rather than a supercar.
      And it isn’t hard to see how the Frenchman made it to seventh in the Sunday Times ‘Young Sportsmen’ Rich List, for athletes aged under 30 in 2020.
      After signing a new Chelsea contract in November 2018, he is thought to have doubled his pre-tax wages from £150,000-a-week to £300,000-a-week.
      The Blues also paid out handsomely after Kante helped Antonio Conte’s side win the 2016/17 Premier League title.
      A £5m fund was reportedly set up by Roman Abramovich to reward the squad, weighting bonuses towards those who made the most appearances – such as Kante and his 35 matches.
      A similar prize of around £250,000 was mooted for every member of France’s World Cup-winning squad in 2018 and no doubt he will have received another tidy bonus after helping Chelsea to beat Manchester City in last month’s Champions League final.
      EURO 2020 FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS

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      However Leicester’s title run of 2016 came so unexpectedly that no cash bonus was set aside for Kante and Co – leaving them to share a £6.5m pot between them for simply finishing above 12th.
      Of course, the Foxes got plenty of other perks and the midfielder would cash in by heading to Stamford Bridge the following summer.
      In 2020, he agreed a fresh deal to remain a brand ambassador for German sports clothing giant Adidas.
      ⚽ Follow ALL of the latest news and updates from Euro 2020 with our live blog
      Chelsea star N’Golo Kante proves he is football’s most likeable character by hilariously posing in sunglasses during line-up photo More