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      Former Celtic star Stuart Gray dies aged 50 after agonising cancer fight as Hoops stars to pay tribute vs Ross County

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      FORMER Celtic star Stuart Gray has passed away at the age of 50 following a cancer battle, the club has confirmed. The son of Scotland and Leeds hero Eddie, Gray came through the ranks at Parkhead, spending six years at the Hoops in which he made 28 appearances.
      Stuart Gray made 28 appearances for CelticCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Stuart Gray in action for CelticCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      The club paid tribute to their former midfielder – who was recently diagnosed with stage four cholangiocarcinoma – a cancer that forms in the bile ducts.
      The Hoops wrote: “Everyone at #CelticFC is deeply saddened by the news that former Celt, Stuart Gray has passed away after illness at the age of 50.
      “The Celtic players will wear black armbands in tribute to Stuart at today’s game against Ross County. Rest in Peace Stuart, YNWA”
      After loan spells at Bournemouth and Morton, the Scotland Under-21 cap then joined Tommy Burns at Reading.

      A talented left sided player, Gray’s career continued south of the border with spells at Rushden and Diamonds, Oxford Utd, Fleetwood Town and Guiseley.
      Former teammate Craig Burley wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Thoughts & condolences to Eddie Gray & family after the loss of his son and my former teammate Stuart Gray. RIP Stuart.”
      So too did Simon Donnelly, an old contemporary and pal from the Parkhead youth ranks, telling Celtic TV: “A really sad day. Terribly sad, Stuart was one of my first mates at the club, when I came here in 1992.
      “Fantastic player. It’s fantastic to see the fans to a man there standing to pay tribute to him.”
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      Gray was told that by the time this cancer begins to show symptoms, it is usually too advanced for surgery, which is currently the only known cure – with the situation complicated by the fact he was also suffering from a chronic liver disease.
      Fans and well wishers had raised £50,000 to help with his treatment via a GoFundMe page set up by his brother Nick.
      While some of the treatments for Stuart’s illness are widely available on the NHS, some of the newer and more experimental treatments are less readily available and very costly. 
      How Celtic broke the news
      Gray in action for the Scotland Under-21s
      Stuart Gray had raised almost £50k for his own treatment
      Stuart Gray plays for Morton
      He said recently how thankful he was for all the support, writing: “To all the people who have donated and sent messages and good wishes, I want to say how deeply thankful I am to each and every one of you. It means the world to me and my family to see the support we have. Love Stuart x”
      “Unfortunately, time is not on my side, and to wait for approval of these various experimental treatments, and then for the treatments to be administered by the NHS, will likely take years.
      “Accessing these drugs and treatments privately is costly and can be difficult. 
      “My family and I will be posting regular updates along the way and will be partaking in various fundraising efforts to help pay for any treatment that may be needed in the coming months and, God willing, years. 
      “Any help or support you can offer during this process would be appreciated more than you will ever know.” 
      Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More

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      Celtic legend Scott Brown ‘approached’ by English club amid Ayr Utd manager interest

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      CELTIC legend Scott Brown appears to be a man in demand as he looks to resume his managerial career.With Ayr United reportedly considering Broony as the man they want as their new boss, an English club have now entered the fray.
      Brown could reportedly be offered a route back to English footballCredit: Reuters
      Scottish Championship outfit Ayr sacked Lee Bullen last week, and Brown has emerged as one of several contenders for the job.
      The former Scotland skipper immediately became the bookmakers’ favourite for the Somerset Park gig while a report claimed Ayr were “keen” to make him their next manager.
      Brown, 38, was axed by Fleetwood Town back in September.
      It was his first managerial role, and the spell came to an end after 16 months in charge.

      But according to the Daily Record, the opportunity for Brown to return to English football could be on the horizon.
      They claim that Forest Green Rovers have “made an approach” to Brown as they look to replace Troy Deeney.
      Watford legend Deeney was sacked after just 29 days in charge and the EFL League Two outfit are looking for yet another manager.
      Including caretakers, they’ve had four different managers since sacking Ian Burchnall almost exactly a year ago.
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      One of those, of course, was ex-Rangers star Duncan Ferguson who’s now back in Scotland in charge of Inverness CT.
      Forest Green find themselves in trouble at the bottom end of League Two.
      They sit second bottom on 19 points, and are six points adrift of safety.

      Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More

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      Scotland hero officially RETIRES with emotional post as ‘little lad from the East End’ hints at career change

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      ROBERT SNODGRASS has signed off on his 20-year playing career with an emotional post on social media.The 36-year-old former Scotland international has been out of the game since leaving Hearts at the end of last season.
      Robert Snodgrass leads the way at Scotland trainingCredit: Kenny Ramsay – The Sun Glasgow
      Robert Snodgrass in actionCredit: Kenny Ramsay – The Sun Glasgow
      He’s previously graced massive clubs like Leeds United, West Ham, Aston Villa and West Brom – not to mention racking up 28 caps for Scotland.
      And in an emotional statement, he said he would be focusing on giving his knowledge and help to the next generation.
      Namechecking agents SMI World, it seems likely that his first steps will be in agency or coaching.
      “After 20 years of playing professional football I have officially retired and decided to call it day and hang the boots up.

      “A little lad from the east end of Glasgow got to live his childhood dream for 20 years playing at 10 great clubs, meeting amazing people and building relationships with staff and people around those clubs, getting to represent my country, playing over 600+ games scoring over 100+goals and 100+ assists is something I wouldn’t of never imagined doing, then getting told in 2014 I might never play football again after a career ending knee injury to then come back and play another 250+ games is something I am grateful for.
      “Big thank you to my family and friends and my agents @SMi_World for supporting me and being there, I wouldn’t have played for so long if I didn’t have the support of you all.
      “Thank you to my team mates and coaches.
      “Lastly a huge thank you to the supporters who drove me forward and supported me through good and bad times.
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      “I always tried to play for the badge and what that meant to the fans and the history and traditions of your football club, also knowing the money you paid to come and watch the least you deserved was a minimum of hard work and I hope I showed you that.
      “I will miss this beautiful game but after the last 6 months it’s time to give my knowledge and help to the next generation.”
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      Shock moment Rangers star chases after car being towed away as Wag says ‘how’s your day going?’

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      MANY Rangers players have been enjoying their winter break off by jetting away for a bit of relaxation.But one Ibrox hero found himself in a bit of a stressful situation, it seems!
      The Rangers ace jogged after the car being towedCredit: INSTAGRAM
      He caught up with the tow truckCredit: INSTAGRAM
      He had a look at what was going onCredit: INSTAGRAM
      The defender could be seen asking a questionCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Although he’s represented Nigeria at international level for the past decade, Rangers defender Leon Balogun was born in Germany.
      And the big defender made the most of his time off by heading back to his home city, Berlin.
      He’s been in the German capital with glamorous partner Mayara Zamboni, who’s been giving her Instagram followers a sneak peek into the couple’s travels.
      But having enjoyed lunch, things seemed to take a bit of an eventful turn!

      To her stories, Mayara posted a short clip captioned “how is your day going😬?”
      And the clip shows Gers ace Balogun chasing a tow truck down a Berlin street!
      The 35-year old can be seen gesturing to the driver with his arm outstrecthed as the short clip comes to an end.
      A black Mini Clubman can be seen being towed away on the back of the truck and while it can’t be confirmed who the car belongs to, Mayara certainly appears to be hinting it’s one of theirs.
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      Whether or not they managed to get the motor off of the truck remains to be seen!
      Despite the rather unfortunate turn of events, Leon and Mayara, who’s a Brazilian model, continued on their way.
      She posted a snap of them both smiling as they walked past the Berlin Wall, with Mayara joking she’d “turned a Berliner into a tourist today.”
      Balogun’s holiday won’t be lasting much longer.
      That’s because Rangers are heading-off to Spain this week for a warm-weather training camp at La Manga.
      There will be home comforts – of sorts – for Balogun over there, however, with the Gers taking on Hertha Berlin in a behind closed doors friendly on Saturday.
      Philippe Clement’s men will return to Glasgow to face FC Copenhagen at Ibrox next Tuesday before getting up and running again against Dumbarton in the Scottish Cup on Saturday, January 20.
      Balogun is on holiday with partner MayaraCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More

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      Former Rangers star fighting for his life in hospital after horror car crash

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      FORMER Rangers and Scotland starlet Dapo Mebude has been rushed to hospital after being involved in a horror car crash.Concerning reports coming out of Belgium say the 22-year old suffered ‘life-threatening injuries’ after the incident on Sunday morning.
      Mebude (right) got his Rangers debut under Steven GerrardCredit: The Sun
      Mebude played for the Rangers first team in the Scottish PremiershipCredit: Willie Vass – The Sun
      Mebude has been capped by Scotland’s under-21sCredit: Willie Vass
      Mebude joined the Rangers academy aged 11 and broke into the first team under Steven Gerrard.
      He made his debut in May 2019 as a 17-year old, coming on as a substitute in the Premiership against Kilmarnock.
      During his time at Ibrox, he also had a spell on loan at Queen of the South where he got his first regular taste of first team football.
      Born in London, Mebude has been capped at youth level by Scotland all the way up to the under-21s.

      He left Rangers in the summer of 2021 and was quickly snapped up by Watford, going on to spend time on loan back in hometown London with AFC Wimbledon.
      Last summer, Mebude moved to Belgium with KV Oostende in the top flight where he’s been featuring in the first team this season.
      Today’s highly worrying reports out of the country say that Mebude crashed his car into a tree this morning, and has been taken to hospital where he is in a very serious condition.
      Belgian outlet GVA say his Mercedes vehicle left the road and collided with the tree and subsequently had to be freed by the fire brigade.
      Most read in Football
      They quote Belgian police as saying his condition is “critical” and that he was “urgently operated on.”
      No other vehicles were involved in the horror crash.
      The local prosecutors office is quoted as saying: “It is not clear how the accident could have happened.
      “The public prosecutor’s office has appointed a traffic expert to investigate the precise circumstances of the accident.”
      Oostende’s players were on their way to Knokke where they were due to play a friendly match.
      Several of Mebude’s teammates are understood to have witnessed the crash and the match was understandably cancelled.
      In a statement posted online, Oostende said: “The practice match between Knokke and KVO was canceled due to a car accident by player Dapo Mebude.
      “He was taken to hospital but there is no further information about his situation. Our thoughts are with Dapo and his family.”
      Mebude joined Oostende last summerCredit: Alamy
      Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More

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      How Arsenal star Declan Rice was on verge of joining Celtic in shock transfer before sliding doors moment

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      BRENDAN RODGERS has revealed Declan Rice came close to signing for Celtic. The England international was subject to heavy transfer interest over the last few years with Chelsea, Manchester United and City all linked.
      Brendan Rodgers revealed Declan Rice came close to signing for CelticCredit: Rex
      Eventually, Arsenal won the race last summer after prising Rice over to North London in a £105million deal.
      But it could have been so different.
      Because Celtic boss Rodgers revealed in his first spell with the club – which ran from 2016-2019 – Rice was set for a move to Scotland.
      He said: “The club will do absolutely everything we can to support what we need and what the team needs.
      READ MORE ON ARSENAL
      “There is lots of work going on in the background, and I’m pretty sure that in this early period of the month, we can have some joy and get one or two in.
      “Ideally you’d want to get them in (early). Deals can be complicated and things that might have been there for three or four months can fall away.
      “That’s always the challenge – it only takes one injury to a player who was lined up to come in.
      “I remember when I was here the first time, we spent about three months looking for Declan Rice to come in.
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      “Declan was all set to come in and then all of a sudden they (West Ham) had an injury, he stayed and got in the team and the rest is history.
      “That’s not the club’s fault – it’s just the way it goes.”
      Rice made his senior West Ham debut in May of 2017 aged just 18.
      The following season, he made 31 appearances and established himself as a regular in the first team squad.
      Rice, 24, would later captain the Hammers and played 245 times, scoring 15 times.
      He led West Ham to the Europa Conference League trophy before bowing out to join Arsenal. More

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      Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou fired Celtic transfer warning: Hands off Matt O’Riley

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      NEIL LENNON has pleaded with Ange Postecoglou to stay away from Celtic’s Matt O’Riley this month.The Spurs boss brought the Dane to Parkhead in January 2022 from MK Dons for £1.5million.
      O’Riley has been a top performer in the SPFL this seasonCredit: Kenny Ramsay
      He was a bargain £1.5m purchase in Postecoglou’s first season at CelticCredit: Reuters
      Neil Lennon is a big fan of the midfielderCredit: Kenneth Ramsay
      Now the playmaker is rated in the £25m bracket but former Hoops boss Lenny hopes he’s not a Tottenham target.
      He told Ladbrokes Fanzone: “I think Ange will want to bring some strength in depth in next month, whether that’s a couple of loans or them spending more money.
      “His recruitment has been brilliant up to this point.
      “The players he’s brought in have been great — Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, James Maddison, they’re top quality players who have all impressed.

      “He missed a couple of them in that dip, there’s no question about that — but I just want him to stay away from Matt O’Riley for the time being, please and thank you very much!”
      Lennon has been impressed at the Aussie’s transition from the Hoops to Spurs.
      He said: “The job Ange did at Celtic was great.
      “The fans loved his style of play, the all-out attack, the rotations — and you can see that style being implemented at Tottenham as well.
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      “It’s never dull, put it that way! And I think he’s building something there to make Spurs real contenders for the top four on a regular basis.
      “He’s having a fabulous year, and I’m delighted for him because he’s a great guy.
      “I always tune in to watch because you just can’t take your eyes off his team!
      “Being the first Spurs boss in ten years not to have Harry Kane available to him, that’s a huge loss of goals he’s had to account for.
      “But I think he’s recruited well.”
      O’Riley has attracted links to West Ham and Inter Milan – with the Serie A giants said to be keen on a loan and permanent deal in the summer.
      But Lennon has already warned the Hoops they should be staving off interest in January and holding out for £30m in the summer.
      He said: “Under Brendan he’s scoring a lot of goals, and creating so many opportunities for the team.
      The midfielder required treatment for a nose bleed throughout the second half of the Old Firm clashCredit: Willie Vass

      “He’s always a threat, and he’s got a real knack of making those late runs into the box, undetected.
      “He’s a fantastic talent — and he’s been a brilliant bit of business for the club.
      “The priority, for the club, is to keep hold of him. Particularly in January.
      “I’m sure there’ll be a lot of offers coming in for him — but I think the club are in a position to stay strong in the January window.
      “I do think that Brendan will want to trim the squad in other areas. But I’m sure O’Riley will stay to the end of the season.
      “At least that’s what I’m hoping for, anyway!
      “But you can’t stop the progress, so I would imagine selling him will be something that Celtic will look at in the summer.
      “He’s proven himself at the highest level, in the Champions League.
      “He’s been the best player in Scotland this season — so you’re looking at £25-30m for him, at least.”
      He added: “I think he’s a top, top player and I believe he could play at a very high level in the Premier League.
      Read more on The Sun
      “You know, Celtic will get top dollar for him, I’m sure of that.”
      Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page  More

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      Ex-Celtic star’s wife says Jack Grealish mansion raid brings back break-in hell

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      THE wife of ex-Celtic ace Kris Commons has told how a £1million raid on Jack Grealish’s home triggered terrifying memories of a raid on her pad.Lisa Hague, 38, was a big part of their recovery after thugs forced their way into her three-storey villa in Bearsden, Dunbartonshire.
      Lisa, 38, and ex-Celtic ace hubby Kris Commons, 40, and their three kids were in bed when raiders forced entry to their home and stole their motors
      Lisa says the family felt uneasy until they left Scotland after the break-in
      Commons spent six successful years with Celtic
      She was in bed alongside the former Hoops star and their kids slept on the floor below when the crooks swiped designer handbags, an Audi, Mercedes and Range Rover.
      She said the Man City ace will be left rocked by the theft.
      Lisa told The Scottish Sun on Sunday: “Cars, bags and jewellery can all be replaced.
      “The worst thing about being targeted like this is the way it makes you feel.

      “It’s sickening and leaves you feeling really violated.
      “I kept on running through how much worse it would have been if they had gotten upstairs to the kids.
      “You torture yourself and the feeling stays with you for a long time.
      “It never left us the whole time we were in Glasgow.
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      “Jack should take whatever steps he needs to make sure he feels safe.”
      Midfielder Commons was in the middle of his six-year stint as a Celt when at least four people burst into his house at 4am on a Sunday.
      His three children were aged between one and three and were asleep on the first-floor when the thieves got in then sped off in three luxury motors worth up to £200,000.
      Lisa and Kris’ daughter April was three at the time of break-in, while boys William and Jax were two and almost one.
      Their gloves and winter hats were tossed from the motors’ windows as the gang fled.
      Commons beefed up security at the property, including installing state-of-the-art cameras and alarms.
      Two of the cars were recovered but nobody was ever caught for the break-in in November 2013.
      Lisa added: “It makes me angry nobody was ever caught.
      “We’d be out and people would be staring at Kris because they knew who he was.
      “I would drive myself mad wondering if they were looking because they knew something.
      “It took a long time for that to go away.”
      We told how the £5.6million Cheshire home of England star Grealish, 28, was raided on Wednesday while he was playing for Manchester City at Everton.
      His partner Sasha Attwood, 27, and around ten relatives were at home watching the game when they heard burglars upstairs.
      Read more on The Sun
      They pressed a panic button but the gang got away with around £1million worth of belongings, including jewellery and watches.
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