Sport Features

Neymar is now closer to 29 than 28.
Ten years have gone by since he made his international debut for Brazil.

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Neymar will be looking to be PSG’s main man as they resume their Champions League campaignCredit: Icon Sport – Getty
In terms of his career at the highest level of the game, he is probably closer to the end than the beginning.
And yet he still comes across as an eternal adolescent. But maybe that is about to change. Opportunity is certainly knocking.
Neymar goes into the condensed form of the Champions League still seen as a boy. He has the chance to come out of it as a man.
The type of challenge on offer over the next couple of weeks is the very reason that he joined Paris Saint Germain.

Whatever the financial incentives to move to Paris, there was an element of sporting nobility in his choice.
He had achieved great things at Barcelona. But, understandably and undeniably, it was Lionel Messi’s team. Neymar wanted to carry his own side.
Now he has to. Kylian Mbappe has a damaged ankle and is an injury doubt for the quarter final against Atalanta.
Even if he plays, he will surely not be fully fit. Angel Di Maria is suspended.

BURDEN OF RESPONSIBILITY
The responsibility rests on the slender shoulders of the Brazilian. He is up against an attack minded opposition, who should offer him acceleration space. It is all set up for him.

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Neymar joined PSG to lead the French giants to Champions League gloryCredit: AFP or licensors

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With Kylian Mbappe an injury doubt, the burden of responsibility lies with NeymarCredit: AFP or licensors
If events follow Neymar’s script, then many will begrudge him the glory.
This is extremely harsh. For all of his excesses and tantrums, as a player there is no doubt that he is more sinned against than sinning.
He is also extremely popular with many of his team-mates. There is clearly more to him than the petulant and spoilt figure that he often appears to be.
And it is hardly his fault that he has not lived up to all of the expectations that have hovered around him for almost a decade and a half.
INJURIES HAVE ROBBED HIM
He was famously injured in the course of Brazil’s ultimately disastrous 2014 World Cup campaign.
And in Russia 2018, for all the ridiculous diving, his level of performance was better than could have been expected for a player coming back from injury.
And injury has blighted his time with Paris Saint Germain. But that was part of the risk of moving there.
The financial clout of PSG means that domestic superiority is taken for granted. League and cup doubles are shrugged off as expected. The dream is the Champions League.

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Injury has robbed Neymar of taking centre stage on the biggest stageCredit: Reuters

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Now Neymar can put that right by starring for PSG and proving it at the highest levelCredit: AFP or licensors

Neymar’s performances with Paris were clearly going to be judged overwhelmingly on what he produces in the knock out stages of Europe’s elite competition.
And so far, because of injury, he has been ruled out of most of the action in both of his previous seasons with the club.
It is almost as if Neymar’s time with Paris Saint Germain effectively starts on Wednesday. The man who crossed the Atlantic full of dreams now has to overcome Atalanta to make them come true.

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NO wonder he doesn’t want to leave.
Gareth Bale, 31, has been frozen out at Real Madrid by manager Zinedine Zidane, who clearly doesn’t see eye-to-eye with the Welsh wizard.

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Gareth Bale’s home is closer to his favourite golf than to both the Bernabeu and Real Madrid’s training ground

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Gareth Bale has been frozen out by Zinedine ZidaneCredit: EPA
Now, Bale is determined to see out the remainder of his two-year deal, worth £60million, after Los Blancos scuppered his dream move.
And that’s despite not figuring in the club’s past eight games, where he’s been sat on the bench looking thoroughly bored.
However, all’s not lost in his personal life.
He lives in a stunning £6.5million home, has a car collection that features a Ferrari, Mercedes, and Audi, as well as a stunning golf course on his doorstep.

HOME
Bale lives in the exclusive La Finca neighbourhood, home to Madrid’s wealthiest.
Boss Zidane is, perhaps unfortunately, a neighbour, team-mates Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema are nearby, while Cristiano Ronaldo used to live there.
Bale’s home itself was rented by Real Madrid legend Kaka before he moved on to pastures new.

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Bale rents a £6.5million home in the La Finca neighbourhood Credit: Solar Pix

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Bale often shares glimpses of the property on social media

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The property has a swimming pool

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Originally, Kaka rented Bale’s current home
And it’s a wonder of modern architecture, created by Joaquin Torres and worth in the region of £6.5million.

Bale is said to pay £10,000-per-month in rent to stay in the Pozuelo de Alarcón part of La Finca, in this amazing 1,500 square metre property that is built on two-storeys.
It boasts four bedrooms, an indoor pool, gym, two utility rooms, several terraces and porches, as well as a six-car garage.
CARS
Said to earn £600,000-per-week before tax, Bale has plenty of change left over from his rental property.
And through the years, he has added some of the best cars a footballer can drive.
Alongside a £165,000 Mercedes SLS AMG, Bale has been seen riding in a £152,000 Bentley Continental GT, a £156,000 Lamborghini Huracan, as well as a £230,000 Ferrari GTC4Lusso.
With Real Madrid’s players getting a pick of Audi motors thanks to a huge sponsorship deal, the winger also treated himself to a £65,000 Audi Q7 50 TDI last Christmas.

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Bale’s car collection includes this amazing Mercedes SLS AMG worth £165,000

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This £156,000 Lamborghini Huracan also belongs to Bale

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Most recently, Bale treated himself to a new AudiCredit: Darren Fletcher – The Sun

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Bale knows how to live the high-life in Spain
GOLF
After all, that handicap won’t improve itself.
Bale has been accused of caring more about golf than playing for Real Madrid.
In his grand estate in Glamorgan, Wales he built a three-hole golf course that are replicas of the 12th at Augusta, Royal Troon’s Postage Stamp and the tricky par-three 17th at Sawgrass.
To feed his golf fix in Madrid, Bale belongs to the members-only Ciudad Grupo Santander.
A golf course co-designed by Seve Ballesteros, it stretches out to nearly 7,500 yards from the back tees.
For a special day out, he will drive to the Real Club de Valderrama in San Roque, Andalusia.
When he takes a holiday, Bale makes sure he picks a retreat with a golf course.
His preferred choice is the five-star Finca Cortesin in Marbella that boasts an 18-hole course, as well as two outdoor pools and a private beach club with infinity pool, restaurant and bar.
Rooms are priced at around £900-per-night.

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Bale has been accused of caring more about golf than Real Madrid

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Bale belongs to the members-only Ciudad Grupo Santander in Madrid

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Whenever Bale picks a holiday he makes sure there’s a golf course on site
CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART
While his loyalty to Real Madrid has been questioned, his love for childhood sweetheart Emma Rhys-Jones, 29, has never been in doubt.
The pair met at Whitchurch High School and began dating in the early noughties.
In 2016, they got engaged, but their romance has had its difficulties.
Her dad Martin was released from prison in June after being imprisoned for fraud for six months in the US.
Emma banned him from a wedding that was initially scheduled for 2018, after he moved in with a florist half his age, Alina Baranova. 
While other members of her family including her aunt Jane Burns have been embroiled in a violent drugs feud.

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Emma Ryhs-Jones is Bale’s childhood sweetheart Credit: PA:Empics Sport

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Bale and Rhys-Jones married in 2016

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With such an incredible lifestyle in Madrid it’s easy to see why Bale doesn’t want to leaveCredit: Getty Images – Getty

In 2019, Gareth and Emma married in a hush-hush ceremony at a five-star hotel on a Majorcan island in front of just 60 guests.
Guests were told of the location only 24-hours before the big day, and were asked to hand in their mobile phones to security guards as they entered the hotel.
With his life set in Madrid, you can see why he doesn’t want to leave.

Gareth Bale will STAY at Real Madrid in £60m stand-off because he has not forgiven club for stopping his move to China More

IT looks like it’s all over for Ainsley Maitland-Niles at Arsenal.
The midfielder-turned-defender endured a torrid time with the Gunners when Mikel Arteta first arrived at the club.

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Ainsley Maitland-Niles is reportedly up for saleCredit: Alamy Live News

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Arsenal star Maitland-Niles had appeared to have won manager Mikel Arteta overCredit: Reuters
Out of favour, he was left out the team for reportedly turning up late to training on a number of occasions.
But it appeared he had won back his manager’s faith, earning a spot in the Fa Cup final startling line-up against Chelsea, and starring in a 2-1 win.
Now, the 22-year-old is said to be surplus to requirements at the Emirates, with a £30million price tag on his head.
And that has alerted Tottenham to his availability, who could swoop to pinch the speedy star.

His career so far has had its ups and downs.
ARSENAL ACADEMY PRODUCT
Born in Ilford, Maitland-Niles was mostly raised by single mother, Jules.
“There were times their dad would help out, like playing with the kids,” she later told ViralRealLife.
“There were also times when he wasn’t helping out in the right ways – like providing food.

“Obviously, you can’t eat a pair of football boots.”

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Ainsley, right, grew up in Ilford with older brother CordiCredit: Triangle News

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He has been with Arsenal since the age of sixCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Ainsley’s passion for football took centre stage, and he soon joined Arsenal’s academy aged six.
He dedicated his whole time to the club, slowly rising through the ranks and was called the best player in his age group by his youth coaches, according to his mum.
In December, 2014 Maitland-Niles signed his first professional contract, but there was drama around the corner.
JULES GET BANNED
Jules became synonymous to Arsenal staff, but for all the wrong reasons.
In 2015, she allegedly got into a furious bust-up with Arsenal’s former chief negotiator Dick Law at their London Colney training ground, and was said to have acted violent towards him after seeking reassurances about his future.
She was arrested and later released without charge.
Another time, while watching a then 17-year-old Maitland Niles in an Under-23 game, she grew animated on the sidelines and threatened to drag her son off the pitch.
The club had seen enough, and she was banned from the training ground.

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At 17 Maitland-Niles was playing for Arsenal’s Under-23 teamCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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Jules Niles was banned from Arsenal’s training groundCredit: Triangle News
MEANWHILE…
On the pitch, things were starting to look up for Maitland-Niles.
After making his debut aged 17 against Galatasaray in a Champions League match, a promising future beckoned.
He was the second youngest player to appear in the competition for the Gunners, behind Jack Wilshere, and was left beaming with pride at his breakthrough.
“I want to thank my family and God mostly for putting me here,” he told Arsenal’s website.
When he was asked what he would do with his shirt from his first game, he revealed: “I think I’ll frame it and give it to my mum.”

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After working his way through the youth ranks, Maitland-Niles was handed his Arsenal debut at 17Credit: Getty Images – Getty

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Mick McCarthy called Maitland-Niles “outstanding” during his loan spell at Ipswich TownCredit: Getty Images – Getty
‘OUTSTANDING’
In his early days at youth team level, and during a loan spell at Ipswich Town during the 2015-16 season, Maitland-Niles played as a winger.
Then Town manager Mick McCarthy raved about the exciting talent.
He said: “He’s an outstanding player. If he doesn’t end up being outstanding for Arsenal I’ll be very surprised.”
But manager Arsene Wenger saw his attributes differently.
“His best position is central defensive midfielder,” the legendary French boss said.
“He has great quality, he can steal the ball without making fouls… I think he is ready to play.”
MAKESHIFT FULL-BACK
Versatility, most probably, ended up becoming a hindrance for Maitland-Niles.
When injuries forced Wenger and then Unai Emery to field Maitland-Niles at both left-back and right-back, his development in midfield was put on hold.

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Arsene Wenger converted Maitland-Niles to a full-back, but believed he had potential as a central midfield playerCredit: Getty – Contributor

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Maitland-Niles believes he’s not a defenderCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
“I’m not a defender.” he said before the Premier League encounter against Aston Villa last year.
“It’s not where I would choose to put myself in the team.”
Stepping in for Hector Bellerin, he had his worst game in an Arsenal shirt, was run ragged, until he was dismissed for a second yellow card four minutes before half-time.
FROZEN OUT
When Arteta took over the reigns at Arsenal, Maitland-Niles found himself warming up the bench with Bellerin’s return.
His manager threw down the gauntlet to him.
“(He has to) Show me every day in training that he wants it more than anyone else; he wants to play for this club and fight for his place,” Arteta said.
But that brought an adverse reaction to the star, who was reportedly late for training one too many times for the strict boss, who demands a professional attitude from his players.
When lockdown ended, it appeared that Maitland-Niles’ days at the club were numbered.
However, as football often does, a reprieve was around the corner.

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Mikel Arteta handed Maitland-Niles a reprieve and he starred in the FA Cup finalCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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After a starring role Maitland-Niles looks set to leave ArsenalCredit: Getty Images – Getty
A brilliant performance against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final win followed by another solid display against Watford meant he played himself into the FA Cup final starting eleven.
And his swashbuckling runs, getting in-behind the Blues defence, were a constant threat for Frank Lampard’s team.

Now, back in favour, the decision to sell Maitland-Niles is a strange one.
But with 55 non-playing staff cut as the coronavirus pandemic hits Arsenal’s revenue, it’s needs-must for the Premier League giants.
And Maitland-Niles, it appears, is the sacrifice.

Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles reveals he was racially abused as a 12 year old during his youth career More