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      Virgil van Dijk breaks silence after Wayne Rooney called Liverpool star ‘lazy’ in shock Champions League defeat to PSG

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      VIRGIL VAN DIJK has hit back at Wayne Rooney and insists the Liverpool dressing room doesn’t listen to outside noise.It comes after Rooney labelled Van Dijk’s movements in the lead up to PSG’s goal in their Champions League defeat on Tuesday “lazy”.Virgil van Dijk has broken his silence after Wayne Rooney called Liverpool star ‘lazy’Rooney called out Van Dijk for failing to track Ousmane Dembele’s run for PSG’s goal at AnfieldDembele celebrates scoring on TuesdayCredit: GettyLiverpool were beaten 4-1 on penalties by the reigning French champions at Anfield to exit Europe at the last-16 stage.Arne Slot’s side had held a 1-0 lead from the first leg, but PSG levelled the tie in the 12th minute of the second leg through Ousmane Dembele.Dembele scored from close range following a rapid PSG attack, with the forward having initially found Bradley Barcola on the right wing.Barcola’s cross led to confusion between Alisson and Ibrahima Konate and the Liverpool defender deflected the ball into Dembele’s path to finish.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSDespite the mix-up between Alisson and Konate, former Manchester United star Rooney called Van Dijk “lazy” in tracking Dembele’s initial run from the half-way line.Van Dijk has since said his focus on trophies and not on Rooney.The Dutchman responded: “Someone told me about this. I think at that particular moment I’m helping [Andy] Robertson, telling him to clear the outside, I take the inside.”I’m even explaining now what I thought at that moment but if he thought it was lazy then he gave his opinion, that’s it. Did you think it was lazy?Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”I think I said it to someone as well, there were so many challenges for those players years ago and obviously it’s a challenge for the players nowadays that you have to deal with opinions here and there and it gets blown up all the time.”But looking at what I see in the dressing room, I think the boys are doing well in terms of keeping their heads down and focusing on the task ahead. That’s the most important thing I want to see.Moment Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are pulled apart after apparent spat during Liverpool training “If we get the reward for it at the end of the season then I’m sure Liverpool is going to be bouncing.”The Liverpool skipper also cleared up his row with PSG chiefs in the corridor at Anfield after full-time.Rooney had told Amazon Prime: “This goal from Liverpool’s perspective is wrong in so many ways.”They are trying to press the ball and Van Dijk gets lazy. “If you keep your eye on Van Dijk, he’s walking and leaves a massive gap to Dembele.”All he has to do is come across and cover Dembele because there is no other pass for Paris to get out and he doesn’t.”Dembele gets it and he’s got a lot of space, gets the ball out wide and then Konate doesn’t switch on and then he reacts.”Van Dijk is out of contract in the summer and fans could well be witnessing the end of his Anfield career.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe latest reports claimed the 33-year-old is mulling over a mega-money approach from Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.Liverpool are focusing on the business end of the season, including Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Newcastle at Wembley.Van Dijk’s stats in the Champions League this season More

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      Reason Man Utd did not sign Geovany Quenda ‘revealed’ as Sporting star agrees shock £42m Chelsea transfer

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      MANCHESTER UNITED reportedly never submitted a bid for Geovany Quenda before Chelsea agreed to sign the winger from Sporting Lisbon.Chelsea agreed a fee of £42million for Quenda, 17, and he will join the Portuguese club in the summer in a seven-year deal.Reported Man Utd target Geovany Quenda joined Chelsea last weekThe 17-year-old sensation is a former protege of Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim.But after biding his time, Chelsea stepped in with what reports called a “secret blitz” to land the right winger, who can also play wing-back.Quenda underwent a medical in private and agreed to join after being impressed by Enzo Maresca’s vision for the West London giants.But the Manchester Evening News has since debunked the theories that he snubbed United for Chelsea.READ MORE ON MAN UTDUnited reportedly met with the influential agent Jorge Mendes in November as his agency was tasked with negotiating on Quenda’s behalf.But United’s interest didn’t extend beyond informal discussions.A source familiar with the talks said United’s preference was to wait to sign Quenda.And the mid-season addition of Patrick Dorgu, a fellow left-footed wide player, impacted the Red Devils’ interest.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSQuenda has been called up to the Portugal squad again for their Nations League double-header against Denmark this month.But Chelsea fans will have to wait over a year to see their new man in action.Paul Scholes says ‘it’s about time Manchester United caught up’Quenda, who turns 18 next month, will stay at Sporting for the entirety of the 2025-26 season before linking up with his new Stamford Bridge pals in July 2026.The left-footer has played 35 times for Sporting already this season, including huge Champions League games, scoring just once.He had been expected to join Man Utd, given his links to Amorim and the fact he’d be considered a perfect fit on the right of his old boss’ preferred 3-4-3 formation.But instead, he will join fellow wonderkids Estevao Willian and Kendry Paez – who join this summer – in West London.Quenda joined Sporting in 2019, aged just 13, with Amorim coming aboard a year later. More

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      Major update on former Bournemouth star & son of ex-Spurs ace, 30, left fighting for life after horror car crash

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      A MAJOR health update has been released after a former Bournemouth star was left fighting for his life in a horror crash.Jordan Chiedozie, son of ex-Tottenham winger John, was placed in a coma after being hit by a car while waiting at the side of the M27 with a flat tyre.Jordan Chiedozie suffered ‘potentially life-threatening’ injuries in the crashCredit: PA:Press AssociationChiedozie, pictured with Braintree, has played for a string on non-league clubsCredit: RexThe former Cherries academy player, 30, was rushed to a Southampton hospital after horror unfolded on February 1.He had been travelling back from Tavistock with club physio Reighan Taylor, who was uninjured in the smash.The forward, currently on the books at Bashley FC in the Southern League I, suffered “multiple broken bones and other physical injuries”.Nearly six weeks later, Chiedozie has been discharged and welcomed back home by his girlfriend Michaela.Since the crash, more than £32,000 has been raised for the footballer to help support his recovery.Clubs from across the division donated to the GoFundMe page set up by friends and family.Chiedozie has since expressed his overwhelming gratitude.“I was really enjoying my football and enjoying being part of a fantastic bunch of lads at a prestigious club,” he said.Most read in Football“Whatever my future holds I will forever be a Bashley fan, cheering the team from the other side of the fence as soon as I’m fit enough to do so.“Thanks again to everyone not only at our club, but the many other clubs and wonderful football fans who have sent me messages and contributed to the fund the Bashley lads set-up for me.“The level of kindness towards me, even from people who are not football fans, or from Bashley, is something I will never forget. This was typified by the Bishops Cleeve club and their fans at last Saturday’s match.”I will never be able to thank everyone personally, but I hope my comments will show how truly grateful I am to everyone who has helped in whatever way.”Bashley Club chairman Steve Lewis added: “The way the Bishops Cleeve club reacted to the situation regarding our Jordan Chiedozie, was nothing short of magnificent.“They organised a collection for Jordan’s fund both before and at the game – they made tannoy announcements and featured Jordan on several pages of their programme, including the entire front page.“Beyond that they provided a lovely bouquet for our physio, Reighan Taylor, who was, of course, alongside Jordan at the time of that horrible accident.“And they raised nearly £600 for Jordan’s fund. What a truly magnificent effort, and we can’t thank them enough for their kindness.”He added: “We’re delighted to say that Jordan is back home and making good progress. So whatever the score today, that’s one “result” that fans of both sides can be delighted with!”Chiedozie came through at Bournemouth and was with the club when they were in League One and the Championship.He did not play a first-team match for the Cherries and had various loans in non-league before a stint in League Two with Cambridge United.The striker then played in the National League, National League South and Isthmian Leagues.Jordan’s dad John played as a winger for Leyton Orient and Notts County and signed for Tottenham in 1984 for £375,000. READ MORE SUN STORIESHe scored on his debut in a 4-1 win away at Everton but struggled with injuries, eventually leaving for Derby in 1988 with 14 goals from 75 Spurs appearances. The nine-cap Nigeria international finished his career with Bashley in 1992.Chiedozie came through the youth ranks at BournemouthCredit: RexHis dad John Chiedozie played for Notts County, Tottenham and NigeriaCredit: Getty – Contributor More

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      in Motorsport

      ‘Shock to the system’ – Lewis Hamilton makes surprise admission about progress in Ferrari car ahead of wet Australian GP

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      LEWIS HAMILTON joked that he doesn’t even know where the wet switch is on his new Ferrari with Melbourne’s race set for rain. The seven-time world champion is struggling to get to grips with his new car as he finished a disappointing eighth in his first qualifying session of the season for the Italian team. Lewis Hamilton fears a nightmare Ferrari race debut in the wetCredit: GettyHamilton managed P8 after a tough qualifying sessionCredit: AFPHamilton spun during Q2 as he got to grips with his new machineryCredit: GettyAll eyes are on the 40-year-old as his hunt for an elusive, record eighth driver’s title kicks off in Albert Park this Sunday.  He is adjusting to Ferrari’s power unit having only driven with Mercedes power throughout his career, including during his six-years at McLaren between 2007 and 2012. Hamilton said: “Honestly, I thought I was further along than I was and then I got here. “After FP1 I was like, jeez, I’ve still got a way to go. There’s still a ton of tools and the engineers are popping up like ‘hey, what about this?’ I’ve never tried that what does it do?READ MORE IN F1“There’s one thing saying it, but actually going out and feeling it. We did some good work trying to move the car forward. “When you have a problem in the car and you come in, normally when you’ve got the experience you can say, ‘this is where I want to go with it’, but I don’t know which tool to use at the moment. “I’m heavily reliant for the first time on my engineers. They’ve done a great job, but in the past I would say, this is what I want. That setting, this setting, and I can’t do that anymore. “I don’t even know where the wet switch is really. I don’t know which buttons I’m going to switch towards tomorrow. So, that’s going to be new.”Most read in MotorsportJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSHamilton’s team-mate Charles Leclerc only managed one place better in seventh despite looking strong in the practice sessions. It is 1-0 to the Monegasque in their qualifying head-to-head, with Leclerc out-qualifying his new team-mate by two tenths of a second in the end. Behind the scenes in Australia GP paddock including F1 star Lewis Hamilton’s new Ferrari baseHamilton added: “It’s going to be for the first time in the wet, in an uncomfortable position in this car. “I think it’s going to be a shock to the system when I get out there, but I’m going to be learning on the fly, and just giving it everything.“We’re just improving every single lap, session on session. Big learning curve this weekend. “The car was so much different from the moment I left the pit lane just feeling so much different than I’ve ever experienced here.”It’s been a much slower process to really build confidence in the car. If you look at the high speed everywhere, I’ve been down all weekend.“Charles just had it from the get go. From the minute he went out, he knew what the car does. For me, I was just building up to that through the weekend.”F1 Australia results1. Lando Norris (McLaren)2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)4. George Russell (Mercedes)5. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls)6. Alex Albon (Williams)7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)8. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)10. Carlos Sainz (Williams)11. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)14. Jack Doohan (Alpine)15. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)16. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)17. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)18. Liam Lawson (Red Bull)19. Esteban Ocon (Haas)20. Oliver Bearman (Haas) More

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      I’ve played against Dan Burn – he’s a monster and a proper bloke – Tuchel has hit the jackpot picking him for England

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      IN Dan Burn, England are getting someone with a bit of backbone, character, and leadership.Someone who says what he is feeling no matter what, but also a genuinely nice and proper bloke.Dan Burn has gone from strength to strength with NewcastleCredit: RexThomas Tuchel has named his first England squadCredit: AFPIt looks like Thomas Tuchel was in need of a few older heads with a bit more pride in playing for England, and he has hit the jackpot with Burn.He will be absolutely buzzing when he walks in the door at St George’s Park, and he deserves it. I just hope he gets a real crack of the whip.I remember when I started out at CBS after my playing days doing some punditry, he gave me my first interview after a Newcastle game.He didn’t have to do that, he could have said no, but that’s just the sort of guy he is.I played against him a few times during my Watford career, more so in Burn’s early days at Fulham and Birmingham, and then Brighton, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it.Mainly because I always seemed to get the better of him!He was just a young kid then. He was big height wise – as he is now – but he didn’t know his position well enough and I would just run all over him and dominated him physically.Sometimes you have players who need to move into a new system to improve, and that’s what happened at Brighton alongside their other defensive giants like Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster.CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSAnd ever since he has gone to Newcastle, he has been a monster, rebuilding his game and his career from the ground up.He has a great chance now to win a trophy in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool before earning his first senior England cap – not bad at all!Liverpool boss Arne Slot looks ahead to Carabao Cup final against Newcastle And for me, every Englishman should be screaming: ‘We need Newcastle to win’.It’s not a slight against Liverpool in any stretch, but it comes at a time when we have a German coach in Thomas Tuchel leading the England national team.Eddie Howe it seems wasn’t even in the conversation, but winning a trophy would change everything. Not just for him, but for the reputation of English coaches as a whole.If Eddie was to lift the Carabao Cup at Wembley in charge of Newcastle, maybe other owners would think: You know what, I’m going to put my trust in an English coach.Maybe the FA would think: Have we made a mistake?Eddie has won trophies with Bournemouth, but this would be different. We would finally have an English coach who is viewed as a ‘winner’.And maybe it would see Eddie come out of his shell a bit. He is still very reserved, shy even, for all the stuff he has done in his career. Not the personality that the real elite managers often have.Eddie Howe was in good spirits in his pre-match press conferenceCredit: GettyThe Toon boss is often a reserved figure on the touchlineCredit: GettyNo one really labels English coaches as born winners. You have to be Spanish or Portuguese or German. I really want that to change.We want winners as a country, desperate for it. Gareth Southgate came so close but hasn’t won anything yet.Eddie also needs this to prove to Newcastle what he can do, even if he has done so much there already, guiding them to Champions League football while complying with PSR restrictions.Look at how he has been able to transform Jacob Murphy, Lewis Hall – who Chelsea didn’t want – Anthony Gordon, Joelinton, Nick Pope, or even Burn.And in their current form, they have won 14 of their last 19 games in all competitions.If Manchester City and Pep Guardiola did that, we would be going potty saying they are back and that they are going to win the Premier League.It sounds strange, but it will be disappointing if Liverpool end this season with just the Premier League title. Everyone was tipping them for the quadruple before, just like last season.Of course, the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United or even Man City would bite your hand off for a Prem and cup double right now – but Arne Slot has set the bar so high. He needs to reach it now. More

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      ‘That’s actually insane’ – Barcelona star Lamine Yamal spotted on TV at SmackDown after rubbing shoulders with WWE stars

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      BARCELONA star Lamine Yamal stunned fans by appearing on TV at SmackDown.And the teen prodigy could not hide his excitement as he rubbed shoulders with WWE stars.Lamine Yamal was seen in the crowd for WWE SmackDownCredit: TwitterYamal got pictures with Cody RhodesCredit: https://x.com/CastagnaTiffanyYamal could not hold back his excitement during the showCredit: https://x.com/Peps_WrestlingHe was seen in the crowd with team-mates Hector Fort, left, and Alejandro Balde, rightCredit: TwitterThe wrestling promotion was in Barcelona, Spain, for its European Tour, which will also include events in Belgium, Germany, Scotland, and London’s O2 Arena.On Friday night WWE welcomed special guests including Yamal to promote the tour.Yamal, 17, was pictured alongside stars including Triple H, Randy Orton and WWE champion Cody Rhodes.Rhodes was kind enough to allow Yamal to hold his championship belt as they posed for a photo.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe Kopa Trophy winner was later seen in the crowd alongside Barca team-mates Alejandro Balde, 21, and Hector Fort, 18, enjoying the show at the Olympic Arena.Fans were stunned to see him in attendance, with one writing on social media: “LAMINE YAMAL IN THE CROWD IN SPAIN!”A second said: “Lamine Yamal in the crowd for Smackdown, that’s actually insane.”A third added: “Bro became a WWE legend at 17yo.”Most read in FootballAnother said: “Didn’t expect this collab man.”Captioning his post on Instagram, Yamal said: “New WWE champion?”I sold Lamine Yamal trading card for life changing amount – my wife doesn’t think it’s a silly hobby nowYamal’s performances this season have once again been nothing short of electric, with 12 goals and 17 assists in 37 games.After meeting Yamal, Triple H, now the Chief Content Creator for WWE, said: “The future of @fcbarcelona is brighter than ever… enjoy the show.”Inside the baffling, brilliant story of Lamine Yamal – from being bathed by Messi to doing homework while taking Euros by stormLAMINE YAMAL has confirmed his status as football’s next superstar at Euro 2024 – but has only been playing 11-a-side games for four years, write Jack Rosser.Spain’s incredible 16-year-old bent home the goal of the tournament so far against France as La Roja sealed the spot in the final.But his first five years in Barcelona’s academy were spent playing seven-a-side football, up until the age of 12 in 2020 when he finally got a crack at 11-a-side games.Yamal’s story is baffling, brilliant and barely believable in equal measure.He is a boy born to a Moroccan father and a mother from Equatorial Guinea, who turned 17 the day before the Euros final, and was cradled by footballing royalty at just six months old.Staggering pictures of Yamal as a baby being held and bathed by Messi, taken for a Barcelona charity calendar 16 years ago, resurfaced this week.He did not restrict his brushes with greatness to Barcelona either, with footage of Yamal as an academy player walking as a mascot with Spain and Real Madrid icon Sergio Ramos at an El Clasico in 2016.There is a touch of fate about this gem, Spain’s “little MVP”, as team-mate Nico Williams has dubbed him.Yamal has been doing homework in his spare time and received exam results during the tournament. He passed, obviously.Now he’s the youngest ever goalscorer at the Euros, also becoming the youngest player to ever start a major semi-final – claiming that title from Pele.But it’s Yamal’s humble approach on and off the pitch that most impresses everyone he meets.And France star Adrien Rabiot probably felt quite embarrassed as he boarded his plane back home from Germany.He had tried to intimidate Yamal ahead of their semi-final clash – telling Yamal he “needs to do more.”Was this good enough, then? Yamal responded with a goal for the ages and a man of the match performance.A season which started with a pre-season game against Tottenham where Yamal excelled but was overshadowed by Oliver Skipp scoring a brace will end on the biggest stage European football has to offer on Sunday.From being outshone by Skipp to eclipsing Pele’s records is not a bad year’s work – just imagine what he will do when he grows up.Read all about the incredible rise of Lamine Yamal in full… More

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      in Motorsport

      Lando Norris celebrates dream start to F1 season at Australian GP qualifying but more struggles ahead for Hamilton

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      LANDO NORRIS produced a blistering drive to secure pole position in qualifying as his title charge began. When the British 24-year-old crossed the line, he said: “What an amazing way to start the year. An unbelievable car. Let’s keep it up baby.”Lando Norris started his title charge by taking pole in AustraliaCredit: GettyIt was a front row lockout for McLaren as Oscar Piastri scored P2, while Max Verstappen only managed thirdCredit: ReutersLewis Hamilton had a tough qualifying as he spun out before only managing P8Credit: AFPHis McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri came in second in front of his home crowd in Melbourne while Max Verstappen looked dejected as he had to settle for third. Lewis Hamilton struggled on his Ferrari qualifying debut, clearly still getting to grips with the car as he finished all the way down in eighth. It’s also 1-0 to Charles Leclerc in their qualifying head-to-head, with the Monegasque out qualifying his new team-mate by two tenths of a second in the end and finishing seventh.Hamilton said to his engineer Riccardo Adami after the session: “I don’t know what happened there, mate.”READ MORE IN F1To which Adami replied: “Tough one. Overall a good job.”Hamilton even spun during Q2 of his first qualifying session, but thankfully managed to advance to the pole-position shootout. Two Williams drivers reached Q3 at Albert Park for the first time in ten years, with Carlos Sainz in 10th and Alex Albon finishing in sixth.It was a bad day in the office for Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli who was booted out in Q1 in P16 while his team-mate George Russell produced a solid drive to grab fourth.Most read in MotorsportJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSRed Bull’s Liam Lawson looked no better than Sergio Perez, who he replaced at the team, with a scruffy performance leaving him axed in Q1 in 18th. It was also a surprisingly quick session for Yuki Tsunoda and Racing Bulls, with the Japanese driver qualifying in P5 while rookie team-mate Isack Hadjar finished P11.Behind the scenes in Australia GP paddock including F1 star Lewis Hamilton’s new Ferrari baseElsewhere it was a nightmare day for Haas, as they qualified as the bottom two with Ollie Bearman not even setting a lap after a problem with his gearbox.F1 Australia results1. Lando Norris (McLaren)2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)4. George Russell (Mercedes)5. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls)6. Alex Albon (Williams)7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)8. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)10. Carlos Sainz (Williams)11. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)14. Jack Doohan (Alpine)15. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)16. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)17. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)18. Liam Lawson (Red Bull)19. Esteban Ocon (Haas)20. Oliver Bearman (Haas) More

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      Chelsea’s Millie Bright is ready ‘to put body on the line’ in push to win Women’s League Cup 

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      CHELSEA captain Millie Bright has a Blue-print for success in the League Cup final. The Blues’ longest-serving player, 31, knows all about pushing herself to the limit in pursuit of prizes. Millie Bright and her team-mates hope to emerge victorious from their League Cup final clash with Manchester CityCredit: ReutersThe Cityzens are aiming to lift their first trophy this term under interim boss Nick CushingCredit: GettyBlues captain Bright says the adrenalin rush of winning trophies makes her want to do it all over againCredit: GettyShe has plenty of those – with another in her sights as Chelsea face Manchester City today in this year’s Women’s League Cup decider.And she says whoever is willing to put their body on the line will triumph. Bright knows what she is talking about, with 13 trophies in her 12 years at the club, as well as winning the 2022 Euros with England.To date the tenacious player, who joined the Blues from Doncaster Rovers Belles 12 years, ago has won six domestic cup competitions. Read More Football StoriesShe hopes to make it seven when Chelsea battle the Cityzens at 12:15pm at Pride Park, 33 miles away from the Derbyshire town of Chesterfield where she was born. The WSL star said: “Games like these are about who is best prepared, who’s willing to do everything to win and put their body on the line.”A Chelsea-City final is something that everyone always wants to see. “It’s always a great game coming up against them, but ultimately we want to win. Most read in Football”We want to lift that trophy, but we have to put in the work.”Hard graft is what Chelsea will need to produce across 12 days during their next four games. Every time you lift a trophy it gives you that hunger to just do it all over again. You never want to experience any other feeling.Millie Bright Aside from today’s showdown these include two season-defining duels with Man City in the Champions League quarters and a Women’s Super League tussle. Facing a fierce rival four times in a row is something of an oddity for Bright. The Blues captain adds: “I don’t think that has ever happened before. “But our mentality is always to just go game-by-game. Everyone’s just excited for the final.”With the WSL leaders unbeaten this term, and City picking up some mixed results, Bright and team-mates will fancy their chances of ending a recent run of three League Cup final losses. Their last triumph occurred in March 2021 when they trounced Bristol City 6-0 at Vicarage Road. Bright is one of the six players left in her team who were part of that League Cup-winning side then managed by Emma Hayes.The first time she ever triumphed in a cup final was ten years ago against Notts County. A goal scored by former Blue Ji So-Yun sealed Chelsea’s first ever FA Cup triumph. But after 13 trophy wins with the Blues, Bright admits memories of this first are becoming a little blurry. The England ace said: “All those firsts are a bit of a blur now because everything was such a shock and a hit in the face, like a new experience. “I have to think really hard about what they felt like. “But instantly it’s that adrenaline rush of ‘this is amazing, I want to do it all over again’.”And then you actually want to get straight back out on the pitch and compete for the next potential trophy. “Every time you lift a trophy, it gives you that hunger to just do it all over again.”You never want to experience any other feeling.”Today’s game comes nine days after Bright signed a new contract with Chelsea which runs until next summer with the option to extend for a further year. On March 12 her team-mate Erin Cuthbert also penned a new deal with the Blues which expires in the summer of 2027.Both players are thriving in a post-Hayes era with head coach Sonia Bompastor so far steering the team on an unbeaten run across all competitions. Of  Cuthbert’s impact Bright said: “Everyone knows what Erin means to this club and to this team. Her energy is infectious. “She’s a massive part with her mentality, her drive and quality on the ball.“We saw that the other night (against Leicester) she comes on and slots one in the bottom corner nice and composed.”Bright and Cuthbert are among the Blues stalwarts thriving under boss BompastorSo far the France-born former Lyon manager has steered her side on an unbeaten run across all competitions. What Bright values most is her manager’s willingness to allow her players to express themselves. Bright adds:  “Sonia is good at that and tells us to enjoy every single minute that we play because we should. “She really gives us that confidence to express ourselves. “And if we make mistakes then fine. We’ve got each other’s backs, we’ll figure it out and we’ll work together. “Sonia’s really really good at giving that confidence, but if I can help the players in any way,  they know I’ve got an open door policy. “They can come to me for literally anything. You need support on the pitch or a shoulder to cry on – I’ll do it.”On the day Bright signed her new contract her mum Nicola and her dad Steve joined her at Stamford Bridge. She feels her family have played a huge part in the “blood, sweat and tears” of a career that has yielded much success. Bright adds: “Your family and your supporters – they’re the ones that are there every single week, travelling all around the world to support you. Chelsea’s last League Cup triumph was back in 2021 when they beat Bristol CityCredit: Getty”That’s how I’ve always seen it and that’s why I want to do so well and win.  “The blood, sweat and tears you put into it – it’s all for that success and those moments with your loved ones and your team-mates lifting trophies. READ MORE SUN STORIES”I don’t think there’s any other moment that will compare to that.” The Subway Women’s League Cup final can be watched live from 12:15pm today on BBC One. More