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      I feared my kids would grow up without their dad as robber pointed gun at me, reveals Amir Khan

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      BOXER Amir Khan has told of his gun robbery terror and said: “I feared my kids would grow up without their dad.”The former world champ, 36, handed over his £72,000 watch at gunpoint in London.
      Amir Khan, pictured with wife Faryal, told of his gun robbery terrorCredit: Doug Seeburg
      Amir, pictured with his children, said: ‘I feared my kids would grow up without their dad’Credit: Doug Seeburg
      Masked gunman Dante Campbell jumped out of a silver Mercedes, pointed the weapon in Amir’s face and shouted: ‘Take off the watch!’
      Wife Faryal, who was with him, said: “I thought we were both going to die.”
      Victim Amir Khan revealed how he turned his head in terror during his gunpoint ordeal so he would not see the bullet coming.
      The boxer had left a restaurant with wife Faryal when a gang pulled up in a Merc, pointed the weapon in his face and demanded his watch.
      Amir’s light-welterweight reflexes kicked in as he feared the gunman would pull the trigger.
      Read More on Amir Khan
      Speaking exclusively to The Sun on Sunday, he revealed: “In that moment, you think the worst . . . that the kids could be growing up without their dad, that Faryal would be raising them on her own.
      “Your life flashes before your eyes. I leant my head to the right because I thought, if he is going to shoot me, he can shoot the side of my head. I don’t want to see the bullet coming.”
      Amir handed over a £72,000 diamond-encrusted watch he’d bought to celebrate winning a fight.
      Terrified Faryal, 31, ran into the road and screamed for help.
      Most read in Boxing
      The robbers fled in their car and the timepiece has not been found.
      Faryal yesterday said she feared the couple were the target of an organised hit, saying: “I thought we were going to die on the spot.”
      The couple now feel the “England we love isn’t a safe place any more” so spend more time at their home in Dubai.
      Two men admitted involvement in the robbery, on April 18 last year.
      On Friday two others were found not guilty of acting as spotters.
      Amir and Faryal had been for dinner with pal Omar Khalid at the Sahara Grill in Leyton, East London.
      The boxer posed for selfies with fans and CCTV showed him leaving at 9.10pm.
      As the couple walked to their car, masked gunman Dante Campbell, 20, jumped out of a silver Mercedes coupe, pointed the weapon in Amir’s face and shouted: “Take off the watch!”
      Amir, who is dad to Lamaisah, eight, Alayna, four, and Muhammad Zaviyar, three, recalled yesterday: “It was the first time I’ve ever seen a gun in my life. I could see down the barrel.
      “I remember looking back seeing where my wife was. She ran back on the road and screamed ‘help!’
      “At the time, I didn’t know what he wanted. I thought maybe this is a prank. I just took off the watch, he grabbed it.”
      Amir had earlier been shopping in Knightsbridge while Faryal was at a photoshoot.
      Amir retired from boxing last year having won a silver medal for Great Britain at the 2004 Olympics in AthensCredit: PA:Press Association
      Amir blasted mayor Sadiq Khan, saying: ‘Since he has been in power, London has got so dangerous’Credit: PA
      They visited the restaurant during Ramadan as it serves halal steak, and spent around an hour eating and taking snaps with fans.
      Recalling the ordeal, Amir said: “Faryal ran back on to the road and I just froze.
      “Normally she walks in front of me so I know she’s safe.
      “But for some reason she didn’t that night — which looking back is a good thing.
      “The gunman told me to take off the watch so I did and he grabbed it. I was shaken up.
      “It happened so fast, it registered with me a day after. It makes you think, life is very short.
      “People said after, ‘You should’ve fought them’. Are they stupid? I’ve got a family. It’s only a watch. My life means more to me.
      “When you have kids, you have a priority to make sure they are looked after. I am the breadwinner for the family. If I was with the kids, I don’t know what I would’ve done. Maybe I would have panicked and tried to run.”
      Amir added: “Someone called the police. It caused a big scene and people recognised me.
      “I felt quite embarrassed it had happened to me, that I’d just been robbed at gunpoint.
      “I got into Omar’s car and we drove around the corner because I didn’t want to be around the area.
      “I did a 30-minute interview in the police car. I told them what happened, how it happened.”
      Amir and Faryal then returned to their room at the May Fair Hotel in central London, where she was in floods of tears.
      The boxer added: “I could feel how scared Faryal was. I sat with her and told her it’s fine, the watch is materialistic.
      “She said, ‘What if the kids were with us? What if they shot you and killed you? The kids love you so much, you’re a good father to them, they would miss you so much’.
      The former world champ handed over his £72,000 watch at gunpoint in LondonCredit: Central News
      “I had the worst sleep that night. It was like the sleep I have the day before a fight. I was very uneasy.”
      Yesterday Amir was revealed to be a star of next month’s I’m A Celebrity South African special — after a stint on the show in 2017.
      He retired from boxing last year having won 34 of 40 fights, 21 by knockout, and with a silver medal for Great Britain at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
      He is now based in Dubai but returns to England once a month for a week for charity and TV work.
      Since the attack he pays £600 a day on security in the UK.
      Bolton-born Amir said: “The UK isn’t a safe place any more.
      “It’s like living in Mexico. I don’t feel comfortable. I love England. I won a medal for the country but I stay in Dubai now because it’s the only place I feel safe. I’ve had my career, won my fights, got money. I just want to be safe.”
      Amir also blasted London’s Labour mayor Sadiq Khan, saying: “Since he has been in power, London has got so dangerous. He needs to pull his finger out and do something about it.”
      Speaking about the impact of the robbery, he added: “Faryal always says ‘Don’t go out on your own’.
      “She’s always on my back saying, ‘Make sure you take your security with you’.
      “A couple of months after the robbery, I remember walking outside Harrods.
      “It was about 5pm or 6pm, and I had a bag with a T-shirt in. I thought, ‘Oh s**t, it’s not safe for me to walk’.
      “A guy asked me for a picture, and I’m always happy to do that, but I felt very uneasy.”
      Amir had bought the stolen watch — a Franck Muller Vanguard Chronograph — after his December 2014 victory over American welterweight Devon Alexander in Las Vegas.
      Amir said: “I always buy a watch after a fight. It was quite sentimental. I got it after I won to treat myself.”
      Speaking about the impact of the robbery, Amir said: ‘Faryal always says ‘Don’t go out on your own’Credit: Doug Seeburg
      Recalling the ordeal, Amir said: ‘Faryal ran back on to the road and I just froze’
      Two weeks before the robbery he stopped paying £15,000 a year insurance for around £600,000 worth of watches.
      He had been paying the premium for ten years but felt safe having never been targeted before.
      Faryal, who married Amir in 2013, said of the ordeal: “I saw a really tall guy like hugging Amir.
      “Amir seemed to be laughing, I think he thought it was a fan.
      “Suddenly I saw a gun . . . I was on the phone to my best friend and just started screaming ‘help, help, help!’
      “I ran into the road as I thought I’d rather get hit by a car than shot. At the time, I thought ­someone had set us up. That they’ve come to shoot me and Amir. I thought, ‘Does Amir have any enemies?’
      “I was worried that while I’m running someone is going to shoot me from the back. It was really, really scary.”
      Faryal added: “I would lie awake at night thinking, ‘What if we both got killed?’ It took me a good few months to get over it.
      “After the incident, we sorted out our wills and a trust for the kids. It was a big wake-up call.”
      She said it brought her and Amir closer.
      She said: “It hit me that I could’ve lost Amir.
      “It makes you appreciate each other a lot more.
      Read More on The Sun
      “He’s the love of my life, my husband, the father of my children.
      “If I lost him, I don’t think I could ever recover from that.”
      Cops hunt suspects
      POLICE sought help to find suspect Hamza Kulane who they want to quiz over the raid.
      Alleged spotters Nurul Amin, 25, and Ismail Mohamed, 24, were cleared of conspiracy to rob on Friday after a two-week trial.
      Gunman Dante Campbell, 20, and crony Ahmed Bana, 25, have admitted conspiracy to rob and possessing an imitation firearm.
      They will be sentenced later.
      Jurors were shown CCTV film of Amir’s ordeal.
      He told Snaresbrook crown court: “I’m a sportsman, a fighter. I’ve been in the toughest situations but this is something different. This is really scary.” More

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      I broke Glenn Hoddle’s ribs when I gave him CPR, says Spurs fan who saved his life after cardiac attack

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      THE man who saved Glenn Hoddle after his heart stopped has re­vealed he broke seven of the footie pundit’s ribs giving him CPR.Spurs fan Simon Daniels was reunited with Glenn on telly yesterday.
      Ex-Tottenham and England ace Glenn Hoddle was reunited with heart surgeon Stephen Edmondson and fan Simon Daniels, who both saved his lifeCredit: Rex
      The former Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder was visibly emotional when Simon joined him and heart surgeon Stephen Edmondson as they were being interviewed on Good Morning Britain.
      Sound engineer Simon’s last-minute appearance came as he was working on ITV’s Lorraine in the studio next door.
      Glenn, 65, said: “You can imagine how emotional I feel with these two guys sat here.”
      Simon said: “I broke seven of Glenn’s ribs so I’ve got that on my CV.”
      READ MORE ON GLENN HODDLE
      Presenter Kate Garraway joked “So you’re not a Spurs fan?” and he replied: “No, I am a Spurs fan.”
      Glenn had a cardiac arrest on his 61st birthday in 2018 while working as a pundit for BT Sport.
      Simon’s first aid kept him alive long enough to be rushed to hospital for open-heart surgery.
      A bypass op was then carried out by Mr Edmonson at St Barts, London.
      Most read in Football
      Simon said: “I could tell that Glenn was seriously unwell.
      “Just being able to do CPR, and do it quickly, you give someone that chance of making it.”
      Glenn said: “I’m only here because of Steve and Simon. These guys saved my life.” More

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      World Champion boxer Tyson Fury reveals surprising career switch

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      TYSON Fury is hoping to become a knock-out as a property tycoon — by starting a firm to buy, sell and lease real estate.The world heavyweight champion boxer, 34, is ­taking a leaf out the book of his aunt Maureen who owns travellers’ caravan sites across the country.
      Our mock up of property magnate Tyson
      World Champion boxer Tyson Fury is making a surprising career moveCredit: Getty
      Dad-of-six Tyson, known as The Gypsy King, will run Greenway Balmoral Ltd from his £500,000, six-bedroom former home in seaside town Morecambe, Lancs — the HQ for all his businesses.
      He and wife Paris, 33, live in a £1.7million mansion nearby — but Tyson launched his new career by buying a house close to that of brother, Tommy, 23, and the fellow boxer’s girlfriend Molly-Mae Hague, also 23.
      His plan to flatten the Cheshire home and build a six-bed with a pool were thwarted by roosting bats.
      Tyson now plans to extend the original building. It is not clear if he aims to make it his main home or sell it.
      Read More on Tyson Fury
      It is believed patriotic Tyson may have named his new firm in tribute to the Queen, who died at her Balmoral estate in September.
      He and Paris laid flowers at Buckingham Palace with a card reading: “Great may your bed be in Heaven”.
      His auntie Maureen, who won permission for a 100-mobile home site in 2018, runs her property empire through Fury Developments Ltd. More

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      Sergio Ramos’ stunning wife Pilar Rubio, 45, wows in red swimsuit

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      MODEL and TV host Pilar Rubio shines in scarlet before meeting a media starlet.The mum, 45, posed with Kim Kardashian, as they watched Pilar’s husband Sergio Ramos play for Paris Saint-Germain last Sunday.
      Pilar Rubio, 45, stunned in red swimwearCredit: Mario Sierra
      The model posed with Kim Kardashian, as they watched Sergio Ramos play for Paris Saint-Germain last SundayCredit: Instagram
      Kim was watching with her Arsenal supporting son Saint, seven, who snapped selfies.
      She also met Kim’s supermodel half-sister Kendall Jenner, 27, and shared the photos on Instagram.
      Pilar told her 9.4million followers: “Keeping Up with the Kardashians!”
      But her hubby’s team lost 2-0 to Rennes — their first league defeat in more than 700 days.
      READ MORE ON MODELS
      No wonder Pilar’s seeing red.
      In a tell-all interview last year, Pilar revealed she and her hubby have sex every day.
      When asked how often she had romped with her husband-of-three-years, the stunning brunette replied: “We do it every day, except for the days when I am in Madrid.
      “Today for instance, thanks to you, I can’t.”
      Most read in Football
      Told by the shocked host of chat show La Resistencia they were like Avengers superheroes having sex so often with four youngsters in the house, she added: “My children are in bed at 9.30pm. Sex is life.” More

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      I appeared on Soccer AM and it was the greatest day of my life – Sky shouldn’t axe this icon and here’s why

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      JUST when I thought I had avoided a full-blown mid-life crisis, Sky have axed Soccer AM.After three decades “All Aboard The Showboat” we are being forced to disembark.
      It had taken me six years to get over the departure of former host, Helen Chamberlain — and now this?Credit: PA:Press Association
      The Luther Blissett stand will fall silent for ever after the final show goes out on May 27 – Gordon on show in 2013 with Helen, James Corden and Max Rushden
      Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain in 2003 on the show’s sofaCredit: Rex
      The Luther Blissett stand — the studio audience’s enclosure — will fall silent for ever after the final show goes out on May 27.
      It had taken me six years to get over the departure of former host, Helen “Hells Bells” Chamberlain — and now this?
      It feels like my team has gone into administration, failing to find a billionaire buyer. We’ve had points deducted, been relegated, lost a derby to our local rivals and been bought by a dodgy consortium.
      There’s no chance VAR has cocked this one up — the referee’s decision is final. In football terms, the clearout has started. Big Sam Allardyce won’t be getting the call to save the day.
      The veteran on and off-screen team — who have entertained us through four decades — have failed to survive the dreaded vote of no confidence from Sky executives.
      It’s not even a fire sale of the big names. They are all being unceremoniously turfed out for a younger, fresher, social media-focused format.
      Magical camaraderie
      The Sun broke the news online yesterday with a heavy heart — yet another TV institution running its course.
      The loyal, hard-working and passionate team have been told they will be made redundant at the end of this season — with only ten more shows to go.
      Most read in Football
      In a statement colder than a wet Wednesday in Stoke, Sky said: “Soccer AM has played an important role in our coverage of football for the past three decades, and we continually adapt to the evolving needs of our customers.
      “We now go into a period of consultation to discuss the proposed changes with our people. We are unable to provide more detail while these consultations are underway.”
      Soccer Saturday anchor and pal of the show, Jeff Stelling, will be seething. Chris Kamara has definitely said: “Unbelievable, Jeff!”
      The fabric of this fine country is held together by football, and Soccer AM has long been the unofficial starting whistle for weekend shenanigans for lads (and lassies) like me since 1995.
      The love affair started with Hells Bells and Tim Lovejoy back in the 90s. Like the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, or peak Chris Evans with TFI Friday, you felt like you were part of the gang.
      I’ll never forget the first time former Rangers defender Scott Wilson came up to me in a nightclub and said I had something on my shoe. I raised my heel and he said, “Oh sailor!”
      That infantile banter was stolen straight from Soccer AM and repeated around the country on a daily basis, until the jokes wore thin and they found a new one.
      If you’ve ever heard “taxi!” shouted at any football occasion (when somebody has shamed themselves on the pitch) THAT came from Soccer AM.
      Third Eye, Nutmeg Files, Sky Spoof News, Skill Skool — if you know the show, they immediately bring a smile to your face.
      The Crossbar Challenge — attempt to hit it with a shot from the halfway line — is one of the greatest games invented for football teams at any level.
      The word “tekkers”, for sublime technique, was popularised on Saturday mornings, signposting an amazing display of talent.
      It hasn’t been without controversy. I’d argue that’s the sign of any good show.
      The Soccerettes — young women who were the subject of the male presenter’s innuendos — ceased to be in 2015.
      They were out of date in the post-lads mag world. It was time to go and the show evolved. Fans of the week, Colonel & Ginger, Frankie Fryer away days, Tubes’ Question and rap, the end of season dance-off — they were all TV gold for my generation.
      The sketches with the original team made the show essential viewing through my teens and 20s – pictured John with Helen
      Noel Gallagher, who loved the show, and Jimmy ‘Bully’ Bullard appearing on Soccer AMCredit: Sky
      The sketches with the original team — John Fendley, Joe “Sheephead” Worsley, Robbie “The Tramp” Knox, Peter Dale and James Long — made the show essential viewing through my teens and 20s.
      Then, in my 30s and now 40s, with Fenners — AKA John Fendley, the current co-host — taking the reins with Jimmy Bullard, and ace comedian Lloyd Griffiths for a few years, I’ve fallen in love with it all over again alongside my teenage son on the sofa.
      Soccer AM still pulls great guests and it should be admired for shining a light on new music talent. It’s not just about football, it’s about the bands that soundtracked our weekends, and so many of the show’s clever collages of video clips.
      We still quote Bob Bradley, Fenners’ pastiche of a US soccer coach. Yorkshire News and Barry Proudfoot sketches still make me laugh.
      Fenners’ voiceover and lip sync to old pictures of Gary Lineker and Alan Smith at Leicester in the ’80s makes me laugh every week. Without sounding too much like Alan Hansen and his infamous “You’ll win nothing with kids . . . ”
      Match Of the Day barb about Sir Alex Ferguson’s Class of ’92, I don’t see where the new show will recreate that magical camaraderie.
      Saturday morning without Fenners and Bully laughing at hapless fans failing to hit “top bins” — positioned in the upper corners of the goalmouth — will be like getting in the team bath with your socks still on. It will feel so wrong.
      It’s the kind of emotional turmoil a man in his 40s, who still thinks he’s in his 20s and dresses like it’s the ’90s, just can’t process without careering off the rails.
      Critics will say the show’s been slipping down the leagues for years, but I admire the way it has evolved.
      We’ve grown to love the effervescent Jimmy “Bully” Bullard.
      Producer turned show star Peter Dale — “Tubes” to the uninitiated — has survived a heart attack and alcoholism, for heaven’s sake. We lived through that with him. He is our North Star, but he is going, too.
      Last night former star Rocket, real name James Long and the face of show segment Skill Skool, posted on Twitter: “End of an era!”
      Former host, now TalkSport presenter, Andy Goldstein added: “Honoured to have been a part of it, all be it for just a season (a bit like Cantona at Leeds) Tim and Helen were incredible. To be a fan for so long and then sit on the orange sofa was the stuff of dreams.”
      I was very lucky to take part in the car park challenge twice, in 2011 and 2013.
      My first outing, dressed in full Scotland kit, witnessed one of the greatest moments of my life — right up there with my kids being born. I rolled the ball up the inside of my leg, then hit on the half volley as it dropped. Wallop! I’d dreamed of doing that for 15 years — straight through.
      It was only usurped by Sergio Pizzorno from Kasabian, who flicked it up in a pair of winklepickers then volleyed it clean through the inflatable Wembley Arch.
      All the more impressive when you knew he hadn’t been to bed the night before.
      That was the magic — Soccer AM had authentic rock’n’roll spirit that will be hard to replace.
      The Gallagher brothers loved the show, and Hollywood stars such as The Rock were more than happy to get involved in the Pro-Am.
      Sky are hoping a new phoenix will emerge from the flames with those painful words middle-aged men fear, “whilst hoping to attract a younger audience . . . ”
      It all feels a bit like that journeyman footballer when his legs have gone.
      Remember Gary Neville’s last game at Manchester United? He was knackered, the legs gave in and even for his biggest detractors, there was something sad about seeing him hauled off by Sir Alex Ferguson in the first half.
      But I believe there’s still room for an Indian summer for Soccer AM — the format is too good to give up.
      Read More on The Sun
      Paul Gascoigne on the long-running Sky Sports showCredit: Sky
      Simon Le Bon with Asim Chaudhry on Soccer AM in 2021
      Kasabian star Sergio Pizzorno also made an appearance More

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      I was a Soccer AM Soccerette TWICE – it was great fun for models like me but I have a different view of it now

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      I LOVED watching Soccer AM so much that I appeared as a Soccerette twice.The weekend show was perfect when you had a hangover from a night out and was essential viewing for a football fan like me.
      I was a Soccer AM Soccerette TWICE – it was great fun for models like me, says Peta Todd
      Peta Todd believes the end of Soccer AM is a sign of the timesCredit: Louis Wood
      I wouldn’t take my kit off on television now, but back then I was a model and was glad to be invited on.
      I enjoyed it enough to return to show off my West Ham top for a second time.
      The hosts were always great to work with – it was always fun.
      I wasn’t the only one who wanted to be on Soccer AM.
      READ MORE ON SOCCER AM
      The calibre of guests such as Wayne Rooney shows how popular it was.
      Soccer AM was the first time I really felt that a female host was holding their own on a football show.
      Torquay United fan Helen Chamberlain was a trailblazer for women in sports presenting.
      There weren’t that many female pundits 30 years ago and few are as well respected as her.
      Most read in Football
      She was able to hold her own with all the banter of those laddish men.
      If there was nonsense going on, she would put her foot down.
      A lot of people will be nostalgic about Soccer AM and it is a shame it is ending.
      But it was a show that thrived in the 1990s and I don’t think it would get commissioned now.
      Its main problem is that younger audiences prefer to watch YouTube shows or listen to podcasts.
      The end of Soccer AM is a sign of the times. More

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      Major update in case of robber who helped tie up Ashley Cole in front of kids & threatened to cut off fingers

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      A ROBBER who tied up England footballer Ashley Cole in front of his children and threatened to cut off his fingers has failed to reduce his 30-year jail term.Kurtis Dilks, 35, argued his sentence was excessive but three judges dismissed his appeal.
      A robber who tied up England footballer Ashley Cole in front of his children and threatened to cut off his fingers has failed to reduce his 30-year jail termCredit: PA
      The Court of Appeal in London yesterday heard Cole and his partner Sharon Canu had been the victims of a raid at their Surrey home in January 2020.
      Dilks, of Nottingham, was the only one of the gang to be caught after his DNA was recovered on the cable ties.
      He was convicted of conspiracy to rob following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court in July 2022.
      Dilks was handed a 30-year term and ordered to serve an extended licence period of five years by Judge James Sampson.
      READ MORE ON Ashley Cole
      He argued that the sentence was excessive but appeal judges Lord Justice Holroyde, Mr Justice Kerr, and Judge Timothy Spencer ruled against him.
      Dilks and five other men had been convicted for their roles in a string of what prosecutors said were “ruthlessly executed” robberies and burglaries between October 2018 and January 2020.
      He was also found guilty of conspiring to rob the wife of ex-Derby player Tom Huddlestone in May 2019, along with two other men. More

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      Unique Lionel Messi 2022 World Cup sticker sells for eye-watering sum

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      A UNIQUE Lionel Messi 2022 World Cup sticker has sold for £115,000.It was the only one framing the Argentina footballing great with a black border.
      A unique Panini sticker of Lionel Messi issued for the 2022 World Cup has sold for a staggering £115,000 at auction in the USACredit: BNPS
      Henry Barrios found it among 300 Panini packs he bought in September.
      The American realised it was the sticker world’s equivalent of the holy grail — and put it up for sale when Argentina won the tournament last year.
      After white, less common borders were blue, red, purple and green.
      All players had just one with a black frame, with the Messi sticker the most sought-after.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      For the 2022 World Cup Panini decided to issue a limited number of stickers for all 600 players with different coloured borders to go alongside the standard white outlines.
      It sold at Goldin Auctions, New Jersey.
      A spokesman said: “It was a very lucky find.”
      A 1980 Panini sticker of Diego Maradona sold for a record £470,000 in 2021.
      Most read in Football
      That beat the previous record for a Pele sticker from 1958 that sold for £237,000 in 2020.
      Last year a Panini sticker of a young Cristiano Ronaldo from his time at Sporting Lisbon in 2002 sold for almost £60,000. More