More stories

  • in

    It’s early days for Sancho at Man Utd… but Solskjaer needs everyone up & running NOW and £73m winger must deliver soon

    IN THE 75th minute on Wednesday night Jadon Sancho’s number went up and the Old Trafford fans gave him a standing ovation as he was subbed.Quite what he had done to deserve such applause is another thing but they can be a very generous crowd.
    Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho is still adjusting to life at Old TraffordCredit: EPA
    Sancho was hooked after 75 minutes against Villarreal in the Champions League on Wednesday nightCredit: EPA
    You should have heard the reception Radamel Falcao used to get.
    But much was expected of one of the club’s biggest signings in history and while it is very early days, Sancho has not delivered.
    The 2-1 win over Villarreal was another example.
    So far in five starts and three substitute appearances he has yet to produce a goal or assist in 403 minutes for United.
    He has completed just one full 90 minutes for the club — the 1-0 Carabao Cup defeat to West Ham when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer completely changed his starting XI from the win over the Hammers the previous weekend.
    In his eight appearances, United have scored 16 goals but only FIVE when he is on the pitch. 

    JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
    And you struggle to remember him even beating a man.
    It is as well for him that Cristiano Ronaldo returned to the club and the spotlight that would have been on Sancho has been on the Portuguese superstar. 
    Ronaldo thrives in it. Obviously you cannot compare the two.
    But Ronaldo’s five goals in as many games have papered over a number of cracks, with one of the biggest question marks hanging over Sancho.
    When United were struggling for a goal against Aston Villa on Saturday, struggling to get the ball to Ronaldo and create anything, Sancho stayed on the bench.
    His manager Solskjaer clearly believed that he was not going to alter nothing.
    England manager Gareth Southgate has clearly thought that for some time despite including him in his squad once again yesterday for the two upcoming internationals.
    Sancho was one of only three from the 26 called up for the Euros in the summer to be totally left out the opening match day squad against Croatia.
    Sancho is yet to chip in with a goal or provide an assist from his eight Red Devils appearancesCredit: PA
    He started just one game in the championships, the 4-0 thumping of Ukraine in Rome and was unfortunate to be one of the penalty takers who missed in the penalty shoot-out in the final.
    Sancho has 22 caps for England and those who have seen every one of those reckon he has had three decent games.
    In the most recent international break he pulled out the squad early with a knock but there was no explanation as to how he had got it or what it was.
    Anyway he was fit enough to start against Newcastle when the Premier League resumed.
    You look at his stats from his time with Borussia Dortmund and you wonder where that player is, they are fantastic.
    In the four years with the club after leaving Manchester City as a 17-year-old he played 104 games scoring 38 goals and providing 51 assists.
    From the start of that 2018-19 season when he became a regular for Dortmund, Sancho made 41 assists in the Bundesliga.
    In the top five European leagues in this period, only two produced more: Thomas Muller (48) and Lionel Messi (43). Not that things were always well during his time in Germany off the pitch.
    Sancho will be vying to start against Everton at the Theatre of Dreams on SaturdayCredit: AFP
    You have to wonder whether his early impact went to his head. In Germany there is a much more open relationship between clubs and media, much like there used to be in this country.
    Yet for his final two years in there, Sancho blanked the regular Dortmund media pack doing just one interview with ESPN.
    Perhaps it was the coverage of a rather lavish trip to Dubai in January 2020 that steeled his resolve to ignore the press.
    He posted an Instagram video from that trip which included him applying salt to a gold covered £268 steak.
    As respected German newspaper Die Welt put it that ‘was difficult to stomach for the public’.
    The Dortmund hierarchy was furious too and he was given a dressing down on his return to the club.
    He had already blotted his copy book by then after returning late from international duty with England in October 2019 and was axed from the squad for the 1-0 win over then Bundesliga leaders Borussia Monchengladbach.
    The following month he was late for a team meeting and subsequently left out of the squad for a Champions League game with Barcelona.

    Yet in that same 2019-20 season Sancho became part of a select group to have recorded 15-plus goals and assists in the same league campaign alongside Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Eden Hazard.
    Still he continued to hit the headlines for other reasons and in October of last year he enraged his club again.
    He was allowed to sit out the club’s 4-0 victory over Freiburg before an international break due to cold-like symptoms that saw him separated from the rest of the squad, although he would test negative for Covid.
    Then within days he was pictured with around 20 guests including Ben Chilwell at a surprise party for Tammy Abraham in London breaching strict Covid rules.
    His performances in the second half of last season remained top draw, but were Dortmund happy to let him go?
    If not why was an asking price of £110m at the end of the 2019-20 season as United pursued him then reduced to £73m by the time they finally got his signature this summer.
    He is 21 and mistakes will be made. He is still getting used to a new set of team-mates. But United need everyone up and running now – and Sancho is not.
    Man Utd’s Donny van de Beek caught throwing chewing gum in dugout after Solskjaer snubs him in favour of Fred More

  • in

    Cristiano Ronaldo so committed to training the Sir Alex Ferguson would have to FORCE him to go home, reveals Nicky Butt

    CRISTIANO RONALDO spent so long on the training ground that Sir Alex Ferguson ordered him to leave because it was too close to a game.The legendary boss feared the young Ronaldo would wear himself out perpetually practising all his trick, flicks and skills.
    Cristiano Ronaldo is BACK at Manchester United – and already making wavesCredit: Getty
    Butt saw the supreme talents of Cristiano Ronaldo at first handCredit: Action Images
    Nicky Butt came off when Ronaldo made his first Manchester United debut in 2003 and in the new book “Viva Ronaldo”, Butt reveals the secrets of Ronaldo’s determination to make it to the top.
    Butt said: “Ronaldo was to emerge as a genius but it wasn’t just about his talents that took him right to the top.
    “It is often said that certain players worked hard, stayed behind for some extra training or to practise their techniques, but with Cristiano it was total dedication, total commitment, and total hard work.
    “He didn’t have a God given physique, it wasn’t given, he worked hard to achieve it. He actually came to us as a skinny, scrawny young kid, and worked hard to get that physique over many, may years.
    “He had to reach a new level of physical strength because the Premier League demanded it, and he had plenty of opportunity to see at first hand how physical and tough it can be when he was up against, even in training, the likes of Roy Keane and Jaap Stam.
    “We would also see him work relentlessly on his free kicks and he would tell us about something he had seen somewhere, and he wanted to perfect it, and he would work again relentlessly until he did.

    FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS

    “It all went beyond dedication, he was obsessed with football.
    “You see it all the time when some players talk about their dedication and how much extra practise they put in.
    “But often it is little more than a pretence, maybe a touch more time practising and then rush off to do something else they are keen on, or can’t wait to go home and have something to eat, but rarely do you find someone totally committed 24/7 to the game, but Cristiano was one of those.
    “He never had a girlfriend back then, or seemed that interested in any distractions such as that, he never had a wife and kids to rush back to see or to entertain, he lived alone.
    “He was the last to leave the building. In fact, you couldn’t get him off the training pitch as he worked relentlessly on his techniques, as we all walking off he was carrying a bag of balls to work on those techniques.
    “We would be having lunch in the canteen or getting ready to go home and you could hear the voice of Sir Alex bellowing across the training fields at two or three o’clock in the afternoon, shouting at Cristiano that it was time to get off the pitch as ‘we have a game in two days – enough now’!”
    He has returned just at the right time to this club, we’re crying out to regain that old successful winning formula and entertaining footballNicky ButtOn Cristiano Ronaldo
    When he was replaced by Ronaldo against Bolton, Butt recalls: “As the change was made on the touchline I said to Cristiano, ‘good luck, enjoy it’.
    “We were all aware that it wouldn’t be easy for an 18 year old coming to a new country and playing in a league where the intensity and pace is far greater than he had ever been used to in Portuguese football.
    “The first thing he did when Cristiano came on was to dribble at people and he immediately got the fans on their feet with his trickery.
    “We all appreciated that people in Manchester deserved to be entertained when they spent their hard earned money to come to watch us, and here they got an early glimpse of this new boy Cristiano Ronaldo and they loved what they could see of him. Nothing seemed to faze him.”
    Butt knew he would comeback ‘home”, adding: “He showed loyalty to the club that gave him his big chance.
    “He has returned just at the right time to this club, we’re crying out to regain that old successful winning formula and entertaining football. Make no mistake, he has created an incredible buzz about the place.”
    Viva Ronaldo!: The Second Coming of Cristiano, Out Now by Harry Harris, Foreword by Nicky Butt, Empire Publishing £9.95
    Butt believes Ronaldo can get United back to greatnessCredit: Reuters
    Cristiano Ronaldo vows to bring back glory days to Man Utd and thanks fans for inspiring last-gasp Villarreal victory More

  • in

    Cristiano Ronaldo’s driver waited seven hours to fill up £220k Bentley with fuel – but left without a drop

    CRISTIANO Ronaldo’s driver waited nearly seven hours to fill his £220,000 Bentley with petrol — but left without a drop.The supercar was spotted in a queue at a Shell forecourt a few miles from the Manchester United player’s home.
    Cristiano Ronaldo’s Bentley was spotted at a forecourt in Manchester at 2:20pmCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
    His disappointed driver was still waiting at 9pmCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
    One of Ronaldo’s security team escorted the star’s flashy supercarCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
    A Range Rover, also driven by a member of Ronaldo’s security team, was parked alongside it.
    The drivers pulled up at 2.20pm, hoping a tanker would arrive at the filling station with supplies.
    But having waited six hours 40 minutes, they realised none was coming and drove away at 9pm.
    There was no sign of Ronaldo, 36, who is staying in a seven- bedroom mansion near the filling station in Wilmslow, Cheshire.
    His drivers kept their spirits up as they waited in the rain with takeaway Starbucks coffees from the Spar inside the garage.
    A source said: “Even with all Ronaldo’s money, he’s in the same boat as the rest of us.

    “His security waited for hours obviously hoping a tanker would eventually arrive but they were forced to drive off.
    “The two men looked so fed up waiting in the rain. Ronaldo might be housebound like everyone else if this keeps up.”
    Even if a tanker had arrived, the most they could have bought was £30 after Shell introduced the cap to cope with the panic-buying.
    The Portugal ace recently bought the flash Bentley Flying Spur to add to his £17million stable of supercars. He has been seen driving it to United’s training ground during the past week.
    Even with all Ronaldo’s money, he’s in the same boat as the rest of us.
    His latest purchase came less than a month after his return to Old Trafford from Juventus.
    Ronaldo’s collection includes Ferraris, Lamborghinis, McLarens, two Rolls-Royces, a Porsche 911 Turbo S, a Koenigsegg CCX, a Bentley Continental, a Range Rover and several Audis and Mercedes.
    He has a £1.4million Ferrari Monza, a £1.7million Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport and a £2.15million Bugatti Chiron.
    But the £8.5million jewel in his collection is the Bugatti Centodieci — one of only ten to be built.
    The Manchester United player is staying in a seven-bed mansion in Wilmslow, CheshireCredit: Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo spotted leaving Subway as Man Utd star is flanked by bodyguards while out in Manchester town centre More

  • in

    Cristiano Ronaldo’s driver waited seven hours to fill up £220k Bentley – but left without a drop

    CRISTIANO Ronaldo’s driver waited nearly seven hours to fill his £220,000 Bentley with petrol — but left without a drop.The supercar was spotted in a queue at a Shell forecourt a few miles from the Manchester United player’s home.
    Cristiano Ronaldo’s Bentley was spotted at a forecourt in Manchester at 2:20pmCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
    His disappointed driver was still waiting at 9pmCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
    One of Ronaldo’s security team escorted the star’s flashy supercarCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
    A Range Rover, also driven by a member of Ronaldo’s security team, was parked alongside it.
    The drivers pulled up at 2.20pm, hoping a tanker would arrive at the filling station with supplies.
    But having waited six hours 40 minutes, they realised none was coming and drove away at 9pm.
    There was no sign of Ronaldo, 36, who is staying in a seven- bedroom mansion near the filling station in Wilmslow, Cheshire.
    His drivers kept their spirits up as they waited in the rain with takeaway Starbucks coffees from the Spar inside the garage.
    A source said: “Even with all Ronaldo’s money, he’s in the same boat as the rest of us.

    “His security waited for hours obviously hoping a tanker would eventually arrive but they were forced to drive off.
    “The two men looked so fed up waiting in the rain. Ronaldo might be housebound like everyone else if this keeps up.”
    Even if a tanker had arrived, the most they could have bought was £30 after Shell introduced the cap to cope with the panic-buying.
    The Portugal ace recently bought the flash Bentley Flying Spur to add to his £17million stable of supercars. He has been seen driving it to United’s training ground during the past week.
    Even with all Ronaldo’s money, he’s in the same boat as the rest of us.
    His latest purchase came less than a month after his return to Old Trafford from Juventus.
    Ronaldo’s collection includes Ferraris, Lamborghinis, McLarens, two Rolls-Royces, a Porsche 911 Turbo S, a Koenigsegg CCX, a Bentley Continental, a Range Rover and several Audis and Mercedes.
    He has a £1.4million Ferrari Monza, a £1.7million Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport and a £2.15million Bugatti Chiron.
    But the £8.5million jewel in his collection is the Bugatti Centodieci — one of only ten to be built.
    The Manchester United player is staying in a seven-bed mansion in Wilmslow, CheshireCredit: Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo spotted leaving Subway as Man Utd star is flanked by bodyguards while out in Manchester town centre More

  • in

    Jack Grealish & girlfriend Sasha Attwood forced to move out of Manchester flat after fans worked out where he lived

    JACK Grealish has been forced to move out of his swanky Manchester apartment after fans discovered his location.The winger, who made history this summer with his £115million transfer to Man City, moved over concerns for the safety of himself and his girlfriend Sasha Attwood.
    Jack Grealish has moved out of his flat amid safety concerns for him and his girlfriend SashaCredit: Splash
    The Man City star had a swanky apartment in ManchesterCredit: Getty
    A source said: “Jack had been living in a nice apartment in Manchester but recently fans have started to congregate outside.
    “It’s all very innocent at the moment and those who have been waiting around are people who adore Jack and want to get pictures and autographs.
    “However looking at the bigger picture, it’s not ideal that people know his building – especially given the threats Sasha has endured.
    “For safety he has now relocated and is no longer at the property he has been living in.
    “It is hoped that while he remains in Manchester this will remain under wraps.”
    Following his transfer from Aston Villa, Three Lions ace Jack, 25, has seen his star status turn meteoric.

    He is now one of the most searched for sportsmen in the UK, with recent research showing there are over 200,000 Google searches of his name every month.
    Sasha, 23, who has been dating Jack since her teens, is a model and recently signed a big money deal with Boohoo.
    The Sun revealed earlier this year how she had been inundated with death threats – receiving 200 vile messages a day on Instagram during the 2020 Euros.
    Jack and Sasha have been dating since their teensCredit: Tim Stewart
    Jack Grealish’s girlfriend slams trolls who sent her vile abuse during Euros – claiming she was sent ‘200 death threats a day’ More

  • in

    Everton star Jean-Philippe Gbamin fined £25,000 and banned from roads after 5am drink-drive smash

    EVERTON midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin has been fined £25,000 and banned from the roads after a 5am drink-drive smash.The injury-hit star, 26, collided with a Jaguar in his Audi RS Q8 as he left the M56 near his home in Hale Barns, Gtr Manchester, on August 8, a court heard.
    Jean-Philippe Gbamin has been fined £25,000 and banned from the roads after a 5am drink-drive smashCredit: Getty
    A breath test revealed he had 52mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.
    The legal limit is 35mg.
    Gbamin, from the Ivory Coast, who earns £100,000 a month, admitted drink-driving at Manchester magistrates’ court and got a 14-month driving ban and fine.
    JP Susanne O’Connell told him: “You are very fortunate no serious injuries were caused.
    He said: “I am sorry.”

    Premier League star Ashley Barnes arrested for drink-driving following 4-hour booze up after avoiding relegation More

  • in

    Georgina Rodriguez admits she’s keen for Ronaldo to ask her to marry him

    CRISTIANO Ronaldo’s girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez has admitted she’s keen for him to make her a Wed Devil.The Argentinian model, 27, is asked in a new ­Netflix documentary on her life if they’ll get married.
    Gorgeous Georgina Rodriguez admits she’s ready for Cristiano Ronaldo to pop the questionCredit: Mega
    The Argentinian model, 27, responds ‘I wish’ as she is asked in new Netflix documentary if they’ll get marriedCredit: The Mega Agency
    She nods her head towards Man United ace Ronaldo, 36, and says: “It doesn’t depend on me . . . I wish.”
    She used the word “Ojala” in Spanish which translates into English as “hopefully” or “let’s hope so”.
    The pair have been dating since 2016 when she was earning £10-an-hour as a shop worker in Madrid.
    The brunette beauty has a three-year-old daughter with Ronaldo, and plays mum to his other three children.
    The premiere date of the documentary is yet to be announced.
    The pair have had to deny several reports they have tied the knot, with one saying they married during a secret trip to Morocco.

    The premiere date of the documentary is yet to be announced
    The pair have been dating since 2016 when she was earning £10-an-hour as a shop worker in MadridCredit: The Mega Agency
    The brunette beauty has a three-year-old daughter with Ronaldo and plays mum to his other three childrenCredit: Instagram @cristiano
    Official trailer for Georgina Rodriguez’s new Netflix show More

  • in

    Inside the glitzy world of Jack Grealish and girlfriend Sasha Attwood who are fast turning into the new Posh and Becks

    WHEN it comes to football and fashion, Posh and Becks have always been top of the league.But now the seemingly untouchable golden couple of David and Victoria Beckham have a serious rival. . . Sash and Jacks.
    In the space of just a few months, Jack Grealish’s star status has tuned meteoric
    His glamorous girlfriend Sasha Attwood has become something of a star herself
    Jack Grealish, 26, and his glamourous girlfriend Sasha Attwood, 25, could be the Greal thing when it comes to footie’s new super couple.
    Jack got a glimpse of the Posh and Becks-style mania coming his way at this summer’s Euros.
    When he threw his England shirt into the crowd after a match a gang of grown men clamoured to grab it.
    Fast forward to today and the swaggering playmaker — who became the most expensive British footballer in history following his £115million move from Aston Villa to Manchester City — is so mobbed by fans that he is having to move out of his swanky apartment.
    And his model girlfriend Sasha has just landed her first major fashion deal.
    WALKING SAME PATH
    In the space of a few short months, following his historic transfer, Jack’s star status has turned meteoric.
    A source said: “Jack had been living in a nice apartment in Manchester but recently fans have started to congregate outside.

    “It’s all very innocent and those who have been waiting around adore Jack and want to get pictures and autographs. But for safety he has now relocated.”
    It comes on the back of Sasha revealing she had received up to 200 death threats a day from jealous and abusive fans, some as young as 13, during the Euros.
    The source added: “Looking at the bigger picture, it’s not ideal that people know their building, especially given the threats Sasha has endured.”
    It is easy to see the similarities between this golden pairing and Goldenballs and Victoria.
    Jack — who wears the No7 shirt for England, just as Becks did — even wears his hair in a style his idol used to sport.
    Jack said: “He’s iconic. Everyone in England loves Beckham.
    “That said, my hair wasn’t inspired by him. It’s long and during games, when I get sweaty and my hair gets wet, it would end up going over my face too much. That’s why I started wearing a headband.”
    Jack and Sasha now find themselves walking the same path as Posh and Becks, having moved from their £1.7million home in Worcester to Manchester, where Becks played for United for 11 years.
    But it is off the pitch that the young couple, who met as teenagers at school in Solihull, West Mids, are resembling Posh and Becks.
    He’s iconic. Everyone in England loves Beckham.Jack Grealish
    Yesterday we revealed Sasha has just scored a big-money deal as the face of online clothing brand, Boohoo.
    Jack had already been snapped up to promote Boohoo Men.
    Known for wearing rolled-down socks on the pitch, the lad certainly has his own style.
    And like that other footballing style icon, Jack also admits he has worn some questionable outfits in the past. He particularly regrets a “yellow and blue T-shirt and then some pink sunglasses, which weren’t the best, but I suppose that’s what I thought was in style at the time”.
    Becks, who famously wore a sarong, once admitted he regretted “most of” his fashion faux pas, adding “but they were right at the time”.
    Jack and Sasha might not be wearing Posh and Becks-style matching leather outfits (yet), but they are heading in the right direction.
    One source told The Sun: “Jack and Sasha are being jokingly called the new Posh and Becks by some of his mates because of their fashion deals.
    “He is the man of the moment in football but he’s got plenty of female fans too, and with Sasha, those around them think they could become a new power couple. They’ll be laughing all the way to the bank.”
    ENDLESS OFFERS
    When Jack appeared on the cover of SWM, Sports World Magazine, this summer, his signature locks slicked back, smouldering into the camera, he could have been Becks’s double.
    The world is at his feet and the offers will continue to pour in for all manner of deals — just as they did for Becks.
    The 46-year-old has racked up endorsements with the likes of fashion brand Armani and high street firm H&M, as well as Haig Club whisky, plus his £113million lifetime contract with Adidas.
    Jack is now one of the most searched-for sportsmen in the UK, with research showing there are more than 200,000 Google searches of his name every month.
    He has a sponsorship deal with sports giant Nike and, even before his megabucks move to Man City, he was at the centre of a four-way bidding war with rivals Adidas, Under Armour and Puma.
    Sasha, who has 96,000 followers on Instagram, is signed to Industry Model Management.
    Posh was 23 when she first met David in the Manchester United players’ lounge in 1997, and as one fifth of pop sensations the Spice Girls, she was more famous at the time.
    Jack and Sasha are being jokingly called the new Posh and Becks by some of his mates because of their fashion deals.
    There were secret dates in car parks and snatched liaisons at hotels.
    When they finally went public, everyone wanted a slice of the couple.
    There was a frenzy over their £1million wedding the following July, which was splashed across the pages of a glossy magazine.
    Jack and Sasha have been able to let their on/off relationship grow in private. Now, like Posh and Becks before them, their romance will be played out in public.
    We revealed in August that Jack’s profile on celebrity dating site Raya was still active, despite the fact that a month earlier, Sasha had been cheering him on at the Euros final at Wembley.
    He also set tongues wagging for being seen with ex-Love Islander Ellie Brown on a night out in Manchester, but she was quick to explain they had simply bumped into each other.
    Sasha cleared up their relationship status this month when she posted a series of loved-up selfies of the pair on Jack’s 26th birthday, and posted: “Happy birthday my babe, loving you always.”
    But even Posh and Becks had their troubles. Remember Rebecca Loos?Becks’s former PA claimed they had an affair, although he always denied it.
    And while we all like to think of Becks as a clean-cut national treasure, even heroes slip up.
    In 2019 he was banned from driving for six months for using his mobile at the wheel.
    Jack was also slapped with a nine-month ban and fined more than £80,000 after pleading guilty to two counts of careless driving in March and October 2020.
    If there is one other element to becoming the new Posh and Becks, it’s having famous pals.
    Last month Jack was pictured with Ed Sheeran, who is also close pals with the Beckhams.
    They have also rubbed shoulders with some of the world’s biggest names, from the Kardashians to Elton John to Prince William.
    Jack, on the other hand, hangs out with Love Islanders and Corrie actor Andy Whyment.
    But now they’re on their way to inheriting the Beckhams’ crown, Jack and Sasha will start to move in very A-list circles.
    Jack and Sasha have even been called the new Posh and BecksCredit: Getty
    Fans think they could scoop Posh and Becks’ title of Britain’s favourite power coupleCredit: PA:Press Association
    Jack wears the No7 shirt for England, just as Becks did
    They’ve even styled their hair the same
    Sasha sported a stylish outfit while supporting her boyfriend at the EurosCredit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd
    Victoria’s iconic 2004 look inspired plenty of Wags
    The sporty pair even look similar when working out
    Just like Jack, David was spotted shirtless on an afternoon run
    Man City ace Jack Grealish’s model girlfriend Sasha Attwood stuns in tight pink latex bunny outfit More