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      Punter scoops £185,000 from £20 bet after correctly predicting results of NINE Championship footie matches

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      A PUNTER was celebrating after the opening weekend of the Championship as he scooped £185,000 — for a £20 bet.The football fan correctly predicted the results for all nine of Saturday’s matches.
      Blackpool players celebrate a goal with a fan during the match with Bristol CityCredit: Getty
      Blackpool’s 93rd-minute equaliser at Bristol City sealed the winning accumulator for the punter, from East London.
      John Hill, of Coral, which took the bet, said: “It will be a Saturday afternoon that our punter will never forget.
      “After correctly predicting the match results in all nine Championship matches on the opening Saturday of the season, he is now £185,000 better off.
      “Our customer will be raising a glass to Blackpool as the Tangerines equalised deep into stoppage time to help him land his astonishing bet.
      “Maybe a trip to the seaside in Blackpool will be in order as part of his celebrations.”

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      Southampton eye shock loan transfer for Liverpool Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – ten years after selling him as a teenager

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      SOUTHAMPTON have launched an ambitious bid to re-sign Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 10 years after selling him as a teenager.Saints are keen to hand England international Oxlade-Chamberlain, 27, the chance to relaunch his career by taking him back on loan.
      Southampton have launched an ambitious bid to re-sign Alex Oxlade-ChamberlainCredit: Getty
      The Portsmouth-born academy graduate joined Saints aged seven and scored nine goals in 36 league appearances before a £15million move to Arsenal in 2011.
      The south coast side believe Liverpool are open to offers for Oxlade-Chamberlain after playing only 13 Premier League games last season.
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      Oxlade-Chamberlain’s Liverpool team-mate Takumi Minamino spent the second half of last season on loan at St Mary’s and Saints have made enquiries about his availability.
      Ox joined the Reds in a £35m deal from Arsenal in 2017 but injuries have prevented him from ever fully establishing himself in Jurgen Klopp’s first XI.
      The German converted the former Three Lions man into a central midfielder during his best spell at Anfield and it remains to be seen where Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl sees the natural winger playing.
      Hasenhuttl is desperate for attacking reinforcements after Danny Ings’ £25m move to Aston Villa.
      Saints are close to agreeing a deal with Chelsea to sign highly-rated striker Armando Broja, 19, on a season’s loan, and are still keen on Blackburn front-man Adam Armstrong.
      But they have abandoned a move for former Crystal Palace flop Alexander Sorloth.
      And the South Coast side are bracing themselves for a swoop from Leicester for defender Jannik Vestergaard.
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      The Foxes are in dire need of reinforcements at the back after Wesley Fofana was ruled out until next year with a broken leg.
      Manager Brendan Rodgers is a long-time admirer of giant Denmark international Vestergaard having tried to sign him in each of the last two transfer windows.
      Vestergaard, 29 earlier this month, is in the final year of his contract and Saints could be tempted to cash in if Leicester are willing to pay £15m.
      Tottenham and Liverpool among four Premier League clubs in transfer battle for £30m Denmark star Mikkel Damsgaard More

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      Arsenal fans reckon new signing Albert Lokonga is ‘better than Paul Pogba’ after impressive showing against Tottenham

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      ARSENAL fans are already hailing Albert Lokonga as ‘better than Paul Pogba’ after an impressive showing against rivals Tottenham.The 21-year-old was making only his second start for the Gunners following his £17million arrival from Anderlecht last month.
      Arsenal fans have hailed new signing Albert Lokonga after his game against SpursCredit: Getty
      Lokonga made his debut on Wednesday during a friendly match with Watford at London Colney.
      But his first real test came in the friendly clash with bitter rivals Spurs.
      Although Arsenal fell to a 1-0 defeat, the midfielder passed his test with flying colours.
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      And fans took to social media to hail Lokonga, with some Gooners even comparing him to Manchester United’s World Cup winner Pogba.
      One tweeted: “Lokonga seems to be absolute quality, love how he plays small passes in the box but hard to read so they actually work out extremely well.”
      Another said: “Lokonga could be the difference between us having a decent season or a disastrous one.”
      A third added: “Don’t want to sound dramatic. But Lokonga is levels above Pogba.”
      Lokonga is one of three players Arsenal have signed so far this summer alongside defenders Ben White and Nuno Tavares.
      The Gunners have still faced doubts for their lack of attacking reinforcements and Mikel Arteta was quizzed about whether the club will sign anyone else before the start of the new season.
      He said: “What we have is what we have to maximise and worrying about things we don’t have at the moment, there’s no point.

      “My energy is all on the players we have, to make them better and make them a bigger threat and win matches.”
      Arteta also hinted that Newcastle are closing in on a £22million deal for midfielder Joe Willock.
      The England Under-21 international midfielder was missing from the game against Spurs on Sunday despite training with the squad on Saturday.
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      Arsenal star Bukayo Saka stunned at wall of messages of support after Euro 2020 hell More

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      Wayne Rooney party girls left terrified after receiving death threats

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      THE party girls pictured in a hotel with Wayne Rooney are terrified after getting death threats.The trio have kept a low profile because they are so shaken by the response to snaps of their antics with the England legend.
      The party girls pictured in a hotel with Wayne Rooney, including Snapchat model Tayler Ryan, above, are terrified after getting death threats
      The party girls took a string of snaps including one showing bleary-eyed Rooney, 35, waving his arm in the air holding a glass of wineCredit: Paul Tonge
      A source close to them said: “They have had death threats, which has petrified them.
      “They were on a night out after lockdown and obviously flattered someone like Wayne wanted to spend time with them. 
      “But they didn’t do anything wrong and don’t deserve the horrible response.”
      The pals, of Barrow, Cumbria, were in Manchester for a birthday.
       Snapchat model Tayler Ryan, Elise Melvin and Brooke Morgan, all 21, were invited by Rooney and his friends to his VIP booth at a nightclub before they all headed to the women’s hotel room last month.
      We revealed the party girls took a string of snaps including one showing the bleary-eyed Derby manager, 35, waving his arm in the air holding a glass of wine.
      Rooney, a dad of four with wife Coleen, later passed out in a chair so they started playing pranks, including one of them in a G-string jokingly baring her bum next to his head, with the caption “Mooney Rooney”.

      The former Man United ace complained to police about photos taken without his permission.
      Officers concluded no offences were committed.
      There is no suggestion any of the threats have been generated or encouraged by Rooney or anyone acting for him.
      Elise Melvin joined Wayne Rooney and pals in a hotel room in Manchester
      Brooke Morgan who joined pals Tayler and Elise to party with Wayne Rooney has been left terrified by threats after the story broke
      Wayne Rooney APOLOGISES to Coleen and his family for party girl pics ‘mistake’ More

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      Tom Lawrence’s late mum would be proud of him captaining Wayne Rooney’s Derby – and he’s matured after drink-drive hell

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      TOM LAWRENCE knows his late mum Deborah will look down proudly as he leads Derby out as captain on Saturday.The attacking midfielder has been handed the armband for the season by boss Wayne Rooney.
      Tom Lawrence, captaining Derby in pre-season against SalfordCredit: Rex
      It raised eyebrows in some sections of the Rams’ support, but it could well be an inspired piece of management from the England and Manchester United legend.
      Lawrence, 27, has just come through the most challenging time of his life.
      First he had the trauma of his mum being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and dying at the age of just 56.
      Then, not long afterwards, he and former team-mate Mason Bennett were involved in a car crash after drink-driving and left the scene.
      Both pleaded guilty and got driving bans and community service.
      But two years on, and having matured on and off the field, Lawrence has been given the opportunity by Rooney to not just lead the team but to be someone young players can learn from.
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      Lawrence told SunSport: “The ups and downs on and off the pitch, I’ve been through them all.
      “Now I’m at an age where I’m mentally in the right place, ready to lead this group of lads and my door is always open for anyone who wants to speak to me. 
      “There are plenty of people close to me, around Derby County, who helped me massively.
      “I’m forever grateful. I know how I can help other people and it’s a new chapter for me.”
      When Lawrence was going through his lowest time coming to terms with his mum’s diagnosis, treatment and then her death, he continued playing.
      He played in the Championship play-off final defeat by Aston Villa just after she died in 2019.
      Lawrence said: “When I went through it, I played the games but didn’t think about things.
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      “On the pitch was the best time in many ways because you’re not thinking about it.
      “The preparations were not ideal obviously, because I was going through stuff. But on the pitch you don’t think about anything else.”
      But what he did learn during that period was the importance of speaking to someone.
      His former Rams boss Frank Lampard in particular was a huge help — as he had gone through the same agony when he lost his own mum, Pat.
      Lawrence said: “When you are young and growing up in football, you’re under a lot of pressure.
      The ups and downs on and off the pitch, I’ve been through them all… now I’m at an age where I’m mentally in the right place, ready to lead this group of lads and my door is always open for anyone who wants to speak to me.  Tom Lawrence
      “It can be stressful in many difficult ways. There are always people around who you can speak to about it.
      “I don’t think enough players speak about it. The best message I can give someone is to speak to someone.”
      When he runs out at Pride Park against Huddersfield as captain on Saturday, Lawrence will be thinking of his mum.
      He said: “She would have been the proudest mum and I’m    sure she will be looking down.”
      Derby have been under transfer restrictions this summer after breaking EFL Financial Fair Play rules and were trying to sign eight new players this week on free transfers, with wages restricted by the league.
      The Rams only survived relegation after a dramatic 3-3 last-day draw with drop rivals Sheffield Wednesday last term and would have gone down had it not been for Cardiff scoring a late leveller against Rotherham.
      Lawrence said: “I don’t want to be involved in one of those games again to be honest — but we haven’t got the biggest squad and things aren’t happy at the moment.
      “However, we’ve worked hard and are ready for the first game and because of the squad size it’s important everyone stands up to be counted.”
      Lawrence has also been nominated by Rooney as the club’s penalty-taker.

      He said: “The manager has been so helpful and supportive to me. He is always good at giving me advice as a goalscorer — and after what he has achieved in the game, you take anything he says on board.
      “I am happy to be taking penalties.
      “I want to score more goals. I think I’ve only scored double figures twice in the last six years so I need to do that on a more consistent basis.”
      Lawrence has been through a tough two years following the death of his mum and his drink-driving convictionCredit: Rex
      Derby boss Wayne Rooney has shown his faith in Lawrence by making him captainCredit: Rex More

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      Neeskens Kebano hopes Fulham will bounce straight back into the Premier League after his Craven Cottage exile

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      WHEN Neeskens Kebano was dropped at Fulham after their opening Premier League defeat against Arsenal last season it seemed ruthlessly harsh.The winger had played a key role in getting the Cottagers there in the first place and had enjoyed a strong pre-season.
      Neeskens Kebano is hoping Fulham will be topping the table this season
      Neeskens Kebano’s only Premier League start last season was against Arsenal
      Yet after a 3-0 home loss to the Gunners, he only managed another four league substitute appearances totalling 54 minutes playing time.
      But Kebano, 29, is not someone who dwells on disappointments and tells me how he sticks religiously to the biggest piece of advice his dad Nestor told him while growing up in Montereau-Fault-Yonne on the outskirts of Paris.
      The French-born Congo ace said: “There’s a saying in the Bible which I don’t know the exact translation into English – but essentially it is, ‘You could be suffering today, smiling tomorrow then laughing the next day. Don’t be stuck in your mood, life goes on.’
      “You’ll have a good game, another good game, maybe a bad game. You can’t overthink things. Just do what you know and keep living your life.”
      His mum Brigitte and dad had a hard start to life growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo and they both worked extremely hard to make ends meet when Kebano, his two sisters and brother were growing up.
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      And as he got older, he understood the significance of stories they told him of their upbringing in the Central African state and the sacrifices they made to make sure he got a better start in life.
      The winger said: “I didn’t grow up on the Champs-Elysees. I grew up in a suburb of Paris where you don’t have the new Nike trainers, the new branded jeans. You have to do what you have to do. 
      “Most of our parents from this community made sacrifices themselves just to make sure their children were not in need.
      “For example, I only saw my parents at home very early in the morning and late in the evening. You wouldn’t see them during the day because they’d leave around 5am and were not back until 8pm.
      “They worked in central Paris and had to commute every day, taking two trains there and two back – it was hard.
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      “So I’ve always seen them as role models. As a boy, I always looked up to my father and wanted to be like him. Even today he is always giving me advice.” 
      During the height of the pandemic last year, the Fulham star felt compelled to send food, essential goods and PPE to his parents’ home town of Kinshasa through a charity he set up called the Neeskens Kebano Foundation.
      He said: “The government forbade everyone from going outside of their homes but in Congo that’s hard because the only way they earn their money is by selling bread, fish and water in the streets.
      “If you’re asking them to stay indoors, how can they live, eat and drink? How do they feed their families?
      “We decided to send out some rice, oil, face-masks, hand-sanitising gels, that sort of stuff – just to give people there some sort of help.”
      Kebano often visits Congo – whether to see relatives or play for the national team – and is moved by the poverty people suffer and their way of life.
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      One of the most incredible things is how a mother can get into debt for simply having a child – something that is common across Africa.
      The Fulham winger explained: “In Congo, when a mother gives birth – and no-one can afford to settle the medical fee – she and the baby must stay there until someone comes and pays and they only then can leave.
      “My friend Chancel Mbemba – who used to play for Newcastle – went there to pay for some mothers.”
      I put it to Kebano that it seems crazy that in 2021 we should have such poverty and that the situation he describes – which is effectively blackmail and hostage-taking – is still rife in the world.
      And that the African continent appears as far away as ever from being a good home for its inhabitants.
      But Kebano explains: “In Congo – and Africa in general – I think one problem can’t just be resolved. The trouble is there are many more problems than just one. 
      “What needs to happen is you must go through the whole foundation of these countries.
      “You need to start with a good education because poor children don’t go to school.
      “I look at the health for people to be in good condition to live their lives or to work. I think you have started with a good foundation.
      “I want a fair world but we don’t live in a fair world.”
      Kebano was named after Dutch football legend and three-time Ajax European Cup winner Johan Neeskens, his dad’s favourite player of all time.
      “I was always destined to be a footballer,” he laughs.
      Kebano – having spent a successful loan spell at Middlesbrough in the second half of last season – is back in the picture at Craven Cottage and raring to help them bounce straight back to the Premier League after relegation.
      With former Everton, Watford and Hull boss Marco Silva now at the helm, it is a fresh start for everyone as Fulham open their campaign – ironically – against Boro at home on Sunday.
      I like the idea of yo-yoing back into the Premier League – then it must stop!Neeskens Kebano
      He said: “I enjoyed my time at Boro because I was playing and an important player. 
      “It was one of the best dressing rooms. There was a good mix of older and younger players. Sometimes an experienced player doesn’t want a younger one to show their potential because that makes him a threat to his position in the team – but that wasn’t the case at Boro.  
      “I like how Neil Warnock managed it – even players who weren’t playing were positive. I was playing cards and things. It was a good vibe.”
      So what does he make of his new boss in West London, Silva? Without hesitation, Kebano answers: “He’s demanding. That’s the main thing. Before talking about tactics and the work we do, he knows what he wants from each of us.

      “We speak about fine margins that can give us the edge – even just to draw a game when we can’t win. They’ll make the difference and help if we go up again.”
      How can Fulham stop being a yo-yo club as this will be their fourth season in a row starting in a new division in the top tiers?
      Kebano laughs: “Oh, let’s not stop yet. I like the idea of yo-yoing back to the Premier League. Then we must stop!”
      Neeskens Kebano met up with SunSport’s Justin Allen ahead of the new season
      Neeskens Kebano shows off Fulham’s new home kit for the 2021-22 campaign More

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      Shrewsbury boss Steve Cotterill urges fans to get vaccinated and help each other out this season after his Covid hell

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      STEVE COTTERILL has urged fans to help each other boot the worst of Covid-19 out of our lives once and for all.The Shrewsbury manager likened his own harrowing experience with the deadly virus as having a go on every ride in a fairground.
      Steve Cotterill back managing Shrewsbury in pre-season after his Covid hellCredit: Getty
      And after being lucky to live to tell the tale, Cotterill – who will manage his side at home to Burton today – wants fans to consider two important things as they return to matches this season after almost 18 months locked out.

      Show kindness and respect to one another inside and outside stadiums, whether it be by keeping socially distanced or wearing face coverings where possible, to help keep a lid on the disease

      Get vaccinated to help not only protect themselves but their fellow supporters who may be more vulnerable if they catch the virus.

      Cotterill, 57, spent 33 days in hospital, including a spell in intensive care, after contracting the killer bug in January.
      And the former Burnley boss was readmitted for another 16 days after his condition worsened in March.
      He told SunSport: “I had a tube inserted just under my bicep, directly down to my heart.
      “It ended up puncturing my lung. Imagine trying to blow a balloon up after you’ve put a pin prick into the neck of it. It doesn’t matter how good you are, you’re not going to blow that balloon up because the wind is escaping all the time.
      “So when oxygen was pumped into me, it was actually coming back out into my body, which gave me emphysema – causing shortness of breath.
      “The air was in between the layers of my skin, which had a choking effect that made things even more difficult.
      “I remember one night being really poorly. I was staying up longer because I didn’t want to sleep as I wasn’t sure if I’d wake up again.
      “Eventually I slept but woke at 4am. Normally, when you wake that early, it’s the end of the world because you want to stay asleep.
      “Yet that morning I couldn’t have been more delighted because I was still alive and thought, ‘Maybe I’m going to be all right after all.’
      “But I remember there was a day I had a lot of chest pains about 2am and they came out and did an ECG on me there and then.
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      “If the Bristol Royal Infirmary was a fairground, I remember having a go on every ride going that day. I was here, there and everywhere – there were X-rays, scans, echocardiograms, the lot.
      “When you’re in intensive care, you’re so unwell, you just leave it to the brilliant doctors and nurses. My specialist Dr Katrina Curtis and all the staff there, I’ll always be thankful for how they looked after me.”
      The government has been in discussion with the EFL and Premier League about a much-debated and controversial vaccine passport scheme – where fans will only be allowed into stadiums if they have been double jabbed.
      Regardless of that outcome, many clubs will still encourage fans, where possible, to social distance and continue to wear facial coverings.
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      Stadium capacity will be down to each club’s local authority – assessed on safety and the Covid situation in the area at any given time.
      And Cotterill said: “Now the government has relaxed rules, someone will wear a mask in a supermarket, while another person won’t.
      “Already you’re seeing someone queuing, who isn’t wearing one, coughing and spluttering.
      “Then all of a sudden someone will be giving them a funny look and that escalates into an argument.
      “That’s not what we want in stadiums.
      “It would be great if we could get back to full capacity but must bear in mind that the situation with this virus can change at any moment.
      “So if we can’t – or at a later date must restrict numbers – it’s important fans respect social distancing and whatever rules are laid down by the authorities at the time.
      I remember one night being really poorly. I was staying up longer because I didn’t want to sleep as I wasn’t sure if I’d wake up again.Steve Cotterill
      “It doesn’t matter how crazy we all are about our teams, the most important thing is our health.
      “If you haven’t got your health, it doesn’t matter how much you love your club because you’re not going to be watching them.
      “So everyone has to be safe and respectful to the man, woman or child sat next to them – or the older lady sat two seats away.
      “If we can all look after each other during this time – because it won’t be forever – we can get the best of both worlds, stay healthy and get to watch football.”
      More than 38 million people have been fully vaccinated – which is almost 60 per cent of the population.
      The government has already announced that partying Brits will need a vaccine passport from the end of September with fears that there are still many youngsters who have not been jabbed.
      Cotterill said: “I think the younger age group have been really good. When you look at it, we have had 87 per cent of people who’ve been jabbed in our country. So there are 13 per cent that are left and that might be some of the younger age group.
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      “The younger ones still want to go out night-clubbing and be here, there and everywhere. So my advice to them would be, ‘Having the jab is a good thing otherwise you’re not going to enjoy your lives like you did a year or two ago.’
      “Yes, it’s true the vaccination can make you poorly for a day or two – but, trust me, it’s nothing like the real thing.
      “There are a lot of people who’ve caught Covid only had symptoms for a few days or none at all – but it’s only when it grabs hold of you, like it did with me, that you’re a lot more passionate about things.
      “I’m not telling people they must get it done but I’ll certainly try to persuade people why they should get it done.”
      Louis van Gaal named Holland manager for third time More

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      Iconic Charlton boss Alan Curbishley has stand named after him at The Valley, where he also sold The Who badges as a kid

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      ALAN CURBISHLEY’S love affair with The Valley goes back to when he sold badges at a Who concert there as a 16-year-old.His brother Bill has since 1972 managed the iconic British rock band, who played gigs and festivals at the stadium.
      Alan Curbishley at The Valley, where he managed Charlton for 15 yearsCredit: The Sun
      Curbs sitting in the stand that will bear his nameCredit: The Sun

      But today the legendary former Charlton boss will be honoured as the club open The Alan Curbishley Stand at the League One season opener against Sheffield Wednesday.
      And ironically the club’s Danish owner Thomas Sandgaard, a part-time rock guitarist, will treat him and Addicks faithful to an on-pitch rendition of Valley Floyd Road at 5.15pm.
      He has also released a song called Addicks to Victory.
      Curbs, 63, told SunSport: “Charlton supporters always told me about the so-called record 75,031 Valley crowd when Aston Villa visited in 1938 and 70,000 gates in the 1950s.
      “But I always had a stock answer – the biggest crowd was when The Who played there in May 1974 and attracted 88,000. I know because I was there!
      “Bill had been managing the band for a couple of years and got me, my younger brother Paul and a friend to make badges and sell them at the concert.
      “We had a badge-making machine and, on the front of each one, was a photo of The Who. We sold them for 20p a pop.
      “The Who were at the height of their powers and flying. They had just released Who’s Next, their biggest album, and Quadrophenia.
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      “I remember having to keep running back to a room inside The Valley where we put our machine to make more badges.
      “Fans put up tents in nearby gardens and spent the night before there.
      “Loads jumped fences and got in for free and the entrance gates were knocked down.
      “The old Greater London Council flew a helicopter overhead and calculated 88,000 people rammed in and the event promoters got fined as it was over capacity.
      “The big old East Bank – which is where the stand named after me sits – had 46,000 that night. It’s one of my most vivid childhood memories.”
      The Who playing The Valley during the 1970sCredit: Alamy
      The Who set a world record for being the loudest band at Charlton in 1976Credit: Alamy
      Charlton chairman and part-time rocker Thomas Sandgaard will perform on the pitch todayCredit: Instagram / @sandgaardfnd
      [embedded content]
      The Who, incidentally, set a world record as the loudest band when they played at The Valley again in 1976 – recording 76,000 watts at 120 decibels – so Sandgaard will have his work cut out to beat that!
      Curbishley is best remembered for his 15 years in charge of Charlton from 1991 to 2006 – where he won promotion twice to the Premier League and established the club in the top flight. And he had two spells as a player, giving him a total 19 years at the club.
      And in 2004 he almost got Charlton into the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – but the Addicks sold star player Scott Parker to Chelsea for £10million during the January window.
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      Curbs said: “We beat Chelsea 4-2 on Boxing Day and were fourth. They made a bid the next day. Had we kept Scott that season, we’d have got into Europe because we were a good side. We ended seventh, seven points behind the top four.”
      The Londoner is by far the most successful Addicks manager in the modern era and the club have floundered since they parted company with him in 2006 – getting relegated in their first season after his departure and yo-yoing between the Championship and League One since.
      Curbishley said: “When Thomas called about the stand, I was stunned because most people get a stand named after them when they’ve died.
      “I spoke to Richard Bevan at the LMA and we were thinking of managers who have had stands named after them.
      “We could only think of Sir Alex Ferguson, Brian Clough, Bill Shankly, Kenny Dalglish, Graham Taylor and Don Revie. I know Billy Bonds had one named after him at West Ham but that was more for his playing days.
      Curbishley with the play-off trophy after the epic 1998 final shootout win over SunderlandCredit: Getty
      “I don’t get too emotional but I might on Saturday.”
      Curbishley – who had Charlton punching above their weight for years and consistently producing home-grown stars such as Parker and Lee Bowyer – has been out of management since resigning from West Ham in 2008.
      Even during his two years with the Hammers, he helped save them from relegation against the odds after taking over from Alan Pardew in 2006 and then guided them to 10th despite being hampered by a string of injuries to star players.
      This is a manager who was on Liverpool’s radar before they appointed Rafa Benitez and got interviewed for the England job when the FA opted for Steve McClaren.
      He said: “I’m only 63 and can most definitely do a good job in the Premier League but I don’t think anyone will give me a chance because I’ve been out of the game too long.
      “I did get offered Championship jobs. I got offered Hull with 10 games left, Wolves with 12 matches to go but I didn’t want that, I wanted a fresh start – at least go in during pre-season.
      KING OF THE VALLEYHis boss record at Charlton
      (All competitions)Games              720Wins                 274 (38%)Draws               187 (26%)Defeats            259 (36%)

      “Suddenly it drifted longer and I didn’t get a sniff. New owners, new chief executives come along and you’re out of it – you’re forgotten.” I ask him why he feels one of the big European-challenging Premier League clubs did not take a punt on him when he was at the height of his powers.
      He said: “Look at Sean Dyche – a great British manager at Burnley. He never gets mentioned for the big jobs. He’s in a similar position to where I was.
      “The only major ones who have been elevated in recent years were David Moyes at Manchester United and Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool. Obviously, Roy Hodgson went to Liverpool too but he had already been managing across Europe.
      “It wasn’t long ago we had huge concerns there was not enough English talent coming through at Premier League clubs but that has now changed with the likes of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, John Stones, Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane.
      CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASMCurbishley on…
      NIGEL ADKINS
      He took Southampton from League One to the Premier League, the journey Charlton wanted to make. He has been around this league, he understands it, he’s experienced.
      THOMAS SANDGAARD
      I think Charlton have a solid owner who has the club at heart, which is what it needs after years of problems at the top. But everyone understands success won’t be instant.
      HIS DEFINING MOMENT
      Had we not beaten Sunderland in the 1998 play-off final, Premier League clubs were lining up that summer to take our players. Although we were relegated in our first season, we had a solid platform so didn’t have to lose all our players and came straight back up.
      WHY HE LEFT
      I had a year left on my deal and was happy to leave sorting a new one until nearer the time it expired. I met chairman Richard Murray to discuss new signings and the conversation quickly moved to how can we offer three-year deals to players when you only have one left on yours? I understood and the meeting finished with me leaving.
      CHARLTON’S CHANCES
      With Thomas here, the expectation is that the club will go straight up.
      With so many clubs reining in their finances because of Covid, there is a good opportunity here. With Charlton being in London, they are ideally placed to attract players and use the loan market well.

      “Hopefully, with the success of the England team in recent years under Gareth Southgate and English coaches, we’ll see more up-and-coming British managers get a chance.”
      Curbishley believes clubs should look at appointing mentors for first-time managers – a role he undertook at Fulham briefly for Rene Meulensteen and later Kit Symons.
      He said: “When Martin Jol left, all the staff departed too – leaving Rene on his own and I got asked if Ray Wilkins and I could go in and be a mentor.

      “It was perfect. It wasn’t me saying, ‘Rene, you should be doing this.’ It was more, ‘have you thought about this?’ or ‘I’ve watched three games and wondered if you might consider this?’
      “There’s definitely a role there for experienced ex-managers. The LMA has been promoting the idea of getting an experienced man around clubs – but some chairmen see it as a sign of weakness, which it absolutely isn’t.
      “It’s not about controlling things but giving advice, suggestions, a second opinion– even if it’s just a phone call.”
      One former rookie manager who asked for tips was Paolo Di Canio, who he signed for Charlton from West Ham.
      He said: “Paolo had just taken the Sunderland job and I met him in Hong Kong at a reception for the Premier League Asia Cup. He asked if I had advice.
      “I told him, ‘Paolo, there’s an old saying in England that you count to 10 before you say anything. My advice to you is count to 20!’ I don’t think Di Canio ever heeded it!”
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