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      Kalvin Phillips inspired by Andrea Pirlo message before Euros final… now ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ out to emulate hero in Qatar

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      THE ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ got a message from the real McCoy on the eve of the Euro 2020 final.The following night, Leeds and England star Kalvin Phillips had to make himself watch Andrea Pirlo’s successors in the Italy shirt celebrate their Wembley triumph.
      Phillips has established himself as a vital piece of England’s midfieldCredit: Getty
      Pirlo inspired a generation of midfielders with his performances for AC Milan, Juventus and ItalyCredit: Getty
      But the 25-year-old midfielder says he will use those scenes and the legendary playmaker’s kind words as motivation to help the Three Lions go that one big step further at next year’s World Cup in Qatar.
      Phillips said: “The night before the final Jack Harrison, who used to play at New York City with him, sent me a video of Pirlo.
      “It was a video to me saying ‘good luck in the final’, and he wished me all the best.
      “So that was very nice. I thought it was going to say something about Italy but no, he wished me well — full respect for that.
      “I just got the video and I was like, ‘Oh, my God’.”
      Pirlo enjoyed an illustrious career with AC Milan, Juventus and Italy, and Phillips added: “To have someone on the other side, on the other team, wish you well — and especially a player like that — it is always a great feeling

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      “To get noticed by very good professionals and people who have done everything in their career – won World Cups and Champions Leagues – it’s very special and something I’ll always remember.”
      Phillips also still replays moments from the final in his head, not least the pain of seeing the Italians lift the trophy after their victory on penalties.
      Phillips, 25, said: “I think I hung around quite a bit. There was me, Ben White, a few other lads. I just wanted to see what it was like to win a major trophy.
      “I just got the video and I was like, ‘Oh, my God’.”Kalvin Phillips
      “I wanted to see their reactions at winning it and the fans’ reactions as well.
      “I think — no disrespect to Italy or anything like that — but if England had won it, the celebrations would have been a lot better than theirs!
      “I still think about it now, I think about what could have been if we’d won. And I can remember a chance in the game when I had a volley on the edge of the box… obviously it’s fairytale stuff but just think, imagine if that had gone in?
      “But it wasn’t to be and it’s part of learning, part of being involved in these major tournaments — and we want to go one better next time.”
      Barring one of the biggest upsets of all time in San Marino on Monday night, England will qualify for Qatar 2022 as group winners.
      And Phillips is set to be a key figure in the Gulf state after his remarkable rise since watching the last World Cup as a fan at home in Leeds.
      He said: “I can remember Kieran Trippier’s free-kick going in (against Croatia in the semi-final) and I think I wrecked my living room because he scored. Then after I tidied up, disappointed we lost.”
      Phillips never represented any of England’s youth teams and made his senior debut barely 14 months ago.
      But he played all but 25 minutes of the Three Lions’ Euro 2020 adventure, forming a fine partnership with Declan Rice — who had to pull out of the current squad through illness.
      Kalvin Phillips is out to emulate Pirlo at next winter’s World CupCredit: Getty
      With characteristic modesty, Phillips said: “It’s been a good year. I didn’t expect to be in an England shirt, never mind doing this well.
      “I love playing with Declan. We’re two very similar players but work in different ways when we play together.
      “Declan is almost a protector in front of the back four and I’m almost a dog that goes running after people that have got the ball.”
      After suffering with injury problems since the Euros, Leeds Academy graduate Phillips — who made his pro debut against Wolves in 2015 — is going the extra mile to be as fit as a butcher’s dog.
      Like Arsenal star and former Nando’s addict Emile Smith Rowe, he has joined the ranks of footballers employing personal chefs to devise and cook the food they need to stay in peak condition.
      Phillips said: “Some of the lads at Leeds got it (a chef) but I just like the idea of investing in stuff that’s eventually going to prolong your career and help you become a better athlete.
      “I can remember a chance in the game when I had a volley on the edge of the box… obviously it’s fairytale stuff but just think, imagine if that had gone in?”Kalvin Phillips
      “I can eat anything, me! The only thing I don’t like is mushrooms. I hate mushrooms! I don’t know why, I think I have a phobia of mushrooms.”
      But Phillips is not afraid to say that only one thing will satisfy the appetite of him and his England team-mates when they go to Qatar — winning.
      He said: “The team over the last two to three years has done exceptionally well to get to where we’ve got — the semi- finals of the World Cup and the final of the next tournament, the Euros.
      “We’re hungry for more. We want to get a taste of what it feels like to win a trophy, and win a major trophy at that.
      “We’ve got some amazing players in this team and we’ve got a very good coach.
      “He knows how to handle us and knows how he wants us to play.
      “So we’ll take that information on board and I feel like — touch wood that we qualify first — when we come to the World Cup we’ll be very confident, because we’ve got no reason not to be.” More

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      San Marino striker Adolfo Hirsch desperate to toast his 50th cap against England… with his FIRST-EVER international goal

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      ADOLFO HIRSCH is set to win his 50th San Marino cap against England – and would be thrilled to net his FIRST goal for his county.The 35-year-old started his international career a decade ago but is yet to score in 49 run-outs for the international minnows.
      Adolfo Hirsch came up against England’s Kieran Gibbs in a Euro 2016 qualifierCredit: Getty
      And with the Three Lions unbeaten so far in the World Cup qualifiers, the Pennarossa forward knows his long wait might not end on Monday evening.
      He said: “I’ve had the chance to score, but unfortunately I haven’t been good enough sometimes.
      “Scoring means everything to us — together with the work, the passion, family… everything.
      “Scoring makes us feel alive and strong and repays us for all the sacrifices we make during the year.”
      San Marino scored their first competitive goal since November 2019 in a 7-1 home defeat to Poland in June.
      But it was Hirsch’s team-mate Nicola Nanni with their first home World Cup qualifying goal in eight years.

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      Hirsch’s goal record for clubs in San Marino is good but playing for a nation ranked last in the Fifa rankings means scoring opportunities are very rare.
      He has faced England three times before, including a match at Wembley in October 2014 when he took home James Milner’s shirt.
      It is a cherished memory for a man who gets up early five mornings a week to work as a supervisor on a furniture factory assembly line.
      He said: “What makes you go on is the will to challenge the strongest sides and somehow to find a way to create problems for the opposition’s defence.
      “But obviously, the biggest joy in football is scoring.” More

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      Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun top of new Boro boss Chris Wilder’s transfer wishlist with Sheff Utd also keen

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      ARSENAL striker Folarin Balogun is at the top of new Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder’s shopping list.Wilder knows his old club Sheffield United are also keen on the 20-year-old hitman.
      Folarin Balogun of Arsenal wanted by Chris Wilder in his new job as Middlesbrough bossCredit: Getty
      Chris Wilder is the new Middlesbrough manager and has Balogun at top of his wishlistCredit: PA
      But he was at the England Under-21 game to watch ‘Flo’ first-hand last week.
      Boro need more firepower and Wilder has been told he will get funds to land players in the new year market.
      The Gunners are yet to decide what to do with Balogun in the second half of the season but if he goes out on loan there will be a sizeable queue.
      Wilder was named Boro boss last week, after eight months out of a job.
      The 54-year-old achieved promotion with Sheffield United in 2019 and hopes to do it again with Middlesbrough.
      He said: “We will all do whatever we can to get back to the Premier League.

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      “I’ve got to climb another mountain and that’s what it’s all about. I wouldn’t be sat here if I didn’t think I could do that.
      “It’s got to be our ambition to get back to the Premier League. We all want to be playing the big guns and that has got to be my ambition and the staff’s as well.
      “The supporters want the big names to be coming here and seeing their side take them on. It’s a long way off at the moment, but we dare to dream.”
      Middlesbrough and Sheffield United both sit in the bottom half of the Championship but remain in the race for Balogun. More

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      Emily Atack seen as it’s revealed she was introduced to Jack Grealish by another England star

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      FOOTBALL ace Jack Grealish and actress Emily Atack were introduced by another England star.The pair grew close after a mutual Three Lions pal put them in touch in September, although Emily is believed to have been unaware he had a girlfriend.
      Emily Atack seen out in North London after it was revealed she met Jack Grealish through another England aceCredit: Rex
      Emily has been posting selfies from Paris, above, before being spotted in London
      A source said: “Emily shares a pal with Jack in the England squad. That’s how she got to know him but she thought he was single.”
      We revealed Man City star Jack’s close friendship with Emily, 31, yesterday.
      His girlfriend, Sasha Attwood, 25, had watched him come on as a sub for England against Albania on Friday night.
      A source said: “She’s aware he gets a lot of attention and puts up with quite a bit. But she will be hurt by his friendship with Emily and will have it out with him.” 
      Jack, 26, left, has met twice with Emily, who played Charlotte Hinchcliffe in The Inbetweeners. She has been posting selfies from Paris but was out in North London yesterday.
      A source said: ‘Emily shares a pal with Jack in the England squad. That’s how she got to know him but she thought he was single’Credit: Rex
      Man City’s Jack is in an on/off relationship with Sasha Attwood, aboveCredit: Splash
      Emily pictured out for a dog walk in LondonCredit: Rex
      We revealed Man City star Jack’s close friendship with Emily, 31, yesterdayCredit: Getty

      Emily Atack looks stunning despite having a hangover as she enjoys ‘hair of the dog’ glass of rose after boozy GQ Awards More

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      Football referees using online tracker to make sure they get home safely after being abused at matches

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      FOOTBALL refs are using an online tracker to make sure they get home safely after being abused at matches.They are downloading an app first developed for lone women, in a bid to avoid clashes with players and fans after the game.
      Former Premier League referee Graham Barber designed the app to help younger officialsCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      It was designed by ex-Premier League referee Graham Barber, 63, who already has dozens of young refs on board and is in talks with county football associations to roll it out for officials nationally.
      Last week it was revealed officials as young as 14 are being verbally abused by pushy parents who think their child is “the next Cristiano Ronaldo”.
      Paul Field, of the Referees’ Association, said the problem also stems from new coaches “who think they are a mini-José Mourinho and can say whatever they like”.
      Mr Barber reckons he has found the solution thanks to the Help Me Angela tracker app.
      Graham, who officiated the 2003 FA Cup Final when Arsenal beat Southampton, said: “This allows them to have a guardian angel on call and to have their journeys followed to and from the match.
      “This is for everyone, but we’re extending it to referees now.”
      Angry Klopp rows with reporter over referee decisions in Liverpool’s defeat to West Ham More

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      Rod Stewart blasts ‘disrespectful’ Cristiano Ronaldo for playing ‘manager’ at Old Trafford

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      IF footie fan Rod puts Celtic and Scotland first, he’s always taken a keen interest in Man United.This goes back to the incredible Busby Babes, the young team nurtured by legendary Scots manager Matt Busby in the Fifties. 
      Rod Stewart says he was ‘a little disturbed’ that Cristiano Ronaldo ‘was on the touchline the other night, taking over from Ole (manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer)’Credit: Getty
      Rod says Ronaldo was being ‘very disrespectful’Credit: Getty
      Eight players were killed in the devastating 1958 Munich air disaster.
      So, what’s Rod’s take on the return of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford?
      “Oh, it’s wonderful, it’s everywhere you go,” he says.
      “But I’m a little disturbed that he was on the touchline the other night, taking over from Ole (manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer).
      “He’s got to stop that, it’s very disrespectful.
      “One manager, one player!”
      And it looks like Ronald is set to be snubbed for a ‘dream’ Manchester United coaching role – both now and in the future.
      As revealed by SunSport earlier this season, the star wants to end his playing career at Old Trafford and then step into a backroom staff role.
      Senior figures within the club insist he was brought back exclusively as a player – and recognise he could still have plenty more seasons in the tank which would see him play into his 40s.

      Evra reveals Scholes and not Cristiano Ronaldo is best ever team-mate More

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      Emile Smith Rowe prepared for highs and lows of England duty after watching Arsenal pal Bukayo Saka at Euro 2020

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      THE joys and the sorrow of representing England became clear to Emile Smith Rowe after he watched close friend Bukayo Saka at the Euros.Smith Rowe and Saka emerged through the Arsenal youth system together.
      Arsenal team-mates Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka are in the senior England squad togetherCredit: Getty
      Saka experienced the ultimate low of playing for England at the end of the Euro 2020Credit: Reuters
      And England new boy Smith Rowe watched his pal shine in the semi-final victory over Denmark — only to suffer vile online abuse after missing the last penalty in the shootout defeat by Italy.
      Smith Rowe said: “I came to the semi-final at Wembley and I watched Bukayo, and he got the assist for the goal against Denmark. That was a special feeling — not just for me but everyone at Arsenal.
      “To see him doing so well after growing up together and playing together… it was just crazy. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
      But after Saka was racially abused — along with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho — after that agonising shootout, Smith Rowe realised the flip side of playing for England.
      He added: “I tried to give him some space at first. He had his holidays and stuff. After a couple of weeks, I sent him a message.
      “It was obviously hard to see one of my closest friends suffering. It was tough to watch, definitely.

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      “But when he came back, everyone got around him. Bukayo is a strong person and he has definitely bounced back already.”
      Saka and Smith Rowe now have their own chant at the Emirates, sung to the tune of Status Quo’s ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’.
      And Smith Rowe said: “Me and Bukayo are always laughing about it and sometimes it gets played in the changing room. Some of the lads are making a joke about it.
      “It’s funny but I didn’t think the fans would’ve made a song about us.
      “Coming through the academy, it makes it extra special that they’ve got a song about us.”
      ⚽ Read our Arsenal live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from The Emirates
      England players train at St George’s Park ahead of their World Cup qualifiers against Albania and San Marino More

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      Paul Pogba’s injury finally puts an end to an unwanted sideshow at Man Utd… thank you, and goodbye

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      THE fact news of Paul Pogba’s thigh injury while training with France did not make the headlines says it all.His absence for two months after this international break will not affect Manchester United’s form, one way or the other. In fact, they could be better off without him.
      It will not be bad business for Man Utd to let £89m Paul Pogba leave on a free next summerCredit: PA
      Pogba has been an unwanted sideshow that has too often dragged United down since the day he returned to the club in August 2016.
      The Red Devils are now happy to let his contract run out next summer when he can leave on a free — again — and the circus can move on to another town.
      They have grown fed up with Pogba. They just want him out.
      His appalling, 15-minute cameo in last month’s 5-0 humiliation by Liverpool was the final straw.
      Axed to the bench for the match, the 28-year-old midfielder came on at half-time with the score already 4-0.
      Within five minutes he  had lost possession for the Scousers’ fifth goal.

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      Then his reckless foul on Naby Keita on the hour not only saw him receive a red card but also resulted in the  Liverpool midfielder leaving the pitch on a stretcher.
      Pogba later denied SunSport’s story that he had snubbed manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. If there is proof they hugged each other and said, ‘Thanks for your efforts today’, then we would welcome it — but our information was otherwise.
      Ask a United fan to name a game when they have come away gushing about a Pogba performance and they can only name one. And it was only one half of that match, too.
      It was the day Manchester City were preparing to celebrate the title on April 7, 2018 — derby day.
      United were 2-0 down at the break but Pogba scored twice in the second half and inspired them to a 3-2 win.
      People wonder why he  cannot play for United like he did for Juventus while  winning four Serie A titles.
      United believe Pogba has an entourage convincing him he is the best in the world
      Well, he joined a team that were Serie A champions already, remained that for the four years he was there and the four years after he left. They were that dominant.
      At United, he joined a team that needed him to lift them — and he could not do it.
      He fell out with boss Jose Mourinho, who did a great job by winning the EFL Cup and Europa League in his first season in 2016-17 and then finished second in the Prem the year after.
      But the Pogba rumpus did for him — and it has rumbled on ever since.
      United believe Pogba has an entourage convincing him he is the best in the world.
      The hangers-on are happy to portray a picture of a multiple Scudetto winner and world champion, so it has to be someone else’s fault.
      He is their GOAT without any evidence on the field with United to back that up.

      ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
      Witness Cristiano Ronaldo day in, day out, with every club he has served. He does not amble, he does not give up — he gets on with it.
      Do not call it bad business to sign him for £89million and let him go for a free.
      Bad business would be to hand him a new contract that no other club can match, so United would be stuck with him. Thank you. And goodbye.
      Marcus Rashford receive MBE from Prince William after free school-meals campaign More