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      Watford are back to the Premier League and so will I be – I’m using all the negative talk and smirking as motivation

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      I’VE heard all the talk since Watford’s promotion back to the Premier League.I’ll be 33 this summer, I’ve missed a large chunk of the season through injury, I’ve been doing a lot of media work, so I won’t be playing a lot of football next season, right? Wrong.
      Watford have secured an instant return to the Premier League after being relegated last termCredit: PA
      I’m not angry about all these suggestions. I’m smirking and I’m using it all as motivation.
      People can underestimate me and assume my career is winding down but I am very far from done.
      I’m back to fitness after tearing my Achilles and calf and I’m hoping to feature in our final match of the season against Swansea.
      Then I’m going to train all summer and attack the new season head-on.
      Normally I have a summer blow-out, then go through hell in pre-season to get myself back into shape.
      But not this summer. I am still under contract at Watford and I have never been so determined to be in tip-top condition to get into the team for the start of next season.
      People are far too quick to write off players when they are over 30. But although I’m not slow, I don’t have electric pace and I do have a decent football brain.
      There is no reason why I can’t play at the top level for a good few seasons yet.
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      Troy Deeney has scored seven goals in 18 Championship games this campaign – and is promising to be ready for the Premier League next seasonCredit: Rex
      I scored 10 goals in 27 games during our last Premier League season and that is not a bad record in a relegated side.
      I’ve been doing media work for talkSPORT and The Sun and I’m now on the PFA board and have been involved in a lot of anti-racism work – all of which I have found rewarding.
      But that is not as time-consuming as people think. If they reckon I’m not focused on my football, then they don’t know me at all.
      I can’t wait to be back in the top flight, hearing our supporters roaring us on again and hearing the opposition fans calling me every name under the sun.
      I’ve missed those opposition fans almost as much as the Watford supporters – I feed off the abuse I get. I can’t wait to play at all those great stadiums again – places like Villa Park and Elland Road for the first time in years, in front of a full house.
      I’m determined to savour it more than ever, for as long as I’ve got.
      As a player when you recall great games you play in, it is the atmosphere you remember first.
      This has been the strangest of seasons and I am absolutely thrilled for all my team-mates – especially those who’ve experienced promotion for the first time.
      Watford have finished the 2020-21 Championship season as runners-up to NorwichCredit: Getty
      Playing such a central role for Watford over the last decade, I can’t pretend it hasn’t hurt my ego that I’ve not been involved anywhere near as much as I’d have liked this season.
      I have still played well at times, I’ve scored some important goals and provided assists and in the last few months, I’ve been at matches, in the dressing-room, sitting near our subs and been as vocal as I would have been out on the pitch.
      Our manager, Xisco Munoz, has made sure I’ve been involved and I’m delighted he is going to get a stab at the Premier League.
      When he arrived in December, he lifted the mood 100 per cent.
      There aren’t many managers who can strike the right balance between the arrogance you require to be the boss and the humility needed to listen to others but Xisco has got that.
      Some managers think they know it all. Some shy away from unpopular decisions. Not Xisco.
      He was a fine player with Real Betis and Valencia, where he worked under Rafa Benitez, who is a mentor to him. He wants us to play it out from the back – but he is pragmatic and flexible too.
      He is only 40 and hasn’t been managing for long. He has arrived in a new country, during the middle of a pandemic – which causes so many challenges for players and managers – and he has still managed to create an excellent team spirit.
      Troy Deeney has a contract at Vicarage Road until the end of the seasonCredit: PA

      You talk about the ‘spirit in the dressing room’ well this season, we’ve had the spirit in the marquee in the car park at Stoke, the spirit in the supporters’ club bar at QPR and the spirit in the conference rooms at Nottingham Forest.
      Those are the sort of places where we’ve been changing at away games. And half-times have often been rushed.
      Normally a manager might wait a few minutes before delivering his message but often, at away games, we haven’t had the time after we’ve reached whichever weird and wonderful places we’ve been stationed in.
      Footballers are a superstitious bunch, very particular in our preparations – but a lot of that has gone out of the window.
      We’re privileged to have been able to carry on playing the game we love during the pandemic but there have been unique challenges and I’m proud of the way we secured promotion at the first attempt.
      Finally, I know Watford’s owners have a reputation for being ruthless with managers but I’m proud of how the club stuck by its employees after relegation, when they could easily have used Covid as an extra excuse to make a raft of redundancies.
      I love this club and can’t wait to play a big part as captain in the Premier League again.
      If you think I’m anywhere near finished, then you haven’t seen the big smirk on my face!
      Ben Foster shows off his excellent goalie skills in Watford training More

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      Wayne and Coleen Rooney plan seaside summer holiday with their kids in wet and windy Wales

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      WAYNE and Coleen Rooney are planning a seaside summer holiday with their four kids in wet and windy Wales.The ex-England footballer and his wife, both 35, are set to rent a chalet overlooking a beach in a popular resort known locally as “millionaire’s caravan park”.
      Wayne and Coleen Rooney are planning a seaside summer holiday with their four kids in wet and windy WalesCredit: Vantage News
      The family will risk chilly 15C days and downpours after opting to avoid quarantine rulesCredit: Refer to caption
      Morning on Abersoch Beach near to The Warren resort where the family will stayCredit: Alamy
      The family used to pack their many suitcases and jet off for a luxury 32C break in Barbados before the pandemic.
      This year they will risk chilly 15C days and regular downpours after opting to avoid quarantining rules.
      They will stay at The Warren, in Abersoch, Gwynedd.
      The Rooney’s are set to rent a chalet overlooking a beach in a popular resort known locally as ‘millionaire’s caravan park’Credit: instagram.com/coleen_rooney
      The resort has its own helicopter pad, five-star facilities and is likely to cost them £5,000 a weekCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      The couple’s baggage is snapped at the airport in BarbadosCredit: Vantage News/MEGA

      The resort has its own helicopter pad, five-star facilities and is likely to cost them £5,000 a week.
      A source said: “It’s essentially a step up from camping.
      The source added: “But with a gilded twist for the rich and famous.”
      Sir Alex Ferguson claims Wayne Rooney could not handle his booze and he was powerless to stop the player having affairs More

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      Leicester City fan hopes her unique name Wembley Lester will inspire her team to FA Cup glory

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      A LEICESTER City fan hopes her unique name will inspire her team to FA Cup glory next week.Wembley Lester Harrup, 57, was born four days before her team’s FA Cup final match against Manchester United in 1963.
      Wembley Lester Harrup is hoping her team finally win the FA CupCredit: SWNS
      And after a few drinks, dad Jack Dewick named her Wembley Lester in honour of his team’s big game at the North West London stadium.
      The Foxes went on to lose 3-1 but Wembley hopes her name brings City luck in next Saturday’s final against Chelsea.
      The mum of two said: “I’m very proud of my name. It’s definitely an ice breaker when we meet people for the first time.
      “I get some odd looks sometimes but mostly it’s positive.”
      Gardener Wembley, from Humberstone, Leics, said she is a lifelong Leicester City fan.
      She said: “I have lived in three houses literally all a stone’s throw away from each other in Leicester.
      “My family are all mad Foxes fans and we used to all live close to each other and talk about nothing else.
      “I’ve seen them play loads of times and have even been to the old Filbert Street back in the day.”
      But there is one place she said she has not been.

      She said: “It might sound daft considering I’m named after it but I have never been to Wembley.
      “But I’ll be watching and cheering them on at home.
      “Hopefully they can bring the trophy home.”
      Wembley will be cheering on Jamie Vardy at WembleyCredit: Getty
      Leicester’s amazing new world-class £100m training ground More

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      England’s penalty woes could be a thing of the past with help from scientists

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      ENGLAND’S penalty shootout heartbreak could be a thing of the past — after scientists discovered how to stop players crumbling under pressure.Researchers monitored footballers’ brains during stressful spot-kicks.
      Andreas Moller takes his penalty during the shoot-out in European Soccer Championship semi-final at Wembley against England in 1996Credit: Reuters
      They found players nearly always miss when they allow themselves to think about the consequences of failing.
      That impulse comes from a region of the brain called the prefrontal cortex.
      But the experts say players can be trained to ignore the instinct and activate their brain’s motor cortex — used to focus on immediate tasks.
      This drastically improves their performance during a 12-yard showdown.It is a promising breakthrough for Three Lions fans who dread penalty shootouts as England have lost six out of eight in major tournaments.
      Scientists used a method of monitoring brain activity called functional near- ­infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to see what was going on inside 22 players’ minds.
      They wore a headband containing brainwave sensors.
      England v Germany in the European championships. Gareth Southgate’s penalty missCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      Dr Nattapong Thammasan of the University of Twente, Netherlands, said: “We found players who scored more consistently activated task- relevant areas of their brain, such as the motor cortex.
      “Using fNIRS, players can be trained to activate beneficial regions of their brain, allowing them to perform better under pressure.”
      Scientists believe it could also help others cope better in stressful situations, such as brain surgeons.
      Erling Haaland screams ‘UNLUCKY’ in Sevilla keeper’s face after penalty drama before Dortmund star is chased down More

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      Allan Saint-Maximin warns Newcastle he wants more than surviving in Premier League as fans fear £40m transfer exit

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      ALLAN SAINT-MAXIMIN wants more than to be forever stuck in a relegation battle at Newcastle.The in-demand fan favourite maintains he is happy on Tyneside – but that could change if the Magpies stand still and continue treading water.
      Allan Saint-Maximin wants more from his career than simply surviving relelgationCredit: EPA
      Newcastle boss Steve Bruce said interest in Saint-Maximin, 24, is ‘inevitable’ this summer.
      With little money to spend themselves, the Toon Army are worried their cult hero will be off if someone stumps up £40million.
      After finishing 13th last year – the Frenchman’s first in England following a £20m move from Nice – Newcastle sit 17th, nine points clear of the drop.
      Contracted until 2026, Saint-Maximin said: “I hope we don’t fight again to not go down.
      “For me, Newcastle should not have to fight for this, you know?
      “My ambition is to go up with the club. It’s what I always say when we talk with the players.
      “We have a good team, but in the Premier League it’s not good enough to have only a good team.
      “Every team has some good players.”
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      Toon fans fear Saint-Maximin could jump ship in a £40million transfer this summerCredit: Paul Currie Telegraph Media Group

      Saint-Maximin’s return from a five-week lay-off inspired Newcastle to an unbeaten April, leaving them on the verge of safety.
      The trickster bagged a stunning goal and assist off the bench at Burnley to claim the Magpies’ first win in eight.
      They were shocking before his intervention, as they were for large parts against West Ham and Liverpool before super-sub Joe Willock’s late goals.
      Saint-Maximin has been playing off a central striker, now the fit-again Callum Wilson.
      But he failed to shine last weekend in the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, another below-par showing – and the former Saint-Etienne youngster is frustrated they cannot transfer their form in training.
      Saint-Maximin added: “The most important is to do exactly what you do in training in the game.
      “If in training we play really great football, we have to do the same in a game.
      “Against Burnley, we worked a lot and were really good in training, and after, we are 1-0 down.
      “This sometimes is hard, but for my future, I know I need to play and play good football.
      “That’s why I try to do everything in Newcastle to play better.
      “I’m really happy. If you see when I play in my position, No10, it is easier to help my team to play good football.”
      Steve Bruce says it’s ‘inevitable’ there will be interest in Saint-Maximin this summerCredit: AFP
      Fans hope suitors could be put off by Saint-Maximin’s injury record.
      Targeted by every opposition, the dribbling whizz, who missed two months during the winter with Covid, has struggled with the special treatment.
      He said: “If you are a really important player, they treat you differently.
      “I feel maybe because I’m a new player, a lot of players start to kick me and sometimes it’s really, really hard.
      “Like West Ham, they started to do everything to stop me and tackle on my ankle, and now I feel not too good.
      “All my career will be like this, but more in the Premier League. I get more tackles, more everything.
      “If you get kicked every game, it’s difficult to start every game. That’s the way I play.”
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      Man Utd vs Liverpool will be held next Thursday May 13 as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side play twice in 48 hours More

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      The Bulldog is 42 and still in great shape – but I may need a bit of Botox, says ex-Premier League ace Jimmy Bullard

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      A LOT of footballers let themselves go after hanging up their boots – but not Jimmy Bullard.The 42-year-old former Premier League ace insists there is no better or fitter “washed-up” player his age who can still do a job on the pitch.
      Jimmy Bullard insists there is no better or fitter ‘washed-up’ player his age who can still do a job on the pitchCredit: Papa John’s
      And he puts it down to the mantra he lives by — “look good, play good” — which his father ingrained in him from an early age.
      In an exclusive chat with The Sun, Jimmy said: “I’ve always tried to look as good as I can. I was taught that by my dad — ‘Be as fit as you can, never look untidy’.
      “But I’ve changed my image since I played football. I’ve got the man bun now.
      “The fashion, I’ve always liked it. You’re in front of camera, always try and look good. My image has always been big for me.
      “I always smell good, always look good, or especially in my eyes.
      “Not that people will have my fashion — but the people who don’t have my fashion just haven’t got a clue.
      ‘TRIM AS A BUTCHER’S DOG’
      “So I’m the Bully, I wear it, I smell it, I’m the boy. That’s the end of it.”
      Nicknamed The Bulldog, Jimmy’s confidence in his continued ability comes in part from the various challenges he undertakes on Sky’s Soccer AM, which he co-hosts.
      He said: “You know what I was told a long time ago, ‘Look good, feel good, play good’. It’s part of it.
      “If I look good, I feel good and I produce. It always has been.
      “At 42, I’m still trim as a butcher’s dog. Still put it up in top banjos (corner of the goal) for fun.
      “Name me another washed-up football player, 42, [who’s] still got the power but [can] back it up with a bit of a producement. Who can do that?
      Jimmy starred on I’m A Celeb in 2014 alongside Melanie SykesCredit: Rex
      Jimmy enjoyed a long career in the top flight with teams including Hull CityCredit: Empics
      When Jimmy scored for Hull against Manchester City in 2009, he went viral for celebrating the goal by mocking their managerCredit: EPA
      “There aren’t a lot out there, I’ll tell you that for nothing.”
      When I mention Peter Crouch, Jimmy goes into a rant: “Listen, you give Crouchy a golf ball and a golf club, can he chip it in the bin first time? No. I can.
      “Crouchy ain’t in the Bully’s league.”
      But he clarified: “I love all the boys. Listen, I just love my gig. I absolutely love it.
      “If we’re talking Soccer AM, that ain’t work. We have a mess around with the boys, we interview a few bits of talent, in the car park we go, kick a ball about, we’re the boys and girls. Bang. Done.”
      Despite his confidence, Jimmy does say he might need a bit of enhancement such as Botox to keep him looking young and on screens for a little bit longer.
      ‘I DON’T LIKE NEEDLES’
      He said: “I’ve got a little crevice in between my eyes. I’ve got a little bit of a framing dent.
      “I might be getting a filler in that just to chill it out a bit.
      “But to be honest, I’m half looking at it now and I’m all half going, ‘I think it makes me’. Some frowns make you, don’t they?
      “So I dunno about that and I don’t like needles.”
      Born in East London, Jimmy started out at amateur team Corinthian in Kent before enjoying a long career in the top division with teams including Hull City, Fulham and Wigan Athletic.
      He got an England call-up under manager Fabio Capello in 2008 but failed to make an appearance, something Jimmy called a “kick in the b*****ks”.
      I can be a bit of a swearer and a shouter at times but I’ve learned to sort of wind my neck in a fractionJimmy Bullard
      He retired in 2012 while playing for MK Dons, before going into the jungle on 2014’s I’m A Celeb and landing the Soccer AM gig in 2017.
      Presenting a morning show has meant he needs to rein in the language of the football pitch and become a bit more politically correct.
      Jimmy said: “It comes down to respect. You know people around you, people behind camera, viewers. You must have respect for each other.
      “That’s one thing I’ve always tried to have is respect for others, whatever environment you’re in. If you’re talking about being PC, that is respect.
      “Knowing what’s around, knowing what background others come from, who they are. You’ve got to learn and that comes from people management being in a football team.
      “Thirty to forty people in a changing room, they’re hostile environments.
      Jimmy says he might need a bit of enhancement such as Botox to keep him looking young and on screensCredit: Rex
      Jimmy says Peter Crouch can’t ‘chip it in the bin first time’ on the golf course like he canCredit: Getty
      Jimmy teamed up with Papa John’s to dish out £100,000 to grassroots clubs that have been hit by the Covid restrictionsCredit: Papa John’s
      “I learned that a long time ago, respect the people around you. It’s a bit of a crossover being PC, being respectful for others around you.
      “I’ve had to change my way a little bit — that rawness.
      “I can be a bit of a swearer and a shouter at times but I’ve learned to sort of wind my neck in a fraction and it comes with age as well.
      “Can you imagine me on camera at 24? I wouldn’t have lasted two weeks.”
      But he admits there is still a different Jimmy to the Bulldog we see on screens every Saturday.
      He said: “When I’m at my highest, like Bulldog being his nuttiest, course there’s a difference of Bulldogs — sitting indoors being with his family — there’s a big difference — or Jimmy going fishing.
      It’s changed now, the world of football’s changedJimmy Bullard
      “I have a number of different scales all the time. Up and down like a yo-yo. I’m going for a pint now. I’ll be crackered in an hour and I’ll wake up tomorrow morning and I won’t be as crackers.
      “You just don’t want to meet me when I’m at a ten.”
      It seems that characters like Jimmy and his hero, Paul Gascoigne, 53, are disappearing from football.
      How many players would celebrate a goal by mocking their manager nowadays?
      When Jimmy scored for Hull against Manchester City in 2009, he went viral for doing just that.
      The season before during the same fixture, manager Phil Brown brought his players on the pitch for a half-time dressing down in front of the fans following a poor first 45 minutes.
      The Soccer AM host says he’s learned to ‘sort of wind his neck in a fraction’
      Jimmy got an England call-up under manager Fabio Capello in 2008 but failed to make an appearanceCredit: Jamie McPhilimey
      It seems that characters like Jimmy and his hero, Paul Gascoigne, are disappearing from footballCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Jimmy recreated it by wagging his finger at the majority of the team.
      The former midfielder does however believe there are still characters like him in the game.
      He said: “I just think clubs now are very guarded, they pay these players a lot. There’s obviously characters within their clubs. Characters will never stop.
      “Back in the day when we had the Gazzas of the world and this and that, it’s changed now, the world of football’s changed.
      “I’m telling you now if you went in the dressing room, you would see the characters.
      “One thing I’ve known about TV, everyone’s different. The great Ian Wright is the closest person I know from off camera to being on camera.
      ‘IT’S ON YOU’
      “It’s an art skill to actually be yourself on camera. Especially being in a PC world, it is really hard, you’ve only got to say the wrong word, the wrong sentence at the wrong time. Boom, it’s on you.”
      Jimmy recently teamed up with pizza firm Papa John’s to dish out £100,000 to grassroots clubs that have been hit by the Covid restrictions.
      I point out that the money is worth a lot to the clubs at grassroots level, something he knows all about, having played for my local team Ebbsfleet United, who are based in Gravesend, Kent, and are near the bottom of the football pyramid.
      He replied: “Monster! Soon as I heard about it, £100,000 given away to grassroots football to help up and down a ladder, whatever it may be, it will go a long way for these clubs, electricity bills, new kits etc.”
      Jimmy added: “It’s gonna help many people inside that club and the football club itself.
      The former footballer admits there is still a different Jimmy to the Bulldog we see on screens every SaturdayCredit: Rex

      “They’re so reliant on fans, especially after this pandemic. It couldn’t have come at a better time.
      “If you’re trying to bracket, it’s almost like millions to a Premier League club.”
      Now that cause is definitely a good look for the Bulldog.
      Ex-Rangers star Lee McCulloch on sharing a bus with footballing maverick Jimmy Bullard More

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      Arsenal vs Villarreal referee Slavko Vincic was witness in drug and prostitution sting after being arrested at party

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      ARSENAL’S European destiny will be overseen by controversial referee Slavko Vincic.The Slovenian official has been placed in charge of Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg against Villarreal at the Emirates.
      Slavko Vincic was questioned as a witness after 35 people were detained at a partyCredit: The Sun
      Arsenal defender David Luiz could be out for weeks with a hamstring injury, including missing Thursday’s semi-final with VillarrealCredit: AP
      Vincic, 41, was arrested last year by cops investigating a drugs and prostitution ring in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
      He was nicked as police raided a party in Bijeljina when a total of 26 men and nine women were detained and guns, cash and cocaine were seized.
      Vincic, a full Fifa referee since 2010, was later released after being questioned as a witness.
      He has been a full Fifa referee since 2010 and has taken charge of matches involving Liverpool, Manchester City and new Scottish champions Rangers.
      Arsenal are 2-1 down from the first leg against the Spanish side but are desperate to go on and win the competition.
      They are ninth in the Premier League and 12 points off the top four with no hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League via domestic football.
      The winners of the Europa League are awarded a place in the money-spinning competition, hence Arsenal’s huge incentive to do well.
      Meanwhile, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta admits defender David Luiz could be out for the rest of the season after injuring his leg in Sunday’s 2-0 Premier League win at Newcastle.
      Arteta said: “We don’t know. He felt something in his hamstring so it’s not good news.
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      “He’s put such a shift to be back with the team for the last few weeks after the knee surgery and it’s a real shame.”
      Striker Alexandre Lacazette and brilliant left-back Kieran Tierney are also unlikely to be ready for Villareal.
      Meanwhile, Manchester United are 6-2 up on Italians Roma in the other semi-final with the final set for May 26 in the Polish city of Gdansk.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Arsenal vs Villarreal – Watch LIVE for FREE, channel info and kick-off time More

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      Ryan Shawcross backs David Beckham to turn Inter Miami into MLS force after jumping at chance to get some Florida sun

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      SUNNY days are finally here for Ryan Shawcross.The Stoke legend ended his 14-year stay in the Potteries in February by signing for David Beckham’s Inter Miami.
      Ryan Shawcross joined David Beckham’s Inter Miami after 14 years at StokeCredit: Zuma Press
      Shawcross reckons David Beckham’s Inter Miami can make a splash in MLSCredit: AP
      Shawcross endured a nightmare ending to his time at the Bet365 Stadium after breaking his left leg in pre-season before the 2019-20 campaign.
      The horrific injury — which he suffered while making a routine tackle in the friendly against Leicester — restricted him to just a handful of appearances before leaving for South Florida.
      But the former Manchester United centre-half, who came through the ranks at Old Trafford while Becks and Miami boss Phil Neville were in their pomp, reckons the Florida sunshine could extend his career.
      Shawcross, 33, made an impressive start to life in the MLS with a Man-of-the-Match performance in his full debut as Miami and Nashville finished goalless on Sunday.
      He said: “It’s a more relaxed atmosphere here and that lends itself to more of an outdoor lifestyle.
      “You can go outside and have nice meals. Everyone is relaxed because it’s hard not to enjoy the weather. The sun always gives you a smile.
      “Every morning I can put my shorts and T-shirt on — which is a big change to what I was doing back home. It’s the small things like that which just makes you feel a bit happier.
      “I love England, it will always be home but at this stage of my career, coming to Miami just felt like the right thing to do.”
      Shawcross endured a nightmare ending to his time at Stoke after breaking his leg in pre-season before the 2019-20 campaignCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Question marks over his fitness remain but Shawcross added: “I feel fine now, I have had a long period off and the sun definitely helps.
      “I didn’t see much of it when I was in Stoke, but it warms you up and, hopefully, the small knocks will go away now.”
      The soaring temperatures here may be doing wonders for his tan but playing 90 minutes is a serious test of fitness and conditioning.
      This Sunday’s home match against Gabriel Heinze’s Atlanta will push the man who won a solitary England cap to the limits.
      The humidity at 1pm could be a problem as his run-outs in Philadelphia and Nashville were nowhere near as sweaty as this one will be.

      Shawcross added: “The main difference in terms of playing has been the heat. You can’t always play at a high intensity, so it’s more of a possession-based game.
      “Most teams are trying to keep the ball because it’s impossible to press too much in this heat.
      “That suits me though, with the kind of players we have.”
      “In Florida, the weather does affect how you play. We are definitely a possession-based side who want to stay on the ball.
      Shawcross started his coaching badges at the age of 24 and is still learning alongside the likes of former Everton and New York Red Bulls ace Tim Cahill.
      Neville has started well here, bagging a win and a draw on the road in his first three games.
      The former United and England defender sees the experienced Shawcross as the perfect man to bolster a backline which looked far from secure last season under boss Diego Alonso.
      It was wrench to leave Stoke after making a whopping 453 appearances for the club.
      I didn’t see much sun when I was in Stoke.Ryan Shawcross
      But with his wife and three young kids keen for an adventure, there was only one answer when Goldenballs came calling.
      Shawcross said: “I had a few options but when this came up I wanted to join straight away.
      “The coaching can come in the future, because I haven’t played too much recently, I knew I wanted to carry on for a bit longer.
      “It wouldn’t have come if my family weren’t going to come with me but they have adjusted well to the lifestyle.
      “The kids haven’t dragged me to Disney yet but I’m sure they will.”
      With Becks a co-owner and Neville in charge, Shawcross has been made to feel at home, especially with former Stoke team-mate Anthony Pulis, son of his old boss Tony, also a key man on the coaching team.
      Shawcross said: “Being a young kid coming through at Manchester United, you look up to people like David and Phil.
      “They are the kind of players you aspire to be like and when David was trying to get a team together in Miami, I knew all about it.
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      Premier League Hall of Fame 23-name shortlist

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      Sol CAMPBELL
      Eric CANTONA
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      Didier DROGBA
      Les FERDINAND
      Rio FERDINAND
      Robbie FOWLER
      Steven GERRARD
      Roy KEANE
      Frank LAMPARD
      Matt LE TISSIER
      Michael OWEN
      Peter SCHMEICHEL
      Paul SCHOLES
      John TERRY
      Robin VAN PERSIE
      Nemanja VIDIC
      Patrick VIEIRA
      Ian WRIGHT

      “It’s because of David that the club are trying to be the very best.
      “It will take time to get to where they want to be but when David is involved, most things work.
      “I will always be a huge Stoke fan and have such fond memories of my time there. This, though, is a new chapter.”
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