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      British Super League planned secretly with Rangers and Celtic joining Premier League giants Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal

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      CELTIC and Rangers are wanted to join an all-BRITISH League as part of the fall-out from the failed Euro Super League breakaway plot.While the Big Six led the humiliating retreat from the Super League debacle, they are still convinced that reform of the Prem is essential.
      Rangers fans could soon be cheering on their side in a new British Premier LeagueCredit: AFP
      Celtic are also wanted to join the revamp as part of the fall-out of the failed Euro breakawayCredit: Getty
      The potential British Premier League is expected to get the green light from Fifa and Uefa
      Top of the list of plans being actively discussed is an offer to the two Glasgow giants to come and play south of Hadrian’s Wall.
      And unlike the Super League shambles which was condemned globally, it’s likely an enlarged Premier League including the Old Firm would be BACKED by Fifa, Uefa and the UK Government.
      Celtic and Rangers would jump at the chance to take a slice of the Prem cake, while their inclusion would also see a spike in interest from fans across the world, sponsors and broadcasters.
      Even the pair’s SPL rivals are thought likely to be willing to wave goodbye to the two dominant forces north of the border, because it would give them a realistic chance of winning the title and the chance to qualify for the revamped Champions League.
      One club source said: “Whether or not the Super League was going to happen, we all feel that the Premier League has to be changed and improved.

      “It is time we opened it up to Rangers and Celtic. That would make sense for everyone.”
      Reform of the Prem has been a huge discussion point since October’s publication of the Project Big Picture plans drafted by Liverpool and Manchester United.
      Prem chief executive Richard Masters was forced to agree to a “strategic review” of the competition’s future, conceding “the status quo is not an option”, which was conducted by US-owned Boston Consulting and is due to report back in June.
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      What the British Super League will mean for football

      But while the Big Six were battered by the ESL backlash, they believe the wind is in their sails over the need for change.
      In addition to the Rangers and Celtic plan, one other idea is an end of season top four play-off, similar to that in rugby union and rugby league.
      But they are also still pushing, firmly, for a reduction to the 18 team league that was envisaged at the outset of the Prem when it was formed three decades ago.
      Another club chief added: “We have never wavered from the belief that 18 clubs is the only sensible way forward.
      “It is also what Uefa, Fifa and the European Club Association have long called for.”
      That may be a proposal too far for the 14 members of the ‘left behind club’ who ganged up to help win the Super League battle with the Big Six.

      But unlike the doomed Super League, there would be global backing for a British League.
      Fifa President Gianni Infantino gave his blessing for cross-border leagues when asked about proposals for mergers between Holland and Belgium and Mexico and the MLS.
      Infantino said: “If we want teams to play at the highest level around the world we need to have new ideas and we need to see that.
      “I am confident the best decisions will be made in that regard but any mergers must be done with respect to the rules.”
      And while PM Boris Johnson launched into the Super League debate by insisting he would throw every possible obstacle in the way of the changes, the prospect of including Rangers and Celtic in a cross-border UK league would be a potential factor in the fight against the proposed second Scottish independence referendum.
      Ibrox and Parkhead supporters, excited at the prospect of locking horns with England’s big guns, might be tempted to strengthen resistance against the SNP-led breakaway plans.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      All SIX Premier league ‘giants’ pull out of European Super League as Liverpool, Man Utd and Spurs finally quit More

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      Peter Crouch would lie about ‘important’ footie work to skip baby duties with wife Abbey Clancy and go boozing

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      PETER Crouch confessed to pulling the wool over wife Abbey Clancy’s eyes to escape baby duties and family time to go boozing – by blaming “important” football work.The former Spurs star said he had even got club secretaries to send fake emails making attendance for evening events compulsory when he was just going out on the town with team mates.
      Peter Crouch would lie about ‘important’ footie work to wife Abbey ClancyCredit: Getty
      And he admitted that now that he is a pundit and podcaster he pretends he has to miss out on time with model Abbey for “vital” work-related watching of football and having fun drinking with pod colleagues Tom Fordyce and Chris Stark.
      Talking about social bashes during his career at clubs including Liverpool, he said: “There’s been a couple of occasions where there’s a bit of a team bonding session or something like that and Ab will say ‘you don’t have to go that, do you?’ And I would be like ‘I do’.
      “There has been one or two occasions where I’ve gone to the secretary and gone ‘can you just fire an email just saying that it’s compulsory and it’s important for the team’. And we would just go and have a night out.”
      Peter, 40, said when his first child Sophia, now ten, was a baby he would avoid dealing with her, telling Abbey he had a game the next day.
      He said: “There was a few cards that I used to play. Like on a Friday, it’s like the magical time to get out of anything because Saturday’s the most important thing.
      Crouch admitted he would fib to Abbey to get out of baby dutiesCredit: Getty – Contributor
      The former England star got club secretaries to send fake emails making attendance for evening events compulsoryCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      “You train all week to play on a Saturday.
      “Certainly when you’re at home and I remember when my first baby was born, Friday night if she’s crying, I’m like ‘that’s not for me, I’ve got a game tomorrow’.”
      Asked by pal Stark, if when he fancies just watching football, he tries the excuse that he needs to do it just to keep abreast for work, Crouchie admitted: “That card has been played on many an occasion.”
      And he said he even lies that it’s a bit of a chore having to record the podcast.
      Crouch agreed with Stark that he sometimes fibs that he’s not in the mood for it and it’s a “massive pain”.
      He confessed: “Coming in here talking to you boys, let’s be honest, I’m chatting to you about football and telling her it’s work – it’s really not.
      Crouch admitted he pretends he has to miss out on time with model Abbey for ‘vital’ work-related watching of footballCredit: Getty

      “She’s feeling sorry for me, I’ve got it to the stage where I’ve gone ‘got to go down there and do the podcast’, and I’m carrying eight beers in there.”
      Meanwhile Crouch said a top football club put mirrors on the back of the away team’s toilet cubicle doors to try and ensure opponents’ performances went down the pan.
      He wasn’t flushed with pride when he had to watch himself using the facilities before a game.
      The former football star is now a pundit and podcasterCredit: Getty
      Peter Crouch has BT Sport pundits in stitches as he forgets his own Champions League heroics More

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      British Super League being secretly planned with Celtic and Rangers joining Prem in new US-style play-off system

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      CELTIC and Rangers are wanted to join a BRITISH League as part of the fall-out from the failed Euro breakaway plot.While the Big Six led the humiliating retreat from the Super League debacle, they remain convinced that reform of the Prem is essential.
      Rangers fans could soon be cheering on their side in a new British Premier LeagueCredit: AFP
      Celtic are also wanted to join the revamp as part of the fall-out of the failed Euro breakawayCredit: Getty
      The potential British Premier League is expected to get the green light from Fifa and Uefa
      Top of the list of plans being actively discussed is an offer to the two Glasgow giants to come south of Hadrian’s Wall.
      And unlike the Super League shambles which was condemned globally, it’s likely an enlarged Premier League including the Old Firm would be BACKED by Fifa, Uefa and the UK Government.
      Celtic and Rangers would jump at the chance to take a slice of the Prem cake, while their inclusion would also see a spike in interest from fans across the world, sponsors and broadcasters.
      Even the pair’s SPL rivals are thought likely to be willing to wave goodbye to the two dominant forces north of the border, because it would give them a realistic chance of winning the title and the chance to qualify for the revamped Champions League.
      One club source said: “Whether or not the Super League was going to happen, we all feel that the Premier League has to be changed and improved.
      “It is time we opened it up to Rangers and Celtic. That would make sense for everyone.”
      Reform of the Prem has been a huge discussion point since October’s publication of the Project Big Picture plans drafted by Liverpool and Manchester United.
      Prem chief executive Richard Masters was forced to agree to a “strategic review” of the competition’s future, conceding “the status quo is not an option”, which was conducted by US-owned Boston Consulting and is due to report back in June.
      BETTING OFFER – GET £20 IN FREE BETS WITH BOYLESPORTS
      What the British Super League will mean for football

      But while the Big Six were battered by the ESL backlash, they believe the wind is in their sales over the need for change.
      In addition to the Rangers and Celtic plan, one other idea is an end of season top four play-off, similar to that in rugby union and rugby league.
      But they are also still pushing, firmly, for a reduction to the 18 team league that was envisaged at the outset of the Prem when it was formed three decades ago.
      Another club chief added: “We have never wavered from the belief that 18 clubs is the only sensible way forward.
      “It is also what Uefa, Fifa and the European Club Association have long called for.”
      That may be a proposal too far for the 14 members of the ‘left behind club’ who ganged up to help win the Super League battle with the Big Six.

      But unlike the doomed Super League, there would be global backing for a British League.
      Fifa President Gianni Infantino gave his blessing for cross-border leagues when asked about proposals for mergers between Holland and Belgium and Mexico and the MLS.
      Infantino said: “If we want teams to play at the highest level around the world we need to have new ideas and we need to see that.
      “I am confident the best decisions will be made in that regard but any mergers must be done with respect to the rules.”
      And while PM Boris Johnson launched into the Super League debate by insisting he would throw every possible obstacle in the way of the changes, the prospect of including Rangers and Celtic in a cross-border UK league would be a potential factor in the fight against the proposed second Scottish independence referendum.
      Ibrox and Parkhead supporters, excited at the prospect of locking horns with England’s big guns, might be tempted to strengthen resistance against the SNP-led breakaway plans.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      All SIX Premier league ‘giants’ pull out of European Super League as Liverpool, Man Utd and Spurs finally quit More

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      Marcus Rashford to teach kids how to cook cheap dinners as part of food poverty campaign

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      FOOTBALLER Marcus Rashford will swap pitches for kitchens to teach kids how to cook cheap dinners as part of his heroic food poverty campaign.The Man Utd ace will be joined by Michelin-starred TV chef Tom Kerridge in a new series of Instagram videos called Full Time, launching today.
      Marcus hopes his cooking lessons will help ‘stop at least one child going to bed with an empty tummy’Credit: PA
      The pair will show how to knock up 52 filling dinners with ingredients costing pennies and equipment as limited as just a kettle.
      Marcus, 23, said he was forced to learn the very basics while filming – starting with how to peel a carrot.
      He said: “Even though I’m not the best cook, I’ve enjoyed it massively. I like getting in the kitchen and doing my best – and it turns out to be quite fun.
      “I enjoy putting myself in situations where I know I’m going to have to concentrate and learn and take steps forward.
      “Sometimes young people are afraid of mistakes. But when I was younger my brother always told me, if you don’t make mistakes you will never be the player that you can become.
      “I’m using that advice in this environment and it’s working. It will be a lot of fun if kids engage with it.”
      Marcus was hailed last summer – and awarded an MBE – for twice forcing the Government into U-turns over providing free school meals in the summer holidays.
      During the pandemic, 2.3 million children in Britain were living in some form of food insecurity.
      Tom Kerridge, 47, said Marcus has ‘thrown himself’ into the challenge of learning to cookCredit: PA
      Now Marcus hopes his cooking lessons will help “stop at least one child going to bed with an empty tummy”.
      Tom Kerridge, 47, said Marcus has “thrown himself” into the challenge of learning to cook.
      He said: “We’ve all seen how amazing he has been over the last year, touching the nation’s hearts and highlighting the issues that so many families and children face.
      “We’ve tried to create recipes that are very, very simple in terms of kitchen equipment, process and timing. The people we are targeting may only have one pan, or just a microwave or a kettle.
      “There’s nothing too out-there – it’s flavours people know and love. They’re more likely to have a go at cooking if they enjoy the food. We don’t want people to waste money on something they’re not going to like.
      “We want to engage people and make them feel comfortable and confident in the kitchen, to de-mystify cooking and remove the fear factor.
      “This is real cooking in real time with real ingredients. It’s been super good fun putting it together and I’m loving every minute of it.”
      He added: “This is really close to my heart because Marcus’s story is not too dissimilar to mine. I grew up in a single-parent family and was cooking meals for myself at home while my mum worked two jobs.”
      The pair will show how to knock up 52 filling dinners with ingredients costing pennies and equipment as limited as just a kettleCredit: PA

      Episodes of Full Time will be uploaded to Instagram and Facebook every week for 52 weeks.
      The menu of dishes will include fried rice, fish pie, Mexican style chicken, chicken satay stir fry, tortilla pizza, broccoli and cauliflower cheese, shakshuka and creamy chicken pie.
      From this month, the government’s weekly Healthy Start vouchers will equate to £4.25 per child to buy food.
      Man Utd star Marcus Rashford stars in Lock In Nike advert More

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      Angry fans refuse to accept owners’ European Super League apologies and say ‘crocodile tears will not wash’

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      FURIOUS fans have refused to accept grovelling European Super League apologies from the billionaire American owners of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.Old Trafford bigwig Joel Glazer and Liverpool’s John W Henry yesterday said sorry for trying to force through the despised £4.6billion breakaway closed-shop competition.
      Football fans have refused to accept grovelling European Super League apologiesCredit: PA
      Old Trafford bigwig Joel Glazer and Liverpool’s John W Henry yesterday said sorryCredit: Getty
      Liverpool fans call on owners FSG to leave the clubCredit: Splash
      Their statements followed an apology from another of the Prem’s so-called ‘snakes’ Arsenal, although owner Stan Kroenke did not put his name to it.
      But the words only sparked an angry backlash from their club’s supporters, with calls for them all to quit.
      Henry, head of Anfield’s owners FSG, said sorry to Kop boss Jurgen Klopp, the players, CEO Billy Hogan and everyone at the current top-flight champions during a 146-second video.
      But powerful supporters group Spirit of Shankly blasted: “These crocodile tears will not wash.
      “We have always asked for honesty, integrity and transparency from club owners FSG, but the arrogance and deception they have shown behind this money-grab is frightening, but not surprising.
      “We have noted John W Henry’s apology, but this PR exercise is too little, too late.
      “Our owners have thrown everyone under the bus, supporters, manager, players and staff, and humiliated themselves through sheer greed and arrogance.
      “This debacle must be a catalyst for real change, not an exercise in damage limitation.

      MORE ON SUPER LEAGUE OUTRAGE

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      “We need a fundamental change in football governance, one that is fair for the whole football pyramid, not just the rapacious elite.”
      Henry took personal responsibility for banding together with the rest of the Big Six rebels, who pulled out of the project following a huge backlash from fans, the government, the Premier League and Uefa.
      Henry, 71, declared: “Over these 48 hours you were very clear that it would not stand. We heard you. I heard you.
      “I want to apologise to Jurgen, Billy, the players and everyone who works so hard at Liverpool to make our fans proud.
      “They have absolutely no responsibility for this disruption. They were the most disrupted and unfairly so.
      “This is what hurts most. They love your club and work to make you proud every day.

      “I know the entire LFC team has the expertise, leadership and passion necessary to rebuild trust and help us move forward.
      “I hope you’ll understand that even when we make mistakes, we’re trying to work in your club’s best interests.
      “In this endeavour I’ve let you down.”
      Yet the Spirit of Shankly fans insist the past three days had been “sickening.”
      They added: “Actions speak louder than hollow words.
      “Liverpool Football Club is not an American franchise but a community steeped in history and tradition.
      “We will consult with our members to gauge their opinion on our next step.”
      Liverpool owner John Henry apologises to fans in a video
      That step could even be a boycott of Anfield when the gates are opened again, especially following last year’s embarrassing U-turn on plans to furlough 200 staff amidst the Covid crisis.
      Glazer sent an open letter to United fans, admitting it will “take time for the scars to heal.”
      He said: “You made very clear your opposition to the European Super League and we have listened.
      “We got it wrong and we want to show we can put things right.
      “Although the wounds are raw, I am personally committed to rebuilding trust with our fans and learning from the message you delivered with such conviction.
      “In seeking to create a more stable foundation for the game, we failed to show enough respect for its deep-rooted traditions –promotion, relegation, the pyramid – and for that we are sorry.
      “We apologise unreservedly for the unrest caused during these past few days.”
      Protestors call for the ‘Big Six’ to face punishmentCredit: AFP
      However, Manchester United Supporters’ Trust chief Duncan Drasdo said: “It doesn’t mean much without further commitment for a change of ownership.”
      And a MUST spokesperson added: “We all know until they felt forced to withdraw they were determined to proceed with their Super League project – regardless of opposition.
      “Ultimately Joel’s silence since 2005 says more than this message.
      “We cannot just carry on as if nothing has happened. This is a watershed moment and we need to see genuine change as a result.
      “The message we want to hear from the owners is that they are putting in place the Fan Share Scheme which will begin the transfer of ownership to the real supporters of our club – the people who have it’s best interests at heart.”
      Some 200 miles away in London, Arsenal fans accused Kroenke of shaming the club – and blasted him for not even having the courage to put his own name to the club’s ESL apology.
      Protestors before Chelsea’s match with BrightonCredit: Alamy
      Furious Gunners fans are planning a “Kroenke Out” protest before tomorrow’s home Prem game against Everton.
      And Tim Payton of the Arsenal Supporters Trust, fumed: “It’s certainly not all right. The apology is signed by the board – it should have Stan Kroenke’s name on it, he should apologise.
      “He is the architect of this, he’s the overseas franchise investor who embarrassed and shamed our club and English football.”
      Kroenke has endured a fractious relationship with Arsenal supporters since his first involvement in 2007 and the ill-feeling only intensified when he became the sole owner of the club in August 2018.
      Fellow Trust board member Akhil Vyas added: “He’s been such an absent owner that he will probably just hide like an absolute coward, hoping it just blows over.
      “Hate is a strong word, but we really dislike our owners.
      “It’s an absolute lack of respect for fans – Kroenke is not interested and that is why he is the wrong owner.”
      Chelsea legend Petr Cech addresses the angry mobCredit: Rex
      Fans celebrate as Chelsea cut ties with the ESLCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Manchester City and Chelsea were the first of the Big Six to withdraw from the ESL on Tuesday, later followed by Arsenal, Tottenham and project ringleaders United and Liverpool.
      Etihad chief executive Ferran Soriano yesterday issued an apology to every City fan for the “disappointment, frustration and anguish” caused.
      He said: “The board deeply regrets taking a decision that lost sight of the historic values of the club.
      “We made a mistake and we sincerely apologise to our fans for the disappointment, frustration and anguish caused by the last 72 hours.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds More

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      Bruno Fernandes WILL sign new Man Utd deal and stay at Old Trafford… but only if Paul Pogba does the same

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      BRUNO FERNANDES will commit himself to Manchester United — but only if Paul Pogba does the same.Fernandes sees Pogba’s future as key if United are going to make up the gap to Manchester City in the Premier League.
      Bruno Fernandes will stay at Manchester United if Paul Pogba commits his futureCredit: Reuters

      Pogba’s current deal is up in June of next year after United triggered a one-year extension back in October.
      But the club either want him on new terms or will look to sell him this summer, rather than the 28-year-old World Cup winner becoming a free agent.
      Fernandes, 26, is watching the situation carefully with the club also aiming to extend his current deal after his incredible impact at Old Trafford since signing in a £55million deal from Sporting Lisbon in January of last year.
      SunSport revealed on March 10 how the club had approached Fernandes over a new double-your-money five-year contract worth £200,000 a week.
      But he did not want to enter talks until he saw the club’s ambition in the transfer market this summer, with Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho targets.
      Now he wants assurances over Pogba’s future too as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer plans for an assault on the title next season.
      Pogba is more settled at United than he has been for two years with, he believes, the club is heading in the right direction.
      After finishing third last season they are set to finish runners-up this time.
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      And United are favourites to lift the Europa league after reaching a fifth Cup semi-final in two seasons.
      They still have an outside chance of winning the league this term — they are eight points off  City at the top with six games to go.
      That was the same gap City overturned to edge United out on goal difference to win their first Prem title in 2012.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Top 10 biggest transfer value rises of 2020 including Man Utd star Bruno Fernandes and Arsenal ace Bukayo Saka More

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      World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst hails fans for stopping hated European Super League

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      THREE Lions legend Sir Geoff Hurst last night hailed fans for their role in stopping the hated Super League, saying: “They saved football.”But the 1966 World Cup hat-trick hero warned the “Big Six” had tarnished English football around the globe.
      World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst hails fans for stopping the hated European Super LeagueCredit: Rex
      Sir Geoff told The Sun: “What these clubs tried to do was an absolute disgrace and thank God it’s been stopped.
      “The Mickey Mouse league they were trying to set up was diabolical and disgusting.
      “I haven’t spoken to a single fan, young or old, this week who backed it.
      “If it wasn’t for the fans coming out and making it clear what they thought the game would have died.
      “We had Manchester United fans standing shoulder to shoulder with Liverpool supporters. Arsenal and Spurs fans were agreeing.
      “I’ve never seen anything like it!
      “But God bless every one of them – they’ve saved football and showed they are the best fans in the world.”
      Sir Geoff, 79, said his 1966 pals would be “turning their graves” over greedy foreign owners trying to hijack our national game.
      He added: “One of the greatest things about that team back then was how we all came from different clubs, some near the top of the League, others nowhere near it.
      Chelsea fans celebrate after the club announced it would be withdrawing from the European Super LeagueCredit: Getty
      Sir Geoff said the owners of the Big Six now needed to grovel to the fans they tried to betrayCredit: Splash
      Sir Geoff said his 1966 pals would be ‘turning in their graves’ over greedy foreign owners trying to hijack our national gameCredit: AFP

      “But we still combined to become a team, create history and do something truly amazing. That’s what makes football so special.
      “I know Bobby Moore for one would be turning in his grave.
      “That League went against everything he stood for and everything believed in as a man and a footballer.
      “And I suspect the likes of Jack Charlton and Nobby Stiles, who were never afraid to voice their opinions, would be saying the same as I am today.”
      Sir Geoff said the owners of the Big Six now needed to grovel to the fans they tried to betray.
      He said: “They need to apologise to the fans and to the players who were dragged into this. I was pleased to see so many of the footballers speaking out about it.
      “Players have a lot more influence now than back in my day.
      A statement released by the European Super League claimed the tournament will ‘reshape’ and go ahead

      “They are on social media and have millions of followers.
      “Kids around the world look up to these guys and when they were coming and saying, ‘We’re not standing for this’ the owners must have realised the game was up.
      “Now they need to say sorry and start trying to put right the damage they have done to our game.
      “If they’re not willing to do that they should clear off.”
      What happens now the European Super League has collapsed More

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      Ex-England ace John Barnes resurrects his iconic World in Motion rap to raise awareness for guide dogs

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      FORMER England ace John Barnes has resurrected his iconic World in Motion rap — but changed it to raise awareness for guide dogs. The pundit, 57, says “you’ve got to walk, take steps, it can be in your own time” instead of “you’ve got to hold and give, but do it at the right time”. 
      John Barnes, 57, has re-recorded his World in Motion rap for charity
      He also advises people with sight loss to “wear your favourite socks” as part of a new charity campaign.
      Barnes famously rapped on England’s classic New Order song for the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
      And he showed he still has the skill for the Guide Dogs charity’s Walk Your Socks Off campaign.
      He raps: “You can be slow or fast, or dance about to a rhyme. 
      “Walk round your house, your garden, go there, come back. Wear your favourite socks, this will keep you on track. Support me if you can, ’cause I’m your Guide Dogs man. And what you’re looking at is the master plan. We support sight loss, this is our sock. I’m walking my socks off, I know I can’t go wrong.”
      In 1990 Barnes improvised the original rap and was sozzled while recording the video for it.
      He said: “I was p***ed. We were all drunk and just did it. It’s not a hard thing to do, is it?”

      The England legend is raising awareness for guide dogsCredit: Paul Tonge – The Sun
      John Barnes raps: ‘You’ve got to walk, take steps, it can be in your own time’
      In the 1990 clip he rapped: ‘You’ve got to hold and give, but do it at the right time’
      In the new campaign he also advises people with sight loss to ‘wear your favourite socks’
      In 1990 Barnes improvised the original rap and was sozzled while recording the video
      Barnes in action at the 1990 World Cup in ItalyCredit: Alamy

      It was only decided he would rap on the day it was made in the studio. 
      He recalled: “There was Paul Gascoigne, Chris Waddle and Peter Beardsley, all these Geordies, so there was just no chance of them three doing it.
      “So it was between me and Des Walker. Des and I had a rap-off. Des was rubbish. I’ve been rapping since I was 17 years old.”
      John Barnes rap More