The Sun Newspaper

Subterms

    More stories

    • 275 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Luke Shaw and John Stones’ sparkling form means Southgate MUST take them to Euro 2021 – both start in my England XI

      by

      LUKE SHAW has played just 60 minutes of football for England during Gareth Southgate’s four-and-a-half year reign.
      John Stones has featured in just one of his country’s last 15 matches since suffering a personal meltdown during the Nations League semi-final defeat by Holland in 2019.

      Yet the resurgence of both players, re-established as two of the best defenders in the Premier League, is a major boost to Southgate as he emerges from hibernation to name his first squad of the year on Thursday.
      It’s a funny old business being an international manager in the winter, especially during lockdown.
      Southgate is effectively furloughed between mid-November and late March, pottering around his house in North Yorkshire, walking the dogs, sorting out the recycling because it’s only two days until bin day.
      But between now and the end of next year he faces two major international tournaments, in charge of a team which sits fourth in Fifa’s world rankings, despite barely having utilised some of England’s brightest talents.

      The Euros are just 87 days away but first there are three qualifiers for next year’s Qatar World Cup, against San Marino, Albania and Poland.
      During these four-and-a-half months between fixtures, England’s manager waits nervously, hoping his players stay fit and play well, especially given the logjam of fixtures.
      But Southgate has been fortunate, with only Jordan Henderson suffering a long-term injury since November.
      Meanwhile Stones, 26, has overcome a lengthy crisis to consistently touch world-class standards, forming an outstanding partnership with Ruben Dias, whose arrival might easily have spelled the end of his Manchester City career.

      Luke Shaw has been a standout star for Manchester United this seasonCredit: Getty

      John Stones is also worthy of an England recallCredit: Andy Hooper-The Daily Mail
      Stones has rediscovered that ‘Barnsley Beckenbauer’ strut, striding out of defence, and has even scored more goals than Marcus Rashford since the turn of the year.
      Shaw, 25, has enjoyed a similar renaissance, convincingly seeing off the challenge of Brazilian Alex Telles as Manchester United’s left-back.
      He has been man of the match against City and West Ham on the last two Sundays and, despite having never been fully trusted by Southgate before, could now usurp Ben Chilwell as England’s first-choice this summer.
      The renaissance of Shaw and, in particular, of Stones, is not just excellent news for England’s defensive capabilities but for their offensive options too.
      With such a wealth of attacking talent, England have not been as much fun to watch as they ought to have been.
      The feeling in the Three Lions camp is Southgate has become wedded to a three-man central defence because of the old adage ‘if you ain’t got two good ones, pick three’.
      The midfield duo of Declan Rice and Henderson is already pencilled in for the summer’s biggest fixtures.
      So play five defenders and, with Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling nailed on to start, there would only be one place free in England’s line-up.
      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

      This means Southgate could start just one of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount, without even mentioning Rashford, Jadon Sancho or the exciting Leicester duo of James Maddison and Harvey Barnes.
      Southgate, rightly, loves Mount. The public will demand Grealish and if England are good enough to overlook Foden, then they really haven’t shown it.
      Tyrone Mings, Conor Coady and Kyle Walker have put in decent shifts in a back three.
      But Stones and Maguire is now a central defensive pairing Southgate should feel comfortable fielding in a flat back four, even against the most elite opposition.
      This frees up another spot for an attacking player.
      And that gives us a possible starting XI of Pickford, Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Shaw, Rice, Henderson, Mount, Foden (or Grealish), Sterling and Kane.

      Gareth Southgate has a huge array of talent to manage at the EurosCredit: PA
      That looks a well-balanced team, boasting experience and youth, attacking creativity without a legs-open defence.
      If England top a Euros group including Croatia, Scotland and the Czech Republic, they would face the runners-up from a proper Group of Death which features France, Germany and Portugal, in Dublin in the last-16.
      Given that England have never beaten a team as good as those three in a knockout tie at any tournament away from Wembley, this would be a stiff ask.
      England were largely turgid during an eight-match autumn campaign, most memorable for indiscipline.
      Foden and Mason Greenwood were sent home from Iceland in disgrace while Maguire was arrested.
      Maguire, Walker and Reece James were all sent off and Sancho, Chilwell and Tammy Abraham guilty of silly lockdown breaches.

      England failed to score in two Nations League ties with Denmark and were too often stifled by caution, with Southgate frequently claiming they had been better than they actually were.
      With England’s Euros group matches to be played in front of crowds at Wembley, there will be added demand for Southgate to toss away the shackles.
      After a miserable year, this promises to be another English footballing summer of love to rival — perhaps even better — Russia in 2018.Southgate just needs to believe it. Stones and Shaw should help him.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      England boss Gareth Southgate explains how he’ll deal with having so many talented No.10s More

    • 175 Shares129 Views

      in Soccer

      Premier League stars to be enlisted to encourage Brits under 30 get Covid vaccine

      by

      PREMIER League aces are to be enlisted to encourage Brits under 30 to get the Covid jab.
      Clubs have been asked to use the “star power” at their disposal to help roll out the vaccine.

      🦠 Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates…

      Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has written to the top football clubs seeking helpCredit: Reuters
      It comes after an Office for National Statistics poll revealed one in six people aged between 16 and 29 claim they may not get the jab.
      Experts say the age group is more likely to see Covid as no threat to them.
      They point out this attitude risks giving the killer a foothold to keep spreading.

      Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has written to the top football clubs seeking help after last month asking them to encourage more ethnic minority Brits to get the jab.
      A Whitehall source confirmed: “The Premier League are involved.”

      The source added that assistance was being sought from “people younger groups look up to”.
      Tory MP Julian Knight, meanwhile, has written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock urging him to launch a publicity drive to promote take up of the jab.

      The Sport Select Committee chairman said: “This campaign should . . . enlist the help of major sporting figures from the likes of the Premier League in order to put out the message that vaccination is safe, and the right thing to do for yourself and loved ones.”

      UK daily Covid deaths fall to lowest in FIVE MONTHS with 52 fatalities and 4,618 cases
      GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk More

    • 138 Shares199 Views

      in Soccer

      Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi caught up in fraud probe over Lamborghini crash

      by

      PREM footie ace Callum Hudson-Odoi is caught up in a fraud probe over a crash in his Lamborghini.
      The England and Chelsea winger’s £215,000 supercar was in collision with a ten-year-old Renault driven by a junior doctor.

      Footie star Callum Hudson-Odoi is caught up in a fraud probe over a crash in his LamborghiniCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The England and Chelsea winger’s £215,000 supercar was in collision with a ten-year-old Renault driven by a junior doctorCredit: LAMBORGHINI

      Callum, 20, and two others began filming the medic while asking him to admit liability.
      The 29-year-old refused, claiming his car had been hit from behind by the £100,000-a-week player driving the Lamborghini Urus.
      Callum did not produce documents and is not under investigation after the crash in Wandsworth, South West London, in August.
      His lawyers said a “third party”, believed to be his soccer player brother Bradley, 32, submitted the papers.

      The doctor said: “There was a big jolt when his car hit me.
      “I recognised Callum the moment he jumped out of his car. He was wearing his full Chelsea kit and was angry.
      “They started videoing me but I wouldn’t admit it was my fault.
      “I waited for his brother to turn up. They mocked me for driving an old car.

      “My insurance company received documentation for a Ferrari and then a Mercedes. I want police to investigate.”

      The footie ace and two others began filming the medic while asking him to admit liabilityCredit: PA:Press Association

      Callum did not produce documents and is not under investigation after the crash last AugustCredit: PA:Press Association

      Callum’s lawyers said a ‘third party’ believed to be his soccer player brother Bradley submitted the papersCredit: Reuters

      Officers said inquiries are “ongoing” into an offence alleged by the doctor. Bradley said: “It is nonsense.”
      A lawyer for Callum said: “The driver made an allegation to police against a third party, not Callum.”
      Chelsea would not comment.

      Callum Hudson-Odoi calls for ‘massive change in football’ as Chelsea winger talks racism with Paul Canoville
      GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk More

    • 275 Shares159 Views

      in Boxing

      ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler was one of the best boxers of all time… with him, you knew you were in presence of greatness

      by

      WHEN I flew to America 41 years ago to interview Marvelous Marvin Hagler, before he challenged Alan Minter for his world middleweight title, he refused to see me.
      Hagler then was an unknown quantity in this country which is why I arranged with his managers, Pat and Goody Petronelli, to spend time getting to know him at his Provincetown training camp at the tip of Cape Cod.

      Marvelous Marvin Hagler died age 66 on SaturdayCredit: EPA

      Minter’s unforgivable remark “I’ll never lose my title to a black man” had been splashed in every newspaper in the US and Hagler got it into his head everyone in Britain was a racist.
      I told the Petronelli’s as I had travelled 3,000 miles at considerable expense, if I didn’t get the interview I would be sacked. That was not the truth, I admit.
      The Petronelli’s took my sob story to Hagler – he not only relented but it was the start of an extremely friendly relationship which lasted long after he retired seven years later.
      When I initially shook hands with Marvin little did I realise I was in the presence of greatness, someone who could genuinely lay claim to being the greatest world middleweight champion of all-time.

      Hagler was one of those enigmatic boxing characters. There was the ever-smiling quietly spoken compassionate family man who went out of his way to help others.
      This is what he had to say about himself once he stepped inside the ropes.
      “There’s a monster that comes out of me in the ring.
      “I think it goes back to the days when I had nothing. It’s hunger I think.

      “That’s what the monster is and it’s still there.”

      Marvin Hagler beat Alan Minter at Wembley Arena in London to win the middleweight titleCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      Marvelous reigned as undisputed middleweight king for seven yearsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Marvin held the middleweight crown seven years and made twelve successful defences – you have to look no further than his background to find an explanation for his unyielding attitude once he turned to boxing to make a living.
      He was brought up with his brother and four sisters by his single mother in the toxic Newark, New Jersey, ghetto in the 1960’s.
      During one of the worst race riots, when 46 people died, the Hagler family locked themselves in their apartment for three days to stay safe from the rioters and police marksmen.
      One night as they all lay under a bed to escape, two stray bullets smashed through a window into the ceiling above them.
      That was enough for Mrs Hagler. She took her kids to live in the tranquil environment of Brockton, Massachusetts, and that’s where the 15-year-old Marvin walked into the Petronelli’s gym and asked to be taught how to box.
      The Petronelli’s had no idea they were about to strike gold. But they transformed the southpaw novice into one of the deadliest and most feared fighting machines ever to grace the sport.
      When Hagler came to London in September 1980, his slashing punches cut Minter’s face to ribbons and he’d won the title in less than three rounds.
      Shamefully, Hagler and his entourage were showered with beer bottles and glasses from racist fans and had to be escorted to his dressing room by a posse of police.

      Marvin’s win over Minter was tarnished as racist fans launched beer bottles an glassesCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      Marvin made 12 successful title defences during his illustrious careerCredit: AFP or licensors

      Hagler, left, and Hearns produced one of the legendary fightsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Hagler was one of the Four Kings – the other three were Roberto Duran, Tommy ‘Hitman’ Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard – who had nine incredible fights between them.
      I was fortunate to cover seven of them. But I believe Marvin’s glittering career will always be defined by his clashes with Hearns and Leonard – both in Las Vegas.
      The opening three minutes of his battle with Hearns will go down as arguably the greatest first round in history.
      They launched themselves at each other like a couple of ravenous pitbulls who suddenly had the smell of raw meat in their nostrils. Every punch landed was thrown with bad intentions.
      If they had been seen fighting like that in the street they would have been arrested and charged with Grievous Bodily Harm with intent.
      As they went back to their corners, Hagler had an ugly gash over his left eye and Hearns was nursing his right hand, which he broke against Hagler’s bald skull.
      Before Hagler finished Tommy off in round three, blood was pouring into his eyes. Referee Richard Steele in the middle of the action asked him “Can you see Marvin”.
      Hagler’s memorable reply was “I’m not missing him am I?”
      Leonard was considered deranged for tackling Hagler having had just one fight in five years.
      But he outwitted and outboxed to win a shock split twelve round points decision and off he went with the title.

      Marvin Hagler never fought again after his defeat to Sugar RayCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Hagler was convinced he’d been robbed by the judges and psychologically never recovered from that loss, never fighting again.
      He certainly didn’t like Leonard and he regarded Sugar Ray, from a much softer lower middle-class background, as something of a dilettante.
      Pat Petronelli said: “That defeat turned Marvin into a recluse for months.
      “It shattered Marvin’s life. He became moody and depressed and he hasn’t been able to deal with it. He said he would take this to his grave. It’s more to him than death itself.”
      I hope that was no longer true with the passing of time.
      We will never know if Marvelous Marvin was the best middleweight ever. But he is certainly up there with Harry Greb, Sugar Ray Robinson and Carlos Monzon.

      Boxing legend and former undisputed middleweight world champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler dead at 66 More

    • 163 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Portsmouth want ex-Cardiff and Millwall boss Neil Harris to replace axed Kenny Jackett

      by

      PORTSMOUTH are lining up Neil Harris to be their new manager.
      The former Cardiff boss is among the candidates to take over at Pompey following their sacking of Kenny Jackett yesterday.

      Portsmouth are looking to make Neil Harris their new managerCredit: Rex Features

      Jackett, who had been in charge for almost four years, was axed after Saturday’s Papa John’s Trophy final defeat by League Two Salford at Wembley.
      It came on the back of three successive League losses.
      And they have resulted in Pompey dropping out of the League One play-off places.
      Chief executive Mark Catlin said: “Portsmouth Football Club would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Kenny for the work he has done during his near four-year spell at the club and we all wish him well for the future.

      “It has been an emotional past few weeks for everyone associated with Pompey and we now begin the process – which will be as short as possible – of appointing someone who we believe can give us the best chance of finishing inside the top six. 
      “These talks begin now.”
      Jackett replaced Paul Cook in June 2017 and led the club to EFL Trophy success over Sunderland in 2019.
      But he had suffered the heartache of League One play-off semi-final defeats to the Black Cats and Oxford since.

      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

      Kenny Jackett was sacked after Pompey’s EFL Trophy final defeat to SalfordCredit: PA:Press Association

      Harris, 43, was sacked by Cardiff in January after guiding them to last season’s Championship play-offs – where they were beaten by Fulham in the semi-finals.
      He previously guided Millwall to promotion to the Championship via the League One play-offs in 2017.
      Tony Pulis and Danny Cowley are also among the contenders to take over at Pompey but Harris is their preferred choice.

      Watch shocking scenes as rival Blackpool and Fleetwood Town fans fight on the pitch in League One clash More

    • 200 Shares129 Views

      in Soccer

      Brighton’s Aaron Connolly caught on video breaking Covid rules by romping with woman at a house

      by

      A PREMIER League footballer breached Covid lockdown rules by romping with a woman at a house — which ended up on video.
      Brighton forward Aaron Connolly, 21, was caught on the film which was shot earlier this month. 

      🦠 Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates…

      Aaron Connolly of Brighton & Hove Albion during a Premier League matchCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      A source said: “It’s shocking. Connolly invited the girl to the house where he’s been staying and had sex with her.
      “It appears their sex session was filmed and a video was made.
      “And it also seems he’s breached Covid lockdown rules by allowing this woman into the house.

      “He could well be in trouble with the club over this.”

      Connolly breached Covid rules by having sex with a woman at a house
      It is understood Connolly was single at the time of the romp. 
      Brighton boss Graham Potter revealed on Friday that he had suffered a cracked rib. 
      Connolly is regarded as one of the brightest young talents in the Premier League. He has made 39 appearances for the Seagulls, scoring five goals. 

      Connolly, who earns £1million a year, has also played for Ireland five times. 

      The Premier League star’s romp also ended up on filmCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has said it is adamant players “set a good example” over Covid protocols.
      He wrote to clubs in January underlining the “critical importance” of adhering to rules.
      He added: “It’s very disappointing if you see anyone in football, not just players, breaching government guidelines.”
      Several Premier League “Covidiots” have been caught breaching lockdown this season. 
      They include Palace captain Luka Milivojevic and Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy, who attended New Year’s Eve parties.

      The 21-year-old is not the first footballer to get caught breaching lockdown

      A Brighton and Hove Albion club spokesperson said: “We are aware of the allegations made and take them extremely seriously. 
      “The matter will be fully investigated internally and dealt with in the appropriate manner. 
      “The club has repeatedly made clear to all players and staff the need to comply with the lockdown rules, and made clear to players the added need to comply with additional measures to keep them and their families safe.”

      Brighton vs Leicester as it happened
      GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk More

    • 200 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      England star Kyle Walker shells out £40,000 for a guard dog following raids on footballers’ houses

      by

      MANCHESTER City star Kyle Walker has shelled out £40,000 on a Doberman guard dog after a series of raids on footballers.
      The England defender, 30, has named him Apollo, after Rocky’s boxing rival-turned-pal.

      Kyle Walker has paid £40,000 for Apollo the Doberman to guard his home

      Kyle Walker wants protection after a number of footballers were targeted by thievesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      A source said: “He’s still in training but is coming to the end. For Kyle this will be money well spent.
      “He’s determined to protect his family at all costs — and Apollo can help.
      “He will be trained to react to certain keywords only the family will know.
      “He’ll guard the front door, but also carry out perimeter checks inside and out on a regular basis.

      “His sole purpose will be to protect them all.”
      Walker lives in Cheshire, where robbers with machetes this week burst into the home of Everton reserve keeper Robin Olsen, 31, who was with his wife and kids.

      The home of Olsen’s Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti, 61, was also raided last month in Merseyside.
      Walker approached Leicestershire-based Chaperone K9, which has supplied dogs to fellow stars including Man United’s Marcus Rashford and City’s Raheem Sterling.

      Walker’s teammate Sterling said of his guard dog: “Okan is a true blessing. Love him to bits.”        

      Raheem Sterling loves his own Doberman called Okan

      Jesse Lingard also has a pet Doberman protecting his home

      Love Island’s Scott Thomas gets a new Doberman puppy
      GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk More

    • 238 Shares169 Views

      in Soccer

      How ‘drugs kingpin’ Daniel Kinahan, linked to boxing world champ Tyson Fury, is now planning to move into football

      by

      SITTING on a scruffy trading estate in a Lancashire village, the office of the MTK football agency appears a world away from the glitzy Premier League.
      Now it aims to grab a slice of the £500million spent each year on agency fees — and while company director Danny Vincent is a complete unknown, the founder of the business’s parent company, Daniel Kinahan, is certainly not.

      Tyson Fury with Daniel Kinahan

      Known as “Big Dan” by Tyson Fury, Kinahan made his name in the ­boxing world — and is also a ­notorious figure in his native Dublin.
      He has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime boss — something he has always denied and he has never been convicted of any criminal offence.
      Kinahan, 43, has been labelled a senior figure in organised crime by Ireland’s high court, while a 2009 diplomatic cable sent to the Pentagon by a US Embassy described him as a “suspected international drug-trafficking figure”, resulting in him being banned from entering the US.
      And police in Ireland suspect the Kinahan cartel — founded by his convicted drug-smuggler father Christy, who is now living in Dubai — has made at least £1billion selling narcotics globally.

      MTK Football’s director Danny Vincent, 36, was surprised when The Sun called last week at his £200,000 home just a stone’s throw from Aintree racecourse.

      Kinahan has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime bossCredit: Refer to Caption

      The building where MTK Football is registeredCredit: .
      The tattooed Liverpool FC fan was unprepared for questions — despite his company’s links with Kinahan.
      Vincent, who counts Kinahan’s cage- fighter pal Darren Till among his shareholders, claimed he knew ­nothing about the alleged crimelord.
      He said: “I’ve got nothing to do with that. I work with Darren Till.”

      When pressed again about Kinahan, he said: “No, no — it’s bang out of order knocking at my door.”
      Prior to that, Vincent had admitted to our reporter that MTK Football had no clients, adding: “We have only just started out. This is mad — I’m not used to all this.”
      While Vincent may claim not to know Kinahan, The Sun understands the alleged mobster is already on first-name terms with dozens of ­Premier League players and even a club chairman.

      Amir Khan called Kinahan ‘one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met’Credit: Reuters
      That is because Kinahan has been plotting his move into the world of football for at least five years, from his base in Dubai.
      One well-placed source connected to multiple Premier League players revealed: “Kinahan has been planning this for years. He has been getting close to players and close to agents.
      “He has got to know lots of them while living in Marbella and more recently since he moved to Dubai.
      “Both destinations are playgrounds for footballers and underworld figures ­— and those worlds collide in high-end restaurants, bars and clubs.
      “He will definitely end up representing top-level players at some point.”
      Kinahan’s blueprint for success is the world of boxing, where he has acted as an “adviser” to Tyson Fury ahead of his £400million fight with Anthony Joshua.

      Danny Vincent, director of MTK Football, outside his homeCredit: .
      He founded MTK Global in 2012 and the firm now has more than 250 fighters on its books.
      In 2017 he claimed to have stepped away from the company, but he recently admitted he is still heavily involved in the fight trade.
      The source said: “It’s harder to find a boxer not linked to Kinahan than one who is. He dominates the boxing world and everyone knows it.”
      Kinahan operates in the shadows and is not registered with the British Board Of ­Boxing, or the Football Association, leaving them powerless to regulate him.
      In 2007, Kinahan and his ­younger brother Christy Jnr were held by police in Spain on suspicion of drug-smuggling. He was not charged. His father — known as “the Dapper Don” — is said to have passed on control of the cartel’s narcotics and money-laundering operation to him in 2016.
      Prior to moving to Dubai — where his dad and brother also live — he is alleged to have helped the cartel to amass a ­ fortune from drug-trafficking.
      Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau filed a high-court ­affidavit describing how ­Kinahan managed and ­controlled the day-to-day operations of the gang.

      Lee Byrne, Troy Parrott and Dele Alli
      Police forces in three ­countries currently want to question him. And in 2016, Kinahan was the intended target of an horrific shooting in Dublin’s Regency Hotel.
      Six gunmen from the rival Hutch gang, including one dressed in drag and others disguised as police officers, stormed in with AK47 assault rifles during a boxing weigh-in.
      They murdered alleged cartel enforcer David Byrne and seriously injured associate Sean McGovern — but Kinahan escaped.
      After a BBC Panorama documentary investigated his links with both boxing and organised crime last month, he said in a statement: “There is no evidence or proof against me. I have said repeatedly I have no criminal record anywhere in the world.”
      Despite the allegations, sports stars appear to love him. Last month Amir Khan called him “one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met” while Tyson Fury and Billy Jo Saunders respectfully call him “Big Dan”.
      A respected boxing source told The Sun: “The boxers that he represents absolutely love him because he treats them like kings.
      “And all the people who support him will always say thwaat he hasn’t been convicted of any crimes, so why shouldn’t he be involved in boxing?”
      But another source from the fight world urged more caution.

      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money
      The source, who has met Kinahan on several occasions, said: “He is very intelligent and very dangerous. He is comfortable knowing that you know of his reputation.
      “He pushes and probes you and sizes you up. It’s disconcerting and very difficult to deal with.” And while the Premier League and the FA may hope that Kinahan’s new ­football venture never gets off the ground, The Sun can reveal that he is already embedded at the game’s top table.
      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money.
      Players from clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Leicester, Aston Villa, Burnley, Leeds and Middlesbrough were all fleeced after handing over up to £250,000 on the promise of being sold rare Richard Mille, Philippe Patek and vintage Rolex watches.
      The jeweller, who cannot be named for legal reasons, failed to deliver the goods to around 30 footballers, agents and other watch-traders despite pocketing the cash.
      Unable to get their money back after he went bankrupt, several stars reportedly turned to Kinahan, who agreed to help.
      A source said: “If you’re owed £250,000 and someone gets it back for you, you’ll like them no matter what their alleged past is.”
      Kinahan has also helped out when players have got into trouble in Dubai.The Sun was told that when a Premier League stalwart got into an altercation while on holiday there, “Kinahan sorted it out”.
      But while Kinahan and his ­associates are happy to court ­players for business, they will not tolerate disrespect.

      One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.
      Source

      The source said: “One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.”
      Links between Kinahan’s associates and young football stars have already begun to emerge.
      Spurs and England star Dele Alli and Troy Parrott, an Irish clubmate of his at Tottenham, were spotted in pictures taken on a winter break in Dubai with Lee Byrne, son of Liam Byrne, a key associate of Kinahan.
      Liam Byrne was previously named in court as being at “the very top tier” of organised crime in Ireland, and a “close and trusted associate and lieutenant of Daniel Kinahan”.
      So how will Premier League managers and owners ­handle the situation if, or when, a player signs to MTK?
      The reality is that the clubs may never know who they are dealing with. A source said Kinahan has been wooing a top-level football agent who has more than 150 ­players on his books.

      “Kinahan won’t start representing a player,” said the source. “He’ll just go and buy an agency and absorb it. And bang, he’ll be into football in a big way.
      “But no one will ever know because the Kinahan name will never appear on any paperwork.”
      But as he looks to expand his influence into the world’s most popular — and richest — sport, it is clear that Kinahan is not someone who can be ignored.

      Eddie Hearn says he was ‘a little surprised’ by the uproar over Daniel Kinahan being praised by Tyson Fury
      GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk More