The Sun Newspaper

CHRIS GUNTER becomes the first Welshman to win 100 caps on Saturday afternoon ­­— but he is ‘gutted’ best mate Aaron Ramsey will not be there to celebrate with him.The Wales captain is set to make history against Mexico in a friendly at an empty Cardiff City Stadium.
Chris Gunter, left, will have to do without one of his best friends, Aaron Ramsey, when he reaches his century of caps for Wales against MexicoCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Chris Gunter predictably rates Cristiano Ronaldo as his toughest opponentCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Cult hero Gunter — who made his debut in a draw with New Zealand in 2007 — feels ‘sad’  his   fans, friends and family cannot be in the stands.
And that includes injured Juventus star Ramsey, who will watch his landmark moment from Italy.
The pair are room-mates and inseparable on Wales duty while Charlton defender Gunter was even best man at Rambo’s wedding.
Gunter, 31, said: “I’m very proud. It means the world to me to represent the country. The empty  stadium will be easier for myself because it’s the norm.
“I’m OK with that but I feel sorry for my family, friends and fans who would give  anything to be there and celebrate it.
“I’ll be sad for them but  get a couple of beers in and enjoy it.
“Whenever football returns to normal I’ll say thank you to them for the support they have given me.
Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey misses the friendly with Mexico through injuryCredit: Getty
“And I know Aaron will be one of the most proud people.
“When I came on in November to get to 99 he was pleased and said he’d be there when I get to 100 — but then got injured.
“He’s disappointed, and I am, because Aaron has been one of my best mates since we were 12.
“I’ve been through a lot with him. I’m gutted in a way that he’s not going to be there.
“He hasn’t been around for a while with Wales —  we miss him on the pitch.
“It’s people like him and a lot of others in the squad I owe thanks to because their support has been incredible.
“As long as Wales needs me then I’ll be there, ready and waiting. Hopefully, there are more caps and good times to come.Chris Gunter
“I’m sure we will speak tomorrow and he’ll certainly be watching.”
 Gunter will become the 20th British and Irish player to achieve a century of international appearances.
He is a fans’ favourite, the embodiment of the Wales support on the pitch.
In his own words, he is: “Just a normal guy who turned up after being selected quite a lot of times. Someone who gave his absolute best.”
Unsurprisingly, Gunter picks Wales’ run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 as his favourite time in international football.
The Dragons got over a last-gasp defeat by England – after which Gunter gave a ‘chin up’ signal to the ‘Red Wall’ – to reach the last four before defeat by football.
And it was in that match against Portugal that Gunter faced the best player he has ever shared a pitch with in international football.
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
When asked who that was, he replied:  “Cristiano Ronaldo for that goal in the semi-final. He did something that not many players can do.”
Five years on, Gunter has no plans to retire from the Dragons just yet and added: “I’m 31, which I still consider is quite young.
“As long as Wales needs me then I’ll be there, ready and waiting. Hopefully, there are more caps and good times to come.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez splash out on new dog Antonia More

PHIL FODEN is adamant he can handle the mental and physical demands of chasing SIX major trophies at once.But the Manchester City playmaker admits that competition for England places is now so great that he ‘feels sorry’ for national boss Gareth Southgate.
Playmaker Phil Foden sympathises with England manager Gareth Southgate for having so many exciting options ahead of the EurosCredit: Getty
Phil Foden and Jack Grealish are battling for places in Gareth Southgate’s England side amid huge competition from other atacking midfieldersCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
Mason Mount, Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish are also contendersCredit: EPA
Foden, 20, is chasing an unprecedented Quadruple with City — and preparing for this summer’s Euros by beginning qualification for next year’s World Cup.
The little Mancunian maestro is firmly back in the England fold after being sent home in disgrace from Iceland, along with Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood, after smuggling girls into a hotel room last September.
Foden, who starred when England won the Under-17s World Cup in 2017, has enjoyed a breakthrough season for City — scoring 11 goals and becoming a more regular starter for boss Pep Guardiola.
Yet he still cannot be certain of a starting place for England when Southgate must choose just two of Foden, Jack Grealish, Mason Mount, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, James Maddison and a resurgent Jesse Lingard.
But Foden is expected to start in Albania tomorrow, after playing the second half of England’s 5-0 victory over San Marino on Thursday.
He said: “There are so many great talents in the attacking third.
“I feel sorry for Southgate having to pick only 11. All I can do is keep fighting for my place.
“There are places up for grabs. I am still only 20 and have got a lot to improve on — but I continue to work hard and I’m hopeful to go to a big tournament and do well.
Jesse Lingard’s loan form for West Ham and his energetic display against San Marino have thrust him back into serious contentionCredit: Getty
Leicester’s James Maddison also hopes to become an England regularCredit: Getty
Marcus Rashford is more of a typical frontline option for England than players like Foden, Grealish and MountCredit: PA
“That’s my aim. I have  experience of playing in a final in the Under-17 World Cup and in big games, so I feel like I am ready to play in big tournaments and handle  pressure.
“It is a challenge at City to play every couple of days — because we are in every competition and the manager has been rotating the squad a lot. But I’m always ready and I’ve got loads of energy.
“I think it comes naturally that as you get older, you get stronger. I do a little bit of gym but not too much.”
Foden says the fact that the Euros have been delayed by a year has boosted the hopes of himself, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Reece James — none of whom would have made Southgate’s squad last summer.
He added: “It has given us  extra time to play at our clubs because we are all very young. So maybe it has helped us get the opportunity now. That appears to be the case.
“Hopefully we will win the league and maybe a couple more trophies.
“That would give me  confidence to push on and be in the England team, for sure.
“You have to play games to get the experience. I try to keep playing in the biggest games and just become more developed in handling the ball.
Phil Foden says Man City boss Pep Guardiola is excellent at ensuring players don’t think too far ahead, even when they are chasing the QuadrupleCredit: Reuters
“It’s  important to be consistent with your club — and I want to take that form  into England.
“Some players in the past have struggled with performing for their clubs and England.”
Foden is happy to play out wide, as a No 10 or in a deeper midfield role for England, with Southgate refusing to tie him down to  one position.
And asked whether he is playing with more confidence than at any time in his career, he answered: “Probably, yes.”
Foden admits City are thinking about sweeping the board.
They top the table by 14 points, face Tottenham in the Carabao Cup final, Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last eight.
Foden said: “Pep is really good with trying to not think too far ahead.“He is always saying, ‘Just focus on the next game’.
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
“But, for sure, the lads are going to think about it. It could be one of the best seasons in City’s history if we pull it off.
“Hopefully we win as many  as possible — and then playing in the England team is the aim — so it would be great times for me.
“It’s been a big year. I’m playing more   and improving my goal ratio, it’s something I can kick on from.”
Martin Keown says that Phil Foden should be ahead of Jesse Lingard for England More

WHEN Jude Bellingham left Birmingham City, aged 16 and having made 44 first-team appearances, the club retired his No 22 shirt.As a life-long Bluenose, I heard a fair bit of stick flying around about that decision.
Jude Bellingham has been proved right by snubbing Manchester United for DortmundCredit: Getty
Troy Deeney writes exclusively for SunSportCredit: The Sun
And I had to admit I thought, ‘****ing hell, he’s only been playing for nine months!’
But when you see Bellingham now dictating games for Borussia Dortmund and looking so assured in the England midfield, you realise that this kid is genuinely special. He is absolute mustard.
Midway through last season, he was being strongly linked with Manchester United and I spoke to a couple of mates on the coaching staff at Birmingham about it.
I thought it might be a bit too soon for him to make such a massive move — but those guys who worked with him said: “Absolutely, 100 per cent, he would go to United and play straight away.”
In the end, Jude moved to Dortmund, deciding that youngsters are far more likely to start more big matches in the Bundesliga than in the Premier League.
The same route taken by another English kid, Jadon Sancho, who was in Watford’s academy as a schoolboy.
Both have been proved right. Would Sancho be playing regularly for Manchester City, even now, had he stayed at the Etihad?
Bellingham has already played 35 times for Dortmund, he was outstanding in the Champions League last-16 victory over Sevilla, and now gets to face City in the quarter-finals.
CASINO SIGN UP OFFER: CLAIM UP TO £800 IN CASINO BONUS CASH

Gareth Southgate was impressed by Sancho’s decision to go to Germany at 17 and soon rewarded him with an England call-up.
It’s now the same with Bellingham.
Southgate has been so impressed with Bellingham that he pulled him out of the Under-21s —  as he clearly wants him in his squad for this summer’s Euros.
Now you get to see plenty of 16 and 17-year-old kids with immense talent.
They may have the feet but, at that age, they rarely have the footballing brain to be involved in a first-team squad — not Bellingham, though.
This kid has incredible maturity. The way he can take in information, with so little experience, is seriously very rare.
The first thing you notice about Bellingham is his athleticism — he is 6ft 2in and he gets around the pitch so well. That is  important for an elite modern midfielder, it’s the first thing that any scout or manager will look for.
But then there is this arrogance — in footballing terms, not in terms of his personality — which comes from an in-built sense that he absolutely belongs in an England shirt and in a Dortmund shirt.
Jude Bellingham pictured with Blues legend Trevor Francis as youngsterCredit: Instagram
The starlet was running the show for Birmingham when he was just 16 in the ChampionshipCredit: Rex
He knows he belongs and, clearly, his very experienced team-mates realise he belongs too.
Bellingham is so comfortable on the ball and has a great eye for picking a pass.
I was hoping he would start in England’s opening World Cup qualifier against San Marino at Wembley on Thursday.
And, yes, he was playing against part-timers. But he also really impressed when he came on at half-time, for his second senior cap, and perhaps Southgate will start him against Albania tomorrow.
There is still great pride among Birmingham City fans about him, even if some thought it was a bit much retiring the No 22 shirt.
That move was taken to ‘inspire’ future academy players, although the club’s youth system is also being controversially restructured as they look to save money.
Blues are currently in a relegation fight in the Championship. But it would not be an exaggeration to say that, if Bellingham had remained, they might have been fighting for a play-off place this season instead.
Like Jack Grealish at Aston Villa, everything went through Bellingham — he was ‘The Man’, even though he was still a boy.
Bellingham is now thriving at Dortmund following last summer’s moveCredit: Getty
James Maddison and Jack Grealish have also risen to the top level from the Midlands football hotbedCredit: Getty
Jude comes from Stourbridge and they say he is a great kid, who was at Blues from the age of eight.
There was a serious buzz about him — and well before he made his first-team debut soon after his 16th birthday.
And the buzz is now being fully justified.
The Midlands is becoming a real hotbed of talent. The academies at Villa, West Brom and Coventry, where James Maddison developed, are all excellent set-ups.
You might have seen Aston Villa’s academy kids holding Liverpool for an hour in an FA Cup tie, when their first-team squad was entirely ruled out through Covid, and they have some serious players.
Louie Barry, who scored against Liverpool, and actually started in the Baggies’ academy is a real prospect.
Birmingham fans have not had too much to shout about lately — but to see ‘one of our own’ playing for England at the Euros would certainly cheer us up.
⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

Jude Bellingham trains with England squad for the first time More

YOU have heard about a manager slaughtering their players after a bad performance – metaphorically, at least.But one tech-savvy boss has taken to killing his squad virtually too in a bid to combat the limits the pandemic has imposed on team-bonding.
Hereford manager Josh Gowling, left, is open to using computer games to bond with his National League North squadCredit: Instagram @hereford_fc
Former Gillingham and Kidderminster defender Josh Gowling is shooting for the top as a manager, including going to war with his Hereford players… online
Hereford chief Josh Gowling, 37, is one of the new generation of gaffers who grew up playing computer games.
Lockdown has prevented the former Bournemouth defender from using traditional methods to bring his players closer together.
So instead he has capitalised on his troops’ love of Call of Duty by setting up staff v squad ‘warzone’ sessions to boost morale.
Gowling told SunSport: “Team bonding is a massive thing for a football club and not being able to go to any venue to do it, Call of Duty was the next best thing.
“All of the lads play it. They think I’m a fossil because I’m 37 and that I don’t play computer games, so I had to show them a few things when I went on it.
“The staff v lads warzones are great because when we next go into training, the lads are buzzing, especially when they’ve won and killed me a few times! 
“We’ve done it a few times and it’s worked well for us. The lads are in groups on mics so three is communication, organisation and strategy all built into it.
“We work a lot on pressing in training. One of the lads killed me and then messaged me saying, ‘Gaffer, your press wasn’t right there!’”
“You have to understand what motivates players, what they do in down-time, what makes players happy. If we have a common theme, why not use it as a tool.
The idea of a boss playing shoot-em-up computer games with their squad may seem strange at first to some.
But the more you consider how gaming has become integral to many modern footballers’ lives – plus how difficult Covid-19 has made managing a team – the more it makes sense.
Gowling used to play Football Manager during his playing days which saw him turn out for the likes of Gillingham, Grimsby and Danish side Herfolge.
It has given him an understanding and appreciation of the gaming industry.
While he has even incorporated methods he learnt from the manager series into real life, particularly when it comes to training workloads.
The articulate former centre-back is also a qualified counsellor and has a psychology degree.
Both feats have played a role in his style of management which contrasts with the old-school approaches he often experienced in his playing days.
The ex-Kidderminster ace explained: “You have to understand what motivates players, what they do in their down-time. You need to know what makes players happy.
Josh Gowling’s ideas are similar to those of Brighton chief Graham PotterCredit: PA
“If we can all have a common theme that we enjoy, why not use it as a tool to bring us all together. We’ve done that with gaming and other things along the way. 
“Our environment is very much about us building together as a group, rather than me dictating and barking orders. Players want more than that nowadays.”
Gowling’s philosophy, which is reminiscent of Graham Potter’s style at Brighton, was working well for Hereford this season until the National League North was declared null and void in February due to Coronavirus.
The Bulls play their first game in a month when they play National League Woking on Saturday in the FA Trophy semi-final.
Win and their next clash will not be until May when the final takes place at Wembley. 
Lose and the wait will be until September when the new season starts – and all the squad will be furloughed.
The possibility of either a long delay or an interminable one for their next fixture sums up what has been a season of Covid-caused “mayhem”.
Hereford have had clubs fail to turn up to matches at the last minute while players who have never had other jobs in their lives have had to pick up side-work to pay their bills.
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
Gowling added: “Amazon delivery has about 20 of our players! 
“No computer game can gear you for what we’ve gone through. 
“But it shows you how resourceful we can be as a club. The lads have been adaptive and us staff have too during this nightmare.”
Genius Call of Duty loadout ‘with NO recoil’ revealed by pro gamer FaZe Simp More