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      England ace Kyle Walker shells out £40,000 for a guard dog after raids on footballers’ homes

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      MANCHESTER City ace 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
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      Juventus chief Agnelli wants to kill Prem with crackpot plans – let’s hope they work as well as Ronaldo transfer

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      JUVENTUS chairman Andrea Agnelli is bidding to be leader of the charge of the rich brigade.
      One of his crackpot notions is that Champions League teams should not be permitted to buy and sell players among themselves.

      Agnelli’s Juventus crashed out of the Champions LeagueCredit: EPA

      Another from this latter-day Lord Snooty proposes that they should be allowed only to negotiate transfers with the small fry of below-the-stairs divisions.
      This measure, I suspect he believes, would guarantee lower wages for top players, smaller transfer amounts, limit the degree of player poaching and check the power of agents.
      It has a sniff of the medieval and it is no surprise he endorses the brainwave that one or two of our Big Six  Premier League clubs have a free pass to the Champions League on the back of historic past performances in Europe.
      Under the proposed system, if say Liverpool finished down the table they would still be granted a place in the Champions League instead of the club that finished fifth, all because of the way the proposed coefficient points are calculated based on historic performances.

      Should that team be Everton, a possible scenario this season,  Merseyside might erupt in civil war.
      As chairman of the European Club Association and an executive member of Uefa, Agnelli says an agreement of a new format for the Champions League is close.
      He has suggested the PL should reduce the number of teams who play in it as he thinks 20 clubs is too many as it unsettles “competitive balance”.
      Tell that to Sheffield United who won at Old Trafford. Or West Brom who have drawn with all four of England’s Champions League representatives. This is the reason the PL is the best league in the world.

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      Agnelli has a number of plans to help the rich get richerCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      It’s competitive, great to watch and  unpredictable which is why there would be a heck of a rebellion over that.
      So, is there a cunning plan at Uefa to cut the Premier League down to size — and in more ways than in number of clubs?
      A fifth or even sixth English team in their league competition, along with the extra number of matches, ten rather than six in the qualification stage, would  further enrich the competing clubs in that competition and weaken the attraction of the Prem.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      And size of attraction equals size of TV money.
      And then there’s our League Cup. It could well be a victim. The financial effect would be particularly felt in the EFL, which as Crystal Parish chairman Steve Parish points out, would be a huge financial loser.
      EFL chairman Rick Parry agrees it would be catastrophic and he might ask himself if he was clever as he thought when he was an early plotter of Project Big Picture.
      At least there is  compensation in that Agnelli’s plans have been known to come adrift. Some of the most recent won’t survive mockery: A TV subscription for kids to watch the final 15 minutes of games. I ask you.
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      He approved of Juve paying £100million to Real Madrid and a wage of £28m for Ronaldo expecting the then 33-year-old’s brilliance to prolong Juventus’ nine-season hold on the Serie A title and improve chances of winning a third Champions’ League.
      Currently they are third in Serie A and went out of the Champions League on Tuesday after a 30-yard Porto free-kick winner passed through Ronaldo’s legs.
      An embarrassing defeat but I can’t help smiling.

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      Wayne Rooney starring in intimate biopic featuring his professional AND personal life

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      WAYNE Rooney has filmed a biopic celebrating his 20-year career in football — including some of his off-pitch exploits.
      The ex-England captain, 35, has done a series of interviews alongside wife Coleen, 34, for the Bafta-winning team behind the Amy Winehouse and Ayrton Senna documentaries.

      Wayne and Coleen pose with their four sons

      Unseen footage, as well as some of Wayne’s most memorable goals and footballing highlights, will be shown.
      Famous faces including David Beckham and Gary Neville will provide commentary and insight.
      It will also go into detail on the ups and downs of his life — both personal and professional.
      A production insider said: “It’s going to be a wonderfully powerful and inspiring look at Wayne’s career — how he went from unknown boy wonder to national captain, and England’s greatest- ever goal scorer.

      “But it also offers a rarely seen look at the man behind the player. He will likely be asked about marital mistakes he’s made in the past, drink driving, and the time he was arrested in the US.

      Wayne Rooney poses for a booking photo at Loudoun County Adult Detention Center after being arrested by the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority PoliceCredit: Handout – Getty

      Jenny Thompson made headlines in 2010 when she bedded married England football player Wayne Rooney while working as a vice girlCredit: Instagram

      The film is subject to a bidding deal between Netflix and Amazon PrimeCredit: Jamie McPhilimey – The Sun

      “It is made clear he’s a fantastic dad, and loving husband — but he holds his hands up to previous lapses in judgement. Wayne will, of course, also have a say in what gets signed off.”
      The film is subject to a bidding deal between Netflix and Amazon Prime.
      Wayne’s spokesman said last night: “No decisions have yet been made on what content is or isn’t part of the movie, so people will just have to wait until its release.”

      Wayne Rooney is greatest Man Utd centre forward I’ve seen at club, insists ex-team-mate Gary Neville
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      Craig Dawson could soon be playing in Champions League with West Ham… and that’s no surprise to old Watford team-mates

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      CRAIG DAWSON could be playing Champions League  football next season — and there seems to be a lot of  surprise about that fact.
      But not from those of us who played with Craig at Watford.

      Troy Deeney has praised the quality of Craig Dawson, who is on loan at West Ham from WatfordCredit: Rex Features

      Since he broke into the West Ham side just after Christmas, the Hammers have gone from strength to strength, and you cannot see him losing his place.
      Craig is a solid bloke, a family man, a brilliant pro and a defender who simply loves defending — something of a rarity in the Premier League these days.
      He can play too, he has a lovely pass in him and has always had goals in his locker. A centre-half scoring four goals in a dozen games, as Craig has done, can do wonders for any team.
      Yes, he was relegated at Watford last season, as he was during his previous Premier League campaign with West Brom — but nobody was blaming Craig for us going down.

      When West Ham signed him, I wasn’t surprised. David Moyes values a down-to-Earth pro with a strong work ethic and that is Craig to a T.
      Like me, he played non-league and lower-league football, with Radcliffe Borough and Rochdale. When you’ve come up through that route, commitment and workrate are virtually guaranteed.
      You look around West Ham and you see a lot of people – like Craig – who are proving doubters wrong.
      Moyes himself had seen his reputation take a battering ever since he left Everton for Manchester United. But he is a fine manager.

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      Dawson has become a key player under West Ham since breaking into the team after ChristmasCredit: Rex Features
      You watch West Ham and you see a team unit, with a proper framework, everyone knowing their jobs and working hard for each other.
      Within that framework, those West Ham players are able to express themselves but if they don’t put in the hard yards, they don’t get into a David Moyes team.
      A midfield three of Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and Jesse Lingard is never going to get out-run.
      I am so happy for Jesse. I know him fairly well and I know he has been through a really tough time. He gets pelters on social media for the most innocuous things and people seem to have him wrong.
      He is a talented boy, a World Cup semi-finalist with England and an FA Cup-winning goalscorer with Manchester United.
      But to go on loan to West Ham, having not played Premier League football for a year, then to hit the ground running as he has done, tells you a lot about his character. He has given Moyes’ team a whole new dimension.
      Rice is some player – he can tackle, he plays really good forwards passes, takes free-kicks, penalties, corners from either side.
      West Ham did well to keep him with Chelsea keen, and it’s important they continue to do so because there will always be interest from other clubs.
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      Dawson has chipped in with three goals in 12 Premier League games this campaignCredit: AP:Associated Press

      West Ham midfielder pairing Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice have starred this campaignCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Declan is one of the nicest and funniest kids in football. On the pitch or off it, he always has a witty one-liner. He is a player, and a man, that West Ham can build a club around.
      He’ll have learned a lot from Mark Noble – who at, 33, has announced that next season will be his last as a player.
      One-club men like Noble are virtually non-existent in the modern game.
      I’m sure he could have moved and earned more money elsewhere but he loves that club.
      I hope he gets guards of honour everywhere he goes next season. We won’t see his like again.
      And then there’s Michail Antonio, who may not be a 20-25 goals a season striker but is someone that no defender will enjoy playing against – another great team man, his strength, speed, stamina and intelligence are top-notch.
      There are good players and good people everywhere at West Ham which is why it is so encouraging to see them still in the conversation for a Champions League place so late in the season.
      I’ll also put a word in for Paul Nevin, one of Moyes’ backroom staff.

      Jesse Lingard has thrived at the London Stadium after joining on loan from Manchester UnitedCredit: EPA
      You’ll know Stuart Pearce and Kevin Nolan but you may not know Paul – he’s the mixed-race guy you will often see alongside Moyes.
      I’ve got to know him through some of the ‘diversity in football’ work I do and he’s such a good coach and a bright bloke. He isn’t showy or mouthy but when he speaks, people listen.
      Oh and I’ll even put in a good word for West Ham’s owners – David Sullivan and David Gold.
      They owned my club, Birmingham, when I was a kid and they are far more appreciated now than they were at the time – given the mess the club are in under their current ownership.
      They did a very decent job with the Blues, we had some good times, and if it hadn’t been for their ‘kids for a quid’ initiative at St Andrews, I would never have been able to afford to go and watch football like I did.
      I do still think West Ham are massive underdogs in the race for the top four but if they can pull off a result at Manchester United on Sunday, then we may have to re-think that.
      And everyone at Watford would be happy to see Craig Dawson lining up with that Champions League anthem playing next season.

      KOP HIT RED WALL
      WE all know Liverpool have had a traumatic time with injuries and they have clearly suffered through the loss of the atmosphere at Anfield, during their horrible run of six straight home defeats.
      But it feels as though that group of players have hit the wall and maybe people shouldn’t be entirely surprised.
      This is a club which waited 30 years to celebrate the title, but never got to celebrate it properly.
      Jurgen Klopp’s players didn’t even get to relax and reflect on their success during a proper summer break either. People can under-estimate that.
      With games coming so thick and fast, lockdown is not a good time to be trying to get out of a slump – no chance for team bonding sessions or anything like that.
      Sure, Liverpool’s reversal of fortunes has been extraordinary – but then these are extraordinary times to be living through.

      West Ham vs Leeds as it happened More

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      Arsenal can’t afford sloppy mistakes like against Olympiacos and Burnley when they face Tottenham’s fab front four

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      ARSENAL will be in big trouble if they shirk their defensive duties against Tottenham’s front four.
      I think Jose Mourinho has the most potent attacking force in Europe right now.

      Arsenal cannot afford to make sloppy errors against TottenhamCredit: Enterprise News and Pictures

      The Gunners were punished in successive gaves against Olympiacos and BurnleyCredit: BT Sport

      Mikel Arteta favours playing out from the back, like Manchester City but I don’t think he has the players to pull it off.
      The Gunners got caught out against Olympiacos and Burnley doing that.
      Recently Mourinho has employed Gareth Bale, Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and Lucas Moura in what is effectively a 4-2-4 and they all have a very good press.
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      This attack thrashed Burnley and Crystal Palace, scoring eight goals. So Arteta’s defenders have to do two things: communicate and not allow themselves to be dragged out of position.
      It is vital they talk to one another.
      Arteta has good defenders but I’m not convinced there is a communicator among them.
      Kane will drop into the No 10 role and, as a centre-back, you can’t be tempted to follow him because that leaves space behind.

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      For me, Kane is the dream centre-forward.
      He has five goals in his last four games, while also providing two assists.
      And I reckon Spurs’ talisman can do it against Arsenal to bag the North London bragging rights.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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      Valerien Ismael has Barnsley dreaming of Premier League return after unbeaten run eclipsing likes of Man Utd and Chelsea

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      WHEN Valerien Ismael took over at Barnsley his target was to avoid relegation.
      But after seven wins in a row and a draw from their last eight games – they are on the second best unbeaten run in the country – they travel to Bournemouth today sitting in a play-off spot.

      Barnsley are on the second best winning run in the country

      Valerien Ismael has got Barnsley fans dreaming of a fairytale return to the Premier League

      And this incredible run of form has got fans dreaming of playing Premier League football next season.
      The Tykes have only been in the top flight for one season in their entire 134-year history after Danny Wilson famously led them there 24 years ago.
      Ismael told SunSport: “The main focus was to reach 50 points as soon as possible and we now have 58.
      “We want to see how many we can get before the international break in three games time. Then we can see what we can reach this season – can we go for more?”

      Barnsley were seconds from dropping into League One last season until Clark Odour’s dramatic stoppage-time winner at Brentford.
      And when Ismael took over from Gerhard Struber in late October, the Tykes were struggling again – having failed to win in their first seven league games.
      But the French coach has won 17 of his 28 Championship matches in charge with a 3-4-3 formation and an intense pressing game.
      Ismael said: “We’ve done it step by step. The first aim was to implement the philosophy then get results and then get them consistently. When you do that, you climb the table.

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      Daryl Dike and Alex Mowatt have been key figures in Barnsley’s run
      “We did it in December by winning six games out of eight and, even in January when we lost three in a row, the performances were brilliant.
      “So we didn’t lose confidence or faith in the way we play football. We believe this is the right way.”
      Ismael, 45, is proving to be one of the bright up-and-coming managers.
      And he revealed how he settled and believed in his philosophy after his last match in charge of Wolfsburg four years ago – despite the fact it cost him his job.
      He said: “Management is difficult. It takes time to adapt and know exactly what you want.
      “When you fail, it’s not a mistake – it’s normal. You must find a solution, a new way to play and your philosophy.
      “In Germany in my last game at Wolfsburg we played 3-4-3. We lost 2-1 against Werder Bremen but it was a brilliant performance.
      “From there, I knew what I wanted and with more experience am clearer in my mind what I want to see.”
      Ismael moved to Austria last season and made great waves at LASK.

      Barnsley loan signing Daryl Dike celebrates his stunning winner against Birmingham
      He led them to their first-ever Champions League play-off and, after losing to Club Brugge, managed them in their first-ever appearance in the Europa League – where they topped their group which included Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven and Rosenborg.
      They eventually lost to Manchester United in the last 16.
      He said: “LASK was the breakthrough for me because that gave me confidence.
      “It was good to see everything I believed and trusted in could be taken to the next level and now we’re doing it successfully in England too.”
      The January transfer window was massive for Barnsley. Not only did they keep their best players, they signed strikers Daryl Dike and Carlton Morris.
      USA ace Dike, 20, already has three goals in six starts since his loan move from MLS club Orlando City – including an absolute belter against Birmingham – while Morris has four goals from three starts since joining from MK Dons.
      Ismael said: “They’ve taken us to the next level and now we’re getting rewards of being able to keep our key players.
      “That is a new thing for Barnsley. If you can work with consistency and continue to develop the guys, you can reach something.”
      A big part of Barnsley’s success has been the fitness levels.
      Ismael understood the importance of that when he won the Bundesliga title in 2006 as a player at Bayern Munich under Felix Magath.
      But the German boss flopped when he managed Fulham – unable to save them from Premier League relegation before struggling in the Championship.

      Felix Magath was a “special manager” but Ismael says you cannot coach like he did now
      Ismael said: “You build your own mentality and philosophy as a coach while looking at what made a manager like that special.
      “But the way Magath managed you cannot do now. You have to be close to your players and communicate your ideas.
      “We had strong fitness work with Magath where the aim was to destroy you!
      “In training now, the purpose is to prepare the guys so they’re fresh to give 100 per cent in games.
      “Back then, we were so tired but the quality was so high in the squad.
      “That is not the way – especially in the Championship where you have 46 games in a season – and because of the pandemic are playing three times a week.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      “You have to give players the room to recover – not just the body but the mind.”
      Ismael – who also won the Bundesliga as a player with Werder Bremen in 2004 – has always felt he had unfinished business in English football.
      As a young player, he was unable to make an impression after Crystal Palace bought him for a then club-record £2.75million from Strasbourg in January 1998.

      Valerien Ismael failed to make an impression as Crystal Palace’s recording signing in 1998

      Terry Venables gave Ismael an early insight at Crystal Palace into working with a top coach
      Aged 22, he only made 13 appearances as the Eagles were relegated.
      But he got an early insight into what makes a good coach by playing for former England boss Terry Venables.
      He said: “I was too young to make that move and shouldn’t have done it in January either.
      “But it was a new experience for me to work for such a big manager like Venables.
      “I took a lot of experience from him. In training you felt the attitude and experience he had – it was good to see that.”
      There is no doubt that if he gets Barnsley promoted, it will be a football miracle.
      So what is Ismael’s ultimate ambition as a manager?
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      He said: “To be known for the way I play football. It’s important when people are talking about the manager, they can say that was the right way to play.
      “If you think about Pep Guardiola, you think that’s the right way to play football.
      “When they play this football, they reach titles and for me this is the most important thing – to implement my way to play.”

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      Goal machine Charlie Wyke aiming to fire Sunderland to Papa John’s Trophy glory against Tranmere at Wembley

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      CHARLIE WYKE keeps scoring and Sunderland continue winning.
      You could almost copy and paste that statement every week with both in such relentless form.

      Charlie Wyke has been in stunning form for Sunderland this season

      Boss Lee Johnson – since taking over in December – has set the Black Cats up to play to Wyke’s strengths and it is paying dividends.
      Sunderland face Tranmere on Sunday in the Papa John’s Trophy – aiming to win their first Wembley final since lifting the FA Cup back in 1973.
      They go into it with Wyke having now scored an incredible 26 goals in all competitions.
      And Sunderland now sit just two points off the automatic promotion spots in League One after winning six and drawing one of their seven games.

      It is no coincidence that Wyke scored eight goals in the first 18 matches this season – but has fired a further 18 in 20 games under Johnson.
      The striker told SunSport: “This is my third season here and I had two years where I didn’t really score too many goals.
      “The manager has come in and pulled me in for some great chats.
      “He told me that he knew about me while he was Bristol City manager and liked me and how I play. He wants the team to play to my strengths – and it has worked.

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      Charlie Wyke is the third top league goalscorer in England this season
      “It’s just down to confidence and the wingers putting great balls into the box.
      “I’ve been lucky enough to get on the end of them and I’m really enjoying myself at the minute.
      “It’s been fantastic not just for me but all the players.
      “Confidence is high in the group and I know if I make the runs I’m going to get crosses from out wide with people like Jordan Jones and Aiden McGeady and long may it continue.”
      Tuesday night’s 2-0 win at rivals Portsmouth – where Wyke scored with another trademark bullet header – was arguably Sunderland’s best performance of the season.

      Wyke heads home the opener during a vital 2-0 win at promotion rivals Portsmouth
      But while Wyke is scoring for fun, they are also stingy at the back – having only conceded 26 goals in their 33 league games so far.
      And he said: “There’s a good vibe at the club right now. We are going into each and every game thinking we can win.
      “What has been great about the low number of goals we’ve conceded is that we’ve had some defensive troubles too.
      “Tom Flanagan and Bailey Wright have both been injured – but then we have someone like Luke O’Nien who can play anywhere.
      “He was brilliant at Portsmouth and did well whenever he had to step in as centre-back.
      “And our away form has been good. We’ve only lost once which means we travel well too.”
      And Wyke is in no doubt that Johnson has played a massive part in that.
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      Wyke’s goals tally has rocketed since Lee Johnson took over at Sunderland in December
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      He added: “The manager has a great style of play. We do a lot of analysis work and go into games knowing exactly how we want to play and how the opponents are going to play.”
      Sunday’s Wembley trip will be Wyke’s fourth – and he is hoping to finally win one after three losses, two with Sunderland in 2019 in the EFL Trophy final against Portsmouth and in the play-offs against Charlton.
      He also lost while with Bradford in the League One play-off final against Millwall in 2017.
      Wyke will forever remember the Pompey match as Wembley had 85,021 there that day – an attendance only beaten by Barcelona in world football that weekend.

      This time it will be eerily quiet with no fans.
      He said: “Yes, that’s a big shame – I’m gutted my little fella Albie, who is 17 months, won’t be able to attend.
      “But he and partner – along with the rest of my family – will all be cheering me on from their living rooms!
      “Although promotion is our priority this season, it would be good to finally win at Wembley – not just me but the club too.”

      Jonatan Soriano is quick on his feet in training More

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      Portsmouth will have Papa John’s Trophy for just 24 HOURS if they beat Salford – after holding FA Cup for seven YEARS

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      JOHN MARQUIS did an online lockdown family quiz night where a great question came up.
      The Portsmouth striker was asked: “Which club held the FA Cup the longest?” It was Pompey, who lifted the trophy in 1939 at Wembley after beating Wolves 4-1 with the competition then suspended until the 1945-46 season because of the Second World War.

      Portsmouth captain Jimmy Guthrie is presented with the FA Cup at Wembley by King George VI after winning the 1939 final against Wolves

      There will be another question that will certainly crop up at a future pub quiz once life gets back to normal after the Covid-19 pandemic.
      Who were the shortest holders of a domestic British football cup competition?
      If Portsmouth beat Salford on Saturday at Wembley in the Papa John’s Trophy final, they will also own that honour too – as on Sunday, exactly 24 hours later, either Sunderland or Tranmere will win the same competition.
      That is because Saturday’s clash is the postponed final from LAST YEAR while Sunday is this season’s final.

      And Marquis, 28, told SunSport: “The question came up during the first lockdown and fortunately I knew the answer because imagine how embarrassing that would have been as a Portsmouth player if I didn’t!.
      “And if I ever get asked in future who were the shortest holders of a domestic cup I’ll know the answer and hopefully I’ll be able to say ‘Portsmouth.’”
      Ironically though the club were unable to keep the FA Cup at Fratton Park for that entire seven-year period.
      Portsmouth – as a frontline coastal naval town – was a target for German bombing.

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      Portsmouth lifted the EFL Trophy two years ago and whoever wins today’s final will only be the holder for 24 hours with Sunderland taking on Tranmere on Sunday
      To keep the trophy safe the cup was kept 10 miles north in the village of Lovedean in a thatched-roof country pub called The Bird in Hand.
      The EFL has told SunSport that because of the uniqueness of this weekend today’s winners will be allowed to borrow a replica of the trophy when they leave Wembley on Saturday evening to enable them to celebrate their achievement – rather than having to return it the next morning.
      Marquis said: “It’s great that we’re being given this opportunity to play the final because for a while there were fears it would never go ahead.
      “It’s the only professional English football trophy that was not played last season so it’s great we haven’t been denied our chance to try to win it.”

      The FA Cup sitting safely in The Bird In Hand pub during the Second World War
      Another quirk is Pompey are the longest holders of the EFL Trophy – having won the last competition in 2019 against Sunderland.
      And victory today against their League Two opponents will see them become the first club to successfully retain the trophy – albeit for one day.
      But Marquis is looking forward to playing at Wembley for the first time – after having his heart broken previously by current Pompey boss Kenny Jackett.
      Jackett left the striker out of the Millwall squad that played against Wigan in the 2013 FA Cup semi-final.

      John Marquis is glad to get another chance to play at Wembley after missing out at Millwall

      Boss Kenny Jackett led Portsmouth to EFL Trophy glory two years ago at Wembley
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      And Marquis said: “I didn’t even make the bench. I was only 20 at the time but had played in all but one of the earlier rounds, including the quarter-finals, and even scored the winner against Aston Villa.
      “So I was expecting to at least be a sub but we had a couple of senior players who had been out on loan that had come back.
      “I was gutted because you’re not sure when you might get that opportunity again.
      “There are no hard feelings with Kenny although I might have to wind him up about it ahead of the game.
      “Hopefully I’ll get my chance this weekend.”
      Pompey have been in terrible league form. Having hit top spot after beating Hull 2-0 in December, they have lost their way.
      Tuesday’s 2-0 home defeat by promotion rivals Sunderland was their fifth in seven games. They now sit sixth in the table – a whopping 10 points behind the second automatic promotion spot.
      And they have two massive league games coming up after the final, against promotion rivals Peterborough and Ipswich.
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      Marquis said: “We’re getting punished for making mistakes and are not getting the rub of the green with referee decisions either.
      “So we see this game not only as a chance to win some silverware and play at Wembley but also to get some confidence and momentum going into those two big league games.
      “We’re not saying we can’t reach the top two but we’ll pretty much need to win every game and hope results go our way to get there.
      “But if we end up in the play-offs, this squad has the ability and quality to get promoted.”

      Referee relieves himself in the middle of the pitch seconds before the start of a football match in Brazil More