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      Declan Rice should fight off Chelsea transfer interest and become West Ham’s own ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’, says Pearce

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      DECLAN RICE has been urged to stick around and become West Ham’s very own ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’.
      The Hammers held on to their best all-rounder in the transfer window despite growing interest from other clubs.

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      Declan Rice has been urged to become a legend at West Ham like current captain Mark NobleCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      Hammers coach Stuart Pearce reckons the England star can become a hero at the IronsCredit: EPA

      And first-team coach Stuart Pearce reckons the lure of short-term glory at one of England’s big-spending elite is not the only factor to consider in your career.
      Pearce was captain of Nottingham Forest for 11 years and won 78 caps for England.
      Two League Cups and an old Division One trophy accounts for his haul of silverware — but the wholehearted left-back is remembered as a lion of the English game.

      Pearce, 58, believes in following your heart and not always your head to get the best out of your time as a player.
      He said: “Put it this way, I’m probably testament to that. I played my football where I enjoyed playing football and turned money down to stay where I was happy.
      “My biggest driver was probably playing for the national team. I get the same impression now with Dec — he is intensely proud of representing England.
      “He’ll make his own decisions but we are lucky at West Ham to have a current captain called Mark Noble who has been here for a number of years and has shown great loyalty to the club.

      “I like to think Dec will be at West Ham for years to come, leading the club on to success.”

      Chelsea were the top spenders in the Premier League this summer

      The Eastenders picked up Rice when he was released by Chelsea aged 14 and he is now the cornerstone of the team — earmarked as a future captain for club and country.
      ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ is the slogan synonymous with Chelsea’s formidable former skipper John Terry, whose career will be tough to emulate.
      Rice, 21, has stepped in for West Ham’s one-club man Noble at times but is earmarked for the job full-time eventually — and he should take the armband again at Tottenham tomorrow.
      Pearce said: “To be a captain, what you need in abundance is unselfishness.
      “You have to understand when it is good for the team, even when it hurts your pride.
      “Declan is an unselfish individual who puts the team before himself. That says it all at such a young age.
      “He is prepared to do jobs for the team as most leaders are and that will benefit the team.

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      How the PL’s best transfer XI for this summer could look
      “I wouldn’t say it stifles his game but he is prepared to do that for the greater good. In the position he plays in especially, we ask for restraint from him.
      “All the excitement and all the glamour is at the front end of the pitch in the main.
      “All the hard jobs and the clean sheets and the dirty work is at the back end of the team and that is the way the game is.
      “We know he has more goals in him than his record suggests.
      “But we’re asking him to do a job for the team, which is to sit in front of the backline and knit our play together and break up play.
      “He does it not just for West Ham but for England, too, and that tells you everything. That he does it at the age he is. He is still a very, very young man in footballing terms.
      “I don’t think it was in doubt that our football club wouldn’t sell him.
      “He’s a fantastic young prospect at the club and is integral to everything David Moyes wants to achieve here.

      “His value can only go up, it can’t go down.”
      Pearce has just written his second book — ‘Never Stop Dreaming’ — a personalised account of the run-up to and through the emotive 1996 European Championship.
      He is as famous for slamming a penalty past Spain in the quarter-final shootout as he is for missing from the spot against Germany at the World Cup in Italy six years earlier.
      Pearce is revered for being uncompromising with words and actions on the pitch but admits current players have no idea of his memorable former life.
      He said: “Most players I coach now have no clue who I am or what I did — and rightly so.
      “My job now is man-management skills and having a good way with the players.
      “You have to be open-minded to do that. If you come in as a coach and say, ‘I did this and did that’ it won’t help.”

       LIKELY LINE-UPS – Spurs vs West Ham – Sunday 4:30pm kick-off
      WEST HAM: Fabianski, Coufal, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Masuaka, Soucek, Rice, Bowen, Fornals, Antonio.
       SPURS: Lloris, Doherty, Dier, Sanchez, Reguilon, Winks, Ndombele, Bale, Bergwijn, Son, Kane.

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      Klopp slams Kop flops for not listening in Liverpool’s 7-2 drubbing at Villa and fires warning ahead of Merseyside derby

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      JURGEN KLOPP has broadcast a warning to his stars loud and clear: Listen to your master’s voice.
      The Liverpool boss goes into the lunchtime Merseyside derby revealing how unhappy he was with some players during the 7-2 humiliation by Aston Villa.

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      Klopp has slammed his players for not listening to him during the 7-2 loss at VillaCredit: AP:Associated Press

      And he has had a word in the ear of several of those he condemns for not paying attention to his instructions a fortnight ago.
      Even the hard of hearing would normally be able to get the message from the German famous for barking orders from the touchline.
      More so now that there is no background noise in stadiums due to the coronavirus fan ban.
      Klopp said: “No crowds helps us communicate more but football is not a sport where you commentate on every situation.

      “All the work we do is on the training pitch and with no crowds it is easier – one of the very, very few advantages.”
      Which is why he was so furious that some of his players cocked a deaf ’un at Villa Park and would not respond to what he was trying to tell them.
      Klopp rarely, if ever, criticises his players in public – but, clearly annoyed, he revealed: “The conversation with the team at Villa was going in the wrong direction.
      “When I tried to make things clear the boys wouldn’t look at me.

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      Liverpool were thumped 7-2 in their most-recent game against Aston VillaCredit: Alamy Live News

      “It’s not that I am a radio commentator, but we have these discussions after the game with one or two of the boys.”
      Klopp goes into his 12th meeting with his rivals from across Stanley Park having won seven and drawn the other four he has managed.
      The Kop boss complained bitterly before the break with most of his team headed off on international duty.
      He was deeply concerned he might lose some of them for a derby that looks far more dangerous to his team than the previous 11.
      For once Everton go into the clash at the top of the Premier League and with a three-point lead over their neighbours.
      Liverpool were so worried about the livelihood of their players – not just through injury but also over exposure to Covid – that they created their own ‘Air Anfield’ to get them home safe and sound.
      Klopp added: “There was an extra challenge because this time we had a triple-header of international games, something we have never seen and I hope not again.
      “The FAs of different countries have every reason to want to keep the players safe and they obviously trust their specific plans.
      “We know most of the boys are very careful and that they were training in a closed environment and most of the FAs were serious on testing programmes.
      “Still, we brought back most of the boys in private planes and we await results of more tests, but we expect them all to be negative.”

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      Klopp has been full of praise for Ancelotti ahead of the Merseyside derbyCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      New Reds signing Thiago Alcantara and Sadio Mane tested positive before the international break but both are now available.
      It is TEN YEARS to the day since Everton last beat their local rivals but Klopp is wary of Toffees chief Carlo Ancelotti and his team.
      He said: “They have a sensational manager. This is going to be a proper challenge and my derby record is not something I even think about.
      “It is ten years since Everton won and for my part long may it continue.
      “But Calvert-Lewin, I really expected him to make big steps in the next few years and he did.
      “He has everything you need in a top striker. He has size, mobility, speed and desire – technically he’s really, really good, in the air, finishing with his head, both feet.

      “Now it all works together – both wings have top-class players with James and Richarlison.
      “Midfield, Allan plus whoever plays there, if it’s Sigurdsson or whoever.
      “So it’s a really, really good team and the last line works better because in a good team it’s easier to defend.”

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      Maguire’s ‘injury’ paves way for Solskjaer to remove him from the firing line as Newcastle boss Bruce urges him to play

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      FOR a manager who plays his cards close to his chest, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was surprisingly forthcoming about Harry Maguire having a knock.
      In fact, he volunteered the information TWICE.

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      Maguire’s ‘injury’ has given Solskjaer the perfect excuse to drop himCredit: EPA

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      Solskjaer twice volunteered the information that Maguire was injured but keen to playCredit: AFP or licensors

      So if the under-fire Manchester United captain does not appear for Saturday’s match against Newcastle we all know why.
      To be fair, Maguire did tweak a muscle leading to his heavy touch before a second booking – and red card – for England against Denmark on Wednesday night.
      The defender has, according to Solskjaer, told him he is ready and available to play today.
      But if ever a player needed a rest it is Maguire.

      Central to United’s awful start to the season, arrested on holiday in Mykonos and now sent off for England in a 1-0 Wembley defeat.
      Solskjaer was in full defensive mode when asked whether his skipper needed a break – something Rio Ferdinand said would be a good idea.
      The Norwegian revealed: “He’s adamant he’s ready to play.
      “He’s a lad who doesn’t want to hide behind a red card or a bad performance, he wants to go out there and prove himself.

      “I don’t doubt his resilience in that respect.
      “He’s very professional, so he wants to make himself ready for selection and then it’s up to me to choose him or not – and if I want to take him out of the firing line.
      “I haven’t considered that, without him coming to knock on my door. I speak to him regularly and he’s been very positive in his communication.”
      Indeed, Solskjaer insists in Maguire United have a captain with the strength to bounce back from the heavy flak coming his way.
      The Red Devils boss said: “I’m not sure how you deal with criticism? I’m always the one that wants to bounce back and prove myself.
      “What you do with individuals is you speak to them and you sit down and look them in the eye and see where we go from here.
      “Harry is a leader, he’s a captain for us and it’s still early in the season.
      “He missed the first internationals, he’s not had the pre-season he had last season.
      “I’m sure he’ll bounce back, he’s got great resilience and great personality.
      “For me, I just hope he can play because he picked up that knock just before the red card. I’m not sure he’s going to be available yet.”

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      Bruce has urged Maguire, his former player at Hull, to play through his dodgy patch of formCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Meanwhile, Maguire’s old boss Steve Bruce reckons the defender will only come through this horror spell by playing.
      The Newcastle manager and ex-Manchester United skipper signed the England defender for Hull in 2014.
      While Maguire is a doubt to face Toon today, Bruce urged Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to keep putting him on the pitch.
      He said: “He’s your captain. The only way you get out of these situations, when things are against you, is to play.
      “We can all get sent off. But the one thing you need to do is encourage him and keep playing him.
      “That way he can play out of it. The only thing you can do is go back to basics and be quiet for a few weeks.
      “Batten down the hatches, get on with it and come through it. He will, that’s for sure.

      “He’s a genuinely good pro, he’s a level-headed lad and mature enough to handle it.
      “The one thing you never lose is your ability and he’s had a wonderful rise, from Hull to Leicester to captain of Manchester United.
      “It’s his first blip and the sending off could happen to anyone. He’s borne the brunt.”

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      Frank Lampard slams Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Tammy Abraham on return to Chelsea following idiotic England antics

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      FRANK LAMPARD welcomed his England stars back to Chelsea with a dressing down.
      Three Lions rookie Reece James got a talking to for tarnishing his full debut with a sending off after the final whistle against Denmark.

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      James was sent-off after the final whistle on his full England debutCredit: AP:Associated Press

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      Abraham and Chilwell were both seen at a party of around 20 people

      And Tammy Abraham and Ben Chilwell were reminded of their responsibilities after flouting coronavirus rules at the start of the international break.
      Defender James, 20, won rave reviews for his performance in the 1-0 defeat at Wembley on Wednesday.
      But he soured the night with a dismissal for dissent having confronted referee Jesus Gil Manzano at the end.
      Chelsea boss Lampard, who won 106 caps for England, said: “I did have a word with him about what happened at the end and the fact he got involved with the referee.

      “We are all human, I have been there, done it, did it as a player, maybe even as a manager – none of us are saints.
      “It will definitely be one for him to learn from – that when you have a performance at that level, playing for your country, you will get a lot of plaudits, so there was no need for him to get involved with the referee after.
      “It was a pretty simple conversation and something he will definitely take on board.
      “Otherwise his performance was very good but I expected that, because I expect a lot from Reece.

      “He showed it when he came on against Belgium, how comfortable he was – it looked like he had been playing for a long time. The performance was really good.”
      Abraham and Chilwell, both 23, apologised for breaking social-distancing rules when they were caught at a birthday party prior to reporting for England.
      Chelsea’s players are tested for Covid-19 twice a week and the club does their utmost to avoid cross-contamination.
      Lampard, 42, said: “We’ve lived in this bubble for quite a long time now and have to make sure we stay on point.
      “The players also have a responsibility, as do the public, to follow the rules that we are being told, albeit there isn’t always massive clarity in them but that’s not an excuse for the lads.
      “They’ve made mistakes, I’ve reminded them of their responsibilities and from the conversation, they were innocent mistakes. We move on and I expect it won’t happen again.”

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      Lampard has given the trio a dressing down on their return to ChelseaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Chilwell returns to action after withdrawing from England duty with illness.
      Lampard at last has 27-year-old winger Hakim Ziyech fit to make his Premier League debut following a troublesome knee injury picked up in a pre-season friendly at Brighton.
      New £24million keeper Edouard Mendy is out, though, with a thigh problem.
      Lampard will leave it late to decide whether to replace him with Kepa Arrizabalaga or Willy Caballero.
      The £36.7m Ziyech was the Blues’ first acquisition of this year’s spending spree but is the final piece to fit into place.
      Lamps added: “It feels like a long time since we brought Hakim here.
      “He hasn’t played a competitive game since the Dutch league finished during lockdown.
      “I’m excited to get him in and to bring what we brought him to the club for, which is to create chances and be the talented player he is and we saw at Ajax.”

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      Man Utd legend Gary Neville says ‘enough is enough’ as he demands reboot of English football

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      GARY NEVILLE is calling for a reboot of English football and warned: “Enough is enough.”
      The former Manchester United and England right-back is part of an eight-strong group who believe the game is running off the rails.

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      Gary Neville wants a government-appointed ‘regulator’ to mould football’s futureCredit: PA:Press Association

      This week’s dogfight over Project Big Picture has only brought home the ‘chaotic’ structure with the Prem, FA and EFL all fighting for authority.
      Sky pundit Neville, who is part-owner of League Two Salford, said only an independent, Government-appointed ‘regulator’ with the powers of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell can implement a new order.
      Nev, 45, said: “The pandemic has demonstrated a void in the Premier League leadership.

      “They did not lead and hadn’t even been able to come up with a short-term plan to restructure funding. Enough is enough. Football has to change.”

      The United legend is part of the group – along with former FA chairman David Bernstein and Olympian Denise Lewis – who yesterday published their manifesto for change, ‘Saving Our Beautiful Game’.
      Bernstein, FA boss from 2011-13, said: “We took a poll of fans that found nearly 80 per cent agreed change is needed.
      “There has never been a  better moment for change.”
      Neville told Sky Sports: “The principle is that we don’t trust that football can govern itself and create the fairest deal for all, whether that’s the Premier League, EFL clubs, non-League clubs or the fans.

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      These were the chief proposals of Project Big Picture before it was aborted

      “It has been proven over this past six months that football has struggled to bring everyone together and proven to be incapable over a 25-30 year period of transforming the money in the game into something that works for everybody.
      “I want the best Premier League in the world, but I want sustainable football clubs.
      “There is enough money in the game to be able to have an elite Premier League, a sustainable and competitive EFL, money passed down to non-League and grassroots and where fans can get a fair deal.
      “That’s where an independent regulator, with that spirit at the heart of it, can come in and say ‘that’s not fair’.”

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      England boss Gareth Southgate hits back at accusations he’s ‘cautious’ as Mings urges Grealish to stay patient

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      GARETH SOUTHGATE hit back at accusations he is a cautious manager.
      And the England boss insisted he would have used Jack Grealish against Denmark but for Harry Maguire’s sending-off.

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      England boss Gareth Southgate insists he was not cautious in the recent internationalsCredit: AFP or licensors

      Southgate named five defenders and two holding midfielders for Tuesday’s 1-0 Nations League defeat at Wembley – ignoring a clamour to play in-form Aston Villa star Grealish.
      But asked whether he was a cautious boss or a risk-taker, Southgate answered: “We gave another two young players [Reece James and Ainsley Maitland-Niles] their full debuts against Denmark, alongside Mason Mount, Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips, who’s had four games in the Premier League.
      “So I think we’ve been pretty bold in many of our decisions over a long period of time really.
      “We’ve been top scorers in the World Cup, we were top scorers in the Euro qualifiers, we’ve been to two semi-finals. We’ve blooded any number of young players.

      “I suppose that I would point to that body of work but it’s for others to have their opinion. I’m not really too concerned.”
      On Grealish’s omission, Southgate added: “Any plans we had went out the window with the red card.
      “We needed legs to be able to defend with ten and Mason and Marcus Rashford have done that really well.”
      Meanwhile, Grealish has been urged by Aston Villa team-mate Tyrone Mings to be patient and wait for another England chance.

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      Jack Grealish has been urged to remain patient by team-mate Tyrone MingsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The playmaker, 25, was snubbed in the last two internationals after a Man of the Match full debut in the 3-0 win over Wales.
      Southgate opted for Mason Mount instead of Grealish for the 2-1 win over Belgium and 1-0 loss to Denmark.
      On his team-mates absence, Mings said: “It is easy to talk about players who aren’t playing but that does a  disservice to the people who are.
      “We are playing at an elite level and people have to bide their time, like I do. I’m trying to get into the team as well.
      “Everybody is competing for places and  that makes for a healthy group.
      “Jack is a fantastic player, we all know that – we know what he can bring to the group.

      “But you have to trust in the squad, trust the manager that different players will be utilised at different times.
      “Jack is fine. Jack is a great lad and everyone in their career will have times when they are on the bench and out of the team – that is just something you go through. He won’t need an arm round the shoulder, I’m sure.
      “The only thing we can do is try to play well for our clubs and when we are given a chance to come into the camp show humility and bide our time.
      “We have to pay service to the  players who have credit in the bank, the people who have got the England team to the position it is in now, who have been to tournaments and delivered relative success to what we have had  previously.
      “It is such an honour to represent your country, it is never something that is taken for granted.
      “All we can do is continue to play well for our team and continue to support the lads when we are here, on and off the pitch.”

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      Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer urged to ‘take Harry Maguire out of the oven’ amid horror run of form by Rio Ferdinand

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      RIO FERDINAND has told Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: “Take Harry Maguire out of the oven.”
      The former Manchester United ace believes Maguire needs to be dropped for his own good after a summer of turmoil crowned by his England red card against Denmark.

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      Harry Maguire is going through a horror run of formCredit: PA:Empics Sport

      Ferdinand, 41, said: “It’s obvious to see he’s going through a bad spell.
      “Nobody is immune from having a downturn in form and confidence.
      “If you want to play well, then having that confidence is an absolute necessity.

      “He’s lacking that and it’s very evident in his performances.

      “In these situations – and I’ve been in them as well – you sometimes need to be taken out of the oven.”
      BT ambassador Ferdinand added: “Sometimes just taking yourself out of the actual firing line for one game helps.
      “It’s about having enough time to reflect, a chance to sit down and go through where you are at.
      “When you are going game-to-game with matches every three or four days it’s very hard to see through the fog.

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      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should rest Maguire, according to FerdinandCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

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      Rio Ferdinand believes Maguire needs to be taken out of the firing lineCredit: PA:Press Association
       “If you are taken out of the firing line you get time to sit back and analyse your performance, your training, preparation and recovery.”
      But Ferdinand warned Maguire, 27, and Red Devils manager Solskjaer that there is no magic wand, adding: “It doesn’t happen overnight.
      “It’s about getting through a game without being seen. That might seem silly but it is the way I used to look at it. At the moment he’s being seen for all the wrong reasons.
      “So if he can get through winning a game, keeping a clean sheet, that’s the first of the building blocks.
      “It’ll mean him playing simply, only putting his foot in when he needs to, not gambling like he did against Denmark, tackles that were taking risks.
      “If you can tiptoe your way through a game, that builds the foundations.”
      Ferdinand insisted the blame game must not stop at the Red Devils captain – and warned that Solskjaer and his management staff now have a huge test of their own capabilities.
      He added: “With Manchester United, it’s not just about Harry Maguire. There’s a much bigger picture.

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      Maguire was shown a red card after just 30 minutes for EnglandCredit: AP:Associated Press
      “He is not the actual reason why people are questioning things. It’s about numerous things people are wondering why this, that and the other are happening.
      “He’s just a part of it and being the captain of United you automatically become one of the main people they look to for reasons.
      “I didn’t recognise that as a Manchester United team against Spurs.
      “I would be sitting here lying if I was to dress it up in any other way.
      “That and the Palace game were two performances you’d like to erase from your memory.
      “I was part of a team that had performances like that and you do have downturns of form.
      “United obviously had a shorter pre-season than a lot of teams and that may have played a part in the early games against Palace etc.
      “But the Spurs game, there were no excuses. They were well off it and didn’t perform anywhere near their capabilities.

      “It’s the job of Ole and his staff to really get that right.
      “The international break came at the wrong time for them because what they needed was to get the players in the building to work on things. The next set of seven games are difficult, it’s going to be testing times — but this is where you see the character.
      “I think Ole and his staff have learnt a lot from the players about their character in this early part of the season.”
      Ferdinand was speaking as EE announced its customers will be among the first to gain access to Match Day Experience, a new set of immersive viewing features on the BT Sport app.

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      Mourinho refuses to confirm Bale will play for Spurs vs West Ham as Welshman shows off his basketball skills in training

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      JOSE MOURINHO would not confirm if superstar ‘Gary Bale’ will face London rivals West Ham on Sunday.
      The Spurs manager called ­Gareth Bale ‘Gary’ – just like he did with England boss Gareth Southgate this month.

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      Gareth Bale is training with Spurs ahead of his return from injuryCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      Welshman Bale showed off his basketball skilssCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Bale, 31, joined full training last week after recovering from a knee injury as he targets a first appearance of his season-long loan from Real Madrid.
      The Welshman had hoped to star against West Ham at the Tottenham Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday.
      But Mourinho said: “The team is the most important thing and Gary is here – sorry, Gareth – to help the team.
      “But at the same time we care about him. The decision will be for the good of the team and for him.”

      And Bale showed he could have become a multi-sport superstar in training on Thursday.
      Proving he could have signed for NBA giants San Antonio Spurs, the Welshman got down to work with some basketball shooting.
      Spurs fans were cock-a-hoop to see their new loan signing attempting some three-pointers and lay-ups on a court at the club’s training base.
      Maybe he can link up with pal Dele for some Alli-Oops this season!

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      Meanwhile, Tottenham have been warned they will not get £22million-rated Swansea ace Joe Rodon on the cheap.
      The Londoners want the Wales centre-back, 22, for £8m.
      But Swans boss Steve Cooper said: “Joe is a really good player and it’s important if we have to sell, then we get ­something to show for it.”

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