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    Harry Kane injured in England training with Tottenham star to MISS Nations League clash with Belgium

    HARRY KANE is set to miss tonight’s Nations League clash with Belgium.
    The Three Lions skipper has strained a muscle in training and faces being sidelined for the Wembley match as a precaution.

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    Gareth Southgate is set to be without injured Harry Kane for the Belgium gameCredit: Rex Features

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    Dominic Calvert-Lewin could replace Kane after scoring on his debut against WalesCredit: AFP or licensors

    Kane, who has been in good form this season for Spurs, has been careful with his schedule due to a number of injuries.
    The latest one came after he ruptured his hamstring against Southampton on January 1 and he only returned against Manchester United on June 19.
    Manager Gareth Southgate will field a strong team against Belgium after putting out an experimental side in the 3-0 win over Wales on Thursday.
    But the loss of Kane, 27, is a massive blow.

    He was set to spearhead a front three with Mason Mount and Marcus Rashford playing either side.
    One option would be to give another start to Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin who scored on his debut against the Welsh. Equally, Rashford could move into the centre.
    England also have another Nations League game against Denmark on Wednesday and Kane could stay with the squad for that match.
    Ironically, Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho had asked Southgate to “respect” Kane’s workload by not playing him in each and every match of England’s triple header.

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    Another option would be to move Marcus Rashford from the wing to Kane’s central roleCredit: Rex Features

    The striker missed the 3-0 win over Wales and is a doubt for the home game against the Danes.
    However, Mourinho will be hoping to have his talisman available for Sunday’s big Premier League game with fellow London side West Ham.
    The Special One said after a run of games including Chelsea and Man United: “You know, I believe that Gareth and [assistant] Steve [Holland], they care about the players.

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    Mason Mount is set to complete England’s front lineCredit: Getty – Pool
    “Hopefully, Gareth and Steve understand what happened with Tottenham this week and they respect the players.
    “That’s just my hope but I’m not going to call, or ask, or beg. I’m not going to press. 
    “I think they deserve their freedom and I have the utmost respect for them.”

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    Sam Kerr quit ‘hostile’ social media while fans and pundits criticised performances since high-profile Chelsea transfer

    SAM KERR confessed she quit “hostile” social media amid claims she has been firing blanks since joining Chelsea.
    The strike sensation, 27, paved the way for high-profile superstars ditching life in the sunny leagues overseas for England’s gruelling top-flight, when she joined the Blues in November.

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    Chelsea’s Sam Kerr has come in stick from critics for some of her performances in front of goal despite being in scintillating formCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    She still boasts the all-time goal-scoring record in America’s NWSL (77) and Australia’s W-League (70) despite not playing in either division for almost a year.
    Kerr’s arrival at Kingsmeadow sparked a fan frenzy and huge expectation that the Aussie would drench the Blues with goals.
    But by August, Kerr was in the firing line when critics blasted her for failing to convert chances.

    Former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis described the striker’s performance in the Community Shield as “painfully bad”.

    But Kerr told SunSport: “Whenever I miss a chance, whether it’s a big chance or a little chance, I’m not going to sit here and cry about it.
    “I go back on the training field and get better for it.
    “The most pressure I feel is from myself, outside noise to me is just outside noise.
    “Social media can be quite hostile so I’ve actually been off it in the last few months, other than Instagram.”

    The Perth-born ace’s two-year deal in West London is said to be worth nearly £1million – making her one of the highest earners in the women’s game.  

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    Sam Kerr’s Chelsea’s transfer sparked sensation amongst fans and punditsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    Her arrival in England was a huge coup for the WSL at the time, before the likes of Alex Morgan and Pernille Harder made the switch.
    She had broken records in the United States and Australia, made her international debut at just 15 and already captained her country at a World Cup.
    But off the pitch Kerr is just a regular girl who loves trips to her local coffee shop and riding her bike.
    So it’s no surprise that amid all the craziness surrounding her switch to Chelsea she just wanted to fade into the team without the fanfare.
    The Aussie added: “Don’t get me wrong, it was a really amazing thing to be a part of.
    “I don’t think there had been that much buzz around a signing before so I felt really proud that we had generated that much kind of interest.
    “But at the same time, I just wanted to kind of slip into the team and come in as my own person rather than this big superstar the media had made me out to be – which I’m really not.
    “Pernille and also Niamh Fahey coming in from Liverpool, it has been cool to support them because I went through it six months ago.
    “There’s no doubt when I first got here it was difficult, a new apartment, just getting settled into a new place.
    “I’d be lying if I said it was all smooth sailing, it’s been tough and there’s definitely cultural changes.
    “But that’s part of it and that’s why I came here, I came here to challenge myself.
    “And since we had a bit of a break I feel like now this is my home.”

    Kerr has been in scintillating form this term, already silencing the critics with two league goals in just three games while Chelsea continue their unbeaten run in the WSL.  
    The striker hails the club’s billionaire owner Roman Abramovich for plowing investment into shiny training facilities for the women alongside the men at the shared hub in Cobham.
    She added: “You can feel that just being in and around the club, what we have and what we’re provided with here is like no other.
    “I also think you know the club and the girls have really earned it so I definitely feel that we have the support from above.
    “But at the same time I think the girls definitely deserved that.”
    Chelsea host Manchester City on Sunday after the teams played out a crazy 3-3 draw in their most recent league clash.
    City boss Gareth Taylor said: “It was a great spectacle. A lot of goals and  excitement. Who knows what could happen this time?”

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    Fans of world’s first vegan football club Forest Green Rovers vote to name stadium ‘Kevin’ in poll

    A FOOTBALL stadium is set to be named “Kevin” after masses of fans voted in a Boaty McBoatface-style poll.
    Supporters of League Two Forest Green Rovers — the world’s first vegan club — were asked to suggest titles online.

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    Forest Green Rovers’ stadium is set to be named ‘Kevin’ after fans voted in a pollCredit: Solent News

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    Innocent Smoothies won a ground naming rights deal and insisted ‘Innocent’ be used in all suggestions – but fans of Kevin ignored itCredit: Solent News

    Jokers ensured Kevin made the shortlist for their Gloucestershire ground, which is currently known as The New Lawn Stadium.
    Famous footie Kevins include ex-England skipper and manager Kevin Keegan, 69.
    Innocent Smoothies won a ground naming rights deal with Rovers and insisted “Innocent” be used in all suggestions.
    But fans of Kevin ignored it.

    A panel narrowed the choice to a final four — Innocent Sustadium, Innocent New Lawn, Innocent Fruit Bowl and Kevin.
    Yesterday, Kevin was well ahead with more than 60 per cent of the votes in a Twitter poll.
    Sky Sports’ Jeff Stelling even got involved, saying: “If it is Kevin, it is guaranteed a mention every week!”

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    Famous footie Kevins include ex-England skipper and manager Kevin KeeganCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    It echoes a 2016 poll, when 124,000 people voted for a UK research ship to be called Boaty McBoatface.

    Innocent’s UK marketing director, Anna Bateson, admitted: “We have no idea who Kevin is.”
    Fans can still vote by going to the @FGRFC_Official and @innocent Twitter accounts.

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    In a 2016 poll, 124,000 people voted for a UK research ship to be called Boaty McBoatfaceCredit: Splash News

    Sir David Attenborough launches ‘Boaty McBoatface’ polar ship
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    England boss Gareth Southgate fears the Euros will be SCRAPPED next summer too amid coronavirus pandemic

    GARETH SOUTHGATE fears Euro 2020 could be scrapped due to coronavirus.
    England’s manager also believes even if the tournament goes ahead the format will have to change.

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    England boss Gareth Southgate believes Euro 2020 could be axed next summerCredit: PA:Press Association

    The Three Lions are due to play all three group games at Wembley while the national stadium will also host the semi-finals and final.
    Southgate said: “You couldn’t stand with any certainty and say the Euros will take place next year.
    “You couldn’t stand with certainty and say it is going to take place in the format it is expected to.
    “I think what is possible and what looks possible is going to have changed frequently over the next few months.

    “We would definitely be capable of hosting, we are due to host a lot of games at Wembley anyway.
    “So I don’t think that will change, but it really is unknown what the format might end up looking like.
    “It is impossible to predict and we have to be ready to adapt to whatever is thrown our way.”
    Some of the 12 host cities have already expressed concern over whether they will be able to stage matches due to the crisis.

    The Secretary of State for Sport Oliver Dowden revealed in the Sun on Sunday that he could not guarantee that the Euros will go ahead at Wembley.
    Yet Southgate, despite being realistic, is still hopeful the Covid-19 situation could improve.
    He added: “You hope the indications are that towards spring things might look a bit brighter and I think generally those predictions have been fairly accurate.”
    England are due to play Croatia in their first game at Wembley on June 13 2021.
    They will play the winners of the play-off between Scotland or Norway five days later before playing the Czech Republic on June 22.
    The final is due to be staged at Wembley on July 11.

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    If the government is letting cinemas have socially distanced audiences, then why not football stadiums?

    HAD you bet a tenner on Man United losing 6-1 at home to Spurs plus Liverpool losing 7-2 at Villa Park, I guess  you’d have been close to making millions.
    Add in my West Ham team’s much deserved and magnificent 3-0 win at Leicester and you’d have been able to park your big yacht next to Roman Abramovich’s.

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    Football stadiums remain empty despite places like cinemas operating with safe social distancingCredit: PA:Press Association

    But no one did. Or at least he or she is staying shtum about it.
    Never in the history of the modern game has there been two results quite like them on the same day and the simple question has to be… why?
    I’ve read a number of explanations already. The obvious, and no doubt the closest, is that the defending was not what the defeated managers would have wished for, while the winners’ forward play was dazzling.
    I do wonder, though, whether the delayed season has put players slightly out of sync.

    Blaming the Prime Minister or the Health Secretary for this would be convenient — but in this case Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock are as innocent as Boris’ dog.
    The season began a month late and I suspect Manchester City, who started nine days after most clubs, were undercooked when they lost 5-2 at home to Leicester.
    Liverpool’s 4-3 win  at home to Leeds, already one of the most exciting promoted clubs for some while, also set the scene.
    And how many paying supporters watched all this vivid action in real life?  Absolutely none. How ridiculous is that?

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    Karren Brady believes footy fans should be allowed safely back for live gamesCredit: Handout

    Take one club, Aston Villa. Their fans had  waited decades for a victory of this substance.
    Brummies were thunderstruck after 90 minutes that will re-energise their  support across the West Midlands and even in Kensington Palace, where Prince William must have been dancing in the dining room.
    He and his wife Kate were so thrilled they emailed congrats.
    For all that Liverpool suffered their biggest defeat in more than half a century, their lynchpin defender Virgil van Dijk said a crowd “lifts our performances at home but when you play away and the home fans turn against you, I like that. It gives you that motivation sometimes to do better.
    “It’s something I definitely enjoy and that I miss.”
    Ex-Swansea boss Carlos Carvalhal estimated crowd absence affected players “20 per cent in the head”.
    So never mind the missing millions in receipts, there’s some missing adrenalin, too.
    But why have empty stands led to full nets? In the first 38 games since the new Premier League season started, there have been 144 goals, one-a-game more than last season.
    Fans are missing a bonanza and while all of us are aware of the  reasoning behind the Government’s position, the logic behind our locked turnstiles is distinctly wonky.

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    Fans are missing out on some glorious games and their loyalty over the years is going unrewardedCredit: Reuters
    If cinemas are allowed to socially distance audiences, why not football or, for that matter, rugby clubs?
    It would be perfectly possible, as an example, to separate people in a portion of one spectator to four seats. At the London Stadium this would limit the attendance to about 15,000.
    Any range of further measures are available — plastic partitions, masks, temperature tests, sanitisers, stewarded queues, alcohol bans — and when these are proven to work, plans for an increase in the maximum examined by the authorities.
    At smaller grounds, it should be possible to set the bar lower,  perhaps at 1-3 or 1-2.
    If the Government allowed the same percentage capacity as they have granted the 02 and the Royal Albert Hall there would be no need for a bailout of League One and Two as this amount of gate revenue would be enough to save them. And for those demanding  the PL bail them out… we already do!
    Not a lot of people realise  the PL already give £110m a year to the EFL, which means  every Championship club gets £4.5m,  League One club £700k and  League Two club almost £500k.
     And not to forget the £190m PL clubs spent on buying players from the EFL so far in this window.
    Also, is there any logic in allowing indoor venues to have crowds but football stadiums not to? If there is, no one has explained it to me or to anyone else in football.
    Which is why the PL, WSL and the EFL wrote an open letter to the Government to urge them to allow us to return fans safely to stadiums.
    Boris says we must save the  economy. Well, here we are — willing and able to help with the greatest save he’ll ever make.

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    Jack Grealish out to emulate Gazza and Wayne Rooney by becoming England’s maverick main man

    JACK GREALISH would love to be England’s next Paul Gascoigne or Wayne Rooney.
    Swash-buckling, playing with a smile — and giving Three Lions fans the excitement they crave.

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    Jack Grealish is loving his time in the England setup – and it’s only just beginningCredit: Rex Features

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    Grealish has to put up with a fair amount of rough challenges for club and countryCredit: PA:Press Association

    And after a man-of-the-match performance on a first international start, the Aston Villa playmaker now finally believes that his dream of becoming England’s bright new hope can come true.
    Grealish waited a long time for an international shot, which finally came as a second-half substitute against Denmark last month.
    But on his full debut against Wales at Wembley, the 25-year-old showed straightaway a strut, swagger, class and confidence that was reminiscent of Gazza in his pomp.
    The attacking midfielder even said he liked getting kicked! England have always had maverick players to grace the big stage over the last three decades, with Grealish pointing to Gascoigne and Rooney as the best he has seen.

    Now the two-cap star wants to copy them and be Gareth Southgate’s go-to man for Euro 2020 and beyond.
    Gazza, Wazza and now Jazza. So there is little wonder ex-England midfield ace Joe Cole compared Grealish to hero Gascoigne.
    Grealish beamed: “I would love to be compared to Gazza. He is an absolute icon.
    “Him, along with Wayne Rooney, were probably the greatest England players over the last 20, 30 years. I know there’s been a load of good players — but they are my top two. Gazza would be first.

    “I’d love to be like him, the way he played football with such joy — and everyone watching could see it. That’s what I want to do.
    “One of the biggest compliments is for people to say, ‘You make me happy watching football’.”
    Grealish certainly made England fans smile in Thursday’s 3-0 friendly win.
    Fresh from a supreme show in Villa’s incredible 7-2 victory over Premier League champions Liverpool, this time Grealish excelled for England — displaying extravagant quality as he glided across the pitch. He also had substance.
    His cross for debut boy Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s headed opener was a striker’s dream. And Grealish won his battle with Ethan Ampadu — despite ending up battered and bruised.
    The Brummie ace is used to it after being fouled 167 times last season — a Premier League record.

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    The Aston Villa star has the style and talent to match Paul Gascoigne’s impact on the Three LionsCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

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    Wayne Rooney is one creative superstar the midfielder is out to emulateCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    He added: “A few of the lads said they’ve never seen anyone get kicked as much as me. But I enjoy it. If I’m getting kicked, it means I’m doing something right most of the time.
    “I get a kick now and again. You saw that last season — but I don’t mind because I’m helping the team.”
    Yet England boss Southgate also revealed he has concerns over the injuries that can come with being a man who is targeted.
    Southgate said: “You know he’s going to do it because he does it for his club. I’ve not seen him lose the ball too often. He’s a matador.
    “The only thing that worries me occasionally is that, when he does hang on to the ball, he gets clobbered — and you don’t want him to pick up injuries as the game is wearing on.
    “I know he’s the most-fouled player in the league and he draws those fouls in. I was a bit worried he was going to get kicked and be in trouble.
    “In deeper areas, he is confident enough to play — and you are not thinking he’s the type of player who is going to lose the ball.”
    Grealish had a clear-the-air chat with Southgate last month amid fears he would be pigeon-holed as a winger to compete against Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.

    I want to have a long England career and get many caps. I’m so grateful and thankful to the manager for making it happen.
    Jack Grealish

    Grealish, who declared for England in 2015 after turning out for Ireland’s youth teams, said: “Look at the numbers they have got over the past few years.
    “That’s why they are touted as the best wingers in the world.
    “I fully agree and have respect for that. So it would be difficult to get into those positions.
    “But I had a long chat with the manager. He lets you speak your mind. I said, ‘I see myself playing as a No 8, No 10, left winger, right winger, wherever I am on the pitch, I’ll play’.
    “I’m one of these people who just loves football. I have respect for how much ability I’ve got.
    “For the last two or three years, I’ve played half my games on the wing and half as a No 8 or No 10. I fully believe I can do both moving forward. The manager knows that now.
    “I want to have a long England career and get many caps. I’m so grateful and thankful to the manager for making it happen. I want to cement my place.”
    Grealish was guilty of a Covid-19 breach during lockdown — but his England career has given him a new lease of life ahead of the Nations League clash with Belgium on Sunday.

    He added: “It has given me a boost of confidence. Not that I lacked it. I’m not big-headed but I believe in myself.
    “It’s the standards these guys set. Look at Harry Kane.
    “Everyday he’s the first on the training pitch, meetings, last off the training pitch, he’s practising his finishing, penalties, free-kicks, every single day.
    “No wonder he is at the top and one of the best strikers in the world.
    “And it makes me want to go back to Villa and set the standards.”

    Aston Villa fans fume with Gareth Southgate after interview about Jack Grealish More

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    First look inside AFC Wimbledon’s new £32million stadium as Dons prepare for emotional return to Plough Lane roots

    HERE are the first photos of AFC Wimbledon’s new stadium almost in shape just 24 days before it officially opens.
    And the League One club are giving supporters the chance to guarantee their spot for the next ten years as they make an emotional return to their spiritual Plough Lane roots.

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    SunSport’s Justin Allen and AFC Wimbledon CEO Joe Palmer sit inside the club’s new stadiumCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

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    Doncaster are the first team to play away at Plough Lane on November 3Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

    SunSport was given exclusive access to the £32million ground that will open on November 3 for the League One visit of Doncaster.
    And, unlike arenas such as Twickenham where fans pay as much as £30,000 to guarantee their spots, the Dons’ debenture scheme is affordable.
    In fact, prices have been set as low as £500 and £600, with hospitality spots just £1,000.
    It has been 29 years since Wimbledon last kicked a ball in anger at Plough Lane when they took on Crystal Palace in the top-flight.

    Since then it has been a long road back.
    There was the controversial move to Milton Keynes and the rebranding to MK Dons, the formation of the fans-owned AFC Wimbledon 18 years ago and six promotions.
    But now they have built a new stadium a few hundred yards from the original ground.
    That was ripped down for apartment blocks, which you can see from the upper tiers.

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    The £32million ground boasts an initial capacity of 9,300Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
    You can even peer across to Wembley 11 miles away, where the Dons famously beat Liverpool 1-0 in the 1988 FA Cup final.
    The West Stand seating is in place, with the East Stand set to be finished in days along with the North Stand away end.
    A bit like Brentford’s new home seven miles away, they have gone for speckled coloured seating in the Dons’ famous blue and yellow.
    The home South Stand is for standing only to help generate that old-school atmosphere.
    But while the old Plough Lane ground was notoriously unwelcoming, the 2020 version has been designed to be more accommodating.
    Gone are the days of a bobbly quagmire pitch.
    The new one is a carpet, combining real grass with synthetic material to produce a perfect playing surface.

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    AFC Wimbledon currently sit 13th in the League One table after four games playedCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

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    Plough Lane is located just a few hundred yards away from the original stadiumCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
    The changing rooms are spacious and, unlike in the Crazy Gang era, the away team will not have cold showers!
    A museum inside the ground will be opened, where items such as Vinnie Jones’ 1988 FA Cup-winners medal and other memorabilia will be on display.
    The club will even house the original Plough Lane gates.
    One of the most impressive features is the stadium’s pub, which will be open seven days a week and has stairs leading down from the concourses, allowing fans to mingle regardless of where they are.
    Supporters are being asked to vote on a name for it, with the choice of two  famous boozers that were near to the old ground, The Sportsman and The Batsford Arms.
    Hospitality has increased greatly from the Kingsmeadow ground that Wimbledon had used since their formation.
    There are eight corporate boxes, two lounges and a huge events space. The hall is one of the crown jewels and includes a mezzanine level.

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    There will be around wheelchair spaces located inside the groundCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
    For a conference it can host 700 people and can easily seat 500 for a dinner event.
    CEO Joe Palmer, who walked us around the stadium, said it will be the biggest conferencing facility in the Merton borough.
    He said: “This really will be a great venue for weddings, concerts, conferences, so many things.
    “We’re installing a huge HD screen in there too and will cater for E-gaming, which is massive with youngsters now.”
    The club plan guided tours for fans to allow them to take a proper look around while matches continue to be played behind closed doors.
    For the Doncaster game, it is hoped they will be able to do a televised build-up, either through Sky Sports or using their own media channels.
    But they are also planning a proper grand opening when fans are eventually allowed in.
    The stadium has an initial 9,300 capacity, but planning permission has been granted for that to increase to 20,000. There will be around 100 wheelchair spaces too.

    And the plan is for it to be alive with activity seven days a week.
    The coronavirus pandemic has not adversely delayed the stadium’s  construction.
    In fact, the biggest problem during the 22 months of work was a fox ruining the new playing surface.
    Palmer added: “It kept coming in at night and ripping up the pitch. The groundsman was pulling his hair out. It can no longer get access.”
    So foxes are not welcome — unless it is of the Leicester City variety!

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    West Ham ready to DOUBLE Declan Rice’s wages to £120k-a-week after pricing star out of Chelsea transfer

    WEST HAM face having to double Declan Rice’s salary in a new deal after managing to the keep the England star at the club for another season.
    Chelsea were desperate to sign the 21-year-old this summer but gave up without lodging a formal bid after the Hammers made it clear they wanted at least £80million for the midfielder.

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    Declan Rice is set for a bumper new deal after Chelsea failed to sign the midfielder

    Yet having retained the services of the player and made it clear he was their prized asset, West Ham now need to reward him with a contract that recognises his standing as the best player at London Stadium.
    Rice is two years into a five-and-a-half-year contract, which saw him move from £3,000-a-week up to £60,000-a-week — a package co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold initially baulked at paying.
    That deal is only 50 per cent the salary Felipe Anderson was on before his loan move to Porto this week, while Andriy Yarmolenko is on just over £100,000-a-week.
    And should the Hammers succeed in their efforts to sign striker Josh King from Bournemouth he would also become one of the biggest  earners at the club.

    So Sullivan and Gold know they now need to come up with a new package for Rice to recognise his status as the main man in David Moyes’ squad and also as a regular England international under Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate.
    That means trying to work on a deal that would make him a top earner on £120,000-a-week, while tying him down to another long-term contract.

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    How the PL’s best transfer XI for this summer could look

    Such a deal would also serve to protect the transfer value of the player in the knowledge Chelsea and other big clubs in the Premier League are all admirers of the star.
    Despite the interest from Chelsea over the past year — where his best mate Mason Mount plays — Rice has never dropped his standards or sought to push for a move away from the East End club.

    He has been happy to stay working with Moyes at least for another year, even though he knows he could earn more and play Champions league football elsewhere.

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