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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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      Premier League clubs outside Big Six may be forced into debt and redundancies to bailout mega-rich Championship owners

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      EFL chairman Rick Parry did his best modern day Robin Hood impression on Sunday – the man who was to rescue the Football League.
      He certainly sees himself that way. Most don’t, because the proposals presented to EFL clubs fundamentally threatened to destroy a structure he had a hand in building.

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      Parry pretended to be Robin Hood but most don’t think of him in that wayCredit: Rex Features

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      Karren Brady has hit out at the EFL for demanding a larger bailout fee despite some being as rich as PL chiefsCredit: Handout

      The one that revolutionised football in England and placed our club game at the world’s pinnacle.
      But the meticulously crafted 18-page document, leaked to a newspaper last weekend, was designed to place the Premier League’s future into the hands of six clubs – Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea.
      I don’t know whether the last four had any particular say in the proposal but there were cherries for them all.
      West Ham also got a vote – along with Everton and Southampton, as a result of us being among the longest-serving clubs in the PL – but not one that was in any way meaningful.

      On the basis it was proposed that only six votes were needed to change any rule – including who the Prem CEO is, who can own a PL club, wealth distribution, make-up of the league, abolishment of the League Cup and the date the season starts – you can see how valuable that vote would be!
      So, it’s easy to work out why so many clubs had misgivings about the idea.
      In the end, even those that proposed the changes voted for shelving the whole project.
      Instead, we will have our own review, involving ALL 20 clubs, to address issues like calendar congestion, winter breaks and post-Brexit access to talent.

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

      The review will begin in earnest and be finished by the end of this year.
      One of the most concerning factors of Project Big Picture, a title pinched from Hollywood, was that the financial gift to the EFL came about by scrapping parachute payments.
      Without a parachute payment, which club in the Championship would be able to make any real contribution to the PL if promoted?
      Relegation, without it, would mean either immediate bankruptcy or falling foul of the EFL’s financial fair play rules.
      If we want to retain the real essence of PL competition, that saw Leicester winning the league, we have to incentivise the clubs who get promoted to spend money to try to stay there and make a real contribution to the league.
      Having clubs who cannot compete would be the death of the PL and turn it into a league modelled on Germany or Scotland, where the outcomes of the season are predictable from the start. That’s of value to no-one.
      Whilst at the meeting, the PL agreed an immediate rescue package of £50million for Leagues One and Two, which on top of the £27.2m already gifted this season, makes a staggering £77.2m of financial aid.
      We have stepped in where the Government has not, which is hard to fathom when they have given £1.5billion to the arts.
      And the truth is that if these lower-league clubs were allowed to have the same percentage of supporters attend their games as the Government has granted the O2, Royal Albert Hall or the Palladium, many would not need a bailout at all.
      We heard on Thursday night that the offer to assist had been rejected on the basis that the EFL want the PL to bailout Championship clubs as well as Leagues One and Two.
      But the aggregate net worth of the league owners in the Championship is comparable to PL owners.
      Their clubs are also asset-rich, as we have seen in this summer window.
      The PL distributions, upon which most clubs base their budgets, has been hit by lack of gate receipts (£100m a month across all 20 clubs) refunds to broadcasters (£260m) and the loss of the Chinese broadcast partner (£560m).
      This money is lost and is not coming back. As a result the stark reality is that some clubs outside the top six may have to go into debt to bailout a league as rich as they are.
      Those PL clubs would no doubt have to make redundancies, like Arsenal already have, to ensure that other Championship clubs can keep their staff on? Where’s the logic in that?
      The Championship is a great competition and also capable of earning a lot more than it does.
      Only a few months ago, Rick Parry agreed with me when he stated: “I’m not a fan of the begging-bowl culture.
      “Rather than just looking for handouts, it’s better to go with a self-help mentality, saying ‘This is what we’ve done, this is the problem that we find ourselves in, how can we all help to produce a better future?’ ”
      His tune has somewhat changed in the last few months.
      So, where we go from here is anyone’s guess. But wherever it is, it won’t be fast.
      In the meantime, the money that was ready to go to Leagues One and Two has been blocked. Where is the logic in that?

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      Real Madrid and Barcelona to fight for Man Utd star Bruno Fernandes in shock transfer after just eight months in England

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      REAL MADRID and Barcelona are ready to lock horns in a battle to get Bruno Fernandes out of  Old Trafford.
      The Spanish giants are closely monitoring Fernandes’ situation despite the player having spent just eight months at Manchester United.

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      Fernandes is being chased by Barcelona and Real Madrid after rumours of a row at UnitedCredit: AFP or Licensors

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      Fernandes was unhappy at being subbed following a blazing row at half-time of the 6-1 loss at home to SpursCredit: EPA

      While Fernandes denies there are serious problems at the club, the midfielder was unhappy about being subbed at half-time in this month’s 6-1 loss against Spurs.
      He was also very vocal in a dressing-room row at the break before being told by boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer he was being swapped for Fred.
      When asked yesterday why he had subbed the player, Solskjaer refused to explain.
      He said: “There are many reasons behind subs in a game and if I explain every time I take a player off, I don’t think that’s the right thing.

      “I explained to Bruno and he accepted it, no problem.”
      The player and club have tried to play down suggestions of a half-time row between Fernandes and Harry Maguire as they trailed Spurs 4-1.
      The Portuguese, 26, also had to dismiss a story in his homeland that he lacked faith in Solskjaer’s tactics, claiming that was not the case.
      Ahead of today’s visit to Newcastle, Solskjaer added: “He’s clearly not happy with the stories but welcome to United, this is what happens.

      “They are going to try to create a division between us but it’s not going to happen.”
      Meanwhile, Solskjaer confirmed Man Utd have triggered the one-year extension in Paul Pogba’s contract.
      His deal was up at the end of this season but with no announcement the club had taken the option to extend it by a year.
      Last week Pogba again flirted with Real Madrid, saying it would be a dream to play for them.
      But Solskjaer said: “Paul’s our player, he’s going to be here for another two years.
      “He’s focused on doing his best for us and we want to see the best from Paul and I’m sure in the next couple of years we’ll get the best out of him.”

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      Jose Mourinho reveals Gareth Bale told him he wants right-winger role as he prepares to make debut vs West Ham

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      JOSE MOURINHO revealed Gareth Bale wants to be his right-hand man.
      Bale is set to make his first start for Tottenham since rejoining them on a season-loan from Real Madrid last month.

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      Gareth Bale told Jose Mourinho he wants to play on the right for TottenhamCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      The Special One revealed what the Welshman said to him before he signed on loanCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      And Spurs boss Mourinho warned we will see a very different player to the lightning left winger, who left the club for the Bernabeu just over seven years ago.
      The Special One said: “One of the first questions in my first conversation with Gareth — because the team is the most important thing but the player is important too — was ‘What’s your favourite position?’
      “I wanted to start from there and he answered me the question.

      “Does that mean he will always be used in that position? No. Because the most important thing is the team, and he will play where the team needs him to play.
      “But he was very clear by saying his favourite position is on the right.
      “It’s not as a No 10, it’s not as a striker, it’s not any more on the left side like he did in the first years of his career at Southampton and Tottenham.
      “His favourite position now is on the right side. So, that was a very good starting point of his development here.”

      But Mourinho believes Bale, 31, will still be able to put his stamp on matches just like he did during his first Spurs spell and in his first few years in Madrid — before his fallout with their coach Zinedine Zidane.

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      Bale is set to start against West Ham on Sunday evening.
      And Mourinho said: “When he reaches his continuity and when he reaches his normal intensity and dynamic, I think he can be the player people saw being decisive when he went to Real Madrid, in a very similar position.
      “Real was basically, Bale, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, with Bale fundamentally playing from the right and that’s the position he prefers.”
      Former Manchester United and Chelsea chief Mourinho, 57, insisted he is also playing a different role these days – as a club man.
      Asked if he now had the perfect platform on which to become a “super coach” again, he replied: “I am not worried about that, I am worried about Tottenham – not about me.
      “Tottenham needs an evolution to end this period. Hopefully we do it with me here but if not with me, I hope that I can give a contribution for that.
      “Tottenham needs to win a trophy. That is the aim of the fans and the club.

      “I am worried with Tottenham and not with myself.
      “I will be just a consequence of what happens but I am in a period of my career where I become much more of a club man than before.
      “I always gave everything to the club where I was working but I always had space to be selfish and think about myself – you could feel that in some of my career decisions.
      “In this moment I give a completely different perspective and I only care about Tottenham.”
      Bale playing on the right and Jose not caring only about himself – these really are strange times.
       TOTTENHAM’S LIKELY LINEUP vs WEST HAM
      Lloris; Doherty, Dier, Sanchez, Reguilon; Winks, Ndombele; Bale, Bergwijn, Son; Kan

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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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      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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