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      Brighton boss fears ‘middle class’ structures are blocking minority talent

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      HOPE POWELL  fears ‘middle class’ structures in women’s football are blocking new black and ethnic minority talent.
      The Brighton women’s boss made history by becoming the first black female manager of an England side when she was Lionesses chief.

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      Hope Powell believes hybrid football centres could help unearth more talented black and ethnic minority playersCredit: PA:Press Association
      But Powell believes the current structure at grassroots level is limiting access for aspiring footballers from minority backgrounds.
      She said: “The representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic players on the pitch isn’t as great at the moment.
      “I couldn’t really tell you the numbers, but it is all about opportunity.

      “There are some real challenges in order to make sure that girls’ football, and the women’s game, has a far enough reach so more players with potential can play it.

      My concern is the game is becoming a little bit middle class with the structures.
      “The local grassroots game is so important to access.”
      Powell’s comments came after the Telegraph revealed black  footballers make up an estimated 10 to 15 per cent of Women’s Super League players.
      It says this percentage is incredibly low, considering the number of black and non-white stars in the Premier League.

      BAME players account for roughly a third of footballers in the men’s top flight.
      Powell believes having more training centres in diverse areas and affiliated with top clubs could help the women’s game unearth more talent.

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      Hope Powell’s Brighton side face Birmingham in their first game of the new Women’s Super League seasonCredit: Rex Features
      And the Peckham-born boss admits she was fortunate 40 years ago — when a  football coach spotted her potential as  a kid.
      Powell, 53, said: “I was playing at a very young age and fortunately there was a local club where I lived.

      For some who can just about afford to feed their family, they might not be able to afford to send their young daughter to our wonderful training centre, because it’s an hour away
      Hope Powell

      “The reason I managed to get to training is because the guy who was a coach went out of his way to take me home.
      “At Brighton, we’re a tier-one club for finding regional talent in girls’ football. To be able to get to us can be a problem for players’ parents who can’t afford to drive, or put their kid on a train.
      “For some who can just about afford to feed their family, they might not be able to afford to send their young daughter to our wonderful training centre, because it’s an hour away.
      “I know that from my own experience as a kid. When you have got less money, it’s hard.
      “Hybrid centres would be a help. Our club may be based in Brighton, but that doesn’t mean that we couldn’t have a centre based in Peckham, for instance.
      “I think there needs to be more work on that, but then it’s finances as well.”
      Diversity and race equality in the game is always a major talking point.
      In June, Manchester City and England star Raheem Sterling led calls for more management opportunities for black stars.

      The Premier League and PFA are funding a scheme this season for six BAME players to be put on a 23-month coaching placement at EFL clubs.
      Powell, whose Brighton side face Birmingham today, hopes this helps.
      She added: “I guess the argument would be it makes you more ready for an opportunity which would be a good thing.”

      Fans return to English football for first time in six months as Brighton host Chelsea in friendly at Amex stadium More

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      David Moyes facing crisis at West Ham after board sold prospect Grady Diangana against his wishes

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      DAVID MOYES is facing the biggest battle of his West Ham reign after being overruled by the board over the sale of Grady Diangana.
      The Hammers boss wanted to keep the highly rated academy graduate but owners David Sullivan and David Gold went ahead and agreed an £18million deal with West Brom.

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      Grady Diangana has signed for West Brom against David Moyes’ wishesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      David Moyes is left to pick up the pieces at an angry London StadiumCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The transfer has sparked all-out civil war at the club, with captain Mark Noble and other senior stars voicing their anger on social media.
      More than 70,000 West Ham fans have taken to Twitter and agreed with them.
      The Hammers suffered an embarrassing 5-3 defeat at home to Championship outfit Bournemouth on Saturday.
      It will leave them making final preparations for a new campaign with the owners more unpopular than ever.

      And staff at the club are now praying that prize asset Declan Rice will not be next to follow Diangana out of the door.
      Diangana, 22, spent last season on loan at West Brom but Moyes hoped to use him in a team of young and hungry players.

      Noble tweeted: “As captain of this club I’m gutted, angry and sad that Grady has left. Great kid with a great future.”
      The post was liked by team-mates Rice and Issa Diop.

      Midfielder Jack Wilshere went a step further by urging Diangana to “go and do your thing at a club that respects you”.
      Fans have also criticised the reconfiguration of some seats at their London Stadium home, which is supposed to make it more like a traditional football ground and improve the atmosphere.

      Grady Diangana scores screamer of a goal in West Ham training More

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      EFL clubs beg Premier League to save them from ruin after coronavirus nightmare

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      EFL clubs have pleaded with the Premier League to save English football from collapse.
      Despite months of talks, the top flight is yet to agree a package of further financial help for lower league sides facing bankruptcy because of Covid-19.

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      EFL clubs are urging the Premier League to save teams in their divisions at risk of collapse Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      And EFL clubs are warning that the end of Government furlough arrangements after October, combined with huge falls in matchday income even when fans return, will bring the crisis to a head.
      The Premier League has already forwarded its usual solidarity payments but that money will not last most clubs very far into the autumn.
      Phil Wallace, owner and chairman of League Two Stevenage, said: “All we’re doing is kicking the can down the road. Eventually, you run out of road.

      “Without a bailout, I don’t see what the outcome can be other than clubs going into bankruptcy.”

      Even if some fans are allowed back into Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium from October, it’s likely that the maximum crowd will be 1,500 – combined to last season’s average of 3,500.
      That would mean a fall in income of £30,000 to £40,0000 per home game, even before loss of secondary spend at food and drink outlets and other revenue streams was taken into account.
      Simon Hallett, owner of League One Plymouth, recognises that a number of Premier League clubs are also facing significant financial challenges.
      But Hallett said: “Eventually the elastic snaps and clubs run out of cash.

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      Financial aid packages for lower league sides are yet to be agreed on by football chiefsCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      “At that point, if there are still no fans, it’s inevitable some will be very close to going bust.
      “It’s about the preservation of the English football pyramid. I don’t want to get misty-eyed and romantic about it.
      “But the great glory, I think, of English football is the football pyramid.
      “You can still have the dream that you start off playing in the park with a pub team and you end up in the Football League.
      “If you want to preserve that, some kind of financial help to ease us over this crisis is going to be necessary.”

      It’s a big discussion. But clubs have got to be there to have that discussion. Come 2021, they might not be.
      Phil Wallace

      Stevenage and Plymouth are fortunate that they have multimillionaire benefactors like Wallace and Hallett to support them – for now at least.
      But many other clubs will be teetering on the brink of extinction unless something changes soon.
      Wallace, like Hallett, accepts that lower league clubs are often guilty of financial mismanagement.
      But he insists English football’s proud tradition of having 92 or more professional clubs can be preserved and a wider discussion is needed about the distribution of money across the game.
      Wallace said: “Why can’t we sustain this number of clubs?
      “It’s important to have a healthy pyramid, but you have to balance that and walk that line between clubs wasting money, overspending and doing all the stupid things that clubs do.
      “It’s not as easy as I’m going to give you money. You have to convince me that there’s a good working model that can be adopted.

      “If we change things, and redistribute in a fairer way, it’s not wasted.
      “It’s a big discussion. But clubs have got to be there to have that discussion.
      “Come 2021, they might not be.”

      English football ‘will cease to exist as we know it’ due to coronavirus crisis, warns Huddersfield owner More

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      Chelsea will offer Michy Batshuayi new deal before loan transfer with Palace, West Brom and Newcastle keen

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      CHELSEA will give Michy Batshuayi a pay hike and then find him a shop window with a loan deal.
      The Belgian striker, 26, is to be offered an extension to avoid him walking away for nothing next summer.

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      Chelsea will give Michy Batshuayi a new deal before sending him out on loan next seasonCredit: Alamy Live News
      No clubs who can afford Batshuayi have shown an interest in this window, so Chelsea hope by giving him a further year he can go out and increase his value.
      The terms could see Batshuayi get a £15,000 rise to £100k-a-week — a lot of money for a player down the pecking order under manager Frank Lampard.
      However, any club taking him on loan would be asked to pick up the tab and pay most of that salary for a season.
      The news has put Crystal Palace, West Brom and Newcastle on alert.

      They could not afford to buy him but now they could loan him.
      Batshuayi has been at Palace on loan before and they have a strong chance of getting him.
      But they are also in for team-mate Conor Gallagher and Prem rules mean they cannot take both on temporary deals.

      That could open the door for Leeds, who are pushing to take England Under-21 midfielder Gallagher who is likely to go out for games once he signs a new contract.

      Elland Road transfer dealer Victor Orta is keen on him and there may be a better chance of a start at Leeds than at Palace.
      But chief Marcelo Bielsa has taken players in the past and left them out.

      Go behind the scenes as Kai Havertz becomes Chelsea’s sixth signing of the summer More

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      England were crying out for Jack Grealish against Iceland… Southgate can sometimes be a bit cautious

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      WITH SO many ‘sons’ on that Icelandic football pitch this was always going to be about the future.
      A chance to look at a fresh bunch of England players coming through at just the right time for the manager Gareth Southgate.

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      England struggled to produce creativity during their win over IcelandCredit: Rex Features
      Rookies Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood. Plus greenhorns like Declan Rice and Mason Mount. We’ve seen the names being talked about.
      I’m including Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish in this group even though he is 24  and a vastly experienced club player.
      On Saturday night I spent most of it watching England struggle against Iceland and his name kept cropping up in my mind.
      This match was crying out for him. In fact, the England team is crying out for some creativity in midfield. It’s an area where we have really lacked some zip.

      If we were watching any other country play, Grealish would have been on long before this game started to go stale

      I am a massive fan of Jack. I’d play him all day, every day.
      To me, I do sometimes wonder if  Southgate sometimes can be a bit cautious.
      This seemed all about what people couldn’t do rather than what they could do.
      If we were watching any other country play, Grealish would have been on long before this game started to go stale — and that was pretty early.

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      Jack Grealish was left on the bench as the Three Lions snatched three points in the Nations LeagueCredit: Rex Features
      Mount too. I like the 21-year-old and England need a young player coming through who can open up the opposition, open up the door, find and pick a pass, create something to excite.
      That’s what we have to unearth in this next generation of players that we got a glimpse of last night.
      And take my word for it this is a talented bunch — as good as the so-called ‘Golden Generation’ of 15 years ago who won nothing for the country.
      Managers Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello had a fantastic group of players at their disposal then.

      This is a talented bunch — as good as the so-called ‘Golden Generation’ of 15 years ago who won nothing for the country

      In club football, I maintain that it’s all about the players. You don’t have to be the world’s best coach to train the world’s best players. But on the flip side, a superb football coach would struggle to do anything with a poor quality squad.
      There is a bit more to it than that of course but so much revolves around the talent you have — at club level.
      In international football it’s  different. Getting the best out of great players when you only have them to work with every so often can prove difficult.
      There is also the juggling with the demands of their clubs.

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      SunSport columnist Harry Redknapp has given the lowdown on Gareth Southgate’s EnglandCredit: Louis Wood – The Sun
      Players would turn up for England knowing in the backs of their minds that what really mattered was not getting injured, probably because they had a Champions League match coming up the following week. 
      Southgate seems to have changed that mindset somewhat. You could see from the campaign in Russia in 2018 that a poorer team was able to go further because everyone believed in the cause.
      There’s been a reconnection with the fans and between the players and that has formed the basis for a more positive view of the team from everybody.
      Now that Southgate has that sorted along comes a group of hugely-talented young players. What a great time to have this job.

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      Mason Greenwood added dynamism to England’s attackCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Foden, Sancho, Rice, Greenwood, Mount and Rashford are all young and hungry and joining up with a group of more experienced England players who have bought into Gareth’s mindset.
      Learning from the likes of Harry Kane in particular, who believes so much in the national team, will only fire up the youngsters as we progress and develop.
      This is as talented a bunch as the Golden Generation of the noughties.
      Let’s just hope that history doesn’t repeat itself and we don’t toss it away again.
      MASON BUZZ REMINDS ME OF JOE ’N RIO
      ROBBIE SAVAGE told me a couple of years ago to keep an eye out for an emerging young player at Manchester United called Mason Greenwood.
      Robbie’s son is a scholar at Old Trafford and at the time Greenwood was only 14 but already tearing his way through youth football.
      I am now so excited to see 18-year-old Greenwood make a huge impression on the Premier League this season.
      This will be his first full year and this boy has the lot.

      I am now so excited to see 18-year-old Greenwood make a huge impression on the Premier League this season. If I was his manager, I’d be so excited.

      He has pace, technical ability and confidence beyond his years.
      If I was his manager, I’d be so excited.
      Although he was a different kind of player, it reminds me of when I was manager at West Ham and Joe Cole was coming through.
      The buzz at the club ahead of players like these is intoxicating and gives everyone involved a rush of adrenalin.
      It’s like the bow wave of a fast-moving ship, pushing things ahead of it all the time and the rest of us enjoying the ride.
      We also had Rio Ferdinand and a young whippersnapper striker in Jermain Defoe.

      There’s an added ingredient of sparkle when a real gem shines through from inside a club.
      Look at how Marcus Rashford has captured the imagination of the United fans. United still need a couple more players, though.
      A centre-half and an out-and-out striker.
      They have great young  forwards but a proper hold-up No 9 would make them a formidable outfit.
      Greenwood, Rashford and a bulldozing centre-forward.

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      Gareth Bale could turn old club Spurs into Premier League title challengersCredit: AFP and licensors
      Were they to add Jadon Sancho to that, you’d really believe United are on their way back.
      This season they’ll definitely be pushing harder than in recent years although there is a lot of ground to make up on the top two.
      Exciting times to be a Man United fan, though.
      Liverpool and Man City are not going to have it their own way for too much longer.
      The next few seasons will see England’s  top league busted wide open again with United  and Chelsea making serious inroads into their superiority.
      BALE COULD LEAD SPURS TITLE CHARGE
      BET I am not the only one sorry to see Lionel Messi is NOT coming to the Premier League by signing for Manchester City after all.
      It was no surprise that, while the uncertainty over his future raged, City were favourites to win the league.
      This, despite Liverpool winning it by 18 points last year. That tells you the impact one of the few players I regard as a genuine ‘genius’  can have.
      However, while one Barcelona star is staying put, there’s a chance a Galactico  could come home — as  Gareth Bale  drops hints he may be ready to return to the Premier League.
       Of the possible destinations, if Bale went back to Tottenham to team up with an already lively frontline you could see Spurs do some serious damage.

      Bale could change Tottenham from European contenders to Premier League title challengers. He would give everyone a lift.

      Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Dele Alli and Bale.
      If it were my call, I’d throw all four of them on together and step back to watch lift-off.
      Bale could change Tottenham from European contenders to Premier League title challengers.
      He would give everyone a lift. And when I think of Dele playing the supporting role behind those three it makes my skin tingle.
      Dele plateaued over the last few seasons — but has shown some signs of starting to get back to his best.
      It was always likely to happen to him because he was so young when he burst on to the scene.
      But Spurs need reinvigorating — and Bale would do just that.

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      Dele Alli has shown signs of rediscovering his best formCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      As it stands, I’m plumping for a top eight involving the same mix from last season.
      Liverpool will face a tougher race but will become the fourth team to retain the Premier League title.
      Then it’s Manchester City, with Chelsea and Manchester United slugging it out for third and fourth.
      After that it’s Tottenham, maybe Arsenal, and then Wolves and Leicester to round it off.
      Anyone below that could be in a battle for Europe or a desperate fight for survival.
      JUST SCRAP VAR
      Football belongs to the fans. It’s not right that every time a goal is scored they have to wait two minutes to see if they can celebrate or not. We don’t need the game to be perfect.
      VAR is not for me. I would keep goal-line technology  — but I would get rid of everything else.
      And even if I was still a serving manager, I’d say the same thing.
      It would give me no pleasure at all to see a goal disallowed — even against my team — if the scorer was offside by the thickness of his big toe.

      VAR is not for me. I would keep goal-line technology — but I would get rid of everything else. And even if I was still a serving manager, I’d say the same thing.

      Some you win, some you lose, let’s just trust referees and their assistants.
      Football is really about entertainment. It’s a whole package.
      Of course winning and losing matters.
      But the paying fans have got to enjoy going.
      And that’s the biggest part of it all.
      LUKA AT BILLY
      I LOVE watching young players, always have done. Especially those who emerge from the academies and make it.

      Billy Gilmour at Chelsea is my one to watch for 2020-21. What a fascinating player he is. Intelligent, hard-working and tough despite being relatively small — and so elegant to watch.
      The 19-year-old is always one move ahead and that’s what you need against the giants of midfield. He has pictures in his mind where the next pass is going before he even receives the ball.
      His head is permanently swivelling and I bet if you stopped any match he was playing in and blindfolded Billy, he could tell you precisely where all his team-mates were. To me, he’s a Luka Modric in the making.

      Jack Grealish stopped by England security at St George’s Park as they didn’t recognise Aston Villa star More

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      Fuming West Ham fans plan protest against owners on first day of Premier League after Grady Diangana exit

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      FURIOUS West Ham fans will again protest against the club’s owners on the opening day of the season.
      The £18million sale of Grady Diangana to West Brom has caused outrage, with captain Mark Noble adding to the complaints by saying he was “gutted, angry and sad”.

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      West Ham fans have reacted with fury to the club’s decision to sell Grady Diangana to West Bromwich AlbionCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Coronavirus rules prevent mass gatherings but individual fans and small groups will vent their anger on Saturday outside the London Stadium as the Hammers host Newcastle.
      And leading supporter organisation Hammers United pledged to stage another large-scale demonstration as soon as the law allows it.

      Now more than ever, the voices of our members and all West Ham fans must be heard
      Stephen Cross – Hammers United

      Secretary Stephen Cross said: “Feelings are once more running high across our membership and the broader fanbase and we will answer the call to deliver another large-scale protest, as soon as it is safe.

      “In the meantime, just like our club captain, we cannot remain silent.

      “We are working round the clock to arrange a series of smaller-scale protests, in an effort to show the board and the watching world that we are all as gutted, angry and sad as our skipper.
      “We will also continue in our efforts to create a Supporters’ Board that is independent of the club, despite attempts in some quarters to scuttle the process.
      “Now more than ever, the voices of our members and all West Ham fans must be heard.”

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      West Ham skipper Mark Noble is among the players who have publically shown their opposition to the sale of Diangana

      In February, thousands of Hammers supporters marched to the ground as part of the #GSBOut campaign, that wants joint-owners David Gold and David Sullivan, plus vice-chairman Karren Brady, to leave the club.

      Fans were already livid at the failure to make significant signings in this transfer window.
      And the sale of Diangana, 22, to a potential relegation rival has brought the resentment to the surface again.

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      Boxer Anthony Joshua spotted on nights out with estranged wife of Man City ace Riyad Mahrez

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      BOXER Anthony Joshua has been spotted on nights out with the estranged wife of Man City ace Riyad Mahrez, The Sun on Sunday can reveal.
      Heavyweight champion Joshua, 30, and 26-year-old Rita have been seen together twice in the past few weeks at a shisha bar and also at a party at a mutual pal’s pad.

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      Man City ace Riyad Mahrez and estranged wife Rita, 26Credit: Splash News
      They first met last December when Joshua invited Rita to join him and pals at their table in a VIP section of the Tape nightclub in London’s Mayfair. Joshua is said to have “backed away” when he realised she was footballer Riyad’s missus.
      Recently, Joshua and Rita have been seen with friends at The Hart Lounge shisha bar in Southgate, North London.
      And last night a source said: “Rita’s mad keen on AJ. She thinks they can be a couple.
      “She’s in touch with him via his circle of friends and loves going out with them, although she really only has eyes for AJ.

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      Anthony Joshua has been spotted on nights out with RitaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      “She’s been telling people about him, although he has held her at arm’s length.”
      Another source said: “AJ has been on nights out where Rita is there. He’s ultra-cautious about her. He fears she’s targeted him for publicity as she’s trying to launch a music career.”
      Rita, living in a £2million mansion in Buckinghamshire, separated from Algerian star Riyad, 29, with whom she has two children, last year.
      Watford-born Joshua is single. He split from dancer Nicole Osbourne in 2016 and they have a son, JJ, four.

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      AJ is said to have ‘backed away’ when he realised Rita was footballer Riyad’s missusCredit: PA:Press Association

      He told The Sun in May that finding love now would be tricky as it would mean having to change his ways.
      He said: “I don’t know how easy that would be.”
      A spokesman for Joshua said: “Anthony doesn’t personally know Mrs Mahrez and has no wish to, now or in future. He’s disappointed that she or people around her have tried to use his name to generate publicity.”

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      Rita, living in a £2million mansion in Buckinghamshire, separated from Algerian star Riyad, 29, with whom she has two children, last yearCredit: Getty – Contributor

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      Talking about Rita, a source said: ‘He fears she’s targeted him for publicity as she’s trying to launch a music career’Credit: PA:Press Association

      Anthony Joshua calls out Tyson Fury saying he has the worst fashion sense
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      Neco Williams reveals England approaches as Liverpool whizkid prepares for first Wales start

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      LIVERPOOL whizkid Neco Williams revealed he snubbed advances from England — as he gears up to make his first start for Wales.
      The 19-year-old full-back bluntly declared: “England were trying to snap at me but I wasn’t having any of it.”

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      Liverpool starlet Neco Williams snubbed England in pursuit of Wales gloryCredit: Huw Evans Picture Agency
      Now one of Anfield’s brightest young talents hopes to continue his rapid progress with a full debut against Bulgaria at Cardiff City Stadium.
      Williams’ stunning breakthrough on Merseyside last season saw him make six top-flight appearances as Liverpool were crowned champions for the first time in 30 years.
      The right-back seemed to come from nowhere to feature regularly under Reds manager Jurgen Klopp when football returned from lockdown.
      He became only the fifth Welshman to claim Premier League glory alongside Ryan Giggs, Mark Hughes, Clayton Blackmore and ex-Leicester midfielder Andy King.

      It capped a remarkable rise for the Wrexham-born Cefn Albion product, who joined Liverpool aged just six and could have played for boss Gareth Southgate’s England.

      Hopefully I can get as many caps as I can for Wales and keep progressing.
      Neco Williams

      But Williams made his Wales debut off the bench in the 1-0 Nations League win in Finland on Thursday.
      He said: “I spoke to the gaffer and said my intentions were with Wales.
      “Hopefully I can get as many caps as I can for Wales and keep progressing.

      “As a young kid, you always dream of making your debut. This is only the start for me.”
      Williams came through the Welsh set-up and senior boss Giggs was never too worried about losing him, despite the ace qualifying for the Three Lions via his grandparents.

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      Williams came through the Welsh set-up but qualified for England via his grandparents
      Ex-Football Association of Wales education and welfare officer Cledwyn Ashford has a keen eye for talent, having spotted Aaron Ramsey and Joe Ledley at junior level.
      Ashford said: “In the junior Welsh camps Neco was very quiet.
      “He wasn’t too keen on his homework, he used to like forgetting to bring it from school! But his behaviour was exemplary.
      “He never got involved in any bother. He was very focused on what he wanted to do — which was to play for Wales’ first XI.

      I’m so pleased for him. Neco deserves great credit for what he’s achieved — but this is just the beginning for him
      Ex-Football Association of Wales education and welfare officer Cledwyn Ashford

      “Gary Speed was the best Under-11 player I’ve seen in my life. In Neco’s year there were so many good players that he didn’t really stick out as much — but what you saw in him was technical ability, strength and pace.
      “He’s got that great pace, yet you wouldn’t have said he’d be where he is now.
      “I’m so pleased for him. Neco deserves great credit for what he’s achieved — but this is just the beginning for him.”
      And Williams clearly proved his determination by choosing Liverpool over his boyhood club Manchester United and has never looked back.

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      Williams made six top-flight appearances as Liverpool achieved Premier League glory last seasonCredit: PA:Press Association
      His dad Lee said: “I’m a United fan and Neco supported them when he was younger.
      “He was training at both clubs. He had the choice and it was Liverpool.
      “We followed him all over the world in tournaments when he was young.
      “We’ve been to Tokyo, Qatar and Switzerland. So not being able to be at Anfield when he came on to make his Premier League debut against Crystal Palace was so frustrating for all of us.”

      I’m a United fan and Neco supported them when he was younger. He was training at both clubs. He had the choice and it was Liverpool.
      Lee Williams

      Williams still retains close links to Cefn Mawr, the north Wales village in which he grew up.
      After being part of the Liverpool side which won the Club World Cup in Qatar in December, the teenager was back at Cefn Albion the next day for their Christmas jumper party.
      His home was besieged by Liverpool fans keen for a picture or autograph.
      Albion club secretary Nick Jones said: “He always comes home level-headed and supporting his village. We couldn’t be prouder of him.”

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      Williams is set to be handed his first start for WalesCredit: Reuters
      Williams spent his childhood making the four-hour trip from Cefn Mawr to Cardiff for junior international camps and was rewarded when Giggs handed him a debut in Helsinki last Thursday.
      Williams impressed in an unfamiliar midfield role but Giggs sees him as a long-term replacement for Chris Gunter on the right of his defence.
      Wales Under-19 manager Rob Edwards said: “There are many great Liverpool players who haven’t got a Premier League medal.
      “I think Neco will end up being a player who can do it all. He is the typical modern defender and he’s got a lot of strings to his bow.”
      Williams, Manchester United’s Dylan Levitt and Swansea’s Ben Cabango all made international bows against Finland as Giggs gave the youngsters a chance.
      Edwards added: “Since Ryan has taken over, the number of young players who have moved into the senior squad has been massive.

      “He will have to fight to earn his shirt in the Wales team as well as at Liverpool — but potentially Wales have got themselves a top player.”
      With next summer’s Euros being followed by the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, Williams’ emergence has come at an opportune time.
      Ashford added: “I’ve always said it’s a shame the World Cup is in Qatar because if it was in Europe, then Wales could go all the way with this bunch of players.”

      Real Madrid outcast Gareth Bale joins Wales team training in Finland More