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      Robbie Williams prepares bid to buy club he’s supported since a lad – with potential Wrexham-style TV deal in the works

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      ROBBIE Williams is preparing a shock bid to buy his beloved Port Vale football club.The former Take That star, 49, has been backed by a consortium to take over the League One side — with a potential lucrative TV spin-off.
      Robbie Williams was named as Port Vale’s president at the weekend and hinted at the behind-closed-doors talks
      Robbie has been backed by a consortium to take over the League One sideCredit: PA
      Robbie — who co-created the Soccer Aid charity football matches — was named as club president at the weekend and hinted at the behind-closed-doors talks as he posed in a team shirt, with the caption: “Up The Vale.”
      If it goes through, Robbie could land a lucrative streaming deal, similar to the Wrexham takeover by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
      A source said: “It’s really early days, but Robbie’s been formally approached to see if he’s interested in fronting a bid. Port Vale remains one of his greatest loves, and it’s always been a dream to be more involved. He’s had a couple of meetings, and his backers are incredibly excited.
      “They feel Robbie would add the star quality, and make Port Vale a major player.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      “Seeing what Ryan and Rob have done with Wrexham — the increased footfall, merchandise sales and general profile build — is inspiring. Port Vale fans love Robbie and, on paper, it’s a match made in heaven.”
      Local lad Robbie played for his side at Vale Park in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, in a 2001 testimonial, and later helped design their shirts. He also founded his own US-based team in 2005 — Los Angeles Vale.
      Port Vale have never been in the top flight of English football. After being named president, Robbie posed in a club shirt and name-checked one of its stands.
      He said: “My life is bizarre and wonderful and has taken many turns and twists and to find myself from the Railway Paddock to be ‘El Presidente’ is pretty special. It feels as though I need to be doing more in and around this place.”
      Most read in Football
      Since actors Ryan and Rob completed their purchase of Wrexham in 2020, the Welsh club’s value has increased by more than 300 per cent.
      Their docu-series Welcome To Wrexham, charting the takeover, became a hit on Disney+.
      If he takes over, Robbie can call on advice from star pals Sir Elton John — ex-Watford chairman — and David Beckham, co-owner of US side Inter Miami.
      The Angels singer co-created the Soccer Aid charity football matchesCredit: Alpha Photo Press Agency More

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      Fears for Marcus Rashford after boozing, split from childhood sweetheart and ‘warning’ from Ten Hag

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      IT WAS only last summer that striker Marcus ­Rashford had the world at his feet — but critics say he’s now out of control.The boyhood Manchester United fan had just signed a new five-year, £325,000-a-week contract running until 2028 — giving him a guaranteed £84.5million in salary.
      For the first time, Marcus Rashford’s Old Trafford future is being seriously questioned by fans and critics after he went out clubbing the night before training and rang in sickCredit: Getty
      The news of Rashford’s split with his fiance Lucia Loi, his childhood sweetheart, after he was pictured walking back into a Miami hotel with personal trainer Courtney CaldwellCredit: Getty
      Marcus now faces some time off the pitch as he tries to regain Ten Hag’s trust and simplify his life away from footballCredit: Getty
      All he had to do was keep ­performing on the pitch.
      Smiling for the camera with boss Erik ten Hag, he said at the time: “I will give everything to help the team reach the level we are capable of. I couldn’t be more excited for the future under this manager.”
      But for the first time, his Old Trafford future is being seriously questioned by fans and critics after he went out clubbing the night before training and rang in sick.
      Ex-Premier League star and BBC pundit Chris Sutton yesterday told the It’s All Kicking Off podcast: “He thinks he’s untouchable.
      READ MORE ON MARCUS RASHFORD
      “This hasn’t been the first time he’s had a misdemeanour. It’s been continuous. He has no respect for the manager and no respect for his teammates. That’s the bottom line.
      “He’s probably thinking he is going to outlast Ten Hag, but he’s out of control as far as I can see.”
      Fellow BBC pundit and Newcastle legend Alan Shearer added: “Something is wrong — either at home or in his relationship with the club.
      “He can’t keep doing this, he can’t keep wasting his talent. He needs strong management, someone to get hold of him and tell him there’ll be huge regrets come the end of his career if he continues doing this.”
      Most read in Football
       Rashford’s latest actions have presented a huge challenge for disciplinarian Ten Hag, who has already put his foot down with stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho and forced them out of the club.
      The only thing that may save his longer-term future at the club is a heartfelt apology to the Dutchman and the fact United are in dire need of attacking options.
      An Instagram apology to the fans will no doubt follow and a promise to improve on his total of four goals in 26 appearances this season.
      But the signs of a troubled life off the pitch were there before United announced in July last year that the 26-year-old had signed a new deal after a superb season saw him score 30 goals in 56 games.
      A month earlier, The Sun told how Rashford had split with his fiancée Lucia Loi, his sweetheart from school. The news emerged after he was seen walking into a Miami hotel with personal trainer Courtney Caldwell during a holiday.
      Rashford then appeared to be among players warned by Ten Hag ahead of this season that they needed to live their life right, on and off the pitch.
      He said: “When you are not living the right life, you get killed. What is important? Sleep, recovery, nutrition. Three key areas and when you don’t do this right, you can’t perform.
      “So when you ask me about Rashford, the same also counts for Rapha Varane and for every player. You will not reach the levels when you don’t do the things right.”
      When asked directly, “Is there a concern that Marcus or any other player has a problem with their lifestyle?”, Ten Hag refused to take a backwards step.
      He responded: “In general, when I came in at Man United, the standards were not right. That’s true.
      “I demand the highest standards in sleep, recovery and nutrition because that makes the difference if you can perform every third or fourth day. At Man United we are demanding the highest standards.”
      Rashford should not have been surprised by the warning as Ten Hag previously dropped him from the starting line-up against Wolves in December 2022 for being late for a team meeting.
      He responded by coming on as a sub and scoring the winner, and later insisted in an interview he understood the decision.
      He said: “I never made a thing out of it because if I was a coach, I’d have done the same.”
      But in June, 2023, his personal life was being questioned when he was spotted in Malibu, California, with American Caldwell and Love Island’s Natalia Zoppa.
      And three months later, he pranged his £700,000 Rolls-Royce.
      Then, in October 2023, he incurred Ten Hag’s wrath again when he decided to go out to ­Chinawhite nightclub in Manchester to celebrate his birthday after United were beaten 3-0 by rivals Man City.
      Ten Hag later said: “I spoke with him about it. It’s unacceptable. He apologised and that is it. For us it’s an internal matter. He’s very motivated to put things right.” That night out came nine days after his brother Dane was arrested on holiday with his partner in Miami on suspicion of battery.
      The Rashford family closed ranks but Dane’s mugshot emerged online the following month — causing a split between Dane and Marcus’ other brother Dwaine Maynard, who looks after his career.
      A source said: “The arrest was embarrassing and has caused a lot of problems within the family. Marcus is firmly in the middle of it and trying to keep everyone happy, which is making him unhappy.” Dane has since been cleared of any wrongdoing.
      But the Rashford family were dealt a further blow when a cousin passed away, with Marcus paying tribute to him by looking up to the sky after scoring. Marcus now has to regain Ten Hag’s trust and simplify his life away from football.
      Many fans are baffled how it has gone so wrong for the footballer, who could do no wrong in the public’s eyes early on in his career.
      He earned widespread praise for his charity work and campaigning on food poverty. This led to him being awarded an MBE in 2020, when he was 22. He successfully lobbied the Government during the pandemic to U-turn on its policy of stopping free school meals for primary kids at the summer holidays.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      And his motivational children’s book You Are A Champion won Book Of The Year in 2022.
      The star was snapped partying with pals in Malibu, CaliforniaCredit: Apex
      The star was involved in a late night crash in his £700,00 Rolls-RoyceCredit: Ketts News – The Sun More

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      Downing tequila, falling into bed fully clothed then calling in sick to Man Utd… inside Marcus Rashford’s 12-hour bender

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      MARCUS Rashford went on a 12-hour tequila bender before passing out at 3am, then called in sick hours later.The Manchester United striker, 26, was axed for last Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Newport County after missing training following two days of boozing in Belfast.
      Marcus Rashford went on a 12-hour tequila bender before passing out at 3am, the ace in Northern Ireland before his bingeCredit: Twitter
      Marcus Rashford posed for picture with a restaurant worker on Thursday at 4:22pm
      Rashford went for drinks at Lavery’s after arriving in Belfast on Wednesday evening
      A waitress who joined the Manchester United ace on his booze bender told last night how he was “on a mission to get drunk”.
      She said the sloshed striker downed tequila shots and cocktails before collapsing on a hotel bed fully clothed just before 3am.
      Rashford had spent two days partying on a visit to Belfast to see a pal, and got a 7am private jet back to Manchester on Friday.
      But he then rang in sick for training and was later fined £650,000 — two weeks’ wages — and dropped from the FA Cup tie at Newport County last Sunday.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      He was pictured yesterday morning arriving at training ahead of showdown talks with United bosses.
      Belfast waitress Sarah Adair, 30, told last night how she had served the footballer lunch before he invited her to party with him.
      She claimed they then had a “weird” night out which ended with her having to put him to bed after he drunkenly dropped huge wads of cash on the floor.
      Sarah said: “I’m not surprised he missed training the next day given how late he got to bed and how much he’d had to drink. He must’ve known he wasn’t going to be in any fit state to play football.”
      Most read in Football
      The mum of one was working on Thursday afternoon when a two-man security team came in and asked for a discreet table for a “high-profile” VIP party.
      At first Sarah thought it could be a famous actor such as James Nesbitt or Jamie Dornan because the city is a hotbed for filming.
      When Rashford walked in, she did not recognise him and only realised he was a footballer when her United-mad manager told her.
      She said: “He was with two men and two women. One was clearly a friend and the other girl was French and very beautiful.
      “She seemed to be with Marcus because of how they interacted. She was touching his knee and he was touching her arm, but you could tell from the conversation they didn’t know each other that well. It was like he’d just met her.”
      Earlier Rashford had visited Larne FC after his footballer pal Ro-Shaun Williams signed for the Northern Irish club.
      As Sarah served the group, Rashford also told how he had visited the Dirty Onion bar and Lavery’s pub the night before after flying into the city.
      He ordered sea bass then asked her where was good to go out, adding: “You should come out with us and show us around.”
      Meanwhile, Sarah’s manager politely asked Rashford’s minders if he could have a picture with him, but they refused as he was on a “business trip”. They also declined Sarah’s request to sign an autograph for her uncle.
      Sarah said Rashford did not touch his food and was more interested in what tequila was on offer as he and his pals downed shots and drank cocktails.
      He eventually relented on his picture ban and posed for a snap, as long as Sarah’s manager allowed her to leave early so she could hook up with them later.
      Sarah said: “I thought he was joking. My boss agreed.”
      She went on: “I’ve never been out with a Premier League footballer before so I thought, ‘Why not?’. Little did I know how weird it would be.”
      Before leaving, Rashford asked Sarah if she knew of any nightclubs which would stay open later than the usual 3am closing time if he paid them enough cash.
      She said: “That made it clear to me that he had already made his mind up that he wasn’t going to training on Friday. He had no plans to go home that night.”
      Sarah finished her shift early at 5pm and went home before returning to the city centre at around 7pm.
      She messaged Rashford’s minder as arranged but was left sitting in a bar on her own for nearly three hours before a Mercedes van pulled up at 9.40pm, and a security guard collected her.
      She was asked to hand over her phone and not reveal who she was with or where she was going, although she was allowed to tell her mum.
      The taxi took Sarah to the Villa Italia restaurant where Rashford was with his entourage and two other local women who had also been invited out.
      Sarah said Rashford had booked out the top floor and brought his own Bluetooth speaker so he could play his favourite rap music.
      He was dressed all in white with a diamond-encrusted watch on each wrist along with six or seven silver diamond chains and two diamond rings. He also had two identical iPhones on the table.
      She said Rashford had also brought his own bottle of tequila. Sarah recalled: “I pulled up a chair and sat next to him and we all chatted.
      “Marcus was confident but also seemed a bit shy. It’s as though he doesn’t really know who he is. He gives out the vibe he thinks, ‘I’m a footballer, I’ve got loads of money and can do whatever I want’. His friends treated him like he was a god.”
      Sarah said Rashford ordered bruschetta but did not touch it as he does not like tomatoes with seeds in.
      She said the star, who was only eating bread, told her: “I’ve been drinking all day.”
      Sarah added: “They were still drinking tequila and passing around a bottle of Patron and he also ordered a round of limoncello. He was clearly on a mission to get drunk.”
      She said one of Rashford’s friends reminded him he had training in the morning, but the player said he wanted to go out.
      When one of the girls mentioned Thompson’s Garage nightclub as a place to visit, Rashford asked if they thought the DJ would let him play his own music.
      Once dinner was over, the group split into girls and boys and they travelled in separate cars to Thompson’s, where clubbers captured the moment Rashford arrived.
      The group then headed to a private area called The Attic and ordered yet more drinks. Rashford and the French girl are later said to have argued after she accused him of kissing another woman.
      Sarah Adair told how she had served the footballer lunch before he invited her to party with himCredit: Pacemaker
      The ace visited Lavery’s in BelfastCredit: Pacemaker
      This picture was posted online of Man Utd’s Rashford at Larne FC, on Thursday at 1:06pm
      The footie ace headed to a nightclub on Friday at 00:30am following an afternoon sessionCredit: Instagram
      ACE RASH’S TIPPLES TIMELINE
      WEDNESDAY JAN 24
      9.55am: Rashford arrives for Man United training.4.21pm: Private jet leaves Manchester.5.17pm: Plane lands at Belfast International airport. Rashford checks into the Fitzwilliam Hotel and visits the Dirty Onion and Lavery’s bar.
      THURSDAY JAN 25
      1.06pm: Picture posted online of Rashford at Larne FC.2pm: Arrives at Sarah’s restaurant.4.30pm: Leaves restaurant.9.40pm: Rashford sends a driver to bring Sarah to Villa Italia restaurant.
      FRIDAY JAN 26
      00.30am: Rashford filmed going into Thompson’s Garage nightclub.2am: Rashford leaves and the group go back to his hotel — although a source close to the player insists it was at 1.15am.2.50am: The star passes out fully dressed.5am: Rashford and his minders leave hotel.7am: Private jet leaves Belfast airport.8am: Plane touches down at Manchester airport.
      SUNDAY JAN 28
      Rashford is dropped from FA Cup game against Newport County. United boss Erik ten Hag says Rashford’s behaviour is an “internal matter” and he will “deal” with it.
      MONDAY JAN 298.45am: Rashford arrives for training.

      Sarah told The Sun: “She said to me, ‘I’m so angry because he thinks he can do what he wants’.”
      Last night a source close to Rashford insisted the striker left the club at 1.15am.
      But Sarah says the group partied until shortly after 2am when Rashford’s pals and security decided the footballer was too drunk and needed to go to bed.
      As they all left, another clubber filmed Rashford leaving, with a minder heard saying to them: “You’re gonna get him in trouble.”
      The group then headed back to the five-star Fitzwilliam Hotel where Rashford was staying in the £1,500-a-night residence suite.
      Sarah went up with others but his French companion could be heard shouting and trying to get in. Sarah claimed Rashford then gathered the woman’s belongings and dumped them outside, with security shepherding her away.
      She said: “I said to Marcus to go out and speak to her and he just said, ‘No, I don’t care’.
      “He was so drunk at this point that he picked up his own bag and dropped it and all this cash fell out. It was all £20 notes and big wads of it. I reckon there was between £8,000 and £10,000 cash.
      “Then he falls back into the wall and I have to kind of scoop him up and on to the bed. He was fully dressed and I reckon he just passed out like that. He didn’t even get under the covers.”
      One of Rashford’s pals told Sarah that she could sleep in another room, which she did, waking at 9.30am. She then messaged his minder and asked what time she needed to go.
      He told her that Rashford and his team had gone at 5am, and asked her if she had left anything in his room as they had not done “a sweep”.
      Sarah said last night that she was not surprised the footballer has since got into trouble, adding: “He was clearly on a mission to have a big night.
      “It’s not like it wasn’t planned from the start. I don’t know how he didn’t realise he would be caught out.
      “Everyone was taking pictures of him during the night out.” The source close to Rashford claimed the star returned to the hotel at 1.15am, did not drink cocktails and had less than £1,000 in cash.
      Yesterday Rashford and his agent brother Dwaine met with manager Erik ten Hag and United’s director of football John Murtough for showdown talks.
      A source added: “Marcus accepts his standards have fallen well short of what is expected.”
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      Last night the club said: “Marcus has taken responsibility for his actions. This has been dealt with as an internal disciplinary matter, which is now closed.”
      Rashford walked towards the club door with his entourage on Friday at 00:31am
      Rashford’s pal put an arm around him as they entered the club on Friday at 00:32am
      Player was pictured inside the club on Friday at 00:55am as the session continued
      Rashford stayed in the Residence suiteCredit: Fitzwilliam Hotel
      Rashford arrived for showdown talks on Monday at 8:45amCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      The striker was axed from last Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Newport County after missing trainingCredit: Getty More

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      ‘It was a slow death’ says Kyle Walker as he relives devastated Annie finding out he’d had 2nd secret child with Lauryn

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      KYLE Walker tells The Sun today that his family are “all I’ve got” — and he has let them down.The England and Manchester City defender admitted he was ­selfish not to tell his pregnant wife about his second secret child — and says: “It was a slow death for me and for Annie.”
      Kyle Walker, 33, admitted he was selfish not to tell his pregnant wife about his second secret childCredit: Dan Charity
      The England and Manchester City defender says ‘it was a slow death for me and for Annie’Credit: Getty
      Kyle, Annie and children after City’s triumph in the Club World Cup final in Jeddah last month
      Annie’s world imploded just after Christmas when she received a devastating Instagram message out of the blue from Lauryn Goodman, who told her that Kyle had fathered another child with her.
      For the first time he publicly admits: “I’m sorry that I have had a second child with Lauryn and hurt my best friend.
      “It’s horrible to say that out loud.
      “I’ve hurt someone I truly believe is my soulmate.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      “It’s tough to not have her.
      “She’s my right-hand man.
      “I think of her so highly that she probably won’t understand and I probably don’t really tell her.
      “This isn’t an interview for me to tell the world how much I care about her because that’s down to me and Annie and what we feel.
      Most read in Football
      “Annie knows I’m sorry.
      “I’m sorry because as a family this isn’t meant to happen.
      “They are all I’ve got.
      “I’m not asking for pity.
      “I’ve let Annie and my boys down, I’ve let my mum and dad down, my nan down.”
      Last year, Lauryn, 32, welcomed their second child — a baby girl — conceived during a brief liaison in London.
      Annie then became pregnant with their fourth just weeks later and is due to give birth in March.
      Kyle said: “It pains me to think (of how she is coping while pregnant).
      “I’ve never not been there.
      “To not be there when she needs me the most, but to know that you’ve caused that hurt, that’s something I have to live with now.”
      Lauryn told Annie she deserved to know the truth and provided DNA results and legal letters that confirmed her worst fears.
      I’ve let Annie and my boys down, I’ve let my mum and dad down, my nan downKyle Walker
      In a bombshell admission, Kyle says he lived with the lie for 14 months, even after Annie, 30, became pregnant for a fourth time.
      Despite everything, he is desperate to save the marriage but accepts this could be the final nail in the coffin.
      He said he would not blame Annie if she chose to divorce him — and vowed to become a better role model.
      He said: “I think there’s too much pain and too much hurt.
      “For now, I just need to be the best dad that I can be.”
      By contrast he added of Lauryn: “There was no relationship.
      “That is something Lauryn could never honestly say.
      “We’ve never been out for food.
      “We’ve never been to the cinema.
      “I admit Lauryn was a friend for a long time.
      “I probably met her back when I was 20, 21.
      “We then have our episode in 2020.
      “I’m 33 now, that’s a good nine years before there has been anything of the sort.
      “After that there was nothing of the sort.
      “To have a relationship with someone… would she even know how many sugars I have in my coffee, if I have sugars?
      “She couldn’t tell you.
      A move to Bayern to flee fallout
      KYLE last night told how he almost followed Harry Kane to Bayern Munich to escape the looming baby scandal.
      The defender verbally agreed a reported £15million move to the German champions in July.
      He said: “I tried to escape. Did I want to leave City? No, of course I didn’t. We’re the best team in the world at the minute.
      “But it was a chance to get away from England and the media I was going to get.
      “I was aware the clock was ticking. I came very close to moving. We were having conversations. I was going to a great club, a massive club. But in the end I couldn’t go.
      “If I’m in Germany and this happens, Annie leaves and I’m now in Germany on my own.
      “My kids wouldn’t be around the corner where I can see them.
      “There’s pain and emotion at the moment but I can go to the house, take the kids to school, and my little lad to football.”

      “Lauryn had me trapped in a corner from October when she told me about a second child.
      “She would ask me to jump and I would say, ‘How high?’. This was to meet growing and unreasonable demands in return of not destroying my family.”
      Kyle admits he should have told his wife the truth when Lauryn became pregnant again.
      But he knew it would almost certainly end their marriage — and force him from the family home.
      He said: “It was selfish. I didn’t tell her because I wanted to be with her and the kids. Should she have heard it from Lauryn? No, no. 
      “That was the least I owed her. I was aware that the clock was ticking and I still chose not to tell Annie.” 
      It was selfish. I didn’t tell her because I wanted to be with her and the childrenKyle Walker
      But in a startling admission the World Cup star said: “I do and I don’t regret it.
      “I regret not telling her because she had a right to know and that’s the least I owe my best friend.
      “I don’t regret it selfishly because I got to spend days with my children.
      “I got to take the kids to the World Cup — they were there.
      “I’ve won a treble with City.
      “To see my kids’ faces when we won the Champions League is something I’ll never forget.
      “So whilst I deeply regret not telling Annie, I got to experience it as a family.
      “It was a double-edged sword between my conscience being clean and losing my family.”
      The full-back holds out the “unrealistic” hope Annie will give him another chance but accepts the misery he has inflicted on her.
      He toys with his wedding ring as he ponders: “Would people think she was mad to take me back? One million per cent.”
      A tattoo of the letter “A” for Annie is under his wedding band.
      She too has “K” for Kyle inked onto her finger — but has ditched the ring.
      Kyle adds: “People are entitled to their opinions, but they don’t know what goes on behind closed doors.
      “We’re not perfect.
      “Everyone goes through ups and downs in life.
      “But I wouldn’t blame her if she divorced me.
      “I would understand that she had got to a point where enough was enough.
      “I have to respect her decision.
      “I wouldn’t be angry or shocked if she did.
      “The ball is firmly in her court on what she decides to do with the future.
      “For me, again, I can keep on saying sorry but sorry’s not going to change anything.
      “All I can do is build a better future with or without Annie.”
      After Kyle fathered his first child with Lauryn, Annie described his betrayal as “obscene”.
      But she took him back and they married in late 2021 at plush Mottram Hall in Wilmslow, Cheshire.
      To not be there when she needs me the most, but to know that you’ve caused that hurt, that’s something I have to live with nowKyle Walker
      But their marriage was unable to escape from the shadow of his infidelity. 
      Wiping tears from his eyes, Kyle admits: “I lost a part of her.
      “Up until probably about three months ago she never told me she loved me.
      “She refused to tell me she loved me.
      “She said when she felt she could tell me that again then she would. And then all of this happened.”
      Kyle called Annie a “fantastic mum”, adding: “Recently, she has let me ring her phone which has been a massive help.
      “That just shows the mum that she is to the kids.
      “She doesn’t want to take that away.
      “They have always wished me good luck before the games and they did before the FA Cup win against Tottenham.
      “Little things like that show the character she has as a mum.
      “No matter what happens, the girl, the woman, my wife, will be my best friend until I die.
      “I’ll respect her decision fully.
      “I can’t change the past.
      “I can hopefully change the future.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      “Is it a reset button?
      “The reset button should have been pushed the first time.”
      So grateful to Pep and Southgate
      GRATEFUL Kyle last night than-ked his Man City manager Pep Guardiola and England’s Gareth Southgate for standing by him.
      Kyle called the Spaniard “unbelievable”. He said: “He didn’t know what was happening.
      “I didn’t want to tell him because I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t mentally there.
      “I can’t thank him enough for the understanding and belief he’s shown in me through four years.”
      Pep, 53, made Kyle captain despite objections from some fans. And the pair embraced on the pitch last Friday after a 1-0 win against Spurs in the FA Cup.
      Kyle was visibly emotional and punched the air repeatedly.
      He said Southgate — who made him England captain against North Macedonia last year — sent a supportive text message after his latest sex scandal.
      He declined to reveal details but said: “For your national team manager to reach out in a time of need goes beyond football.”

      Annie, above, received a devastating Instagram message out of the blue from Lauryn, who told her that Kyle had fathered another baby with her
      The ace said: ‘Annie knows I’m sorry. I’m sorry because as a family this isn’t meant to happen’Credit: Dan Charity
      Kyle admits he lived with the lie for 14 months, even after Annie fell pregnantCredit: Dan Charity More

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      Kyle Walker reveals he almost quit Man City for Bayern Munich to escape torture of his baby scandal

      by

      KYLE last night told how he almost followed Harry Kane to Bayern Munich to escape the looming baby scandal.The defender verbally agreed a reported £15million move to the German champions in July.
      Kyle Walker told how he almost followed Harry Kane to Bayern Munich to escape his looming baby scandalCredit: Getty
      Walker verbally agreed a reported £15million move to the German champions in JulyCredit: Dan Charity
      Kyle pictured with his pregnant ex-wife Annie KilnerCredit: BackGrid
      He said: “I tried to escape.
      “Did I want to leave City?
      “No, of course I didn’t.
      “We’re the best team in the world at the minute.
      Read More on Football
      “But it was a chance to get away from England and the media I was going to get.
      “I was aware the clock was ticking.
      “I came very close to moving.
      “We were having conversations.
      Most read in Football
      “I was going to a great club, a massive club.
      “But in the end I couldn’t go.
      “If I’m in Germany and this happens, Annie leaves and I’m now in Germany on my own.
      “My kids wouldn’t be around the corner where I can see them.
      “There’s pain and emotion at the moment but I can go to the house, take the kids to school, and my little lad to football.” More

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      Kyle Walker thanks ‘unbelievable’ Pep Guardiola for his backing and reveals supportive message sent by Gareth Southgate

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      GRATEFUL Kyle last night than-ked his Man City manager Pep Guardiola and England’s Gareth Southgate for standing by him.Kyle called the Spaniard “unbelievable”.
      Kyle Walker thanked his Man City manager Pep Guardiola for standing by himCredit: Getty
      Walker called the Spaniard ‘unbelievable’Credit: Dan Charity
      Kyle with pregnant wife Annie KilnerCredit: BackGrid
      He said: “He didn’t know what was happening.
      “I didn’t want to tell him because I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t mentally there.
      “I can’t thank him enough for the understanding and belief he’s shown in me through four years.”
      Pep, 53, made Kyle captain despite objections from some fans.
      Read More on Football
      And the pair embraced on the pitch last Friday after a 1-0 win against Spurs in the FA Cup.
      Kyle was visibly emotional and punched the air repeatedly.
      He said Southgate — who made him England captain against North Macedonia last year — sent a supportive text message after his latest sex scandal.
      He declined to reveal details but said: “For your national team manager to reach out in a time of need goes beyond football.”
      Most read in Football
      At the time Kyle described the opportunity as a “fantastic moment for me and my family”.
      In his interview he said: “To put on the England shirt and walk out for your country, bearing in mind I led my country out, you will never ever beat that.
      “Only winning something with England would top that.” More

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      Man City star Kyle Walker confesses to betraying ‘soulmate & best friend’ Annie Kilner in astonishingly honest interview

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      ENGLAND ace Kyle Walker today admits he made “idiot choices and idiot decisions” over his secret child and ­bitterly regrets betraying soulmate wife Annie.The Man City defender, 33, opens up on the pain of losing his family in an astonishingly frank interview — and accepts he is the only one to blame.
      Kyle Walker has admitted he bitterly regrets betraying his soulmate wife Annie Kilner in an astonishingly honest interviewCredit: Dan Charity
      Annie ordered the £160,000-a-week star to leave the family home in Cheshire and has since ditched her wedding ringCredit: BackGrid
      He is now living alone in a rented £3million property and accepts that, having fathered a second child with model Lauryn Goodman, his marriage is all but over.
      He also issued an apology to Annie, mum to three of his children and now expecting a fourth.
      Kyle told The Sun: “What I’ve done is horrible and I take full responsibility.
      “I made idiot choices and idiot decisions. I can’t begin to think or imagine what Annie is going through. I’ve tried to ask her but there’s pain and hurt.
      READ MORE ON KYLE WALKER
      “The man that’s meant to love, care and be there for her, did this.
      “There have been days in this ordeal where I’ve just wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep.
      “The only person to blame is me. I have roles and responsibilities that I’m aware of and I’ve made stupid choices. But I need to own up to my mistakes — I owe it to everyone.
      “My actions have caused a lot of pain to a lot of people. I’m sorry because, as a family, this isn’t meant to happen.”
      Most read in Football
      Sheffield-born Kyle, who has won 81 caps for England and last season landed the treble with Man City, said he was speaking out for the sake of his family.
      He explained: “I am a private man but I accept that I am a public figure and I need to address what I’ve done.
      “It hasn’t helped that it has been played out in the media. But I’ve chosen to speak now in the hope that I can at least explain myself and enable my wife and children to have the privacy they so desperately need and deserve.”
      Kyle, who captained his country for the first time in November in a 1-1 draw with North Macedonia, went on: “When I met Annie at 17, I never envisaged my private life being like this. I never thought I would be a father of six.
      My actions have caused a lot of pain to a lot of peopleKyle Walker
      “In football I’ve achieved more than what I ever thought I would achieve. But to personally hurt what I truly believe is my best friend, that’s what hurts a lot.
      “How could I hurt someone I love so much? That’s something I need to find in myself.
      “I need to find out why I have done this and why situations have occurred. I am human and I’ve made mistakes on and off the field.
      “The ones off the field are definitely more damaging and have been more hurtful to me.
      “Football has been my life since I was six but my family comes before anything on this planet. At the moment, they’re hurting enormously.”
      His voice broke as he revealed: “My little boy goes to sleep with me every night and to not have him . . . I’m used to being away for long periods of time with England.
      “We say goodnight on FaceTime. But to know that I’m not with him because of my mistake — mistake is probably the wrong word, my choices — that’s what pains me.”
      Kyle said he had known Lauryn since his early 20s. Despite her claims, he insisted that there had never been a relationship.
      But in April 2020, she gave birth to a son, and later publicly named Kyle as the dad.
      He recalls ringing Annie from City’s training ground to warn her before news got out, saying: “I’ve got to tell you something. I had a one-night stand with someone.”
      Walker is now living alone in a rented £3million property and accepts that his marriage is overCredit: Dan Charity
      I can’t begin to think or imagine what Annie is going through, said Walker
      He named Lauryn then interrupted his wife’s screams to add: “I’ve got to tell you something else.”
      Annie yelled: “Kyle, no, I’m begging you, there can’t be anything else.” She said afterwards: “I didn’t think ‘baby’.
      “It was like a nightmare. Before I had time to think he said, ‘She says she’s pregnant and it’s mine’.”
      Kyle moved out of the family home to a rented £8,000-a-month pad in nearby Hale, Cheshire.
      Annie later agreed to take him back for the sake of their children and admitted: “How can I hate the man my kids love so much?”
      Kyle vowed not to have any contact with Lauryn — beyond ongoing financial arrangements.
      But in August 2022, Lauryn revealed she was planning to relocate 245 miles from Brighton to set up home on his doorstep.
      Kyle said he met her at a solicitors’ office to try to stop the move.He then met his son, Kairo, for the first time and the couple resumed contact without Annie’s knowledge.
      In early October 2022, Kyle travelled to London for groin surgery and met Lauryn.
      Annie is mum to three of Kyle Walker’s children and is now expecting a fourth
      Kyle vowed not to have any contact with Lauryn — beyond ongoing financial arrangementsCredit: Getty
      He said: “It wasn’t intentional or premeditated but I slept with her. A lot was going on. It’s not an excuse. I’d ruptured my groin, I had a World Cup to get fighting fit for.”
      But then he received the bombshell news that Lauryn was pregnant again.
      He recalled: “Lauryn told me at the end of October, early November. I remember going upstairs at the training ground when I got a phone call from her. I was with the physio at the time. I nearly fainted. I was just white. He said to me, ‘What’s the matter?’, and I wouldn’t tell him because I needed to process it myself.
      “I asked if we could scrap the session and he just said, ‘Fine’.
      “I went into survival mode. I was like, ‘What can I do now every day to make sure that I go home to Annie and the boys?’.
      “When I was dealing with all this, I was still able to play football. My mum and my dad and my friends have asked me, ‘How?’.
      “But it was my release. It was 90 minutes, 100 minutes, two hours if you want to call it that, where I didn’t have to look at that phone or listen to demands from a certain someone.
      “I’ve tried my utmost to keep this under wraps, not because I’m embarrassed or ashamed . . . I try to be a private person.
      “I take full ownership of the choices that I’ve made that have hurt other people.
      “No one’s put a gun to my head and said that I’ve got to do these things. I have done it by my own accord and I won’t blame anything or anyone else in this situation.
      “It was me that did it, me and Lauryn. We both did this.
      “If I could go back and do it a different way, I would. I knew what was coming. The second child had been born and the deadline was set. It scared me.”
      If I could go back and do it a different way, I wouldKyle Walker
      In the same month, he verbally agreed a reported £15million move to German giants Bayern Munich — to try to run from the looming scandal.
      But he eventually turned them down as he did not want to be away from his family when his secret emerged.
      Then, a day after Boxing Day, Lauryn sent Annie an Instagram message, telling her: “I don’t have two baby daddies — I have one.”
      She also forwarded a photo of Kyle on a playdate with Lauryn and the two children in a park.
      Kyle added: “I knew something was coming when I landed back from the Club World Cup before Christmas because I had a conversation with Lauryn.
      “She was screaming down the phone, saying Annie’s pregnant. I said she wasn’t. It was none of her business. I felt I had to lie to her because I knew if I told her the truth it was going to blow.
      “The pregnancy was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
      My move to Munich to escape
      KYLE told how he almost followed Harry Kane to Bayern Munich to escape the looming baby scandal.
      The defender verbally agreed a reported £15million move to the German champions in July.
      He said: “I tried to escape. Did I want to leave City? No, of course I didn’t. We’re the best team in the world at the minute.
      “But it was a chance to get away from England and the media I was going to get.
      “I was aware the clock was ticking. I came very close to moving. We were having conversations. I was going to a great club, a massive club. But in the end I couldn’t go.
      “If I’m in Germany and this happens, Annie leaves and I’m now in Germany on my own.
      “My kids wouldn’t be around the corner where I can see them.
      “There’s pain and emotion at the moment but I can go to the house, take the kids to school, and my little lad to football.”

      Annie ordered the £160,000-a-week star to leave the family home in Cheshire and has since ditched her wedding ring.
      She has hired Coleen Rooney’s Wagatha Christie lawyer, Paul Lunt, and PR guru Rachel Monk.
      Shortly after the New Year she announced in a statement that she was taking “some time away” from Kyle.
      He said: “It’s my fault. It’s completely my fault. It’s what I’ve done. But the children are innocent in all of this and that has to be at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      “I don’t know what the future will hold. But I needed to give an explanation. My family, the children have been put through enough . . . and I am to blame.”

      KYLE is not being paid for this interview but a donation will be made to a charity of his choice.

      Grateful to Pep and Southgate
      GRATEFUL Kyle thanked his Man City manager Pep Guardiola and England’s Gareth Southgate for standing by him.
      Kyle called the Spaniard “unbelievable”.
      He said: “He didn’t know what was happening.
      “I didn’t want to tell him because I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t mentally there.
      “I can’t thank him enough for the understanding and belief he’s shown in me through four years.”
      Pep, 53, made Kyle captain despite objections from some fans. And the pair embraced on the pitch last Friday after a 1-0 win against Spurs in the FA Cup.
      Kyle was visibly emotional and punched the air repeatedly.
      He said Southgate — who made him England captain against North Macedonia last year — sent a supportive text message after his latest sex scandal.
      He declined to reveal details but said: “For your national team manager to reach out in a time of need goes beyond football.” More

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      Man Utd ace Marcus Rashford facing £650k fine for partying and missing training saying he was ill

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      ENGLAND striker Marcus Rashford is facing a fine of two weeks’ wages of £650,000 for partying and missing training.The Man United ace will be disciplined after apparently enjoying back-to-back midweek nights out in Belfast.
      Marcus Rashford is facing a fine of £650,000 for partying and missing trainingCredit: Getty
      The ace will be disciplined after apparently enjoying back-to-back midweek nights outCredit: Getty
      He missed Friday training saying he was ill.
      Yesterday Rashford, 26, did not play in the 4-2 FA Cup win at Newport County.
      Boss Erik ten Hag said: “It’s an internal matter. I will deal with it.”
      Earlier, United said Rashford “is not well enough to be in the squad following illness; he has stayed at Carrington to train as he recovers”.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      Rashford, who is on £325,000 a week, flew to Belfast on Wednesday to see pal Ro-Shaun Williams, who plays for Larne FC.
      Footage appears to show Rashford at Thompson’s Garage club on Thursday. It is claimed he told United it was from Wednesday.
      Video obtained by The Athletic later suggested he partied on both nights.
      A source said: “When it was first suggested Marcus had missed training because he had been out the night before, he denied it.
      Most read in Football
      “It’s amazing that he thought he could go to a club full of people and claim it didn’t happen.
      “The manager will feel very let down.”
      In November, ten Hag criticised Rashford for going clubbing after a 3-0 defeat by arch rivals Man City.
      In 2022, he was dropped after he was late for a team meeting. More