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    Micah Richards reveals England team-mate had SECOND JOB while playing… and it led to infamous tweet

    MICAH RICHARDS has revealed that former team-mate Joleon Lescott had a second job during his playing days.The retired defender also claimed that Lescott’s other occupation job is what led to his infamous tweet in 2016.
    Micah Richards says that Joleon Lescott had a second job during his playing daysCredit: Reuters
    Lescott sent an infamous tweet after losing to LiverpoolCredit: Jamie McPhilimey – The Sun
    Lescott posted a picture of a £121,000 Mercedes after the defeatCredit: Refer to Caption
    Lescott, 41, got himself into hot water after Aston Villa’s humiliating 6-0 defeat to Liverpool as one of his tweets went viral.
    The defender posted a picture of a Mercedes S63 Coupe worth £121,000 without any caption or context.
    Lescott followed up the tweet defending himself as he claimed that the post happened when his phone was in his pocket.
    Richards, 35, claimed that his team-mate was telling the truth and argued that the picture was to do with Lescott’s second job with a car company.
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    He told The Rest is Football podcast: “We play Liverpool and we get absolutely spanked 6-0.
    “I think I was at fault for about three of the goals. That tweet, I was actually in the car when Joleon sent that tweet.
    “The thing is, he is actually telling the truth.
    “How he described it was something ridiculous – he’s sent it from his pocket and he didn’t know it went out.
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    “But if you remember Twitter back in the day, the last picture in your photos – if you went on Twitter and press a button that picture would be on.
    “It must have been ready to send, and he’s put it in his pocket, and he’s accidentally sent the tweet.
    I’m a former Premier League winner who set up side hustle at 18 and it’s now worth millions – I was dubbed ‘Mr Monopoly’
    “Joleon used to have a car company, and he used to give us cars for good prices, like lease deals.
    “In the picture was a S63 Coupe, all singing, all dancing and top of the range.
    “It was offered to the lads. That’s the picture which went out.”
    Richards and Lescott were team-mates at Manchester City, Aston Villa and England.
    The two defenders appeared 100 times together accumulating 7,626 minutes of playing together. More

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    Oscar De La Hoya stuns fans with naked picture as girlfriend and Topless Sports League creator teases collaboration

    BOXING legend Oscar De La Hoya left his social media followers stunned with a snap of himself completely naked.The former six-weight world champion is no stranger to questionable social media antics, posting many an overexcited video of himself to Instagram.
    Boxing legend snd promoter Oscar De La Hoya is a regular user of social mediaCredit: GETTY
    The former six-weight world champion has shared many a bizarre video to InstagramCredit: INSTAGRAM@OSCARDELAHOYA
    The 51-year-old stunned his followers this week with a naked photo of himself ironingCredit: INSTAGRAM@OSCARDELAHOYA
    But the Mexican-American’s recent post on the photo-sharing website baffled the one million followers.
    On Tuesday, the 51-year-old shared a photo of himself ironing completely naked to promote an upcoming reality TV series.
    De La Hoya’s modesty was barely covered by the white shirt he was happily ironing.
    His accompanying caption read: “Reality show coming soon.”
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    Scores of the boxing icon’s followers were quick to comment, with one saying: “Osca, WTF are u doin’?”
    Another said: “Midlife crisis.”
    And another said: “Time for him to grow up.”
    One remarked: “Midlife crisis hitting hard!”
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    Oscar De La Hoya’s girlfriend Holly Sonders will be part of the reality TV showCredit: INSTAGRAM@HOLLY.SONDERS
    The bombshell has a tattoo of De La Hoya on her backCredit: SPLASH
    Another chimed in: “I see that your living life which is good, but doing something like this at your age.
    “Come on gotta be more mature. Especially for your loved ones out there.”
    Holly Sonders laughs off wardrobe malfunction as Oscar De La Hoya’s stunning girlfriend shows off golf swing
    De La Hoya’s post spread like wildfire on Instagram and on X, much to the delight of his girlfriend Holly Sonders – the founder of the Topless Sports League.
    The former golfer, sports broadcaster and model commented: “100k views on this in 4 minutes? I think our show will do pretty well.”
    De La Hoya retired from boxing in 2008 after a brutal beatdown at the hands of fellow great Manny Pacquiao.
    But he came out of retirement in 2020 to throw down with former UFC light-heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort.
    A bout of Covid, however, scuppered the fight as De La Hoya – who admitted to being hit too many times in sparring – ended up being hospitalised.
    During an appearance on The MMA Hour, he said: “I’m done. Like I said, everything happens for a reason.
    “And I’m actually glad I didn’t come back.
    Oscar De La Hoya and Holly Sounders began dating back in 2021Credit: Splash
    “I think my ego got a little bit of me as a fighter, because being in the ring, to me, is my safe zone.
    “Boxing, the ring, it’s everything to me. Nobody can touch me in there, I feel safe.
    “So, the fact that I wanted to get in the ring and train and feel that adrenaline, it kind of took over me mentally.
    “I believed that I can really do this, and that’s obviously the nemesis of a fighter: when your mind tells you you can do it, but your body is just not responding.
    “It’s a love-hate relationship that I have with boxing, but everything happens for a reason.
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    “I got Covid really bad, I’m glad I survived it, and here we are.
    “I’m not going to come back any time soon, that’s for sure.”
    Oscar De La Hoya was due to return to the ring in 2020 but was struck down by CovidCredit: Getty More

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    Kurt Hamrin dead: World Cup legend who took on Pele and still holds Serie A goalscoring record passes away

    SWEDISH football legend Kurt Hamrin has died aged 89.The former Sweden international’s old club Fiorentina announced his passing in a statement offering their condolences on their official website on Sunday morning.
    Former Sweden international Kurt Hamrin has died aged 89Credit: GETTY
    Hamrin’s passing was announced by his former club FiorentinaCredit: Alamy
    Hamrin was the last survivor of the 1958 World Cup final between Brazil and SwedenCredit: REUTERS
    It read: “President Rocco Commisso, his family, the Fiorentina board and everyone associated with the club share the pain of Kurt Hamrim’s family and the entire footballing world for his passing.
    “Hamrin was and always will be a legend for all football fans and especially for Fiorentina fans.
    “He still holds the record for goals in the purple shirt along with [Gabriel] Batistuta.
    “With the lily on his chest, he won a Cup Winners’ Cup and two Italian Cups and has inextricably linked his life to the city of Florence.”
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    Another of Hamrin’s former clubs, Italian champions Juventus, issued their own statement after learning of the winger’s passing.
    It read: “Kurt Hamrin, one of the highest-scoring foreigners who played in Italy, has left us at the age of 89.
    “It was Juventus who brought the Swede, born in Stockholm on 19 November 1934, to Serie A.
    “He spent only one season in Turin, which was very important for his career.
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    The late Hamrin is ninth in the list of Serie A’s all-time leading goalscorersCredit: ALAMY
    “Afterwards, there were experiences in Padova, in Fiorentina (where he was Paolo Rossi’s idol as a child fan, declaring how much his way of playing influenced him), in Milan and in Napoli.”
    The cause of Hamrin’s passing is currently unknown.
    Hamrin was, up until his death, the last surviving player from the 1958 World Cup final between Sweden and Brazil.
    His death came a month after Brazil’s last survivor of the match Mario Zagallo passed away.
    Hamrin began his professional career with AIK in 1952 before he joined Juve in 1957.
    He would spend the bulk of his career in Italy, where he also had stints with AC Milan, Napoli and Padova.
    The majority of the wideman’s career, however, was spent in Florence with Fiorentina, whom he scored 150 goals for in 269 appearances.
    Hamrin bagged 190 Serie A goals during his time in Italy, a haul which sees him ninth above the likes of Alessandro Del Piero and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Serie A’s all-time leading goalscorers list.
    Hamrin made a total of 32 appearances for Sweden between 1953 and 1965, scoring 17 goals for his country.
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    Three of those strikes came in the 1958 World Cup, where they played a Pele-inspired Brazil in the final.
    Pele bagged a brace, as did the recently-deceased Zagallo, as the Samba Boys ran out 5-2 winners.
    THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..
    The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
    Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball. More

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    Fans split over boxing hot prospect Ben Whittaker’s showboating and spinning on one leg during stunning TKO win

    FANS are split on Ben Whittaker’s showboating during his TKO win over Khalid Gradia.The hot prospect was not afraid to show his character as he won the fight after five rounds.
    Ben Whittaker had plenty of character during his win over Khalid GraidiaCredit: PA
    Fans were split on his antics in the ringCredit: PA

    Whittaker, 26, was happy to showboat during the fight in which he was dominating.
    The Olympian hopped around on one leg, swaying from side to side as well as overdoing a lot of his body’s movements.
    A one point the Brit spun around on one leg which saw him told off by the referee.
    However, the crowd in Wembley’s Ovo Arena loved his stunts as they booed the official.
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    Viewers at home were split on their opinion of his antics in the ring as they took to social media.
    One fan posted: “Moves are fine when it’s flowing but he seems to be overdoing it.”
    A second wrote: “Embarrassing to watch. Hopping around the ring against a bin man.”
    A third commented: “Disgraceful showboating. You get in the ring to box. Not dance.”
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    A fourth said: “Ben Whittaker doing Ben Whittaker things 🔥.”
    Another added: “Ben Whittaker is a bit different. A right character and can box.”
    Speaking about his showboating after the win Whittaker admitted that it should not be taken as “disrespect”
    He told Sky Sports: “Do you know what it is? I can dance, I can shimmy, but I broke him down in a jiffy. 
    “I was going through the motions, looked at my dad and he was a bit annoyed, so I said ‘alright, let me show you what I can do’ and I got the job done.
    “Don’t take the showboating as disrespect, it’s just my art.
    “People can compare me to Prince Naseem but I am Ben Whittaker.” More

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    F1 fans convinced they’ve worked out who’s replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes after social media clue

    F1 FANS are convinced that they know who will be replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.The British driver will be leaving the Formula 1 team for Ferrari next year.
    Fans are sure who will replace Lewis Hamilton at MercedesCredit: Alamy
    Fans spotted a clue on social media about a driver being near Mercedes’ team baseCredit: Instagram @valtteribottas
    The driver is former Mercedes star Valtteri BottasCredit: Getty
    Hamilton, 39, has been with the Brackley-based team since 2013 but will leave after the 2024 campaign.
    Mercedes are now on the lookout for a replacement driver.
    The Silver Arrows have been linked with the likes of Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri and Alexander Albon.
    However, Valtteri Bottas has got fans thinking he will be the new driver after a social media post.
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    The current Stake F1 team driver posted a snap of him playing darts on Instagram.
    His followers were quick to point out that the Finnish ace has tagged the location as Brackley, the town where Mercedes’ operations centre is based in.
    Many took to social media to share their theory that Bottas will be lining up alongside George Russell next year.
    One fan posted: “Now Bottas is at Brackley. Oh GARD.”
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    A second commented: “Bottas babe why are you in Brackley? WHY ARE YOU IN BRACKLEY?”
    A third wrote: “Bottas strolling back into Brackley.”
    A fourth said: “Bottas arriving back at Brackley to replace Lewis at Mercedes.”
    Another joked: “What if Bottas isn’t actually in Brackley and he posted it as a joke.”
    Bottas spent four years at Mercedes as Hamilton’s team-mate between 2017 and 2021.
    He left the team to join Alfa Romeo after coming second in the driver’s championship twice.
    As a result of Hamilton’s move to join Ferrari, the company’s value has skyrocketed to over £3billion.
    The Brit released a statement in which he admitted that the move has made him feel a “range of emotions”.
    He said: “It’s been a crazy few days which have been filled with a whole range of emotions.
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    “But as you all now know, after an incredible 11 years at Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, the time has come for me to start a new chapter in my life and I will be joining Scuderia Ferrari in 2025.
    “I feel incredibly fortunate, after achieving things with Mercedes that I could only have dreamed of as a kid, that I now have the chance to fulfil another childhood dream. Driving in Ferrari red.” More

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    Jurgen Klopp in stitches as press conference interrupted after journalist gets call from DENTIST ahead of Arsenal clash

    LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp was left with a big pearly smile after a hilarious incident during his press conference.Klopp is gearing up for the Reds’ smash-mouth Premier League clash with Arsenal on Sunday at the Emirates.
    Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp interrupted his presser as a reporter was called by the dentistCredit: Twitter @SkySportsPL
    And the German tactician attended his pre-match press conference to face the media as he bids for his second Premier League crown in what will be his final season at Anfield.
    But suddenly the 56-year-old was distracted after one journalist’s phone starting ringing right in front of him.
    The ex-Borussia Dortmund boss picked it up and noticed it was the dentist calling one of the reporters.
    The departing Liverpool manager decided to interrupt the conference and alert the owner as he thought that could have been an emergency.
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    Klopp said while showcasing his own pearly white teeth: “The dentist is calling, this might be important.”
    The owner of the phone swiftly apologised: “Oh sorry, that is quite important.”
    Klopp announced he will be leaving Liverpool in June after nine successful years at Anfield.
    The Merseyside favourite will be departing with some incredible memories as he won every trophy available, including the Premier League and Champions League.
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    Klopp also had his teeth fixed in Liverpool at the Dental Excellent UK clinic run by Dr Robbie Hughes, who gave him a completely different set of gnashers.
    Hughes also treated some of his former Liverpool players, like Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho, Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane.
    Klopp has previously spoken very highly of his dentist’s work, so it comes as no surprise that he interrupted his own press conference to flag that important call.
    Klopp had his own dental work done during his time with LiverpoolCredit: AFP
    But Klopp went to have his teeth fixed and got a pearly smileCredit: Getty – Contributor More

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    Conor McGregor accused of not taking Michael Chandler ‘seriously’ as ex-boxing champ fears UFC star will get ‘beat up’

    CONOR McGREGOR has been accused of not taking Michael Chandler “seriously” – which could lead him to a brutal beating.McGregor is set to make his long awaited UFC return against Chandler despite the fight not yet being officially confirmed.
    Conor McGregor pictured in December in Saudi ArabiaCredit: Getty
    Michael Chandler is expected to fight McGregorCredit: 2023 Zuffa LLC
    He raised eyebrows when he took to social media to claim he would face the American on June 29 at middleweight.
    That would be two divisions above his last fight weight and a jump of over TWO STONE.
    So retired former boxing world champion Carl Froch questioned McGregor’s commitment to the fight.
    Froch told Lord Ping: “Conor McGregor won’t be taking the fight that seriously if he fights at the higher weight class.
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    “It’s indication to me that he won’t be taking Chandler seriously in training and when you don’t prepare properly, he could end up getting hurt.
    “The mindset is not going to be right and he’s going to be unprepared and it could be really dangerous if he’s not training – he’s going to get beat up and knocked out or tapped out.”
    McGregor recently celebrated the trailer release of his Hollywood debut, starring alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in a Roadhouse reboot.
    But he also posted training footage to assure fans he is on track to fight for the first time since July 2021.
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    The Irishman, 35, has been sidelined since breaking his leg in the first round against Dustin Poirier, 34.
    And his return remains in doubt after UFC president Dana White shot down his claim of fighting in June.
    He said: “When Conor’s ready to fight, you know we’ll announce it. That’s what we do.”
    The historic UFC 300 card, set for April 13 in Las Vegas, is still without a headliner and McGregor hinted he will be the man to take it.
    He posted online: “McGregor on 300 seals the deal.”
    And Chandler, 37, replied: “I accept. See you soon.”
    McGregor facing off with ChandlerCredit: 2023 Zuffa LLC More

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    Former England cricket star spotted in new job as ARTIST painting Premier League match from sidelines

    FORMER England cricketer Jack Russell MBE was spotted PAINTING next to the pitch at Craven Cottage during Fulham’s Premier League clash with Everton.The the wicket keeper-turned-artist was situated next to the photographers throughout the game.
    Ex-Cricketer Jack Russell painted a picture of Craven Cottage during the game

    Russell became an artist after retiring from cricketCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
    He spent the 90 minutes painting a picture of Craven Cottage on a small wooden canvas.
    Fans were in disbelief after spotting the ex-cricketer pitchside, with one person tweeting: “This is peak Fulham stuff right here.”
    Another added: “Every time I fall out of love with this club I fall right back in it.”
    While a third joked: “Stick him up top, can’t do any worse!”
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    After making his England debut in 1987, Russell played in 94 international matches.
    In 1995 against South Africa he broke the world record for dismissals in a test match.
    He decided to take up art after becoming bored when rain stopped play during cricket matches and has been painting for over 30 years.
    After retiring from cricket in 2004 he became a goalkeeping coach at Forest Green Rovers.
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    He also continued coaching at Gloucestershire and Middlesex.
    Russell now has his own art gallery in Chipping Sodbury and some exhibits in London which showcase his portfolio of work.
    After Tuesday’s match he took to X to share his painting.
    He wrote: “My office tonight courtesy of @FulhamFC magic #football ground.”
    The points were shared at Craven Cottage following a 0-0 draw.
    Russell made 94 international appearances for EnglandCredit: PA:Press Association More