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      Unique Lionel Messi 2022 World Cup sticker sells for eye-watering sum

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      A UNIQUE Lionel Messi 2022 World Cup sticker has sold for £115,000.It was the only one framing the Argentina footballing great with a black border.
      A unique Panini sticker of Lionel Messi issued for the 2022 World Cup has sold for a staggering £115,000 at auction in the USACredit: BNPS
      Henry Barrios found it among 300 Panini packs he bought in September.
      The American realised it was the sticker world’s equivalent of the holy grail — and put it up for sale when Argentina won the tournament last year.
      After white, less common borders were blue, red, purple and green.
      All players had just one with a black frame, with the Messi sticker the most sought-after.
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      For the 2022 World Cup Panini decided to issue a limited number of stickers for all 600 players with different coloured borders to go alongside the standard white outlines.
      It sold at Goldin Auctions, New Jersey.
      A spokesman said: “It was a very lucky find.”
      A 1980 Panini sticker of Diego Maradona sold for a record £470,000 in 2021.
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      That beat the previous record for a Pele sticker from 1958 that sold for £237,000 in 2020.
      Last year a Panini sticker of a young Cristiano Ronaldo from his time at Sporting Lisbon in 2002 sold for almost £60,000. More

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      Man Utd ace Marcus Rashford one of three England stars to pull OUT of squad as Gareth Southgate names shock replacement

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      THREE England stars have pulled out of the squad ahead of Thursday’s trip to Italy.Gareth Southgate named a 25-man squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers last week, including the likes of Ivan Toney and Kyle Walker.
      Gareth Southgate has had to make changes to his England squadCredit: PA
      Marcus Rashford picked up a knock in the 3-1 win over FulhamCredit: Getty
      But the Three Lions have confirmed Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount and Nick Pope did not link up with the team today.
      Goalkeeper Pope managed to get through 90 minutes for Newcastle at Nottingham Forest on Friday but has been nursing a minor injury.

      So he has been replaced by Tottenham stopper Fraser Forster to join Jordan Pickford and Aaron Ramsdale.
      Forster has six England caps to his name, making his debut in 2013 and last featuring in 2016.
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      He was last part of the camp in March 2022 – his first call-up for five years – but did not feature.
      Forster is currently filling in for Hugo Lloris at Tottenham.
      However, no one has come in for Rashford or Mount.
      The Manchester United striker withdrew from the squad after picking up a knock in Sunday’s FA Cup win over Fulham on Sunday.
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      And the news is a blow for Southgate because Rashford, 25, has been in terrific form since the World Cup, scoring 19 goals in 25 games.
      Another injury is also a frustration because over the last three seasons, he has pulled out from a number of internationals with injuries.
      Mount, 24, was initially called up by Southgate with England not realising he was still not fully fit.
      The Chelsea midfielder last played on February 26 and although he has returned to training with his club side, he is not ready to feature on international duty.
      It means Mount will stay at Cobham to continue his rehab with Raheem Sterling but Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Conor Gallagher all travelled to St George’s Park.
      England play Italy in Naples on Thursday and Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday.
      Mason Mount is still not fully fit and ready to returnCredit: Getty
      Fraser Forster has not played for England since 2016Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd More

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      England boss Gareth Southgate reveals reason why Fikayo Tomori missed out on Euro 2024 qualifiers

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      FIKAYO TOMORI must cut out the errors if he is to earn an England recall.Some Three Lions fans slammed boss Gareth Southgate for leaving the AC Milan defender out of the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine.
      Fikayo Tomori must cut out the errors if he is to earn an England recall.Credit: Rex
      Gareth Southgate explained his Euro 2-24 qualifiers team selectionCredit: The Times
      But Southgate reckons 25-year-old Tomori’s good display in the 0-0 Champions League draw at Tottenham led some people to get carried away.
      The England manager said: “There are a lot of players playing at a very similar level. We’re looking at a lot of data on that as well.
      “Sometimes players making fewer key errors leading to goals in that position can be important.
      “Fik had a good game at Tottenham the other day, which was in England and so had more spotlight.
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      “But there have been quite a few errors this season. The great thing is he is playing at a big club. There are high expectations every time.
      “He’s in a group that are close but at the moment we have one or two just ahead of him.”
      They include Harry Maguire — despite his lack of recent game time at Manchester United.
      World Cup winners Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez are Erik ten Hag’s preferred pair.
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      Southgate added: “We are where we were ahead of the World Cup. It’s not a perfect scenario.
      “Harry has two World Cup winners in the team ahead of him. That’s the benchmark.
      “He dealt with that brilliantly in Qatar, his performances were exceptional.
      “And he had a lot of pressure going into those games because that spotlight was on him.
      “He dealt with that exceptionally well and he was without doubt one of our best players in the tournament.”
      England boss Gareth Southgate and Harry MaguireCredit: Getty More

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      ‘Lee Mason must’ve drawn it’ – Sky Sports viewers left baffled by Kieran Trippier’s penalty graphic during Newcastle win

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      TV VIEWERS were baffled by a graphic of Kieran Trippier penalties amid his “sh*thouse” antics in Newcastle’s last-gasp win at Nottingham Forest.One fan joked ref “Lee Mason must’ve drawn it” as a Sky Sports image showed two amazing Trippier spot-kicks.
      Kieran Trippier duped Forest into thinking he would take a crucial stoppage-time penalty and was pictured in a bemusing graphic of two spot-kicksCredit: Rex
      Viewers wanted to see these two virtual Trippier penalties in real lifeCredit: https://twitter.com/AverageStriker/status/1637030021461057537
      Viewers hailed the England right-back for pretending he was going to take the stoppage-time penalty that Alexander Isak eventually fired home.
      Trippier’s tactic took the pressure off Isak and onto himself as Forest players tried to unsettle him.
      And although he confused the opposition on the pitch, it was Sky who left observers puzzled with their incredible graphic.
      It labelled a spot on the bottom left of the post as a “missed” Trippier penalty and another mark on the far angle of bar and upright as “scored”.
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      Noting the fine margins, one fan posted: “Would absolutely love to see that scored penalty.”
      Another wrote: “Broke the angle. Ref too scared to disallow it.”
      And a third blamed Mason – even though Paul Tierney was the ref in Friday’s comeback victory at Forest.
      In fact, 32-year-old Tripper has missed both his penalties at club level – for Tottenham and Atletico Madrid.
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      But he did net confidently in England’s only ever triumph in a World Cup shootout.
      Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties to reach the 2018 World Cup quarter-finals.
      It follows supporters praising Tripper for his behaviour before Isak’s match-winning second goal.
      One said: “World class s***housery by Trippier pretending to take penalty so he got all the mind games then gave ball to Alex. Absolute genius never seen that before!!!”   More

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      Troy Deeney: It’s silly Ivan Toney was snubbed for England’s World Cup charge and Southgate’s right to pick him now

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      GARETH SOUTHGATE was right to select Ivan Toney.Not everyone will agree with that.
      Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been called up for England but was in just as good form ahead of the World CupCredit: Getty
      It is more a reflection of the world that people are saying he shouldn’t be in it because he’s got things hanging over his head — we all have things hanging over our heads at some point in life.
      We should also be asking why this FA process has taken so long?
      Why is Ivan still having to wait for a hearing date? It is leaving him in the lurch.
      Based on his form, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be picked — and there was no reason for him not to be picked last season.
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      The main question for me still is: why wasn’t he picked for the World Cup and yet he is picked for this squad?
      He was in exactly the same form, so is he going to get game time this time or are they going to completely ignore him again?
      It is easy to pick and play someone when there is no pressure, as opposed to a major tournament when you need to win.
      There is no point picking these players and then in pressurised moments just revert back to what you already know. I hope this is a sign there will be a change in approach.
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      Ivan managed not being picked for Qatar really well, he carried on scoring and everyone else is doing the talking for him now.
      Before a World Cup, it is all about picking your best squad but what did Holland do in the quarter-finals against Argentina in Qatar?
      They were 2-0 down and just decided to launch the ball into the box for a big boy like Wout Weghorst. When can we do that?
      The goal that knocked us out against France was a ball into the box and a header from Olivier Giroud as a targetman. We didn’t have that option.
      Harry Kane is decent with his head but in any major tournament you will never substitute him, so you need a back-up option to chuck in alongside him for when things go wrong and we need a goal.
      The main question for me still is: why wasn’t he picked for the World Cup and yet he is picked for this squad?Deeney on Toney
      That is what Ivan will bring.
      You can’t just have people who run in behind.
      That’s why Jamie Vardy wasn’t always a great option at international level.
      When your biggest threat is to run in behind, most teams would just drop off.
      And if that game against France went to penalties, you have one of the best, if not the best, penalty taker in Europe right now.
      All of that just makes it strange and a bit silly that he has not been given a chance.
      Trent Alexander-Arnold deserves to be in the Three Lions’ squad as cliched fears over his defending are getting tiredCredit: AP
      In his time as England’s first-choice striker and captain, Kane will not have had someone behind him who is as hungry to prove himself and as confident to take his place as Ivan.
      He will have the mindset, ‘I can score just as well as you can’.
      Kane has earned the right to be the man but you need to have that mentality of wanting to take someone’s position.
      But bigger than that for Ivan, it is just about getting regular call-ups to show he can do it all the time.
      Until he starts and scores for England, he is going to have to keep proving himself time and time again — and prove to Gareth he doesn’t need to play Marcus Rashford down the middle in Kane’s absence.
      And Ivan needs to do that sooner rather than later, because if that betting ban kicks in, he may not get back into the squad straight away.
      Who knows what he will come back like after a period out of the game.
      Everyone wants players picked based on how they are playing for their clubs. But someone like Maguire or Jordan Pickford have never let Gareth down. So, as a manager, why would you suddenly change that?
      I am not surprised that Trent Alexander-Arnold was not picked but I fear his lack of form and defensive issues are just becoming a narrative more than reality.
      Because he is good going forward and is going through a bad time, that scrutiny has risen.
      The narrative is he can’t defend at all and I question that.
      Is he a great defender? No, but I don’t think there are many about.Kieran Trippier, Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Harry Maguire, Eric Dier are not ‘great’ defenders but you don’t hear anything about them.
      If you offered Trent to Arsenal or Manchester City, you think they would turn you down?
      When you look at the squads, it is a difficult one.
      How everyone wants it is players are picked based on how they are playing for their clubs.
      But someone like Maguire or Jordan Pickford have never let Gareth down.
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      So, as a manager, why would you suddenly change that?
      If you bring in new guys based on how they are doing and they fall short, ultimately, your job will be on the line. More

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      Solly March signs new two-and-a-half-year contract at Brighton after red-hot 2022-23 to put England snub behind him

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      SOLLY MARCH has capped a stellar start to 2023 by signing a new two-and-a-half year deal at Brighton.March may have been snubbed by Gareth Southgate this week but the Seagulls winger is in the form of his life under Roberto De Zerbi, with seven goals since the World Cup.
      Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, is overjoyed at Solly March signing a new dealCredit: Brighton & Hove Albion FC via Instagram / @sollymarch
      The 28-year-old had not scored a Premier League goal before the break but has been a key cog in Brighton’s push for Europe ever since.
      This new deal is a two-year extension on his previous contract at The Amex, with the club holding the option of an additional year to keep him at the club until 2027.
      March is the latest Seagulls star to agree fresh terms this year, with Moises Caicedo committing to a new long term deal just a month after publicly asking to leave while Adam Lallana also earned a new deal.
      Boss De Zerbi said: “It’s great news, he deserves this new contract.
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      “We are happy for him. I am happy for him because he is my player and I want the great players to stay with me.
      “If you want to improve the squad we have to start with the big players we already have.
      “Lallana, Mac Allister, Caicedo and March, they are very big players for us and I am really pleased for them and for me.”
      Asked about the England snub for March and teammate Lewis Dunk, De Zerbi added: “It’s not my work.
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      “I respect the coach of the national team.
      “England have many good players and it’s not my place to say.
      “I can give you my opinion as a coach, I love Solly March, Danny Welbeck and Dunk.”
      “In my first XI I can decide, but in the international teams, it’s not my work.” More

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      Man Utd star Alejandro Garnacho rejects chance to switch national allegiance from Argentina

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      MANCHESTER UNITED star Alejandro Garnacho has officially snubbed Spain to play for Argentina.The 18-year-old has burst onto the scene at Old Trafford this term and is currently negotiating a new long-term contract.
      Man Utd star Alejandro Garnacho, pictured training with Argentina, has declared his international allegianceCredit: Getty
      The winger, who boss Erik ten Hag has confirmed will be sidelined long-term with an ankle injury, has also had things to sort regarding his international future.
      Garnacho was born in Madrid and has represented Spain at youth level but qualifies for Lionel Scaloni’s World Cup winners due to his mother being born in Argentina.
      He initially received a call-up to the South American country’s senior squad for two World Cup qualifiers a year ago but did not make an appearance in either game.
      After scoring four goals in four caps for their U20s to help them win the 2022 Maurice Revello Tournament he then missed out on the squad for Qatar in November.
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      That allegedly led to Spain getting back in touch with him to try and persuade him to switch his allegiance – but Garnacho allegedly politely declined.
      He was then included in the Argentina squad for their upcoming friendlies with Panama and Curacao only for the blow he suffered against Southampton on Sunday to rule him out.
      Bernardo Romeo, coordinator of Argentina’s youth teams, was the one to reveal to publication Ole that the United ace “had been called by the coordinator of Spain’s teams”.
      He said: “Alejandro Garnacho was very clear, he told me that he answered him out of respect, but he has decided to play for Argentina.”
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      Romero added that the attacker “is very convinced of playing for the Argentine National Team. You enter the house and he has all the photos with Messi.”
      Garnacho, who moved to Old Trafford from Atletico Madrid in October 2020, said after he pulled out of the latest Argentina squad: “It is difficult to put into words how I feel at this moment.
      “I am disappointed to miss the opportunity to be with my teammates from the Argentine national team, in what would have been a great moment of pride for me and my family.” More

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      Wales consider shock reunion with recently departed England backroom staff member

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      WALES are weighing up a return for psychologist Ian Mitchell.SunSport revealed on Wednesday that Mitchell has left his post as the Football Association’s head of performance and psychology.
      Ian Mitchell (left) has had successful spells with both Wales and England under Chris Coleman and Gareth Southgate
      Dragons boss Robert Page stated earlier this year that he was keen to bring a psychologist on board to provide an extra edge in the post-Gareth Bale era.
      Wales have not had one since Mitchell left for the FA in February 2018 after becoming a key figure in Chris Coleman’s set-up which included the memorable run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals.
      Highly-rated Mitchell was popular among Football Association of Wales staff and he will not be short of offers following his departure from Gareth Southgate’s backroom staff.
      Wales are now on red alert after the development that his services have become available.
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      Page said in January: “I want to bring in a full-time psychologist. Every other association has got one. We haven’t.
      “We need to keep evolving, progressing and improving. That’s certainly an area we need.
      “The players will thrive on that. The psychologist will come in and be a part of the culture and make sure the new players buy into that.” 
      Wales kick-off their Euro 2024 qualifiers against World Cup semi-finalists Croatia in Split on March 25 followed by a home match with Latvia in Cardiff three days later.
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      The Dragons, now captained by Aaron Ramsey, have reached three of the last four major tournaments.
      But they must overcome the obstacles of retirements from talisman Bale, Joe Allen, Chris Gunter and Jonny Williams.
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