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      He won’t shirk the responsibilities’ – James Maddison tipped to be World Cup 2022 game-changer by ex-England star Cole

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      JOE COLE believes James Maddison has the “personality” to be a World Cup game-changer for England.Of all the players that Gareth Southgate picked in his 26-man squad, Maddison was the name that brought Cole the most pleasure.
      Former Three Lions midfielder Joe Cole is ‘so happy’ to see Maddison in the England squadCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      The former Three Lions star said: “The big one for me was James Maddison.
      “Form-wise and quality-wise he should be playing, but also because of his personality – he’s an England player.
      “He won’t shirk the responsibilities; he’ll get on the ball.
      “There will be times later in the tournament when the game might be in the balance and you need to be brave and accept the ball as a midfield player and he will do that.
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      “You can play number 10s deeper now and we need to set the tempo of our games.
      “I’m so happy he’s in.”
      But ex-Chelsea winger Cole believes Southgate should drop Blues star Raheem Sterling.
      Cole, who played for England at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, said: “As much as I love Raheem [Sterling], he’s not in form.
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      “[Bukayo] Saka’s playing for the team at the top of the league, and the same could be said with Maddison.”
      It remains to be seen whether Southgate will make the big call of leaving out Sterling, a hero of both 2018 World Cup and last year’s run to the final of the Euros.
      But Cole remains upset that the Football Association “bottled it” when failing to appoint Harry Redknapp as England boss in 2012.
      The former West Ham trainee said: “In 2012 I was in France and I was playing well with Lille.
      “I went home for the night and went for dinner with my mum and dad in Essex.
      “Harry Redknapp’s in the restaurant and he comes over, it was at the time when the England manager job was up for grabs, and he says ‘I think I’ve got it! You’re going to come into the next tournament, I know what you’ve got, I’ve been watching you, you’re back in!’
      “Fast forward three days, there’s an announcement on the radio that Roy Hodgson’s got the job. I was just deflated, that was me done.
      “He thought he had it. I think the FA bottled it in the last minute, he was the right man for the job 100 per cent.
      “We’ve all seen what Harry’s done throughout his career – at that stage he would have got another level out of that squad.
      “He has a way with players. He would have been absolutely brilliant and it’s one of their biggest mistakes.
      “I think whoever’s making the decision just lost their nerve at the last minute and went with the safer option.
      “Roy’s a brilliant manager as well but Harry would have been unbelievable.”
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      Cole’s starting XI for England’s World Cup opener against Iran on Monday would be:
      Pickford, Trippier, Stones, White, Shaw, Rice, Bellingham, Mount; Foden, Kane, Saka.
      Joe Cole was speaking to William Hill’s Stripped Podcast More

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      England’s football stars guarded by elite camel patrols at World Cup team hotel

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      ENGLAND’s stars are being guarded by elite camel patrols at their World Cup team hotel, it was revealed yesterday.Specialist security teams aboard the stately ships of the desert were spotted in a 14-strong column outside the player’s Souk Al Wakra hotel base.
      Qatar’s palace guard are a famed ceremonial sight – like Britain’s Household CavalryCredit: Dan Charity
      Anyone threatening the traditional village-style complex is certain to get the hump from the palace guard team, normally reserved for the protection of the Arab state’s ruling emir.
      England have been rated a high security risk ahead of Monday’s curtain raiser clash with Islamist nation Iran – in the news after 10 Iranian plots to kill Brits in the UK were exposed.
      MI5 Spy chief Ken McCallum said death squads planned “to kidnap or even kill” British citizens and dissidents seen as enemies of the crumbling Tehran regime.
      Qatar’s palace guard are a famed ceremonial sight – like Britain’s Household Cavalry – but are thought to have been introduced in Al Wakra in a dual role.
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      Guards riding the humped beasts offer a high and mobile vantage point to warn of potential threats – but are also a low key deterrent which will not alarm tourists.
      A procession of 14 of the animals was spotted patrolling the seafront in front of England’s low-rise village style HQ shortly after the squad arrived.
      Riders in matching white robes and head-dresses armed only with short stick which doubles as a riding crop – but were in touch with security teams shielding the complex.
      Police and other security forces are now posted 24-hours-a-day every few metres forming a ring of steel around England’s base.
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      A local source said: “There’s no question that these camels are from the emir’s guard – it’s a sign that our honoured guests are receiving the very best protection.” More

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      Man United ace Casemiro splashes out £430,000 on supercars for him and his missus ahead of World Cup

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      MAN United ace Casemiro has splashed out £430,000 on supercars for him and his missus ahead of the World Cup.The Brazilian bagged himself a £230,000 Rolls-Royce Wraith Black Badge and treated wife Anna Mariana to a £200,000 Bentley Bentayga SUV.
      Man United ace Case-miro has splashed out £430,000 on supercars for him and his missus ahead of the World Cup – this is his £230,000 Rolls-Royce Wraith Black BadgeCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
      Wife Anna Mariana has made do with a £200,000 21-plate Bentley Bentayga SUVCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
      The his and hers vehicles were delivered to Casemiro’s mansion in Hale, Cheshire, on Wednesday afternoon.
      However the canny £350,000-a-week midfielder got money off amid the cost-of-living crisis by going second-hand, with a 2019 Roller and a 2021-plated Bentley.
      The his and hers vehicles were delivered to Casemiro’s mansion in Hale, Cheshire, on Wednesday afternoon.
       The star was out at the time — as he is in Qatar preparing for the World Cup with the Brazil squad.
      Family members were seen at the gate as the gleaming cars were driven in.
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      Casemiro, 30, arrived at Old Trafford from Real Madrid in the summer.
      Only United team-mates Cristiano Ronaldo, on £480,000 a week, and goalkeeper David de Gea — £375,000 — earn more.
      He has two children, Sara, six, and Caio, one, with fellow Brazilian Anna, 33, who is an Instagram model and runs her own fashion business.
      Casemiro’s grey Roller is capable of doing 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 155mph.
      That is nowhere near as fast as Anna’s black Bentley which can hit 190mph and do 0-60mph in just 3.8 seconds.
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      Only United team-mates Cristiano Ronaldo, on £480,000 a week, and goalkeeper David de Gea — £375,000 — earn more than CasemiroCredit: Alamy More

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      England team treated to ‘Phoenix Nights-style’ entertainment at World Cup hotel as singer belts out karaoke classic

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      GARETH SOUTHGATE and his England World Cup stars were treated to “Phoenix Nights-style” entertainment at their team hotel.The squad’s opening group game against Iran is just days away and the Three Lions took part in their first full session since arriving in Qatar on Tuesday night.
      The England squad were treated to a Robbie Williams cabaret act at their team hotelCredit: Getty
      The performance was compared to a ‘Phoenix Nights’ style performanceCredit: Getty
      Pictures showed the England boss putting the players through their paces at the Al Wakrah SC Stadium – where temperatures reached 32C on Wednesday – ahead of Monday’s opening game.
      But it is not only out on the pitch that his squad are getting ready to try to bring football home as several members of the squad also hit the gym.
      And away from the football, Southgate is doing everything possible to try and get his men settled into their luxury palm-tree laden Souq Al Wakra Hotel.
      Now the Daily Mail has claimed that included the England squad being treated to a cabaret.
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      They state that shortly after the Three Lions arrived on Tuesday, the Souk Al Wakra soon got into a swing.
      A singer, accompanied by an electric piano, belted out pop star Robbie Williams’ hit Angels.

      That was followed by a rendition of Crystal Waters’s 1991 hit Gypsy Woman.
      The article also claims that a British ex-pat passed the hotel while the gig was on and likened it to Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights sitcom that was based on a working men’s club in Bolton.
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      They said: “The singer was very loud and right on note, but I don’t know how well it was all going down.
      “There wasn’t much clapping.”
      England start their World Cup campaign against Iran on Monday in Group B.
      Next up is a clash against Gregg Berhalter’s USA.
      And then a mouthwatering clash against neighbours Wales in the final game on November 29. More

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      Hosting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is a joyless marketing operation aimed at catching the eye of corporate investors

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      DAY THREE in the Big Brother house and the inmates are already threatening to go full Lord of the Flies.And, yes, we’ve already identified Piggy.
      Lusail Stadium in Doha will host the World Cup final but so far the build-up hasn’t lit up the imagination for those already in QatarCredit: Getty
      England and Wales flags are suspended over Lusali BoulevardCredit: Getty
      So it’s probably a good job that we’re holed up in a country where alcohol is forbidden — unless you count the fan zone’s £12-a-pint Budweiser, which barely counts as booze.
      Welcome to Qatar, the beautiful desert land of sun, sand and concrete.
      With all the matches being staged within spitting distance of each other, for the first ever World Cup, all of Fleet Street’s finest sportswriters (plus a few of us pretenders) appear to be staying in the same apartment block in the appropriately named Al Sadd district of Doha.
      It’s a weird social experiment to discover how many planet-sized egos can be crammed into the most soulless space imaginable before it all kicks off.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP NEWS
      And the way things are going I wouldn’t bet on everyone making  it safely home at the end of the  tournament.
      We’ve already seen one Danish TV crew being harassed and threatened by Qatari security for having the temerity to film a roundabout near a department store.
      But there are so many rules and protocols to follow out here that you risk the wrath of the authorities every time you step on to the streets.
      No booze, no vapes, no sausages, no porn, no painkillers, no gays, no swearing, no public displays of affection.
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      Even previous World Cup hosts Russia were easy going compared to this lot.
      It’s not that the reception we have received has been hostile or unwelcoming.
      Far from it in fact. But they are so used to following the strict letter of the law that they simply can’t countenance the idea of compromise.
      Having said all that, I think I am still  waiting to meet my first Qatari national, because 90 per cent of the population are migrant workers and they are the ones doing all the heavy lifting.
      Some of them live here permanently and others are just here to help with the smooth running of this tournament.
      The first person I met on arrival at Doha International Airport was the world’s happiest taxi driver, a Kenyan called Joseph.
      He couldn’t wait to tell us how he’d had ‘that Gareth Southgate’ in the back of his cab and that the England boss had arranged five World Cup tickets for him.
      Even the steward at the accreditation centre who told me my press pass said ‘expired’ did  so with a polite smile without even mentioning the fact that I do in fact resemble the living dead.
      But if you’re looking for an actual example of World Cup fever, then you are going to be sorely disappointed.
      Maybe that will change when all the travelling supporters arrive in the next 48 hours.
      England manager Gareth Southgate was at a welcome event with local volunteers at the Al Wakrah SC Stadium in Al WakrahCredit: Reuters
      But it still won’t disguise the fact that the Qataris themselves are not that interested in football.
      This is simply an opportunity for them to showcase their country’s wealth and their ability to build seven new stadiums and an entire metro system.
      It’s a joyless marketing operation aimed at catching the eye of corporate investors in the willy-waving battle with their rival Arabian states.
      Which once again begs the question as to what exactly are we all doing here?
      Because if you thought that it was a terrible idea when Fifa awarded the World Cup to Qatar in 2010, it is only when you actually get here that the true depth of the corruption behind that decision really hits home.
      W-RON-G SIGNING
      YOU didn’t need to be Nostradamus to see trouble coming when Manchester United pressed the panic button to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo last year.
      The return of the biggest ego in football was always going to be an accident waiting to  happen — and it was only a matter of time before it all went pear-shaped.
      So I can’t understand how anyone can be even mildly shocked by this week’s explosive fall-out.
      My only surprise is that it has taken this long for Ronaldo to throw his toys out of the pram.
      But now the Portuguese is burning more bridges than the retreating Russian army and surely no other club will be  stupid enough to take him on after this hissy fit.
      MAX TO GRIND
      MAX VERSTAPPEN really showed his true colours the other day when he defied team orders to allow Sergio Perez to overtake him on the final lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
      The flying Dutchman might be a brilliant  racing driver but as a person he is clearly a Grade One a***hole.
      Even Red Bull boss Christian Horner was left embarrassed by Verstappen’s selfishness as he apologised to Perez.
      But they say that nice guys don’t finish first and Bad Max is living proof of that. Ronaldo on wheels, if you like.
      GARETH STALE
      GARETH BALE insists he has no plans to retire from international football after the World Cup despite managing just 28 minutes of MLS action in the last two months.
      And why would he want to call it a day when he knows that he can just turn up whenever he likes and walk straight into Rob Page’s team?
      Because if Bale can remain his country’s captain despite completing the full 90 minutes just once in the past year, what’s to stop him from becoming the oldest international player in history?
      The way he’s going, he could still be leading Wales out at the 2062 World Cup in North Korea.
      POWERLESS GI-FORCE
       FIFA    president Gianni Infantino has addressed world leaders at the G20 summit to call for a World Cup ceasefire between warring neighbours Russia and Ukraine.
      That should do it, Gianni. The Nobel Peace Prize is in the bag.
      IR WE GO, ENGLAND
      THEY say there’s no  easy games in football.But seeing that Iran have  just lost 2-0 at home to Tunisia,  England will deserve everything that gets thrown at them if they don’t stroll it in Monday’s opening match. More

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      Sadio Mane OUT of World Cup 2022 with Senegal confirming Bayern Munich star has failed to recover from leg injury

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      SADIO MANE will MISS the World Cup through injury.The Senegal FA have confirmed that the ex-Liverpool winger, 30, has been ruled out.
      Senegal have confirmed that Mane is out of the World Cup through injuryCredit: AFP
      In a short statement, they said: ‘The FSF wishes a speedy recovery to its player Sadio Mane.”
      Mane suffered an injury to his right fibula in Bayern Munich’s penultimate game before the break.
      Team doctor Manuel Afonso announced: “Unfortunately, today’s MRI scan shows us that the evolution of the injury is not as positive as we had hoped and we, unfortunately, have to declare Sadio’s withdrawal from the World Cup.”
      Despite optimistically handing him a place in the Qatar-bound squad, Mane has now been ruled out of the whole showcase.
      READ MORE ON WORLD CUP 2022
      The forward required surgery, which went smoothly on Thursday evening.
      Bayern Munich confirmed that a “tendon was reattached to the head of his right fibula”.

      He will stay in Germany to begin rehab.
      The former Prem attacker is Senegal’s star player and will be a big miss for the African side in Qatar.
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      The rest of the squad have bizarrely been told “not to whine” about the absence of their talisman.
      Most of Senegal’s squad arrived in the Middle East on Sunday without Mane.
      Chelsea duo Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly will hope to still qualify from a weak group that contains the host nation Qatar.
      Ecuador and the Netherlands are tougher battles, especially without Mane.
      The reigning AFCON champion’s first game is against Holland on Monday. More

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      Ivan Toney ‘was NOT left out of England World Cup 2022 squad due to betting rule breaches, according to FA chief’

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      GARETH SOUTHGATE was reportedly not told to leave Ivan Toney out of his England World Cup squad by FA chiefs.The Brentford striker could face a huge ban after it was alleged he broke FA betting regulations 232 times between February 2017 and January 2021.
      It was Gareth Southgate’s choice to leave Ivan Toney out of his World Cup squadCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      The Brentford striker is facing allegations that he broke FA betting rulesCredit: PA
      SunSport revealed earlier this month that Toney was at the centre of a match-betting probe.
      And the FA statement confirming the misconduct charge was announced on Wednesday – six days after the forward missed out on Southgate’s England World Cup squad.
      He was called-up for the last international break but failed to win his first cap in the Nations League clashes with Italy and Germany.
      Toney has 58 goals in 105 appearances for Brentford including ten in 14 this term, but it was not enough to earn a call-up for Qatar 2022.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP NEWS
      However, ITV are claiming that FA CEO Mark Bullingham did not tell Three Lions boss Southgate to snub Toney as a result of his gambling charges.
      And they go on to state that he actually insisted that it was solely Southgate’s decision.
      Despite his disappointment, Toney seemed in the mood to party as he attended Rolando Aarons’ birthday bash earlier this week.
      Aarons, who turned 27 on Wednesday, posted images from his bash on Instagram.
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      And one of the pictures shows Toney all smiles in a blue shirt, jeans and trainers.
      Aarons opted for a white silk shirt and pale trousers while they were joined by Maidstone United striker James Alabi.
      He spent nine years on the books at Newcastle from 2012 to 2021 – and was therefore a team-mate of Toney’s for three years between 2015 and 2018. More

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      France fear as Olivier Giroud spotted writhing in agony as physio breaks out the magic spray in World Cup 2022 training

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      FRANCE’S “big brother” Olivier Giroud hopes he’s not in big bother after a worrying injury in World Cup training.Medical staff sprayed the leg of the sombre-faced striker, 36, after he was grounded during practice in Doha.
      Olivier Giroud looks concerned as he gets treatment during trainingCredit: EPA
      2018 World Cup winner Giroud has 114 caps and 49 goals, two short of Thierry Henry’s record strike haul for FranceCredit: Rex
      The former Arsenal and Chelsea star has been revelling in his role as the French squad’s elder statesman and says he’s treating the tournament like an eager youngster as it will surely be his last.
      And the sight of 2018 winner Giroud needing treatment this close to France’s opener against Australia next Tuesday will concern many.
      The defending champions will be anxious not to lose any more big names after midfielders N’Golo Kante, Christopher Nkunku and Paul Pogba missed out on Qatar through injury.
      Giroud’s knock comes just as AC Milan’s 114-cap ace explained how “hungry” he remains on the biggest stage.
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      He said: “I have my role as a big brother for the younger players to be available to them and to speak when it is needed and to motivate the team and keep them together.
      “I treat it like a young player because I want to enjoy every single moment.”
      Giroud is only two goals adrift of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry’s 51-goal haul as France’s top scorer ever.
      And he added: “I have this target and bonus in my head to beat Thierry but the main goal of the team is to go as far as we can in the competition.
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      “Hopefully we can bring the Cup home. To get another would be amazing. I am still hungry. I feel physically good and am very happy with my team and my club.
      “To be 36 and to still be able to feel good and play like this is a gift and I hope to be able to continue like this. Maybe it could be my last competition but I am not announcing anything.
      “We will see after the World Cup. As long as my body will allow it, I won’t fix any limits.
      “With my age I know I am closer to the end of my career than the beginning but I am still very motivated.” More