Too often, we wait until our pioneers are gone before we shower them with the praise they deserve.
The Jamaica Football Federation ensured this wouldn’t be the case on Monday when they held a ceremony honoring four stalwarts of football in Jamaica at the federation’s headquarters.
The first set of honorees included Geoffrey Maxwell, Leander Marshall, Everton “Bob West” McLeary and Allan “Skill” Cole.
According to Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts, this initiative was long overdue and is one that he plans to do annually.
“We really want to use this opportunity to express my personal views and those of the JFF. We would have previously planned similar exercises which really did not work out as we would’ve liked and we took a decision that we would select four or five persons annually,” he said.
“Here we are today showing our love and appreciation for the commitment, love, loyalty and the level of entertainment that these players and administrators have given to the sport,” he added.
Ricketts explained that this initiative is a part of the JFF’s efforts to re-connect with past players.
“The JFF is intent on ensuring that we re-establish a relationship with our past players and persons who would have given support to football over the years,” he said.
“Those were the days when service to sport, and especially football, was straight volunteerism,” he added.
Geoffrey Maxwell represented Jamaica as a defender before transitioning into coaching.
He guided Excelsior High to one Manning Cup title and two Walker Cup titles in the 1980s and also coached Waterhouse to the National League trophy in 1998.
Schoolboy football apart, Maxwell coached at the club level with Santos, Waterhouse, Harbour View, Tivoli Gardens, Arnett Gardens, St George's SC, the JDF, and Maverley/Hughenden, among others.
Leander Marshall served as president of the Portmore Football League for over 30 years.
Everton “Bob West” McLeary was a respected administrator to the JFF 30 years ago and sponsored a football competition holding his name. This was part of the KSAFA ecosystem.
Prior to his post at the JFF, he served as a Journalist and a Policeman. He was seriously injured after being knocked down by a vehicle when he was on his motorcycle on Mountain View Avenue in 1994.
Unfortunately, as a result of this accident and the head injuries he sustained, he wasn’t the same. McLeary helped to improve the quality of administration and getting things in place even when resources were not there. McLeary is currently at a nursing home in Manchester.
Allan “Skill” Cole is widely regarded as Jamaica’s greatest ever footballer.
At the peak of his powers, Cole was a midfield maestro local fans compared to Pele. He remains the Jamaica's youngest senior football international, donning national colors against a Brazilian team when he was only 15 years old.
In addition to his local exploits, Cole represented the Atlanta Chiefs in the NASL and Nautico in Brazil.
“First I want to thank the federation for honoring us,” Cole said on behalf of the honorees.
“I cherish these things because I remember in the early days when we were playing football and we didn’t get any form of honor. You see schoolboys today getting citations, plaques and all these things when they score goals, we didn’t get those things. The game has evolved and that is very good” he added.
Cole, who has had his fair share of health issues, made the point that people must be honored more while they are living.
“Honor us before we die. Don’t wait until we die before you honor us. It’s sad and it happens all over the country. Let a man live in his glory,” he said.
AC Milan have announced the signing of Filippo Terracciano on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
The 20-year-old defender arrives at the club from Hellas Verona until June 30, 2028.
He began his career with Verona and made his senior debut for the club in December 2021 against Empoli in the Coppa Italia.
Terracciano then made his Serie A debut against the same opposition in March 2022.
He has since made 39 appearances in total for Verona in the league and has been a key cog for the Serie A strugglers this season, playing 18 of their 19 league matches.
Terracciano represents Italy on the international stage and earned a call-up to their under-21 squad in November 2022, making his debut in a friendly against Germany.
Franz Beckenbauer, who led West Germany to World Cup success as a captain and manager, has died at the age of 78, his family have announced.
Nicknamed ‘Der Kaiser’ (The Emperor) for his commanding style on the field, Beckenbauer was widely recognised as one of the best players in the game’s history.
He won the World Cup as a player in 1974 and again as manager in 1990. A dominant midfielder or attacking sweeper, he also won the European Cup three times with Bayern Munich.
A statement from his family to German news agency DPA read: “It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family.
“We ask that you allow us to grieve in silence and refrain from asking any questions.”
Mauricio Pochettino warned his Chelsea players they must be “clever” in playing without VAR when they meet Middlesbrough in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at the Riverside.
Stadiums outside of the Premier League are typically not fitted with the technology required for the video assistant referee and so Pochettino’s side will take on Championship Boro with only the on-field officials in place.
Chelsea took part in perhaps VAR’s most controversial fixture this season when they won 4-1 at Tottenham in November, a game that featured nine video interventions including five disallowed goals and two red cards shown to Spurs players.
There were a total of 21 minutes of time added on, despite the ball only actually being in play for 43 per cent of the match.
It will be a different proposition for the team on Teesside. Chelsea have the youngest squad in the league this season with an average age of just over 23, many of whom turned professional around the time of the widespread implementation of VAR by Europe’s top-flight leagues in 2018.
Pochettino said his players must prepare to be cautious in the face of unfamiliar circumstances.
“There’s no VAR,” he said. “That is a thing we need to be careful of. Our normal attitude is to play with VAR. We need to be cautious of that.
“We need to be in a different way in our approach. We need to change. Now, it’s just the referee that is going to decide, we need to be cautious.
“It’s a different game whether you play with or without VAR. I don’t say it’s better or worse, but it’s a different game. We need to be clever in this way.”
Chelsea are looking to put one foot into their first major final since they won the World Club Cup in 2021, months after lifting the Champions League trophy in Porto.
They face a Boro side – managed by former Manchester United and England midfielder Michael Carrick – currently 12th in the Championship, having lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Saturday.
“To spend all our energy (on Tuesday) is the most important thing,” said Pochettino.
“Not to go there and think ‘OK, we have the second leg after to play just in case (we lose)’.
“No, (Tuesday) is the most important game and we need to come back afterwards with a victory and to finish at Stamford Bridge.
“It’s going to be tough. The game against Aston Villa, they lost but they could have won. It’s a good team with great ideas. It’s true they’ve changed their system.
“They played the season in a 4-2-3-1. We know they can use this or a different system. They have good players, a good coach. It’s going to be tough.”
Pochettino will be without Christopher Nkunku – who is out with a hip injury – and Nicolas Jackson, away representing Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations, meaning another start is likely for Armando Broja after his goal in the 4-0 cup win over Preston on Saturday.
Trinidad and Tobago striker Reon Moore has come to terms on a move to Canadian Premier League outfit Pacific FC according to reports from Transfermark’s Manuel Veth.
The 27-year-old striker looks set for a move to Starlight Stadium following his second spell with Trinidad and Tobago top flight side Defence Force FC, for whom his form in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup turned heads
He scored back-to-back goals against Jamaica’s Cavalier FC and Martinique’s Golden Lions FC before adding an assist against fellow T&T side AC Port of Spain last fall.
Despite his strong form over for four games, however, his club would fail to progress out of Group A.
Moore is also an established presence within the Trinidad and Tobago national team, tallying a healthy return of eight goals in 25 appearances for the Soca Warriors.
The centre forward dished out two assists in Nations League A before scoring the first goal in Trinidad and Tobago’s 2-1 quarter-final comeback win over the USA.
His professional career began with hometown side North East Stars before a move to Matura Reunited came the following year.
He then enjoyed five fruitful years with Defence Force before testing himself internationally with Guatemalan side Municipal in 2022, but with no goals coming there he returned to Defence Force last year and has clearly found his footing in the time since.
Barcelona defender Inigo Martinez is facing another spell on the sidelines after suffering a fresh injury setback on his return to action at the weekend.
The Spain international lasted just 11 minutes as he made his comeback from a hamstring problem as a second-half substitute in Sunday’s Copa del Rey victory at Barbastro.
The 32-year-old now has a thigh injury and, having just spent a month out, is now facing a further period on the casualty list.
An update from the club read: “Tests carried out on the first team player show that Inigo Martinez has an injury to the biceps femoris muscle in his left thigh.
“He is unavailable for selection and his recovery will dictate his return.”
Maidstone United produced the biggest FA Cup upset at the weekend as the lowest-ranked team left in the competition beat Stevenage to reach the fourth round.
The sixth-tier club are waiting to learn who they face next after a 1-0 victory against the League One side sealed their sixth FA Cup win this season and a place in the hat for Monday night’s draw.
Here, the PA news agency turns the spotlight on The Stones, who have reached the fourth round for the first time.
Route to the fourth round
Second qualifying round – Steyning Town 1-4 Maidstone
Third qualifying round – Winchester City 0-2 Maidstone
Fourth qualifying round – Torquay 0-2 Maidstone
First round proper – Chesham United 0-2 Maidstone
Second round proper – Maidstone 2-1 Barrow
Third round proper – Maidstone 1-0 Stevenage
Upsetting the odds
Maidstone reached the third round proper for the first time since 1987 when coming from behind to beat League Two promotion-chasers Barrow 2-1 last month thanks to goals from Sam Corne and Bivesh Gurung, who fired a superb 74th-minute winner. Against Stevenage on Saturday, midfielder Corne kept a cool head to convert a first-half penalty and that was enough to dump out Steve Evans’ League One high-flyers, who are 69 places above The Stones in the league pyramid.
Elokobi eyes dream tie with Wolves
Manager George Elokobi said after his side’s win on Saturday that it would be a dream come true if they were drawn to play his former club Wolves in the fourth round. Elokobi, who moved to England from Cameroon aged 16, spent six years as a defender at Molineux before ending his playing career with The Stones and also had spells at Colchester, Oldham and Leyton Orient. “Whoever we draw, it’s a privilege and a great time to be a Maidstone United player, fan, for the management team, owners and backroom staff. It is a historic day,” he said.
Boom and bust
Maidstone won promotion to the Football League for the first time in 1989 but at the end of their third season in the old Fourth Division, the club’s debts had spiralled out of control and they were liquidated in 1992. A new club, Maidstone Invicta, was established in the Kent County League Fourth Division and in 1995 they changed their name to Maidstone United. They have had two spells in the National League since 2016 and were relegated to National League South last season.
Home from home
During their spell in the Football League, Maidstone were forced to play home games at Dartford as their ground was not up to standard and they were without a stadium of their own until 2012 when the £2.8million Gallagher Stadium was opened in the town on James Whatman Way. After several improvements, the ground now has a seated capacity of 4,200. Maidstone are currently fifth in the National League South table, 13 points behind leaders Yeovil.
Chelsea announced on Sunday that forward Sam Kerr sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury during their warm weather training in Morocco.
The Australia international is now likely to be out for an extended period.
Here the PA news agency takes a look at how Chelsea can cope without Kerr.
How big is Kerr’s loss?
Kerr’s absence is a huge loss for Chelsea, who are chasing their fifth successive Women’s Super League title.
The two-time WSL Golden Boot winner is a prolific goalscorer for the team, scoring four in eight league games this season. Her 21 league goals in her first full season in 2020-21 was a WSL record until broken last season by Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly, and she followed it up with 20 and then 12.
Kerr has also been influential in their Champions League campaign this year, bagging five goals in four, and she has 95 in all competitions in her time at the club.
Who can Hayes turn to?
Chelsea have plenty of options to turn to in Kerr’s absence. Fran Kirby has also been making her return from injury this season, while her England team-mate Lauren James has scored seven goals in nine league games.
There could also be a chance for Aggie Beever-Jones, a Chelsea academy product who has had previous loans with Bristol City and Everton.
The 20-year-old has struggled to get consistent starts in the WSL this season but makes an impact whenever she comes off the bench and in her six appearances as a substitute for Chelsea has scored four goals, with her season total being five.
Will Chelsea look to the transfer market?
Possibly – there is plenty for Hayes to chew over in the transfer window but it will be difficult to find a like-for-like replacement for Kerr.
Chelsea already have plenty of attacking talent and Hayes could opt to shuffle the pack at the top of the pitch.
Pre-season moves for Americans Mia Fishel and Catarina Macario could prove inspired now that Kerr is missing for a prolonged period of time. Macario was handed the coveted number nine shirt while Fishel grabbed a debut goal against Tottenham, though she has not scored for the club since.
Kevin De Bruyne admits he will need to hold himself back as he eases himself into action following a long lay-off.
De Bruyne made his first appearance in five months with an impressive substitute cameo in Manchester City’s 5-0 FA Cup third-round demolition of Championship Huddersfield on Sunday.
The Belgium playmaker was given the last 33 minutes of a one-sided tie at the Etihad Stadium and wasted no time as he set up his side’s fifth goal for another player returning from injury, Jeremy Doku.
De Bruyne had a hamstring operation in August after being troubled further by a problem that had affected him in the latter stages of last season’s treble-winning campaign.
“I worked hard and I’m happy to be back,” said the 32-year-old. “I felt good so I’m pleased about that but I’m still nowhere near where I need to be.
“It’s a good continuation of the process of the last few weeks. I feel good, the movements were good, I felt comfortable in what I was doing and that was the only thing I was really looking for.
“To get that ovation after being away for five months gives you more of a boost. There will be moments I want to play every game but I know in the back of my mind I need to take care of myself.
“It’s good being January where we have fewer games. I don’t expect to be playing too many games and Newcastle next week is a big game so I’ll expect to be back on the bench.”
Getting injured was an obvious frustration for De Bruyne but, given his heavy schedule for club and country in recent years, he tried to turn the situation into a positive.
He said: “To be honest I enjoyed it in a way.
“At the beginning it was a big blow but I knew I was going to be out for four or five months, so after the first reaction I thought to myself I needed to work hard when I’m working, but then I could enjoy the things that I’ve not been able to do with my family and friends.
“Maybe it was good to refresh a little bit. It’s not like I needed a break but I took it, to turn a disadvantage into an advantage.”
City were already well in control when De Bruyne entered the fray after first-half goals from Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez. A third goal came after an Oscar Bobb cross deflected in off Ben Jackson and Foden doubled his tally before Doku wrapped up the scoring.
Despite his return, De Bruyne confirmed Kyle Walker will remain as the team’s regular captain having worn the armband throughout the Belgian’s absence.
“I’m number two, Walks is number one,” said De Bruyne.
Huddersfield boss Darren Moore felt his team acquitted themselves well and hopes that spirit can be carried forward as they look to pull away from the bottom end of the Sky Bet Championship.
Moore said: “It’s no disgrace to lose against arguably the best team in the world.
“It is about what we can take into next week and the second half of the season. For me as a manager a lot has been learnt, and certainly the players learnt a lot.”
Joe Gomez insists Liverpool will not get giddy at the prospect of another potential quadruple tilt, but has acknowledged there is a fire in the squad to achieve this season.
The Premier League leaders continue to battle on four fronts after they progressed into the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday with a 2-0 win at Arsenal.
Next on the agenda for Jurgen Klopp’s team is Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at home to Fulham, but Gomez says there is no prospect of complacency creeping in.
He said: “We don’t want to get giddy. We’re all just full of desire and want to make the best out of the season.
“All we can do is take it one game at a time. I know it’s a cliche, but there’s desire and we have a platform to build on.
“We can’t take that for granted, as we know with last season it’s not always plain-sailing and we went through rough patches but we built from it and learnt from it. So, we have to keep at it and see where it takes us.”
Gomez only made 31 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool last season, but is already up to 26 this term and has recently been used at left-back with Andrew Robertson absent.
While the unorthodox position has been a challenge for the London-born defender, he relished another battle with Bukayo Saka and hailed a big team effort at the Emirates.
“He’s a top player, a direct winger. It’s not often the case these days but he’s one that will stay wide to pick up the ball and drive at you. It was tough. I knew it was going to be having played him so recently but yeah, great team performance, we all dug deep,” Gomez added.
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“It’s different at left back! It’s been a challenge to adapt. Small, minor differences that maybe aren’t noted, maybe how you receive the ball and so on.
“But people at the club know me now, they know I will give my all. I’ve been here long enough now but I’m grateful to play for the club.”
Liverpool were on the ropes for long period in the capital before Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free kick produced Jakub Kiwior’s own-goal and a late Luis Diaz strike made it four wins in five for Klopp’s men.
The victory was all the more impressive considering the club’s lengthy list of absentees with captain Virgil van Dijk ill, while Mohamad Salah is away at the African Cup of Nations.
Nevertheless, Gomez hailed the togetherness of the squad and backed them to take another step towards silverware in this week’s cup tie with Fulham at Anfield.
“There’s definitely a good bond in the team. There’s definitely a freshness and fire about the team,” he added.
“We’re not over-analysing who we lost and who we don’t have. We’ve got top players who we’ve missed this year.
“Thiago, Robbo, Kostas (Tsimikas), Mo going, but the gaffer keeps reiterating we can all do a job defensively and we can all defend.
“It means we don’t have to worry about who’s missing. We have to keep that mentality.
“We’ve got a bit more of a spring in our step. Another big game on Wednesday. We want to get to another final, (it’s) over two legs but we’ll go for it.”
Newcastle defender Fabian Schar has signed a contract extension which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2025, the Magpies have announced.
The 32-year-old Switzerland defender, whose existing deal was due to expire at the end of the season, has committed his future to the Tyneside outfit for at least another campaign two days after playing his part in a 3-0 derby victory over Sunderland in the FA Cup third round.
A club statement said: “Newcastle United are pleased to announce that defender Fabian Schar has extended his contract at St. James’ Park until the summer of 2025.
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“Switzerland international Schar, who turned 32 last month, has made 169 appearances for the club since arriving from Deportivo La Coruna in July 2018.”
Schar, who cost Newcastle just £3million when he arrived from Deportivo, has established himself as a key member of Eddie Howe’s side and a firm fans’ favourite with his no-nonsense style of defending.
He is also confident on the ball and is not afraid to stride forward and take aim at goal, which he did to spectacular effect during the famous 4-1 Champions League victory over Paris St Germain at St James’ Park in October.
Schar, who has been capped 78 times by his country, said: “I’ve said it a lot of times, but I feel really at home here.
“I feel so comfortable living in Newcastle. I love the city and I love playing for the club and the incredible fans. I can’t say enough how much I love them, and how much their support means to me.
“Playing for this team where I feel so comfortable with all my team-mates and with the coaching staff feels really like a family for me, so I’m really grateful to stay here a bit longer and hopefully to have some more exciting times.”
Head coach Howe was delighted to have secured the services of one of his most influential players for another season.
Howe said: “Fabian has been excellent for us. Since I’ve come to the football club, he’s been a model of consistency and a big part of our success.
“He’s defended very well but he’s hugely talented with the ball as well, so we’re delighted that he’s extended his time here.”
The January transfer window gives clubs an opportunity to reshape their squad for the second half of the season or for players to take on fresh challenges. Here, the PA news agency looks at who is making some of the headlines.
Manchester United
After performing way below expectations during the first half of the campaign, the need for a squad refresh at Old Trafford is clear. Primarily, Erik Ten Hag would seem to require a forward to give the attack more of a cutting edge and a defender, where he has not settled on a preferred centre-back pairing. New faces would also give the place a lift in general but some players may need to be moved on first. The futures of Rafael Varane and Casemiro are uncertain while Anthony Martial is again being linked with a move away. Outcast Jadon Sancho appears set for a loan move to former club Borussia Dortmund.
Chelsea
The Stamford Bridge outfit have spent more than £1billion on transfer fees over the past 18 months but results this season indicate they have not yet got things right. Bringing a centre forward would appear to be a necessity for manager Mauricio Pochettino but the Londoners also need to give serious thought to balancing the books. Outgoings are likely with rumours abounding over the future of Conor Gallagher, despite some impressive recent performances. With his contract due to expire in 2025, the England midfielder could be let go for around £50million.
Kalvin Phillips
Phillips has failed to establish himself at Manchester City since his £42million switch from Leeds in the summer of 2022. Injuries curtailed his involvement last season and, with so much quality in Pep Guardiola’s squad, even substitute appearances have been few and far between. As Euro 2024 approaches, Phillips may have to move now to ensure he stays in the England picture. Newcastle are apparently keen but there has also been reported interest from Juventus.
Jordan Henderson
The former Liverpool captain could be on the move again after reports emerged over the weekend that he would like to cut short his stay in Saudi Arabia, where he signed a three-year contract with Al-Ettifaq amid much controversy last summer. At 33 and still firmly in the England plans, Henderson could be an attractive proposition for many clubs based purely on football terms, but the financial obstacles to bringing him back to Europe could be significant. It remains to be seen if genuine interest emerges but a loan move could be a possibility. A return to Anfield would seem unlikely with Liverpool’s midfield having been rebuilt since his departure.
Ivan Toney
The England striker is set to return to action this month as his eight-month ban for multiple breaches of betting regulations comes to an end. Given their poor form of late, Brentford will undoubtedly welcome the striker back with open arms and he has said he is keen to repay the club for their support during his suspension. However, his value remains high and with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea both looking for goalscorers, potentially head-turning approaches are more than possible.
William Saliba has vowed Arsenal will come back stronger after they suffered a third consecutive defeat on Sunday.
The Gunners created a number of chances, especially in the first half but exited the FA Cup in the third round following a 2-0 loss at home to Liverpool.
It saw Mikel Arteta’s team conclude a difficult festive period on another low after a run of four defeats in their last seven matches.
Arsenal will get the chance to reset with no fixture until January 20 and they are set to spend this week away in Dubai at a warm-weather training camp.
“We have to stick together,” Saliba said.
“We know we’re not in our best moment, but we won’t give up and we’ll come back even stronger.
“We will work a lot during this break, we will breathe a little bit. We will stick together and come back stronger and better.”
Arsenal were top of the Premier League on Christmas Day, but have only scored once in their last three fixtures in all competitions.
Like in their 2-0 loss to West Ham, their final home clash of 2023, the Gunners were wasteful in front of goal against Liverpool and made to pay when Jakub Kiwior headed an own goal past Aaron Ramsdale in the 80th minute.
Luis Diaz confirmed Liverpool’s place in round four with a fine finish after a slick counter-attack, but it could have been a different story had Reiss Nelson, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz taken excellent first-half chances.
Arteta played down talk of a January move for a forward and insisted the fans must stick with his young side.
Saliba told the official club website: “I’m really disappointed because we started the game so well.
“We had too many chances too score, but we didn’t. Even in the second half, we were good. Unfortunately we conceded one free kick 10 minutes before the end.
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“We have to kill the game off before because when we have so many chances like this, we have to score.
“We have to defend free kicks better, we cannot concede like this, so we can be really disappointed.”
Arsenal were without forward Gabriel Jesus for the visit of Liverpool due to another knee injury, but Arteta played down concerns.
“He had some pain in his knee. We have done a scan that shows something,” Arteta insisted.
“Hopefully it’s not something big. It’s the same knee that he had before, so we could not take any risks.”
Ivan Toney says he lost his love for football during an eight-month betting ban but is ready to return and repay Brentford’s support during his lengthy lay-off.
The 27-year-old England striker has not played since last May, when he was found guilty of 232 breaches of the Football Association’s gambling rules, but is set to make his Premier League comeback against Nottingham Forest on January 20.
He has spent his time away from the game working hard on his own, in extra sessions at the club and on solo trips to Nashville, and admits struggling to come to terms with his punishment.
“I didn’t watch football for a while. In a way I punished myself. There was a stage I probably did fall out of love with football,” he told Sky Sports.
“Missing games and not being around my team-mates was tough. I was confused but what’s done is done now, I can’t dwell on these things. Life’s not fair, we know this, the more you dwell on it the more it’s going to hurt you.”
Toney has been linked with a big-money move, with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea reportedly interested in a player who netted 20 times last season, but he is keen to show his appreciation for the Bees.
“(Brentford manager) Thomas Frank has been nothing but the biggest help I could have asked for – the whole club has,” Toney added.
“From putting on extra sessions for me, from taking their time out to put a session on and go outside when it’s raining when they’re not supposed to be in. I have a lot to repay them and I can’t wait to try and do that.
“The fans were behind me. Even when I wasn’t at their games, they were singing my name. A friend of mine sent me a video of the fans singing my name, I got goosebumps to know that they’re still behind me, even though I’m not there.
“With Brentford, they’re struggling at the moment but I’m sure when I’m back I will play a big part to get them out of the losing form they’ve been in. I can’t wait to get back and be helping my team-mates.”
Toney’s time away also helped focus his mind on life outside of football and he came away with bold plans for his future off the field.
“I want to start my own businesses, start my own clothing brand. One thing I want to do is get into acting, which I think I’d be quite good at,” he said.
What the papers say
Newcastle have reportedly been given a boost in their pursuit of Kalvin Phillips. According to a report from journalist Fabrizio Romano, cited by the Daily Mail, Juventus – Newcastle’s biggest rival for the 28-year-old’s signature – have cooled on the Manchester City midfielder due to stumbling blocks over a loan fee and salary, opening the window for the Magpies to swoop.
The Daily Mail also says former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is desperate for a return to the Premier League. The midfielder completed a £12million transfer from Liverpool to Saudi Arabian side Al Ettifaq last summer, but has reportedly been disheartened by the side’s poor on-field form and lack of crowds. Henderson is believed to be willing to give serious consideration to any offers received this month.
And The Sun reports Newcastle could let go of midfielder Sean Longstaff if the right offer comes along.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Jean-Clair Todibo: Chelsea, Manchester United and AC Milan are all monitoring the Nice defender, according to RMC Sport.
Max Kilman: The Guardian says West Ham are looking at a move for the Wolves defender.
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