EXCLUSIVE: Kop legend Owen has warned of the difficulties that come with returning from major injuries, and he should know

Conor Bradley has been backed to “slot back in” as Liverpool’s first-choice right-back when he comes back from injury – but only as long as he can rediscover his form.

Anfield legend Michael Owen has described the Northern Ireland star as a “big miss” for Arne Slot’s side during the second half of the season.

Bradley suffered a serious knee injury during the scoreless draw with Arsenal in January, and underwent an operation on the bone and ligament damage he sustained in the Premier League clash.

Owen has warned of the difficulties that come with returning from major injuries.

But if Bradley can reproduce the kind of form he showed prior to getting hurt, then he can expect to settle straight back into the starting-11 once he returns to fitness.

Right-back has been a problem position for Liverpool in recent times, with Dominik Szoboszlai sometimes filling in, and Joe Gomez also being utilised there.

Jeremie Frimpong, a Netherlands international who can play right-back, right-wing-back or in right-midfield, has also played there, but he started on the bench in last Sunday’s win against Everton.

Owen believes it’s been an area that has caused Slot more problems than most since Bradley’s enforced absence.

“Conor has been a big miss for Liverpool,” said Owen, brand ambassador of Casino.org, for comparing the best Irish online casinos, to Belfast Live.

“You even look at the Everton game, Jeremie Frimpong is back available but the manager didn’t want to play him in a game like that at right-back, so Liverpool are starting to switch midfielders into that position.

“It’s not ideal, I think if everybody, the full squad are fit, then Conor Bradley is the first-choice right-back. By that very fact, he has been a big miss for a large part of the season.”

It has been a testing time for the 22-year-old Tyrone native, whose injury ruled him out of Northern Ireland’s World Cup play-off defeat to Italy.

He won’t play again this season and was going to miss the World Cup if Michael O’Neill’s side qualified.

In the weeks after the injury, his international manager explained the complexity of the problem when he described it as a “kneecap injury”.

But there was good news earlier this month when Bradley’s recovery appeared to put him on course for a pre-season return. He has started to do weights on his injured left leg.

There is still a long way to go, however, and Owen warned that the hardest part was still to come.

Asked if he expected Bradley to slot back into the starting-11, Owen replied: “I do, yeah, he’s young enough to get over a serious injury.

“They are never good, though. People who say, ‘Ah, he’ll come back stronger’, you never do.

“If you come back the same, then that’s fantastic. But you never come back better from a big injury.

“So fingers crossed he comes back the same, and if he does, then he will slot back in. But fingers crossed.”

Click here to sign up to our sport newsletter, bringing you the latest sports news, headlines and top stories

The service, based in Grangetown, is part of WithYou in Redcar & Cleveland, a charity that operates from Redcar High Street and has now expanded to reach more people in need of confidential, non-judgemental help.

The centre is at Barbara Bowater House on Kingsley Road and is now fully operational.

Stacey Skilton, head of service delivery at WithYou in Redcar & Cleveland, said: “We’re excited to extend our support across the area.

“The additional centre in Grangetown will allow us to help more residents, at times and in places that suit them, and in a way that feels rooted in the community.

“By being visible in local areas, we’re making help support more approachable, and breaking down stigma.

“We want people to know that help is close by, free, and without judgement.”

The new site offers a wide range of support, including one-to-one sessions for adults and young people, naloxone distribution (which reverses opioid overdoses), group workshops, drop-ins, and space for partner organisations.

It is designed to be a warm and welcoming environment where people feel safe and respected.

WithYou is encouraging residents, professionals, and organisations to refer anyone who may need support, whether for advice, harm reduction, or to reduce or stop their use of drugs or alcohol.

Alongside therapeutic services, the centre also provides harm reduction equipment and information.

A free and confidential webchat service is also available through the charity’s website, staffed by trained advisors from 9am to 9pm on weekdays and from 10am to 4pm on weekends and bank holidays.

The service runs every day except Christmas Day and allows individuals to speak anonymously with a team member for advice and support.

WithYou works in partnership with THRIVE partners, Harbour, Intuitive Thinking Skills, and Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council.

THRIVE is the first integrated domestic abuse and substance use partnership in England.

It brings together specialist charities to address the complex, overlapping needs of individuals in the area.

A community launch event will take place at the centre on May 21 from 10am to 3pm.

Residents, professionals, and organisations are invited to attend to learn more about the service, meet the team, and discuss how the community can work together to support those in need.

The event is free to attend, but attendees are encouraged to register in advance via Eventbrite to help with planning.

Big changes are coming to how you use your PlayStation console, with Sony being forced to demand age verification to use certain online features.

Until recently, all age verification meant was entering your date of birth into a website and wondering why they bother asking, when you could just make it up. It seems politicians have been wondering the same thing and now an increasing number of websites and online services require official confirmation of your age.

It won’t just be ‘adult sites’ that will become more difficult to access but also consoles, with Sony sending out emails starting this week, warning PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 owners that they’ll have to provide concrete proof of their age if they’re to continue to chat and communicate online.

Roblox and Discord have already instituted similar checks, and it seems Sony’s system in the UK will use Yoti, a British company that relies on both AI-based facial age estimation and digital identity checks. So by the end of the year, you’ll either have to sign up or stop using the console’s chat features.

‘At Sony Interactive Entertainment, we are committed to creating safe, age-appropriate experiences for players and families while respecting privacy and giving players and parents meaningful control over their gaming experience,’ reads the short email message, as posted on ResetEra.

‘As part of our compliance with global regulations, you’ll need to verify your age later this year to continue using PlayStation communication features, such as messages and voice chat. You will still be able to access other PlayStation services, like games, trophies, and the Store, if you do not verify your age.

‘This is a one-time check and usually takes just a few minutes. Completing it ahead of time will help you continue accessing communication features when you want to use them.’

The email includes a link to verify your age straight away but there’s no indication of when exactly it will become mandatory.

As you can see, it’s not just a UK thing, and it’s highly likely that Nintendo and Microsoft will be doing something similar by the end of the year, to comply with the same regulations.

There’s no suggestion of having to prove your age in order to play games with particular age ratings, not least because there is no worldwide standing for ratings – although most of Europe, including the UK, uses the PEGI system.

Since Discord is the main alternative to using a console’s native voice chat system, and that already has its own age verification requirements, there’s no obvious way around the problem without using more obscure software.

It’s the protection of children that Sony is citing as its priority and it’s certainly true that public voice chat can be a cesspool, especially with some of the more popular online titles, like Call Of Duty and GTA Online.

Although many online games are rated 16 or 18, so kids shouldn’t be playing them anyway, the likes of Fortnite and Overwatch only have a 12 age rating and yet both are free-to-play, which is why their audience is so big.

Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter.

To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.

For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.

MORE: There’s a new contender for the ugliest video game controller ever made

MORE: Legend Of Zelda movie leak confirms Link will be wearing his silly hat

MORE: Vampire Crawlers review – the not quite a sequel to Vampire Survivors

US President Donald Trump said he is ‘highly unlikely’ to extend the two-week truce as US-Iran peace talks hang in the balance

Advertisement

President Donald Trumphas said if the ceasefire with Iran expires on Tuesday, “then lots of bombs start going off”.

The remarks came during a phone call on Monday morning with told PBS News that was centred on the ongoing war against Iran, as the US braces itself for another round of peace negotiations just hours before the ceasefire is due to expire. Trump told Bloomberg News that he’s “highly unlikely” to renew the two-week ceasefire that was announced on April 7, reports the Mirror US.

Despite the alarming warning, Trump also reportedly told Fox News on Monday that a deal with Iran would be signed in Pakistan. However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated the government has no plans for a fresh round of talks following the United States’ seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Al Jazeera.

Iran’s hardline Tasnim news agency, which has ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, described the US naval blockade as an “obstacle”, adding that US messages to Iran “contain further excessive demands that cloud the prospects for the upcoming talks.”

Iran “remains fully prepared for military confrontation and to once again punish the US,” Tasnim reported.

Since hostilities broke out on February 28, the Trump administration and Iranian state media have persistently offered conflicting accounts of both the conflict and the peace process. Adding to the conflicting narratives, the president told the New York Post that the U.S. delegation, which includes Vice President JD Vance, were on their way to Islamabad for the talks.

Yet uncertainty remained over whether Vance actually travelled with the delegation on Monday. CNN’s White House correspondent Alayna Treene posted on X that morning: “VP Vance’s motorcade just pulled up at the White House.”

Speculation mounted amongst the public that Vance had been removed from the negotiating team following the collapse of the previous round of U.S.-Iran peace talks. Vance, who had been leading the negotiations, was unable to identify a specific stumbling block.

On Sunday, Trump reverted to his trademark intimidation tactics, posting a string of threatening messages on Truth Social.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” Trump wrote.

In a similar vein, the president told Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst: “If they don’t sign this deal, the whole country is going to get blown up.”

Ensure our latest stories always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

Warrick Dent will step into the role at Northern next month, replacing Matt Rice who is leaving the rail industry for a new challenge.

Mr Dent, who lives in Collingham, West Yorkshire, joins from the Department for Transport Operator (DFTO), where he is group operations and performance director.

Tricia Williams, managing director of Northern, said: “Warrick brings an exceptional track record of delivering improved operational performance and leading complex change across the rail industry.

“His experience at both operator and system level will be invaluable as we continue to improve reliability, strengthen our day-to-day delivery and build a railway that works better for our customers.

“I’m delighted to welcome him to Northern and look forward to working closely with him as we continue our journey of improvement.”

Before DFTO, Mr Dent was safety and operations director at London North Eastern Railway (LNER), where he led the introduction of the Azuma fleet and was instrumental in the East Coast Upgrade.

He also played a key role in the rollout of the East Coast Main Line timetable for December 2025.

Earlier in his career, Mr Dent held several senior positions at Network Rail, including area director for the North East in York.

Alex Hynes, chief executive at DFTO, said: “I am delighted for Warrick and wish him every success in his new role as Northern’s chief operating officer.

“Warrick has provided excellent leadership and made a fantastic contribution during his time at DFTO, and I’m confident that he will make a real positive impact at Northern at what is a critical time for the business.”

Mr Dent said: “I cannot wait to get started at Northern and support the business at such an exciting time.

“I’m really looking forward to working with Tricia and the wider team.

“Northern is a brilliant operator and I’m really looking forward to joining them on their journey.”

He lives with his wife and teenage twin sons.

Northern operates 2,650 train services a day across more than 500 stations in the North of England.

England’s last recorded pair of golden eagles lived in the Lake District. After the female died in 2004, the male was left alone for 12 years before his death in 2016.

This marked the end of golden eagles across English skies. Though they have lived on in Scotland, the birds were largely wiped out across England about 150 years ago, with only a few nesting attempts during that time.

However, the UK government recently announced it will support reintroducing the species and has identified eight potential “recovery zones” across northern England and the south-west. This is good news for lots of reasons.

Reintroducing lost species aligns with the government’s 25-year environment plan to restore and recover nature. Golden eagles also have an important heritage as symbols of wilderness, freedom and power. We may even have a moral duty to return them to the landscape, since humans were largely responsible for their loss.

Reintroducing golden eagles would also benefit England’s natural environment, helping return it to a healthier and more dynamic state.

Restoring balance to the food chain

Golden eagles are apex predators, occupying the top of the food chain with no natural predators. The removal of a species like this can cause major shifts in ecosystems, as they exert top-down control.

When apex predators are missing from ecosystems, the middle predators of food chains – or “meso-predators” – become dominant. With its native bears, lynx and wolves long gone, England has a high number of meso-predators. These include badgers, red foxes and other birds of prey. These predators, in turn, can limit some populations of prey like seabirds, waders and gamebirds.

Meso-predators typically avoid areas where apex predators are due to fear of competition or being eaten themselves. So, if golden eagles return then the predation pressure from smaller birds might be altered. For example, on the Isle of Mull in Scotland, meso-predators like kestrels and buzzards tend to steer clear of areas where golden eagles are.

Controlling prey numbers

Golden eagles also have an important role in the ecosystem by regulating their prey species. They hunt various prey, mostly medium-sized birds and mammals like rabbits, hares and occasionally, young deer.

When not controlled by predators, prey populations can boom. This can lead to greater competition for resources and a higher risk of disease spread among these prey species. Prey populations may also overuse resources, which can negatively affect plant growth.

Because apex predators are absent in England, humans must take up the role of controllers. Deer are shot where they are preventing woodland regeneration and rabbits are widely controlled in agricultural landscapes, costing £5 million a year. Although golden eagles are unlikely to reduce deer and rabbit numbers substantially, they may bring some balance back.

Keeping the environment clean

In addition to being excellent predators, golden eagles also scavenge carcasses – the remains of dead animals. Researchers in Spain found that 90% of the golden eagles in their study fed on carcasses.

Carcasses can quickly become disease and toxin reservoirs that may enter the wider environment if left uneaten. This can have consequences for other species, including humans. So scavengers have a crucial role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

If reintroduced back to England, golden eagles would join the cleaning crew, which also includes species like red kites, crows and red foxes.

Indicators of a healthy ecosystem

If a pollutant is in an environment, this could affect top predators through a process called biomagnification, where the concentration of the pollutant increases the further up the food chain. If in high concentrations, the pollutant may become toxic and the predator may fail to reproduce, become unwell, or die.

In the 1960s, birds of prey played a pivotal role in making the environmental dangers of certain agricultural pesticides clear in the UK and globally, leading to the widescale ban. Golden eagles could do something similar today.

A complex picture

If golden eagles are successfully reintroduced in England, they could restore balance to food chains, control prey numbers, scavenge carcasses and act as indicators of environmental dangers.

They will join other birds of prey that have been successfully reintroduced to England, such as red kites, ospreys and white-tailed eagles, all of which have been deemed a success.

However, ecological systems are not straightforward and predicting the consequences of the return of golden eagles is complex. As indicated by the risk assessment conducted by Forestry England, at worst the impacts on biodiversity of golden eagles will be neutral. At best it will be beneficial.

Guy Rowles was in the water when he was stung by a venomous jellyfish and suffered life threatening injuries – leaving him tight chested and convulsing before being rushed to hospital

A tourist was rushed to hospital after being stung by the ‘world’s most venomous animals’ that can kill in under fiver minutes.

Guy Rowles, from Australia, was surfing in Fiji when he felt a severe sting on his arm on the first day of his trip.

The surfer was in the water with his father when he rolled off his board and tore the jellyfish tentacles off him.

Rowles was visiting Sujees Surf Stay at Cloudbreak, a reef break in the Mamanuca Islands known for its waves.

Rowles told surfing outlet Stab on Monday: “All of a sudden something hectic stung my arm. It felt like someone had just poured burning hot oil on me.”

The man recalls his arm being on fire, having a tight chest and convulsing on the deck of a boat he was pulled onto.

Rowles was rushed to a hospital in Nadi, over an hour away from where the incident took place.

The surfer said: “I’m looking at my dad going, ‘F** Dad, am I going to die?’

“I was shaking, vomiting, couldn’t really feel my legs.

“Tingles everywhere, but as soon as the guy got off the boat, he started sprinting across the coral… A couple of crew came to help and they’re saying, I’m going to pray for you.”

Before he was driven from the shore to the hospital at high speeds, he made a call to his mother to tell her he loved her.

“The doctor goes, ‘It’s too late for antivenom, you’ve missed your window. It’s been in you for an hour.’ Yeah, I just had to ride it out, really,” he added.

At the hospital they doused the area with vinegar to neutralise remaining stinging cells and remove any remaining tentacles from the skin.

Despite the injury being deemed life threatening, Guy survived the attack.

“They said I was lucky that I didn’t get it on my face or neck.

“And that if I wasn’t young and healthy, it could’ve gone a lot differently.”

Rowles has already taken back to the water surfing and said that the startling experience “definitely puts things into perspective.”

Box jellyfish, named after their body shape, can have tentacles up to 10 foot long covered in nematocysts, which are tiny harpoons attached to a venom-filled bulb.

The marine animal can sting and kill a person in under five minutes and are primarily found in the Indo-Pacific region and northern Australia.

Prior to Mr Rowles sting Fiji’s government issued a health alert about jellyfish in the water.

It said: “The Ministry of Health and Medical Services, with the Ministry of Fisheries, are urging Fijians to take precautionary measures when out at sea with the presence of Box Jellyfish – a poisonous and venomous jellyfish.

“The Ministry of Health & Medical Services is concerned after a number of patients have been presented to the Ministry’s Hyperbaric Unit with breathing problems after being out at sea.

“Members of the public are urged to take proper heed of this advisory and to visit their nearest healthcare facility should they have any signs and symptoms.”

As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our
articles.

Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local
services.

These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience – the local
community.

It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need
as much support as possible during these challenging times.

The park will have a range of water features

A project to transform a former lido into a splash park in a Cambridgeshire town has reached its final stages as the opening has been confirmed. St Neots Splash Park on Huntingdon Road is now in its final stages before opening.

The new splash park will be based at the site of the former St Neots Lido, which operated from 1961 until 2003. The Independent Professional Playground Safety Inspection has been successfully completed, with final commissioning scheduled for the week commencing April 27.

In the latest update, St Neots Aquatic and Leisure have confirmed a soft opening set for May 2, on the bank holiday weekend. Plans for a formal opening event are still being finalised and will be announced shortly.

The park will have a range of water features for families to enjoy. This includes a hydro blast which shoots up a tall stream of water, aqua tent where water flows in a dome, water arch, and a mixture of jets.

Plans were first submitted to Huntingdonshire District Council in 2022 to build the splash park. Construction began last year.

A spokesperson for St Neots Aquatic and Leisure said: The St Neots Splash Park on Huntingdon Road has successfully completed its Independent Professional Playground Safety Inspection, with final commissioning planned for the week commencing 27th April.

“A soft opening is currently planned for 2nd May, giving local families the first opportunity to enjoy this new inclusive outdoor play space. Details of the formal opening will be announced shortly.”

President Donald Trump said he’s “highly unlikely” to extend the fortnight-long ceasefire

Advertisement

President Donald Trump warned PBS News that should the ceasefire with Iran lapse on Tuesday, “then lots of bombs start going off”.

The remark came during a Monday morning telephone conversation, centred on the ongoing conflict with Iran, as Washington gears up for further peace negotiations mere hours before the truce concludes. Trump informed Bloomberg News that he’s “highly unlikely” to extend the fortnight-long ceasefire announced on April 7.

Amidst the concerning rhetoric, Trump also reportedly indicated to Fox News on Monday that an agreement with Iran would be finalised in Pakistan. Nevertheless, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated the government has no intentions regarding fresh discussions following America’s seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Al Jazeera.

Iran’s hardline Tasnim news agency, linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that while the US naval blockade persists as an “obstacle”, American communications to Iran “contain further excessive demands that cloud the prospects for the upcoming talks.”

Iran “remains fully prepared for military confrontation and to once again punish the US,” Tasnim stated, reports the Mirror US.

Throughout the conflict, which commenced on 28th February, the Trump administration and Iranian state media have persistently provided conflicting narratives regarding both the hostilities and the peace negotiations. Complicating matters further, the president informed the New York Post that the US delegation, which includes Vice President JD Vance, were en route to Islamabad for the negotiations.

However, doubts have emerged as to whether Vance actually travelled with the delegation on Monday. CNN’s White House correspondent, Alayna Treene, wrote on X this morning: “VP Vance’s motorcade just pulled up at the White House.”

Speculation has been rife that Vance was removed from the negotiating team following the collapse of the previous round of US-Iran peace talks, during which he was unable to identify a specific stumbling block.

On Sunday, Trump reverted to his trademark intimidation tactics, posting a string of threatening messages on Truth Social.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” Trump wrote.

In a similar vein, the president told Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst: “If they don’t sign this deal, the whole country is going to get blown up.”

Want to see more of the stories you love from Belfast Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives… To add Belfast Live as a preferred source, simply click here.