Arsenal reached the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years after beating Atletico Madrid 1-0 in the second leg of the semi-final courtesy of Bukayo Saka’s goal

Wayne Rooney has hit out at Arsenal for going over the top with their celebrations after they beat Atletico Madrid to book their place in the Champions League final. The Gunners secured their spot in the showpiece event in Budapest by edging out Diego Simeone’s side 1-0.

Bukayo Saka’s sharp finish from a rebound was enough to seal a 2-1 aggregate victory in the semi-finals. After Mikel Arteta’s men dug deep to protect their narrow advantage, the Emirates Stadium erupted into a wave of jubilation and raw emotion.

Arsenal’s players, coaching staff and backroom team flooded onto the pitch in scenes of pure elation, as the ground went into raptures. Yet while the moment was enough to give any football fan goosebumps, the former England skipper was far from bowled over by the festivities.

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Speaking on Amazon Prime, Manchester United legend Rooney began by praising Saka, saying: “I thought he was very good tonight. I thought Arsenal tonight were very efficient in their performance.

“They got the goal and defensively, I thought they were brilliant, the two central defenders were excellent. They deserved it, they’ve played well all season.

“In the Premier League and the Champions League, they deserve to be in this position.”

As the cameras kept cutting to the jubilant Arsenal fans and players, Rooney then took a swipe, saying: “They haven’t won it yet. I think the celebrations are a little bit too heavy. Celebrate when you win…but no, they deserve it.”

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Rooney, who won the Champions League and reached three finals throughout his career, may well have been tongue-in-cheek with his remark. But even had his comment been broadcast over the tannoy, it would have done little to dampen the jubilant atmosphere in north London.

Tuesday night marked the first occasion Arsenal have made it to the Champions League final since the 2006 showpiece. In 2009, Rooney was also part of the United side who beat the Gunners 3-1 in north London to reach the Champions League final.

Ji-Sung Park scored and Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace as United ran out 4-1 winners on aggregate at the Emirates Stadium over Arsene Wenger’s side. Rooney looked back on that occasion and admitted the atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium now, compared to then, is completely different.

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Later on, after he was asked if he still felt the celebrations were too much, punditry colleague Daniel Sturridge jokingly butted in and said “I bet you’re fun at Christmas,” to which, Rooney laughed: “I don’t like Christmas.”

Last season, Arsenal were knocked out by PSG at the semi-final stage, with the French giants going on to claim the title by demolishing Inter Milan 5-0. Arteta’s men could yet face Luis Enrique’s side again in the final.

They hold a slender 5-4 advantage over Bayern Munich, with Vincent Kompany’s team hosting the reigning European champions in the second leg on Wednesday evening.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

The victim, police have confirmed, was punched in the face on the stairs leading to the toilet at Yates, in Low Ousegate, on Saturday (April 11) at approximately 7pm.

The man sustained an injury to his eyebrow that required medical treatment.

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A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: “We’re asking anyone who recognises the man in the images to get in touch, as we believe he may have information that could assist our investigation.

“We would also like to hear from anyone who witnessed the assault or the events leading up to it to come forward.

“Anyone with information is asked to email Ezequiel.GomezBalaguer@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers via their website or by calling 0800 555 111.

“Please quote reference 12260064769 when providing information.”

The reform package includes changes to the nomination process for First and deputy First Ministers, allowing the next largest party to step in if the largest eligible party refuses to nominate.

Democracy in Northern Ireland “should not be up for sale to the highest bidder”, Naomi Long has said as her party unveiled a wide-ranging package of reforms aimed at overhauling how the Stormont Assembly operates.

The Alliance leader was speaking as they launched their Democratic Renewal paper, which sets out proposals designed to prevent future collapses of Stormont, increase accountability among Ministers and tighten rules around political donations.

Among the key changes proposed are measures to stop a single party from bringing down the institutions, reforms to ensure all votes carry equal weight, and steps to prevent items from being blocked from reaching the Executive agenda. The paper also calls for greater transparency in political funding and stricter oversight of donations.

Mrs Long said the proposals were aimed at restoring public confidence in a system many voters feel has failed to deliver.

“A generation ago, the people of Northern Ireland were promised government which could deliver for everyone in our society. But the years since have seen other parties reduce that ambition to a system burdened with delay and dysfunction rather than delivery and change,” she said.

“The Executive has been in a state of collapse for nearly half its lifetime, a succession of parties and Ministers abusing their power, and a continuing lack of transparency around political donations and shadowy international influences.

“In short, many people are understandably disillusioned with politics, a frustration shared by Alliance. We need democratic renewal and these proposals are Alliance’s plan to do just that. Democracy should be about delivery for ordinary people, not billionaires with agendas or parties obsessed with causing dysfunction.

“The argument for reform has been won – the Assembly has backed an Alliance call for it and the discussions are taking place right across Northern Ireland. Reform needs to happen, so let’s grab the opportunity and make it the best type possible.”

The reform package includes changes to the nomination process for First and deputy First Ministers, allowing the next largest party to step in if the largest eligible party refuses to nominate. It also proposes replacing the current parallel consent system with a weighted majority for key votes, and limiting the use of mechanisms such as the Petition of Concern to issues relating to identity, legacy and the constitutional framework established under the Good Friday Agreement.

Further measures include placing the so-called “three meeting rule” on a statutory footing to prevent agenda blockages, publishing Executive meeting agendas, and scrapping the system of Assembly designations. The party also proposes renaming the joint office of First Minister and deputy First Minister to “Joint First Ministers” to reflect their equal status.

On standards in public life, Alliance is calling for stronger sanctions for breaches of the Ministerial Code, including empowering the Standards Commissioner to recommend penalties subject to independent review.

The paper also sets out proposals to curb the influence of money in politics, including a cap on donations from single sources, lowering the reporting threshold to £500, and publishing all donations dating back to 2014. It further recommends enhanced powers and funding for the Electoral Commission, alongside the creation of a lobbying register at Stormont.

Beyond Northern Ireland, the party is also advocating for wider constitutional reform at Westminster, including the introduction of proportional representation for general elections, an elected House of Lords, and a UK-wide constitutional convention to develop a codified constitution.

The proposals come amid ongoing debate about how to stabilise devolved government and prevent further periods of political deadlock at Stormont.

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Indie’s Attic, on Market Street in Westhoughton, has been shortlisted for The Bolton News’ Best Independent Retail Business Award 2026.

This is a moment the team describes as both “lovely” and “incredibly grateful.”

Most clothes are separated into colours. (Image: NQ)

Owners Claire Devlin and Kim Griffiths say the recognition feels like a meaningful reward for years of hard work and community support.

Claire said: “We’re very community‑focused. People say you shouldn’t become friends with your customers, but we absolutely have.

“We love being based here; there are still people discovering us for the first time, so we just want to keep spreading the word.”

The boutique, known for its warm atmosphere and stylish European brands, has grown significantly since Claire first launched it nearly ten years ago as a pop‑up from her home.

Claire and Kim outside of their shop. (Image: NQ)

A single parent at the time, she began selling at artisan markets before opening the Market Street shop in 2019.

Poster (Image: NQ)

What started as a small front‑room operation with around 50 products has now expanded into a thriving two‑floor boutique with hundreds of weekly orders.

Indie Attic has built a loyal customer base both in‑store and online.

The shop prides itself as tidy. (Image: NQ)

Every Wednesday, the boutique releases its weekly “drop”, a curated selection of new clothing from independent brands in Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands.

Customers often rush to order online before popping into the shop to collect their pieces and catch up with the team.

Claire added: “We focus on the brands that we sell that are a little bit different from the High Street. They’re really good quality, but they’re reasonably priced.”

Clothes at the shop. (Image: NQ)

The business continues to grow, with online sales rising, international orders increasing, and a rise in their customer return rate in the first quarter of this year.

Despite their success, Claire and her team remain committed to Westhoughton.

If they win, the team already has plans. A celebratory in‑store event to thank the community that helped them thrive.

To vote pick up a copy of the paper.

A man with multiple aliases used the name of the famed Astor family to dupe a Mexican billionaire out of around $450 million in a bogus stock-backed loan scheme, according to a newly unsealed U.S. indictment and other court records.

Vladimir Sklarov, 63, also known as Gregory Mitchell and Mark Simon Bentley, set up a sham company, Astor Asset Group, that purported to be a legitimate and experienced loan provider that was connected to the Astors, federal prosecutors said. The storied New York family included John Jacob Astor, one of the wealthiest men in America in the mid-19th century.

Although the indictment unsealed on Monday does not name the victim, court records in litigation in England show it was Ricardo Salinas Pliego, the Mexican TV, retail and banking magnate. Salinas also confirmed he was ripped off by Astor Asset Group in an interview with The Wall Street Journal last year.

“I feel like an absolute idiot. How could I fall for this?” Salinas Pliego told the newspaper.

Sklarov was arrested in Chicago on Saturday on the indictment by a federal grand jury in New York City, prosecutors said. A detention hearing is scheduled for Friday in federal court in Chicago, according to court records.

A public defender representing Sklarov in Chicago did not immediately return phone and email messages Tuesday.

“As alleged, Vladimir Sklarov represented his company to be affiliated with, and have the financial backing of the famed New York Astor family in order to burnish his brand,” Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement. “That was a complete lie. Sklarov used false prestige to gain control of hundreds of millions of dollars in stock and then liquidated those shares for his own benefit.”

In 2021, Salinas was seeking a $100 million loan that he intended to secure with shares of a company he owned, according to the indictment. Sklarov — using the name Gregory Mitchell and claiming he was “managing director” of Astor — and other, unnamed co-conspirators convinced Salinas that Astor was willing and able to provide the loan, prosecutors said. The other conspirators included a man who also used an alias, Thomas Mellon, whose last name is also that of a prominent and wealthy American family.

Sklarov and other conspirators told Salinas that Astor was originally established from the wealth of John Jacob Astor and that the company had high-profile clients including universities and investment funds, prosecutors said.

Under a deal signed around July 2021, Sklarov agreed to lend Salinas at least $115 million, claiming the money would come from the Astor family, the indictment says. Salinas secured the loan with company shares worth at least $450 million that were supposed to be held but not sold.

Sklarov then sold the company shares, used some of the proceeds to fund the loan to Salinas and kept the remaining hundreds of millions of dollars for himself and other conspirators, federal prosecutors said.

It wasn’t until July 2024 that Salinas learned the company shares had been liquidated, the indictment says. A day later, Salinas received a letter from Astor falsely claiming that Salinas had defaulted on the loan, according to the document. A month earlier, Astor wrongly informed Salinas that it had the right to sell the shares, prosecutors said.

Authorities listed Sklarov’s hometown as Athens, Greece. The Wall Street Journal reported that Sklarov is a Ukrainian-born American who had been convicted of fraud in the past.

Conservation charity Ulster Wildlife is behind the GPS tracking scheme

A new project using GPS to track hedgehogs in Northern Ireland has been launched, with the aim of protecting the species.

The spiky garden visitors are becoming an increasingly rare sight in the region, and are now classified as near threatened across Europe.

Conservation charity Ulster Wildlife is behind the GPS tracking scheme, designed to understand hedgehogs’ nocturnal activities to help safeguard their future.

They have said tidier gardens, fewer wild areas, the replacing of hedgerows with fencing, a lack of insect prey, use of pesticides, and road accidents have all had an impact on hedgehog numbers.

Ulster Wildlife said recent research emerging from across the UK and Ireland suggests hedgehogs are retreating to towns and cities, and that urban gardens may be their last refuge.

However, almost nothing is known about how hedgehogs navigate urban environments locally and what obstacles they face.

Selected hedgehogs have been located and fitted with a small, lightweight GPS tag, under licence from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

It is temporarily attached to the hedgehog’s spine, like a backpack, and remains in place for a few days before being safely removed, causing it no harm.

The charity said only male hedgehogs are chosen, to avoid disturbing nesting females.

To support the project, the first hedgehog detection dog for Ireland is also being trained by Conservation Detection Dogs NI, to help staff locate hedgehogs more efficiently.

The dogs will also be trained to track down the tags if they fall off.

The technology allows the charity to map exactly where the hedgehogs travel each night, including how many gardens they pass through, the roads they navigate, where they find food, and where they rest.

Katy Bell, senior conservation officer with Ulster Wildlife, said initial results have been fascinating.

“After long nights patiently staking out gardens and waiting for hedgehogs to appear, the initial results have been absolutely fascinating,” she said.

“We’re seeing hedgehogs travel through multiple gardens in a single night and cross busy roads – a heart-in-the-mouth moment that shows the reality of the challenges these at-risk mammals face.

“We know from studies elsewhere in the UK that hedgehogs can travel up to three kilometres a night. That means they rely on whole neighbourhoods, not just one garden, to survive.

“What we don’t yet know is how that plays out in Northern Ireland but, even at this early stage, we are seeing just how important connected green spaces are. We are really excited to see what the rest of the project reveals.”

The project is supported by Power NI, Northern Ireland’s leading electricity supplier, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) through the carrier bag levy.

Lucy McCullough of Power NI said: “We are delighted to support this pioneering project, which will provide vital insights into the lives of hedgehogs in Northern Ireland and help protect a species that is increasingly at risk.

“At Power NI, we believe it is important to invest in initiatives that deliver genuine benefits for nature and local communities, and we’re proud to partner with Ulster Wildlife to help with positive conservation action.”

Ulster Wildlife is aiming to tag several hedgehogs before they hibernate again in the autumn, as part of a survey protocol designed in consultation with researchers from Nottingham Trent University.

As more animals are tracked over the coming months, the project will build a better understanding of their hidden lives, helping to inform conservation action and wildlife-friendly urban planning.

Maureen Carvill, wildlife gardening officer with Ulster Wildlife, added: “For the first time, we’ll be able to work directly with households and housing associations using real, Northern Ireland-specific hedgehog data.

“This will help people make simple but powerful changes – like creating wildlife corridors or ‘hedgehog highways’ to connect gardens, reducing the use of harmful substances such as slug pellets, and supporting calls for traffic calming measures in known hedgehog hotspots.

“We’ve already had great engagement, and it has been wonderful to see people taking action for hedgehogs in their gardens.

“Ultimately, it’s about making neighbourhoods more welcoming and better connected for hedgehogs, using evidence we’ve never had before in Northern Ireland.”

Ulster Wildlife has asked for those who have hedgehog visitors to please report their sightings at ulsterwildlife.org/report-sightings.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Arsene Wenger defended Arsenal’s ‘absolutely normal’ celebrations after their Champions League semi-final win over Atletico Madrid but urged the players to quickly ‘focus’ on tasks ahead.

Arsenal beat Atletico 2-1 on aggregate to reach their first Champions League final since 2006.

The first leg in Madrid finished 1-1 and Bukayo Saka scored the decisive goal at the Emirates Stadium to send Arsenal into the final, which will be held on May 30 in Budapest.

The full-time whistle sparked jubilant scenes inside the Emirates, with the Arsenal squad continuing to celebrate for some time in front of their delighted supporters.

Some rival fans were quick to question the celebrations and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney even suggested they were slightly over the top.

Reacting to the scenes at the Emirates Stadium, Rooney – a Champions League winner with United in 2008 – told Prime Video: ‘They haven’t won it yet.

‘I think the celebrations are a little bit too heavy. Celebrate when you win…but no, they deserve it.’

But legendary Arsenal manager Wenger described the celebrations as ‘absolutely normal’ and was pleased to see the players and fans express their delight.

However, he reminded the squad that ‘the next step’ for them is to win their first Champions League ahead of a final against either PSG or Bayern Munich.

‘I think Arsenal wanted wanted it a bit more than Atleti and they were more decisive in the duals,’ Wenger said on beIN SPORTS.

‘We said before the game that to go to the final they needed to be strong defensively and they didn’t concede a goal tonight.

‘They played a team who for 45 minutes absolutely needed to score a goal and they didn’t give them a chance.

‘I believe it shows how strong Arsenal are defensively and how disciplined they are, as well a bit the limitations of Atletico, who were not good enough in the final third.

‘In the end it’s a well-deserved win for Arsenal, there’s no doubt they were the better team over the two legs.

‘They celebrate well tonight which is normal but you want to focus already on the final and the next games.

‘The celebration is deserved and happiness is normal – absolutely normal – but the next step is to go to the final and win in.’

After becoming the first Arsenal manager since Wenger to reach a Champions League final, Mikel Arteta said: ‘It’s an amazing night to live this kind of moment with the players and everyone at the club, it’s an incredible feeling.

‘It makes sense with all of the things we do and we go through and I see so many happy faces and proud of what we’re doing.

‘It was unbelievable right from the beginning – the supporters waiting for us outside the stadium, the energy and passion that they put in so it was just great to win this.

‘They set the standards and we’ve tried to catch up with them. We struggled so many years to give that joy back and the pride in their eyes was beautiful to watch.’

Before focussing on the Champions League final Arsenal will look to clinch their first Premier League title in 22 years.

The Gunners boast a five-point lead over second-placed Manchester City ahead of their next game, a trip to London rivals West Ham on Sunday.

Man City failed to close the gap to just three points on Monday night as they were held to a thrilling 3-3 draw by Everton.

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Thierry Henry praised Bukayo Saka’s efforts to battle back from injury after his goal helped fire Arsenal to their first Champions League final in 20 years.

Saka has had his minutes carefully managed over the past week after returning from an Achilles injury, which ruled him out for the previous five matches.

The Arsenal winger was devastating against Fulham on the weekend when back in the starting lineup, and produced the goods again on Tuesday night against Atletico Madrid.

Saka made way just before the hour mark, having scored before half-time, with the Gunners holding on to secure a 2-1 aggregate win and place in the final later this month.

And Henry was quick to praise Saka post-match, revealing that the winger has spoken about his determination to get back to full fitness when the pair spoke over the last week.

Speaking on CBS, Henry said: ‘I would love to see if we can speak to Bukayo because I want him to explain to people that being a footballer is not so much always about the glamorous time.

‘He’s been questioned all season. Can he be the guy? Is he not the guy? Is he the star boy? Is he not the star boy? Is he better than him or not better than him? Today he had to play with barely training. I know he’s suffering with his Achilles tendon.

‘He came back, I spoke to him and he came back and was like: ‘I’ve got to be on the pitch. I’ve got to be on the pitch against Fulham. I have to be. It’s do or die’.

‘So you have to give those guys a lot of credit. Sometimes we take it for granted. We all played through injuries. We all played with moments where you’re not 100 per cent and he had to do it, deliver it for Arsenal.’

Henry was also keen to praise the performance of Viktor Gyokeres, who missed his golden opportunity in the second half but otherwise ran Atletico’s defence ragged at the Emirates.

‘If I take the example of Gyokeres, the jury was out on him,’ he added. ‘It’s not a bad thing. Embrace it. Try to prove people wrong. Tonight he did.

‘Not only tonight, in the last month, I will give him his credit. He’s running, he looks solid and a bit more like a number nine that you can be scared of.

‘What I like also is the way they look for him early – play to the strength of the guy because if not, I’m going to see his weaknesses instead of seeing his strong points.

‘Now, because of the way they utilise him, I can see what he’s good at and what he’s not good at. It’s a difference. The guy feels more comfortable to make the run where he’s going to excel and not going to see his weakness.’

A jubilant Mikel Arteta was equally impressed with the performances of Gyokeres in the second leg, telling Amazon Prime: ‘He [Gyokeres] was immense. You can see the reaction from the crowd every time he has the ball, his work rate and what he’s giving the team is just incredible.’

On Saka’s winning goal, the Spanish coach added: ‘It had to be someone very special and certainly he is very special with me and the boys and everyone attached with this club. If it had to be someone scoring that goal, it probably had to be him.’

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Donald Trump secured significant victories in a deeply conservative state on Tuesday, as a majority of Republican state senators who opposed his redistricting plan lost their primary races to challengers he endorsed.

This outcome, just four months after the state’s lawmakers rejected his proposed redistricting, saw at least four of the seven Trump-backed challengers emerge victorious.

Twenty-one Republican senators had voted against redistricting in December, with eight running for reelection. Trump endorsed primary opponents against seven of these, and his allies spent millions on these typically low-profile contests.

The costly and unprecedented intraparty battle has exacerbated tensions among Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress.

Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith said the state Senate primary races are pitting “the Republicans who tend to want to avoid the fight and the Republicans who feel like we need to fight.”

“So the only question is, ‘Will you fight or will you get trampled by the other side?’” Beckwith said.

Indiana rejected Trump on redistricting

Trump began leaning on Republican-led states last year to redraw their congressional maps to make it easier for his party to hold its thin majority in the U.S. House. Although redistricting is normally done once a decade, after a new census, Trump wanted to abandon tradition to gain a political edge.

Texas was the first to follow through, and the White House pressured Indiana to go along too. Vice President JD Vance met with state politicians in Washington and Indianapolis, and Trump weighed in by conference call.

However, Indiana senators rebuffed the effort, one of the president’s first significant political defeats of his second term.

The redistricting fight divided Republicans in Indiana, a state Trump won three times by no less than 16 points. Republican Gov. Mike Braun, U.S. Sen. Jim Banks and organizations such as Turning Point Action have worked alongside Trump to unseat the incumbents.

“Big night for MAGA in Indiana,” Banks posted on social media.

Jim Bopp, a prominent Indiana attorney who leads a political action committee aligned with Braun, predicted that Trump’s support will carry the day for the challengers.

“Republican voters overwhelmingly support Trump and when they find out Trump has endorsed a particular Senate candidate, they swing their support behind them,” he said.

Indiana opposition came from constituents, former governor

Opposition to the effort came from anti-Trump Republicans and those wary of the president reaching so deeply into state decision-making. Former Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, who had stepped away from politics after leaving the governorship in 2015, reemerged to help raise money for targeted incumbents.

The senators who broke with Trump said they were listening to their constituents who were overwhelmingly against his redistricting plan. Some said they didn’t like Trump’s aggressive tone in pushing the plan.

“We hate to be told what to do,” said Mike Murphy, a former Republican state representative. “We’re very independent thinking people. So when Donald Trump and his goons come in and try to tell us that we need to redistrict to help his political future, that’s the worst thing you can do.”

He said Trump and those spending big money to take out the incumbents don’t understand Indiana politics.

“There’s just so many misjudgments on people’s part because they tend to fly at the 50,000 foot level and they don’t go to the barbecues and the church fish fries and the things that make Indiana politics,” Murphy said.

Bopp, who supports the Trump-backed challengers, said the primary is a chance for Indiana Republicans to express how important it is to redraw the congressional lines there.

“It’s not a matter of Trump’s power,” Bopp said. “It’s about Republican primary voters who support his agenda and don’t want a Democratic House that will be hugely destructive to the Trump presidency and the country.”

Former England World Cup defender Michael Dawson joined ex-Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch at Ashville College in Harrogate.

The pair shared their accounts of the sacrifices, setbacks and resilience required to succeed at the elite levels of the sport.

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Michael, now a Sky Sports pundit and commentator, drew on his 20-year career as he spoke to pupils at Ashville Prep and Senior School.

He spoke of the relentless work ethic to make it as a professional player and pressed the importance of teamwork and mental strength to overcome injuries and disappointments.

It came as Jesse recalled his journey, from his early days playing college football in the US to his rise managing one of England’s most-esteemed clubs.

Ashville head Rhiannon Wilkinson said pupils were “thoroughly absorbed” by the sessions.

She added: “As the nation looks ahead to the 60th anniversary of England’s legendary 1966 World Cup victory this summer, we were thrilled to welcome both Michael and Jesse.

“Pupils were thoroughly absorbed as they highlighted the importance of resilience, teamwork and commitment in achieving success in becoming young leaders.

“Their engaging sessions took place as football goes from strength-to-strength in both its success and popularity for boys and girls across all Ashville year groups.

“A number of our pupils have been selected to represent both national and regional teams this year, with one recently signing youth terms for Bradford City.”

Growing up in North Yorkshire, some of Michael’s earliest football memories were of kicking a ball against garage doors and playing in the streets.

He began his career with Northallerton Town and went on to make 469 league appearances for Nottingham Forrest, Tottenham Hotspur and Hull City.

Michael was selected for the 2010 England World Cup team – playing alongside football heroes Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Peter Crouch and then captain Steven Gerrard.

He took questions from the pupils on this, showing them football shirts and prized England caps.

Jesse Marsch – now head coach of the Canada men’s national soccer team -enjoyed a 14-season career in Major League Soccer (MLS), winning three MLS Cups and four United States Open Cups, as well as earning two caps for the US men’s national side.

Known for his energetic, attacking style, he played alongside the likes of Marco Etcheverry, Jaime Moreno, Eddie Pope and Jeff Agoos in the squad which won the first ever MLS cup in 1996.

He reflected on the defining moments, challenges and turning points that have shaped his journey from player to elite coach.

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