Kylian Mbappe was greeted with a chorus of boos and whistles from Real Madrid‘s own fans as he returned from a hamstring injury during his side’s 2-0 La Liga win over Real Oviedo.

The French forward missed Sunday’s 2-0 El Clasico defeat by Barcelona ⁠that saw their bitter ​rivals ⁠wrap up the league title with three games to spare, and his ⁠introduction in the 69th minute as a ​substitute ⁠for goal-scorer Gonzalo Garcia ‌prompted widespread jeers from the Madrid fans.

Gonzalo had given the home side the lead in the 44th minute with a well-taken goal after bottom side Oviedo, whose are already relegated to the second tier, coughed the ball up cheaply on their right flank.

Mbappe, who earlier on Thursday was named in the France squad for next month’s World Cup, seemed undeterred by the boos, firing off a number of shots towards ‌goal during his cameo appearance.

However, it ​was fellow substitute Jude Bellingham who ‌netted Madrid’s second in ⁠the 80th minute to leave Madrid ⁠second in the table on 80 points, 11 behind ‌Barcelona and ​11 ahead of ‌third-placed Villarreal with two ​games left to play.

After the game, Mbappe suggested that his injury had not been the whole reason for his absence from the side, with Alvaro Arbeloa instead preferring other options up front.

“I’m 100% fine,” he said. “I haven’t played because for the ⁠coach I’ve been the fourth striker in the squad behind (Franco) ​Mastantuono, ⁠Vini[cius Jr] and Gonzalo.

“I was ready to start, it’s his decision and it always has to be respected. I have no problem at all ‌with Arbeloa. You have to accept the ‌coach’s philosophy and I have to do better to play ahead of Vini, Gonzalo and Mastantuono.”

Reuters

The Sunday Times Rich List has been published, with the top 10 sports people in the UK revealed

F1 business mogul Bernie Ecclestone is the richest sports person in Britain with an astonishing fortune of £2bn, the new Sunday Times Rich List has revealed.

Ecclestone, who transformed motorsport in the 1980s tops the list by some distance, but is joined in having billionaire status by David Beckham this year.

Boxing and snooker promoters Barry and Eddie Hearn are third on the list with a joint fortune of just over a billion. Other big names on the list include Lewis Hamilton (£435m), Rory McIlroy (£325m) and Anthony Joshua (£240m).

England football captain Harry Kane makes the top 10 in 2026, alongside Andy Murray, with both men’s worth said to be £110m.

Others on the list are Castore sportswear founders Tom and Phil Beahon (£350m) and Gymshark founder Ben Francis (£800m).

The top 10 sports people on the Sunday Times Rich List

1. Bernie Ecclestone and family £2bn
2. Sir David and Victoria Beckham £1.185bn
3. Barry and Eddie Hearn £1.035bn
4. Ben Francis £800m
5. Sir Lewis Hamilton £435m
6. Tom and Phil Beahon £350m
7. Rory McIlroy £325m
8. Anthony Joshua £240m
9. Tyson Fury £162m
10. Harry Kane £110m / Sir Andy Murray £110m

4. Michael Owen – Liverpool v Arsenal 2001

A young Michael Owen was electrifying. By the 2001 FA Cup final some of his early hamstring problems had already begun, but this was a 21-year-old on his way to winning the Ballon d’Or.

Even then, the diminutive forward looked like a schoolkid thrust into an adult’s game and forced to wear a shirt several sizes too big.

Liverpool trailed Arsenal 1-0 in the Cardiff sunshine when Owen levelled with a smartly taken half-volley in the 83rd minute. His winner five minutes later, though, was straight out of the Chester-born striker’s playbook.

With Liverpool under pressure, Patrik Berger looped a clearance into the channel. Owen gave Lee Dixon a head start but scorched across the turf to get there before him.

His first touch took the ball away from the covering Tony Adams, his second fired a left-footed shot a fraction inside David Seaman’s far post.

“If I could have one day back, I would rewind to that day,” Owen later said.

An abandoned village has been hailed as one of the prettiest sites in Northern Ireland, as it boasts rolling hills and incredible coastal views that’s so easy to get to

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A hidden village in Northern Ireland has been branded a “must-see” location for its stunning views. Northern Ireland is home to countless stretches of gorgeous countryside, and if you love going on a walk and taking in the quiet of nature, then this could be exactly the place you need to visit next.

A woman on social media who regularly shares travel videos lifted the lid on the abandoned village, which she said can be accessed via an “easy hike” through the Glens of Antrim, which is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The village is an hour’s drive from Belfast and just under two hours from Derry, making it the perfect escape from city life.

In a TikTok video, Michelle said one of the best places she had visited during her trip to Northern Ireland was Galboly, a hidden village located on the scenic Antrim Coast.

Speaking about the village, Michelle said: “Many travellers will drive right past this place without even knowing it’s here. This is the hidden village of Galboly. It’s an abandoned place, hidden in the hills of Northern Ireland, dating back to the 1800s. Located in the Glens of Antrim, it gives you an idea of what life along the Irish coast would have been like.

“The hike up is easy and has some really incredible views, and on clear days, you can actually see Scotland off in the distance. What’s left now feels like a place trapped in time, almost untouched.”

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Michelle said that when she and her family visited, there was no one else there, so they “had the place to themselves”. She admitted the town had an “eerie” feel, but was “beautiful and peaceful” at the same time.

According to BBC News, Galboly was previously home to around 60 people, and its final resident was a Cistercian monk who lived a life of solitude in the otherwise abandoned village.

And if the location looks familiar to you, that might be because you’ve seen it on TV.

Galboly served as one of many backdrops for the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, where it was used as the fictional settlement of Runestone in the Vale of Arryn, which featured in seasons five and six.

The area around Galboly is an unspoilt area of natural beauty, and there are several hiking routes that you can take that encompass the village. In fact, according to Tripadvisor reviewers, the views from the hills surrounding the village are much more interesting than the village itself.

One person said: “The village is just a couple of stone buildings, cute, and safe. However, the view from the top is what makes this place. Worth the uphill walk. Beautiful spot for photos, rock scenery, and just enjoying the historic location. Worth a 30-minute adventure.”

Another added: “Don’t have too high expectations for this being the cutest little town. It’s mainly a few old buildings up a big hill. It did have some beautiful views, and it was cool to walk through a sheep farm.”

For those looking for a specific walking route to take, All Trails has a 5.5km walk that takes in the historic village, as well as the breathtaking views of the Antrim Coast. The walk should take people about 2 hours to complete, and does involve walking up some hills to make the most of the views.

Part of the walk’s description reads: “Nestled in the hills near the Antrim Coast at Garron Point near the historic village of Carnlough is a mysterious, hidden gem where visitors can explore stone-walled buildings, walk along the remnants of the perimeter walls, study old thatched cottages, and even take in majestic views above the village along the Garron Plateau.”

A report by a government watchdog has highlighted urgent concerns.

A government watchdog has slammed Salford council’s adult social care service as ‘inadequate’, after people needing care were ‘left waiting several years’ for assessments, concerns were ‘ignored’, and ‘human rights were not respected’.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the service as ‘inadequate’ in all areas and has demanded the council make urgent improvements. The local authority says it is ‘taking the findings seriously’ and that it had already started taking more direct control over its social care from its care provider Northern Care Alliance Trust (NCA). The lead for adult social care, deputy mayor John Merry, has been asked to step down.

A spokesperson for the NCA said it was ‘working closely’ with the local authority to improve the service.

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Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett shared he was ‘shocked’ by the result, and said: “It’s not what I expected for Salford, it’s not what I expected for the town hall, and above all it’s not what what I expected for our residents.”

In a statement, he added: “I am deeply disappointed by the report’s findings and I want to reassure you that we are changing how adult social care in Salford is delivered and we are going to fix this.”

An inspection conducted in November and published on May 15 found several major issues with the council’s services, which includes additional support for adults with learning disabilities, elderly care, occupational therapy, and support for unpaid carers.

Chris Badger, CQC’s chief inspector, said: “There needs to be more awareness of the needs of the local community, so people receive the support they need, and inequalities are reduced. This wasn’t happening, which was putting people at risk of harm and giving them a reduced quality of life.

“We have told leaders at Salford City Council where rapid and widespread improvement is needed. We are aware that the authority is in the process of bringing services back under its direct control, and we are hopeful that this approach will help address some of the issues we have identified, and support more consistent and effective care going forward.”

The report foun some people were left waiting for ‘several years’ for a care assessment – a review conducted by the council to identify what support a person might need for daily living, which is needed to access care. This ‘resulted in harm to people which impacted on their physical wellbeing’, according to inspectors.

Waits for occupational therapy were particularly long, with one carer telling the watchdog their relative had been ‘unable to access their shower for several months due to assessment waiting times, leading to a deterioration in their health’.

The CQC also found problems with safeguarding and had to refer four cases to the safeguarding team during their inspection. One of these had to be escalated with social workers.

“This missed concern was only identified as a result of CQC finding it,” an inspector wrote. “When we spoke with senior leaders regarding this, they accepted that the correct safeguarding legislative framework was not used by either the social worker or the care provider involved.”

The report also found significant problems with the way financial assessments and advice were dealt with at the council. One carer started receiving debt collection notices from the local authority, ‘causing significant distress’. It later emerged they had not only been paying the necessary charges, but were owed a refund by the local authority for overpaying.

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Most carers were also unaware they were eligible for direct payments – a one-off sum of money paid to carers to give them time to look after their own well-being, according to inspectors. The scheme has nationally proved vital for supporting unpaid carers, who often are responsible for round-the-clock care for their relatives.

Overall, the watchdog found that the service only took individual’s personal wishes into account in 50 per cent of cases, leading an inspector to conclude ‘people don’t have their human rights respected’ when it comes to what care decisions are made for them. People leaving hospital or care facilities often ‘felt unsafe and unsupported’, and services were ‘siloed and disjointed’, the report continued.

A big concern raised by care-givers was also communication, with many sharing they had pursued formal complaint routes just to get an answer from the necessary service – and were often left dissatisfied with the reply.

Mayor Paul Dennett said the results were partly due to the way social care has operated in the city over the last decade, using a ‘complex set of arrangements’ with Salford Royal Foundation Trust initially from 2016 and the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust since 2021. The city was one of the trailblazers for joining ‘integrated partnerships’ in 2016 – effectively out-sourcing care services to the NHS and local health providers – and was lauded for it at the time.

But the CQC’s report is now viewed as a ‘lesson in not following national gimmicks’, according to senior members of the council.

Coun Dennett said: “These arrangements haven’t delivered consistently good outcomes for Salford people, and they have not given us the grip and accountability that we need. This is why, in April last year well before this report was published, we made the decision to bring Adult Social Care back under the direct leadership and management of the City Council.

“On behalf of the City Council I want to apologise unreservedly to those residents and families who have had poor experiences of adult social care in Salford or have had to endure long waiting times for services.

“This isn’t the level of service and quality of provision I expect as your Directly Elected Mayor. Adult social care arrangements in the city have simply not been fit for purpose and my personal commitment to you is that we are going to fix this. We will take back control of social care, bringing the staff and services back home safely to the City Council, supporting our residents and families to live healthy lives.”

The council said it has already launched a process of bringing the services back ‘in-house’, alongside an improvement program and an extra £4.5m investment into the service over the next two years. The damning report has also resulted in a change of the guard, with deputy mayor John Merry to step down as cabinet member for Adult Services, Health and Wellbeing.

He will be replaced by coun Tracy Kelly.

Stephen Young, Chief Executive of Salford City Council added: “We are already beginning to see progress but we need to go further and faster and we will.”

NCA Deputy Chief Executive- Suzanne Robinson said the health trust takes the report’s findings ‘very seriously’, and ‘recognises its responsibility’ to make improvements as Salford’s care service provider.

Robinson said: “The report highlights concerns about people’s experiences, including delays, communication and how services work together. We acknowledge that some patients, service users and carers have not received the standard of experience they should reasonably expect. We are sorry for this and are committed to putting it right.

“We are working closely with Salford City Council and system partners to address the issues identified, with a clear focus on improving people’s experience of care and support and ensuring any safety concerns are escalated and acted on.

“Services are expected to transfer back to Salford City Council later this year. Until then, we remain focused on driving improvements, maintaining continuity and working collaboratively to ensure people receive the support they need.”

Record View says it’s right the Scottish Sentencing Council will consult the public on sentencing guidelines to help judges deal with cases and communicate with victims

Many have questioned the priorities of our justice system when sentencing thugs who abuse their partners.

Too many women who suffered at the hands of violent men told us their attackers are back on the streets within months of their convictions. It’s right the Scottish Sentencing Council will consult the public on sentencing guidelines to help judges deal with cases and communicate with victims.

AJ Smith’s partner Regan McIlmoyle battered her so badly she wished she would die. She was choked and beaten black and blue, yet he was freed weeks later and no one explained why.

AJ says the system needs to be sorted – and she’s not wrong. Last year, we told how Eve Graham’s husband inflicted 47 years of terror on her in a domestic abuse case that shocked Scotland.

Scumbag William McDonald pushed her off a pier, punched and bit her in almost five decades of hell. She suffered in silence for too long, but when she was brave enough to report his abuse, he was jailed for just two years.

Do we really believe such short sentences can rehabilitate those who carry out the violent abuse of women? Or that they will deter men from carrying out these brutal crimes?

Hopefully the consultation will spark a national debate that brings about the change women desperately need to see. The courts need to start reflecting the horror felt by right-minded people at cases like AJ’s and Eve’s.

Smoke them out

The devastation caused by the fire at Union Corner in Glasgow in March was a brutal reminder of what can happen if reassuring to hear that Elfbar are left unregulated.

The blaze forced the closure of dozens of businesses and very nearly spread to Scotland’s busiest railway station. The economic damage caused by the fire is still being counted – but will undoubtedly run into tens of millions.

The only positive was no one was seriously injured in the fire. So it’s remove licences, a leading manufacturer of e-cigs, has now called for tough new licensing rules to crack down on Scotland’s growing number of dodgy vape shops.

Councils would be given the power to remove licences from rogue traders, effectively closing them down. It’s a common sense position and one that should have been reached before now.

The new MSPs being sworn in at the Scottish Parliament this week must ensure the SNP Government keeps its pre-election commitment to crackdown on unlicensed shops.

The alternative could be a more devastating fire and lives put at risk.

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