According to The Athletic, the goalkeeper “never received the traditional cap to commemorate his international debut” in 2006.
He had also turned down the Champions League medal because he “didn’t feel part of it, sidelined by a back operation and unable to see a future under Rafael Benitez.”
Kirkland’s dad famously landed a 100/1 bet he’d placed while his son was a teenager on him playing for England.
Speaking to the outlet, Kirkland laughed: “If I’d gone into the bookies’ with my dad, and they’d seen me, I’m sure he would have got a lot better odds than 100/1.
Jurgen Klopp’s reputation among supporters in Germany is taking a hit after his appointment as head of global soccer at Red Bull.
The Austrian energy drinks producer has landed a public relations coup by hiring one of the most respected figures in German and European football.
Beginning in January, Klopp will oversee all footballing developments within the company.
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In 2009, though, Red Bull caused controversy in German football when it took over fifth-division club SSV Markranstadt and turned it into RB Leipzig.
Currently, Red Bull owns Red Bull Salzburg, New York Red Bulls, Brazilian club Red Bull Bragantino and recently acquired a stake in Leeds United. It is also financing RB Leipzig while not technically owning the Bundesliga club.
Klopp, who left Liverpool at the end of last season after “running out of energy”, has received a lot of criticism for joining the Austrians – especially among fans of his former club Borussia Dortmund.
German Football Association (DFB) laws state German clubs must operate on a ’50+1′ rule, meaning members – essentially fans – own the majority of shares and can influence decisions such as ticket prices.
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Rivals feel RB Leipzig exploited the system by having just 17 members with voting rights – most are directly linked to Red Bull – and got around a law stating teams must not be named after sponsors by officially calling the club RasenBallsport Leipzig, which translates as LawnBallsport Leipzig.
RB are often referred to as the “most hated club in Germany” and have faced regular protests by opposition fans, ranging from boycotting games to the arrest of 28 Borussia Dortmund fans for throwing cans and stones at rival supporters in 2017.
Borussia Dortmund have been critical of the rise of clubs such as Leipzig that have very little tradition and are accused of being used as marketing vehicles.
Klopp has also been critical of the multi-club model, saying in 2017: “I’m a football romantic and I like tradition in football and all that stuff. In Germany, only two clubs sing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ before the game – and that is Mainz and Dortmund.”
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Given Klopp’s history with Dortmund, where he worked from 2008 to 2015, supporters of the club were particularly upset on social media with their long-time hero.
“How much can one squander their reputation within a second?” one user posted on X after the news of Klopp’s appointment on Wednesday morning.
Another wrote: “I have something positive from the Klopp message for you: In Dortmund, it is now finally possible to emotionally close the Jurgen Klopp era. No more nostalgic moaning that is hindering the current sporting process.”
Others have accused him of being a “hypocrite” and “selling out”.
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Meanwhile, some made fun of Klopp’s statement in February when he announced he would leave Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season as he felt he was running out of energy, saying that he will not run out of energy anymore with enough Red Bull drinks.
The UFC officially announced Barnett (23-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC) won’t be fighting Junior Tafa (5-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) at the UFC Apex because of “issues” related to the storm.
The promotion did not elaborate on the exact issues facing Barnett, who resides in the Tampa, Fla. area, which is in the path of Hurricane Milton, a Category 4 storm expected to hit Florida on Wednesday night local time.
Barnett will be replaced by newcomer Sean Sharaf (4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC). That bout was first reported by Code Sports.
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With the change, the UFC Fight Night 244 lineup includes:
They couple welcomed baby girl named Mila on September 27, hours before Grealish lined up to play for City against Newcastle.
It comes following his Three Lions comeback under interim manager Lee Carsley after missing out on the Euro 2024 squad.
And speaking to BBC 5 Live Sport ahead of clashes against Greece and Finland, the 29-year-old has now revealed what England team-mates he would be happy to babysit his kid.
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On the best, he said: “Harry Kane I think. It’s quite a young team so I wouldn’t put it on any of the young lads and you know Harry, he’s so reliable.
“One of the oldest lads, so yeah I’d go Harry.”
He was then asked about club-mate Phil Foden, who himself has three children.
Grealish added: “Well yeah, you could say Phil actually. He’s got a fair few hasn’t he?
However, intense interest in Jack’s private life came to a head in 2021 when England reached the final of Euro 2020, delayed a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Because of their romance, Sasha was cruelly targeted by trolls on TikTok and Instagram, receiving 200 death threats a day from “young girls”.
The pair were spotted on holiday together following the tournament and slowly began showing more of their relationship on social media when the vile trolling died down.
In 2022, they celebrated their 10-year anniversary and purchased a seven-bed mansion set in 24 acres worth £5.6 million.
They moved in to the home in late 2023, but Sasha and members of Jack’s family were subject to a terrifying robbery while cheering on the Manchester City star during a televised match just after Christmas.
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Their latest milestone is Sasha’s pregnancy, which they announced on social media on July 7, and the birth of daughter Mila Rose on September 27.
Barnett was removed from the card due to issues related to Hurricane Milton, and he won’t be able to compete. UFC officials confirmed the change on Wednesday.
With Barnett unable to fight, Tafa now faces UFC newcomer Sean Sharaf, who accepts the fight on short notice with his UFC debut now just a few days away. The news was originally reported by Code Sports on Tuesday.
Sharaf joins the UFC roster with a 4-0 record with all four wins coming by way of first round knockout.
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The 31-year-old heavyweight prospect trains out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas so it’s close proximity to where he’ll fight on Saturday at the UFC APEX.
He’ll attempt to keep his undefeated record in tact while facing Tafa, who comes into the fight off two straight losses. Most recently Tafa fell by first round heel hook submission to Valter Walker, which dropped his overall UFC record to 1-3.
The fight between Tafa and Sharaf is expected to take place on the preliminary card, which kick off at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Watch the best shots from India captain Harmanpreet Kaur as she scores 52 runs off 27 balls in their 82-run victory over Sri Lanka at the Women’s T20 World Cup.
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