Thomas Tuchel has given Jude Bellingham the number ten jersey but the Real Madrid midfielder is facing a battle to make the starting line-up ahead of Morgan Rogers

It would be easy to put numbers one to eleven together and come up with England’s starting eleven for World Cup 2026. After all, that was almost the case at Euro 2024. Gareth Southgate was far from unusual in getting annoyed when his team selection was leaked, but he pretty much announced his preferred starting line-up ahead of the tournament in Germany.

In fact, he pretty much announced his tactics, giving Trent Alexander-Arnold the number eight jersey and duly playing him in midfield against Serbia in England’s opener, a 1-0 win in Gelsenkirchen. The only squad member with a number higher than eleven to start that game was Kieran Trippier, number 12. That was because Southgate had given Luke Shaw the number three shirt, despite the Manchester United defender being injured and unavailable for the first three weeks of the tournament.

In the final against Spain, Southgate played one to eleven, with the exception of eight, Alexander-Arnold. That midfield experiment had long been consigned to the dustbin and Kobbie Mainoo, with 26 on his back, was the numerical outlier.

Thomas Tuchel is no Southgate but it would not exactly be a seismic shock if the players numbered one to eleven in his squad started England’s first game against Croatia in Dallas on June 17. That would give us the following line-up.

Pickford – Konsa, Guehi, Stones, O’Reilly – Anderson, Rice – Saka, Bellingham, Rashford – Kane. In however you want to categorise the formation.

The right-back position is up for grabs – Reece James’s number 24 is probably club-connected – and Anthony Gordon, number 18, has a case to start ahead of Marcus Rashford. But the most contentious spot is the one numerically occupied by Jude Bellingham.

Assuming they are both fit, it looks like Bellingham or Morgan Rogers for Tuchel’s first line-up. One or the other.

And as good a season as Rogers enjoyed for Aston Villa, topped off by a very nice goalscoring performance in the Europa League final, it should be Bellingham. The Real Madrid player had a slightly interrupted season but made 40 appearances for his club, contributing eight goals and five assists.

Rogers’ numbers are better – 14 goals and nine assists in 55 appearances. But Bellingham is what Americans refer to as a ‘clutch player’. He can produce brilliance in moments of extreme pressure.

He has done it for club and for country, most notably when he produced an overhead kick to equalise against Slovakia in the round of 16 five minutes into added time. That was in late June, 2024, and should not, of course, guarantee him a starting spot two years later. But he is a big-game operator.

Twice, he has scored added-time winners in El Clasico. He has a proven elite pedigree.

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But what will really inspire Bellingham is the narrative that Tuchel himself has helped to create, by his remarks – for which he later apologised – about his mum finding some of the 22-year-old’s behaviour ‘repulsive’. And also by his obvious – and commendable – refusal to offer the Madrid man any selection guarantees.

There has never been any suggestion Bellingham needs extra motivation when he pulls on an England jersey. But if he did, there has been plenty provided by some of the negativity that has infused discussion of his contributions to club and country in recent times.

As the tournament progresses, Tuchel might use a system that enables him to start Bellingham AND Rogers. After all, they are both outstanding players.

But Tuchel will want to make a statement in his first game at a World Cup. And no player is more capable of making a statement than the one who has been given the number ten.

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Megan Barker is preparing to make her long-awaited City of London Nocturne debut ahead of the Commonwealth Games and National Championships.

Megan Barker is set to fulfil her second of five goals in 2026 when she takes to the track at City of London Nocturne.

In April, the Welsh cyclist competed in the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Hong Kong, winning a silver medal in the team pursuit. And this summer, the new City of London Nocturne offers the chance to tick another item off her bucket list.

She said: “I’ve heard a lot about it and seen a lot of clips and pictures. I think it’s really cool and I’m glad it has come back. I think the crowds enjoy it because you can see all the action and you don’t have to stand around all day.”

The new Nocturne event has been designed to be bigger and better with food stalls and street music building an intense urban atmosphere around a circuit in the City of London.

Barker said: “It suits my physiology. I like really short, sharp, hard efforts and going up to one hour is perfect for me. I’m better at it than road racing. It will be nice to get some crit racing in a bit earlier in the season than normal, before crit nationals.”

The 28-year-old won the national title in 2023 to join an exclusive club that boasts names such as Katie Archibald and Lizzie Deignan (nee Armitstead) and repeating that success is her third major aim of this year. She said: “It’s always one of my big aims. I crashed out last year quite early on, so I was gutted about that. And it’s the same course – I’m hoping it’s not a repeat. And I’m also aiming for the Track World Championships in Shanghai.”

But by far the biggest target for Barker this summer is the Commonwealth Games. She raced at both Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022 but failed to win a medal. Glasgow represents a real opportunity for the Welsh team to take home some silverware if Barker is selected.

She said: “Obviously, it only comes down every four years, so you want to make the most of it. My main aim would be the team pursuit, because a lot of girls in the GB squad are Welsh this year, so we have a solid team.

“We were fourth last time and it was pretty tight. I’m hoping we’re going to have like a really good chance of a medal, which has been one of my career goals that I keep just missing out on. My family are all booked to go, which makes it way nicer, especially if you do get a good result and you can celebrate with them afterwards.”

To find out more and enter races go to www.racenocturne.com

A plane went down near Medulin, Croatia

At least four people have died following a plane has crashed in Croatia, killing at least four people.

The aircraft went down near Medulin, a town on the Istria peninsula, a police statement said, with images from the scene showing the wreckage of the small plane in a field with emergency services.

The official HINA news agency reported that it was a German plane that took off from Austria and was due to land in Medulin, The Mirror reports.

The crash occurred at around 11.20am in the Campanoz area, between Kastijun and Medulin, near the Medulin airport and there are unconfirmed reports that there may have been two more people on board along with the four people who are known to have died.

Local pilot Nijaz Delic told the Index news portal that the plane “spiralled (in the air) and crashed into the ground.” It was unknown how many people were on the aircraft and no other details were immediately available.

“I don’t know how the accident happened. For reasons currently unknown, the pilot (…) was supposed to land at the sports airport in Medulin, made a spiral above the Kaštijun landfill and then crashed into the ground. That’s the only information we have,” stated Mr Delic.

The plane is reported to have been Bonanza G36 plane with an investigation underway into why it crashed.

Aviation expert Zeljko Marusic told Croatian news outlet Glas Istre that a spiral dive is “one of the most dangerous conditions” at low altitude as the “speed, structural loads and rate of altitude loss increase simultaneously.”

Unlike in a classic spin, a spiral dive leaves the aircraft usually uncontrollable and a key element of the investigation will be into how the plane got into this position.

Mr Marusic continued: “In general aviation, a spiral dive rarely occurs without a previous cause. It is most often preceded by a certain disruption in flight – a technical problem, loss of spatial orientation, wrong estimation of speed, an attempt to correct the path at low altitude or a sudden reaction to an unexpected situation.

“In the case of smaller aircraft, the last minutes of the flight are particularly critical when the pilot has the least time to react and the smallest safety margin of height.”

The half-day growth event, designed specifically for ambitious food and drink brands, will take place on 24th June at Colony King Street, bringing together founders, marketers and commercial leaders from across the sector.

Now in its third year, FUEL LIVE was created by specialist agency KW Marketing to help brands move away from reactive marketing and focus on building sustainable, profitable growth strategies.

(Image: KW Marketing)

The Manchester event follows strong momentum from FUEL LIVE Exeter 2026, which attracted more than 50 food and drink brands from across the South West and beyond.

FUEL LIVE Manchester is expected to welcome over 50 brands for a morning of keynote sessions, practical workshops and structured networking focused on the realities of scaling in today’s food and drink market.

The programme will feature founder stories, keynote talks and commercial insights from brands including Spice Kitchen, ManiLife and The Biskery, alongside workshops led by the KW Marketing team covering email marketing, profitability, customer retention and performance strategy.

(Image: KW Marketing)

Kate Williams, founder of KW Marketing, said: “Following the response to FUEL LIVE Exeter, it became clear there was a real appetite for practical, commercially focused conversations within the food and drink industry. Expanding into Manchester felt like the natural next step.

FUEL LIVE was created to give founders and marketers a space where they can step back from reactive marketing and focus on what genuinely drives sustainable growth. We want people to leave with clarity, confidence and strategies they can actually implement.”

Unlike traditional marketing conferences, FUEL LIVE is positioned as a focused industry event centred on actionable growth strategies rather than trend-led discussions.

Topics throughout the Manchester event will include improving profitability, building owned marketing channels, understanding growth metrics, and creating scalable customer retention systems.

(Image: KW Marketing)

The event is aimed at food and drink founders, senior marketers and commercial teams looking to scale direct-to-consumer brands more effectively in 2026 and beyond.

Attendees will also receive access to networking sessions, practical growth frameworks and a curated goody bag.

Tickets for FUEL LIVE Manchester 2026 are available via KW Marketing website

(Image: KW Marketing)

About KW Marketing
KW Marketing is a UK-based digital marketing agency specialising in food, drink and feel-good brands. Founded in 2017 by Kate Williams, the agency partners with ambitious brands to turn marketing into measurable revenue through email, paid media, content, and strategy.

FUEL LIVE is KW Marketing’s flagship event, designed to bring the food & drink industry together to share what’s actually working and help brands scale with clarity and confidence.

Media Contact
Kate Williams
hello@kwmarketinguk.co.uk

Domestic animals have long been some of our closest companions. While dogs, cats, horses, cattle and chickens have all played major roles in human history, domestic pigeons may be a little less familiar. But they are no slouch when it comes to cultural importance.

Charles Darwin wrote about domestic pigeon diversity to explore his theories of evolutionary change. Contemporary biologists have trained teams of pigeons to identify cancerous cells from certain medical images with an accuracy rivalling that of oncologists.

Now, new research exploring ancient human-pigeon interactions in Cyprus has provided fascinating insights into the earliest stages of this millennia-long inter-species relationship.

There are over 300 breeds of domestic pigeon, from homing pigeons used in competitive racing to the peculiar frillback, which looks like it has survived a rather nasty electric shock. In 2020, a Belgian racing pigeon named New Kim sold for €1.6 million (£1.4 million).

But despite their contributions to contemporary society, we still know little about the origins of these pigeons.

The wild form of all domestic pigeon breeds is a slate-grey bird called the rock dove. Wild populations can still be found in parts of Europe, Africa and Asia.

Rock doves are very shy, living on cliffs and nesting in caves. I study them in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, where colonies can be seen foraging for grain in fields. Scientists believe that these birds first learned to steal crops thousands of years ago, thus increasing our ancestors’ proximity to them.

Soon, they became a regular source of meat and, thanks to their copious droppings, fertiliser. This led to rock doves being pulled down an evolutionary route which has, over centuries, resulted in today’s proliferation of domestic breeds – plus their superabundant feral city pigeon offshoots, found soiling statues worldwide.

However, the where and when of the earliest phases of this process have remained unclear.

Earliest evidence of domesticated pigeons

Scientists generally think that pigeons were first domesticated in the Middle East and/or the eastern parts of the Mediterranean.

Until now, the earliest direct evidence for domesticated pigeons came from a site in Hellenistic Greece around 2,300 years ago. Depictions of pigeons in Iraq, more than 4,000 years ago, suggest a much earlier relationship – but these are not conclusive evidence.

Plus, it’s tricky to tell domestic and wild birds apart from the shape of their bones alone. For decades, those of us studying pigeons have had to handwave this evidence in our writing, saying they were “probably domesticated as early as 3,000 years ago”.

In Cyprus, small amounts of pigeon bones had previously been found at Neolithic sites (more than 10,000 years old), suggesting there was sporadic hunting of these birds.

Then, starting in the Bronze Age (3,650-3,950 years ago), pigeon figurines became common in Cyprus, and the island developed a strong association with these birds. It was identified in early Greek literature as the birthplace of the love goddess Aphrodite, who is often depicted alongside flocks of doves.

In the new study, researchers examined a collection of bones collected at Hala Sultan Tekke in Cyprus – historically an important city; now a mosque and archaeological site – dating back to the Late Bronze Age, about 3,350 years ago.

Their assessments included a technique called stable isotope analysis, using chemical signatures in the bones to make inferences about what the birds ate. This showed their diets were similar to those of their human neighbours. Rock doves must have been living alongside people at that time, who may even have been deliberately feeding them.

The range of chemical signatures was, as with humans and cattle (but different from fallow deer and other wild species), low. This reflects a consistent diet of grains – a diet shared by humans that could be evidence that the birds were managed by them.

However, three of the 37 pigeons assessed had quite different chemical values – aligning more with wild animal species than humans. This suggests a potential split between cave-dwelling birds (which might have been hunted in the wild and brought back to eat) and full-time urban pigeons which interacted with humans in a more intense way.

A more intimate relationship

Pigeons are well-established as being an ancient part of the human diet. Our Neanderthal cousins hunted them in the caves of Gibraltar as early as 67,000 years ago. But what’s exciting about these new results is that they suggest a much more intimate relationship than predator and prey.

Perhaps most interestingly, some of the bones had been burnt and buried in ritual spaces. Earlier excavations carried out as part of previous research at the same site found a pigeon within a tomb containing an adult man. This suggests rock doves may have had an important cultural role in Cyprus.

Whether this relationship can be called domestication is up for debate. For most of us biologists, domestication involves evolutionary changes occurring due to human use. This is different to our relationship with species like house sparrows, say, which live alongside us but are not managed for use – whether in terms of food, labour or recreation.

Further research tracking human-pigeon interactions through time and space is needed to help us judge exactly when and where domestication-related changes in pigeons’ genetics and appearance began.

Nevertheless, the new study’s results strongly indicate that ancient humans had an intimate interaction with a species which has gone on to become one of the most important birds in our history. Knowing this relationship was active more than 3,000 years ago in Bronze Age Cyprus should help us appreciate the importance of this unique human-animal interaction.

Laura Josephs, from Moston, is taking on the ambitious challenge to mark what would have been her brother Marcus’ 40th birthday.

She is raising funds for Epilepsy Action after Marcus died in January following an epileptic seizure, having lived with the condition for nearly 20 years.

Her next race is Night Run Bolton on June 5, followed by Port Sunlight 5 and 10k on June 7.

Ms Josephs said: “He was seizure-free for a couple of years, until around the age of 25, but he started having seizures again.

“They were quite severe and he ended up being in and out of hospital a lot.”

Diagnosed at 19, Marcus had a period of stability following medication but later developed severe seizures and related complications, including personality changes.

Ms Josephs said: “One of the most distressing experiences of Marcus’ story was when he was prosecuted for hitting a security guard in hospital.

“Marcus often got very disoriented following a seizure and was in this post-ictal state when the incident occurred.”

His sudden death came as a shock, despite his history with epilepsy.

Ms Josephs said: “Even with Marcus’s experiences, I still feel I never knew how serious epilepsy could be.

“Marcus absolutely loved life and lived life to the fullest.

“He was always at festivals, dancing, clubbing.”

Wanting to honour his memory, she decided to run 40 races, totalling the distance from Manchester to London, finishing on what would have been Marcus’ 40th birthday in November, at the Heaton Park half-marathon.

Ms Josephs said: “I’ve run before but never done races—my first race was the first of these for Marcus.

“I feel grateful that I’m able to continue his legacy, do some fundraising and bring myself a bit of peace through this.”

She has raised nearly £1,500 so far.

Rebekah Smith, chief executive at Epilepsy Action, said: “We are overwhelmed by the incredible challenge Laura is taking on in memory of her brother Marcus.

“Her determination not only to challenge herself but also to raise awareness of the severity of epilepsy is truly inspiring.

“Three people die from epilepsy related causes every day in the UK.

“Even more shocking than this is the number of families who only find out that epilepsy can be fatal after their loved one has passed away – their grief is unimaginable.”

Epilepsy Action supports people with epilepsy across the UK and campaigns for greater awareness and improved services.

Around one in every 100 people in the UK is affected by epilepsy, with more than 73,000 living with the condition in the north-west.

Expert advice is available through the charity’s freephone helpline on 0808 800 5050 or at www.epilepsy.org.uk.

Ms Josephs has set up an Instagram page @runningformarcus to raise awareness and document her progress.

Donations can be made via her JustGiving page by visiting www.justgiving.com/page/inmemoryofmarcus-epilepsyaction.

Stacey Dooley’s fans flooded her Instagram with messages after she made a career announcement

Stacey Dooley has shared some major career news with her fans.

The former Strictly Come Dancing champion has confirmed three new documentaries are coming to BBC Three and iPlayer, reports the Mirror.

Death in the Barracks sees Stacey investigate the circumstances surrounding Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck’s death at Larkhill Camp barracks in Wiltshire. In Fallen Women, the presenter examines multiple cases of British women who died after falling from height, questioning whether signs of domestic abuse may have been missed in some instances.

Down the K-Hole follows the filmmaker over five months at a Stockport rehabilitation facility, exploring whether former addicts can conquer their dependency and reconstruct their lives.

Revealing the new programmes on Instagram, Stacey commented: “They are going to be some of the most challenging and important films I’ve worked on here in the UK, I’m sure.

“The access we have been afforded to meet those affected, to hear their stories, and try to understand the broader picture feels like an enormous responsibility and one that isn’t lost on me.

“I would like to thank everyone who has agreed to contribute. And I hope all three films encourage thoughtful conversations.”

The star – who claimed the Strictly trophy in 2018 alongside her now-partner Kevin Clifton – continued: “Each one of these documentaries explores difficult, often overlooked issues, from the deaths of women where crucial questions remain, to the growing impact of ketamine use, and for some, the devastating reality faced by those living in military barracks.”

Fans responded enthusiastically to the news, with one writing on Instagram: “Can’t wait!”

“Your work is so powerful and important,” another person commented. “Thank you for shining light on so many communities and problems. I am a HUGE fan.”

“So glad you’re back!” someone else remarked. “Can’t beat your documentaries.”

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“This is so exciting and such important work as well, well done, Stacey,” another admirer said.

One follower wrote: “I love how you approach and deal with each of your documentaries. You are so compassionate but have a way of getting to the crux of the matter.”

Emma Loach, interim head of commissioning for documentaries, commented: “Across these documentaries, Stacey draws attention to urgent and deeply troubling issues here in the UK, creating space for voices and experiences that are too often unheard. These are powerful, intimate films that reflect the very best of British storytelling.”

Stacey Dooley’s new documentaries will be on BBC Three and iPlayer.

The Topping & Company store, on the corner of Museum Street and Blake Street, opens at 10am on Friday, June 5.

Company Director Saskia Topping said they were building on York’s history of book businesses and its culture of reading today.

The store’s opening on Friday comes after City of York Council approved the company’s plans to convert the empty former Visit York tourism body offices in July last year.

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Company founder Robert Topping told a council planning hearing it would be the largest independent bookshop to open in the country in living memory.

Topping & Company was founded in 2002 when its first store opened in Ely, in Cambridgeshire.

It has since expanded and opened stores in Bath, Edinburgh and St Andrews, along with the store in York.

Ahead of the York store’s opening on Friday, Mrs Topping, her husband Hugh Topping and bookseller Duncan Swan showed the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) around the building.

It sprawls across three floors containing a number of rooms housing everything from novels, poetry and non-fiction books such as history, philosophy and science.

Mrs Topping told LDRS the building’s labyrinth-like nature led to them making a map so visitors could find their way around.

She added the space was needed so they could house the range of books.

Topping & Company bookseller Duncan Swan (left) and Director Saskia Topping in the Topping & Company store in Museum Street, York (Image: LDRS)

Mrs Topping said: “A book might stay on our shelves for years before it finds its reader.

“The idea is that each section of the store has a seller who looks after it and really knows their section.

“We’ve recruited about 25 people in York, about five or so moved from elsewhere along with me and my husband and we had 500 applicants to work here.

“York’s a really bookish city, whenever I go into a café there’s people reading while they’re having a coffee, people are talking about books in a way I haven’t experienced anywhere else.

“York also has a great history of book selling and book binding.

“We’ve had so much support from people in York, it’s a really friendly city.”

A map showing the layout of the Topping & Company store in Museum Street, York (Image: LDRS)

Mrs Topping said there was a core following of customers who had come to the store but new trends were also emerging.

The director said: “For us there’s some types of book that work here that don’t elsewhere, we find history and non-fiction books in general do well for us here in a way they don’t in other shops.

“There’s a new wave of young people especially buying hardbacks, they’re engaging with physical books in a new way.

“Books are going strong, more so than ever, there’s nothing like the feeling of holding a physical book.

“Buildings like this make really good bookshops, it’s easier to envisage one with lots of smaller rooms like this, so it works for us.

Bookseller Mr Swan said he wanted people to find books they were not expecting to see in the store.

Bookseller Duncan Swan said: “A lot of choosing the books is looking at what the other bookshops are selling, thinking about the books people in York will be interested in, as well as personal preference.”

A fireplace with fossils in the natural history section of the Topping & Company store in Museum Street, York (Image: LDRS)

Mr Topping said they were planning on staying at their new home in York for the long term.

Hugh Topping said: “We want this bookshop to outlast us, we’re planning on staying here forever.

“We’ve been working on our York store for about two years in all, but it’s when it opens that the real work will begin.”

Fresh from victory at the prestigious Lincoln Grand Prix, Wood is relishing the rest of the summer

Olympic silver medallist and UCI Track World Champion Ollie Wood cannot wait for his first taste of the City of London Nocturne when the world class racing returns to the Square Mile this summer.

The City of London criterium race is a new event developed by the founder of the original Smithfield Nocturne, bringing a fast-paced, urban feel to elite cycling, as food stalls and street music grace the event. And with it comes a certain aura that Wood can’t wait to sample.

He said: “I have never had the privilege of doing it before, but I’ve heard a lot about it. The last memory I have of it is my dad winning the support race years ago when I was there as a child.

“I’ve seen little videos, snippets, and cool pictures and stuff like that. I just want either me or my [RCC Racing] teammate, Matt Bostock, to win. I think that’s what we should be aiming for and I think that’s what we’re capable of, so it’d be nice if we can pull it off.”

Wood recently powered to victory across 166km at the Lincoln Grand Prix, Britain’s oldest annual bike race that features gradients of up to 20%. He said: “It was its 70th anniversary. I’m obviously biased myself, but I think it’s probably the one-day race in the UK that is probably the nicest to win.

“It was a tough day and had active racing from the start. It was very windy, and then for the last two hours of the race, there were just four of us. So, yes, it was a taxing day on the old body, that’s for sure.”

Wood was part of the squad that took home a silver medal in the team pursuit in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and he is targeting the Track World Championships in Shanghai later this year. But crit racing offers a lower-pressure environment, one in which Wood tends to thrive.

He said: “I just enjoy what I’m doing well in at the time, but crit racing is definitely more enjoyable to participate in. Even if it doesn’t go well, there’s always a good atmosphere.

“If the weather’s nice, not cold, wet, and dark like it can be in the UK summer, then it’s good. I usually have fun, regardless of the outcome. There’s not pressure like the Olympics.

“The UK national crit series will come thick and fast throughout the summer, and then hopefully I might get to participate in the Tour of Britain. That will feed into the main goal at the end of the year, which is the Track World Championships.”

To find out more and enter races go to www.racenocturne.com