Luis de la Fuente has suggested that the media are overlooking Arsenal’s David Raya in the debate about Spain’s first-choice goalkeeper for the World Cup.

Spain have a wealth of goalkeeping options ahead of this summer’s World Cup with Raya competing for a place alongside Athletic Bilbao’s Unai Simon, Barcelona’s Joan Garcia and Real Sociedad’s Alex Remiro.

Simon, who was Spain’s goalkeeper for their successful Euro 2024 campaign, was given a full 90 minutes on Friday night as La Roja sealed a 3-0 friendly win against Serbia. Raya and Remiro were both on the bench, while Simon failed to make the squad.

Spain are due to play Egypt in their next friendly on Tuesday but De la Fuente has refused to confirm whether Raya, Remiro or Garcia will get a chance to impress.

Speaking after the victory against Serbia in Villarreal, De la Fuente made a point of highlighting how highly regarded Raya is in the Premier League and questioned why he has not received more calls from the media to start the Arsenal goalkeeper for the national side.

‘I can’t clear up any doubts for you. The best news is that I have no doubts at all. I have complete confidence in them. There’s something special about them,’ De la Fuente said when asked about his goalkeeping situation.

‘The best news is seeing that all four goalkeepers, regardless of who was left out, embraced each other and are encouraging one another.

‘Unai Simon is Unai Simon, Raya is a fantastic goalkeeper, and Alex Remiro is just as good.

‘We’ll see what happens between now and Tuesday, but I have no doubts. My only regret is leaving one out. Let’s wait and see, don’t be in such a hurry, and enjoy not only these four goalkeepers but also some of the others we have.’

When asked if the decision to give Simon a full game against Serbia reaffirms his position as Spain’s first-choice goalkeeper, De La Fuente replied: ‘I don’t have to reaffirm Unai’s place.

‘It would be unfair if we didn’t value Unai’s quality, class, career, and professional experience. It would be absurd for me to have to come here and reaffirm it, just because he’s Unai Simon. When a goalkeeper is at this level, you have to respect his standing and his career.

‘Besides, we have David Raya, who I’m eager for you to ask me about. In England, they consider him the best goalkeeper in the world, and here nobody talks about him.

‘The same goes for Joan Garcia and Alex Remiro, let’s be fair. But Unai Simon is indisputable. The others have a lot of talent and class, but everything in its own time.

‘We haven’t changed the goalkeepers because we understand that they are special positions and need to be treated differently, but I insist that we have three other impressive goalkeepers besides Unai.’

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An Iranian missile strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia left at least 10 US service members injured and caused damage to multiple refuelling aircraft

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An Iranian missile attack on Friday has left at least 10 US military personnel wounded and inflicted damage on multiple aircraft at a base in Saudi Arabia, two US officials with knowledge of the matter have revealed.

Two of those injured suffered serious wounds, one of the officials has confirmed. The strike on Prince Sultan Air Base damaged several US refuelling planes, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the military intelligence.

The attack, which deployed an Iranian missile along with drones, comes just a day after President Donald Trump proclaimed Iran has been “obliterated” and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that “never in recorded history has a nation’s military been so quickly and so effectively neutralized.”

Earlier on Friday, US Central Command disclosed that more than 300 service personnel have been injured throughout the month-long confrontation. While the bulk of those hurt have made recoveries and returned to active duty, 30 remained unfit for service and 10 were classified as seriously wounded.

This isn’t the first time Prince Sultan Air Base has come under fire from Iran. Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, was injured in a 1 March strike on the facility and passed away days later.

He is among the 13 service members who have been killed in the conflict. Satellite imagery purportedly showing the extent of damage to the aircraft has circulated online. The strike was first disclosed by The Wall Street Journal. The Trump administration presented a 15-point ceasefire proposal to Iran, using Pakistan as a go-between.

Iran has dismissed suggestions that talks are taking place, while its control over the Strait of Hormuz has sent fuel costs spiralling and rattled the global economy. Tehran stated on Friday, though, that it had consented to allow humanitarian relief and agricultural goods passage through the strategic waterway.

Amidst speculation about negotiations, the Pentagon is readying the deployment of at least 1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division – a force specialising in parachuting into hostile or disputed zones to seize key territory and airfields – to the Middle East within days.

The military is additionally dispatching two Marine units that will contribute roughly 5,000 Marines and thousands of sailors to the region.

The Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement Secretariat told us the Government had “established a new returns and enforcement programme”, adding: “Returns and enforcement activity falls to various parts of the Home Office, and in particular to Immigration Enforcement, Visas, Passports, Citizenship and Resettlement Services, Asylum Group and the Border Security Command.

A study of 2,000 adults found 22 per cent said this was the moment they realised they were ‘officially a grown-up’, marking a shift from being looked after to fending for themselves.

Only 15 per cent of grown-ups are still gifted choccy treats at Easter from their parents or guardians – despite 72 per cent believing you’re never too old to celebrate Easter with a chocolate egg.

This particular Easter egg outrage actually has some validity. https://t.co/fjo4oQajCx

— Robert E Howard The Duck (@Mudkipstoat23) March 24, 2026

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However, 58 per cent weren’t warned about this abrupt change, saying ‘it just stopped’, while 22 per cent admitted they still buy an egg for themselves every year – simply because they can.

The research was commissioned by M&M’S , as part of their Great Easter Egg Debate, with Michael and Hilary Whitehall laying out both sides of the topic.

Michael said: “Frankly, once you’re an adult you should be self-sufficient and responsible for your own Easter chocolate – and I should know, my eldest son took far too long to fly the nest. But what do I know.”

Hilary, however, disagrees: “Oh, don’t be such a grump, Michael. I say just because you’re grown-up doesn’t mean you have to act like it. You’re never too old for a chocolate egg at Easter.”

The research also found that for those adults who still receive chocolate eggs, 57 per cent would be disappointed if they stopped getting them.

This includes 33 per cent who’d be annoyed in secret, whereas almost a quarter (24 per cent) would be happy to openly complain about it.

The average participant receives one and a half chocolate eggs per year but buys nearly four for other people.

Generally, the things people love most about Easter include getting together with family (25 per cent), the start of lighter evenings (24 per cent) and the bank holiday weekend (20 per cent).

However, as people get older, the things they miss most about the holidays are waking up to chocolate on Easter morning (15 per cent) and Easter egg hunts (14 per cent).

According to OnePoll.com figures, 27 per cent of those who have moved out do not bother with Easter eggs after leaving home.

Steve Waters, director of eggcellence at M&M’S, said: “Easter eggs are one of those little joys that quietly slip away as we move into adulthood, but who says they have to?

“This campaign is about reminding people that chocolate, fun and a bit of cheeky tradition don’t need to have an age limit.

“We’re here to stir the debate and give everyone a playful excuse to hold onto their Easter eggs, no matter how adult they are.”

Are you gutted about your last chocolate egg? Let us know in the comments

The company is not alone in its confidence about the appeal of more creative Easter treats. Bakery Lottie Shaw’s, which has been making treats in Yorkshire since 1912, says sales of its “hot cross tarts”, which combine spiced fruits with treacle in a shortcrust pastry paste, have surged by 800% since launching last year.

Postcodes from across the region were picked out this week for £1,000 prizes.

Players in Coxhoe (DH6 4SG) won £1,000 as did residents in Yarm (TS15 9EN). Further afield postcodes in Hartlepool, Sunderland, Newcastle, Whitby and Malton also won shares of the prize pot.

The People’s Postcode Lottery is a subscription lottery which aims to raise money for charities while also bringing cash prizes to homes across the UK.

The People’s Postcode Lottery unveils daily prizes for postcodes across the UK, including £30,000 jackpots for every winning ticket in a postcode on weekends, and £1,000 prizes for 20 different postcodes every day.

A minimum of 33 per cent from each ticket goes to charity, and players have raised more than £950 million for over 9,000 charities and good causes since 2005.

The Postcode Lottery winners and prize amounts this week are:

• DH6 4SG – £1,000 – Coxhoe
• TS15 9EN – £1,000 – Yarm
• TS24 8NH – £1,000 – Hartlepool
• SR3 1AZ – £1,000 – Sunderland
• NE6 5UJ – £1,000 – Newcastle
• YO22 4JE – £1,000 – Whitby
• YO17 7JX – £1,000 – Malton

The line-up was packed with big Irish names from film, media and entertainment

Donald Trump was the main talking point as Friday night’s Late Late Show kicked off.

First up was BBC News Chief Presenter Caitríona Perry who joined host Patrick Kielty to talk about life in Washington DC and her role in covering all the major US news stories during President Trump’s second administration.

She also reflected on the US-Israel war with Iran, its impact on Trump’s approval rating, and how Taoiseach Micheál Martin fared in the Oval Office on St Patrick’s Day.

READ MORE: Mary Black opens Late Late Show with “stunning performance”READ MORE: Pádraig Harrington’s tribute to late dad and oesophageal cancer symptoms

Fresh from winning the Lifetime Achievement award at the 2026 IFTA ceremony actor Ciarán Hinds was live in studio too. Known for his roles in classics such as Belfast, Munich, Road to Perdition and There will be Blood, Hinds is regarded as one of Ireland’s most talented movie stars. As his career continues to go from strength to strength, he chatted about growing up in Belfast, his friendship with Liam Neeson and his latest projects.

For the first time since becoming the presenter of The Late Late Show in September 2023, Patrick interviewed one of his predecessors. Pat Kenny was on the couch to talk about his recent move from daily radio to the weekend slot with Newstalk. He reflected on his decades of experience in broadcasting as he confirmed that at 78 years of age, he has no plans to slow down.Comedian Kevin McGahern dropped by to talk about fronting the newest series of Cheap European Homes with Maggie Molloy and James Kavanagh and life as a father of two. He also recreated his viral opening monologue from the IFTA Awards 2026, complete with his trusty bodhrán.As she prepares to make her return to the airwaves 2FM presenter, new mum Doireann Garrihy chatted about the joys of motherhood since welcoming baby Rosie. She also revealed her plans to bring her hit podcast on the road and why she is excited to get back to work.

Plus, there was music from award-winning singer Freya Ridings who performed her new single “I Have Always Loved You.”

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Ipswich Town chairman, Mark Ashton, has issued an apology to supporters after Nigel Farage’s visit to Portman Road this week.

Farage visited the Championship club on Monday and images of the Reform UK leader holding up an Ipswich No.10 shirt with his name on the back was used by the political party on social media.

A Reform party campaign video starring Farage was also filmed at Ipswich’s stadium.

Farage’s visit sparked an angry response from some Ipswich supporters, while the club claimed that it was apolitical and did not ‘support or endorse any individual party’.

In a statement on Friday night, Aston said he was ‘immensely upset’ for ‘hurting’ Ipswich’s fanbase and admitted ‘mistakes have been made’.

Ashton said: ‘I’m fully aware that this has been a very difficult week for all of us.

‘The staff are hurting. Elements of the fanbase are hurting. So are elements of our local community. That upsets me immensely. Unreservedly, I want to apologise and say I’m sorry.

‘I understand that supporters and element of the community are angry. I also understand that there are a number of mistruths out there about what’s actually happened this week. And I also understand that we have lessons to learn. Because mistakes have been made which have caused harm and distress to parts of our local community.

‘And as the chairman of the club I take full responsibility for those mistakes. And full responsibility for making sure that those lessons are learned and learned quickly.

‘The full board of directors are now reviewing the policy regards how we engage with local politicians and political parties. We’ll decide how, if and when we do that moving forward. Because, again, lessons have to be learned.’

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One of the last first party games for the original Switch has a free demo you can download now, as a reader examines the pros and cons of next month’s new game.

When gaming publications started detailing their experiences previewing Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream last week, I assumed it would be a wait to get the same opportunity, if we got one at all. So when this demo shadow-dropped almost immediately afterwards, it caught me off guard in the best way. This has been my most anticipated game of the year, so any opportunity to preview it is a massive privilege.

Essentially a short prologue to the full game, it does a solid job of introducing the core mechanics while letting you actually play around with them without feeling heavy-handed. When you’ve finished the demo, you’ll have a strong understanding of how to manage your residents and interact with them.

The main restriction is the three Mii cap. While that sounds really limited, it’s just enough to complete the basic tutorial and unlock the first two buildings. In the full game you need five residents to unlock the flagship Island Designer, so the demo basically puts you in the perfect position come launch day, as your demo progress transfers to the full game.

Being able to shorten the time it takes to unlock the new feature makes this worth the download alone. I’d recommend making the remaining two Mii in the console’s Mii Maker and then importing them into the full game on release day.

The biggest highlight is simply watching the Mii of my friends interact with each other. The charm of Tomodachi Life is built around wacky interactions and relationships, and seeing this effectively translated to the Switch reminds me of exactly what I loved about the 3DS original, as within minutes I was grinning at the descriptions of what my Mii were talking about.

The clothing shop also has a surprisingly large amount of clothes to buy for your Mii, and there’s a genuinely cute bonus costume as a reward for completing the demo. LGBT customisability (which was lacking in the 3DS game) is also really strong and is done in a way that’s both detailed for those who want LGBT Mii and simple to ignore for anyone who doesn’t.

The only major objective flaw with the demo game is that you’re only able to use the touchscreen when making the Mii. Also, the frame rate/pacing felt slightly off in my eyes, although your mileage may vary with that.

The biggest flaw is how the demo ends. It takes roughly an hour to complete, which totally makes sense for the type of game this is. However, after giving your Mii an outfit the island essentially freezes. The Mii stay inside their homes and all dialogue becomes focused on what you’ll be able to do in the full game.

While demos are advertisements for games, I can’t remember a recent one quite as blatant about it as this, and the way the Mii talk feels at odds with the tone of the game. It’s frustrating because the bulk of the demo gives you the limited freedom to orchestrate dynamic interactions between three Mii and watch them explore the island. And yet just as it starts to soar, its wings get cut off and it becomes a semi-interactive billboard.

Overall, I’m thrilled that this exists and it does exactly what it needs to do in order to sell you on the full game. However, the unnecessarily restrictive post-demo kills all momentum and makes me think that it should’ve been released on the 9th of April, when you can pre-download the full game.

By reader Connor Lamb

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.

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