Here is everything we know so far.

What happened?

The crash occurred on the A66 in South Bank at 3.39am today (Saturday, August 22), and involved a marked police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat.

Cleveland Police said the Passat was travelling in the wrong direction when it collided with the police car, which was travelling in the correct direction.

All seven occupants of the vehicles – two police officers and five members of the public – were pronounced dead at the scene.

The two police officers have since been named as PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough.

A66 crash (Image: NORTH NEWS LTD)

Who attended the scene?

The North East Ambulance Service, including 14 ambulances, the Great North Air Ambulance Service and Cleveland Fire Service were at the scene.

What have police said?

Chief Constable Victoria Fuller has issued the following statement.

Chief Constable Victoria Fuller (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

“At 3.39 this morning, a Volkswagen Passat that was travelling the wrong way down the A66 has collided with a marked Cleveland Police Armed Response Vehicle, which was travelling on the correct side of the road.

“Tragically, two police officers, PC Matthew Blades, aged 37, and PC Tom Clough, aged 38, died at the scene, along with the five occupants of the Passatt as a result of the collision.

“Formal identification has now taken place for the occupants of the Volkswagen Passat and specialist family liaison officers are being deployed to support the bereaved families.

“As is mandatory following any death connected to a police incident, we have referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and are fully cooperating with their investigation.

“While this investigation is ongoing, and out of respect for all those who have lost loved ones, I would strongly urge people to avoid speculation and respect the privacy of the families.”

When is the road reopening?

Police have yet to officially confirm when the road is reopening, but it is expected to remain closed for the rest of the day.

What have politicians said?

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Devastated to hear that two police officers have lost their lives while on duty in Cleveland this morning, as well as five members of the public.

“My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of everyone involved, and with everyone at Cleveland Police.”

Anna Turley, MP for Redcar and Cleveland, said: “I am deeply saddened to hear of the fatal collision on the A66 this morning.

“My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives, and with everyone affected by this terrible incident.”

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said: “A horrible and tragic incident in South Bank this morning and my thoughts are with those affected, their families and the emergency services who attended the scene.

“Our police officers are heroes who put everything on the line to protect us and I know all of Teesside will want to pay tribute to the officers and other emergency service workers involved for the bravery they have shown in responding to this incident.”

A66 crash (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

What happens now?

An investigation has been launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to examine what happened.

Nicola Marfleet, IOPC Director of Investigations, said: “This is a tragic incident, and my thoughts are with family and friends and all those affected, including the emergency services in attendance.

“Our investigation is in the very early stages, we have sent investigators to the post-incident procedures to begin reviewing evidence.

“When someone dies following police contact, it is mandatory that the matter is referred to the IOPC.

“Our role is to establish and examine the circumstances of what happened; this work is already underway, and Cleveland Police is cooperating with our enquiries.

“We will provide a further update when we are in a position to do so.”

The incident took place around 2pm this afternoon (August 22) at Royal Bolton Hospital, where what police have called a “vulnerable young person” got onto the hospital roof.

Police and fire services were called to the scene for assistance, with the situation being successfully resolved by around 3pm.

The incident outside the Royal Bolton Hospital (Image: Terence Howarth)

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “There were welfare concerns relating to a vulnerable young person.

“The log was closed at about 3pm. No crimes have been recorded.”

Some people had to wait outside the hospital as the situation was resolved, unable to enter the building.

A video shared to social media showed several police vans and fire engines outside the building, near the entrance to the paediatric emergency department.

Hayden Panettiere’s mother Lesley Vogel believes the account of her daughter’s death at age 36 given by Brian Hickerson is ‘full of holes’ and believes he’s not telling police the truth about what happened.

In an extensive hour-long exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Vogel said she pressured law enforcement in South Carolina to investigate Hayden’s death and raised serious questions about Hickerson and his account of her daughter’s final hours.

Vogel said Hickerson, who once served time in jail for beating Hayden, had a toxic ‘codependent bond’ with Hayden that was ‘much more powerful than people realized.’

She revealed she spoke with a police officer at the scene and asked if there would be a further investigation. ‘She said to me, “Well, what do you think about Brian Hickerson?” And I said, “I think he’s culpable.”‘

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has since joined the investigation. Hickerson has not been accused of any crime and the Daily Mail makes no suggestion of wrongdoing. 

Hickerson, Vogel claimed, told police that Hayden was doing her makeup in the Greenville Airbnb around 10.30am on Sunday, August 16, and he went out for something.

She said Hickerson told police that he returned later and went to take a nap. Vogel’s account of what Hickerson told police does not include him seeing or speaking to Hayden after he returned, she claims.

According to Vogel, Hickerson told the officer that at some later point, his brother Zach knocked at the door and Brian went to answer. Hayden was then found unresponsive.

Panettiere was found ‘unresponsive’ in an armchair at a Greenville, South Carolina apartment where on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson was also staying on Sunday. She was later declared dead just five days before her 37th birthday. Hickerson previously faced domestic abuse charges involving Panettiere 

Vogel believes there are unexplained gaps in that account, especially the presence of Narcan, which, according to Hickerson’s brother Zach, had been administered by Brian.

‘I think there will be a discrepancy in the timeline, meaning Brian had to go out and buy the Narcan while he left her there because I do not believe he happened to have two bottles of Narcan on him, like he carried them around in his back pocket.’

She also doubts his claim that he simply found Hayden unresponsive.

‘I don’t know how you can take a nap near someone who’s dying and not realize something’s wrong. How do you do that? 

‘When the EMTs came it was for a cardiac arrest. People in cardiac arrest aren’t just lying still. They make noise.

‘I think Brian called his brother. My opinion. I think he knew she was deceased. Called his brother, and tried and built this story.’

Vogel also lashed out at brutal accusations by CBS’ Gayle King, podcaster Megyn Kelly – and even her deceased daughter – that she’s an ogre who pushed Hayden as a child actress and only cared about money.

Vogel, 70, now says that she ‘wants justice’ for Hayden – and that the tragedy has been made worse by public insults hurled at her. 

A heavily redacted police report released Tuesday revealed Brian Hickerson (left) and his brother Zachary (right) were with Panettiere inside the luxury Greenville apartment complex loft when she was pronounced dead

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The couple were staying at the swanky Judson Mill apartment complex where she was found unresponsive on August 16

‘There is infinite sadness,’ Vogel said about the loss of her daughter, which came three years after her 28-year-old son, Jansen, died from heart issues.

‘But this is not the time for me to be weak. I don’t have the luxury right now of being weak. I have too much to do for Hayden. When I’m done with that, then I will give myself the luxury to mourn – deeply mourn.’

‘I’m not saying I’m not grieving now. I am, and I do have my moments. But the bigger picture right now is I have to stay strong. I don’t have an option.’

Gayle King slammed a brief statement Vogel made after Hayden’s death in which she said her daughter had ‘lost her way’ by addressing Vogel directly:

‘It makes me so sad of the opportunity that you have after your daughter’s death that that’s what you choose to leave us with… You read this and all I can think is, “Thanks, Mom, for nothing.”‘

Megyn Kelly was harsher, telling Vogel: ‘You failed at your job… You got an F as a parent. You made a bunch of money off of your daughter. You probably have a super nice car and a big house. You failed. You raised someone to the age of majority who doesn’t feel safe, loved, or cherished. You’re a loser.’

Vogel, who was also portrayed as a hard-driving, demanding stage mother in Hayden’s May 2026 memoir, ‘This is Me: A Reckoning,’ said her relationship with her daughter was ‘complicated’ but she doesn’t deserve being trashed by people who have never met her.

‘I was very, very hurt and deeply disappointed in the lack of professionalism, the lack of compassion in slamming someone who’s lost two children, without even a modicum of consideration,’ she said. ‘No one reached out to me before. It’s shameful. It’s unconscionable to me.’

Panettiere spoke publicly about the abuse and the complicated bond that repeatedly drew her back to Hickerson

Earlier this week, Greenville police officers were snapped arriving at the South Carolina home linked to Brian and Zach Hickerson to conduct a welfare check, the Daily Mail revealed

An officer was seen knocking on the door of the four-bedroom home repeatedly but received no response from anyone inside  

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Gayle King was among those who publicly criticized Vogel’s statement about Panettiere’s tragic death saying: ‘It makes me so sad that of the opportunity that you have after your daughter’s death, that that’s what you choose to leave us with’

But Vogel said she has ‘huge responsibilities’ which involve both keeping on top of the investigation into Hayden’s death – and the closure of her estate.

During the nearly hour-long interview, Vogel’s voice only cracked once – while defending her decision to put Hayden into showbusiness when she was only 11 months old.

In her book and in some recent interviews, Hayden called herself a ‘little soldier’ forced into modeling and acting when she was too young and portrayed Vogel as more manager than mother who got angry if Hayden blew an audition.

But Panettiere also admits in her book that she enjoyed a lot of her child stardom. She did more than 50 commercials as a child and at four landed her first soap role, playing Sarah Roberts in ‘One Life to Live.’

At seven she was signed to play Lizzie Spaulding on ‘Guiding Light,’ a meaty part that required her to learn 20 to 40 pages of dialogue a day.

Vogel said she never set out to make Panettiere a professional actress when she first signed her up with the Wilhelmina modeling agency as a baby.

Vogel slammed critics for attacking a mother who has ‘lost two children’. Hayden’s younger brother Jansen died unexpectedly in 2023 at the age of 28 (pictured in 2019) 

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Vogel defended her decision to put Hayden into show business when she was only 11 months old. The late actress is pictured in one of her child television roles in 1999 

‘She started with Wilhelmina at eight months old because she’s a beautiful baby. I mean, really beautiful baby,’ Vogel said.

‘My thought then was, let her do some stuff, we’ll put it in her college fund, and she’ll go to college and she’ll have this. I never expected her to be a professional actor, never.’

But Vogel, who had acting experience herself, said it quickly became apparent that her daughter possessed an extraordinary natural ability, including a knack for memorizing large chunks of dialogue that even the adults on soaps struggled with.

Both veteran soap star Beth Chamberlin, who played Hayden’s mother on ‘Guiding Light’ for three years, and John Loprieno, who played her father on ‘One Life to Live,’ told the Daily Mail that Hayden had an uncanny ability to know her lines, adapt to last-minute script changes on set – and breeze through camera blocking and fast-moving takes with ease.

Chamberlin said she never saw signs of strain between Hayden and her mother, with whom she’s still friendly, adding that Hayden seemed to love her job. Loprieno said the same thing.

‘I mean, she’d come into the studio skipping,’ Chamberlin told the Daily Mail. ‘She was just so happy, and she lit up when she went on the set. 

‘We also helped make it a very unique atmosphere for her on the set. She felt safe and protected. And Lesley was always there.’

Vogel acknowledged that she was a demanding mother and acting coach but strongly denied that she forced Panettiere to work or was abusive.

‘I was strong, definitely, but I was not abusive by any stretch of the imagination,’ she told the Daily Mail.

Panettiere, right, and James Marsden greet audience members during the 21st Annual Kids’ Choice Awards in Los Angeles in 2008 

Hayden and Jansen were raised by mom Lesley and dad Skip

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‘I think that Hayden put a pressure on herself. I know that she has mentioned, you know, always had to please Mom, or make sure it was, you know, I succeeded or whatever. I didn’t put that on her. I think she put that on herself.’

Vogel said the idea that a parent could force a very young child to sustain a successful acting career was unrealistic.

‘Try making a two-to five-year-old child do something they don’t want to do,’ she said. ‘Are you going to be successful? No, you’re not. Probably 99 percent of the time.’

Vogel said her relationship with her daughter remained close through much of Panettiere’s adolescence but began changing when she was about 16 or 17 and older influences entered her life.

But she said Panettiere’s life changed dramatically after Hickerson entered it.

She was already at a low point, having given up the daughter she shared with former heavyweight champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko, because of her struggles with postpartum depression and substance abuse.

‘When Brian came into her life, the changes started to occur,’ she said. ‘Very early in the game, I thought he’s a modern-day gigolo. I know what he’s after.’

She said the relationship eventually became deeply codependent as drugs became part of their lives.

‘I would talk to both of them about it,’ Vogel added. ‘I would say, ‘This is a codependent relationship, and it is not healthy for either of you.’

‘My sadness is that everything that I did, her father did, friends did, business people did – we could not break that codependent bond. It is so much more powerful than people understand.’

Vogel said she ultimately cut off contact with her daughter because she felt powerless to change the situation.

‘When Hayden comes out and talks trash about Mom, it’s because I had to break away,’ she said.

The couple’s years-long on-again, off-again relationship with realtor Brian Hickerson that was marred by domestic abuse 

‘I had to go no contact because I could not help her anymore. I could not change this pattern, and believe me, I tried. I didn’t leave because I didn’t care about her or didn’t love her. I put so much effort in trying to save her. You cannot save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.’

Vogel said she believes Panettiere gravitated toward Hickerson in part because the relationship made her feel less inadequate at a low point in her life.

‘Her child’s father is Wladimir Klitschko,’ Vogel said. ‘He is one of the most exceptional people I’ve ever met.’

‘But when you’re not feeling good about yourself, you don’t want to be with someone who makes you feel worse about yourself. So she found a loser. So every day she didn’t feel like she was failing, and he latched onto that and I suppose said everything to her she needed to hear.’

Vogel said Hickerson had ‘no career’ and ‘no money,’ while Panettiere was financially supporting the relationship.

‘I know he put pressure on. I know he threatened. I know he did a lot of things,’ she said.

The bereaved mom says her relationship with her daughter remained close through much of Panettiere’s adolescence but began changing when she was about 16 or 17

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Hickerson addressed Panettiere’s death through his attorney Sloan Ellis on Thursday, saying: ‘Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed.

‘As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play.

‘Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.’

Vogel, meanwhile, said she remains in contact with 11-year-old Kaya, who lives in Ukraine, and praised Klitschko as a devoted father. She said Klitschko told Kaya the basics of her mother’s death and she is handling it as well as can be expected.

‘He has people surrounding her who are very positive and supportive. So I’m not worried about Kaya.’

Though Panettiere apparently died without a will, Vogel said that under California law the entire estate is likely to go to Kaya, which she is grateful for.

‘This child is exceptional,’ Vogel said of her granddaughter. ‘I mean, she’s an amazing human being. She’s 11 years old, speaks five languages. She’s a hunter jumper and wins.’

For now, Vogel said, she is determined to keep moving forward through both the investigation and the task of settling her daughter’s affairs.

‘There’s a journey ahead here,’ Vogel said. ‘I feel like I’m willing to take it on.’

‘That’s my MO. That’s what I do. That’s my job.’

A number of people were kidnapped from a mosque in a spree of abductions at several villages in Nigeria ‘s north-central Niger state, police said Saturday.

The assailants attacked a mosque in Kpenya village after attacks in a string of villages in the remote Borgu Local Government Area of Niger state Friday, police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said.

Such attacks are common in Nigeria, where multiple armed groups operate, killing and kidnapping people for ransom. The groups sometimes clash in competition with each other. No group has claimed responsibility for the Friday attacks.

Abiodun did not provide figures but said no lives were lost in the Friday attacks, and said the military was deployed to the area. Residents said scores of people were abducted, with some estimating between 60 and 80 people were kidnapped. A search for survivors was underway Saturday.

Borgu area council chairman Abdullahi Mohammed Nasir said at least 60 people were kidnapped and an unspecified number of people sustained gunshot injuries while trying to escape the gunmen.

“People were abducted while praying at a Juma’at mosque on Friday,” Nasir said. “That was when the bad people came and surrounded the mosque and took them away.”

Zubairu Umar Talba, a youth leader in the Dekara area in Borgu, told The Associated Press that his 85-year-old father was among those who were taken. “Nobody can tell you the exact number of people abducted because, so far, about 80 of our people have been abducted and many have fled the area,” he said.

Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) is only trying to cheer Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) up next week, but his well-meaning plan quickly turns into chaos when the police are called to the Square in EastEnders.

Kat has been struggling recently, and Alfie is desperate to put a smile back on her face. But rather than sitting down and talking to her about what’s really bothering her, he decides that a surprise party is the answer.

It all starts when Alfie is happily watching footage from Bert and Ernie’s school project.

However, his mood soon changes when he spots Kat in the video looking upset.

Alfie immediately becomes concerned and starts wondering what is going on with his wife. Rather than confronting Kat about what he has seen, though, he decides to keep the footage to himself.

Instead, Alfie secretly ropes in the rest of the family to help him put together something special for Kat.

His idea is a Benidorm-themed party, inspired by a happy holiday memory the pair share.

It is certainly an unconventional way of trying to lift someone’s spirits, but Alfie is convinced it will do the trick.

The family, however, aren’t quite as convinced.

They question why Alfie is avoiding the obvious and not simply talking to Kat about the footage. But before they can push him too much, Alfie unveils his surprise and Kat is left genuinely moved by the gesture.

Soon enough, the whole Square gets swept up in Alfie’s attempt at bringing a bit of holiday fun to Walford.

And when Alfie gets involved, things are never likely to stay calm for long.

The street descends into a full-on party, with Alfie going all out to recreate that Benidorm feeling.

There’s even a paddling pool complete with a slide, giving the residents the chance to cool off and enjoy a rather unexpected day of fun.

Kat is distracted from her worries and the locals are enjoying themselves.

But the fun doesn’t last.

A community officer soon arrives and puts an abrupt end to the celebrations.

The officer isn’t impressed by the impromptu street party and threatens Kat and Alfie with a hefty fine.

Given that the pair are already dealing with plenty of other pressures, the last thing they need is another problem landing on their doorstep.

Unsurprisingly, Kat isn’t exactly thrilled by the intervention.

True to form, she gives the officer a piece of her mind, while Alfie attempts to calm her down and prevent the situation from getting even worse.

But just when it looks like the drama might finally be settling down, another problem emerges.

Ria is injured amid the chaos, leaving everyone concerned.

The incident immediately raises the stakes for Kat and Alfie, particularly because of the potential consequences it could have for Suki and Eve’s ongoing custody case.

Suki is quick to make her feelings known and threatens legal action, putting even more pressure on the couple.

For Kat, it is all becoming too much.

Already struggling with her emotions, she storms off, leaving Alfie wondering whether his attempt to cheer her up has actually made everything considerably worse.

What started as a sweet gesture based on one of their happiest memories has now resulted in a potential fine, an injury and the threat of legal action.

And Alfie may soon have to face the fact that throwing a huge party wasn’t quite the solution Kat needed.

With tensions rising and Kat furious, will Alfie be able to explain himself?

Or has his attempt to put a smile back on Kat’s face landed the pair in even more trouble?

MORE: All EastEnders spoilers for next week as Denise has hope at last after big breakthrough

MORE: Iconic EastEnders character confirmed dead as cast film sad funeral scenes

MORE: All EastEnders cast returns, exits and new arrivals coming up in 2026

The Bayeux tapestry is one of the most famous pieces of material culture produced in medieval England. The tapestry is fundamentally important for our understanding of the Norman conquest, telling us what happened and how it was remembered.

The embroidery was most probably made by a group of English women, who were famed for their needlework across Europe.

The story of the tapestry starts around 1064, with King Edward the Confessor sending Harold Godwinson, then Earl of Wessex, on a visit to Normandy, and ends with the English retreat at Hastings in 1066.

Military and political events are the key focus, yet three women are depicted in the main body of the Bayeux tapestry: a mystery woman named as Ælgyva, a woman mourning at the death of Edward the Confessor (very likely Queen Edith, his wife) and an unidentified woman fleeing from a burning building with her child. Further female figures can be identified in the borders of the tapestry.

Here’s what we know about the women depicted in the tapestry.

À lire aussi :
The Bayeux tapestry and the hidden history of the women who embroidered it

Edith of Wessex (c. 1023–75)

The weeping woman with a veil at Edward the Confessor’s death bed was probably his wife, Edith of Wessex. At this crucial moment in the tapestry she witnesses Edward’s command to Harold to take up the throne.

Edith, daughter of Gytha (d. after 1068) and Godwin, Earl of Wessex (d. 1053) was the sister of Harold Godwinson. She was raised and educated at Wilton Abbey and was a powerful patron as well as being praised for her needlework.

She was treated well by William the Conqueror and managed to retain her lands post-conquest. In Easter 1071, she attended the consecration of Walcher, Bishop of Durham, showing her continued influence. She died on December 18 1075 and was buried alongside King Edward in Westminster Abbey.

Ælfgyva: the mystery woman of the Bayeux tapestry

The image below shows a woman inside a doorway of columns, and a man to the right of her, reaching into the space. The embroidered text above reads “Where a certain cleric and Ælfgyva”.

The borders above and below, which sometimes give a further indication of meaning, show a cross and a naked man. This could be an indication of lust or sexual misdemeanour. Although she is the only named woman, Ælfgyva (sometimes rendered as Ælfgifu or Ælgyva) was a very popular name.

There have been at least a dozen suggestions for Ælfgyva’s identity, but here are some of the more popular. One is Ælgyva, a sister of Harold Godwinson, whom he had supposedly pledged to marry to William. However, historian Ann Williams argues that he did not have a sister called Ælgyva; she believes this is a mistake that came from a misreading of an entry in Domesday Book.

The woman is wearing a veil and stood within an enclosed space suggesting a cloister, so a religious woman seems appropriate. The abbess of Barking Abbey at the time of the conquest was called Ælfgyva, so is also a possible candidate. This is especially so if the nuns of the wealthy abbey of Barking were involved in completing the tapestry, though more recent research by archaeologist Alexandra Lester-Makin suggests it may have been created by women working together in a professional workshop, or under a skilled overseer or trainer. We have no surviving stories about Ælgyva, abbess of Barking, that would resolve the presence of the lewd figure in the border.

Ælfgyva/Eadgifu, the abbess of Leominster, has also been mooted. She was abducted by Harold’s brother, Swein Godwinson, in 1046. It’s possible that she bore a child – Hakon – who may have been one of the hostages that Harold went to Normandy to collect.

Ælfgifu/Ælfgyva of Northampton, first wife of King Cnut is another suggestion. A rumour recorded by the chronicler John of Worcester argued that Ælgyva was unable to give Cnut a son and fooled him with the sons of other men, casting doubt on the Danish succession.

Emma of Normandy, Edward the Confessor’s mother, also changed her name to Ælfgifu during her first marriage to Aethelred the Unready. Rumours about an affair with a bishop were circulated making her a possible candidate, but these stories appeared long after her death and the making of the tapestry.

Woman running from a burning building with a child

This victim of war is unnamed and flees from a burning building clasping the hand of a child. She probably represents William’s harrying of the countryside, and the suffering of the English people before the battle of Hastings.

Although we cannot identify her, historians have drawn useful connections between this image on the Bayeux tapestry and sculpture on columns depicting Roman warfare in Rome. This image is particularly close to one of a woman fleeing with her child on the column of Marcus Aurelius. It suggests that the designer may have visited Rome on a pilgrimage, which Abbot Scolland of St Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury (who some researchers believe to be the designer is known to have done in 1071-2, around which time the tapestry is thought to have been commissioned.

The women of the Bayeux tapestry, as makers and embroidered characters, tell a story as compelling and important as the main depiction of the battle. In line with recent reports from End Sexism in Schools and Teaching Medieval Women outlining a chronic lack of representation of women’s history taught in schools, bringing them back into the story of this nationally important treasure is key.

Even their mysteries provide opportunities to enrich and build more inclusivity into the way we teach the Norman conquest. Combined with other detailed sources like the Domesday Book, there are many more stories of women that remain to be discovered.

Marcus Rashford made his long-awaited return for Manchester United in their dismal Premier League defeat to Hull City as the former Barcelona loanee came off the bench

Marcus Rashford’s Manchester United return came in a dismal defeat to Hull City but the forward believes the team can use it as a building block for the rest of the campaign. England ace Rashford came off the bench against the play-off champions but could not navigate Michael Carrick’s side away from defeat.

The Red Devils fell to a 2-0 defeat courtesy of goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy. Rashford was introduced after half-time at the MKM stadium but could not reduce the deficit.

Despite having been widely anticipated to leave Old Trafford after his loan stint with Barcelona, it seems the 28-year-old remains a part of Michael Carrick’s plans. The Catalan club decided against triggering the option to sign Rashford permanently, and no other team has swooped in to pay the fee that United require for his services.

Instead, Rashford, who is under contract until 2028, has been awarded the No.9 shirt. The 28-year-old’s appearance came more than 18 months after his last competitive outing for the club, against Viktoria Plzen in December 2024.

“After 618 days, I’m back playing with United. I wish the result were better, but it’s something we can improve on,” Rashford wrote on Instagram after the defeat.

Lisandro Martinez, Bryan Mbeumo, Diogo Dalot and Andre Onana were among the United players who liked the post.

Rashford came on for Patrick Dorgu after 45 minutes against Hull. The Denmark international, who arrived initially as a wing-back, was deployed in a more attacking role by Carrick once more but endured a challenging afternoon.

Carrick had nothing but praise for the player he substituted, though. “Pat’s fine, we love him to bits. He’s a fantastic player, Pat. He’s a great character,” Carrick said after the match.

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“He’s a big part of what we do, and he will be. So it was just one of those decisions. It’s nothing personal. Sometimes you’ve just got to make them, you know, trying to do something a little bit different.”

Before the Hull fixture, Carrick was questioned about whether Rashford could feature in a central striking role this season. The England international has mainly operated from the left flank in recent campaigns.

Carrick reckons it’s within the academy graduate’s capabilities. “Of course he can play through in the middle. He has done,” Carrick said.

“I wouldn’t say it’s naturally his number-one position, but he can do that, and I think we’ve got forwards that give us that flexibility right across the frontline, we’ve used all of them, pretty much, in slightly different roles. So, I think for us to have that option is really good moving through the season.”

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Emphatically lost the battle of the two club-record signings as Mamadou Sangare completely dominated him. Tried in vain to inject some pace and rhythm into Spurs’ play with a few neat one-touch passes. Small consolation, though, for the Italian midfielder on a harrowing competitive debut.

Tadej Pogacar got straight down to business as ​he opened his quest to win the Vuelta a Espana for the first time by snatching victory in the opening time trial in Monaco.

Little more than two months after the roar of Formula 1 cars echoed around the streets of the glitzy principality, the world’s fastest cyclist relied purely on leg and lung power to underline his superiority.

Seven years after his only previous appearance at the Spanish race, since when he has won five Tour de France titles and a ⁠Giro d’Italia, the UAE Emirates rider laid ​down ⁠an immediate marker to break the heart of Britain’s Ethan Hayter.

Hayter had looked on course to win the 9.4km time trial and take the red jersey at the 81st edition of the Vuelta. But Slovenia’s Pogacar, the penultimate ​starter of ⁠the 184 riders, had other ‌ideas as he rolled down the start ramp from the marbled floors of Monte Carlo’s glitzy casino.

Few would wager against a rider who dominated last month’s Tour de France to move alongside the greats of the past, although he was marginally down on the split times. He produced a devastating late burst through the final curves though to claim his 20th victory of the season.

Britain’s Josh Tarling finished an emotional third fastest having decided to race eight days after the death of his 19-year-old brother Fin at the Volta a Portugal. “It was just great to have him here and he was really keen to ride and get back to the day job,” his Netcompany-Ineos race director Geraint Thomas told TNT Sports.

“It’s unimaginable what he has gone through the last week and to put in a performance like that shows his class. We will try to be normal around him and support him as best we can.” Monaco became the seventh non-Spain start for ‌the Vuelta and the fourth in ⁠five years after Piemonte last year, Lisbon in 2024 and Utrecht in ⁠2022.

It proved a fitting launch pad for the last grand tour of the year and one which could see Pogacar become only the ninth rider to win all three. After a relatively gentle start, things will ​quickly toughen up on Sunday with a hilly 214km stage from Monaco to Manosque.

Reuters