The 43-year-old Spaniard, who has signed a two-year deal at Anfield, became Liverpool’s first choice after they decided he met their demand for a manager who played a more attacking, high-tempo and aggressive style of play.
Liverpool were attracted by the former Bournemouth manager’s ability to overachieve relative to resources and to improve players, while they were looking for a head coach with a proven track record in the Premier League and a clear footballing identity.
Andoni Iraola has been officially confirmed as Liverpool’s new boss (PA Wire)
Slot was dismissed on Saturday and Liverpool soon alighted on Iraola as their preferred candidate. They began in-person talks on Tuesday, reaching a verbal agreement later that day. The Basque has only agreed a deal until 2028, but it is in keeping with the contracts he signed at his previous clubs.
“I’m really excited, really excited,” Iraola told Liverpool’s official website. “Because obviously you know about Liverpool, you know that it’s a big club, a massive club, one of the biggest in the world.
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“But feeling inside and understanding a little bit more of this club, I always thought it’s a special club. You don’t need a lot of things to get attracted by Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool.
“But obviously the atmosphere, the supporters, the club, the players, the chance for me to coach top-level players, the chance to fight for titles. I think it cannot be more attractive than this. It’s difficult to find it. So, really excited to start.”
Iraola had become one of the most in-demand managers in the summer market and Liverpool saw off interest from AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen and Crystal Palace, realising when they spoke him that his first and only choice was to go to Anfield.
Liverpool had also considered Sebastian Hoeness of VfB Stuttgart and Pierre Sage of Lens but soon concluded that Iraola was the stand-out candidate. He was the only manager Liverpool interviewed.
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Iraola was the only candidate Liverpool interviewed as he fit their vision (Reuters)
Iraola was taken to Bournemouth by Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes in 2023 after three seasons in charge of Rayo Vallecano.
However, Liverpool’s interest in him predated Hughes’ arrival. They had once tried to sign him as a player and had followed his coaching career for more than a decade.
He led Bournemouth to finishes of 12th, ninth and then sixth, earning them a place in Europe for the first time in their history and only finishing one place behind his new club.
Liverpool noted that Iraola’s achievements in Dorset came with one of the smallest budgets in the division and when Bournemouth sold players for around £250m in the last two transfer windows.
Iraola found huge success at Bournemouth and was a popular manager (Reuters)
Liverpool had struggled for goals this season, scoring 23 fewer than in their title-winning campaign of 2024-25, despite spending heavily on Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, and were attracted by Iraola’s record with attacking players, both in terms of helping them get better and to become more potent.
Under Iraola, Antoine Semenyo went on to become one of the leading scorers in the Premier League and to earn a £64m move to Manchester City while young players such as Rayan and Eli Junior Kroupi developed dramatically. While Liverpool have spent heavily, they do not want to rely on expensive recruitment and were attracted by Iraola’s record of improving footballers he inherited.
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While Slot’s football came to seem too slow and while Liverpool were outrun in the vast majority of their league games last season, Iraola’s belief in high pressing and energetic football offered similarities with Jurgen Klopp’s approach, meaning the Merseyside club felt he was both a continuity candidate and a coach who will evolve the current side.
Slot was a newcomer to the Premier League who excelled in his debut season but struggled in the second and Liverpool believed that Iraola, with three years in the division already, represented a low-risk choice in that respect. Iraola has never managed a club of Liverpool’s size but they are confident he has the personality and leadership to cope.
They are yet to finalise Iraola’s backroom staff, though he is expected to bring some of his coaching team from Bournemouth.
The New York native will be at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan alongside a host of Knicks superfans, including the likes of filmmaker Spike Lee and actor Timothee Chalamet. Lee and Chalamet were among the celebrities who attended Game 1 in San Antonio Wednesday night, along with comedian Tracy Morgan and actor Ben Stiller.
“I’ve been a Knicks fan for a long time, and I’m also a Jim Dolan fan. He’s a nice guy,” Trump said from the Oval Office Thursday, referring to the owner of the Knicks.
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“He’s been a long time wanting to win, and he’s a competitive guy, and he’s got a team that’s amazing.”
President Donald Trump has announced that he plans to attend the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs NBA finals game Monday night and may go to Game 4 as well (AFP via Getty Images)
Trump said Dolan invited him to the finals, adding, “I’m going.”
When asked which game he’d attend, the president said he might go Monday for Game 3 and maybe to Game 4 next Wednesday.
The president commended both NBA teams for their performances at a nail-biting Game 1. The Knicks won the game 105 to 95 after coming back from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter.
“I saw the beginning of the game, and it wasn’t looking good [for the Knicks],” Trump said. “I missed the middle because I talk to generals all night long now. But I watched that end of the game, and they were dominant.”
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The New York native will be joined at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan by Knicks superfans, filmmaker Spike Lee and actor Timothee Chalamet (Getty Images)
Trump called Spurs Forward Victor Wembanyama “a great player.”
“How do you guard this guy? Seven-foot-five, and he’s got a great shot, right? But they find a way to do it,” Trump added.
Wembanyama towered over his competitors on Wednesday, but it didn’t stop the Knicks from squeaking out a victory.
Trump has a penchant for attending live sports, even with the beefed-up security needed to attend such games.
NBA finals games 3 and 4 will be played on the New York Knicks’ home court at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan (Getty Images)
He became the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl in February and went to a New York Yankees versus Detroit Tigers game last year while marking the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
It’s unclear what type of welcome Trump will get at MSG.
Game 2 will take place in San Antonio again on Friday before the teams head to New York.
Manhattan has been surging with energy this playoff season as the Knicks won their way to the finals for the first time in 27 years. This year will be a rematch between the Knicks and the Spurs, who went head-to-head in 1999, when San Antonio won the championship.
Bradley Passey was missing for over a week, after attending the TwitchCon event in Rotterdam
A British man missing in the Netherlands has now been found dead.
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Bradley Passey, 21, had not been seen since May 30, when he was seen by friends outside a nightclub at around 2am.
He had attended the TwitchCon gaming convention and was reported to have been staying at a hostel in the Overblaak Cube Houses area but never returned after the night out.
Bradley’s family became worried when he didn’t board his flight home last Monday and there was no contact with him.
Members of his family travelled to Rotterdam as a major search was launched by local authorities. They are understood to have helped put up posters of him and made enquiries if anyone had footage, reports The Mirror.
His sister Amy has now said on social media that the family were told he had drowned in a river.
Amy wrote on Facebook: “This isn’t a post we ever thought we would be sharing, but we have sadly had confirmation this morning that Bradley Passey unfortunately drown in River Maas.
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“We hoped that we would have time as a family to process this, but unfortunately news has already spread in the media in Netherlands.
“We appreciate all the love sent over the last few days, the shares & any donations made so far on the go fund me.
“Please continue to do so because we don’t know how long my family will remain in Rotterdam. Thank you x x x.”
Many people have sent their condolences on social media, with one person writing: “Oh Amy I’m so sorry to read this. Sending condolences to you and your family. Xx.”
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Another said: “I am absolutely heartbroken for you all, I’m so so sorry sending you all so much love and strength.”
A further comment read: “Can’t believe this! i went to school with brad.. so sorry for you and your family.”
During the search, a Rotterdam Police spokesperson, reported AD, said: “We are working hard to gather all the information. Unfortunately, no leads have been found at this moment.”
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who died in the Netherlands, and we are liaising with local authorities.”
Bradley, 30, was last seen in the Bentley area of Doncaster on Wednesday (June 3).
He has links to Bridlington and officers are becoming increasingly “concerned” for his wellbeing.
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Bradley is described as white, 5ft 9 inches tall, of a slim build with short brown hair and a beard.
It is reported that he is possibly wearing dark jeans, light coloured trainers, a grey t-shirt or jumper and possibly a baseball cap, South Yorkshire Police said.
A force spokesperson said: “If you believe you can help officers find Bradley, please get in touch online via live chat or by calling 101, quoting incident number 155 of 3 June 2026.”
Robinson was exiled for 24 Tests. In that time, 13 other men bowled seam in Test cricket for England. Fourteen, if you count Harry Brook’s wrong-footed part-time filth.
Robinson spent part of the Ashes winter playing club cricket in Sydney, mainly to work on his game, but also to be in the right place if England needed him. One wonders how many bowlers would have had to go down for Robinson to get the call, especially given a reserve Lions squad was also in Australia. Maybe 15, even 20?
But necessity is the mother of invention or, in this case, reinvention.
Humbled in Australia, England were badly in need of an attack-leader, a reliable tone-setter.
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This summer is the first since 2007 that none of James Anderson, Stuart Broad or Chris Woakes will play a Test for England. Throw in the likelihood that Mark Wood will never play another Test and it means the four cornerstones of England’s pace attack have gone in the space of three years, taking 1,609 wickets with them.
So England reached out to Robinson, telling him at the start of the summer he was back on the radar. Already maturing with the captaincy, Robinson lasered-in on the goal of an international recall.
Those at Hove speak of an intense focus on a chance Robinson once thought had gone. Extra training sessions, leading on and off the field amid the turmoil of a points deduction for financial issues. The bowling was in good order, and there was even a vital century with the bat against Surrey.
When the England recall came, director of cricket Rob Key called Robinson “one of the best bowlers in the world”. McCullum said he had “banged the door down”, while Stokes challenged Robinson to “stay here as long as he can”.
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On a murky and moody Thursday at Lord’s, Robinson rose to the challenge.
England had been rolled over for 140 by the excellent New Zealanders and all of Key, McCullum and Stokes must have been wondering if the Ashes rebuild was going to be reduced to rubble. Salvation came from the man they had shunned.
With the clouds hovering, rain threatening and pitch nibbling, Robinson was the perfect horse for this course.
Rumbling in from the Nursery End, nipping the ball down the slope to left-hander Devon Conway.
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Third ball. Front pad. Finger up. Robinson’s eyes wide with delight, Conway aghast at a review that showed enough of leg stump was being clipped.
The Trump administration has waded into UK domestic affairs, condemning alleged ‘two-tier policing’ following the death of Henry Nowak
The Trump administration has criticised what it calls “two-tiered policing” in Britain following the death of teenager Henry Nowak, echoing a claim made by Nigel Farage that has provoked widespread anger.
Following the emergence of the footage, Hampshire Constabulary issued an apology to Mr Nowak’s relatives for the distress caused by the officers’ actions, acknowledging that mistakes were made in how the incident was handled.
In a statement posted on social media, the US State Department said: “Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilisational decline,” the statement read. “They must be rejected across the West.
“The United States sends our condolences to the family of Henry Nowak and the people of the United Kingdom at this troubling time.”
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The language mirrors that of Mr Farage, who claimed in the Commons on Wednesday that the UK has “two-tier policing” and that officers are instructed to treat different ethnic groups differently.
He said: “Following the horrendous circumstances of Henry Nowak’s death, can I urge the Prime Minister to consider this: it is now clear to growing millions in this country that we are living under two-tier policing.
“The instructions that are given to police officers from police bosses are clear and written down in ink. It says you must treat different ethnic groups in different ways.
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“Apart from the upset and the anger at the circumstances of his death, the anger that you saw spilling out in Southampton last night, which is in danger of getting considerably worse…
“If the public lose trust in being treated fairly by the police, can he (Sir Keir) take some action, end this divisive practice of two-tier policing, and make sure that all British citizens are treated the same?”
Sir Keir Starmer described Nigel Farage’s “appeal for rage” in the wake of Mr Nowak’s death as “unforgivable”.
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Sir Keir replied: “I don’t believe there’s two-tier policing in this country. I’m really shocked that he pretends to have respect for Henry’s family and then acts in this way.
“The grieving family have asked us not to respond in the way that the leader of Reform has responded. They’ve asked us not to. They have lost their son in the most appalling circumstance. They make a simple plea of us as human beings to please not exploit that. That is their plea to us.
“We all need to reflect on those words of Henry’s father. My response, and the response of others to be fair, has been focused on the lessons to be learned, so we can deliver justice.” His (Mr Farage’s) response has been to appeal for rage, rage.
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That’s his response to a father who has lost his son and asked for that not to happen. “Exploiting this tragedy to create grievance and division would be wrong in any circumstances, but to do it when the family are expressly saying ‘please don’t’ is unforgivable. It shows exactly who he is.”
Digwa, who inflicted the fatal blow using a ceremonial Sikh dagger known as a kirpan, received a life sentence for the killing on Monday.
The murder has ignited widespread protests across Britain, with crowds of demonstrators taking to the streets demanding justice for Nowak.
Hampshire’s Chief Constable Alexis Boon has apologised to Mr Nowak’s family but branded the scenes on the streets of Southampton as “disgraceful”, after eleven police officers were injured and two people were arrested as the protests intensified.
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The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) says it will review the document and is “listening to legitimate concerns” about it — while No 10 says the body is “rightly” seeking to remove “ambiguity”.
The annual gathering, held in and around the town of Appleby from June 4 to 10 this year, is celebrating its 250th year where it attracts thousands of visitors travelling through parts of County Durham, and elsewhere, on their way to the fair.
First held in the 18th century, Appleby Horse Fair has grown from a meeting for sheep and cattle drovers and horse dealers into a major Gypsy and Traveller fair that is unique in Europe.
Today, it draws around 10,000 Gypsies and Travellers and more than 30,000 other visitors, who come to see horses washed in the River Eden.
People in horse drawn carriages during the Appleby Horse Fair, the annual gathering of the travelling community in Appleby, Cumbria. Picture date: Thursday June 4, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire. (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
The fair is famous for its brightly decorated bowtop caravans, traditional wagons and modern vehicles, as well as its rows of stalls selling harnesses, hardware, clothing and china.
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It also gives communities the chance to meet up, celebrate their culture and conduct business, with horse dealing, riding, storytelling, music and dance all forming part of the week-long event.
People in horse drawn carriages during the Appleby Horse Fair, the annual gathering of the travelling community in Appleby, Cumbria. Picture date: Thursday June 4, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire. (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
This year, as travellers make their way through County Durham, the council has set up eight temporary stopover areas (TSOAs) to offer safe places to rest.
People attending the Appleby Horse Fair, the annual gathering of the travelling community in Appleby, Cumbria. Picture date: Thursday June 4, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire. (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
Councillor Dawn Bellingham, the council’s cabinet member for communities and civic resilience, said: “These TSOAs are provided every year, and we would encourage people attending Appleby Horse Fair to use them, as they provide a safe and convenient place to stop.
People in horse drawn carriages pass a police ANPR van during the Appleby Horse Fair, the annual gathering of the travelling community in Appleby, Cumbria. Picture date: Thursday June 4, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire. (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
“We work closely with our partners to ensure that these areas bring benefit to both users and residents living along the routes.”
The band kicked off the reboot of their much-loved tour in Southampton last week, playing everything from Rule the World to Shine and Patience.
And there are now just days to go until they arrive on Wearside.
For those of you travelling to the concert, we have put together a handy guide of all the road closures to be aware of for the event, as well as details on public transport.
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Take That ’The Circus Live’ show at St Mary’s Stadium. (Image: Stuart Martin)
Roads immediately surrounding the stadium will be closed to all traffic on the day, and all the roads closed are expected to remain shut until 5am.
Here is the full list of roads expected to be shut for the gig:
Sheepfolds North
Sheepfolds Road
Easington Street
Easington Street North
Wilson Street North
Brooke Street
Stobart Street
Hay Street
Stadium Way
Vaux Brewery Way
Millennium Way
Keir Hardie Way
Stoney Lane
Cumberland Street
Queens Road
Southwick Road
Rosebery Street
Back North Bridge Street
Bridge Street
If you are travelling to the Stadium of Light from the north or west, from the A19 follow signs for A1231 Sunderland, then yellow signs for ‘Park and Walk’ Sunderland Enterprise Park.
Parking facilities will be restricted until the Sunderland Enterprise Park workforce has left.
Take That ’The Circus Live’ show at St Mary’s Stadium. (Image: Stuart Martin)
If travelling from the south, from the A19 follow signs for A1018 Sunderland, then use city centre car parks. A ‘Park and Ride’ will be available from East Boldon and Heworth.
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For those travelling by Metro, the stadium is served by two Metro stations – Stadium of Light and St Peter’s – and extra services will be running.
Take That ’The Circus Live’ show at St Mary’s Stadium. (Image: Stuart Martin)
There are multiple different coloured gates at the ground for fans with different tickets.
This includes yellow (pitch standing), red (seated), purple (seated), platinum (premium), orange (seated), blue (seated), peach and baby blue (front field pitch standing), and green (standing).
Concert goers with purple, red or yellow entry tickets should travel to Stadium of Light Metro station.
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Concert goers with blue, green, orange, platinum or pink accessible entry tickets are best travelling to St Peter’s Metro station.
After the concert, fans travelling via the Metro should join the queue at St Peter’s or at Stadium of Light station immediately.
Access to Sunderland station and Park Lane will change after 10pm to assist with crowd control. Park Lane Metro station and Sunderland station will be closed from 10pm
There is no parking at the stadium – and those getting taxis are suggested to walk around seven minutes to or from the city centre.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 04: (L-R) Colman Domingo, Emily Blunt, Steven Spielberg, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Wyatt Russell, Kristie Macosko Krieger and David Koepp onstage during the Universal Pictures UK Premiere Of “Disclosure Day” at CineWorld IMAX Leicester Square on June 04, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images for Universal Pictures)
The Conservatives and Labour call calmly for an inquiry, largely because they don’t have an immediate answer to the allegations of two tier policing, while Reform try to summon up “pure cold rage” partly because they are now caught in a battle to ensure they are not out-flanked. They cannot afford to stay silent on an issue for fear of being overtaken by the more extremist elements of Restore and Tommy Robinson who are egged on from afar by Elon Musk. He does not have Britain’s best interests at heart.
Were the manifest police failings due to cock-up or woke conspiracy? Britain is now so divided that it may never reach agreement on what led Henry to be ignored in his moment of supreme need. It was a dreadful police judgement.
While all the noise is about politics, it is often overlooked that Henry was killed by a 21cm knife. His is yet another young life that has been lost to the scourge of knife crime.
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One of the most pertinent debates for all communities of all colours across all the country is what can we do to eradicate this appalling, wasteful crime from our midst.
“When it comes to transport links for small towns, few can boast the train to Hogsmeade station, where the Hogwarts Express ended its journey north from platform nine and three-quarters,” said Alison Hume, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby.
However, Lord Voldemort is not to blame for Whitby having “one of the worst” connected rail lines in the country.
The MP has urged the Government to demonstrate how “Great British Railways can improve transport links to small towns like Whitby, and open up a world of possibilities for its residents” who she said are being failed by an inadequate railway service.
Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday, June 3, she said: “The villain of the piece is not Lord Voldemort, but Dr Beeching, the minister who cut the Whitby to Scarborough line back in 1965, condemning Whitby to reliance on cars and buses.
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“That Whitby lost its train link to its coastal neighbour is bad enough, but to add insult to injury, the current service that connects Whitby to the nearest big town, Middlesbrough, is one of the worst in the country.
“That is not the fault of the not-for-profit Esk Valley Railway Development Company, a dedicated community rail partnership that runs the line with passion and flair.”
The MP highlighted that the service has only six trains a day, with hours-long waits in the mornings and afternoons, which makes it “impossible to plan for a hospital appointment” and forces residents to spend a night in Middlesbrough “because they cannot get to and from the hospital in a day”.
Ms Hume added that many other constituents, including residents who want to work in Middlesbrough where there are “many more employment opportunities than in Whitby”, were frustrated by the situation.
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She added: “The lack of ambition and investment in this essential transport link for Whitby is laid bare when it is compared with another seaside town, in the south.
“Newquay in Cornwall is not unlike Whitby in size, and it is also at the end of a branch line. Office of Rail and Road figures show that in 2023-24 the Newquay line carried 146,000 passengers, which was down 2 per cent, while the Whitby line carried 257,000, which was up 6.3 per cent.
“Until recently, both lines suffered from poor train services, but Newquay now has 15 trains on weekdays, 14 on Saturdays and eight on Sundays, thanks to a £57 million investment.”
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