Nature, luxury, culture and 300 days of sunshine. Take just one of them and you’ve already got the basis for a great holiday. But all at once? That’s something else!

Introducing the Turkish Riviera – a lush, scenic stretch of Türkiye’s southwestern coastline fringed by the dramatic Taurus Mountains.

Spanning 620 miles (1,000 km), it’s a year-round Mediterranean paradise featuring a world-class collection of beachfront resorts, boutique hotels, golf, wellness and all-inclusive experiences. 

Alongside these modern indulgences is a rich local culture shaped by centuries of history, with ancient castles, temples, and ports sitting alongside vibrant coastal cities serving up exquisite local cuisine. 

It sounds idyllic – and it is! Here’s why the Turkish Riviera offers all the ingredients for a dream getaway.

History meets nature  

Visiting historical sites at home is often a rainy-day activity. But in the Turkish Riviera, it’s an open-air experience.

We’re talking sun-drenched ruins scattered among pine forests, Roman temples overlooking turquoise waters and tombs carved into soaring coastal cliffs. 

The area is home to the three ancient regions of Lycia, Pamphylia and Pisidia, which grew wealthy in antiquity and left behind an extraordinary historical legacy.

This includes the ancient cities of Side, Patara, Olympos and Phaselis – considered among the most beautiful in the world (and best admired from the sea via a boat trip from Antalya’s Roman harbour). 

Both are cultural hotspots, with Mersin putting on an annual music festival, while Antalya hosts Türkiye’s most important film festival.

Alongside these historical attractions, the Turkish Riviera is big on outdoor activities of all kinds. Sailing is especially popular, typically aboard a traditional two- or three-masted wooden boat known as a gulet.

The pristine, forest-fringed coves around the cities of Antalya and Mersin are ripe for exploring by boat, as is the picturesque island of Kekova. 

Inland, there are even more outdoor adventures to discover, from caving, camping and biking to trekking along long-distance footpaths like the Lycian Way.

But to make the most of the region’s blend of nature and history, you need to sign up for a diving lesson. Gliding under the crystal-clear waters, you’ll find ruins and wrecks interspersed with vibrant corals and enchanting marine life, from rare Mediterranean monk seals to loggerhead turtles.

Pampering – Turkish style 

After all that exploring, it’s time to enjoy one of Türkiye’s other unforgettable experiences. 

The hammam, a centuries-old purification ritual set in a traditional Turkish steam bath, is the ancestor of the modern spa day.

When you arrive, you’ll be invited to douse yourself in water before lying down on a warm marble bed. 

An expert tellak or natir (male or female attendant) will envelop you in foam before scrubbing away dead skin with a coarse glove. Finally, they’ll treat you to a silky massage to leave you feeling utterly relaxed – and impossibly clean! 

The ritual also has a social element, so be sure to head to the communal refreshment area to enjoy an ice-cold drink or a cup of Turkish coffee.

The pull of the city

Relaxation and wellness are a major part of life in the Turkish Riviera, but there’s a livelier side to it too. Mersin and Antalya, two of its major cities, are major attractions in their own right – and the perfect complement to a nature-themed break. 

Keen shoppers will find plenty to delight them too, from tiny craft stores on side streets to ultra-modern malls. 

Antalya’s pedestrian-friendly, cobbled streets are lined with laid-back cafés and bars. As afternoon eases into evening, set aside some time to relax on a sunny terrace with a cocktail before heading to the harbour to tuck into traditional mezes, such as salted bonito or shrimp in butter and garlic sauce.

This part of the Mediterranean is particularly famous for its citrus fruit, such as oranges and mandarins, which make a refreshing end to an evening meal. And if you’d like the fun to continue, Antalya’s nightlife is second to none, ranging from snug live music venues to high-energy nightclubs.

Where to stay

The Turkish Riviera boasts an astonishing range of holiday experiences, and its accommodation offering is similarly varied. 

From all-inclusive hotels with spacious rooms to private villas featuring breathtaking sea views, there are hundreds of options for both couples and families. 

Think swimming pools, aqua parks and golf courses alongside luxurious spas and lavish buffet restaurants. In other words, everything you need for an incredible holiday!

If you’d prefer something more low-key, you can opt for a boutique hotel nestled in the countryside or tucked away on a side street in a coastal town. 

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While you can visit all year round, May, June and September are considered some of the best times of the year to go, while July and August are peak season. 

Plan your dream trip to the Turkish Riviera at turkishriviera.goturkiye.com

Joe Fishburn from Scarborough, alongside Amanda Wah, a gym owner from Warrington, triumphed in the final of the competition broadcast on April 12 on BBC One.

Joe paid tribute to his grandmother, Christine, who had raised him after his mother died when he was two years old.

He said: “I never had a father figure present, and she’s done everything for me.

“I hope you’re proud.”

Fishburn had a six-second head start on his fellow finalist, East London youth worker Mus Dumbuya, as they entered the Eliminator.

The coach set a new Eliminator record by finishing the course in 0.55 seconds, according to the programme.

Fishburn mentioned he would place the trophy on his “grandmother Christine’s mantelpiece” and described the experience as “definitely the best thing I’ve ever done”.

He said: “We were in an amazing final, and I felt like I already won coming into this process, but obviously it’s always nice to complete the whole thing and take the win.”

He told co-host Barney Walsh: “I have absolutely no words, I just want to say I couldn’t be happier to do this with someone like Mus, it means the world to me and Christine, this amazing woman brought me up from the age of two when, unfortunately, I lost my mum.

“Mus is an amazing opponent, contender, friend, everything he does is so amazing, and it was an honour to be in the final with him.”

In the women’s competition, Aneila Afsar, a supply teacher from Manchester, had the upper hand in the final Eliminator battle, having earned a 1.5-second head start from their previous events, but was ultimately beaten to the finish line by Wah.

Cheering for Wah were her girlfriend, two children, friends, and family, while Fishburn was supported by Roddy Mackay, a contender from 1993, and his family.

Gladiators was revived in 2024 on the BBC, with army officer Finlay Anderson and personal trainer Marie-Louise Nicholson having been crowned champions.

The show originally aired on ITV for eight years until 2000 before being cancelled and briefly returned on Sky from 2008 to 2009.

This story was originally published in the York Press on April 12, 2025.

The lineup included legendary acts like Runrig and Deacon Blue.

Scotland is known for its amazing festivals that have brought iconic musicians to the country from all over the world and delighted tens of thousands of Scottish music lovers over the years. From T in the Park in the 2000s to current-favourite TRNSMT, everyone will have memories of at least one.

One festival that is somewhat forgotten when compared to these behemoths is A Day for Scotland, which took place in Stirling on July 14, 1990. Although you don’t tend to hear much about the event these days, the 30,000-plus people who attended will likely never forget it.

Held at Fallen Inch Field beneath Stirling Castle, the massive outdoor festival offered a unique combination of music, comedy, theatre, and general fun for the entire family. Among the headliners at the event were Runrig, Deacon Blue, Coatbridge pop duo Hue and Cry, and Aberdeen psychedelic rockers The Shamen.

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Other famous faces who appeared at the festival included singer-songwriter Carol Laula, poet and songwriter Hamish Henderson, and folk musician Dick Gaughan. Attendees also enjoyed entertainment from the likes of comedian Elaine C Smith, theatre group 7:84, and the Alien Arts Company.

A Day for Scotland also had a significant political message, providing a link between pop culture and the campaign for a Scottish parliament. The festival, which was organised by the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and Stirling District Council, was an important symbol of the rising enthusiasm for devolution amongst people in Scotland.

As reported by Scene Stirling, Dr Scott Hames of the University of Stirling’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities previously commented: “Cultural activism played a key role in the campaign for devolution, and A Day for Scotland is a fascinating example.

“It gave the STUC and pro-devolution campaigners a chance to connect with a much greater audience outside of party politics and a means to connect with young people and communities through the voices of musicians. It also paved the way for large pop concerts at Stirling Castle from the mid-1990s.”

Meanwhile, the Stirling Centre for Scottish Studies reveals that local councillor John Hendry described A Day for Scotland at the time as “a unique opportunity for people of all ages, interests and backgrounds to join together in celebrating Scotland’s past and present achievements through music, drama, dance, comedy, sport, food and everything that is good about Scottish culture.”

According to the University of Stirling, Dr Peter Lynch of the Scottish Political Archive at Stirling University stated: “Billed as ‘a Festival for Our Future’, A Day for Scotland was a key event not only for Stirling, but in linking popular culture and politics in the campaign for a Scottish parliament.

The Monday letters page remembers the glory days of the Commodore 64, as a reader recommends indie game Beyond Words.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Old is new again
All the recent talk about the ZX Spectrum and other retro formats warms my heart, not least because they’re UK formats and not the NES, which I have ever seen in my life and definitely did not know anyone that had one when I was a kid in the early 90s.

I’m not sure why there’s been this sudden outburst of discussion but I imagine it has a lot to do with how messed up the games industry is at the moment and the five or more year wait we have between big games now. Compare that to the old days when you’d get a sequel every year, that was made by just one or two people.

The games felt raw and exciting, not the manufactured rubbish you get nowadays. Indie gaming is a lot closer to what gaming was in the old days but my problem with them is that so much of it is pandering to nostalgia and they’re always held back, either on purpose or by budget, whereas back in the day the game games were always pushing the envelope in terms of technology.

Now, I’m not so much of a hypocrite to say I’m not going to buy GTA 6 or any other big name games I like but more and more I find myself more interested in retro gaming and less in the modern stuff. Especially as there’s so much I didn’t play at the time, so there’s always something new to discover.
Jacob

The best bit
I haven’t seen the film yet (I know I’m going to enjoy it from what I’ve read) but all the talk got me in the mood for Star Fox so I thought I’d play a bit of Star Fox Zero and this game is terrible! When it’s just the Lylat Wars on-the-rails shooter it’s fine and it still looks great. But it keeps forcing you to use the GamePad for aiming and turn into that awful chicken thing.

It’s a great tribute to the N64 game at times but it’s just held back by these baffling gameplay decisions. If they do release a new game then hopefully they don’t try any gimmicks and just keep it as an on-the-rails shooter.
Simon

GC: It’s not terrible, but we don’t think anyone would argue the on-rails sections aren’t the best part. The problem for Nintendo is whether anyone still wants to play a game that is only that.

Licensed property
Talking about the C64 in the Inbox, I have just been watching the Commodore 64: Classic Game Insights Vol 1 Blu-ray and there is an interesting fact about Ron Gilbert (who made Maniac Mansion and The Secret Of Monkey Island games) when he started working at Lucasfilm he and his co-developers could not make any Star Wars games because George Lucas had sold the rights out to third party companies like Atari and others!

So, it’s a bit like somebody going to work for Nintendo and Nintendo telling their developers they couldn’t make Mario and Zelda games because they had sold the rights out to other companies! So what Ron Gilbert and his co-developers did was make up new games like Maniac Mansion and Secret Of Monkey Island, etc., in response to that.

The company that made this documentary is doing a full documentary for the C64 computer and it’s games and are looking for 2,000 followers on Kickstarter before they can launch the Kickstarter for the documentary. They currently have about 1,300 followers, one of which is me!

The people making the documentary also made The PlayStation Revolution documentary and the recent Rubber-Keyed Wonder documentary about the Spectrum, which were both very good in my opinion.
Andrew J.

GC: That sort of thing happens all that time. It’s why Sony still has the licence to make Spider-Man movies.

40 years, man and boy
I’m loving all this chat about the ZX Spectrum.

I never had one myself, but I did have friends when I was a young kid, that either had a ZX or a Commodore 64, so I would enjoy gaming via osmosis through them.

It’s weird because when I look back, I didn’t realise how much of a gamer I was, it was just a new and exciting entertainment form which I was happy to get involved in.

For me personally, it stated with those LCD gaming devices you could pick up at your local paper shop behind the glass cabinet for £2.99.

My friend used to borrow me his Game & Watch Mario and Donkey Kong and I didn’t care what my mom did for tea, as far as I was concerned I was living the life, it really fascinated me.

There was normally a high score of 9999 back then and I might be wrong but I’m pretty sure that’s where the term ‘clocked’ came from, when the game you were playing had no other numbers to give so just reset to 0, hence the term clocked.

I remember the Tomytronic games and the Tomy Racing Turbo, that was a particular favourite of mine.

Anyway what I’m getting at, is it took me years to realise I was a gamer.

I work with a gentleman who takes the mickey out of his son in law and his PlayStation 5 yet he spends most of his time playing online snooker against other people!

I think we all have it in us to enjoy gaming in the same sense you really have to be a movie buff to enjoy a movie or watch a lot of television to enjoy a programme.

It’s a great hobby and I feel very fortunate to have watched it grow up from its infancy.
freeway 77

GC: We believe that ‘clocked’ started with pinball games, but that is the gist of it.

Beyond Balatro
I wanted to write in to alert possibly yourselves, but mainly your readers, to a new game released on PC and Switch 2 (not sure about other formats).

It’s called Beyond Words and it is similar to Balatro but it plays along the lines of Scrabble rather than poker.

It for me, it isn’t necessarily as polished as Balatro but having put a few solid hours into it already… it is going to be right up there for replayabilty. It’s only just over £10 at the minute, so for all those that loved Balatro give this one a try.
Complex

GC: It seems to be on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S as well, to judge by the trailer.

What are ya selling?
I’ve finally gotten around to playing the Resident Evil 4 remake on PlayStation 5. I have to admit the game looks better but more importantly the controls are much improved. Sticky situations with the hostile locals are less sticky now that Leon can move while aiming.

One change for the worse I’ve noticed, however, is the merchant. Have the developers recast him? Leon sounds the same to me, but the merchant definitely isn’t as good. Why change the merchant? Wasn’t he a very popular character when the original version of the game came out?

If I recall correctly the original Resident Evil 4 merchant had a sort of a pirate voice. The new merchant just sounds like a bland cockney. What a bad decision if the developers recast this character. Why not simply reuse the voicework from the original game?

Anyway, I’m enjoying the remake apart from that, but I do fear what else has changed for the worse. Are the regeneradores/regenerators still scary? Is Ashley less annoying?
Michael Veal (Twitter/X)

GC: Everyone was recast; Metal Gear Solid Delta is the only big budget remake we can think of that has ever reused the same voice files from 20 years back. But the merchant was always meant to be cockney.

The unfunniest day of the year
Read some stuff online that the Nemesis system patent had been revoked, you seen anything credible about that?
Magnumstache

GC: We’re afraid that was an April’s Fool ‘joke’. Although if any company wanted to do something similar a patent wouldn’t stop them. Lots of video game ideas are patented – Sega owns the patent to changing camera angles by pressing a button, for example – but they’re always too general to stop anything but a straight clone.

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Stardew nightmare
Great to hear that Graveyard Keeper 2 will be an eventuality, as I thought the first one was a great attempt at a variation on the Stardew Valley experience. It was definitely an interesting theme on the management genre, taking care of the corpses in a correct manner to get cemetery ratings.

It was following the crafting, technology, and economy as what is required in these games, but with the added disposing and preparation of the corpses dropped off by the donkey delivery service. Conducting autopsies for crafting was a great idea, along with the skull ratings you get for doing a good job with the body.

Then putting them in the cemetery making them look as good as possible, with decorative items. It was a great way to do your grave keeping whilst farming parts for the technology and crafting side of the gameplay and then choosing the paths you want to use these items and resources in the technology tree.

Now what’s interesting for the sequel is how it is to expand the creative part of the game and it’s not just fixing up a graveyard and church but an entire community in a zombie infested town with a zombie apocalypse on the horizon.

The town management is definitely a step up, with whole new areas of research to explore and take control of. Can’t wait for another indie classic.
Alucard

Inbox also-rans
I totally understand where the reader at the weekend is coming with when it comes to the GameCube. It was the first console I bought as a wage owner and despite its problems I have very fond memories of it and its games.
Wendel

With so many Resident Evil remake on the way I wish they’d remake the remake of Resident Evil 3, as that was awful was barely anything like the original. Resident Evil 1 is going to be remade twice, so why not that?
Carlet

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The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: Will GTA 6 be better than GTA 5?

MORE: Games Inbox: What is your favourite retro video game format?

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LIMA, Peru (AP) — A former minister, a comedian and a political dynasty heiress are among the 35 candidates hoping to become Peru’s ninth president in just 10 years.

Sunday’s election is taking place during a surge in violent crime and corruption, fueling widespread discontent among voters, who largely view candidates as dishonest and unprepared for the presidency. Many of the candidates have responded to the crime concerns with wide-ranging proposals, including building megaprisons, restricting food for prisoners and reinstating the death penalty for serious crimes.

“You can’t trust anyone anymore, nothing’s going to change,” construction worker Juan Gómez, 53, said as he carried two heavy bags with potatoes and rice to feed his five children. “(Criminals) come on motorcycles, put a gun to your head… you look around and there’s no police officer.

“What are you going to do? You just let them rob you.”

Here’s what to know about the latest presidential contest.

Who is voting?

Voting is mandatory for Peruvians from the ages of 18 to 70. More than 27 million people are registered, and of those, about 1.2 million are expected to cast ballots from abroad, mainly in the United States and Argentina.

A candidate needs more than 50% of votes to win outright. However, a runoff in June is virtually assured given the deeply divided electorate and the pool of candidates, the largest in the Andean country’s history.

What are the issues?

A major preoccupation is surging crime, which has led to frequent protests. Homicides have doubled and cases of extortion have increased fivefold this decade, according to official data.

“You get on the bus, and you have to sit far from the driver; you don’t know if you’ll make it home alive,” retiree Raúl Zevallos, 63, said. “Criminals drive by on motorcycles, shoot, kill the driver, and you could die, too.”

More than 200 public transportation drivers were killed in Peru in 2025. The same year, a national survey carried out by the state’s National Institute of Statistics and Informatics found that 84% of respondents in urban areas feared becoming victims of a crime in the following 12 months.

Who are the candidates?

Thirty-five names are on the ballot, including Keiko Fujimori, a conservative former congresswoman and daughter of the late President Alberto Fujimori. This marks her fourth attempt to become president.

Keiko Fujimori has promised to crack down on crime with an iron fist, but she has also defended laws that experts say make it difficult to prosecute criminals. The laws, which her party backed in recent years, eliminated preliminary detention in certain cases and raised the threshold for seizing criminal assets.

If elected, she has said judges presiding over criminal cases will be anonymous and prisoners will have to work to earn their food.

Also running is Rafael López Aliaga, the conservative former mayor of Peru’s capital, Lima. He has proposed building prisons in the country’s Amazon region, allowing judges to conceal their identities and expelling foreigners who are living illegally in Peru.

Meanwhile, comedian-turned-politician Carlos Álvarez has tried to garner support by promising to convene the leaders of El Salvador, Denmark and Singapore to tap their expertise in security.

New Senate

Peruvians are also choosing a bicameral Congress for the first time in more than 30 years, following recent reforms of the legislature that will concentrate a great deal of power in the new upper chamber. The president won’t be able to dissolve the new Senate, though the chamber will be able to remove a president from power.

Under the new bicameral structure, impeaching the president will be easier, with the Senate only needing 40 of the 60 senators to approve it. Previously, 87 of 130 lawmakers in the unicameral chamber had to vote in favor of removal, and they frequently exercised that power, contributing to the country’s revolving door of presidents in the last decade.

The bicameral system is returning even though 80% of voters rejected it in a 2018 referendum. Lawmakers amended the Constitution in 2024 to make it possible.

Alejandro Boyco, a researcher at the Institute of Peruvian Studies, said the Senate will appoint and sanction high-ranking officials, including the country’s ombudsman, constitutional court members and some central bank directors. Senators will also review and amend bills from the lower chamber.

“They’ve concentrated too much power in a 60-people chamber,” Boyco said. “They are not going to be immune to being corrupt.”

___

Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Michael Carrick has made a huge impact at Old Trafford since his appointment as Man Utd interim head coach.

Michael Carrick said it was important for Manchester United’s players to be pulling in the same direction when asked about the squad’s support for him to land the job on a permanent basis.

Carrick has won seven Premier League games, drawing twice and losing once, since his appointment as interim head coach in January. The Reds are third in the table, meaning they are well-placed to secure Champions League football.

United travelled to the Republic of Ireland for a four-day training camp last week. Amad and Bryan Mbeumo spoke at a press conference at Carton House, and they backed Carrick to stay beyond this season.

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Amad said of Carrick: “He’s been very great, he’s been doing so much for the team, he has a lot of experience, and he knows the club, so we think he’s the right man, but we are really happy for what he’s doing right now.”

Mbeumo added: “We’ve got good experience with him, I like playing under him as well.”

When asked about whether the backing from the players mattered to him, Carrick responded: “I think the most important thing for me about all that is that we’re all pulling in the same direction.

“Whatever’s said is going to be said, but I think the feeling, the willingness to do things together and to be positive, to be in a good place where we’re positive and hopefully winning games, for me, that’s the biggest thing really. After that, things will get solved in one way or another.

“I think it’s nice for the boys to feel so positive and be in a good frame of mind that they’re enjoying the football. Obviously, we want that to continue as much as possible.”

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Carrick was optimistic heading into the interim role that he could make the strong impact he’s had so far. “Certainly coming in with particularly the first two games, in the situation, I was pretty optimistic and pretty positive and always thinking what we can do,” he said.

“We obviously know in the back of your mind what it can look like and what direction it can go in, but it was literally just being positive and attacking the next game, going and winning it and then seeing where we could go.

“We’re still at the same stage. Just because we’ve maybe got a bit of a points difference to certain teams below us, there’s a points difference to certain teams ahead of us as well, so it depends how you look at it.

“But we’re certainly not looking at it backwards to say how it’s been or how great it’s been or whatever like that. It’s all about what’s next really and finishing season strong.

“As much as we’re looking at trying to qualify for the Champions League and what’s behind us, we’re definitely still looking at how many points we can achieve moving forward as well for the teams ahead of us.”

United have seven games remaining to secure their spot in the Champions League. “Strong word that,” said Carrick when asked whether it would be a failure not to qualify for the competition.

“We take where we are. We know as a club we want to be challenging right at the top. There’s no getting away from that. But I think there’s steps in being realistic as well and talking about where we came in and where we are now and just keep building on that.

“I think the boys are in a good place, the squad is in a good place and we keep pushing forward. The club seems to be in a really good place in terms of the supporters, really positive and enjoying it, which is important, and we just try and keep pushing and keep progressing as we go.”

When pressed on whether he would accept finishing sixth, Carrick said: “I didn’t say that. No, I wouldn’t accept it. But it’s not so much accepting it, it’s about trying to finish as high as you possibly can. We’ll see how we get on.”

To win last year, McIlroy needed to beat Justin Rose – who finished tied third on Sunday having led by two at the turn – in a sudden death play-off after bogeying the 72nd hole.

And he did not make it much easier for himself this time around. Having scorched the field to take a record six-shot lead after 36 holes, he stuttered to a one-over 73 on Saturday.

Tied with Young going into Sunday, Northern Ireland’s McIlroy heaped pressure on himself with a sloppy double-bogey five on the fourth after three-putting from eight feet.

He dropped another shot at the par-three sixth, but after mixing four birdies with seven pars to build a two-shot lead over world number one Scheffler heading to the last, he said his “greatest stress” on Sunday was not knowing where his ball ended up on the 18th after flailing his drive right and in among the trees.

“It could go anywhere. It could be anywhere,” added the world number two, who also drew level with Americans Phil Mickelson and Lee Trevino on six majors.

“There were a few others. I thought my second putt on 11 was huge to avoid making bogey there.”

Despite falling behind Young and Rose, and with Scheffler creeping up the leaderboard, McIlroy insisted he never felt as though his chance had slipped away.

“If I hadn’t birdied the seventh and eighth holes, I would have started to push a little bit,” added the 36-year-old, who became just the sixth wire-to-wire Masters winner.

“But I think the birdies on seven and eight, Justin bogeying 11 and 12, and then me birdieing 12, I never felt like I was out of it. I never felt like I had to press at all.”

Rory McIlroy is already targeting more majors after becoming only the fourth man to win back-to-back Masters titles.

The Northern Irishman’s one-shot victory over world number one Scottie Scheffler took his career tally to six.

But having waited a decade between his fourth and fifth, which secured the career grand slam a year ago, the desire for more still drives the 36-year-old.

“It took me 10 years to win my fifth major, and then my sixth one’s come pretty soon after it,” he said.

“I’m not putting a number on it but I certainly don’t want to stop here.”

While this victory was not as emotional as a year ago, when he broke down in tears on the final green, it was no less special for McIlroy as he had his parents Rosie and Gerry here after they missed out 12 months ago.

For that reason, it had even more personal resonance.

“I caught myself on the golf course a couple of times thinking about them and I was like ‘No, not yet, not yet’,” he said.

“It’s really cool to have them here. They missed it last year and the first thing I wanted to do was fly home to see them because I obviously wouldn’t be sitting up here if it wasn’t for them.

“I had to sort of convince them to come this year because they thought the reason I won last year was because they weren’t here.

“When the ball trickled by and I marked it there from two inches or whatever (at the last) I just looked at the back of the green because I saw my mum and dad and Erica (his wife) and Poppy (his daughter) and I was just like ‘I can’t believe I’ve just done it again’.

“Not as emotional, but just, wow, it’s amazing. I can’t believe I did it again.”

“I said on the putting green that I’m glad we proved that wrong, so they can keep coming as long as they want. It’s amazing to have them here. I’m excited to celebrate with them tonight.”

McIlroy looked a certainty to win with a six-shot lead on Friday night but starting the day level with Cameron Young on 11 under having squandered that advantage there were more than a few moments when a victory looked in doubt.

There was a stage when he was two behind but he finally kicked into gear with back-to-back birdies at the seventh and eighth and when then-leader Justin Rose, who lost to him in a play-off a year ago, played Amen Corner in two over par, McIlroy seized the initiative with birdies as the 12th and 13th to move into the outright lead again.

Even with a two-stroke advantage he served up some drama on the 18th tee by carving his drive into the Georgia pines, where had already spent a lot of time this week.

“I’d say walking off the 18th tee not knowing where my ball was the moment of greatest stress (as) it could be anywhere,” he added.

“I don’t make it easy. I used to make it easy back in my early 20s when I was winning these things by eight shots.

“It’s hard to win golf tournaments, especially around here.

“You’ve had maybe a couple of runaway winners over the years but it always seems to be a very tight finish at this golf course.

“I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win the Masters and the grand slam, and then this year I realised it’s just really difficult to win the Masters.

“Just absolutely delighted to be able to get it done. Having a six-shot lead going into the weekend it would have been a bitter pill to swallow if I wasn’t able to get myself over the finish line.”