CHELSEA legend Gus Poyet has recalled the sneaky Christmas party tractic he used to avoid drinking too much booze.

The former Blues star jokingly explained how he cleverly avoided “being placed in a coma for seven days” during Chelsea nights out.

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Poyet reckons he mastered the practice of safe drinking during his five years in West London between 1997 and 2001.

In fact, the Uruguayan finally held his hands up to admit that he would turn up hours late to avoid a deadly hangover.

Poyet told The Times:“For Christmas nights out in London the players would get together at two o’clock, so I would get there at seven.

“If I start at two — I’m not going to name names but the way some could drink was unbelievable.

“And the next day, they train — no problem. Me, I would be in a coma for seven days.”

When asked about his social life at Chelsea, he said: “Top. But the drinking culture — I was shocked. I remember being injured, my first night out.

“They gave me a beer and I’m holding it, I don’t know if I’m going to drink. And then they bring me another one and put it in my other hand.

“I adapted. I knew you have to give something of yourself and even if I wasn’t a big drinker I needed to be present. Part of the team.

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“So I never missed a night out, but did it my way.”

When asked about the football, Poyet said: “It was physical. I liked it. Away from home, north, it was always tough. Leeds!

“A typical question they ask me everywhere in the world is: ‘who was the toughest player you play against?’

“Well, every time you were facing Roy Keane you needed to be prepared. Because you knew he was coming.”

Poyet scored 49 goals in 145 Chelsea midfield appearances after joining as a free agent.

He joined Tottenham in May 2021 for around £2.2m and scored 14 goals in his debut season, helping Spurs reach the League Cup final where they lost 2-1 to Blackburn.

His time at Spurs was blighted by injuries after he sustained cruciate ligament damage for the second time in his career in August 2002.

After hanging up his boots in 2004, Poyet began his coaching career as assistant coach of Swindon Town.

He later managed Brighton, Sunderland, AEK Athens and the Greece national team until his contract ended in March this year.

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Players from across the football landscape – in England and overseas – were quickly corralled.

Among them: England Under-20 international Charlie Webster, signed for an undisclosed fee from Chelsea after spending last season on-loan in the Netherlands with Heerenveen, Costa Rica international Alejandro Bran, a loan signing from Major League Soccer side Minnesota United, and Terence Vancooten, a Guyana international whose move from Stevenage is understood to have made him one of Burton’s most expensive ever signings.

Burton’s spending has had rivals talking of their new financial flex,, external but Hareide says “speculation that new owners are throwing money at it” was to be expected – despite not wanting to divulge what the rebuild has cost.

“We are not splashing cash at all,” he added.

“I feel we have been smart. I don’t want to disclose any fees, but I can confirm that Terence was a signature signing for us because he is an establish League One player, who performed well last season and he has proven attributes that fit our model and style of player – a backbone we want to have at the club.”

For Hareide it’s a “brick-by-brick” project, about getting everyone “aboard the same boat and rowing in the same direction”.

And when jokingly asked about its similarities to flatpack furniture, he laughed as he said: “I’m Norwegian, we are envious of what the Swedes have done with Ikea”.

And in Tom Davidson, NFG have a Swedish founder who has gone on to become deputy chairman at Burton.

The consortium around him has been “handpicked”, Davidson explains, with Burton Albion the focus of what he calls “dynamic Nordic cooperation” whose aim is to try establish a “sustainable and stable” League One club whose way of working can help shape the game in the countries that each stakeholder represents.

“Can we make a difference from the Nordic scene in the number one football county in the world? The responsibilities, the challenges and the opportunities are massive with going into an English football club,” Davidson said.

“Club football today is so big, so there is space not only for the giants, but for other clubs with other values – smaller vibrant clubs with a big heart and who maybe have a smile on their face.”

At a club with an image shaped by the town it represents, whose stadium holds just under 7,000 spectators and shares a training ground with England’s national teams, Davidson is adamant they can carve out a place as “one of the coolest most progressive clubs”.

“This was the brewing capital of England, we are called the Brewers, we have a fat guy kicking a ball on the shield – we can do so much cool fans stuff at the stadium with this,” he added.

“Burton is a fantastic underdog club, from this little town that has had a miracle journey. We can maybe have a unique and positive space in football.”

CHRIS EUBANK JR trained in a traditional Saudi robe as he continued his preparations for his blockbuster Riyadh bout.

The Brit, 35, is set to fight Pole Kamil Szeremata this Saturday.

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Stepping out for a sparring session, Eubank Jr wore a traditional Saudi robe with accompanying headwear.

He looked in the zone as he made his way ringside, where he had his gloves put on.

In footage taken by SunSport, Eubank Jr could be seen shadow boxing in the ring while still wearing the thobe.

Although by this point he had removed the headwear.

In the build-up to Saturday’s bout, Eubank Jr opened up to SunSport about his greater perspective heading into the fight.

Three years ago, his younger brother Sebastian died of a heart attack aged just 29 in Dubai.

Chris has since cared for Sebastian’s son Raheem, who was just a month old when his dad passed away.

Now, Eubank Jr is determined to give Raheem the best life possible.

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He said: “I remember going to my brother’s grave for the first time and that’s where I first met Raheem and I held him in front of the grave and it calmed me down.

“His energy and him being very quiet while on my chest gave me peace.

“I felt then that everything would be OK.

“I felt that we might have a second chance here.

“I love that little boy. I use Raheem as a tool to strengthen my will and my soul and my spirit.

“Raheem is going to live a long and fulfilled life and I only have a few years of boxing left.

“So I need to do everything I can over the next three or four years to make sure he has the best life he can possibly have growing up.”

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IT says much about the Cole Palmer phenomenon that he has been named as England’s Player of the Year without having ever started in a competitive international.

In Thursday’s Nations League clash with Greece, Lee Carsley will finally give the Chelsea talisman his chance to shine in a meaningful match for his country after a sensational start to the new season.

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Palmer’s first-half quadruple against Brighton earlier this month has raised his figures to an extraordinary 28 goals and 16 assists in 41 Premier League games for Chelsea.

Underused by both Pep Guardiola and Gareth Southgate, Palmer now has two true believers to manage him at club and international level.

Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca and Carsley — under whom Palmer won the European Under-21 Championship last year — both seem ready to build their teams around the sublime gifts of the 22-year-old Mancunian.

On and off the field, Palmer appears supremely unruffled.

As Carsley says: “Whatever you throw at Cole, he deals with it.”

That includes the England Player of the Year award after just nine caps, seven as a substitute.

Though he did deliver a goal in the Euros final defeat by Spain and assist for Ollie Watkins’ dramatic late winner in the semi-final win over Holland.

If that gong, voted for by fans, feels like a cuff around the ear for Southgate, then it is also a rare slight on Guardiola, who allowed Palmer to join Chelsea last year because he could not guarantee him regular starts at Manchester City.

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Interim boss Carsley is careful not to openly criticise Southgate but, asked about the player’s lack of starting chances, he replied: “I can’t really talk, from a seniors point of view, about what’s gone on with Cole.

“But I’ve seen the impact he has had when he’s been given the opportunity.

“He had a similar role for us in the Under-21 Euros where he built into the tournament and then started in the final.

“Cole is in a brilliant position. He has really found his feet at Chelsea, he is highly-rated, he’s getting minutes, he’s showing that he can handle the intensity of playing game after game.

“So that’s been a real plus for him and we’re getting the benefit of that.

“Because when you talk about players who are in form, the fact that he’s getting so much exposure and his numbers in terms of goals and assists is brilliant for us.

“Ultimately, he’s still a young player, he’s still got a lot of improving to do.

“Even though he’s at an incredible limit at the moment, I still think he can get better.”

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Carsley spoke last week about the difficulties of trying to fit Palmer, Real Madrid Galactico Jude Bellingham and Footballer of the Year Phil Foden into the same eleven, as all of them covet the No 10 role.

That trio all missed last month’s Nations League 2-0 wins over Ireland and Finland.

And Carsley now faces a fascinating selection dilemma against the Greeks, who top the group ahead of England on goal difference.

While Foden has often started wide for club and country, Carsley — who worked with the player as a City youth coach — is adamant that his best position is in a more central role.

Carsley said: “It’s been a few years but I spent a lot of time with him at Manchester City with the Under-18s and also England Under-21s.

“Phil’s an unbelievable player, we’re very lucky to have someone with his talent and mentality.

“And we now need to make sure we put him in positions where he can really affect the opposition.

“Playing him in the wider positions, he can do it, but we’d have to change the way we play to get the best out of him.

“In central areas, Phil’s at his most effective.”

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Whether Foden, Palmer and Bellingham can start together, we are unlikely to find out either at Wembley or against Finland in Helsinki on Sunday, given that all three are having their workloads managed after injuries.

But asked about this selection conundrum, Carsley said: “I’ve definitely got a plan in place.

“The beauty of this job is you get a lot of time to think.

“In between driving from game to game, you are constantly thinking about combinations and relationships.

“Those three are brilliant players but we have a squad of really exciting, talented players.

“So you have to have that feeling you’ve earned your place — rather than try and shoe-horn players into positions.

“You get diluted as a head coach if you’re picking players who are out of form, based on what they’ve done in the past.”

That sounded like a veiled criticism of Southgate at the Euros — and it’s an opinion shared by the voting public.

Just imagine how good England’s Player of the Year might be once he’s actually starting matches.

England ratings vs Finland: Kane bags double on his big day… but he’s not the Three Lions’ star man

TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD showed his brilliance as Harry Kane’s brace saw England beat Finland.

Interim boss Lee Carsley maintained his 100 per cent win record in charge of England.

SunSports Tom Barclay has given their ratings of the England players…

Jordan Pickford – 6

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Had nothing to do.

Trent Alexander-Arnold – STAR MAN 9

England’s best player as he supplied some beautiful balls from deep that on another day would have led to a glut of assists.

He did get one in the end, although that was more thanks to Harry Kane’s lethal finishing.

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Ezri Konsa – 6

Showed his ability on the ball with a super ball through for Bukayo Saka on the half hour.

Twisted his ankle early in the second half, surprisingly played on before being replaced on the hour.

John Stones – 6

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Played at left-sided centre-back before shifting when Levi Colwill came on.

Solid though not much to deal with. Now 19 short of 100 caps.

Rico Lewis – 7

In the right place to snuff out early danger from ex-Norwich man Teemu Pukki.

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Came close to a goal on his second England cap when prodding wide after the break.

Declan Rice – 5

Lost possession to give Finland their one and only big chance which Topi Kesinen should have squared to Pukki, but instead fired wildly over.

Angel Gomes – 7

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Wanted the ball from the off, just like Lee Carsley thought he would. Deliciously drilled cross-field ball to Alexander-Arnold early doors showed his range.

Bukayo Saka – 7

Almost scored and almost assisted in a lively display.

Unlucky that Kane was millimetres offside after the centurion had headed home the Arsenal man’s wicked delivery.

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Jack Grealish – 7

Enjoyed being in the heart of the action at No10 again, as he did on Saturday against the Republic of Ireland.

Carsley clearly likes him – it will be fascinating to see what happens when Mssrs Bellingham, Foden and Palmer all return.

Anthony Gordon – 7

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Caused problems down the left with his rapid pace – how we needed some of that in the Euros.

But did not have on his shooting boots as he fluffed a decent chance early in the second half.

Harry Kane – 8

Two blistering finishes took the centurion to an astonishing 68 goals in 100 caps.

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Was denied the chance of a hat-trick in front of his family when subbed off to a standing ovation for the final ten.

Kane said he fancies his chances of reaching a ton of international goals – and it does not seem fanciful.

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Levi Colwill (on for Konsa, 61) – 6

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Next to no threat from Finland by the time he came on.

Eberechi Eze (on for Gordon, 66) – 6

Raced on to yet another special Trent pass but could not loop it over the keeper.

Noni Madueke (on for Saka, 66) – 7

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Looked to make an impact every time he got the ball on debut. Excellent one-two with Trent saw the Chelsea man tee up Kane’s second.

Marc Guehi (on for Stones, 80) – 6

As with Colwill, little to do.

Jarrod Bowen (on for Kane, 81) – 6

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Played up top after Kane went off for the final minutes, as he has done for West Ham.