Sports
Kyle Walker leaves Man City: The 1990s throwback who became best right-back of a generation
Those who know him say he is not a captain in the Vincent Kompany mould, someone who would roll up their sleeves and head to the trenches.
Walker, 34, is a people person, a joker, a wind-up merchant. Not too intense, a 1990s-style player still cutting it in the 2020s. He looks out for his team-mates and makes the dressing room atmosphere a positive one. When youngsters perform their media duties, he wants to know how they have done.
In delivering his pre-final message in Turkey, Walker was effectively saying ‘winning this competition has been my dream, I have looked after you guys, now you owe me a favour in return’.
It is the reality for most right-backs that their abilities tend to get overlooked.
Gary Neville was an outstanding player in his own right. But what carried him to eight league titles and 85 England caps was the unselfish way he overlapped first David Beckham, then Cristiano Ronaldo, over and over, without getting the ball.
Walker is not Trent Alexander-Arnold. He cannot spray pinpoint passes around the pitch. Ultimately, he is not the player Guardiola felt could be the inverted full-back the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach wanted.
What Walker had was blinding pace and an insatiable competitive streak.
These attributes were presumably overlooked when a Tottenham official, reflecting on the player’s £50m move north in 2017, said his club felt they had struck a good deal because Walker was not an ‘absolute top player’ and they still had Kieran Trippier.
Six league titles and 93 England caps suggests Tottenham got their assessment wrong.
As well as the Europa League, Tottenham are also in the FA Cup and have a 1-0 first-leg advantage over Liverpool in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
The win at Hoffenheim means victory for Tottenham at home to Elfsborg next week will likely see them into the knockout stage.
That game comes before a huge couple of days for Spurs as they travel to Liverpool in the EFL Cup on 6 February before going to Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round three days later.
Around those they have important league fixtures against Leicester, Brentford and Manchester United as they look to avoid dropping lower than their current 15th place in the Premier League.
“It is a huge couple of weeks for the club,” Hargreaves added.
“It defines their season, with the FA Cup and the second leg of the League Cup.”
Former Tottenham striker Peter Crouch said: “They are one game away from a final.
“They are in the ascendency there. If they get to a final that is a good season.”
Tottenham are now among the favourites to win the Europa League.
With finishing in the top four unlikely, success in Europe’s second-tier competition is their best way of securing Champions League football next season.
“The Europa League they have to prioritise now,” added Crouch.
“I look at the teams and they are capable of beating any of them.”
Sports
Man Utd player ratings vs Rangers as Ruben Amorim finds new partnership in dramatic Europa League win
Manchester United are close to sealing a top-eight finish in the Europa League table after leaving it late with a 2-1 win over Rangers on Thursday.
There was nothing to separate the two sides after 45 minutes with neither goalkeeper truly tested.
United were pushing for the opening goal to start the second half with both Christian Eriksen and Amad Diallo combining to trouble Rangers’ defence.
But the deadlock was broken in surprising circumstances when Jack Butland inadvertently punched a corner kick from Eriksen into his own net.
That goal gave United the cushion they needed to take full control of the match as Rangers chased their opponents around the pitch.
Manchester United won a dramatic match
REUTERS
However, Rangers found an equaliser in the final minutes when Cyriel Dessers pounced on an error from Harry Maguire to fire past Altay Bayindir.
But United captain Fernandes came up trumps for his side minutes later when a brilliant finish to seal all three points.
Man Utd player ratings
Altay Bayindir – 7
Another assured display from the young shot-stopper. More questions will be asked on whether he takes Andre Onana’s spot permanently.
Leny Yoro – 6
Gave away a needless foul that denied Matthijs de Ligt from scoring the game’s opening goal early on. Picked up another knock that forced him to come off.
Matthijs de Ligt – 7
A strong display from the Dutchman at the heart of the defence. Comfortably kept Rangers’ forwards at bay.
Lisandro Martinez – 7
Playing on the left allows Martinez a bit more licence to push forward and he provided the cross for Fernandes’ winner.
Diogo Dalot – 6
Looked dangerous for United going forward, but still needs to improve defensively against tougher opposition.
Amad Diallo – 8
Quickly establishing himself as United’s brightest star. Incredible he was overlooked for so long by Erik ten Hag.
Toby Collyer – 7
An impressive European debut for the 21-year-old. Didn’t look fazed at all by the occasion.
Bruno Fernandes – 8
Came up trumps for his side when they needed it most with a winning goal in stoppage time.
Harry Maguire nearly cost Manchester United the win
REUTERS
Christian Eriksen – 8
Was United’s most creative player besides Diallo. His set pieces were the difference for United on the night.
Alejandro Garnacho – 7
Was lively out wide without creating a lot in the final third. United fans made it clear they don’t want the club to sell him.
Joshua Zirkzee – 5
Cut a lonely figure at times through a lack of service but also failed to get himself in the game at times.
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Manchester United are in a strong position to finish inside the top eight
REUTERS
Subs:
Harry Maguire – 4
A huge error nearly cost United dearly in the dying minutes. Fernandes came to his rescue.
Tyrell Malacia – 5
Looked a bit shaky down the left when he came on and Rangers’ best chances came down that side.
Manuel Ugarte – 6
Had a quiet 15 minutes after his introduction.
Kobbie Mainoo – 6
Similar to Manuel Ugarte, didn’t have a lot to do when he came on.
Rasmus Hojlund – N/A
Chelsea considering move for Alejandro Garnacho, Manchester City chasing Andrea Cambiaso, and Borussia Dortmund weighing up two Premier League left-backs.
Chelsea are considering a move for Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 20, after Napoli ended their pursuit of the Manchester United player. (Sky Sports), external
Manchester City are interested in Italy full-back Andrea Cambiaso, 24, but Juventus will demand a fee in the region of 65m euros (£54.8m). (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external
Borussia Dortmund have stepped back from the race to sign England forward Marcus Rashford, 27, with the Manchester United player’s £350,000-per-week wages proving a stumbling block. (Mail), external
Arsenal and Ukraine left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, 28, is expected to leave before the end of the window, with Borussia Dortmund eyeing a deal. (Telegraph), external
Dortmund also have an eye on Chelsea and England left-back Ben Chilwell, 28, as an alternative option. (Sun), external
Chelsea have verbally agreed a deal to loan Portugal midfielder Renato Veiga, 21, to Juventus for the rest of the season. (Athletic), external
Arsenal and Scotland left-back Kieran Tierney, 27, is on the verge of agreeing a pre-contract to return to Celtic on a free transfer at the end of the season. (Telegraph), external
West Ham want RB Leipzig’s Andre Silva, 29, on loan for the rest of the season but will turn to Ajax’s Netherlands striker Brian Brobbey, 22, if they fail to secure a deal for the Portugal forward. (Florian Plettenberg), external
Ryan Reynolds has revealed how he sent teasing WhatsApp messages to Tom Brady and David Beckham during Birmingham City’s victory over Wrexham last September.
The Wrexham co-owner shared details of the playful exchange ahead of tonight’s League One clash between the two sides at the Racecourse Ground.
While Brady and Beckham were present at St Andrew’s for Birmingham’s 3-1 win, Reynolds watched from afar, engaging in what he now admits was overzealous banter with the sporting legends.
Speaking on the Men in Blazers podcast, Reynolds confessed to sending messages mocking both sports stars’ physical attributes.
Tom Brady and David Beckham were in attendance to watch Birmingham and Wrexham in September
GETTY
“I was s— texting both of them, mostly failing bone structure and age-related sort of material,” Reynolds said.
The Hollywood star expressed regret about his messages, adding: “It wasn’t my finest moment and I hate that they’re both kind people in real life.”
Tonight’s match sees Reynolds’ Wrexham host Brady’s Birmingham City at the Racecourse Ground.
Reynolds, who initially expressed uncertainty about his attendance, has suggested he might be present for the League One fixture.
“It is definitely on the cards,” the Wrexham co-owner said regarding his potential appearance at tonight’s match.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have had great success with WrexhamPA
The previous encounter between the sides in September ended in a 3-1 victory for Birmingham City, with both Brady and Beckham watching from the stands.
Beckham has previously shown support for Reynolds’ involvement in football, having attended Wrexham’s FA Trophy final against Bromley at Wembley in May 2022 as Reynolds’ guest.
The former England captain has praised Reynolds and co-owner Rob McElhenney’s impact on the Welsh club.
Drawing from his experience with Inter Miami, Beckham said: “It takes people like Ryan and Rob to give it that bit of air.”
Reynolds revealed his fellow co-owner McElhenney might be even more competitive when it comes to facing Brady.
“Would I love to beat Tom Brady at sports? The answer is an emphatic yes. Would Rob? Maybe more so,” Reynolds said.
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Tom Brady holds a minority stake in Birmingham
Reuters
The Wrexham owner added: “Rob has a skosh more rabies about it all and about everything, but God bless it. It’s great.
“We’re very clear that we’re Canadian and American and we balance each other beautifully.”
Aston Villa are eighth in the Premier League and ninth in the Champions League, so their season is hardly a disaster – they just look a little bit flat at times.
Their striker situation is something that Villa boss Unai Emery has got to sort out because he put Jhon Duran on to play with Ollie Watkins in the second half against Monaco, and they are not playing well together
I don’t know if that is an ego thing, where both strikers want to be the main man, but they both need to have a think about what benefits the team.
As a former striker myself, I know how other strikers want to be fed, and how to have an understanding to create situations, but that does not seem to be happening – Watkins and Duran are not connecting or clicking, which is a worry.
For a partnership to work, you have got to understand your role in the team and how sometimes one of you has got to sacrifice yourself.
Believe it or not, I was pretty good at realising that, where I was in the pecking order, and how to adapt my game. There are people out there who would say I was unselfish and a team player, and I wouldn’t argue with that.
I know there is a different view because I listen to my old strike-partner Alan Shearer speaking to Erling Haaland about how you have to be single-minded in front of goal.
You do, you have to be selfish when it comes to taking chances. But football is a team game and sometimes you have to be prepared to adapt and roll your sleeves up – Shearer always did it – and try to play roles that you don’t necessarily want to play, for the good of the team.
When Aston Villa’s squad is stretched and a little bit fatigued, Watkins and Duran should be capable enough, and have enough understanding of how to feed each other, because strikers know how to do it.
Not doing it is a bit of a blot on the copybooks of both players. They are both very talented players, but they need to work this out for the good of the team. Maybe Emery needs to whack some Brazilian music on in training to sort them out?
Seriously, though, this is a crucial time in Villa’s season and I think they will get past West Ham.
Graham Potter’s side were jammy when they beat Fulham last week, but I don’t see them being lucky enough to beat Villa.
Sutton’s prediction: 2-1
Jamie’s prediction: Villa obviously have the potential to do damage but I just feel like Potter has got something to prove in his first month. 1-2
Prince William met with former Liverpool legend, Sir Kenny Dalglish, and former Everton stars Ian Snodin and Graham Stuart, as he showed off his football skills in a friendly match.
William, a livelong Aston Villa fan, admitted Liverpool FC were playing “amazing well”.
He added: “The way [Liverpool] are playing at the moment they’re going to steamroll everyone this season.”
Prince William told the football legends to “ignore” his football skills as he participated in a friendly match.
Prince William showed off his football skills in a friendly match
PA
The interaction occurred during William’s visit to the Tiber centre to meet members of the Tiber Young People’s Steering Group where he described the group as “fantastic”.
The project, comprised of 14-18-year-olds, aims to ensure that local community members are provided with opportunities that bring positive change in their lives and within their local environment.
The group led the design of a new complex, which is now nearing completion, by raising funds through the Youth Investment Fund.
The community centre will have a function suite, outdoor event space, education rooms, a café, and changing rooms for the on-site football pitch.
Prince William met with former Liverpool legend, Sir Kenny Dalglish, and former Everton stars Ian Snodin and Graham Stuart
PA
Prince William was given a tour of the facility upon arrival and met with several young people working for the group, which has helped more than 200 people since its creation in 2005.
Before his engagements today, William was last sighted in Monaco attending an away fixture for his beloved Aston Villa.
The game marked Villa’s penultimate league phase game in the UEFA Champions League, in which the Birmingham-based side lost 1-0.
It is the only time Prince William has publicly left the UK in 2025.
Prince William visited the Tiber centre to meet members of the Tiber Young People’s Steering Group
PA
The royal decided to support Aston Villa as a schoolboy, a club that, at the time, were fighting for a place in the European Cup.
He looked frustrated as his boyhood side lost to AS Monaco 1-0.
The prince also attended Villa’s historic return to the European competition at the start of the season, where they beat Bayern Munich on UK turf, 1-0.
William is also regularly seen taking in England games at Wembley and watching his team from the VIP box at Villa Park.
Barcelona fight back from being two goals down twice to snatch a dramatic late victory away at Benfica to clinch their place in the Champions League last 16.
Sports
Ronnie O’Sullivan pulls out of another event as snooker hiatus continues after German Masters withdrawal
Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from a second snooker event in consecutive days, with his team announcing he will not participate in this weekend’s exhibition match in Helsinki.
The seven-time world champion’s latest withdrawal comes just one day after pulling out of next week’s German Masters tournament.
Both cancellations have been attributed to medical reasons, though specific details about O’Sullivan’s condition have not been disclosed.
The exhibition match was set to feature O’Sullivan against fellow snooker legend John Higgins in the Finnish capital.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has had a tough start to the yearPA
The exhibition match had been scheduled for Saturday in Helsinki, where O’Sullivan was due to face four-time world champion Higgins.
The high-profile encounter will now need to be rescheduled for a later date.
O’Sullivan’s team moved quickly to inform fans of the cancellation, releasing a statement expressing their regret over the situation.
In a statement, O’Sullivan’s team said: “We are really sorry to have to cancel the event in Helsinki this weekend. We will work with the promoters to find a date to reschedule a show when Ronnie is feeling better.”
The team thanked fans for their understanding regarding the late cancellation.
Ronnie O’Sullivan will be taking a break from snookerPA
The statement suggests O’Sullivan’s team are committed to ensuring Finnish fans will get to see the match at a future date once the player has recovered.
No specific timeline has been provided for when, or if, the exhibition match might be rearranged.
O’Sullivan claimed a hectic schedule prior to the Triple Crown event last week led to his decision not to play at the Alexandra Palace. “I’ve obviously been on this three-week trip, away playing, and I think I just exhausted myself,” he said.
“There was a lot of pressure while I was away and the build-up of all that kind of got too much.
“I lost the plot on Thursday and snapped my cue so that’s unplayable, so I just knew at that moment in time, the right decision was not to play.
“It’s such a big tournament I felt whoever was going to come in should at least have a couple of days’ notice.”
LATEST SPORT NEWS:
Ronnie O’Sullivan revealed he has been struggling in recent weeksBBC
It’s unclear where O’Sullivan will play next as he failed to make it through to the next stage of the Champions League.
He’s been included in the field for the Welsh Open, which gets underway on February 10.
Rodrygo scores his second goal of the night to put Real Madrid 2-0 up against Red Bull Salzburg thanks a “brilliant” assist from Jude Bellingham.
Sports
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou gets another lifeline with Hoffenheim win as Europa League fate decided
Ange Postecoglou’s impressive record in cup competitions for Tottenham this season continued on Thursday night with a difficult 3-1 win away to Hoffenheim.
Spurs had lost just one of their 10 cup matches in all competitions prior to the match against Hoffenheim.
But they headed into the match low in confidence following another disappointing Premier League defeat.
Pressure has been mounting on Postecoglou to turn things around at the north London club with Tottenham currently 15th in the table.
Ange Postecoglou has a strong cup record
REUTERS
However, the Europa League has been an opportunity for Spurs to build up some confidence and a trip to Germany offered them a chance of sealing their Europa League fate.
A defeat to Hoffenheim would have made things difficult for Tottenham heading into the final game of the league phase.
But their big stars stepped up when it mattered for Tottenham with James Maddison and Son Heung-min getting on the scoresheet to give them a 2-0 advantage going into the break.
Tottenham’s lack of confidence was evident in the second half though as they invited pressure onto the makeshift backline with Brendon Austin making his European debut in goal.
Momentum was building for the home side and it was only a matter of time until they halved the deficit through Anton Stach.
Son then bagged his second of the game to restore Tottenham’s two-goal lead with 13 minutes remaining.
But there were still nerves on show in the latter stages with Hoffenheim scoring a second in the 88th minute.
Tottenham managed to hold on for a valuable win, moving them up to fourth in the table with just one game remaining.
Their tally of 14 points is also enough to ensure they make it through to the next round, although there’s still some work to be done to finish inside the top eight.
Son Heung-min scored twice
REUTERS
Tottenham face a favourable fixture at home to IF Elfsborg next week where a win will make sure they finish inside the top eight.
Spurs are still seen as the favourites to go all the way and win the Europa League – ending their long wait for silverware.
And despite their woeful Premier League form, the cup competitions have offered Postecoglou a lifeline for his job.
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Tottenham are up to fourth in the table
REUTERS
Thankfully for the Spurs boss, three of his next five fixtures are in cup competitions which could ultimately play a huge role in his future.
They hold a 1-0 advantage over Liverpool heading into the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg next month.
And Spurs face a tricky FA Cup fourth round tie away to Aston Villa just a few days after.
For now, attention will turn to this weekend’s fixture against Leicester where Tottenham willl be desperate to pick up all three points.
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