Chris Burton

Thomas Tuchel admits that Bukayo Saka has given him a nice "problem", with the Arsenal winger starring for England against Wales after seeing club colleague Noni Madueke miss out through injury. Saka, making his first appearance for the Three Lions since facing Senegal in June, scored a stunning goal for the Three Lions as they eased to a 3-0 victory over geographical neighbours at Wembley Stadium.

Jose Mourinho has been accused of inciting abuse, with Premier League referee Anthony Taylor now wary of allowing his family to travel with him across the world after becoming an unfortunate target for the 'Special One' in 2023. While Taylor admits that scrutiny of match officials has gotten a little out of control, he still considers his role as a man in the middle to be "one of the best jobs in the world".

Wayne Rooney has hit back at Steven Gerrard's claim that England's 'Golden Generation' were "egotistical losers". The Liverpool legend has attempted to explain why a star-studded group of players failed to savour international success. Manchester United icon Rooney also formed part of that squad for a while, and he is not convinced that fierce club divisions were to blame for the Three Lions struggling to roar when it mattered most.

Thomas Zilliacus, a former interested party when it comes to takeovers at Manchester United, claims that he would be happy to return to the negotiating table if the Glazer family opened themselves up to a sale. He is prepared to work alongside another investor, be that Sir Jim Ratcliffe or somebody else, with the Finnish entrepreneur stating that he wants to look after the best interests of Premier League heavyweights.

Wayne Rooney, Tyson Fury and Liam Gallagher were among the mourners at Ricky Hatton's funeral, with a huge turnout attracted in Manchester as respects were paid to the former boxing world champion. Hatton tragically passed away at his home in Hyde on September 14. The Manchester City-supporting fighting legend, who thrilled and inspired millions around the world, was just 46 years of age.

Dele Alli is taking inspiration from the "I want what's coming to me" mentality adopted by Tony Montana in the iconic Al Pacino film 'Scarface', with the former Tottenham, Everton and Como midfielder working through his latest comeback bid. The 29-year-old finds himself without a club and back in the free agent pool after seeing a forgettable stint in Italian football cut surprisingly short.

Five Premier League players - including Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey - were among those to endure flight chaos after jetting out of Nigeria's latest 2026 World Cup qualifier. There was midair mayhem during that journey as a cracked windscreen forced the plane that the Super Eagles were travelling on to make an emergency landing. Said trip was eventually completed some 12 hours later than initially planned.

Michail Antonio’s mangled Ferrari has been up for sale on eBay, with the supercar being made available for £50,000. Former West Ham and Nottingham Forest forward Antonio suffered a horror car crash in December 2024 when colliding with a tree. He required major surgery after that accident, with the Jamaica international admitting that he was fortunate to escape with his life.

Harry Kane has been told that he would post similar numbers to Erling Haaland if handed the No.9 jersey at Manchester City. The Blues were keen on the England captain at one stage, as they sought to bring another prolific presence onto their books. No deal was done with Tottenham and Kane ultimately headed to Bayern Munich, with Norwegian striker Haaland being added to star-studded ranks at the Etihad Stadium.

Mark Bellingham, the father of Jude and Jobe, has seen some of his behaviour branded “an absolute joke” by England legend Sir Geoff Hurst. Bellingham senior has been billed as “the most powerful man in English football”, given the prominence of his two sons, but has also generated lively debate with his antics behind the scenes - with officials at Borussia Dortmund being confronted at one stage after Jobe was substituted at half-time.

Marcus Rashford is reportedly facing a £15 million ($20m) bill as construction of his dream home becomes a nightmare. The Manchester United outcast, who is currently on loan at Barcelona, has been working on a project in Cheshire since 2020. The piece of land in question was purchased for £2.25 million, but progress on site has been slow and costs continue to rise.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta admits that the club’s relationship with Lionel Messi became 'strained' after an unfortunate financial crisis led to the Argentine superstar having to leave Catalonia. Bridges have, however, been rebuilt since then and an emotional return to a spiritual home for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner continues to be discussed - potentially in an exhibition match at the recently upgraded Camp Nou.

Paul Pogba has been sent a motivational “hurry up” message by former Manchester United team-mate Jesse Lingard as the World Cup winner waits on his debut for Monaco. The French midfielder has not made a competitive appearance of any kind since September 2023. He was stung with a four-year ban for an alleged doping violation at that stage, which was later reduced to 18 months on appeal.

Jude and Jobe Bellingham face a potentially unwelcome distraction away from the field, with the Daily Mail reporting that their parents have parted ways. It is claimed that Mark and Denise Bellingham have separated, having spent much of the last five years living apart as their time has been split between England, Germany and Spain - as they helped Jude and Jobe to thrive at club level. It is claimed that Mark is “growing close” to another woman.

Erling Haaland is a menace in competitive action and during training, with the Manchester City striker leaving fans in hysterics after being mic’d up for a session alongside his international team-mates. The prolific frontman was put through his paces ahead of a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Israel. Unsurprisingly, the larger-than-life 25-year-old made a point of dominating proceedings and teasing his colleagues.

Marcus Rashford has reportedly been made aware of the key flaw that he must overcome in order to earn a permanent transfer to Barcelona. The loan deal which took the England international away from Manchester United and over to La Liga includes the option for a £30 million ($40m) deal to be pushed through in the summer of 2026. Rashford does, however, have much to prove before an extended stay in Catalonia can be considered.

Vinicius Junior is no longer "untouchable" at Real Madrid, according to reports, with Los Blancos prepared to sanction a sale if the right offer arrives. That deal would need to smash all kinds of records, with the Spanish giants demanding €250 million (£217m/$290m) for their Brazil international forward. Few teams can afford to meet that asking price, but big-spending sides in the Saudi Pro League could.

England have been dealt a fresh blow to their attacking plans, with Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins forced to withdraw from Thomas Tuchel’s squad after suffering a freak injury. The Three Lions were without all-time leading goal-scorer Harry Kane for a friendly date with Wales, as he nurses a knock of his own, with a selection headache being posed ahead of a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Latvia.