Chris Burton

Steven Gerrard claims Arne Slot’s comments on Liverpool’s 2024-25 Champions League campaign will be a “body blow” to the club’s fans, as they enjoy another European adventure this season. The former Reds skipper is also being billed as a potential successor to Slot in the Anfield hot-seat, despite enduring a tough time in management before taking a break.

Alexandre Pato is, amid shock talk of a takeover bid being lodged at Colchester United, being urged to take inspiration from Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac at Wrexham. Another famous face may be joining the ranks of EFL co-owners, while more documentary footage could be captured after seeing a serious trend started in North Wales.

Joao Pedro shared a wholesome moment with Liam Rosenior after helping to fire Chelsea into the last 16 of Champions League competition. The Blues secured a top-eight finish in elite European competition after seeing off Serie A champions Napoli in Italy. Rosenior secured another notable scalp there, with the affable Englishman endearing himself quickly to players and fans in west London.

Kylian Mbappe has seen a Premier League move speculated on for some time, and fellow Frenchman Bacary Sagna has told GOAL why Arsenal could be the perfect landing spot if ties are ever severed with Real Madrid. Mbappe is living his professional dream in Spain for now, but a day might come in which he fancies packing his bags for the English top-flight.

Pep Guardiola has announced that he will be sending a thank you message to former Clasico rival Jose Mourinho. Two highly-decorated coaches once found themselves operating on opposing sides of the fierce divide that separates Barcelona and Real Madrid. They are now at Manchester City and Benfica respectively, with Champions League progress being enjoyed in 2025-26.

Virgil van Dijk has made history by recording an unlikely Champions League first. The Dutch defender etched his name into the record books when lining up for Liverpool in their European encounter with Qarabag. Despite marshalling the Reds’ back line in that game, Van Dijk made a stunning contribution in the final third of the field as he helped Arne Slot’s side to a crushing 6-0 win.

Marcus Rashford joined Manchester United legend Sir David Beckham in an exclusive goal club after scoring a stunning Champions League free-kick for Barcelona. The England international forward is continuing to enjoy a productive loan spell with La Liga giants. His latest strike for them allowed the 28-year-old to match a record held by Three Lions icon Beckham.

Jose Mourinho admits he was initially unaware that Benfica required a fourth goal against Real Madrid in order to reach the Champions League play-offs, before seeing goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin score in the 98th minute. Mourinho has also revealed that he apologised to Blancos boss Alvaro Arbeloa for his wild celebrations that accompanied a dramatic header.

Rio Ferdinand has accused fellow Manchester United legends Roy Keane and Gary Neville of showing “unbelievable disrespect” to the Red Devils’ interim manager, Michael Carrick. The former England international has overseen back-to-back wins over Manchester City and Arsenal, leading to calls for him to be handed the reins on a permanent basis. Not everybody associated with the Premier League heavyweights shares that opinion.

Manchester City are considered to have a "freestyle football player” on their hands in Rayan Cherki, with the talented midfielder being likened to Samir Nasri and Adel Taarabt. Former France international Bacary Sagna has told GOAL why his fellow countryman is an “entertainer” cut from similar cloth as Brazilian legend Ronaldinho.

Angel Di Maria admits that Cristiano Ronaldo’s professionalism is “by far” greater than that of Lionel Messi, but the former Real Madrid star still considers his fellow Argentine to be the GOAT having been given “a gift from God to be the best”. World Cup winner Di Maria has also been discussing who he considers to be the finest player on the planet in 2026.

Manchester United have been advised to brace themselves for intervention from Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis if supposed transfer interest in England international midfielder Elliot Anderson is formalised. He is said to be registering on the Red Devils’ radar, but Teddy Sheringham has told GOAL why a big-money deal will be far from straightforward.

Cristiano Ronaldo has sent a loved-up message to fiancee Georgina Rodriguez on the occasion of her 32nd birthday. The Argentine-Spanish influencer and entrepreneur has been back in the United States paying another visit to the White House. She was not joined by her partner on this occasion, with Portuguese superstar CR7 busy doing his day job in Saudi Arabia.

Wrexham have received a huge cash injection from Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac ahead of the January transfer deadline. A further £48 million ($66m) is being pumped into the Championship club. That should allow manager Phil Parkinson to bolster his ranks before the latest window shuts, with the Red Dragons reported to be in the market for a new striker and a couple of wing-backs.

Liverpool have been warned that allowing Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson to leave Anfield would be a huge mistake. Former Reds custodian Brad Friedel has told GOAL why the South American shot-stopper would take years to replace - with Manchester United being used as an example of why “every ounce” must be squeezed out of reliable No.1s.

Fermin Lopez would love to see Lionel Messi welcomed back to Barcelona, even if that means dropping down to the bench. The 22-year-old has become one of the Blaugrana’s most consistent performers this season, but he would happily give up a playmaking post at Camp Nou if an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner could be returned to Catalunya for an emotional farewell tour.

Sir David Beckham and his wife Victoria have made a first public appearance since being on the receiving end of a shock outburst from their eldest son, Brooklyn. The Beckhams - with their other children Romeo, Cruz and Harper in tow - have attended Paris Fashion Week, with former Spice Girls star Victoria picking up a prestigious award at that event.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been told that he “needs to retire” after indulging in “cringe” trolling of rival defenders during Al-Nassr’s latest Saudi Pro League fixture. A 1-0 victory over Al-Taawoun was secured in that contest, but CR7 was unable to find the back of the net. The Portuguese GOAT did, however, clash with opponents on a regular basis over the course of 90 minutes.