Theo Walcott, one of the outstanding young English talents of his generation, announced Friday he has retired from professional football...

The Yankees placed pitcher Domingo German on the restricted list on Wednesday, and he will enter an alcohol abuse program after an incident that occurred in the clubhouse.Andy Martino of SNY has revealed what took place in the Yankees clubhouse on Wednesday. The incident was not a domestic situa...

LeBron James is famous for his basketball talent and his questionable sports fan allegiances. But he's announced that he's switching things up when it comes to the NFL.

If the Boston Celtic's goal is to have both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on supermax contracts, where does that leave Grant Williams?After playing a key role in the Celtics’ run to the NBA Finals in 2022, Grant Williams is set to become a restricted free agent on June 30. According t...

Veteran Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric will stay at the club for another season after renewing his deal until June 2024...

With the Pac-12 being dealt two fatal blows by the Big Ten and Big 12, you better believe the dying league's bowl-game tie-ins have been greatly compromised as a result.While an expanded College Football Playoff will remove the Big Ten/Pac-12 tie-in to the Rose Bowl in 2024, the dying leagu...

Germany has failed to reach the knockout stage for the first time at the Women’s World Cup after being held to a 1-1 draw against South Korea

Kenya's Faith Kipyegon, with her third world record of a scintillating season, and Norwegian Karsten Warholm, with the fourth fastest 400m hurdles ever, ensured the Monaco Diamond League meet on...

Borderline uncanny.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is confident the club’s Academy stars can rise to the challenge when handed a chance to impress in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against AFC Wimbledon. Pochettino is set to fully utilise all the options at his disposal for the visit of the Sky Bet League Two side, looking to manage the workload on a squad which is already depleted by injury. Forward Mason Burstow, midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu and Noni Madueke have all come off the bench in the Premier League this season so could be handed a start, while Diego Moreira and defender Bashir Humphreys may also be involved. Whatever side he selects, Pochettino has no doubt the talented teenagers will have what it takes to make the step up. “We are thinking to start with 11 players that can perform in the way that we want,” Pochettino told a press conference. “(We want to be) right in our assessment, in our risk because you have many injuries and the squad is not big at the moment. “We are going to use four or five young guys from the academy – 17 years old, 16 years old – but Chelsea has always produced good talent, young kids and now is a good opportunity. “It is not because it is our philosophy at the moment, it is because we need to bring young guys to the first team because we have some players that cannot play tomorrow. “But I think it should be good to create the possibility for the young guys to be part of the project, part of producing players for the first team because the Academy and the coaches there are working so hard. “For a club like Chelsea, it is always good to have players from the Academy that can translate the identity of the club.” Pochettino refused to be drawn on continued transfer speculation, with defender Marc Cucurella reportedly subject of interest from Manchester United. “I cannot talk about supposition or rumours. For tomorrow he (Cucurella) is going to be able to play,” the Chelsea boss said. “The club did not communicate (anything else) to me. All of the players that are in our squad are in our plans even if they didn’t play at the moment.” With Chelsea not involved in European football this season, Pochettino intends to focus on just one thing – winning matches, whatever the competition. “I want to win the Carabao Cup, I want to win the FA Cup and I want to win the Premier League, then we will see what happens after,” the former Tottenham boss said. “Even if we are involved in the next few years in the Champions League or different European competitions – every single one is going to be a challenge for us and an opportunity to win.” Chelsea, who beat Luton on Friday night for a first Premier League win of the new season, have agreed a season-long loan deal with Roma for Romelu Lukaku. The Blues have already spent around £350million on new arrivals during the transfer window and have been linked with bringing in at least one more attacking player – with Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe reportedly on the radar. Pochettino said: “I know very well that the club is working very hard to try and finish our business with still a few days, so I think that will happen, maybe yes (another player). “At the moment, we are working to try and deliver what we want, but there is nothing to communicate at the moment.” Pochettino added: “If we had someone who can maybe improve different positions, of course they are welcome, but I am happy with how we are now.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live British athletes and staff left stranded in Budapest after World Championships US Open day one: Djokovic and Swiatek ease through as Brit Lily Miyazaki shines On this day in 2007: Sir Andrew Strauss resigns as England Test captain

After weeks of speculation, free agent running back Leonard Fournette is expected to sign with the Bills.

It isn’t so much that Liam Smith has to go through another fight night with Chris Eubank Jr; it’s more that he has to go through another fight week with him. When the Britons square off at the AO Arena in Manchester in September, it will have been eight months since Smith dropped and stopped Eubank Jr in the same building. Many in boxing labelled the result an upset. Smith certainly did not see it that way. “No one in my team thought it was an upset,” the Liverpudlian, 34, tells The Independent. “No one in my former team, who watched me spar Chris, was gonna think it was an upset. If I’d won that fight on points, people wouldn’t have been surprised. People are just like ‘wow’ because ‘Liam Smith stopped Chris Eubank with a headshot.’ That’s all it is. It got made out like it’s impossible to hurt Chris, like he can’t be hurt. That’s why it was a big surprise for people.” Backed into a corner, overcome by volume and variation, Eubank Jr first hit the canvas 45 seconds into Round 4, slinking to the mat. Barely managing to grip the ropes with his gloves, the Brighton boxer hauled himself to his feet and wobbled to referee Victor Loughlin with his hands by his sides. He almost teetered past Loughlin. Eubank Jr was given the benefit of the doubt, but within 20 seconds he was down again, tumbling into the ropes as he fell. This time, despite another quick climb from the canvas, the 33-year-old was saved by the referee. Smith was walking away, with his back to Eubank Jr and the official, when the fight was waved off. The sound of the crowd tipped off Smith to the result, before he even had a chance to turn around and see for himself. Then, the jubilation set in. “I enjoyed every bit of it,” Smith says. “My ring walk, the changing room beforehand and after. You ask anyone around me, they know I enjoy everything until the moment I need to switch on. When I get down to the bottom of the ramp, I’m business-like. I wish I could have that week back, it was a great week. “If you asked about the three brothers, people would always say, ‘Liam enjoys it the most, he enjoys a fight night the most,’” he says, referring to Stephen and Callum, the latter of whom is an ex-world champion like Liam. “I remember saying to them, ‘There’s no better feeling than making that ring walk,’ and they were like, ‘You’re mad! There’s no better feeling than walking back to the changing room, knowing you’ve won!’” Although the fight was a successful foray up to middleweight for the former super-welterweight champion, the lead-up – containing comments that crossed a line at times – was altogether less enjoyable, Smith says. However, that is not for the reasons one might expect. “A lot people used to think Chris was getting under my skin,” Smith says. “I don’t lose sleep over Chris, he doesn’t change my day. Me and Chris’s personalities... Somebody with Chris’s persona is just someone I wouldn’t get on with in any form of life. “I just don't like them type of divas, who think everything’s got to revolve around them. In the build-up to the last fight, we were waiting on him a lot with promotion stuff, head-to-heads. It was on Sky Sports Box Office, and the people trying to produce the advert were asking us, ‘Can you meet in the middle of the ring and touch gloves with two hands?’ He was like: ‘No, I don’t touch gloves with two hands.’ “He was just being a nuisance, petty, spoilt, a diva. I just thought: ‘It’s nothing to me, you’re not doing my head in, but these people are trying to do a promotion. You know what you signed up for, just do it.’ He was just a nightmare – for other people really; I didn’t give a s*** about it.” The build to the pair’s rematch has begun, and Smith will hope for a smoother ride en route to what may even be his final fight. That, however, depends on the result, with the Scouser having claimed that his next loss would herald his retirement. “I shouldn’t really lose to Chris. I’m a better fighter than him, there’s not really a thought of defeat,” Smith stresses, but there are thoughts on life after boxing. “It’s tough. I’ve got two gorgeous little girls, who I’m still fighting for and trying to secure the rest of their futures, give them an easier start in life. They’ve changed my perspective on boxing and life in general. “I’ll take it as it comes,” he continues, pondering what retirement might look like. “I’ve got a good family, and once I’m done with boxing, I can put my whole energy and time into my girls and giving them some memories that I’ve probably missed now. There are certain things that I can’t do now – certain holidays that I can’t go on – but once I’m done, I’ll have enough time to give them some memories for life. There’s a little bucket list with them two: things that they’ll enjoy, places where they’ll smile.” When Smith takes on Eubank Jr at the AO Arena, he will be returning to a place where he did plenty of smiling, and where he did the thing he enjoys most. SMITH vs EUBANK II: REPEAT OR REVENGE? takes place on Saturday 2 September at the AO Arena in Manchester. It will be shown live exclusively on Sky Sports Box Office. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday 25 July. Fans can access tickets now at Boxxer.com. Read More Spence vs Crawford time: When does fight start in UK and US this weekend? Inoue vs Fulton live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV Another boxing robbery: Maxi Hughes deserves justice for heist that shames the sport Inoue vs Fulton LIVE: Latest boxing fight updates and results The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings What time does Spence vs Crawford start this weekend?