LGBT+ England fans could turn their backs on Jordan Henderson when he plays for his country in a symbolic response to the midfielder’s move to Saudi Arabia. Henderson was included in the 26-man squad for the upcoming games with Ukraine and Scotland as England manager Southgate stuck with the 33-year-old despite his move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq. Southgate does not believe Henderson will be jeered when he next turns out for England, despite the criticism he has faced for moving to Saudi Arabia after being a keen and vocal supporter of the Premier League’s ‘Rainbow Laces’ campaign and also working alongside Liverpool’s official LGBT+ fan group. And while Joe White, the co-chair of Pride in Football and founder of Three Lions Pride believes Henderson will not receive a hostile reception, his presence on the pitch could be greeted with a symbolic gesture “in the same way he turned his back on us”. “It definitely will be a very muted atmosphere and, whilst he’s got presence in the squad, he will not have a presence in our banners that we take to games any more,” White told the PA news agency. “I don’t think it will go hostile because ultimately we want England to do as well as possible but I do think that, say he came on as a substitute, where before there would be a lot of cheering, particularly from our group at Three Lions Pride, I think there will just be silence now . “It may well be that there comes a joint message from the LGBT fans in the stadium who may well turn their backs on him coming onto the pitch in the same way he turned his back on us by going to Saudi.” Speaking after announcing his squad, Southgate said: “We are picking a team for football reasons.” “There are lots of different ownership models of clubs in England, there are lots of players playing in countries where there are different religious beliefs, I don’t really know why a player would receive an adverse reaction because of where he plays his football. “That of course is a personal choice. I have to pick a squad based on the players that I think can get us qualified for a European Championship and that’s why we’ve picked the players we have Gareth Southgate “It is really difficult to… I’m a bit lost really with some of the questioning because you walk in to try and talk about a squad announcement based on football decisions and increasingly we are navigating such complex political aspects that I’m not really trained to do. “Forgive me if I am stumbling a little bit but I find it a really difficult scenario to try and get right. “We’ll do the best we can and we try to make decisions for any number of reasons but I have to pick a squad based on the players that I think can get us qualified for a European Championship and that’s why we’ve picked the players we have.” England had previously been criticised by LGBT+ groups after they opted against wearing the ‘One Love’ armband during the World Cup in Qatar last year. Southgate, though, reaffirmed his commitment to inclusivity, adding: “We are supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. “A large number of the team and staff have either relatives or friends from that community. “It is something that we are very conscious of and a situation we are very conscious of. “We have tried to be very supportive but I also accept members of the community felt let down around the World Cup. “These are all very complex situations that we are trying to do our best to navigate.” Southgate told BBC Radio 5Live that it had been a straightforward decision to pick Henderson, while adding it was up to the player himself when he would address the issue. “It’s for him to decide when he’s going to speak and how he speaks,” he said. The PA news agency understands media plans for which England players will be put forward to speak at St George’s Park next week are still to be confirmed. Asked if there was anything Henderson could do to win back support of the LGBT+ community, White added: “I don’t think he can regain the trust purely because he’s now living in a country where it’s illegal to be LGBT, where the local LGBT community have to hide and live in fear of arrest, of state-sanctioned abuse. “He can’t just suddenly start going ‘Oh well, I’m engaging on LGBT rights’ because he doesn’t have the influence in the country and if he does things without listening to the likes of Amnesty International and people who know what it’s like to have to protect local LGBT people, all he’ll do is end up damaging those who are most affected by that regime.” Former Manchester United captain Harry Maguire and Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips were both included in Southgate’s squad despite being yet to play a minute of club football this season. Under-21 European Championship winner Levi Colwill received his maiden formal call-up and uncapped Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has also got the nod for the first time, although there is no place for Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling despite a strong start to the campaign. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Liam Smith scoffs at Chris Eubank Jr’s intelligence in heated press conference Gareth Southgate says Raheem Sterling ‘not particularly happy’ at England snub Southgate not expecting ‘adverse reaction’ from England fans to Jordan Henderson

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Birmingham have sacked head coach John Eustace despite a bright start to the season, increasing rumours of former England captain Wayne Rooney taking charge at the club. Eustace led Birmingham to safety last season, while a come-from-behind 3-1 derby win over West Brom on Friday left Blues sixth in the Sky Bet Championship after 11 fixtures heading into the international break. While Birmingham recognised in a statement Eustace had “helped to stabilise and strengthen the club” in his 15 months at the helm, they have decided to part company with the ex-Republic of Ireland assistant. “It is essential that the board of directors and the football management are fully aligned on the importance of implementing a winning mentality and a culture of ambition across the entire football club,” the statement on Birmingham’s official website said. “With this in mind, Birmingham City has parted company with head coach John Eustace. “A new first-team manager will be announced in the coming days who will be responsible for creating an identity and clear ‘no fear’ playing style that all Birmingham City teams will adopt and embrace.” Eustace succeeded Lee Bowyer in July 2022 and helped Birmingham finish nine points above the drop zone in the second tier amid off-field issues surrounding the ownership of the club. Despite just three defeats so far this season, it was reported over the weekend Eustace’s position was under threat as the club’s new American owners sought a big-name appointment. Former Manchester United striker Rooney would seemingly fit the bill after he announced on Sunday he would be leaving DC United following their failure to qualify for the Major League Soccer play-offs. “It’s just the right time,” he said in quotes reported by the Washington Post. “I have really enjoyed my time here. But I just feel it’s the right time to go back to England. What lies ahead, I don’t know.” Read More Ireland wings Mack Hansen and James Lowe on mend ahead of New Zealand showdown Jos Buttler concerned by ‘poor’ outfield ahead of England clash with Bangladesh Football rumours: Wayne Rooney in the running for Birmingham job

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Anthony Joshua’s hopes of fighting Deontay Wilder in the next six months remain alive after Robert Helenius agreed to replace Dillian Whyte for Saturday’s bout at London’s O2 Arena. Matchroom confirmed on Tuesday morning that Helenius would step in for Whyte, who saw his hopes of avenging defeat to Joshua in 2015 ended last weekend after “adverse analytical findings” were detected in his doping test by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA). Whyte has vowed to clear his name but knowledge of his failed test left Matchroom in a race against time to find a new opponent for Joshua, but 72 hours later and Helenius answered the SOS call, despite being in action in Finland last Saturday. Joshua was eager to still fight this weekend and Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn had revealed if no replacement could be arranged, it would have put the potential clash with Wilder in jeopardy. Talks continue to take place between the camps of Joshua and Wilder over a fight at the end of this year or in early 2024, but the British heavyweight must first overcome Helenius. Hearn told talkSPORT: “We all wanted to see the Dillian Whyte fight but at the same time Anthony Joshua has trained for 12 weeks, he wants to fight Deontay Wilder next and wants to fight on Saturday. “The other option honestly was to fight in October or November. “And we want to fight Deontay Wilder. We know December is unlikely but we’re still being told and we were told as recently as two, three days ago or whenever it was, that you will be fighting (in December). “If he doesn’t take this fight on Saturday, then he won’t fight Wilder in December or January because he’d end up fighting in October or November.” Former two-time world heavyweight champion Joshua hinted at his long-term goal being Wilder when he reflected on Helenius replacing Whyte. “This wasn’t in the script. I respect Helenius and, may I say, I respect any male or female who steps into the ring,” Joshua added. “I am laser-focused on the win. I can make steps forward to bigger and better things but the road map has a checkpoint – Saturday night. May the best man win.” Helenius said: “I am excited about fighting Anthony Joshua on 12 August. I am a true Viking that is willing to face any challenge at a moment’s notice. This is not an opportunity I was going to let slip away. I plan to make the most of it.” Stockholm-born Helenius (32-4, 21 KOs) is no stranger to the British boxing scene after he beat Derek Chisora in a contentious split decision to win the vacant European Championship title in 2011. The heavyweight with an orthodox style lost to Whyte on points six years later in Cardiff but only after he took the bout at two weeks’ notice. Whyte’s failed test saw Matchroom immediately cancel the planned domestic clash and opened the door for Helenius to secure another handsome payday in Britain. Hearn did express his shock at Whyte’s doping test result with the British boxer determined to prove his innocence, which was the case in 2019 after UK Anti-Doping concluded the levels in his sample were “very low” and he was ultimately not to blame, therefore clearing him of a doping violation. On Whyte, Hearn admitted: “I don’t represent Dillian so I can’t talk on his behalf. What I can say is I am surprised, I am in shock. “He’s had this Vada test and employed it meticulously over his career. I had an email from his team as early as this morning to say obviously there is a strict confidentiality on his behalf, not on my behalf and he has got a big fight on his hands. “We will let him go through that process and see how it ensues, but I was in big shock on Saturday when we found out about it. I was definitely surprised and he has a tough road ahead.” With Whyte set for a battle out of the ring, Helenius now looks ahead to the 37th fight of his career. The veteran has only fought three times since the coronavirus pandemic started in 2020, but an added element of intrigue to this clash is the fact Helenius was knocked out in the first round by Wilder last October. All eyes will now be on how Joshua performs against Helenius, 39, who enters this bout after his 32nd victory with Mika Mielonen stopped in the third round of their contest last Saturday. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk ready to ‘attack the season’ despite concerns Joe Roberts could make Wales debut in next World Cup warm-up clash with England Hull KR captain Shaun Kenny-Dowall hoping to top off career with Wembley win

Joe Joyce suffered a second straight loss to Zhilei Zhang on Saturday, as the Chinese heavyweight stopped the Briton once again. Zhang, 40, dominated Joyce in April, damaging the 38-year-old’s eye to the point of closure and sealing a sixth-round stoppage. And when the pair returned to London on Saturday, it took Zhang just three rounds to repeat the trick at Wembley Arena. Joyce looked tentative throughout the first three rounds, hesitant to engage and troubled by Zhang’s output. Then, in the final seconds of Round 3, Zhang threw a left cross and landed a devastating right hook, dropping Joyce heavily. It was the first time in the Briton’s career that he had hit the canvas, and he narrowly failed to beat the referee’s count after the bell sounded. With the result, Zhang retained the WBO interim title that he took from Joyce in April, meaning a clash with official champion Oleksandr Usyk may be next for “Big Bang”. Meanwhile, there will be questions over Joyce’s place at the top level after back-to-back stoppage losses. At the very least, the 38-year-old faces a tough route back towards a world-title fight, without much time to secure one. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Joyce vs Zhang LIVE: Fight result after devastating knockout tonight David Haye: Joe Joyce must beat Zhilei Zhang to forge ahead in heavyweight division Desperation and danger: Joe Joyce revisits risky Zhilei Zhang clash