Joey Barton was stripped of the QPR captaincy on this day in 2012. The midfielder was sent off during Manchester City’s dramatic final-day 3-2 win over QPR in May – which saw them win the title with Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp goal. He was sent off by referee Mike Dean after elbowing Carlos Tevez and, as he left the pitch, Barton kicked Sergio Aguero before aiming a headbutt at Vincent Kompany. He was fined six weeks’ wages, on top of a £75,000 fine from the Football Association and was given a 12-match ban from the FA. Barton said: “My behaviour was wrong and I accept the punishment that has been imposed upon me as a result. I apologise to the manager, my team-mates and of course the QPR fans for my actions. I also apologise to the Manchester City players, staff and supporters.” The current Bristol Rovers manager was loaned out to Marseille the following season but stayed at Loftus Road until 2015, making 99 appearances, before joining Burnley. He also played for Rangers and returned to Burnley to finish his playing career in 2017. In 2018, he was named Fleetwood manager before becoming Rovers boss in 2021. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Phil Foden has backed himself to add goals and assists to Gareth Southgate’s England side in the build-up to Euro 2024. The Manchester City forward collected his 30th cap in Friday’s drab 2-0 win over Malta as England all-but secured their place as top seeds for next summer’s finals. It was Foden’s cross that Malta defender Enrico Pepe inadvertently diverted past his own goalkeeper to open the scoring as England toiled at Wembley. Harry Kane doubled the lead in the second half, finishing off a flowing team move in which Foden was an integral part. The 23-year-old has scored just four goals since making his debut in 2020 and a place in Southgate’s starting XI is still not guaranteed, with Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka often preferred on the right side of the attack. “I always want more for myself, I think I can add goals to this team – and assists,” Foden told beIN Sports. “I was involved in both of the goals (against Malta), maybe we weren’t at our best but we got the job done in the end and that’s the most important thing. I always want more for myself, I think I can add goals to this team and assists Phil Foden “I’m enjoying my football a lot at the moment, I’m expressing myself, I’m playing really well. So yeah, I need to keep that up, keep pushing myself to score more and get assists.” With Foden and Saka competing for a place on the right, 62-goal skipper Kane leading the line and the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish also pushing to start games, Southgate has an embarrassment of riches in attacking positions. The fact Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling has failed to get back into the squad since the World Cup in Qatar only proves how deep the options are for the national team – although his Blues team-mate Cole Palmer is now involved. The 21-year-old joined Chelsea from Manchester City in the summer, where Foden had seen what he could offer at close quarters. “He’s so relaxed on the pitch,” Foden said of Palmer. “He looks like he’s been there for years and he’s such a young lad with tremendous quality and is someone I know really well. “I tried to help him as much as I could at City when he was coming up and he is at Chelsea now and doing really well so I’m delighted for him to get his debut. “It just shows that if you work hard through the academy, it comes through so I’m really delighted for him.” Read More Can King Kohli be stopped? Talking points ahead of World Cup final England boss Gareth Southgate targets unbeaten run ahead of Euro 2024 Pat Cummins urges Australia to ’embrace’ World Cup final pressure against India Liverpool fly Luis Diaz’s parents to UK for Christmas with son after kidnapping On this day in 2013 – Elena Baltacha announces retirement from tennis England display against Malta ‘not a worry’ ahead of Euros, Gareth Southgate insists

Steve Clarke has not sought any kind of guarantees from Elliot Anderson about the midfielder’s Scotland future. The Whitley Bay-born Newcastle United player, who has a Scottish grandmother, has played at youth level for both Scotland and England. The 20-year-old was called up by the Scotland boss for the first time for the Euro 2024 qualifier against Cyprus in Larnaca on Friday and the challenge match against England at Hampden Park next week after deciding against switching allegiance to England following positive discussions with Clarke. However, Anderson officially withdrew from the squad on Wednesday night after picking up an injury in training. Asked at the pre-match media conference in Cyprus if he had sought any assurances from Anderson, the Scotland boss said: “No. He just went home.” The Scotland boss had already been asked if he had any fears surrounding international allegiances, and had said: “It is not something I can control. “There’s not a lot I can do about it. “Obviously (disappointing not to have the chance to work with Elliot), that’s why we brought him into the squad. “Disappointing to lose Elliot and Liam (Kelly) on the same day but that’s part and parcel of international football, you deal with it. “Obviously we had to replaced Liam because we couldn’t come with two goalkeepers so we brought in young Robby (McCrorie). who has been part of the squad before, he understands. We didn’t need to replace Elliot because we have enough midfielders.” Scotland top Group A with four wins from four and have gone eight competitive games without defeat. An expected victory against Cyprus, who were beaten 3-0 at Hampden Park, could see Scotland qualify for a second successive Euros next Tuesday if results elsewhere go their way. However, Clarke – whose side is expected to be backed by around 6,000 fans in a stadium which has a capacity of 8,058 – played down the exciting prospect of going to Germany next summer. He said: “I am not really the excitable kind, am I? Just concentrating on the game coming up. “The players are in a good place, they are a good place in the group. “At halfway we have maximum points, you can’t do much better than that. “Some of the moments within the game we can improve on. “We don’t think for a minute that we are the finished article, we will look to improve and the players have said that we will. “We want to keep improving and improving but always respect the opponent. “It will be difficult. They are a proud team, proud to represent their country, Cyprus. “They are always difficult opponents for us. “Two late goals probably put a little gloss on the scoreline (at Hampden) so we expect a tough game.” Much is being made of the high temperatures in Cyprus but Clarke was relaxed about the 9.45pm local time kick-off. He said: “When we came off the plane last night at the back of 10 the conditions were OK. “It was pretty hot in Norway when we went there so we have some experience and it was nice and sunny in Glasgow when we left so you just have to deal with the conditions as they are and make sure we get the result that we want.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ben Stokes excited about ‘really good plan’ to fix knee problem after World Cup Ireland’s Rob Herring ‘raring to go’ ahead of overdue World Cup debut Warren Gatland says Wales ‘looking sharp’ ahead of World Cup opener against Fiji

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