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Curtis Jones insisted he never lost faith he would earn a Liverpool revival after coming through a “tough time” to establish himself as a first-team regular. The 22-year-old midfielder’s quickfire double helped the in-form Reds to a comfortable 3-0 win at relegation-threatened Leicester on Monday. Jones has now started the Reds’ last nine Premier League games having previously only made two starts all season, with a shin injury sidelining him until mid-October. He has also scored three goals in his last four appearances – ending an 18-month drought – to help Liverpool in their late Champions League charge with Jurgen Klopp’s side fifth and a point behind the top four. The England Under-21 international told the club’s official site: “In terms of confidence, I’ve always been the same lad. I’ve always had the belief in myself but it’s been a tough time, I’ve had the injuries and stuff so I’ve not really had a full run of games in the past. “But I came in against Chelsea and I kept my shirt and I’ve still got the shirt now. I’m enjoying it, I’m being humble and keeping my feet on the ground and I know what it takes, so that’s what I’m doing. “Being a kid in the academy days I’ve always scored goals and I wouldn’t say I’ve been the star kid but I’ve always been the kid who has jumped up the age groups. I’m enjoying it, I’m being humble and keeping my feet on the ground and I know what it takes, so that’s what I’m doing. Curtis Jones “Then I came around the first team and it was kind of a shock where the whole of the game changes, so I’ve had to make a change to the whole of my game. But I’m adapting well and I think it’s the best run I’ve had for a while.” Jones struck twice in three first-half minutes against Leicester before Trent Alexander-Arnold’s 25-yard effort added the gloss. It left Leicester two points from safety with two games left and Jamie Vardy admitted they need to win at Newcastle on Monday and in the final-day visit of West Ham to stand a chance of surviving. “We’ve got to put it straight to the back of our minds now,” the striker told the club’s official site. “We’ve got to focus on the next two games and we’ve got to pick two wins up. It’ll be tough but we know we’ve got the talent in that dressing room. It needs to click. “We’ve got two games left and the minimum we can have is two wins just to give ourselves a chance. “So, we’ll get back on that training pitch, spend all week looking at Newcastle, how we can exploit the weaknesses and how we stop, obviously, their strengths. “We’ve got to make sure that we put the 90-minute effort in next week to pick up a win.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jofra Archer ‘distraught’ after being ruled out of Ashes summer Coventry’s Mark Robins feels pressure is on Middlesbrough in play-off second leg A closer look at the battle to beat the drop in the Premier League

Brentford have a deal lined up to sign a new goalkeeper with David Raya expected to leave the club amid interest from Chelsea and Tottenham.

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Rio Ferdinand discusses his memories of the 2008 Champions League final during James Richardson’s Kings of Europe podcast with BT Sport.

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Coventry boss Mark Robins moved to pile the pressure on Middlesbrough ahead of their crunch play-off semi-final second leg. The Sky Blues go to the Riverside on Wednesday locked at 0-0 from Sunday’s first leg. Boro finished fourth in the Championship, five points and a place ahead of Coventry, and at the Riverside Robins feels Michael Carrick’s side hold the advantage. He said: “They’re the favourites to go through so the pressure is on them. There’s no doubt about it. We’ll go out there and really give a good account of ourselves. “For us, it’s about our preparation and what we can do. The betting companies have made them favourites to win promotion. So, by definition, that makes us least favourites so it is what it is. We just go and deal with what we’ve got in front of us.” Coventry were not expected to make the play-offs this season, especially after playing seven of their first nine games away from home following the Rugby Sevens at the Commonwealth Games destroying the CBS Arena pitch. Robins recognises their progress this term but still wants the glory at the end. “It’s not really a great time to reflect because that time will be whenever this season comes to an end and we can sit back and have a look,” said the manager, who could be without Gustavo Hamer after he suffered a knee injury in the first leg. “I say sit back, we’re not because we’ve got a busy period of recruitment coming up. “Regardless of anything, I was asked at the start this season what success would look like and for us, really, you talk about finishing in the Championship, whatever happens. “If you’re in the Championship it always gives you a chance of doing what we’ve done so far this season. “Our season was blighted at the start with well-known factors and one of our players (Dominic Hyam to Blackburn) was sold early on which made things very difficult for us. “Regardless of what happened, the players have responded unbelievably well to get us to this point so they’ve earned the right to go head-to-head against Middlesbrough. “Whatever happens, yes, it’s been a brilliant progression for us but ultimately you want to try and come out successfully at the other end.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live A closer look at the battle to beat the drop in the Premier League Football rumours: Arsenal preparing £90million swoop for West Ham’s Declan Rice On this day in 2010: Dominant England beat Australia to win World Twenty20 final

Roma are likely to win the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka on a free transfer despite rival interest from Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham.

First photos of Blake Lively as Lily Bloom emerge, Wrexham extended Paul Mullin, Dylan Raiola committed to Georgia and more in the Roundup.

Tottenham are continuing their search for a new director of football and have earmarked Brentford duo Phil Giles and Lee Dykes as candidates. Monchi, Tiago Pinto, Markus Krosche and Michael Edwards are also under consideration.

Southampton have already been relegated from the Premier League, but the race to avoid joining them looks set to go down to the wire. Two of West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Everton, Leeds and Leicester will play alongside the Saints in the Championship next season. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the relegation battle with two games to go. West Ham (Leeds H, Leicester A) Given their own plight and their opposition in the final two rounds of fixtures, West Ham will play a deciding role in who goes down. It will take an extraordinary set of results for them to be relegated as they are six points clear of Leeds with a significantly better goal difference, so would need to lose both games heavily and see a number of other results go against them. Their only concern will be how their European exertions affect them, with their match against Leeds coming days after a Europa Conference League semi-final second leg against AZ Alkmaar. Nottingham Forest (Arsenal H, Crystal Palace A) Seven points from the last four games has hauled Forest out of the bottom three and they now could stay up even if they lose their remaining fixtures. Safety will be assured if they draw with Arsenal at the City Ground and then Leeds lose at West Ham and Leicester fail to beat Newcastle. However, two defeats, including on the final day at Crystal Palace, and results going against them elsewhere would see them drop back into the Championship. Everton (Wolves A, Bournemouth H) Everton, on paper, have the kindest fixtures of those in the fight and they will fancy their chances of staying up, with their Bank Holiday win at Brighton last week looking pivotal. They will confirm their survival if they win at Wolves and then Leeds lose at West Ham and Leicester fail to beat Newcastle. Two defeats could be enough for Leeds to overtake them by drawing just one of their two games, although that will be dependent on a minor goal difference swing. Leeds (West Ham A, Tottenham H) Leeds are relying on other teams to lose, but they also have to do their own business under Sam Allardyce, with so many permutations still possible. The most worrying one is they will be sent back to the Championship if they lose at West Ham, Everton win at Wolves and Forest pick up a positive result against Arsenal. But, as mentioned, they could stay up by drawing just one game, if Everton and Leicester lose both of their matches. They will be hoping to take advantage of West Ham’s European distraction as Allardyce visits his old club on Sunday before a vital home game against Tottenham. Leicester (Newcastle A, West Ham H) Leicester, Premier League champions seven years ago, could be relegated if they fail to beat Newcastle on Monday night, Forest pick up a point against Arsenal and Everton beat Wolves. Defeat at St James’ Park would also mean Everton would only need two points from their final two games. To stay up, Leicester realistically need to win at least one of their remaining games at Newcastle or at home to West Ham, although it is possible two draws could be enough. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jofra Archer to miss Ashes summer with fresh stress fracture in his elbow Football rumours: Arsenal preparing £90million swoop for West Ham’s Declan Rice On this day in 2010: Dominant England beat Australia to win World Twenty20 final

Miami’s Erik Spoelstra and Denver’s Michael Malone are two of the four NBA coaches to have spent at least eight years with their current team