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The taunts came from 40 miles apart, some from a different game altogether. Perhaps it is a sign of Leeds’ prominence and of their size that their failings bring such schadenfreude. The chorus from Old Trafford was familiar, but it has rarely been truer. “Leeds are falling apart again,” sang the Manchester United fans. And so, at Elland Road, chanted the Tottenham supporters. They weren’t wrong. In 2023, Leeds have lost two managers, their director of football and their Premier League status. They may yet lose prospective owners if the San Francisco 49ers decide they do not want a Championship club. They may be stripped of a host of players, if some of Rodrigo, Jack Harrison, Wilfried Gnonto, Tyler Adams, Luis Sinisterra and Robin Koch are poached by top-flight clubs; each is good enough to remain in the division. Leeds were not. Majority shareholder Andrea Radrizzani had called relegation “impossible” at the start of the season; it became inevitable by the end. Radrizzani had said in 2021 he wanted European football within three years and Leeds face a lengthy journey next season: it is 322 miles to Plymouth. Whether Radrizzani, who has just bought a stake in Sampdoria, is still at the helm remains to be seen. Leeds are falling apart off the pitch. They fell apart on it, too. In 13th place when they won their 29th game of the season, they took a mere two points from the remaining nine. They conceded 29 goals in that time. They fell apart defensively, letting in 18 goals in their last five matches under Javi Gracia and 11 in four under Sam Allardyce, the supposed defensive strategist. Scroll back a couple of years and Leeds were the neutrals’ favourites. Marcelo Bielsa’s team were cavaliers. Allardyce approached a must-win game with six defenders in his starting 11. Leeds still conceded four times to Tottenham. It summed up the shift in identity, or indeed the loss of one. Under Bielsa, Leeds had the clearest, most idiosyncratic philosophy of all: ultra attacking, very high tempo, man-marking all over the pitch. Jesse Marsch was Bielsa’s successor but not his heir; under Gracia and Allardyce, they abandoned many of their pressing principles but without replacing them with anything coherent. “What is the strategy of the club?” Allardyce asked after relegation. In its own way, his own appointment confirmed there is none now, beyond pressing the panic button. There was an element of farce amid the failures. A strategy? Two of Leeds’ coaching staff, Allardyce and Robbie Keane, met at Soccer Aid. Allardyce’s four weeks have included the suggestion no manager is better than him, which he hailed as a masterly deflection strategy, complaints about jury duty and the revelations of his concerns about climate change and AI. He picked up a £5 note from the touchline at West Ham and £500,000 for four weeks’ work; it worked out at £500,000 per point. Some at Leeds had laughed when Allardyce put himself forward for the job in February; they weren’t laughing in early May when they turned to him out of desperation. Chief executive Angus Kinnear wanted him, director of football Victor Orta did not. The season was a hubristic fiasco for both, for Radrizzani, for Leeds in general. Allardyce was a symptom as much as a cause, a four-game exercise in wishful thinking. Leeds had lined up Marsch to succeed Bielsa, perhaps overlooking better candidates, and no one to replace the American; neither Andoni Iraola nor Arne Slot wanted to be parachuted into a relegation battle mid-season, each perhaps thinking he had better options. They can count the cost of two terrible striking decisions: Jean-Kevin Agustin’s 48 minutes of football in a loan spell in 2020 will cost around £40mn while January’s £35m signing Georginio Rutter made one league start and did not register a shot on target. So Leeds spent £150m to regress this season. They did so with several signings who did not work – Weston McKennie, Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Rutter - and it in different ways: losing 25 points from winning positions reflected badly on Marsch and his inability to bring any kind of control. It was also a sign of defensive ineptitude: after conceding 79 goals last season, Leeds let in a further 78. A mere five clean sheets, none in the last 14 games, suggested Orta was a poor judge of a defender – Junior Firpo, a disaster of a left-back, is a particular indictment – and showed what a troubled season Illan Meslier had. “Professional suicide,” said Allardyce and if he was talking about the Spurs game, the comment applied to much of the season. Leeds can wonder if it would have been different but for Patrick Bamford’s missed penalty against Newcastle. The real turning point of the season felt Crystal Palace’s burst of five goals in 32 minutes. Yet problems multiplied: Allardyce said they lacked strength in depth while Luke Ayling questioned their fitness after defeat to West Ham. They were running machines under Bielsa, perhaps burnt out by the end of his reign, while struggling to turn kick and rush into a winning strategy under Marsch. Sporadically, it looked brilliant: August’s demolition of Chelsea was emphatic, October’s win at Anfield historic. But Chelsea finished their own worst season for decades by retrieving Leeds’ messages from last summer to quote-tweet them; schadenfreude abounded at Stamford Bridge, too. Leeds should have more serious concerns. The last time they dropped out of the Premier League, it took them 16 years to return. Unlike in 2004, they are not in financial peril now. But, after a season when Leeds’ plans went horribly wrong, they need an owner, a manager, a director of football and a strategy. Read More Leeds’ relegation confirmed as Harry Kane hits double in Tottenham win How the final day played out as Everton survive and Leicester relegated with Leeds Premier League 2022/23 season awards: Best player, manager, transfer flop and breakthrough act

Jude Bellingham has been named the Bundesliga’s player of the season. The England midfielder won the award just two days after his club Borussia Dortmund missed out on the Bundesliga title to Bayern Munich on goal difference. Bellingham has made more than 130 appearances since joining Dortmund from Birmingham for just over £20million three years ago. “Every year or half year that I’ve played at the club, my responsibility in the team has increased,” Bellingham was quoted as saying on the official Bundesliga website. “I have to continue to be everywhere on the pitch and try my best to contribute going forwards and backwards and try and control games, try to dominate the midfield. “My teammates, the coaches and the staff have helped me to develop. “I came to the club as a talented lad, but I have added elements to my game that have taken it to the next level and I think that’s down to them, mainly.” Bellingham, who turns 20 next month, captained Dortmund this season to become the club’s youngest-ever skipper and scored 14 goals in all competitions. He has been strongly linked to a move away from Germany this summer, with Real Madrid reportedly leading the race for his signature. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Jurgen Klopp insists he does not need a break from Premier League management following a disappointing campaign with Liverpool. The Reds missed out on Champions League qualification after finishing outside the top four for the first time in a full season under the German. Sunday’s thrilling 4-4 draw at relegated Southampton stretched Liverpool’s unbeaten top-flight run to 11 games but the late resurgence was not enough to make up for earlier poor results. Klopp, the division’s longest-serving manager, maintains he is “full of energy” and ready to revive the club’s fortunes going into the summer. Asked if he needs time off, the Reds boss replied: “No, no, no, not at all. Honestly, I’m completely fine. “If you’d asked me 11 games ago, ‘do you want to have a break?’, I would have thought about it, to be honest. “But I’m absolutely fine, full of energy. “I have a break – I don’t have training and these kind of things. But a really busy period hopefully starts now in a different area of the game. I’m more than happy to do that. “I will find time to reenergise and then we start again in July.” Liverpool’s fifth-placed finish was their lowest since they finished eighth in 2015-16 – the season during which Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers at Anfield. The Reds looked destined to sign off this term in style following early strikes from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino at St Mary’s. But quick-fire second-half finishes from substitute Cody Gakpo and Jota were required to avoid a major shock after Kamaldeen Sulemana’s double and goals from James Ward-Prowse and Adam Armstrong turned a chaotic contest in Southampton’s favour. Klopp believes his club has stuck together during some difficult moments and is determined that they regain a fear factor for rival sides. “There is not a lot to learn (from the season) but a lot of clubs when the expectations are as high as ours when things don’t go well pretty quickly you start blaming each other,” he said. “That didn’t happen here. I'm absolutely fine, full of energy Jurgen Klopp “The better you behave in a crisis, the better you get out of it – and I really thought that was the case for us. “We’re really, really not happy about it and for a club like us it’s massive not to qualify for the Champions League. “If we improve, we are all of a sudden again a team nobody wants to play against and that’s what we have to become again. “There were a lot of games in the season where I think teams were happy to face us. That’s actually the worst thing that can happen to you and I hated these moments. But that’s over and now let’s start again.” Southampton are preparing for life in the Sky Bet Championship following an exhilarating end to a dismal season. Saints manager Ruben Selles, who will leave the club and is likely be replaced by Swansea boss Russell Martin, conducted a performance review ahead of his departure. “We discussed the points we can do better, the points we need to hold,” said the Spaniard. “We needed to end in a professional way and that’s not a discussion because it’s not about us as a technical staff, it’s about Southampton and the information we can pass to the future people working here is key in not repeating the same mistakes. “If they find themselves in the same situations that we did, at least they have this footage and experience of what we did. “We did our review as a technical staff together. We got some conclusions for us and somebody will present it in the proper place to present it. “It’s not for us to decide for the future but it is for us to say what we think can be different next season.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Budapest gold is ‘pipe dream’ as Eilish McColgan bids to break 30-minute barrier Sean Dyche outlines vision for Everton’s future and calls for realism Everton’s great escape will not automatically solve problems – leading academic

Borussia Dortmund GmbH shares fell by the most on record after the football club missed out on the

Playing its first home game with a section of Mestalla Stadium closed as punishment for the racist abuse against Vinícius Júnior, Valencia moved closer to avoiding relegation from the Spanish league thanks to a stoppage-time equalizer in a 2-2 draw against Espanyol. Valencia had the first of three matches with a small section of Mestalla closed behind one of the goals where the abuse targeting Vinícius took place in a match against Real Madrid a week ago. Valencia was initially ordered to close the section for five matches but the punishment was reduced on appeal. The club’s initial fine of 45,000 euros ($48,200) was also reduced to 27,000 euros ($28,900). The draw was enough to relegate Espanyol for the second time in three seasons. Espanyol was set to take its fight against relegation to the final round but Samuel Lino scored Valencia's equalizer with a shot from inside the area three minutes into stoppage time. Valencia dropped to 15th place but stayed two points from the relegation zone ahead of its match at sixth-place Real Betis next Sunday. Valencia had called the punishment “unfair and disproportionate" because it claimed it acted quickly to cooperate with authorities, which eventually arrested three people. Valencia immediately banned the three fans for life. "Respect for our fans," read a large banner at the closed section. “Together against racism,” were the words on a smaller banner in the same section. Second-to-last-place Espanyol had been relegated in 2020 for the first time in nearly three decades. It returned to the top flight in its first attempt as second-division champion. RELEGATION FIGHT Six teams will enter the final round hoping to avoid the final relegation spot. Last-place Elche has already been relegated. Cadiz, Getafe, Valencia, Almeria, Celta Vigo and Valladolid are the teams still in danger. Valladolid is the first team currently inside the relegation zone, sitting one point behind both 17th-place Celta and 16th-place Almeria. Valencia, 14th-place Getafe and 13th-place Cadiz are two points ahead of Valladolid, which drew 0-0 at Almeria. Getafe boosted its chances with Jaime Mata scoring a 90th-minute winner to lead a 2-1 comeback victory over Osasuna at home. Cadiz needed a 53rd-minute winner in its 1-0 home victory against Celta, which has won only one of its last 11 matches. Celta hosts champion Barcelona in the final round, while Getafe visits Valladolid, Cadiz is at Elche and Espanyol hosts Almeria. BARCELONA WINS AGAIN Barcelona beat 10-man Mallorca 3-0 for its first win after clinching the league title. Ansu Fati scored a pair of first-half goals and Gavi added another after halftime to lead the champions to victory after two consecutive losses. Mallorca, sitting in 12th place, played a man down from the 14th after Amath Ndiaye was sent off for a hard foul on Barcelona left back Alejandro Balde, who was not able to continue. It was Barcelona's last league game at Camp Nou before it moves to the smaller Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium in Montjuic with renovation work at the Camp Nou starting next season. It was also the last game at Camp Nou for veterans Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, who will not remain with the Catalan club next season. They both received a standing ovation from the home crowd while being substituted late, with Alba leaving the field in tears. ATLETICO THIRD Atletico Madrid clinched a top-three finish for the 11th straight time after a 2-1 home win over fourth-place Real Sociedad. Antoine Griezmann and Nahuel Molina scored a goal in each half for Atletico, which will enter the final round one point behind city rival Madrid. EUROPEAN PLACES Sociedad secured the final Champions League place despite the loss as fifth-place Villarreal stayed five points back after a 2-1 defeat at Rayo Vallecano. Villarreal and Real Betis, which won 2-1 at Girona, secured the Europa League places. Five teams will contend for the lone Conference League spot, which is currently held by seventh-place Osasuna. Eighth-place Athletic Bilbao lost 1-0 to Elche at home thanks to a stoppage-time goal by Lucas Boyé. Read More Disgusted by racism targeting soccer's Vinícius, his Brazilian hometown rallies to defend him Pep Guardiola fears Vinicius Junior racism row won’t make a difference in Spain

Everton’s escape from relegation will not automatically free them from problems which caused that predicament and proposed new investment will have to inevitably bring changes at boardroom level, according to a leading academic. While Premier League revenue has been secured for another season – extending their top-flight stay into a 70th season – a club which has cumulative losses of more than £430million in the last four years will have to make significant changes. And while American investors MSP Sports Capital are poised to buy into the club, Kieran Maguire – from the University of Liverpool Management School’s Centre for Sports Business – believes that will not come without strings attached. Fans who have been protesting against what they claim is mismanagement by the current board, including chairman Bill Kenwright and CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale in particular, will welcome that prospect but what impact it has on owner Farhad Moshiri’s approach remains to be seen. “Someone suggested £150million for 25 per cent, which would value the club around £600m. Newcastle went for £300m,” Maguire, speaking about the new investment, told the PA news agency. “If a new person was coming in, they’d be looking for board representation, more concessions from Moshiri and then where does it leave him: owning three-quarters of a football club and he’d walk away with a big loss. “MSP are looking to bring two directors onto the board and for there to be changes on the existing board.” However, a new, albeit partial, boardroom will not sweep away all Everton’s issues. There are deep-rooted problems at the club which the £600m Moshiri has spent on transfers alone have failed to solve. That means it will take some turning around and – after back-to-back seasons of narrowly avoiding relegation – it could be a painful and complicated process with a squad overhaul likely to have to take place on a budget, potentially funded by existing player sales. “It is not Football Manager where you think ‘It’s not going too well, I’ll delete and reset’,” added Maguire. “You have costs in terms of the infrastructure, legacy costs in terms of player recruitment. “There won’t be a lot of money to buy players but you still have the issue of wages at 90 per cent of turnover and this overhang of the Premier League charges. “We don’t know how long that will take to conclude – and the worst-case scenario is a points deduction. “Football is a talent game and the talent follows the money. It could be you do a Brentford or a Brighton and you succeed at a point in the market but there is no evidence to suggest Everton are capable of doing that. “How do you get around that? You pay them more money – and that extra money doesn’t exist.” On the horizon is the new 53,000-capacity stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock but that, too, will be no panacea for finances. “It will start to kick in for 2024, but it is not going to move the dial a huge amount,” said Maguire. “And Everton have a fanbase who are traditional supporters from Liverpool so monetising the corporate element may be more difficult.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Bielsa casts shadow and ownership uncertainty – reasons behind Leeds’ relegation Soccer Saturday’s Jeff Stelling gets surprise phone call from Elton John Wales to host South Korea in September friendly

Sean Dyche is nothing if not realistic and within minutes of achieving his sole aim of saving Everton from relegation he delivered his verdict on the state of the club – and it will have made for difficult listening for his bosses. The 51-year-old has built a career on plain speaking and pragmatism but until another season in the top flight – the club’s 70th in succession – was secured he had to keep his own counsel, at least in public, on the state of affairs he inherited from predecessor Frank Lampard. But in the immediate aftermath of the 1-0 win over Bournemouth which safeguarded the Toffees’ future, Dyche laid bare the extent of the problems he feels have riddled the club and outlined what needs to be done to change. Whether owner Farhad Moshiri, whose £600 million-plus spend on players in just over seven years has almost hastened rather than failed to prevent back-to-back relegation scraps, will listen remains to be seen. But Dyche knows throwing money at the problem is not the answer, especially as it has now effectively run out with the club making losses of over £430m over four years and facing sanctions next season for breaching profit and sustainability rules. “The fans have been amazing, they want the club to be in the top end of the market but the club currently is not at the top end of the market,” he said. “We need solid thinking going forwards. We are not ready to be up there yet, that is quite evident. “It is going to be building and progress and I need the Evertonians to understand that. I’ll be very surprised if they (the club’s board) say ‘Here’s another war chest, sign who you like’. “It’s not going to happen so we have to be wise, recruit wisely and recruit players who, if possible, understand this club. “They have to be able to handle what it is to be part of Everton. I’m learning that all the time and we have to be able to get that heartbeat and also talent as well. “I’ve tried to be realistic since I’ve been here but the problem with realism is not many people want it because it sounds boring. “But at the end of the day it is time for that. There was a time when this club went from ‘Let’s just do everything’ but there is a time for realism, that’s what I’ve learned.” Dyche is already starting to sound like his old self during his decade-long stay at Burnley before his sacking last season in a relegation scrap from which they failed to escape. He worked miracles on a small budget at Turf Moor, making the club a Premier League regular against the odds, and believes he can turn things around at Goodison Park. But he needs the people in charge – Moshiri, chairman Bill Kenwright and chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale – to accept his version of what the future should look like and abandon lofty but unrealistic ambitions fuelled by influential agents, the owner’s inexperience and a lack of joined-up thinking on a club ethos and recruitment strategy. This is a club which are on their eighth permanent manager and third director of football since the billionaire took over in 2016. Dyche, who admitted managing up was as much a part of his job as leading those below him, said on him being the driving force: “Someone has got to. That’s usually the manager. “Now at least I can bring some of it to the fore and I can say ‘OK, I’ve given you the first step and it’s a big step’ but I need a bit of reality from fans that they don’t think next season we win the first 10 on the trot. “That’s highly unlikely from a club which has been edging downwards. “There’s that beautiful stadium down the road (at Bramley-Moore Dock) which someone has to pay for. “There has to be a reality (about money) because we are trying to build a stadium, they are doing things in the community, and you have to get a team to win.” On transfers, he added: “Fans want development but really they want first-team footballers who can play and win and that usually implies money. “But we know about the financial stuff, that has to be realigned, so not yet, I don’t know but I will know at some point. “Evertonians remember when they had an ‘earthy’ team, a team that gave everything – they are good things even in modern times. Let’s applaud it. “And of course we want to play good, attacking, pleasing football that can win games. Not easy.”

Leeds were relegated from the Premier League on Sunday after a three-year stay in the top flight. The Yorkshire club had needed to beat Tottenham on the final day and hope other results involving Everton and Leicester went their way, but they were beaten 4-1 at Elland Road. The result meant Sam Allardyce’s side finished 19th in the table, five points behind 17th-placed Everton. Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the reasons why it went wrong. Bielsa legacy casts shadow Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani, former director of football Victor Orta and chief executive Angus Kinnear received huge acclaim when the club ended their 16-year Premier League exile in 2020. They played a masterstroke by appointing Marcelo Bielsa as head coach in 2018 but their legacy was always going to be defined by how they filled the vacuum after sacking the Argentinian in February 2022. The board felt they had to act after a poor run of results but, since then, they have got most of their key decisions wrong and the wheels have now fallen off. What exactly did the board get wrong? Bielsa’s successor Jesse Marsch was hailed as a natural replacement but performances and results did not improve. Leeds survived relegation last season on the final day and when Marsch was sacked in February this year, he left the club in a worse position in the table. The board’s failed, ill-conceived bids to hire Rayo Vallecano’s Andoni Iraola and Feyenoord’s Arne Slot led to accusations of panic and, after a fans’ backlash, they also reneged on appointing former Ajax boss Alfred Schreuder. So in came Javi Gracia for his ill-fated stint. The club admitted they had erred by parachuting Allardyce into Elland Road with four league games remaining. Can relegation be blamed solely on the managers? No. After Leeds defied the odds to finish ninth under Bielsa in their first season back in the top flight, they have failed to sufficiently strengthen their squad. A lack of cover for an injury-prone Patrick Bamford and midfielder Tyler Adams is a prime example. It has also been an imbalanced squad with wide players in abundance but no depth in other key areas. Some signings since promotion, such as Raphinha, Adams, Luis Sinisterra and Willy Gnonto, have been a success, but too many others have failed to make an impact, while the arrival of club-record signing Georginio Rutter has left fans scratching their heads. Has the ownership issue muddied the waters? The last-ditch appointment of Allardyce was symptomatic of Leeds’ mis-management and of a club in limbo since the investment arm of San Francisco 49ers increased its stake to 44 per cent at the end of 2021. 49ers Enterprises has an option to own 100 percent by January next year and the ownership issue has not helped decision-making. Orta’s resignation in protest over Gracia’s sacking has left Leeds without a director of football and, if Allardyce departs as expected, they will be without a long-term head coach. How relegation will affect the takeover remains to be seen, while Radrizzani has been linked with a move to buy Sampdoria. The club’s future direction is not clear. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Wales will play South Korea at home in a September friendly. It will be the first time the two nations have met at senior men’s level and will take place at Cardiff City Stadium on September 7, four days before Wales’ Euro 2024 qualifier in Latvia. South Korea, who are captained by Tottenham forward Son Heung-min, reached the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Former Germany and United States boss Jurgen Klinsmann was appointed South Korea head coach in February. “Many teams are tied up in Europe with qualifiers and it’s not always easy to get strong opposition during the few occasions we get the chance to play friendlies,” said Noel Mooney, chief executive of the Football Association of Wales. “So to have the likes of Son Heung-min – Ben Davies’ teammate at Spurs – and many other high quality players coming to Cardiff is great for us. “They had a really good World Cup getting to the knockout stage and it’s important we keep testing ourselves against different styles of football. “South Korea offers us a really interesting chance to do that, and I’m sure we’ll have another great crowd to cheer on Cymru before the ‘Red Wall’ head for Riga a few days later.” Wales plan to play an October friendly against Gibraltar at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground. A March 2019 friendly against Trinidad and Tobago is the only time Wales men’s senior team have played at the Racecourse – the world’s oldest international football stadium that still hosts matches – over the last 15 years. Wales manager Rob Page announces his squad on Tuesday for next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Armenia and Turkey having taken four points from their opening two games in March. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Jeff Stelling revealed singer Sir Elton John was among his well-wishers this week as the presenter signed off from the “best job that anybody could possibly have wished for” at Soccer Saturday. Stelling announced last month his intention to stand down as anchor of the Sky Sports programme after almost 30 years and earmarked the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday as his last show. In the days leading up to his swansong, Stelling divulged he had messages of support from the likes of Gordon Strachan and Neil Warnock, plus a phone call from John, former chairman and director of Watford. Stelling, an unapologetic Hartlepool fan who frequently celebrated their goals on Soccer Saturday, said: “Somebody asked me the other day if I’d ever been starstruck and yeah, I was starstruck when Elton John rang me at home to say ‘Thank you very much for all you’ve done’. “He said ‘Every week I watch the show and every week you tell me Watford are losing and every week you tell me Hartlepool are losing so I feel like we’re kindred spirits’. There’s something in that, isn’t there?” After touching tributes from colleagues past and present in a video montage, Stelling was given a standing ovation by the punditry panel of Paul Merson, Clinton Morrison, Kris Boyd and Michael Dawson. Stelling, who had planned to quit last year before reversing that decision, briefly hid his emotions with a mask of himself and quipped: “This is tricky because I’ve changed my mind – just kidding. “I haven’t changed my mind this time.” Stelling was clearly moved by the highlights package Sky televised in the final minutes of the show after Everton retained their top-flight status and confirmed the relegations of Leeds and Leicester. Merson, Alan Mullery, Frank McLintock, Clive Allen, Charlie Nicholas, Phil Thompson and Matt Le Tissier passed on their congratulations, as did Chris Kamara, who in a nod to the catchphrase that has become synonymous with the pair and the show, said: “You are unbelievable, Jeff!” Stelling looked back fondly on his 30-plus years with Sky, in which he not only covered football but live snooker, darts, greyhound racing, pool and thanked everyone with whom he had worked. So that's it. Soccer Saturday will be back next season. I'll be watching...From me, goodbye Jeff Stelling In his farewell monologue, he added: “It’s been the best job that anybody could possibly have wished for. My wife takes great pleasure in saying ‘You are the luckiest man ever to take a breath’ and you know what? I don’t tell her this often but she’s right. “The principle success of Soccer Saturday is you lot at home, who have given us unswerving support – both for the programme and for me personally. “So that’s it. Soccer Saturday will be back next season. I’ll be watching – when Hartlepool are not playing. From me, goodbye.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Bielsa casts shadow and ownership uncertainty – reasons behind Leeds’ relegation Soccer Saturday’s Jeff Stelling gets surprise phone call from Elton John Wales to host South Korea in September friendly

Jeff Stelling revealed singer Sir Elton John was among his well-wishers this week as the presenter signed off from the “best job that anybody could possibly have wished for” at Soccer Saturday. Stelling announced last month his intention to stand down as anchor of the Sky Sports programme after almost 30 years and earmarked the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday as his last show. In the days leading up to his swansong, Stelling divulged he had messages of support from the likes of Gordon Strachan and Neil Warnock, plus a phone call from John, former chairman and director of Watford. Stelling, an unapologetic Hartlepool fan who frequently celebrated their goals on Soccer Saturday, said: “Somebody asked me the other day if I’d ever been starstruck and yeah, I was starstruck when Elton John rang me at home to say ‘Thank you very much for all you’ve done’. “He said ‘Every week I watch the show and every week you tell me Watford are losing and every week you tell me Hartlepool are losing so I feel like we’re kindred spirits’. There’s something in that, isn’t there?” After touching tributes from colleagues past and present in a video montage, Stelling was given a standing ovation by the punditry panel of Paul Merson, Clinton Morrison, Kris Boyd and Michael Dawson. Stelling, who had planned to quit last year before reversing that decision, briefly hid his emotions with a mask of himself and quipped: “This is tricky because I’ve changed my mind – just kidding. “I haven’t changed my mind this time.” Stelling was clearly moved by the highlights package Sky televised in the final minutes of the show after Everton retained their top-flight status and confirmed the relegations of Leeds and Leicester. Merson, Alan Mullery, Frank McLintock, Clive Allen, Charlie Nicholas, Phil Thompson and Matt Le Tissier passed on their congratulations, as did Chris Kamara, who in a nod to the catchphrase that has become synonymous with the pair and the show, said: “You are unbelievable, Jeff!” Stelling looked back fondly on his 30-plus years with Sky, in which he not only covered football but live snooker, darts, greyhound racing, pool and thanked everyone with whom he had worked. So that's it. Soccer Saturday will be back next season. I'll be watching...From me, goodbye Jeff Stelling In his farewell monologue, he added: “It’s been the best job that anybody could possibly have wished for. My wife takes great pleasure in saying ‘You are the luckiest man ever to take a breath’ and you know what? I don’t tell her this often but she’s right. “The principle success of Soccer Saturday is you lot at home, who have given us unswerving support – both for the programme and for me personally. “So that’s it. Soccer Saturday will be back next season. I’ll be watching – when Hartlepool are not playing. From me, goodbye.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Bielsa casts shadow and ownership uncertainty – reasons behind Leeds’ relegation Wales to host South Korea in September friendly Football rumours: Barcelona set sights on Bruno Guimaraes

What the papers say As the Premier League season comes to an end, the summer transfer season is just beginning and Newcastle will have to fight to keep midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Barcelona. The Times says Barcelona believe it will cost them around £87million to sway Newcastle to let go of the 25-year-old Brazilian. Chelsea will be looking to put this season behind them after securing former Tottenham and Paris St Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino on a three-year contract, according to the Guardian. The Blues finished 12th this season. The Sun says promoted Sheffield United are looking at 24-year-old Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien, who is currently out on loan to DC United in MLS, to help bolster their squad for the top flight. Social media round-up Players to watch Sergej Milinkovic-Savic: Liverpool have sights set on the Lazio midfielder with the Serbian’s contract set to expire in 2024, according to Goal. Kim Min-jae: Manchester United and Newcastle are interested in signing the 26-year-old South Korean defender from Napoli, according to Spanish outlet Fijaches and Givemesport. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live