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Jack Grealish has made no apologies for his high-profile celebrations at the end of a mammoth season as he claimed any “party boy” image is misplaced. The England international helped Manchester City to an historic treble, culminating in a Champions League final win over Inter Milan. After the match, Grealish was the centre of attention for City’s celebrations as he drank and partied with his team-mates. Much was made of his approach but he still reported for England duty and came off the bench in Monday’s 7-0 win over North Macedonia. “I don’t think it is a party boy thing,” he said when asked about the response to his revelry. “I would never sit here and lie to you and say ‘Yeah, I don’t drink and I don’t party’ because I do but then there’s so many people that will come here and say to you ‘I don’t do this, I don’t do that’ when they do. “I’m just truthful because when you see me doing anything, you’d be like: ‘Oh, hold on. He said a few weeks ago in an interview that he didn’t do that’. “But listen, I just enjoy myself, I’m living my dream of playing for the best club in the world in my opinion, we’ve just won the treble so I’m going to obviously have a break now with my family and my friends and then I’ll be raring to go again in four weeks. “I knew (what) I was doing, that’s just the way I am, I’m like that when I party usually. Actually, I’m not like that usually but we’ve won the treble and it’s something that (may) never happen again. “So I went and enjoyed myself and I wasn’t the only one – I think a lot of the time you’ll see everyone recording me, I could show you all this stuff of other people where they were the same. “Listen, we all enjoyed ourselves, other people enjoy themselves where the cameras weren’t but that was just me enjoying myself, I’d had the most successful season of my life. “It is now June 19, I came into training last year on July 13. Years ago, you’d have a season for nine months, I’ve just laid out a 12-month season. I’ve been into a World Cup, I’ve won three trophies and then I’m going to be back training now in four weeks or so, why not enjoy myself?” Grealish said he had not been spoken to by England manager Gareth Southgate as he met up with the squad and felt he contributed as normal. England won both games to take a massive step to Euro 2024 qualification and Grealish reported for duty as expected. “I don’t know what you guys read and think sometimes. I have a great relationship with him (Southgate), honestly. A brilliant relationship,” he added. “I kind of knew in the back of my head that I wouldn’t play on the Friday (against Malta). But even so I came into camp on Tuesday night, I was a bit hungover but I wasn’t drunk or anything. “I came into camp with the other guys, we slept then woke up and trained on Wednesday. We trained on Thursday and, like I said, in the back of my mind, I knew I wasn’t going to play on the Friday. “Then on the Saturday, I trained and trained well. Then on the Sunday. I thought it was going to be a toss up with who plays. “I came on (against Macedonia) and I’m just happy. I’ve had a brilliant season, the most successful season of my life and I think there is a time now I can just sit and relax. “My emotions have been so high. When I was sitting in the camp on Thursday, it was the biggest high I’d been on in my whole life at the weekend. “You come into the camp, you sit on your own in your room and think ‘Will I ever feel that high again?’.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Isaac Price targets improvements after Northern Ireland suffer Kazakhstan defeat Tommy Doyle inspired by Man City treble ahead of England Under-21s’ Euros bid Cristiano Ronaldo snatches last-gasp winner for Portugal on landmark appearance

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated becoming the first male player to reach 200 international appearances with a last-minute winner for Portugal against Iceland. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star was honoured ahead of his country’s European Championship Group J qualifier in Reykjavik with a Guinness World Records certificate. And Ronaldo, 38, who broke Kuwait forward Bader Al-Mutawa’s 196-cap record in March, scored the only goal of the game in the closing stages with his 123rd for Portugal. Iceland were reduced to 10 men after 80 minutes when Willum Willumsson was sent off. After four matches played, Portugal sit two points clear of Slovakia, who won 1-0 at Liechtenstein thanks to Denis Vavro’s first-half strike. In the group’s other fixture, Luxembourg secured a 2-0 win at Bosnia. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland continued his incredible scoring run with a double in Norway’s 3-1 victory against Cyprus. After Ola Solbakken netted Norway’s opener in the Group A clash, Haaland scored two goals – one from the penalty spot – in four second-half minutes to end the season with a remarkable 56 strikes for club and country, and contribute to Norway’s first win of their qualifying campaign. Romelu Lukaku put his Champions League final disappointment behind him with a brace in Belgium’s 3-0 win at Estonia. Lukaku, who made a second-half appearance for Inter Milan in their defeat against City earlier this month, scored twice in the first half to put the visitors in control. Johan Bakayoko completed a comfortable Group F win for the Red Devils with a third in the closing minutes. Belgium remain three points adrift of Austria, who stay top of the group following a late victory against Sweden. The fixture looked to be heading for a goalless draw before Christoph Baumgartner netted a brace for the home side. Austria have played one game more than Belgium. In Group G, Hungary took top spot after winning 2-0 against Lithuania, while Serbia secured a 1-1 draw in Bulgaria following Darko Lazovic’s stoppage-time equaliser. Meanwhile, in Group E, Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski scored for Poland but could not stop his side from slipping to a 3-2 defeat in Moldova as Albania claimed a 3-1 win in the Faroe Islands. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Isaac Price targets improvements after Northern Ireland suffer Kazakhstan defeat Tommy Doyle inspired by Man City treble ahead of England Under-21s’ Euros bid Pat Cummins elated to lead Australia over the line in Ashes thriller

England Under-21s’ Tommy Doyle admits Manchester City’s treble winners have given him inspiration for Euro glory. The midfielder watched as his parent club won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League while on loan at Sheffield United. Doyle also won promotion with the Blades after finishing second in the Championship. He is in Georgia ahead of England’s Group C opener with the Czech Republic in Batumi on Thursday and feels Pep Guardiola’s superstars have provided added motivation for him. “It’s massive to see and gives you inspiration as well to go on to win and get yourself in that team as well to enjoy success,” said the 21-year-old. “It was special. Of course you want to be there as well and be involved but you have to respect where you’re at at this moment. “I was 110 per cent focused on Sheffield United and what I needed to do there but, as well as a player of City, I’m a fan as well so I was always watching. I had my fan hat on more because I was at a different club. “It’s massive for the club. They deserved it, they were brilliant and when it got to the business end they stepped up another level.” The Young Lions go into the tournament as one of the favourites in Georgia. Cole Palmer won the treble with Manchester City this season, Ben Johnson helped West Ham win the Europa Conference League, Max Aarons has won the Championship twice and Morgan Gibbs-White, Angel Gomes and Emile Smith Rowe lifted the Under-17s World Cup in 2017. Gareth Southgate believes the senior side have serial winners and Doyle feels the Young Lions, who also face Israel and Germany in the group stage, are the same. We have lads who love to win, want to win and who have won before. That obviously does help Tommy Doyle He said: “Yeah, of course. It’s on a little bit of a different scale. A lot of the lads in the seniors, the ones I know from City, have just come off the back of winning a treble and that is obviously massive for anyone as a player. “But lads here have won a lot, whether that be at academy level or stepping up and winning promotions or whatever that is. “We have lads who love to win, want to win and who have won before. That obviously does help.”

A frustrated Isaac Price said Kazakhstan had been “there for the taking” in Northern Ireland’s 1-0 Euro 2024 qualifying defeat at Windsor Park on Monday night. Northern Ireland could not convert any of the 13 efforts they had at goal – with only one on target – and were punished at the death as Abat Aimbetov broke away to snatch an 88th minute winner. It was a third consecutive 1-0 defeat for Michael O’Neill’s side, but where Friday’s loss away to Denmark had brought optimism, given a battling display against the group’s top seeds, a home defeat to a side ranked 50 places below Northern Ireland left a flat feeling. “It’s very tough to take, frustrating really,” said Price. “We know we weren’t good enough. We knew they were there for the taking and we didn’t take our chances. We have to look back on it and improve for the next fixtures in September.” O’Neill knows he must be patient with the many youngsters pressed into service ahead of schedule given an injury list which stretches into double figures. Price, 19, is on that list but the midfielder was not cutting himself any slack after the match. “Personally I wasn’t good enough, technically on the ball and I didn’t create enough chances,” he said. “It was the same for the whole team really. We have to improve in the final third. “We’re not too bad at the back, but we conceded a silly goal at the end so instead of taking a point, we lost everything. There are so many areas where we can improve. We have two tough away games coming up in September, we have to go and try and get three points in both Isaac Price “There was optimism coming in from the game on Friday night. We thought we deserved more against Denmark. We have to look back at the game and see where we can improve. There are so many areas where we can improve. “We have two tough away games coming up in September, we have to go and try and get three points in both.” Price, earning only his fourth cap, was starting a second-consecutive match, having also been asked to play in an advanced role behind the lone striker in Copenhagen. “I’m delighted to play, the experience is something which you can’t get anywhere else,” he said. “International football is very different to the football you play at your club.” Price is now set to start a new adventure, having this month signed a four-year contract to join Standard Liege after rejecting a new deal at Everton. The move promises the opportunity to get more playing time and learn in a very different environment. “I can’t wait to go over now,” he said. “Hopefully I can improve a lot more over there and in a different side of the game. It’s a lot more technical. “I just can’t wait to get over and get started now.”

An amazing moment in "Get Up" history.

Emoni Bates was once the highest-rated NBA Draft prospect in his class. Now he might not get selected at all.According to Seth Davis of The Athletic, a scout has said that Emoni Bates is considered "too much of a circus" to end up being drafted. This is a low blow for the player who wa...

England are still waiting to find out where September’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine will be hosted, the PA news agency understands. Gareth Southgate’s men continued their 100 per cent start to European Championship qualification by beating North Macedonia 7-0 on Monday. England’s next Group C match is away to Ukraine on September 9, but a location for the fixture has yet to be rubber-stamped. Russia’s invasion in February 2022 has forced Ukraine to host matches away from their homeland. Monday’s qualifier at home to Malta was played in Trnava, Slovakia and last year’s Nations League games were held in Poland – two in Lodz, one in Krakow. Austria had been considered as host for Ukraine’s qualifier against England, but PA understands the fixture is now unlikely to take place there. Vienna and Klagenfurt had been reportedly considered as host cities. UEFA has been contacted for comment. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

FC Utrecht have agreed a deal to sign Manchester United youngster Zidane Iqbal, the PA news agency understands. The homegrown 20-year-old has made one first-team appearance for the club as a substitute against Young Boys in the Champions League in November 2021. Iqbal impressed on United’s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia last summer but that has not translated into chances under Erik ten Hag, despite featuring on the bench on numerous occasions. The Iraq international is now set to move to the Netherlands after Utrecht agreed a one million euros (£850,000) deal with United. The deal for Iqbal, who club sources believe will be well suited to Eredivisie football at this stage of his career, is understood to include a big sell-on clause but no buyback clause. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The infamous College World Series Jello shot contest record should be questioned.

Perhaps it was the most successful unsuccessful season ever. Kalvin Phillips has ended his first year at Manchester City with a historic haul of medals. Yet his three trophies outnumbered his two league starts. In all competitions, he only began four games, City lost two of them and the first of those defeats – to Nathan Jones’ Southampton – ended up costing them the quadruple. A year like no other at least ended on a personal high, Phillips scoring his first England goal in the 7-0 thrashing of North Macedonia. Then he reflected: “I came to Manchester City to win trophies and we won the trophies but I didn’t play as much as I wanted to do.” If the last part is an understatement, it has only stiffened his resolve. Phillips is adamant he does not want to quit City. To walk away now, he believes, would be to admit defeat. He could attract interest – maybe from Newcastle or West Ham – but he hopes to sit out the summer transfer market. “My intention is to stay there,” he said. “We have just won the treble, so there is no reason for me to leave other than if I am not playing. I will obviously have to think about it. I cannot give it 12 months and say, ‘I am not playing so I am going to leave’. As you have seen with many players at City, it can take quite a while to cement yourself into the team.” The decision is not just his. Pep Guardiola made it public that Phillips came back from the World Cup overweight. While the former Leeds man was understudying one of the world’s best defensive midfielders, in Rodri, it was damning that Guardiola also preferred Ilkay Gundogan in the holding role. Some of Phillips’ cameos were so brief – his last four substitute appearances in the Premier League lasted a grand total of 17 minutes – to suggest he was not trusted. City’s £42 million outlay to Leeds bought them an expensive fringe player. “I will definitely speak to Pep,” Phillips said. “I don’t know whether it will be in the summer because everyone enjoys their downtime and everyone wants their space away from football so I’ll probably leave it until I go back for pre-season.” Guardiola can exile some players but persevere with others. City have their own version of second-season syndrome, where players improve after a year to get used to his methods and tactics. Rodri is a case in point; so are Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish. Nathan Ake’s breakthrough year was his third. Phillips has been consulting some of those who did not enjoy an immediate impact. “I just know how difficult it is to understand the way Pep wants to play and how quickly you need to adapt to play in his system,” he said. “I spoke to quite a few of the players about it. Nathan Ake being one, Jack [another]. They all said the same, they all said the first 12 months were the hardest of their City careers but after that it… it doesn’t become easy, but easier.” A fundamental difference is that, without necessarily flourishing, Phillips’ predecessors featured far more in their debut campaigns than he has; each commanded more of their manager’s faith. Guardiola’s history as a holding midfielder adds intrigue: there are some he feels are naturals for his demands – like Sergio Busquets and Philipp Lahm – and others, such as Rodri, who are grooved into the role. Phillips’ time under Marcelo Bielsa, one of Guardiola’s managerial heroes, was expected to stand him in good stead. Instead, he has required another vast learning curve. “I am on the brink of almost getting it,” he said. “Obviously there is a little bit of work in pre-season and hopefully [I will] be alright.” His has been an ill-fated first year in one respect – sidelined at the end of his Leeds career with a hamstring problem, then requiring shoulder surgery when he went to City – and a fortunate one in another, with three medals from minimal contributions. If staying at City comes with some risks, particularly to his place in Gareth Southgate’s plans, leaving may seem like giving up. A player who worked his way up from being a Championship midfielder to one bought by Pep Guardiola has made his decision. “I’m just going to go away for the off-season and enjoy myself with my family and girlfriend and friends,” he said. “And then come back fighting.” Read More The no-impact substitute: Kalvin Phillips’ ongoing humiliation gives Man City a problem Pep Guardiola: It’s up to Kalvin Phillips to show he deserves a Man City future Man City’s Premier League coronation shows how far their rivals have fallen

West Ham United are insisting the total value of Arsenal's bid for Declan Rice must meet £100 million, as a second bid was rejected on Tuesday afternoon. The latest offer was £75m up front, with £15m in add-ons but West Ham did not see those as achievable. Arsenal will go back in with another bid and the feeling is they are getting closer as Mikel Arteta wants business done and his squad set before the summer tour. There is the possibility that Manchester City come in but their business is currently dependent on what players leave, allowing Arsenal an opening. Should they be successful, Arteta could well oversee over £200m of expenditure, as the club aims to bring in Rice, Chelsea's Kai Havertz, Southampton's Romeo Lavia and Ajax's Jurrien Timber. Some of that will be offset by sales, as Arsenal are prepared to listen to offers for a few players, including Kieran Tierney, Thomas Partey, Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun. Should Rice join the Gunners, the England midfielder would become the club’s record signing, beating the £72m Arsenal paid for Nicolas Pepe in 2019. The 24-year-old lifted the Europa Conference League trophy in Prague on 8 June before owner David Sullivan said he believed that was the skipper’s last outing for the Hammers. Arsenal finished second in the Premier League last season, with manager Mikel Arteta and football director Edu having identified the players they want to add to once again challenge Manchester City. Read More Romeo Lavia: Arsenal face four-way battle with Premier League rivals for £45m midfielder

Kalvin Phillips insists he wants to stay at Manchester City as he aims to become the latest player to find his feet after a tricky first season at the Eithad Stadium. The England international moved across the Pennines from Leeds last summer but has seen his game time restricted by a combination of injury and selection decision. Phillips, 27, started just two Premier League games as City swept aside all opposition to win a historic treble. He ended the season by scoring his first England goal in Monday’s 7-0 thrashing of North Macedonia in a Euro 2024 qualifier at Old Trafford and goes into the summer with no plans to leave City. “To be honest I was injured before I even went to City, so that is one of the main reasons why I was injured so much,” he said. “City have been amazing to help me get back to full fitness and I eventually played a few more games for City and England, so credit to the medical staff at City for helping me. I came to Manchester City to win trophies and we won the trophies, but I didn’t play as much as I wanted to do Kalvin Phillips “My intention is to stay there. We have just won the treble, so there is no reason for me to leave, other than if I am not playing I will obviously have to think about it. “I cannot give it 12 months and say, ‘I am not playing so I am going to leave’. I came to Manchester City to win trophies and we won the trophies, but I didn’t play as much as I wanted to do. “With England I played a little bit, but was ruled out through injuries as well. It is just nice to be back fit. I have nothing to worry about now. Everything is fine with my body. I will continue to work hard next season and hopefully do well when I go back to City.” Phillips revealed he spoken to the likes of Nathan Ake and England colleague Jack Grealish, the pair having also needed time to settle in to the way Pep Guardiola asks his City side to play. Asked if he was telling himself he is not the only new arrival to need time, the midfielder replied: “I’d like to think so, to be honest. I just know how difficult it is to understand the way Pep wants to play and how quickly you need to adapt to play in his system. “I am on the brink of almost getting it. Obviously there is a little bit of work in pre-season and hopefully be all right. “As you have seen with many players at City, it can take quite a while to cement yourself into the team. Hopefully I will enjoy my off-season and then work hard when I get back.” “I spoke to quite a few of the players about it. Nathan Ake being one, Jack, they all said the same, they all said the first 12 months were the hardest of their City careers but after that, it doesn’t become easy, but easier. “I’m just going to go away for the off-season and enjoy myself with my family and girlfriend and friends and then come back fighting. “I will definitely speak to Pep. I don’t know whether it will be in the summer because everyone enjoys their downtime and everyone wants their space away from football, so I’ll probably leave it until I go back for pre-season but I’ll just speak to him and have a good conversation.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Yaya Toure leaves Tottenham Academy to join Standard Liege as assistant coach England and Australia set up a thrilling finale in first Ashes Test ‘Devil Baby’ influencer who stalked Chelsea players avoids prison