List of All Articles with Tag 'eppersons'

Tuesday's Real Madrid transfer rumours, with updates on Kylian Mbappe, Luka Modric, Federico Valverde & more.

Pep Guardiola has a contract at Manchester City until 2025 but has signed numerous extensions in the past

For someone who is such a monolith of a man, there are a surprising number of layers to Joe Joyce. At certain points during our half-hour conversation, Joe Joyce the heavyweight boxer is speaking; at others, it’s Joe Joyce the fine-art student, the swimming instructor, the cheerleader, or the trumpet player. “When I was a swimming and diving teacher, it was a really great feeling to have someone who was really afraid of the water and to get their head under the water – or have them swimming three, four strokes by the end,” the Londoner tells The Independent. “To have people who have spent their life not being able to swim, and to get them to even put their head under the water in their late sixties and seventies, that’s something I found really rewarding. “I also played trumpet for quite a few years, I was in the choir at school. I could do a little bit of percussion; I used to go on music holidays. My little brother is the more musical one; he’s at uni doing something musical and was in the Brit School; he was also in Thriller Live. My dad’s an art teacher, he restores antique mirror frames, and my mum was into pottery; she does a series of African-esque heads. Growing up, music and sport was encouraged, as was art. I did my first oil painting when I was seven years old. “It would be nice to make more art and create more things, be more creative than the destructive boxing side.” These other sides to Joyce are all “authentic” elements of the 37-year-old, as he puts it. “I wake up Joe Joyce, I go to sleep Joe Joyce. I’d like to inspire the next generation coming up and teach them, lead by example. It’s good to give back. I’d like to lead a movement, like how Muhammad Ali transcended boxing and is one of these pivotal names in history – like Bruce Lee, Bob Marley, Michael Jordan. That’s the kind of thing I’d like to leave behind, or at least something close to that.” They are huge aspirations for a man who comes across so humbly, but while there is some way for Joyce to go in achieving such status, his profile swelled significantly in the aftermath of his knockout of Joseph Parker in September 2022. “Overnight I saw the change, where people were kind of putting me in the top five [at heavyweight] and were interested and excited about certain match-ups with these top fighters,” he says. Joyce, who claimed silver for Great Britain at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, hammered Parker to the canvas with a left hook in the 11th round in Manchester to become interim WBO champion. “When I was in there, I couldn’t remember what shot I stopped him with; it wasn’t until I got back to the changing room and they showed me the clip of it. I was like, ‘Woah!’” The final shot capped off an indefatigable performance from Joyce, who marched down the New Zealander relentlessly and was unperturbed by Parker’s best strikes. “He did his best, he put his best effort in, and it wasn’t enough,” Joyce says matter-of-factly, before morphing his voice into a fine impression of a 1970s professional wrestler: “And it’s gonna take a wrecking ball to take me down, I’ll tell you that much!” he bellows, making a whipping motion with his index finger, before his voice cracks into a laugh. Unfortunately for the Briton, Zhilei Zhang became that wrecking ball in April. While the Chinese heavyweight did not quite take down Joyce, he battered the “Juggernaut”’s right eye to the point of closure, forcing the referee to wave off the bout in Round 6. With the result, Joyce lost the WBO Interim belt and saw his professional record fall to 15-1 (with 14 of his wins having come via knockout). The clashes with Parker and Zhang, similar to Joyce’s bout with rising heavyweight Daniel Dubois in 2020, were risky affairs on paper. But in a business in which the best rarely do battle with one another, Joyce has shown no trepidation in confronting tough combatants. At 37, he cannot afford to waste time on tune-up fights or meaningless match-ups. “I’m not out here just to earn money or be heavyweight champion of the world,” he insists. “It’s about taking them challenges on and overcoming them. I think some of that can be lost in the sport. It’d be good to bring back those good times of everybody fighting everybody. People don’t wanna lose their ‘0’. I don’t know where that mentality came from... Maybe from Floyd Mayweather? That’s why a lot of the [big] fights don’t happen.” It is a trend that is at odds with what fans want – one that goes against basic fighting instinct, Joyce argues. “There’s that excitement when you’re at school, and someone in the playground shouts, ‘Fight!’ It kicks off, and the whole school gathers around... It’s that primordial excitement that people get, it’s that kind of raw entertainment. When I was in primary school, I had quite a few fights – two on one, or they’d start the fight and I’d finish it. I was always a head taller than everyone. Early days of rugby, there’d be five or six guys hanging on to me, trying to slow me down.” Ironically, a criticism of Joyce has been his perceived lack of speed, but if that is a valid critique then it has not prevented the Juggernaut from building momentum in fights through his pressure and the volume of his output. Before Joyce’s meeting with Zhang, there was a clamour for the Briton to face the likes of Tyson Fury and fellow Olympian Anthony Joshua. The visual of Joyce being scaled by school students on the rugby pitch, coupled with discussions around Fury and Joshua, leads us naturally onto whether Joyce would rather fight five smaller Furys or one gargantuan Joshua. “Five little Furys would be a pain in the ass, wouldn’t it?” he laughs. “That’d be so annoying, being surrounded by them! They’d be coming from all angles, you can’t hit them, the head movement... But imagine the punch on a massive-sized Joshua... ” Before long, Joyce might not even have to imagine the punch on a life-sized Joshua, who – as the 37-year-old acknowledges – is an intriguing enough proposition as is. Joyce’s eagerness to embrace such challenges is an endearing element of his personality – and of his approach to his profession. That dichotomy, between the gentle Juggernaut’s personality and profession, will only make his journey all the more enthralling. Read More Joe Joyce arrives at boxing’s top table with brutal knockout of Joseph Parker Tyson Fury: Joe Joyce ‘couldn’t lace my boots’ but beats Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk Tyson Fury to record ‘Sweet Caroline’ cover for mental health charity Jake Paul agrees to new stipulation in Nate Diaz fight Josh Taylor says move up to welterweight is ‘imminent’ after first career defeat Teofimo Lopez and his father share emotional exchange during Josh Taylor fight

England’s Manchester City quintet are due to arrive at St George’s Park on Tuesday evening after days celebrating their treble triumph. Gareth Southgate’s men are preparing for Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier in Malta and the Old Trafford encounter with North Macedonia on Monday. The exact availability of City’s players for the doubleheader is unclear given their celebrations following Saturday’s Champions League triumph in Turkey only ended after Monday’s rain-soaked parade. Jack Grealish was at the heart of the revelry and is due at St George’s Park to link up with England on Tuesday night, as are Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, John Stones and Kalvin Phillips. Declan Rice was also given extra time after captaining West Ham to Europa Conference League glory last week and linked up with the squad on Monday morning. The 24-year-old midfielder was part of a 19-man training group on Tuesday morning, as was uncapped Crystal Palace talent Eberechi Eze. England Under-21 international Levi Colwill was also involved in the session. The defender has joined Southgate’s squad for training this week following the withdrawal of injured Brighton team-mate Lewis Dunk. Jude Bellingham watched the start from the sidelines at St George’s Park. The 19-year-old, who is set to join Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund, has been ruled out of the Malta and North Macedonia matches through injury. However, Bellingham headed to St George’s Park to continue his rehabilitation from a knee issue.

Kylian Mbappe has spoken out after confirming his desire to leave PSG.

Jake Paul has agreed to extend his fight with Nate Diaz to 10 rounds, as he prepares to test the UFC veteran’s ‘cardio’. YouTuber star Paul is due to box the mixed martial arts icon in Dallas on 5 August, with their bout originally scheduled for eight rounds. However, Paul, 26, has now agreed to a stipulation of 10 rounds against his fellow American, 38. “Nate Diaz wants 10 rounds,” Paul tweeted on Tuesday (13 June). “I guess he has good cardio. “Ok Nathan, 10 rounds it is.” Diaz, who left the UFC in September after submitting Tony Ferguson, will be making his professional boxing debut when he faces Paul. The YouTuber, meanwhile, is 6-1 as a pro boxer, having beaten former UFC champions Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva, among others. Paul outpointed Woodley in their first clash before knocking him out in a rematch, and the 26-year-old dropped Silva en route to a points victory over the MMA legend. He also holds a first-round knockout win over ex-UFC star and former ONE champion Ben Askren. Most recently, Paul boxed Tommy Fury – half-brother of heavyweight boxing champion Tyson – in February, losing on points. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More MMA great Amanda Nunes retires after win over Irene Aldana at UFC 289 Amanda Nunes took ‘coward’s way out’ by retiring at UFC 289, says Julianna Pena Meet Charles Oliveira, the UFC’s miracle man Jake Paul makes startling Conor McGregor claim in intense rant at UFC star Josh Taylor says move up to welterweight is ‘imminent’ after first career defeat Teofimo Lopez and his father share emotional exchange during Josh Taylor fight

Today's USMNT rumorsarticle includes Gregg Berhalter being in consideration for the Sparta Rotterdam job. Folarin Balogun could become an option for Juventus and Malik Tillman has been linked with Brighton.USMNT rumors: Gregg Berhalter to Sparta RotterdamGregg Berhalter has recently been ba...

Premier League clubs can begin shaping their squads for the 2023-24 season when the transfer window opens on Wednesday. Here, the PA news agency picks out some high-profile players who could make summer moves. Harry Kane England captain Kane is entering the final year of his contract with Tottenham and has been repeatedly linked with Manchester United while Real Madrid have also been touted as a possible destination. However, Spurs are thought to be reluctant to sell their record goalscorer, particularly to a top-flight rival. Declan Rice West Ham skipper Rice marked potentially his final match for his current club by leading them to Europa Conference League glory. According to reports, London rivals Arsenal are closing in on the 24-year-old England midfielder and are expected to pay a club-record fee in excess of £100million. Moises Caicedo Europa League-bound Brighton have already sold World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool and may lose fellow star midfielder Caicedo. Arsenal bid for the Ecuador international in January. The 21-year-old has also been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea. James Maddison Midfield playmaker Maddison seems certain to be on the move following Leicester’s relegation. Newcastle are thought to be in pole position to secure the signature of the 26-year-old, whose contract expires next summer. Tottenham are also reportedly interested. Mason Mount Chelsea and England midfielder Mount is another player whose existing deal has just 12 months remaining. The 24-year-old, who joined the Blues’ academy in 2005, is reportedly a target for Manchester United, with talks between the clubs said to be already under way. Harry Maguire The Manchester United captain has fallen out of favour under Erik ten Hag but is thought to be keen to fight for his future at Old Trafford. Newcastle, Tottenham and Aston Villa have each been linked with Maguire, who cost United £80m from Leicester in 2019.

Joe Rogan addressed whether comedian Kevin James is a martial artist during his podcast episode

Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus swam the second fastest 400m freestyle this year Tuesday to book her place at next month's world championships, as did fellow swimming...

Rob Page says Wrexham striker Paul Mullin will be considered for Wales selection if he scores regularly in League Two. Liverpool-born Mullin qualifies for the Dragons through his Welsh-born grandmother and has said he would love to represent Wales on the international stage. The 28-year-old has scored 78 goals in two seasons at Wrexham – helping the club owned by Hollywood actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds back into the English Football League – and won the 2022-23 FA Cup Golden Ball as the competition’s top scorer. Mullin’s eligibility has been a big talking point among Wales supporters with many keen to see him given a senior call, but manager Page was reluctant to select someone plying his trade in the fifth tier of English football. “Forget what he’s done up until now,” Page said ahead of Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Armenia in Cardiff. “If he is playing in League Two and he’s scoring goals, then we will look at him and consider him. But there is a massive gap from where he’s been up to League Two. “We will keep monitoring him and if he keeps scoring goals as he goes up the levels he’ll prove himself.” Mullin has already shone in League Two and won the division’s Golden Boot with a 32-goal season in Cambridge’s 2020–21 promotion campaign. He enhanced his reputation further in the FA Cup this term with nine goals, three of which came against Championship pair Coventry and Sheffield United. Page said: “I watched him against Sheffield United and I was very impressed by him, just from a work-rate point of view. “I wouldn’t want to play against him, he’s a pain in the backside. “Forget his goalscoring and his eye for goal, I like him because he’s a pain to play against. He’s like a rat, and I want that.” Page admits Wales need to sharpen their attacking play for games against Armenia and Turkey after collecting four points from their opening two Euro 2024 qualifiers in March. Brennan Johnson and David Brooks have returned to the squad after missing the 1-1 draw in Croatia and the 1-0 home win over Latvia. “While I was happy with the Latvia performance and how we controlled the game, that final detail at the top of the pitch is where we need to improve,” Page said. “Having Brennan back fit, and Daniel James, Harry Wilson and David available is only going to help us achieve that. “With the personnel we’ve got we can have two or three different formations without any problem. “The game plan might change within a game, but having players like Brennan will give us the opportunity to get higher up the pitch and score more goals. “We’ve got some good players and the problem now is finding out how to get them all into the same team.” Read More Why Wrexham? How Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney came to buy a club they’d never heard of Wrexham seal long-awaited Football League return in front of Hollywood owners Aaron Ramsey ‘fully focused’ on Wales amid uncertainty over future with Nice Wales boss urges Premier League clubs to sign James Rob Page discusses possibility of Gareth Bale joining Wales coaching staff David Brooks back in Wales squad after beating cancer

Gabri Veiga, tipped to be the next young star of Spanish football, has a long list of skills and abilities, but if one thing sticks out about this supremely confident 21-year-old then it’s his ability to strike a ball. The secret to his ball-striking abilities, however, may surprise you. “I began playing football because of pumpkins,” he has explained. Playing at his uncle’s house when he was a toddler, he discovered a pumpkin on the kitchen floor and started to kick it “out of curiosity”. From then on, all he wanted to do was kick balls and he joined his first football club aged four. Later, as a 12-year-old, he was enrolled in the famed A Madroa academy of local Galician club RC Celta and now, in 2022/23, the attacking midfielder has emerged as one of the team’s key players, working up a profitable partnership with Iago Aspas, the team’s most senior and exceptional player and another who also came through the club’s academy many years ago. Fast forward to this term and Veiga scored the two crucial goals on the final day of the season to see Celta Vigo beat champions Barcelona and secure their top-flight status. That could yet turn out to be his last action at Balaidos, with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United all being heavily linked with a move and the talented attacker sitting high on their list of priorities for this summer’s transfers. Veiga’s release clause is set at €40million (£34.4m) - though it’s perhaps worth noting that Celta have only sold one player for more than €15m since Nolito left for Man City in 2016. Eleven goals - top ten among Europe’s U21 players Between them, Aspas and Viega were responsible for scoring 23 of RC Celta’s 43 LaLiga Santander goals in 2022/23 and the veteran striker has done his part in making the youngster feel comfortable, personally setting up two of the midfielder’s 11 goals. Veiga’s goal count this campaign, his first full season in the first team, is nothing short of stunning. Nobody scored more goals from midfield in LaLiga this season. In his age category, Veiga is truly standing out. Of all the Under-21 players in Europe’s top five leagues, Veiga finished with the seventh-highest goal tally, only trailing the likes of Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka. Also, he is the Under-21 player with the second-most goals produced in LaLiga 22/23 (11 goals and four assists), only one behind Villarreal’s Nicolas Jackson (12 and four). Veiga is about much more than his goals, however. He has proved his versatility throughout his youth career, playing in every position aside from goalkeeper, centre-back and left-back. It is perhaps that rich variety of experience which has seen him to develop into the player he is today: a midfielder with remarkable vision and ability to make the final pass, with the courage and pace to take players on and the timing to run in behind defences and latch on to through balls. “In my career I’ve only seen one or two players who have the characteristics of Veiga,” said RC Celta coach Carlos Carvalhal, who has been in management for 25 years. “He is a very complete player. He has a different profile to all the other midfielders in Spain, who are usually about touch and possession. Gabri breaks games open.” A player who can score different types of goals As Carvalhal alluded to, Veiga’s qualities make him the ideal link between midfield and attack and his 11 goals this season showcased his various attributes. The two most eye-catching goals were his long-range rockets against Real Betis and UD Almería, with the former being his first goal in front of the home fans at Balaídos, when he rounded three defenders before pinging the ball into the far bottom corner, while the latter goal was a thumping drive from outside the area with hardly any back-lift, which cannoned in off the crossbar. His first goal had come against Atlético de Madrid, a first-time finish which crept in at the near post, while he produced an ice-cool shot to score against Sevilla FC after racing on to a through ball from Aspas. His best individual display yet, however, came in the thrilling 4-3 win at Real Betis earlier this month. He scored RC Celta’s second goal with a cheeky lob right in front of goalkeeper Rui Silva after creating the danger himself with two clever headers. He then gave his side the lead by appearing at just the right time to knock in Jorgen Strand Larsen’s cross from the byline. What next for Veiga? He was believed to be under consideration by Luis Enrique as a potentially surprise call-up for the World Cup and, even if he didn’t go to Qatar, his debut for Spain’s senior team cannot be far away. He is in the U21 squad for this month’s fixture against Mexico. An international debut is bound to further raise Veiga’s profile and confirm what everyone at RC Celta already knows: that he has what it takes to make it to the very top. Read More Jude Bellingham uses pain of England’s near misses in bid for Euro 2024 glory Sheikh Jassim waiting to hear if final offer to buy Man Utd has been successful Joelinton: I received racist insults after Arsenal game Jude Bellingham uses pain of England’s near misses in bid for Euro 2024 glory Sheikh Jassim waiting to hear if final offer to buy Man Utd has been successful Joelinton: I received racist insults after Arsenal game