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Aaron Rodgers suffered what appears to be a devastating injury only four plays into his New York Jets' tenure. It was a shocking and difficult thing to watch, e

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The wife of former England captain Dave Watson has welcomed the creation of a new fund designed to support ex-professionals living with neurodegenerative disease. The Brain Health Fund, which has an initial £1million available immediately to support former players and their loved ones, has been set up by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and the Premier League. It has faced criticism from some quarters, including the family of former Manchester United and England midfielder Nobby Stiles, who had been living with dementia for many years prior to his death in 2020. However, Penny Watson, whose husband Dave won 65 caps for England between 1974 and 1982 and who is now living with dementia, believes the PFA and the Premier League deserve enormous credit. Watson, herself a critic of the PFA under its former chief executive Gordon Taylor, told the PA news agency things had “drastically changed” at the union under his successor Maheta Molango. She added: “I am so thankful to the PFA and the Premier League for finally formalising the fund and the determination and hard work of several people specifically – Adam White, Rachel Walden and Dawn Astle at the PFA and Nick Perchard at the Premier League, they have been working very, very hard to try and negotiate this. “They should be proud that the money now, as we speak, is actually helping families. I do get involved with families, I know the situation a lot of them are in.” Consultants believe Dave Watson is suffering from the progressive brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is associated with repeated head impacts but currently can only be accurately diagnosed post-mortem. The fund will assist in ensuring the quality of life of both the former player and their carer and making sure that it is the best that can be achieved in those last years and months. Penny Watson His wife Penny is in touch with many other families of ex-players going through similar circumstances, and believes the fund will make a major difference to them. “The fund will assist in ensuring the quality of life of both the former player and their carer and making sure that it is the best that can be achieved in those last years and months,” she said. “The application process will be as seamless and easy as possible, with no hoops to jump through or hidden pitfalls. There will be nothing like that. “The money is there, so I hope families will contact the Brain Health Department at the PFA and they will explain how to apply. I just want families not to be focusing on and hearing all the bad things, they need the help now. “(The fund) has been really well thought out, I think that’s one of the reasons it has taken a long time to get to this point.” The ultimate goal for PFA chief executive Molango is that the fund be replaced in the longer term by a charity backed by all the four key stakeholders in English football. Dawn Astle’s involvement has been pivotal to the creation of the fund. Her father Jeff Astle, a former West Brom and England forward, died in 2002 aged 59 with early-onset dementia. A coroner recorded the cause of death as industrial disease, owing to the repeated heading of a ball. The Football Association is involved in funding a number of research projects aimed at understanding why there is a heightened risk of neurodegenerative disease among footballers, something identified by the 2019 FIELD Study. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live David Brooks’ first Wales goal since beating cancer savoured by team-mates Ben White says Scotland will learn from South Africa loss and become better team Tony Harrington named fourth official for Newcastle-Brentford after VAR ‘error’

American investment firm 777 Partners have returned to the negotiating table at Everton but are now reportedly considering a majority purchase. The group had been in talks earlier this summer over a partial investment only for rivals MSP Sports Capital to enter into an exclusivity agreement with Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri. With the agreement now over after that potential investment fell through over repayments to existing lenders – although a £100million loan to help finalise the completion of a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock was agreed – it appears 777 have re-entered talks. However, reports suggest it is with a view to a full takeover of the club. Everton have been seeking outside investment for some time in order to free up finances to complete the new stadium. In January Moshiri, who has spent more than £500million on players since becoming the majority shareholder in 2016, said the club was not up for sale but admitted he was exploring funding options to cover the final stages of the £550m-plus build at Bramley-Moore which will is set to see the ground opened next season. The 777 group, which did not comment when contacted by the PA news agency, currently own, or part own, Genoa, Standard Liege, Hertha Berlin, Vasco de Gama and Melbourne Victory and the London Lions basketball team and British Basketball League. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The Football Association will resist any attempt from Ireland to appoint England under-21 manager Lee Carsley, should Irish boss Stephen Kenny be sacked. Ireland have just suffered successive defeats to France and Netherlands and while those would otherwise be respectable performances, they come on the back of a series of poor results that have now all but ended the hopes of Euro 2024 qualification. While Kenny is widely expected to be given the rest of this campaign, a failure to claim a play-off place - which is now dependent on results in other groups - could well end three difficult years in charge of the Irish team. A former Irish international, Carsley has long been admired by the Football Association of Ireland, and is seen as the next main target for the senior job whenever that may be. He bolstered his growing reputation in the summer with England's first under-21 European Championships victory in 39 years, beating Spain in the final. That has only added to Carsley's value within the FA, though, where he is seen as the sort of figure who could eventually succeed Gareth Southgate as senior manager. While there would be the expectation that England go for a more established club manager when Southgate eventually departs, a growing school of thinking is that the international game demands different qualities. Southgate himself is one of a few examples from high-profile European nations who have succeeded by promoting from the underage squads. There has been a feeling Carsley's year-to-year under-21 contract could mean he is attainable by Ireland, but any approach would be met with resistance by the FA. Other names that have been mentioned in circles around the top of the Irish football hierarchy are Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna and even Rafael Benitez. While the latter would be hugely expensive but potentially open to the job in the future, McKenna is seen as even more difficult due to Ipswich’s huge investment in a Premier League promotion push. Read More Gareth Southgate hails Evan Ferguson and confirms England interest in Newcastle starlet Stephen Kenny ‘not thinking about’ pressure on job as Euro 2024 hopes crumble Gareth Southgate acknowledges England want Newcastle duo amid call-up tug-of-war with Scotland

Harry Wilson revealed how the Wales dressing room serenaded David Brooks with “his song” after the Bournemouth forward scored his first international goal since beating cancer. Brooks was diagnosed with stage-two Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021 while on Wales duty. The 26-year-old announced he was cancer-free in May last year, but it has been a long road back to form and fitness as Brooks’ body took time to recover from the full effects of the disease. So it was no surprise the entire Wales squad wildly celebrated the stoppage time goal that Brooks scored to seal a 2-0 European Championship qualifying victory over Latvia on Monday. It was Brooks’ first Wales goal since scoring the winner in a Nations League tie against the Republic of Ireland in November 2020. “When the news broke that he had his illness we were on camp and it hit us hard,” Wilson said after the Riga success. “He’s a big part of the group. He’s been my room mate for years and it was tough for us all. “To see how strong he’s been through it all, how he’s come back and regained his fitness. He’s had setbacks along the way and picked up a few injuries. “His body was completely shut down for a while and it’s going to happen, but it’s how he’s dealt with those setbacks. “Now he’s fully fit he showed his quality at the end. At that moment in the game a lot of players would have snatched at that chance, but he was so calm to wait for the keeper to go down and just lifted it over him.” Wales supporters are used to belting out the ‘Brooks will tear you apart again’ song to the tune of Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear You Apart’ in tribute to him. Wilson said: “The other day when he came on against South Korea the fans must have sang his song for a good 15 to 20 minutes. “They were singing it again at the end when we went to them to show our appreciation. “I think he must have done an interview so he was the last one back in the dressing room. “We had it going as well and I think it shows what a massive member of this group he’s been and how much he’s been missed over the couple of years he’s been out of the squad.” Wales’s win – only their second in 14 games – has put them back in the mix for a top-two spot and automatic qualification while easing the pressure on boss Rob Page. They have drawn level with Armenia on seven points and trail Croatia and Turkey by three. Next month’s visit from group favourites Croatia will be followed by a November double-header away to Armenia and at home to Turkey. Wilson said: “We’ve done well at home in the past against big teams when we’ve got the ‘Red Wall’ behind us. We’ll be looking to do that again. “We know Armenia away is going to be tough, hostile and the pitch might not be great, but you’ve got to deal with that when you go to these places. “We feel it’s back in our hands now and we have to make sure we put on performances like we have done before. “We were all disappointed with how the summer camp went, not just the results (defeats to Armenia and Turkey) but the performances as well. “We couldn’t wait to get back on camp and put right what went wrong in the summer. We put a bit of pressure on ourselves but we never do it the easy way.”

A VAR who made what referees’ chief Howard Webb described as an “error” in awarding a goal to Manchester City in the last round of Premier League matches has been selected as a fourth official for the coming weekend. Tony Harrington will be on the touchline for the Newcastle v Brentford match on Saturday, and will also be the referee for Friday night’s Championship game between Hull and Coventry as he continues his return from injury. Harrington and assistant VAR Adam Nunn checked and cleared Nathan Ake’s goal for City against Fulham on September 2, which put them 2-1 up in a game they ultimately won 5-1. Ake’s header went low into the bottom corner, narrowly passing by his team-mate Akanji who was stood in an offside position. Harrington and Nunn determined that Akanji’s presence had no significant impact on Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Fulham head coach Marco Silva strongly disagreed with the decision to give the goal, and Webb admitted last week that it should not have counted. “From the outset I think this should have been disallowed. It certainly appears Akanji has an impact on Leno the goalkeeper who seems to hesitate,” Webb told the ‘Match Officials: Mic’d Up’ programme. “We think it’s a clear situation of offside. Unfortunately it wasn’t identified on the day. This was an error.” Silva said after the match on September 2: “Everyone that plays football, everyone that has played football, everyone that has some knowledge about football – I’m 100 per cent sure – has to disallow that goal. “Everyone has to be furious if a goal like that comes against you. For the linesman I believe that it can be difficult but, for the VAR, it is impossible not to disallow that goal. It is a clear offside.” Nunn will be an assistant referee alongside Harrington at the Hull v Coventry match. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Wales kept their Euro 2024 qualification hopes alive with a 2-0 win in Latvia as Aaron Ramsey’s 100th career goal and a David Brooks clincher lifted the pressure on under-fire manager Rob Page. Ramsey stroked home a 29th-minute penalty – his 21st goal for Wales – before Brooks, on as a substitute for the injured captain, settled matters in the sixth minute of stoppage time. The victory was Wales’ second in 14 attempts and gives them renewed hope that they can claim a top-two place in Group D. On a night when Wales simply had to win or be left with a play-off route to Germany next summer, there was further good news before kick-off as group leaders Croatia did them a favour by winning 1-0 in Armenia. Croatia are Wales’ next Euro opponents in Cardiff next month, and Page can now look forward to that game after heading to Riga with huge question marks over his future. The 49-year-old was feted as a national hero after leading Wales to their first World Cup for 64 years, but poor performances at that tournament and in this campaign had prompted large parts of the fan base to call for managerial change. Page had drawn encouragement from Thursday’s friendly with South Korea – and he named 10 of the side who started that goalless draw in Cardiff. Captain Ramsey returned in place of Nathan Broadhead as Burnley’s Connor Roberts won his 50th cap. Jordan James made his first competitive start and the 19-year-old suggested he may be a mainstay of the Wales midfield for some time to come. Latvia had drawn a complete blank in Euro 2024 qualifying, losing all four games, with three of them – including a 1-0 away defeat to Wales in March – by a single goal margin. The tiny three-sided Skonto Stadium, with cars parked behind one goal, seemed at odds with what was such an important night in Welsh football. But over 1,000 Wales fans were in a crowd of 6,464. There had been a mood of sporting celebration in Riga throughout the day as Latvians turned out to honour their basketball players, who had recorded a best finish of fifth at the sport’s World Cup, in the city. Wales should have had the perfect start inside 75 seconds when Ethan Ampadu released Brennan Johnson but Tottenham’s new striker skied over on his unfavoured left side. Ampadu was off-target from a Harry Wilson corner but Wales were threatening at set-pieces. Chris Mepham met another Wilson corner at the far post and Ben Davies reached the deflected ball first to force Roberts Ozols into a flying save in the Latvian goal. Chances continued to come and go for Wales with Johnson wayward again and Ozols producing stops to deny Wilson and Roberts. There was a danger that frustration would creep in, but Latvia provided a helping hand when Kaspars Dubra bundled over Wilson after 28 minutes. The incident survived a VAR check for a potential offside in the build-up and Ramsey coolly converted for his landmark goal. Wales should have been out of sight in the next 10 minutes as Neco Williams and Johnson fired wide when well-placed and Ozols denied Wilson again. Latvia had shown nothing as an attacking force for 41 minutes before suddenly bursting into life. Ward shovelled out a Janis Ikaunieks header that Roberts had to clear as the Latvian striker prepared to pounce for the rebound, while Raimonds Krollis almost profited twice after being left unguarded. Wales suffered a blow four minutes into the second half when Ramsey signalled to the bench to come off, with David Brooks taking his place. The worry was that Wales would miss Ramsey’s stabilising influence and Krollis went close after Johnson had driven wide. Latvia might have been reduced to 10 men when Ikaunieks aimed a wild kick at James. Slovakian referee Michal Ocenas brandished a yellow card before being asked to review the decision at the VAR monitor. After a two-minute check Ocenas stuck with his original decision and Ikaunieks escaped further sanction. The final quarter became very fragmented with a series of niggly fouls. Ikaunieks’ 20-yard shot flew into the side netting and, while that would have represented the cruellest punishment for Wales, Brooks ended matters by racing on to Wilson’s pass and scoring with the most delicious of chips. Read More Is Latvia vs Wales on TV? Channel, and how to watch Euro 2024 qualifier online Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba provisionally suspended for anti-doping offence James Maddison, Julian Alvarez and 5 players to target for FPL Gameweek 5 Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba provisionally suspended for anti-doping offence James Maddison, Julian Alvarez and 5 players to target for FPL Gameweek 5 Football rumours: Jadon Sancho looking to leave Manchester United

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been provisionally suspended by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal after returning an adverse sample. The France international tested positive for testosterone in a random drugs test following Juventus’ Serie A game against Udinese on August 20, when he was an unused substitute. After the Italian anti-doping body issued a statement on Monday evening confirming Pogba’s suspension, Juventus said the club would now consider “the next procedural steps”. If found guilty of doping, a suspension of between two and four years could be handed out to Pogba. “Juventus Football Club announces that today, September 11, 2023, the footballer Paul Labile Pogba received a precautionary suspension order from the National Anti-Doping Tribunal following the results of tests carried out on August 20, 2023,” a statement from the Serie A side read. “The club reserves the right to consider the next procedural steps.” Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal confirmed Pogba’s positive sample for testosterone. A statement from the anti-doping body read: “The National Antidoping Tribunal informs that, in acceptance of the instance proposed by the National Antidoping Prosecutor, it has provided for the provisional suspension of the athlete: Paul Labile Pogba (FIGC) for the violation of articles 2.1, 2.2; prohibited substance detected: Non-endogenous testosterone metabolites (The GC/c/IRMS results are consistent with the exogenous origin of the target compounds).” Earlier on Monday, former Manchester United midfielder Pogba said he was almost driven to walk away from football after allegedly being blackmailed by an organised crime gang. The 30-year-old’s brother Mathias was detained in September 2022 on suspicion of involvement in the alleged plot, which Paul Pogba claimed amounted to a bid to extort £11.1million from him. Mathias Pogba was released in December and denies the charges. Sometimes it's tough. This life, you have to go through it. It will only make me stronger. Paul Pogba Paul Pogba reported the incident to Turin prosecutors in July of last year, shortly after leaving Manchester United on a free transfer in order to rejoin Juventus. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Paul Pogba said: “When there is money you have to be careful. Money changes people. It can break up a family. It can create a war. “Sometimes I was just by myself thinking: ‘I don’t want to have money anymore. I just don’t want to play anymore. I just want to be with normal people, so they will love me for me – not for the fame, not for the money.’ “Sometimes it’s tough. This life, you have to go through it. It will only make me stronger.” Laure Beccuau, a Paris prosecutor, said the investigation was looking into allegations of “blackmail by an armed gang, kidnapping and membership of a criminal conspiracy”. Mathias Pogba is himself a professional footballer, with the 33-year-old having represented Crewe, Crawley, Wrexham and Partick Thistle, as well as the national team of Guinea. He is currently without a club after leaving French lower-league side Belfort in 2022. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Football rumours: Jadon Sancho looking to leave Manchester United Luis Rubiales resignation has to be ‘the start of something’, says Georgia Stanway On this day in 2005: England end 18-year wait to win back Ashes after Oval draw

What the papers say After failed talks with manager Erik ten Hag, Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho is looking set to leave the club after the pair could not settle their differences, The Star reports. Sancho has played three games for the club this season. The Daily Mail says the club is looking at signing former Ajax, Aston Villa and Everton winger Anwar El Ghazi . The 28-year-old from the Netherlands is a free agent after leaving PSV Eindhoven. Germany have placed former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann and former Manchester United and Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal on their shortlist after Hansi Flick was sacked from the role, according to the Mirror. Social media round-up Player to watch Ousmane Diomande: Arsenal had a rejected bid worth £30million for the 19-year-old Sporting CP defender but will make another attempt next year, the Metro reports. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Peyton Manning can't believe Aaron Rodgers is already injured.