List of All Articles with Tag 'sport'

Roy Keane looks to have patched up his issues with the Manchester United hierarchy after taking part in the intense new kit launch with the club. The former player and United captain stars in the new promotional clip for the side, which references his infamous “prawn sandwich brigade” comments which took aim at elements of the fans inside Old Trafford. In fact, his relationship with United has been a little uneasy after his acrimonious exit as a player in 2005, but it looks like things have been somewhat resolved. The new clip sees him ponder the “deal” that players and supporters sign ‘before they’re even born’, considering what it really means to be a United fan. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The new white third kit features a red devil emblem on the jersey, with Keane walking out onto the playing surface at Old Trafford and telling fans to sign the deal “on the dotted line”. “So you’re a devil are you? Well let’s remind you of the terms,” Keane says in the clip. “The devil isn’t something you wear. It’s more like a pact, a deal, shall we say. “It’s not for everyone. We expect a lot. And as sure as the sun will rise, we will know if you mean it. So have a good long think. “What do you get in return? What’s on offer? It’s Manchester United. “So there it is. No small print. Sign on the dotted line. But you already signed, didn’t you? Before you were even born.” The clip also features players Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacha and Casemiro and sparked a big reaction among United fans. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The Spanish league begins this week with the title favorites facing a transition year and squad changes that might open the door for other challengers

Lauren James has apologised to Michelle Alozie for the incident which led to her being sent off during England’s last-16 World Cup win over Nigeria and vowed to learn from the experience. The forward was dismissed for deliberately standing on the back of Nigeria defender Alozie with three minutes of normal time remaining in Brisbane. England survived the dismissal to advance to the quarter-finals 4-2 on penalties after the game finished goalless following extra time. In response to a tweet from Alozie, James posted: “All my love and respect to you. I am sorry for what happened. “Also, for our England fans and my team-mates, playing with and for you is my greatest honour and I promise to learn from my experience.” James became the fourth England player to be sent off in a World Cup knockout match after David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and current Lionesses captain Millie Bright. England boss Sarina Wiegman admitted James had “lost her emotions” during a moment of indiscretion which could see the 21-year-old miss the remainder of the World Cup through suspension. Opponent Alozie had earlier tweeted in defence of James. She posted: “Abeg, rest. We are playing on the world’s stage. This game is one of passion, insurmountable emotions, and moments. All respect for Lauren James.” James faces an automatic one-match ban, which could be extended to three games by FIFA’s disciplinary committee. England take on Colombia in the last eight on Saturday in Sydney. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Newcastle has bought England under-21 defender Tino Livramento from Southampton for a fee reported to be worth at least $38 million

Lauren James has promised to “learn” from her sending off at the Women’s World Cup - as the England star apologised to Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie for stamping on her back during the last-16 match. James was shown a straight red card after leaving her studs on Alozie’s back when the defender was on the ground, with the 21-year-old having grown frustrated as Nigeria marked her out of the game. The forward will be suspended for at least the quarter-finals, with England facing Colombia on Saturday after defeating Nigeria on penalties, but a Fifa disciplinary panel could decide that the act merits further punishment. Alozie had tweeted “all respect to Lauren James” earlier on Tuesday after appearing to forgive the England player for the incident, adding “we are playing on the world’s stage, this game is one of passion, insurmountable emotions, and moments”. James replied to Alozie’s post and said: “All my love and respect to you. I am sorry for what happened. Also, for our England fans and my team-mates, playing with and for you is my greatest honour and I promise to learn from my experience.” James has been England’s player of the World Cup but was left frustrated after Nigeria marked her out of the game and lashed out, with manager Sarina Wiegman admitting she “lost her emotions”. Wiegman chose not to criticise James and said: “She’s an inexperienced player on this stage and has done really well, and I think in a split second she just lost her emotions. “And of course she doesn’t want to hurt anyone. She’s the sweetest person I know, and things happen like that and you can’t change it anymore, so it’s a huge lesson for her to learn, but of course it’s not something that she really did on purpose.” England defender Lucy Bronze said James was “upset” as the Chelsea star waits for the disciplinary panel’s verdict, which may not come until after England’s quarter-final on Saturday. “Obviously she’s going to be disappointed in herself,” Bronze said. “I went straight off the pitch after the game to make sure she was OK. Obviously she was a little bit upset and rightfully so and more than anything she just feels bad for the team. I said to her, ‘We’ve made it through. It’s a team, it’s not just one player.’” After receiving a red card, James is automatically suspended for England’s next match against Colombia, however her punishment will be reviewed by a Fifa disciplinary panel. If the forward is deemed to have committed a serious act of foul play, the panel have the power to apply further sanctions. A three-match ban would see James ruled out for the rest of the tournament if England were to reach their first-ever Women’s World Cup final. A decision might not be made until after England’s quarter-final, however, once James serves her automatic one-match ban. Nigeria’s Deborah Abiodun was given a three-match ban after she was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Canada’s Ashley Lawrence in the group stage, but her ban was not increased until after she had served the first game. Read More It’s done – Millie Bright says England have moved on from Lauren James red card Lauren James ‘lost her emotions for a split second’ over red card stamp, Wiegman says Lauren James ‘upset’ as red card puts her World Cup in doubt Why Lauren James must be protected, not vilified, after World Cup red Who and when do England play next? Lionesses route to the World Cup final

Captain Millie Bright insists England have already moved on from learning they would lose Lauren James for at least Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final after the forward was sent off late in the last-16 victory over Nigeria. The 21-year-old was shown a red after stepping on the back of defender Michelle Alozie, resulting in an automatic one-match ban that could be extended to three games by FIFA’s disciplinary committee, meaning her tournament could be over. James posted an apology to Alozie on Twitter on Tuesday and also vowed to learn from the incident. If there is one team-mate who truly appreciates what James is feeling it is Bright, who four years ago in France became the first player in Lionesses history to be sent off in a World Cup knockout encounter when she was dismissed for a second bookable offence in the semi-final against the United States. “I think it is really important that we look after each other,” Bright said. “I have been through that. I know exactly how that feels. “I think it is important that she has her space and lets her emotions settle. But it’s done now, we move on. We are through. “It’s football. Listen, I have had red cards. Everyone goes through it as a player, everyone goes through it on the world stage. But for me, it’s not a situation that needs too much light shining on it. “It’s happened. It’s in the past. We are through. All that matters is we come together as a group, we have each others’ backs, and it is just another challenge in football that the player has to face. “But we have got her back completely and we will get ready for the next game.” England will face Colombia in Saturday’s quarter-final after the world number 25 side beat Jamaica 1-0 on Tuesday to reach the last eight for the first time in their history. The Lionesses were boosted by the return of Keira Walsh against Nigeria – a comeback from a knee injury few imagined possible after she was removed from the pitch on a stretcher in the first half of England’s second group match, a 1-0 triumph over Denmark. Scans revealed the issue was not as serious as first suspected and Walsh managed 120 minutes against Nigeria, including the nervy 30 minutes of 10-woman extra time to force penalties, the result sealed 4-2 for England by Chloe Kelly’s emphatic spot-kick. Though boss Sarina Wiegman’s switch to a 3-5-2 formation in Walsh’s absence seemed to spark the Lionesses into life in their 6-1 group-stage victory over China, her side did not play as well against Nigeria with three at the back, and in fact looked more controlled when they were short-handed. Bright said: “Many asked, ‘Was that hard out there?’ Of course it’s hard, it’s a knockout game in a World Cup, and we knew that these games were going to be extremely tough coming into this tournament. “But again, I have said it from day one, our character, our mentality, our resilience to give absolutely everything to the badge and to represent out fans at home, and ultimately find a way to win… we did that again.” And while she agreed England ultimately were not at their best against Nigeria, Bright added: “To be honest, I don’t think we really care. We are through to the next round. Tournament football is about getting the job done. “Of course, we all want to be better. We all want to play the perfect performance and be able to come to these interviews and say how fancy we looked. “But ultimately, I am just bothered if we get through. We are prepared for any opponent, any challenge, that we face.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Defender Micky van de Ven joins Tottenham from Wolfsburg on six-year deal Newcastle sign Southampton defender Tino Livramento on five-year deal PFA chief says new approach to added time ‘changing game we fell in love with’

A 29-year-old Greek fan has died after overnight clashes between rival supporters in Athens

Tottenham have completed the signing of key target Micky van de Ven on a six-year deal from Wolfsburg. The addition of the left-footed centre-back is a major coup for the club and helps satisfy the demand of new boss Ange Postecoglou to bring in defensive reinforcements. Spurs have secured the services of Van de Ven on a contract running to 2029 in a deal worth an initial 40million euros (£34.5million), but with the final fee able to rise to around 50m euros (£43.1m) in add-ons. The Netherlands Under-21 international has been tracked by the club all summer and, after weighing up a move for him or Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba, Tottenham pressed ahead with their pursuit of the 22-year-old. Van de Ven started his career with Volendam before leaving his homeland to join Wolfsburg in summer 2021. An encouraging 2022-23 season, in which Van de Ven featured 36 times for the Bundesliga club, brought him to the attention of several teams across Europe, with Liverpool also reportedly interested. Spurs won the race for the Dutchman and he was in attendance for Sunday’s pre-season win over Shakhtar Donetsk after an agreement was reached with Wolfsburg over his transfer last week. Van de Ven completed his medical at the club’s Enfield training base on Monday and is likely to be part of the travelling party to Barcelona for Tuesday’s friendly against the Catalan club. Postecoglou refused to directly discuss the defender after the 5-1 victory over Shakhtar but has been open about the need for new centre-backs throughout pre-season. Ben Davies has played the majority of minutes on the left side of the back four system used by the Australian head coach, but Van de Ven’s pace will be a welcome addition to a team that will also use a high defensive line this season. Spurs retain an interest in former loanee Clement Lenglet and Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo, who only has one year left on his deal. Tottenham continue to work on incomings but will listen to offers for centre-backs Davinson Sanchez, Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live It’s done – Millie Bright says England have moved on from Lauren James red card Newcastle sign Southampton defender Tino Livramento on five-year deal PFA chief says new approach to added time ‘changing game we fell in love with’

Liverpool is undergoing its first major overhaul in Jurgen Klopp's nearly eight years at the club after a season when the Reds failed to win a trophy or qualify for the Champions League

Robert Helenius will step in to fight Anthony Joshua on short notice on Saturday, after “AJ”’s original opponent Dillian Whyte failed a doping test last week. Joshua vs Whyte 2 would have been a rematch eight years in the making, with “AJ” having knocked out his fellow Briton in 2015 to avenge an amateur defeat by Whyte. However, Saturday’s rematch at the O2 Arena in London fell through when Whyte, 35, returned an adverse finding in a drug test. Whyte has maintained his innocence, while it was initially unclear whether Joshua, 33, would still compete on Saturday. But his promoter Eddie Hearn then teased an announcement on Tuesday (8 August), with fans learning that Helenius will replace Whyte. The Finn, 39, fought just last week, stopping Mika Mielonen in the third round to bounce back from a knockout loss to Deontay Wilder last October. Helenius appeared to retire after his first-round defeat by Wilder, who tearfully said at the post-fight press conference: “How much is that man gonna suffer? He may be alright right now – a little bit – but what about the next day? What about two weeks from now? What about a month from now? Maybe years from now?” Helenius returned to the ring last Saturday, though, beating Mielonen in what might have proved a helpful warm-up for this clash with Joshua. With that win, Helenius improved his professional record to 32-4 (21 KO wins, 3 KO losses). His most notable opponents, alongside Wilder, have been Whyte and Derek Chisora, with the former outpointing Helenius and the latter losing to the Finn via decision. Following the drastic change to Saturday’s main event, Matchroom is offering refunds to fans who do not wish to attend Joshua vs Helenius. Those who do wish to attend the event will see their original tickets honoured. “This wasn’t in the script,” Joshua said. “I respect Helenius and may I say, I respect any male or female who steps into the ring. “I am laser-focused on the win. I can make steps forward to bigger and better things, but the road map has a checkpoint, Saturday night. May the best man win.” Helenius added: “I am excited. I am a true Viking that is willing to face any challenge at a moment’s notice. This is not an opportunity I was going to let slip away. I plan to make the most of it!” Joshua last fought in April, beating Jermaine Franklin on points to bounce back from two straight decision losses to Oleksandr Usyk. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Anthony Joshua to face Robert Helenius after Dillian Whyte fight cancelled Anthony Joshua news LIVE: Robert Helenius named as new opponent after Dillian Whyte fails doping test Dillian Whyte vows to prove his innocence after doping test ‘adverse finding’ Anthony Joshua news LIVE: Next fight revealed after Dillian Whyte fails doping test Anthony Joshua’s new opponent revealed after Dillian Whyte fight cancelled Reaction as England reach World Cup quarter-finals – Monday’s sporting social

Catalina Usme scored early in the second half and Colombia beat Jamaica 1-0 to advance to the Women’s World Cup quarterfinals for the first time

Anthony Joshua will fight Robert Helenius on Saturday after securing the Finn as a late replacement for Dillian Whyte. “An adverse finding” from a doping test was returned by Whyte last week, with Matchroom confirming the rematch between the British rivals was cancelled. Whyte, 35, revealed he is “devastated” and maintains he is “completely innocent”. But Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has moved quickly to find a late replacement, with Joshua eager to continue his rebuild under new trainer Derrick James. “This wasn’t in the script,” Joshua said, after it was announced that he will be fighting Helenius, 39. “I respect Helenius and may I say, I respect any male or female who steps into the ring. “I am laser focused on the win. I can make steps forward to bigger and better things, but the road map has a checkpoint, Saturday night. May the best man win.” Helenius added: “I am excited. I am a true Viking that is willing to face any challenge at a moment’s notice. This is not an opportunity I was going to let slip away. I plan to make the most of it!” Joshua rebounded from back-to-back defeats against IBF, WBO and WBA world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk with a points victory over American Jermain Franklin in April. More to follow... Read More Robert Helenius replaces Dillian Whyte as Anthony Joshua’s opponent for Saturday Anthony Joshua news LIVE: Next fight revealed after Dillian Whyte fails doping test Reaction as England reach World Cup quarter-finals – Monday’s sporting social