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Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Thierry Henry's private Hugo Ekitike verdict after being compared to Liverpool target
Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike, who is heavily linked with Liverpool, has drawn comparisons with Thierry Henry in the past and the Arsenal icon has given his thoughts on the striker Thierry Henry believes that Liverpool target Hugo Ekitike has a "very high ceiling" but concedes he sometimes "doesn't do the basics very well". The Frenchman is looking set for a move to the Premier League provided a club meets his valuation with Frankfurt wanting to maximise their profits. Ekitike scored more than 22 times last season in all competitions, capturing the attention of Liverpool and Newcastle. The Magpies had a £70million offer turned down by Frankfurt, and Liverpool - who are Ekitike's preferred destination - have now come to the table. They have indicted their desire to bid and could meet the figure that the Bundesliga outfit want. Ekitike is yet to be capped by France, instead playing for their U21s, but a Les Bleus icon in Henry has seen parts of the attacker's game that he particularly likes whilst citing clear areas of improvement. Speaking on the Rest Is Football podcast last month, Micah Richards, who works with Henry at CBS, admits the Arsenal icon was not totally convinced by Ekitike despite acknowledging that, if he gets it right, he could become an incredibly impactful player. The former Manchester City defender said: "In terms of Ekitike, I've spoken to Thierry about him a lot. He says he's not [necessarily] a frustrating player, but one minute he looks amazing and the next minute he does not do the basics very well. He said if he gets it right and improves then his ceiling could be very, very high." Ekitike looked set to join Newcastle from Reims three years ago and back then the talk was of them signing the 'next Thierry Henry'. Comparisons have been drawn between the Frankfurt man and the ex-Arsenal man given their physical attributes and a desire to drift wide before coming back centrally. Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krosche has admitted Ekitiké's future could likely be away from Deutsche Bank Park as he conceded the club attempt not to stand in the way of players if they cannot match their personal development, previously letting Omar Marmoush leave for Manchester City. "He's one of the most interesting strikers on the European market. Hugo has to decide that," he told Sport 1. "I'm glad we have him. If he decides otherwise, that's our motto: If a player develops faster than us, we let him go." Liverpool are looking to further bolster their frontline with Darwin Nunez expected to move on from Anfield this summer. The team, at times, have been over reliant on Mohamed Salah and want more firepower.
Courier-Mail
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Legend's daughter steals show at Wimbledon
12/56 It's been a star-studded affair at the All-England Club this year – but not everyone was so thrilled. Boxing champ Anthony Joshua sat with football great Gary Lineker. Lineker sat with the hulking boxer and said it was an uncomfortable day — physically at least. 'I went to Wimbledon the other day,' he told the Rest Is Football podcast. 'We sat next to Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn and we had a laugh watching some great tennis. I was sitting in the seats next to Anthony, and he's obviously huge. His legs … and the only way he sits, because there wasn't enough room, was he had his legs wide open. And I was forced, for like seven hours, whatever it was, to put my legs to the … it got to the stage where I was getting cramp in my inside thigh so badly. And the game was going on and I wanted to shout. But I never had the balls, at any point, to tell him, 'Will you f***ing move your legs over a little bit, give me some room?'' Photo by
Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Gary Lineker relives uncomfortable moment with boxer Anthony Joshua at Wimbledon
Gary Lineker has been speaking about his recent trip to Wimbledon and the Match of the Day host says the presence of Anthony Joshua in the royal box was a little awkward Big boxer Anthony Joshua left Gary Lineker feeling a little uncomfortable when the pair met at Wimbledon last week. The broadcaster and the athlete were sat side-by-side in the royal box on Centre Court on Friday as they were treated to Carlos Alcaraz's latest champion performance as well as Emma Raducanu's epic with Aryna Sabalenka under the roof. But the former Match of the Day host says the experience left him feeling quite uncomfortable. Chatting to Micah Richards and Alan Shearer about it on his Rest Is Football podcast, Gary discussed the matter with his fellow former pros, who couldn't help but laugh after being made to feel very small by man mountain AJ as they watched the action on day five of the Championships. Gary said: "I went to Wimbledon the other day. I just want to thank Wimbledon for inviting me, it was lovely. I took my youngest, Angus. We sat next to Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn and we had a laugh watching some great tennis." Micah stopped him, and chimed in: "Can I just say, you were looking marvellous." Shearer added: "Micah, he was looking marvellous until you looked to his left and saw Anthony Joshua." Ignoring the former Manchester City defender and England legend, Gary went on: "I was sitting in the seats next to Anthony, and he's obviously huge. His legs… and the only way he sits, because there wasn't enough room, was he had his legs wide open. "And I was forced, for like seven hours, whatever it was, to put my legs to the… it got to the stage where I was getting cramp in my inside thigh so badly. The game was going on and I wanted to shout. "But I never had the balls, at any point, to tell him, 'Will you f***ing move your legs over a little bit, give me some room?' Absolutely true. But he's a lovely, lovely guy and I had a laugh with him. And they were great company for the afternoon." The host, 64, left his role at Match of the Day in May, having presented the show for 26 years. His departure came after he shared a social media post which included a rat emoji, an animal historically used to represent Jews in antisemitic propaganda. Lineker deleted the post and issued multiple apologies but the decision was made for him to leave the BBC altogether a year earlier than planned. Recently, the former England striker has hit out at the broadcaster over a documentary which they refused to air over impartiality concerns, resulting in backlash. 'Gaza: Doctors Under Attack' was commissioned and paid for by the BBC as the bloody Israel-Gaza conflict continues. According to the Independent, it was given six different transmission dates across January and February but its premiere kept getting pushed back. Now Channel 4 has the rights to the documentary which was made by Basement Films. At a screening on, Lineker gave his reaction while holding back tears. "One of the most important films I've ever seen, certainly the most moving. I might need a minute here," he told the audience. "It needed to be seen. It really did need to be seen. I think everyone would agree with that. I think the BBC should hold its head in shame. "I've worked for the corporation for 30 years; to see the way it's declined in the last year or two has been devastating really. I've defended it and defended it against claims that it is partial." He added: "It talks about impartiality all the time. The truth is at the moment, at the very top of the BBC, not the BBC all over, because as you know there are thousands and thousands of people who work at the BBC that are good people that understand what is going on here and can see it. Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney has reportedly signed an £800,000 deal to be a pundit on Match of the Day from next season. The England icon will join the BBC's flagship show following Gary's departure. He has been replaced by Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates who will rotate as host of Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2, the Sunday highlights show. And the trio will be joined by Rooney who will appear as a pundit, report The Sun. Rooney has dipped his toe into more punditry on the BBC and Sky Sports since he was sacked as Plymouth manager on New Year's Eve. Lineker hosted his final Match of the Day in May, and signed off with an emotional statement. "Alan [Shearer] and Micah [Richards], I suspect our paths will cross again very shortly," he said. "Let me take this opportunity to thank all of the other pundits that I've had the pleasure of working with over the last 25 years, you've made my job so much easier. "Also, a huge thank you to those you don't see at home: the work that goes into making this iconic show is a huge team effort. From the editors, to the analysis team, from the commentators to the floor managers, from the producers to the camera operators, from the PAs to the subs, thank you all, you're the very best.
Scottish Sun
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Gary Lineker reveals awkward interaction with Anthony Joshua at Wimbledon that left him very uncomfortable
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GARY LINEKER revealed he had an awkward interaction with Anthony Joshua at Wimbledon. And it left the former Match of the Day host feeling very uncomfortable. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Gary Lineker sat next to Anthony Joshua at Wimbledon Credit: Getty 4 The ex-England striker struggled to stay comfortable next to the 6ft 7ins boxer Credit: Getty Lineker, 64, sat next to AJ in the Royal Box on Day Five of the Championships. The pair saw Taylor Fritz and Carlos Alcaraz win before Emma Raducanu's blockbuster match with Aryna Sabalenka under the Centre Court roof. But Lineker hilariously admitted it was not the most enjoyable day alongside the dapper 6ft 7ins ex-heavyweight world champion boxer, 35. That is because the former England striker was suffering from painful cramp. Lineker told his Rest Is Football podcast with Micah Richards and Alan Shearer: "I went to Wimbledon the other day. I just want to thank Wimbledon for inviting me, it was lovely. I took my youngest, Angus. "We sat next to Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn and we had a laugh watching some great tennis." Richards chipped in: "Can I just say, you were looking marvellous." And Shearer joked: "Micah, he was looking marvellous until you looked to his left and saw Anthony Joshua." CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Ignoring the banter, Lineker carried on with his story - and revealed he held his tongue from an X-rated outburst. He said: "I was sitting in the seats next to Anthony, and he's obviously huge. Emma Raducanu jokes 'I wouldn't know about heartbreak' after Olivia Rodrigo watches her Wimbledon win "His legs… and the only way he sits, because there wasn't enough room, was he had his legs wide open. "And I was forced, for like seven hours, whatever it was, to put my legs to the… it got to the stage where I was getting cramp in my inside thigh so badly. "And the game was going on and I wanted to shout. "But I never had the balls, at any point, to tell him, 'Will you f***ing move your legs over a little bit, give me some room?' 4 Wimbledon 2025 LIVE - follow all the latest scores and updates from a thrilling fortnight at SW19 "Absolutely true. But he's a lovely, lovely guy and I had a laugh with him. And they were great company for the afternoon." Lineker looked set to be miss out on going to Wimbledon in 2026 because he was due to cover the World Cup for the BBC. But he left the broadcaster at the end of the 2024-25 season after a fallout with Beeb bosses. Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman have taken on the Match of the Day gig between them from next month. And SunSport exclusively revealed Wayne Rooney landed an £800,000 deal to be a regular pundit.
Metro
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Micah Richards rates Liam Delap debut and tells Chelsea star to 'up his game'
Micah Richards was impressed by Liam Delap's Chelsea debut at the Club World Cup and believes Nicolas Jackson will have to 'up his game' despite 'playing really well' against Los Angeles FC. The Blues got their campaign off to the perfect start with a comfortable 2-0 victory over their MLS opposition, with Pedro Neto and substitute Enzo Fernandez scoring either side of half-time in Atlanta. Enzo Maresca decided to name summer signing Delap on the substitutes bench at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, opting instead for Jackson up top, supported by Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer and Neto. But the Europa Conference League winners rang the changes in the second period as Malo Gusto, Dario Essugo, Tyrique George, Christopher Nkunku, Fernandez and Delap were all introduced. After a somewhat nervy start, Delap quickly grew into the contest and linked up brilliantly with Palmer before finding Fernandez with an exquisite cross to help Chelsea double their lead in the 79th minute. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. Maresca's men will look to leapfrog Flamengo at the top of Group D when they face the Brazilian outfit at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field on Friday. 'I put a message in the [Rest Is Football] group saying, 'Delap is struggling a little bit', and then two minutes later he got the assist!' Richards said on the latest Rest Is Football episode when analysing Chelsea's display. 'I thought Jackson was playing really well. Obviously, he's going to have to up his game. 'I'm always a big fan of Jackson, I think he could score more goals, obviously, but his whole link-up play was very, very good. 'You want to see Delap come on and score. Being English, you want him to score, assist and just play well. 'A couple of his early touches, I thought, 'Oh… it looks a bit fast out there for him getting used to a new team', and then he grew into the game.' According to Richards, former Ipswich striker Delap – who joined Chelsea for a fee of £30million – looked more at ease as the clash with Los Angeles FC wore on. The ex-Manchester City and England defender added: 'After about five or ten minutes… his stature, he was going into pockets, getting the ball and then even when he went wide, the delivery on the cross was outstanding. 'Enzo made a darting run into the box and I could see these combinations working really well next season. 'It was an impressive debut in the end from Delap.' In the immediate aftermath of Chelsea's win, Maresca said he was 'curious' to see how Jackson would react to Delap's promising debut showing. 'Yes, very pleased,' the Italian said of the competition between the two centre-forwards. 'I am curious to see how Nico reacts. He competed with [Marc] Guiu who is very young during the season. They are both good No.9s.' More Trending On Chelsea's performance as a whole, Maresca added: 'It was a very good result. 'At this stage of the season it is also normal that you have to manage different kinds of things. Overall, the performance has been good. 'We have to recover. We have a game in three days [against Flamengo in Philadelphia], so we will see. We are going to prepare in the best way and for sure try to win. The good thing about Liam is he knows the way we want to play so the process is quite quick. Also we gave a chance to Dario Essugo which is another player we have, so it's good for both of them.' Should Delap start against Flamengo? For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Premier League clarifies why no Boxing Day fixtures are scheduled MORE: Supercomputer predicts Premier League champions after 2025/26 fixtures announced MORE: Chelsea Premier League 2025-26 fixtures: Full schedule for new season
