Sport

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media. Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from May 26. Football Zlatan described playing through the pain. Recommended What Rishi Sunak announced to tackle the cost of living crisis More Tory MPs withdraw support from PM over ‘shameful’ parties But he was still celebrating AC Milan’s overdue Serie A title victory. Lucy Bronze said goodbye to Manchester City. Bruno Fernandes and Victor Lindelof teamed up to raise money for those affected by the war in Ukraine . Jose Mourinho was toasting the latest trophy of a glittering career after winning the inaugural Europa Conference League with Roma. Peter Crouch was gearing up for the Champions League final. Eric Dier enjoyed some hoops. Phil Neville was not happy. Close enough! Cricket KP was ahead of his … [Read more...] about Zlatan plays through pain as Bronze opts to move on – Thursday’s sporting social

In the early part of 1953, Britain remained in the grip of post-war greyness. An elderly Winston Churchill was still Prime Minister and rationing remained for staple foodstuffs such as sugar, eggs and sausages. But Huddersfield hit the heights in April of that year when they won the famous Challenge Cup for a sixth time in seven final appearances and now they have the chance to make it victory number seven. Here the PA news agency looks at what else was happening in 1953. Huddersfield, a team of all talents Recommended What Rishi Sunak announced to tackle the cost of living crisis More Tory MPs withdraw support from PM over ‘shameful’ parties Huddersfield was the birthplace of rugby league and for years its team was a powerhouse of the game. In Harold Wagstaff and Albert Rosenfeld, the Fartowners boasted two genuine superstars in the early part of the 20th century and in 1913-14 they became one of only two teams to win all four … [Read more...] about Looking back: The Queen’s coronation and Huddersfield won the Challenge Cup

Barry Hearn has recounted the moment which inspired him to transform darts into the sporting juggernaut it is today. It’s more than 20 years since the sports promoter took control of the PDC, with the governing body and the game in general flourishing and becoming more lucrative over the last two decades. Players from Phil Taylor to Michael van Gerwen have become household names, while fans watch in their millions at home and in their thousands at arenas nationwide. The PDC moved its World Championship away from the legendary but cramped Circus Tavern to the Alexandra Palace, a move which has paid off handsomely since the switch in 2008. And it was a visit to the Circus Tavern in Purfleet which convinced Hearn he had to get involved in the sport. Speaking on the Gary Newbon Sports Show with Jewson, Hearn said: “I walked into the Circus Tavern to watch the old world championships. The people that ran the game were trying to get me involved to handle some of their … [Read more...] about Barry Hearn’s four words that encouraged him to invest in darts and change the sport forever

Rory McIlroy has described this year’s PGA Championship as ‘one that got away’ as he seeks to end his eight-year wait to win another major. The Northern Irishman was leading the field at Southern Hills last week after the first round with a five-under-par 65. However, a topsy-turvy performance over the next three days saw McIlroy fall out of contention before eventually finishing in tied-eighth place. The 33-year-old has not won a major since 2014 and did not speak to reporters after his third and fourth round at Southern Hills last week. In an interview with the Irish Independent , he said: ‘Regrets? Yeah I regret I didn’t take advantage of the benign conditions on Friday afternoon. ‘I regret the big numbers I made on the par threes on Saturday. The fact that I just needed to play the last 13 holes in one-under par to make a play-off on Sunday, and I didn’t. ‘So, yeah, I definitely feel like it was one that got away. But, again, I have to take the positives and … [Read more...] about Rory McIlroy describes this year’s PGA Championship as ‘one that got away’

Chelsea are interested in signing RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku this summer and believe they have a chance of prising him away from the German club, according to reports. Nkunku, 24, has been a revelation in the Bundesliga this season, scoring 20 goals in 34 appearances and also laying on 13 assists. The Frenchman is out of contract in two years’ time and is believed to be negotiating a new deal with his current club. However, according to Goal , Chelsea are growing confident they can disrupt talks and tempt Nkunku with a move to Stamford Bridge. But the west Londoners will have to fight off Real Madrid who are also thought to be tracking him. Nkunku is rated highly by Ralf Rangnick at Manchester United who was reportedly shocked when he learned his own scouting department were not looking at the forward. Nkunku, who was named the Bundesliga Player of the Year, would be an attractive option for the Blues whose attacking players have struggled this season. … [Read more...] about Chelsea growing confident of luring Christopher Nkunku away from RB Leipzig this summer

Jose Mourinho fired a dig at his Manchester United successors after masterminding Roma’s Europa Conference League triumph. The Italian giants celebrated their maiden European title after beating Feyenoord 1-0 in Tirana last night, courtesy of Nicolo Zaniolo’s fist half goal. An emotional Mourinho was in tears after the match and was later doused in champagne as Roma’s players stormed his press conference and celebrated raucously with their manager. The 59-year-old has slowly begun to rebuild his reputation following torrid spells in charge of Tottenham and Manchester United in the Premier League which both culminated in acrimonious departures. Although Mourinho failed to qualify Roma for next season’s Champions League, his first term at Roma ended on a significant high with the ‘Special One’ able to celebrate a fourth European title with a fourth different club. Asked to assess the significance of Roma’s success compared to his previous continental triumphs, … [Read more...] about Jose Mourinho aims dig at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick after masterminding Roma’s Europa Conference League triumph

Manchester United have failed in a bid to sign Tottenham striker Dane Scarlett, after he opted to sign a new contract to stay at the club. The teenager became Spurs’ youngest debutant in the 2020/21 campaign when he made an apperance at the age of 16 years and 247 days. Scarlett had come to the attention of United due to his contract situation, with the striker’s current deal set to expire at the end of the season. The MEN claim that Matt Judge – United’s outgoing director of football negotiations – made a move for Scarlett last month when he made an enquiry to the striker’s representatives. However, he was informed that Scarlett had informally agreed a contract extension with the club. Erik ten Hag wants to sign at least one forward this summer, with the Dutchman intent on keeping Cristiano Ronaldo at the club. Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Edinson Cavani are all set to leave and Ten Hag wants a flexible forward that can play in a number of positions. Antony, … [Read more...] about Manchester United fail in bid to sign Tottenham star Dane Scarlett

Manchester United ‘cannot wait any longer’ for Frenkie de Jong to make his decision over a move to Old Trafford and are now prepared to move on if does not commit to the move soon. De Jong, 25, has been identified as a top target for United this summer with new manager Erik ten Hag eager for a reunion with his former Ajax midfielder. The Dutchman’s preference is thought to be to stay at Barcelona but the club remain under severe financial pressure and must sell before they can buy this summer. Ten Hag hopes to convince de Jong to make the move to Manchester and has assured him he will be a key player in his rebuild despite no Champions League football on offer next season. But United are not ready to let the saga drag out. According to SPORT , the club are now seeking a final answer, issuing an ultimatum to de Jong. If his answer is no, United will quickly move onto other targets with midfield an area in need of an urgent rebuild in the coming months. … [Read more...] about Manchester United ready to move on from Frenkie de Jong transfer after issuing ultimatum to Barcelona star

Jose Mourinho could not hold back the tears after collecting his Europa Conference League winner’s medal following Roma’s 1-0 victory over Feyenoord in Tirana on Wednesday night. The self-proclaimed Special One was looking to end Roma’s 14-year wait for a trophy and also make history as the first manager to win all of Uefa’s major European trophies, having already emerged victorious in the Champions League , Europa League and Uefa Cup. Roma took a first-half lead when Nicolo Zaniolo chested down a long ball forward and cleverly poked the ball past goalkeeper Justin Bijlow. The Italian side – who only finished sixth in Serie A – had to withstand some heavy pressure in the second half, particularly after the restart, but defended excellently to see out the win. When the full-time whistle was blown, a visibly emotional Mourinho was mobbed by his coaching staff and players as he held five fingers up to the sky – representing his successes in European competitions. … [Read more...] about Jose Mourinho in tears after making history with Roma’s Europa Conference League win

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has told new Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag to replace Marcus Rashford , insisting he is ‘not good enough’ for the Red Devils. Rashford was one of several United players to struggle this season, scoring just five goals in 37 appearances in all competitions. The 24-year-old surpassed 300 appearances for his boyhood club last month but his future at Old Trafford is more uncertain than ever. Rashford was considering a move away from United earlier in the year after being repeatedly overlooked by interim manager Ralf Rangnick , but is said to want to revive his United career under Ten Hag . However, that decision could be taken out of his hands and Anfield hero Carragher is of the opinion that Rashford is ‘not good enough’ for Manchester United and is instead at the level of ‘Arsenal or Tottenham’. ‘He’s just not quite good enough for Manchester United, Marcus Rashford,’ Carragher said on Sky Bet’s The Overlap show . … [Read more...] about ‘He’s Arsenal or Tottenham’ – Marcus Rashford ‘not good enough’ for Manchester United, says Jamie Carragher