What was the first game that you ever attended? It was Manchester City against Huddersfield Town in 1987. I must have been about nine years old at the time. I always had a big family of City followers, so I was probably always going to be a blue rath

Acun Ilicali is a Turkish TV megastar and multi-millionaire media mogul with the private jets, yachts and speedboats to prove it. Two years ago, he decided to buy a club struggling in the second tier of English football. Well, why not? “We had four o

How have the first few months at MK Dons gone? I’m really enjoying it. It’s a brand new challenge and all the boys have been brilliant. It’s testament to them that we’ve picked up a lot of points early on. They’ve reacted well to us going in. MK were

The iconic Aston Villa captain recounts childhood dreams at Anfield and that momentous 1982 night in Rotterdam What are your early memories of following Liverpool, having been born and raised in nearby Kirkby? I went to Anfield many times with my fat

For the best part of 15 years, you knew exactly what you were getting from Belgium’s number 10: the brilliant Eden Hazard, dribbling past players at will, then inevitably picking up some sort of muscle injury. Hazard’s retirement, though, has left so

“Shay would pull off some ridiculous saves. As a centre-back, you wanted someone behind you who talked a good game and kept you on your toes. Shay did that – he always looked to encourage and organise players mid-match.” “I’m plumping for him over th

BEST: Tommy Lee, Tendayi Darikwa, Sean Dyche, Liam Cooper, Sam Clucas, Sam Morsy, Jimmy Ryan, Daniel Johnson, Gary Roberts, Eoin Doyle, Jack Lester. WORST: Nathan Abbey, Joe Yarney, Robert Page, Gavin Gunning, Michael Simpkins, Tope Obedayi, Mark Hud

There were more than 22,000 people inside Hillsborough, and their frustration was obvious at the full-time whistle: Sheffield Wednesday 0, Rushden & Diamonds 0. Three days later, Rushden won at Blackpool to move into the top half of the third tier af

Heading into the summer of 2003, Arsenal were already a great side. Top of the table in April, by May they’d surrendered their lead to Manchester United, thus failing to defend the Premier League crown they’d won a year earlier. Victory over Southamp

As we head into the final stretch of another Premier League campaign, it’s likely that the manager of the season award will go to whoever leads their club to glory after this nail-biting title race. Pep Guardiola is still regarded as the best gaffer

MATTHEW KETCHELL DEPUTY EDITOR @ketchell A Wembley of the north? No thanks, Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Didn’t the British tax payer already fork out for West Ham’s stadium? Let’s not make the same mistake twice by funding a new Old Trafford. I live in the No

PORTO, PORTUGAL Somehow, Pepe is still going – having made his debut in 1963, he remains a stalwart at Porto. As captain, the 41-year-old was pictured passing on some of his experience. “Look, when I give you the thumbs up, follow me and completely l

Sometimes in football, and in life, it takes time to pass for something to be appreciated and acknowledged. The Arsenal team of 2003-04 won plenty of plaudits at the time for clinching the Premier League title without losing a game, but two decades o

Not many footballers can claim to have had the upper hand over Lionel Messi, but Bastian Schweinsteiger is one of them. Across eight competitive fixtures for club and country in which both featured in the squad, Messi triumphed in two and Schweinstei

September 6, 2009 Euro 2009 semi-final “I was only 22 and still finding my feet at international level when Euro 2009 in Finland rolled around. I was used as a substitute to begin with and just tried to make an impression if called upon. That was the

Water bottles were shaken up and sprayed in the obvious absence of anything alcoholic, as players danced in the north London sunshine. Some strode across the pitch with flags tied around their necks as capes; others basked on the hallowed turf. Highb

​​01 How many times has Lionel Messi (right) received the Ballon d’Or? 02 Who are Berkshire’s sole representative in the Football League? 03 Who bagged the Premier League Golden Boot in 2011-12, when Manchester City secured their first Premier League

Everyone and their mum – especially their mum – headed to Chorley’s Victory Park stadium in February, as Boyzone attended the Magpies’ FA Trophy defeat to Solihull Moors ahead of potential investment in the non-league outfit. Band members Shane Lynch

‘Como! Thou, a treasure whom the Earth keeps to herself’ – English poet William Wordsworth fell in love with northern Italy’s sun-kissed lakes during a walking tour in 1790. He wouldn’t be the last. In the centuries since, countless more have eloped

AS VOTED BY THE FANS SUNDERLAND POSITION MIDFIELDER AGE 18 Though he’s fared admirably as a false nine due to Sunderland’s issues up top, Jobe is doubtless best deployed in an attacking midfield role. The 18-year-old’s glorious first touch is like gl

The one-time wonderkid recalls playing with his idols in Italy, smashing players in training and a brief loan move to Chelsea When you left Internacional at 17, why did you pick Milan over other top clubs? I was doing very well at Internacional. To b

Ada Hegerberg beamed with happiness as she towered over a gathering of the world’s greatest footballers, holding her trophy aloft on the balcony at the Grand Palais in Paris. The ornate art nouveau exhibition centre beside the Champs-Elysees will hos

From £80 adidas.com/messi New boots, who dis? Er, it’s Lionel Messi mate, ever heard of him? Robot boy is the only player to get his own Adidas wheels, and what a pair they are, too: deep blue offset against white, with hints of gold a nod to the she

The ex-Wimbledon and Sheffield United boss on deserving more credit, plus Dirty Harry and Pierre van Hooijdonk on strike So, Dave, why do people call you ‘Harry’? My father’s name was Harry and there were a lot of Daves in my school. One of my good p

Forest Green Rovers 1, Sheffield Wednesday 0. By March 2023, Owls fans were probably pretty tired of giving a leg-up to clubs from tiny towns who were tasting life in the third tier for the first time. Picturesque Nailsworth, population 5,600, replac

Thirty years on, Tom Stone remembers the conversations at EA Sports ahead of them launching the very first edition of FIFA. It’s hard to believe today that there was ever any doubt the world’s most renowned video game organisation would make a succes

A sense of bemusement crept into the room as Paul Barber addressed Brighton & Hove Albion’s 300-strong workforce. The Seagulls’ chief executive had gathered his staff together to lay out his and owner Tony Bloom’s vision for the future on the south c

Boos rang around the Parc des Princes as soon as the final whistle blew to confirm Paris Saint-Germain were Ligue 1 champions. Mauricio Pochettino never imagined his first ever league title as a manager would be quite like this. Finally, six years af