Sunderland’s return to the Premier League has been nothing short of eventful.
Their campaign began with a resounding 3-0 win over West Ham in front of a bouncing Stadium of Light.
A 2-0 defeat away at Burnley quickly reminded them of the challenges ahead, but the Black Cats hit back with a dramatic 2-1 home victory against Brentford.
A stalemate with Crystal Palace and a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Aston Villa – where Sunderland played the majority of the game with ten men – showcased resilience.
Victory in that match would have propelled them into fourth place, remarkable for a club that was battling in the Championship just last season.
Next up is a trip to Nottingham Forest, who are still adjusting to life under Ange Postecoglou.
While the focus is rightly on Sunderland’s bright start and their new arrivals – such as Granit Xhaka, Nordi Mukiele, Habib Diarra and Simon Adingra – it is impossible not to think back to some of the players who once wore red & white.
Among them are high-profile names like Jobe Bellingham, but also a forward who is currently one of the Premier League’s most electric performers.
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When Jobe Bellingham joined Sunderland from Birmingham in 2023, the 20-year-old midfielder carried immense expectation.
A product of the same footballing family that produced Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, he quickly became a focal point in Sunderland’s Championship promotion campaign.
Jobe made 40 league appearances last season, scoring four times and assisting three.
He played a vital role as the Black Cats edged their way through the play-offs to seal their return to the top flight.
That impact saw Borussia Dortmund move quickly, paying £27 million to secure his services in the summer.
While the Bundesliga giants recognise his potential, his time in Germany has so far been one of adjustment.
Opportunities in the starting XI have been limited, and the young midfielder is still searching for consistency at the highest level. Premier League sides like Crystal Palace were interested, but Bellingham opted for Dortmund, hoping to follow in his brother’s footsteps.
Despite his high-profile move, Bellingham has not yet hit the heights Sunderland fans might have expected.
Instead, it is another former Black Cat, less heralded during his time on Wearside, who is making waves and establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s standout performers.
Antoine Semenyo – tearing it up in the Premier League
While Jobe Bellingham carried the headlines, Antoine Semenyo is another former Sunderland player truly shining in Europe.
The 25-year-old winger had a fleeting spell with the Black Cats, joining on loan from Bristol City in 2020 when the club were fighting in League One. He was valued at just £436k by Transfermarkt at the time.
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He made just seven appearances, leaving only a modest impression at the time, per Transfermarkt, and the club did not decide to pursue a permanent deal for the winger, which has turned out to be a big mistake.
Fast-forward to today, and Semenyo is among the most sought-after forwards in England.
Since joining Bournemouth in a £10 million move from Bristol City in 2023, he has blossomed into a complete forward.
Last season, he scored 11 goals and provided six assists in 37 league appearances.
His form prompted Bournemouth to slap a £70 million price tag on him this summer amid interest from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
This season, he has started even stronger.
Antoine Semenyo – 2025/26
Matches Played
5
Goals
3
Assists
2
Progressive Carries
15
Progressive Passes
16
Source: FBref
The stats underline just how effective he has become.
He ranks in the 87th percentile for shots per 90 (3.15), the 74th percentile for successful take-ons (2.04), and the 70th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area (5.22), per FBref.
He is also defensively diligent, sitting in the 98th percentile for blocks per 90 (1.84) and an extraordinary 97th percentile for aerial duels won (2.01).
EBL on X described Semenyo as a “£100m player” – high praise, but one that feels increasingly justified.
His combination of work rate, direct running, and physical dominance makes him the exact type of modern forward that elite clubs crave.
For Sunderland supporters, watching Semenyo thrive may stir mixed emotions.
His spell on Wearside was brief and largely unremarkable, yet his career trajectory is proof of how unpredictable football development can be.
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Regis Le Bris could now have the next Jermain Defoe at Sunderland in this monster.
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While their current squad has plenty of fresh talent, it is hard not to reflect on what might have been had Sunderland kept hold of him during his formative years, which is why they messed up by failing to identify his talent and pursue a permanent deal after his loan stint.
Victory for either side would be a significant step towards the Shield final but NSW could only manage two wickets on the third day
Tristan Lavalette08-Mar-2025
Hilton Cartwright brought up his second hundred of the season•Getty Images
Hilton Cartwright and Cameron Bancroft batted through two sessions on day three in an unbroken partnership of 181 to set up an intriguing finish in the pivotal Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and New South Wales.Batting had proven difficult across the first seven sessions on a tricky WACA surface, but the veteran WA batters dug in to turn the match on its head. Cartwright finished 108 not out and Bancroft, playing his 100th Shield match, was unbeaten on 85 from 260 balls as WA reached stumps at 209 for 2 in their second innings and a lead of 144 runs.Related
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Just 0.24 points separated second-placed NSW and WA at the start of the round with a victory for either team putting them in pole position to reach the final. Given the stakes, WA will be eyeing a declaration at some point on the final day although the surface has flattened somewhat as the match has worn on.”It [the partnership] gives us options,” WA coach Adam Voges said. “There’s still some good divots out there. It’s certainly a new-ball wicket. It’s been a real arm-wrestle for three days.”WA quick Lance Morris looms as a key on the final day, but he may be restricted in how many overs he can bowl in NSW’s second innings. He has a restriction of around 30 overs per game to manage his body. Morris took career best figures of 5 for 26 off 20.3 overs in NSW’s first innings.”We were really clear with Cricket Australia around what Lance’s plans look like,” Voges said. “The game demands from Lance what the game demands, but we’re mindful of the overall management plan with him.”After trailing by 65 runs on the first innings, Bancroft and captain Sam Whiteman went about blunting the dangerous new ball combination of Jack Edwards and Jackson Bird with trademark firm defence.They almost got through to lunch until Whiteman was well caught low down in the gully. It was a tricky period for No. 3 Jayden Goodwin and he could do little against a fired-up Liam Hatcher who added a second wicket.Still 37 runs short, WA’s hopes rested with veterans Bancroft and Cartwright. They were pinned down after lunch and scored just one run in five overs as WA crawled to the lead.Cameron Bancroft plays down the ground•Getty Images
But Cartwright broke the shackles with a couple of boundaries off seamer Ryan Hadley and started to find his rhythm with the ball making a lovely sound off his bat. Cartwright has had a strong season with 694 runs at 53.38, but does sometimes fail to kick on from attractive starts.He almost rued another tease of an innings after edging a good length delivery from Edwards on 42. But wicketkeeper Josh Philippe spilt the catch after diving in front of Bird at first slip.Philippe, who moved from WA ahead of the season, and his team-mates were crestfallen in a crucial moment just before tea.Cartwright reached his half-century off 93 balls immediately after the break and Bancroft, who had been shackled through the second session, started to find his touch with his best shot being a six down the ground off spinner Chris Green.Cartwright continued on his merry way with his cover driving a feature as he continually dissected the crowded off-side field with precision.Bancroft had a nervous moment on 61 when he poked Green through the hands of Sam Konstas at short-leg, while Cartwright started to lose concentration as he neared his century. But he composed himself and reached his century just before stumps to cap WA’s turnaround.NSW had started the day’s play with a lead of 62 runs and looked to kick on after Edwards and Green had frustrated WA’s attack late on the previous evening.There was an unknown over whether Morris would bowl again in the innings due to his restriction. Having already bowled 18 overs in the innings, Morris did take the ball early on day three but it was Cameron Gannon who had Green edging to second slip where Bancroft had an uncharacteristic fumble before eventually hanging on.Morris then completed his third five-wicket haul of his first-class career after Sam Fanning claimed a superb catch at short square leg to dismiss Edwards, who fell just short of his half-century. It was redemption for Fanning after he twice dropped Kurtis Patterson, NSW’s top scorer with 86, on the second day.The unassuming Morris, playing a rare back-to-back Shield match, was somewhat reluctant to hold the ball aloft but deserved the strong applause from the crowd after a performance marked by sustained pace and unwavering accuracy.All eyes will be on how many overs he can bowl on the final day.
Manchester United’s academy has played a key role in their success over the years, as seen by their infamous Class of 92, with such a crop of players helping the Red Devils reach new heights.
The quintet played a huge role in Sir Alex Ferguson’s success at Old Trafford, but it’s safe to say the players who have made the jump in recent times have failed to reach such levels.
Marcus Rashford may have racked up over 100 goals during his time in the first time, but his attitude has led to his demise, resulting in various loan spells away from his boyhood outfit.
He spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, before linking up with LaLiga champions Barcelona on a season-long loan for the 2025/26 campaign.
However, he’s not the only academy star who has seen his future come into question over recent months, with another player close to the exit door in recent days.
Kobbie Mainoo’s potential exit from United this summer
After his dream 2023/24 campaign, which saw an FA Cup final goal and a late strike against rivals Liverpool – no United fan would have imagined how Kobbie Mainoo’s time at the club would transpire.
The 20-year-old only made 25 Premier League appearances last season, 19 of which were from a starting role, with Ruben Amorim favouring other options in the midfield department.
He’s only featured in 45 minutes of league action so far this campaign, leading to the player himself coming out and stating he wanted a move away from Old Trafford before the recent transfer deadline.
Any move would’ve only been a temporary switch away from the Red Devils, but the club refused to let him leave, which has resulted in the player needing to fight for his place in the starting eleven.
Despite the window closing, the youngster’s future still remains up in the air, with another former academy graduate slipping through their clutches a couple of years ago.
The £500k United star who could’ve been the dream Mainoo replacement
Despite the success of the aforementioned talents, numerous United youngsters have struggled to make their own impact on the first team – subsequently having to leave the club to make a name for themselves.
James Garner is just one example, leaving the Red Devils to join Everton back in the summer of 2022, before going on to nail his place in their starting eleven in recent seasons.
He’s racked up just shy of 88 appearances for the Toffees – scoring three times, including in the opening game at their new stadium against Brighton and Hove Albion.
The Englishman isn’t alone in that deportment, with midfielder Maxi Oyedele unable to break into the first-team, despite joining the Red Devils at the age of just eight.
He spent 11 years within the academy ranks, having multiple loan spells with the likes of Forest Green Rovers and Altrincham – but it wasn’t enough to catapult him into the senior side.
The board took the decision to permanently offload him last summer, allowing the 20-year-old to join Polish side Legia Warsaw – for a measly fee of just £500k.
Such a move allowed the midfielder, who’s been labelled “fantastic” by Bruno Fernandes, to make 24 appearances last campaign – five of which came in the Europa Conference League.
Games played
16
Minutes played
985
Pass accuracy
86%
Dribble success
69%
Tackles won
1.9
Duels won
5.9
Aerials won
1.1
Interceptions made
1.6
As a result of his impressive underlying stats, he secured a move to French side Strasbourg this summer, with the Ligue 1 outfit paying £5.2m for his signature.
If Oyedele continues his development in France, it would be no surprise to see him join Chelsea in the near future – especially given his current side are also owned by the same group as Enzo Maresca’s outfit.
The decision to sell him could prove to be a mistake in the years ahead, especially given the recent struggles at Old Trafford, which have been endured during the Amorim reign.
Given Mainoo’s current situation, he could leave the Red Devils in the years ahead – subsequently leaving a huge hole in the heart of the side and one that Oyedele could’ve filled had he remained at the club.
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So far, Brendan Rodgers’ side have started the Premiership campaign with two wins out of two, albeit they’ve been made to work hard for these victories, requiring a late Luke McCowan strike to overcome St Mirren 1-0, before a 2-0 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
Only once since 2012 have the Hoops scored three goals or fewer across their opening two league fixtures, doing so in 2018, albeit they did then demolish Falkirk 4-1 in the League Cup on Friday night.
Nevertheless, ahead of Wednesday night’s season-defining Champions League play-off against Kairat at Parkhead, supporters are concerned that Rodgers’ squad lacks the top-end talent to compete at European level.
With that in mind, could the Scottish champions sign a “world-class” striker, available on a free, that Rodgers knows rather well?
Celtic's need for attacking reinforcements
Since Rodgers returned to Celtic two summers ago, nine players have scored ten or more goals for the club, of whom four are no longer there, namely Kyōgo Furuhashi (31 goals), Nicolas Kühn (24), Matt O’Riley (19) and Luis Palma (10).
Adam Idah is on that list with 29 goals, second only to Daizen Maeda in the current squad, but the Republic of Ireland international is yet to get off the mark this season, with his compatriot Johnny Kenny given the nod on Friday night.
Following a fruitful loan spell, Idah’s move to Glasgow was made permanent for a humongous fee of £9.5m, but he has largely flattered to deceive since, so could Celtic target an upgrade during the remaining weeks of the transfer window?
Well, according to a report by the Scottish Sun, Rodgers ‘would love’ Celtic to sign free agent Jamie Vardy this summer.
They claim that the 38-year-old has ‘his heart set’ on a move to Parkhead, adding that the England international is a ‘model professional’ who ‘believes he can play week in week out’ at the highest level for another two years at least.
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So, will the Vardy party relocate from the East Midlands to Glasgow’s East End?
What Jamie Vardy would bring to Celtic
Earlier this year, Vardy waved goodbye to Leicester City after 13 years with the Foxes, during which time he won a Premier League title and the FA Cup.
He marked his final appearance for the club with a goal against Southampton, thereby bowing out with 200 goals in exactly 500 appearances, very satisfying for fans of symmetry.
Overall, Vardy netted nine times in the Premier League last season, a more than respectable feat for a generally woeful Leicester team, this representing 36% of their total goals.
However, as documented below, it is Vardy’s exploits during the Foxes’ promotion-winning campaign from the EFL Championship the year before that provide the biggest cause for optimism.
Vardy – 23/24 Champ stats
Stat
Vardy
Champ rank
Goals
18
5th
Goals inside the box
18
3rd
Shots
53
51st
Shots on target %
50.9%
9th
Goals-per-shot
0.26
5th
Average shot distance
11.4 yards
1st*
Big chances missed
16
7th
Offsides
17
19th
Average Sofascore rating
7.02
14th**
*minimum 44 shots. **among strikers only.
via FBref.com and Sofascore
As the table outlines, in the Championship, Vardy was prolific; the fact all 18 of his goals were scored inside the penalty area underlines his penalty-box poacher style of play, as does the fact his average shot distance was just 11.4 yards, so round about the penalty spot.
Also, impressively, these goals were scored from only 53 total shots, squandering a mere 16 Opta-defined big chances, emphasising that he still possesses that clinical edge.
Worth also noting that, according to Global Football Rankings, the EFL Championship is the seventh-best league in the world, while the Scottish Premiership is down in 27th, further suggesting Vardy would score goals for a dominant team in Scotland.
When the pair were together at Leicester, following a Premier League win over Arsenal in October 2020, Rodgers labelled Vardy a “world-class striker”, while then-Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy described him as a “living legend” prior to his Foxes farewell.
So, would he represent an upgrade on Idah?
Well, the Irishman did score 20 goals across all competitions last season, but his highest-ever total in an EFL Championship campaign was six, exponentially fewer than Vardy.
So far this season, starting both Premiership fixtures against St Mirren and Aberdeen, Idah has had five shots but missed three big chances, yet to find the back of the net and failing to make much impact, which has to be a concern with tougher tests to come.
Thus, it is clear that Vardy would score goals at Premiership level, and in Europe too, so signing the Englishman appears to be a no-brainer.
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It was a day when Radha Yadav could do everything: fly like a superwoman to grab two stunning catches, take 4 for 69 with the ball, be India’s top-scorer with 48 from No. 9, and help add 70 with Saima Thakor for the ninth wicket. That was not only India’s highest stand in pursuit of 260 against New Zealand on Sunday, but also their highest ODI partnership for the ninth wicket.But unfortunately for India, all those performances could not help them avoid defeat. New Zealand, led by an all-round show from their captain Sophie Devine, sealed a comfortable 76-run win to take the series into the decider. Not only that, New Zealand also grabbed crucial points in the Women’s Championship to remain afloat for direct qualification for next year’s ODI World Cup.Devine hit 79 and saw off a quiet period with the bat for her side, eventually pushing New Zealand’s first-innings total to 259. With the ball, she bagged her opposite number Harmanpreet Kaur, and also Jemimah Rodrigues. India’s chase was never on track either side of that brief stand, falling well short despite some resilience late in the contest.Five overs into the chase, India were 26 for 3, with Smriti Mandhana falling without scoring. She chipped Lea Tahuhu to point in the first over, before Jess Kerr trapped Shafali Verma in front for an entertaining 11 in the fourth. Next over, Tahuhu had Yastika Bhatia edging behind to wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze, who finished the day with four catches.Harmanpreet and Rodrigues added 38 for the fourth wicket, and that remained India’s highest stand until Radha and Thakor’s ninth-wicket stand of 70. Harmanpreet’s 24 was the most that any top-seven batter from India managed on the night, and at 77 for 5 in the 18th over, the wheels had come off.But the fact that they a challenging target to chase was down to the half-centuries from Devine and Suzie Bates. Bates put on a stand of 87 with Georgia Plimmer for the first wicket to set the tone for New Zealand, whose innings could be split into four different quarters. The first one belonged to Bates and Plimmer, who combined to thump 13 fours and a six in the first 15 overs.Radha Yadav scored runs, took wickets and pulled off stunners on the field•BCCI
But in the tenth over, Plimmer was dropped by Deepti Sharma when on 16, the first of three dropped catches from the allrounder. Plimmer and Bates relied mostly on timing and placement instead of power. Harmanpreet, back into the side after missing the first ODI due to a niggle, introduced spin in the sixth over, but it hardly affected New Zealand’s momentum.The breakthrough finally came when Radha took the first of her two great catches in the 16th over. Placed at midwicket, she moved swiftly to her right before diving full stretch to have Plimmer caught for 41 off Deepti. That started a run of 12 overs which saw New Zealand score only 34 for the loss of three wickets.Bates got to fifty to start the 19th over, but next ball, Deepti put her down at midwicket, attempting a catch with her right hand instead of going at it with both hands. Two overs later, though, one of Bates’ drives down the ground deflected off debutant Priya Mishra’s hands, and caught Lauren Down short at the non-striker’s end.In the 27th, Radha had Bates caught and bowled for 58, but Devine stood firm at the other end. That started a period of play where New Zealand steadied themselves. In the next 17 overs, they scored 84, and lost only one wicket. Devine cut, flicked and pulled for boundaries, but in the 32nd over, Radha stunned New Zealand with her fielding again. Now placed at extra cover, she sprinted and dived full stretch to have Brooke Halliday caught for 8.But Devine and Green ensured India didn’t run away with the game, even though Deepti dropped Green on 6 in the 34th over. The two batters kept ticking along, with Devine overturning an lbw decision against her when on 36. She got to her fifty off 65 balls in the 41st over, and set it up for a solid finish. The last six overs saw New Zealand pummel 55 runs, with Green driving, ramping and flicking Thakor for successive boundaries in the 45th over.Radha had Green holing out to long-off for 42 next over, but boundaries from Kerr and a six from Devine took New Zealand to 259. That proved more than enough.
Manchester United have been one of the absolute biggest clubs in the world now for over 30 years, largely thanks to their Premier League dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson. They are massive and boast arguably the largest overall fanbase in football.
That, of course, means there are quite a few famous names amongst the fans. We thought we’d pick out some of them – but this is far from an exhaustive list. Also worth mentioning that we’ve gone for actual fans here, not just famous people who wore a shirt once.
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We’ll start with an unusual one here – but we’re going back some way for the proof. Justin Timberlake publicly outed himself as a United fan back in 2007, largely thanks to former striker/midfielder Alan Smith.
"I'm a Red! I'm mates with Smithy so he' ..Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2148088.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst "I'm a Red! I'm mates with Smithy so he' ..Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2148088.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst "I'm a Red! I'm mates with Smithy so he' ..Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2148088.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst "I'm a Red! I'm mates with Smithy so he' ..Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2148088.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst"I'm a Red! I'm mates with Smithy so he' ..Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2148088.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst"I'm a Red! I'm mates with Smithy so he' ..Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2148088.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst"I'm a Red! I'm mates with Smithy so he' ..Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2148088.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
“I’m a Red!,” he said back then. “I’m mates with Smithy so he’s my favourite player but [Cristiano] Ronaldo isn’t bad either. I really like [Wayne] Rooney too.
“Smithy hooked me up with some tickets, so I went to watch the home game against West Ham.”
We won’t go as far as to say he’s a die-hard fan but there’s certainly a link there!
Eamonn Holmes
Sticking with celebrity glamour, TV presenter Eamonn Holmes is a long-time fan of United. In fact, he even started the eulogies at the funeral of United legend and fellow Northern Irishman George Best.
Holmes has been very openly a massive fan for decades now, from wanting to name his son after Sir Alex Ferguson, to just this month criticising the new third kit.
The presenter actually featured alongside Ferguson on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” back in 2004. He’s the only person on this list to have done that.
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy is another who has worn his United support proudly on his sleeve for some time now. The golfer even found the nerve to out himself as a fan in front of a Liverpool crowd back in 2014. It wasn’t received well.
But after winning the Open that year, McIlroy was invited to parade the Grey Jug around Old Trafford. It was an invitation he quickly accepted.
Just this week, too, McIlroy moved to offer support to under-fire defender Harry Maguire.
“Absolutely [I feel sorry for him],” he told Sky Sports.
“I am sure Harry wakes up every morning, goes to work and tries his best just like we all do and when your life and career are laid bare like that and everyone sees everything… you could make 20 great passes in a game and the one pass that doesn’t go quite right is the one that everyone is going to concentrate on.”
Luke Littler
Darts sensation Luke Littler has helped transform the sport in recent years, but away from the oche, Littler is a die-hard Man Utd supporter.
After bursting onto the scene, Littler was left starstruck after receiving a message from Red Devils icon David Beckham. He won the World Championship in 2025 and even took the trophy to Old Trafford.
Olly Murs
Olly Murs is a loud United fan – he has a box at Old Trafford and recently gave a tour of the stadium for the club’s official website.
He can frequently be seen talking about the club over the years, too, and explained exactly why going to see the club means so much to him in an interview with the Guardian last year.
“Taking my dad to Manchester United matches. He’s a massive fan, but couldn’t take us when we were kids. It’s far from Essex; we couldn’t afford it. When I got into this industry, one of my first purchases was a box at Old Trafford. Being able to take him means a lot.”
A passionate fan of United, then – it’s what you love to see.
Conor McGregor
MMA star Conor McGregor.
Conor McGregor’s support for Man Utd really came into the public consciousness last year when there was talk he would front a bid to buy the club. Now, it quickly became evident that he lacked the funds to make that happen.
Still, McGregor certainly wasn’t just after the publicity. He’s talked about his support for the club before, including a lengthy interview with the official club site back in 2021.
“I was attracted to the success and winning mentality of the club and people surrounded by United. Irish legends like Denis Irwin and Roy Keane were dedicated to their craft and had that winning mentality.
“Roy Keane was one of the best midfielders European football has ever seen. Opponents would be mentally beaten before they’d even stepped on to the pitch to face him.”
It’s a good read and rare that you see this much talk about the club from a ‘celebrity’ fan. McGregor does also have allegiances with Celtic, we should say, but there’s no doubt that he has plenty of support for United.
Dave
Multi-award-winning rapper Dave is a big United fan – you only need listen to his music to find that out. His 2021 release “We’re All Alone in This Together” featured several shout-outs to the club.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Anthony Martial both got name-dropped. Even youngster Amad Diallo was mentioned in a track. Then if you go a touch further back, you’ll find Dave Tweeting like a typical fan back in 2019, primarily with Paul Pogba propaganda.
Angry Ginge
One of the most famous British YouTubers and Twitch streamers around today, Man Utd is part of Angry Ginge’s personality.
Known for his ‘Yanited’ outbursts, Angry Ginge, real name Morgan Burtwistle, is also a season ticket holder at Old Trafford. He even played at the stadium for Soccer Aid 2025, coming up against Carlos Tevez.
Richard Ashcroft
Sticking with the musician theme, Richard Ashcroft has been a United fan since childhood. He’s another to give an interview with the official club site where he explained how he got on board with United.
“I come from such a hybrid area. Skelmersdale, built near to where I was brought up, was a new town for Liverpool. So there was a real mixture of football supporters at school. There were United fans, and Liverpool and Everton fans whose families had moved from Liverpool to Skelmersdale.
“But essentially it was an old friend of mine. There was a family who lived across the road who used to go to watch United. They took me to my first match when I was about 10 or 11.”
The Verve frontman then talked about that first trip to Old Trafford – something that’s clearly stuck with him through it all.
“It is that cliche moment of seeing the stadium and the green of the pitch for the first time. When I first started going to Old Trafford it was when Ron Atkinson was the manager, and we would always be ‘nearly there’ in the league, but with amazing crowds.
“Everyone packed into the Stretford End – those were the days!”
Brian O’Driscoll
Rugby icon Brian O’Driscoll is another huge Red Devils supporter, with the Irishman admitting he went against the majority of Liverpool fans in Dublin growing up to follow Man Utd.
His first idol at Old Trafford was Mark Hughes, and he revealed his favourite ever goal was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in 1999.
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt has never hidden his allegiance to Man United, going all the way back to his heyday of 2012. The fastest man in history was a guest of honour at Old Trafford in Alex Ferguson’s final season, in fact.
Then, of course, there was that spell where Bolt attempted to break into top-level football, publicly admitting that while he had trials with Borussia Dortmund, his real dream was to play for United.
"One of my biggest dreams is to sign for Manchester United. If Dortmund say I'm good enough, I'll crack on and train hard."I've spoken to Alex Ferguson and I told him he needs to put in a good word. He told me if I get fit and ready, he will see what he can do."
Tyson Fury
It’s pretty unusual to get this far through a list like this without finding a proper local fan but here’s one. Tyson Fury is from Greater Manchester and has been vocal about his support, particularly over the last few years.
But he’s clearly a fan who does know his stuff. Fury even went against the grain and predicted that United would potentially be a better side without Cristiano Ronaldo last year – months before Erik ten Hag moved the player on.
“When you have a superstar like Ronaldo, everybody relies on him to score goals and if he wasn’t there they’d be scoring the goals themselves, like they did the season before last.
“I’m not saying he’s a bad asset, he’s a great asset, but sometimes with a star player, he carries the team and the young people are overshadowed by it all, they don’t get their chance to shine because ‘the great Ronaldo’ is on the pitch.”
You’ll frequently find Fury’s support on social media, too, be it celebrating the EFL Cup or welcoming Mason Mount to the club.
Stormzy
Stormzy went viral last season after appearing on Sky Sports’ coverage during a United game where he admitted to being starstruck by the occasion. After all, here was a lifetime fan of the club, at Old Trafford, getting to talk about the team on Monday Night Football.
But how did Stormzy actually become a fan? He explained in an interview with Soccer AM a few years ago that it was simply a case of a stars aligning.
“I always get stick.
“There’s probably even people watching now saying ‘hear his accent what’s he doing supporting United?’ But that’s just how the stars aligned for me.
“When I was younger I didn’t have a big brother or like a dad who supported United so it all kinda came from me.
“Cockney Red what can you do?”
Stormzy also took part in Paul Pogba’s announcement video for the club back in 2016 but infamously spoiled the signing by posting the video too early. We can hardly blame him for being excited, mind.
Arsenal have been in talks over a contract extension for star midfielder Thomas Partey for weeks, but as the clock ticks down towards June 30, manager Mikel Arteta faces the very real prospect of losing him for nothing.
The Ghanaian’s resurgence, after a 2023/2024 campaign blighted by injury, has been nothing short of exceptional.
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Partey was a mainstay under Arteta throughout last season, impressing in a variety of roles at right-back and in midfield, going on to finish the year with 52 appearances under his belt across all competitions.
His stellar form over the last 10 months prompted Arsenal to open talks with Partey over fresh terms, with the club announcing that they were in dialogue about a new deal by not including the African on this year’s official retained list.
19/20 – winter
£0
20/21 – summer
£81.5m
20/21 – winter
£900k
21/22 – summer
£156.8m
21/22 – winter
£1.8m
22/23 – summer
£121.5m
22/23 – winter
£59m
23/24 – summer
£208m
23/24 – winter
£0
24/25 – summer
£101.5m
24/25 – winter
£0
Arteta also confirmed in a press conference that he wants the £200,000-per-week veteran to remain right where he is, after what was arguably his best-ever season at the Emirates Stadium.
“Yeah,” said the Arsenal manager when asked if he wants Partey to stay.
“In regards to Thomas, consistency-wise, it’s been his best season. I think the way he’s played, performed, his availability has been exceptional, and he’s a really important player for us.”
However, talks have been going since late April, and there has still been no official confirmation from Arsenal that Partey has indeed extended his stay in N5.
Naturally, the 32-year-old is attracting serious interest from elsewhere. Both Fenerbache boss José Mourinho and AC Milan’s Max Allegri have personally held talks with Partey, according to CaughtOffside.
Thomas Partey gives Arsenal ultimatum amid "concrete offers"
The outlet also reports that Fenerbache and Milan have made Partey “concrete” proposals to join them, so Arsenal have major competition in their bid to keep him.
CaughtOffside have shared that Partey’s agent has given an ultimatum to Arsenal during new deal talks, namely that the ex-Atlético Madrid star will leave if they don’t increase their salary offer.
Arsenal are currently determined not to increase their initial offer, so talks are now at a roadblock and in serious danger of collapsing.
Arteta will be hoping for a swift resolution. Even taking into account the pending arrival of Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi, who’s still expected to join Arsenal with a deal agreed, the Gunners are poised to be a star midfielder short if Partey does leave, given Jorginho’s free transfer to Flamengo.
Arteta needs a rejuvenated and star-studded squad if he wishes to close the gap on English champions Liverpool, and losing Partey would be a disastrous summer blow ahead of what is a crucial campaign for Arsenal’s head coach.
The pressure is truly on for him to win a piece of major silverware, five years after their FA Cup final triumph in 2020, so keeping a player of Partey’s quality/experience is a must.
Glamorgan have signed Scotland fast bowler Chris Sole for the rest of the T20 Blast group stages. He is set to make his debut at The Oval on Friday night, less than a week after Scotland’s elimination from the T20 World Cup at the hands of Australia.Sole, 30, took two wickets at the World Cup and has been clocked at speeds above 90mph/145kph during his international career. Grant Bradburn, Glamorgan’s head coach, previously worked with Sole during his time in charge of Scotland.”To be able to add Chris Sole’s high-quality skills, experience and character into our squad brings an exciting vibe to our team, as we look forward to playing at The Oval tonight,” Bradburn said. “Having worked with Chris previously in Scotland, we know the high value he will bring and I’m sure he will thrive in our environment.”Mark Wallace, Glamorgan’s director of cricket, said they had been following Sole’s progress closely. “We have been tracking Chris for a while, and now that his World Cup campaign is over with Scotland, it’s great to be able to bring him in to add some pace to our attack and bolster our seam bowling resources in the Vitality Blast,” Wallace said.Glamorgan will hope that Sole’s inclusion can boost their chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Blast. They sit seventh out of nine in the South Group, with the top four progressing to the next stage, and lost a thriller to Gloucestershire on Thursday despite a world-class outfield catch from Marnus Labuschagne.”I’m very excited to be included in Glamorgan’s Vitality Blast campaign and can’t wait to join the squad at the Oval tonight,” Sole said. “Hopefully I can contribute to some on-field success in the coming weeks.”
Leeds United made it three defeats in succession in the Premier League when they were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon.
The Whites had the lead at half-time thanks to a goal from Lukas Nmecha, who bundled the ball in from close range after Anton Stach competed with Emi Martinez for a high ball.
Unfortunately, though, the away side struck twice in the second half, both goals coming from Morgan Rogers, and walked away from West Yorkshire with all three points.
Daniel Farke only made one change to his starting line-up from the side that lost 3-1 to Nottingham Forest before the break, and it backfired on the Leeds boss.
The Leeds change that backfired on Daniel Farke
The German head coach opted to take Jaka Bijol out of the team, after he won four of his six duels against Forest, and brought Pascal Struijk back into the side, possibly to have a natural left-footer in that position.
Whilst the Dutchman certainly opens up more passing angles as a left-footer on the left side of the defence, his defensive work left far too much to be desired against the Villans, and that is why the change backfired on the manager.
Per Sofascore, Struijk only won three of his eight duels, losing both of his ground duels, and did not complete a single tackle in the game, which shows that he struggled with the physicality of the match.
The one tackle that the former Ajax man did attempt was his late lunge on Ross Barkley, which resulted in the free-kick from which Rogers scored the winning goal.
Struijk was far from the only poor performer on the pitch, though, as Brenden Aaronson is another player who should be ruthlessly ditched from the starting line-up.
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The USA international had delivered a goal and an assist in the three Premier League matches prior to the international break, which made his inclusion in the side an understandable call from Farke.
However, the return to fitness of Dan James has thrown his place in the line-up into doubt, and their respective performances against Aston Villa on Sunday suggest that the Wales international deserves a chance from the start.
Aaronson, who was awarded a 4/10 player rating by LeedsUnitedNews, lower than Struijk’s 6/10 rating, failed to create a single chance for his teammates in 80 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore, as he came inside and got crowded out all too often.
Vs Aston Villa
Brenden Aaronson
Dan James
Minutes
80
19
Shots
3
3
xG on target
0.15
0.15
Crosses attempted
1
5
Key passes
0
1
Big chances created
0
0
Dribbles completed
1/5
1/1
Possession lost
12x
6x
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, James offered more to the team on the right flank in 19 minutes than the American lightweight did in his 80-minute outing against the Villans.
The fact that the Welshman attempted five times as many crosses as Aaronson, in roughly an hour less on the pitch, speaks to the difference Leeds could make to their attack by bringing him into the starting XI.
Aaronson, for all his hard work, is not a natural winger who is going to hug the byline and test teams consistently with runs in behind and crosses into the box.
James, however, is that player and almost made an instant impact when his brilliant run and ball across the box led to Dominic Calvert-Lewin finding the back of the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for a handball by the striker.
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The Welshman deserved an assist for his play. Now, he deserves a place in the starting line-up because Aaronson was even worse than Struijk in the defeat to Villa, as he offered little to the team in or out of possession, whilst Struijk, at the very least, completed 95% of his passes and made five clearances, per Sofascore.
Arne Slot is determined to put things right at Liverpool. Because it’s all gone very wrong this season, the champions 12th in the Premier League standings after losing five of their past six matches.
There is more than enough time for the Dutch coach to turn things around, but improvements are needed quickly if Slot is to repel rising noises regarding the security of his position in the hot seat.
The curious case of Alexander Isak. Liverpool’s record-breaking striker has flattered to deceive since joining from Newcastle United for £125m this summer, and getting him up to speed is paramount if the Reds are to fire on all cylinders going forward.
And with Mohamed Salah struggling and the Anfield side altogether imbalanced up front, FSG appear to be turning toward the transfer market once again.
Liverpool lining up new forward
Salah, 33, is waning. Then again, Liverpool have malfunctioned this season and the Egyptian superstar will surely rekindle his form after a lifetime of genius on Merseyside.
But, regardless, Liverpool need to draw up a succession plan, and they appear to have done exactly that after earmarking a former Premier League sensation to take his berth on the right wing.
As per Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool view Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise as a “future dream target” to replace Salah, who extended his stay on Merseyside until the end of the 2026/27 season in April.
Olise would cost a pretty penny, though, having been priced by Die Roten at a staggering €140m (about £122m).
Still, FSG have shown they will do business for such a fee in recent times.
Why Michael Olise would be perfect for Alexander Isak
Olise was immense throughout his debut season in Germany last season, steering Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title and earning acclaim for his dynamic attacking displays.
The 23-year-old has gone up a gear this term, posting nine goals and ten assists from 18 matches in all competitions, and TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves said that he “could be as good as anyone” after one Champions League performance.
Whether Olise winds up at Liverpool remains to be seen, but his remarkable physical traits and natural playmaking qualities make him a tailor-made winger to accommodate Isak and Hugo Ekitike at number nine.
One thing’s for sure: he would provide a huge upgrade on this current version of Salah, whose wastefulness in front of goal is being matched by an inability to influence as he usually does across other areas.
Goals scored
0.63
0.34
Assists
0.63
0.17
Shots taken
4.62
2.43
Shot-creating actions
6.82
3.27
Touches (att pen)
7.55
6.21
Pass completion (%)
81.6
68.1
Progressive passes
6.40
4.19
Progressive carries
5.45
3.94
Successful take-ons
2.31
0.92
Ball recoveries
4.72
2.77
Tackles + interceptions
1.36
0.34
Isak is one of the best strikers in the world, but he needs service. The Sweden international darts upfield and finds space in between the lines. Olise could help activate this area of his skillset at Liverpool, averaging over six progressive passes per Bundesliga game this term.
Olise is also less focused on goalscoring side of the game. That’s not to say he’s not capable of show-stopping strikes, as has been seen numerous times in the Premier League, but serve as evidence that he could be the perfect counterweight in Liverpool’s attacking system to give rise to Isak’s striking ability.
Such an athletic and hungry wide forward with a proven pedigree in the Premier League could prove the key to success at Liverpool, whose forwards are toiling and surely need some fresh inspiration to lift them back into the ascendancy.
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