Gossip: Tigers in chase for Forest midfielder
Birmingham have joined the likes of Hull, Preston, Swansea and Southampton in the hunt for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien, 26. (Alan Nixon, external - requires subscription)Want more EFL transfer rumours? Check out Thursday's full gossip columnFollow the gossip column on BBC Sport
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Brit Jack Draper showed he was born to star at Wimbledon with 100-shot rally when he was FIVE years old
JACK DRAPER first showed he was 'born for the big stage' with a 100-shot rally aged just FIVE. On Friday morning, the British No 1 will learn his potential path to a Wimbledon final as he aims to follow in the footsteps of two-time winner Andy Murray. 1 Draper, 23, has soared to No 4 in the world rankings following a stellar year on court, which saw him crowned Indian Wells champion in March. His success comes as no surprise to his former coach Justin Sherring — the man who nurtured his talent at the Weybridge Tennis Academy. And it was one particular passage of play over the net as a kid which caught the eye. Sherring told SunSport: 'I coached Jack from the age of five to 15. His dad was the CEO of the Lawn Tennis Association and I knew his mum. 'His brother, who is now his agent, also came to the academy. I could see Jack was talented straight away. I had a 100-shot rally with him when he was only five years old. 'He used the whole of the court and just loved playing. Amazing hand-eye coordination — the best I have seen. He also had a massive desire to win. 'I used to make sure I beat him and he always wanted to carry on playing, as he didn't want to lose. I used to tell him to come back tomorrow and try to beat me. He had a huge passion for the game and wanted to keep learning. 'He was always so competitive, with great focus and also a hunger to improve his game. I've coached a lot of kids but what stood out was his dedication and drive. I'm not surprised by the success he has had. He looks born for the big stage.' Draper reached the semi-finals of the US Open last year in New York and warmed up for Wimbledon with a run to the last four at Queen's. He was struggling with tonsillitis when he was beaten by Czech ace Jiri Lehecka in the semi-finals in London last weekend — and ended up smashing an advertising board in anger. But that incident aside, Sherring thinks Draper can thrive on the pressure of carrying the hopes of a nation at SW19. He added: 'It's very tough with the demands on tour, the way he has come through challenges to get to where he is now is very impressive. 'Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are up there as the favourites but Jack has shown he can compete with them. If he settles in nicely at Wimbledon, with the crowd behind him, he can be dangerous. 'He has already been to the final there as a junior. Jack has no fear and certainly has the game to go a long way in the tournament. 'It is only a matter of time before he wins a Grand Slam. I was at Indian Wells when he went all the way for an amazing win, you could see the belief he had. 'He has been able to adapt his game very well. He played a lot on clay as a junior but has been able to adapt to playing on different surfaces. 'If he gets into the right state of mind at Wimbledon, he will be a very difficult opponent. It can go either way when you have the pressure of playing in a home Grand Slam. Jack can certainly use it to his advantage.' John McEnroe says he first became aware of Draper nearly a decade ago when the Brit, a foot shorter than his current 6ft 4in frame, attended his US academy. Wimbledon Ticket Options There are a range of ways to get into Wimbledon as one of the only major sporting events in the world that offer sought-after tickets on the day of the event... The Queue As one of the only major sporting events that allows guests to purchase tickets on the day of the event, demand is high. Each day a large queue forms of people wanting either a Grounds or Show Court ticket - with many even arriving the night before and camping to guarantee a place. Upon arrival, visitors are issued a Queue Card, which is numbered and dated and should be kept until a ticket has been purchased. While there is a limited number of entries, it is possible to remain in the queue and wait for people already inside to leave, with those tickets then becoming available. It is also possible to check the status of the queue on the Wimbledon website. This year, organisers are asking potential queuers to download the Wimbledon app and create a myWimbledon account. Show Tickets If you get to the front of the queue, then there are a limited number of tickets available for purchase for Centre Court and Courts 1, 2 and 3. Note that Centre Court tickets are available for the first 10 days of the tournament, the final four days were already pre-sold. Prices vary depending on the Court, seat and day of the event and will increase the further into the tournament you visit. For example, Centre Court rows A-T cost £105 on Day 1 and £315 on Day 14 (men's final). Grounds Pass A Grounds Pass costs £30 and allows visitors to watch matches on Courts 3-18 on unreserved seats, though there will also be a queue to get into Court 3. Ticket Resale From 3pm each day, tickets may become available from people who have left Wimbledon and made their seat available. A Grounds Pass is needed to join the virtual queue on the Wimbledon App. Tickets cost £15 for Centre Court or £10 for Courts 1/2. Hospitality There are a range of hospitality packages still available on the Wimbledon website. Hospitality packages offer guaranteed premium seating to major matches as well as fine dining experiences, complimentary drinks, a shuttle and concierge service. Hospitality packages can also be purchased via Seat Unique. Secondary Markets Sites such as StubHub offer tickets for the main courts for specific days and times. *Please note that StubHub and similar secondary ticket resale sites may list tickets above face value.* The American tennis legend — a seven-time Major-winner — said: 'Jack was 14. He was like 5ft 1in or something. 'So, he had to work on everything. He obviously had a lot of talent. 'I'm not sure how tall his mum is. Or exactly how tall his dad is. I didn't see that happening where, oh, my God, Jesus Christ, this guy's now a physical specimen. 'Jack's really developed into a force. He's seeded No 4 so to me he's the fourth favourite without a doubt. He's absolutely put himself in the mix. He's put himself in a great position. He doesn't have to deal with Sinner or Alcaraz until the semis, that's all you can ask for.' Draper — who is now over his bout of tonsillitis — faced Denmark's Holger Rune yesterday in an exhibition match at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic in Hurlingham, South-West London. After taking a set each, Draper won the deciding tiebreak 10-4. And ahead of today's SW19 main draw at 10am, the Londoner said: 'There are a lot of British players and talent, it's really exciting. 'I will compete hard. It's a great opportunity. I feel good and prepped. I feel strong and ready. At this level, everyone's a great player and everyone can challenge people, even the best players in the world. 'My mindset is whoever I play against I'll have the utmost respect for. They're in the draw for a reason, they're going to be dangerous. 'They're going to want to come out and swing against a guy who's a home player and who's highly ranked. I know whoever I play in the first round is going to be an incredibly tough match but I'll be ready for that. 'It's going to be a privilege to play as the British No 1 and that's what I've always wanted. I've wanted to make Centre Court or Wimbledon my environment and I'm looking forward to hopefully starting that.'
Times
an hour ago
- Times
Tottenham Hotspur sue Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos for £11m
Tottenham Hotspur have lodged a High Court claim for £11million against Sir Jim Ratcliffe's company Ineos Automotive, the club's former sponsor. Court documents show that Spurs are alleging that Ineos failed to make a payment as contracted of just under £500,000 in August last year and in December missed a payment of £5.1million for the 2025-26 season. A five-year sponsorship agreement was signed in 2022, worth a minimum of £17.5million overall, but Spurs terminated the contract in March this year, claiming the decision was prompted by Ineos's failure to pay. As part of the deal, Ineos named seats in the Spurs dugout, had advertising displayed on big screens at matches and its Grenadier car became the club's 4×4 vehicle partner. As first reported by The Lawyer, Spurs are seeking just over £11million from Ineos — £5.5m for missed payments last year, another £5.3milllion for the 2026-27 season, the final year of the original sponsorship deal, as well as £300,000 in interest. In 2024, Ratcliffe's Ineos Group bought a 29 per cent stake in Manchester United, one of Spurs' Premier League rivals and their opponents in the Europa League final on May 21, and it now runs the football operations at the Old Trafford club. Ratcliffe has withdrawn from other sports-related deals, including those with the All Blacks rugby team and Sir Ben Ainslie's America's Cup team. An Ineos statement read: 'We had a contractual right to terminate our partnership contract and in December 2024 exercised that right. 'Like any business, we have to be diligent in how we operate and where we invest marketing budgets. It's completely normal for partnerships to be reviewed on a regular basis, and we've decided that the partnership wasn't working out for us. We have the right to terminate the partnership.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Harvey Elliott has shone at Under 21 Euros but can barely get a game for Liverpool, writes NATHAN SALT and LEWIS STEELE... as suitors circle, here's why he must look out for No 1
Harvey Elliott is searingly honest. That stems from dad Scott, his toughest critic, who hardened up the young Elliott by pulling him up on any mistakes and putting him on an intense hill-climbing strength programme. It also stems from Jurgen Klopp 's tough love and, most recently, the frankness of Arne Slot 's criticism. So nobody has needed to point out to Elliott just how low down the Liverpool pecking order he is right now. Nobody has needed to spell out how important a move away from Anfield is for him this summer. 'I am at an age where I want to cement my place in the team and be playing week in and week out — and it is not going to just come for me,' Elliott conceded this time last summer in Philadelphia on Liverpool's pre-season tour. 'It's just to make it more about myself and be a bit more selfish in certain ways, but I have that team spirit in me. I will never lose that. 'I want to play for the team and the badge, I love the club. But in certain situations, I need to think about myself more.' Fast forward to the media day at St George's Park ahead of the Under 21 Euros, following a season during which Elliott made just two league starts, against Chelsea and Brighton, both after Liverpool had already won the league — and he made another frank admission. 'I'm coming to an age now where I'm 22 and I don't really want to be wasting years of my career, because it's a short career,' he said. He is not short of suitors. Brighton and West Ham are keen, as are RB Leipzig in Germany. Liverpool would want an offer of at least £40million to consider selling him — and that price will only go up as Elliott continues to thrive for England in Slovakia. Mail Sport understands that while Slot was initially impressed with Elliott during pre-season, he was less pleased by his levels in training following a two-month absence with a foot injury. And after a summer spending spree which has seen more than £200m splashed out on Florian Wirtz, signed for £116m to play in Elliott's favoured No 10 position, along with Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Giorgi Mamardashvili and young keeper Armin Pecsi, there is little resistance to Elliott leaving. He is considered fourth in line for the No 10 role now behind Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Curtis Jones; he is not considered physical enough to play in a deeper role; Mohamed Salah and Federico Chiesa are the right-wing options; Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo are the preferred left-wing options. While Elliott is living the dream at Anfield after his boyhood club paid £4.3m in compensation to prise him away from Fulham in 2019, he risks finding himself airbrushed out. Elliott is popular among Reds supporters after 147 games for the club, and an eventual exit, which many believe will be in the coming weeks, will sting. On the pitch after the final game, he buried his head in dad Scott's chest in floods of tears. The question now is whether an Elliott departure would draw parallels with that of Cole Palmer from Manchester City, a player who was ahead of Elliott in the pecking order two years ago when England's Under 21s won the Euros in Georgia. A few weeks later, Manchester lad Palmer was draped in Chelsea blue, and ever since his career has skyrocketed. 'I love the kid, he plays football the right way. I am excited for his future,' former Liverpool and Chelsea star Joe Cole said of Elliott after his match-winning brace to fire England's Under 21s into tomorrow's final against Germany. 'Any team outside the top six, he comfortably walks into, and then after two years at that level, he comes back to Liverpool's level and competes.' Liverpool saw off interest from Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City, among others, to land him. And had things turned out differently for Elliott, he may well have played alongside the player to whom Cole likened him in Bratislava. 'That second goal, if (Lionel) Messi did that the world would be stopping,' said Cole. 'He has this ability and the frustrating thing is he could do it on a consistent basis if he played regularly. 'His problem is he can do so many good things. He's a victim of his own skills.' As Elliott struggles to nail down a place in the Liverpool team, he knows he might have to move on. The Reds must just hope his exit does not come back to haunt them, like Palmer's still haunts City.
