New coach and chance to win Ballon d'Or: what awaits Trent at Real
Roberto Carlos always said he was a game away from winning the Ballon d'Or at Real Madrid, before Ronaldo went and won Brazil the World Cup. By scoring twice in the final against Germany in 2002, Ronaldo became the automatic pick as the best player in the world and Roberto Carlos, Brazil and Real Madrid's explosive left back, knew he had to settle for second.
Trent Alexander-Arnold should believe he can go one better, at the club where there have been more Ballon d'Or winners than any other. He will be up against it, of course, given England would almost certainly have to win the World Cup next year and Real Madrid triumph in the Champions League, although both are possible. Even then, there is
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Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Jamie Laing gives sweet message of support to best pal Sam Thompson during his 260-mile endurance challenge - after Made In Chelsea star's own gruelling charity marathon
surprised his close pal Sam Thompson with a motivational facetime call as he prepares for day four of his 260-mile endurance challenge. The I'm A Celeb star, 34, who is taking part in a Soccer Aid Challenge and has raised over £604,000 so far, received a sweet message of support from his former Made In Chelsea co-star. After suffering in his own gruelling charity marathon, Jamie, 36, knew exactly how Sam was feeling as he approached the half way mark. The BBC Radio 1 presenter had the whole nation behind him as he ran 30 miles for five consecutive days across the country in March, raising an incredible £2.3m. 'It's day three baby, it's the worst. It's the worst', Jamie laughed. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Sam screamed: 'I can't move man! My Leg!' Jamie said: 'Listen, I've been there. I know how hard it is and your body is screaming for you to give up. Every single moment, you just keep going. 'One foot in front of the other, you don't stop.' Sam teared up: 'Seeing your face just then has literally just made my day. I remember watching you doing your runs and being like your an inspiration man. 'The fact that you're just giving me your energy and your time man, I'm so grateful.' Jamie said: 'You're doing the best thing ever, you're doing it for the best cause. Let's keep going, I adore you, I love you, everyone's behind you, you're the greatest.' 'You got this Sam!', Jamie's wife Sophie Habboo cheered in the background. To complete the challenge, Sam is expected to run a marathon for five days and cycle in between, ensuring the ball arrives on June 6, just in time for kickoff on Sunday, June 15. Day three saw him set off from Villa Park, Birmingham and pass through Walsall, Cannock, Stafford and Stone on his way to Vale Park in Stoke-on-Trent. Pete Wicks hilariously parodied Sam's ex Zara McDermott 's famous 'you can!' moment from Made In Chelsea as he supported him on his challenge on Wednesday. Sam was surprised by Pete during the latest segment where he held up a sign and shouted to his pal. The 'you can!' refers to a now iconic Made In Chelsea scene where Zara begs for Sam back after cheating on him during her time on Celebrity X Factor in 2019. Zara and Sam then split for good earlier this year - with the former Love Island now moving on with One Direction star Louis Tomlinson. In a video shared on Pete and Sam's Staying Relevant podcast TikTok page Pete is seen screaming 'you can!' at Sam - sending him into fits of giggles on his bike. The sign read: 'You can do it... YOU CAAAN!' as Pete shouted it in the same tone that Zara had as she insisted that Sam could forgive her for her infidelities all those years ago. Earlier in the day Sam broke down in tears as pal Pete surprised him to mark half way of his 'intensely painful' challenge. Sam, who sustained a 'significant' injured his calf earlier in the week, threw his arms around his friend, 37, before telling MailOnline the reunion 'made his day'. As Pete strolled up, Sam became overwhelmed to see the friendly face amid day three of him cycling and running another whopping 49 miles. The TV star has been given the task to travel a mammoth 260-mile journey on both bike and foot to deliver the match ball to its new home in Old Trafford, with the hope of raising much-needed funds for Unicef. He told MailOnline: 'Seeing Pete half way made my day. The pain is so intense but this has put a smile on my face'. Before adding: 'Please donate if you can, I'm so grateful for all the support'. Before setting off on Monday, Pete shared a gushing tribute to his pal on Instagram writing: 'Tomorrow this man embarks on a mental and physical challenge for an amazing cause @Unicef.' 'Mate I couldn't be prouder of you as a friend, a brother and as a man. You are gonna push yourself to the limit and I can't wait to watch you complete this f**king mammoth task. 'I know how much work you've put in and I know you're doing it for the right reasons'. Before setting off on Monday, Pete shared a gushing tribute to his pal on Instagram writing: 'Tomorrow this man embarks on a mental and physical challenge for an amazing cause' He continued: 'Just so you know, you're doing it with every single one of your friends and family right behind you. I hope the nation follows your journey and helps you along the way in donations and support. You are an inspiration to me and many others and I admire the man you've become this year more than any other year I've known you. Good luck brother, you've got this' Still battling forwards with an injured calf and given the green light by the medical team, the reality star was determined to complete the challenge. He said: 'This is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I now have to accept that I've done damage to my calf and running is very difficult'. 'But I can and will carry on, not matter what, on two feet and two pedals, I'm still going to get there and get across the finish line on Friday. It's just going to be longer, harder but my reason for doing it still hasn't changed. I really hope people are digging deep for UNICEF, seeing what I'm trying to do and are getting behind this challenge.' Speaking about Sam's injury, on the road physio, Gary Lewin said: 'Sam has got a significant injury to his calf. We tried to take the weight off of it yesterday by giving him a bike day and in the afternoon he said it felt better, so we tried a bit of walking'. 'He can't put much weight on it. My advice today is we're going to start out with a walk today and then cycle and see how we get on. He's in safe hands and medical advice is he can continue'.
South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Ivan Toney says he never feared Saudi Arabia move would end his England career
The 29-year-old has been recalled for the first time since making a money-spinning switch from Brentford to Al-Ahli, shortly after helping Gareth Southgate's side reach the Euro 2024 final. Toney was overlooked by interim boss Lee Carsley in the autumn and left out of Thomas Tuchel's first selection in charge but the England boss stressed in March that it was nothing to do with him playing in the Saudi Pro League. The striker appreciated the German coach calling him with that explanation and is even more grateful after recalling him for Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Andorra and the home friendly against Senegal next week. 😃 @ivantoney24 — England (@England) June 2, 2025 'It's always tough missing out on a squad, but I think that's part of the game,' Toney said. 'You have to be strong, you have to stick at it and keep doing what you do best and I managed to do that and I managed to get the recall, which was a nice feeling.' Asked if he thought moving to the Saudi Pro League may affect his England chances, he said at their training camp in Girona: 'No. 'You see with me I think if you're just doing the right thing, playing football, playing well and scoring goals – a striker's job, that's what you're in a team to do – it doesn't matter where you play in the world, I feel like you should still get the chance. 'I think it's been proven me being me being back here and being back amongst the boys. 'It feels good to see the faces again and it feels good to get stuck in.' Toney admitted the first month following August's switch was 'tough' but credits the string of loans during the early part of his career for aiding his adaptation to new surroundings in the Middle East. The striker went onto score 23 goals in 30 Saudi Pro League appearances for Al-Ahli, helping the side to win the AFC Champions League Elite competition. 💚💚💚💚💚 — Ivan Toney (@ivantoney24) May 4, 2025 'I feel like I'm in good form,' Toney said. 'As you see, I'm here, I'm still scoring goals. 'I have a lot to give. All the time I want to improve, become a better player and try and help others around me. 'So, hopefully I can keep doing that and be in the mix for the World Cup.' Toney is bidding to be among a number of Saudi-based players starring at next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. There is a push for more stars to head there – with Al-Hilal falling short in their bid to coax Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes – and the striker believes the competition is far better than some suggest. 'Everyone always has their opinion,' Toney said. 'They're going to have their opinion on everything. 'You have to witness it and be there to realise what it's like. You can't have an opinion on something you've never seen. 'People always just assume certain things about things without seeing it, so I suggest people have a look before they start making judgements. 'It's tough, it's not easy. There's some good footballers and it's going in the right direction and I'm sure it will continue to do that over the years.'
South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
There were a few tears – Wales forward David Brooks expecting first child
Brooks, who was diagnosed with stage-two Hodgkin lymphoma nearly four years ago, and wife Flora are expecting their first child on November 1. The 27-year-old Bournemouth player announced he was cancer-free in May 2022, but the long-term effects of the disease in terms of fathering children were unclear. 'Obviously when I was diagnosed you have those conversations and there were never any guarantees that I would be able to have children in the future,' said Brooks, who has linked up with the Wales squad for their World Cup qualifying double header against Liechtenstein and Belgium. 'There was a chance it wouldn't have been possible and I was really lucky that it came naturally. After my treatment things went back to normal so, of course, I was really happy. 'We were trying so it wasn't a massive shock, but there were a few tears. 'We always wanted kids at some point, but the situation kind of took it out of hands a little bit. 'So it's obviously very nice for everything to come naturally and progress into being a family. 'We're really looking forward to it, even though she is going through everything that comes with being pregnant.' Brooks was the Wales hero in their last World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia in March. His equaliser in the sixth minute of stoppage time secured a precious 1-1 draw, making it four points from the opening two qualifiers and extending Craig Bellamy's unbeaten start as Dragons manager to eight games. 'I think it instils a little bit of fear into who we are playing,' said Brooks. 'They know we are not going to give up, even if it's the 96th minute. It's a massive positive. 'If felt like a big goal in North Macedonia and it makes the table looks a lot better for us. I feel like we are on a good journey.' Brooks says he is now in the 'old box' at 27 with the Wales squad having changed so much in recent years. Gareth Bale and Joe Allen are retired and captain Aaron Ramsey, the third standout member of the team which reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016, is recovering from another injury setback. Brooks said: 'This is probably the first campaign we have had without them. 'There's a lot of young talent coming through and a lot of lads, including myself, who have been waiting for an opportunity to showcase ourselves. 'We are all looking as a collective to try to move forward, instead of it being about the special individual.'
