Ipswich Town's George Burley feels 'lucky' after cancer all-clear
Ipswich Town legend George Burley says he is a "very lucky person" after getting the all-clear following his cancer diagnosis.The former Scotland manager issued a statement in September through his former Suffolk club to announce he had an undisclosed form of the disease.Burley, 68, played for Ipswich from 1973 to 1985, making more than 500 appearances before managing the side between 1994 and 2002.Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, Burley said: "It's been a long road - it didn't happen overnight."
The former defender, who also managed Derby, Southampton and Crystal Palace, said he underwent six cycles of chemotherapy and an operation which left him in hospital for three weeks."It started almost a year ago where I was having symptoms and wasn't feeling great," he said."It was great to eventually come through it all - I've been very, very lucky with the amount of support I've had."My family's been unbelievable... and I've been very well looked after."The Ipswich stalwart said he had to persevere with getting diagnosed after not feeling well for several months.Burley, who recently co-wrote a book about his time at Ipswich Town FC, said the disease had brought him closer together with his family and friends.He also said a severe injury he battled as a young player helped him cope with his concerns and fears for the future after being told he had cancer."Eventually, when I did get diagnosed, I thought I've got to get on with it," said Burley."The people around you, you've got to make sure you're not moping around [and] keep their chins up."It's not easy because initially you don't want to speak much about it, but once you grow into it, people around you know you're accepting the fact - and [you] get on with life as normal as possible."
Burley said he had tried to go the gym, play golf and had managed to attend the Portman Road home games during his treatment.He said he was "lucky" his body had responded to treatment; felt his previous good fitness levels had helped him make a good recovery and praised the consistent help of his family as a "blessing".With regards to looking to the future, Burley said: "I'm enjoying the sunshine, going out for a meal during the day and playing a bit of golf."I'm just taking it one day at a time and looking forward to the team having a good season next season and getting back into the Premiership."The only blip on the horizon, Burley joked, was not being able to get tickets to Ed Sheeran's run of summer gigs at the ground despite his daughter's best efforts."I don't live that far away from the football club, so I can sit out in the garden to listen to him," he laughed.
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Telegraph
29 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Freddie Burns interview: Bath fans remember me as a t--- so I'm supporting Leicester
He has just returned to his hometown of Bath, having swept the board at the Japanese League One awards, but Freddie Burns insists he has no mixed loyalties ahead of the Premiership final on Saturday. The former England fly-half had once grown up dreaming of playing at the Rec, and managed that feat for three seasons, having signed for Bath in 2017. Yet it was his heroics in the 2022 final, when he dropped the match-winning goal for Leicester Tigers in their 15-12 victory against Saracens that copper-fastened his sense of loyalty. 'I just feel more connected to Leicester,' says the 35-year-old. 'There is something special about Leicester, something different. I had great support from the Bath fans as well, but once you help a team win the Premiership that changes things. 'Bath fans probably remember me as the t--- who dropped the ball over the line, whereas the Leicester fans see me as the guy who kicked the drop-goal for them. That probably sums it up, mate.' The costly blunder he refers to came in a Champions Cup match for Bath against Toulouse in 2018, when he started celebrating a 'try' before touching the ball down. Humiliation followed seconds later as Maxime Médard took full advantage of Burns's showboating by knocking the ball out of his hands. Five minutes to go... Chance to win the game... "Oh he's dropped it!" A brutal moment for Bath star Freddie Burns 😣 — Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 13, 2018 They were underwhelming times for Bath – and for Burns, too. But at Leicester he found himself again when he returned for a second spell at the club in 2021 with Steve Borthwick as director of rugby. He recalls the time when his match-winning cameo for England against the All Blacks at Twickenham in 2012 suggested a dazzling Test career lay ahead of him. After a decade of frustration, when he found himself thrust into centre stage in the final against Saracens after just 24 minutes when George Ford was forced off with an Achilles injury, he was determined to seize the moment. 'I still remember the look on Steve Borthwick's face when George went down,' Burns says with a chuckle. 'He ran from the top of the stands down to try to get a message on. I think everyone was thinking, 'Oh f---, Fred's going on, what is going to happen?' But I always felt through my career, I always thrived in those bigger games. I remember seeing a few things in the first 20 minutes when I thought if we were a little bit braver, there would be a few opportunities for us.' The magnitude of the dropped-goal only hit him for the first time on the train up to Leicester with his parents to watch the semi-final victory over Sale Sharks last Saturday. 'I have always hated sitting in the pocket,' he says. 'I never liked those 10s who were happy to drop back deep for a few phases. Any drop-goals I have hit in my career, I have always hit them last-minute. 'We had a few phases, and I felt like we had Sarries on the ropes for a bit. All I remember is seeing Jasper Wiese running over Jamie George and Maro Itoje and as soon as I saw that and it gave us a little nudge forward, I knew I had to hit it. 'I didn't want to wait too long in case we got turned over. I am not religious or spiritual in any way, but it was the only time in my career that I felt there was something else at play. It felt like it was meant to be. I didn't feel stressed or nervous. It was like something else took over. 'I was completely taken aback by the reception I got last Saturday when I went back. I cop a lot of flak from the boys, but I don't think it is a moment that will ever quite sink in.' 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Does he think Leicester can upset the odds once more? Under the stewardship of Johann van Graan, Bath have been transformed into an English powerhouse again and Burns finds himself supporting the underdogs in Saturday's final, but he is adamant that Michael Cheika's side can repeat the 2022 triumph. 'Look in some ways I am in a win-win situation,' he says. 'If Bath win, I would be really pleased for guys like Tom Dunn and Charlie Ewels, who I played with. But on the flip side, there are guys like Ben Youngs, Dan Cole and Julian Montoya who are finishing up with the Tigers and I would love to see them have a great send-off. 'I think it is Bath's final to lose. But look at last year. I thought Northampton were the best team in the league last year, and they probably should have lost to Bath, who were the better team on the day. 'I think the defensive side of Leicester has improved massively in the latter part of the season and they can definitely cause an upset.'
The Sun
30 minutes ago
- The Sun
Transfer news LIVE: Liverpool in for Barcola EXCLUSIVE, Chelsea urged to sign Guehi, Prem clubs queue for Sancho
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I hope so for him. 'He hasn't really said goodbye yet, but I hope he'll make it happen there.' 11th Jun 2025, 23:42 By Ian Tuckey Chelsea urged to go for Guehi Chelsea have been urged to pursue Marc Guehi. Ex-Blues striker Tore Andre Flo coached Crystal Palace's England centre-back when he was at Stamford Bridge from 2019-2021. But Gueho never broke into the first team, being loaned to Swansea before a permanent move to Palace. The ex-Norway, Sunderland and Leeds star told "I know Marc because I coached him when he was younger. "I worked for the academy for a few years. He's a great boy and I would love for him to be at Chelsea. 'He's such a strong defender. He's quick and he would fight for you and for the club. "That would be a very good signing.' 11th Jun 2025, 23:29 By Ian Tuckey Modric set for Milan Real Madrid legend Luka Modric will reportedly sign for AC Milan soon after the Club World Cup. The Croatia and ex-Spurs midfielder, 39, is a six-time Champions League winner. 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Just 14 of 35 Under-21 games were shown last season and just eight of those were Premier League 2 clashes. 11th Jun 2025, 22:35 By Ian Tuckey Rashford hits back at online critic Marcus Rashford appeared more than frustrated when a fan responded negatively to an upbeat message from the star on Instagram. The Manchester United striker's future is unclear after his successful loan with Aston Villa. But there have been tentative links with Barcelona - rated his dream destination. Rashford posted a video of himself going through a training routine. He added the words: "Feeling better again" - along with a grinning emoji. But when the clip was re-posted, one social media user responded: "Every pre-season he does these photo shoots but then goes to see boxing matches half way round the world days before important matches! "Makes no sense if you are feeling good one month before the season starts." The fan didn't back up his suggestion But Rashford replied online: "I'm feeling good because I'm now injury free pal." 11th Jun 2025, 22:15 By Ian Tuckey Kop in for PSG ace Barcola EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool are set to swoop for Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola — pushing their summer spending over £300MILLION, writes DAN KING. The Premier League champs intend to spend big on another attacker even after they complete a British-transfer record £127million deal for Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz. And they are prepared to battle Bayern Munich for £100m-rated winger Barcola, 22. Liverpool have also not given up all hope of prising Alexander Isak away from Newcastle. Kop chiefs would still love 23-goal Isak to lead their new-look frontline. But if the Toon insist on a fee of around £150m for the 25-year-old Sweden international, Liverpool will bow out and look for an alternative. And Barcola has emerged as a spectacular Plan B after doubts emerged over his future with Champions League winners PSG. The Anfield giants have already spent £29.5m on Wirtz's Leverkusen team-mate, defender Jeremie Frimpong, 24, with another £40m-plus earmarked for Bournemouth's 21-year-old left-back Milos Kerkez. But it is the prospect of Barcola teaming up with Wirtz, 22, and Anfield icon Mo Salah, 32, which will have fans pinching themselves. Barcola, who is Bayern's No 1 target, is no longer part of PSG's first-choice front three. By Ian Tuckey Gunners linked to '£60m Elanga' Arsenal are tipped to step up interest in ex-Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga. The £60million-rated Swede was outstanding for Nottingham Forest this season. The 23-year-old notched six goals and 11 assists as a Premier League ever-present, helping Nuno Espirito Santo's men finish seventh. TBR Football claim Arsenal are just one of the Prem rivals keen on the pacy attacker. 11th Jun 2025, 21:26 By Ian Tuckey Ex-Utd midfielder set for Marseille Marseille say ex-Manchester United midfielder Angel Gomes has agreed a deal in principle to join them. The four-cap Englishman, 24, has been a big success with Lille. But he's certain to leave on a free transfer in the summer. And he appears certain for a reunion with ex-Red Devils striker Mason Greenwood at Lille's French rivals Marseille. Sky Sports believe Gomes will sign a three-year deal. 11th Jun 2025, 21:19 By Ian Tuckey Sporting warn Viktor Sporting's president has furiously hit back at Manchester United target Victor Gyokeres saying: "Threats and blackmail don't work," writes MARTIN BLACKBURN. The Sweden striker is considering going on strike to force through a dream move to United or Arsenal. Gyokeres, 27, is furious with Sporting for going back on their word over a transfer promise to him and plans not to play for the club again. He believes he had a gentleman's agreement to leave the Portuguese giants for £50million with a further £8million in add-ons but that claim has been rubbished by president Frederico Varandas. And the Sporting chief insists he will not be bullied into letting the ex-Coventry forward move to the Prem on the cheap this summer. Varandas said: ' Sporting will not accept blackmail and insults – you should know me better by now. 'One thing is certain, we will not accept £50m plus £8m. As of now, Sporting has not received any bids for Gyokeres. "He is a fantastic professional, to this day he has had zero offers. He has a three-year contract with Sporting.' 11th Jun 2025, 21:15 By Ian Tuckey 'Prem clubs queue for Sancho' EXCLUSIVE: Three Premier League clubs are battling to sign Jadon Sancho, SunSport can reveal, writes HENRY TOMLINSON. The former Borussia Dortmund winger is back at Manchester United after Chelsea rejected the chance to make his move permanent. Manager Ruben Amorim has no plans to integrate Sancho back into his first team - meaning the 25-year-old is searching for a fresh start. And SunSport understands Aston Villa, Tottenham and Newcastle are all monitoring developments. Villa are thought to be keen on a loan deal for the player, but United would prefer cash to free up funds for a rebuild. Newcastle and Tottenham both see Sancho as a strong option as they look to build squads that can compete in the League and the Champions League. Borussia Dortmund were also tracking Sancho, but they've now opted for Jobe Bellingham. Despite netting in the 4-1 Europa Conference League final win over Real Betis, Sancho couldn't seal a £25million switch to Chelsea. Chelsea had initially loaned Sancho from United and had agreed to buy him for £25million, unless they dropped below 14th or coughed up a £5m penalty clause. 11th Jun 2025, 21:02 By Ian Tuckey Zubimendi worth more than £51m Reports in Spain are claiming that Arsenal will pay Real Sociedad MORE than his £51m release clause to seal the deal. The Gunners have faced competition from Real Madrid for Zubimendi's signature, but appear to be set to sign the midfielder in the coming weeks. Spainish outlet AS claim that Arsenal will instead pay just shy of £60m spread over three instalments. 11th Jun 2025, 19:24 By Ian Tuckey Pep pips Gunners to Nypan Manchester City look to have beaten off Arsenal and Aston Villa to the signature of Norwegian starlet Sverre Nypan. The Etihad club insisted they were not interested in the Rosenborg midfielder, 18, earlier this year but they have now made their move. An £11 million deal is being finalised but the plan would be to send him out on loan next season – possibly to sister club Girona. 11th Jun 2025, 19:17 By Ian Tuckey Brighton to seal Babis deal Greek wonderkid Babis Kostoulas is undergoing a Brighton medical. SunSport's KOSTAS LIANOS says: "Final deal between #BHAFC and Olympiacos is €35m (£29.7m) with €2m (£1.7m) in add-ons. "Kostoulas will sign five-year deal and will soon join Fabian Hurzeler's team for pre-season." The striker, 18, was eyed by Arsenal and Manchester United. He's already been already been compared to Argentine legend Gabriel Batistuta. 11th Jun 2025, 18:42 By Ian Tuckey Dortmund play down Sancho reunion talk Jadon Sancho's transfer saga deepened tonight. The Manchester United winger, 25, has been on loan at Chelsea. But Sancho and the Blues failed to agree terms over a permanent deal. Now the 23-cap Englishman's former club Borussia Dortmund have dampened talk of a reunion. Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl said: "Of course, contact with Jadon is always there, in some way, because we have a very long history. "We have other priorities at the moment, and therefore the Sancho issue may have been played more in the media than discussed internally." 11th Jun 2025, 18:25 By Ian Tuckey Germans keen on Liverpool defender Bayer Leverkusen are interested in Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah - as Florian Wirtz prepares to go the opposite way. Quansah, 22, has also been linked with Newcastle. Liverpool reportedly value the former England Under-21 star at around £30million. Sky Sports say any move for Quansah would be separate from the Reds' looming deal for German attacking midfielder Wirtz.
The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
Britain morphing into ‘National Health State', says think tank
Britain is turning into a 'National Health State', a think tank has said after the Chancellor gave the NHS a major funding boost in her spending review. The health service was the big winner of Wednesday's spending review, receiving an extra £29 billion per year for day-to-day spending and more cash for capital investment. Overnight, the Resolution Foundation said Rachel Reeves's announcements had followed a recent trend that saw increases for the NHS come at the expense of other public services. Ruth Curtice, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, said: 'Health accounted for 90% of the extra public service spending, continuing a trend that is seeing the British state morph into a National Health State, with half of public service spending set to be on health by the end of the decade.' Defence was another of Wednesday's winners, Ms Curtice said, receiving a significant increase in capital spending while other departments saw an overall £3.6 billion real-terms cut in investment. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) made similar arguments about 'substantial' investment in the NHS and defence coming at the expense of other departments, although the think tank's director Paul Johnson warned the money may not be enough. He said: 'Aiming to get back to meeting the NHS 18-week target for hospital waiting times within this Parliament is enormously ambitious – an NHS funding settlement below the long-run average might not measure up. 'And on defence, it's entirely possible that an increase in the Nato spending target will mean that maintaining defence spending at 2.6% of GDP no longer cuts the mustard.' Ms Curtice added that low and middle-income families had also done well out of the spending review 'after two rounds of painful tax rises and welfare cuts', with the poorest fifth of families benefiting from an average of £1,700 in extra spending on schools, hospitals and the police. She warned that, without economic growth, another round of tax rises was likely to come in the autumn as the Chancellor seeks to balance the books. She said: 'The extra money in this spending review has already been accounted for in the last forecast. 'But a weaker economic outlook and the unfunded changes to winter fuel payments mean the Chancellor will likely need to look again at tax rises in the autumn.' Speaking after delivering her spending review, Ms Reeves insisted she would not have to raise taxes to cover her spending review. She told GB News: 'Every penny of this is funded through the tax increases and the changes to the fiscal rules that we set out last autumn.'
