I put my retirement plans on hold to inspire Linfield Women to trophies, declares NI legend
Ashley Hutton has revealed that she scrapped her retirement plans in favour of a challenge to end her memorable career on a high.
The blend of young talent mixed with an increasing level of experience in the Linfield Women squad has given rise to hope that the Blues can compete for silverware once more, six years after their run of four successive Women's Premiership titles came to an end.
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South Wales Guardian
6 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Liam Delap left out of England Under-21 squad for European Championship
The 22-year-old forward, who signed for the Blues for a reported £30m this week, was part of Lee Carsley's provisional squad list but will not take the trip to Slovakia. Carsley's squad was announced on Friday as the Young Lions bid to defend their 2023 crown, with Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton another notable absentee. Delap scored for England Under-21s against France in March, but will miss this summer's tournament to feature under Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca in the inaugural Club World Cup, which starts on June 14 – three days before the Under-21 Euros get under way. Wharton is another high-profile absentee for Carsley but the Crystal Palace midfielder missed the final games of the season after he suffered concussion following their FA Cup final victory last month. Tino Livramento, Jarell Quansah and Elliot Anderson have been included in the England Under-21 squad after senior boss Thomas Tuchel namechecked the trio last month and urged them to play a 'major role' in the tournament. James McAtee has been selected despite Manchester City being set for Club World Cup action. The midfielder struggled for minutes at the Etihad last season but was reintegrated into the Under-21 group last week having been left out of the initial squad. Rico Lewis, another Man City academy graduate, was not included in the 22-man squad.
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Zinedine Zidane rejected Man Utd job despite being handed blank cheque
Zinedine Zidane turned down blank cheques to join Manchester United and Chelsea as manager, according to his former France team-mate Marcel Desailly. Zidane has only ever managed Real Madrid at the first team level but remains often linked to some of the world's top jobs. The 1998 World Cup-winning midfielder won three Champions League titles in a row in his first spell with Los Blancos and won two La Liga titles across his two stints in the Bernabeu hotseat. Zidane resigned from his position in 2021 after failing to win a trophy - the first time Real Madrid had failed to do so in more than a decade - and has not managd since. And Desailly has suggested that Zidane has turned down lucrative proposals to return to football. Maintaining his current lifestyle and travelling remains important to the 52-year-old. Former Chelsea defender Desailly believes that Zidane will be the person to take over from Didier Deschamps for the French national team however. A move to the Saudi Pro League does not appear likely in the mind of the ex-Blues captain however. "Will Zinedine Zidane be tempted by Saudi Arabia? Well he had a blank cheque on the table from Chelsea and a blank cheque from Manchester United and turned them down – he isn't in it for the money," said Oddspedia. "I don't see why money will change anything, I know privately that he won't change his lifestyle. He likes to travel and always keeps an eye on the France national team. "He's ready because Didier Deschamps has started the transition. France will be one of the favourites for the World Cup and win or lose it's not the end of this era for France. "Since 2016, France have been growing and growing. New players have come into the team constantly and now they have the right players. Rayan Cherki is one of them alongside Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe is still there and on top of his game. "There is a real dynamic. William Saliba is in defence with Ibrahima Konate, Bayern have Dayot Upamecano. There is a squad and a philosophy and Zidane will know how to take that on to rebuild his own team. For another eight years at least France will be at the top level in Europe." With Zidane out of the picture, Desailly believes Manchester United should look to Luis Enrique to turnaround their fortunes. And despite Champions League success, he would not be surprised to see Enrique depart Paris Saint-Germain. " Football moves quickly and say that next season he makes too many mistakes, he might get into conflict with players like Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue as they grow and have a bigger say on the system," he said. "Soon they will be able to say no to the coach and his influence and because anything can happen, he might end up in the Premier League. "We are talking about something that didn't happen 20 years ago, but tactical coaching is now in the Premier League thanks to Claudio Ranieri and Jose Mourinho and so many other coaches. The Premier League has grown. "Luis Enrique would bring a new dynamic and if I was at Manchester United, I'd be asking Luis Enrqiue to come to my club. They have tried all kinds of coaches and now all eyes are on Enrique because he can build a philosophy from scratch. Manchester United need Luis Enrique." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Metro
7 hours ago
- Metro
Chelsea make swap deal offer for €60m Barcelona star in summer transfer window
Chelsea have launched a swap deal offer to sign Barcelona star Fermin Lopez in the summer transfer window, according to reports. The La Liga champions are believed to have slapped a €60m (£50.6m) price tag on the 22-year-old Spain international. Lopez has mainly operated as an attacking midfielder and central midfielder but can also be deployed as a left winger. He registered five goal involvements across 11 Champions League games for Barcelona in the 2024-25 season as the club reached the semi-finals. Lopez, who came through Barcelona's academy, also played 28 times in the Spanish top-flight in 2024-25, producing six goals and five assists. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. Chelsea are keen to bring Lopez to Stamford Bridge and Mundo Deportivo reports that they've offered up Christopher Nkunku as part of a swap deal. The Spanish outlet adds that Barcelona have already rejected the swap deal proposal – despite the Catalan club being in need of a new striker. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick views Lopez as an important player – and despite not being a goalscorer – he has almost equalled Nkunku's figures. It is thought Barcelona would only be willing to sell Fermin if he asks to leave the club in search of more playing time, with the player currently battling Dani Olmo for regular minutes in the attacking midfield role. A move to Barcelona is off the cards for now – but Nkunku still looks set for a Chelsea exit this summer – especially after the Blues signed Liam Delap. In April, Nkunku told Chelsea he wanted to leave in the summer transfer window after receiving interest from Arsenal and Bayern Munich. Last week, it was reported that Tottenham had made an initial approach to sign the 27-year-old Frenchman. More Trending Premier League champions Liverpool have also been linked with Nkunku in the summer transfer window. Nkunku has only been at Chelsea for two years, joining the west London club in a £52m deal from German side RB Leipzig. His spell with the Blues has been largely impacted by injury issues but he's managed 56 appearances to date, conjuring up 17 goals and five assists. Nkunku has mainly operated as a back-up option for Chelsea's main striker Nicolas Jackson. MORE: John Obi Mikel calls for three more Chelsea signings but fears one star will leave MORE: Man Utd set to beat Arsenal to signing of £60million transfer target MORE: Jack Grealish 'walks into Liverpool and Chelsea teams' with Man City exit looming
