Tony Bellew seen hobbling out of Soccer Aid hotel with protective boot and crutches after suffering horror injury
BOXER Tony Bellew has shown off the extent of his horror Soccer Aid injury.
The former world champion, 42, limped out of Sunday's charity match minutes into the clash at Old Trafford.
4
Tony Bellew emerged on Monday morning with a large protective boot
Credit: BackGrid
4
Bellew signed autographs for fans outside the Soccer Aid hotel in Manchester
Credit: BackGrid
4
The 42-year-old looked in pain as he limped past the waiting punters
Credit: BackGrid
4
A distraught Bellew was forced out of Soccer Aid just minutes after kick-off
Credit: PA
Bellew was named as a starter for the Rest of the World XI in the showdown with Team England.
But he was forced from the field after just five minutes, limping over to the benches in considerable pain.
'Bomber' Bellew, who won 34 of his 30 pro fights, was helped to the dressing rooms by medics.
He was spotted wearing a large protective boot as he left his hotel in Manchester on Monday.
READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
GEORDIE SCORE Kieran Trippier's mystery woman revealed as Geordie Shore's Chloe Ferry
The 42-year-old hobbled on crutches as he signed autographs for waiting fans in the North West sunshine.
Bellew cracked a wry smile for the punters but looked like he was suffering after "hearing something go" during the match.
Bellew's World XI manager Harry Redknapp revealed before kick-off that the boxer had torn his groin in training.
Redknapp said: "Tony Bellew, ex-world champion, he's just decided to boot a ball without even warming up and just tore his groin.
BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK
"He's so tough he'll probably play on with it."
Without Bellew on the pitch, the World XI struggled for firepower as England raced into a 3-0 lead.
Alex Scott and Dermot O'Leary forced to apologise as Tyson Fury swears live on ITV during Soccer Aid coverage
But Carlos Tevez produced some magic off the bench on his return to Old Trafford.
The Argentine smashed in four goals to turn the contest around.
And celebrity chef Big Zuu proved to be the matchwinner for the World XI, netting late to secure a 5-4 win.
Bellew was renowned for toughing it out during his boxing career.
The Liverpudlian beat Ilunga Makabu at Goodison Park in 2016 to secure the WBC cruiserweight crown.
He defended the strap against BJ Flores, before back-to-back Best of British showdowns with David Haye.
Bellew retired from boxing after defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in November 2018.
He has since become a TV personality and pundit.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
30 minutes ago
- The Sun
Soccer Aid shirts up for auction with Wayne Rooney's England top just third most expensive behind two celebs
FOOTIE legend Wayne Rooney has been booted into third place in the Soccer Aid shirt auction – by a boyband heartthrob and a rising telly star. The former England skipper's signed shirt is currently sitting at £1,578, but that's still miles behind the top two. 6 6 6 One Direction star Louis Tomlinson is topping the leaderboard with a whopping £5,364 bid for his England top – despite barely touching the ball on the pitch. Coming in second is Bella Ramsey, the breakout star of The Last of Us and Game of Thrones, whose shirt has pulled in an impressive £1,731. But it's not just Rooney who's struggling to get to the top in the footie world – Brazil legend Rivaldo's shirt is number five, with a bid of £809. The former Barcelona man is surprisingly beaten into fourth by Twitch streamer Morgan Burtwistle, better known online as AngryGinge. Even more surprising, though, is the fact there's no place in the top 10 for former Manchester City star Carlos Tevez. Fans have been scrambling to snap up the signed shirts from this year's charity clash, which raised £15.28million for UNICEF. But Rooney's spot behind Louis and Bella has raised a few eyebrows – especially considering he's England's all-time top scorer. It just shows how fast the world of fame moves – especially when you step out of the limelight. Louis has a cult-like following, and his fans are proving they'll do anything to get their hands on his kit. And Bella's fanbase is booming after she has been smashing it on screen. The auction is still live but with bids flooding in it looks like pop power and screen stardom are winning this match. 'She was in my face!' says Martin Compston as he reveals surprising bust-up with Line Of Duty co-star Vicky McClure 6 6 6
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Paddy Pimblett makes bold Ilia Topuria claim: ‘I reckon I proper hurt him'
Paddy Pimblett has vowed he would 'proper hurt' Ilia Topuria, if the UFC stars were to settle their longtime grudge. Pimblett and Topuria were involved in a backstage altercation ahead of UFC London in 2022, where 'Paddy The Baddy' threw a bottle of hand sanitiser at the Spanish-Georgian, who was confronting the Scouser over allegedly anti-Georgian comments on social media. At the ensuing Fight Night, Pimblett submitted Rodrigo Vargas, and Topuria knocked out Jai Herbert. The latter bout saw Topuria venture up to lightweight, Pimblett's division, though he soon returned to featherweight, where he won the title in 2024. Now, however, Topuria is back at 155lb, having vacated the 145lb title in February. 'El Matador' is preparing to face former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for the vacant belt on 28 June, while Pimblett is likely one win away from a title shot. As such, Pimblett vs Topuria is finally a realistic possibility again, and the Liverpudlian discussed that match-up while talking to compatriot Tom Aspinall, the interim UFC heavyweight champion. 'If Ilia wins and says he wants to fight me, the UFC will make that fight, because they know it's a money fight,' Pimblett said on Aspinall's YouTube channel. 'That's one of those fights, there'll be a f*****g world press tour like [Conor] McGregor vs [Jose] Aldo. 'I know I'd beat him. Funny, because I get laughed at for it, but I know I beat him. We've already talked about gameplans to beat him, and I know how to beat him. 'No one goes for his weaknesses when he fights them. Everyone [has] just decided to have a boxing match with him. I'm not going to come out and have a boxing match with him; I'm going to beat him with my all-around MMA game. 'As I said, I know I'd beat him up, and I reckon I proper hurt him and just shut everyone up even more – like I love to do.' Topuria, 28, is unbeaten as a professional, while Pimblett has three losses to his name but none in the UFC; since debuting in the promotion in 2021, the 30-year-old has gone 7-0. Last time out, in April, Paddy The Baddy dominated and stopped Michael Chandler, a former UFC lightweight title challenger who previously held the Bellator belt three times. Meanwhile, Topuria will enter the UFC 317 main event on the back of two straight knockouts of featherweight greats. In February 2024, he stopped Alexander Volkanovski to take the title from the long-reigning champion; then, in October, he scored the same result against former title holder Max Holloway, retaining the gold in the process.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd star's 'arguments' with Ruben Amorim as transfer on for 'bad character'
Alejandro Garnacho is set to leave Manchester United this summer and there have been fresh claims that clashes with head coach Ruben Amorim on the training pitch are to blame Alejandro Garnacho has been told he needs to focus more on his football and less on arguing with his manager. The 20-year-old looks set to move away from Manchester United this summer after being informed he's free to find a new club. Speculation over the winger's future has ramped up as he is understood to have fallen out with United head coach Ruben Amorim at the end of this season. A £40million offer was made for the Argentine by Napoli in January, but swiftly dismissed by the Premier League giants. However, it's believed a sum of about £70m would seal his departure. As Garnacho nears the Old Trafford exit door, former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders has claimed a row over tactics was to blame for his bust-up with Amorim. The ex-Wolves and Wrexham criticised the player's actions, despite praising him for his passionate displays. Speaking on talkSPORT, Saunders said: "I like him as a player. "He plays with his heart on his sleeve, and there's a load of them who don't at Man United. But from a good source, I heard he's arguing with the manager on the training pitch about tactics. How old is he, 20? Just get on with it." Amorim has already begun reshaping his United squad this summer following the arrival of Matheus Cunha for £62.5m. Bryan Mbeumo is also anticipated to join from Brentford despite Thomas Frank's reported interest in taking the winger with him to Tottenham. Saunders has cautioned United that signing players with the right mentality will be crucial in the transfer window. It follows Amorim falling out with both Garnacho and Marcus Rashford this season. He said: "Man United have signed bad characters, and you've got to start signing good characters. Forget the talent. "Obviously, you've got to have a certain amount to play at the level you're at, but they've got to concentrate on signing good characters, because they're shambolic at the moment." Garnacho himself is said to have expressed a preference for staying in the UK if he does move this summer. Chelsea are among the teams most heavily linked with a bid to sign him, while Arsenal and Aston Villa are also believed to have shown an interest. His old club Atletico Madrid have also been associated with him, along with Bayer Leverkusen following Erik ten Hag's appointment as manager. Any fee received for Garnacho would represent a pure profit for United as he's considered as a homegrown player. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. 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.
