Gossip: Premier League clubs keen on Sancho
Aston Villa, Newcastle and Tottenham are monitoring developments with Jadon Sancho, 25, after the England winger's return to Manchester United following his loan spell at Chelsea. (Sun), externalWant more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip columnFollow the gossip column on BBC Sport
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Daily Mail
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE How glum Louis Tomlinson's 'hard stares' at Sam Thompson displayed the depths of their 'playground mentality' just moments before TV star revealed he was out of Soccer Aid match
Sam Thompson declared he would not be able to compete in Soccer Aid on Sunday on doctor's orders, moments after he put on an animated display during training on Friday despite a horrendous calf injury. But anyone could see things were pretty awkward between him and One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson, with Louis giving Sam what appeared to be a 'hard stare' and looking glum and uncomfortable. Sam, 32, previously insisted there are 'no hard feelings' after his ex-girlfriend Zara McDermott moved on pretty quickly with singer Louis, 33, following their split in December, and the new couple have been inseparable since going public in March. But body language expert Judi James believes there is a 'playground mentality' to Louis and Sam, despite their public front - with fans noting there wasn't a single handshake or friendly moment that took place between them. While it's highly commendable that the pair honoured their commitment to children's charity, Unicef and turned up for two days of training, Judi told MailOnline that while Sam appeared well integrated with the other players, smiling and happy, Louis seemed more 'glum' and separate. She said: 'There seems to be more of a playground dynamic growing from the body language here. 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 seems to be very much part of the core group, sitting central and being the center of their attention while Louis walks by looking glum at times and rather peripheral to the social interaction. 'As the guys club around Sam, who looks deep in the discussion, Louis seems to glance over with a rather hard-looking stare. 'His eye direction might not be exclusively aimed at Sam, but he does seem to be checking the group out with an unsmiling facial expression.' Judi also believes there could be an 'atmosphere' developing between the two men, particularly in the photo where they are seen together on the pitch. 'When the two men meet on the pitch there is an unsmiling, reflective-looking gaze from Louis,' she said. 'This shouldn't be over-dramatized into any form of specifically directed 'hard stare' as his eye direction does not seem to be aimed directly at Sam, but there could be seen to be a hint of some kind of 'atmosphere' brewing here. 'With his hands on his hips, Louis does look really down and perhaps rather uncomfortable.' She also noted the difference in demeanour between Sam and Louis when they were posing for the group photo. 'When they sit on the grass for what looks like the group photo it's Sam in the centre again, performing a wide, satisfied and playful-looking grin. 'Louis, however, does a lip-clamped mouth shape that looks more like a stoic, dampened smile as though he's going through the motions but not keen or able to mirror the open-mouthed 'fun' smiles of the others here. 'It's the same story when he poses in the back row behind Sam. Sam is again central and gaining all the smiles of what look like support and attention, even though his own head is dipped modestly. 'Louis is more poker-faced and unsmiling here, staring forward while the rest of the group or team seem to be looking to the side in Sam's direction.' During an appearance on Friday's episode of This morning, the 32-year-old first confirmed the devastating news that he won't be taking part in the charity match this Sunday (15 June). It comes after he suffered a string of injuries, including a calf injury, after his 260-mile Soccer Aid challenge at the start of the month. Instead of playing the game, the reality star will be helping from the sidelines as a coach. This Morning host Alison Hammond was keen to know how he's been since his injury, asking: 'Have you recovered, how are you doing?' Sam replied: 'I'm still very sore, still got the torn calf, however I am here at Soccer Aid HQ and it does not get better than this. During an appearance on Friday's episode of This morning, the 32-year-old confirmed the devastating news that he won't be taking part in the charity match this Sunday (15 June) 'We've still got the management team of England, we've got Vicky McClure, Tyson Fury, who's stepping into some new shoes and Harry Redknapp... 'But also because I'm not going to be able to run around, you've also got me, part of the management team. Come on baby!' Dermot said: 'So you can't play this year obviously because you're literally falling apart. 'So is that right? you're not going to play but you're part of the management team?' Sam said: 'Yeah I came here with high hopes and went to see Gary the physio and I can kick a ball from a standing start, but when it comes to like general chaos of playing competitive sport there's just no way. 'I cant really run properly so yeah. They were very kind and said we still want you to be a part, so I get to go on the dark side with Tyson Fury.' Later on in the episode Sam returned to speak to Alison and Dermot live from the pitch and was alongside actress Bella Ramsey, Paddy McGuinness and Strictly's Gorka Márquez. Sam said: 'Bella, this is your first time at soccer aid, what're your initial thoughts?', to which she said she was 'loving it'. Paddy said: 'Once you're here and you find that everyone is just so lovely, its a really nice vibe and its just magic to be part of.' Sam also touched upon his decision to step away from the pitch, saying: 'I actually will be on the sidelines, Bella I don't know if you're aware of this, I am an England coach now. 'Gary has told me I cant play, which i found quite outrageous as well ... but I will be on the sidelines with Tyson Fury. 'I'm also tiny so I don't know if I'm going to be able to get into his ear.' Louis and Sam finally came face-to-face at Soccer Aid training on Thursday in an awkward meet-up. It remained quite the awkward encounter when Louis and Sam had to train beside one another on the pitch, and tried to avoid eye contact while mingling with their other celebrity teammates. The pair tried to not draw attention to themselves as they kept to their own devices, although at one point, they were briefly spotted sharing a glance as 'showboating' Sam gave him a smile. Judi James also shed some light on the little interaction they had on Thursday, admitting their efforts to avoid each other's gaze only acted as an 'attention-magnet'. Judi told how that Sam's behaviour suggests he's keen to be seen as 'anything but a loser in love', while Louis appears more 'introverted'. 'There probably was scope for these two guys to connect with a hug or a handshake, no matter how cursory, but they chose to perform a non-verbal 'ignore' of the situation, with Sam being Zara's ex while Louis is very much her current,' she said. 'The problem with ignoring a very obvious situation is that is tends to then act as an attention-magnet, so the presumed goal of not upstaging the charity becomes a bit of a problem.' Judi told how Sam's body language saw him 'showboating' as he looked determined to be on jovial terms and wanted to avoid being seen as 'a loser in love', compared to Louis' more introverted state. 'Both guys present as 'good' guys here though even though their lack of eye contact or other form of greeting tends to lend an air of drama to the event,' she went on. 'They each appear to have adopted contrasting states. Sam's body language puts him in an attention-seeking mode, showboating with a wide smile and animated gesticulation, while Louis appears more introvert, watching the action with a grin rather than instigating it himself. 'Sam's behavior suggests he's keen to be seen as anything but a loser in love here. His body language looks actively upbeat, confident and excited, suggesting he's moved on since the end of his relationship with Zara. 'Louis appears watchful and interested but there's no outward sign of anything competitive or of open resentment from the two men who are both known as nice guys.' Commenting on the moment the two men caught eyes and shared a brief smile, Judi said Sam was sending the more 'active communication' while Louis still remained 'impassive'. It looks like Sam sending a more active communication across while Louis stands in a more impassive pose with his hands on his hips, watching,' she added. 'Sam's partly raised hands and his what looks like a qualifier smile with his upper lip raised, pushing his cheeks up while his mouth falls open looks like a gesture of friendly sporting bravado. 'He seems to have his bicep 'aimed' at Louis to create a message of physical strength here while his hand is curled into a loose fist. 'If there's a friendly but competitive feel to Sam's pose it's not pinged back by Louis, who looks relaxed and unbothered here.' Zara moved on quickly with Louis after her split from Sam, with the smitten couple having been spotted on a string of loved-up outings and holidays since their romance was made public in March. Sam and Louis were spotted trying to avoid each other during the training session but the singer was caught giving the TV star a lingering stare while on the pitch as Sam glanced back. The pair were seen having a kick about with their fellow players wearing the same blue football kit. Louis appeared visibly awkward as he stood directly behind a cheerful Sam - although it's not known if the pair have interacted with each other behind cameras. But it seems that Sam and Louis will still be keeping their distance from each other in the changing rooms as they have separated spaces. As Sam arrived at the training day, he put on a brave face for photos, while beaming Louis was captured arriving and making his way on to the pitch. And Zara showed her support for her new boyfriend Louis the night before, as she cooked the pair a 'creamy salmon pasta for dinner', as she captured the plate with the singers guitar noticeably in the background. The new couple have enjoyed a loved-up getaway at his home in LA and to Costa Rica together after Louis flew his new flame out to the island first-class. Meanwhile, Sam has moved on with Love Island beauty Samie Eilshi, 25. After their blossoming romance was confirmed when they shared a steamy kiss in Mayfair last month, speculation of a split grew after Samie was noticeably absent from Sam's highly-publicised challenge for Soccer Aid last week. Such rumours have since been squashed however, with their romance reportedly going from strength to strength as they 'love spending time together on their days off', a source close to the couple told MailOnline. Beaming Louis was captured arriving and making his way onto the pitch He couldn't wipe the smile off his face Louis got some tips off of Jill Scott Sam trained alongside the opposition team and his best pal Tony Bellew The session was held out Champneys Tring Sam and Zara confirmed they had ended their relationship in January after more than five years together (Pictured October 2022) During an episode of their podcast Staying Relevant's last month, Pete Wicks, 37, teased Sam about the prospect of the potentially awkward encounter between him and Louis. The TOWIE star asked his co-host: 'You're really going through it with the whole f****** body and dieting and training loads. Is that for Soccer Aid?' But, not dropping the subject, Pete then asked: 'Any kind of people in there who you're looking forward to playing with?' 'Loads,' Sam laughed: 'Tom Grennan. I'm really looking forward to playing alongside Wayne Rooney, Tyson Fury's the manager. I can't wait'. Pete joked: 'I mean that's gonna be f****** amazing. Make sure you get him on side though because you may need him in your corner in case you fall out with anyone. Not that you will but just in case there's any rivalries or anything. 'You know, you have to train together and it's a lot, you know when you're kind of in close quarters with someone like that. All sorts gets brought up. Anyway...' Elsewhere singer Tom Grennan showed off his muscular physique in a fitted white T-shirt and blue denim jeans as he arrived for Soccer Aid training. Meanwhile former goalkeeper Joe Hart beamed as he posed for photos ahead of the game and Strictly star Gorka Marquez also arrived. Last week, Sam suffered a calf injury on the first day of his gruelling 260-mile Soccer Aid challenge for Unicef. Sam feared his legs will be the reason he won't be able to take part in the football game after his challenge last week - but it seems he is all ok to play as he arrived at training Louis was pictured checking out the training grounds It comes after Sam revealed he will be at Soccer Aid as he shared a new Instagram snap on Thursday after suffering a string of agonising injuries Sam gave a heartbreaking update on whether he will be able to play in Soccer Aid after suffering a string of agonising injuries during his charity challenge The Made In Chelsea star has since moved on with Samie Eilishi (pictured last week), 25, after the couple were snapped sharing a steamy kiss last mont Pete Wicks teased Sam about Soccer Aid 'rivalries' during a recent episode of their podcast In a clip posted to Staying Relevant's TikTok account, Pete asked Sam: 'You're really going through it with the whole f****** body and dieting and training loads. Is that for Soccer Aid?' Despite the TV personality fearing his legs will be the reason he won't be able to take part in the football game and insisting he is doing everything he can, it seemed Sam might be able to play some of the game as he took part in training. On Tuesday, Sam shared another update, he wrote: 'Trying to get those legs right for soccer aid!! I WILL play a part [laughing face emoji].' Sam laughed and assured he's 'loving it' but 'no, it's not' for the game, to which Pete continued: 'Are you sure it's not for Soccer Aid? How are you feeling? You're playing again. Must be really exciting.' He added: 'How do you feel about the line up? Do you think you've got a strong team?' Awkwardly laughing, Sam replied: 'Got a really strong team'. Louis will join the likes of Tyson Fury, Jill Scott, Grennan and Paddy McGuinness in the star-studded squad, while Wayne Rooney will step out of retirement as one of the managers. Sam may now have more time to pursue his romance with Samie, who recently opened up about their relationship for the first time. Sam first met Samie, who appeared on Love Island in 2023 and returned to the All Stars series this year, through his presenting role on Aftersun. Samie spoke about the blossoming relationship for the first time during an appearance on the Chloe Mediumship podcast. The show is hosted by a psychic medium and in the episode, the beauty revealed how she's previously had negative gut feelings in past relationships. She explained: 'I've had gut feelings with guys before. I've had a couple of relationships where I've known it was never it. Like this is gonna come to an end, I'll have something telling me every day it's coming to an end, this isn't for you. 'You put it to the back of your mind and then you start noticing the chaos increase. It's like the universe saying I'm gonna blow you both up if you just do not separate. Then I'm like if I only I listened all those months ago when I got that first message.' Then, host Chloe asked: 'Obviously, you don't have to talk about it too much but the guy you're currently speaking to, do you have that gut feeling? Like do you think it's gonna be really good?' Keeping her cards close to her chest, the former Love Islander replied: 'There's been no bad stuff at the minute so yeah I suppose it is all positive right now. It's early days.' Pete hilariously parodied Sam's ex Zara McDermott's famous 'you can!' moment from Made In Chelsea as he supported him on his mammoth challenge last week Sam couldn't hide his emotions after he battled through a calf injury last week to complete his mission for Unicef and Soccer Aid The reality TV star travelled more than 260 miles from London to Manchester over a five day period, raising £1.5million for Unicef in the process Read More BREAKING NEWS Sam Thompson breaks down in tears as he FINALLY completes his gruelling Soccer Aid challenge Zara and Louis sparked relationship speculation at the start of this year before going public in March, three months after MailOnline revealed Zara and ex-boyfriend Sam had parted ways. Despite his heartache over Zara moving on so quickly, sources close to Sam exclusively told MailOnline at the time he holds no grudges against Louis over the new romance. A source close to the star said: 'Sam has no hard feelings towards Louis, that's for sure. 'As far as he's concerned, Louis is Zara's new man and he's just got to accept it. 'He's a positive guy and will just move on from this, throwing himself into work and getting stuck into the exciting projects he's got coming up. 'Obviously he was sad when their relationship broke up and, like anyone, when your ex moves so quickly it's tough. And if he was both angry and devastated, that would be understandable. 'But he's not sitting around wallowing in self pity, far from it.' This year's Soccer Aid for Unicef match airs on the evening of Sunday 15 June on ITV1 and ITVX from Old Trafford, Manchester.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Horse racing tips: ‘He's rising the ranks and has a top jockey booked' – Templegate's NAP a supreme stayer at York
TEMPLEGATE takes on Saturday's racing confident of slamming in some winners and building the bank for Royal Ascot. Back a horse by clicking their odds below. ALSAKIB (3.00 York, nap) He rose through the staying ranks last season and put in his best effort at this track. He ran well on his comeback in the Yorkshire Cup last month and can improve from there. HOLD A DREAM (2.40 Sandown, nb) He'll enjoy dropping to five furlongs after showing lots of pace at Newbury last time but just failing to get home. That was his turf comeback and there's more to come. He runs off a much lower mark on turf compared to the all-weather and can make the most of it under experienced pilot Serena Brotherton. Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Welcome to the Gallagher Prem: English rugby's top flight rebrands and targets US
Premiership Rugby has rebranded England's top division as the Gallagher Prem as part of a wide-ranging reboot that includes plans to take a fixture to the United States in the coming years and kicking off next season on a Thursday night. Unperturbed by the existential threat posed by the R360 breakaway league, PRL on Saturday relaunches the Premiership on the day that Bath face Leicester in the final at Twickenham. The change comes after widespread consultation with players including the England and Northampton full-back George Furbank and the Bath prop Beno Obano, with PRL executives stating it reflects 'how fans talk' and seeks to 'unashamedly celebrate intensity, physicality, grit and extreme athleticism'. The rebrand – the first time the league has changed name since 1997 – is also designed to underline PRL's intentions to start a new chapter after recent years have been plagued by financial turmoil with Worcester, Wasps and London Irish all going bust. Executives point to how the number of sellouts has risen from 18 to 30 this season while a new broadcast deal with TNT has been signed and, as exclusively revealed by the Guardian, Red Bull has agreed a deal to buy Newcastle Falcons. Plans for a franchise league also continue apace amid consultation with Deloitte and Raine Group over further investment. Emboldened as a result, a return to the US is likely. In 2016, Saracens and London Irish locked horns in New York and a year later Newcastle and Saracens squared off in Philadelphia. Neither fixture moved the dial – only 6,000 attended the latter – but, with the US hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2031, there is a collective attempt among powerbrokers to capitalise. England are playing a Test against the USA in Washington in July while the All Blacks will meet Ireland in Chicago at Solider Field in the autumn in a rematch of their historic meeting in 2016. It is understood that the British & Irish Lions turned down the chance to play their warm-up match against Argentina next week in Las Vegas but a well-placed source has told the Guardian that playing a fixture in the US on the way to New Zealand in 2029 is likely. PRL's title sponsor, Gallagher, is based in Chicago and celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2027. Harlequins (Twickenham), Saracens (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) and Bristol (Principality Stadium) have all staged matches away from their regular homes this season to great success. Asked about taking fixtures abroad, and if a return to the States was a prospect, the Premiership Rugby chief executive, Simon Massie-Taylor, said: 'Yeah, but you need to do it strategically. The obvious point is the US and we've had US games before and they've been flash in the pans, at the wrong time of the season, in the wrong area, in the wrong stadiums with the wrong teams. But there is an opportunity in the buildup to the 2031 World Cup, we've also got a US partner who are coming up to their 100th anniversary. 'It needs to lead to something. It's about maxing out what we've got domestically first, which is why sell-outs are so important. That needs to continue for these big games to exist, and then you start moving beyond your shores.' Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion Of the rebrand, Premiership Rugby's chief growth officer, Rob Calder, said: 'This is not formal, corporate or traditional. It's got grit, just like our competition. It's a physical contest that showcases power, pace and incredible skill under pressure, so we are unashamedly going to talk about physicality, intensity, extreme athleticism and the grit of top-flight rugby. 'This is about big hits, it's intense, it's full contact and it's unflinching. We know this works as we've spoken to the players, and the things they've said in the process are 'promote the players. Show the game, the aggression, the gladiatorial nature of the game, and give the brand the intensity to match'.' PRL chiefs have also confirmed that next season is set to start on a Thursday, two days before the women's World Cup final, in an effort to avoid a clash with the Twickenham showpiece. It is likely to be a one-off in the short-term but, with next year's Six Nations also starting on a Thursday at the request of broadcasters, midweek matches could become a more regular feature further down the line. Officials have also revealed that they intend to trial away sections at more matches next season after doing so at Saracens and Leicester in April.
