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Scottish Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Man Utd dressing room's ‘most popular player' is 18-year-old who hasn't played a match
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MANCHESTER UNITED'S most popular player in the dressing room is only 18 years old. That is despite the fact that he hasn't even played for the club and doesn't speak English. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Diego Leon was unveiled on the pitch with his fellow new arrivals at Old Trafford Credit: Getty 4 The young left-back is already proving popular in the dressing room Credit: Reuters Play Dream Team now! Play The Sun Dream Team ahead of the 2025/26 season Free to play Over £100,000 in total prize money Play in Mini Leagues against your mates Submit a team for Gameweek 1 to enter £5,000 prize draw Play via Dream Team's app or website today! The Red Devils have endured their fair share of issues on and off the field in recent times. But with the new season, there is renewed optimism. And one of those reasons is Diego Leon. The Paraguayan left-back arrived from his boyhood club Cerro Porteno in his homeland for £7million. READ MORE ON MAN UTD 'PRAYERS FOR KONE' Man Utd U21s game ABANDONED as ace is stretchered off in worrying scenes And according to the Daily Mail, he is already making a mark within the United squad as Mr Popular. Leon's lack of English means plenty of the senior pros are surrounding and supporting him. And with many players in the squad speaking Spanish, the new No35 has no shortage of team-mates to chat with and make him feel at home. MUTV interviewed him in Spanish, too. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS A source told the Mail: "He's like a little brother to a lot of these guys. "They are giving him a bit of stick, having a laugh. Man Utd's new signing Diego Leon scores spectacular own goal in Paraguay Primera Division "But they are fiercely protective over him and are really looking after him." Leon immediately won over his new fanbase with a brilliant interview in an airport before arriving in England. He said: "Everyone thinks I'll go out on loan, but I don't have that mindset. 'I'm going to kill it in the pre-season, and within one or two games, I'll already be playing with them. 'The feelings are indescribable. You feel so many things. The truth is, I'm very happy, very happy to be there. 'I think every player dreams of this, and I have the opportunity. Thank God for the opportunity. 'I think it was a bit quick too, but hey, you have to adapt quickly once you're there. I'm already a professional. 'I'll have to adapt a bit to the climate, the language, and all that. I have a lot of confidence in myself. "I'm going to be at the top with them. Now with the faith intact that I can succeed.' Man Utd's transfer deals IN Bryan Mbeumo - from Brentford - £71m Matheus Cunha - from Wolves - £62.5m Diego Leon - from Cerro Porteno - £7m Benjamin Sesko - from RB Leipzig - £74m TOTAL - £214.5m OUT Victor Lindelof - released Christian Eriksen - released TOTAL - £0m MAN UTD TRANSFER NEWS LIVE It is unclear how much first-team action Leon will get under Ruben Amorim this term. Patrick Dorgu is expected to be the first-choice left wing-back in the starting XI. Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot can also play there - but are preferred at left centre-back and right wing-back respectively - as can Noussair Mazraoui. Leon's fellow 18-year-old Harry Amass made seven first-team appearances last season - five in the Premier League and two in the Europa League. But the lack of European football this term may see academy graduate Amass head out on loan, with Sheffield Wednesday and PSV Eindhoven reportedly battling for his services this term. 4 Spanish-speaking senior pros have taken him under their wings Credit: Getty
The Citizen
02-07-2025
- The Citizen
Pastor from Standerton finds redemption after life of addiction
From Mr Popular to living on the streets, pastor Quincy Jacobs has experienced the full devastation of drug abuse and the joy of recovery. His long history with substance use began at just 13 when he first encountered alcohol. At 15, he drank regularly, often skipping school to indulge. 'That played a big role in cultivating my mindset,' Jacobs said. At 16, he started smoking marijuana but quit soon after, remaining mostly clean for five years. But at 21, he returned to daily marijuana use. In 1999, he came across an article in You magazine about the latest club drug: ecstasy. 'At this point, I had built up a tolerance to weed and wanted to try something new,' said Jacobs. A few months later, while studying at Damelin College, he experimented with ecstasy and, soon after, LSD. He noted that while psychedelics aren't generally considered physically addictive, he became deeply dependent on every drug he tried. Everything changed when he used ephedrine, a key ingredient in CAT. In 2005, his drug use escalated when he and a friend bought crack cocaine. Jacobs said there was no turning back after that first hit. 'People always talked about how addictive crack was. I was always chasing a stronger high, so I found it appealing,' he said. 'Crack was the drug that finally broke me; it cracked me wide open.' Within a month, he was fully dependent. After three months, he was smoking R1 000 of crack daily. He spiralled into a life of crime, scamming others, selling his clothes and chasing his next fix. 'I went from being the life of the party to a socially withdrawn, full-blown crackhead,' he said. ALSO CHECK: Mayor hands motorised wheelchair to young eMbalenhle learner to support her education, independence Years later, Jacobs tried crystal meth for the first time. 'Whenever a new drug hit the streets of Joburg, I was always one of the first to try it,' he said. His meth addiction left him homeless on the streets of Johannesburg. He chose street life to spare his mother further pain. During this time, his drug use peaked. He was using crystal meth, Mandrax, heroin, anything he could get. 'I even sold a blanket from a charity and groceries from a local church just to get high,' he admitted. After seven years, his rock bottom unexpectedly arrived. He woke up one day planning to get heroin, but it started raining before he could sell anything for the money he needed. 'When you withdraw from heroin, it's called 'downing'. I always told myself I'd stop when I downed,' he said. As the day wore on, his body ached. The withdrawal pain was overwhelming – like dying, he said. In desperation, Jacobs turned to God, pleading for relief. When the withdrawal became unbearable, he called his mother's friend, who took him to the hospital. 'My mother saved my life that day. She convinced them to treat me despite my history, then took me home after six long hours,' he said. That night, he bathed, ate and slept. The next morning, he felt good for the first time in years. 'I thought it would pass, that the cravings would come back. But one day became two, and before I knew it, I was three months sober.' At three months clean, Jacobs enrolled at Destiny College International. At 38, he began studying to become a pastor. Now nine years sober, he runs the Cherith House rehab centre, which recently opened in Standerton. He thanks God daily for the empathy and strength to help others recover. 'My work keeps me accountable, and God gives me the strength to continue,' Jacobs said. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
