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Wales Online
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Gary Lineker's vast net worth after BBC exit, 'weird' love life and public apology
Gary Lineker's vast net worth after BBC exit, 'weird' love life and public apology Gary Lineker is set to leave the BBC after 26 years with the corporation, with his final episode of Match of the Day set to air on Sunday, after he was sensationally axed Gary Lineker (R) and ex wife Danielle Bux Gary Lineker is poised to part ways with the BBC after Sunday night's episode of Match of the Day – and he will not be returning to present the corporation's coverage of next year's World Cup. The 64-year-old presenter is set to conclude his tenure with the broadcaster by hosting his last ever episode of Match of the Day on Sunday, marking an end to his 26-year stint. Although he was scheduled to leave the show at the season's close, he was also lined up to lead the BBC's World Cup coverage and their live FA Cup broadcasts for the 2025/26 season. Nevertheless, his departure from the corporation is now imminent this weekend, following a controversial social media post about Zionism that featured an image of a rat, traditionally an antisemitic trope. Despite issuing an apology and insisting he would never intentionally share antisemitic content, BBC chiefs reportedly find Lineker's role at the broadcaster to be no longer sustainable. An official statement regarding the former Leicester City, Barcelona, and Tottenham Hotspur forward's exit is anticipated to be released on Monday, reports Wales Online. Lineker has been in the spotlight in recent years due to both professional and personal developments, including the hefty BBC salary he is about to forfeit and his "weird" romantic life, which has also attracted attention. Article continues below As he gears up to bid farewell to the BBC, here's the lowdown on the presenter's life outside the broadcasting booth. 'Outrageous' BBC salary Lineker is waving goodbye to the BBC and with it, his staggering wage packet, which has made him the corporation's top-earning presenter continuously for seven years. Last year's BBC annual salary report in June disclosed that for 2023/2024, the presenter pocketed a sum between £1,300,000 and £1,354,999. The Daily Mail reports that Lineker was once willing to stay on as the face of Match of the Day beyond the current season, even proposing to slash his fee by about £350,000. His prior salary from the Beeb hit a lofty £1.75 million, prompting veteran BBC presenter John Humphreys to brand it "outrageous" back in 2019. Though celebrated as a football legend, it's Lineker's television endeavours that have largely bolstered his bank account since his football career ended pre-Premier League windfall. Not to mention, his Goalhanger Podcasts is proving lucrative, with The Rest Is Football podcast leading to an impressive £1.4 million profit reported earlier this year. Citing the Mirror, it's believed that Lineker's various enterprises amass him a net worth in the region of £30 million. 'Weird' relationship with ex-wife Lineker's romantic history has often been a topic of public fascination, with the Match of the Day host acknowledging that some might find one of his past relationships "weird". The ex-England footballer tied the knot with his first wife, Michelle Cockayne, in 1986, and the couple had four sons: George, Harry, Tobias, and Angus. Their marriage ended after twenty years, with Cockayne filing for divorce in 2006, citing Lineker's supposed "unreasonable behaviour" which allegedly caused her significant "stress and anxiety", according to court documents. In a twist of fate, two years post-separation, Lineker met Welsh actress and model Danielle Bux through a mutual friend, leading to their marriage in 2009. The union didn't last, however, with the pair divorcing in 2016 over Lineker's decision against expanding their family. Bux moved on to have a daughter with American lawyer Nate Greenwald, whom she married in 2019. Despite the end of their marriage, Lineker maintains there's no discomfort between him, Bux, or Greenwald, even joining them for meals when he's in Los Angeles. "[Greenwald] has not got a jealous bone in his body," Lineker shared with Radio Times. "We get on really well. We go out for dinner when I'm in LA. It might be unusual and people might go, 'That's weird' but, frankly, I don't care. "What is normal? Is it better to get divorced and end up fighting, screaming and shouting? Or is it better to get on if you can?". The presenter also disclosed in a chat with The Times that he's enjoying the single life, confessing: "I like being on my own". "I know it sounds a bit mad," he continued. "I have lots of company. I've got lots of friends and I've also got my boys... I don't feel lonely. I have the odd date here and there but nothing serious in terms of a long relationship. "I've been married most of my adult life. Two really good marriages, I'm friends with both. I'm not saying whether it'll change. It might do. I don't know. But at the minute I'm very comfortable." Lineker has been seen out and about with Jemima Goldsmith, former spouse of ex-cricketer and past Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, yet any rumours of a budding romance were quickly quashed. Public apology Lineker's BBC exit comes after he shared a social media post about Zionism that included an illustration of a rat, which is historically used as an antisemitic insult. While he deleted the post and issued a public apology, it was reported over the weekend that his position had become untenable in the eyes of BBC bosses. The former England footballer last week issued a statement, again apologising for his actions but accepting that walking away from his role at the BBC now "feels like the responsible course of action". "Last week, I shared a post on Instagram that contained an emoji that has awful connotations," said Lineker. "Unfortunately I did not see the emoji, if I had, I would never, ever have shared it. "The minute I was made aware, I quickly deleted the post and went on to make an apology. I would like once again to say I am sorry, unreservedly, for the hurt, and upset, caused. It was a genuine mistake and oversight, but I should have been more diligent. I know that. "I have stood up for minorities and humanitarian issues, and against all forms of racism, all of my life, including, of course, anti-Semitism, which I absolutely abhor. There is no place for it and never should be. Confirming his exit, he added: "I think it's best for all concerned that I step down from BBC presenting duties all together and not do next season's FA Cup or World Cup. The final day of the Premier League season on Sunday will be my last show. "It's been a pleasure and a huge privilege working with the BBC for 30 years, especially hosting Match of the Day, a programme which is so close to my heart and an integral part of my life. "I'd like to thank all the quite brilliant, talented and lovely people working both in front and behind the camera who I have worked alongside for three decades. You are the absolute best. "The relationship with the BBC has been long and wonderful, but it's the right time, for the organisation and myself, to go separate ways. "Thank you all, to all of you, for your incredible support and love over so many years, it means the world to me. I'll see you all on Sunday." Concerns for his health Lineker takes his health seriously and has been vocal about his worries over potentially developing dementia or Parkinson's due to his footballing days. Football legends such as Nobby Stiles, Jack Charlton, and Martin Peters have all passed away with dementia, highlighting the risks faced by former professionals. Research from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has spotlighted that former footballers are an alarming 50 per cent more likely to develop dementia than the general population. Even before this stark revelation, Gary Lineker, conscious of the potential risks, had already steered clear from headers during training due to health concerns. "Any footballer should be apprehensive [about headers] and I don't mind admitting that I am," he expressed to the Sun. "I headed the ball a lot as a kid – and when I was 20, 21, I made a conscious decision not to do it in training. "Winter would bring wet, heavy balls – not like the new ones they get weekly today – and my concern stemmed from the fact I frequently scored with my head," he said, reflecting on his earlier days when practice involved less frequent replacement of equipment, heightening his worry about the long-term effects on brain health. The former England striker, who successfully netted 32 goals with his head during his career, added, "I've had conversations with Alan Shearer and Ian Wright and others about the worry that, come 10, 15 years, that it [dementia] might happen to one of us. The odds suggest that it probably will." In an open admission last year, Lineker shared his ongoing anxiety: "I'll have my triannual test this summer and ask if there's anything they can establish around the brain, because I don't see how, given the circumstances, any footballer wouldn't be worried about it. It's a worry. I don't mind admitting that it concerns me. There's no question there's a link." His worries gain a personal dimension, tracing back to the sorrowful loss of his grandfather to Parkinson's disease - a loss that carries additional weight considering his grandfather's career in football. "My grandfather was in the army but a very good footballer, too," he disclosed to the Daily Mail. "He was in his mid-50s when he developed Parkinson's. We didn't think of why at the time." Gary Lineker also shared with The Sun about his prostate cancer scare during a routine health check: "I have a full body check every couple of years and I did have one prostate scare. "It's important to get ahead of it and a lot of men, we sometimes think, 'I'm all right'. We don't want to see doctors. But that's a dangerous game. We are all a little bit scared of having something and I think it's fair to share that." Furthermore, Lineker had once feared contracting Aids while playing for England in 1988; however, it turned out to be hepatitis. Recounting the experience in his memoir 'Behind Closed Doors: Life, Laughs and Football', he observed: "I started to notice something was wrong during the European Championships in the summer of 1988. "In our second game we played... I felt considerably more ill – heavy-limbed and aching. There didn't seem to be any explanation for it. Article continues below "I was also losing weight – about a stone and a half, it would eventually emerge. I quietly wondered if I had Aids. I managed to frighten myself with the thought."
Sunday World
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Sunday World
John Aldridge: Why Rory McIlroy and Liverpool now face the same challenge
It was hard not to get caught up in the emotion of McIlroy's Masters win last month, as he finally achieved his ultimate goal in the most dramatic fashion imaginable. Now McIlroy has to find a way to get himself fired up to go again and start a new era of winning. He has another major title to aim for in a couple of weeks' time and should be looking to set new records in his sport and aim for more. The Open Championship is being played on home soil at Portrush again this summer, so I can't imagine he needs any motivation to go again. I can only speak from personal experience and I never had a problem with setting myself new targets in my career. I scored 474 goals and my desire never waned until I hung up my boots when I was nearly 40. That number is more goals than the great Jimmy Greaves and all the legendary goal scorers from the pre-Premier League, but I'm a Scouser who played for Ireland and because I don't tick the English box, and they don't seem to mention my name when the debate over great goal scorers comes up. Much to the annoyance of all players who played before the Premier League era, records in football now all seem to be focused on the this relatively new league, but I am the leading living league goal scorer in the history of the English game and it is a record to be proud of. Rory McIlroy dons the green jacket. Photo: Getty McIlroy also secured his place in sporting folklore after completing the golfing Grand Slam at Augusta, but he should want another green jacket next year and a couple more majors before that if possible. The same desire needs to be rippling through the veins of the Liverpool players after they celebrated winning the Premier League title amid memorable scenes at Anfield last weekend. Arne Slot and his players cannot see this as the end of their story and instead, they should be looking at this as the start of a run of title wins that will continue for years to come. The true winners draw inspiration from days like last Sunday and want more and more of it. We've seen it with Manchester City in recent years, as they have dominated the Premier League with a mix of brilliant management, great players and a massive pile of money. Alex Ferguson did something similar during his time at Manchester United, as he won again and again and ensured that he got rid of players who were not willing to join him on that journey. We need to see something similar at Liverpool over the next few years, as Slot has earned the right to sign some top players to add to the squad he inherited form Jurgen Klopp and I am hoping to see four top players added to the squad this summer. Ferguson was brilliant at signing great players when his United teams were on top and that's what Liverpool need to do now as the mood around the club is so positive. I was at Anfield last weekend for what was a fantastic occasion as the Premier League title was clinched in style with a performance we have waited a few weeks for. Liverpool have been poor in their recent matches, with the lead at the top of the table taking some of the sting out of their game and the strikers, in particular, went off the boil. Well, they all bounced back into form for the big day at Anfield and the 5-1 win against Tottenham was one of those moments that you wanted to last forever. I could see people in the stands not wanting to leave as they had waited so long to see Liverpool clinch the title in front of The Kop and the moment was everything they had hoped for. Now we can say definitively that Liverpool are undisputed as the greatest team in English football, as they are level with Manchester United on 20 league titles and they have four more European Cups in the trophy cabinet, but that can't be the end. Slot should be telling his players to enjoy this title win and the belief they should get from it has to stand them in good stead as they start next season as champions. I won't be alone in enjoying watching Chelsea players give Slot's side a guard of honour at Stamford Bridge today, as this club has been one of the less than friendly rivals for Liverpool this century, with the battles against Jose Mourinho's Blues leaving plenty of scars. Some Chelsea fans have been pretty vile with the chants they have directed at Liverpool fans down the years and it will be satisfying to see them applauding the Liverpool team as they step onto the pitch at Stamford Bridge this afternoon. With the Premier League now won, today's match means a lot more to Chelsea than it does to Slot and his players as their job is done for this season, but they should get their minds back on the job and finish this season in style. Liverpool have lost some of the momentum they built up over the last few weeks and that contributed to the Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain and the Carabao Cup final defeat against Newcastle. Champions have an aura that should give them an edge over their rivals, but it also means you are a team that can be shot at and everyone will want to beat Liverpool next season. So Slot and his players have to put a marker down to confirm they are already looking ahead to next season and continuing their winning form in the final few games. They need to finish off this memorable season in style and that means setting a few mini-targets like getting over the 90-point barrier and banishing any nonsense that they only won the title because all their rivals lost their way. MAN CITY COLLAPSE HARD TO UNDERSTAND LIVERPOOL have finally knocked Manchester City off their perch, but there have to be big question marks over what has gone wrong for Pep Guardiola's side this season. While Liverpool have clearly been the best team in the league this season, City should not be as far behind them as they are and questions should be asked of the manager and his players. They enjoyed all the plaudits when they were collecting the trophies, so what has happened to Pep Guardiola and his team for them to lose their way so badly? You might say they lost the appetite to keep winning after so much success in recent years, but that should only take a few percentage points off your performance. They have been out of the title race for many months now, so that lack of motivation theory isn't a valid excuse. The long-term injury to Rodri was a blow, but great teams cannot fall apart when they lose one key player. City are now pushing to secure a Champions League finish and win the FA Cup, Guardiola will justifiably claim they have salvaged a pretty average season. I would suggest there are bigger problems at City than the absence of one key midfielder and they will be under pressure to bounce back next season.
Daily Mirror
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Arne Slot is no Jurgen Klopp - and that's why he's proved to be perfect for Liverpool
After the win over West Ham at Anfield earlier this month - sealed by a dramatic late header from Virgil van Dijk - Arne Slot approached the Kop and, for a moment, threatened to go full Jurgen on them. He stopped short of thumping his heart but there was a spot of fist-clenching going on. And there will be plenty of more of that sort of stuff as the title celebrations get stretched out until the end of the Premier League season. But while the emotion of managing a club such as Liverpool inevitably gets to everyone, Slot is no Klopp, and the club and team has been none the worse for that. Understandably, it seems there is not one Liverpool player who has even a vaguely negative word to say about Klopp and you would struggle to come up with a reason why any of them possibly would. Over almost ten seasons, Klopp put himself into Anfield managerial folklore. But it is also fair to say that, by accident or by design or by sheer force of personality, a lot of the reporting of Liverpool's achievements in Klopp's time was centred on the manager. Fair enough, he was brilliant. But Slot's more measured, more reserved approach has ensured that the players have taken centre-stage. The spotlight on Mohamed Salah's brilliance and Virgil van Dijk's imperious leadership has been stronger. Slot is not short of passion and emotion and his collection of yellow cards shows that he can get angry. Not quite Klopp-style angry but irrationally angry all the same - just look at him in the aftermath of the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park. But it seems to take Slot a matter of post-match minutes to regain a level head. That is something that must impress his players immensely. Throughout the season, Slot has dealt adroitly with the contract situations of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. Essentially, he pretty much ignored the contract talk, but he always came across as a manager who had a plan no matter who signed and who didn't. The one time Slot has perhaps been a little tetchy has been when people suggest the 2024-25 edition of the Premier League has not been a great one. That is understandable. Don't forget, there is still a chance that English clubs will win each of the three European club competitions. Liverpool's dominance has been down to their excellence, not to the deficiencies of others. And it is hard to overstate the size of Slot's achievement. He is only the fifth person to win the Premier League in his first season of management in English football, the other four being Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte and Manuel Pellegrini. Three of those, of course, benefited from the mighty financial backing of Roman Abramovich. Only four managers did it in the pre-Premier League era, a couple of Slot's predecessors, Kenny Dalglish and Joe Fagan, amongst them. In other words, it is a very special feat, one which Klopp himself could not manage. In fact, the German's one Premier League title did not come until the fifth year of his tenure. To be fair, though, Klopp was not left the same sort of squad that he left to Slot. To his credit, Klopp left a squad that was re-energised by new midfield arrivals in particular, and was very much fit for purpose. But by taking it from a third-placed squad to champions, Slot has still defied expectations and the sorrow over Klopp's departure seems like a distant memory. The king has gone, long live the king. 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.
New York Times
07-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Robert Pires: From Saka to Salah, these are my favourite modern wingers
It is nearly 14 years since Robert Pires last graced an English football pitch in a professional match at the end of his short-lived, and oft-forgotten, stint at Aston Villa. But, as one of the first inverted wingers of the Premier League era, his tactical legacy has never looked more secure. Although the English game had occasionally witnessed wide players playing on the opposite flank to their stronger foot in the pre-Premier League era — Tom Finney, George Best, Dennis Tueart, Chris Waddle — they were the exception rather than the rule. And in the years immediately following the launch of the Premier League in 1992, the orthodoxy remained that right-footed wingers belonged on the right and left-footed wingers on the left. Advertisement From Andrei Kanchelskis and Ryan Giggs at Manchester United to Stuart Ripley and Jason Wilcox at Blackburn Rovers, the Premier League's first few title-winning teams all tended to play with wide players on their 'natural' side. Pires cannot claim to be the first high-profile Premier League winger to have bucked the trend, an honour that probably goes to his compatriot David Ginola, who played on the left at Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur. But he was undoubtedly part of a vanguard that also included Marc Overmars (the player he was signed to replace at Arsenal) and the Chelsea trio of Damien Duff, Joe Cole and Arjen Robben. These days it is hard to imagine a universe in which wingers do not play on the opposite side to their stronger foot. From Mohamed Salah to Son Heung-min, via Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Kaoru Mitoma, Anthony Gordon, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Noni Madueke, the vast majority of wingers in the Premier League are 'inverted'. Perceived as something of a tactical oddity when he first joined Arsenal in the summer of 2000, Pires instead proved to be a trailblazer. Yet had it not been for a positional shift in his late teens, he might never have become a winger at all. A slight and skilful attacking player, Pires had played as a No 10 in the academy at his formative club, Reims. But when he joined Metz in 1992, the club's reserve-team coach, Philippe Hinschberger, told him it was time to spread his wings. 'I'd already played at No 10 with him, but he felt that I could play on the left,' Pires tells The Athletic during an interview in Paris. 'I was 18-19 years old and I said to him, 'But coach, I'm right-footed. I can't play on the left'. It was the 1990s, you know? It wasn't 10 years ago. 'But Philippe said, 'Yes, I know, but given the ability you have to play passes and to score goals by cutting inside and curling in shots, I'm convinced you could do something on the left'. There was a reserves game between Metz and Sochaux. He put me on the left and I was voted man of the match.' Advertisement Moved out to the left by Hinschberger, Pires discovered — as so many inverted wingers would discover over the years that followed — that playing on the 'wrong' flank presented multiple advantages. Not least that, with the ball on his favoured right foot and the whole pitch spread before him on his stronger side, a wide variety of attacking options now presented themselves. 'I felt really good there. I felt at ease,' he says. 'It's hard to explain, but visually speaking, when you're right-footed and you're on the left, your peripheral vision becomes super-wide. That means that when you receive the ball, you can either attack your opponent on the outside or look for a pass into a midfielder or your striker. 'A lot of the defenders I played against didn't know what to do with me, because they weren't used to that. 'A left-footer on the left who cuts inside, or a right-footer on the other side who does the same, automatically finds himself using his weaker foot. But now it was the opposite. You could go to the left and cross, but you could also come inside and play a pass or shoot. So you had options. And for a defender who doesn't know what you're going to do, it becomes complicated.' Although playing on the left presented several technical and tactical advantages, Pires did not possess the searing pace typical of the classic wide player. His response was to develop a dribble that was as devastatingly effective as it was simple. Confronted by an opposing player, he would make as if to speed past him with the ball on the outside, then suddenly stop, and when his opponent reacted by slowing down, he would hit the accelerator again and speed away. A study in cat-and-mouse wing play, the 'stop-start' dribble would claim dozens of hapless victims. 'It came with the change of position,' Pires explains. ''Titi' (Thierry Henry) didn't need that because he knew he was quicker than everyone else. He knocked the ball past someone and you didn't see him again. 'But because I had less pace, in order to unbalance or get past my direct opponent, I had to do something. I don't know how I started doing it. Maybe the first time, it worked and I kept it in mind. Once your brain has got hold of something like that, it becomes instinctive. I worked on it and I perfected it once I was on the left. Advertisement 'It's true that it kind of became my trademark. I have the ball, I go, I stop, and as soon as the defender stops, I go again. And he's dead. I did it loads of times!' Pires cites an assist in a 2-1 league win over Liverpool at Anfield in December 2001 as one of the best illustrations of his signature move. Finding himself one-on-one against a young Steven Gerrard on Arsenal's left flank, the Frenchman slowed and made as if to cut inside, only to immediately charge down the line onto his left foot, leaving Gerrard flat-footed, before crossing for Freddie Ljungberg to score. 'Game over,' he says through a grin — in English — while watching the footage. 📅 OTD in 2001… We recorded a famous win at Anfield courtesy of Henry and Ljungberg's strikes ✊ — Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 23, 2024 Although Pires had spent two years playing as a No 10 at Marseille, Arsene Wenger made it clear to him when he joined Arsenal that he had been signed to play on the left. The day before he flew in to London to undergo his medical and sign his contract, Pires delivered a sublime example of wing play by sashaying down France's left side against Italy in the Euro 2000 final in Rotterdam (a trademark stop-start dribble taking Fabio Cannavaro out of the game) and teeing up David Trezeguet for the golden goal that settled the match. While Pires takes pride in the fact that so many modern wingers have followed his lead by playing on the 'wrong' side of the pitch, he believes the credit belongs to Wenger. 'I think Arsene revolutionised things by putting me, a right-footer, on the left,' says Pires, who now works as a pundit for French TV channel Canal+. 'Because it unsettled a lot of teams. The first months were hard. 'What's Pires doing? He's a right-footer who's playing on the left. He's rubbish, it's not going to work out'. But then, with a bit of work, you realise that it's actually not bad. 'And 30 years later, they're all like that.' The Athletic asked Pires to select his five favourite wingers in the modern game and single out aspects of their performances from the current season that have impressed him. 'Bukayo Saka is one of the best players in Europe in his position,' Pires says. 'He has that ability to always get past his opponent. As soon as he receives the ball, if he sees that there's space behind the defender, he goes for it. I also think he's progressed a huge amount in his off-the-ball work. He always offers a pass when a team-mate's on the ball. Advertisement 'Here, against Southampton, he makes a very good interception… And then he sees quickly. He makes the interception and straight away, he sees where (Kai) Havertz is and gives him the ball immediately. He doesn't waste any time. Because if you take another touch to control the ball, it's too late — everything closes up.' 'For this assist against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, Saka does everything in the inside-right channel. He can't show for a pass on the wing because somebody else is there. So he opens up the space by coming inside. His control is top: an oriented control towards the goal. And then the pass. Tac. It all goes so quickly.' 'This season Mo Salah has progressed a huge amount in terms of always being in the right position. With the experience that he has, he senses things. He's always well positioned. And he's very good at anticipating defensive mistakes. He's never surprised when the ball comes to him — he's always ready. As we say here in France, he is irresistible! 'He's always drawn towards goal, yes. But do you know why? Look at his first touch against Brentford here. Look where the ball goes. Tac. Because if the ball stays too close to his feet and the defender comes in, he's dead. But here, he controls the ball and his foot sends the ball towards goal.' 'Here, against Newcastle, Salah takes one touch to lay the ball off and, when he sees the ball is going out to the wing, he moves immediately towards goal. He's capable of playing as a winger and then, depending on where his team-mates and the ball are, he puts himself in front of goal. That's why he's so good. He's good on the wing and he's good as a No 9.' 'He's a real modern winger, Vinicius. He moves so quickly that it's difficult to control him. He can go left, he can go right, he scores goals and he always offers solutions. He's developing a good relationship with Kylian Mbappe. And although he doesn't do a huge amount of defensive work, he brings important balance to the team. 'This goal against Borussia Dortmund is the perfect winger's goal. Because he goes at the defender and the defender doesn't know what he's going to do. He forces the defender to turn, but the defender gets it wrong and it opens the door. You need to force him onto his left foot and then, if he scores, he scores. But at least you stop him going onto his right foot.' 'For this goal against Salzburg, I'd have been out on the wing. I wouldn't have made the run Vinicius makes — I'd have stayed out on the left to offer a pass and then found myself in a one-v-one and attempted to curl in a shot. 'I wouldn't have attacked the centre like this. It's incredible. Bravo!' 'All these wingers have great technique, but Raphinha has something different. His touch is superior to other players'. It's so clean and he's so precise with his shooting and his passing. He's able to start wide and end up in the centre, like he does here against Espanyol. He's out on the right, he's out on the right… and then suddenly he darts into the centre to score. Freddie Ljungberg did that very well at Arsenal.' 'What I like is that Raphinha always hits the ball hard. Whether it's a pass or a shot, he really slaps it in. Look at how he hits this cross against Valladolid — bam! That's real winger's work.' 'I struggle to understand how Lamine Yamal is capable of doing everything he does at such a young age. When you see what he's capable of at Barcelona and with the Spanish national team, he's phenomenal. He's afraid of nothing, he's very good technically, he's quick and he can beat players on both sides. On top of that, he scores goals. Advertisement 'The passes he plays, with both the inside and particularly the outside of his left foot… He has real suppleness in his ankle when it comes to striking the ball. 'With this assist against Villarreal, he starts by taking in the information. He sees where Raphinha is and he waits to see what Raphinha is offering him. Then he weights his pass in relation to that. The pass is perfect. You have to 'feel' the weight of a pass. It's about the relationship between your foot and the ball. 'It's hard to explain. You have to manage it and you're the only one who knows how hard you need to hit it. And doing it with the outside of your foot is very difficult. All of Yamal's passes are precise. I find what he does incredible.' (Photos in top design: Paul Ellis / AFP, Tony Marshall/EMPICS via Getty Images; Designed by Eamonn Dalton for The Athletic)
