Beer Footy and Birds!

Malia Manuel was born on 9th August 1993 in Kauai, Hawaii and is a female professional surfer.

Surfing has been ingrained in Malia’s blood since she was born. At the age of two, Malia started surfing with her parents, catching waves along the beaches of Kauai.

In 2008 aged 14, Malia became the youngest ever female or male to win the US Open of Surfing held at Huntington Beach, California. Since then Malia has continued to influence the female surfing progression by placing 1st in the US Open Pro Junior in 2009.

In 2011 she became champion of both the Azores Islands and Spain's Pantin Classic WQS 6-star events, and earning the top qualifier spot for the elite Association of Surfing Professionals Women’s World Tour (ASP).

To cap off her first year on the World Tour she claimed the prestigious title of 'ASP Women’s Rookie of the Year 2012' - and went on to win the WQS 6-star event in Oceanside, California in 2013, cementing her first place spot in the World Rankings.
Rounding out 2014, Malia finished 5th in the world on the Women’s Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour.

In 2015 Malia was a semi-finalist in the Women’s Drug Aware Margaret River Pro event held in Western Australia, and was chosen an inspirational woman to other women by Mind Body Green as one of the 100 Women To Watch in Wellness, alongside the likes of Christy Turlington Burns, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hillary Biscay, Jessica Alba, Krista Stryker and Torah Bright.

Malia's hobbies outside sport include: Yoga, Running and growing organic food.

She is sponsored by O'Neill wetsuits and clothing, Von Zipper eyewear, Sanuk footwear and Mayhem surfboards.

CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

2015 – Top 100 Women in Wellness to Watch | Mind Body Green

2015 – Women’s Drug Aware Margaret River Pro | Semi-finalist

2014 – Ranked 5th on the Women’s Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour

2013 - Women’s World Qualifying Series Champion

2013 - Super Girl Pro Champion

2012 - ASP Rookie of the Year

2011 - Top Qualifier for the Elite ASP Women’s World Tour – age 18

2011 - WQS 6-star Pantin Spain Champion – age 18

2011 - Front cover of TransWorld Surf Magazine in August 2011 (only 2nd female ever) – age 17 (above right)

2010 - Hawaii World Team member – age 16
2009 - Hawaii World Team member – age 15
2009- US Open Junior Womens Champ – age 15
2009 - Junior Women Regional Champ – age 15
2009 - VQS Champion – age 14
2008 - Youngest Ever US Open Champ – age 14
2008 - International Grom Search Champ – age 14
2008 - Junior Women Regional Champ - age 14
2008 - Hawaii World Team Member – age 14
2008 - NSSA National champ Explorer Womens – age 14
2007 - NSSA Middle School girls National Champion -age 13
2006 - NSSA Open Women runner up – age 12
2005 - Hawaii World Team member – age 11
2004 - Surfing America Champion National Title – age 10
2002 - 1st Annual Irons Brothers Classic winner – age 8

You can follow Malia on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram

The EA SPORTS PPI (Player Performance Index) is the only official player rating index of the Barclays Premier League which measures a player's all round contribution to the success of his team using six key indices:

The intention is to remove any opinion bias and only work with proven statistical measurements which become more accurate as the season progresses.

Season 2015/16 - Last update: 10/05/16 at Noon

Goalkeepers:

1. Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester) 448 EA Sports PPI
2. Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) 406
3. Petr Cech (Arsenal) 388
4. Adrian (West Ham) 357
5. Heurelho Gomes (Watford) 351
6. Joe Hart (Man City) 350
7. Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea) 341
8. Jack Butland (Stoke City) 341
9. David de Gea (Man Utd) 339 (right)
10. Simon Mignolet (Liverpool) 313

Defenders:

1. Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham) 576
2. Wes Morgan (Leicester) 529
3. Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal) 501
4. Eric Dier (Tottenham) 498

5. Ashley Williams (Swansea) 484
6. Aaron Cresswell (West Ham) 484
7. Nacho Monreal (Arsenal) 477
8. Charlie Daniels (Bournemouth) 472
9. Scott Dann (Crystal Palace) 470
10. Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal) 463

Midfielders:

1. Riyad Mahrez (Leicester) 940 (right)
2. Mesut Özil (Arsenal) 769
3. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham) 712
4. Dele Alli (Tottenham) 661
5. Dimitri Payet (West Ham) 654
6. Ross Barkley (Everton) 632
7. Sadio Mané (Southampton) 592
8. Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea) 591
9. Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle) 566

10. Cesc Fàbregas (Chelsea) 555

Forwards:

1. Harry Kane (Tottenham) 1033 (right)
2. Jamie Vardy (Leicester) 885
3. Sergio Agüero (Man City) 748
4. Romelu Lukaku (Everton) 683
5. Odion Ighalo (Watford) 671
6. Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal) 644
7. Troy Deeney (Watford) 539
8. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) 538
9. Anthony Martial (Man Utd) 523
10. Marko Arnautovic (Stoke) 516

The Six Key Indices:

1. Winning Performance

Players receive points for time on the pitch in a successful team. Players will receive more points if they play the full 90 minutes in a winning team. This index shares league points won by a team between the players according to the minutes they are on the pitch. Only time on the pitch and points scored are taken into account in this first index.

2. Player's Performance per match

Players receive points for positive influences on a winning performance (shots on target, tackles, clearances, saves etc). Players have points taken away from their score for negative actions such as shots off target and receiving yellow and/or red cards.

3. Appearances

Players receive points for minutes on the pitch. The number of points won by ALL teams in the Barclays Premier League are divided among the players according to the number of minutes they have played. This does not take into account the result of a match, it awards points purely for playing time.

4. Goals scored

Players are awarded points for scoring goals. These points are only given to the goalscorer.

5. Assists

Players are awarded points for assists. These points are only awarded to players that make the assist.
Assists are awarded to the player from the goal scoring team who makes the last touch before the goal is scored.
If after this touch, an opposing player touches the ball outside the penalty area altering the intended destination of the ball, then no assist is given, except if this intervention directly results in an own goal.
In the event of a penalty or free-kick, the player earning the penalty or free-kick gets an assist if a goal is directly scored, but not if he takes it himself, in which case no assist is given.

6. Clean sheets

Allocates points for clean sheets to the whole team. The proportionate split of the points is weighted according to the player's position. Therefore a goalkeeper will be awarded a greater proportion of the points for keeping a clean sheet than a striker. The points are also awarded proportionately to the time spent on the pitch.

N.B. The overall EA SPORTS PPI is a correlation between all of the above indices. The Index only includes actions that can be measured objectively and does not reward one action more than another (e.g. a pass by a midfielder will not gain more points than a tackle made by a defender). Subjective factors relating to individual players' skill levels or evidence of a specific flair, such as a particularly spectacular pass or goal, are not included within the index.

Here is a round up of all the latest football news/gossip across Europe today, which includes the likes of: Christian Benteke, West Ham, David de Gea, Real Madrid, Rafael Benitez, Juventus, Dimitri Payet, AC Milan, Mario Balotelli, Everton, Jose Mourinho, Aston Villa, Yaya Toure, Leicester, Roberto Di Matteo, Ajax, Dani Alves, Watford, John Terry and Swansea City to name but a few!

Real Madrid will look to sign West Ham and France midfielder Dimitri Payet, 29, but not until after Euro 2016 - Le 10 Sport (French sports publication)

West Ham will turn their attention to signing Liverpool striker Christian Benteke, 25, after having a club record £31m bid rejected for Lyon's 24 year-old French international striker Alexandre Lacazette - The Sun

The Turkish press is today echoing interest in Jose Mourinho joining Fenerbahce and the Turkish club are preparing an offer in the region of 15 million euros annually for the Portuguese born boss - AS.com

Arsenal have submitted a £51m offer to Juventus in an attempt to sign 23-year-old forward Alvaro Morata during the summer transfer window - Corriere dello Sport (Italian national sports newspaper based in Rome)

Real Madrid have until 15 June to trigger 25-year-old Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea's £39m release clause - Dairio AS (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

Romelu Lukaku's father thinks his son will leave Everton for around £65m before Euro 2016 gets under way - Daily Express

Former Borussia Monchengladbach coach Lucien Favre is in the hunt for the Everton job after holding talks with Goodison officials, but Saints boss Ronald Koeman and Dutchman Frank de Boer still top the shortlist - The Sun

A Far East consortium are believed to be close to agreeing a deal to buy Aston Villa and that would make Roberto Di Matteo the favourite to pip Nigel Pearson to the manager's post - Daily Express

Watford have held talks with former Inter Milan boss Walter Mazzarri and the club could appoint their new head coach by the end of this week - Gazetta dello Sport (Italian sports newspaper)

Yaya Toure's agent has claimed talks are being held with Inter Milan over a summer move. Speculation about the Manchester City midfielder's future has been an ongoing theme and it appears he could reunite with former City boss Roberto Mancini at San Siro - skysports.com

Rafael Benitez has agreed to stay on as manager at Newcastle United and will be given full control over transfers as he plans for next season in the Championship - Daily Mail

Claudio Ranieri wants to bring £15m-rated Ajax striker Arkadiusz Milik to Leicester. The 22-year-old has scored 47 times in 76 appearances for his club - Daily Mirror

Swansea City boss Francesco Guidolin has urged the Club not to cash in on £10m-rated striker Andre Ayew - The Sun

Swansea have Junior Hoilett top of their wanted list this summer with the 25-year-old winger's contract expiring at QPR - Daily Mirror

Dani Alves will stay in Barcelona for at least another season - skysports.com

Liverpool and Italy forward Mario Balotelli, 25, who is currently on loan at AC Milan, is wanted by Spanish side Espanyol - Fichajes, via Daily Star

John Terry has signed a new one-year deal with Chelsea. The club have said decision has been taken following consultation between Terry, incoming manager Antonio Conte, the owner and the board - skysports.com

Arsenal are keen on Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney and Leicester's Ben Chilwell. However the Gunners have yet to make any offers and are expected to offer around £6m for both of them - Daily Mail

French-Senegalese forward M'Baye Niang, 21, currently on a contract with AC Milan until June 2019, has become a main target for both Liverpool and Tottenham. Niang, is also interesting Borussia Dortmund and Stoke City as well - gianlucadimarzio.com

Incoming Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola wants to hijack neighbours United's move for the Schalke's attacking midfielder Leroy Sané. The German international is also on the radar of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain as well - Daily Star

Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez has signed a new long-term deal with the Spanish club. There had been speculation that Manchester United were interested in the midfielder, but he has committed his future to Atletico - skysports.com

Real Madrid star Isco wants to stay at Santiago Bernabeu next season, as he told the club's official website: "I'm happy with what I've achieved but excited by the future. There is no better place to win titles than at Real Madrid. My aim is to work day by day because I'm an ambitious player and I've still got a lot to demonstrate" - Realmadrid.com

AS Roma's attempt to sign Guinean-Italian midfielder Amadou Diawara, 18 could be hijacked by Juventus, as a possible replacement for Paul Pogba. Also of interest to several other European clubs, the player is currently on a deal with Bologna until June 2020 - transfermarketweb.com

Cardiff City have confirmed Paul Trollope as their new manager - skysports.com

FC Crotone recently promoted to Serie A, will face a huge job to convince manager Ivan Juric to stick around following interest from Leeds United - Daily Express

Bristol City have signed Wrexham youngster Johnny Smith for an undisclosed fee - skysports.com

Defender Nathan Smith has signed a one-year deal with Yeovil Town - skysports.com

Camille Leblanc-Bazinet was born on 10th October 1988 in Richelieu, Quebec, Canada and is a Canadian professional CrossFit athlete. She is also an accomplished weightlifter, having qualified for the national championship for weightlifting in Canada.

Throughout her early years, Camille did gymnastics to a high level. At the age of 16, her career as a gymnast came to an abrupt halt due to injury when she tore her hip. After recovering, she played senior AA soccer and volleyball. She later was the captain of her flag football team in college. Leblanc-Bazinet also spent time running half marathons, skiing, and playing rugby. In an interview, she said she was introduced to CrossFit at a rugby party where I met a guy who was a owner of a CrossFit gym and he challenged me to try a session.....that same day I payed for a year's subscription.

CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program designed to perform at the highest standards of many athletes by targeting peak exertion in the three main metabolic pathways. The program is designed to be applicable at all levels do the scalability of the workouts.

CrossFit is a fast growing fitness sport/lifestyle/movement. It combines gymnastics with weightlifting, with combat sports, with running, swimming, cycling, rowing, normally in the same workout. The goal is to achieve elite total body fitness including strength, endurance, balance, agility, flexibility, and accuracy.

The rise of Camille Leblanc-Bazinet from teenage gymnast to “Fittest Woman on Earth” would only have surprised those who weren’t paying attention!

Since her competitive CrossFit debut back in 2010, Leblanc-Bazinet made a habit of dominating the Canada East Regionals and making waves at the Games, where she picked up three Top 10 finishes in her first four years. It was in 2014, however, that everything came together - as the 5’2” Leblanc-Bazinet showed off her much improved weightlifting prowess en route to her first Reebok CrossFit Games title.

Even while simultaneously working towards a degree in Chemical Engineering, the former balance beamer dedicated herself so much to the art of the barbell that she will be representing her native Canada in Women’s Weightlifting at the forthcoming 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

Leblanc-Bazinet is part of a spirited, athletic family. She has three siblings with competitive CrossFit experience, as well as her partner - CrossFit coach and trainer Dave Lipson. After moving to Boulder, Colorado in 2015, Camille made her debut in the South Regional with familiar results: a first place finish.

Check out here how she trains, how she eats, & how she prepares to perform at the highest level!

You can follow Camille on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Group A

My Predicted Group finish:

1. France 2. Switzerland 3. Romania 4. Albania

Albania

Albania are set to make their debut appearance at a major tournament, controversially qualifying after being awarded three points from an abandoned match in Serbia following the infamous ‘drone incident.’ They are drawing on patriotic pride for inspiration.

Opening fixture: 11-06-2016 v Switzerland - Lens, 2pm kick-off (UK time)

Key players: Lorik Cana (Nantes) and Elseid Hysaj (Napoli)

World ranking: 42

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 200/1 (Skybet)

France

This is their time. Not only do France have history on their side as the host nation, having won two of the three post-war major tournaments to be held in their own back yard (Euro 84 and World Cup 98), but they have had an uncommonly calm run-up to the event.

The results have really come together in the last year, too. After a poor 2015 summer, France have won seven of their eight matches since September, with the one defeat – against England at Wembley – entirely understandable as the nation came to terms with the Paris terrorist attacks four days previously.

Opening Fixture: 10-06-16 v Romania - Saint-Denis, 8pm kick-off

Key players - Paul Pogba (Juventus), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Dimitri Payet (West Ham) and Anthony Martial (Manchester Utd)

World ranking: 17

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 3/1 favourites (Skybet)

Switzerland

Switzerland finished a distant second to England in qualifying, but after taking Argentina to extra time at the last World Cup, they look primed for their best ever European Championship showing. Euro 2008's co-hosts benefit from a youth development program that has produced a steady stream of promising players, many of them from immigrant backgrounds, such as Xherdan Shaqiri, and new Arsenal midfield signing Granit Xhaka.

Opening fixture: 11-06-16 v Albania - Lens, 8pm kick-off

Key players: Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke) Josip Drmić, Nico Elvedi, (both Borussia Mönchengladbach) and Granit Xhaka (Arsenal)

World ranking: 15

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 40/1 (Skybet)

Romania

Romania finished unbeaten in second place in qualifying behind Northern Ireland in Group F, but no qualifying team in Europe scored fewer goals in their 10 games than the 11 they mustered in total. With no big names in the team, the Tricolorii hope to cause an upset or two with an approach that’s rather at odds with Romanian football traditions.

Opening fixture: 10-06-16, v Romania - Saint-Denis, 8pm kick-off

Key players: Vlad Chiriches (Napoli) and Nicolae Stanciu (Steaua Bucharest)

World ranking: 22

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 100/1 (Skybet)

Group B

My Predicted Group finish:

1. England, 2. Slovakia, 3. Wales, 4. Russia

England

England scored 31 goals in their 10 qualifying matches (the second-most in Europe) and let in just three (the fewest in Europe).

Roy Hodgson has selected a squad that basically says: "Out with the old, in with the new."
Gone are the players of England’s so-called ‘golden generation’ and into the squad come players picked largely on merit rather than reputation, such as Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Ross Barkley, Raheem Sterling and Eric Dier - all of whom are all likely to play a substantial role during the tournament.

The flipside to that aforementioned youthful exuberance is a lack of top-level experience. Of Hodgson’s regular picks over the past two years, only Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart, Gary Cahill and James Milner have passed 40 international appearances. But that may not be a bad thing. The emerging talents have fewer scars from previous failures, while a greater number of players are being picked on the basis of a great season, rather than an impressive CV.

The draw has been relatively kind, particularly in comparison to England’s testing ties in Euro 2012 (France, Sweden and hosts Ukraine) and World Cup 2014 (Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica).

Opening fixture: 11-06-16 v Russia - Saint-Denis, 8pm kick-off

Key players: Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Eric Dier (All Tottenham) and Chris Smalling (Manchester Utd)

World ranking: 11

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 8/1 (Skybet)

Russia

The Russian qualifying campaign veered toward disaster, and it required the removal of coach Fabio Capello to pull them through, with CSKA Moscow coach Leonid Slutsky called in last June to rescue the campaign. However a proliferation of foreign players in the Russian Premier League means there is a shallow pool of talent to call upon, and an ageing squad to work with for the World Cup 2018 hosts.

Opening fixture: 11-06-16 v England - Saint-Denis, 8pm kick-off

Key players: Roman Shirokov (CSKA Moscow) and Artem Dzyuba (Zenit St Petersburg)

World ranking: 29

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 40/1 (Skybet)

Slovakia

Slovakia has become the home of one of Europe’s most unpredictable national teams.
Jan Kozak's side went off like a firework in their qualifying campaign by beating Ukraine away from home, stunning Spain and, in all, claiming wins in their first six games. Of more recent concern was the way Slovakia then went three games without even scoring and only confirmed qualification with a nervy win over Luxembourg.

Confidence is high throughout a squad which has now been together for a long time, so don't write them off. They're tactically versatile, can adapt their shape to suit any situation, and they boast one Marek Hamsik in their ranks. They won't win it, but they should comfortably progress to the knockout stages.

Opening fixture: 11-06-16 v Wales - Bordeaux, 5pm kick-off

Key players: Marek Hamšík (Napoli) and Martin Skrtel (Liverpool)

World ranking: 24

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 150/1 (Skybet)

Wales

Having made their first finals tournament since 1958, Chris Coleman's Welsh team are determined to prove that reaching Euro 2016 is not the end of the journey. Wales have a young squad, and even Bale, Ramsey and Allen are still in their mid-20s, so the future’s bright. That isn’t enough, though. Even if post-qualification friendlies brought disheartening results, if not performances.

Wales go into Euro 2016 feeling quietly confident. Nobody’s expecting much, and they thrive as underdogs. Making the second round would be a considerable but wholly possible achievement.

Opening fixture: 11-06-16 v Slovakia - Bordeaux, 5pm kick-off

Key players: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Ashley Williams (Swansea) and Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)

World ranking: 26

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 80/1 (Skybet)

Group C

My Predicted Group finish:

1.Germany, 2.Poland, 3. Ukraine, 4. Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland have played in three World Cups, but this is their first appearance in the final stages of the European Championship. None of Northern Ireland’s players have taken part in a major tournament before. Given the level at which many of them perform with their club sides, a good proportion have never come up against opponents of this calibre, either.
However undefeated for more than a year, spirits are high and the dream is to emulate the 1958 and 1982 World Cup sides that got through their groups.

Opening fixture: 12-06-16 v Poland - Bordeaux, 5pm kick-off

Key players: Steven Davis (Southampton) and Kyle Lafferty (Norwich City)

World ranking: 25

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 250/1 (Skybet)

Poland

In Robert Lewandowski Poland have arguably the best centre-forward in the competition. Top scorer throughout all of qualifying Lewandowski scored 13 goals - equalling the record set by Northern Ireland’s David Healy. Lewandowski also found the net 42 times for Bayern this season in all competitions, while his partner at international level, Arkadiusz Milik, hit 21 in the Eredivisie for Ajax.

The Poles are vulnerable at the back. Cagliari’s Bartosz Salamon is their most in-form defender, but he’s inexperienced. Apart from that 2-0 win over Germany, their only qualifying shutouts came against Georgia and Gibraltar.

Opening fixture: 12-06-16 v Northern Ireland - Bordeaux, 5pm kick-off

Key players: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) Arkadiusz Milik (Ajax) and Karol Linetty (Lech Poznań)

World ranking: 27

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 50/1 (Skybet)

Ukraine

Ukraine’s qualification success came down to a play-off against Slovenia. A 3-1 aggregate win ensured Ukraine came through a Euro qualifying campaign for the first time, having co-hosted the tournament in 2012. Their goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov is error prone and the defence is unremarkable, so in the powerful Andriy Yarmolenko they have a versatile forward who must deliver if Ukraine are to make progress. Height, speed, skill and a thunderous shot make him fit for almost any team in world football.

Opening fixture: 12-06-16 v Germany - Lille, 8pm kick-off

Key players: Andriy Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kiev), Yevhen Konoplyanka (Sevilla) and Denys Garmash (Dynamo Kiev)

World ranking: 27

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 66/1 (Skybet)

Germany

German boss Joachim Low has an abundance of talent available to him, despite the recent loss of Marco Reus to injury. Most of the men who lifted the World Cup in Brazil two summers ago are still there, either as regulars or on the fringes.
Germany topped their group in qualifying but were beaten twice, by Poland for the first time ever and then by the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

However, they have struggled in recent friendlies, exemplified by England’s 3-2 friendly win in late March. However everybody knows Germany have the extra gears to go through that other teams don't, and they have reached at least the semi-finals at each of the last five tournaments.

Opening fixture: 12-06-16 v Poland - Lille, 8pm kick-off

Key players: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Mario Gomez (Besiktas), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Leroy Sane (Schalke), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Jerome Boateng and Thomas Muller (both Bayern Munich)

World ranking: 4

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 7/2 (Skybet)

# All tournament betting odds correct at time of writing.
## All kick-offs indicated are in United Kingdom time.

Group D

My Predicted Group finish:

1. Spain 2. Croatia 3. Turkey 4. Czech Republic

Spain

There was a time when it looked as if Spain would dominate international football forever more!
Yet the defending European champions are currently in a state of uncertainty. David Villa, Xavi and Xabi Alonso have retired from international football. There are doubts over who will start in goal – Del Bosque remains loyal to captain Casillas in spite of David de Gea’s consistent excellence for Manchester United – and there’s no obvious candidate to be the third midfielder alongside Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta.

For all this, however, Spain were dominant in qualifying, and despite losing friendlies to the French, Germans and Dutch since the summer of 2014, they have arguably Euro 2016’s most talented squad. If it clicks, they’re a difficult side to stop.

Group D isn’t the worst, but Turkey, Croatia and the Czech Republic are no mugs. Spain must avoid finishing second, which would mean a last 16 tie with the Group E winners – likely to be Italy or Belgium. Still, they’re good enough to reach the final.

Opening fixture: 13-06-2016 v Czech Rep - Toulouse, 2pm kick-off (UK time)

Key players: Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), David Silva (Manchester City) and Nolito (Celta Vigo)

World ranking: 6

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 11/2 (Skybet)

Croatia

A lot of the attention falls on the midfield and understandably so! The depth and variety in those positions is impressive with Modric and Rakitic. In defence, Croatia have excellent full-backs. Darijo Srna is a great leader. Sime Vrsaljko is one of the best crossers in Serie A. Up front, Mario Mandzukic has had a fine season at Juventus and Ivan Perisic offers width and goals.

But the question marks come at centre-back! Dejan Lovren has been left out amid differences with coach Ante Cacic. Confidence in Cacic is not the greatest, however if Cacic gets the balance right, this team has what it takes to do very well.

Opening fixture: 12-06-2016 v Turkey - Paris, 2pm kick-off

Key players: Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Luka Modric (Real Madrid) and Mario Mandzukic (Juventus)

World ranking: 27

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 25/1 (Skybet)

Czech Republic

Gone are the days when the Czechs were part of football’s elite.
The Czechs won their group but conceded 14 goals in qualifying, more than any other side to qualify for Euro 2016.

Still, coach Pavel Vrba has created a side that aren’t easy on the eye but aren’t easy to beat, either. They won’t fear anyone, even in a tough group, but the Czechs could be heading straight home or get as far as the last 16. A leaky defence makes the former a more likely outcome.

Opening fixture: 13-06-2016 v Spain - Toulouse, 2pm kick-off

Key players: Petr Cech (Arsenal), Vladimir Darida (Hertha Berlin) and Tomáš Rosický (Arsenal)

World ranking: 30

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 100/1 (Skybet)

Turkey

Returning to the Euros for the first time since 2008, Turkey didn't need a play-off to book their place in France - they qualified as the best third-placed team behind the Czech Rep and Iceland and ahead of the Netherlands. They were undefeated in 13 games until their recent defeat to England in a friendly in Manchester in May.

Opening fixture: 12-06-2016 v Croatia - Paris, 2pm kick-off

Key players: Arda Turan (Barcelona), Hakan Calhanoglu (Bayer Leverkusen) and Selçuk İnan (Galatasaray)

World ranking: 18

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 66/1 (Skybet)

Group E

My Predicted Group finish:

1. Belgium 2. Italy 3. Republic of Ireland 4. Sweden

Republic of Ireland

Ireland made the Championships by defeating Bosnia in a play-off after finishing third in their tough qualifying group behind Germany and Poland. They only lost two of their 10 qualifying games, conceding just seven goals, and they took four points from world champions Germany, drawing 1-1 in Gelsenkirchen and winning 1-0 in Dublin.

The Irish didn't get any luck when the draw was made! In probably the strongest group in the competition, Ireland's biggest game is likely to be their opener against Sweden. The loser of that game will surely be going home early. Any improvement on their performance at Euro 2012, along with a little luck could potentially see them sneak into the second round as one of the best third-placed teams. Much will depend on the fitness of captain Robbie Keane.

Opening fixture: 13-06-2016 v Sweden - Paris, 5pm kick-off

Key players: Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Shane Long (Southampton) and Jon Walters (Stoke)

World ranking: 33

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 100/1 (Skybet)

Italy

Outgoing manager Antonio Conte would dearly like to sign off with success before he leaves for Chelsea, but that's easier said than done for Italy. After a disastrous World Cup campaign that saw the Azzurri eliminated at the group stage – just as they were in South Africa four years previously – Italy needed to shake things up and Conte was brought in.

Italy comfortably won their qualifying campaign in what was ultimately a weak group, which included the likes of Azerbaijan, Bulgaria and Malta. They finished unbeaten but were far from convincing, scoring only 16 times in 10 games and only managing to grind out 1-0 victories both home and away to Malta, currently ranked 165th in the world.

Group E is one of Euro 2016’s toughest, and while Italy’s defence can keep the very best teams quiet, their lack of attacking threat will likely see them fail to make it much further than the last eight.

Opening fixture: 13-06-2016 v Belgium - Lyon, 8pm kick-off

Key players: Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Graziano Pelle (Southampton), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) and Daniele De Rossi (Roma)

World ranking: 12

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 16/1 (Skybet)

Sweden

Will Zlatan Ibrahimovic alone be enough to savevic alone be enough to save Sweden! The Swedes only qualified via a play-off win against neighbouring Denmark, after finishing behind Russia and Austria in a weak group that included Montenegro, Liechtenstein and Moldova. Ibrahimovic is in the form of his life right now and he will have to hit the ground running, because without him the Swedes look very ordinary. They have recorded just one win in their last six games, so the omens aren't good for coach Erik Hamren's side.

if Sweden manage to get through the group they are likely to play France, Spain or Austria in the round of 16 and that can only mean a ticket back home.

Opening fixture: 13-06-2016 v Rep of Ireland - Paris, 5pm kick-off

Key players: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain)

World ranking: 35

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 66/1 (Skybet)

Belgium

Belgium lived up to their status as group favourites, finishing top despite dropping five points to Wales. But their build up to these Championships has seen them lose several players to injury. However they have enough quality among their ranks to overcome their injury woes to at least reach the final of this year's tournament. Although to do so they will have to dispose of World Champions Germany in the quarter-finals, if results goes to plan.

Opening fixture: 13-06-2016 v Italy - Lyon, 8pm kick-off

Key players: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City), Yannick Ferreira Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham) and Romelu Lukaku (Everton)

World ranking: 2

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 11/1 (Skybet)

Group F

My Predicted Group finish:

1. Austria 2. Iceland 3. Portugal 4. Hungary

Iceland

This is the first time Iceland have qualified for a major tournament, and they are the smallest nation ever to qualify for the European Championship, but they're by no means the weakest. They only lost twice in their qualifying group, a group which included the Czech Republic, Turkey as well as the Netherlands, who they beat both home and away. They also kept six clean sheets in their 10 games.

I think they will qualify as runners-up, then see how they fare against Slovakia or Wales – both beatable – in the last 16.

Opening fixture: 14-06-2016 v Portugal - Saint-Étienne, 8pm kick-off

Key players: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea), Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Nantes), Arnor Ingvi Traustason (Rapid Vienna) and Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City)

World ranking: 34

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 100/1 (Skybet)

Austria

Austria will be competing in their first European Championship finals after they won their qualifying group comfortably - following an unbeaten campaign, winning nine of their ten games and conceding just 5 goals.

They could be the dark horses of the tournament. They're a hard-working, quick-countering side and can be absolutely ruthless on the break. Expect Austria to win their group and to face either Italy or Republic of Ireland in the last 16. If they finish 2nd in their group they will be paired with the winners of Group B, possibly England.

Opening fixture: 14-06-2016 v Hungary - Bordeaux, 5pm kick-off

Key players: Marko Arnautovic (Stoke), Marc Janko (Basel), David Alaba (Bayern Munich) and Aleksandar Dragovic (Dynamo Kiev)

World ranking: 10

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 40/1 (Skybet)

Portugal

Portugal topped their qualifying group, with seven wins out of eight, but scored just 11 goals in those 8 games.

So much depends on the condition of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Real Madrid star looked well short of fitness in the Champions League final and manager Fernando Santos will be praying that he recovers in time. Without him, Portugal are worryingly light on goals.

With arguably the tournament’s best player in their ranks, plus a healthy mix of experienced campaigners and bright new talent, hopes are high within the Portuguese camp that they can continue their impressive Euros record. In six appearances, they have reached the semi-finals on four occasions, going on to contest the final on home turf in 2004, and they have never failed to successfully negotiate the group phase.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that Portugal’s recurrent problem of having no high-quality striker is again evident. Eder may lead the line, but one goal in 23 Portugal appearances is not a record that will have opposition defenders quaking in their boots.

I expect Portugal to struggle in this group, and victory in their opening fixture against Iceland in Saint-Étienne is crucial, if they are to progress. Even if they do reach the knockout phase I can't see them progressing beyond the last 16.

Opening fixture: 14-06-2016 v Iceland - Saint-Étienne, 8pm kick-off

Key players: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Renato Sanches (Benfica) and Ricardo Carvalho (AS Monaco)

World ranking: 8

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 20/1 (Skybet)

Hungary

Hungary's qualification wasn't exactly straight-forward and sadly there's little to suggest that their stay in France will be a long one. They made it through to the finals via a play-off win versus Norway, after finishing as the third best placed team in their group, behind Northern Ireland and Romania, scoring only eleven goals in their ten qualifying games. They will need to bring their very best to this tournament if they're to avoid finishing last in Group F.

Opening fixture: 14-06-2016 v Austria - Bordeaux, 5pm kick-off

Key players: Tamas Priskin (Slovan Bratislava), Zoltan Gera and Ádám Nagy (both Ferencváros)

World ranking: 20

Odds of winning Euro 2016: 200/1 (Skybet)

# All tournament betting odds correct at time of writing.
## All kick-offs indicated are in United Kingdom time.

The 2016 European Championships may be in full swing, but there is still plenty of football news to report. Here is a round up of all the latest football news/gossip across Europe today, which includes the likes of: PSG, Manchester City, Paul Pogba, Sadio Mane, Borussia Dortmund, Southampton, Claude Puel, John Stones, Inter Mlan, Juventus, Crystal Palace, Axel Witsel, Aaron Ramsey, Liverpool, West Ham, Victor Wanyama, Piotr Zielinskiand and Alexis Sanchez to name but a few!

Paris St-Germain have sacked manager Laurent Blanc, with the former France defender receiving a £16.85m pay-off - L'Equipe (French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports)

Former Juventus striker Alvaro Morata has re-joined Real Madrid, despite rumours Chelsea had launched a €50m bid to sign the Spanin international striker - AS (Spanish daily sports newspaper) and skysports.com

New Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will make a 'statement signing' during the summer transfer window, with Juventus France midfielder Paul Pogba, 23, a priority. Mourinho is also targeting a shock summer move for Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey. The Wales international, 25, is contracted to the Gunners until the end of June 2018 - Manchester Evening News and The Sun.

Tottenham have confirmed the signing of Victor Wanyama from Southampton for an undisclosed fee. The former Celtic midfielder has agreed a five-year contract with the club until 2021 - skysports.com

Leicester striker Jamie Vardy decided to snub a move to Arsenal as he was not convinced Arsenal play the right style of football to suit his game.
Arsenal triggered a release clause in Vardy's contract earlier this month, but Leicester announced on Thursday that the England forward has agreed a new four-year deal at the club, which he will sign once he is back from Euro 2016 - skysports.com

Juventus have drawn up a shortlist of strikers to sign this summer, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. The Serie A Champions recently saw forward Alvaro Morata re-join Real Madrid. As a result, boss Max Allegri is understood to be weighing up a summer move for either Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez, Everton's Romelu Lukaku or Marseille's Michy Batshuayi - skysports.com

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri is keen to snap up Arsenal ace Alexis Sanchez, according to reports - Daily Star

Liverpool will step up their efforts to sign Southampton's Senegal forward Sadio Mane, 24, in a £30m deal next week - Daily Telegraph

Liverpool have rejected an £8m bid from Swansea for midfielder Joe Allen, 26, who left the Liberty Stadium for Anfield four years ago - Daily Mirror

Southampton and Leicester are interested in signing Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen - The Times

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew wants to bolster his forward options with the signing of Liverpool striker Christian Benteke - The Sun

Borussia Dortmund say Manchester United target Henrikh Mkhitaryan, 27, is available for £30.6m. The Armenia forward has one year remaining on his contract - Kicker (Germany's leading sports magazine)

Manchester United have had an offer worth £28m rejected by Roma for established defender Kostas Manolas - transfermarketweb.com

Wolfsburg have made a £20m offer to Juventus for striker Simone Zaza. The German side have made their move as their own Andre Schurrle is a target for Borussia Dortmund, who in turn want a replacement for Manchester United target Henrikh Mkhitaryan - Daily Mail

Manchester City have made another signing already this summer. They have beaten Barcelona and Manchester United to the signing of 15 year-old Argentina youngster Benjamin Garre The attacking midfielder has been starring in the youth ranks of Velez Sarsfield - La Pelota al 10 (Argentinian radio station) and Daily Mail

West Ham have lodged a €52m bid with Lyon for forward Alexandre Lacazette. The 25-year-old is contracted to the Ligue 1 club until the summer of 2019 - L'Equipe (French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports)

Inter Milan are in talks with Russian club Zenit Saint Petersbourg about signing the former Standard Liège and Benfica box-to-box midfielder Axel Witsel. The 27 year-old Belgian international is also being tracked by Juventus, AS Roma, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and Stoke City - transfermarket.com

Former Monaco, Lille, Lyon and Nice boss Claude Puel has emerged as the front-runner for the Southampton manager's job - Daily Telegraph

Poland star Piotr Zielinski will not sign for Liverpool until his nation are out of Euro 2016. Reports in Italy claimed that Anfield chiefs had wrapped up a £12m deal for the central midfielder from Serie A club Udinese - Daily Mirror

Manchester City are the frontrunners to sign Dinamo Zagreb's 19-year-old midfielder Ante Coric, who is part of Croatia's Euro 2016 squad, for £6m - Daily Mail

France midfielder Samir Nasri, 28, will have talks with new Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola next week as he wants to stay at the club - The Sun

Meanwhile, Guardiola has made Everton defender John Stones, 22, his number one transfer target - Marca (Spanish national daily sport newspaper) and Daily Express

Barcelona have joined Manchester United in the race to sign Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta. The Spanish giants are on the look-out for a new right-back as Dani Alves prepares to join Juventus.

Chelsea have snubbed an £18m bid for defender Andreas Christensen from Borussia Monchengladbach. The 20-year-old is on a two-season loan at the German club but Chelsea see him as an heir to John Terry at centre-half - Daily Mail

Chelsea target Radja Nainggolan is set to snub a big-money Blues switch to stay at Roma - Daily Mirror

Stoke City have offered nearly £20m for Napoli forward Manolo Gabbiadini - Daily Mirror

Roma have turned down a £28m offer from Manchester United for Greek defender Kostas Manolas, who is also a reported target for Arsenal - The Sun

Michy Batshuayi's future could be resolved this week, with West Ham and Juventus keen to sign the Belgium striker from Marseille. Tottenham are also considering whether to make an offer for the 22-year-old - Guardian

West Ham have made a €35m bid for Marseille's Michy Batshuayi - skysports.com

Northern Ireland goalkeeper Michael McGovern is wanted by Southampton after his Euro 2016 heroics - The Sun

Premier League newcomers Burnley are interested in signing Crystal Palace and Wales midfielder Joe Ledley - Croydon Advertiser

Tottenham have had a bid for Vincent Janssen turned down, according to his Dutch club AZ Alkmaar. Wolfsburg are also understood to be keen on the 22-year-old Dutch international striker, who was Eridivisie's top scorer last season.

Lazio want to take Southampton striker Graziano Pelle back to Serie A - The Sun

West Brom are interested in signing 24-year-old winger Andros Townsend from Newcastle and are prepared to sell winger 25 year-old Callum McManaman - Daily Express and Daily Star

Wales defender Chris Gunter is wanted by Premier League duo Swansea and Middlesbrough following his heroics at Euro 2016. The 26-year-old full-back is understood to have a release clause in his contract with Reading - Daily Mirror

Premier League champions Leicester City remain interested in Burnley defender Michael Keane, 23, after having an initial £10m bid rejected - Daily Mail and Leicester Mercury

Burnley are weighing up a double swoop for Aston Villa duo Ashley Westwood and Rudy Gestede -The Sun

Aston Villa have rejected Celtic's opening bid of £2m for winger Scott Sinclair. Brendan Rodgers wants to make the former Manchester City man his first signing as Parkhead boss - Daily Mail and Daily Record

Hull City goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic has signed a fresh two-year contract with the newly promoted Premier League club - skysports.com

Fiorentina chief executive Pantaleo Corvino, had started talks with Hull City over a deal for Uruguayan international Abel Hernandez (25) - La Gazzetta dello Sport (Italian sports newspaper)

Sunderland are in negotiations with Russian side Rubin Kazan for the permanent signing of midfielder Yann M'Vila, 25, who spent last season on loan at the Black Cats - Sunderland Echo

Watford have offered a new contract to Troy Deeney, 27, after Leicester had a £25m bid rejected for the striker - Watford Observer

Sevilla have signed Hiroshi Kiyotake after the Japanese midfielder passed a medical on Friday morning. Kiyotake joins from Bundesliga club Hannover 96 on a four-year contract - skysports.com

Chelsea and England Under-21 midfielder Lewis Baker is to spend a second season out on loan at Eredivisie side Vitesse Arnhem - sportinglife.com

Birmingham City have completed the signing of former Nottingham Forest midfielder Robert Tesche. The 29 year-old German has penned a three-year deal with the Blues - skysports.com

Portsmouth have completed the signing of striker Michael Smith from Swindon on a permanent basis - skysports.com

German defensive midfielder Marc Pfitzner, (31) has been signed by Werder Bremen, from Eintracht Braunschweigon on a deal lasting until June 2018 - transfermarket.com

St Etienne have signed 24 year-old midfielder Bryan Dabo from Montpellier, on a four-year contract - skysports.com

Marseille have completed the signing of Japanese defender Hiroki Sakai, the Ligue 1 club announced on their website. The 26-year-old was a free agent after his contract expired at Hannover 96 - skysports.com

Plymouth have signed defender Karleigh Osborne following his recent release by Bristol City. Teenage striker Louis Rooney has also signed a new deal with the Pilgrims - skysports.com

Walsall have completed the signing of former Yeovil captain Joe Edwards on a two-year contract.

The 2016 European Championships currently being held in France are not just about the game of football and the players, it is also about the fans! I am talking about the beautiful female fans showcasing the tournament - whether it’s the French girls, the Poles, the Russians, the Irish, the Portuguese or the Albanians girls - they have all created quite a hype on social media, so here are a few of them for you.

The following article outlines STATISTICS for the UEFA European Championships 2016, which took place in France from 10 June to 10 July 2016 inclusive.

Antoine Griezmann

Tournament Winners: Portugal
Tournament Runners-up: France

Most Goals Scored by a Team:

France 13
Wales 10
Belgium 9
Portugal 9
Iceland 8
Germany 7

Team With Most Goal Attempts:

Portugal 121
France 121
Germany 108
Belgium 98
England 83
Switzerland 71

Hit The Woodwork:

Ricardo Quaresma

France 6 times
Croatia 4
Germany 4
Portugal 3

Pass Completion (%):

Spain: 91% - 2340/2562
Switzerland: 91% - 1947/2154
Germany: 90% - 3639/4020
France: 88% - 3112/3519
England: 88% - 1767/2001

Possession (%):

Germany - 63%
Spain - 61%
England - 59%
Switzerland - 58%
Ukraine - 56%

Top Individual Goalscorers:

Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale

6 goals

Antoine Griezmann - France

3 goals

Olivier Giroud - France
Dimitri Payet - France
Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal
Nani - Portugal
Álvaro Morata - Spain
Gareth Bale - Wales

Top Goal Assists:

4 Assists

Eden Hazard - Belgium
Aaron Ramsey - Wales

3 Assists

Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal

Overview:

Total Tournament Goals Scored:
108

Average Goals per match: 2.12
1 goal scored every 44 minutes

Most goals scored by a team: 13
France

Fewest goals scored by a team: 0
Ukraine

Most goals conceded by a team: 9
Iceland

Fewest goals conceded by a team: 2
Italy, Poland, Switzerland

Best goal difference: +8
France

Worst goal difference: –5
Ukraine

Most goals scored in a match by both teams: 7
France (5–2) Iceland

Biggest margin of victory: 4 goals
Hungary (0–4) Belgium

Fastest goal in a match from kick-off: 2nd minute (1m:40s)
Robert Lewandowski for Poland against Portugal

Fastest goal in a match after coming on as a substitute: 1 minute
Ondrej Duda for Slovakia against Wales (introduced in the 60th minute)

Latest goal in a match without extra time: 90+6th minute
Dimitri Payet for France against Albania and Niall McGinn for Northern Ireland against Ukraine

Latest goal in a match with extra time: 117th minute
Ricardo Quaresma for Portugal against Croatia

Latest winning goal in a match without extra time: 90+4th minute
Arnór Ingvi Traustason for Iceland against Austria

Latest winning goal in a match with extra time: 117th minute
Ricardo Quaresma for Portugal against Croatia

Oldest goal scorer: 37 years and 61 days
Zoltán Gera for Hungary against Portugal

Youngest goal scorer: 18 years and 317 days
Renato Sanches for Portugal against Poland

Hannes Halldorsson

Most Saves:

Hannes Halldorsson - Iceland 27
Thibaut Courtois - Belgium 20
Rui Patrício - Portugal 20
Łukasz Fabiański - Poland 19
Gábor Király - Hungary 17

Most Clean Sheets:

4 clean sheets

Manuel Neuer - Germany
Rui Patrício - Portugal

3 clean sheets

Thibaut Courtois - Belgium
Hugo Lloris - France
Gianluigi Buffon - Italy

Quickest Players:

Kingsley Coman

(Top speed km/h)

Kingsley Coman - France
32.8

Yannick Carrasco - Belgium
32.3

Erik Johansson - Sweden
32.1

Šime Vrsaljko - Croatia
31.9

Albin Ekdal - Sweden
31.9

Attendances:

Overall attendance: 2,427,303

Average attendance per match: 47,594

Highest attendance: 76,833 – France vs Iceland

Lowest attendance: 28,840 – Russia vs Wales

Discipline:

Total number of yellow cards: 205

Average yellow cards per match: 4.02

Total number of red cards: 3

Average red cards per match: 0.06

Most yellow cards (team): 18
Italy

Most red cards (team): 1
Albania, Austria and Republic of Ireland

Fewest yellow cards (team): 2
Russia

Most yellow cards (player): 3
William Carvalho (Portugal), N'Golo Kanté (France) and Bartosz Kapustka (Poland)

Most red cards (player): 1
Lorik Cana (Albania), Aleksandar Dragović (Austria) and Shane Duffy (Rep of Ireland)

Most yellow cards (match): 10
Portugal vs France

Most red cards (match): 1
Albania vs Switzerland, Austria vs Hungary, France vs Rep of Ireland

(Goals scored during penalty shoot-outs are not counted and matches decided by a penalty shoot-out are counted as draws.)

# Some data courtesy of uefa.com

The European Championships are over.
Clubs across Europe are preparing for the start of the new season, which begins in just a couple of weeks! Some clubs are away on pre-season tours, others are preparing a little closer to home but every club is looking to strengthen their squads.

Here is a round up of all the latest football news/gossip across Europe today, which includes the likes of: The FA, Leicester City, Manchester City, Paul Pogba, Saido Berahino, Georginio Wijnaldum, Manchester United, Juventus, Crystal Palace, Diego Costa, Arda Turan, Alvaro Negredo, West Ham, Chelsea, Newcastle, Loic Remy and Robin Van Persie to name but a few!

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri says reigning PFA Players' Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez wants to remain with the Premier League champions - skysports.com

Manchester City will move for Leicester City and Algeria forward Riyad Mahrez, 25, if they fail to sign Schalke's 20 year-old Germany winger Leroy Sane - French Football News‎

It is no secret that Manchester United are interested in Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba and have Manchester United have had an £85m bid for the midfielder rejected by Turin club. An Italian newspaper have taken things one step further and say that he will be joining United, for a fee of €125m euros (£104.9m) - Corriere dello Sport (Italian newspaper)

In France they are saying a deal has been agreed for Paul Pogba to return to Manchester United from Juventus. Apparently negotiations will now be formalised over the final price and it is thought it could be €120m euros. It is suggested it could be completed in a ‘matter of days’ - L’Equipe (French daily newspaper)

Juventus want Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic and Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko to replace Paul Pogba should he leave the club this summer. The Blues are not willing to part with the Serbia international Matic for anything less than €30m (£25.2m), while Newcastle want €41.7m (£35m) for France international Sissoko - Gazzetta dello Sport (Italian newspaper)

New Bayern Munich head coach Carlo Ancelotti says he will not allow striker Robert Lewandowski to leave for Real Madrid - Sportbild (German sports daily newspaper)

Talks are ongoing between Stoke and Liverpool with a £13 million fee agreed to take Joe Allen to the Britannia Stadium - skysports.com

Olivier Giroud is unlikely to leave Arsenal this summer, according to his agent Michael Manuello. Uncertainty has surrounded the 29-year-old's future, with reports suggesting he could be on his way to Napoli with Gonzalo Higuain potentially heading to the Emirates Stadium - Evening Standard

Atletico Madrid are the only club to have 'bid' for Arsenal target Gonzalo Higuain, according to Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, although Italian champions JuventusArsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are all 'keen' on the striker - skysports.com

20 year-old defender Rob Holding's transfer from Bolton Wanderers to Arsenal will be completed in the next few days - skysports.com

Former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has been heavily linked with a return to the Premier League this summer, after spending a year in Turkey with Fenerbache.
It is reported that Stoke and Middlesbrough are in pole position for the 32-year-old's signature, after West Ham turned down the opportunity to bring him back to London - The Mirror

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has said that West Brom have rejected more than one offer for 22-year-old striker Saido Berahino, which reports suggest could have reached £20m. Crystal Palace and Watford are also interested in Berahino - skysports.com

Chelsea have emerged as favourites to sign Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata - The Sun

Alvaro Negredo will join up with Aitor Karanka’s Middlesbrough squad in Spain today. The Valencia striker has agreed a one-year loan deal with an option for Boro to make the deal permanent next summer. The former Man City frontman will have his medical with the Middlesbrough doctors out in Marbella - skysports.com

However Middlesbrough's pursuit of Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic has broken down, and the defender will travel back to Germany. Boro had agreed a fee of around £8m with Dortmund for the Serbia international and he was shown around the club's facilities nearly two weeks ago - skysports.com

Scans have revealed that Michael Dawson has sustained significant damage to the medial collateral ligament in his knee. The Hull City defender is expected to be out of action for three months - bbc.co.uk

Atletico Madrid may turn their attention to Liverpool's Belgium striker Divock Origi, 21, if they fail to sign Spain international Diego Costa, from Chelsea - Bleacher Report

Newcastle may be interested in signing Liverpool's Brazil midfielder Lucas Leiva, 29, as part of a deal taking Georginio Wijnaldum to Anfield, with the Magpies valuing Wijnaldum at £27m - Daily Telegraph

In Holland it is being reported that Everton and Tottenham will both bid for Newcastle's 25-year-old Georginio Wijnaldum, sparking a bidding war - De Telegraaf (Dutch newspaper)

Tottenham have ended their interest in Newcastle midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum. Spurs were keen on the Dutch international but manager Mauricio Pochettino has decided he is too expensive, with the Magpies unwilling to budge on their £25m valuation - skysports.com

Chelsea and Everton will go head-to-head to sign Napoli and Senegal international defender Kalidou Koulibaly. Chelsea are understood to have had a £20m bid rejected by Napoli, but the London club are set to revise their offer.
Everton meanwhile, backed by new owner Farad Moshiri, are willing to spend £37m on Koulibaly as new boss Ronald Koeman aims to steer the club back into Europe - The Sun

Liverpool have confirmed the signing of 30-year-old Estonia centre-back Ragnar Klavan from FC Augsburg. Klavan, who has appeared 112 times for his country, is believed to have cost the club €5m (£4.2m), with reports suggesting he has signed a three-year deal - bbc.co.uk and skysports.com

Burnley and England international goalkeeper Tom Heaton has chosen to extend his stay at Turf Moor. Heaton, 30, joined Burnley from Bristol City in 2013, and was part of England's Euro 2016 squad has signed a new four-year deal - skysports.com and bbc.co.uk

Swansea are reportedly keen to sign Tottenham's Nacer Chadli. Spurs value the Belgian at around £15m, which would be a club-record fee for Swansea - Daily Mirror

Turkish side Besiktas will target Chelsea's France striker Loic Remy, 29, if they fail to agree a deal with Fiorentina for Germany international Mario Gomez - Evening Standard

Germany striker Mario Gomez says he will be leaving Besiktas because of the "political situation" in Turkey - skysports.com

Europa League champions Sevilla have completed the signing of Palermo midfielder Franco Vazquez. The 27-year-old has signed a five-year deal - skysports.com

Barcelona are willing to sell £20m-rated Turkey midfielder Arda Turan, 29, with Chelsea and Arsenal are both said to be interested in the Turkey international - Talksport

Barcelona pair Munir El Haddadi and Sergi Samper have signed contract extensions, the La Liga champions have confirmed. Both Munir and Samper have penned a three-year renewals that will see them remain at the Camp Nou until June 2019.
Munir has a €60m (£50.1m) release clause in his new contract, while Samper has had a €50m (£42m) clause inserted in his deal - skysports.com

Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Swansea and West Brom are interested in West Ham's£15m-rated Senegal striker Diafra Sakho. However Diafra Sakho will not be sold until West Ham find replacements, according to co-chairman David Sullivan - Daily Mirror and bbc.co.uk

Manchester City and Manchester United both want 17-year-old West Ham defender Reece Oxford, who is valued at £15m by his club - skysports.com

Manchester United are eyeing a £25m move for the Monaco and Brazil international full-back Fabinho - Daily Mail

Manchester City are close to signing 24 year-old Argentina goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, for £4m from Real Sociedad - Guardian

Newcastle have agreed a fee with Blackburn Rovers for defender Grant Hanley. The Scotland international will travel to Tyneside for a medical today after a fee of £5.5m was agreed between the sides - skysports.com

Aston Villa'keeper Brad Guzan could be set to leave the club on a free transfer, ahead of a switch to Middlesbrough. The Teeside club announced the signing of Spanish World Cup-winning goalkeeper Victor Valdes earlier this month - Telegraph.

Transfer news coming from Portugal, concerning two Benfica players, who could be coming to a Premier League club. Reports that Talisca, a 22-year-old Brazilian attacking midfielder, and Eduardo Salvio, 26, an Argentina international winger, could both be moving in a joint deal worth £50m (£41.9m). Where are they going? The paper doesn't say, but does add that club president Luis Felipe Vieira is negotiating a deal in London - A Bola (Portuguese newspaper)

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is willing to let defender Tyler Blackett, 22, and strikers Will Keane, 23, and James Wilson, 20, leave Old Trafford - Daily Telegraph

Fulham are hopeful of agreeing a loan deal for England Under-21 international James Wilson - The Sun

Liverpool goalkeeper Adam Bogdan has joined Wigan Athletic on a season-long loan - skysports.com

West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill has signed a one-year contract extension to keep him at the club until 2018 - skysports.com

Real Madrid youngster Borja Mayoral will leave the club’s training camp in Montreal to finalise his loan move to Wolfsburg. The striker, 19, will head to Germany today to sign his season-long deal with Wolfsburg - Marca (Spanish newspaper)

Aston Villa say that Stiliyan Petrov will not be offered a playing contract, but will be offered a role at the club - skysports.com

Arsenal have signed 16-year-old Norway defender Erik Tobias Sandberg from Lillestrom SK - The Sun

Stoke City are keen on striker Jose Angulo, 21. He plays for Independiente del Valle in his native Ecuador - Guardian

Sheffield United have turned down a £1m bid from Birmingham City for their young striker Che Adams - skysports.com

Bury have completed the signing of 30 year-old defender Leon Barnett on a two-year deal after his release by Wigan Athletic - bbc.co.uk

Rotherham United have secured the signature of 22-year-old Brighton's Jake Forster-Caskey. The central midfielder has 12 England under-21 caps, and signs on a season-long loan - skysports.com and bbc.co.uk

Luton Town striker Jack Marriott has pledged his long-term future to the club by signing a new three-year contract - skysports.com

Port Vale have signed midfielder Sebastien Amoros on a one-year deal, with an option of a further year. The 21-year-old joins from Monaco, where he came up through academy - skysports.com

Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough is hoping to offer Irish teenager Ryan Delaney a permanent deal with the club. Defender Delaney, 19, currently with Wexford Youths, has impressed the Brewers boss while on trial - skysports.com

Chelsea youngster Alex Kiwomya has joined Crewe on loan until 9th January 2017 - skysports.com

Crawley Town have signed midfielder Billy Clifford on a one-year deal following a successful trial, the Sky Bet League Two club have announced - skysports.com

Hearts have signed striker Tony Watt on a season-long loan from Charlton - skysports.com

# New rules to stop "intolerable behaviour" by players and managers have been introduced in English football.
In a statement, the Premier League, English Football League and Football Association said poor conduct has reached "unacceptable levels."
Starting this season, red cards will be issued to players who confront match officials and use offensive language.
Behaviour within the technical areas will also be more rigorously enforced.

Tonia Couch

Tonia competing at the World Championships in Barcelona 2013

Tonia Couch was born in Plymouth on 20th May 1989 and is a British Olympic diver. In February 2002, she became the youngest girl ever to qualify for the lottery funded Junior Olympic Programme, when she took bronze in the Junior girls platform event at the British Championships.

In 2008 and 2009, her 8th places at the Olympics and then the World Championships (the best result by a British female for 20 years), have secured her place in diving history.

She competed at the 2009 World Championships in Rome and at her second Commonwealth Games in 2010 in Delhi. At the 2010 Commonwealth games her 10m Synchro partnership with Sarah Barrow gained them fourth place.

Tonia reached the World final again in 2011, finishing ninth in the 10m Platform. In Synchro partnership with Sarah Barrow the pair finished fourth again.

Couch competed at her fifth consecutive World Championships in the summer of 2013 in Barcelona, finishing ninth in the 10m Platform and fifth with Barrow in the 10m Synchro.

In the 2014 season she finished fourth at the World Cup in Shanghai, then combined with Sarah Barrow to win a silver medal at the Commonwealth games held in Glasgow, 2014.

At the March 2015 World Series event in Dubai, Tonia took third place in the 10m platform event

Tonia represents Plymouth Diving and is coached by Andy Banks. Tonia is a member of Team GB's diving squad and will compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

You can follow Tonia on Twitter and Instagram

Amber Hill

Amber Jo Hill was born 21st August 1997 in Windsor, Berkshire. She is an English sport shooter who specializes in the skeet.

The gorgeous petite 5ft 2in blonde, who uses Barbie-like pink cartridges, was introduced to the sport by her grandfather and began practising at her local firing range from the age of 10.

In 2013, Hill made her own shooting history by becoming the sport's youngest ever winner (aged 15) at the ISSF World Cup series and Amber was had also named the BBC's Young Sports Personality of the Year 2013.

She has won a total of three gold medals in a major international competition, spanning the ISSF World Cup series (2013 and 2015), and the inaugural European Games held in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2015.

A member of the British national team, Hill trains under the tutelage of her personal coach Joe Neville at E.J. Churchill Shooting Ground in Wycombe. Amber is a member of Team GB's shooting squad and will compete in the women's skeet at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

You can follow Amber on Twitter and Instagram

Katarina Johnson-Thompson

Katarina in hurdles action during the European Indoor Championships in Prague 2015

Katarina Johnson-Thompson was born in Liverpool on 9th January 1993, and is an English track and field athlete specialising in the heptathlon.

She represented Great Britain in the heptathlon at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, finishing 15th, then KJT finished fifth at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow.

In the Long jump, she is the 2012 World Junior champion and the 2014 World Indoor silver medallist. In 2015, she became the European Indoor champion in the pentathlon with a British record of 5000 points. She also holds the British high jump record, with a height of 1.97 m in 2015, and the British indoor long jump record, with a distance of 6.93m.

Johnson-Thompson represents Liverpool Harriers and is coached by Mike Holmes. Katarina is a member of Team GB's women's track and field squad and will compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

You can follow KJT on Twitter and Instagram

National League:

Winners: Tranmere Rovers 6/1

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Lincoln City 14/1

# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Sky Bet League Two:

Winners: Plymouth Argyle 3/1

Runners-up: Portsmouth (4/1 to win League Two and Evens to win promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Doncaster Rovers 10/1, Luton Town 11/1, Leyton Orient 11/1 or Carlisle 14/1

Dark Horses: Cheltenham, Colchester and Mansfield

Relegation: Newport 3/1 and Crawley 3/1

Top Scorers: John Akinde (Barnet) 11/1, Andy Williams (Doncaster) 11/1 or Pádraig Amond 20/1 e/w (Hartlepool)

Players to Watch: Dan Holman (Cheltenham), Joe Pigott (Cambridge), Ben Davies (Grimsby), Carl Baker (Portsmouth), Tommy Rowe (Doncaster), Jake Gray (Luton) and Jay Simpson (Leyton Orient)

# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 places

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Sky Bet League One:

Winners: Sheffield United 5/1

Runners-up: Millwall (10/1 to win League One, 3/1 to win promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Charlton 12/1, MK Dons 12/1, Bradford 12/1 or Scunthorpe 14/1

Dark Horses: Chesterfield, AFC Wimbledon and Port Vale

Relegation: Oldham 6/4, Bury 9/4 and Southend 11/4

Top Scorers: Billy Sharp (Sheffield Utd) 6/1, Lee Gregory (Millwall) 8/1, Nicky Ajose (Charlton) 8/1, Matt Taylor (Bristol Rovers) 12/1, Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe) 12/1 or Kane Hemmings (Oxford Utd) 16/1 e/w

Players to Watch: Che Adams (Sheffield Utd), Gregg Wylde (Millwall), Lyle Taylor (AFC Wimbledon), Jerome Binnom-Williams (Peterborough) and Harry Beautyman (Northampton)

# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 place

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Sky Bet Championship:

Winners: Norwich City 9/1

Runner-up: Newcastle Utd (7/4 to win the Championship, 4/7 for promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Derby 9/1, Brighton 11/1, Sheffield Wednesday 11/1 or Reading 22/1

Dark Horses: Bristol City and Birmingham

Relegation: Rotherham 13/8, Barnsley 11/4 and Blackburn 4/1

Top Scorers: Ross McCormack (Aston Villa) 10/1, Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle) 12/1, Glenn Murray (Brighton) 16/1 e/w, Britt Assombalonga (Nottingham Forest) 20/1 e/w, Gary Hooper (Sheffield Wed), 25/1 e/w or Steven Fletcher (Sheffield Wed) 25/1 e/w

Players to Watch: Kieran Agard and Jonathan Kodjia (Bristol City), Scott Hogan (Brentford), Sam Mantom (Scunthorpe), Will Hughes (Derby County), Tom Bradshaw (Barnsley) and Kemar Roofe (Leeds Utd)

# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 places

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Barclays Premier League:

Winners: Chelsea 5/1

Runners-up: Manchester City

Europe (Champions League qualification): Manchester United and Liverpool

Premier League Top 4 Exact Order: Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd and Liverpool 200/1

Premier League Top 4 Any Order: Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd and Liverpool 9/1

Premier League Winner and Top Goalscorer: Chelsea and Aguero 28/1

Dark Horses: Watford and Stoke City

Relegation: Hull City 4/6, West Brom 9/4 and Sunderland 5/2

Premier League Relegation Treble: Hull, West Brom and Sunderland all to be relegated 40/1

Top scorers: Sergio Aguero 7/2, Zlatan Ibrahimovic 9/1, Jamie Vardy 14/1 e/w, Michy Batshuayi 14/1 e/w and Daniel Sturridge 20/1 e/w

Players to Watch: Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace), Joe Allen (Stoke), Andre Gray (Burnley), Ahmed Musa (Leicester), Calum Wilson and Nathan Aké (Bournemouth), Viktor Fischer (Middlesbrough), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United), Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Southampton)

1st Manager to Leave: Francesco Guidolin (Swansea) 5/1

LMA Manager of the Year: Antonio Conte (Chelsea) 7/1 or Slaven Billic (West Ham) 16/1

# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 places

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With the new season well underway and the summer transfer window slamming shut in just 10 days' time, many clubs across Europe are frantically trying to tie-down players to new deals or are looking to bring in new players to fill any voids in their squads!

Here is a round up of all the latest football news/gossip across Europe today, which includes the likes of: Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona, Zinedine Zidane, Arsene Wenger, Sam Allardyce, Liverpool, Tottenham, Valencia, Danny Drinkwater, Andriy Yarmolenko, Giorgio Chiellini, Real Madrid, Newcastle and Ajax to name but a few!

Sam Allardyce has told Sky Sports News HQ that Joe Hart will be named in his first England squad on Monday. The Manchester City man has been dropped by manager Pep Guardiola, and is set to leave the Etihad before the end of the window - skysports.com

Chelsea are set to make a £25m bid for Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini - The Sun

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane insists James Rodriguez is happy at the club, despite links in the British press with a move to Chelsea and Arsenal - skysports.com

Santos striker Gabriel Barbosa could be set to link up with Brazilian team-mate Neymar at Barcelona, with Manchester United and Leicester also interested - The Sun

Arsene Wenger has admitted he hopes Arsenal's signing of Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi "will be done" before the transfer deadline - SFR Sport (French TV station)

Valencia say defender Shkodran Mustafi won't be sold in this transfer window. Mustafi has already agreed in principle to move to Arsenal. The defender has a £43m buyout clause and is in the Valencia's squad for their first La Liga game of the season against Las Palmas tonight - skysports.com

Arsenal may have to spend £50m on acquiring defender Shkodran Mustafi - Daily Mirror

Tottenham are keen on signing Barcelona forward Munir. The 20-year-old has also reportedly gathered interest from Everton and Stoke, and is rated at around £13m - Sport (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is weighing up a move for Dynamo Kiev winger Andriy Yarmolenko - The Sun

England midfielder Danny Drinkwater, 26, will become the latest Leicester City player to sign a new contract this week, thought to be worth £90,000-a-week - Daily Telegraph and skysports.com

There have been plenty of reports over the weekend linking Middlesbrough striker Jordan Rhodes with a move to the Championship, with Wolves at the front of the queue to sign him. 'Boro paid £12million to sign him from Blackburn last January but he was left out of the squad for the win at Sunderland yesterday - skysports.com

Tottenham have made a number of offers for Espanyol's 21 year-old Spanish goalkeeper Pau Lopez - skysports.com

Sunderland have bid £3m for Barnsley defender Alfie Mawson as they prepare to lose Lamine Kone - Daily Mail

Newcastle forward Siem De Jong has joined PSV Eindhoven on a season-long loan - skysports.com

Tim Krul is set to sign a new one-year contract with Newcastle, but will leave the club on loan to join Ajax. The goalkeeper is reportedly wanted as a replacement for Jasper Cillessen, who is close to joining Barcelona - Daily Mail

West Brom are keen on signing Southampton's forgotten man Jay Rodriguez on loan. Hull City are also interested - Daily Telegraph and skysports.com

West Brom have signed Everton defender Brendan Galloway on a season-long loan deal - skysports.com

Hull City have offered Abel Hernandez a new bumper deal in an effort to keep the striker at the club. The 26-year-old has been linked with a move to Newcastle and Aston Villa - Hull Daily Mail

Nottingham Forest face a battle to keep hold of teenage midfielder Oliver Burke before the transfer window closes, with Arsenal, Sunderland and West Ham all circling the Scotland winger - Daily Mirror

Hull City caretaker-manager Mike Phelan has urged the club to allow him to beef up the squad after their fine opening to the Premier League campaign - Daily Mail

Arsenal are interested in signing Porto midfielder Yacine Brahimi, after failing to sign Leicester City star Mahrez. The Dragoes value him around £35milliom - Daily Mirror

Phil Jones could be sold to free up enough space for Southampton defender Jose Fonte to join Manchester United - Daily Express

Championship side Wolves have signed Cameron Borthwick-Jackson on a season-long loan from Manchester United, as well as Ola John from Benfica - skysports.com

Fiorentina want to sign West Ham's 24 year-old Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang - Gazzetta dello Sport (Italian newspaper)

Liverpool are poised to sell 23 year-old defender Tiago Ilori to Olympiakos for £5milliom. The defender has made just three appearances since joining from Sporting Lisbon in 2013 - The Sun.

Atletico Madrid are interested in 22 year-old Portuguese born Monaco midfielder Bernardo Silva - AS (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

Antoine Griezmann admits he would be tempted by a move to the Premier League if he left Atletico Madrid - The Guardian

Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado, 28, is expected to complete a permanent move from Chelseato Juventus in the next few days - ESPN

Los Angeles Galaxy have ruled out a move for Joleon Lescott, with the 34-year-old defender seeking a way out of Championship club Aston Villa - Daily Mirror

Leon Britton has signed a one-year extension to his Swansea contract, keeping him at the club until 2018 - skysports.com

Former QPR and Spurs midfielder Adel Taarabt wants to move to Marseille. The 27-year-old, currently at Benfica, is desperate to leave the club and "return home" - France Football (French football news website)

FC Porto have convinced Portugal Under-21 striker Andre Silva, 20, to sign to a new five-year contract - ESPN

Reading manager Jaap Stam is hoping to sign defender Tyler Blackett from Manchester United skysports.com

Liverpool set the highest possession rating for a losing team in the Premier League with 80.6 per cent against Burnley at the weekend - Daily Mail

Cheltenham Town are set to sign free agent forward Jeffery Monakana - skysports.com

Helen Elizabeth Skelton was born was born on 19 July 1983 in Carlisle, Cumbria and is an English television presenter, who recently hosted coverage for the BBC of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, with Rebecca Adlington, Adrian Moorhouse, Andy Jameson and Mark Foster.
She became an 'internet sensation' whilst hosting the swimming events during the Olympics by appearing on screen in a number of 'sexy and revealing' outfits!

'Hell's Bells' - The Cumbrian born babe caused quite a stir at Rio with her outfits!

Helen was brought up on a dairy farm in the village of Kirkby Thore. She graduated from Cumbria Institute of the Arts, where she gained a BA degree in journalism. During her time at college, she worked as an extra on Coronation Street and Cutting It.

She is probably best known for co-presenting the BBC children's programme Blue Peter from 2008 until 2013 and as an occasional presenter on Countryfile. Skelton worked on other projects during her time on Blue Peter, mainly correspondent-based. These included reporting from the Wimbledon Tennis Championships.

After her departure from Blue Peter, she became a presenter of live FA Women's Super League football matches for the BT Sport channel, as well as retaining her BBC reporter roles, including presenting the London Marathon Highlights show on the BBC.

Helen is also well known from her incredible charity achievements and is a self confessed "adrenaline junkie."

In April 2009, Skelton became only the second woman ever to finish the 78-mile (126 km) Namibian Ultra Marathon. Skelton completed the run in 23 hours and 45 minutes – just 15 minutes under the time limit of one day. "It was a gruelling experience, but one I'll never forget. There were tough times but also amazing times," she told Newsround. Just weeks later, she completed the 2009 London Marathon.

In early 2010, Skelton kayaked the entire length of the River Amazon for Sport Relief 2010. She kayaked 2,010 miles (3,230 km) on a solo journey from Nauta in Peru on 20 January, to Almeirim, Brazil on 28 February. She achieved two Guinness World Records: the longest solo journey by kayak, and the longest distance in a kayak in 24 hours by a woman.

On 28 February 2011 Skelton walked a 150-metre tightrope between chimneys at Battersea Power Station, 66 metres above the ground, to raise money for Comic Relief. Blue Peter created two specials about her walk.

In 2012, Skelton raised more money for Sport Relief by becoming the first person to reach the South Pole using a bicycle. The bike was custom built for her trip, with eight inch-wide tyres. She also used skis and a kite to help her pull a sled containing 82 kg of supplies.

In April 2013, wanting to inspire the young Blue Peter viewers to do something to support Comic Relief, she took on seven challenges set by Comic Relief while breaking one world record. She called this series of challenges her "Magnificent 7," a reference to the 1960 Western 'The Magnificent Seven.'

Performing In 2 Shows On One Night – Succeeded
Rugby Kick – Failed
Flying With the Red Arrows – Succeeded
Photo Shoot – Succeeded
Rope Bridge – Succeeded
Longest Line of Bunting – Succeeded (at the time, a World Record)
Coin Toss – Failed

In December 2013, Skelton married England national rugby league team player Richie Myler. Skelton ran the London Marathon again in 2014 (below), and gave birth to her first child, a boy named Ernie, on 19 June 2015. After Myler joined the Catalan Dragons rugby club, the couple moved to France in September 2015.

You can follow Helen on Twitter and Instagram

During the international football break I thought I would take the time out to do some research on the subject of football fans and their pre-match rituals.

Rituals of various kinds are a common feature of every known human society, past or present, and they may be performed on specific occasions by a single individual or by an entire community.

It is a well known fact that many football players have some unusual and often bizarre pre-match rituals.

In fact I wrote an article on the subject back in 2010.
Click on the link to read about 'The weird and wacky world of footballer's pre-match rituals' which includes entries about some of the biggest names in football, past and present, including: John Terry, Gary Lineker, Shay Given and Bobby Moore.

As for us fans of the game.........well we are not immune to some rather eccentric pre-match behaviour in an effort to bring our team good fortune. In fact almost two million adult football fans have pre-match rituals designed to bring their teams luck.

There are however, some generalised commonalities among the habits of most fans.

Many fans feel guilty if they don't carry out their ritual and their side goes on to lose the match.

Kissing the badge on the shirt, sitting in the same seat, or wearing your lucky pants are all classic examples of superstitious behaviour, that help football fans feel they've done a little to influence the outcome of the game.

Football is an unpredictable game, but performing a ritual or superstition can give supporters a feeling of control in what is essentially an uncontrollable situation.

Carrying out their ritual gives fans peace of mind or confidence that they are helping their team towards victory.

Across European countries and clubs there is a wide variety of rituals in which football fans engage, consciously or unconsciously, prior, during and after matches.

Once a match has kicked-off it is rife with ritualised behaviour, such as chanting and flag-waving, but the period immediately before and sometimes after the game – what we term 'playing football outside of the match'– also provide numerous examples of symbolic ways in which fans demonstrate their passion for the team.

Here are some of the most common pre-match rituals/superstitions performed by football fans across the globe:

a) Drinking in the same pub before a game.

b) Wearing lucky clothing, from scarves, shirts, hats to pants.
c) Eating a particular meal or visiting a lucky burger van.
d) Taking the same route to every game.
e) Watching the game from the same seat.
f) Placing a bet before kick-off.
g) Having sex before the game.
h) Using the same parking spot on match day.
i) Using a lucky toilet before the game starts.
j) Praying.
k) Watching the match with the same group of friends.
l) Kissing the badge on your shirt.
m) Listening to a particular piece of music before a game.

From John a Leeds fan:
"When Leeds were in the Champions League I spilt some spaghetti bolognese down my Leeds top during the first televised game, which we won. I did exactly the same for the second game and after that I didn't wash the top and deliberately spilt spaghetti on it every game. It nearly worked, we got to the semi-finals!"

From Dave an England fan:

"It is sod's law a team always scores when I go to the toilet. So if England are 1-0 ahead I stay right where I am. We could be the team that scores the second goal, making it 2-0, but I'm not willing to take the chance."

From Roddy an England fan:
"Praying to St.Jude often helps. The patron saint of desperate causes."

From Ian a Sunderland fan:
"If Sunderland are losing by one goal, I always take off my watch and put it into my pocket. When they equalise I put it back on. I have done this in nearly every game for about 10 years."

The title for the most superstitious football fans goes to the Spanish teams Barcelona and Real Madrid. Their fans don’t keep their superstitions to themselves but pass them onto family members. Tony, a F.C Barcelona fan currently residing in Tampa, Florida, requests his wife cook garlic-filled meals throughout game week. His entire family must sing the F.C Barcelona anthem at exactly midnight on the eve of game day, and just before he leaves for the game, he sleeps with his wife.

Some fans believe if they don’t show up to a game, their team will lose. This is the case with Real Madrid fanatic Diego. He confesses that he visits his grandmother on game day, asking her to pray over him as he wears his Real Madrid replica shirt. It’s not uncommon to see Real Madrid fans stop at local cathedrals in between bar-hopping for a moment of prayer.

Examples such as these further support the notion of the fan as being 'the twelfth man'– as an entity whose presence and actions off the field can help alter the course of events on it.

For newcomers, the frenzy-like culture of football initially may seem chaotic, irrational and overwhelming. The many rituals and traditions of football fans cannot be easily summarized. However, catching onto the wave is easier than you may think.

Here’s your newcomers starter kit.

The Ten Commandments of Football:

1. Thou shall not support another team. Choose one team and stick with them till the end.
2. Thou shall wear the proper regalia. A replica is a good start, but you could at least paint one side of your face.
3. Thou shall disrespect thy neighbor’s team. You must make your neighbor feel as uncomfortable and unwelcome as legally possible.
4. Thou shall respect thy neighbor’s bounds. Know your territory. If you’re the only one wearing blue in a sea of red, don’t choose that moment to announce your pride. This advice is not to hurt your ego, but to enhance your physical well being.
5. Thou shall rally. It’s imperative to congregate wherever you can. Rally on the train, in the pub, in the town square, in the ally, at the game and after the game.
6. Thou shall expect your team to win. Bad jujube starts in your mind. You must believe your team will win and expect your opponents to be utterly destroyed.
7. Thou shall sing at all times, pausing only to drink.
8. Thou shall freak out for every goal your team makes.
9. Thou shall begin a tradition. Take a drink for every corner kick, eat a meat pie at half time, or sleep with your significant other before the game.
10. Thou shall sober up in the morning, go back to work and become an integral part of society.

It shall surely come to pass, if you obey the commandments that I have given you this day, you will immediately feel a sense of belonging and an overwhelming desire to countdown to the next game. You will receive the promise of triumph. Welcome to the feeling of victory. Welcome to the religion of football.

Whilst coming to the end of this piece I remembered an article I read in 2009 about Matt 'Shaggy' Lawrence, a professional footballer with Crystal Palace at the time. To those people who think as fans that they have a very obsessive pre-match ritual, or to their long suffering spouses who think their fanatical partners are 'barking mad' when it comes to their superstitious behaviour come matchday, then when it comes to how a modern day football player prepares for a match..........Matt is in a league of his own!

I cannot divulge any further details, but if you ever bump into the former Wycombe, Fulham, Millwall, Crystal Palace and Gillingham defender (above), make sure you ask him about how this modern day football player prepared for a match!

The ICT Index (Influence, Creativity, Threat) is a new feature for the 2016/17 Premier League campaign.

A football statistical index, it has been developed specifically to give a verdict on a player as a Football Premier League asset.

It condenses more than 40 match event statistics for three key areas – Influence, Creativity and Threat, to generate the data into a single score.

This score is what is known as an individual’s ICT Index score, and via this data is able to offer an accurate summary on player performance.

Season 2016/17 - Last update: 20/09/16 at 9am

For those of you currently playing 'Fantasy Premier League Football' you may want to take note!

Goalkeepers:

1. Eldin Jakupovic (Hull) 16.3 ICT Index
2. Tom Heaton (Burnley) 16.0
3. Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea) 15.2
4. Ben Foster (West Brom) 14.5
5. Shay Given (Stoke) 14.0
6. Artur Boruc (Bournemouth) 14.0
7. Jordan Pickford (Sunderland) 12.8 (right)
8. Adrian (West Ham) 11.9
9. Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester) 11.2
10. Simon Mignolet (Liverpool) 10.8

Defenders:

1. Scott Dann (Crystal Palace) 33.6 ICT Index
2. Curtis Davies (Hull) 29.2
3. Kyle Naughton (Swansea) 27.0
4. Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea) 26.4

5. Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool) 26.2
6. James Collins (West Ham) 25.0
7. Christian Fuchs (Leicester) 24.5
8. Cédric Soares (Southampton) 23.5
9. Antonio Valencia (Man Utd) 23.0
10. Adam Smith (Bournemouth) 22.9

Midfielders:

1. Michail Antonio (West Ham) 60.8 ICT Index (right)
2. Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) 50.9
3. Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal) 55.4
4. Raheem Sterling (Man City) 52.8
5. Eden Hazard (Chelsea) 51.2
6. Theo Walcott (Arsenal) 50.4
7. Adam Lallana (Liverpool) 47.0
8. Dusan Tadic (Southampton) 46.8
9. Robert Snodgrass (Hull) 45.9

10. Willian Borges Da Silva (Chelsea) 45.0

Forwards:

1. Diego Costa (Chelsea) 62.9 ICT Index
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Man Utd) 56.7
3. Romelu Lukaku (Everton) 56.5
4. Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) 47.2
5. Harry Kane (Watford) 44.1
6. Jamie Vardy (Leicester) 37.8
7. Kelechi Iheanacho (Man City) 37.1 (right)
8. Sergio Agüero (Man City) 36.2
9. Salomón Rondón (West Brom) 36.2
10. Fernando Llorente (Swansea) 33.4

1. Influence

Influence is the first measurement. This evaluates the degree to which that player has made an impact on a single match or throughout the season.

It takes into account events and actions that could directly or indirectly effect the outcome of the fixture.

At the top level these are decisive actions like goals and assists. But the Influence score also processes significant defensive actions to analyse the effectiveness of defenders and goalkeepers.

2. Creativity

Creativity assesses player performance in terms of producing goalscoring opportunities for others. It can be used as a guide to identify the players most likely to supply assists.

While this analyses frequency of passing and crossing, it also considers pitch location and quality of the final ball.

3. Threat

This is the third measure, producing a value that examines a player's threat on goal. It gauges individuals most likely to score goals.

While attempts are the key action, the Index looks at pitch location, giving greater weight to actions that are regarded as the best chances to score.

All three of these scores are combined to create an overall ICT Index score. That then offers a single figure that presents a view on that player as a Football Premier League asset.

Laura Michelle Prestin (better known as ‘Miss Prestin’) was born 29th January 1985 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. The 5'7" blonde beauty is one of the leading internationally published fitness models in the world. Laura Michelle has graced the covers of numerous magazines, being voted #1 in Canada by Inside Fitness Magazine, as well as gracing the ‘most talked about’ American Curves Magazine cover worldwide.

Laura Michelle holds a degree as a Registered Practical Nurse specializing in health, fitness and anti-aging. She is a Bikini Pro Champion with 10 years of fitness and health expertise, and has shared her insights as a writer for 'Inside Fitness Magazine' and 'Oxygenfit for Women.'

Miss Prestin is also the creator of PrestinFit, a complete and unique training program that synergistically combines high intensity circuits that shift between strength and speed exercises, with a highly effective intermittent fasting diet plan, to build a powerful physique in the gym or in the comfort of your own home.

Laura Michelle Prestin is known for her edgy photos and videos, and has inspired thousands of people to live a healthier lifestyle, and she is also a personal trainer. Laura is virtually an internet sensation, known for towing the boundaries of risqué and overtly sexual, making her followers go nuts. Her body is one of the most memorable ones out there, and she is not afraid to show it off!

Laura has always been active, and played sports while growing up, playing competitive soccer, running cross country and track. She started actually training in the gym in high school but took it more seriously when she was about 21 years old. She became a model in her early twenties, and started diving into the hardcore fitness world after people were inundating her with mail asking her fitness related questions, and if she had ever considered becoming a fitness model.

So she started blogging and becoming more involved with helping other people achieve their goals. I am a personal trainer and constantly read health and fitness articles one after another.
I still do this and that is why I am developing programs to get the body that people want. Recently working alongside with Gaspari Nutrition has made me more involved with the fitness industry more than ever now and I love it.

Laura Michelle feels just being in this business is very motivating because you always need to look your best and this motivates me not to slack. I get a complete high off training, competing, and playing sports. For me life without training on a daily basis would become disorganized with no structure. Having a scheduled workout allows me to balance my own business, student-life, modeling and travel. I love planning out my days incorporating physical activity into them.

I not only do it for myself because it is a lifestyle, but my fans really keep me on top of my game too. She currently has over 130,000 followers on Instagram with new followers being added each day.

A true Canadian superstar, when asked how she stays motivated Miss Prestin said: “You develop a relationship with your fans where you become their motivator and in turn they become yours."

One of Miss Prestin's professional goals is to own a spa or a beauty clinic.

A true Canadian superstar, when asked how she stays motivated Miss Prestin said: “You develop a relationship with your fans where you become their motivator and in turn they become yours."

Laura Michelle in one sentence – "Miss Prestin is the intelligent and a strong woman in every sense of the word with a perfect body and a highly charged magnetism."

Laura Michelle's Conventional Training Schedule:

Workout Split:

Monday: Legs
Tuesday: Back/Abs/Arms
Wednesday: Chest/Shoulders
Thursday: Legs
Friday: Back/Abs/Arms
Saturday: Yoga
Sunday: Rest

"On a leg day I love super setting. For example, Barbell Squats combo with One Legged Hip Bridges, Deadlifts with Hamstring Curl combos on the stability ball and Lunges with Jump Squats etc."

Typical Diet Plan:

Meal 1: Oatmeal or Egg Whites, Banana and Juice
Meal 2: Almonds or a Sandwich
Meal 3: Tuna Salad
Meal 4: Apple, Orange and Yogurt
Meal 5: Protein Shake
Meal 6: Chicken or Fish, Vegetables, Salad and Spinach or Rice
Meal 7: Cereal or Protein Shake

"I don’t measure my food. I usually try to stick to a handful of each type of food. I eat every 2-3 hours and about 7 meals a day if not more. I make sure I have plenty of fiber, protein, veggies/fruits and water etc."

"People tend to cut a lot of types of foods (the so called fattening foods) ignoring the fact that there may be other benefits that can actually contribute to your overall health and staying fit."

Laura Michelles' top 10 tips for people who want to get in shape!

1. Set goals
2. Commit to seeing them through to the end
3. Think positive
4. Don’t obsess about every single thing you eat
5. Don’t over-train (don’t go 7 days a week 3 hours a day)
6. Try to train with a partner so you keep each other motivated
7. If you get off track, don’t worry tomorrow is a new day. Wake up and start again
8. When you partied hard the night before and wake up still feeling tipsy, go straight to the gym for some cardio and you will feel much better!
9. If you don’t feel like training, train anyway, you will be glad you did
10. Consistency is key!

You can follow Laura Michelle Prestin on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via her Personal Website

My eyes have been opened up more and more of late than at any other time, to what is truly one of the banes of my life. My exasperation at the obsession of walking and talking whilst on a mobile phone has raised my blood pressure to an unhealthy level!

It is fast becoming the norm rather than exception and to the detriment of society. Oblivious to others and on a totally different planet those that are guilty of indulging in this unacceptable 'crime' has lead to a fundamental breakdown in the the very basics of what I would describe as acceptable human behaviour.

Manners, consideration for others and spacial awareness are not recently discovered forms of human behaviour!

Yesterday as I was forced (not for the first time) to hastily sidestep a walking talking robot, my thoughts drew to the halcyon days when mobile devices the size of a household bricks were fixed in cars or only belonged to those in the higher echelons of society.

Having to listen to someone talking at an inordinately and unnecessary volume on a mobile phone in itself is often infuriating, and although it is regrettably a common occurrence nowadays, it is in my world anyway incredibly discourteous to those in the immediate vicinity.

I wrote an article nearly ten years ago entitled 'Mobile Diarrhoea' on the subject of commuters on trains engaging in loud and mind numbingly tedious mobile calls, and it was published in a London evening newspaper, and it can be read here.

Incredibly 76% of the UK population has a smartphone (up from 52% in 2012), with that figure increasing to 90% for those people between the ages of 16 and 34, so you can be sure a lot of those people are not even walking and talking, more likely walking and gawking as they stick their faces into their brightly lit gadgets to entertain themselves. Whether they are playing FIFA 17, checking emails, placing an online bet, looking up the latest football scores, participating in sexting, poking someone on facebook, posting a tweet or whatever - the underlying point is that nothing they are doing is a matter of life or death, such that it cannot wait a few minutes. No thought is given to those around them, and as a result in their world the word 'respect' only relates to an Aretha Franklin mantra. In fact only one in four UK smartphone owners uses their phone to actually make a call in any given week!

The days of looking out for your fellow being and human interaction are seemingly over. Giving up your seat, letting a lady take her place in front of you, a gesture of good will, a simple acknowledgement, the muttering of those immortal words please and thank you, seem all but a distant memory when your eyes are steely fixated on your screen as you text your partner because you may be five minutes late home, therefore dispelling any possible accusations that you might be having an affair with Gladice who refills the office vending machines.

The 'walking talking' brigade amble along blindly in their self-absorbed world, get in your way, knock into you without even an ounce of apology, and all this while their obsession with their mobile device leaves them floundering in a world where time is money, but more importantly where time is precious!

Nowhere is this more commonplace than on public transport. Every morning and evening people from all walks of life are busy negotiating their way to or from their place of work.
We all have the same goal, to get from A to B as quickly as possible, as safely as possible. The extremely fast pace of life we all subjected to in this modern age means that in order to do this requires a good deal of concentration.

One does not need a slow paced, erratic walking persona in a robotic trance to hinder your journey, anymore than a delayed mode of transport to get the blood boiling, because those people that do not engage in such behaviour are fighting back!

I have witnessed people deliberately barging into, shouting at and gesturing at these narcissistic, self-absorbed characters as they carry on beavering away on their phones, electing to choose to take up a pretence that would have you believe they are oblivious to everyone around them. Perhaps one may deem this type of behaviour somewhat inappropriate, even condemn it, but is it not largely understandable?

But tell me; why should we obligingly make way for or take responsibility for navigating around people who have no thought for those that are around them!

So I ask you 'phone addicts,' why not think about your milieu from time to time, and at least step to one side and complete the life saving triple bypass heart operation on your touch screen, so others can pass without fear of being bumped, barged, tripped or worse!

Phone addicts........mind the GAP!

Indi Armstrong Cowie was born on 24th September 1994 in Boca Raton, Florida, United States to Scottish parents, and is a global superstar in the world of freestyle football, and is famous around the globe for her amazing videos and incredible talent.

As well as being an official Nike Athlete and a USWNT ambassador, Indi is also a social media phenomenon, with a current reach of 3,000,000 followers across her platforms.

In 2012 footballer Lionel Messi selected indi as the EA Games "Street v Street" world freestyle champion, and she has appeared on Ellen DeGeneres, ESPN, Good Morning America, The Today Show and was featured in the New York Times "Talented Youth of America" edition.

Cowie’s impressive resumé has also seen her travel across the world, performing at high-profile sporting and corporate events for clients such as Microsoft, SAS and Lenovo.

Indi's talents have also given her the opportunity to meet and connect with the biggest names in sport, performing a half-time show in front of 76,000 Manchester United and Chelsea fans at Old Trafford and staring in a Sony PlayStation commercial made for the UEFA Champions League which was played in 58 countries worldwide. Indi got to see it on the jumbotron in at the 2010 Champions League Final in Madrid. It was never aired in the USA.

She also took part Mia Hamm’s Celebrity Soccer Challenge with former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant and former FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich and current Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

Oh, and she has skills on the pitch as well, playing for Celtic Ladies and the U17 Scottish women's national team during 2010/11, and for the North Carolina Tar Heels in 2012.

However in Spring 2013 Indi tore her anterior cruciate ligament during an exhibition match and her chance to play football professionally was delt a huge blow.
As she was getting back from her knee injury, she made the decision to continue with freestyle and go pro with that, although she also works as an assistant football coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

From the age of 12 Indi's biggest goal was to become a Nike Athlete. After eight years of hard work and dedication her dream came true!

She was inspired to take up freestyle football after observing a demonstration by John Farnworth. Cowie practices her skills up to three hours per day.

In 2015 Indi travelled to Brazil where she competed in The Red Bull Street Style Championships, to China to compete in a national TV Game Show and to Canada for The Women's World Cup.

In 2015, Cowie became the first woman to do a octuple revolution - eight full circles around the soccer ball with the foot while it is still in the air.

You can follow Indi on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and on her YouTube channel

After Edin Dzeko received one of the most bizarre red cards in the history of football last Sunday night, during Bosnia Herzegovina's World Cup qualifier against Greece, I decided to take a look back in time at some other 'unusual' dismissals over the years!

Edin Dzeko - Bosnia Herzegovina v. Greece (November 2016)

Firstly to last Sunday!
Edin Dzeko, formerly of Manchester City and now at Roma, was unhappy after an innocuous challenge in the corner.

Bosnia were leading 1-0 at the time, but Dzeko took exception to Kyriakos Papadopoulos stepping over him as he fell to the ground. The defender tried to grab the ball and Dzeko reacted by grabbing his legs, then pulling his shorts down. As Dzeko stood up, he tripped the Greek over, sparking a melee between both sets of players.

Referee Jonas Eriksson decided to send off both players. The incident was a key turning point as it sparked Greece into life, and Bosnia conceded in the dying seconds to draw 1-1.

Adam Lindin Ljungkvist - Järna SK v. Pershagen SK (June 2016)

Swedish footballer Adam Lindin Ljungkvist, 25 was sent off for breaking wind during a match – with the referee Dany Kako, accusing him of 'deliberate provocation' and 'unsportsmanlike behaviour.'

The player told a Swedish newspaper: "I had a bad stomach, so I simply let go! Then I received two yellow cards and then red. Yes, I was shocked, it’s the strangest thing I have ever experienced in football.

I asked the referee: "What, am I not allowed to break wind a little?""No" he replied - "I don’t get it, but maybe he thought I farted in my hand and threw the fart at him. But I did not.”

Opposition striker Kristoffer Linde told the paper: “I was standing a good distance away but I heard the fart loud and clear. It’s the strangest thing I’ve seen on a pitch, and I’ve been playing football since I was eight years old.”

Hakan Unsal - Turkey v. Brazil (June 2002)

One of the most skillful and creative players of his generation, Rivaldo was once World Player of the Year, an icon for the Brazilian national team and a deadly forward for the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan and Olympiakos. But, there is one thing he will always be remembered for.

During the World Cup group phase match with Turkey at the 2002 World Cup, Rivaldo went over to take a corner kick – right under the linesman’s nose.
Turkey’s Hakan Unsal kicked the ball at the Brazilian’s legs, but bizarrely, Unsal, who had already been booked, was sent off for kicking the ball at Rivaldo, who was down on the ground clutching his face.

Rivaldo was actually fined by FIFA afterwards for his play-acting, becoming the first player to be punished under the crackdown on players pretending to have been fouled in order to get an opponent into trouble. Rivaldo, ahead of his time.

Ashley Vickers - Dorchester Town v. Havant and Waterlooville (March 2011)

Dorchester Town striker and player-boss Ashley Vickers was sent off in 2011 for rugby-tackling a streaker on the pitch.

The turf intruder - wearing nothing but a Borat mankini and curly wig picked his moment during a Blue Square Bet South clash at Havant and Waterlooville, but Vickers took mattered into own hands, grabbing him by the shoulders and wrestling him to the floor.

The stewards intervened - to the delight of a crowd of just 458 - but cheers turned to boos as Vickers was dismissed just moments afterwards, 'violent disorder' the verdict.

Havant and Waterlooville went on to win the match 3-1.

Pepe - Real Madrid v. Getafe (April 2009)

Real Madrid centre-back Pepe is renowned for his fiery temper, but he has done well in recent seasons to slightly curb that ill-side to him.

However, back in 2009 the Portuguese defender displayed one of the most erratic and ridiculous pieces of defending ever during a game against Getafe.

Running through on goal to deny Francisco Casquero a shot on goal, not only did he concede a penalty, but he actually started to kick at Casquero, twice, as he lay on the ground. It didn’t actually end there and after grabbing the opponent’s head, he then stamped on him, twice, as Getafe players did their best to pull him away.

After a couple of punches thrown at Getafe players, Pepe eventually walked off and was given a hefty 10-match ban.

Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer - Newcastle United v. Aston Villa (April 2005)

You don't expect to see a fight break out between two ‘team-mates’ on the pitch.

But that's exactly what happened on 2 April, 2005 as Newcastle midfield duo Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer got involved in a bust-up on the pitch.

Newcastle were 3-0 down at home to Aston Villa and already down to 10 men with just eight minutes of the game remaining, when Villa player Gareth Barry had to pull Bowyer away from the scrap before the pair were both sent off.

Dyer and Bowyer were forced to shake hands and publicly apologise after the incident under the instructions of Graeme Souness, Newcastle manager at the time.

Bowyer insisted the incident was a "moment of madness" sparked by a shared desire to win.

Eden Hazard - Swansea v. Chelsea (January 2013)

The Chelsea forward he made a fool of himself in South Wales as the Blues took on Swansea at the Liberty Stadium in the Capital One Cup semi-final. Hazard took exception to the actions of local ballboy Charlie Morgan, 17, who put his whole body on the ball when Hazard tried to retrieve it, earning a kick in the ribs from the player, with Morgan still rolling around in apparent pain.

Referee Chris Foy sent off the Belgian star.

The ball boy, who was uninjured, was interviewed by officers in the presence of his father and made no complaint about what happened.
Hazard later apologised for his behaviour saying: "The boy put his whole body on to the ball and I was just trying to kick the ball. I think I kicked the ball and not the boy. I apologise."

But Morgan, it later emerged, had tweeted before the game boasting about his timewasting skills.
One pre-match tweet on his account reads: "The king of all ball boys is back making his final appearance #needed #for #timewasting."

Matt McClure - Tranmere v. Wycombe (March 2015)

Make an impact! That's what substitutes are told in those precious seconds before they enter the field of play. Wycombe's Matt McClure certainly took that to heart at Tranmere on 4 March 2015, when he was sent off just 3.7 seconds after coming on.

Following an aerial challenge with Tranmere’s Adam Dugdale he was shown an instant red for throwing an elbow into Dugdale's face.

Keith Gillespie - Reading v. Sheffield United (January 2007)

Within 10 seconds of coming on as substitute Sheffield United's Keith Gillespie was heading back down the tunnel after being shown a red card by referee Mark Halsey, for throwing an elbow in the direction of Stephen Hunt.

As Gillespie headed down the tunnel he threw another punch at Hunt, and as tempers rose, backroom staff from both sides became involved.

Reading coach Wally Downes was sent from the touchline for shoving Blades' boss Neil Warnock, who followed him to the stands.

Walter Boyd - Swansea v Darlington (August 2000)

The Jamaican star was red-carded by referee Clive Wilkes for elbowing Darlington's Martin Gray. Boyd came on as a substitute seven minutes from time after Swansea were awarded a free-kick, but referee Wilkes dismissed him for his attack on Gray before it was taken.

Wilkes had stopped the game to send off Darlington's Steve Tutill for a foul on Steve Watkin.
By the time the official turned around, Gray was lying face down on the ground clutching his head.

Wilkes, who was alerted to what happened by the assistant referee, confirmed he had not restarted his watch before sending off Boyd. FA statistician Ray Spiller confirmed: "This will go in the record books as nought seconds as the match had not been restarted."

Neymar - Santos v. Colo Colo (March 2011)

Before Neymar’s fame, glory and goals at Barcelona, he was a young teenager at Brazilian side Santos attracting plenty of attention for his fantastic ability.
However, an incident back in 2011 failed to get many people smiling and instead raising eyebrows, after he was sent off after scoring a brilliant solo effort for Santos in a Copa Libertadores match.

Celebrating his fine strike, Neymar ran over to the touchline and put a mask on his face, albeit upside down, but the referee was not impressed and gave the young starlet his second yellow. If it was any consolation to Neymar, his red card sparked fury and eventually the game ended with four more sending offs.

Kieran Gibbs - Arsenal v Chelsea (March 2014)

When Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stuck out a hand to help Eden Hazard's apparent goal-bound shot miss the mark he could have fully expected to see a flash of red from referee Andre Marriner.

The card was produced, but was shown instead to his bemused team-mate Gibbs, who protested his innocence to the referee before accepting his fate and trudging off the pitch.

Arsenal went on to lose the match 6-0 but avoided a further setback as both Gibbs and Oxlade-Chamberlain were cleared of wrongdoing, while Marriner issued a sincere apology to Kieran Gibbs.

Joey Barton - Manchester City v. Queens Park Rangers (May 2012)

Barton has never been one to shy away from trouble and like Pepe’s one, he really should have stopped when he had the chance.

With Queens Park Rangers looking to stay up on the final day of the 2011/12 season, the QPR man clashed with Carlos Tevez off the ball. Referee Mike Dean spotted it and sent him off, but the damage was not finished.
Barton then walked over to Sergio Aguero following the red card and kneed him in the leg, before attempting to headbutt captain Vincent Kompany.

Eventually after trudging off and leaving his side with a big task, he was given a 12-game ban which went stayed with him as he joined Marseille on loan,

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