By CIARAN FOREMAN, SPORTS REPORTER

Published: 15:48 EST, 19 December 2025 | Updated: 17:10 EST, 19 December 2025

Ray Parlour provided boisterous darts fans who branded him ‘boring’ with a hilarious response – by downing a pint in the middle of Ally Pally.

The Arsenal legend was in the famous London venue on Friday to watch the final first-round action of the World Darts Championship, before being quickly spotted by supporters in the crowd.

Snapped by cameras wearing a huge grin during the day’s play, the 52-year-old became the subject of a series of serenading chants from fans eager to get his attention.

And in reply, the Romford Pele – as he is affectionately nicknamed – turned to the crowd and raised both of his pints, prompting supporters to urge him to down one of them in one go.

Parlour, however, initially chose just to sip one of his cups before taking to his seat – a move that was met by a chorus of boos and chants of ‘boring, boring, Parlour!’ 

But the former England man appeared to take those taunts personally as he was back on his feet just moments later to sink a full pint in just 12 seconds.

Ray Parlour wore a huge grin as he watched the final first-round action at Alexandra Palace

Parlour then sent the boisterous Ally Pally fans wild by sinking a whole pint in just 12 seconds

Footage shared on social media shows the fans then bursting into cheers and applause before Parlour takes his seat again to watch the rest of the action on the oche.

The 52-year-old is just one of a host of sporting stars attending the darts this week, as the tournament continues to capture hearts across the festive period.

Former Premier League players Peter Crouch and Steve Sidwell were spotted at Ally Pally on Thursday, with Crouch too downing a pint in front of the crowd before planting the empty cup on his head.

Lioness captain Leah Williamson and UFC star Paddy Pimblett have also been spotted soaking up the atmosphere in recent days.

Parlour made more than 450 appearances for Arsenal so there is little doubt that some Gunners fans in the crowd would have been delighted to see their former hero join in on the action.

It has been estimated that up to 750,000 pints will be consumed across the three-week tournament at Ally Pally.

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Former Arsenal star downs a pint at the darts after being mocked for being ‘boring’ by Ally Pally crowd

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Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City must be ready for his eventual departure, admitting that no manager remains in charge forever despite having time left on his current contract.

Pep Guardiola signed a new deal in November 2024 that runs until the end of the 2026-2027 season, but the 54-year-old Spanish tactician made it clear that long-term planning should never hinge on one individual.

Speaking to BBC Sport on Friday, Guardiola said: “I get asked this question every season.

“Sooner or later, I will quit Manchester City. I have 18 months, and I am very happy. The club and I are well connected, and what is going to happen will happen.”

Guardiola stressed that there have been no talks about leaving before his contract expires and insisted there is no immediate issue behind his comments.

“There are no discussions, end of the subject. But the club has to be prepared for everything, players, CEOs, everyone, except the owners,” he added.

Since arriving at the Etihad Stadium in 2016, Guardiola has overseen the most successful era in the club’s history, delivering six Premier League titles and the Champions League crown in the 2022-2023 season, alongside a string of domestic trophies.

His remarks have inevitably fuelled speculation about potential successors, with attention briefly turning to Enzo Maresca. The Chelsea manager, who previously worked under Guardiola at City, quickly played down the links.

“It doesn’t affect me because I know it’s speculation,” Maresca said. “My focus is just on Chelsea, and I am proud to be here.”

On the pitch, City continue their title push in the Premier League. They sit two points behind leaders Arsenal and welcome West Ham United on Saturday. Chelsea, currently fourth, face Newcastle United at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

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Former England player Paul Merson has claimed that Pep Guardiola could leave Manchester City if Arsenal end up winning the Premier League title this season.

Going into this weekend’s fixtures, Mikel Arteta’s side maintain top spot, sitting two points clear of City in second place.

Merson is confident that his former club will end their 22-year wait for the trophy.

He told Sky Sports: “I think they [Arsenal] win the league. There are 22 games to go.

“If there were six games to go and I was sitting here and it was two points, then I’d say Man City!

“And I think if they don’t win it this season, I think he (Guardiola) will know that it will probably be an Arsenal league to dominate for a while, and I think he’ll get out while he’s still ahead.”

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has demanded for more time and support to fix the issue affecting the team.

After a promising start to the Dane’s tenure, Tottenham have slipped to 11th in the Premier League and were soundly beaten 3-0 at Nottingham Forest last time out.

Speaking with reporters on Friday ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash against Liverpool, Frank stated that he “feels supported” by the club despite their recent run of poor results and his players are “with me or going in the same direction.”

Read Also:5 New Faces In Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 Squad: What They Bring To Title Chase

“I’m very comfortable and confident. That I will, ​how can I say, fix it,” Frank said. “When this club comes out on top, there will be a lot ‍of good people working together, aligned at the same time through the years.

“I just know one thing I’m pretty good at. I’m ‍good at analysing things. ‌I know what good looks like and I know where we should get.

“And one thing is I’m 1000% sure we haven’t seen any club be successful unless they had key people in the right decisions ⁠for a long time. I’ll back myself to be one of those key people to be in that position.”

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By WILL PICKWORTH, SPORTS REPORTER

Published: 14:52 EST, 19 December 2025 | Updated: 14:57 EST, 19 December 2025

Mohamed Salah apologised to his Liverpool team-mates after his infamous rant, Curtis Jones has revealed.  

In an explosive interview after the Reds drew 3-3 with Leeds two weeks ago, Salah, who had been left on the bench at Elland Road, remarkably claimed he had been ‘thrown under the bus’ by the club – and added that had no relationship with boss Arne Slot, leading to speculation surrounding his future.

He was subsequently left out of Liverpool’s squad for their win at Inter Milan before being reinstated last weekend against Brighton, where he impressed after coming off the bench in the 2-0 win.

And Jones has now shed further light on the situation and explained Salah addressed his outburst with team-mates.

‘Mo is his own man and he can say his own stuff,’ he told Sky Sports. 

‘He apologised to us and was like, “If I’ve affected anybody or made you feel any sort of way, I apologise”. That’s the man that he is.

Mo Salah apologised to his Liverpool team-mates after his infamous rant, it has been revealed

During Salah’s outburst, he claimed he had been ‘thrown under the bus’ by Liverpool, and added that he had no relationship with Reds boss Arne Slot

‘I can only speak from me knowing Mo and how he is with us and how he acted on that. He was positive as well.’ 

Jones also insisted that the squad are fully behind Salah, and said the Egyptian’s rant came from a good place.

He added: ‘He was the exact same Mo, he had a big smile on his face and everybody was exactly the same with him. I guess it’s just part of wanting to be a winner and I don’t think he will be the last.

‘I get that there are certain ways you can go about things, but if a lad’s fine to just be on the bench and he doesn’t want to play and help the team, then I think that’s more of an issue.

‘When there’s been any sort of anger from us, including myself, it’s always been from a good place. 

‘In the moment, it might not have come out in the right way, but it’s never been to affect the team, the staff, the manager, anybody like that. We’re past that now and we’re gelling well as a team, playing well and starting to win games.’

Speaking in the mixed zone after the Leeds game, the third match in a row that Salah had failed to make Liverpool’s starting XI, he had said: ‘I could not believe. I was sitting on the bench for 90 minutes. That’s the third time. It’s the first time in my career I think.

‘(I am) very disappointed, I have done so much for this club over the years, especially last season. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That’s how I feel.

Curtis Jones (right) revealed the news and insisted the squad are fully behind the Egyptian

‘Someone wants me to get all the blame. The club promised me a lot in summer. Now I’m on the bench so I can say they haven’t kept those promises.

‘I used to have a good relationship (with manager Slot). Now we don’t have any relationship and I don’t know why.’

Salah’s return to the squad for the Brighton clash came after he held a meeting with Slot, and the Dutchman said afterwards that he had ‘no issue to resolve’ with the forward, who headed off to AFCON with Egypt earlier this week. 

Speaking on Friday ahead of the Reds’ clash at Tottenham tomorrow, Slot insisted his side have now fully moved on from the saga.   

He said: ‘Actions speak louder than words and we moved on, he was in the squad and the first sub I made.

‘But now he is at the Africa Cup of Nations playing big games for himself and also the country so I think it is fair to them and also to us that all the focus is for him over there. And there should not be any distraction from me.

‘We have moved on after the Leeds interview and he played against Brighton. So it is fair for us to talk about Tottenham (who Liverpool play on Saturday).’

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Mohamed Salah APOLOGISED to Liverpool team-mates after ‘thrown under the bus’ rant, reveals Curtis Jones – as he throws his backing behind Egyptian

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Wilfred Ndidi has been officially appointed captain of the Super Eagles, stepping into the leadership role following the international retirement of William Troost-Ekong.

The confirmation was made on Friday, December 19, through the Super Eagles’ official 𝕏 account, drawing the curtain on the Troost-Ekong era and opening a new chapter for Nigeria’s national team.

Wilfred Ndidi has spoken about the responsibility that comes with the role and the importance of unity within the squad as Nigeria prepares for major tournaments ahead.

“It’s a huge responsibility, with the help of the players everything will be smooth,” Ndidi told Super Eagles media.

“I have had conversation with a couple of the players. Just to let them know the reason why we are. I also need their support as well. The staff as well, we are all in this together.

“We have conversation on the task ahead, and it is important for us to be together on the same page.”

The 28-year-old midfielder will lead Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, having been chosen as Troost-Ekong’s successor to guide the team into a new phase of leadership.

Ndidi had already worn the captain’s armband during Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup playoff against DR Congo last month.

Troost-Ekong started that match on the bench as the Super Eagles, coached by Eric Chelle, were edged out 4-3 on penalties in the CAF qualifying final.

Naija News reports that emergence of Ndidi as the long-term captain followed Troost-Ekong’s announcement on December 4 that he was stepping away from international football, leaving Ndidi as the standout choice to take over.

Ndidi has earned 71 caps for Nigeria since making his debut under Sunday Oliseh in a friendly against DR Congo on October 8, 2015, when he was just 18 years old.

At club level, the former Leicester City midfielder brought an eight-year spell with the Foxes to an end in the off-season, joining Besiktas.

He was named vice-captain of the Turkish side in October, a nod to his growing influence on and off the pitch.

Captaining Nigeria now represents the biggest test of his career, with the Super Eagles aiming to return to the summit of African football and push for successive AFCON finals.

Nigeria narrowly missed out on a fourth continental title at the 2023 tournament, letting a half-time lead slip in a 2-1 defeat to hosts Ivory Coast in the final.

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Olympique Lagos Football Academy on Friday held a free scouting tryout session at the Alade Stadium, Alagbado, Lagos, as part of its grassroots development drive aimed at identifying and grooming young football talents across the state.

The exercise, which attracted hundreds of aspiring footballers, focused on players between the ages of 14 and 16, offering them a platform to showcase their skills before local and international scouts. 

According to the academy’s president, Segun Oduwole, the initiative was designed to discover talents early and place them on a structured development pathway.

“This is a tryout program to scout for grassroots talent in Lagos,” Oduwole said. “The reason for this is to catch young talent at their prime, at a youthful age, within 14, 15 and 16 years. At this stage, we are looking at prospects who can grow into superstars, even though growth is never guaranteed. Our goal is to groom young players who can fly the Nigerian flag both at home and abroad.”

Oduwole noted that several promising players were identified during the session, stressing that talent alone was not enough to succeed at the highest level. He urged the selected players to remain focused and committed to personal development.

“Nothing good comes easy,” he added. “At times, talent is not everything; working hard and smart is. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are great not just because of talent, but because of dedication, discipline and lifestyle. Ronaldo at 40 is still playing great football. For these young players, they need to work three times harder to get to that stage.”

Also present at the tryouts was Oluwagbenga Adewunmi Adetona, popularly known as Schimchi, founder and chairman of Schimchi Football Academy, who highlighted the depth of talent on display despite the limited number of players that could be selected.

“This tryout is good. We have a lot of talent, but we can’t pick everybody,” Adetona said. “We had about 500 players here today, and we can only select around 15. They are all good, but we go for the best.”

Adetona emphasised discipline as a critical factor in a footballer’s success, both on and off the pitch, warning young players against distractions that could derail their careers.

“In football, if you are hardworking and skilful but you don’t have discipline, you can’t go anywhere,” he said. “Discipline comes first. If you want to play football, you must give everything to football. Lack of discipline has ruined the careers of many players who ended up being banned or sent back home from abroad.”

He further called on government authorities to invest more in grassroots sports development, particularly in infrastructure.

“Nigeria has more talent than any other country in Africa, but we lack facilities,” Adetona said. “In Ghana, there are pitches and parks for young players. Here, we don’t have enough fields. If each local government can provide at least two standard pitches, it will make a huge difference. Talent is not our problem; facilities are.”

Adding an international perspective to the event was Serbian scout Aleksa Masic, who expressed satisfaction with the quality of players observed during the tryouts. Masic disclosed that 17 players had already been selected to join the Olympique Lagos Football Academy.

“Our idea is to set up a European standard in this academy,” Masic said. “I am very satisfied with what I saw today. After this, we will travel to Delta State to find more players who can join the academy.”

He explained that the academy’s long-term vision was focused on structured development and eventual exposure to European football.

“We want to see good development, and after two or three years of hard work, we expect to move some of these players to European clubs,” Masic said. “That is the idea of this academy, and we hope to do it the right way.”

The successful turnout and quality of talent at the Alagbado tryouts reinforced the growing belief that with proper structure, discipline and investment, grassroots football in Nigeria can continue to produce players capable of competing at the highest levels of the global game.

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Christantus Uche was on the scoresheet as Crystal Palace were held to a draw by Finnish side KuPS in their UEFA Europa Conference League encounter.

The Nigerian midfielder opened the scoring in the 6th minute after receiving a pass from Justin Devenny at the centre of the box.

Uche showed composure as he fired a right-footed shot into the top-left corner to give Palace an early advantage.

Christantus Uche scores during the UEFA Conference League match at Selhurst Park, London. (Photo | Getty Images)

KuPS responded in the second half, with Piotr Parzyszek equalising in the 50th minute before Ibrahim Cissé put the visitors ahead just three minutes later.

The goal sparked increased urgency from Crystal Palace, who eventually drew level through a Justin Devenny header.

The match ended in a draw, a result that saw Crystal Palace finish 11th and miss out on automatic qualification for the round of 16.

Uche delivered a solid all-round performance. He completed 13 passes, including four into the final third, created two chances, and achieved a 100% success rate with his long balls.

Defensively, he recorded three ball recoveries and won seven duels.

After the match, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner reflected on the performance and the result.

“A good game. The first half was very good. I’m very pleased with the youngsters. We lost a little bit of structure for 10 minutes, and you get three finishes at the end and score four goals. We wanted to win and go straight into the round of 16. I knew this could happen we accept it.

“Again, especially with the younger players, we can see what they need all four under 21 players got cramp.

“We rested a few players because we knew that we will need them for our next game in a few days.”

“Leeds know our starting XI now because none of the players who started this match will play on Saturday. It will be a competitive game, we will show a big fight and hopefully come back with three points.”

In a further post match assessment, Glasner added:

Oliver Glasner, Manager of Crystal Palace. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

“The result is not what we wanted. It’s a game we could easily have won. We calculated the risk of getting a draw. Everything else worked as we planned it because we were able to rest a few players.

“The only thing I don’t like is that Leeds now know our starting line up because there are only 11 players who didn’t start and nobody will start both games.

“We lost our structure for 10 minutes and were punished. Two mistakes and this can happen, especially with many young players.”

“Credit to everyone, especially our academy players. All four of them showed up and played with confidence. They gave good performances, but we can see they are not used to playing at this level because they were cramping after 60 minutes.”

Crystal Palace will now have to settle for a knockout tie as they try to secure a place in the Conference League round of 16.

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By CHRIS WHEELER, NORTHERN SPORTS WRITER

Published: 09:59 EST, 19 December 2025 | Updated: 13:14 EST, 19 December 2025

Ruben Amorim insists Manchester United will be title contenders sooner than Sir Alex Ferguson thinks after the legendary Old Trafford boss warned it could be ’10 or 11 years’ before the club can challenge again.

Ferguson made the claim in an interview in Bahrain as he cast doubt over how quickly United can return to the pinnacle of English football.

But Amorim believes the club can mount a title bid before then, saying: ‘He understands football more than me, especially English football. But I think we will not take that long to win a league. I don’t know which manager, but I truly believe we are going to fight for the title in the next years.’

Amorim was also asked about comments by Bruno Fernandes in an interview with the Portuguese Football Federation in which his captain said that ‘you look around and see players who don’t value the club as much as you do, and don’t defend the club as much’.

The United boss defended his compatriot and said that more players at the club need to follow Fernandes’ example.

‘I don’t know if it is fair,’ said Amorim. ‘He spoke about his feelings and he needs to answer to that not me. He is an example. He puts everything on the line in every training session and every match. He is a big example. He spoke his feelings and when I watch Bruno training and playing, he is a special character.’

Ruben Amorim disgrees with Sir Alex Ferguson’s claim that it will take another ’10 or 11 years’ for Manchester United to reclaim the Premier league title

Ferguson praised Amorim’s personality but admitted it will not be ‘easy’ to claim the title

Amorim confirmed that neither Harry Maguire or Matthijs de Ligt have recovered in time for Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa. Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo have now joined Noussair Mazraoui on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Casemiro is suspended.

Speaking to Press Box PR recently, Ferguson had said: ‘He [Amorim] is a good personality, [but] it is not easy.

‘I remember looking back on my own time there, starting off when Liverpool were the bee’s knees. They were a fantastic club winning the European Cup four times and all that, but then it took them 31 years to win the league again.

‘We are now in the same situation. It could be ten years, could be 11 years, because of that cycle.

‘It has to be thought out carefully and we have to make sure the recruitment is going to be better than what it was.’

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Fergie’s wrong! Ruben Amorim hits back at Sir Alex’s claim that it will take Man United another DECADE to reclaim the Premier League title

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As Mikel Arteta prepares to celebrate six years at the Arsenal helm this weekend, the manager has stressed that his sweeping transformation of the club has forged a squad ready to conquer English football once more.

The Gunners travel to Goodison Park to face Everton on Saturday knowing a victory will guarantee them top spot in the Premier League at Christmas.

It is a position that would fuel growing belief that Arsenal can clinch their first league title since the famous ‘Invincibles’ season of 2003-2004.

While an FA Cup win in 2020 remains the sole major honour of Arteta’s tenure, the Spaniard has undeniably reshaped the club’s fortunes.

He has restored Arsenal as perennial title challengers and a fixed presence in the UEFA Champions League, erasing the memory of a six-year exile from the Premier League’s top four between 2017 and 2022. The team has now finished as runners-up in three consecutive seasons.

“The transformation has been around the club in terms of the size, in terms of revenues, in terms of the squad that we built, the value of it, the sporting success that we had, even though we haven’t won any major trophies yet,” Arteta stated during his pre-match press conference on Friday.

He added, “I think it’s very, very consistent, so we’re in the right place.”

The path to the summit, however, has hit a recent bump. Arsenal were forced to have a two-point lead over Manchester City after recording a draw at Sunderland, which was followed by a stalemate with Chelsea and a costly defeat at Aston Villa, only their second league loss this campaign.

Now, Arteta’s side faces a relentless festive fixture schedule, with six matches crammed into the period between 20 December and 8 January.

When asked what he desired for Christmas, the 43-year-old’s answer was characteristically direct.

“Win, win, win, win, win all the games,” he said with a smile. “I’ll say the rest will come naturally, but my mood, my energy is going to be much better (if we win), so that’s what I want.”

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