Zinedine Zidane aims savage dig at Real Madrid chiefs in open letter explaining surprise exit

Pep Guardiola, Johan Cruyff and Sir Alex Ferguson are three of the most revered coaches of our time, but for some reason, none of them have tried the revolutionary idea of sticking a goalkeeper up front.Thankfully, there's one man who has.Step forward Stuart Pearce, who, on the final day of the 2004-05 season, made the madcap decision to convert David James into a centre-forward as Manchester City chased qualification for the UEFA Cup.With two minutes of normal time remaining and City needing to score, 'Psycho' lived up to his name (and then some) by replacing midfielder Claudio Reyna with second-choice stopper Nicky Weaver and throwing James up front.Pearce had hoped to unsettle the Middlesbrough defence, but according to Boro No.1 Mark Schwarzer - James' opposite number in the Teessiders' goal - it actually delivered the opposite effect. Schwarzer, speaking exclusively to Ladbrokes at its launch of the 5-A-Side Bet on Leicester v West Ham, revealed the reaction of the shocked Boro players.

This Morning were left gobsmacked after Alison Hammond asked a couple with a 51-year age gap about their sex life.Tisele and Wilson from South Africa appeared on the ITV show to discuss the dynamics of their relationship and how they are perceived by others.Wilson, who was clearly much older than his wife, told viewers he was interested in her the first time they met but also told a little white lie about his age.But things became rather uncomfortable when Alison probed the pair on their bedroom antics, which some viewers felt was a bit too much.Rushing to Twitter, fans shared their thoughts.One viewer penned: "The bedroom question was one question too far."Another said: "This is a painful interview to watch.

Dubai was reportedly attacked by guards as Prince William visited the country on an official visit.Billy Hood, 25, is currently serving a 10-year sentence for “unintentionally possessing” CBD vape oil in the United Arab Emirates country.As the Duke of Cambridge was meeting with UAE diplomats in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on Thursday, (February 10), Billy was allegedly attacked by Emirati authorities, according to non-profit organisation Detained in Dubai.Billy’s family are now appealing to the Prince to help bring Billy back to the UK after his appeal to overturn the sentence was refused, despite no court hearing taking place.According to Detained in Dubai, Billy has been isolated in a tiny cell that could fit only a mattress and is said to have hit the wall in frustration.Four prison guards are then alleged to have opened his cell and repeatedly beat him, causing him to bleed.Reports have also claimed that Billy was previously beaten and tasered and forced to confess.His brother Alex Hood said: “I am disgusted that the UK would ever allow this to happen to a British citizen and that they have not already intervened. This is not the first time he has been assaulted while in custody and over what? CBD oil that the court accepted, was not even his.“In accepting this kind of treatment and just ‘raising concerns’ without any actual consequence, the UK is essentially sanctioning these abuses again and again.

Jamie Carragher’s job as a Monday Night Football pundit in the future.The West Ham superstar recently spoke to Carragher’s Sky Sports colleague Gary Neville in a lengthy interview for the latest episode of The Overlap Podcast.Rice’s bold claim came when Manchester United legend Neville told the Hammers midfielder: “I've not spoken to a footballer at your age that's as switched on from a media perspective [as you are].”Neville added: "Carragher's in trouble, isn't he? On Monday Night Football?"To which Rice replied: "Carragher's a goner! I'm coming for him!"Carragher tweeted after seeing the podcast: "Well get yourself on MNF in March... let's see what you've got!"The acting Hammers captain then joked: "You sure you want that...

Prince Andrew was a “constant sex pest” who wanted to know about her love life during sessions.Emma Gruenbaum, 50, claims the Duke of York would ask her about “anal sex” and was told “not to make a fuss” when the massages had to be in his bedroom at Royal Lodge in Windsor.She says the sessions with Andrew took place almost weekly for two months, and claims he made a comment about her bottom, prompting her to swear at him over his remark. Speaking to the Sun, the sports therapist claims Andrew, 61, said “Hey nice a****.

Allies of Skin 20% Vitamin C Brighten + Firm Serum, £85. Apply a modicum of foundation indoors as it will make you feel better, especially if you are glued to Zoom and want to appear well-rested.

Valentine’s Day, avoid the expensive themed restaurant offerings and cook something special at home for your loved one. I’m not suggesting you go to a local farm and pick out a duck, but taking the time to work on a romantic menu says more than any novelty gift, or certainly flowers from the petrol station.Eating together is intimate and the dishes I’ve chosen here are designed for sharing.

Dan Walker quit Football Focus last April after 12 years as its lead presenter.The star went on to compete in Strictly Come Dancing later that year, whilst also juggling his presenting role at BBC Breakfast and hosting The NFL Show alongside fellow former Strictly contestant, Jason Bell. Former professional American Football player Jason Bell, 43, joined Zoe Ball on her BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show today to discuss the upcoming Super Bowl 56, which will take place this Sunday. The Super Bowl is the USA’s biggest sporting event of the year, featuring a playoff championship game of the National Football League (NFL). Jason was a cornerback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, and New York Giants. However, in recent years, the sports star has strapped on his dancing shoes to compete in BBC fan-favourite show Strictly. Jason competed in the series in 2020 alongside professional dance partner Luba Mushtuk, but was unfortunately second out of the competition after former Labour Party politician Jacqui Smith.Nonetheless, when quizzed by Zoe about Strictly, he gushed about his time on the show, admitting that he still likes to dance and that his young daughter is “infatuated” with it. Zoe then asked Jason if his pal Dan Walker, 44, had asked him for advice before entering the latest series of the show back in September, as the pair have both been presenting on the NFL Show together since November 2020. “He did ask me and I said, ‘Dan, you’ll be great on it,’ because I know Dan’s personality,” Jason confirmed.  “Dan is one of the best people I’ve ever met, he is just a nice human being.So I said, ‘This will be perfect for you.’“Dan steps up to challenges and that’s what you need to do when you get on Strictly.”The BBC

Sundara Karma have announced their new EP ‘Oblivion!’ and shared its title track – you can hear the new song below.The forthcoming record follows on from the band’s November 2020 EP ‘Kill Me’. Their last studio album, ‘Ulfilas’ Alphabet’, was released in March 2019.Produced by Clarence Clarity, the ‘Oblivion!’ EP is set for release on April 1 via Chess Club Records and is available to pre-order here.Speaking about the title track, Sundara Karma’s Oscar Pollock said: “‘Oblivion!’ came together so quickly, I wrote the whole thing in about two days in the summer last year. I had been revisiting a lot of my favourite music from around 2003 and was feeling quite nostalgic at the time.

Kate Nash has shared a new single called ‘Imperfect’ – you can listen to it below.The track is the latest preview of the singer-songwriter’s fifth studio album, which is due to arrive at some point this year. Following on from 2018’s ‘Yesterday Was Forever’, the record will also feature the 2021 songs ‘Horsie’ and ‘Misery’.“My co-star Kimmy Gatewood and some of our brilliant writers Rachel Shukert and Sascha Rothchild from GLOW asked me if I could write a tween pop anthem for an episode of The Babysitters Club (Netflix) that they were all working on,” Nash explained of how ‘Imperfect’ came about.“I’ve been writing for TV, film and musical theatre recently and it’s been so liberating as I get to explore different sides of being a songwriter.

Liam Gallagher has spoken out against Coldplay being nominated for a BRIT Award for Best Rock/Alternative Act.The four-piece were nominated for the award at Tuesday’s ceremony (February 8) along with Glass Animals, Tom Grennan, Wolf Alice and this year’s winner, Sam Fender.Speaking to Absolute Radio ahead of the BRITs on Tuesday, Gallagher was asked for his prediction for which artist would triumph in the Best Rock/Alternative Act category.At the mention of Coldplay, Gallagher said “leave it out”, adding: “They’re not rock, man.”“If they’re rock, man… Jesus!” he continued. “I mean, I like Chris Martin and he wrote some great albums and all that, when I think about it.

Ryan Reynolds is really his own brand right now. No, I’m not talking about the businesses he owns, such as Mint Mobile and Aviation Gin.

Billie Eilish has denied she threw shade at Travis Scott after the Astroworld tragedy while stopping a show to help a fan that was having an asthma attack. The singer, 20, had been filmed pausing one of her shows to check on a fan and make sure they got an asthma inhaler before telling the audience: ‘I wait for people to be okay until I keep going.’While she did not name Travis, 30, some took the comment to be referencing his Astroworld concert from November, during which he was accused of ignoring fans in difficulty to keep performing, something he denied, claiming he was unaware of what was happening. Ten people died and hundreds were injured after crowds surged towards the stage in Houston, Texas, leaving some fans crushed and trampled by the weight of the crowd. After Billie’s clip went viral, Kanye, 44, took to Instagram to demand she apologises to Travis before he would perform at Coachella with the rapper. He wrote alongside a screenshot of a news story: ‘Come on Billie we love you please apologise to Trav and to the families of the people who lost their lives no one intended this to happen.‘Trav didn’t have any idea what was happening when he was on stage and was very hurt by what happened.’Kanye added: ‘And yes Trav will be with me at Coachella but now I need Billie to apologise before I perform.’My 600lb Life's first transgender star Destinee Lashaee dies aged 30Nelly sorry after sex tape leaked on Instagram: ‘This was an old video’Funk legend Betty Davis dies of natural causes aged 77Billie denied that her comments were aimed at Travis, writing in response: ‘Literally never said a thing about Travis.

Adele has been spotted having the time of her life in the crowd at G-A-Y, proving she’s definitely the star everyone would most like to have a night out with. The Easy On Me singer, 33, made an appearance at G-A-Y’s Porn Idol event at Heaven nightclub in London on Thursday night, where she pretty much stole the show. Adele was filmed with a group of friends in an area of the club as It’s Raining Men played while she enthusiastically sang along, waving her arms in the air. She was also seen looking shocked as she observed the Porn Idol competition – where contestants can strip off on stage to compete for a cash prize – before giggling with her pals. However, just raving in the crowd was not enough as Adele soon hopped onto the stage with RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Cheryl Hole to give the audience a show. While they weren’t treated to Adele’s inimitable singing voice, they arguably got to witness something so much better as she ran up to the stripper pole on the stage and cocked her leg up to spin round it. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 videoItâs raining men, hallelujah!ð pic.twitter.com/SFWiS2o4eKAn onlooker told the Daily Star: ‘Adele was absolutely loving the event. She was having a great time with friends and loved watching the show.‘After the contest was over she stormed the stage and the crowd went wild.

Ten years ago today, the music world lost one of its brightest stars in Whitney Houston. The beloved superstar died on February 11, 2012 at the age of 48 just hours before the 54th Grammy Awards were due to get underway in California. Whitney was herself due to appear and was staying at the Beverly Hilton hotel, where she was tragically found dead after accidentally drowning in a bathtub. Over the past 10 years, all the salacious details about her death and addiction struggles have been rinsed to high heavens but ultimately, the true sadness is the loss of a remarkable talent that is frankly yet to be matched. Widely referred to as ‘the voice’ and ‘vocal bible’, Whitney’s influence on the big vocalists we enjoy today is clear to see whether it’s Ariana Grande, Adele, Kelly Clarkson or even Mariah Carey, the latter of who some might argue is in a league of her own. Whitney’s vibrato, cadence and versatility is why she embodied exactly what it means to be a true pop star; able to belt out a vintage power ballad but equally master a contemporary R&B bop seamlessly. It still stands that Whitney has sold more physical singles than any other female solo artist in history, while her streaming figures on Spotify alone are enough to make your eyes water.

Rylan Clark has insisted he’s resting up after revealing an extended stay in hospital this week.The presenter shared a photo of himself hooked up for an IV on Friday morning, joking about his stay in ‘Costa del hospital’.While he didn’t reveal why he had to make a dash to the docs, he did note he was ‘slowly on the mend’ and resting up as worried fans shared their get-well messages.He wrote on Twitter: ‘Finally home after an extended trip to Costa del hospital. Slowly on the mend. Won’t be on the wireless tomorrow.‘Resting up.

he announced that he is set to welcome his eighth child later this year, with model Bre Tiesi.Nick unveiled the personalized vending machine earlier this week, sharing a glimpse of the gift as he proudly posed beside it on Instagram.My 600lb Life's first transgender star Destinee Lashaee dies aged 30Nelly sorry after sex tape leaked on Instagram: ‘This was an old video’Funk legend Betty Davis dies of natural causes aged 77‘Looks like somebody just sent me an early Valentine’s Day gift!! Vending Machine full of Magnums,’ he captioned the upload, with fans in bits in the comments.Owning up to his part in the prank, Kevin later shared the same photo on his own page, with the message: ‘I see u got my gift @nickcannon ….GOTCHA B***H!!!!!!….‘Now u don’t have an excuse because the condoms are free #PrankWars (sic).’Got a story?If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Scots cancer teen Lily Douglas will be laid to rest this afternoon in what has been described as a 'celebration of her life'.

Christopher Vourlias Fox Entertainment has acquired U.S. rights to “Khan: The Series,” from Oscar-nominated producer Alexander Rodnyansky’s AR Content, Variety can reveal.Currently in development, the epic action series is based on the best-selling book “Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World” by Jack Weatherford, and will focus on the largest contiguous empire in human history and its iconic creator.Writer and executive producer Chris Collins will serve as showrunner, with Sergei Bodrov tapped to direct and executive produce.

Naman Ramachandran BritBox has picked up “Reel Britannia,” a documentary series on the history of modern British cinema, for the U.S., U.K., Canada and South Africa. The deal was closed by Abacus Media Rights (AMR), an Amcomri Entertainment company, who acquired worldwide distribution rights to the series from director Jon Spira and producer Hank Starrs of Canal Cat Films.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Gareth Bale will return from his loan spell at Tottenham and become an important member of his squad next season.Ancelotti is back at the Bernabeu for a second spell as Los Blancos boss six years after being sacked by club president Florentino Perez.The Italian made the shock decision to leave Everton and rejoin Real on Monday following Zinedine Zidane's departure, and there are a number of problems he must now address.One of them comes in the shape of Bale, whose Madrid future appeared all but over with Zidane at the helm.The 31-year-old spent last season on loan at former club Tottenham and impressed at times, scoring 16 goals in 34 appearances under Jose Mourinho and interim boss Ryan