Author: Rowan Clarke

West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has stepped down from his position as joint chairman and director with immediate effect following the emergence of serious allegations. The club confirmed it had “been made aware of the impending publication of serious historic allegations” linked to Sullivan, prompting his swift departure from the board. Sullivan has denied any “illegal conduct” and is leaving the club “in order to avoid disruption to the club while he addresses the matter privately.” West Ham were keen to stress that none of the allegations have any connection to the football club itself or its operations. Sullivan…

Scotland’s third-choice goalkeeper Liam Kelly has been identified by team-mates as the squad’s go-to “hype man” ahead of the World Cup in the United States. The 30-year-old holds three international caps and made just three appearances for Rangers in the past season, yet his influence within the national squad is described as genuinely significant. Kelly himself plays down his contributions with characteristic self-deprecation, joking that the role comes naturally when you are not playing much football. “Aye, that happens naturally when you don’t play a lot of games,” he said. “You need to bring something to the party.” His message…

England’s hopes at the 2026 World Cup rest almost entirely on the shoulders of one man, and that man is Harry Kane. The 32-year-old striker enters the tournament on the back of the finest season of his already remarkable career, having scored 64 goals in 56 games for Bayern Munich. Kane’s importance to Thomas Tuchel’s side was laid bare during March friendlies at Wembley, when England drew with Uruguay and lost to Japan in his absence. Former England striker Chris Sutton summed up that dependency bluntly, telling BBC Sport: “Harry Kane is so important that if he announced his international…

Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson has publicly accepted her side failed to perform as they dropped points in a Women’s World Cup qualifying draw in Montenegro. Wales looked set to collect three points following Hannah Cain’s first-half penalty, but were ultimately denied a crucial win on the night. A late equaliser from Jasna Djokovic left Wales with a draw they can have few complaints about, given their overall showing in Podgorica. Controversy surrounded a second-half effort from Elise Hughes, with Wales players convinced the ball had fully crossed the line before Montenegro defender Sladjana Bulatovic cleared it away. Without goalline…

Bayern Munich have made enquiries about signing Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha, with the 17-year-old attracting serious interest from the German giants. The Bundesliga club have reached out regarding a potential transfer, though sources have confirmed that no face-to-face discussions between the two clubs have yet taken place. Ngumoha is currently in Florida as a supplementary member of the England squad’s preparation camp and is understood to be aware of the interest from Germany. Despite Bayern’s approach, no agreement over personal terms has been struck between the player’s camp and the German club at this stage. Liverpool’s position remains firm, with…

England head coach Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that worries over the state of the pitch in Tampa will not affect his selection for the friendly against New Zealand. The playing surface at the Raymond James Stadium, home of NFL side Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was reportedly laid just a week ago as a temporary grass pitch. Several World Cup venues across the United States have had grass pitches relaid to replace artificial surfaces ahead of the tournament beginning on 11 June. Football Association ground staff are understood to be in contact with the stadium over the condition of the surface, which…

Blackburn Rovers have appointed Tony Mowbray as their new head coach, with the 62-year-old returning to Ewood Park for a second spell in charge. Mowbray previously spent more than five years managing Rovers between 2017 and 2022, establishing himself as one of the most respected figures in the club’s recent history. He replaces Michael O’Neill, who decided not to take the job on a permanent basis after serving in an interim capacity during the second half of last season. When Mowbray first arrived at Ewood Park in February 2017, he was unable to prevent Rovers from dropping into League One,…

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has promised to make the biggest transfer in the club’s history if he wins Sunday’s presidential election. Perez told Spanish TV show Horizonte he plans to make an offer of “at least around 150m” euros for an attacking midfielder from a major Champions League club. The 79-year-old was keen to manage expectations, ruling out several high-profile names already linked with a potential move to the Bernabeu. “Olise is a great player but it’s not Olise,” Perez said, also confirming that Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland were not his intended targets. Perez added that…

Graham Potter described Sweden’s dramatic World Cup qualification as the best night of his coaching career after Viktor Gyokeres scored a stunning 88th-minute winner against Poland. The 3-2 play-off victory in front of 50,000 fans at Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena in March sent Sweden to their first World Cup since 2018 in extraordinary fashion. Potter, 51, had endured painful spells at Chelsea and West Ham before taking the Sweden job, and the qualification felt like a significant personal redemption. “It hurt. They are painful experiences,” he admitted, reflecting on those difficult chapters in his managerial career. “I have lived failure. I’ve…

Vinicius Junior arrives at the 2026 World Cup as one of football’s most decorated club players, yet his relationship with the Brazilian national team remains uniquely complicated. Despite being the Brazil player with the most goal involvements in this World Cup cycle, his numbers read just seven goals and six assists across 28 matches. Carlo Ancelotti, the Brazil manager, acknowledged the situation ahead of a friendly against Panama in late May, addressing the question of the nation’s leading figure with characteristic subtlety. “People sometimes say Brazil don’t have a star right now. Maybe that’s true,” Ancelotti said, adding that a…