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Peter Schmeichel Names Forgotten Man Utd Icon as Most Underrated Premier League Player

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Peter Schmeichel has never been short of an opinion or two, and when the former Manchester United and Denmark goalkeeper makes a bold claim, it tends to be worth listening to.

Appearing on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast alongside Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Paddy McGuinness, Schmeichel didn’t hold back when the conversation turned to one player who saved his best for match day rather than the training ground, and was the Dane’s pick for the Premier League’s most underrated player.

“He is the most underrated Premier League player ever, I don’t think people realise how good he was.”

The player in question is Brian McClair, known to everyone at Old Trafford simply as Choccy, for how his name sounds like Chocolate Eclair. Both Scholes and Butt were quick to agree with their former teammate’s assessment and share training anecdotes.

Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt Share Training Ground Stories

Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt

Both Scholes and Butt recalled a player who seemed far more interested in causing mischief than putting in the hard yards during the week, and whose idea of a good session involved targeting his teammates with volleyed balls at close range.

“Choccy’s main aim in training was he wanted to volley the ball at someone’s chest or head,” Butt recalled. “He’d just stand there and laugh.”


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The 61-year-old was the ultimate system player under Sir Alex Ferguson, but he is even more undetectable these days.

It is the kind of detail that makes McClair sound more like a Saturday morning park player than a professional footballer. And yet, when matchday arrived, the transformation was immediate. The same man who spent the week giggling at his teammates’ discomfort would become one of the most reliable and intelligent players in the United squad, a fact that those who played alongside him clearly never forgot.

McClair’s Numbers Speak For Themselves

MixCollage-08-Jul-2024-03-31-PM-1399

McClair spent eleven years at Manchester United, making 471 appearances and scoring 127 goals in all competitions. He was a central figure in one of the most successful periods in the club’s history, winning four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and the League Cup during his time at Old Trafford. In his first season after joining from Celtic in 1987, he became the first United player since George Best to score more than 20 league goals in a single campaign.


Manutd (2)


11 ‘Most Underrated’ Players in Manchester United History [Ranked]

Ferguson had many unsung heroes in his Red Devils team.

For a player with those numbers and that trophy haul, the argument that he remains underappreciated is a hard one to dismiss. Schmeichel, Scholes and Butt were there. They saw it every day. And if three of the most decorated players in Manchester United’s history are telling you Brian McClair deserves more credit, it’s got some serious standing.

Statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 19-05-26.

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New Footage Shows Lisandro Martinez ‘Struck’ a Spain Player

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Ugly scenes marred the closing moments of the World Cup final, as tempers boiled over between Argentina and Spain players on the pitch once the full-time whistle blew.

Players and coaches from both camps got involved in an attempt to defuse everything, with a host of separate incidents taking place over the course of three minutes.

Several individual moments have already drawn scrutiny in the days since, with clips of the chaos spreading rapidly across social media and prompting FIFA to launch an investigation into Argentina’s conduct.

Now, a new angle of a specific incident has emerged online, and it appears to show one of the ugliest moments of the entire meltdown.

Lisandro Martinez’s Unceremonious Statement Causes Backlash

Lisandro Martinez after the World Cup final REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

In the aftermath, defender Lisandro Martinez posted a message on social media, leading fans to brand him and Argentina “so unlikeable,” before calling them the worst sort of losers in decades:

“With a heavy heart for not having been able to bring home the cup that we all deserved, but with pride bursting at the seams for this jersey, for my teammates, the coaching staff, the executives, the medical team, the cooks, the kit men, and every single person who was involved to make all of this work in the best possible way.”

He continued: “I want to congratulate Spain on their well-deserved title. We defended our colours far beyond the pitch and shared unforgettable moments with the National Team, alongside our families and with the unwavering support of all Argentinians.

“Remember that ‘the fall of the great is the joy of the mediocre’.”

“Thank you all so much. Let’s take care of our country. I love you, Argentina!”

Lisandro Martinez injury REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

The freshly surfaced clip appears to show Martinez himself getting physically involved, with footage suggesting the Manchester United defender ‘punched’ Spain midfielder Gavi in the face.

The moment came after Leandro Paredes threw the 20-year-old Barcelona man to the ground, which had already caused enough chaos in itself.

See the incident between Lisandro Martinez and Gavi below:

With the video gaining traction online, scrutiny on Argentina’s conduct after the final looks set to intensify further, adding yet another unwanted moment to an already chaotic post-match scene.

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10 English Clubs With the Most Fan Arrests in the 2025/26 Season

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Police in England and Wales are pushing for extra funding to help manage matchday disorder, and the case for it just got stronger.

According to the Home Office, arrestable incidents were logged at 1,644 fixtures in England and Wales during the 2025-26 season, the highest total recorded since the UK Football Policing Unit began tracking the figures in 2017-18.

Fees correct prior to summer 2026

All 10 found — excellent!

Now, a full breakdown of football fan arrests by club for the season has been released, and the numbers make for uncomfortable reading.

Some of the country’s biggest Premier League clubs feature prominently on the list, and the gap between several of them is narrow, painting a picture of an issue that isn’t confined to any one corner of the game. Here’s how every club in the top ten compares.

10. Tottenham Hotspur – 52 arrests

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium general view

Spurs round out the bottom of the list with 52 football-related arrests across the 2025/26 season. Not the number any club wants to have attached to their name, but being the best of a bad bunch in this situation isn’t something to shout about.

9. Liverpool – 52 arrests

Anfield

Liverpool are tied with Tottenham on 52 arrests, but edge higher due to the larger number of banning orders among their fans. For a club with one of the largest travelling fanbases in the country, it’s a figure that will raise concerns despite sitting at the lower end of this list.

8. Portsmouth – 55 arrests

Portsmouth Fans Action Images/Paul Childs

Portsmouth’s inclusion stands out as they are one of only two clubs outside the Premier League’s usual big-city clubs to feature prominently, with 55 arrests recorded over the season.

7. Leeds United – 59 arrests

Elland Road-1

Leeds United’s return to the top-flight has come with 59 football-related arrests, a reminder of the intensity that runs through the club’s fans regardless of division.

6. Everton – 62 arrests

Hill Dickinson Stadium Jason Cairnduff via Reuters

Everton sit on 10 more arrests than Liverpool with 62, meaning the two Merseyside clubs combine for 114 arrests when their respective stadiums sit less than two miles apart.

5. Millwall – 63 arrests

the den millwall

Millwall’s reputation precedes them at times, and 63 arrests this season keep that narrative alive, placing them fifth on the list. With bitter rivals West Ham now playing Championship football next season, this number could easily inflate for Millwall by this time next year, as well as see West Ham enter the list, who currently hold the most banning orders of any club in England and Wales (121).

4. Arsenal – 66 arrests

Premier League title shown with Arsenal ribbons of red and white

Titleholders Arsenal racked up 66 arrests, reflecting the scale of their fanbase and the number of high-profile fixtures they’ve been involved in across the last season, both in the Premier League and Champions League.

3. Manchester United – 67 arrests

Old Trafford

Manchester United sit third with 67 arrests, a figure that comes as little surprise given the size and reach of their support both home and away, with almost 18% of their fanbase coming from London.

2. Chelsea – 76 arrests

Chelsea flag

Chelsea take second spot, and with it the most in London with 76 arrests, some way clear of Man Utd, but still miles behind the club at the very top of this list.

1. Manchester City – 102 arrests

Etihad Stadium Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

Manchester City top the table by some distance, with 102 football-related arrests recorded across the 2025-26 season, well over a third more than second-placed Chelsea. To make matters worse for City, the club also sit behind West Ham in second overall for the most banning orders racked up, with 86.

Rank

Club

Football-Related Fan Arrests (2025-26)

1

Manchester City

102

2

Chelsea

76

3

Manchester United

67

4

Arsenal

66

5

Millwall

63

6

Everton

62

7

Leeds United

59

8

Portsmouth

55

9

Liverpool

52

10

Tottenham Hotspur

52

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The Truth About Barcola to Liverpool + Argentina Reaction to World Cup Final

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Olivia Buzaglo and Ben Jacobs are live with the latest edition of Market Madness, bringing you breaking transfer news, expert insight and all the biggest talking points from across football.

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