Sports
Jonathan Woodgate’s England Career Was Ruined By Bar Fight
At the time, England’s Golden Generation was a mythical squad that any player would have dreamt of being part of. Throughout the early-to-mid 2000s, that Three Lions side seemed destined to end a trophy drought that was closing in on four decades, with Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen and Paul Scholes among the world-class stars making up the squad.
Of course, hindsight tells us it all ended in bitter disappointment. The Gareth Southgate and Thomas Tuchel eras have ultimately enjoyed far more success than the old guard ever managed. It probably wasn’t down to a lack of quality – that was there in abundance – but rather poor management, a lack of dressing-room unity and club rivalries reportedly taking centre stage when everyone should have been pulling in the same direction.
There was also one player tipped to shine at the 2002 World Cup who never got the chance because of off-field issues. Whether his absence would have changed England’s fortunes is anyone’s guess, but his journey from wonderkid to one of the biggest cautionary tales in English football history remains a story worth telling.
Former Tottenham Ace Who Failed To Make England’s Golden Generation
In 2000, ahead of that year’s European Championship, Jonathan Woodgate was forging a career that had all the early hallmarks of one that would have ensured his place among the greatest defenders of all time. Sure, John Terry, Sol Campbell, and Rio Ferdinand would have had something to say about that, but he had the quality to surpass them all.
Needless to say, after a brief stint at Newcastle, a move to Real Madrid in 2004 showed his vulnerabilities, as he endured one of the worst debuts in football history as he scored an own goal and received his marching orders at the Bernabeu. But perhaps his downfalls were borne from an incident four years earlier, which threw his international career into complete chaos and took a huge toll on his mental health.
In the buildup to the tournament, he was found guilty of affray following an attack on an Asian student outside of a nightclub in 2000. Just a few months after that court ruling, he was attacked, leading to a broken jaw that ruled him out for the rest of the season, adding to the woes of 100 hours of community service, and an investigation that lasted far longer than it needed to.
Because of the ruling, the centre-back missed three major international tournaments with England as he also suffered a thigh injury before Euro 2004, and he was only recalled to the squad in 2007, nearly four years later, but only ever managed eight international caps across his stop-start career.
How Woodgate Reflected on His Career Upon Returning to Boro For Final Time in 2012
After being found guilty of affray, the victim claimed he had been attacked because of his race. The judge in the case said he did not believe the attack had been racially motivated, but the furore surrounding the allegations has stayed with the player. “I was tarnished by that and have been all my career,” Woodgate reflected for Sky Sports in 2012.
“It’s 12 years ago and sadly that is something I’ll always be remembered for. The worst part was being labelled a racist. It upset me but anyone who actually knew me, knew I wasn’t in the least bit racist. Unfortunately, it’s still an accusation that sticks to a certain extent. It was my own fault. I shouldn’t have been out in the first place. I made the mistake and I paid for it.
“I would have gone to the European Championship in 2000 and probably the World Cup in 2002, but I was banned from playing for England for two years because of that court case. Now you see other players doing worse and not getting a ban.”
Things didn’t work out much better for Woodgate at Newcastle under Sir Bobby Robson and that remained a source of frustration for the rest of his career. “We should have won a trophy, we were in the Champions League, and I was playing for one of the greatest managers of all time. It never worked out.
“We didn’t qualify for the Champions League the following year, and I was at fault for the goal in the qualifier against Partizan Belgrade and missed a penalty. When we got to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, four of us were ruled out of the second leg with injuries and we lost. It’s been the story of my career.”
The silver lining is that Woodgate transitioned into a coaching and management career after retiring as a player in 2016. He scouted for Liverpool, managed Middlesbrough, took Bournemouth to the Championship play-offs, and now serves as a first-team coach under Michael Carrick at Manchester United.
Sports
Newcastle Offered Chance to Sign ‘Future England Number One’
Another goalkeeper could arrive at Newcastle United this summer despite the signing of Ewen Jaouen from Reims.
The French shot-stopper joined the Magpies in an £18.5 million deal and is expected to compete for the starting berth between the sticks. His arrival came amid the club’s decision not to sign Aaron Ramsdale permanently after he spent the season on loan from Southampton.
Speculation continues to grow over Nick Pope’s future, and it is likely that the veteran goalkeeper will head for the exit door. Ipswich Town are interested in signing the 34-year-old whose contract expires next summer.
According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle have been spoken to by intermediaries of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carl Rushworth. The young English shot-stopper spent last season on loan at Coventry City and thoroughly impressed.
Rushworth, described as ‘insane’, is tipped to be a future England international and potentially succeed Jordan Pickford as the Three Lions’ future number one. He helped Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues earn promotion to the Premier League by winning the EFL Championship.
Newcastle face competition from Leeds United, who have also been in contact with the 25-year-old’s entourage. The Magpies have been linked with Manchester City’s James Trafford but have been “offered Rushworth.” Coventry are also in advanced talks to secure his signature, according to GIVEMESPORT sources, so Newcastle could be looking to hijack a move.
There’s no word on how much Brighton are demanding for the Halifax-born goalie but they face a decision due to his reluctance to deputise for Bart Verbruggen. His future is tied to the Belgian as he doesn’t intend to sign a new contract unless he is “guaranteed the number one shirt.”
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
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Eddie Howe Must Weigh Up Pros and Cons
Rushworth is undoubtedly one of English football’s most exciting goalkeepers and could be the long-term solution for Howe. He kept 17 clean sheets in the Championship last season and is now ready to be a starter in the Premier League.
That said, the Magpies might be wary of a lack of top-flight experience, and that could see them favour Trafford, who is also on Leeds’ radar. They were close to signing the English goalkeeper until he decided to return to City, where he’s found game time hard to come by amid playing backup to Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Rushworth will likely be the cheaper of the two, which might be factored in, especially after already spending money on another goalkeeper. Jaouen’s arrival will be taken into consideration, given he signed with the idea of being the Tyneside giants’ number one in the long run.
Sports
Fallon Henley Calls Out WWE Fan’s ‘Disgusting’ Behaviour at SNME
A female WWE Superstar has taken aim at fans who fail to respect boundaries after an unwanted interaction with at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
During the show at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden, Fallon Henley scored the biggest victory of her career as she and Fatal Influence teammate, Lainey Reid, defeated Brie Bella and Paige to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.
Unfortunately, moments after picking up her first main roster title win, Henley was left reeling after a fan’s behaviour ruined the joyous moment and left many talking about the controversial situation, rather than the championship match itself.
Fatal Influence Win WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships
It took around seven minutes for Henley and Reid to get the better of their opponents. They owe a lot to stablemate Jacy Jayne for the victory, capitalising on her distraction in order to take the win.
As the new champions made their way, though, Henley’s celebration was interrupted by a young fan sat in the front row, who crudely struck out at her. WWE cameras swiftly cut away from the scene, but before they could do so, Henley was seen telling the fan to “Get off of me!”
Fallon was clearly still bothered by the situation several hours later, as she took to Twitter/X to write: “Don’t touch the wrestlers. Period.”
JD McDonagh Also Fell Victim to Unruly Fan
Many fans commented on her post, leaving messages of support.
“Absolutely disgusting,” declared one reply, with another stating: “F****** disgusting behavior. Even if it’s just a kid, please teach your kids to NOT touch anybody without consent.”
Another fan also pointed out that the same child had been spotted throwing something at JD McDonagh before his loss to Danhausen on the show.
“Yeah I didn’t like this, it was happening all night. Looks like JD got a T-shirt thrown at him as well.
The barricades [for Saturday Night’s Main Event] are always too close and make it impossible for anyone to walk down with the crowd being able to reach and grope. WWE need to get strict on this.”
WWE has yet to address the incident involving Henley, but fan behaviour around WWE Superstars has been causing issues for quite some time. During WrestleMania weekend this past April, police were forced to get involved when CM Punk clashed with a fan in Las Vegas.
Sports
Lionel Messi Takes 200 Shirts To Every World Cup Match To Give Away
The interesting reason why Lionel Messi takes 200 shirts to every Argentina match has now emerged. Football’s greatest-ever player is set to take part in his second successive World Cup final on Sunday night as the reigning champions lock horns with European Championship holders Spain at MetLife Stadium.
And, of course, Messi has more than played his part. Across seven matches, he has recorded eight goals and four assists, with rumours already swirling that the 39-year-old is set to receive the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, regardless of what happens this weekend. The statistics certainly suggest he would be a deserving winner.
But while it remains to be seen exactly what Messi will take home from the USA, Canada and Mexico, one thing is certain: he will arrive in New Jersey with a huge wardrobe. That’s because Adidas has produced 200 shirts for him for every match this summer. While that may seem like overkill at first glance, there’s actually a method to the madness – and the interesting reason behind it has now come to light.
Why Adidas Makes 200 Shirts For Lionel Messi Every Argentina Match
The reason is actually rather simple, and it’s got everything to do with just how popular the little boy from Rosario is. According to Argentina teammate, Emi Martinez, around 200 shirts with Messi printed on the back are made by Adidas per game to be handed out to players and staff upon request. He explained on Ben Foster’s podcast (watch the full segment below):
“Every time I go for the national team, ‘Please give me a Messi shirt.’ They all just, you know, have Messi shirts. I asked the kitman when I went to the national team, ‘How many shirts of Messi do you need to give out a game?’
“He said, ‘Mate, we do 200 or 300 shirts per game for Messi.’ We had two games, international; they made 650 Messi shirts. Because he knows sponsorships, players, staff, and even the managers. Everyone needs or wants a Messi shirt.”
And so, while owning a Messi shirt would usually sound like a rarity, it would seem that may not be strictly true. Such is the generosity of companies he works closely with, Budweiser also once gave out 644 bottles of beer to 160 different goalkeepers to honour his goals.
Lionel Messi’s Popularity is Incomprehensible
Messi’s Instagram post following Argentina’s third world title win in 2022 is the most-liked photo in the platform’s history, with 75 million likes. He has also frequently been named the highest-paid athlete in the world, has served as the face of Adidas since 2006, and in 2020, he became only the second-ever footballer to surpass $1 billion in earnings.
But he achieves this all by not saying a lot, unlike his well-documented adversary. That’s what makes him even more special than he already is, with his football very much doing the talking as he eyes up a second shot of immortality in the beautiful game, which would undoubtedly boost his popularity even more.
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