Sports
Taribo West Now Lives Very Different Life and Looks Unrecognisable
“He would follow you everywhere – even in the dressing room.”
This is how Thierry Henry described the toughest opponent he faced during his illustrious career. However, even the French football legend would struggle to recognise the player in question these days.
Football fans of a certain age will surely remember Taribo West. The Nigerian defender became a cult hero during the 1990s thanks to his iconic green hairstyles which matched the Super Eagles’ kits.
West, who played for both Inter and AC Milan around the turn of the millennium, was also one of the best free agents in the history of the Championship Manager series. Players of Championship Manager 2001-02 will forever hold a soft spot for the centre-back as a result.
The former Nigeria international, who was capped 42 times by his country between 1994-2005, also had a brief loan spell in the Premier League with Derby County during the 2001-02 season.
He returned to English football with Plymouth Argyle in 2005 but his career was rapidly petering out by this point. The days of walking out at San Siro (one of the greatest stadiums in world football) for the Milan giants must have felt like a distant memory as he rocked up at Home Park.
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Taribo West Now Lives a Very Different Life
West retired from football shortly after leaving Plymouth and now lives a very different life at the age of 52.
It was revealed in 2023 that West now works as a pastor after being convinced his purpose in life was religion, rather than football, following a “one-on-one” meeting with God himself.
He founded a church in Lagos in 2014 and told reporters, per The Sun: “Why would I switch from being a footballer to becoming a pastor? I saw God one-on-one. That’s where my transition started. From the field to the pulpit.
“We were celebrating. In the middle of that, a woman stumbled into me and said: ‘Sir, please may I know your name?’
“I said: ‘I am Mr No Name’. She said: ‘May I know where you live?’ I said: ‘I live nowhere.’ She left with annoyance.
“In the twinkle of an eye, I just heard an audible voice and it came like a slap. It said: ‘Switch, turn.’ I turned.
“It said: ‘Look at the woman. Look for her now and call that woman and apologise to her. I said that to you.’
“That can only be a voice from God.”
West added: “So I switched, like a Robocop, I start searching for the woman, and when this sister came all the way from America, she told me a lot of prophecies.
“And she told me in the next one or two years; I would open a church. All the prophecies she gave me came to pass.”
West, who won Olympic Gold with Nigeria in 1996 and the UEFA Cup with Inter in 1998, may not be involved in football these days but it’s clear that he’s found a higher calling away from the pitch.
Sports
Why Arsenal Will Not Lift Premier League Trophy During Bus Parade
Details have emerged about the upcoming Arsenal bus parade to celebrate their Premier League title. Interestingly enough, it has been confirmed that the club will not lift the trophy during their nine-kilometre celebration route.
The Gunners were able to put to bed 22 years of hurt as they finally lifted the Premier League on Sunday. Their success was confirmed after Manchester City drew against Bournemouth earlier that week, making a trip to Crystal Palace a formality.
Mikel Arteta’s men were still able to pick up a 2-1 win, to finish the season with 85 points, seven points and one place ahead of Pep Guardiola’s side, but the main focus was on the trophy lift at the end of the game. Martin Odegaard led the celebrations, becoming the first Arsenal captain to hold the trophy aloft since Patrick Vieira in 2004.
However, he will not do the same on the title bus parade.
Arsenal Will Not Lift Premier League Trophy at Emirates
The event is scheduled to happen in north London on 31 May. A club statement has already explained: “We are delighted to announce that we will come together with our supporters and community for a special parade around our home borough of Islington, starting from 2pm on Sunday 31 May, to celebrate our title.”
The Gunners, of course, could have two trophies to celebrate with if all goes to plan. Indeed, the night before, Arsenal will take on Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest as they aim to win the Champions League final for the first time in their history.
Regardless of the result, however, there will be no official trophy lifting moment on the parade route. As explained by the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust, this is due to the huge numbers expected during the celebrations. They said:
“The parade is over 9km long. No trophy lift at the end or at town hall due to expected numbers. Therefore, there is no advantage in crowding into one area and you are advised to spread along the whole route.”
Police Expect at Least 500,000 People to Attend Arsenal Bus Parade
Both Arsenal and local police are expecting at least 500,000 people to show up for the event. For context, there were an estimated 100,000 gathered at the stadium last Tuesday after Man City drew with Bournemouth, confirming the win. Aston Villa had approximately just 50,000 at their parade after winning the Europa League, while the official estimate for the City parade – celebrating Pep Guardiola and the two domestic cups they won this season – was 6,000, plus a further 14,000 in the Co-op Arena later.
It would not be a surprise if figures were actually well over that 500,000 mark either. The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust also revealed that there will be road closures near the Emirates Stadium from 4am Sunday morning, due to the number of attendees at the title parade. Fans are advised not to park anywhere nearby if they want to access their car later on the same day.
They then added that there will be no event at the stadium on the day of the parade. What’s more, the club’s official shop, the Armoury, will also be closed.
Sports
Man Utd Eye £100m Aston Villa Forward Morgan Rogers
Manchester United director of football Jason Wilcox and manager Michael Carrick both want to sign a Premier League forward in the summer transfer window.
The Red Devils have been heavily focusing their recruitment on signing a new midfielder in the summer, but there’s no doubt they’ll be looking to strengthen in other positions.
Qualifying for the Champions League was a huge achievement for the club, but it comes with the need to spend significantly in the market.
Not only do United need better players in order to deal with the stronger opposition, they also need a deeper squad.
Signing a versatile forward could be a useful option for them, and it appears multiple members of the team are keen on signing one player.
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Man Utd Want ‘Superstar’ Forward
According to a fresh report from talkSPORT, Manchester United are interested in signing Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers ahead of the summer transfer window.
Director of Football Wilcox is known to be an admirer of the England international, but he’s not the only one.
A previous report claimed that if Carrick was appointed as the permanent manager of United, their number one target could change to Rogers in the summer window.
With multiple figures at United who are involved in the recruitment strategy in favour of signing Rogers, it will be interesting to see if they make a move.
Rogers Could be Expensive Addition for United
Although Rogers would be a huge signing for United if they can get a deal over the line, it’s certainly not going to be cheap.
The report from TalkSport claims that a bidding war could drive Rogers’ price up to around £100m, which is a huge fee even in the modern era.
Rogers, described as a ‘superstar’, is attracting interest from a host of clubs this summer, so it’s never going to be an easy deal for United to complete.
It will be interesting to see whether the England international does leave Villa in the coming weeks and months, as the £100m asking price could put people off.
Sports
Liverpool Open Talks to Sign Yan Diomande
Liverpool are in talks over a deal to sign star forward Yan Diomande this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Reds had a disappointing campaign in the Premier League and Champions League, finishing fifth in the top flight after conceding a record number of goals and losing 13 games, while they were eliminated in the Champions League quarter-finals by Paris Saint-Germain, losing both legs of the tie.
The Anfield club are now planning major upgrades during the summer transfer window as they look to replenish their squad, and talks have begun for their first big signing.
Liverpool Open Talks for Yan Diomande
Diomande, who has been described as ‘lethal’, has been one of the breakout stars of the 2025/26 season with RB Leipzig, registering 13 goals and eight assists in all competitions in his first season with the club.
The 19-year-old has emerged as one of the most sought-after attackers in Europe ahead of the transfer window, and the Bundesliga club have slapped an £87m asking price on his head as a result, while they have also offered the Ivorian a new contract to boost his wages and include a release clause, in order to keep hold of him for another season.
But Liverpool are keen to get a deal done to bring him to Merseyside as they search for long-term replacements for Mohamed Salah, and they have now opened talks with the player’s camp to find an agreement.
Diomande has previously revealed that it is his dream to move to Anfield, having grown up as a Liverpool fan, but the club are also looking at alternative options just in case a deal cannot be done.
Paris Saint-Germain also have a strong interest in Diomande, and have also opened talks over a deal.
Diomande a Legend in the Making
While it may be early in the career of Diomande, he has all the attributes and quality to become a true legend at Anfield.
Liverpool fans love having tricky wingers who can get them off the edge of their seat and provide excitement, and Diomande is someone who can do just that, and more.
The massive transfer fee may prove to be a bit of a hurdle, but the club showed last summer that they are not afraid to splash the cash if they feel it’s the right thing to do. Diomande would be the spark this squad needs, and it could be a huge statement signing this summer.
Fabrizio Romano: ‘World-Class’ Liverpool Transfer Collapses After Decision Made
Liverpool have made their decision.
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