Sports
Liam Delap Stripped of Chelsea No. 9 Shirt and Handed New Number
Liam Delap has lost the number nine shirt at Chelsea, 14 months after his £30 million transfer from Ipswich Town.
The 23-year-old is one of several players now training separately to the main squad ahead of the Blues’ 2026-27 Premier League opening fixture against neighbours Fulham on Monday.
According to BBC Sport, Chelsea are seeking £50 million for Delap, who only managed to score one goal in 28 Premier League appearances during his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge. The former England Under-21 international netted two goals in 41 matches across all competitions.
Delap’s underwhelming season appears to have cost him not only his shirt number but his Chelsea career, as new head coach Xabi Alonso revamps the squad.
Forward Nicolas Jackson and winger Mykhailo Mudryk are also in the same training group as Delap at Cobham, although club sources insist it’s different from the “bomb squad” approach taken last season when the likes of Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi were frozen out.
Joao Pedro Handed No. 9, Delap Also Gets New Number
Chelsea have confirmed that the club’s number nine shirt has been handed to Brazil international Joao Pedro, who scored 20 goals in 50 games for the Blues last term.
Delap, meanwhile, has been forced to settle for the number 12 jersey, previously worn by back-up goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, who has moved to French side Strasbourg on loan.
The number 12 shirt has been worn by 10 Chelsea players during the Premier League era. The most notable former No. 12 is John Obi Mikel, who won two Premier League titles in 2010 and 2015. Defender Michael Duberry also wore 12 during the mid-to-late-1990s.
|
Chelsea’s No. 12s (Since 1992) |
|
|---|---|
|
Filip Jorgensen |
(24/25 – 25/26) |
|
Ruben Loftus-Cheek |
(18/19 – 22/23) |
|
Victor Moses |
(13/14) |
|
John Obi Mikel |
(06/07 – 15/16) |
|
Carlton Cole |
(05/06) |
|
Mario Stanic |
(00/01 – 03/04) |
|
Bjarne Goldbaek |
(98/99 – 99/00) |
|
Michael Duberry |
(96/97 – 98/99) |
|
Craig Burley |
(94/95 – 95/96) |
|
Steve Clarke |
(93/94) |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|
Chelsea Announce Further 2026-27 Squad Number Changes
In a statement, Chelsea confirmed the following squad number changes for the new season: “Striker Joao Pedro has switched to the No.9 shirt, having been named the club’s Player of the Year last season.
“Wesley Fofana has also changed number, with the Frenchman now set to wear the No.3 shirt for the upcoming campaign.
“Summer signing Morgan Rogers was announced as the Blues’ new No.17 following his arrival back in July.
“Marco Palestra, Valentin Barco and Maxence Lacroix have been handed two, four and five shirts respectively.
“Jordan Henderson is to take the No.14 shirt, Danny Welbeck will wear No.18, Emmanuel Emegha the No.22, Geovany Quenda the No.23 and Pep Chavarria the No.29.”
Cole Palmer will continue to wear the No. 10 shirt at Stamford Bridge, while Robert Sanchez continues as Chelsea’s No. 1 goalkeeper.
Sports
Nick Kyrgios’ Savage Instagram Story About Jannik Sinner Looks Awkward Now
Nick Kyrgios’ brutal Instagram story about Jannik Sinner has now massively backfired following the outcome of his positive drug test in June.
Kyrgios was provisionally suspended on Wednesday after testing positive for cocaine while playing at an ATP 250 event in Mallorca in June. The 31-year-old’s test was positive and the presence of cocaine in his system was confirmed by tests at a World Anti-Doping Agency laboratory last month.
Under ITIA regulations, provisional suspensions are mandatory for positive tests for cocaine, although Kyrgios has the right of appeal but has not done so to date.
Under the suspension, he cannot play, coach at, or attend Grand Slams or any events sanctioned by the men’s and women’s tennis tours pending the outcome of a tribunal.
Having struggled with knee and wrist injuries in recent years, he has played just four singles matches this season and last played in the men’s doubles at Wimbledon, where he and partner Alexander Bublik lost in the first round.
Nick Kyrgios’ Statement
In a lengthy statement on Instagram, Kyrgios said the last few years of injuries had taken “a huge toll on me, both mentally and physically.”
“My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do,” he wrote. “Coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined” but “none of that excuses what I did.”
“I’m sorry to my fans, my family, my sponsors, and everyone close to me,” Kyrgios added. “Above all, I’m sorry to the kids who follow me. I know the example this sets, and I’m deeply disappointed in myself.”
Kyrgios’ Old Instagram Story About Jannik Sinner Resurfaces
An old Instagram story by Kyrgios has resurfaced from October 2024, which looks very awkward now following the recent news.
During a Q&A on the app, a fan asked: “Double with sinner? Pls”, to which Kyrgios replied, “I only play with CLEAN players.”
Jannik Sinner received a three-month ban in early 2025 following two positive drug tests the year prior. The world number one had previously been cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent panel after testing positive for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024.
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In a statement, WADA said it accepted the three-time Grand Slam champion “did not intend to cheat”, that the drug “did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit”, and this happened “without his knowledge as the result of the negligence of members of his entourage.”
Kyrgios himself could be banned for up to four years – but if he can prove he took the drug outside a competition, the maximum ban he would face is three months.
Sports
Erling Haaland Reacts to Real Madrid’s Bizarre Bernardo Silva Video
Erling Haaland’s five-word reaction to Real Madrid’s ‘embarrassing’ Bernardo Silva video has gone viral after his former Manchester City teammate was seen representing his new colours this week.
Considered among the most underrated players of the Premier League era during his time at the Etihad Stadium – which culminated in 460 appearances and a staggering 20 major honours, including six league titles and a coveted Champions League as part of the 2022/23 treble-winning season – Silva made a free transfer to Real Madrid upon the expiry of his contract.
This coming season, the 32-year-old will come up against former partner-in-crime Rodri, who joined Barcelona. How well the Cityzens can do without some of their most prized senior assets this term remains to be seen, especially since they start life without Pep Guardiola, with Enzo Maresca now having been passed the baton.
Real Madrid’s Bizarre Bernardo Silva Unveiling Video
Real Madrid posted a very interesting unveiling-style video for Bernardo Silva on Wednesday night, made all the more bizarre by the fact he had already made his debut for Jose Mourinho’s side on Sunday – to which Man City fans had a lot to say about in their verdict.
The video features a wide range of AI-generated wildlife – including a hedgehog, sheep, meerkats, a school of fish, penguins, beavers, and an octopus – looking interested in something, then finishes with a shot of the midfielder, welcoming him to the Bernabeu. Watch the full video below:
Reacting to the strange 57-second clip, one X user wrote: “This is really embarrassing,” with many other critics calling on the club to do better or sack the social media team.
Erling Haaland’s Reaction Quickly Went Viral
It wasn’t long before Haaland – whose earnt a bit of a reputation for being ‘chronically online’ as he gained even more fame across the World Cup period for his social media activity, also reacted to it. He wrote (see his Instagram comment below):
“Did you agree to this, @bernardocarvalhosilva?”
The towering Norwegian striker rarely ever misses when it comes to making world football laugh, and he’s done a fantastic job of keeping his fans entertained this time.
On a footballing level, it seems Haaland will continue to keep in touch with his former teammate, and there’s every chance the goalscoring machine will miss the qualities Silva brings to City, with the Portugal international very much a water carrier for a gluttony of trophies.
Sports
Ex-WWE Superstar Dawn Marie Reveals Real Reason She’s Making Adult Content
Former WWE star Dawn Marie has revealed the true and different intention behind her new OnlyFans page.
Prior to her WWE career, Marie made her professional wrestling debut in January 1995, managing Tony Atlas against Jimmy Snuka. She then worked her way down the East Coast before signing with ECW in 1998 and enjoying a four-year stint there.
She then signed with WWE in 2002 and, during her tenure, was best known for a memorable storyline with Torrie Wilson, in which she ended up in a relationship with Wilson’s real-life father, Al Wilson.
Marie explained that the moment she stepped foot onto the first show she knew she had made the right decision for herself.
“The second I walked out that curtain and I had that moment. It was so profound,” she said. “Literally, I could remember, I walk out and going, It was weird. It was like, scary at first, but then it felt so peaceful. Like, at first, it was scary because you’re like, ‘What the freak is going on, right?’ And then it was like, it just felt right.”
She was later released from her WWE contract while on maternity leave in July 2005 and went on to make frequent appearances for several independent wrestling companies over the following years, including making a brief return to WWE in 2024 at NXT Halloween Havoc as a special guest referee for a match between Jaida Parker and Lola Vice.
Dawn Marie Explains Her OnlyFans Decision
The now 55-year-old revealed to her followers last week that she was starting an OnlyFans page, but her reasoning behind it was different than most.
Marie, who has worked as a dementia care nurse for almost 10 years, explained that she suffered many injuries while being in the ring, taking bumps from her fellow wrestlers. She said that neck injuries, specifically, have made her job as a nurse tough and contributed to her new venture.
“I have a lot of residual issues, from being a nurse and from wrestling. I choose not to be what I see on a daily basis – people my age in beds and never getting back up. It’s scary. And the only difference is it happened to them and not me.
“This is just preparing a little extra something for my future – just in case.”
Marie’s content will also not be typical of what is normally seen on the platform, as she will not be posting any explicit content to her page.
“It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be flirty. We’re not doing nudes, which I made that very clear. Just going to be Dawn Marie.
“I’m proud of who I am, and I’m proud that I kept my body strong,” she continued. “I was hardcore in ECW, and I’ll continue to be hardcore after.”
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