Inhaltsverzeichnis für June 2016 in FourFourTwo UK

The last time four nations from the British Isles qualified for a major tournament was way back in 1958. Then, it was England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland who travelled to Sweden to see a 17-year old Pele and an unstoppable Garrincha lead Brazil to their first World Cup victory. Fifty-eight years later, Euro 2016 will see a similar level of British and Irish participation – a fact we celebrate in this issue. England head to France full of optimism according to Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Ross Barkley (p44). And why not? Their recent win over world champions Germany has given the players and a nation (albeit with some trepidation) belief that this could be the one. England’s Group B opponents Wales are equally upbeat, and as Ashley Williams,…

HOW SHEARER CELEBRATED HIS GOALS Calmly 1% Right arm straight up, running back to the halfway line and laughing like a cat 99% 260 Premier League goals (a record), 18 per cent of which were penalty kicks LIONEL RICHIE His favourite singer £15M World-record transfer fee when moved from Blackburn to Newcastle As a freeman of the city of Newcastle, he is allowed to graze his cattle on the town moors. Handy He told reporters he celebrated winning the title in 1995 by ‘creosoting the fence’ GOALPOST Shearer’s answer to the question: ‘What was your favourite toy as a child?’ LEEDS UNITED He scored more goals against them (22) than any other team £8,000 Shearers salary for each of his pundit appearances on Match of the Day ONE-WORD TIMELINE  1970…

Hannes Halldorsson has Euro 2016 in his sights, but four years ago it was an altogether different vision of continental supremacy that was occupying his thoughts. In Azerbaijan. Before his heroics between the posts helped Strakarnir okkar (or ‘Our boys’ for you non-Icelandic speakers out there) to what will be their first ever major championship finals appearance this summer, goalkeeper Halldorsson directed Iceland’s entry for the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Baku. The 32-year-old’s video for Greta Salome & Jonsi’s Never Forget is well worth a watch, particularly if you’re a fan of violins. And snow. “The song finished in 20th place,” Hannes tells FFT of the ditty’s meagre 46-point haul. “But I saw some commentary online which said “at least they have the best music video”, so it’s…

Jake Payne 58-year-old chef, DJ and painter and decorator Christian Burgess Pompey defender, 24 Q: Which team did Pompey beat to seal an FA Cup final date with Chelsea in 2010? JP: I remember it as if it happened yesterday! Spurs! We won 2-0. CB: I know who they beat in 2008! I’ll take a punt on Tottenham. 1-1 Q: Who were first to hand Portsmouth a defeat in League Two this season? JP: No one beat us for ages. Notts County? CB: I should know this really – I was probably playing! It was Exeter. We lost 2-1 at home. 2-1 Player Q: Who is the club’s all-time record appearance maker? JP: The legend that was Jimmy Dickinson. CB: I only know one player who was here forever and…

RIP JOHAN I was sad to hear of the death of Johan Cruyff, one of the true giants of football. Not only was he one of the world’s greatest players, he was probably the most influential person in the history of the game. Under his leadership for Ajax, Barcelona and the Dutch national team, football was raised to a true art form. He captured the game’s attacking spirit at a time when defensive Italian catenaccio was threatening to overwhelm the sport. Diego Maradona and Pele may have been better players, but Cruyff was more than just the supreme player of his day – he was the mastermind behind generations of great Dutch players. Frank Rijkaard, Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Ronald Koeman all benefitted from Cruyff’s coaching, and went…

THE REAL PLAYERS Jonathan Walters @JonWalters19 Apologies for no post op selfie. I had surgery yesterday and all went well, delighted to have moved up two cup sizes Sam Winnall @Winnall19 Big thanks to the readers of @FourFourTwo for voting me 13th best player in the Football league and 3rd in League 1 David Meyler @DavidMeyler7 Finally finished the @lego Volkswagen Camper Van Nacer Chadli (right) @NChadli It wasn’t me ;) @INGBelgique #Ready4France THE FAKE James Milner @BoringMilner I asked Jurgen if he could be an interpreter for me in a Dortmund dry cleaners. He laughed. I said it’s not funny, I can’t understand them. YOU @FOURFOURTWO Joe Edwards @joee1703 Love a face swap with Xavi @FourFourTwo Ben Tott @Totty_88 No George Friend and Adam Clayton and Daniel Ayala not…

What are your first memories of watching England growing up as a child? I remember Michael Owen’s goal against Argentina. It was amazing – I watched it, dreaming of doing that kind of thing one day. That’s one of the earliest memories that sticks out. I was very young at the time, but I’ve been watching England with my brother and my family for as long as I can remember, cheering when we scored. I’ve always been a big fan. Two years ago, when you were still trying to break into the Spurs team, did you expect to be going to this tournament? It’s always been a goal of mine to get into the England senior team and play at major tournaments. It seemed quite a long way away back…

1 THEY HAVE GARETH BALE… Well, let’s start with the obvious. Wales’ frontline boasts one of the world’s best players; a forward who makes opposition defenders nervous, knowing they can’t switch off for a second. Bale can create something from nothing. Remember his ridiculous solo goal in the 2014 Copa del Rey Final, when he took a detour through Barcelona’s technical area? He’d done the exact same thing for Wales against Iceland six weeks earlier. Moreover, he’s at the right age, loves playing for his country and is in decent form: despite Real Madrid’s inconsistent La Liga campaign, the 26-year-old directly contributed to 26 goals in 20 games up to April 19. That’s a better ratio than Cristiano Ronaldo. But don’t tell Ronaldo that, for God’s sake. 2 …BUT THEY…

What will it mean to you to be captaining Wales at a major tournament? Leading the team out in that first game of the tournament we’ve longed for, the tournament we’ve worked so hard to get to, will be the proudest moment of my career. Wales have had really good teams in the past with quality players who haven’t had the chance we’ve got in front of us – we don’t want to be on the first plane home. We’re a good team and we shouldn’t be fearful going into the tournament. What did you think when you were drawn in the same group as England? As players, we had a feeling we’d draw them. There’ll be a little bit more riding on that game than just three points, but…

So you’re going into Northern Ireland’s first major tournament since 1986... I think the gap will make it extra special. There are generations of people who haven’t seen us play at a tournament. We’re going there to surprise people. How has this team been so successful? With Northern Ireland, it used to be that you just turned up and ran your heart out. Now, the manager has a plan for every game and shows us ways we can win. Once we could see that working, it gave everyone the confidence we could turn teams over. His preparation and planning is incredible – probably the best and most detailed that I’ve come across. Are his team-talks as long as the epic speech he gave at the BBC Sports Personality of the…

What will it mean to you, representing the Republic of Ireland at a major tournament? It will be a dream come true. You grow up watching these tournaments, and to be going there is a huge achievement for every one of us. Obviously, the memory that sticks out from when I was a kid is watching Robbie Keane score against Germany at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. I was a youngster at the time, and it’s those sort of things that you dream about being a part of in the future – playing in competitions like this. You reached the play-offs from a group that included Poland and world champions Germany. What was the highlight? That night we won against Germany at home. Obviously, that was…

If you watched England play Italy in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals and remained conscious throughout, then give yourself a pat on the back. You should also, however, consider using your insomnia to fight crime, instead of sitting on a sofa watching 120 minutes of goalless tedium between two teams intent on settling their differences from the penalty spot. That evening, Roy Hodgson’s men managed no shots and 176 fewer passes than their opponents in the 30 minutes added on. At least Mario Balotelli produced the odd satellite-bothering effort, and Andrea Pirlo a delicious Panenka penalty in the shootout. Four years on, the England team that arrives in France for Euro 2016 is thankfully much changed, yet extra time’s stodgy trudge towards an inexorable shootout is constant. Ten of the last…

Traianos Dellas sounds rueful as he ponders where it all went wrong. Twelve years ago, Dellas was part of a Greece team that won the European Championship against all odds, the defender scoring the decisive ‘silver goal’ in the semi-finals against the Czech Republic. This summer, the national side will not be in France for Euro 2016. With 24 countries involved it’s the biggest Euros ever, but Greece weren’t even close to joining the party. Instead they became the first country in history to be top seeds in their qualifying group and end up finishing at the bottom of it. “Those in the current team will understand better, but for us it became obvious from the very beginning of qualifying,” Dellas tells FFT. “The trademark of our Euro 2004 team,…

REPEAT OFFENDERS Amateur players are more likely to suffer recurrent injury problems than professionals. A study featuring 43 top-level European teams, 19 Swedish first division outfits and 10 Swedish amateur sides found that 35 per cent of amateur players couldn’t shake off a recurring knock, while 16 per cent of pros had repeat injuries. BE FIRST ON THE SPOT Finding that sides who go first in a shootout win 60 per cent of the time, two researchers say it would be fairer to alternate the order of kicks after each round, and also allow a team that misses to take first next time. KANGAROO BOOTS! Football boots made of kangaroo leather are perceived as being a better fit when compared to leather and synthetic footwear. A study of 20 players…

“Footballers are always required to solve tactical problems and make decisions under pressure. This requires significant amounts of brainpower, which we only have limited resources of – like a battery. Unfortunately the brain interprets the heart beating quickly as potential danger. Under pressure it doesn’t think or problem-solve in meticulous detail; it just reacts to the moment, which is bad for performance. Players need to become comfortable with being uncomfortable, so that they can perform in high states of arousal. A lot of people go through the motions in training and then crumble under pressure in a match situation. You need to recreate the pressure of competition in training. Imagining yourself being involved in a high-pressure situation is an effective way of getting better at this. Staging a practice penalty…

“Uri Geller says he moved the ball. It did move – I have no idea why, but it did” FACT FILE Full name Gary McAllister Date of birth 25/12/1964 Height 6ft 1in Position Midfielder Place of birth Motherwell, Scotland Clubs 1981-85 Motherwell 70 games (8 goals); 1985-90 Leicester City 225 (52); 1990-96 Leeds United 294 (45); 1996-00 Coventry City 140 (26); 2000-02 Liverpool 87 (9); 2002-04 Coventry 60 (12) Clubs managed 2002-03 Coventry; 2008 Leeds; 2011 Aston Villa (caretaker) International 1990-1999 Scotland 59 (5) Playing honours Scottish Division One 1985; Football League First Division 1992; FA Cup 2001; League Cup 2001; UEFA Cup 2001; UEFA Super Cup 2001 Gary McAllister strolls into the hotel bar, looking as if he could play a top-flight game tomorrow. Fit, relaxed, happy and enthusiastic…

Soccermatics David Sumpter (Bloomsbury, £16.99) How much of a football match is won by tactics, and how much by individual brilliance (not to mention defensive ineptitude)? Sumpter’s deconstruction of formations proves why maths and football can’t live without each other. It’s every football nerd’s dream. Best quote “You can dribble like Messi but if your team lacks structure you will never be able to show off your skills.” Losing It Simon Barnes (Bloomsbury, £16.99) Barnes, The Times’ former chief sports writer, explores how he reconnected with sport by co-founding a football team in his twenties and installing himself as its first-choice keeper. As an intriguing personal journey into how sporting failure can inspire people, it’s thought-provoking stuff for all amateur players. Best quote “If sport doesn’t hurt, at some level,…

1 What makes the record nine goals scored by Michel Platini (right) in European Championship finals history even more significant? 2 Name the six players to have played in the Premier League for both Manchester United and Spurs. 3 Who’s won more Scottish Cups: Celtic or Rangers? 4 In which year did Gianluigi Buffon make his professional debut for Parma: 1993, 1995 or 1997? 5 Which is the oldest professional football ground in Spain? 6 Which former Fulham and Portsmouth midfielder scored the opening goal of the 2002 World Cup? 7 Which Football League club play their home games at the Memorial Stadium? 8 Which two teams have been in the most Football League Trophy (currently Johnstone’s Paint Trophy) finals without winning one? 9 Which English team were the first…

Playing for England, I always feel that I’m going to score goals. My record is there for all to see.” Wayne Rooney utters those words with certainty – there isn’t even the merest hint of doubt in his voice. And it really is a record: 109 caps, 51 goals. In the 46 years since Sir Bobby Charlton hammered home his final international goal in the Colombian capital of Bogota, millions have graced England’s football fields. Millions have dreamed of wearing the Three Lions shirt. Millions have dreamed of scoring in it. But only one man has been able to surpass Charlton’s long-elusive tally of 49 goals for England – and that man is sitting in front of FFT, in a studio in Manchester’s Trafford Park. It’s eight months now since…

“Getting two results against the best team in the world, as we did, is a big statement” How does it feel, knowing you’ve helped Wales to qualify for their first ever Euros? We said for a while before this campaign that it was probably our best chance, with at least two teams qualifying per group. We’re a good bunch of players and have picked up some good results. It was a bit strange to be backing ourselves for a change, rather than being underdogs, so hopefully we can do ourselves justice at the tournament. Will no longer being underdogs change how other teams look at Wales? Yeah, I think people will definitely look at us differently. It’s a big statement when you get two results against the best team in…

What has been your over-riding emotion in the build-up to the tournament? There’s obviously excitement, but also a bit of nervousness and fear. But that’s good, because it means you’re in the right frame of mind to prepare. You can’t allow this wave of positivity to detract from the main objective: making sure we perform and give ourselves as much chance as possible to progress from the group. You’ll face Poland, Ukraine and Germany in Group C. What’s your view of the draw? It is a tough one. When I look at the other groups, there are one or two we’d probably have opted to be in rather than the one we got. But we just have to deal with that, and I believe we have played teams of the…

Your debut was in a win over Spain – will Euro 2016 be even more special than that? Without a doubt. The Spain game was a bonus – they were on a run and would win the World Cup and European Championship. I was on loan at Royal Antwerp and still to make my Manchester United debut, so it was a big moment, but this feels bigger. Excitement is building among players and fans. We’ll go not just to be part of it, but to properly compete. What will it mean to you to represent Northern Ireland at a major tournament? I didn’t think it would be possible – none of us did – to be in a major tournament, until a third of the way through the campaign. We’d…

You’ll be 34 by the time Ireland’s first game at Euro 2016 comes around. Does that make you appreciate this tournament more? Yes, probably. If I’m included in the squad it will be my first tournament, and the chance to play for your country in a major tournament doesn’t come around often. Going back 10 years I was playing in the League of Ireland, which was brilliant for me, but playing in the Euros was always a dream of mine. I don’t know why I’ve reached my best form now. Maybe it’s finding the right position, getting game time and more experience. I’m able to cope with the big games now. Playing in the hole in a 4-4-1-1 or a 4-3-1-2 has suited me. What were the most memorable moments…

TARTAN INVASION ENDS IN CROSSBAR CHALLENGE ENGLAND 1-2 SCOTLAND, 1977 “It was the best day of my life,” says Gordon McQueen of Scotland’s win. Unfortunately for the big defender, nobody remembers his towering header that put Scotland 1-0 up, because the game itself was overshadowed by events after it. The pitch-invading Tartan Army, who reportedly made up some 70 per cent of the 100,000-strong Wembley crowd (“We could smell the whisky as we came out of the tunnel,” says McQueen) ripped up the turf and, most memorably, tore down the goalposts. Bay City Rollers lookalike Alex Torrance scaling and then snapping the bar (below) remains an iconic image. ENGLAND PEAK EARLY IRELAND 0-13 ENGLAND, 1882 The Three Lions already had a decade of international experience. The Irish novices didn’t know…

184 Days between Turan signing for Barcelona and making his debut for the club 24.1 Millions of pounds paid by Barça to sign him – a record fee for a Turkish player 22 Age at which Turan was given the captaincy at his first club, Galatasaray 8 Goals he has either scored or assisted in his previous 10 appearances for Turkey Saudi Arabia A top-flight game was briefly halted so goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah could have a pitchside haircut, after the ref decided his Mohawk contravened Sharia law Italy Former Azzurri defender Alessandro ‘Billy’ Costacurta was accidentally kicked in the head while working as a pundit on live TV, as a tactics demonstration went wrong…

Why all the fuss? The neighbours face each other in the group stage at Euro 2016, clashing at the Stade de France on June 16. Germany won when the two countries met at the 2006 World Cup and at Euro 2008, but in qualifying for this tournament Poland recorded their first ever win over them after 18 failed attempts. Reasons for aggro Really? Well, in case you weren’t aware, Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 sparked the beginning of the Second World War, and the countries haven’t exactly been the best of friends ever since. Poland responded after the war’s conclusion by expelling German citizens from their territory. Maddest moment Prior to the Euro 2008 tussle, a Polish newspaper mocked up a photo of national team boss Leo Beenhakker clutching…

“You have the knack of scoring plenty of goals from midfield. What’s your secret?”Ryan Smith, via Twitter “You need to have two things: desire and a good engine. So many of my goals came from sheer desire – wanting to get into the box and put my head where others were afraid to go. It didn’t have to be the perfect cross; if the ball was in the box I’d always do everything to get to it. You have to be really fit as well. You need that engine, so that in the 80th minute when the defender marking you is tiring, you are still running and can go past them and convert a chance. Make sure you have more stamina than them. On the pitch you always need to…

CHAMPIONS Don’t spend the summer basking in your success – set new targets and aim to improve by 10 per cent EXPERT Bill Beswick The sports psychologist worked with Manchester United during Alex Ferguson’s trophy-laden reign. Demand more “Alex Ferguson would let his players know that they had to work extra hard to stay at the very top – you must do the same.” Never stand still “Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes – the best players reinvent themselves. Ask yourself: ‘How can I improve next season?’” Find that little bit extra “Set yourself small, achievable targets. You can always find an extra 10 per cent, even if you have had a great season.” CHECKLIST TO GLORY Identify an area of your game you want to improve List the things…

Boris Johnson didn’t take long to nail his colours to the Brexit mast. In June, voters will decide whether the UK is to remain in the European Union, and the departing Mayor of London announced he was happy to pull up the drawbridge and leave Europe to it. If only an eight-year-old Boris had been at Wembley on January 3, 1973. There, he would have seen Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton, Franz Beckenbauer and plenty of others do more for European unity than any bureaucrat has managed in the ensuing 43 years. To celebrate the UK, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark entering the European Common Market (forerunner to the EU) at the turn of 1973 two days earlier, a friendly was arranged to foster better continental relations, taking place between…

“They’d have the numbers, but I don’t think 100 Christopher Bigginses would beat Real” Hi Rob. We’re doing this interview on April Fools’ Day. Did anyone try to hoodwink you this morning? Would you believe, my dad rang up earlier and asked if I would help to dismantle his snooker table. I thought that was a wind-up, but it wasn’t. It took us most of the day. It’s a massive, bloody heavy thing with slates on it. So no actual pranking? No. I don’t mind a prank, but April Fools’ Day is an amateur day to try one. Me and John Beresford got Alan Shearer with a great Noel Edmonds-style ‘Gotcha’ once. He had claimed that nobody would ever be able to catch him out. Do tell… We went out…

As a long-time reader of your magazine, I am thrilled to say that I finally have the answer to the Spine Line. “Sheffield United, West Brom, West Brom, Wolves, Newcastle, QPR, Cardiff, Blackpool/Crystal Palace, Burnley, Bournemouth” [FFT 263] are the clubs for whom the winners of the FourFourTwo Football League Top 50 have played, with Bournemouth’s Matt Ritchie winning it last season. Unfortunately, as an Aston Villa fan, I will probably have to experience a lot more of the Football League for the next few seasons. Am I right? Alex Hanna, Birmingham You are indeed right, Alex, about the Spine Line and about Villa. Your Trusox are on the way to cheer you up.…

You helped England come from behind to win 3-2 in Germany – how did that feel? It was unbelievable. When Eric Dier scored that header in the last few minutes, it felt like we’d won something. Even though it was a friendly we can take a lot from it, like belief – for the last 20 minutes we outplayed the world champions, away. We’ve got young lads who can be world-class in the future, so playing from an early age and beating the world champions gives us a lot of hope. We hear you’ve been watching clips of Paul Gascoigne at Euro 96 – is that true? I’ve watched clips of him playing against the Netherlands and Scotland, because I like the way he played. He was unbelievable in that…

You’ve been playing for Northern Ireland for 13 years, so how special is it to finally reach a tournament? We’ve been through tough times but it looks like we’ve turned the corner and left all that behind us. There have been times when we’ve been pretty close to a tournament, but we struggled to back up a big win with another in the next game. Our mentality has changed now, though – we’re unbeaten in 10 games, which isn’t like us at all! What was it like being banned, so having to watch the match against Greece that clinched qualification? Pretty nervous – I’m not one for watching games. I couldn’t play because of my red card against Hungary – what I call my seven-second head loss [laughs]. It was…

SWEDEN STOP IBRA, CREATE HISTORY To make the flying start they need in Group E, the Republic of Ireland must do something they’ve never managed before: beat Sweden in a competitive match. Two draws and four defeats since 1949 is a dismal record. And the latest loss, in Dublin three years ago, came courtesy of one Zlatan Ibrahimovic. But supporters of Martin O’Neill’s team believe that, Ibra apart, Sweden are nothing special. As former player and assistant manager Liam Brady recently claimed: “Take Ibrahimovic out of the equation and I don’t see the Swedes as anything to write home about.” In Paris, however, Sweden’s superstar – who scored 11 goals in qualifying – will be hugely motivated to make his mark on the finals. Curb the captain’s influence and Ireland…

What does qualifying mean to you? I was close to tears when Jonny Walters scored the second goal against the Bosnians. You realise what it means to the fans, and that you’re going to represent your country at a major tournament. It was something that I’d always wanted as a kid, and everything fell into place when Jonny scored that goal. You just missed out on the final squad for Euro 2012. Does that make it even more special to be involved this time? Definitely. I never really thought I’d make that squad – my form wasn’t great – but you still have that disappointment of getting the phone call to say you’re not going. The tournament was a bit difficult to watch, as I’d been in and around the…

Unlike Alex Ferguson, Turan didn’t wait for the privacy of the dressing room before lobbing Nike’s finest in a fit of rage. No, he decided to do it in front of an audience of millions while playing for Atletico Madrid against future employers Barcelona last season, hurling his boot over the head of a linesman, and whiskers away from a startled Gianni Infantino lookalike, after the referee stubbornly refused to award a free-kick for a challenge by Dani Alves. Turan’s punishment? A yellow card. Throw the other boot and you’re off. The Turkish midfielder’s Rojiblancos team-mates naturally thought the whole incident was hilarious, presenting him with a specially designed cake in the shape of a football boot when he celebrated his birthday two days later. That’s some swift cake-making. “I…

When Ferencvaros coasted to their first Hungarian title in 12 years, they’d hoped for a bit of a party atmosphere in the next match at their shiny new home. Instead their 23,700-capacity stadium was less than a third full, thanks to a two-year stand-off with the club’s most ardent supporters. The reason? Ferencvaros want to scan their veins when they enter the ground, of course. Fans refused to set foot inside the Groupama Arena, opened in 2014, when plans were unveiled for an innovative new biometric turnstile system. The scanning system identifies each supporter by recording five million data points on the veins in the palm of their hand. It left a lot of fans claiming an infringement of privacy rights, with Ferencvaros’ ultras opting to boycott until further notice.…

We translate that baffling foreign lingo Dauphin de la poule There’s much animal confusion as the French attempt to describe the team who will finish second in a group at Euro 2016. The word for runner-up translates as dolphin, while ‘poule’ means ‘group’ and also ‘hen’, so the group runners-up are the dolphin of the hen. OK then... Colombia Renowned nutter Gerardo Bedoya earned 46 red cards as a player, so what happened in his first match as a coach? He was sent off, of course, after 19 minutes…

MASTERCLASS Dele Alli Spurs and England’s midfield dynamo The 20-year-old prodigy shares his secrets on how to be brave on the ball and express yourself without fear. FITNESS Amir Khan Two-time world champion boxer Unleash your killer instinct and get fighting fit with a little help from the fist-thrower’s summer boot camp. PRO TIPS Tim Cahill Australia’s all-time leading scorer Outlast the opposition and find the net in the final 10 minutes thanks to the ex-Everton hotshot’s sage advice. PSYCHOLOGY Dario Gradi Crewe Alexandra Director of Football The coaching guru explains how to bounce back from a poor season and take the right steps towards success.…

Did you know? Alli’s first touch in professional football was a backheeled pass as a 16-year-old substitute for MK Dons in an FA Cup tie at Cambridge City; he told FFT: “[The manager] told me to go out and express myself, and that’s how I chose to do it” 1 Relish the challenge Have faith in your game “When I made my debut for Spurs and for England I just felt excitement. I’d never played in huge, packed stadiums like that before so I didn’t know what to expect, but as soon as I crossed the white line and the referee blew his whistle, I focused on the game. It’s strange to think all those people are there to watch you play football, but you just have to relax and…

“Hi guys! When FFT got in touch to tell me you wanted some help staying in shape this summer, I just couldn’t wait to share my training secrets. You’re probably wondering: ‘What can a boxer teach a footballer?’ Well, just ask the Bolton players how hard I pushed them at my gym during pre-season. And Mauricio Pochettino has been using boxing to condition his super-fit Spurs players. Harry Kane has been hitting the pads as well as the back of the net. You need to have a great engine for both sports. Fighters duke it out for 12 three-minute rounds. Footballers sprint up and down a pitch for 90 minutes. Both need to be switched on tactically even when they’re getting fatigued. I’ve got a lot…