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RICARDO CARVALHO
“I don’t think Rooney tried to hurt me on purpose in 2006. Once, he stopped me in a match to wish Chelsea luck against Liverpool...”
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MEANWHILE IN…
...Portugal, when AVB said he was rallying around his country ahead of Euro 2020, he meant it very literally
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REGGAE BOYZ 2.0
Jamaica have raided England for a Gold Cup recruitment drive
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WARREN ‘HAVE A NICE DAY’ BARTON
The ex-Magpie berates John Beresford, rues razor blades and explains his favourite Americanisms
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THE ULTIMATE QUIZ
Roll up, roll up for posers on rejected trialists, Football League newbies and curious international call-ups...
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CLERMONT FOOT
Les Lanciers twice had a female boss – now they’re in Ligue 1 for the first time
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STEVE LAMACQ
The legendary radio DJ remembers Bovril in china cups, punk night pals, ballads for awful left-backs... and the time Gordon Strachan put him in hospital
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CRAIOVA vs CRAIOVA
After an ugly divorce, two bitter rivals are set to face off in Romania
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STRANGE BUT TRUE
We asked our Twitter and Facebook followers to tell us their favourite hard-to-believe football facts – here are some of the best
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LEE CLARK
The former Huddersfield manager headed south to Sudan for his latest challenge – the biggest issue has been sunburn...
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50 SHADES OF GAZZA
There will never be another Paul Gascoigne – that bonkers, brilliant, side-splitting soul adored by generations. But perhaps it’s just as well: only one man could have gotten away with so many traffic accidents, shoot ’em ups, avian scraps and more. FourFourTwo celebrates some of the greatest tales of all...
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THE MONSTER WITHIN
He’s already transformed Chelsea into trophy winners, but Thomas Tuchel’s journey towards conquering Europe has been far from plain sailing. Brilliance has often collided with belligerence, to dramatic effect...
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POETRY IN MOTION
The boss who bested Tuchel in his first European outing is a quirky character...
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“FIVE HUNDRED QUID?! THE GAME’S GONE...”
Football’s transfer market has been abused and obliterated worldwide since the late 19th century – but not all of its record movers made too lasting an impression. Amid the high-profile hits were plenty more with some peculiar stories to tell...
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EVER INCREASING RETURNS
The world-record transfer fee has mushroomed 197.99m per cent since the 19th century...
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IT’S GOOD TO BE DIFFERENT
Student, music critic, activist… footballer? Pat Nevin spent the early 1980s trying to define his life by everything other than his exploits on the pitch, leading the Chelsea favourite down some alternative roads featuring knife attacks, The Proclaimers and Saddam Hussein’s secret police
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THE ALTERNATIVE CROWD
Pat Nevin has some company when it comes to footballers with music tastes that lean towards the eclectic…
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BLACK AND WHITE TOON
Striker Callum Wilson was Newcastle’s shining light amid dark times last season, leading from the front even amid injury woes of his own. Goals are already back on his mind, but they’re a sideshow for the real area of celebration
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WE PLAYED IN THE INTE RTOTO... AND ALL WE GOT WAS THIS LOUSY TROPHY
English clubs were among those particularly reluctant to be associated with European football’s ugly cousin in the mid-90s, making for bizarre scenes and grim batterings on a regular basis. But it sure was fun while it lasted – for some of its teams, anyway
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SPURS VS JOSE? THE RELUCTANT WAR FOR THE EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE
UEFA’s bid to spread the love has sprouted a third European competition for 2021-22 and beyond – and it might just present a tasty reunion from the off
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BRONZE FOR GOLD
Too young for London 2012 and denied by politics for Rio 2016, Lucy Bronze is finally heading to her first Olympics this summer as Team GB’s outstanding talent in Tokyo. For the reigning Best FIFA Women’s Player, it’s time to see what all the fuss is about...
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“ANDY MURRAY IS AT THE END OF THE PHONE NOW. AT FIRST, I WAS JUST TRYING TO PLAY IT COOL...”
Manchester City’s Caroline Weir is one of only two Scots in this year’s squad – but her iconic mentor has proved that’s no obstacle to gaining Olympic glory
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TEENAGE FLICKS
In 1946, RAF veteran Peter Adolph came up with an idea for a family-friendly football game to brighten life in post-war Britain. It wasn’t easy – and was often controversial – but 75 years on, Subbuteo’s legacy is assured through pop-punk, Paolo Di Canio and more
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THE EYES HAVE IT
Footballers may have long swapped booze and Mars bars for barbells and speed ladders – though as Trent Alexander-Arnold is showing, the pursuit of perfection is never-ending. Not even planet football’s finest are improving their optics quite like this...
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MARCUS MADDISON
The former Peterborough star has left professional football at 27 to play for eighth-tier Spalding, and tells FFT how he fell out of love with a cruel game
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CASH AND THE LATICS
Wigan fans had every right to hate 2020 more than most, enduring an owner who almost killed their club. It’s taken a year – but the smiles are finally back...
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BEST & WORST IPSWICH TOWN
Rich Woodward, of the Blue Monday podcast, celebrates Weah-like wonders and triumphant arm-wrestles
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BOY’S A BIT SPECIAL
IANIS HAGI RANGERS
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THE UNLIKELY LADS
SERGEI YURAN MILLWALL (1996)
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IAN HOLLOWAY
As clubs prepare to be afflicted by transfer fever, FFT’s columnist regales tales of his greatest hits and misses – and one or two big ’uns who got away. It’s all about trust, time and the powers of persuasion, says ‘Ollie’...
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FRESHER THAN THE AVERAGE COACH
Ex-pro Jamie Clapham is in at Loughborough – but only allowed one promotion
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NEVILLE SOUTHALL “FERGIE WANTED ME TO SIGN FOR MAN UNITED. I TOLD HIM TO F**K OFF AND HUNG UP THE PHONE”
The outspoken Welshman on humble beginnings as a binman, glory days at Everton and telling Sir Alex to do one
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ALEXI LALAS “AT THE OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY IN 1992, I LOOKED UP AND THERE WAS FIDEL CASTRO AND NELSON MANDELA”
America’s brilliantly bearded behemoth recalls starring on home soil at USA 94 and bringing Beckham to MLS
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RACHEL BROWN-FINNIS “COVERED IN MUD, I TRUDGED TO MY DENTIST AND SAID, ‘HI, CAN YOU SORT OUT MY FRONT TEETH?’”
The former England goalkeeper discusses a fascinating career from being an Olympic ball girl to training on an active volcano
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WILFRIED BONY “I WEIGHED EIGHT KILOS AT BIRTH – I’VE ALWAYS BEEN BIG, BUT CZECH MILITARY TRAINING MADE ME A BEAST”
The Ivory Coast powerhouse starred for Swansea before joining Man City, but injuries and malaria took their toll...
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MY PERFECT XI SYLVINHO
The ex-Arsenal, Barça and Brazil left-back compiles a line-up of former colleagues so good, Thierry Henry only earns a spot on the substitutes’ bench
