Harvey Elliott reveals he was close to Real Madrid transfer – “Then Liverpool came in”

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Harvey Elliott reveals he was close to Real Madrid transfer – “Then Liverpool came in”

It is well known that Harvey Elliott was a Liverpool supporter growing up, but the youngster has revealed how he was close to joining Real Madrid before moving to Anfield.

Elliott is living every young Liverpool fan’s dream by playing for his boyhood club.

That dream very nearly didn’t come true, though.

Talking on the We Are Liverpool podcast, Elliott revealed how close he was to joining Real Madrid before signing for the Reds.

“I was close to going to Madrid, and then I think Liverpool came in. As soon as I heard that they came in, that was it,” revealed the 20-year-old.

In 2020, the Athletic reported that the attacking midfielder was given a tour of the Bernabeu and even offered the chance to meet Sergio Ramos as Madrid tried to procure his services.

PARIS, FRANCE - Friday, May 27, 2022: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (R) and Harvey Elliott during a training session at the Stade de France ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final game between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid CF. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Elliott declined the meeting, citing how Ramos’ challenge on Mo Salah had forced the Egyptian off in the 2018 Champions League final.

The Liverpool midfielder went on to explain his decision for changing destination to Merseyside, saying: “My heart was set on it just because, mainly, being a Liverpool fan, all the family.

“It was my dad’s dream to play for Liverpool himself – he didn’t quite make it in that way, my little brother as well.

“My little brother is a massive Liverpool supporter, probably one of the biggest I’ve ever seen in my life.”

There was another reason for turning down Madrid, though.

“Also something that played a big part as well was my brother and sister, moving them abroad,” added Elliott.

He continued: “It’s a new culture, different language, they were such a young age as well to kind of pluck them away from everything.

“For me, it wasn’t that bad because I knew I’d be able to make friends in the team and stuff like that, and to be able to hang around with them.

“Settling in for me wasn’t a problem, it was just about my family.

“I just wanted them to be happy as much as anything. I mean [Liverpool], what a place to be living.”

Elliott has already won the FA Cup and League Cup, as well as being part of the squad to win the Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Premier League title.

The youngster spoke about how much comes to him with with information that he didn’t even know!

Elliott joked: “I’m like ‘where did you get that from?’ and he’s like ‘I don’t know, I heard it from such and such in the players’ lounge’.

“He’s so happy just being in and around the team, seeing the players on a daily basis, coming to training, the games and stuff like that.

2K698YJ Liverpool's Harvey Elliott celebrates their side's second goal of the game scored by team-mate Roberto Firmino (left) during the UEFA Champions League Group A match at the Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow. Picture date: Wednesday October 12, 2022.

“I’ve never seen him so happy in my life. For him to be that happy, for me, it puts a massive smile on [my face] and just brings me a buzz.

“For him to be living the dream as well, essentially, it’s just lovely.”

Things came full circle for Elliott when he played a part in both legs against Madrid as Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League this season.

He will hope to create better memories of the Bernabeu if he is to visit with Liverpool again.

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Chelsea confirm Frank Lampard as interim boss until end of the season as club legend returns to Stamford Bridge

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Chelsea confirm Frank Lampard as interim boss until end of the season as club legend returns to Stamford Bridge
Chelsea FC v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League
Lampard back at Stamford Bridge (Picture: Getty)

Frank Lampard has returned to Chelsea to take over as interim boss until the end of the season.

The club legend is back on familiar territory and will lead his former side while they continue their search for a new permanent head coach following Graham Potter’s sacking on Sunday night.

Co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Frank back to Stamford Bridge. Frank is a Premier League Hall of Famer and a legend at this club.

‘As we continue our thorough and exhaustive process for a permanent head coach, we want to provide the club and our fans with a clear and stable plan for the remainder of the season. We want to give ourselves every chance of success and Frank has all of the characteristics and qualities we need to drive us to the finish line.

‘We have an important game against Wolves on Saturday and then we will turn our attention to our Champions League quarter-final in Madrid next week. We are all going to give Frank our full backing as we aim to get the best possible outcome from all our remaining games.’

Chelsea have held talks with former Spain and Barcelona boss Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann, who parted ways with Bayern Munich last month.

But with Boehly and Eghbali committed to carrying out a thorough process in finding a new long-term option, they have now turned to Lampard to see them through until the end of the season.

West Ham United v Everton FC - Premier League
Lampard was sacked as Everton manager in February (Picture: Getty Images)

Lampard, Chelsea’s all-time top scorer, returned to the club as manager in July 2019 having begun his managerial career at Derby County.

His second spell at Stamford Bridge came to an end in January 2021 however with Thomas Tuchel brought into replace him.

Lampard’s most recent managerial role was at Everton, steering the club away from relegation last season but was relieved of his duties at Goodison Park in January.

The 44-year-old will be in the dugout for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Wolves.

Chelsea are currently languishing in 11th place, 11 points off the top four having been eliminated from the FA Cup at the third round stage.

Their Champions League campaign is still alive however, paired with defending Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

The Blues head to the Spanish capital for the first leg next Wednesday before Carlo Ancelotti’s side come to the capital on 18 April.

MORE : Chelsea close to agreement with Frank Lampard for former manager to return on interim basis

MORE : Danny Murphy shares concern over Chelsea targets Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann

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David Moyes: West Ham Manager Remains Confident Despite Newcastle Defeat

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David Moyes: West Ham Manager Remains Confident Despite Newcastle Defeat

David Moyes, manager of West Ham United, is adamant that he still has the backing of the club’s board despite suffering a 5-1 home defeat to Newcastle United. The result left the Hammers 15th in the Premier League table, only outside of the relegation zone on goal difference. This season has seen 13 Premier League managers lose their jobs, but Moyes is confident that he still has the support of the board. He commented that “they are behind me [the board], but if you lose badly like that as a manager you’re always in danger”.

The majority of West Ham fans had already left London Stadium before the full-time whistle and those who remained booed loudly. Moyes expressed his understanding of the fans’ displeasure, saying “I would have left as well, but the players were working as hard as they could, their effort was fantastic”. Poor defending in the first half saw Callum Wilson head in Newcastle’s opener unmarked from 12 yards and Joelinton break the offside trap to double the lead within 15 minutes. In the second half, individual errors cost West Ham further goals, with Nayef Aguerd and Lukasz Fabianski both responsible for goals before Joelinton added gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time. Moyes commented that “I’m not sure the score is what it should have been, it was down to individual big mistakes”.

West Ham had never lost a game against a non ‘big six’ team at London Stadium by more than a three-goal margin, and the defeat leaves them level on 27 points with Everton, Nottingham Forest and 18th-placed Bournemouth. Despite this, captain Declan Rice has expressed his unwavering support for Moyes, saying “I love working with the manager, so do the players, how he is as a man, he is great with us”. He went on to say that “fans voice their opinions, they want to see results and performances. It is tough, you have to block out the noise, as captain I have to keep the boys on it”.

West Ham will now travel to Fulham for their next Premier League game on Saturday before the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final away to Gent. Despite the heavy defeat to Newcastle, Moyes is confident that he still has the backing of the board and that there is still plenty of spirit and belief among Hammers players that they can avoid relegation.

Curtis Jones explains mystery injury Liverpool staff had “never seen before”

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Curtis Jones explains mystery injury Liverpool staff had “never seen before”

Curtis Jones has been in and – more often than not – out of the Liverpool squad this season, with the midfielder now explaining his ongoing issues.

After starting 40 of his 61 appearances over the previous two seasons, it has been a rough campaign for Jones, with three starts from 13 outings.

He was a surprise inclusion in the lineup to play Chelsea in midweek, bringing his first start for Liverpool since the 2-0 win over Napoli over five months previous.

The 22-year-old has rarely even made the bench, with an initial injury keeping him out until October, after which he has been involved in 18 of a possible 29 matchday squads.

Unlike Fabio Carvalho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who have simply found themselves on the fringes, Jones’ absence is due to a stress response injury that medical staff had “never seen before.”

“A specialist is now on board and I am only allowed to train for four days on the pitch and then I have to have a day off,” he told the Liverpool Echo.

NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 22, 2022: Liverpool's Curtis Jones looks dejected at the final whistle during the FA Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Liverpool FC at the City Ground. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

“So if the day off comes at the same time as the game then I can’t do much.

“The injury is always going to be an ongoing thing but the staff have handled it well.”

Jones has, however, declared himself “back now,” adding that “the enjoyment is back now as well,” though his leg injury has been “kind of just going and coming back again.”

“I think it is just about managing how much I am on the pitch,” he continued.

“But at the same time it is hard because if I never go and train then how can the manager pick me? So, you know, it is hard.”

There, Jones touched upon a key issue when it comes to selection, particularly as Liverpool are struggling for results and are now out of the cup competitions that could have handed him an opportunity.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, January 8, 2023: Liverpool's Curtis Jones during the Premier League 2 Division 1 match between Liverpool FC Under-21's and Tottenham Hotspur FC Under-21's at the Liverpool Academy. (Pic by Jessica Hornby/Propaganda)

It does leave him appearing on the periphery, which has even led to calls for him to depart the club at the end of the season as part of the midfield rebuild.

Ever confident, Jones told the Liverpool Echo that he “couldn’t care” who is being linked with moves to Anfield, as he feels he has the “backing of the staff.”

“If they turn around and say they think I need to leave or go out on loan then you know there are options there that I already know of anyway,” he did add.

The No. 17 insists it is “not something that we have spoken about,” when it comes to his future, and that, when fit, he is prepared to “show I am good enough to come back.”

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Douglas Luiz is not a top-four player and would not improve Arsenal, says Dwight Yorke

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Douglas Luiz is not a top-four player and would not improve Arsenal, says Dwight Yorke
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 04: Douglas Luiz applauds the crowd after the Premier League match between Leicester City and Aston Villa at King Power Stadium on April 04, 2023 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Will Palmer/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Arsenal failed to sign Douglas Luiz last summer (Getty)

Dwight Yorke believes Aston Villa should have ‘taken the money’ for Douglas Luiz following Arsenal’s failed attempts to sign the midfielder.

The Gunners had multiple offers, including a £25 million bid, rejected by Villa in the closing stages of the transfer window last summer.

Arsenal continued their search for a new central midfielder in January but did not reignite their interest in Luiz and instead opted to sign Jorginho in a £12 million deal from Chelsea.

Luiz, meanwhile, ended up signing a new contract with Villa, who demanded £40m from Arsenal last year.

However, Yorke believes the Brazilian is not good enough to improve Arsenal’s midfield.

‘I don’t understand why Aston Villa didn’t take the money for Luiz in the summer, if I were in that position I would have definitely taken the money Arsenal were offering for him,’ Yorke told LegalSportsbooks.com.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 18: Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa celebrates after scoring the team's first goal during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and AFC Bournemouth at Villa Park on March 18, 2023 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Aston Villa were holding out for a £40 million fee for Douglas Luiz (Getty)

‘Luiz does a great job for Villa, but I don’t think he’s a super player to take Arsenal to the next level.

‘To leave a great historical club like Aston Villa, you need to make sure you’re going to make a difference at this even bigger club you’re leaving for.

‘Douglas Luiz is a player I have watched closely at Aston Villa and I’m not quite sure what his strengths are. What does he actually do? He’s very steady in midfield but I don’t understand the hype from the summer when Arsenal nearly signed him.

‘Luiz is not creative enough to sit in the midfield. He plays a crucial role at Villa, but you have to do more to warrant a big move.

‘I don’t think he’s a top four player, but he’s acceptable for Villa.’

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Women’s Finalissima: England vs Brazil at Wembley Stadium in Historic Match

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Women’s Finalissima: England vs Brazil at Wembley Stadium in Historic Match

This Thursday, England have the chance to win another title in front of a sold-out crowd at Wembley Stadium in London. Sarina Wiegman’s side will take on Brazil in the first ever Women’s Finalissima, a match between the European and South American champions. This game offers both teams a chance to test themselves against quality opposition ahead of the Women’s World Cup this July and August in Australia and New Zealand.

The Finalissima is a one-off game between the champions of Europe and South America, although it is not one that happens very often. Last year brought the first Finalissima since 1993, with Argentina’s men’s team beating Italy 3-0 at Wembley. Three Finalissimas have taken place in total – the first was in 1985, with France defeating Uruguay in Paris – but this is the first time it has featured women’s teams.

Brazil qualified as South America’s representatives on 30 July by beating Colombia 1-0 in the final of the Copa America Femenina. The following day, England secured their spot by beating Germany 2-1 after extra time in the Euro 2022 final. Arsenal and Brazil defender Rafaelle Souza said: “It is going to be a special night with all these people here. I feel special to have this opportunity.”

Brazil are coached by legendary Swedish coach Pia Sundhage, who previously coached both Sweden and the United States, winning Olympic gold with the latter in 2008 and 2012 as well as taking them to the 2011 World Cup final. She scored the winning penalty against England as her country won the inaugural European Championship in 1984 at Luton’s Kenilworth Road.

Brazil are missing their most experienced player – 37-year-old football icon Marta, who pulled out with a thigh injury. Several players from Brazil’s Copa America-winning side are also missing through injury – Lorena, Tainara, Angelina and Debinha are absent, but Barcelona striker Geyse Ferreira and Palmeiras’ Bia Zaneratto should offer a goal threat.

Since the summer, England head coach Wiegman has given new players a chance to stake their claim for a World Cup spot. Lauren James, Esme Morgan, Jess Park, Maya le Tissier and Katie Robinson have all been handed their debuts since the summer, while Chloe Kelly, Ella Toone and Alessia Russo have gone from being super subs to firm starters.

England will start the game as favourites at Wembley. Ranked fourth in the world, Wiegman’s side are unbeaten since April 2021, a run of 29 fixtures, and have not suffered defeat under their Dutch coach. This includes victory at Euro 2022 and a win over world champions United States at Wembley last October. Brazil have lost two of their three meetings with England – a 1-0 friendly defeat at Nottingham’s Meadow Lane in October 2018, and a 2-1 SheBelieves Cup loss in the USA in February 2019. Their only victory over the Lionesses did happen on English soil however, a 2-1 friendly win at Middlesbrough in October 2019 – their most recent meeting.

Thursday’s match between England and Brazil is an important one for both teams as they prepare for the Women’s World Cup this summer. England will look to extend their unbeaten run to 30 games, while Brazil will be hoping to prove they can compete with quality opposition despite missing several key players. It promises to be an exciting match at Wembley Stadium with 90,000 people in attendance.

Ex-Liverpool midfielder swaps Qatar for China – his 3rd transfer in 15 months

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Ex-Liverpool midfielder swaps Qatar for China – his 3rd transfer in 15 months

Part of Jurgen Klopp‘s first-ever Liverpool squad and a regular throughout 2015/16, midfielder Joao Carlos Teixeira is now plying his trade in China.

Teixeira had made one appearance for Liverpool prior to Klopp’s appointment in 2015, but went on to play seven times in the German’s first campaign at Anfield.

In total, he was in the matchday squad on 17 occasions, including a place on the bench for the manager’s first game against Tottenham and five starts in the cups.

He left for Porto in 2016, though, and has experienced a nomadic career since, with time in his native Portugal as well as the Netherlands, Qatar and now China.

This week, Teixeira has signed a deal with Shanghai Shenhua that will tie him to the Chinese Super League club until December 2024.

It is his third transfer in the last 15 months and his fourth club in two years, having left Feyenoord for Famalicao last January before joining Qatari side Umm Salal in June.

Teixeira is one of few foreign players in the Shanghai Shenhua squad ahead of the new season – which begins later this month – but the club were once at the forefront of a major influx of international talent in China.

Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba, Tim Cahill, Fredy Guarin, Demba Ba and Obafemi Martins have all played for the club, while more recent acquisitions include Stephan El Shaarawy and Odion Ighalo.

Carlos Tevez was reported to have earned a world-record salary upon his move to Shanghai Shenhua from Boca Juniors in 2016, and returning to Argentina after just 20 appearances he declared his time in China a “vacation.”

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, January 30, 2016: Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp speaks to Joao Carlos Teixeira during the FA Cup 4th Round match against West Ham United at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Teixeira will be hoping for a more productive experience on the pitch in Shanghai, of course, though successive moves to Qatar and China, at 30, suggest that his earnings could be a focus.

In 2016, Liverpool saw a move for namesake Alex Teixeira fail as the Brazilian winger instead joined Jiangsu Suning from Shakhtar Donetsk in a deal worth £38 million, with his salary £185,000 a week after tax.

At the time, Klopp said: “If you are 26 and you get an offer like he got – everybody would think about it!

“There are a few problems less for the next generation of Teixeiras. That’s good news for the whole family.”

Shanghai Shenhua finished 10th in last season’s Chinese Super League, and play at the 72,000-capacity Shanghai Stadium.

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Real Madrid Players Celebrate Day Off After Beating Barcelona in Copa del Rey

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Real Madrid Players Celebrate Day Off After Beating Barcelona in Copa del Rey

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti allowed his players to celebrate their Copa del Rey semi-final victory over Barcelona in style. Los Blancos defeated their El Clasico rivals 4-1 on aggregate, securing their place in the competition’s final in a season that has seen Barca dominate LaLiga. Xavi’s men are currently 12 points ahead of Ancelotti’s side, with Barcelona beating Real Madrid in the league just under three weeks ago. However, sealing another win in the cup proved to be too tall of an order for the Catalan giants, as Los Blancos bounced back from their first-leg 1-0 loss with a 4-0 thumping away at the Nou Camp.

The bond between Ancelotti and his players has been evident for some time, with the Italian coach joining in the celebrations when they won LaLiga last season, even smoking a cigar to honour the victory. Now, that strong relationship has been proven once again, as footage of his post-match speech in the dressing room following their huge win on Wednesday emerged on social media.

“Proud, proud to see a match like this,” Ancelotti is heard saying. “To sit on the bench is something to be proud of, for me and for all of you.” He then sets the Real Madrid stars off laughing as he continued: “Second, I lied to you. It was not a final. This was a lie, it was a semi-final, the final we still have to play.”

But it was with his final remark that led the dressing room to descend into chaos. “And third, listen now, tomorrow is a day off!” he boomed. As a result, Real Madrid stars jumped off their seats to dance around and shout in their rival’s facilities, with Ancelotti joining in the scenes too.

Vinicius Jr opened the scoring for his side at the end of the first half, and Karim Benzema then netted a second-half hat-trick, leaving Barca stunned. Despite their win over the rivals evidently feeling like they’d won the competition already, Real Madrid still have to face Osasuna in the final in May.

Los Blancos will also be looking to advance to the next stage of the Champions League to retain their title, with a clash against managerless Chelsea in the quarter-final first-leg next Wednesday.

Alejandro Garnacho mocks Barcelona AGAIN after humiliating Real Madrid defeat

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Alejandro Garnacho mocks Barcelona AGAIN after humiliating Real Madrid defeat
Alejandro Garnacho mocked Barcelona….again (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Alejandro Garnacho mocked Barcelona….again (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

Manchester United wonderkid Alejandro Garnacho couldn’t resist another dig at Barcelona following the side’s humiliating 4-0 defeat to rivals Real Madrid.

The Catalans went into the second leg of the Copa Del Rey as favourites following a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu.

However, a hat-trick from Karim Benzema and another from Vinicius saw Xavi’s side humiliated at the Camp Nou.

Despite boasting a healthy 12-point lead above Madrid in the table, Barcelona have crashed out of the Champions League at the group stages, the Europa League at the play-off stage and in the cup against their biggest rivals.

Following United’s win against the Spaniards in the Europa League in February, Garnacho become enemy number one with Catalans by copying Pedri’s celebration.

Garnacho was accused of lacking respect by Barcelona star Ronald Araujo, who said the Argentine was being purposely provocative.

The winger was born in Madrid and represented Atletico Madrid until the age of 16, when he joined United in a £300,000 deal.

But the Spain-born ace clearly has an axe to grind against Barcelona as he was quick to mock the Catalans after their defeat.

Responding to Vinicius’ Instagram post who praised Madrid’s comeback, Garnacho wrote: ‘normal’ and followed it up with two laughing emojis.

Garnacho’s response (Picture: Instagram)
Garnacho’s response (Picture: Instagram)

Madrid will face Osasuna in the final following their historic win against Athletic Bilbao.

Garnacho is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, which he sustained during the FA Cup win against Fulham before the international break.

That injury came at a particularly cruel time for the winger, who was set to be called up to Argentina’s national squad.

MORE : Julian Nagelsmann still keen on Chelsea job after Frank Lampard appointed as caretaker manager

MORE : Thomas Frank praises David De Gea and denies Brentford targeted Manchester United goalkeeper

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