Big-spending Shanghai Shenhua have been knocked out of the Asian Champions League before it has even begun after being beaten by Brisbane Roar in a play-off. Manager Gus Poyet, boasting a team led by the world's highest-paid footballer Carlos Tevez, saw his side become the first Chinese Super League team to lose a Champions League play-off in 14 years. Tevez, understood to be earning £615,000 per week in China, could do little as his new team were humbled at home today.
Who's in your team of the season so far? From Hazard to Sanchez, Ibrahimovic to Costa, our reporters reveal their Premier League XIs...
The Premier League is approaching the business end with plenty to play for at the top and bottom. Chelsea lead the league by nine points and are hot favourites to win the title in May. The battle for the other three Champions League places is between five teams - Tottenham, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United. While the bottom six clubs are separated by just two points. We asked Sportsmail's reporters to pick their team of the season made up of the players who have stood out the most. While plenty of players from the top clubs get a look in, the sides at the bottom are not overlooked.
Big-hearted Kompany makes dying City fan's dream come true as he visits 74-year-old at home after emotional family appeal
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany made a dying fan's wishes come true by visiting his Chester home and spending time with his family. Kompany dropped in on 74-year-old supporter David Burns, whose throat cancer has been deemed incurable by doctors. The father-of-five had previously told family members that meeting some of the City squad would be a dream and, after an emotional plea to the club, it became a reality on Tuesday.
The dramatic decline of Mr Bayern Munich: Muller was the star that Van Gaal vowed was undroppable... but after just one goal in Bundesliga this season, does he need to move on?
KIT HOLDEN: The odd bit of tinkering and rotation from Pep Guardiola aside, Muller has been a stalwart of the Bayern starting eleven for the last seven years. His place has been uncontested, his worth never in doubt. Now, for the first time in his illustrious career, that might be beginning to change. For the first time in his career, Thomas Muller is in crisis.
Ibrahimovic lifted the dressing room during low moments this season, reveals Rashford as United stars get ready for next test
Marcus Rashford claims Zlatan Ibrahimovic's mentality has been key to lifting the Manchester United dressing room throughout a tricky campaign. Ibrahimovic (pictured left, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan at today's training session) has been credited with helping United's players through their difficult start to the campaign.
Pogba's quick fix: Manchester United's £89m man shows off his braces as he trains ahead of Watford clash
Paul Pogba was all smiles as Manchester United trained at their AON complex ahead of their clash with Watford on Saturday. And some eagle-eyed supporters were quick to notice something different about the French midfielder's look. And don't worry, it wasn't a tattoo of his personal emoticon.
25 years on from Cantona's debut in English football (at Oldham), here's the bizarre story of how the maverick Frenchman ended up at Leeds... via a trial in an indoor match for Sheffield Wednesday
AMITAI WINEHOUSE: There are few names in football that bring with them as much mystique as Eric Cantona (pictured, centre, ahead of his debut for Leeds at Oldham, left). Rightfully nicknamed ‘Le Roi (The King)’ by Manchester United fans, Cantona changed the club’s fortunes, inspiring a rise under Alex Ferguson that defined the modern era.
Adam Lal-lama! Liverpool fan honours midfield star with bizarre tattoo on his thigh
Fans have always been to go to extreme lengths to support their teams, but one Liverpool fan has gone further than most. While football tattoos to honour your heroes may now be commonplace, few are as spectacular as this one. One Reds supporter in America, it appears, has covered their entire thigh with the face of Anfield star Adam Lallana.
Boxing's most luxurious training camp? Haye prepares for Bellew showdown with workout, basketball and drinks in the jacuzzi on stunning £27m Skyfall yacht in Miami
The 36-year-old, who will be competing in his 32nd professional contest, posted an image of the basketball session with the caption: 'Tough day in camp, shooting hoops on the deck of #skyfallyacht. The yacht is priced online in the region of £27million, with weekly charters costing £240,000 during the winter months.
He once bought THREE cars in ONE day at Spurs and wasted even more money on girls, booze and 'fake friends'... but now Boateng has turned his life around
PETE JENSON: Kevin-Prince Boateng moved to Tottenham from Hertha Berlin 10 years ago this summer. It ended after two seasons and barely 24 appearances. But it didn’t finish him. After admitting he wasted his money on a combination of cars, women, alcohol and 'fake friend', he makes a good case for young professionals needing more help.
Chelsea duo Willian and Kenedy turn on the Samba style as Brazilian pair show off tricks
Sitting nine points clear at the top of the Premier League, Chelsea players could maybe be forgiven for wanting to turn on the style. So it was no surprise to see Willian and Kenedy showing off their skills on the Chelsea Instagram account as they prepared for a photo shoot. The two Brazilians were in confident mood after ahead of their trip to Burnley on Sunday, with the Blues sitting pretty at the top of the table following a grueling double-header against Liverpool and Arsenal.
Terry buries his head in coaching notes as he prepares for life after Chelsea career
Chelsea captain John Terry has offered up a look into his plans for life after football with an insight into his coaching training notes. Terry, 36, is considering coaching among a list of post-playing options and has been studying towards his UEFA licence qualifications. On Wednesday he revealed an image featuring some of his notes, accompanied by the message: 'Always learning'.
'He's ruthless if you cross him': Kane lifts the lid on 'emotional' Spurs boss Pochettino
In Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham have a manager who is respectful to a fault but who can be ruthless if players don't toe the line, according to Harry Kane. Since arriving in 2014, Pochettino has turned Spurs from top-four hopefuls to contenders for the Premier League title and the north London side currently sit second in the table, nine points behind Chelsea after 24 games. 'A lot of the time he's calm, but he's very passionate. If he feels the problem isn't the game but is about our attitude, he'll tell us we need to work harder or play harder,' Kane said.
Argentinian football club produces new shirt with space for 50 sponsors as it chases Guinness World Record
An Argentinian football club has unveiled a new shirt with space for 50 sponsors. That's right, 50. Asociacion Deportiva Centenario (ADC) - from the south west of the South American country - are chasing a place in the record books by upping the logo capacity on their blue and white jerseys by 50 per cent.
Great Britain thrash Portugal in Fed Cup as Watson, Konta and Robson all win
Great Britain got off to a perfect start on the opening day of their Fed Cup Euro/Africa Zone Group I campaign with a 3-0 win over Portugal in Estonia. Under new captain Anne Keothavong, the British squad is aiming to come through a round-robin phase which will also see ties against Latvia and Turkey in a bid to reach a play-off for a place in the World Group II. Heather Watson, the British No 2, breezed through Wednesday's opening rubber against Ines Murta, whose singles ranking is 546, to complete a 6-1 6-1 victory in under an hour.
SIX NATIONS
'If I'd had a gun, I would probably have taken my life. I could see no other way out of depression': Scotland's Six Nations hero Milne on his darkest moments
EXCLUSIVE: Iain Milne was known as The Bear for his battling qualities on the rugby pitch. A hero of Scotland’s Grand Slam-winning team of 1984, he was the imposing bulk on which the forward pack was built. This giant of a man never took a backward step, but now, years after his boots were cast aside, he is facing up to the fight of his life with all the courage he showed on the pitch.
The Great Wenger debate: As Keown and Sutton visit Arsenal's FA Cup opponents, will the boss survive if his side lose?
Their title dream has died, they face a battle for the top four and now Arsenal have to negotiate Sutton United's plastic pitch in the FA Cup. Sportsmail's experts MARTIN KEOWN and CHRIS SUTTON paid a visit to the non-League club's Gander Green Lane ground, where they uncovered the potential pitfalls the Gunners may face a week on Monday and how the tie may decide the future of Arsene Wenger. JAMES RESTALL asked the questions...
STARS OF SPORT
- Brace yourself: Pogba flashes braces during United training session The world record £89million signing seemed to be sporting some new braces
- Miami nice: Haye hangs out on £27m Skyfall yacht as he prepares for Bellew showdown The 36-year-old has been living it up in Miami
- Terry the teacher's pet! Chelsea veteran swats up on training notes as he prepares for life after football Terry posted the picture to his Instagram account
- How did Eric Cantona end up making his debut in England INDOORS for Sheffield Wednesday? AMITAI WINEHOUSE: The story of 'The King' and his English debut
- It's Adam LALLAMA! One Liverpool fan in America has covered their entire thigh with the face of midfielder Adam Lallana... but with an interesting twist
MORE STARS OF SPORT
- Suarez sees red... but goal helps Barcelona to Copa del Rey final Barcelona made it to their fourth straight Spanish Cup final on Tuesday night
- The Principality? I'm just as interested in Pyongyang reveals Te'o Ben Te'o and Jonny May have become fascinated by North Korean politics ahead of the Wales Test
- Millions turn out to salute Brady and Patriots after Super Bowl success The Patriots used 22 of Boston's traditional duck boats for the parade
- Looking for tips, Gareth? Southgate watches England train ahead of Wales clash England football boss watched Eddie Jones and his rugby stars
- Looking for Eric! De Gea welcomes back Bailly after AFCON The Spanish goalkeeper joked that the defender's English had improved on his return
- Kevin-Prince Boateng INTERVIEW: I once bought three cars in a day and wasted money on girls, and alcohol PETE JENSON speaks to the midfielder
- Farewell to the 'fro?! Man Utd midfielder Fellaini hits at major hairstyle change It could be all change for the towering midfielder after his barber trip
- And the Oscar goes to: Ex-Chelsea ace scores on Shanghai debut to fire side into Asian Champions League The Brazilian has hit the ground running
- Kane is still aiming for the title at Tottenham LUKE AUGUSTUS - EXCLUSIVE: He's Tottenham's sharpest shooter and he's ready to go all the way this term
- It's DJ-ibril Cisse! Ex-Liverpool ace retires from football to focus on music career The 35-year-old has his sights set on becoming an international DJ
- Neymar's night out: Barca ace hits the town with girlfriend Bruna Marquezine He is suspended for Barca's cup clash against Atletico
- No Joshing around: Anthony Joshua demonstrates explosive power as he prepares for Klitschko fight British heavyweight means serious business
- No issue between Jesus and Aguero as City stars train The Brazilian scored twice against Swansea at the weekend to continue his great start
- Is this the worst miss ever? Jese manages to hit shot back across open goal The forward, who is on loan from PSG, will want to forget his debut
- Wales stars hit ice baths as they look to get blood pumping before England Test They flew back from Italy and hit the cryotherapy chambers at 2am
- No hand of God! Maradona watches on as Argentina crash out of Davis Cup The Davis Cup champions' reign is over after just three months
- Jesus walks with them! City star mobbed by supporters during stroll in Manchester Gabriel Jesus scored twice against Swansea on Sunday
- Friends reunited: Barca stars Messi and Pique have dinner with old friend Fabregas The trio got together for a bite to eat at the weekend
- Bouchard set for date with a fan after betting on Atlanta Falcons to win Super Bowl Tennis star Bouchard lost a bet backing the Falcons at the Super Bowl
- Pogba splashes out £2.9m on new Cheshire five-bedroom mansion The world's most expensive player has bought a new house in Cheshire
- Courtois' whirlwind weekend of sport! Courtois played for Chelsea against Arsenal, watched basketball in New York and then flew to the Super Bowl
- Neymar joined by Chelsea's Willian as he celebrates 25th birthday with Batman party Barca star celebrates his birthday with a Batman themed party
- Kaka swaps soccer for American Football as Lady Gaga dazzles- five things you missed at Super Bowl LI PETER CARLINE: He saw a historic Pats win
- Van Persie branded 'stupid motherf*****' by Tosic's wife after antics in Fenerbahce's cup win Van Persie was criticised for his controversial antics during victory
- Smashed! Canada kid HITS umpire with ball in frustration to gift Great Britain Davis Cup win Great Britain's Davis Cup first round ended in sensational fashion
- They did it! Aboubakar scores dramatic late winner in AFCON final to sink Egypt Vincent Aboubakar won it for Cameroon to see off the seven-time winners
- Enjoy that, Antonio? Chelsea boss Conte sees loanee Cuadrado score stunner as Juventus beat Inter Juan Cuadrado impressed
- £89m Pogba gets his Twitter emoji printed... on his boots! Paul Pogba showed off his new boots as Manchester United beat Leicester City
- Battle of the bosses! Huddersfield's Wagner in ugly clash with Leeds manager Monk David Wagner apologised for the angry scenes with Garry Monk
- Ronaldo celebrates 32nd birthday Ronaldo's mother took to Instagram to post a photo of herself posing with the Ballon d'Or winner and his son, Cristiano Jnr
- Step Brothers in the stands! Ferrell and Reilly watch Chelsea take Arsenal apart Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly were in attendance at Stamford Bridge
- 'Wenger was the Professor when Arsenal were winning but now he looks like Basil Fawlty!' Sportsmail columnist Jamie Redknapp made the joke
- South Africa vs Sri Lanka ODI halted after swarm of BEES invade the pitch... before a beekeeper armed with honey saves the day Not your usual ODI
- Bolt in electric form as he returns to the track for first race since losing Olympic relay gold medal The Jamaican showed everyone what he can
- HARRY KANE EXCLUSIVE: 'I haven't got a yellow card yet, I'm gonna use it on you...' Spurs man on the threats from defenders that couldn't stop him
- Payet's pain: Ex-West Ham man suffers defeat with Marseille on league debut His first league game back in France didn't go so well
- Ronaldinho back at Barcelona: Brazilian legend handed Nou Camp role' The playmaker has returned to his former club as an ambassador
- Lampard enjoys retirement as he celebrates wife Christine's birthday with his two daughters Called time on his illustrious career
- Chasing Great: How farm life, a fast-food napkin and the 2007 All Blacks' World Cup defeat led to McCaw's bid for perfection New documentary
- City are finally marching to Guardiola's beat... they played like Barcelona in win at West Ham MARTIN KEOWN - INSIGHT
- Ake has been compared to Gullit but he isn't getting carried away: 'I never really had heroes... I play my own game' Exclusive interview
- Ronaldinho is back at Barca... as a club ambassador After nine years away, the Brazilian legend has taken up a role representing the Catalans
- May looks like he's inspired by his bruiser boss! England wing sports black eye of his own as stars train in matchday kit Eddie Jones had shiner
- Hazard expects Tottenham to run out of steam Chelsea star declares Arsenal and Manchester United as his side's biggest title rivals
- Hamilton gets a massage in LA as he unwinds ahead of 2017 Formula One season Running along the Pacific coast in the morning and rub downs in afternoon
- Jamon you whites! Real defender Ramos agrees to swap shirt with fan after win... for a packet of pork Bizarre exchange with fan
- Dubai Tour thrown into controversy as Andriy Grivko is disqualified for PUNCHING race leader Marcel Kittel There was controversy on stage three
- Bamford answers his critics: 'I'm sick of hearing I don't want it enough' IAN LADYMAN: Middlesbrough's new signing is keen on second chances
- Crouch scores 100th Premier League goal against Everton and reproduces the famous robot dance! Lanky frontman doing what he does best
- England rocked by Kruis blow as Saracens lock faces missing Six Nations due to injury Kruis will see a specialist on Thursday to assess knee damage
- Chelsea will miss Ivanovic... the 'animal with a big heart' who had a direct line to Abramovich and won the lot with Blues Regular goalscorer too
- West Ham replace Payet mural with Carroll wondergoal tribute at the London Stadium West Ham stationed security in front of mural during row
- First day at work! Liverpool legend Gerrard begins new chapter as academy coach All action star did media work on Tuesday night
- Mario-no! Balotelli causes a stir on Twitter by eyeing up Italy's female MOTD presenters Nice ace not impressed with deadline day
- Pogba pretends to use his phone while driving to United training as he makes light of recent safety breach Was pictured on phone
- Payet forward: Former West Ham ace gets heroes welcome on Marseille debut Payet completed his £25m move back to France on Monday
- Southampton break transfer record as they splash £17 on Napoli forward Gabbiadini The striker has six caps for Italy and bolsters Claude Puel's options
- Ryan Mason says he's 'lucky to be alive' after suffering fractured skull in clash with Chelsea The Hull midfielder has issued his first statement since leaving hospital
- Federer given hero's welcome as he carries Australian Open trophy on return to Switzerland following remarkable triumph over 18 Grand Slam wins
-
Who's been boxing clever to strike it rich in Las Vegas?The former champion took to social media to post evidence of his big win at the Bellagio
- Ronaldo raises the stakes once more in battle with Wade The latest play in the game of one upmanship sees the Real star taking out drones
- Terry drops retirement hint as he joins Chelsea flight to Liverpool John Terry had some interesting reading material for the short hop to Merseyside
- Juventus steal the show at Serie A awards as Allegri wins Best boss and EIGHT players make Team of the Year The Old Lady sweeps the board
- Manchester United defender Bailly taken off as a precaution after picking up a knock on AFCON return Centre back was taken off as a precaution
- Frampton buys drinks for his travelling fans as he puts on a brave face after losing title to Santa Cruz in Las Vegas First defeat but still a hero
- Federer already targeting Grand Slam No 19 at Wimbledon as Australian Open champion parades around Melbourne King Roger
- Bisping shows off swollen leg after UFC middleweight champion undergoes knee surgery Kept fans updated as to the progress of his recovery
- Joshua flies off to Baltimore with promoter Hearn before travelling to New York for Klitschko press conference Big fight promo
- United midfielder Schweinsteiger takes a stroll for coffee with wife Ivanovic after scoring in FA Cup win Starred for United against Wigan
- Payet completes £25m move from West Ham to Marseille Dimitri Payet has completed his £25million return to former club Marseille
- Guardiola scouts Monaco in draw with PSG alongside Russian TV host Guardiola was also with Mikel Arteta in Paris to watch Monaco
- Van Gerwen keeps up sensational winning streak with third successive Masters title against Anderson Van Gerwen beat Anderson 11-7
- Pogba turns up at Old Trafford looking like Obi-Wan Kenobi Pogba looked as if he was missing a lightsaber as he turned up at Manchester United
- Beckham shows himself to be a decent all round human being EDGE OF THE BOX: The Former England skipper appeared on Desert Island Discs on Radio 4
- Nunes is waiting! Shevchenko seals shot at bantamweight champion in Denver Valentina Shevchenko beat Julianna Pena at UFC Fight Night
TRY OUR SPORT QUIZZES
- FRANK LAMPARD: How well do you know Frank Lampard's career?
- SQUAD SHIRT NUMBERS: Can you remember the first squad numbers these star players wore at the following clubs?
- GOAL CELEBRATIONS: Guess the footballer from a silhouette of his goal celebration
- AFCON 2017 TEAM NICKNAMES: Can you identify the nickames of all 16 sides competing in this year's Africa Cup of Nations?
- PREMIER LEAGUE STADIUMS: Are you able to identify all 20 Premier League stadiums from a single obscure picture?
- CELEBRITY FOOTBALL FANS: Which football team do each of these 20 celebrities support?
- OLD FOOTBALL STRIPS: Can you guess the football team from a shocking old kit of theirs in our entertaining quiz?
- FOOTBALLER HAIRCUTS: Can you identify the footballers from just a picture of their hair?
- FOOTBALLER CAREER PATH: Identify the 20 footballers from a list of every club they played for
- FORMULA ONE: Test your Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg knowledge in our tough quiz before their Formula One title decider
- MANCHESTER UNITED VS ARSENAL RIVALRY: How well do you know the history of Manchester United vs Arsenal?
- PREMIER LEAGUE MASCOTS: See if you can identify all 20 Premier League mascots in our brilliant quiz
- PREMIER LEAGUE SHIRT SPONSORS: How well do you know Premier League shirt sponsors? See if you can identify all 20
- FORGOTTEN PREMIER LEAGUE MANAGERS: Guess the Premier League clubs managed by these 20 men you may have forgotten
- PREMIER LEAGUE BADGES: How well do you know your Premier League badges? See if you can identify all 20 of the zoomed-in images
FOOTBALL NEWS
Suarez scores winner then gets himself sent off and banned for Copa del Rey final as Barcelona edge past Atletico Madrid
PETE JENSON AT THE NOU CAMP: Barcelona made it to their fourth straight Spanish Cup final thanks to a Luis Suarez goal but he will miss the game after being sent off in the dramatic semi-final. Luis Enrique’s side finished with nine men after both Suarez and Sergi Roberto walked. Atletico Madrid also had Yannick Carrasco sent off and were lucky not to lose Filipe Luis too after he scythed down Lionel Messi.
Costa fires timely winner after his agent's row with Ancelotti to send Bayern Munich through to German Cup quarter-finals
A first-half strike from Douglas Costa was enough for defending champion Bayern Munich to edge Wolfsburg at home and scrape into the German Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday. Costa scored with a deflected shot in the 18th minute but Bayern failed to build on its greater possession and was made to suffer late on as Wolfsburg grew in confidence. Yunus Malli should have equalized with less than 10 minutes remaining when Manuel Neuer saved in a one-on-one and the Bayern `keeper was called into action again to deny Daniel Didavi.
Rivaldo's son aiming to follow in father's footsteps as he joins Dinamo Bucharest
His father won the Champions League, the World Cup and the Ballon d'Or during a storied career. The 21-year-old Rivaldinho has a lot to live up to if he is to emulate Brazil and Barcelona legend Rivaldo. But he made his latest steps to achieving his aim on Tuesday as he sealed a return to European football, signing a three-and-a-half year deal at Dinamo Bucharest.
Arsenal target Mbappe scores again as Monaco stretch further clear in Ligue 1
MONTPELLIER 1-2 MONACO: Teen prodigy Kylian Mbappe showed why he has caught Arsene Wenger's eye with a well-taken goal as Monaco overcame determined Montpellier to move six points clear in Ligue 1. With Radamel Falcao left on the bench and restricted to just a 10-minute cameo at the end, Arsenal target Mbappe started. He is the club's youngest scorer, a record he took from Thierry Henry. The comparisons with the Gunners' greatest scorer became even clearer when he put Monaco two up inside 20 minutes with a calm finish after the principality had taken the lead through Kamil Glik minutes earlier.
Lucas spares Areola's blushes with late winner as PSG move three points behind Monaco
PSG 2-1 LILLE: Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Alphonse Areola was the most relieved man in the Parc des Princes as a stoppage-time winner from Lucas spared his blushes in a dramatic victory over Lille. Lille appeared to have earned an unlikely point when a heavy touch from Areola gave Nicolas De Preville an 86th-minute equaliser, but Lucas Moura scored a controversial winner to move the side within three points of Monaco.
Roma keep pressure on Juventus as Dzeko nets two in Fiorentina drubbing
Roma have jumped up to second place in Serie A following victory over rivals Fiorentina in the Italian capital on Tuesday night. Former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko opened the scoring, latching on to an inch-perfect through-ball from Daniele De Rossi to elude the offside trap and pick out the bottom corner. Roma doubled their margin under De Rossi's influence again, the club legend whipping in a free-kick for Federico Fazio to meet with a precision header.
SIX NATIONS LATEST
Keep up with the Jones! Southgate looks to get some tips from unbeaten Eddie as he watches stars train ahead of Wales clash
England began their preparations for Saturday's crunch Six Nations clash with Wales under the watchful eye of Gareth Southgate. The England football manager was at Pennyhill Park to cast his eyes over Eddie Jones' men as they aim to win their second successive Grand Slam. Southgate was appointed England manager on a full time basis at the end of last year and looked to be keen to pick up some tips from Jones, who is unbeaten in his 15 games in charge of the Red Rose since taking charge at the end of 2015.
Wales get the blood pumping ahead of England test with 2am cryotherapy session
It was one of the secret weapons behind Wales' Grand Slam success in 2012, and now the side has returned to the ice torture chambers in a bid to end England's 15-game winning streak on Saturday. Interim head coach Rob Howley and his team flew back from Rome in the early hours of Monday morning after their Six Nations opening weekend win over Italy, and it was a case of off the plane and into the ice saunas for the players.
OTHER SPORTS NEWS
New England Patriots draw millions for Super Bowl LI victory parade as they show off Lombardi Trophy in streets of Boston
The Patriots took to 22 of Boston's traditional duck boats for the parade around the city. As snow turned to rain the fans were pictured 10 deep at the barricades to catch a glimpse of Tom Brady and Co. with the Lombardi Trophy. The Pats die-hards were in a defiant mood with home-made signs mocking NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, whose handling of the Deflategate scandal and the four-game suspension handed to Brady at the start of the season have made him public enemy No 1 in New England.
Cook says ECB let him down over Pietersen sacking in final press conference as captain
Alastair Cook bowed out as England captain claiming he had been let down over the controversial firing of Kevin Pietersen. The man who led England a record-breaking 59 times, chose his final media round as skipper at Lord’s to talk of his regret at the way the maverick superstar was jettisoned in the wake of the 5-0 Ashes thrashing of 2013-14. ‘I do wish it had been done differently,’ said Cook, who is expected to be succeeded next week by Joe Root. ‘I felt it wasn’t handled particularly well by the ECB. I know I was the lightning rod for it, every person thought it was my decision. I felt I bore the brunt of that, unfairly in my opinion.
Sawyers insists athletics comes first despite being one of the favourites to win The Voice
MARTHA KELNER: Jazmin Sawyers is adamant she would prefer an Olympic gold medal to a No 1 album, but perhaps she will not have to choose. Already a European and Commonwealth silver medallist in the long jump, Sawyers is now one of the favourites to win TV singing competition The Voice.