SO, now we know.
The Prime Minister got a private ten-minute audience with the caterwauling American moppet Taylor Swift.
It was at the last of her recent concerts at Wembley Stadium, for which Sir Keir Starmer received free tickets.
Slowly it is all beginning to emerge. It hadn’t been clear previously as to whether or not Starmer was snuck backstage. With his merch ready to be autographed, I s’pose.
We still don’t know if the PM tried to charm Taylor.
Perhaps by outlining his plans to set up an exciting state-owned facilitating body called British Energy which would invest in the harvesting of unicorn tears.
That would have grabbed her attention. She will have been all aquiver.
However, we do know that top Labour politicians and the PM’s then Chief of Staff Sue Gray lobbied the Metropolitan Police in order that taxpayers’ money should be spent on a “VVIP” escort for Swift when she arrived in London.
That kind of thing is usually reserved for members of the Royal Family and Third World dictators.
But having threatened to pull out of her tour if she wasn’t treated in the manner to which she felt accustomed, the Government went to work on her behalf.
And, hey presto, suddenly Sir Keir got his tickets. And indeed ten senior Labour MPs were handed freebies for the gig. Quite why they wanted to go is beyond my imagination. But there’s no accounting for taste, is there?
This is the dimmest Cabinet on record so I suppose it is to be expected.
Whatever way you look at it, though, this is corruption.
OK, it’s not the kind of Russki oligarch-level corruption. It’s low-level corruption, but corruption all the same.
Starmer knows it was wrong because he has paid back the cost of the tickets.
Along with another few thousand quids’ worth of freebies he got, such as tickets to football matches.
He has always insisted that there have been no quid pro quos.
But then we learned that Labour donor Lord Alli had bunged Starmer loads of freebies — such as clothes, spectacles and the loan of a very expensive apartment.
And we also learned that Lord Alli had been given a role which allowed him the free run of No10 Downing Street.
Just a coincidence, then, huh? Do you really expect anybody to believe that? Now we learned what Labour is up to with the civil service.
Since Starmer took office he has appointed 200 cronies to influential positions within the civil service.
That’s two per day for every day he has been in office.
These people were all appointed without the usual civil service interview procedures. Just a case of — yeah, you vote the right way.
Come and help us destroy the British economy on a humongous wage. You just look at the evidence. A row over cronyism in his first weeks in office and then these ludicrous appointments at your expense.
In other words, bunging important jobs to mates.
And then the surreptitious trousering of freebies and dosh.
If you remember, this was one of the big reasons for getting rid of the Tories.
They were seen to be in it for themselves, bunging contracts to mates and partying at our expense.
But Labour has easily outdone them inside just three months.
Someone tell me. What the hell were we all thinking on July 4?
JUDGING from the papers, there are three main complaints about Thomas Tuchel becoming the manager of England.
The first is that he likes a bit of how’s yer father. Bit of a tangled love life, in the past.
Not the sort of behaviour you’d associate with Sir Alf, then. He had sex with his wife once every seven years, through a hole in a piece of wood. Probably.
Anyway, that doesn’t bother me. Then there’s the fact (unlikely Champions League win aside) that he failed at Chelsea. Come on – everybody fails at Chelsea. It’s a club that could suck all the light out of the universe.
The third is that he’s German. For those who think that the England manager should be English, eat a full English every day, prune his roses and trace his lineage back to King Alfred . . . sorry, that ship has sailed. Long ago.
Truth is Tuchel is about as good a manager as it gets. And he has my full and unqualified support.
Until we get stuffed by the Faroe Islands.
THE knives are out for Kemi Badenoch. Her Conservative colleagues are lining up to cause as much harm to her leadership bid as possible.
That’s because they know that when it comes to a vote by the party activists, Badenoch would win by a mile. And so she should. She would hammer Sir Keir Starmer at the despatch box.
And her views would resonate with an enormous number of voters who deserted the party in July.
Stick at it, Kemi – they know you’re on the home straight.
I KNOW that the debate about the rights and wrongs of assisted dying are complex and emotive.
And we all know that when an elderly relative has died after a long, harrowing and painful illness, there is a sadness often tinged with relief.
But it is a step too far for me. Like it or not, it will bring pressure on those chronically ill elderly folk who fear they are a burden. And then there are the suicidal young.
I believe human life is sacred and that is true even if it is a life full of pain.
THE Director-General of the BBC, Tim Davie, has decided to ban referring to TV presenters as “the talent”.
Because it implies that everybody else working on the programmes therefore isn’t the talent.
I get where he’s coming from, sure. But from my days at the BBC I can assure you the word “talent” was only ever used in a satirical manner.
As in: “Aha! Look out, here comes the talent! The great blockheaded smirking oaf.”
Believe me, nobody who worked with some of the presenters we worked with could use the word talent and keep a straight face.
It was used, interchangeably, with “a***hole” and meant the same thing.
SO, it looks like Gary Lineker will be staying at Match Of The Day.
And the Beeb has scrabbled around in its purse and found £400k for Alan Shearer.
I have no problem with either of those decisions. Lineker may know less about politics than a naked mole rat.
But he is a superlative football presenter.
Meanwhile, Shearer, alongside Roy Keane, is the shrewdest pundit of the game.
Long may they continue. And if they could bring back Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson, all the better.
PAUL POGBA has opened up on his relationship relationship with Jose Mourinho.
The midfielder played under the Portuguese manager at Manchester United between 2016 and 2018.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Pogba has claimed that the pair would often fall out but would be quick to make up with each other.
He said: “Our relationship was like boyfriend and girlfriend, we were breaking up and making up all the time.
“It started great, he was one of the reasons I went back to Manchester because I spoke to him and he convinced me to come back.
“I don’t know why it turned into a nightmare and us fighting. Because I wasn’t fighting. I didn’t start the fight.
“We disagreed like managers and players do sometimes. But there’s a lot of respect from me to him.
“f I see him tomorrow it’s a big hug! But one day we will have to sit down together and discuss it.”
Mourinho was the manager who brought Pogba back to Manchester United in 2016.
While they were at the club, they clashed multiple times, including in 2018 when Mourinho was unhappy that Pogba was posting on social media during a match that he missed.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
Mourinho claimed that the World Cup win in 2018 saw Pogba change and return to Man United “different”.
The midfielder had left Old Trafford four years earlier on a free transfer to Juventus.
PAUL POGBA tested positive for elevated levels of DHEA, a hormone that naturally occurs in the adrenal gland, in August 2023.
DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, can be used to naturally boost testosterone production. It does not produce testosterone itself.
It is on the world anti-doping banned substances list and carries a maximum of four years if the athlete took it deliberately to enhance their performance.
DHEA can legally be sold over-the-counter in the US as a dietary product, known as prasterone.
It is also taken as an anti-ageing therapy, and to treat depression and the symptoms of menopause, although there is little evidence to suggest it is effective, and it can cause serious side effects.
In 2022, UFC fighter Bobby Green received a six-month ban after testing positive for a DHEA.
Green said he had not realised that DHEA was banned after seeing a video on YouTube, and took the supplement after his wife bought it from a supermarket.
It was at the Italian side that he established himself as one of the best in Europe.
This prompted the Red Devils to splash £90million to bring him back to the club.
During his time at the club he won the Europa League and EFL Cup as well as making a total of 233 appearances.
Pogba, 31, left the club on a free transfer in 2022 at the expiration of his contract and rejoined Juventus.
His first season back in Italy was hampered by injuries before he was then banned for FOUR YEARS for doping.
However, his suspension reduced to 18-months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport earlier this month after an appeal.
He has insisted that he is not a cheater and that he took responsibility for taking the supplement but did not “triple check it”.
The former France international also revealed which club he would like to play for when he makes his return.
Pogba insisted that he would be keen to rejoin Juventus and even admitted that he would take a pay cut.
Here is a look at Paul Pogba's career so far...
Man United, 2009–2012 & 2016-2022
Juventus, 2012–2016 & 2022-2024
France, 2013-2022
MARTIN Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert (MSE) has revealed how a quick check could help thousands of Brit households get free insulation this winter.
Many households in the UK could be eligible for a range of freebies offered by energy providers and local authorities under a government scheme.
And these could help bring down your energy bills this winter.
The finance guru’s website MoneySavingExpert (MSE) has urged people to check if they qualify for the Great British Insulation Scheme which is open to a further 400,000 households.
The scheme is open to households in council tax bands A-E across England, Wales and Scotland.
You also must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)rating of D or lower.
An EPC rating tells you how energy efficient a building is, with A being the most efficient and G being the most inefficient.
F-rated homes are some of the leakiest homes in the country, meaning the heat produced by gas boilers quickly escapes the building.
They’re also unlikely to have double glazing or insulation.
The incredible scheme offers households free insulation, including loft, roof, cavity wall and other types of insulation – which could cut your annual energy bill by £100s.
Low-income households can also get new boilers and heating controls through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme.
Under the ECO scheme, suppliers have a legal obligation to implement energy-saving measures in your home.
Help is offered on a case-by-case basis, but it can mean having a new boiler fitted, or loft or cavity wall insulation put in, often for free.
You can find more details about the scheme here.
The ECO was first launched in January 2013 and has been extended four times.
Not all energy companies are signed up to the ECO scheme. Here is the list of ones that are:
You only qualify for the ECO under certain circumstances, such as claiming certain benefits and living in private housing.
You also could be eligible if you live in social housing.
Also, just because you are eligible for the ECO scheme, that doesn’t mean you are guaranteed help.
Meanwhile, you may have to fund part of the energy-improving measures in your home.
You can apply by contacting either your local council or energy supplier.
The government recently confirmed fresh funding to help thousands of homes with poor insulation and outdated heating systems are in line for upgrades.
It has boosted the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) by £75million.
The funding will be offered to 42 councils and housing associations across England to help them co-fund installations in up to 8,000 homes.
Under the scheme, council houses will be retrofitted with wall and loft insulation, double glazing, heat pumps, and solar panels.
They will not be limited to one installation and could get their home insulated, have doors and windows upgraded to reduce heat leakage and cut their energy bills.
If eligible, those living in social housing will not need to do anything, as their housing provider will contact them.
Other households will need to check what their local authority has on offer, and they may need to apply for help.
Local authorities will deliver the funding in different ways.
Therefore, you will need to check directly with your council.
Meanwhile, through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, you might be able to get a grant to help with the cost of installing a heat pump.
The grant was first launched in 2022 and was originally worth £5,000 or £6,000, depending on the type of heat pump.
But as heat pumps are typically expensive to purchase and install, costing between £5,000 and £8,000, the government boosted the grant in October to £7,500.
The grant can be used towards both air-source heat pumps and ground-source heat pumps.
Those wishing to install a biomass boiler can also apply for a £5,000 grant.
You must find an MCS-certified installer to claim the grant on your behalf.
MCS is the certification scheme for energy-efficiency product installers.
You can find the nearest ones to you by visiting www.mcscertified.com/find-an-installer, but it is worth shopping for a few quotes.
Once you agree on a price, the installer will apply for the grant and you will then be contacted by Ofgem, the energy regulator, to confirm that the work is being done on your behalf.
You must pay the difference if the pump costs more than the grant.
THERE'S a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have grant schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria varies depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £1,500.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill, and some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
THE NATIONAL Lottery results are in and it’s time to find out who has won a life-changing amount of money tonight (October 16, 2024).
Could tonight’s jackpot of £2million see you handing in your notice, jetting off to the Bahamas or driving a new Porsche off a garage forecourt?
You can find out by checking your ticket against tonight’s numbers below. Good luck!
Tonight’s National Lottery Lotto winning numbers are: 09, 11, 29, 41, 42, 48 and the Bonus Ball is 43.
Tonight’s National Lottery Thunderball winning numbers are: 09, 17, 24, 28, 37 and the Thunderball is 05.
The first National Lottery draw was held on November 19 1994 when seven winners shared a jackpot of £5,874,778.
The largest amount ever to be won by a single ticket holder was £42million, won in 1996.
Gareth Bull, a 49-year-old builder, won £41million in November, 2020 and ended up knocking down his bungalow to make way for a luxury manor house with a pool.
Sue Davies, 64, bought a lottery ticket to celebrate ending five months of shielding during the pandemic — and won £500,000.
Sandra Devine, 36, accidentally won £300k – she intended to buy her usual £100 National Lottery Scratchcard, but came home with a much bigger prize.
The biggest jackpot ever to be up for grabs was £66million in January last year, which was won by two lucky ticket holders.
Another winner, Karl managed to bag £11million aged just 23 in 1996.
The odds of winning the lottery are estimated to be about one in 14million – BUT you’ve got to be in it to win it.
WE know oily fish is good for you but what about the ‘sardine fast’ that’s gone viral?
Mum-of-one Emma Marns, 33, an academic and operations administrator from Hockley, Essex, decided to find out if it could help her shift stubborn pounds . . .
CRAZY as it sounds, I’m about to embark on a “sardine fast”, where I’ll live off the canned, oily fish – and nothing else – for three whole days.
At just 50p a tin, they’re as cheap as chips — but sadly, I won’t be eating chips with them.
My fishy fast came about after I hit 14st 7lb over the summer and decided I simply had to lose weight.
I had tried fad diets in the past, but none worked.
After snacking my way through lockdown, I reached almost 13st, so I embarked on the 1:1 Diet — a restrictive, consultant-led regime of low-calorie shakes, soups and bars.
By the following year, my weight dropped to just over 10st and I went on to have a healthy pregnancy with my daughter Melody, now two.
But after eight months of poor eating during maternity leave, I ended up heavier than ever and weighed more than 14st.
At 5ft 6in, worryingly, my BMI hit 32.9, classing me as obese.
I spent this summer unhappy with my size, hiding under loose harem pants and cavernous cardigans.
Something had to change.
That’s when I spotted Dr Annette Bosworth’s Sardine Fast on YouTube.
It’s had almost 700,000 views, while the hashtag #sardinediet is fast approaching 40,000 searches on TikTok.
As the name suggests, the diet involves eating nothing but tinned sardines (in water or oil) for 72 hours.
There’s no limit on how many you can eat and a 120g tin contains around 220 calories.
And you’re only allowed to drink water, black coffee or tea.
Dr Bosworth promotes healthy ketogenic living — ditching carbs to force the body to burn fat for energy.
Sardines are nutritious and high in iron, vitamin D, protein and calcium. They are also completely lacking in sugar.
The fast claims you can lose up to half a stone in just three days.
I’d never eaten a sardine in my life and the thought of filling my belly with tinned fish didn’t fill me with joy. But I was intrigued.
Plus, I want to be a good role model for my daughter.
As a child of the ’90s, I was bombarded by images of super-skinny catwalk models, while size zero stars like Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham dominated magazine covers.
Despite being chunky in primary school, by the age of 14 I’d lost so much weight from barely eating I was dubbed “Annie Anorexic”.
Now I’m a mum, I want to make healthy choices instead of constantly belittling myself in front of Melody.
Yes, the Sardine Fast is a quick fix, but shedding a few pounds could help keep me motivated on a longer journey to healthier living.
So, three full days of unlimited sardines? Challenge accepted.
STEPPING onto the bathroom scales, I peek sheepishly through my fingers and note my starting weight, 14st 8.5lb.
Shunning my usual steaming bowl of porridge with blueberries, I gingerly pull back the lid on a small 120g tin of Asda’s own-brand sardines in sunflower oil, costing 50p.
It looks like cat food, smells like cat food but, surprisingly, tastes like tuna.
I chase it down with a mug of black coffee, stunned to discover that after just one tin, my appetite is satisfied.
By 1pm I’ve gobbled down three tins of sardines and reached my limit.
As the afternoon wears on, I’m craving a sweet treat — anything to relieve the foul odour creeping up from my stomach in burp form.
By 7pm my hunger pangs convince me to tackle another tin, but I only manage half a portion before the taste and smell makes me gag.
With two long days to go, I wonder what on earth I’ve done.
TOTAL TINS: 3.5
I WAKE up after an incredible night’s sleep, full of the joys of spring (well, autumn).
The last time I felt this alert was before my daughter was born.
I expected to wake up ravenous, but I’m not the least bit hungry.
I optimistically chuck three tins of sardines into my bag to eat at the office, along with some paprika and black pepper — my favourite seasonings — to spice things up.
To my amazement, I actually enjoy my paprika-doused breakfast.
I don’t feel any tummy rumbles until lunchtime, when I cheerily spoon two tins into my mouth with a hearty sprinkling of black pepper.
But by dinner time I can’t face any more sardines.
I’m desperate to crawl into bed, my body lacking the sugar hit from the bourbon biscuits I usually munch in front of the TV.
TOTAL TINS: 3
IT’S the final day — thank goodness.
After a night of broken sleep, I wake up hungry.
Another stomach-churning tin of sardines awaits.
I’m disappointed to wake up so unhappy after yesterday’s surge of joy, but I’ve learned a big lesson – I often overeat and don’t need half of what I put into my body every day.
I manage to do the nursery run, complete a day’s work in the office, come home and do my share of the chores — all on three tins of fish and a couple of litres of water.
I’m also sure my hair and skin look better and that my eyes are brighter.
Is this really the sardines working their magic in just three days?
While I couldn’t face a final tin for dinner, I feel proud of myself for seeing it through.
TOTAL TINS: 3
I STEP gingerly onto the scales and — hallelujah! — I’ve lost 4.25lb.
I’m absolutely thrilled with the result, but after three days of only tinned sardines passing my lips, I wish I’d lost more.
Sharing the news with my husband Bradley, 31, a scrap handler for Environ UK, he’s delighted for me.
He loves my body regardless of what I weigh, but he admires my strength.
Mostly, he’s just glad the smell of sardines has left the house.
The Sardine Fast is hard-going, but I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to curb their snacking habits and lose weight quickly.
If you won’t eat a tin of sardines, you’re not really hungry.
Lesson learned.
TINS CONSUMED: 9.5 (a mix of Asda own brand and John West in olive/sunflower oil)
COST: £9.25
WHILE Emma lost weight on the Sardine Fast, Dr Hana Patel says it’s potentially harmful.
The NHS GP said: “Fish is an important part of a healthy, balanced diet, but the NHS recommends no more than two portions of oily fish per week for girls and women not yet in menopause.
“This is because it contains higher levels of pollutants than other seafood, which can build up in the body and affect a pregnancy.
“The high protein and fat content in sardines makes you feel fuller, but it’s not a healthy way to lose weight.
“Ketosis – which is the aim of this diet – happens when your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose.
“If your body doesn’t have any carbohydrates to burn, it will break down fat instead.
“Ketosis can help with weight loss by reducing appetite.
“It may improve blood sugar control and reduce the risk of heart disease, too.
“But there can be unpleasant effects including dry mouth, thirst, headaches and stomach upset.
“Always consult your doctor before trying a ketogenic diet.
“Relying on one food alone poses serious nutritional and health risks and I would not recommend this sardine-only diet for this reason.”
DARTS ace Luke Littler will be the guest player on the Bullseye reboot.
The World Championship runner-up will join new host Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff and throw for charity on the Christmas special of the revived quiz show.
Excitement surrounding Luke’s surge to the final as a 16-year-old is said to have inspired ITV bosses to consider reviving the show.
Professional darters were regular guests on the original series where they tried to score as many points as possible to bag money for charities chosen by the competing pairs of amateur player plus quizzer.
A TV insider said: “Luke wasn’t even born when Bullseye was on our screens with original host, Jim Bowen.
“But Luke knows this is a plum role to have landed.
“As he steps up to the Bullseye oche he knows he’s following in the footsteps of legends including Eric Bristow and Jocky Wilson who all threw darts on the programme in its 1980s heyday.
“It’s also a coup for the makers of the new Bullseye as Luke is now one of Britain’s best-known players.
“Producers moved swiftly to sign him shortly after the programme was recommissioned by ITV.
“It all adds to the huge sense of excitement for the programme to return.”
Luke, now 17 and from Runcorn, Cheshire, was beaten by Luke Humphries in the world final. Both players have since helped raise the sport’s profile with younger fans.
The Sun exclusively revealed this month that Bullseye was returning with Freddie fronting the show, made by 12 Yard Productions.
The ex-England cricketer and former Top Gear presenter, 46, said at the announcement: “Bullseye was one of my favourite shows as a kid. I can’t quite believe I’ll get to host this.”
A date has yet to be revealed for his festive edition.
It is hoped the show will prove so popular that it could be turned into a full series next year.
The original Bullseye, known for its often-naff prizes, aired on ITV for 15 series from 1981 to 1995.
Host Bowen made it cult viewing with a string of catchphrases although he claimed he never used the most frequently quoted — “Super, smashing, great!”.
From series five in 1985 onwards, the professional who recorded the highest score during the charity segment of the show would be presented with a Bronze Bully trophy — a statuette of the programme’s bull mascot.
Past winners included five-time world champ Bristow, triple world champ John Lowe and “Limestone Cowboy” Bob Anderson.
The pro stars also featured in the animated opening titles of the show travelling in a bus driven by Bully.
It is hoped that if Bullseye is picked up for a full series, Littler, Humphries and other pros will take turns in the fundraising slot.
ENGLAND’S new manager has a ruthless streak that has seen him fall foul of players and club bosses — but it might be just the job for the Three Lions.
Those who know him best admit Thomas Tuchel has not been out to win any popularity contests while fighting his way to the top.
Football writer Carsten Germann told The Sun: “He’s absolutely unhumorous.
“He’s not a coach for the people.
“He’s a football scientist, he puts tactics and results over all.
“But that winning mentality is what England could need.”
Tuchel, the 51-year-old former chief coach at Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain, was caught on video bawling out a young striker — and French superstar Kylian Mbappe said the only German word he learned from him was “scheisse” (s***).
Tuchel, who has followed rival Jurgen Klopp into posts at various club sides, has also been known to bristle if compared to the former Liverpool boss.
Experiences that have shaped him include one seven years ago, while manager of Borussia Dortmund, when he survived a bomb attack on the team bus, with shrapnel striking seats close to him.
And the father-of-two ended his 13-year marriage to an ex-journalist after allegedly beginning an affair with a Brazilian businesswoman 14 years younger than him.
But there are also accounts of him offering warm words of encouragement to stars in one-to-one chats — and paying for his cleaner’s son to receive life saving medical care.
Tuchel was born in the small town of Krumbach in Bavaria, and was coached by dad Rudolf with the local side.
At 15 he was spotted by top-flight German club Augsburg, and he played three times for the national Under-18s.
Yet teammate Heiner Schuh recalled: “He had few friends as he was exacting and demanding.”
Defender Tuchel turned professional at lower league Stuttgart Kickers.
He never drank with others players and is still almost teetotal, often opting for “warm water drinking”.
A series of knee injuries ended his playing career when he was at FC Ulm, aged just 24.
The cartilage damage was considered wear and tear by the insurers, so he did not get a payout.
He said: “I was insured for everything apart from this one lousy condition.”
Tuchel waited tables at the Radio Bar in Stuttgart in 1999.
It helped him become more gregarious and fund his business administration course at university.
A year later he was hired as a youth coach at top side Stuttgart, before moving on to Augsburg’s second team and then Mainz 05.
In a shock move he was promoted from under-19 coach to first team manager in 2009.
YES: says Shaun SHAUN Custis, Head of Sport
YES, it would’ve been ideal if we could have had an Englishman.
But football is not an ideal world and nobody who listened to Thomas Tuchel yesterday could doubt his passion for the job. He loves our football history and he loves the country.
He is our third foreign coach but the first to convince us this is made for him. Sven-Goran Eriksson would have left in a year for Man United had Alex Ferguson not stayed.
Tuchel rejected United this summer still hoping he’d get the England gig. Fabio Capello gave the impression he was doing us a favour.
Tuchel is a top coach and a proven winner whose dream is to deliver us the World Cup. What more could we ask for?
NO: says Harry Redknapp, Ex-Prem manager
I WANTED an Englishman. I’m very patriotic.
All the clubs are owned by foreign owners and they bring a foreign manager in.
With the FA and the money we spend on coaching courses and everything else it’s sad.
Thomas Tuchel lost his job quite quickly at a couple of clubs. It’s not like he’s been a massive success. People say you’ve got to be a great coach for England, (but) you just have to have a bit of common sense.
Pick the best players, make them feel great about themselves, make them feel good about playing for England, let them know we can go and win a trophy, that the team is fantastic.
By Andy Dillon
THOMAS TUCHEL possesses all the ingredients to become a classic England manager.
Tactical nous, drive, energy, experience – a tangled love life.
English football should welcome back the most explosive, dynamic, charismatic and impossibly tall and gangly coach to have lit up the Premier League.
Chelsea’s colourful former boss has been leading a settled life in Munich of late.
Far enough away from ex-wife Sissi but close enough to see his two daughters.
Walking his dog in the streets in the east of Germany’s most fashionable city, residing in the posh Bogenhausen area. Living relatively quietly with his Brazilian girlfriend.
Tuchel is a vastly different personality to the man who led England quietly but assuredly to the brink of World Cups and European Championships.
An excitable nature can make him hard to handle for those seeking calm and who like to impose their way on a manager they view very much as an underling.
Read more on why Tuchel REALLY IS the best man for the England job
Tuchel admitted at the time that the Bundesliga club had been willing to take the risk because it had worked with Klopp in the past.
In the same year he married Sissi, a journalist at the highly respected national newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
She reportedly gave up her career to bring up their two daughters, Emma and Kim.
Sissi, who is very private, was seen by his side celebrating successes on the pitch as unfashionable Mainz twice qualified for the Europa League.
But an amateur cameraman caught Thomas screaming at a young striker Shawn Parker for almost a minute in the dressing room after one game — before telling him: “So go join the under 17s.”
Club executive Christian Heidel wanted his manager to engage with the fans and media more — like the popular Klopp did.
But he regretted starting a conversation saying, “with Kloppo we used to . . .”
In an unauthorised biography titled Rulebreaker, Heidel said: “That’s when Thomas started yelling at me, ‘How dare I?’
“The conversation was over.
“I thought to myself, ‘Whoops, I hit a nerve’.”
He’s very sensitive to criticism
Football writer Carsten Germann
England’s Liverpool players, like Trent Alexander-Arnold, may do well to remember that anecdote.
Indeed, Tuchel’s thin skin could be a problem as England coach — where flak comes with the job.
Carsten, who has interviewed Tuchel, said: “He’s very sensitive to criticism.”
Here is a list of the England stars that have already worked with Thomas Tuchel...
However his undoubted talents led Dortmund to hire him as Klopp’s replacement in 2015.
Two years later he won Germany’s equivalent of the FA Cup and reached the quarter final of the Champions league.
In April that year a controversial 3-2 defeat against Monaco showed how hard it can be to know the truth about Tuchel’s character.
It came after he survived the team bus attack, which left him being viewed by some as a heroic defender of his squad, and by others as a callous villain.
Sports journalist Pit Gottschalk’s book Locker Room Whispers reported he responded to seeing tearful players by saying: “I’m supposed to beat Bayern with these wimps?”
The manager gave a totally different account. He had been angry that his side had been ordered to play the game against Monaco just 24 hours after the bombing.
He said: “We had the feeling we were being treated as if our bus had been hit by a can of beer.”
Bizarrely, it turned out that perpetrator Sergei Wenergold hid homemade devices filled with hydrogen peroxide and a dozen bolts close to the bus in order to make money on the stock exchange.
Shortly before the attack he “bet” that the club’s shares would drop.
In November 2018 Wenergold, 35, was jailed for 14 years.
The fallout from the incident caused a rift with Dortmund’s chief executive and Tuchel was dismissed.
He joined PSG, taking the French side to their first Champions League final.
He’s a football scientist, he puts tactics and results over all
Football writer Carsten Germann
However it was reported that he fell out with star player Mbappe as well as Brazilian sporting director Leonardo, and he lost his job.
Before leaving the French capital, Tuchel heard his cleaner’s son was going to hospital and paid for his care.
In January 2021 he arrived in London, replacing Frank Lampard as Chelsea manager.
Tuchel took them from ninth in the Premier League to fourth, qualifying for the Champions League, but lost in the FA Cup final to Leicester.
Off the field, there were problems with Tuchel’s marriage.
He started a relationship with Brazilian Natalie Guerriero Max, 37, and in 2022 he split from Sissi.
Natalie, who stills lives in London, could be one of the reasons he was keen to take the England job.
An insider said: “Thomas is obsessed with Natalie, but he is still close to his children and is a good father who sees them often.”
Tuchel lead Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021, masterminding victory against Pep Guadiola’s Manchester City.
Yet he was dismissed by the club’s new American owners in September 2022.
An email included in Sissi’s divorce papers suggested that he had been fired for “’off-field reasons” with the players “losing respect for him.”
But the manager remained in demand.
Hired by Munich, he won the league title in his first season before a poor set of results the following year led to yet another departure.
Three Lions fans will be hoping Germany’s loss is England’s gain.
WITH Thomas Tuchel announced as the next England manager, a few forgotten stars might be hopeful of a return to the international set up.
The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager usually uses a 3-4-3 formation.
That could provide an opening for Mason Mount, who’s not been involved in the England set-up since the World Cup in 2022.
The now Manchester United star enjoyed his most successful spell under Tuchel while the pair were at Stamford Bridge.
Tuchel could also offer lifelines to other previously capped players such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Eric Dier.
RLC has excelled since his move to AC Milan and with England struggling to find a partner for Rice, he could be the surprise answer.
Meanwhile, Dier played for Tuchel at Bayern Munich as part of a back-three last season.
The defender did enough to convince the club to make his loan move permanent after he had fallen out of favour at Tottenham.
Click here to see the full England XI who could play under Tuchel.
GARDAI are tonight probing if a missing boy was murdered as far back as 2022 — the last time he was seen before he vanished.
Cops think eight-year-old Kyran Durnin was last spotted in public two years ago.
Investigators in Drogheda, Co Louth today declared a murder inquiry with the missing boy presumed dead.
It follows a six-week-plus probe after Kyran and his mum Dayla Durnin were reported missing from their home in the north-east town by a concerned woman known to them.
Officers were told that both had been seen two days prior to the report being made.
Mum Dayla has been located alive in the UK, but there has been no sign of her son Kyran.
A missing persons appeal for Ms Durnin was stood down today.
Following the missing persons investigation, new information came to light that indicates the last confirmed sighting of Kyran was in 2022.
After extensive inquiries, Gardai have not been able to corroborate any evidence on his whereabouts since or any proof that he is alive.
Although they have yet to find a body, they fear that he has been murdered.
A senior source said: “There has been a huge amount of investigation done so far.
“There is no substantive proof of life in regards to the boy and with the large amount of information gathered by Gardai in Drogheda, it has led to the belief that he was murdered.
“It is an incredibly complex investigation but every effort is being made to find out where the boy is and what happened.”
The Irish Sun also learned that officers here are working with Interpol and UK authorities on the investigation.
Detectives are now trying to establish if the child had stayed at different locations between the time he was last seen alive and the time he was reported missing.
Despite the ongoing murder probe, Gardai have not definitively ruled out the possibility that Kyran could have died accidentally.
The investigation team is working closely with Tusla, the child and family agency, who are fully co-operating.
Another source explained: “This case is very sensitive. Gardai are liaising with a number of agencies and supporting the boy’s family at this very difficult and traumatic time for them.”
Kyran’s grandmother Rhonda Byrne Tyson, who is Dayla’s mum, gave an interview last month to say she last saw her own daughter Dayla on the night of Wednesday, August 28 when she went to bed at 11pm.
She told Drogheda Life: “Dayla left a note on the table saying that she needed to get away for a few days.”
Rhonda explained she had been calling Dayla’s mobile every day but the calls go straight to voicemail.
She added: “I just want to tell Dayla to please get in touch and tell us that she and Kyran are alright. The children and I are worried sick and miss her very much.”
Locals in Drogheda were stunned at the news today.
One local from Dayla’s neighbourhood explained: “Everyone was aware of the missing person appeal. But I just heard on the radio it is a murder investigation now, which is just mad altogether. A young boy, shocking.”
Kyran is described as being 3ft 3in in height, with medium build, brown eyes and brown hair.
In an appeal today, a garda spokeswoman urged: “Gardai are appealing to anyone who has any information in connection with the disappearance of Kyran to contact the Garda station in Drogheda on 041 987 4200.”
