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Chloe Mustaki has not fully accustomed to the reality that in just three days she will walk out on the pitch at sold-out Stadium Australia as a member of the first Republic of Ireland squad to feature in a Women’s World Cup. The 27-year-old’s extraordinary journey to this point has been down a road rife with obstacles, from her cancer diagnosis at the age of 19 to a devastating anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2020 and the lonely Covid-19 lockdown recovery that followed. But when the Republic’s plane touched down in Australia it all began to crystallise for Bristol City defender Mustaki, who hopes she can tune out the noise of over 80,000 majority-home supporters expected to attend her side’s July 20 opener against World Cup co-hosts the Matildas. “I don’t think I have an idea of how insane it is going to be,” she admitted during a training session at Brisbane’s Meakin Park. “I am trying not to think about it too much, trying just to concentrate on the football. At the end of the day, when you walk onto the pitch, everything around you just fades away. “So, if we can just concentrate and focus and stay connected on the game, whoever is playing on that pitch, hopefully we can come out with the result. “It will be surreal, and we won’t really believe it until we see it, because it is something that only (captain) Katie (McCabe) and a few others have experienced and we might never experience it again, that amount of people, so we have to savour it.” Skipper McCabe, who plays her club football with Arsenal, has played big games at major venues like the FA Cup final at Wembley and a Champions League semi-final at the 60,704-seat Emirates, which the Gunners sold out for the first time in May. It will be surreal, and we won’t really believe it until we see it, because it is something that only (captain) Katie (McCabe) and a few others have experienced and we might never experience it again, that amount of people, so we have to savour it Chloe Mustaki Mustaki, on the other hand, reckons the 12,123 who attended the Republic’s World Cup qualifier against Sweden in Gothenburg was the largest crowd to ever watch her play. She was born in Ohio, USA, but spent most of her youth in Cabinteely, and previously captained the Republic’s Under-19 team that reached the semi-finals of the 2014 European Championship in Norway – where she experienced signs of what would turn out to be Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. Mustaki completed treatment in 2015, and has previously spoken about how that experience shifted her perspective and helped her get through the devastating ACL injury she sustained in training five years later. Though she was first called up to Republic’s senior squad that same year, rehabilitating the injury meant it took two more before she finally made her senior international debut against Russia in the 2022 Pinatar Cup. Mustaki took a huge risk last summer, quitting a comfortable job to become a full-time professional footballer when she signed with Bristol City. It paid off when the Robins earned promotion to the Women’s Super League and she signed a new two-year deal in June. That dream fulfilled, another is now on the horizon as Mustaki’s side, ranked number 22 in the world, prepare to face two of FIFA’s top-10 nations in Group B, Australia and Canada alongside Nigeria, with the two best finishers advancing to the knockout stage. She said: “Of course, it is in their home nation, they will have a massive support there and they will have prepared very well for us. It will be a battle but we will be ready for it and we love being the underdogs.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Wimbledon 2023: Women’s history made as men’s game has a changing of the guard From Chris Eubanks to Mirra Andreeva – Wimbledon’s headline makers in 2023 Novak Djokovic defeat the biggest surprise in a Wimbledon full of talking points

Defender Heather Payne says it is back to business as usual for the Republic of Ireland after a dramatic Friday night that saw their behind-closed-doors friendly with Colombia aborted and midfielder Denise O’Sullivan taken to hospital with a suspected shin injury. The World Cup warm-up in Brisbane was abandoned after 20 minutes due to what the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) would later explain in a statement was as a result of it becoming “overly physical”. Initial scans revealed O’Sullivan had not sustained any fractures, with an update expected during Monday afternoon’s training session – just three sleeps away from the Girls in Green’s World Cup debut against Australia on Thursday night. While they will be hoping for more encouraging news about their team-mate, Payne insisted the team have otherwise put the tumultuous events behind them, saying: “It’s a new week as well, and I think everyone is just… our main focus here is the World Cup and we’re all really focused on that game on Thursday. “It’s Monday now, it’s a new week, the game is just a few days away. Honestly, we’re all good. We had a recovery day and a day off and it was nice. We’ve been together for so long now, it’s nearly five weeks, so it’s nice to get out and about and do your own thing. But yeah, I think everyone is just focused on the upcoming game.” Players enjoyed a rest day on Sunday, with some heading to the beach and others meeting koalas at a sanctuary nearby their Brisbane base. The Republic have been handed the intimidating task of opening their maiden World Cup in front of more than 80,000 fans at Sydney’s Stadium Australia, where the majority will be cheering for co-hosts the Matildas, 12 places above Payne’s number 22 side in FIFA’s global rankings. It does not get any easier for the only Group B nation to never have featured in the global showpiece, with Olympic champions Canada – the Republic’s highest-ranked group rivals in seventh – in Perth to follow, then a first-ever meeting with Nigeria in Brisbane to conclude the group stage. In May, 23-year-old Ballinasloe native Payne graduated from the University of Florida, where she played for the Division One Seminoles. She stayed in the States for a month, both to train and close that particular chapter of her career, before joining up with her Republic team-mates. She said: “I was able to enjoy my last time there and take it all in, but since I’ve been home we’ve had camp and then I was able to just kind of fully switch over to this mode. “I think over the past couple of weeks I’ve kind of been focusing on both (the World Cup and next steps) a bit, but now that I’ve gotten here my full focus is on the World Cup. This is a huge, huge tournament and our first, so I just want to be fully focused on that.” At some point soon, Payne will inevitably appear in one of those pen-in-hand promotional photos, wearing the colours of whichever club she chooses to call her next home. For now, however, green is the only shade that matters. Payne added: “Wearing that shirt means everything. I think now more than ever, I think since we see the Irish support and we see that the whole country is behind us, I think it’s meaning quite a lot now more than ever. “It’s absolutely brilliant. I think when we’re out there on Thursday in front of 80,000 people and then knowing everyone at home is also watching, I think we’re all going to be super proud.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live The sporting weekend in pictures England’s Nathan Kimsey falls to Vincent Norrman in playoff in PGA debut ‘The best player to ever don boots’: Lionel Messi unveiled to Inter Miami’s fans

Lionel Messi has been introduced to Inter Miami’s fans during a special event hosted at the MLS club’s DRV Pink Stadium. During the ceremony, which was dubbed The Unveil and broadcast live, the 36-year-old Argentina superstar greeted Inter Miami owner David Beckham with a hug before receiving his pink No 10 jersey. Messi told the crowd: “I want to thank all the people of Miami for their welcome and love since I arrived in this city. “The truth is that I’m very excited and very happy to be here in Miami and to be with you. “I can’t wait to start training and competing. I’m here with the desire I’ve always had to compete, to want to win, and to help the club continue to grow.” The stadium was practically full, despite the event being delayed by poor weather. Beckham said during the broadcast that it made for a “typical Miami welcome for one of the greatest players to ever have played the game”. He added: “The fact that we have our fans in here, celebrating this moment… this is what we have created and we’re very proud of that.” Joining Messi onstage was former Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, whose arrival at Inter Miami was officially announced earlier on Sunday. Busquets, 35, who had spent his entire playing career at the Nou Camp, left Barca at the end of the season and will be reunited with former team-mate Messi, whose own move to Miami was confirmed 24 hours earlier. Speaking during The Unveil event, Inter Miami’s primary owner Jorge Mas called Messi “the best player to ever don boots”. He said: “When David and I first met and we dreamt of what Inter Miami represents, it started off with the freedom to dream. “And we dreamed of not only bringing elite players and the best players but the best player to ever don boots — and his name is Lionel Andres Messi.” Messi revealed last month he had decided to join the Florida side as his contract with Paris St Germain came to an end. With the deal now officially done, Messi is in line to make his debut for his new employers on Friday against Mexico’s Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup. Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi arrives after a season in which he helped his country to World Cup glory in Qatar, as well as PSG to the Ligue 1 title, as in his first campaign with them in 2021-22. That adds to an already huge trophy haul on his CV that features four Champions League successes from his years with Barcelona, for whom he scored a staggering total of 672 goals. Joining Miami sees Messi – who has also netted more than 100 international goals – reunite with boss Gerardo Martino, who he previously worked under with Barca and Argentina. Martino was appointed in June after the club sacked Beckham’s ex-Manchester United team-mate Phil Neville. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Brentford only Premier League club to make top 10 of sustainability report Michael van Gerwen’s World Matchplay defence ended by Brendan Dolan in opener Johnny Sexton free to captain Ireland at World Cup after getting three-match ban

Brentford are the only Premier League team to have made the top 10 in a report assessing the country’s most sustainably-run clubs in the top four professional divisions. The Bees are the sole top-flight representatives among the best performers in the Fair Game Index published on Monday. This Index looks at all 92 clubs who were in the Premier League and the EFL last season, rating the performance of each on a weighted scoring system based on financial sustainability, governance, fan engagement and equality standards. Fair Game, a group of clubs and industry experts which campaigns for football reform, believes clubs’ performance against sustainability criteria should be used to determine how the bulk of the centrally-distributed broadcast revenue is allocated. League Two club AFC Wimbledon finished top in the Index. The Dons scored well across the board, underpinned by a firm commitment to never put the club’s financial status at risk. The club aim to always stay well below UEFA’s recommended wage-to-turnover ratio of 70 per cent, nurture homegrown talent and engage with the local community. Newly promoted League One team Carlisle are second, with Cambridge in third. No club who featured in the Championship last season made the top 10, with fourth-placed Plymouth promoted into the second tier at the end of last season. Brentford finished in 10th overall. Cambridge came top on governance in the Index, Lincoln led the way on equality standards and Exeter were first on fan engagement. Three of the six lowest-ranked clubs in the Index are Championship sides – Cardiff, Middlesbrough and League One play-off winners Sheffield Wednesday, while Premier League side Nottingham Forest had the lowest rating of all. Despite Forest being bottom, Premier League clubs had the highest average Index score – 50.0 – driven primarily by revenue being such a big factor in the financial sustainability, but were the worst performing on average for fan engagement. Championship clubs had the lowest average Index score – 38.1 – with clubs often spending beyond their means to either chase the Premier League dream or avoid the drop-off in income that follows relegation to League One. Fair Game has lobbied the football authorities to make clubs’ sustainability central to how much funding they receive, as the Premier League, EFL and the Football Association continue their talks on a ‘New Deal For Football’. Should they be unable to reach an agreement, the Government has said the new independent regulator for English football (IREF) should have backstop powers to impose a settlement via arbitration. Fair Game, which has consistently called for independent regulation, is also lobbying to ensure any backstop settlement includes consideration of how sustainable clubs are. Currently Fair Game says 12 per cent of the Premier League’s annual television income is distributed to the EFL and the wider pyramid. It says this should increase to 25 per cent, and also favours the introduction of a 10 per cent transfer levy on deals involving top-flight clubs, and deals between top-flight clubs and overseas teams. The fan-led review, published in 2021, called for a levy to be brought in but the proposal was not included in the Government’s white paper on football governance published earlier this year. Fair Game has also launched a tool allowing users to calculate how much clubs would earn based on their Fair Game Index score with the distribution percentages as they are now, and how that would change if the percentage increased and a transfer levy was introduced. Fair Game found 92 per cent of clubs outside the Premier League would be better off under its distribution model than the one currently in operation. Fair Game’s chief executive Niall Couper added: “The Fair Game Index paints a realistic picture of what our game could look like, a future where football chooses to reward well-run clubs. “Fair Game are working hard with communities, experts, football interest groups, fans, clubs and politicians to transform this picture into reality. “For the first time, the building blocks are in place.”

Inter Miami have signed midfielder Sergio Busquets following his departure from Barcelona. Busquets, 35, who had spent his entire playing career at the Nou Camp, left Barca at the end of the season and will be reunited with former team-mate Lionel Messi, whose move to Miami was confirmed 24 hours earlier. Miami said in a statement: “Inter Miami CF announced (on Sunday) that it has signed legendary Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets to a contract running through the 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) season. “The one-time World Cup champion, nine-time LaLiga winner and former FC Barcelona captain, considered to be one of the greatest midfielders of all time, will occupy a Designated Player slot and is expected to join the team in the coming days.” Busquets was a member of Spain’s team which won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championships in 2012 and over 15 seasons with Barca made 721 appearances in all competitions, placing him third on the club’s all-time list. He said: “This is a special and exciting opportunity that I’m very excited to take. I’m looking forward to this next step in my career with Inter Miami. “I was impressed by the club when I came with Barcelona last year and now I’m happy and ready to represent the club myself. I can’t wait to help bring the success that this ambitious club strives for.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Simon Thomas has announced he will succeed Jeff Stelling as host of Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday programme. Former Blue Peter presenter Thomas, 50, had long been reported to be among the contenders for the role, which also included Sky presenters Caroline Barker and Julian Warren. Stelling, 68, announced in April he would be stepping down as anchor of the results show after almost 30 years and bade farewell on the final day of the Premier League season. Thomas said on social media: “Ever since I stepped away from Sky in 2018 to look after Ethan after we lost his mum, rebuilding my career has not always been easy. Sky always said the door would be open for me to come back, but this was never the door I expected to open. “Lots of people have said I have some very big shoes to fill – but I don’t. Jeff Stelling is a one off. An absolute master of his craft. Incomparable. All I can be is myself, and be the best I possibly can.” Thomas’s first wife Gemma died in November 2017 three days after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia. His second wife Derrina Jebb gave birth to their daughter Talitha in October after an emergency caesarean section having developed pre-eclampsia and Thomas later spoke candidly about his experience on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine Show. Thomas added: “This is a huge moment for me and my family and a massive honour to be trusted with such a well-loved and respected program. It also feels incredibly special to be fully coming back to the Sky Sports family, who all those years ago believed in me after leaving Blue Peter. “I also just want to say thank you to my wonderful wife Derrina for always believing in me and my family and friends for always having my back. See you on August 5!” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Harry Maguire has confirmed he is no longer Manchester United captain following talks with manager Erik ten Hag. It was reported earlier this month that Ten Hag was ready to remove Maguire from the role after the England defender’s limited appearances under the Dutchman last season. The central defender made just eight Premier League starts, leading to ongoing speculation over his future at Old Trafford. Maguire wrote on Twitter: “After discussions with the manager today he has informed me he is changing captain. “He outlined his reasons to me and whilst I’m personally extremely disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt. “So I wanted to say a massive thank you to the Manchester United fans for all their brilliant support whilst I’ve been wearing the armband. “Since the day I took on the role, three and half years ago, it’s been a huge privilege to lead Manchester United and one of the proudest moments of my career to date. “It’s one of the greatest honours in club football. I’ve done everything I possibly could to help United be successful – on and off the field. “I will always be grateful to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for first giving me the responsibility and I wish whoever now takes it on every success and they will have my full support. Harry.” In Maguire’s absence from the side last season, Bruno Fernandes was most frequently appointed captain and the Portugal midfielder is expected to be given the permanent role. Maguire has made over 170 appearances for United since being signed from Leicester for £80million in 2019. The England regular has been linked with a move to West Ham in recent days.

Harry Maguire has been dropped as Manchester United captain, the defender announced on Twitter. The 30-year-old defender has been left with an uncertain future at the club, but is under contract until 2025. Maguire arrived from Leicester back in 2019 for £80 million, but has found himself out of the starting XI, with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane as the preferred first choice centre-back pairing. He could be enticed away from Old Trafford, and will want to be a part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024 in Germany next summer. “After discussions with the manager (Erik ten Hag) today he has informed me he is changing captain. He outlined his reasons to me and whilst I’m personally extremely disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt,” Maguire said on Twitter. “So I wanted to say a massive thank you to the Manchester United fans for all their brilliant support whilst I’ve been wearing the armband. “Since the day I took on the role, three and half years ago, it’s been a huge privilege to lead Manchester United and one of the proudest moments of my career to date. It’s one of the greatest honours in club football. I’ve done everything I possibly could to help United be successful - on and off the field. “I will always be grateful to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for first giving me the responsibility and I wish whoever now takes it on every success and they will have my full support.” Read More Football rumours: Manchester United set £50million price tag for Harry Maguire Harry Maguire edges closer to Manchester United exit with four players set for moves David de Gea confirms Manchester United exit with ‘farewell message’ to fans

Harry Kane has “clearly signalled” his decision to leave Tottenham and join Bayern Munich, according to the German club’s honorary president Uli Hoeness. Kane has attracted interest from Bayern amid reports the Bundesliga champions have lodged a formal bid, with Hoeness insisting Spurs will “buckle” over selling the England captain should he “keep to his word” about leaving. “Harry Kane has clearly signalled in all conversations that his decision stands – and if he keeps to his word then we’ll get him, because then Tottenham will have to buckle,” Hoeness told German TV channel Sport1. “Kane wants to play internationally and luckily for us Tottenham will not be active internationally next year. “He now has another opportunity to come to a top club in Europe. “Up to now, the father and the brother have always stood by what they promised. If it stays that way, that’s OK.” Record Tottenham scorer Kane, who turns 30 later this month, is currently in Australia on the club’s pre-season Asia-Pacific tour. Kane wants to play internationally and luckily for us Tottenham will not be active internationally next year Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness On Kane’s future, new Spurs boss Ange Postecoglu said at his first press conference this week: “I haven’t had any assurances and I wouldn’t expect any assurances. “What I know right now is that Harry is part of this squad. He’s a very important part. He’s one of the premier strikers in the world and I want him involved.” Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen reportedly met in London on Thursday, with Kane now in the final year of his Tottenham contract. Hoeness said: “Levy is clever, he doesn’t name a number. First we have to get him to name a number. “Of course he plays for time. I think he’s a savvy, super professional, I appreciate him a lot – but I don’t think there are people on the other side who have been doing it since yesterday.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Kim Clijsters offers Ons Jabeur advice after third grand slam final defeat England not worried about lack of goals ahead of World Cup, says Ella Toone Republic of Ireland defender Louise Quinn confident they can shut down Sam Kerr

England have no concerns about their attacking ability despite failing to score in each of their last two matches, midfielder Ella Toone insists. The Lionesses, fourth in the FIFA world rankings, kick off their World Cup quest on Saturday against Haiti in Brisbane, just over a week after playing out a goalless draw in a behind-closed-doors training fixture with Canada on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. It was the same result as their pre-tournament home send-off against Portugal in Milton Keynes on July 1, but Toone has barely heard the subject raised during team training sessions in Australia. She said: “I don’t think it’s been spoken about as much as other people have. We’ve had a lot of games under Sarina (Wiegman), we’ve had a lot of different goalscorers who have scored so many goals, so I don’t think it’s anything that we’re worried about. “Like I say, we’ve had time off, we’ve come back together, we’re learning how to play with each other again, we’re finding those connections on the pitch and we’re having those chances. “I think I’d be more worried if the chances weren’t coming. It’s now about us putting them away, but I don’t think that’s had a massive effect on us. I don’t think that we’re dwelling on that. “We’re very confident and we know we’ve got a lot of goalscorers in the group as well, so we’re definitely creating those chances. It’s now about making sure we put them in the back of the net.” Friday’s match-up against seventh-ranked Canada was not for official records and not a formal fixture. Almost all of Wiegman’s 23-woman squad saw some action, save goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck and forward Bethany England. The decision not to play England, who was in Wiegman’s European Championship-winning squad but did not see any game time – started the social media rumour mill swirling, but the Tottenham striker appeared to be in good health as she fully trained with the squad on Saturday. A total of 19 Lionesses were out on the pitch at the Sunshine Coast Stadium session, while Millie Bright, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Lauren James, Rachel Daly, Esme Morgan and Keira Walsh had a recovery day. On Monday the team will swap seaside for city when they move into their Brisbane hotel ahead of their meeting with Haiti, who sit 53rd in the world rankings. It seems Toone, who scored the first of England’s two goals in the 2-1 Euro 2022 final, will be especially sorry to say goodbye to the Sunshine Coast after a personally transformative time here. I've actually started reading so that's nice. I'm reading Jamie Vardy's autobiography at the minute Ella Toone She added: “I’ve been doing amazing things in Australia. I’ve really found myself here. I never normally wake up early, I’m a proper sleeper. “But I woke up early the other day – six o’clock – I went and saw the sunrise. I absolutely love walking along the beach. And the other day I went into the sea as well. Luckily the girls got me some goggles as I can’t go in with my eyelashes (on). “I was under the waves every single day and I thought, ‘Wow, this is me’. Going in the sea has definitely, really made me a changed woman. It’s got me trying different things. “I always say (I’d do) it, but I’ve actually started reading so that’s nice. I’m reading Jamie Vardy’s autobiography at the minute. I don’t actually read novels, just autobiographies and they’ve got a few pictures in, so that helps!”

Republic of Ireland defender Louise Quinn is confident the Girls in Green have a plan in place to shut down prolific Australia striker Sam Kerr when they face the hosts in their World Cup opener. Quinn’s side, after all, have done it before, spoiling the Chelsea forward’s 100th appearance for the Matildas with a 3-2 victory when they met for the first time in history at Tallaght Stadium in September 2021. Dublin native Quinn powered in a second-half header to break the deadlock and memorably hand the Republic their biggest win over a higher-ranked opponent in over two decades. “It’s rare but I felt like I got one up on her with the Irish team in Tallaght and that is something that I will carry forward with me,” said Quinn, speaking during a team training session at Brisbane’s Meakin Park. “But she’s very impressive, she’s very strong, easily one of the best strikers in the world now. For me, you concentrate on the whole thing but I definitely have an individual battle on my hands that is essentially what I want. “What I want to so is to not let her score essentially. Keep her out of the game. She really creates moments out of nothing but it has to be 100 per cent for the 90 minutes. “Yeah, she runs off the back shoulders a lot. She is so nippy that she can come around the front and come off your blindside and make runs in behind. I can’t wait for the challenge to be honest, this is what you play for, to play against the very best in the world. And she is one of the best. “We’ve proved before against Australia that we can put something up against her and she was on the pitch that day and had her chances.” Matildas captain Kerr, Australia’s top goal-scorer of either gender with 63 from 121 caps, was named the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Women’s Footballer of the Year for a second straight season after a 2022/23 campaign that saw her score 17 goals and pick up six assists across the Women’s Super League and Champions League. She was largely shut down at Tallaght, where Mary Fowler netted two to keep Australia in a game Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson would later tell media he felt was “some kind of record” for the number of technical mistakes he observed in his side. They will have to do better to impress the 80,000-plus crowd who have sold out Sydney’s Stadium Australia on Thursday night, the second contest on a two-match opening day beginning with co-hosts New Zealand’s meeting with Norway in Auckland. Sunday was a recovery day for the Republic, who are hoping midfielder Denise O’Sullivan will be fit in time for the biggest day in team history after she was injured in their aborted friendly with Colombia. An initial X-ray and CT scan encouragingly showed no fracture to O’Sullivan’s shin, and she will be assessed again on Monday afternoon. Quinn’s name will forever go down in history as one of 23 selected to represent her country in their first World Cup. It is an astonishing accomplishment that has struck her sharply and sporadically, often when she has least expected it. She said: “I had a really random one after the Zambia game and we had a weekend off. “I was just chatting to my girlfriend about something, and I was saying ‘I’ll do that after I get back from the World Cup.’ And I actually stopped for a second and realised that yes, I am going to a World Cup. “And I had to stop for a moment. I got emotional. Because we’ve been talking about this all along but now it’s really confirmed. It hit me. We were just getting the dinner ready and chatting, ‘We’ll do this after the World Cup. It was really bizarre, a really emotional moment and I didn’t think that was going to happen.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live On this day in 2016: N’Golo Kante swaps Leicester for Chelsea Carlos Alcaraz out to end Novak Djokovic’s reign in Wimbledon final for the ages Somerset’s Lewis Gregory relieved to shed ‘nearly men’ tag after Blast title win

France midfielder N’Golo Kante joined Chelsea from Premier League champions Leicester for a reported £32million, on this day in 2016. Kante’s only season with the Foxes, following his arrival from Caen the previous summer, saw him play a pivotal role in their title-winning campaign. He was offered a bumper new contract at the King Power Stadium but opted to leave for Chelsea. “Despite the offer of a substantially-improved, long-term contract, it became apparent that N’Golo’s wish was to join Chelsea,” said a Leicester statement. Kante cited the opportunity to work under then-Blues boss Antonio Conte as a major reason for moving to Stamford Bridge. “I am so happy to have signed for one of the biggest clubs in Europe. It’s adream come true for me,” he said. “The opportunity to work with a brilliant coach and some of the best players in the world was simply too good to turn down.” Chelsea won the Premier League during Kante’s first season in London as the now 32-year-old became the first player since Eric Cantona in 1993 to win back-to-back top-flight titles in England with two clubs. Kante also won the FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League before leaving Stamford Bridge this summer for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live