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The Premier League fixtures for the 2023/24 campaign are released this morning, just a few short weeks after the culmination of last term - and indeed while the last internationals are still ongoing. It’s always a day on the calendar to mark up and begin looking forward to the start of the new season, even though that date remains two months away yet. The usual weekends football fans quickly mark out - aside from the opening round of fixtures, of course - are the Boxing Day games, when they face their fiercest rivals and who they play across the season run-in and on the final day of the season. All those and more will be revealed at precisely 9am BST. Follow below on our live blog for the full fixture list.

What the papers say Manchester United have ended their interest in signing Harry Kane from Tottenham, The Guardian reports. The Spurs’ asking price for the 29-year-old was unrealistic, the Red Devils felt, despite Erik ten Hag making the England striker his primary summer target. Also in the Guardian is talk that Arsenal have emerged as strong contenders to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea. The 24-year-old has also been identified as a target for Real Madrid. The forward’s contract expires in 2025 but he has told the club of his desire to leave this summer. Newcastle United are pushing hard to complete a deal to sign Inter Milan’s midfielder Nicolo Barella in a deal thought to be worth around £50 million, the Daily Telegraph says. The 26-year-old and Leicester City’s James Maddison are the Magpies’ two main targets. And the Mail writes that Manchester City will resist loan offers for midfielder James McAtee as Pep Guardiola wants him to be part of his treble-winning squad next season. The 20-year-old has been earmarked for the club’s senior side. Social media round-up Players to watch Dusan Vlahovic: Gazzetta dello Sport reports via Football Italia that Juventus want at least 80m euros (£68m) for the 23-year-old but Chelsea have told the Italians they can pick between five players in a swap deal for the Serbia striker. Kalidou Koulibaly: Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport says the 31-year-old Chelsea defender is also wanted by Inter Milan.

For a decade, Baohaus was one of the best-known restaurants for Taiwanese fare in New York City. According to Eater, the restaurant “helped lay the cultural and culinary groundwork for an ambitious class of modern Taiwanese spots” in the city. It also catapulted founder Eddie Huang to fame as his culinary expertise was thrusted into the spotlight with shows on the Cooking Channel (Cheap Bites), Viceland (Huang’s World) and MTV (Snack Off). He first opened Baohaus on the Lower East Side of Lower Manhatten in 2009, before relocating it to a bigger venue in the East Village. During the 10 years he ran Baohaus, Huang also wrote his memoir Fresh Off The Boat, which led to the TV series of the same name, starring Randall Park and Constance Wu. But in 2020, around seven months into the coronavirus pandemic, Huang announced that Baohaus would be no more. At the time, he wrote in an Instagram post: “I opened this restaurant to tell my family’s story through food at a time when no one was giving Asian Americans a chance in TV, film, books or media generally.” Since then, however, things have changed drastically for the diaspora; this year, the celebrated Asian-led cast of Everything Everywhere All At Once clinched seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Michelle Yeoh) and Best Director (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Sheinert). Now, Huang is casting his eye back to Baohaus, but this time he’s bringing it across the pond and into London. His three-month residency at Neighbourhood in Islington – which previously held “ramen junkie” Ivan Orkin’s Ivan Mazemen residency – will dominate this summer with his signature Taiwanese baos, fried chicken and noodle dishes, bringing a bowl of the Big Apple to the Great Smog. I sat down with Huang over a steaming, fragrant bowl of Taiwanese mince pork stew and rice to talk about what Baohaus’ legacy in New York was, its future in London, and what it means to have a vision. How did it feel when you closed Baohaus in NYC? I always loved having Baohaus. I never intended to close it, but the pandemic hit and I went to Taiwan to be safe, but our landlord kept on charging rent in New York. I just didn’t see an end to it. I’ve been wanting to reopen for a while but when I got home, I had to immediately get to work promoting Boogie. It was kind of bittersweet, but I try to think about everything from a more existential perspective. To have owned a restaurant for 10 years in New York while writing a memoir and doing all these shows, and then directing my first film… I just felt an immense sense of accomplishment and I felt like it was really a part of the fabric of downtown New York. So many people had come through those walls and it meant so much to me, so I was just really proud even though it was closing. It forced me to look back on everything and I had a sense of gratitude and pride, and I wasn’t angry at all. I think I was sad that it was closing, but thankful to the universe for the time that I did get. Baohaus left a legacy for Taiwanese food in New York that spread across the rest of the Western world. How does it make you feel? Even when I go back to Taiwan, people will say, ‘Yo, that’s the pork bun kid’. That’s my name back home. I’m very, very grateful that I made a lot of people happy and Taiwanese people were proud of it, and that New Yorkers were proud of it and loved it. But now, starting it back up in London is just par for the course for me. I’ve never lived in one place. Born in DC, grew up in Orlando, made New York my home. I would say I identified with New York more than anywhere else. I got dragged to LA for my work and then now I got dragged out to London to open Baohaus, so this [Neighbourhood] is now the new home base for the next three months. But the idea is to then start to look at brick and mortar spaces in London and hopefully make it more permanent. What makes Bao Haus stand out? There’s a lot of Taiwanese cooking in London now. What really defines my cooking is there is a straight line between my grandma, my mother, and myself. There are very, very small things I do to adapt it up for my taste or modern tastes, but it’s not adding trendy ingredients or smashing things together. For example, this mince pork stew is how my grandma and my mum would make it. The only thing I pay more attention to is knife skills and the exact cut of the pork belly mixed in with the ground meat. It’s the same with the Chairman Bao, it’s exactly like the baos you get in Taiwan except that I red-cook my pork instead of brown braising. So I stay within the Taiwanese pantry, but I really work on the technique. I read that you don’t really like being called a chef. What don’t you like about that chef territory? The thing is, I definitely think cooking is an art, right? Even the guy selling a dollar bowl of rice is just as artistic to me as somebody doing a tasting menu. But I feel like every generation has these chefs whose food always has to be about them. It’s less about culture and community, and more about, ‘Check out my new idea, my new thing’ and none of it ever has staying power. I get disappointed going to a lot of young chef restaurants because they’re working their s*** out and they want you to pay for their food because they feel they’re being creative. Like, ‘Because we were being creative, you should f***ing pay us and buy our food’. And I’m like, well, this just doesn’t taste f***ing good. If you’re going to charge people this, s*** should be good. There’s a lot of ego. A lot of people didn’t set out to be chefs, they say, ‘I was in fashion or I was in music, or I was a director and I busted out and ended up in food’. People see food as a place they can be all artistic and they think they can creative-direct a restaurant, but this s*** is a lot harder than you think. You can have a cool brand and a great vibe, but to keep people coming back for 10 years, your food’s gotta be really good and be a good deal for your customers. Everything is exciting when it’s new, but does it stand the test of time? Do you keep thinking about it the next day? Are you a perfectionist? Here’s an example: chips. We were known for our taro fries in New York. I did taro fries because you can get French fries anywhere, and they go great with our food, but I wanted to do something different. So I would brine the taro, black it and then double fry it, and they were some of the best fries I’ve ever had and people went nuts for them. But it’s much harder to source taro here in London, because I want the whole fresh taro, not frozen. It was proposed that we do French fries, but they were bringing in frozen ones. But I didn’t want anything like that on our menu that isn’t the best version of it. I guarantee you everything on our menu is the best version you can get here in London. No one’s going to touch my bao. I know there’s another place here, BAO. I’m not even going to eat there. I know mine’s better. I will not try it. I will not. So, back to the fries, I said those fries aren’t going on my menu because they’re not the best fries. So now we’re sourcing all kinds of potatoes. Certain restaurants like St John’s only have chips seasonally when the potato is consistent, and I like that. I like when people are like, when it’s good, it’s good, and I will serve it to you then, and when it’s not good, I’m not going to serve it to you. That philosophy needs to be adopted by more. You don’t have to serve everything, you don’t have to do everything. You don’t have to be the most clever. Just be the best version of you and do what you do best. You know, I got a dozen madeleines from St Johns and I smuggled them all the way back to LA. My wife was like, ‘Dude, are these going to be good?’ After my flight and then another day in between, I heated them up and they were phenomenal. I gave some to my dogs – my dogs got to eat St Johns madeleines! They went crazy. You used to host a TV contest show called Snack, where people got random ingredients and had to make something with it. What’s the best thing you made with random ingredients? I invented the Cheeto fried chicken. It happened when I was really high one night. I didn’t have any bread crumbs, so I crushed up Cheetos in a bag, then coated the chicken and fried it. This s*** is crazy. It was a lot of fun but I spent a lot of time on it and then I found the right Cheetos, the right cheese dust, and I think we really perfected the dish. We only offered it once a year on 4/20 at Baohaus, it became a tradition. So if we have a brick and mortar space in London, I would absolutely bring the Cheeto fried chicken bao back only on 4/20. You’ve worn a lot of hats in your lifetime, restaurant owner, chef, author, director, fashion designer. How do you feel about hustle culture? Everything right now is based on the image and identity that you’re selling. Who are my friends? How do I dress? How am I curating my life? What starter pack do I fit into? I get it – I definitely think it’s important to work extremely hard because it’s hard to make money right now. The income inequality gap is insane and my solution to that is to acquire a skill and just refine it. If you have a tangible skill, you’re already ahead of most people in your generation because most people have knowledge and contacts and willingness, but do they have an actual skill? For example, the idea of a creative director is just so funny. What’s the skill? There’s very few creative directors who are skilled and honour the craft, but being a creative director is not just knowing a few really good photographers and good graphic designers and telling them what to do. You’re telling a story, you’re directing the creative. Do you have the vision? It’s not just the mood board, they need to take it seriously. Read More ‘Ramen junkie’ Ivan Orkin on mazemen, MSG and the resilience of the human spirit BBQ salad recipes without a soggy lettuce leaf in sight Grace Dent’s quick and easy recipes that only require the microwave How to shop for and cook Japanese food at home like a pro

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield still holds a grudge against a member of the Georgia team that beat Oklahoma in the 2018 Rose Bowl.The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are navigating their first season without Tom Brady as their quarterback because he retired after the 2022 campaign. This of...

Championship clubs’ spending on wages exceeded revenue for a fifth successive season in 2021-22, according to a new report. Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance found second-tier teams’ combined wages-to-revenue ratio was an astonishing 108 per cent, as clubs continued to chase the dream of reaching the Premier League. Nottingham Forest, who ultimately succeeded in reaching the top flight at the end of the 2021-22 season via the play-offs, spent almost 200 per cent more on wages than they earned in revenue – £58.6million compared to £29.3m – in their promotion year, according to figures in the Deloitte report. Championship clubs’ total revenue was up 13 per cent in 2021-22 compared to the season before, reaching £676million. However, while wage costs fell for a second consecutive year, they remained higher than revenue for the fifth season in a row. Tim Bridge, lead partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said: “The glamour of Premier League promotion is spearheading the continual drive for investment in Championship clubs, often in an unsustainable manner, driving some clubs to overstretch financially. “It is critical that long-term decisions are now made by clubs’ owners and, with the introduction of the independent regulator, focus will turn to improving the distribution mechanism of revenues between the leagues and clubs. “This must be accompanied by appropriate governance and financial controls to ensure that any proposed solution is suitable and sustainable.” EFL chairman Rick Parry believes the disparity in revenue between the Premier League and the Championship has created a “cliff edge” between the leagues, and argues parachute payments are also fuelling inequality within the Championship. Deloitte’s report underlines the value to clubs of reaching the Premier League. Relative to the 2022-23 season, it says revenue from broadcasters is expected to provide a minimum uplift of more than £90m for Luton, approximately £84m for Sheffield United and £54m for Burnley, with both of those two clubs in receipt of parachute payments whilst participating in the Championship. The report said that should a club suffer immediate relegation, assuming they are not in receipt of parachute payments at that point, under existing arrangements the parachute payments from the Premier League will continue to provide an uplift over the following two seasons of at least £80m. For a Championship club not otherwise in receipt of parachute payments, the value of promotion will be at least £170m across the next three seasons and, if a club survives their first season in the Premier League, they will be entitled to three seasons of parachute payments and the incremental revenue will be over £290m across five years. Discussions over a new financial settlement between the two leagues are ongoing. The Government said in its White Paper on football governance that a new regulator will be given backstop powers to impose a settlement if one cannot be agreed, but it is unlikely the regulator will be up and running until 2024-25 at the earliest. Parry accepts that reform of the distribution package has to go hand in hand with cost control measures, which are also part of the ongoing ‘New Deal For Football’ talks between the EFL, the Premier League and the Football Association. What we really want to see in the English game is a variety and diversity of clubs coming through the league at different points in time Tim Bridge, lead partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group Bridge believes it is vital for the leagues to see the common ground they share to resolve the dispute on distribution. “The point I would make is that the longevity of the Premier League and the ability for clubs to move up and down between the Premier League and the Championship and to achieve variety in those clubs is a good thing for the overall brand and the marketing position of English football,” he said. “Part of the beauty of the Premier League is always that any team can beat any other team. And so at any one point in time, what we really want to see in the English game is a variety and diversity of clubs coming through the league at different points in time, bringing new storylines, bringing new faces to the league because frankly that keeps it fresh.” Wage spending in the Premier League in 2021-22 grew by £192m compared to the previous season, but this was outpaced by a £586m increase in revenue, meaning the top flight’s wages-to-revenue ratio fell for the second consecutive season from 71 per cent to 67 per cent. That is still a significantly higher ratio than the average of the three seasons pre-pandemic up to 2018-19 – 58 per cent. Across Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues as a whole however, revenue growth was outpaced by wages, which stood at 12.3 billion euros (£10.5bn). This comes at a time when the continent’s football governing body UEFA has introduced new financial sustainability regulations, including a cost control rule which by 2025-26 will limit a club’s spending on wages, transfer fees and other player and coach costs at 70 per cent of turnover. UEFA could go even further in the future, with president Aleksander Ceferin raising the possibility of a Europe-wide salary cap in an interview in April.

Substitute Bruno Petkovic scored and won a penalty in extra-time as Croatia secured a first Nations League final appearance with a 4-2 victory over the Netherlands in Rotterdam. The Dinamo Zagreb striker was introduced at the start of the additional period – just seconds after the Dutch had snatched an equaliser in the sixth minute of added time – and delivered a game-changing performance. Petkovic’s driving run and shot from 25 yards put Croatia in front again before the 28-year-old, who scored an extra-time equaliser in the World Cup quarter-final against Brazil, won a penalty for Luka Modric to make it 4-2. He also had a second goal ruled out for offside by VAR seconds before the final whistle. Croatia, who reached the 2018 World Cup final and finished third last year in Qatar, are one win away from their first major trophy, with Spain or Italy standing in the way in Sunday’s final. They had to do it the hard way as they recovered from Borussia Dortmund midfielder Donyell Malen’s first-half opener by scoring with their first two shots on target after the break. Mario Pasalic’s 72nd-minute goal capped a turnaround started 17 minutes earlier by Andrej Kramaric’s penalty. But just when it looked like they could celebrate a place in the final, Noa Lang pounced to force extra-time. Eight minutes into the additional period Petkovic made his introduction count with the goal which put his side ahead again. Netherlands’ desperation saw them send Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk up front but their hopes were ended when Manchester United defender Tyrell Malacia pulled down Petkovic and Modric sent goalkeeper Justin Bijlow the wrong way from the penalty spot. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Callum Wilson revealed being dropped by both Newcastle and England fuelled his determination to fight back. The striker’s post-World Cup slump saw him confined to the bench at Newcastle as he scored just once in 13 appearances. It also saw him left out of the opening Euro 2024 qualifying wins over Ukraine and Italy in March. However, Wilson is back to face Malta on Friday before Monday’s visit of North Macedonia to Old Trafford after scoring 11 goals across his final 12 games for Newcastle to fire them to fourth place in the Premier League. He said: “I was finding myself on the bench and was used to playing week in, week out. All of a sudden, I was watching from the sidelines and coming on for 10 minutes at the end of the game. “I didn’t like that. You want to play. You work hard all week and then on a matchday it is where you want to perform and score goals. I wasn’t getting to do that and knew I had to make sure I was working even harder to get back into the team. “It was a weird one, playing a World Cup in the winter. Club and country is totally different as well. At the club you are playing regularly: week in, week out. “Here, it is a bit more difficult to get game time and you have to bide your time, be professional and make sure you are doing everything you can on the training field. “So to then go back into club football was exciting, really, as I had been away from it for so long and I was thinking I am going to start playing again a little bit more, especially as I was feeling so sharp as I was at the World Cup. “I tried to use it in a positive way but yes, mentally, you do have to reset because you go on a drought of scoring goals. “We went to Dubai for a mid-season training camp and we had five days there when we didn’t play football. “We got to sit back and think, ‘yes it has been a fantastic start to the season but it has turned into a bad season’ when I was out of the team so I had to basically pull my finger out and start scoring goals again.” The Magpies’ return to the Champions League after 20 years capped a successful season but it only sunk in for Wilson after he went to Sam Fender’s gig at St James’ Park on Sunday. He said: “I went to the concert with my wife at St James’ Park. There was a sea of black and white and, before he came out, he actually played the Champions League song and everyone was cheering and I was like, ‘this is absolutely real’. “I could see how much it meant to everybody in the stadium at that time. Hearing the anthem in the stadium, without actually walking out to play, was surreal. This is going to happen next season and I cannot wait to get started.” Along with his love of music, Wilson is also a keen art collector as he looks to build his portfolio. “I’m trying to add slowly at the right time. Banksy, Daimen Hirst, Tracey Emin, a few little pieces. Mr Doodle, I’ve got that one piece,” said the 31-year-old. “Art is art, isn’t it? It’s down to everyone’s personal preference. Me personally, I took a shine to it, in terms of investment side of things and then you actually start to get into it, ‘I’ll put that on the wall’. “I want to get something that’s got a bit of value and means something and try and find the right pieces at the right time.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Marcus Rashford couldn’t stomach Man City celebrations but England remain united Croatia reach Nations League final with extra-time win over Netherlands He was the main guy – Jordan James knew Jude Bellingham would reach the top

Marcus Rashford could not bring himself to watch Manchester City lift the Champions League – but the Manchester United star says club rivalries are left at the door with England thanks to the group’s “strong bond”. Erik ten Hag’s arrival sparked a marked improvement in the red half of Manchester this season, with February’s Carabao Cup triumph followed up by a third-placed finish in the Premier League. But City stopped United ending their campaign on a high at Wembley by winning the first all-Manchester FA Cup final as they stayed on track to replicate their rivals’ historic 1999 treble triumph. Pep Guardiola’s men did just that by beating Inter Milan in Saturday’s Champions League final – a match Rashford watched on TV, although there was only so much he could stomach. Put to the forward that Trent Alexander-Arnold turned off the TV when United won the FA Cup as he could not bear to watch Liverpool’s rivals lift silverware, Rashford said: “It’s exactly the same. “I like watching football, I like watching the best games so that’s what I did. “But after they win the game, I don’t need to watch them celebrating and all that stuff, so yeah, TV off!” City’s treble understandably sticks in the craw but there appears little chance of club rivalries impacting England like they did with previous generations. “It is going to be funny,” Rashford said of the conversations he was expecting with the quintet on international duty. “But, like I said, it’s congratulations to them and, for me, they deserved it, they played the best football this year. “There’s not much more to say about it, really. The talking’s done on the pitch and they did really well this year.” Asked if it is a strength of the England squad to go from bantering about club matters to playing well together, Rashford said: “Yeah, I think definitely that’s a part of it. “But there’s a strong bond in this squad and there has been regardless of which players come in and that’s down to the environment. “There’s not much more I can put it down to, so we’re looking forward to having them back here. “They’re obviously all really good players and we need them if we want our squad to be as strong as possible.” I don’t need to watch them celebrating and all that stuff, so yeah, TV off! Marcus Rashford on Manchester City's trophy celebrations While club allegiances will not put a spoke in England’s wheel, Rashford does not hide from questions about United’s place in the pecking order. For so long the dominant force in English football, the 20-time league champions are now playing second fiddle in their own city. On the desire to be top dogs once more, Rashford said: “I think that was always the aim regardless of their success this year or the previous years. “Let’s be honest, it’s not anything new – the only thing that’s new is that they managed to win all three. “They are a very good team and it’s not just us that are trying to catch up to them, it’s pretty much every team as well. “Is it a challenge? Yeah, but we can’t shy away from it. We have to face it and do our best next season.” Rashford says United’s players and staff spoke in the dressing room after the FA Cup final about the need to kick on again as the 2023-24 campaign quickly comes into focus. There are only 23 days between Rashford, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw playing in England’s final June qualifier against North Macedonia at Old Trafford on Monday and United playing their first pre-season match. It is a far cry from the full summer of preparation Rashford enjoyed last year, which provided a platform for him to bounce back from the most challenging campaign of his career. The rejuvenated 25-year-old went onto score a career best 30 goals in all competitions under Ten Hag, who the United forward credits for changing the mindset of the group and helping him find his fire again. “He came in and he wanted to win,” Rashford said. “I feel like at times we have lacked that ambition, as I’ve said before. “He wasn’t caring about getting into the top four, doing any of that – he just wanted to win trophies and when you strive for the best sometimes you are going to fall short as we did in areas this season. “But you have to look at the outcome. We managed to win a trophy and get back into the Champions League spots, get to another final and it’s definitely a progression from the previous year, or couple of years before. “He just managed to motivate me and just relight the flame that was missing.” Ten Hag’s United have put things in place to close the gap to City next season, but the interminable takeover saga continues to provide a dark, uncertain cloud over the Old Trafford giants. Asked if it is easy to block out the constant noise about it, Rashford said: “For me, yeah, because I am here with the national team, like I don’t want to be worrying about what’s going on in Manchester and stuff like that. “For me, it’s just the importance on these next two games and getting the job done while also doing it as well as we can.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Callum Wilson tuned up to secure England recall after Newcastle disappointment Croatia reach Nations League final with extra-time win over Netherlands He was the main guy – Jordan James knew Jude Bellingham would reach the top

The viewing figures for the Champions League final dropped in the Manchester area before the silverware was presented to Ilkay Gundogan. In at least one household, anyway. Marcus Rashford faces the dilemma many a Manchester City player of previous years did: watch the neighbours claim the biggest prizes or ignore it and pretend it did not happen? The football fan in the forward dictated he saw City beat Inter Milan. The Manchester United supporter in him did not want to see the subsequent scenes of delight. “I like watching football, I like watching the best games and that is what I did,” he explained. “But after they won the game I don’t need to watch them celebrating, so TV off.” Rashford was at a friend’s house. He had a closer view of the second part of City’s historic treble, an opponent in the FA Cup final when the United players stayed on the pitch to see their local rivals lift the trophy. He had done his bit in a vain bid to prevent them from retaining the Premier League title, scoring a derby winner at Old Trafford in January. Seeing City win a treble previously only achieved by Sir Alex Ferguson’s United in 1999 was, he said, “not nice”. Rashford had scored 30 goals, the most in a campaign by any United player since Ferguson retired, but he can seem a player trapped in the wrong era. Growing up as a United fan in Wythenshawe, he was on their books from the age of seven. It was a point when the dominant force in the city was clear. Now he has appeared in the first team in eight seasons: in all eight, United have finished below City. With 123 goals, Rashford is their top scorer since Ferguson retired. It has never brought a title challenge in his career, let alone a prize the Scot won 13 times. Meanwhile, City have claimed five of the last six Premier Leagues. Rashford has become wearily accustomed to their excellence. “Let’s be honest, it is not anything new. The only thing new is that they managed to win all three,” he reflected. “They are a very good team and it is not just us that are trying to catch up to them, it is pretty much every team as well. Is it a challenge? Yeah, but we can’t shy away from it, we have to face it and do our best next season. It is up to the rest of us to catch them up.” A difference for United, however, is that City’s superiority feels more of an indictment of them. Their supporters have to live next to City’s. The parade in their home city was not for them. An international call-up allowed Rashford to miss it. “I don’t want to be worrying about what is going on in Manchester,” he said. The arrival of City’s five England players to link up with Gareth Southgate’s squad means he is likely to get reminders. “It is going to be funny but congratulations to them,” he said. “For me, they deserved it; they played the best football this year. The talking is done on the pitch and they did really well.” United’s objective is to overhaul them. “I think that was always the aim regardless of their success this year or the previous years,” Rashford said. Now, at least, he has renewed hope after Erik ten Hag’s debut season. Rashford was rejuvenated by the Dutchman. He was damning about the period before his appointment. “The manager came in and he wanted to win,” he said. “I feel at times we have lacked that ambition. He wasn’t [just] caring about getting into the top four, he just wanted to win trophies and when you strive for the best sometimes you are going to fall short as we did in areas this season. You have to look at the outcome. “We managed to win a trophy and get back in the Champions League spots, get to another final and it is definitely a progression from the previous year or a couple of years before. He just managed to motivate me and just relight the flame that was missing.” Relighting Rashford’s fire took him from five goals in 2021-22 to 30. The best season of his career was also the finest in City’s history. His club campaign ended at Wembley, amid City celebrations. “We fought – especially in that competition – very hard against some good opposition and we fell short in the end, it’s as simple as that,” he said bluntly. “We have to dust ourselves down and get ready for next season because we can’t change what happened.” All he could do on Saturday was to reach for the remote control, to ensure he didn’t see the trophy that proved City had completed their treble. Read More Marcus Rashford underlines commitment to England after missing recent games Keep or sell? The deadwood Manchester United must offload this summer FA Cup final reveals key summer questions for Manchester United Rashford underlines commitment to England after missing recent games England rock bucket hats at Lord’s – Friday’s sporting social De Bruyne v Casemiro and Haaland v Varane – The key FA Cup final battles

The return of Michael O’Neill as manager has convinced Northern Ireland’s players they can qualify for Euro 2024, according to Bailey Peacock-Farrell. The man who guided Northern Ireland to Euro 2016 came back to the job in December, instantly fuelling belief amongst fans that they could capitalise on a relatively favourable qualifying draw after the frustration of narrowly missing out on the last tournament under Ian Baraclough. Some of that confidence was dented by a home defeat to Finland in March, but Peacock-Farrell insists belief remains at “100 per cent” going into Friday’s match away to Denmark. Asked if O’Neill’s experience was key to that, he answered with a clear yes. “Obviously the Finland result wasn’t ideal, but we are fully confident that if we were to go to Finland we could get a result,” the goalkeeper said. “Denmark is going to be a tight game and a hard game, but it’s nothing we haven’t done before and there is still a long way to go in this group and a lot can change.” O’Neill had little time to work with a youthful squad before the games in March but has held a series of post-season training camps coming into this window, getting his ideas across to those players who are not veterans of his last spell in charge. “It’s the ability of the players and more time under the manager,” Peacock-Farrell said. “And getting the players in and accustomed to a slightly different way of playing under the last manager… “To be honest it’s back to how it was under him the first time. Obviously there are a lot of fresh faces, but I feel as though Michael is still Michael. “He brings so much detail and positive energy and a great feel about the place. It’s been nice to have him back and it feels good to be away with Northern Ireland.” Peacock-Farrell is in line to earn his 38th cap on Copenhagen on Friday. With so many senior players missing through injury, the 26-year-old is now among the most experienced players in the dressing room. He brings so much detail and positive energy and a great feel about the place Bailey Peacock-Farrell on Michael O'Neill “I’m not going to be anything other than myself when it comes to training and on the pitch,” he said of the extra responsibilities. “I’ll be leading like I was anyway. As a goalie, you have to do that anyway.” But if Peacock-Farrell is Northern Ireland’s number one, things are less clear at club level. When he made his international debut in May 2018, he had just broken into the Leeds side, but he lost his place six months later to Kiko Casilla. Peacock-Farrell soon left to join Burnley, but has never established himself as first choice there, and has played more games for Sheffield Wednesday – 47 – than any other club after a loan spell in 2021/22. There was perhaps an opportunity at Burnley last summer after Nick Pope left for Newcastle following relegation, but new manager Vincent Kompany opted to bring in Aro Muric. Peacock-Farrell had to content himself with the back-up role again, but played eight times in the league and 16 in total as the Clarets won promotion back to the top flight. “I am in a role where you can either get a lot of games or absolutely none,” Peacock-Farrell said. “I’ve been quite happy that I got the amount of games that I have. “We had really good cup runs and I played the back end of the season as well as a couple of games at the front. Overall I could have done with a few more games and I like to play every game, but it certainly wasn’t a bad season.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live He was the main guy – Jordan James knew Jude Bellingham would reach the top Rickie Fowler hopes to invest in Leeds with Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas Real Madrid complete signing of Jude Bellingham from Dortmund on six-year deal

Brooklyn Beckham has come under scrutiny with his latest cooking video, which sees the aspiring home chef fry chicken using “at least $25 worth of avocado oil”. On Tuesday, Beckham, 24, the eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham, shared his newest recipe video, which was created in partnership with Chosen Foods’ avocado oil, to Instagram. “We’re going to make some fried chicken with Chosen Foods,” Beckham tells viewers at the start of the video while holding a bottle of the brand’s avocado oil, which retails from $15 to $25.99 per bottle. In the caption of the video, where Beckham confirmed the recipe is a sponsored ad for the brand, he wrote: “Fried chicken with @chosenfoods. 100 per cent Pure Avocado Oil and their Classic Avocado Oil Mayo are the best. I love Chosen Foods for frying because of its high smoke point and neutral flavour. #chosenpartner.” In the step-by-step recipe clip, Beckham filmed himself pouring milk, various seasonings and flour into a glass dish before whisking the concoction. He then proceeded to soak two chicken breasts in the mixture, before making a dry flour and seasoning mixture in a different glass bowl. The 24-year-old could then be seen pouring a liberal amount of oil into a shallow pan, with Beckham ensuring the pan was filled with several inches of the avocado oil before frying the two chicken breasts and eating them with a thumbs up. Beckham’s video has divided viewers, however, due to the amount of oil used by the former photographer to fry his chicken breasts. “That’s at least $25 worth of avocado oil,” one viewer suggested in the comments, while another speculated the amount was worth closer to “$48 of avocado oil”. Someone else wrote: “Why on earth are you deep frying in oil that costs £15/$20 per bottle? I realise this is a paid promo but do something a bit more logical like make a mayo from scratch with it, rather than dump that much into a pan to fry some chicken! #cozzielivs Brookie babes x.” According to another person, although avocado oil is “great for frying” because it has the highest smoke point of any oil, “normal people” use the “most affordable avocado oil” and “reuse it”. “Fried foods require sooo much oil, so for normal people, we have to use the most affordable avocado oil AND you can strain it and REUSE it, so if you find a $10 bottle and you use it two times, then at least it’s about $5 per use,” they wrote. “Making the simplest food with the most expensive ingredients,” someone else commented. Others called out the food “waste” in Beckham’s cooking video, with one person writing: “A whole bottle of oil for fried chicken breast? What a waste,” while another said: “There are people dying in the world from starvation - you used enough oil and milk for about 20 people. But you wouldn’t understand that.” Although many viewers were critical of Beckham’s latest recipe, some defended the former model from backlash on the basis that he likely received the oil for free as part of his partnership with the brand. “If he’s been given it or paid for it he can do what he wants with it,” one person commented. Another said: “Love using avocado oil to fry with. Avocado oil fries stuff so evenly and tastes wonderful! Keep doing your thing Brooklyn! Maybe one day you’ll have your own restaurant,” while someone else wrote: “If some people can afford it and some people can’t, what’s the problem! Leave him alone, in all this misery there is one guy happy at what he is doing! Also going to any restaurant and getting the food he is cooking would cost double! I hate moaning drama.” One fan also encouraged Beckham to “never stop” making his cooking videos, writing: “I absolutely love your cooking videos, please never stop Brooklyn!” This is not the first time that the 24-year-old has sparked a debate with one of his recipes, as he recently faced scrutiny over his recipe for grilled cheese, which saw him roast the sandwich with a blow torch, and for his recipe for spaghetti bolognese after viewers noticed a wine cork in the pot. In January, the aspiring chef also faced backlash over an “expensive” ingredient used in his recipe for a creamy truffle tagliatelle pasta, which involved creating a sauce using a generous helping of truffle before adding extra black truffle shavings as a garnish. The Independent has contacted Chosen Foods for comment. Read More Brooklyn Beckham roasted for grilling cheese toastie with blow torch: ‘And a tiny bit of salt’ Brooklyn Beckham mocked after fans spot bizarre cooking technique: ‘Cork in your pot & dog hair about to join’ Italian chef reacts to Brooklyn Beckham’s wine cork in pasta sauce ‘hack’ That’s brunch: Goan-inspired coconut and cabbage fritters If you like kulfi, you’ll love this mango and cardamom cheesecake Roasted grape, honey and feta crostinis are perfect dinner party canapes

Real Madrid have completed the signing of England midfielder Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund on a six-year deal. Dortmund confirmed in a statement last week that Real have agreed to pay an initial 103million euros (£88.5m) to land Bellingham, who moved to Germany from boyhood club Birmingham in 2020. Now both clubs have announced the deal for the 19-year-old has been finalised, with Real adding that he will be unveiled in the Spanish capital on Thursday. “Real Madrid CF and Borussia Dortmund have agreed on the transfer of the player Jude Bellingham, who will remain linked to our club for the next six seasons,” a Real statement read. “Tomorrow, Thursday, June 15, at 12:00 noon at Real Madrid City, the presentation ceremony for Jude Bellingham as a new Real Madrid player will take place. “After, Jude Bellingham will appear before the media.” Bellingham was recently named Bundesliga player of the season after his starring role for Dortmund, who missed out on the title in agonising fashion on the final day of the campaign. The 19-year-old paid tribute to Dortmund on Instagram, writing: “Where to start, for the last 3 years Borussia Dortmund has been the biggest part of my life. “I joined as a 17 year old boy and am leaving as a man. I cannot thank this club enough for everything it’s done for me. “The opportunities, the experiences, the highs and even the lows. All of it has been part of what has been a great development both as a human and a player. “I am honoured to have represented this football club as often as I have, I’d like to thank all the players, managers, bosses and members of staff that have played a role in my time at the club. “I’ll always keep a place for BVB in my heart and will never forget the impact the values of the club has had on my life. Einmal Borusse, Immer Borusse. I wish the club nothing but the best for the future! Heja BVB!” I joined as a 17 year old boy and am leaving as a man. I cannot thank this club enough for everything it’s done for me Jude Bellingham on Instagram Bellingham scored his first England goal in their World Cup win over Iran but is absent from the squad to face Malta and North Macedonia in the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers due to injury. He has long dreamt of a move to the 14-time European champions and recently told the PA news agency that he sees the Champions League as “the biggest stage”. “The goal has always been winning,” he told PA last month. “When you ask me what my biggest ambitions are in the game, it’s to win everything. And I’m not afraid to say that. “You know, everyone should have that goal, I feel like, as professional footballers.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Nick Kyrgios reveals he contemplated suicide following Wimbledon defeat in 2019 Heather Watson beats ‘friend’ Tatjana Maria to reach Nottingham Open quarters Sensational Surrey pull off biggest County Championship chase in 98 years