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Man United start deadline day by signing Turkish goalkeeper as Dean Henderson replacement
Man United start deadline day by signing Turkish goalkeeper as Dean Henderson replacement
Manchester United have signed Turkey international goalkeeper Altay Bayindir from Fenerbahce for £4.3m. The 25-year-old joins as a replacement for Dean Henderson, who completed a £20m move to Crystal Palace on Thursday, and could be the first of three deadline-day acquisitions for United. Bayindir, who has been Fenerbahce’s first-choice goalkeeper for the past four seasons, is Erik ten Hag’s second goalkeeping signing of the summer, after Andre Onana, and, along with Tom Heaton, will provide back up to the Cameroonian. FOLLOW LIVE: Transfer deadline day rumours, latest news and done deals Bayindir has signed a four-year contract, with United having the option to keep him at Old Trafford until 2028. He said: “It is a huge honour to join Manchester United and become the first Turkish player to represent this incredible club. I have a passion for success, and I will give everything to help this special group of players to achieve our ambitions. “I cannot wait to start working with such an experienced goalkeeping unit. We will support each other and drive high standards every day so that each of us is ready to perform whenever called upon.” United director football John Murtough added: “Altay is an excellent addition to our squad and adds further quality to our already strong group of experienced goalkeepers. Having consistently performed at a high level in a strong European league, he has the qualities to support us in achieving our ambitions across all competitions this season and beyond.” United are also targeting a left-back, likely to be Sergio Reguilon after he concluded a medical last night, and a midfielder before the transfer window closes. :: Get all the latest football betting sites offers here and the latest odds on transfer deadline day deals here. Read More Manchester United looking to make deadline-beating move for Sergio Reguilon Dean Henderson completes Crystal Palace move as Manchester United line up replacement Dean Henderson set for Sam Johnstone battle after Crystal Palace move
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Transfer deadline day LIVE: Ryan Gravenberch on brink of Liverpool move as Man Utd sign Turkish goalkeeper
Transfer deadline day LIVE: Ryan Gravenberch on brink of Liverpool move as Man Utd sign Turkish goalkeeper
Transfer deadline day is upon us as Premier League clubs have until 11pm BST this evening to wrap up their deals, with some frantic last-minute buying and selling guaranteed. Liverpool look set to give their midfield a further boost with the signing of Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich, while Tottenham Hotspur are chasing Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson as a potential Harry Kane replacement. Elsewhere, Man City could be set to sell Cole Palmer to Chelsea, while the latter could offload Callum Hudson-Odoi after his return from loan. Manchester United, meanwhile, are still looking for at least two more additions – including Spurs left-back Sergio Reguilon – but did sell goalkeeper Dean Henderson to Crystal Palace on Thursday evening, with a potential replacement lined up. Brighton look set to sign Ansu Fati on loan from Barcelona, while several other Premier League teams could also conclude deals late on before the window shuts. Follow all the latest news and transfer rumour updates below; get all the latest football betting sites offers here and the latest odds on transfer deadline day deals here.
1970-01-01 08:00
Jordan Henderson has given Gareth Southgate a Saudi Arabia problem
Jordan Henderson has given Gareth Southgate a Saudi Arabia problem
Gareth Southgate is not doing a Don Revie, but he stopped short of saying he would never do a Jordan Henderson. The England manager is aware that the popular move would be to say that he would never take the Saudi Arabian money but is conscious, too, that such a statement could make him look like a hypocrite later. Whereas perhaps the most reviled of his predecessors, Revie, walked out for a lucrative offer from the United Arab Emirates and the manager who overcame him in the Euro 2020 final, Roberto Mancini, quit Italy for Saudi Arabia, Southgate stated: “I’m not looking to leave the job I’m in. I’m very happy. I certainly wouldn’t leave managing my country during my contract.” And yet, were he out of work, would he still reject a supersized offer? “I can easily say no and look like the big guy. But can you answer that question until it is there in front of you?” he countered. It was the question Henderson faced. Many feel let down by the choice he made. Often eloquent, the former Liverpool captain is yet to explain himself, leaving Southgate, after calling his vice-captain up for England, in the uncomfortable position of trying to do so. “It’s for him to decide when he’s going to speak and how he speaks,” Southgate said. “I’d be pretty certain that his views on life haven’t changed at all. I think he realises that by making the decision he has made, that is going to bring a certain level of scrutiny and criticism. He’s not naïve. “I did have that discussion with him. But any career decision has got a lot of different factors within it. Obviously there is a lot of money within Saudi Arabia that is being paid, none of us are going to avoid that. But his prospects of playing at Liverpool were probably a big factor in that becoming more attractive than it might have been in the past. That’s a big factor in the decision to go. Liverpool as a club will have presumably got a good fee for an older player. All of those things are complex.” That hinted at the various issues: how do you balance the moral, the footballing and the financial? Henderson’s priorities can seem skewed. Southgate argued his situation bears similarities with those of many people in other walks of life. “Given the situation with Russia, we are reliant on Saudi Arabia for a lot of our oil,” he said. “I don’t really know what the morality argument is because so many of our industries are wrapped up with Saudi investment but I don’t hear any noises about that. It’s only the football that’s highlighted. The LGBT+ stance is a religious belief in that country.” Perhaps Southgate struck a duff note in that sentence but a former ally of the LGBTQ+ community has been left looking like a man who sacrificed his principles for money. What remains to be seen is whether Henderson sacrificed his England career, too: he had long been adamant he would not retire from international football. But if Southgate is adamant he will not exclude a player because of the league he plays in, he remains unsure if it will prepare Henderson for the rigours of international football. “There was the honest conversation we had: ‘We’re going to have to map you against players playing in a different league and in a different level of competition and we’re just going to have to see how that goes’,” he said. “What I have got to do is pick a team based on the technical, tactical, physical capabilities and the question about that league at the moment from our perspective is, ‘Is the intensity going to be enough to be physically in the right condition for the level of games we are going to have?’ We can only find out over a period of time.” Henderson’s game has been built on his running power; if he wilts in the Saudi heat, he becomes a lesser force. And then there could be footballing grounds to exclude a midfielder who played well in England’s June games. Southgate does not think there are yet, though Henderson was slipping down the pecking order at Anfield. His research may have to take him to the Middle East. It could become a regular trip. Southgate suspects the Saudi investment in football is not confined to one summer. There may yet be other England players joining Henderson there; Southgate noted that Saudi clubs are not just targeting the thirty-something footballers. At some stage, he plans to scout Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane in person. “We haven’t felt that was the best use of our time during the first weeks of the season,” he said. “Logistically it was important to get around the Premier League.” Yet the presence of the England manager in Saudi Arabia would be more controversial than in Spain and Germany. If Henderson has made Saudi Arabia a problem for Southgate, it is one that is unlikely to go away. Read More Jordan Henderson risks tarnishing Liverpool legacy after career built on triumph of character Gareth Southgate understands criticism of Jordan Henderson following Saudi move Jordan Henderson could be shunned by LGBT+ England fans after Saudi Arabia move LGBT+ England fans may shun Jordan Henderson for ‘turning his back’ on them Gareth Southgate admits Raheem Sterling not happy after England snub Liverpool agree £35million deal with Bayern Munich for Ryan Gravenberch
1970-01-01 08:00
Raheem Sterling may have no way back as Gareth Southgate shows his hard edge
Raheem Sterling may have no way back as Gareth Southgate shows his hard edge
Gareth Southgate made his reputation as England’s mild-mannered assassin. He ended the international careers of Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart. He showed a willingness to move on to the next generation. But then, having forged a team, he has been transformed into a loyalist. Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips – combined total of minutes this season: 0 – were included in the squad to face Ukraine and Scotland and few should be surprised. There were reasons for each; a lack of fit centre-backs with international experience, a shortage of specialist defensive midfielders. Yet there was a notable absentee, a player with more football and in better form than Maguire and Phillips, a face of Southgate’s England. But, once again, a squad did not contain Raheem Sterling’s name. In March, fitness accounted for his absence. In June, it was the forward’s preference, Sterling asking for a break to work on his conditioning. In September, it will be managerial preference. Southgate’s explanation focused on loyalty: to the players who beat Malta 4-0 and North Macedonia 7-0 in June, to ones who have begun the season as well as Sterling. It was, though: “A difficult call and Raheem was not particularly happy about it.” A quarter of a century earlier, when Southgate made Glenn Hoddle’s World Cup squad and Paul Gascoigne did not, the midfielder responded with a tantrum. Sterling’s response was more polite, but his disappointment evident. “Raheem is always really respectful with how he responds, and deals [with things], he will always say ‘I respect your decision’ but of course he wants to get back in the group,” Southgate said. “I wouldn’t expect that to be any other way.” But the expectation was that he would be back in a squad that instead contained Eberechi Eze. Sterling has looked rejuvenated for Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea; he was arguably man of the match even in defeat to West Ham, he scored twice against Luton. “It’s not a decision I have based on the three games he has played,” Southgate said. “What I am hearing him say, he’s very focused and I am under no doubt that he’s going to have a really good season with Chelsea, I think they are going to go well. He looks like he’s back in the groove to score a lot of goals.” Which he has done for Southgate’s England: only Harry Kane has scored more in the manager’s reign. For a long time, he and Kane seemed the two certainties in the forward line, with everyone else competing to accompany them. Southgate does not call every player omitted from his squads: that he rang Sterling was a reflection of the importance he used to have. “Firstly he’s a player who has been a really big player for us, an important part of our team, and I wanted to address the fact that he’s playing really well,” he said. He painted it as a continuity choice from June, waiting for the season to unfold. “By next month we will have had another seven, 10 games and there will be a lot more evidence right across the board, of all the players and where they are at.” And yet the reality is that the wings are the area where England boast the most strength in depth. Southgate listed his rivals’ credentials: Marcus Rashford was involved in three goals against Nottingham Forest, Phil Foden was exceptional against Newcastle, Jack Grealish set up Erling Haaland’s opener at Sheffield United and Bukayo Saka has carried on where he left off last year. “We have got Foden, Grealish, Rashford, Saka, so there’s four for two positions,” Southgate reflected. “Maddison also played there. Whichever one I didn’t pick was going to be the story.” But Sterling is: a player with 55 caps in his reign, England’s outstanding attacker at Euro 2020, the talisman who realised his potential under sympathetic management, the prodigy who had looked on course to break Peter Shilton’s caps record. Then Sterling lost his place at the World Cup, albeit in a tournament when he returned to England after a burglary at his house, and amid a car-crash of a Chelsea season. He felt collateral damage in the chaos Todd Boehly brought to Stamford Bridge, a player who had arguably his worst campaign in senior football. “I understood why he wanted to focus on the fitness in June and we are seeing the benefits of that now,” Southgate said. “Of course, when you are not in, other people have the shirt.” All of which was rational and fair. But it showed a hard edge that he often conceals. Injuries could alter the equation and allow a route back in, yet Sterling will have to displace a high-class player. And for the meantime, it leaves him looking the odd man out, the player whose exclusion is not a one-off as much as a regular occurrence. If it long looked inconceivable that England could enter Euro 2024 without a fit and in-form Raheem Sterling, perhaps it is not now. Read More Jordan Henderson has given Gareth Southgate a Saudi Arabia problem Gareth Southgate says Raheem Sterling ‘not particularly happy’ at England snub Raheem Sterling misses out as Eddie Nketiah handed debut England squad call-up LGBT+ England fans may shun Jordan Henderson for ‘turning his back’ on them Gareth Southgate admits Raheem Sterling not happy after England snub Southgate explains ‘difficult’ decision to leave Sterling out of England squad
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Premier League leads the way as global transfer spending record smashed
Premier League leads the way as global transfer spending record smashed
The global transfer spending record has been broken this summer, according to figures from Transfermarkt. Football clubs worldwide have spent a combined £6.56 billion on 1,617 players so far, surpassing the previous high for a single window of £6.51bn set in 2019. The Premier League is comfortably the highest-spending division, with £2.1bn invested in 269 players over the summer months. Chelsea have spent £359 million on new signings, and that figure could rise to around £400m if a deadline day deal for Cole Palmer is completed.
1970-01-01 08:00
Texas top court lets ban on gender treatments for minors take effect
Texas top court lets ban on gender treatments for minors take effect
By Brendan Pierson The Texas Supreme Court on Thursday allowed a state law banning gender-affirming care for transgender
1970-01-01 08:00
Champions League draw LIVE: Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal, Newcastle and Celtic discover fate
Champions League draw LIVE: Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal, Newcastle and Celtic discover fate
Newcastle United were handed a brutally tough draw on their return to the Champions League after being dropped in group F with European heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan. The group draw for the final season of the competition in its current format, which took place in Monaco, also saw Manchester United drawn against Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich in group A as well as Turkish champions Galatasaray, and new striker Rasmus Hojlund will also face his old side Copenhagen. Arsenal will play Europa League champions Sevilla as well as PSV Eindhoven and Lens, while holders Manchester City will take on RB Leizpig, Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade in a relatively friendly-looking group. Like Newcastle, Scottish champions Celtic were in pot four but had a potentially softer landing than the Magpies, with games against Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid and Lazio. Relive the Champions League group stage draw and get all the latest football betting sites offers or sign up to bet365 using The Independent’s unique bonus code by clicking here: Read More Champions League 2023/24 draw: Groups, fixtures and full schedule Uefa calls added time rules ‘absurd’ and refuses to follow suit Rangers fail to qualify for Champions League after thrashing by PSV Eindhoven
1970-01-01 08:00
Champions League 2023/24 draw: Groups, fixtures and match dates
Champions League 2023/24 draw: Groups, fixtures and match dates
Newcastle United were handed a brutally tough draw on their return to the Champions League after being dropped in group F with Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan. Manchester United were drawn against Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich in group A along with Turkish champions Galatasaray, and new striker Rasmus Hojlund will also face his old side Copenhagen. Arsenal will play Europa League champions Sevilla as well as PSV Eindhoven and Lens, while holders Manchester City will take on RB Leizpig, Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade. Like Newcastle, Celtic were in pot four and also face a tricky group against Dutch champions Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid and Lazio. The fixtures will begin on Tuesday 19 September and wrap up on Wednesday 13 December. The full fixture schedule will be confirmed on Saturday. What are the Champions League group stage dates? Matchday 1: 19/20 September 2023 Matchday 2: 3/4 October 2023 Matchday 3: 24/25 October 2023 Matchday 4: 7/8 November 2023 Matchday 5: 28/29 November 2023 Matchday 6: 12/13 December 2023 When is the Champions League final? The final will take place at London’s Wembley Stadium on 1 June 2024. Read More Champions League group stage draw LIVE: Man City, Man Utd and more discover fate Chelsea loan Lukaku to Roma on season-long deal On This Day in 2016: David Luiz returns to Chelsea Rangers fail to qualify for Champions League after thrashing by PSV Eindhoven Is PSV vs Rangers on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch On this day in 2015: Manchester City sign Kevin De Bruyne for club-record fee
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Raheem Sterling misses out as Eddie Nketiah handed debut England squad call-up
Raheem Sterling misses out as Eddie Nketiah handed debut England squad call-up
Raheem Sterling has been omitted from the England squad while Eddie Nketiah was handed a first senior call-up by Gareth Southgate for the games against Ukraine and Scotland. Sterling, who missed the summer internationals when he said he did not feel in the right condition to play, was a candidate for a recall after starting the season in fine form for Chelsea but Southgate preferred Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace. Southgate said it was a tough phone call and Sterling was left annoyed to be omitted, revealing: “It was a difficult call and Raheem is not particularly happy about it.” The England manager, who also chose Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and James Maddison ahead of Sterling, explained that he wanted to stick with the players he used for the June wins over Malta and North Macedonia. “To bring Raheem back in we have to leave someone else out and on the basis of three games [of the league season] I don’t think anyone deserves to be left out,” he added. “It is really good to see Raheem start the season so well and he looks fit and hungry but in those attacking positions behind the No 9 we have a lot of competition.” Arsenal striker Nketiah, who has scored 16 goals for England’s Under-21 team, was selected ahead of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins as the third specialist striker behind Harry Kane and Callum Wilson. “We want to have a look at him,” Southgate said. “He is a young player with a lot of pedigree, a really good finisher and the record goalscorer in the Under-21s.” The manager also kept faith with Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips, who have played no first-team football for Manchester United and Manchester City respectively, with defensive injuries a reason why he picked the former. Southgate said: “With Harry Maguire we have lost a lot of experience in terms of caps at centre halves, we are giving some less experienced players a chance to come into the squad but Tyrone [Mings] is out for most of the season, John Stones is out of this camp, Eric Dier is not in Tottenham’s squad, Conor Coady is in the Championship now so there is a space there. With Harry and Kalvin Phillips, it is not ideal they are not playing football. Declan Rice is the only English player to start this weekend as a single pivot and Kalvin is the next best option.” Jordan Henderson, who has moved to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, retained his place in the squad with Southgate saying his international future could depend on the standard of the Pro-League. “The key as we move forward is the physical intensity of the league,” said Southgate. “Because of the heat as well, whether that will allow him to perform at the level we need; that is a huge consideration.” In a defence without the injured Stones, Mings and Luke Shaw, there were call-ups for Fikayo Tomori, Marc Guehi, Lewis Dunk and the uncapped Levi Colwill. “He is doing really well,” Southgate said of Colwill. “He is progressing. We really liked him at the end of last season with Brighton. He had a really good tournament with the Under-21s so he showed under pressure he could cope. He has started well with Chelsea in a slightly different position.” Full squad Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal) Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City) Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) Forwards: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur), Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Callum Wilson (Newcastle United) Read More Manchester United left with Luke Shaw injury dilemma Why are England wearing their blue kit against Spain? What time is the Champions League group stage draw today? What time is the Champions League group stage draw today? Champions League group stage draw LIVE: Man City, Man Utd and more discover fate Is the Champions League draw on TV? Channel, start time and how to watch
1970-01-01 08:00
Transfers latest LIVE: Ansu Fati set to fly to Brighton to complete season-long loan from Barcelona
Transfers latest LIVE: Ansu Fati set to fly to Brighton to complete season-long loan from Barcelona
The transfer deadline is fast approaching - clubs have to wrap up all their deals by 11pm BST on Friday 1 September, meaning today and tomorrow will be chaotic and potentially exciting with a host of switches still pending. Among the biggest clubs, Man City could be set to sell Cole Palmer to Chelsea, while the latter could offload Callum Hudson-Odoi after his return from loan. Manchester United, meanwhile, are still looking for at least two more additions, with rivals Liverpool hoping to land another midfielder in Ryan Gravenberch, currently at Bayern Munich. Brighton look set to sign Ansu Fati on loan from Barcelona, while several other Premier League teams could also conclude deals late on before the window shuts. Follow all the latest news and transfer rumour updates below; get all the latest football betting sites offers here.
1970-01-01 08:00
Canada warns LGBTQ residents of the risks of traveling to the US due to some state laws
Canada warns LGBTQ residents of the risks of traveling to the US due to some state laws
The Canadian government is warning its LGBTQ citizens of risks they could face when traveling to the US, citing new laws in several states.
1970-01-01 08:00
Chris Eubank Jr on Liam Smith, adrenalin, and how to be ‘box office’
Chris Eubank Jr on Liam Smith, adrenalin, and how to be ‘box office’
“I wouldn’t say I’m a masochist, no.” It’s a reassuring start from Chris Eubank Jr, as he reflects on his defeat by Liam Smith – the first stoppage loss of his career, and an experience he says he enjoyed. “Imagine being in a sport your entire life, thinking you’ve experienced every single thing there is, then something new happens at 33 years old,” the Briton explains to The Independent, as his rematch with Smith looms. “I’ve been fighting since I was 14, and I’ve never been buzzed like that, or had to get up, recuperate, march forward, then go back down again, get back up. I never would’ve imagined that I’d be in a position where a referee could stop a fight for me. “So, it was new, it was crazy. Looking back on it, it was exciting. It was a huge adrenalin rush, probably the same amount of adrenalin as I would get from knocking a guy out.” Twice Eubank Jr hauled himself off the canvas in the fourth round at Manchester’s AO Arena, his body moving almost gelatinously as his brain tried to recentre him, before Victor Loughlin waved off the bout. Eubank Jr will hope he does not have to feel that same canvas against his knees and elbows on Saturday when he returns to the AO Arena for a middleweight rematch with Smith. “It has to change how I think, feel, and how I approach fights,” he says. “You have to learn. I have a new mindset on going into fights and protecting myself at all times, making sure I don’t get hit flush. We have to do everything in our power to make sure we’re never in that position again.” That said, “I feel like I dealt with it well,” Eubank Jr adds. “A lot of fighters... when they get hurt, you see the real side of them. A lot back down, a lot look for ways out. Everyone saw that night, I was ready to go out on my shield. I was ready to die in there. ‘Let’s keep going,’ that’s what I said when the going got tough. I think the fans appreciated seeing that side of me.” Never before had Eubank Jr touched the canvas, let alone been stopped, and once the “excitement” subsided, he was left to deal with a different emotion. “I wasn’t upset, disappointed; I was pissed off,” he recalls. “It wasn’t like I got my ass kicked for three rounds and then got knocked out; I was dominating the fight, then I made a mistake and got caught. I was pissed off at myself, pissed off at the referee for not giving me the chance to continue. Whether he was right or wrong, as a grizzled veteran I don’t feel the need to be saved by a referee. “[But] when I watched the replay back in the changing room, I said to everybody: ‘I’ll take that.’ As in, if I was ever gonna get stopped, that’s the way I’d want it: on my feet, demanding they let me continue. I can accept that, I can sleep at night. I couldn’t sleep at night if I’m getting the 10 count and I can’t get up, or if I’m telling the referee, ‘No, [I can’t continue]’.” As well as mentioning referee Loughlin, Eubank Jr has cited an alleged elbow by Smith as proving decisive in the fight’s final sequence. Still, he maintains that these are not excuses, while Smith, 35, has revelled in his victory. “I enjoyed every bit of it,” Smith told The Independent in July. “It was a great week, I wish I could have that week back, it was a great week.” The Liverpudlian also said the prickly build-up to their first fight existed because the boxers just “wouldn’t get on” in normal life. But Eubank Jr, for his part, says: “Just because I fought him, doesn’t mean I know who he is as a man. He might be a great guy. I don’t know and I don’t need to know, that’s not part of my job; my job is to know who he is as a fighter and exploit that or deal with that. I think he is exploitable, he does get riled up, I can get into his head. I’m not here to be buddies or pals with people, I’m here to take guys out. I’m here to create a legacy, and he’s put a serious bump in that road for me; I need to smoothen it out.” That legacy has always been a complicated one, given the memories that Eubank Jr’s father gave to British boxing fans. Still, its ending is unwritten, and it is still in Eubank Jr’s control – for now. “There’s so many huge fights left for me to have,” he says. “There’s so much left for me to achieve. We have to see if I can do the things I say I can do. First and foremost, I have to beat Liam Smith; it’s not a great legacy if I finish my career with two losses to Liam on my record. That would for sure damage any type of ‘great’ legacy. Knowing that, it’s hugely important that I avenge this loss. I can explain a freak accident – it happens; I can get away with one loss to Liam, I can’t get away with two.” However Eubank Jr’s in-ring endeavours are ultimately judged, one thing seems certain: his personality and words outside the ring will see him remembered as one of the most divisive boxers of his generation. “It’s part of selling a fight, it’s part of beating your opponent,” Eubank Jr says. “You’ve got to win every fight – verbal, mental, physical. I’ve become very good at that over the years. I understand it’s part of the sport if you want to be ‘box office’. The guys that don’t talk, don’t have an opinion or aren’t able to express themselves to the fans and to their opponents, they don’t get airtime or headlines. You need those things to make money, I’ve learnt that from the very beginning, watching my old man. “As I got older, my old man took more and more steps back, and I was able to come forward and be my own personality. Now we’re at a stage where I’m comfortable in every situation. I can read the room very well, I can read my opponents well.” Eubank Jr will hope he has a good read of Smith on Saturday. Watch Smith vs Eubank Jr 2 on Sky Sports Box Office on Saturday 2 September, live from the AO Arena in Manchester Read More Eubank vs Smith 2 live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend Liam Smith: ‘Chris Eubank Jr is a nightmare – not for me, for other people’ Oleksandr Usyk remains heavyweight champion but where does he go from here? Adam Azim seeks Aram Fanyan ‘demolition’ in grandfather’s memory Who is fighting on Eubank vs Smith 2 undercard this weekend? What time does Eubank vs Smith 2 start this weekend?
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