Author: Andrew Rogers

A person in Washington state is believed to be the first known human to die from the rare H5N5 strain of bird flu, though health officials say the risk to the public remains low. The patient, an older adult with underlying health conditions from Grays Harbor County, had been hospitalized since early November after developing high fever, confusion and breathing problems. They were treated after becoming the first known human case of H5N5. Health officials said the person kept a backyard flock of poultry that had been exposed to wild birds. No other close contacts have tested positive, and there…

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has said the club is not close to spending £100m on a single player, distancing Spurs from Arsenal’s big-money approach in the transfer market. Following recent leadership changes and new investment, Spurs are aiming to grow as a club, but Frank admitted they are not near matching Arsenal’s £105m signing of Declan Rice. Tottenham’s current record signing remains Richarlison, bought for £60m in 2022. Frank questioned whether Spurs will ever spend £100m on one player in the near future, saying such a move is unlikely anytime soon. He stressed the importance of time, strong processes and…

Ian Wright has come to the defence of Jude Bellingham, claiming that some of the criticism aimed at the England midfielder stems from people not being ready to accept a “black superstar”. Bellingham was criticised in some quarters following his reaction to being substituted during England’s World Cup qualifying win over Albania, with suggestions he could be a disruptive influence within the squad. Wright rejected those claims, saying that Bellingham’s success and confidence have made some people uncomfortable. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Wright said critics were trying to create a negative narrative because England qualified comfortably. He…

Manchester United’s plan to introduce personal seat licences (PSLs) to help fund the £2bn redevelopment of Old Trafford is under threat due to new government measures targeting ticket touting. The club had been considering a PSL model that would allow fans to resell match or season tickets at a profit. However, new legislation will ban resales above the original ticket price, replacing earlier proposals for a 30% cap. Although football already falls under restrictions in the 1994 Criminal Justice Act, government sources say they would oppose any attempt by United to create a secondary market for PSLs. United surveyed hundreds…

Arsenal fear Gabriel Magalhães could miss at least a month after suffering a thigh injury on international duty with Brazil, potentially sidelining the defender during a crucial stretch of the season. Gabriel limped off during Brazil’s 2-0 win over Senegal at the Emirates last Saturday. He returned to London for scans, which confirmed a muscle injury in his right thigh. Tests are ongoing, but the 27-year-old is already ruled out of Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham, as well as Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich. Depending on the severity, Gabriel could also miss league matches against Chelsea, Brentford,…

Germany stormed into next year’s World Cup with a dominant 6-0 win over Slovakia, securing top spot in their group. Four first-half goals – from Nick Woltemade, Serge Gnabry, and two from Leroy Sané – put the game out of reach early, with Slovakia forced into the playoffs. Ridle Baku and 19-year-old debutant Assan Ouédraogo added late goals to complete the rout. The Netherlands also qualified comfortably, beating Lithuania 4-0 in Amsterdam to finish atop Group G. Tijjani Reijnders opened the scoring before Cody Gakpo, Xavi Simons and Donyell Malen struck in quick succession after the break. Poland secured a…

A sickness bug has disrupted Denmark’s preparations for Tuesday’s decisive World Cup qualifier in Glasgow. Joachim Andersen and Rasmus Højlund missed the draw with Belarus due to illness, and a staff member is also affected. Head coach Brian Riemer said the medical team is monitoring the situation closely but expects to have a full squad available. Scotland trail Denmark by one point in Group C and can qualify automatically with a win, returning to a World Cup finals for the first time since 1998. Manager Steve Clarke called on supporters to stay positive and back the team throughout the match.

Manchester City delivered a dominant performance at the Etihad, sweeping Manchester United aside 3-0 to strengthen their position at the top of the Women’s Super League. Goals from Rebecca Knaak, Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp sealed a statement win for Andrée Jeglertz’s team, who now sit four points clear at the summit. United, meanwhile, suffered back-to-back league defeats for the first time since 2024, struggling with fatigue after their historic Champions League win over PSG. Manager Marc Skinner admitted his side had “given City those goals” and stressed the need for reinforcements in the winter window. City were ruthless in…

Celtic are pushing to appoint Wilfried Nancy as their new manager, with talks set to accelerate over the weekend. The Columbus Crew boss has emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Brendan Rodgers, whose second spell in charge ended acrimoniously last month. The Scottish champions have informed the MLS club of their intentions and do not expect compensation to be a major obstacle. Nancy is said to be keen on the move, with Celtic hoping to have him in place before their trip to St Mirren next weekend. Martin O’Neill, who has been serving as caretaker, met majority shareholder Dermot…

Patrick Bamford has signed with Sheffield United, just seven months after leading an abusive chant about the club’s manager, Chris Wilder, during Leeds United’s promotion celebrations. The 32-year-old striker, who left Leeds by mutual consent in August, has joined the Championship side on a short-term deal until January. Despite the awkward history between the pair, both have moved past the incident, with Wilder confirming they cleared the air months ago. Bamford and Leeds boss Daniel Farke personally phoned Wilder to apologise after the viral chant in April. “I’ve no issue at all with it,” Wilder said at the time. “We…