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Wayne Rooney: Knowing when no longer at best level is hardest thing
The most difficult thing as a footballer is to know when you are no longer the player you once were, believes Wayne Rooney.
The former striker spent 13 years at Manchester United after joining them from Everton for £27m in 2004.
Rooney played 559 times for United, scoring 253 goals, and won five Premier League titles, plus the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup.
However, he decided to move on in 2017 at the age of 31, returning to Everton.
“The hardest thing for a player is to understand you may be not at the level you were,” Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show.
“I did it at Manchester United when Zlatan Ibrahimovic came in and I wasn’t playing. I wanted to play so I left straight away. I accepted it.”
Similar to Rooney’s situation, Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of this season after nine years at Anfield.
The 33-year-old forward has been a key figure for the Reds and helped them win two Premier League titles, the Champions League, Fifa Club World Cup, Uefa Super Cup, FA Cup and two EFL Cups, as well as the Community Shield.
However, he has not been as effective this season by his own high standards.
Salah will play under 30 Premier League games in a season for the first time since joining Liverpool and is on course for his first campaign without reaching double figures for league goals scored, with seven and six assists.
“I said this since the start of the season, age gets to us all and your legs go,” Rooney added.
“I think that’s happened to Salah this season and Virgil van Dijk hasn’t been the same this season. They are the leaders in the dressing room. It’s hard for the other players to go and leave their mark or become the leaders.
“I don’t think he [Van Dijk] will [leave] but you’ve seen players when they’ve stayed there for too long.”
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Commonwealth Games 2026: Michaela Walsh takes silver after final defeat against Jaismine Jaismine
Team Northern Ireland boxer Michaela Walsh had to settle for a third Commonwealth Games silver as she lost to India’s Jaismine Jaismine by unanimous decision.
The Holy Family fighter, who has earned a medal in each of her four successive Games appearances, has claimed a third silver after also coming second in 2014 and 2018.
But she missed out on the chance to add a second gold to the one she won in Birmingham four years ago after being outclassed by Jaismine.
The decorated 33-year-old also won gold in 2022, and joins bowler Neil Booth, shooter Martin Millar plus Mike Bull and Lady Mary Peters from athletics on four medals.
Only shooter David Calvert has won more medals with eight, four of which were gold.
Three of the five judges scored the fight 29-28 while the other two gave it 30-27 with all in favour of Jaismine.
Walsh made a slow start and had an uphill battle after a cagey first round which she lost 3-2.
The second was a much closer affair and while she went all out for the stoppage in the third, her efforts were in vain as Jaismine did enough to win and claim the gold.
It is NI’s third silver medal of the Glasgow Games after Barry McClements and Daniel Wiffen in the pool and their 11th overall.
Kaci Rock and Jon McConnell have the chance to add boxing’s first two golds of these Games as the two debutants fight later this afternoon.
Rock is up against England’s Sacha Hickey in the women’s welterweight final at 11:45 BST and McConnell will fight Wales’ Orlando Holley-Sotomi in the men’s light-middleweight final at 13:15.
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Fifa World Cup plans: Gianni Infantino scraps private investment proposal after widespread opposition
Infantino became Fifa president in 2016 when he beat AFC president Sheikh Salman al-Khalifa by 115 votes to 88.
Fifa’s next president will be confirmed at the organisation’s 77th Congress in Morocco next March. Candidates have until 18 November to put their names forward.
Prior to this week, it had been anticipated Infantino would be re-elected unopposed. Associations around the world, including some in Europe, had already confirmed their intention to vote for him.
It remains to be seen if the events of this week will result in a mass withdrawal of their support.
In his statement, Infantino reiterated his plan was designed to strengthen members associations, “especially in countries where support is most needed”.
He added: “Our purpose has always been – and always will be – to unite and improve.”
However, the proposal clearly created division within Fifa itself.
Cordeiro, who represented the world governing body on the White House taskforce for the 2026 World Cup, is the first senior figure at Fifa to resign over the plans.
In a lengthy statement, Cordeiro said he “unequivocally” opposed the plans and said he “did not accept the proposition” Fifa needed outside investors to “unlock greater value”. He added he had no involvement in the proposal.
It is understood Infantino even left some of Fifa’s eight vice-presidents in the dark about his plan, which it is claimed could have raised $10bn (£7.5bn).
Lamour called it “the project of one person” and said “a president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them” but this was “the opposite”.
“If that means I lose my job, then so be it,” he added. “I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”
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Commonwealth Games 2026: Georgia Hunter Bell eyes golden sweep after Glasgow win
Georgia Hunter Bell is eyeing an ambitious sweep of gold medals in 2026 after winning the 800m Commonwealth Games title in Glasgow.
England’s Hunter Bell dominated the field to add Commonwealth gold to the 1500m world indoor title she won earlier this year in Poland.
The 32-year-old, a training partner of 800m Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, will also race at next month’s European Championships and the inaugural Ultimate Championships in September.
“There are four opportunities to win gold this year,” Hunter Bell told BBC Sport.
“I am two golds down and two more to go.”
Hunter Bell is blossoming later in her career.
Having taken five years out from the sport before returning during the Covid-19 pandemic, she took 1500m bronze at the Paris Olympics before pipping Hodgkinson to silver at last year’s World Championships in the 800m.
This, though, is her first outdoor title – in the event Hodgkinson is Olympic champion.
“Every medal is a landmark moment but my first outdoor gold is huge,” she said.
Hunter Bell and Kenya’s world champion Lilian Odira were the favourites for this title after Hodgkinson opted not to compete. The final was barely a contest with Hunter Bell setting the pace and then kicking on with 200m to go to win by more than a second.
Hodgkinson has instead taken time off before the European Championships in Birmingham, which start on 10 August.
Hunter Bell is only running in the 1500m in that event, denying the chance to see an intriguing race between the pair, but took her opportunity in her friend and training partner’s absence.
Though she said the win validates her decision to come to Glasgow, she defended the decision of others to withdraw.
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CK Updates17 hours agoCommonwealth Games 2026: Georgia Hunter Bell eyes golden sweep after Glasgow win
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CK Updates11 hours agoFifa World Cup plans: Gianni Infantino scraps private investment proposal after widespread opposition
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CK Updates23 hours agoGianni Infantino: Fifa executive joins PM Andy Burnham in questioning Infantino
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CK Updates5 hours agoCommonwealth Games 2026: Michaela Walsh takes silver after final defeat against Jaismine Jaismine

