England fans are already running out of superlatives to accurately describe just how good Jude Bellingham is as the young midfielder helped spur the Three Lions on to a massive win against Italy which secured their place at Euro 2024.
Whilst qualification was still likely to happen in either of the next two games, Gareth Southgate’s side were aiming for “payback” after the Euro 2020 final according to Manchester City star Kyle Walker, and that’s exactly what they got.
Despite conceding the first goal, England managed to put three past Azzuri, making it two wins in the last two games against the foes who brought the nation’s previous Euros campaign to such a painful end, and although one goal came from Manchester and another from ever-reliable source, it was the young midfielder who earned the headlines on Tuesday night.
Not only did Bellingham win the penalty for captain Harry Kane‘s equaliser and set up another for Man United’s Marcus Rashford to put England in front, but the Real Madrid star absolutely ran the show from start to finish, sending social media into a frenzy and those in the ground to chant his name throughout.
Another Jude Bellingham masterclass in a string of Jude Bellingham masterclasses🤩
Waxing lyrical about the Birmingham-born attacking mid in a piece the morning after, The Athletic‘s Tim Spiers said that “almost every in the stadium [was] under Jude Bellingham’s command” and praised him not only for his performance but spirit and leadership at such a young age.
“To be one of the world’s best players is one thing, to be an inspirational leader is another. Bellingham is both”, says Spiers.
“With his magnificent performance here, dragging England into the lead either side of half-time with moments of aggressive ingenuity, but also with his ring-mastering of the audience, it felt like this was the night Bellingham’s relationship with his home public was forged.
“He spoke to Wembley, with his feet, with his gestures, with his rabble-rousing — and in turn they worshipped him, singing his name, shouting ‘Juuuude’, marvelling at his flicked passes, his sliding tackles, his dominance of the game.” Ridiculously high praise but not wrong; virtually everyone agrees that despite being just his 27th cap for England, he might just be our best player right now.
A standing ovation for Jude Bellingham at Wembley.
Won the equalising penalty and showed tremendous vision, touch and drive to set up Rashford's goal.
11 goals and 5 assists for Real and England this season. No better player in the world right now.🏴🌟 pic.twitter.com/Osy11VIXs1
On just his fifth start at Wembley, Bellingham is already being compared to the likes of Paul Gascoigne, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard; Iniesta, Xavi, Zidane and more all in the same breath, and it’s starting to look as if England are ever going to win a trophy, this young man will play a very big part in it.
Having just joined the Spanish giants this season from Borussia Dortmund, where he was already making his incredible talent abundantly clear, he has already taken his game to a new level and become their main man, insisting that his arrival has “100% improved” him as a player.
Bellingham was still a teenager barely five minutes ago, has already become a ‘galactico’ at one of the biggest teams in the world, is now the name fans want to see on an England teamsheet and might just be one of if not the best player on the planet right now. Big words, we know — but have you seen him?
You can see the full highlights of the Three Lions’ Euros qualification-securing win over Italy and Bellingham’s unreal performance down below:
Streamer AngryGinge ‘arrested and banned’ from Silvestone at the British GP
Danny Jones
Popular Manc influencer, ‘AngryGinge’, was arrested, fined and ultimately banned from Silverstone at this year’s British GP.
The Salford-born Twitch streamer, YouTuber and social media personality (real name Morgan Burtwhistle) was detained at the circuit after being arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.
Ginge recently starred in Soccer Aid 2025 and is a well-known face both on the internet and in the sporting world, regularly working in and around football, and is an avid Manchester United – even featuring in the club’s third kit launch video last year.
The 23-year-old and two other fellow streamers, ‘Chazza’ and ‘Samham’, were accused of criminal damage after sitting in an F1 car whilst recording around the Silverstone complex.
AngryGinge returned to streaming after being detained by police for 15 hours
The streamer and several friends were arrested for climbing into a display F1 car at the British Grand Prix pic.twitter.com/WDSYb6MVtj
“On Friday, July 4, NP received a report that a classic Formula 1 car on display at Silverstone Circuit during the British Grand Prix event had sustained several thousands of pounds worth of damage, which was alleged to have been caused by someone accessing the display stand and climbing into the vehicle.
“Officers carried out initial inquiries, and suspects were identified. Three men, aged 23, 25 and 27, were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage to a vehicle and taken into police custody.
“Following a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the incident, all three men were released with no further action.”
Burtwhistle went into more detail on the incident on socials, explaining that the trio were taken away in handcuffs and “locked up” for several hours – 15 hours, according to SamHam (Samuel Imie).
All three individuals deny causing any damage to the racecar, even despite users sharing clips from the livestream footage captured for the Red Bull online Content on the day that many argue incriminates them, or at least sounds like it – we’ll let you watch and decide for yourselves.
Ginge himself went on to detail that ridculousness of the situation, explaining how he was effectively detained for watching someone else climb into the vehicle.
He’ll be dining out in this one for some time, you can be sure of that.
He’s literally a brands dream isn’t he 😂 so quick and smart with it
Featured Images — Soccer Aid/angryginge13 (screenshot via Twitch)/Samham (via X)
Sport
Boxing legend Ricky Hatton is coming out of retirement after more than a decade
Danny Jones
Mancunian and British boxing legend Ricky Hatton MBE is coming out of retirement after more than a decade for his first competitive fight in 13 long years.
This is sure to be one to watch.
The Stockport-born and Hattersley-raised fighter first retired back in 2011, but did flirt with a comeback a year later in what turned out to be a one-off fight and defeat to 35-year-old Ukrainian welterweight, Vyacheslav Senchenko.
‘Hitman’ Hatton also got back in the ring for an exhibition match against Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022, enduring eight two-minute rounds after a decade away from fighting, but now he’ll be undertaking an official fight over in the United Arab Emirates.
Lacing up his gloves at 46 years old, Hatton will be facing fellow veteran Eisa Al Dah (same age), who was the first professional boxer in the UAE.
The ‘Pride of Hyde’ may have been out of the competitive sporting sphere for a while, but he’s still remained an active figure in the boxing world.
In addition to training his son, Campbell, who has followed in his father’s fighting footsteps, Hatton has continued to coach other young boxing talents from his gym in Tameside, including John Hedges and Chloe Watson.
Campbell, 24, has won 14 of his 16 fights, losing just twice since he began in 2021.
Meanwhile, his dad – who still boasts a record of 45 victories from 48 matches, 32 of which were by knockout – will be once again focusing on getting himself back in fighting shape for the Dubai bout.
The local athlete has done plenty to dispel the old jabs of ‘Ricky Fatton’ in recent times, mind you, having taken his talents as a once-promising young footballer to play in the Manchester Remembers charity match, as well as the aforementioned Barrera exhibition.
Set for this winter, Ricky Hatton will face fellow veteran Eisa Al Dah in a middleweight contest on Friday, 2 December, telling national media via video call in the recent press conference that confirmed he would be coming out of retirement: “What you’re trying to do there for boxing in Dubai is fantastic.”
Meanwhile, Al Dah added: “It will be a true fight, true action. And I will do my best, because everybody in the UAE and the Gulf, they will watch this fight. The place will be sold out, and it will be watched around the world.”
Will those Haymakers still hit like they used to? Well shall see before the end of the year.
Danny Jones -
18th October 2023 
