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UNL: BELGIUM. ITALY REACH NATIONS LEAGUE FINAL AS PHIL FODEN STARS IN ENGLAND WIN.

Romelu Lukaku extended his record scoring form and underlined his credentials as Belgium’s key attacker with a second-half double to help his team book their place in next year’s Nations League finals with a 4-2 home victory over Denmark on Wednesday, while unbeaten Italy also booked their last four berth with win over Bosnia.

Belgium, who finished five points clear at the top of League A Group 2, will meet world champions France and former World Cup winners Italy and Spain in the final four next October.

England salvaged their pride with a 4-0 demolition of 10-man Iceland in a dead rubber with Declan Rice and Mason Mount scoring in the first half and a late brace by Phil Foden to add to their team’s tally.

Also securing promotion to the top tier were Austria, Wales and Hungary from their respective groups.

The world’s number one-ranked side, Belgium only required a draw from their last League A, Group 2 game at home to Denmark behind closed doors in Leuven and took an early lead through Youri Tielemans.
Jonas Wind equalised for Denmark, but Lukaku scored double in the second-half and Kevin De Bruyne made sure of the victory for Roberto Martinez’s side after Thibaut Courtois allowed a Nacer Chadli back-pass to squirm under his leg and in for an own goal.

Italy secured first place in Group 1 with a 2-0 triumph in Sarajevo thanks to a goal in each half from Torino’s Andrea Belotti and Domenico Berardi of Sassuolo.

That ensured they finished a point ahead of the Netherlands, who came from behind to beat Poland 2-1 away with captain Georginio Wijnaldum scoring the winner after Memphis Depay’s penalty cancelled out Kamil Jozwiak’s opener.

Italy and Belgium join Spain and World Cup holders France in a final tournament which is expected to be held in Italy in October next year.

Before the finals, European national teams will start their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign in March and then the delayed Euro 2020 is set to go ahead next June and July.

England have more than one eye on that tournament, with the semi-finals and final scheduled for Wembley, and Gareth Southgate’s team rounded out their Nations League campaign with a 4-0 win over Iceland.

“It was a very difficult game. All the players were hearing messages that this is meaningless and there was nothing to play for but they did play for it,” Southgate told Sky Sports.

Birkir Mar Saevarsson was sent off for Iceland who, like Bosnia, are relegated and will compete in League B in the next edition.

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MARCUS RASHFORD LAUNCHES BOOK CLUB TO HELP EVERY CHILD HAVE ESCAPISM.

Footballer Marcus Rashford is launching a book club so that all children can experience the escapism of reading.

The Manchester United star is teaming up with Macmillan Children’s Books (MCB) to promote reading and literacy among children from all socio-economic backgrounds.

Rashford said he wishes he had the chance to read more as a child but his family had to prioritise food over books when it came to budgeting.

MCB said there will be a particular focus on getting books into the hands of children from vulnerable and under-privileged backgrounds.

The first title of the partnership, YOU ARE A CHAMPION: Unlock Your Potential, Find Your Voice And Be The BEST You Can Be – an illustrated non-fiction title aimed at young people aged 11-16 – will be published in May 2021.

Each chapter will begin with a story from Rashford’s own life and will cover topics such as the value of education, positive mentality, understanding culture, and female role models.

It will be co-created with Carl Anka, a journalist for sports media group The Athletic, and Katie Warriner, a performance psychologist.

Two fiction titles for readers aged seven and up will follow later in 2021 and 2022.

Next year will also see the launch of the Marcus Rashford Book Club, a reader recommends programme publishing front list titles from MCB’s successful list.

Rashford said: “I only started reading at 17, and it completely changed my outlook and mentality.

“I just wish I was offered the opportunity to really engage with reading more as a child, but books were never a thing we could budget for as a family when we needed to put food on the table.

“There were times where the escapism of reading could have really helped me. I want this escapism for all children. Not just those that can afford it.

“We know there are over 380,000 children across the UK today that have never owned a book, children that are in vulnerable environments. That has to change.

“My books are, and always will be, for every child, even if I have to deliver them myself. We will reach them.”

Rashford said acceptance and acknowledgment are a key focus of the project, adding: “Let our children read that they are not alone and enable them to dream.

“Equip them for obstacles and adversities they might face.

“Allow them to relate to characters by making sure people of all race, religion and gender are depicted correctly and representative of modern society.

“No matter where you grow up, talent should be recognised and championed.

“Under the Marcus Rashford Book Club young writers, illustrators and creatives will be seen and they will be offered a platform to shine.”

Rashford, 23, has drawn widespread praise for highlighting the issue of child food poverty and his campaign resulted in the Government back-tracking to announce free meals would be provided to disadvantaged children over the Christmas holidays.

The England footballer was also recently awarded an MBE after forcing a Government U-turn on free school meal vouchers.

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BELGIUM EASE PAST ENGLAND TO SECURE PLACE IN UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE FINALS.

Belgium rode two first-half goals to a 2-0 UEFA Nations League win over England on Sunday night.

Youri Tielemans fired the hosts in front inside of 10 minutes with a low line drive that took a slight deflection to beat Jordan Pickford in the England goal.

Belgium went two clear midway through the first half with a spectacular free kick from Dries Mertens that went up and over the wall before flying past Pickford at the near post.

England needed a win to put themselves back in the frame for a place in the Nations League finals, but Gareth Southgate’s side found themselves chasing the game after Tielemans put the hosts in front after 10 minutes.

England looked more dangerous in the second half, but couldn’t convert either of a pair of free kicks just outside the area and Harry Kane saw a good chance from 15 yards away save by Belgium keeper Thibaut Courtois.

Belgium held on with few real alarms after that against an unimaginative England side and must now avoid defeat on Wednesday against Denmark, who beat Iceland 2-1, to finish top of the group.

A second successive defeat for England, after a home loss to Denmark, left them in third place in the group with one match to come at home to Iceland next week.

The result means Belgium have secured a spot in the Nations League finals.

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MAGUIRE STARS AS ENGLAND ENDS 35 YEARS WINLESS RUN AGAINST NORTHERN IRELAND.

Gareth Southgate admitted he was impressed with Jack Grealish as the England winger sparkled and Harry Maguire enjoyed a moment of redemption in Thursday’s 3-0 friendly win against the Republic of Ireland.

Just 48 hours after the resignation of English Football Association chairman Greg Clarke following his offensive comments about the BAME and LGBT communities, Southgate’s side showed no signs of being distracted by the controversy.

After being sent off in his previous England appearance against Denmark, Maguire captained his country for the first time and scored the opening goal at Wembley.

It was a welcome boost for Maguire, who has endured a difficult campaign marred by his Greek court case and poor form for Manchester United and England.

Jadon Sancho bagged England’s second goal before the interval and Dominic Calvert-Lewin made it three with a second-half penalty.

That was enough to seal England’s first success against the Republic since 1985.

Grealish, starting against the country he represented at youth level, caught the eye on the left flank as he justified the constant calls from fans and pundits for the Aston Villa star to be given a sustained run in the team.

“The two players in those roles, Jadon and Jack, they’ve got the freedom to go either side of the pitch and try and create overloads,” Southgate said.

“I thought at times both of them did that really well. Of course, as soon as they are turned and running at people, they are a real problem for the opponent.”

There was a landmark moment for Jude Bellingham, who became the third youngest player to represent England when the 17-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder came on for Mason Mount in the 73rd minute.

Bellingham, who left Birmingham to join Dortmund earlier this year, is behind only Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney in the list of England’s youngest players.

The teenager is one for the future, but Southgate will have been more encouraged by the way his understudies impressed after he rested Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Jordan Henderson before the Nations League games against Belgium on Sunday and Iceland next Wednesday.

“I was very pleased with the way the boys played. A lot of young players, a lot of inexperienced players, we used the ball very well, created a lot of chances, could have been more comfortable if we’d taken some of those chances but overall very pleased,” Southgate said.

“We were a bit slow at the start but that’s understandable. It’s not a team that have had a lot of time to work together.

“The longer they went on, some of the interplay, some of the play between our attacking 10s and our wing-backs in particular was very good.”

Southgate had urged England to put the focus back on football after Clarke’s self-inflicted demise triggered a “turbulent week” and his team were always in control in their first meeting with the Republic since 2015.

Maguire put England ahead in the 18th minute when Harry Winks crossed back into the area and the defender rose above Shane Duffy to head past Darren Randolph for his second goal in an England shirt.

Sancho has been struggling to find his peak form for Borussia Dortmund this season, but the winger showed his quality to double England’s lead in the 31st minute.

Grealish teed him up on the left side of the Ireland area and Sancho shifted the ball onto his right foot before curling a low strike past Randolph.

Bukayo Saka won a penalty in the 56th minute when he wriggled past Cyrus Christie, who responded with a clear trip on the Arsenal wing-back.

Everton striker Calvert-Lewin stroked the spot-kick high into the roof of the net for his second England goal.

Manchester United’s Dean Henderson had come on for his England debut at half-time, replacing Nick Pope in goal, but he was barely tested as the hosts cruised to the final whistle.

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JOE GOMEZ UNDERGOES SURGERY ON SERIOUS KNEE INJURY.

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has undergone surgery on his left knee tendon after suffering a serious injury during England training on Wednesday, report Simon Hughes and Caoimhe O’Neill.

Liverpool have said there is no timescale on the 23-year-old’s return although the nature of the injury is likely to rule Gomez out for a considerable period of the season.

Gomez injured his knee while jumping for a header as England prepared for Thursday night’s friendly against the Republic of Ireland. “What was upsetting was to see he was in a fair bit of pain,” England manager Gareth Southgate later said.

Gomez collapsed in considerable pain after his knee gave way under no challenge in England training on Wednesday morning.

He immediately went for scans to determine the severity of the damage.

Fortunately for Liverpool, the scans indicated that Gomez had suffered no ligament damage. He still underwent surgery on his knee tendon, however, with Liverpool confirming on Thursday that “the issue is likely to rule him out for a significant part of the remainder of 2020-21.”

Liverpool have provided no timescale for his return, although the club are hopeful he can still play some part in the 2020-21 campaign.

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BOBBY CHARLTON DIAGNOSED OF DEMENTIA.

Bobby Charlton, widely considered to be England’s greatest ever footballer, has been diagnosed with dementia.

The 83-year-old, who was England and Manchester United’s record goalscorer until recently, has the disease, reports say, with his wife, Norma, content for his condition to be made public in order to help others with dementia.

Charlton won 106 England caps and was a key member of the 1966 World Cup triumph, while in his club career won three league titles, a European Cup and an FA Cup with United during 17 years at Old Trafford, where he remains on the board of directors. In a statement, the club said: “Everyone at Manchester United is saddened that this terrible disease has afflicted Sir Bobby Charlton and we continue to offer our love and support to Sir Bobby and his family.”

Charlton’s elder brother, Jack, died aged 85 in July following a battle with dementia and lymphoma, with three other members of England’s triumphant 1966 World Cup team also having being diagnosed with dementia or memory loss.

On Friday Charlton’s United teammate, Nobby Stiles, died after a prolonged period with dementia and prostate cancer with Martin Peters and Ray Wilson previously passing away in 2019 and 2018 respectively after having Alzheimer’s disease. A study last year found former footballers 3.5 times more likely to develop dementia.

Gary Lineker, whose 48 England goals places him one behind Charlton’s 49 as the second highest ever scorer, wrote on Twitter: “Yet another hero of our 1966 World Cup winning team has been diagnosed with dementia. Perhaps the greatest of them all, Sir Bobby. This is both very sad and deeply concerning.”

Last year’s study into dementia was commissioned by the Football Association and the Professional Footballers’ Association and led by consultant neuropathologist Dr Willie Stewart of Glasgow University. It assessed the medical records of 7,676 men who played professional football between 1900 and 1976, with their record matched against more than 23,000 individuals from the general population.

The study’s findings came 17 years after former England and West Bromwich Albion striker Jeff Astle died at the age of 59 with what a coroner described as an “industrial injury”. Astle’s daughter Dawn responded to the study’s findings by saying “these players who have suffered dementia must not be a statistic – they must never be forgotten”.

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UNDER-FIRE HARRY MAGUIRE DOUBTFUL FOR UNITED’S TRIP TO NEWCASTLE.

Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire is keen to play on and overcome his poor recent displays for club and country but could miss Saturday’s Premier League clash at Newcastle United with a knock, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Friday.

Maguire endured a torrid time in United’s 6-1 thrashing by Tottenham Hotspur before the international break and sustained an injury before being sent off in England’s 1-0 Nations League defeat by Denmark on Wednesday.

But Solskjaer backed the 27-year-old, who also featured in England’s 2-1 win over Belgium, to give his critics a fitting response if he is fit enough to play this weekend.

“When Harry is part of the England team that beats number one-ranked Belgium it’s a normal day. Then you get the headlines when you get a sending off, that’s football. You have to deal with it,” Solskjaer told reporters.

“Harry has got great resilience. He knows he will bounce back. He wants to play and work his way out of the last couple of games he’s been criticised for.

“But he picked up a knock just before he came off the other night so we’ll have a look at him today.”

United’s defeat by Spurs left them in 16th place with three points from as many matches and Solskjaer said his players were ready to turn their fortunes around.

“We know we’ve started the season badly and that game ended really badly… we know we have to perform better but we’ve now had two weeks to think about it, work on it,” Solskjaer said.

Solskjaer brushed off comments made by midfielder Paul Pogba who is out of contract next June and said on France duty that he would love to play for Real Madrid one day.

“Paul’s our player, he’s going to be here for another two years and sure he’s focused on doing his best for us and we want to see the best for Paul,” Solskjaer added.

“In the next couple of years I’m sure we’ll get the best out of him.”

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BRITISH PRIME MINISTER REJECTS RASHFORD’S REQUEST TO EXTEND FREE MEALS TO HALF TERM AND CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

Poorer pupils will not receive free meals during school holidays, No 10 insists – putting Boris Johnson on a fresh collision course with footballer Marcus Rashford.

The Manchester United star has launched a fresh campaign to help hungry children, calling for vouchers for October’s half-term break and at Christmas.

In July, Mr Rashford forced the prime minister into a humiliating U-turn, which delivered the free meals throughout the long summer holidays.

But the prime minister’s spokesman insisted it would not be repeated – despite the spread of tougher restrictions across England, as coronavirus infections surge – insisting: “We are in a different position now.”

The England striker stepped up his campaign by launching a Commons petition, saying: “Whatever your feeling, opinion or judgement, food poverty is never the child’s fault.

In 2020, no child in the UK should be going to bed hungry, nor should they be sat in classrooms concerned about how their younger siblings are going to eat that day, or how they are going to access food come the holidays.”

Last month, the 22-year-old was awarded an MBE for his efforts in tackling child poverty – increasing his public status further.

The petition is also calling for free school meals to be extended to any household which receives benefits – to help a further 1.5million under-16s, during term-time.

But the spokesman said: “We took that decision to extend free school meals during the pandemic, when schools were partially closed during lockdown.

We are in a different position now. Schools are back open to all pupils and do not regularly provide food to pupils during term-time.

“We believe the best way to support families outside of term times is through universal credit, rather than schools subsidising meals.”

The Food Foundation charity has released data which suggests nearly a fifth (18 per cent) of eight to 17-year-olds reported they struggled to eat properly over the summer holidays.

That would mean 1.4 million children were in the same position, when extrapolated to reflect the size of the UK population.

Earlier, Louise Casey, a former homelessness adviser warned that people face “destitution” and may have to “prostitute themselves” without more Covid help.

Anna Taylor, executive director of Food Foundation, said: “School holidays are a financial pressure point which many families just can’t afford at the moment. Hunger does not take a holiday.

“The government needs to put in place a permanent solution to school holiday hunger and implement the recommendations in the National Food Strategy.

“While children have been spared the virus, they have not been spared its economic impacts and we must act to protect them.”

The survey, of more than 1,000 children, found 6 per cent were worried about going hungry during the October half-term and 11 per cent said either they, or their families, had visited a foodbank in the summer break.

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MARCUS RASHFORD LAUNCHES PETITION TO END CHILD HUNGER.

Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford has launched a petition to encourage the United Kingdom’s government to end child food poverty.

The petition asks the government to implement three points from the National Food Strategy including expanding free school meals, providing meals and activities during the holidays and expanding other schemes in place to prevent child hunger.

“Remember when I said I was going to need your help,” Rashford tweeted with a link to the petition. “For the millions who do not have the platform to be heard. Let’s stand as a ‘United’ Kingdom to #endchildfoodpoverty.”

In June Rashford convinced the UK government to reverse a decision to end a national voucher scheme to feed children from low-income families.

He wrote an open letter to politicians asking them to extend the free school meals programme and earned an eventual U-turn.

He has also raised over £20 million for food distribution charity FareShare during the coronavirus pandemic.

The 22-year-old, who relied on meal vouchers during his school days in Manchester, was praised by Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his “contribution to the debate around poverty.”

Rashford was awarded an MBE for his work on child food poverty.

“It’s a nice moment for me personally but I feel like I’m still at the beginning of the journey that I set out to try to achieve,” Rashford told the BBC after receiving the award.

“I think what I would like to do now that I’m in this position is just speak directly to the prime minister and really ask for the vouchers to be extended until at least October half-term because I think that’s what the families need.

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RASHFORD COMMITTED TO FIGHTING POVERTY AFTER MBE.

Marcus Rashford says it is an honour to receive an MBE in recognition of his services to help children across the United Kingdom at risk of going hungry during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m incredibly honoured and humbled,” he tells Man Utd’s official website after learning of his MBE, full title Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

“As a young black man from Wythenshawe, never did I think I would be accepting an MBE, never mind an MBE at the age of 22. This is a very special moment for myself and my family, but particularly my mum who is the real deserving recipient of the honour.”

Rashford helped to raise £20million and provide 2.8m children with meals while schools were closed due to COVID-19.

Not done there, the Manchester United Academy graduate stepped up his efforts to tackle childhood poverty by campaigning for an expansion in free school meals and holiday provision in a move to help a further 2.6m children and 290,000 pregnant women.

Now, Rashford says his work has still only just begun.

“The fight to protect our most vulnerable children is far from over,” he says.

“I would be doing my community, and the families I have met and spoken with, an injustice if I didn’t use this opportunity to respectfully urge the Prime Minister, who recommended me for this honour, to support our children during the October half-term with an extension of the voucher scheme, as the furlough scheme comes to an end and we face increased unemployment.”