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Premier League LIVE: Team news and latest updates as Leeds, Everton and Leicester face relegation battle
Premier League LIVE: Team news and latest updates as Leeds, Everton and Leicester face relegation battle
The Premier League is set for a blockbuster final day as Everton, Leeds United and Leicester City all fight for a place in the top-flight next season. The Toffees are in pole position to survive the drop, sitting 17th in the table with a two-point advantage over their relegation rivals. They face Bournemouth in this afternoon’s clash and with the Cherries already safe Everton have a strong chance of claiming victory. Elsewhere, Leicester (18th) take on West Ham knowing that only three points - and an Everton loss - will be enough to keep them in the Premier League. The good news for Dean Smith’s side is that the Hammers are focused on their upcoming Europa Conference League final so may field a weakened team. The final contender in this relegation battle is Leeds. They have arguably the most difficult challenge as they take on Tottenham. Home advantage can play it’s part and the Elland Road faithful will bring the noise. Like the Hammers, Leeds must win and hope Everton lose, the difference is that Spurs are also chasing three points as they have a chance to earn European football next season. Follow all the action from the Premier League final day below and see which team avoids the drop: Read More ‘It is theatre’: Inside the emotional chaos of a final-day Premier League relegation battle Dean Smith knows just how big an achievement keeping Leicester up will be Consistency is key as Sean Dyche plans to get Everton survival bid over the line
2023-05-28 20:29
Is Leeds vs Tottenham on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Premier League fixture
Is Leeds vs Tottenham on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Premier League fixture
Can Leeds United pull off a shock and defeat Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the Premier League season? That’s the only way Sam Allardyce’s men can make sure they avoid relegation to the Championship this year. Fate is out of their hands in the battle for survival after a 1-1 draw with Leicester City last time out kept them inside the bottom three, two points behind 17th placed Everton. To have any chance of remaining in the top-flight Leeds must win today and hope other results go in their favour. Spurs will be difficult to beat though as they are still challenging for a place in Europe next season. They could nick a Europa Conference League spot away from Aston Villa if they earn all three points at Elland Road and no doubt Harry Kane will want to impress after rumours he could be leaving the club in the summer. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of this crucial Premier League clash: When is Leeds vs Tottenham? Leeds vs Tottenham is due to kick off at 4.30pm BST on Sunday 28 May at Elland Road in Leeds. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on BT Sport 1HD, with coverage on the channels from 3.30pm BST. Subscribers can stream the game via the BT Sport app. Team news Leeds will give Patrick Bamford as long as he needs to prove his fitness before the start of the match and Rodrigo is back in training so should feature for the Whites. Manager Sam Allardyce says he will risk starting players who aren’t fully fit but have the desire to play and hopefully win the game. Eric Dier has undergone groin surgery this week and will be unavailable for Tottenham. Cristiano Romero has picked up a knock so won’t play but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could feature. Predicted line-ups Leeds XI: Meslier; Ayling, Koch, Cooper, Firpo; McKennie, Roca; Harrison, Rodrigo, Sinisterra; Bamford Tottenham XI: Forster; Emerson, Sanchez, Lenglet; Porro, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Davies; Richarlison, Kane, Son Odds Leeds win 7/4 Draw 29/10 Tottenham win 7/5 Prediction Leeds put up a good fight and provide some drama on the final day of the season by taking the lead early on before Spurs kick into gear and record a comeback win on what could possibly be Harry Kane’s last outing for the club, in the process Sam Allardyce’s men are relegated to the Championship. Leeds 1-2 Tottenham. Read More ‘It is theatre’: Inside the emotional chaos of a final-day Premier League relegation battle Premier League relegation: What do Leeds, Everton and Leicester need to survive? Harry Kane taking inspiration from greats as he eyes another decade at top
2023-05-28 18:46
West Ham manager Paul Konchesky leaves the club following end of WSL season
West Ham manager Paul Konchesky leaves the club following end of WSL season
Paul Konchesky has left his position as West Ham manager after the Women’s Super League season ended on Saturday. The former England defender, who made 70 appearances for the Hammers, was promoted from assistant in May 2022 when boss Olli Harder departed the club. Konchesky signed a two-year deal, but has left the Hammers after just 29 games in charge, with the club finishing eighth in the WSL table following a 2-2 draw at home to London rivals Tottenham in their final match of the campaign. “I am proud and honoured to have had the opportunity to manage this club,” Konchesky told the club’s official website. “My players and my staff have always given me 100 per cent and while some of our results have been disappointing this season, we still have a lot to be proud of, including reaching the semi-final of the Conti Cup. I wish the club well for the future.” West Ham Women general manager Aidan Boxall said: “We would like to thank Paul for his contribution to the club, both as manager and during his spell as assistant manager. “He has played a key role in the ongoing development of the women’s team and we wish him well for the future.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-05-28 18:15
Luton’s Tom Lockyer thanks medical staff for ‘swift response’ after collapse
Luton’s Tom Lockyer thanks medical staff for ‘swift response’ after collapse
Luton captain Tom Lockyer has thanked medical staff for their “swift and thorough response” after collapsing during his side’s Sky Bet Championship play-off final victory against Coventry. The defender fell to the floor while running back during the match and received treatment before being carried off the pitch on a stretcher. The game went to penalties after Jordan Clark’s opener was cancelled out by Gustavo Hamer to finish 1-1 after extra time, and the Hatters secured Premier League football for next season with a 6-5 victory on penalties. Luton players held up Lockyer’s shirt throughout their celebrations and the captain posted an update on Instagram. He said: “Well not quite where I thought I’d be celebrating at the final whistle! “I would just like to say a massive thank you to the amazing physios and doctors at Luton and Wembley for the swift and thorough response. “A much scarier moment for everyone else than myself I am sure! “Commiserations to Coventry a fantastic opponent over 3 games which had to be decided by penalties. “I am currently in hospital under precaution and will stay here overnight for further tests in the morning. “I am feeling very much myself, helped by the way the lads left it all out on pitch! It’s such an honour to be part of this team.. Premier League baby.” A thrilling finale at Wembley saw victory secure a return to the top flight for Luton for the first time since 1992. It is a remarkable turnaround given just nine years ago the Hatters ended a five-season stretch in the fifth tier, but manager Rob Edwards admitted emotions were “mixed” afterwards following Lockyer’s collapse. “I felt a bit numb. I just made sure I shook Mark’s hand and his staff,” Edwards said. “I don’t want to be that guy that just starts running off and celebrating before I’ve seen the other manager. “I just felt very numb. I still do. It hasn’t sunk in quite yet. It might take a few days, but it’s great. It does feel good. “It was mixed because of Locks (Lockyer), that’s why I couldn’t really go for it celebrating.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ethan Pinnock signs new four-year contract at Brentford Opening batter Ben Duckett backed to thrive long-term in second England chance Aryna Sabalenka to begin French Open against player who ‘hates’ her
2023-05-28 17:58
Ethan Pinnock signs new four-year contract at Brentford
Ethan Pinnock signs new four-year contract at Brentford
Ethan Pinnock has signed a new four-year contract at Brentford. The defender, who turns 30 on Monday, will now stay with the Bees until the summer of 2027. Pinnock joined Brentford from Barnsley in 2019 and has made 153 appearances for the club. Bees boss Thomas Frank told the club’s official website: “This is great news for Brentford and I am incredibly pleased that we have Ethan with us for four more years, I am sure our fans are delighted. “Ethan has been a mountain in defence for us for the last four years. He played a key role in our journey to the top half of the Premier League. He is a top, top player and a great person. “He has stepped seamlessly in the Premier League and it is an amazing story for him, and for football, that he can progress from non-league to the top of the game so quickly. “He has proven himself to be a typical Brentford signing, he meets every challenge he faces and we think there is still more development for him. “Ethan has been so reliable and consistent for us and I am sure that will continue. He will be spending the prime years of his career with us and we look forward to him helping the team be successful in the coming seasons.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-05-28 17:47
On This Day in 2011: Lionel Messi stars as Barcelona win Champions League
On This Day in 2011: Lionel Messi stars as Barcelona win Champions League
Lionel Messi produced a Wembley masterclass as Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1 in the Champions League final on this day in 2011 to become European champions for a fourth time. Pep Guardiola won his second Champions League as Barca head coach in three years after a dominant performance from his side. They reached the final after defeating El Clasico rivals Real Madrid 3-1 on aggregate in the last four, with United sweeping aside Schalke 6-1 in their semi-final. Guardiola’s side outplayed United in the first half, enjoying 68 per cent possession and having 22 shots, but were still level at half-time as Pedro’s opener was cancelled out by Wayne Rooney, who side-footed home from 15 yards after a one-two with Ryan Giggs. Barca’s dominance continued after the break with Messi, who moments earlier had seen a shot cleared off the line by Patrice Evra, firing in a low shot from 25 yards. Messi’s dribbling then caused panic in the United defence and David Villa capitalised to whip a shot into the top corner from just outside the penalty area and secure Barcelona’s third Champions League title in six years. Eric Abidal, who had undergone surgery only two months earlier to remove a tumour in his liver, was given the honour of wearing the captain’s armband during the presentation ceremony and he was the first player to lift the trophy. After the match Guardiola hailed Messi as “the best player I have ever seen”, while United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said: “In my time as manager it is the best team we have faced.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-05-28 13:17
Gareth Southgate knows Euro 2024 must go ‘very, very well’ to keep England job
Gareth Southgate knows Euro 2024 must go ‘very, very well’ to keep England job
Gareth Southgate knows next year’s Euros will have to go extremely well for it to be a “possibility in anybody’s eyes” for him to stay on as England manager. The 52-year-old was parachuted into the hotseat following Sam Allardyce’s ignominious exit in 2016 and has gone on to oversee the national team’s best spell since winning the World Cup. England reached the 2018 semi-finals before losing the delayed Euro 2020 final in an agonising penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy at Wembley. There were more signs of progress as the team were edged out by France at last year’s World Cup, but a challenging year meant Southgate had to weigh up whether to see out his contract until 2024. The England boss decided to stay on after a week of contemplation following Qatar, but next summer’s European Championship could prove his last finals in charge. “My contract is until the December,” Southgate said. “That was always put in place because it would allow everybody reflection time, really.” Asked if the Euros would be his last tournament, Southgate said: “Who knows? “I think we’ll have to go very, very well for that to be a possibility in anybody’s eyes and that’s fair enough. I’m more than comfortable with that. “My aim is to try and win the tournament and everything I do is geared around that and every conversation I have with the players now is geared around that. “So, what will happen in the future at the moment it isn’t at the forefront of my mind, but trying to win this European Championship is.” England are third favourites with the bookmakers to triumph in Germany next year, and that is all the manager is focused on right now. ‘Succession’ is a buzzword thanks to the popular US TV series, but Southgate has not seen the show and was unwilling to talk about potential candidates for a job he cares deeply about. “Whatever (input) John (McDermott, Football Association technical director) and everybody else at the FA would like, really,” he said. “I’m not precious about it. If I could help in any way, at whatever point. I try to do that now with involvement in the pro licence, with reaching out to English coaches. “We’ve had people in to have the odd day here and there with us at training. “That’s not my decision but I’d always help English football as much as I can. “At whatever point I leave here, hopefully we’ve won something, but if I’m the second most successful I’ll be more than happy to become third very quickly. “I joined here to help English football and that will never change for me.” England’s immediate focus is taking a giant stride towards Germany by beating Malta and North Macedonia in June, but for a number of players their future is up in the air. Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham are subject of widespread speculation, while a lack of game-time is an issue for Southgate’s favourites Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips. “There’s potentially a lot of movement with that squad we’ve picked across the summer, but I think it will be later in the summer,” the England boss said. “It doesn’t worry me how it plays out. I think as a player you always back yourself. You’ve got to. “You’ve got to have the mentality that ‘wherever I go I’m going to force my way into the team’ until such point as which it becomes apparent where ‘maybe I’ve got to go’. “And maybe we’ve got a couple in the squad who’ve got that decision to go through in their own minds this summer.” That self-confidence has paid dividends for Jack Grealish, who struggled to make the desired impact in his first season at Manchester City. But the 27-year-old has come on leaps and bounds this term under Pep Guardiola, who Southgate considers the best coach in the world. “I’m a huge admirer,” the England boss said. “He knows that, I’ve told him. “Of course it’s been brilliant for our players to work with him and they have learned individually, tactically and, probably as much as anything, that mentality. “You mention Jack, he’s played properly, I would say, in this period. You know, against Real Madrid with and without the ball. “That wasn’t the case two-and-a-half years ago, if I’m honest, so there’s been a lot of progress.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Erik ten Hag confident Marcus Rashford can score 40 goals in a season I’ll stay at Newcastle as long as I’m wanted – Eddie Howe Ryan Mason believes Daniel Levy has ‘been let down by other people’ at Tottenham
2023-05-28 06:17
Roberto De Zerbi wants to help Jason Steele follow Lewis Dunk into England squad
Roberto De Zerbi wants to help Jason Steele follow Lewis Dunk into England squad
Roberto De Zerbi hopes to help goalkeeper Jason Steele gain England recognition after claiming Lewis Dunk’s international recall is a comparable achievement to Brighton qualifying for the Europa League. Seagulls skipper Dunk has been included in Gareth Southgate’s squad for next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia, having been in international exile since his debut in November 2018. The 31-year-old has been rewarded for his key role in Albion’s sixth-placed Premier League finish. Former Middlesbrough, Blackburn and Sunderland keeper Steele has also been instrumental during a remarkable season at the Amex Stadium after dislodging Robert Sanchez as first choice in early March. Brighton head coach De Zerbi believes the 32-year-old is capable of joining Dunk in the national team set-up to compete with the likes of Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope and Sam Johnstone. “It’s great news,” the Italian said of Dunk’s call-up. “I think it’s maybe the same big news like Europa League because to help one of our players to achieve a target so important, so prestigious is a proud (moment). “We have to be proud – not only the coaches but the players – for one player. “We will work in the next season to help Jason Steele to achieve the same target of Lewis Dunk because he has the quality to achieve one target so important. “In my vision, in my idea, Jason Steele is a top keeper. It’s difficult to find another keeper of this level. “I study football 24 hours per day but it’s very hard to find another keeper with this quality.” Steele, a former England Under-21 international who represented Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, had never played in the top flight until last term. He has registered six clean sheets and one assist during the past three months, having been preferred to Sanchez due to his ability to play out from the back. Steele joined the Seagulls in June 2018 – on the back of suffering successive relegations to League One with Blackburn and Sunderland – and had to wait more than three years for his league debut. “Football is nice because the past is not important,” said De Zerbi. “I have to analyse the present and sometimes the potential in the future but the past is not important. “You can change your life in one day, if you believe in yourself and you believe in work. “And I told him the same: ‘Jason, you have to think you can change. I give you the possibility to change your life, to change your career and you have to believe in yourself because I help you and you help me and you help the team’.” Brighton complete an unforgettable campaign at Aston Villa on Sunday after cementing their Europa League spot with Wednesday evening’s 1-1 draw at home to champions Manchester City. De Zerbi, who succeeded Graham Potter in September, feels Albion can progress significantly next term. “I am looking forward to working in pre-season because I think we can improve in a lot of things,” he said. “We have played not more than 70 per cent and we have another 30 per cent of improvement.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rob Edwards relieved to hear skipper Tom Lockyer is doing okay after Luton win Pep Guardiola has no concerns about ‘scoring machine’ Erling Haaland I am on my phone all the time – David Moyes finds it difficult to switch off
2023-05-28 05:58
Dean Smith knows just how big an achievement keeping Leicester up will be
Dean Smith knows just how big an achievement keeping Leicester up will be
Leicester boss Dean Smith knows he will have fulfilled a “big ask” if he can guide his side to Premier League survival on Sunday. The Foxes must beat West Ham at the King Power Stadium and hope Everton do not win against Bournemouth if they are to avoid relegation to the Championship. Smith was parachuted into an eight-game SOS mission following Brendan Rodgers’ sacking at the beginning of April but has recorded just one victory from his first seven games and accepts that his side have not done as well as he thought they would. The 52-year-old has experience of producing the great escape as he led Aston Villa to seven points from their final four games of the 2019/20 season to beat the drop and says something similar would be required. Smith said: “When you first come in you look at games and I looked at Man City, Liverpool and Newcastle and knew they were going to be tough to get points out of. I expected us probably to win our home games and nick points away from home, with probably the exception of Liverpool. “We are a few points short of where I expected to be and that’s why it has come down to the last one. “This would be a very proud day if we do it, but we have to win our game and rely on other results. Each escape will have its own merits, the one at Villa with four games to go was seven points. That in itself was a big ask, this has been a big ask and hopefully we can do it.” It is only two years ago since Leicester were winning the FA Cup and fighting for Champions League qualification, but they have dropped quickly after having to balance the books in the league. And Smith says that shows just how tough the league can be for those outside the traditional ‘big six’. “This league is precarious. You’ve got to have really good models now to stay in the league,” he said. “You look at Brighton and Brentford, two really good models of clubs, one I know very well because I worked there. “It is hard. You need the finance behind it but it’s not just about finance as you can see in Brentford’s case. “There are many different ways to stay in the league but it’s a real tough league. Very quickly you can go and lose two or three games on the spin. All of a sudden that just drains the confidence of players.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rob Edwards relieved to hear skipper Tom Lockyer is doing okay after Luton win Roberto De Zerbi wants to help Jason Steele follow Lewis Dunk into England squad Pep Guardiola has no concerns about ‘scoring machine’ Erling Haaland
2023-05-28 05:55
I am on my phone all the time – David Moyes finds it difficult to switch off
I am on my phone all the time – David Moyes finds it difficult to switch off
David Moyes admits he finds it impossible to switch off during the close-season. The West Ham boss is resigned to losing captain Declan Rice this summer and will be inundated with calls from agents suggesting replacements. “I am the exact opposite of switching off, I am on my phone all the time, there’s recruitment and things going on,” said Moyes. “When you talk about the job as a manager, it is so full on. I am sure there are some managers who say ‘no problem and I’ll put my phone away’. I have never been like that, I am always on my phone and available. “I am getting 400 different names put to me every day, a lot of them you don’t know, some of them you do know and some of them you go, ‘I quite like him’. “When you are doing nothing, the agents start to get busy and that’s when it becomes a difficult time as a manager to switch off.” Moyes can at least relax in the knowledge West Ham are safe from relegation ahead of Sunday’s trip to Leicester, who are still in the drop zone. The Hammers also have a Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina in Prague to look forward to next month. “I hope to be playing plenty of golf, just trying to recover as it’s been a real difficult year for the club and myself,” added Moyes. “I think we’ve been a good side, but we’ve maybe not shown that we are a good side that often this year. “But I just see it as a huge achievement for the whole of West Ham as a football club, to be in a European final. “I don’t know if I would have said this when I came back to the club three years ago, you wouldn’t have believed me at all. The supporters were probably thinking that as well. If I wasn’t at West Ham, I would have said ‘you’re off your head’. “Maybe the draw in Europe has been a bit kinder to us – but that’s part of being in the cup competitions.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rob Edwards relieved to hear skipper Tom Lockyer is doing okay after Luton win Roberto De Zerbi wants to help Jason Steele follow Lewis Dunk into England squad Pep Guardiola has no concerns about ‘scoring machine’ Erling Haaland
2023-05-28 05:55
Pep Guardiola has no concerns about ‘scoring machine’ Erling Haaland
Pep Guardiola has no concerns about ‘scoring machine’ Erling Haaland
Pep Guardiola has no doubt “goal machine” Erling Haaland is ready to fire in Manchester City’s two upcoming finals. The prolific Norwegian’s output has slowed in recent weeks with just one goal in his last six games. For someone who has plundered 52 in a remarkable season that is a relative drought but that is hardly troubling Guardiola ahead of the FA Cup and Champions League finals. Premier League champions City face Manchester United at Wembley next weekend before travelling to Istanbul to take on Inter Milan for the European crown seven days later. City manager Guardiola said: “I’m not going to doubt about the scoring machine, Erling, right now. “We had the chances. Maybe he’s waiting for the right moment. He will be ready in the right moment to score the goals. He’s ready. “I’m very pleased he’s achieved all he’s achieved, and the goals and the records. “Then he goes to Brighton and plays the way he played. He still did damage (without scoring). “He could say, ‘I’m waiting for the two finals’ but it’s completely the opposite and I like that.” Guardiola has been impressed by how Haaland has dealt with expectation in his first season in English football. “I don’t feel he’s felt much pressure,” Guardiola said. “I think he’s handled it really well. He laughs, I think, when people (mention) expectations. “I remember in the Community Shield, we lost 3-1 and he missed one clear chance – all the memes, all the people talked about that. “I was close to him and he said, ‘Don’t worry, I will score goals’. He’s this type of guy. He has incredible self-confidence in himself that all he needs is the chance to score the goals. “It doesn’t matter what happened, he’ll never lose confidence. You define the football players and the athletes in the bad moments. It’s how you react.” City, who secured the title last weekend, wrap up their Premier League campaign at Brentford on Sunday. The Bees inflicted City’s only home defeat of the season when they won 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium with an Ivan Toney double in November. Toney will not be involved this time after the striker was banned for eight months for breaching betting regulations. Guardiola hopes the player bounces back after he has served his punishment. Guardiola said: “Everyone has problems. If he made a mistake, you accept it and learn from that and (take) a new opportunity. I’m pretty sure he will be (back) better.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rob Edwards relieved to hear skipper Tom Lockyer is doing okay after Luton win Roberto De Zerbi wants to help Jason Steele follow Lewis Dunk into England squad I am on my phone all the time – David Moyes finds it difficult to switch off
2023-05-28 05:53
Rob Edwards relieved to hear skipper Tom Lockyer is doing okay after Luton win
Rob Edwards relieved to hear skipper Tom Lockyer is doing okay after Luton win
Rob Edwards’ delight at Luton ending their 22-year wait for Premier League football was nothing compared to the relief he felt at the news captain Tom Lockyer was all right. Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship play-off final went the distance at a packed Wembley, where the Hatters rallied after their skipper’s worryingly collapse early on. Jordan Clark put Luton into a deserved lead that Coventry midfielder Gustavo Hamer cancelled out in the second half, with the match ending 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra-time. Joe Taylor saw a winner ruled out just before spot-kicks, with Fankaty Dabo’s sudden-death miss sealing a 6-5 shoot-out triumph that propelled Luton back into the top-flight for the first time since 1992. The dramatic triumph means the Hatters will welcome Manchester City and Co just nine years after facing the likes of Salisbury and Hyde in the Conference Premier. Luton boss Edwards said: “I felt a bit numb. I just made sure I shook Mark’s hand and his staff. “I don’t want to be that guy that just starts running off and celebrating before I’ve seen the other manager. “I just felt very numb. I still do. It hasn’t sunk in quite yet. It might take a few days, but it’s great. It does feel good. “It was mixed because of Locks (Lockyer), that’s why I couldn’t really go for it celebrating.” This is a day that will live long in the memory of anybody connected to Luton, whose players held a Lockyer shirt throughout the celebrations. The Hatters captain collapsed when running back to defence in the early stages of the final, leaving the field on a stretcher and being taken to hospital for tests. Luton confirmed Lockyer was “responsive and talking to his family”, with his dad posting an image of him in a hospital bed celebrating the shoot-out win. Edwards cried with delight when he saw that image and hopes to soon celebrate with the much-loved skipper. “If we can we will (see him in hospital),” he said of Lockyer, who is expected to be kept in overnight. “But I don’t want to get in the way and if I’m not allowed then I won’t. “If I’m allowed I would love to go and see him, but then I think we’re so tight as a group that I’m not sure if 40-odd people are allowed to go and see him in hospital. “We will have to check on that, but I’m just so thankful that he’s OK because that’s all that matters. “I wasn’t really able to enjoy any celebration at the end because all I cared about was Locks.” As for Coventry, it was a heartbreaking end to a memorable season. Bottom of the table in October and taken over at the start of the year, boss Mark Robins was agonisingly close to leading the Sky Blues from League Two to the top flight. “Firstly, congratulations to Luton because once the game is over and done with you’ve got to congratulate the winners,” the long-serving Coventry boss said. “They’ve come out on top today, however tight the game may have been. “Congratulations to them and their supporters. I think they have been outstanding all season and good luck to them moving forward. “I think for us, certainly the opposite of their joy is pain. “You certainly feel a bit of pain, but once that pain starts to dissipate in however long it takes for it to go, we’ve got to reflect on what an unbelievable achievement it’s been just to even be here today in a play-off final. “The division is very, very tough as we all know and unfortunately we couldn’t make that next step.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Roberto De Zerbi wants to help Jason Steele follow Lewis Dunk into England squad Pep Guardiola has no concerns about ‘scoring machine’ Erling Haaland I am on my phone all the time – David Moyes finds it difficult to switch off
2023-05-28 05:51
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