WALES are confident Liverpool rising star Lewis Koumas will not switch his allegiance to England.

The uncapped 18-year-old impressed on his debut for Jurgen Klopp’s quadruple chasing side, scoring in the FA Cup fifth round against Southampton at Anfield.

3

3

Promising Koumas, son of Wales midfielder Jason, was born in Chester and qualifies for the Three Lions but has been called up to the Welsh U21s for the first time.

And U21s boss Matty Jones has no fears that Koumas could make the move from the Dragons after four visits to Liverpool.

Asked whether Jones was confident Koumas would commit to Wales, the ex-Leeds and Leicester midfielder, 43, said: “Absolutely. I’ve always had confidence in our young Welsh boys because when they have those experiences initially, they connect.

“The relationships we’ve built, the due diligence we’ve done over the last six to eight weeks. I’ve had four visits to Liverpool and watched his performance.

“I sat and had lunch with him, to understand him as a person. To know how best to manage him, what drives him and also what threats and capabilities he can pose to us as a team.

“He is blending in with the Liverpool first-team players and excelling. We need to take advantage of his confidence and let him work his way into the group very patiently. We will assess that when he comes into camp, in terms of how he settles develops.”

Jones, whose side play Lithuania in the European Under-21 Championship qualifier next Friday, played for Wales alongside Koumas – just as he did with Robbie Savage, whose son Charlie has also come through Wales’ youth academy.

Jones added: “It’s an internal joke. Just look up former teammates and see if their sons are playing!

CHELTENHAM BETTING OFFERS – BEST FREE BETTS FOR THE FESTIVAL

“Jason has been excellent. We haven’t been in touch for a number of years but I have seen him since I went to Liverpool and kept an eye on Lewis.

“It was quite fun because you get more insight into what Lewis stands for: his temperament, character, personality and weaknesses.

“I got that from the club, from Lewis too honestly and also from his father. Jason has spoken about holding Lewis back from international experiences in younger years so he could concentrate on his domestic football. He’s a very ambitious young man .” player and it’s no surprise why he excels.

“I like the way Liverpool manage him, that model of putting players back in their own age group. He scores hat-tricks in the 18s and he dominates, which gives him enormous confidence in his performance.”

“He plays in 21s football at Liverpool and it is an opportunity for him to discover and express his abilities. The taste he has had of senior exposure – he has trained quite regularly with the first team – took him to the next level. They love him.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to at Liverpool likes his confidence and his ability to drive and run at people. He only comes alive when the ball is at his feet, but like any young player his There are a lot of areas for development. It’s my job now to polish those edges when he comes in and meet those expectations.”

3

Wales boss Rob Page resisted the urge to include Koumas in his first-team squad but hinted he could train with his squad in the international squad.

Page said: “He’s doing really well at Liverpool and he’s on the right track. We work very closely with Matty and the Under-21s.

“When he is at camp there may be times when we take him for training and introduce him that way. But what he needs to concentrate on is enjoying his football and developing as he is.”

“The rest will take care of itself. It is inevitable (that he will join us) at the right time. I have shown in the past that if I see a young boy with potential, I will raise him and he will be part from the first team.”

DOCTORS will check whether Mouctar Diakhaby can “walk again” after suffering a “very rare” injury that could end his career.

The 27-year-old was taken off with a horrific leg injury during Valencia’s 2-2 draw with Real Madrid on Saturday.

4

4

Diakhaby died after an accidental collision with Vinicius Jr.

And players on both sides were left almost in tears, with some burying their heads in their hands.

It has now emerged that Diakhaby dislocated his right knee, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, his posterior cruciate ligament and several others.

In conversation with SER Derportivos Valencia, via Marcaa Spanish doctor has now explained the next steps for Diakhaby.

He thinks the Valencia defender will be out of action for at least a year.

But first, the doctors caring for the ace will have to make sure he can walk again, as there is a risk that the loosened bone will also rupture an artery.

Dr. Enrique Gastaldi claims Diakhaby’s knee injury is the worst a footballer can suffer.

The centre-back will require multiple operations at the very least, which will see him sidelined for the next twelve months at best.

And even if everything goes according to plan, there is a good chance that Diakhaby will never play football again.

Dr. Gastaldi said: “It’s terrifying. The dislocation affected the anterior cruciate ligament and the posterior cruciate ligament.

4

4

“It’s a very rare injury. It is the most serious knee a player can have. He probably tore four or five ligaments, it’s a bizarre injury.

“Think when the knee dislocates, it comes out of place, the bone comes out of place. And that means breaking the ligaments, which are the anterior, posterior, lateral and outer cruciate ligaments.

“And when the bone comes loose, the ligaments have to break. Once the ligaments break, it can cause a complication, namely a vascular injury.

“If the bone comes out, it can tear the artery, vein or nerve. These are very serious injuries from the start.

“With these types of injuries, the first thing I pay attention to is that the patient can walk and that there are no longer any problems. And we’re not talking less than nine to twelve months of sick leave.

“With these types of injuries, there is no need to set deadlines, and the same requires one or two operations.

“If you have a femoral artery injury, your leg will be at risk, but you won’t have any problems walking.”

Souths superstar Cody Walker has broken his silence about being at the center of the rift that saw club icon Sam Burgess walk away last season following claims Walker and Latrell Mitchell received preferential treatment.

Burgess left the Rabbitohs with immediate effect in August last year as the club battled to keep their poor season alive.

It came after allegations that coach Jason Demetriou had divided the team by showing preferential treatment to two of the team’s biggest stars, Mitchell and Walker.

A crisis meeting was held which was reportedly attended by Hollywood star Russell Crowe – although the club denied his involvement – before Burgess left the club’s headquarters with his pregnant partner and did not return.

He later issued the following statement: “I have, in the circumstances, made the decision to resign from South Sydney. My immediate focus is on the birth of our baby and preparing for my new role at Warrington.”

The clash with Burgess was the last thing the Rabbitohs needed as they went from early-season premiership fantasies to making it out of the finals altogether, despite being first on the ladder midway through the season.

Walker now says last August’s outburst has damaged his trust with everyone and everything at the club.

“I still don’t know what to believe,” he told the newspaper Sydney Morning Herald.

Walker said claims of preferential treatment confused him and he confronted Demetriou about it to get clarity.

“I’m still not sure what that actually meant,” he said of the claims.

“I spoke to JD personally [Demetriou] about it immediately. I said, “Is this happening? Do you have that feeling?” I said, “I wouldn’t want to be in a club if that ever happened.”

However, Walker is not pretending that everything was rosy at Redfern last season.

The sometimes volatile half plays the game with its heart on its sleeve and admits that there are sometimes tense moments during training.

But he denied ever leaving training, another accusation he made last season.

“There are times at the training park where I get the sh**s,” Walker said.

‘But I’m not skipping training. I never complete the training.

‘There are times when I am completely confused during training and say what needs to be said. If someone isn’t doing their job, I have the right to tell people, right? My job is as a senior playmaker in the team. To say I leave training and do all that stuff, I’ve never really done that before.

“It’s just crazy to think anyone could do that. Everyone knows I’m vocal and lively. That’s me wanting to win. I hate losing. I can’t stand to lose. I’m one of those guys who says if someone isn’t doing their job well on the team.’

Demetriou also denied claims of preferential treatment.

“The sense of entitlement or that people get special treatment or get away with things never made sense in my mind,” he said.

Club boss Blake Solly was stunned by Burgess’ comments and fired a shot at the departed superstar, who was often in the news for controversial reasons during his time with the team.

“An accusation from Sam about special treatment, given the support we always gave Sam, felt a little strange,” he said.

“We have supported Sam through more challenges in his playing career and personal life than anyone else who has been involved with our club.

“He should know better than anyone the support we provide to our players and staff.”

Walker also spoke highly of Mitchell and how he has dealt with the constant criticism he receives from the media and from the NRL audience on social media.

“It just amazes me how mentally tough he is,” Walker said.

‘What willpower he has. How strong he is at such a young age. He’s 27 now and I was only two years into my NRL career at that age.

‘I could never handle the level of criticism he is under. I would have had enough by now of the amount of criticism he has in society, let alone within the football world.’

Mitchell himself wants to distance himself from what happened last season.

‘We’ll just leave it be, mate. We don’t dwell on the past,” Mitchell said.

“We put the team first and put each other first, that’s all that matters. I’m around good people and I love life. My friends are good. They just want me to show up and be myself, and they let me be that. I get to do that, and I’m very grateful.

‘You have to move on, otherwise you get stuck with things that happen in the media and what not. It just consumes you.”

EBANIE BRIDGES partied with Conor McGregor at his pub in Dublin.

The boxer also left behind a pint of Forged Irish Stout, a McGregor beer brewed in the Irish capital.

5

5

5

Bridges beamed as she posed for a photo alongside the former UFC champion, with the pair also joined by fellow boxer Jasmina Zapotoczna.

The Blonde Bomber appeared to enjoy her stout as she posed for more photos with glass in hand before meeting fans.

Bridges had a great time at McGregor’s Black Forge Inn and told her followers to visit the pub in Dublin.

She shared some photos from her evening on Instagram alongside the caption: “What an incredible evening with @thenotoriousmma and @jasmina.zapotoczna at the @theblackforgeinn

“Incredible food and atmosphere. Thank you for having me and thank you to everyone who came.

“If you haven’t been to The Black Forged Inn yet, YOU MUST GO. And don’t forget a pint of the @forgedirishstout I love Ireland ”

Bridges, 37, is an official partner of Forged Irish Stout after partnering with the brand in October.

McGregor and Bridges met earlier last year during Katie Taylor’s fight with Chantelle Cameron.

5

5

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS

And Bridges is confident she will work with McGregor for the rest of her career as the pair “get on really well”.

She said: “Obviously the collaboration between me and him goes a little deeper.

“I’m now a face for Forged Stout. I can also learn a lot from him when I’m done with boxing – and I find what he’s doing in business really inspiring.

“It was a given and we will work together for the rest of my career. We work very well together.

“I’m great for his brand and he’s great for my brand, and we get along really well.”

WALES are sweating on skipper Aaron Ramsey ahead of their Euro 2024 play-off bid next month.

The 33-year-old midfielder from Cardiff is being scanned today for a calf injury.

3

3

Former Arsenal and Juventus star Ramsey missed Saturday's 4-1 Championship defeat to Norwich.

And boss Erol Bulut expects him to sit out Blackburn's visit tomorrow.

Bulut said: “For Tuesday it will be difficult, I think about a week.

“He got injured and has problems with his calf.

“Perry Ng also injured his hip. That's why they didn't play.

“For Tuesday, Aaron, it will be difficult. I think it will be a short time, about a week.

“We saw in the last game, at West Brom, that when he came in it was a different game to how we started.

“We had a few chances to score and make it 1-1.

3

“It would be great to have him, but if a player is injured, I can't change that.

But SunSport understands Ramsey, recently back from a serious knee injury sustained in September, will now undergo a scan.

Both club and country will hope it is a minor setback when Wales host Finland in the European Championship semi-finals in Cardiff on March 21.

FORMER Manchester United star Ashley Fletcher had a day forgotten.

Fletcher, 28, plays for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

2

2

He was brought on to help the Owls take a 2-0 lead at Millwall.

However, Fletcher was a huge hurdle for Danny Rohl's team.

Fletcher had been introduced in the 79th minute and failed to score, instead managing to get himself sent off.

Fletcher received two yellow cards within a minute, earning him contempt Sky Sports commentator Johnny Phillips.

Phillips, who was present for Soccer Saturday's coverage, did not hold back in his description of the events.

When asked what was going on at The Den, he said: “Possibly the worst replacement performance I've ever seen from Ashley Fletcher.

“He came on and was shown a yellow card for wasting time when he kicked the ball away for a throw-in.

“And the very next one What he did was lose possession to Ryan Longman and in the name of trying to win it back he fouled him and was promptly shown a second yellow card and sent off.”

HOW TO GET FREE BETTS ON FOOTBALL

Fletcher has played 23 games in the second tier this season but is yet to get on the scoresheet.

He is on loan from Watford.

His previous clubs include West Ham, Wigan, Sunderland and Middlesborugh, after he left Man Utd in 2016.

Sheffield Wednesday held on and won the match 2–0, moving closer to safety.

They are currently four points clear of safety, the position occupied by Millwall.

The South London team is only one point above the relegation zone.

It was Millwall's fourth consecutive defeat, having not recorded a win since January 1.

MAN UTD NEWS LIVE: All the latest news from Old Trafford

FERRARI driver Charles Leclerc has shown his musical talent on piano by releasing four new songs.

The Formula 1 star will become Lewis Hamilton's teammate in 2025 who recently announced that he would be leaving Mercedes.

4

4

4

Leclerc shared his artistic work during the winter break with French pianist Sofiane Pamart, a long-term friend.

The 26-year-old has taken his love for music and released a four-song Extended Play on Spotify with Pamart.

The pair called the EP 'Dreamers' with songs called 'Focus', 'Heartbeat', 'Limitless' and 'The Dream Continues'.

In a message on his Instagram storyLeclerc announced the exciting news, giving fans just a 12-hour warning to prepare for Monegasque's sweet, mellow tunes.

Leclerc said: “I enjoyed every second of this moment.

“During the low season, I went into the studio with Sofiane for two days and we worked on four songs that will be released tonight at midnight.

“I'm so proud of the result. We are also releasing vinyl records that you can pre-order via the link below, for a limited time.

“We will also be releasing the piano scores of the songs. I hope you will love them all.”

HOW TO GET FREE BETTS ON FOOTBALL

In the past, the F1 ace has shared his piano playing talents through popular songs such as 'MON23', 'MIA23' AND 'AUS23'.

But the special feature will certainly be the envy of his soon-to-be teammate Lewis Hamilton, who has also expressed his love for music.

The seven-time world champion has even thought about following his passion after retiring after appearing in Christina Aguilera's music video in 2018.

The Mercedes driver will leave the Silver Arrows to join Ferrari at the end of the coming season due to the expiry of his contract.

4

OLIVIA Attwood has been a big-name reality star since appearing on Love Island in 2017.

She is now married to footballer Bradley Dack. Here's what we know about him.

1

Who is Bradley Dack, Olivia Attwood's husband?

Bradley Dack is a professional footballer for Championship side Sunderland.

Born on December 31, 1993 in Greenwich, Dack rose through the ranks at Charlton Athletic before signing for Gillingham on a three-year scholarship deal in 2010.

He signed his first professional contract in May 2012, breaking through for Gills in the 2012/2013 season, where he was named Young Player of the Year after a month's loan spell at Braintree Town.

Two years later he cemented himself as one of the top players in the third tier, scoring fifteen times in 44 games to win the League One player of the season.

In 2017, he signed for Blackburn in a deal believed to be worth around £750,000.

In his time at Blackburn, he cemented himself as one of the side's key players and helped them gain promotion back to the Championship in his first season at the club. He scored 18 goals and helped Rovers to a 2nd place finish in League One.

After six seasons at Blackburn, helping the club consolidate their Championship status, Dack signed for Sunderland on a free transfer in July 2023.

When did Olivia Attwood and Bradley Dack get married?

Attwood and Dack married on June 3, 2023.

The build-up to the big day was documented on the ITVbe show, Olivia Marries Her Match.

This followed the couple as they prepared for the big day, and the ceremony itself was shown on the show.

The couple got engaged in 2019, but had to postpone their wedding twice due to injuries Dack suffered while playing football.

Dack and Attwood are thought to have been dating since 2018.

They had previously dated before Attwood's appearance on Love Island.

What is Bradley Dack's net worth?

It has not been confirmed exactly what Dack's net worth is, but according to FreshersLIVE it is believed to be around £3.9 million.

According to Capologyhe earns a salary of around £780,000 at Sunderland, which equates to around £15,000 a week, excluding bonuses.

This was an increase from his last season at Blackburn in the 2022/23 season where he was expected to earn £590,000, which equates to around £11,000 per week.

His wife's net worth is estimated at around £2 million.

MESUT OZIL has hinted at a return to football after posting a training video on Instagram in which fans say he looks unrecognizable.

The 35-year-old has not played since March 2023 after retiring from professional football.

3

3

Ozil's physique has completely changed after the Arsenal legend uploaded a montage of himself pushing a weighted sled in the gym.

The German star shared the message social media and subtitles “Always stay ready so you don't have to get ready,” followed by an hourglass emoji further teasing a potential return.

And fans and football stars shared their support for Ozil's transformation.

Man Utd icon Rio Ferdinand said: “Looking strong bro.”

While former Chelsea man Antonio Rudiger commented “animal” on the post.

One fan didn't even recognize the ex-midfielder after they said: “Bro got so polished I barely recognized him.”

The World Cup winner has been included in the German draft list for the upcoming over-35s competition in England this summer.

His teammates for the upcoming tournament include ex-Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira and former Schalke striker Kevin Kuriyani.

Ozil made more than 250 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners during eight years at the club after joining from Real Madrid for £42.5 million in the summer of 2013.

He won four FA Cups during his time at the Emirates and racked up 19 assists for the Gunners in the 2015/16 Premier League season, which still stands as a club record.

After leaving north London, Ozil spent two years at Fenerbache, followed by a short spell at Istanbul Basaksehir before announcing his retirement from professional football in March.

3