PENNANT’S WORD OF WARNING CLOCK TICKING ON TELLES EXIT
EX-REDS ACE TELLS JACK & PHIL TO CURB WILD WAYS
JERMAINE PENNANT has warned Manchester City’s young England stars Jack Grealish and Phil Foden not to follow in his footsteps. The former Liverpool and Stoke winger, considered himself a bit of a Jack the Lad during his playing career, lapped up the adulation and got himself a reputation for late-night revelry.
And as he prepares to pull on a Liverpool shirt again to show off his skills in the Masters tournament in Glasgow on Friday, streamed live and exclusively on 360 Sports TV, Pennant has some words of wisdom for
Grealish – who was recently snapped in Ibiza withwayne Lineker – and Foden based on his own vast experiences.
He reflects on his mistakes and he can only offer up advice to the talented new generation of stars.
Pennant, 39 said: “We do see all the foreign superstars pictured on their holidays in fabulous villas, with their wives, in fancy restaurants – and with their personal trainers to make sure they are super-fit even in their times off.
“But don’t kid yourself, when the cameras are not on them, they are letting their hair down in their downtime, in the privacy of their own homes, with no photographers snapping any indiscretions.
“When you are in the public eye you have to be clever. Of course Jack and Phil think they are young lads, still in their early 20s, entitled to a night out in their summer break after a gruelling season of 10 to 11 months with City winning the title, they feel they are entitled to a blowout.
“They need to think about it, show a bit more class, be more aware of what the public reaction is going to be, what the headlines in the tabloid press are going to do to their reputations – and reputation is so important.
“What they do in their time off, whilst you can’t condone some of the things, it isn’t wrong for them to let off steam, but what they do during the season is vital if they want to be in the elite, if they want to be in that top tier they need to be more professional.” In his autobiography, Mental, Pennant wrote about a party for lads mag FHM the night before his Arsenal debut when he could “still feel vodka bouncing in his stomach” during the match hours later. But he did score three.
He explained: “Yes that’s true enough. I wasn’t expected to be in the squad, let alone picked to start. So I was out until 6am, got home to find I was playing and scored a hat-trick. But I wouldn’t advise it.”
While in Spain at Real Zaragoza, it was reported that he could not remember owning an expensive Porsche, leaving it abandoned for nearly half a year after moving to Stoke on loan.
However, Pennant now says: “This is my point about reputation. Yet it’s all Chinese whispers and that is what Jack and Phil have to consider. I’d not forgotten the car.” ●360 Sports TV Masters Cup, Friday July
8, 7.30. Celtic, Liverpool, Manchester United and Rangers, at Braehead Arena Glasgow. Carragher, Saha, Brown, Ferguson, Mcmanaman, Garcia among glittering stars.
Live & exclusive on sports documentary streaming platform 360 Sports TV, in UK & Ireland. From Friday 1st July through to Monday 11th July, subscribe for just 99p a month, special price annual subscription just £4.99 against normal price of £19.99 during this time. Subscribers also access sports
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ALEXTELLES is next in line to be jettisoned by Manchester United. It is believed the full-back was involved in a furious training ground bust-up with fiery teenage starlet Hannibal Mejbri in May, just days after United’s 4-0 humiliation at Brighton in the penultimate match of a disastrous campaign.
After the pair were pulled apart, interim manager Ralf Rangnick was forced to abandon the training session early as his authority over the United dressing room completely disintegrated.
Shocked team-mates tried to calm the situation as
19-year-old Tunisian
Mejbri (below) clashed with the experienced defender, 10 years his senior, after a rash challenge.
The incident, at the end of Rangnick’s ill-fated reign at the club, was seen as evidence of the divisions within a United dressing room described as
“broken” by former player Gary Neville.
And as United close in on a £13.5million deal for Feyenoord left-back Tyrell
Malacia, 22, it appears the end of Telles’ time at Old
Trafford is looming.
The Brazilian, who joined
United from FC Porto in a £13.6m transfer almost two years ago, has disappointed since being signed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and has failed to reproduce the form he showed at his former club, where he scored 23 goals in 160 games.
In the 26 matches he featured in last season, United’s defence let in 32 goals, with Telles often criticised for poor positioning.
And he was an unconvincing performer as he stood in for injured England star Luke Shaw in the last six weeks of the season.
He may still be of use to the Red Devils, even though it looks like his days are numbered.
United have also been on the trail ofvillarreal defender Pau Torres for months and they would happily use Telles and Ivory Coast defender Eric Bailly, 28, a former player at the Yellow Submarine, as bait to land the 25-year-old Spain international who has a £45m price tag.