PAUL POGBA has revealed his friends stopped ringing him after his doping ban and admitted “the famous guy” was “no more”.

The Juventus and France midfielder, 31, was initially handed a four-year ban from football for a doping offence, before the suspension was reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Reuters

Sky Sports

He has opened up about the change in his personal life following the ban[/caption]

It means he is able to return to training with Juventus from January – and can play as soon as March.

In an interview with Sky Sports News, Pogba accepted responsibility for taking the banned supplement – DHEA – but was also adamant he is “not a cheater”.

He also opened up about the impact it had on his personal relationships following the original four-year ban.

And the World Cup winner, who had two stints at Manchester United, has claimed his friends stopped calling him following the suspension.

Speaking to The Mail, he said: “We are all human, we all have feelings. When that [ban] happened, I realised what life is.

“Paul Pogba – the famous guy – is no more. People were avoiding me.

“I used to get invited to fashion weeks and events like that. Now they were like, ‘We can’t use Pogba’. My friends weren’t ringing like the way they were ringing before.

“When people hear doping it’s like they think you want to become the Incredible Hulk.

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“That’s how people used to see me. And public opinion means they can say what they want.”

Pogba spoke on his plans for when he returns to football, stating his main goal is to get back on the pitch – wherever that may be.

He said: “I would just love to be [back] on the pitch, on any pitch.

“First it’s for sure Juventus and I want to start training with my teammates.

“It’s tough to be alone doing passes for yourself on the wall. My main focus right now is to get back training, get fit, be on the pitch and be doing what I love.”

He is convinced that he can still play at the highest level when he makes his return, with hopes of a France call-up.

He added: “That’s what I hope [to play for France]. It’s in my mind for sure but I have to be ready for that.

“There’s players there that deserve to be playing and deserve to be in the national team.

“I have to win my place back in the team again.”

Pogba won four Serie A titles and two Coppa Italias during his first spell at Juventus – while he also reached the Champions League final.

He left to go back to Man Utd in 2016 and played more than 200 games for the club, picking up the Europa League and League Cup.

During his time as a Red Devils player, he also won the World Cup with France and has been capped 91 times by his country, scoring 11 goals.

He returned to Juventus in 2022 but has made just 12 appearances in two years.

LIAM Payne and Cheryl Cole welcomed their son Bear into the world on March 2022, 2017.

The former One Direction star tragically passed away on October 16, 2024 after falling from a third-floor balcony in Argentina.

by Kristina Mack at Tiny Posers

The 31-year-old singer was in Buenos Aires for pal Niall Horan’s tour when he tragically fell from his hotel room balcony.

Liam was staying at Hotel CasaSur in the neighbourhood of Palermo.

What Liam & Cheryl called their baby

The Sun exclusively revealed their son was born on March 22, 2017.

Cheryl and Liam named their baby Bear, and the tot also took his One Direction star dad’s surname, Payne.

They decided on the unusual name after spending a week getting to know the tot.

A source revealed: “Cheryl and Liam wanted to get to know their baby before deciding on a name.

“They spent over a week getting to know him first before deciding.”

The baby name became the subject of an April Fool’s prank, with Directioners making the name Lionel trend as the baby’s name.

Marie Claire also shared an article naming the tot as “Wayne ‘Window’ Payne”.

Why they chose Bear

Liam Payne revealed the reason Cheryl chose to call their newborn son Bear.

He made the confession during a radio interview in the US and admitted he’d had an “internal battle” about the moniker.

Liam said: “The reason she chose Bear, in the end, was that Bear is a name that when you leave a room you won’t forget. And I like that. When I look at him he is Bear.

“To be honest at first I wasn’t having it, I didn’t understand it and I wasn’t sure. Now I look at him and he is Bear. It’s mad.”

What is Bear’s nickname and middle name?

Liam revealed his adorable nickname for baby Bear is Cub.

Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together

Liam & Cheryl

The One Direction star met fans in America for a Q&A, and immediately opened up on “making a human”.

One fan wrote: “He said his proudest moment was bear and said at first he called him cub a lot.”

According to a fan who the One Direction star met in Boston, Liam and Cheryl decided to give their “cub” the middle name of Grey.

An excited Twitter user called Jackie posted: “LIAM TOLD US BEAR’S MIDDLE NAME! IT’S GREY! BEAR GREY PAYNE.”

The fan also added that the name certainly suits their little one, tweeting: “He just talked about letting Cheryl name him and that when he looks at him now ‘he’s definitely Bear’ & that his middle name is Grey.'”

Cheryl & Liam’s split

On July 1, 2018, The Sun exclusively revealed that Cheryl and Liam had separated after two-and-a-half years.

The pair released a statement confirming their split: “We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways.

“It’s been a tough decision for us to make. We still have so much love for each other as a family.

“Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”

JURGEN KLOPP is reportedly plotting to kick-start his Red Bull reign with a double swoop on Barcelona’s famed academy.

The former Liverpool manager, 57, said he was taking a year out of football after leaving Anfield in May.

PA

Red Bull chief Jurgen Klopp is set to pounce for two Barcelona youngsters[/caption]

But Klopp stunned supporters when earlier this month he announced he was becoming Red Bull’s new Head of Global Football.

The Premier League and Champions League winner is now in charge of business dealings for clubs including RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg.

And he will pocket up to £10million each year in his new role.

Red Bull have already been making moves under the German after investing in French side Paris FC.

And reports in Spain claim Klopp now wants to boost Red Bull’s incredible stable of young talents by poaching two of the best from Barcelona.

According to Sport, Klopp would first like to sign Spain U19 midfielder Aleix Garrido.

The talented playmaker, who turns 21 in February, has just one senior appearance for Barca and is out of contract next summer.

He is ready for a change of scenery and would be tempted by a move to Red Bull, with Austrian giants Salzburg the most likely destination.

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Klopp also hopes to pull off a deal for Germany U19 winger Noah Darvich.

The 18-year-old is highly regarded at Barcelona following a £4million move from Freiburg’s academy last year.

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Midfielder Aleix Garrido could be on his way to RB Salzburg[/caption]

Getty

He too is yet to make a senior appearance but has been tipped as a future first-team star.

And due to Darvich’s German roots, he would likely end up at Leipzig.

However, the ace is tied down to Barcelona until 2026.

He is also said to have a mind-blowing £1BILLION release clause.

But with Barca’s financial troubles well-documented, a fair bid from Red Bull and Klopp could be enough to twist their arm.

LIAM Payne “lacked a sense of belonging” according to close pal Ant Middleton, who has opened up on his “shock” following the popstar’s tragic death.

The ex SAS: Who Dares Wins star, 44, formed a close bond with the dad of one, 31, during show Straight Talking, released in 2019.

Instagram

Ant Middleton made an emotional tribute to Liam Payne on Good Morning Britain[/caption]

Instagram

The pair became close pals in 2019[/caption]

The Mega Agency

The dad of one has died aged 31[/caption]

Speaking live on Thursday’s Good Morning Britain – hours after Liam’s sad passing came to light – Ant said he resonated with the state of mind of The X Factor alumni.

He said of his death: “I was just shocked, I was lost for words.

“He was such a positive, outgoing guy who I believe lacked a sense of belonging when he left the band.

“When we did our special together in Namibia I could relate to that.

“When I left the military, I lost my sense of being, and when he left the band we had a great conversation about how that identity is lost and how we re-identify ourselves and re-establish ourselves.

“And we became very close after that.”

Ant, who was on the call via a link to his car in Australia, added: “We built that brotherly bond together.

“He would call me and within an hour we would be at his house and talking through things.

“But I mean what a loss, what a tragic loss.”

Celebrity tributes from famous faces have been pouring in for the Wolverhampton star.

A WIFE is seeking a divorce after coming across her husband’s secret porn stash – even though he claimed his work friends bought it for him as a joke.

Now, the mum-of-two wishes to seek advice after being left hurt by her discovery as she believes he is using them for personal use. 

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A mum-of-two is looking to divorce her husband after finding his porn stash[/caption]

The woman, who is a stay-at-home-mum, took to online forum Mumsnet to share her concern but not everyone is agreeing with her. 

In a lengthy post, she wrote: “I’ve just been sorting through some of my darling husband’s things (he knew I would be doing this; I wasn’t snooping) and found a stash of porn DVDs. I feel sick.

“Ever since I’ve been with him, we have had arguments over porn. He sort of came of age using porn, as I was his first sexual partner.

“We nearly split up when I was pregnant with our first darling daughter because he bought porn and lied to me about what it was. 

“It was the lying to my face that angered and hurt me, not necessarily that it was porn he bought.

“Up until that point, I would have trusted him with my life. I just can’t stand being lied to.

“I think he has continued using porn, even though he knows I hate it.”

The mum explained that she is trying not to “police” what he does “when alone,” and she knows he may want to self-please “which is fine” but “why can’t he just use his imagination like I do?”

She continues: “A couple of years ago when my second darling daughter was about seven months old, after a rough patch, I found out that he registered with an extra marital affairs website. 

“At first he said he hadn’t been on it, he must have clicked it by accident, maybe someone had hacked his email he looked me in the eyes and said he loved me too much to ever do that…and I believed him – id*t that I am. 

“Of course the next night I snooped on the laptop and found his profile on there – even when I confronted him he swore that he hadn’t, when I was looking right at the page.

“I gave him another chance, we had very small children, I had no money, it seemed too difficult to leave, but obviously since then I’ve found it hard to trust him.

“At Christmas his workmates apparently got him some porn DVDs as a joke present (he’s told them I hate it) and he showed me one or two and snapped them and put them in the bin, to show honesty. 

“But now I have just found this stash in his work stuff, some are out of their packets so must have been used but I don’t know when. If I confront him, he will lie as he has always done.

If he does, then you deserve better

Mumsnet comment

“What do I do now? I’ve had enough.

“And for the first time I feel I could be emotionally strong enough to be a single parent, but still in a dire financial situation as I’m a stay-at-home-mum with no savings and no job.

“Am I just overreacting?”

The post gained a lot of attention from other Mumsnet on the online forum, with many rushing to the comments section to share their thoughts. 

One wrote: “It’s porn ffs, it’s not a receipt to say/show he’s shagged some wh**e!

“You are defo over reacting.”

But another said: “Even if he is telling the truth he obviously was intending to watch them, otherwise he would have just dumped them in the nearest skip or something like that rather than bringing them home.

“Sorry that you’re having to go through this.”

And a third wrote: “Of course you haven’t let anyone down!

“We have no agenda here apart from making sure you feel supported whatever you try to do.

“Just make sure he knows how close he came to losing you and make it absolutely clear that if he lies to you again you’ll be gone – and mean it. 

“If he does, then you deserve better. If he learns his lesson and grows up a bit, then all’s well that ends well.

“I hope everything’s OK from now on – but please don’t be afraid to come back if he lets you down again.”

BARGAIN hunters are raving about a cheap buy from Amazon that will keep your home toasty warm this winter.

So if you’re worried about rising energy bills and are reluctant to turn on your central heating, fear not, you’ve come to the right place. 

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Amazon

So if you’re looking to cut costs where possible but don’t want to spend the winter months shivering, you’ll need to check this out[/caption]

Getty

Thanks to the Rainberg fan heater, you won’t need to sit wrapped in your duvet this winter[/caption]

Shoppers have praised a £14.99 gadget that you can buy on Amazon and claimed it can warm up a room in just five minutes.

The Rainberg fan heater, which has two heat settings, is great for those looking to stay warm on a budget.

It’s perfect for winter, as the high heat setting provides powerful, fast heating, but it also has a low heat setting too, which offers a more gentle, energy-saving heat. 

If that wasn’t enough, the small fan heater also features a cool function, allowing you to enjoy a refreshing breeze on warm days.

The electric fan heaters are designed with ease of use in mind, as they come with an adjustable thermostat, so you can set the temperature to your preferred level. 

The blow heater operates until the surrounding air temperature is at the set level and then will automatically switch on or off intermittently to keep a consistent temperature.

Even better, this small heater comes with built-in frost watch protection that allows complete control to keep your room warm. 

You can keep the chill away using the “Frost Watch” setting, which will enable the heater to switch on automatically if the room temperature dips below 5°c.

This small heater is designed to be easy to move from room to room thanks to its compact design and there’s also a built-in handle for easy carry. 

It’s made with a safe fire-retardant plastic cabinet and dual protection safety cut-off features and features an overheat protection system that automatically turns off the heater in case of overheating. 

More than 1,000 were bought last month and shoppers flocked to Amazon to share their rave reviews of the affordable buy, which now has an average rating of 4.3 out of five. 

Whilst shoppers praised the product’s effectiveness, many hailed it as being incredibly ‘energy efficient’ too. 

One person said: “My dinning room was always like a North Pole, even in summer. Using this product was a game changer.” 

Another added: “Great product for real, does the job of warming my room within five minutes.

“When I’m outside the cold, the thought of returning home and turning on my fan heater gets me excited. Silent, compact and portable.” 

A third commented: “Heats up the room in less than five minutes! Very warm. I’m in a house with no heating (rented) so this is the perfect solution.” 

Meanwhile, someone else penned: “Works great and is very energy efficient.”

At the same time, one happy shopper beamed: “Heats my bedroom which I would say is medium size really well in winter on the first setting.

“Setting two can actually make it too hot, great heater! It also has a fan setting that blows cool air.”

AFTER Aldi shoppers went wild for the supermarket’s wooden toy range, Lidl have launched their own toy event.

The best part is you can secure 10 percent off the huge range with a special trick.

Alamy

Lidl is offering customers discounted wooden toys[/caption]

Lidl

Shoppers can get their hands on stunning wooden toy sets for discounted prices[/caption]

Lidl

There are loads of different toys to choose from in the collection[/caption]

The range has just about every toy your little ones could ever dream of and they’re perfect to store away until Christmas.

Lidl shoppers can get their hands on the Playtive Pizza Oven, which “helps children develop creativity and imagination through role play,” according to the product description online.

While the wooden toy set is priced at £19.99, Lidl Plus shoppers can buy it for just £17.99.

You can also pick up the Playtive Ice Cream Cart, which comes with built-in ice cream holders and an ice cream scoop in the 18 piece set, for the same bargain price if you’re a Lidl Plus shopper.

Other bargains include the Playtive Dressing Table & Stool for £35.99, the Playtive Toy Workbench set for £44.99 and the 2-in-1 Baby Clinic and Vets for £35.99.

The budget-friendly retailer also has some cheaper wooden toys available, as well as the larger sets.

There’s the Playtive Wooden Food Play Set for just £6.29 and the Playtive Wooden Room Play Set for only £8.99 – but only if you’re a Lidl Plus shopper.

The deals come after shoppers cleared shelves in Aldi supermarkets across the country during the retailer’s wooden toy event.

Mums and dads were queuing up outside stores from 6am in hope of nabbing some of the toys for their kids. 

Among the best buys were the £24.99 Little Town Wooden Aldi Supermarket and £9.99 Little Town Wooden Toy Roleplay Bags.

The £7.99 Little Town Wooden Cuthbert Cake was also highly desired. 

However, also in the early-morning queues were resellers looking to buy multiple of every available product to stick them on eBay for an inflated price. 

How to save money at Lidl

Lidl Plus works by offering customers personalised coupons based on their purchases which change each week.

These coupons can then be activated and redeemed in-store to get money off certain products.

You can also unlock free bakery and products by spending over certain thresholds through Coupon Plus.

For example, if you spend £250 you get 10% off your next shop, or a free bakery item if you spend £50.

You can download the Lidl Plus app on to a smartphone or android via the Apple App Store or Google Play store.

LIAM Payne shared a final Instagram post showing him with his former One Direction bandmates weeks before his tragic death.

The singer, 31, was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for pal Niall Horan’s tour when he reportedly plunged from the third floor on Wednesday afternoon.

PA

Liam Payne died after reportedly falling from a balcony in Argentina[/caption]

Rex

Liam’s last instagram post shows a photo with his former bandmates and filmmaker Morgan Spurlock[/caption]

AP

The singer has opened up previously about his substance abuse and mental health struggles[/caption]

The dad-of-one, from Wolverhampton, posted a throwback snap alongside Niall, as well as Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Zayn Malik, and late US filmmaker Morgan Spurlock.

Alongside the photo, uploaded earlier this year, Liam wrote: “Rest in peace Morgan Spurlock it was a pleasure working with you.”

In the hours before his death, Liam had also shared Snapchat posts detailing his plans to play polo and showing what he had for breakfast.

---

It comes as…

• One Direction fans hold candlelit vigils outside the hotel
• The singer posted on Snapchat just minutes before his death
• Rylan Clark and Dermot O’Leary paid tribute to the singer
• His ex-fiancée Maya Henry broke her silence after his death
• Liam’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy’s message before he died
• Harry Styles’ mum pays heartbreaking tribute to the star

---

He filmed his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, 25, as they ate breakfast, revealing they had been staying at their friend’s home.

The footage sees Liam addressing the camera saying: “This is the breakfast table, just enjoying breakfast and coffee even though it’s 1pm.”

Katie is heard in the background joking that the pair are “losers” for laying in so late.

FAME

The singer first auditioned for the X Factor as a solo artist in 2008, aged just 14, but was eliminated.

Two years later he tried again and was included as part of boyband One Direction, formed by music mogul Simon Cowell especially for the ITV show.

After reaching the final stages of the competition, the band went onto huge global success, becoming one of the highest selling boybands of all time.

They went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.

The following year, Liam released solo single Strip That Down, featuring US rapper Quavo, which peaked at number three and was nominated for two Brit Awards.

He released his only solo album LP1 in 2019.

The singer began dating Girls Aloud member and former X Factor judge Cheryl in 2016.

In March 2017 the couple welcomed son Bear. They split the following year.

He had an on-off, three-year relationship with ex-fiancée Maya Henry which was said to have ended for good in May, 2022.

Earlier this week Henry called in the lawyers after accusing Liam of repeatedly messaging her, her friends, and her mum.

TRAGIC DEATH

The star had arrived in Argentina on September 30 with his girlfriend and was seen at Niall’s show dancing and meeting fans on October 2.

Liam was staying at Hotel CasaSur in the neighbourhood of Palermo in Buenos Aires when he died.

Crowds of heartbroken fans gathered behind a cordon outside the accommodation to pay tribute to the star last night.

A spokesperson for the security ministry of Buenos Aires, said police were called to the hotel by a worker about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”.

Witnesses at the hotel said Liam smashed his laptop and had to be carried back to his room in the erratic incident earlier in the day, TMZ reports.

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Police and firefighters work the scene at Casa Sur hotel[/caption]

The Mega Agency

Police standing guard at the scene of the tragedy[/caption]

AFP

Fans were in tears as they paid their respects[/caption]

Cops found Liam dead in the hotel’s inner courtyard at around 5pm local time (9pm UK time) when they arrived.

A red tent was put up over the body as cops began the investigation into the tragic death before the body was taken to the morgue.

The spokesperson for the local ambulance service said Liam’s death had been confirmed on the spot after he had fallen and suffered severe injuries.

A spokesman said: “The alarm was raised at 5.04pm local time saying a person was lying in an internal patio at Casa Sur.

“At 5.11pm an ambulance arrived and the man was certified dead.

“There was no possibility of resuscitating him.”

Police will now carry out an autopsy on the body.

DRUG BATTLE

The singer had been open about his battles with drugs.

In 2021, he blamed a “pills and booze phase” for bloating his face to “ten times the size”, while also revealing he used to guzzle the contents of his mini bar when band chiefs checked the lads into hotels to keep fans at bay.

In 2019, Liam revealed he suffered suicidal thoughts as he struggled with his fame on Ant Middleton And Liam Payne: Straight Talking.

He said: “For some certain circumstances I’m quite lucky to be here still.

“There are times when that level of loneliness and people getting into you every day, it’s like, ‘When will this end?’ That’s almost nearly killed me a couple of times.”

He is survived by his son Bear, seven, his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.

Rex Features

ITV

Liam first auditioned for the X Factor in 2008[/caption]

Rex

Liam with ex-partner Cheryl[/caption]

A “HARDWORKING and innocent” dad-of-two was shot dead in a street attack as cops arrest two men.

Police have today named the victim as dad-of-two Hanif Redwood, 32.

Met Police

Hanif Redwood was shot down in Barking last Sunday[/caption]

Hanif was found injured by the emergency services at approximately 4.35am on October 13 in Linton Road, Barking, London.

He had suffered a gunshot injury.

Despite the best efforts of the emergency services he was pronounced dead at the scene.

His family continue to be supported by specialist officers.

A post mortem revealed that he died of a single gunshot wound to the head.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder, they remain in custody in an East London police station.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rodgers, who is leading the investigation, said: “We continue to work at a fast pace to progress this investigation.

“We have made two arrests which is a positive step forward into building a picture of what happened on Sunday night.

“Hanif was an innocent member of the public whose life was tragically taken far too soon.

“Hanif was a father of two, this painful loss will forever effect his family.

“We will continue to support Hanif’s family and will update them at every point possible.

“We ask for you to respect their privacy during this unimaginably difficult time.

“I want to thank the community for their patience as we carried out all our relevant enquiries.

“Your support does not go unnoticed. We will have extra patrols in the area – please do voice any of your concerns to officers.”

“Despite the two arrests, we are appealing for anyone who was present in the area who may have seen or heard anything relating to this incident to please get in touch

“I want to stress to you that Hanif was a hardworking, innocent man – we need to understand why this attack was carried out.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote CAD1295/13OCT.

You can upload information and material online.

People can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

'I think I have got talent for this...'