Northern Ireland and Rangers midfielder Steven Davis has retired after being sidelined for over a year with a knee injury.
The 39-year-old holds the UK male international caps record with 140 appearances for Northern Ireland.
Davis scored 13 goals following his Northern Ireland debut in 2005.
"It's a strange sensation but ultimately it has been at the back of my mind given the nature of the injury and my age," he said.
Davis has not played since sustaining an ACL injury in December 2022.
"I did some testing four weeks ago and I realised I was still a little bit away. It feels like the time is right and I'm comfortable with it," he told the Rangers website.
"It's been an incredible journey to get to two European finals and win the trophies that I have, share those moments with the fans, be within the dressing room with your family after the games.
"It's such a special football club and it goes without saying that I'm going to miss it, but I've had an incredible time here."
Davis was in his second spell at Rangers after also playing for Aston Villa, Fulham and Southampton. He also had a brief stint as interim manager of the Scottish club following the sacking of Michael Beale in October.
Lawrie Sanchez was the manager when the then-Aston Villa man made his first Northern Ireland appearance in a surprise 1-0 friendly defeat against Canada at Windsor Park.
Seven months later Davis played an instrumental role in Northern Ireland's historic giant-killing World Cup qualifier win over England in Belfast, delivering the measured pass for David Healy's goal in the 1-0 victory.
Davis was also in Sanchez's midfield for the 3-2 home victory over Spain in 2006 and took over the captaincy in 2012.
He scored two goals in the 3-0 win over Greece that clinched qualification for the Euro 2016 finals and led the side to the last 16 in France, where they lost 1-0 to Wales.
He broke former England goalkeeper Shilton's UK international caps record of 125 in Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifying 0-0 draw at home to Bulgaria in March 2021.
Davis captained the team 82 times and was awarded an MBE in 2017 for services to football.
"It has been an honour and a privilege to represent my country and the people of Northern Ireland - every time I've stepped on to the pitch I've felt a huge amount of pride," he said on Thursday.
"There'll be moments we shared together I'll never forget and that was epitomised with qualification to Euro 2016 and what followed in France.
"The support and connection I've shared with the Green and White Army is something words alone can't describe and I'll always be grateful for. Thank you for the incredible support."
Although he didn't play for Northern Ireland during last year's 2024 qualification campaign due to injury, he was still considered to be the captain of the squad by manager Michael O'Neill.
He said: "Whilst the news of Steven's retirement is a sad day, particularly for football, particularly in Northern Ireland, it is also a time for us to recognise an outstanding player who has had an outstanding career.
"I have known and worked with him for many years and he is a model professional and a wonderful person."
"His leadership qualities both on and off the pitch have always been evident through both the successful times and also the difficult periods.
"His record of 140 caps, 82 as captain, has set the bar high for current and future generations of Northern Ireland players and he is truly one of the greatest we have ever produced."
Davis made 742 appearances and scored 51 goals for top flight clubs in England and Scotland over a 20-year career.
The County Antrim man made his Villa debut in 2004 before moving to Fulham three years later.
A season at Craven Cottage was followed by four years at Rangers before playing for Southampton from 2012 to 2019.
Davis returned to Ibrox and helped the club win a first Scottish Premiership title in 10 years and play in the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTjsP0sonTs
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is to step down from the role at the end of the season, saying he is "running out of energy".
Klopp was appointed in October 2015 and his contract was due to run until 2026.
He won the Champions League in 2019 before leading Liverpool to their first league title in 30 years in 2019-20.
"I told the club already in November," said 56-year-old Klopp, who has announced his decision with his side top of the Premier League.
"I can understand that it's a shock for a lot of people in this moment, when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it - or at least try to explain it.
"I love absolutely everything about this club, I love everything about the city, I love everything about our supporters, I love the team, I love the staff. I love everything. But that I still take this decision shows you that I am convinced it is the one I have to take.
"It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now, obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again."
Klopp left former club Borussia Dortmund, who he led to two Bundesliga titles, in May 2015 to take a sabbatical before ending it when he succeeded Brendan Rodgers at Anfield in October that year.
Liverpool were 10th in the Premier League when he took over and they went on to finish eighth at the end of the 2015-2016 campaign, while they lost the Europa League final to Sevilla.
Klopp went on to become the only Liverpool manager to win the league title, European Cup/Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup with the Reds.
He guided Liverpool to their sixth European Cup in 2019 when they beat Tottenham in the Champions League final in Madrid.
They followed that up in 2019-20 with victory in the Uefa Super Cup and the Fifa Club World Cup and, most significantly, lifted the Premier League title.
Liverpool won a domestic cup double in the 2021-22 season, and narrowly missed out on a quadruple as they were pipped by Manchester City on the final day of the Premier League season and lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid in Paris.
The Reds failed to win any major silverware last season but are in contention for four trophies this term. They beat Fulham on Wednesday to reach the Carabao Cup final.
"It didn't start [then], but of course last season was kind of a super-difficult season and there were moments when at other clubs probably the decision would have been, 'Come on, thank you very much for everything but probably we should split here, or end it here.' That didn't happen here, obviously," added Klopp.
The world's largest cruise ship is due to set sail from Miami, Florida, on its maiden voyage, amid concerns about the vessel's methane emissions.
The 365m-long (1,197 ft) Icon of the Seas has 20 decks, and can house a maximum of 7,600 passengers on board. It is owned by Royal Caribbean Group.
The vessel is going on a seven-day island-hopping voyage in the tropics.
But environmentalists warn that the liquefied natural gas-powered ship will leak harmful methane into the air.
"It's a step in the wrong direction," Bryan Comer, director of the Marine Programme at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.
"We would estimate that using LNG as a marine fuel emits over 120% more life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than marine gas oil," he said.
Earlier this week, the ICCT released a report, arguing that methane emissions from LNG-fuelled ships were higher than current regulations assumed.
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, and in the atmosphere it traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide over 20 years. Cutting these emissions is seen as crucial to slowing down global warming.
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson is quoted by media outlets as saying that Icon of the Seas is 24% more energy efficient than required the International Maritime Organization for modern ships. The company plans to introduce a net-zero ship by 2035.
On Thursday, Argentina's World Cup winning captain Lionel Messi, who currently plays for Inter Miami, took part in the ship's naming ceremony. He was seen placing a football on a specially-built stand to trigger the traditional "good luck" breaking of a champagne bottle against the vessel's bow.
Icon of the Seas cost $2bn (£1.6bn) to build. It now boasts seven swimming pools, six waterslides, and more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om5O6GL7cLY
KentSpur will be celebrating the Maidstone FA Cup triumph.
KentSpur who departed JA606 in 2015 with a cameo appearance in 2017 to participate in a Fifa tournament organised by Emperor Kami.
Sinner 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 Medvedev
Sixth-tier Maidstone United will face either Sheffield Wednesday or Coventry in the FA Cup fifth round.
The National League South side are the lowest-ranked team still in the competition, after eliminating Championship Ipswich at Portman Road.
Holders Manchester City will travel to fellow Premier League side Luton Town.
Fifth-round ties are to be played during the week commencing 26 February.
FA Cup fifth-round draw in full
Blackburn Rovers or Wrexham v Newcastle United
Chelsea or Aston Villa v Leeds United or Plymouth Argyle
Bournemouth v Leicester City
Liverpool or Norwich v Watford or Southampton
Bristol City or Nottingham Forest v Newport County or Manchester United
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Brighton & Hove Albion
Sheffield Wednesday or Coventry City v Maidstone United
Luton Town v Manchester City
Manchester United's first FA Cup goal (Bruno Fernandes) in Wales since January 1957 when they won 5-0 at Wrexham.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9py0bbwZf2Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETxmCCsMoD0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYiU_JCYtU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX8szNPgrEs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFTLKWw542g
Nelma da Costa (1 February 1922 – 30 December 2023) was a Brazilian actress. She was the last surviving actress from the silent era of Brazilian cinema and the last protagonist of Cinédia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbDO2ZN9RQk
8bit loved that song.
8bit who last made comment on this thread in 2018, but remains semi-active on Just Another 606.
Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and the game that changed everything
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68082238
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News, Facts & Trivia Archive 1912
Page 13087 of 13157
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posted on 25/1/24
Northern Ireland and Rangers midfielder Steven Davis has retired after being sidelined for over a year with a knee injury.
The 39-year-old holds the UK male international caps record with 140 appearances for Northern Ireland.
Davis scored 13 goals following his Northern Ireland debut in 2005.
"It's a strange sensation but ultimately it has been at the back of my mind given the nature of the injury and my age," he said.
Davis has not played since sustaining an ACL injury in December 2022.
"I did some testing four weeks ago and I realised I was still a little bit away. It feels like the time is right and I'm comfortable with it," he told the Rangers website.
"It's been an incredible journey to get to two European finals and win the trophies that I have, share those moments with the fans, be within the dressing room with your family after the games.
"It's such a special football club and it goes without saying that I'm going to miss it, but I've had an incredible time here."
posted on 25/1/24
Davis was in his second spell at Rangers after also playing for Aston Villa, Fulham and Southampton. He also had a brief stint as interim manager of the Scottish club following the sacking of Michael Beale in October.
Lawrie Sanchez was the manager when the then-Aston Villa man made his first Northern Ireland appearance in a surprise 1-0 friendly defeat against Canada at Windsor Park.
Seven months later Davis played an instrumental role in Northern Ireland's historic giant-killing World Cup qualifier win over England in Belfast, delivering the measured pass for David Healy's goal in the 1-0 victory.
Davis was also in Sanchez's midfield for the 3-2 home victory over Spain in 2006 and took over the captaincy in 2012.
He scored two goals in the 3-0 win over Greece that clinched qualification for the Euro 2016 finals and led the side to the last 16 in France, where they lost 1-0 to Wales.
He broke former England goalkeeper Shilton's UK international caps record of 125 in Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifying 0-0 draw at home to Bulgaria in March 2021.
Davis captained the team 82 times and was awarded an MBE in 2017 for services to football.
"It has been an honour and a privilege to represent my country and the people of Northern Ireland - every time I've stepped on to the pitch I've felt a huge amount of pride," he said on Thursday.
"There'll be moments we shared together I'll never forget and that was epitomised with qualification to Euro 2016 and what followed in France.
"The support and connection I've shared with the Green and White Army is something words alone can't describe and I'll always be grateful for. Thank you for the incredible support."
Although he didn't play for Northern Ireland during last year's 2024 qualification campaign due to injury, he was still considered to be the captain of the squad by manager Michael O'Neill.
posted on 25/1/24
He said: "Whilst the news of Steven's retirement is a sad day, particularly for football, particularly in Northern Ireland, it is also a time for us to recognise an outstanding player who has had an outstanding career.
"I have known and worked with him for many years and he is a model professional and a wonderful person."
"His leadership qualities both on and off the pitch have always been evident through both the successful times and also the difficult periods.
"His record of 140 caps, 82 as captain, has set the bar high for current and future generations of Northern Ireland players and he is truly one of the greatest we have ever produced."
Davis made 742 appearances and scored 51 goals for top flight clubs in England and Scotland over a 20-year career.
The County Antrim man made his Villa debut in 2004 before moving to Fulham three years later.
A season at Craven Cottage was followed by four years at Rangers before playing for Southampton from 2012 to 2019.
Davis returned to Ibrox and helped the club win a first Scottish Premiership title in 10 years and play in the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022.
posted on 25/1/24
Legend
posted on 25/1/24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTjsP0sonTs
posted on 26/1/24
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is to step down from the role at the end of the season, saying he is "running out of energy".
Klopp was appointed in October 2015 and his contract was due to run until 2026.
He won the Champions League in 2019 before leading Liverpool to their first league title in 30 years in 2019-20.
"I told the club already in November," said 56-year-old Klopp, who has announced his decision with his side top of the Premier League.
"I can understand that it's a shock for a lot of people in this moment, when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it - or at least try to explain it.
"I love absolutely everything about this club, I love everything about the city, I love everything about our supporters, I love the team, I love the staff. I love everything. But that I still take this decision shows you that I am convinced it is the one I have to take.
"It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now, obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again."
posted on 26/1/24
Klopp left former club Borussia Dortmund, who he led to two Bundesliga titles, in May 2015 to take a sabbatical before ending it when he succeeded Brendan Rodgers at Anfield in October that year.
Liverpool were 10th in the Premier League when he took over and they went on to finish eighth at the end of the 2015-2016 campaign, while they lost the Europa League final to Sevilla.
Klopp went on to become the only Liverpool manager to win the league title, European Cup/Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup with the Reds.
He guided Liverpool to their sixth European Cup in 2019 when they beat Tottenham in the Champions League final in Madrid.
They followed that up in 2019-20 with victory in the Uefa Super Cup and the Fifa Club World Cup and, most significantly, lifted the Premier League title.
Liverpool won a domestic cup double in the 2021-22 season, and narrowly missed out on a quadruple as they were pipped by Manchester City on the final day of the Premier League season and lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid in Paris.
The Reds failed to win any major silverware last season but are in contention for four trophies this term. They beat Fulham on Wednesday to reach the Carabao Cup final.
"It didn't start [then], but of course last season was kind of a super-difficult season and there were moments when at other clubs probably the decision would have been, 'Come on, thank you very much for everything but probably we should split here, or end it here.' That didn't happen here, obviously," added Klopp.
posted on 27/1/24
The world's largest cruise ship is due to set sail from Miami, Florida, on its maiden voyage, amid concerns about the vessel's methane emissions.
The 365m-long (1,197 ft) Icon of the Seas has 20 decks, and can house a maximum of 7,600 passengers on board. It is owned by Royal Caribbean Group.
The vessel is going on a seven-day island-hopping voyage in the tropics.
But environmentalists warn that the liquefied natural gas-powered ship will leak harmful methane into the air.
"It's a step in the wrong direction," Bryan Comer, director of the Marine Programme at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.
"We would estimate that using LNG as a marine fuel emits over 120% more life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than marine gas oil," he said.
posted on 27/1/24
Earlier this week, the ICCT released a report, arguing that methane emissions from LNG-fuelled ships were higher than current regulations assumed.
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, and in the atmosphere it traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide over 20 years. Cutting these emissions is seen as crucial to slowing down global warming.
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson is quoted by media outlets as saying that Icon of the Seas is 24% more energy efficient than required the International Maritime Organization for modern ships. The company plans to introduce a net-zero ship by 2035.
On Thursday, Argentina's World Cup winning captain Lionel Messi, who currently plays for Inter Miami, took part in the ship's naming ceremony. He was seen placing a football on a specially-built stand to trigger the traditional "good luck" breaking of a champagne bottle against the vessel's bow.
Icon of the Seas cost $2bn (£1.6bn) to build. It now boasts seven swimming pools, six waterslides, and more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges.
posted on 27/1/24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om5O6GL7cLY
posted on 27/1/24
KentSpur will be celebrating the Maidstone FA Cup triumph.
posted on 27/1/24
KentSpur who departed JA606 in 2015 with a cameo appearance in 2017 to participate in a Fifa tournament organised by Emperor Kami.
posted on 28/1/24
Sinner 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 Medvedev
posted on 28/1/24
Sixth-tier Maidstone United will face either Sheffield Wednesday or Coventry in the FA Cup fifth round.
The National League South side are the lowest-ranked team still in the competition, after eliminating Championship Ipswich at Portman Road.
Holders Manchester City will travel to fellow Premier League side Luton Town.
Fifth-round ties are to be played during the week commencing 26 February.
posted on 28/1/24
FA Cup fifth-round draw in full
Blackburn Rovers or Wrexham v Newcastle United
Chelsea or Aston Villa v Leeds United or Plymouth Argyle
Bournemouth v Leicester City
Liverpool or Norwich v Watford or Southampton
Bristol City or Nottingham Forest v Newport County or Manchester United
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Brighton & Hove Albion
Sheffield Wednesday or Coventry City v Maidstone United
Luton Town v Manchester City
posted on 28/1/24
Manchester United's first FA Cup goal (Bruno Fernandes) in Wales since January 1957 when they won 5-0 at Wrexham.
posted on 28/1/24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9py0bbwZf2Q
posted on 29/1/24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETxmCCsMoD0
posted on 29/1/24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYiU_JCYtU
posted on 29/1/24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX8szNPgrEs
posted on 29/1/24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFTLKWw542g
posted on 29/1/24
Nelma da Costa (1 February 1922 – 30 December 2023) was a Brazilian actress. She was the last surviving actress from the silent era of Brazilian cinema and the last protagonist of Cinédia.
posted on 30/1/24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbDO2ZN9RQk
posted on 30/1/24
8bit loved that song.
8bit who last made comment on this thread in 2018, but remains semi-active on Just Another 606.
posted on 30/1/24
Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and the game that changed everything
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68082238
Page 13087 of 13157
13088 | 13089 | 13090 | 13091 | 13092