The defender, 35, is working for the BBC as a pundit at the World Cup after the club brought his 12-year stint at Old Trafford to an end in May.

Eight different players from Manchester’s big two have netted a combined ten goals as the competition enters the quarter-final stage – add one more goal from Wigan’s Jean Beausejour and Greater Manchester is comfortably the country’s most dominant region.

MP David Crausby, who has represented Bolton North East since 1997, has re-launched a campaign to change the way grassroots football is funded.

Domestic abuse offenders are more likely to be successfully prosecuted in the North West than anywhere else in the country, claims to the Crown Prosecution Service.

60% of 1,000 people questioned in the States admitted to being unaware of the England talisman, who has been the face of the national side’s failure at major tournaments for the last decade.

Roy Hodgson’s side crashed out of the current tournament in the group stage, after losing 2-1 to both Italy and Uruguay and drawing 0-0 with Costa Rica.

The 39-year-old’s claims come as former FA chairman, David Bernstein, thinks England’s under-achieving at major tournaments will continue for the foreseeable future.

The 33-year-old, currently undergoing rehabilitation on a knee injury, was impressed with fly-half Cipriani’s performances on the tour in New Zealand as Sale look ahead to the new season.

Smalling’s comments came after Roy Hodgson presented him with the rare opportunity of playing in his favoured position in England’s final group game with Costa Rica.

Ex-Manchester United striker Andrew Cole has backed claims that England players duck out of international duty, insisting that international football is ‘just a bonus’.

Charlton has begun a personal crusade to fight the evil of landmines and has spoken in depth about some of the horrors that he encountered through seeing them up close.