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Kyle Walker says former Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas "started crying in front of us" when he was sacked by chairman Daniel Levy in December 2013.

The Manchester City defender, who spent eight years at Spurs between 2009-17, described his former manager as "so, so nice," on the latest episode of the You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast.

Walker says he will "never, ever forget" the moment Villas-Boas addressed his Spurs team following his sacking, revealing that members of the squad also broke down in tears.

"I've got tears running down my eyes... Michael Dawson is welling up," said the 34-year-old. "That's how much he meant to the lads."

Portuguese manager Villas-Boas took charge of Spurs in July 2012 and almost guided the club to the Champions League in his first season - finishing just one point behind fourth-placed Arsenal in the Premier League.

Spurs' squad that year included 2012-13 PFA Player of the Year, Gareth Bale.

The Wales star made a then-world record £85.3m move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 and, despite reinvesting in the squad, the team struggled the following season.

After a string of poor results, a chastening 5-0 defeat by Liverpool in December 2013 saw Villas-Boas given his marching orders.

Walker says he regrets the fact the team did not perform well enough to keep their manager in his job.

"Bale was a massive, massive loss," he said. "They signed seven players off the back of the Bale money. There's a lot of changes there and we just never really gelled in time for him [Villas-Boas] to then do well."

Despite the fact that the team "didn't do him justice", Walker says of his former boss, "for 10 or 12 men to be crying because the manager's gone, he's done something well in the dressing room".

Walker also spoke on the podcast about his relationship with former Spurs manager, Mauricio Pochettino.

He had been a stalwart for Tottenham, but during his final season he faced competition at right-back from fellow England international Kieran Trippier.

He said he has the "utmost respect" for Trippier, but felt it was "a little bit of a low blow” when Pochettino opted to start the former Burnley defender ahead of him for Spurs' last ever game at their former ground, White Hart Lane - a 2-1 win against Manchester United in May 2017.

"He [Pochettino] brought me on at, like, 84 minutes or something like that," said Walker. "That's the one thing that really hurt me.

"I just felt that I've been here for so long. That ground actually meant so much to me."

Walker said Pochettino gave him permission to leave the club in the summer of 2017 after telling him Trippier would be his first choice right-back.

However, the 34-year-old said he "doesn't have a bad word to say" about his former coach and that, "I say thank you and whenever I see him, I give him a hug and a cuddle and that's it".

Wales midfielder Josie Green has joined Crystal Palace after leaving Leicester City at the end of last season.

The 31-year-old, capped 23 times by Wales, reunites with Palace boss Laura Kaminski, who coached Green during her seven-year spell at Tottenham Hotspur, and will count Wales colleague Elise Hughes among her new team-mates.

Green said: "I'm super excited to start and get going with all the girls.

"You can see that Palace are really building as a club and pushing the women's game forward, and I am so excited to be a part of it."

Green joined Leicester in July 2022 but was one of six players released by the Foxes at the end of last season.

Palace head of women's football Grace Williams said: "It's fantastic that Josie has chosen to join us at Palace.

"Josie brings vast experience of the WSL (Women's Super League) to the squad from her spells at both Leicester and Spurs, as well as plenty of experience of international football too, and I am looking forward to seeing her out on the pitch."

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Here we go!

The Conference League draw - involving Chelsea, Hearts, Welsh side The New Saints, Shamrock Rovers and Northern Irish team Larne - is about to get under way.

Imagine the scenes if TNS or Larne get Chelsea.

Conference League draw from 13:30 BST

Who will The New Saints and Larne face in the Europa Conference League? We'll be back at 13.30 BST to find out. Chelsea, Hearts and Shamrock Rovers are also involved.

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A reminder teams cannot face opponents from their own country and can face a maximum of two sides from any one same country.

Meanwhile, the finalised fixture list from today's draw will be revealed on Saturday.

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The draw ceremony is under way and former Sweden midfielder Glenn Stromberg, who won the Uefa Cup with Gothenburg in 1982, is on stage. The draw should be happening very soon.

League Two side Notts County have signed Tottenham U21 captain George Abbott on a season-long loan.

The 19-year-old midfielder Abbott led Spurs to the Premier League 2 title last season and produced a goal and two assists across the semi-final and final of their subsequent play-off triumph.

“He’s incredibly well thought of at Spurs, as reflected by their decision to give him a new three-year deal this summer," said Notts County director Richard Montague.

“We’re really pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to his development and have every confidence he will make a big impact in his time with us.”

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe says Joe Willock's thigh injury "doesn't appear to be serious" but the midfielder will have another scan in the coming days.

Sandro Tonali, who made his return from a 10-month suspension in the midweek EFL Cup win, is likely to play his first Premier League game since last October.

Lewis Miley, Callum Wilson, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles remain out injured while Fabian Schar serves the final game of a three-match ban.

Tottenham Hotspur's Rodrigo Bentancur will be available after a head injury sustained in the opening Premier League fixture.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou says they need to be "cautious" with Dominic Solanke, so he won't play on Sunday.

Richarlison, who picked up an injury in training, will miss the next few weeks.

Leeds United have signed Tottenham winger Manor Solomon on a season-long loan.

The 25-year-old Israel international has not played competitively for Spurs since September 2023 because of a knee injury.

He had a loan spell with Fulham from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2022-23 and scored four goals in 19 Premier League games.

Leeds have won one and drawn two of their opening three Championship games this season.

“I've heard a lot about the club, about its fans, about the heritage, the history. I know it's a massive club in England and I'm looking forward to seeing the fans and to meet them all," he told the club website., external

“I know there is a group of great lads, young people with great desire, with great techniques and I'm looking forward to playing with them and to help them in the best way I can."

Benches engraved with contact details for mental health services are being rolled out by a Tottenham Hotspur legend.

Micky Hazard, 64, said he wanted to help others after his nephew, Jay, took his own life at the age of 23.

The Legend on the Bench charity has already installed a seat in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, and plans to unveil a new one in Thaxted, Essex.

"We’re trying to bring people with mental health problems to understand there is help and support available," Mr Hazard said.

Mr Hazard said his nephew was "forever bubbly, smiling, laughing, joking".

"He was a very happy-go-lucky boy, or it appeared on the outside he was," the ex-player told BBC Essex.

"These people with these problems, they disguise the way inside they are feeling.

"We had no inclination he was about to take his life."

The benches, which were the brainchild of Jay's mother, Michelle, are illuminated by solar lighting so they can be seen at night.

They feature a QR code which takes a user to pictures and videos of the person the bench is in memory of.

"When you arrive at the bench, the first thing you see is the engraved writing saying 'Someone is always listening'," Mr Hazard added.

He said the charity had been "inundated" with support since its launch in 2023.

"The kindness of everyone out there which the charity resonates with has been incredible," Mr Hazard added.

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The 19-year-old centre-half has been with Spurs since August 2023 after signing from Blackburn Rovers.

He is yet to make a first-team appearance but spent the second half of last season on loan with Stoke boss Steven Schumacher's old club Plymouth Argyle, making 16 appearances to help the Devon side stay in the Championship.

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