New York State

PORTUGUESE giants Boavista have celebrated the end of a two-year transfer ban by signing a staggering NINE players.

The former Champions League club were unable to sign new talent due to debts to third parties.

Action Images - Reuters

This forgotten Chelsea star has just joined Boavista after their transfer ban ended[/caption]

Getty

But they wasted no time in adding to their squad in this window.

The Primeira Liga side completely revamped their squad, even adding a forgotten ex-Chelsea star to their ranks.

The former Blues star joined the Premier League outfit for £8million in 2013 from Vitesse Arnhem.

A box-to-box midfielder, he was dubbed the ‘next Frank Lampard’ at the time of his signing.

However, things didn’t go to plan.

Two months into the player’s career at Stamford Bridge, the Dutchman suffered an ACL injury which forced him to miss the remainder of his debut season.

The man in question is none other than Marco van Ginkel, who made just four appearances in eight years for the club.

Van Ginkel would then go on loan four times, including spells at AC Milan, Stoke City, and PSV twice.

The Eredivisie giants would snap him up in 2021, before he returned to Vitesse last season.

But, he was released in the summer and has been without a club for six months.

The now 32-year-old has the chance of reviving his career in Portugal.

Last week, he was announced as one of nine players who will be joining the club.

Other notable signings include ex-QPR defender Osman Kakay, and former Paris Saint-Germain left-back Layvin Kurzawa, who appeared 154 times for the French champions.

Van Ginkel will be happy to be playing again, although he revealed his career was nearly cut short from that ACL injury when he suffered a rare infection.

He told  Goal: “The danger was there that I would lose my career, of course.

“Especially after the first week of infection, they didn’t know what the infection was doing inside the joint.

Rex

Dutch veteran van Ginkel signed for Boavista last week and made his debut on Friday[/caption]

“After three months I reacted well, but it was going to be a tough, tough time to be at the top level again, to come back and play for PSV, Chelsea or whoever.

“At that moment, it was more about whether I could walk again. Football didn’t matter.

“The infection that came six weeks after my operation killed my knee a bit. That’s why it took so long, it damaged my knee and cruciate and I had to be operated on all over again. It was a very hard time.”

BRITAIN’S most expensive tourists attractions have been revealed with some costing more than theme parks.

A new study compared entry prices at the UK’s top attractions over the past three years, with some having increases of more than 50 per cent.

Photographers Choice - Getty

York Minister topped the list as the UK attraction with the highest ticket price increase over the past three years[/caption]

Alamy

St Paul’s Cathedral also made the list, with prices rising by 25 per cent between 2022 and 2025[/caption]

Alamy

Tickets at Westminster Abbey have increased by £5 since 2022[/caption]

The research by consumer group Which? unveiled York Minister as the venue with the largest increase over the past three years.

Since 2022, when it cost just £13 per person to visit the magnificent church, prices have risen a whopping 54 per cent, up to a staggering £20 this year.

If prices had instead risen in-line with inflation, £13 tickets in 2022 would cost just £14.48 as of December last year, an increase of just 11 per cent.

A range of other iconic tourist attractions have also seen above-inflation rises to their prices.

Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the birthplace of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, raised its prices by 20 per cent from £25 to £30.

This makes it more expensive to visit than some theme parks, such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, or Chessington World of Adventures, which all have their cheapest tickets set to just £29.

Major London attractions have also seen their prices spiral upwards, with tickets increasing by £5 at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Tower of London over the three year period.

This means entry will now set you back £30, £26, and £34.80 respectively.

The worst offender here is St Paul’s Cathedral, in percentage terms, as prices rose by 24 per cent.

Visitors to the Tower of London, the most popular paid-for attraction in the UK in 2023, saw prices increase by around 17 per cent.

Outside of the major cities, Winchester Cathedral also saw a 40 per cent rise in ticket prices, up to £14 in 2025 compared to just £10 in 2022.

Westminster Abbey told Which? that it receives no funding from the Church of England, the UK government, or the Crown, unlike most other cathedrals or churches in England.

It added that entry remains free for those visiting to pray at the site.

Of the 10 biggest cathedrals in the UK, four currently operate solely with voluntary contributions, including Liverpool, Bristol, and Durham, although donations are encouraged.

A spokesperson for York Minster told The Independent that it is free for everyone to attend all acts of worship or to pray at the cathedral.

It added that carers, accompanied children under the age of 18, York residents, and York university students can also visit the place of worship for free, as can those who have a York Pass.

The minster highlighted it does not receive regular government funding, nor church funding beyond its clergy stipends, and that it relies on the generosity of visitors.

It reckons £33,000 a day is needed to ensure York Minster can be open throughout the year.

Research by the trade body the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) in 2024 found that the British Museum was the most popular tourist attraction in the UK in 2023.

This was followed by the Natural History Museum, Windsor Great Park and Tate Modern.

If you are looking to save on your next visit to one of these attractions, using public transport can sometimes make your experience cheaper.

National Rail offers two-for-one tickets to a range of UK attractions including Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral.

Elsewhere, visitors who travel to Blenheim Palace by train, bus or bike can enjoy 20 per cent off admission prices.

This means, tickets would cost just £24, down from the £25 price in 2022.

Alamy

If you travel by train, bus or bike to Blenheim Palace, you can enjoy a ticket price cheaper than it was in 2022[/caption]

LOVE Island star Luca Bish’s family have revealed a major sign that he and Grace are meant to be together.

Those looking after Luca’s social media channels posted a new story about Luca’s loved ones.

Rex

Love Island star Luca Bish’s family have revealed a major sign that he and Grace are meant to be together[/caption]

Instagram

The star revealed his family connection to the name Rosa[/caption]

In it, Luca could be seen showing off a tattoo of a rose on his body, as he said: “My potential girlfriend – Rosa – Grace Rosa Jackson.”

The star’s family then shared some insight as to why he had the rose on his chest, writing: “Fun fact. Luca’s Nan is called Rosa, Luca’s sisters middle name is also Rosa.”

They finished by saying: “It’s written in the stars,” before tagging Grace in the post.

It comes as fans questioned Luca and Grace’s motives after they revealed their bizarre label in the villa.

They are one of the strongest couples in the ITV2 show but have come under fire following a recent episode.

Grace told the girls the former fishmonger wanted to make her his “girlfriend” but only when they got back to the UK.

Luca also used the phrase “pending girlfriend” in a jarring moment, that left viewers a bit confused.

Some said Luca was playing the game in a bid to get to the final.

One wrote: “Grace and Luca plotting their plan to get to the final—- whet the hell is pending boyfriend & girlfriend.”

One said: “Pending girlfriend? Producers really want Grace and Luca to win…”

A third typed: “Luca & Grace trying to secure their win!!”

However, others viewers have defended them and accused the producers of sabotage.

But other Love Island fans think Grace and Luca have been given a bad edit.

They recently revealed they spend almost 24/7 together but viewers claim they only see them rowing.

In the game of To Be Honest the islanders had to reveal their real feelings about the other couples.

The Islanders were asked a series of questions and had to hold up pictures of the Island couples they were voting for. 

The first question was ‘Who is the most boring couple?’

Casey and Gabby nominated Grace and Luca and explained his choice, he said: “In your couple, you spend a lot of time together… That’s why I find you boring. Maybe take it as a compliment then.”

Rex

Luca and Grace’s relationship status has been questioned by fans[/caption]

MANCHESTER UNITED have joined the race to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich, according to reports.

The striker has been a revelation in his debut Premier League season, scoring nine goals for the Tractor Boys.

Reuters

Liam Delap has caught the eye this season[/caption]

And his performances are attracting attention with a number of clubs lining up to sign him.

Delap is now subject to interest from United, according to The Athletic.

Ruben Amorim is understood to want a striker with a presence and Liam Delap‘s aggressive running fits the mould.

Ipswich would likely demand a huge fee to let him go, however their asking price would likely reduce if they are relegated.

United would have to fend off interest from Chelsea to land the 22-year-old, while Manchester City have a £40million buyback clause in the deal that saw him leave the Etihad for £20m last summer.

The Red Devils could be well placed to beat their rivals to Delap thanks to technical director Jason Wilcox, who brought him to Man City from Derby in 2019.

United have several attacking options in mind with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee struggling for goals.

Scouts have been tracking Prem duo Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS

While Lille striker Jonathan David is also on their radar.

United could fund a move by cashing in on one of their homegrown talents, Alejandro Garnacho or Kobbie Mainoo.

AMANDA Holden was reportedly ‘told off’ by BBC bosses after breaking show guidelines earlier this month.

The 54-year-old is understood to have been “spoken to” by BBC staff after concern was raised about her breaking the broadcaster’s rules as part of a recent sponsored Instagram post.

Getty

Amanda Holden has been ‘told off’ by the BBC[/caption]

Instagram @noholdenback

She was seen wearing a boiler suit she wears on her Spanish Job show in an ad for QVC[/caption]

Fans have been loving seeing the star back in action again on the Beeb with the latest outing of her show with Alan Carr – Amanda & Alan’s Spanish Job.

The show is a follow-up to their previous Italian Job series and sees the pair get stuck-in with hands-on DIY jobs in order to turn a crumbling house into a stunning home.

In the series, Amanda has been sporting a personalised boiler suit which has the phrase “Handy Mandy” emblazoned on the back and has become a signature look for the BGT star during the series.

However, the star has now been forced to delete an Instagram post in which she wore the suit after it appeared to breach the Beeb’s guidelines, according to the Mail Online.

In a sponsored clip for her QVC fashion range uploaded on February 3, Amanda could be seen wearing the boiler suit but the BBC later ruled that the post should be removed as it contradicted rules that prevents talent from appearing in ads in connection to their TV roles.

The Sun understands that Amanda purchased and paid for the suit with her own funds and that the item is not owned by the BBC.

A BBC spokesperson said: “Amanda has removed her post and has been reminded of her responsibilities, as a BBC presenter, when using social media.”

Despite the ‘dressing down’, Amanda has had a ball celebrating fifty-four in style this weekend.

The star showed off her fantastic physique in a sizzling hot birthday photoshoot to mark turning 54.

Amanda wore a black bikini for the striking images as she pulled off a series of playful poses for the snaps.

Her gym-honed figure looked fantastic as she posed seductively against the side of the wall.

Amanda is currently busier than ever balancing BGT with her daily Heart Breakfast show as well as her double act with Alan Carr which has seen three series of their Property Job show as well as hosting the Royal Variety Performance together last year.

Instagram @noholdenback

The Sun understands that Amanda owns the suit and not the BBC[/caption]

Getty

The star is currently in the prime of her career[/caption]

WICKED stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo looked sensational as they reunited on the BAFTAs red carpet.

Pop Star Ariana, 31, dazzled in a plunging pink and black gown as she arrived for the star-studded event in London.

Getty

Ariana Grande looked sensational in a pink and black plunging gown at the BAFTAs[/caption]

Getty

Cynthia Erivo wore a white lace dress with a statement piece across the chest[/caption]

Getty

The Wicked stars were in good spirits at the BAFTAs champagne reception today[/caption]

Getty

The pair warmly embraced each other at The Royal Festival Hall[/caption]

Cynthia, who plays Elphaba in the blockbuster adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked, looked toned in a white floral dress with a statement chest piece rising to her neck.

She flashed a big smile as she showed off her showstopping outfit while strutting the red carpet in a pair of white strappy stilettos.

The pair looked over the moon to be reunited and were seen warmly embracing each other at The Royal Festival Hall.

They also smiled for a string of photos on the red carpet and posed side-by-side at the champagne reception before the ceremony.

Ariana has been nominated for a Best Supporting Actress gong for her role as Glinda in Wicked.

It has received its first award of the night as winners for several categories have been announced already.

Newly-engaed Selena Gomez wowed fans as she rocked up in a dazzling silver and black gown.

The build-up to the glitzy ceremony was drama-filled in the worst possible way.

A huge pre-Baftas bash at the Chiltern Firehouse was cancelled at the last minute after a devastating fire broke out at the venue – a favourite with Hollywood’s elite.

Guests of Netflix, including American A-listers including Selena Gomez, 32, and Zoe Saldana, 46, were thought to have suites booked at the hotel.

Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park, CBE, is also understood to be due to check into the venue ahead of Sunday’s ceremony.

A source said: “This is the ultimate nightmare for Netflix and organisers.

“Every year they spent tens of thousands of pounds to put on the biggest and best BAFTA afterparty around.

“Right now everything hangs in the balance while they get the blaze under control and assess the damage.”

Follow our blog for the latest updates…

Getty

MANCHESTER UNITED slipped to a 12th defeat in the Premier League with Rasmus Hojlund coming under fire again.

Andre Onana was up to his usual poor shot-collecting mishaps, United were virtually open in midfield and nobody could put the ball in the back of the net when the chances did come.

Ruben Amorim has now lost eight of his last 14 Prem games as United look over their shoulders at those scrapping away from relegation.

The Red Devils’ makeshift attack lacked chemistry and missed a trio of chances in 30 seconds to nullify James Maddison‘s tap-in opener.

In the end, United were beaten by Spurs – with the returning Guglielmo Vicario pulling out several excellent saves in the second half – for the third time this season.

Here’s how SunSport’s Katherine Walsh rated the Manchester United players against an underachieving Spurs side – who pipped them to 12th in the table – in North London.

Andre Onana – 3

United can’t do anything with him between the sticks. Can’t be trusted to collect anything.

His opposite number Vicario showed him a thing or two after returning for the first time since Spurs thrashed Man City in November.

At fault for the first goal when he palmed out a relatively weak bouncing shot into Maddison‘s path in the 13th minute.

Noussair Mazraoui – 5

An okay performance. Clever link up play with Zirkzee but couldn’t get hold of Spence down the left-hand side.

Pulled out an excellent cross for the Dutchman’s headed chance late-on.

Matthijs de Ligt – 6

His clearance stopped an obvious 2-0 before the half-an-hour mark.

Harry Maguire – 5

A mixed bag. Long ball over the top for Hojlund’s chance in opening 10 minutes and went on a few attacking runs himself in the first half.

Did well to stop Dejan Kulusevski from having a go at the edge of the box. But bizarrely stopped in his tracks when a cross came flying into Son later on.

Diogo Dalot – 6

A difficult afternoon for the Portugal international as Son and Djed Spence left him for dead a few times.

Hesitated when asked to shoot from five yards to make it 1-0 but helped Onana out with some clearances too.

Patrick Dorgu – 4

A Prem debut to forget. He was almost invisible from the left-hand side. And lacked quality when asked to get involved more in the second half.

Was stupidly caught offside with Bruno Fernandes offloading a stunning cross pitch pass and booked late-on.

Casemiro – 5

Looked every bit a player that hasn’t played Premier League football for two months. Unsurprisingly booked for a late one on Son.

Bizarrely dropped to the turf asking for a free-kick when nobody touched him. Was forced to play 89 minutes with eight under-18s on the bench. A difficult afternoon, indeed.

Bruno Fernandes – 5

Interceptions and breaking up play is not a part of the captain’s game. An uncharacteristically poor cross left United open on the counter.

Did get back to stop Son from having a shot at Onana on the hour mark and started ticking in attack in the final 20 minutes.

Alejandro Garnacho – 4

Looked shaky and cut a frustrated figure after blazing over an absolute SITTER from 10 yards to level the scores.

A bit of a shocker and looked a completely different player to the one who got United into the fifth-round of the FA Cup last week.

Woke up a bit in the second half as Vicario kept him at bay with several superb stops. But the 20-year-old is clearly better off the bench.

Joshua Zirkzee – 6

The best of a desperately poor front three. There’s a street player in there and he’s great with his touches at times.

But curled wide from 23 yards, stuck a header wide in the 70th minute and kicked an air shot in the final five minutes.

Rasmus Hojlund – 3

Is Hojlund the worst No 9 in United’s recent history?

The young Dane was second best in every loose ball and kept losing possession- despite being unlucky to have a chance saved by Vicario.

He was even caught offside after a pass between an Onana goal-kick in the first half – how often do you see that happen?

WELL Ruben Amorim wasn’t far wrong when he described his team as ‘probably the worst Manchester United team in history’.

They are certainly the worst of the Premier League era, after defeat in ‘Hell Clasico’ plunged them into the bottom six of the table for the first time at any advanced stage of a season.

PA

James Maddison celebrated his goal with a ‘shush’[/caption]

PA

Maddison also performed his trademark darts celebration[/caption]

Getty

The Spurs star fired in a rebound after Lucas Bergvall’s shot was saved[/caption]

Getty

This was the first time this competition has seen two of its biggest clubs meeting with both in the bottom half during the second half of a campaign.

And it lived down to expectations – with James Maddison’s early tap-in settling a terrible match between two sides who did little to disguise their harrowing lack of confidence.

For Spurs, it was a second straight league win – although they have been dumped out of both domestic cups since they beat Brentford last time out.

Ange Postecoglou’s prospects are looking a little brighter thanks to the return of Maddison and keeper Guglielmo Vicario, who made several decent saves.

But United, in an injury crisis of their own, continue to flounder – now plummeting to new depths in the modern era.

With Vicario and Maddison back in the starting line-up, while Brennan Johnson and Destiny Udogie were fit enough for places on the bench, Spurs were in the novel position of facing a side more depleted than themselves.

While Postecoglou was without six senior players, Amorim was missing a dozen – Amad Diallo and Kobbie Mainoo the latest casualties.

It meant that eight of United’s nine subs were teenagers who had never previously played for the first team.

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS

Both Vicario and Maddison were straight at it.

Tottenham’s keeper pulled off two decent stops in quick succession to deny Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho before Diogo Dalot had a follow-up effort hacked clear by Ben Davies.

Then Maddison, who’d already lost possession with two back-heels, opened the scoring.

A Son Heung-Min shot was blocked as far as Lucas Bergvall, whose drive was pushed out by Andre Onana for the Spurs playmaker to tap in.

United’s keeper will feel he should have held Bergvall’s effort but Maddison didn’t care, throwing darts and telling people to shush. Don’t mention the league table, kind of thing.

While United were doing much of the attacking, they kept embarrassing themselves.

At one point, Casemiro simply fell over in the centre circle and started pleading to the referee, like an upturned pensioner in the street.

Then Garnacho, fed by Bruno Fernandes, without a Spurs defender in the same postcode, inexplicably propelled his shot into Row Z.

Mathys Tel, who looks very promising, had a shot smartly saved by Onana.

For a while, it descended into the funereal sort of occasion we’d imagined. Casemiro was booked for lacking pace maiming Son. Perhaps the Brazilian could tootle around midfield in a mobility buggy.

“We are the pride of Europe,” sang United’s fans – their exact levels of irony difficult to gauge from the press box.

After the break, Djed Spence darted down the left and centred low but Tel made a hash of his shot.

But United were still on top, Garnacho twice forcing fine saves from Vicario.

Maddison was withdrawn on 63 minutes, having improved Spurs significantly, and was replaced by Pape Matar Sarr as Johnson arrived for his return from injury.

Then, from a Noussair Mazraoui centre, Zirkzee missed a sitter of a header.

Amorim was picked out by TV cameras staring lengthily at the ground, pondering his life choices.

Casemiro had another fall, this time in the Spurs box, but again ref Peter Bankes refused to play the good Samaritan.

Kulusevski shot too close to Onana when he ought to have put the game to bed.

Bentancur was withdrawn and spotted on the bench with an ice pack on his knee – the latest in a long running sick joke being played out against Postecoglou this season.

An unmarked Zirkzee completely missed an attempt at a volley – the Dutchman left looking as if he was playing in clown shoes.

CRISTIANO RONALDO’s partner Georgina Rodriguez was given a special responsibility at Formula E’s latest event.

The motorsport series was in Saudi Arabia on Friday and Saturday for rounds three and four of the championship.

Getty

Georgina Rodriguez made a special guest appearance at Formula E[/caption]

Getty

She was dressed in leather as she was welcomed into the pit lane[/caption]

Getty

Drivers, including Jake Dennis were on hand to explain how the sport worked[/caption]

Georgina was given the privilege as a special guest of visiting the pit lane before the race.

Dressed from head to toe in leather, she completed her look with a striking multi-coloured black, white and light blue jacket.

The 31-year-old spoke with Porsche driver Antonio Felix Da Costa about how the sport and cars work.

But her most important role was still to come.

As German DS Penske driver Maximilian Günther crossed the line to win the race, Georgina was given the chance to wave the chequered flag.

Nissan driver Oliver Rowland was leading the field until the final moments, when pole-sitter Gunther lunged down the outside to get ahead.

There was also a third-place podium finish for 20-year-old Brit, Taylor Barnard with NEOM McLaren – in Saturday’s race he became the youngest ever Formula E pole-sitter and came second in a first-ever all-British podium.

Georgina is the mother of Ronaldo’s fourth child Alana and his youngest daughter Bella.

JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS

She was born on January 27, 1994, in Jaca, Spain to a Spanish mum and Argentine dad.

Georgina learned dance before changing careers to modelling after studying English in London.

The 30-year-old was first spotted on a string of dates with then-Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo towards the end of 2016.

Georgina has claimed that her first meeting with the football star was “love at first sight.”

“Our first meeting was at Gucci, where I worked as a sales assistant,” she recalled in an interview with The Sun .

“Days later, we saw each other again at another brand’s event.

“It was then that we could talk in a relaxed atmosphere, outside my work environment. It was love at first sight for both.”

https://twitter.com/FIAFormulaE/status/1890460013417685227

'I thought he might leave.'