Latest articles by Joe Mewis
"Gary Lineker never used to go out for the warm-ups. He’d stand in a hot bath and do a few stretches, then he was ready" Alan Smith on his former Leicester City team-mate's tricks of the trade
EXCLUSIVE The two England strikers formed a promising striking partnership at Filbert Street
"Silverware would have been guaranteed if I moved to Manchester United, but football isn’t about accolades to me – I belonged at Leeds" Lucas Radebe opens up on his loyalty to Leeds United
EXCLUSIVE The former South Africa international became a club legend at Elland Road
"The boys told me, 'Shut up, you’ll never do it' when I told them about the Homer Simpson celebration. It was quality" Michail Antonio on his iconic goal celebration
EXCLUSIVE The former West Ham man always had a host of brilliant celebrations in his locker
‘It wouldn’t be fair to compare Kevin Nolan with Zinedine Zidane – but maybe he was a better warrior’ Youri Djorkaeff on two of his very different former team-mates
EXCLUSIVE The France midfielder played alongside some very different types of players
"Life stopped in that moment – in a second, everything could have changed. France were inches from the World Cup" Javier Zanetti on Emi Martinez’s brilliant 2022 World Cup final save
EXCLUSIVE One moment stood out three-and-a-half years ago for the Argentina legend
England World Cup 2026 fixtures: Dates, times, TV channels and how to watch
Thomas Tuchel's side are left to battle for bronze
"Jack Charlton used to tell us off for drinking Coke. He said we should drink beer because it would help us sleep better" Tony Cascarino on being part of Ireland’s 1990 and 1994 World Cup journey
EXCLUSIVE The iconic former Ireland boss twice led the team to the World Cup knockout stage
‘At West Ham, I told Slaven Bilic ‘I’ll never play at right-back!’ Mark Noble argued with me, so I stormed off and got a taxi home’ Michail Antonio on his shifting roles at West Ham
EXCLUSIVE West Ham's all-time leading Premier League goalscorer was not always used up front, and wasn't always happy about it
“Karren Brady offered me a £5k a week deal with the U21s, I said, 'The U21s are on more than that' Her response was, 'Well, they haven’t been in a car crash and shattered their leg' – I didn’t sign the contract” Michail Antonio on his West Ham rejection
EXCLUSIVE The striker was entering the final months of his West Ham deal when he was involved in a car accident in December 2024
‘I was offered all sorts in South Korea, but I couldn’t accept the villa on a volcanic island’ Guus Hiddink on being revered in South Korea
EXCLUSIVE The Dutchman oversaw South Korea's run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2002
‘Ronaldo was the best in the world. Even if you ask Zinedine Zidane, I’m sure he’d say the same’ Youri Djorkaeff on what it was like to line up alongside two legends
EXCLUSIVE The French midfielder was club and country team-mates with two of his generation’s greatest players
‘At a young age, I liked to dribble – I got a lot of criticism from other parents because I didn’t pass the ball to their children!’ Jeremy Doku on his journey from the playground to the World Cup
EXCLUSIVE The Belgian winger is one of the game’s best dribblers
‘Rooney’s injury in 2004 was one of those sliding doors moments. If England are going to win the World Cup this year, they’re going to need those moments to go for them’ Joe Cole and Ashley Cole on the role fate will play this summer
EXCLUSIVE The former England duo have recalled Wayne Rooney’s impact at Euro 2004
‘The sliding doors moments didn’t go for us in 2006. A different pass here, a better refereeing decision there…’ Joe Cole’s England 2006 World Cup regrets
EXCLUSIVE Cole played in every game of England’s run to the quarter-finals in the 2006 World Cup
‘In this World Cup, everything needs to work. If the big man upstairs says it’s England’s time, then it’s England’s time’ Joe Cole on reflects on his 2010 Three Lions experience
EXCLUSIVE The former England playmaker believes luck and fate are needed for the Three Lions to end 60 years of hurt
FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 61: Wonderkids, wondergoals and one-nils
CROSSWORD Get to grips with the grid and solve our cryptic clues like a super star(boy)
‘That game changed my life. After, people would come up to me on the street, they recognised me and I became more popular’ Jeremy Doku on his first tournament experience with Belgium
EXCLUSIVE The Manchester City winger made his tournament debut in the delayed Euro 2020
‘Back then, the media needed to be fed with pictures of the girls going for a run or something like that, and it was going on the front page’ Joe Cole looks back on how the press created the 2006 WAG culture
EXCLUSIVE England’s wives and girlfriends were front-page news during the 2006 World Cup in Germany
‘Missing in the Euro 2012 shootout killed me. I’d scored in the Champions League final shootout just a few weeks earlier’ Ashley Cole on his part in England’s 2012 penalty misery
EXCLUSIVE The Three Lions left-back missed from the spot at Euro 2012
‘Sam Allardyce was the best manager Bolton could have had at that time. We were tough on the pitch and had a bit of magic – the perfect formula’ Youri Djorkaeff reflects on his Bolton Wanderers stint
EXCLUSIVE The World Cup winner spent two seasons at Bolton Wanderers between 2002 and 2004
‘Steve Harper and Shay Given pushed me to the limit. They expected a lot from me and were really on my case’ Tim Krul on joining Newcastle United as a teenager
EXCLUSIVE Krul joined Newcastle as a 17-year-old in 2005
‘I have no memory of my car crash. When the first responders got there one leg was a quarter smaller than the other because it was completely shattered’ Michail Antonio on his 2024 car crash
EXCLUSIVE The former West Ham striker suffered horrific injuries in a car crash in December 2024
‘Our World Cup final loss didn’t sink in for decades – that was the opportunity of a lifetime’ Italy goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca on losing the 1994 World Cup final
EXCLUSIVE The Italian stopper was unable to prevent the Azzurri’s penalty shootout defeat in the 1994 World Cup final
'An unknown number called, asking to meet at the hotel opposite my home. I thought, “How does he know where I live? How did he get my number?”’ Guus Hiddink recalls how he landed the South Korea job
EXCLUSIVE The Dutchman led South Korea to the World Cup semi-finals in 2002
‘I went into Brazil’s dressing room before the 1998 World Cup final to check Ronaldo was OK after his convulsions – I told him, “Don’t leave me out there playing alone”’ Youri Djorkaeff recalls the troubled build-up to the France vs Brazil final
EXCLUSIVE Brazilian great Ronaldo fell ill during the run up to the 1998 World Cup final against France
