PAUL POGBA has revealed the club he wants to play for after he finishes serving an anti-doping ban.
Pogba’s career looked all but over in February when it was announced he’d been hit with a FOUR-YEAR SUSPENSION after testing positive for elevated testosterone levels as a result of ingesting the banned substance DHEA.
But the former Manchester United midfielder and current Juventus star had his ban reduced to 18 months following a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The 31-year-old’s ban was backdated to September 2023, meaning he’ll be eligible to play in March 2025.
And the France international is looking forward to playing for The Old Lady again, telling ESPN: “I want to play for Juventus again.”
The World Cup winner is even willing to take a wage cut to stay with the Serie A giants, although the Juve brass have held talks with his team about his lucrative contract.
He said: “I’m ready to cut and to reduce my salary to stay at Juve.
“I will talk with Thiago Motta. I want to demonstrate to be a great player again.”
He later added: “Right now I’m with Juventus, so we don’t know really what’s going on.
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS
“All the parties are talking, lawyers, etc. So I want to know what will happen next.
“But my main focus right now is just to get myself ready.
“I keep training and everything. Get ready for being able to join a team in January.”
Pogba admits he likely would have hung up his boots had his appeal to CAS been unsuccessful.
“I had many thoughts in my head,” he admitted. “I had so many thoughts to even stop playing.
“I’m like: ‘What am I going to do?’ If it’s four years, you start making the maths in your head.
“Four years not playing, training — which club is going to want me?
“Would I be fit and stuff like that, you make a lot of pictures in your head.
“But on the other side, I had faith obviously, and I was positive.
“I knew I didn’t do anything wrong on purpose, so then thankfully that happened and they reduced it.”
STRICTLY Come Dancing’s Paul Merson has lashed out at show bosses for giving him multiple ‘joke’ dances.
The former England player, 56, made a series of subtle digs about his routines when discussing his Strictly journey so far.
Last week, Paul was finally given a ballroom dance with his pro partner Karen Hauer and they achieved their highest score yet.
But they had previously performed to football anthem Vindaloo, danced around a fake barbecue to Pitball’s Fireball and ridden giant plastic horses.
However, within minutes of making his feelings known, it was revealed Paul and Karen are dancing a Salsa to the disco track Car Wash this weekend – and fans are not happy.
Paul was asked about his time on Strictly during Wednesday’s episode of spin-off show Strictly: It Takes Two.
Host Janette Manrara asked the Arsenal legend ‘what it meant to him’ to achieve his highest score yet with a ballroom quickstep.
Speaking via video link, Paul replied: “It was amazing just to get a nice dance.
“Obviously a barbecue and Vindaloo and Football’s Coming Home and looking like someone who works on a ship… yeah, it was nice to dance.
“I thought Karen deserved that as well, to be fair to her.”
In a second swipe, the dad-of-three continued: “I felt more comfortable. It was just nice.
“When I first took up the chance to come on the show, this was what I thought it would be roughly. Do you know what I mean?
“It was nice to get one of those dances in. Before, I just thought of Fred Astaire and I couldn’t see him dancing to Vindaloo.”
Janette asked him: “So you feel like you’ve got your proper whole Strictly experience under your belt now?”
But in a third swipe, he shot back: “Now it’s back to reality again this week.”
Even Karen appeared to echo Paul’s feelings, saying: “It’s what Strictly’s about. When you have your top hat, you have your beautiful glamorous dresses.
“This is what people tune in at times to see.”
It was then revealed Paul and Karen are dancing a Samba to the 1976 disco track Car Wash, by US soul and RnB band Rose Royce.
Having watched Paul’s interview, fans immediately shared their frustration at him being given another “joke” dance.
Here's who is matched with who this series...
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell
Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas
JB Gill and Amy Dowden MBE
Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe
Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk
Paul Merson and Karen Hauer
Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał
Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec
Tom Dean MBE and Nadiya Bychkova
Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones
Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin
Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola
Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones
Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, one raged: “It makes me annoyed to see Paul & Karen talking about how much he loved being Fred Astaire during the quickstep and that’s what he always expected #strictly to be, not the silly stuff.
“And then this week they have a samba to Car Wash, back to being the joke again.”
A second added: “The whole vibe of this interview has been ‘ooh yeah it’s great doing proper ballroom’, I’m so cross they’re now making Paul do the samba.”
Another agreed: “He’s quite right….They need to stop all theses stupid dances they give to ex sports people.
“It’s embarrassing and never works properly. Paul’s dance was far better with the correct music and outfit.”
And someone else begged: “#Strictly Please listen to Paul and Karen! The expectation when signing up was to learn to dance, with all the associated elegance, not silly songs and silly themes.”
MILLIONS of learner drivers have been warned of a “black market” test scam conning them out of £1000’s.
Since the pandemic, the demand for driving tests has sky-rocketed with average waiting times taking around five months in England and Wales.
This has resulted in some desperate learners travelling to sites that are more remote and in lower demand, or they book in their area of choice through third-party websites.
Typically, fraudsters run these third-party websites – using bots to quickly book tests.
Practical tests normally cost around £62 on weekdays or £75 on weekends.
However, fraudsters are scamming them for around £200.
That’s near enough four times the price of an official standard test.
What they do is resell the slots at overinflated prices, or via paid-through services that provide test cancellation alerts.
Since January 2023, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has issued 283 warnings, 746 suspensions and closed 689 businesses for wrongly using its booking service.
Even though the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has tried to reduce the number of these scam sites, The Royal Automobile Club (RAC) has still found third parties selling many slots via encrypted WhatsApp chats.
Some sellers even use “disappearing messages”, so their conversations can’t be traced, This is Money reports.
Many learners might also submit their personal information to apps that supposedly provide cancellation alerts.
Hefty sign-up fees for these apps may also await the vulnerable learners, mounting up over time.
With some “VIP” packages being advertised at £117.
One freelance journalist, Lara Olszowska fell victim to the black test market.
She told the RAC: “I bought into the driving test black market at £169 for a test worth £62, just to avoid having to retake my theory and delay my practical exam.
“I gave them my driving licence number, my theory certificate number, and my home address without batting an eyelid.
“After failing that test, I went online to try to book my next attempt, but the DVSA website kept popping up with an ‘error’ message.
“That led to a fateful phone call with the DVSA where I learned my account was blocked for having ‘too many’ tests booked using my details – even though I was blissfully unaware for the years it was going on.
“A company had used my details to repeatedly book tests under my name 52 times and swap them with other candidates who wanted the slots for triple the price.”
Simon Williams, Head of Policy at the RAC said: “Definitive action needs to be taken to prevent ‘bots’ booking tests and then selling them on to desperate learners for crazy amounts of money.
“This leads to genuine slots being wasted and learners, who are ready to take their tests, missing out and having to wait months for a chance to become a qualified driver.
“It’s no wonder some learners end up booking test slots before they’re ready.
“It’s also very wrong that real people who are genuinely trying to book their tests are being treated as if they are ‘bots’ because their data has been stolen by fraudsters.”
If you think you’ve been a victim of an online scam or fraud, Contact Action Fraud.
You can access Action Fraud directly or via GOV.UK’s website.
This news comes after drivers were warned of scammers sending them texts about fake parking charges.
The DVLA issued a warning regarding dodgy penalty charges coming from the government.
The text messages being sent out warning people they have got a “parking penalty charge” and if they do not pay the fee on time, they could be banned from driving, incur further fees or be taken to court.
The text message, complete with spelling mistakes, says: “Dvsa notice for you: You have a parking penalty charge due on 2024/9/30.
“If you do not pay your fine on time, Your car may be banned from driving, you might have to pay more, or you could be taken to court.
“Please enter your license plate in the link after reading the information, Check and pay parking penalty charge. Thank you again for your copperation. Dvsa.”
The DVSA does not issue or deal with parking fines.
If you do receive a message you can report it to the National Cyber Security Centre or click on the link here.
You do not have to contact the DVSA if you get the message.
RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “This new text message trick is the latest in a series of nasty scams where criminals are catching drivers out by imitating online payment methods.
“In the short-term, the cost is unnecessary and expensive as drivers end up paying a fine for an offence they didn’t commit.
“The long-term implications can be even worse if scammers use their bank or personal details elsewhere.
“It’s incredibly unusual to receive a text about a parking fine if there wasn’t a ticket on your car in the first place – and the ticket normally includes information on how to pay.
“To be safe rather than sorry, we’d advise any recipients of the text to first check if they need to pay a fine with the authority rather than following the URL in the SMS.
“If a fine is due, ask for the payment options and, if you choose to pay it online, make sure the website is the genuine one and that any details you enter are sent securely.”
NEW recipe. Same great taste. That’s the Volkswagen California summed up in five words.
Some might question why VW switched its legendary camper from Transporter underpinnings to the bones of a Multivan.
But, boy, has it worked.
Longer, wider and just as tall, you’re driving a car now – and not a T6 like your builder does.
And with that comes vastly improved refinement, ride, handling and steering.
Having tested it over three days in the beautiful but often treacherously twisty Slovenian mountain roads, many hundreds of miles were munched with considerable confidence and in refreshing comfort.
This is also the first campervan out there with TWO sliding rear doors – meaning you can walk right through it, even though it has a fully-fitted kitchen including a gas stove, a sink and a fridge in it.
That’s a packaging masterclass.
It sleeps up to four, as before – two downstairs and two upstairs in the automatic pop-up roof.
The front seats swivel 180 degrees to create a four-seat living/dining room, while the two individual rear ones (both with under-storage) can slide almost the entire length of the cabin on rails to your preferred position, fold flat or be taken out completely.
Two camping chairs and a table are almost invisibly stowed in the back.
The standard-fit Thule side awning can go on whichever side you choose.
And if you really can’t choose, you can now option one on each side, factory fit.
We tried the bread-and-butter 2-litre turbo diesel with 150hp which returns around 40mpg, give or take, paired with a seven-speed DGS autobox.
Coming soon is a 204hp petrol and a 245hp four-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid.
The old Cali was diesel only.
There are three specs to choose from – all with a pop-up roof.
Entry-level Beach Camper, starting at £63k, is a five-seater with a manual pop-up roof, plus a compact mini-kitchen with a single gas hob that extends from the rear when the boot is open.
Coast is a four-seater featuring a fully- fitted kitchenette (sink, storage, fridge and gas hob), electric pop-up roof and tablet remote control and 17in alloys. That’s £70k.
While the top-spec Ocean, for an extra £7k, adds matrix LED lights, embroidered and heated eco-friendly fabric seats, ambient lighting, electric sliding doors, 10in infotainment screen and more.
You’ll find more charging points for devices than you can shake a tent peg at as well as three-pin UK plug sockets and a multi-positional foldout table-cum-worktop extender if you want to cook outside the camper and not make a mess inside.
Loaded with all sorts of driver-assistance tech, long distances and multi-storey parking situations are a doddle.
VW has really worked its magic to not only make this a bona fide California worthy of its heritage but one that delivers more than before for both the frequent and the less frequent camper.
It’s that good, and that sophisticated, it could even be used as your daily driver and not just a weekend hotel vroom.
Price: £63,376
Engine: 2-litre turbo diesel
Power: 150hp, 360Nm
0-62mph: 12.6 secs
Top speed: 116mph
Economy: 40mpg
Co2: 180g/km
Out: December
MAFS UK bride Polly has made her thoughts clear on the recent ‘cheating’ scandal on the show, as she responded to a comment Orson made on social media.
Hannah Norburn cheated on her husband Stephen Nolson – with another groom.
The 33-year-old had a secret affair with Orson Nurse, 41, behind his wife Richelle’s back – and the shock scenes are set to play out on screen.
And Polly decides to grill Hannah on the situation, while the grooms and brides enjoy a retreat.
As Polly confronted Hannah, preview scenes show her saying Hannah was “acting like a d***head.”
In the scene, a few of the girls accused Hannah of stroking Ryan’s feet, who is one of the grooms.
To which Hannah shot back: “I wanted to see if his Ugg had fluff in it.”
After this Polly is seen making a confused facial expression, after Hannah’s Ugg confession.
Orson then re-shared this clip onto his Instagram stories, and wrote: “Could SOMEBODY tell me why Polly Sellman is skinning up her face like that.”
After being tagged in Orson’s post, Polly was quick to respond.
She went onto her own social media and penned a response, writing: “Because when somebody is caught in multiple lies and is confronted about it, it’s hard to sit there and watch them play victim.”
Last week The Sun told how furious Richelle had let slip how something had happened – after she cruelly trolled by viewers for her behaviour towards Orson.
She accused Orson of trying to recouple with another bride, telling fans: “People will see the truth. It’s a waiting game.”
The bombshell is set to be revealed in an upcoming commitment ceremony and will leave the cast blindsided.
Here's who you can expect in the Mafs 2024 cast:
A TV source told MailOnline: “Hannah and Orson’s betrayal is revealed during one of the commitment ceremonies after Sascha blurted out the truth behind their closeness.
“Their affair rocks the cast who have all been trying to navigate their marriages with advice from the relationship experts and the last thing you expect is for two couples to break their vows.
“It causes uproar and confusion, especially for Richelle, who hoped she could progress in her romance with Orson.
“As for Stephen, he sees Hannah cheating as an excuse to pursue another bride and he ups the ante with Sionainn despite the fact she’s married to Ryan.”
MAKUEEYAPEE Whitford is one of the criminals featured in the hit Netflix series I am a Killer.
He appears in episode six of the show’s fifth series, which dives into his killing of a fellow Native American man whom he had a dispute with.
Reportedly, the two men were arguing about their tribes when the encounter became violent.
Here’s everything you need to know about Makueeyapee’s case.
Makueeyapee was born on November 13, 1980, and was brought back to the Blackfeet Indian reservation in a cardboard box, since his parents couldn’t afford a car seat.
His grandfather was Chief Running Crane, the last chief of Blackfeet Indian Nation, and his father was also Native American.
His mother, who was not Native American, went on to have seven children with different fathers and moved often.
Makueeyapee lived in Montana, Idaho, Washington, California and Oregon during his childhood, which he described as a “rollercoaster”.
He witnessed his stepfather hitting his mother when he was a child, prompting him to move in with his uncles.
It was at this time that he was swept up in the gang violence of Tacoma, Washington and started drinking and taking drugs.
He went to prison after being charged with robbery in the first degree and three charges of assault in the second degree, as well as a charge of deadly weapon enhancement for a hotel robbery.
Makueeyapee pointed a gun at an elderly lady during the encounter and thought to himself “I’m not going to do this”, but it was already too late.
He was sentenced, in 1988, to 10 years and decided to use his time to study.
In prison, he joined Indians of All Tribes, a group which advocated for “Native Pride”.
Within two months of leaving prison, he met the mother of his future children.
After knowing each other for just a month, the couple were expecting their first child.
Then, after Makueeyapee’s son was born, his partner became pregnant with his second child – a daughter.
He became a 4.0 GPA student at Blackfeet Community College and made the dean’s list at the school.
Makueeyapee went to Polson, Montana, with his friend and they both found their way to a house party hosted by the Flathead Indian Reservation.
Once at the party, he made a joke that sparked a life-altering series of events.
Makueeyapee said “Where are all the Blackfeet at?” which angered another partygoer, since the event was being hosted by the Flathead tribe.
Unbeknownst to Makueeyapee, the partygoer was also angry because of a rivalry with the Blackfeet tribe that was centuries old.
When the other partygoer became aggressive, Makueeyapee’s memories of prison came flooding back.
John Pierre Jr went over to Makueeyapee and started referencing the historic rivalry, Makueeyapee stabbed and killed him.
Makueeyapee received a 60-year sentence for his crime, with a 25-year-parole restriction.
John Todd, one of the jail commanders for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Polson, Montana said that Makueeyapee picked fights in prison.
John said: “He was, I’d have to say, kind of a bully.
“He would poke at the smaller, weaker guys and just poke and poke and poke until they exploded.
“And then he would hurt them, or attempt to hurt them.
“And then it was never his fault.”
Makueeyapee maintains that he was the victim of a hate crime and that he killed John in self-defense.
FANCY an easy bit of luxury as the winter weather bites? Treat your hands and nails to a manicure.
But rather than heading to a salon, save on costs and give yourself a DIY pamper session.
Follow these tips . . .
BACK TO BASE: First, clean your nails with some polish remover on cotton wool to get rid of any old bits of polish and dirt.
Then start filing them down to the same length.
Make sure your nails are completely dry before you file them, otherwise they can split.
Decide the shape of the nails you want.
If you like an almond shape, file diagonally from the outer edges to the middle.
Or if you want more a square shape, file horizontal to the tip.
SOFT FOCUS: Slather your hands in some rich hand cream.
Try the Cuticura repair hand and nail cream, £1, from Poundland.
Then pop the tips of your fingers in a bowl of olive oil and soak for ten minutes.
The vitamin E in the oil helps strengthen your nail and soften the cuticles.
Push back your cuticles with a rounded stick.
You can get a pack of cuticle sticks for £1 from Boots.
POLISH UP: It’s always best to apply a base coat before painting your nails to prevent colour from staining.
You can get a wide range of colours from barrym.com — and there’s currently 25 per cent off with code NAILS25.
Start with one stroke down the centre of the nail and then come back to do the sides.
Professional manicurists often offer specialist nail art but you can get the same look with stickers, including coloured tips to give the appearance of a French manicure.
A pack of 35 stickers is £2 from Boots.
Finally, your manicure will last a lot longer if you apply a top coat of polish to seal it.
CREATE cosy warmth with this wall-mounted fireplace heater, down from £249 to £199.20 at Homebase.
SAVE: £49.80
KEEP toes toasty with these chenille socks, £5 for a pack of three at B&M.
THESE Cadbury pumpkin patch cakes are all treat and no trick. New in at Tesco, a four-pack costs £2.50
PLUMP and prime skin with Charlotte Tilbury’s magic cream, £52, from John Lewis.
Or try Primark’s similar PS pro hydration cream, £6, to score some savings.
SAVE: £46
GET faded laundry looking its best again with Dylon colour detergent, which helps revitalise clothes.
You can snap it up for £5 at Tesco with a Clubcard or £7 without.
JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle.
Every month we’re giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers – whether you’re saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered.
Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket.
The more codes you enter, the more tickets you’ll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!
A DOMESTIC abuse charity has slammed the BBC in the wake of the Wynne Evans and Katya Jones Strictly “grope” scandal.
The pair say the incident was an inside joke — but Women’s Aid told The Sun: “Inappropriate behaviour towards women is no laughing matter.”
Katya removed Wynne’s hand from her stomach after he slid it across from her waist and declined to high-five him on Saturday’s show.
The pair have been rapped over the knuckles by BBC bosses for the incident that was broadcast live and has become a viral sensation.
On Tuesday the pair looked downcast as they arrived at their training session in Cardiff as angry viewers called for their axe.
Both stars insisted there was nothing sinister behind Katya’s frosty reaction.
GoCompare crooner Wynne wrote: “We were just messing around. We really are amazing friends.”
But Women’s Aid added: “With an epidemic of misogyny and violence against women and girls in the UK, we need a media culture where women feel safe to speak up, where sexually inappropriate conduct is not trivialised or joked about.
“It’s important we challenge inappropriate ‘jokes’ so we don’t continue normalising toxic attitudes that cultivate these forms of gender-based abuse.”
On Monday’s BBC2 Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two, Katya insisted it was all a set-up.
The Russian pro, 35, who has danced on Strictly since 2016, said: “Quite frankly, I can’t bear sitting here watching this man being portrayed as someone he’s not.
“In fact it couldn’t be further away from the truth.
“So I have to make absolutely clear, that this whole incident with the hand and the high-five on Saturday night, it was an inside joke between Wynne and I.
“Was it a silly joke? Yes. Was it a bad joke? Yes.
“However, it was a joke and even the idea that it made me feel uncomfortable or offended in any way is totally nonsense.
“Those that have doubts, you guys have got it wrong.
“So hopefully this will be the end of it.”
Opera star Wynne, 52, added: “I’ve watched it back and I can see how people might have misinterpreted it.”
Behind the scenes, Beeb bosses are furious about the incident, but seem to believe Katya and Wynne’s explanation that it was a gag both were complicit in.
Welfare teams reportedly checked on both at the time.
Yesterday dancer Vito Coppola offered an insight into how the gaffe might have come about, revealing the cast are always teasing each other.
Speaking on ITV’s This Morning with celeb dance partner, Miranda star Sarah Hadland, he said: “The key is to be yourself, the fun . . . I’m constantly pranking Sarah here.
“I’m constantly waiting behind a door (and jump out).”
Here's who is matched with who this series...
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell
Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas
JB Gill and Amy Dowden MBE
Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe
Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk
Paul Merson and Karen Hauer
Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał
Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec
Tom Dean MBE and Nadiya Bychkova
Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones
Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin
Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola
Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones
COUNTER-terrorism police are investigating whether Russian spies planted a bomb on a plane to Britain, a report claims.
The package later caught fire while at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham with the blaze dealt to by local fire services.
Cops are now investigating whether Russia was behind the July fire after the Guardian and German broadcasters investigated.
A Metropolitan police counter-terrorism spokesperson told paper: “We can confirm that officers from counter-terrorism policing are investigating an incident at a commercial premises in Midpoint Way, Minworth.
“On Monday 22 July, a package at the location caught alight. It was dealt with by staff and the local fire brigade at the time and there were no reports of any injuries or significant damage caused.”
London’s Met is leading the investigation with help from specialist officers in the West Midlands force.
The Guardian reported that it is not known whether the device arrived via passenger plane or cargo plane and where it was destined for.
A similar situation had happened in Leipzig, Germany, recently with investigators now checking whether the two are linked.
The device started burning as it was being loaded onto a plane after it had come from Lithuania.
The head of the German domestic intelligence agency said if it had exploded on the plane it could have brought it down.
MI5 Director General Ken McCallum warned last week Russia and Iran are on a “sustained mission to generate mayhem” in the UK’s streets.
His officers, he said, had caught dozens of plotters planning mass murder using bombs and guns.
It also comes after a “Russian spy” was charged with masterminding an arson attack – in the first Wagner Group-led plot on British soil.
Dylan Earl was charged under the National Security Act 2023, which was brought in last year to catch those working secretly for hostile states in the UK.
Four other men, Paul English, Nii Mensah, Jake Reeves and Dmitrijus Paulauska have also been charged.
