Klopp sends emotional message to injured Liverpool fans | Earps announces international retirement | Man Utd agree to Wolves’ Cunha terms
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Welcome to Back Pages, bringing you everything you need to know about the biggest sports stories making the headlines in the morning's newspapers. I'm David Garrido and joining me are Andy Dunne from the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror and Craig Hope from the Daily Mail. Welcome along, Thibaut.

Let's start with a story that clearly goes beyond sport, the traumatic incident at the Liverpool Trophy parade that has really rocked the city. 65 people were injured when a car drove into pedestrians. 11 remain in hospital. Thankfully, their condition is stable. Andy, let me start off with you. You've covered football in the North West for a long time.

You will have, I'm sure, heard what Jurgen Klopp had to say at League Manager Association Awards. I mean, he's a man who, you know, spent almost a decade at the football club and seemed to intrinsically, innately understand not just the club, but the city and what this incident will have done to the soul of the city. What did you make of what he said?

Yeah, absolutely. You're spot on when he said he gets the city as well as the club. This isn't about the club, of course. This is about the city. This is about the people. You know, I'm not far from where it happened, where those dreadful events unfolded last night, yesterday evening. And there's still a sense up here of shock, of sadness, of horror that a day of such joy could turn like it did.

You mentioned then about the victims who were in hospital. We had that. There was a sense of tangible relief, you know, and all our prayers are with them. But there was a sense of relief that news came through that hopefully all those remaining in hospital will make a full recovery because that's the most important thing here. You know, it's not about any other thing apart from the fact that they...

make a full recovery from this dreadful incident. What Klopp refers to about the city and the soul of the city that you mentioned there,

You know, the fact that it happened on such a day... I grew up in Liverpool, and I've seen many, many parades. I mean, Craig saw a parade in Newcastle quite recently. We all get parades. In Liverpool, I'm not saying it's special, but it's part of the culture of the city has been a parade. My father...

I mean, we'd never stop going on about the parade when Liverpool won the FA Cup in 1965. It was the first time they'd won the FA Cup. Roger Hunt scoring the winning goal.

And he reckons there was a million people there. And then, of course, the year after, 1966, when Everton won the FA Cup, there was similar amounts of people on the streets of Liverpool parading in front of St George's Hall. In 1986, Liverpool and Everton had a joint parade after the FA Cup final. You know, and that feeling...

in the city and it's not unique to Liverpool Craig saw in Newcastle recently we've seen in many cities it's part of English football heritage and culture and that's what makes this whole thing so shocking I've read a couple of stories today understandably

You know, stories saying the wisdom going forward of large-scale gatherings, you know, anywhere really, in relation to this. But you know what? What a shame if that would be the case because these parades are part of the culture of the place I grew up, Liverpool, part of the culture of English football, European football, world football.

Just want to have a look at the back page of the mail, Craig, given you're their North East football correspondent. And on the right hand side here, the piece by Lewis Steele. I'm just going to quote you what he's quoted from Jurgen Klopp. He said, yesterday just showed the two faces of life, the most beautiful face for a long, long time. The parade was incredible. The move was incredible. From one second to the other, everything changed.

There are more serious things in the world than football and thoughts and prayers go to the injured people and to the families, of course. It should have been one of the greatest days in the history of the city. Again, Jurgen Klopp's ability to just strike the right tone in terms of

this conversation in terms of really understanding the moment, the poignancy, but also the togetherness of the city and how things switch so very quickly, the two faces of life. He's a man, isn't he, Jurgen Klopp, who, you know,

Despite being someone who wants to... His head is stuffed inside of football, right? He loves football. He was a brilliant Liverpool manager with all the trophies that he won. However, he managed to really consider this story in the right light, doesn't he? He does, yeah, but even before this story yesterday, you'd seen Jurgen Klopp's presence

around Liverpool, around Anfield in the days before and what other manager, having only been gone 12 months, could return and be met with such a reception and with good grace and with such humility and humour and everything else.

In a strange way, I think it's kind of comforting for the people of Liverpool that Jurgen Klopp has been on the scene in the past 48 hours, that he was there at the stadium. And his words today, you know, I think they will bring comfort to people. And when you touch on there, you know, the two faces he talks about, well, my own consumption of this story last night was evidence of that. I was away for a night away with my wife and my kids.

my three little boys and during the day early evening we'd we'd watch the pictures come through on x of this wonderful trophy parade that evoked memories of just six seven weeks ago when my wife and my three young boys were on the streets of newcastle they were doing the same andy quoted there all of the the trophy parades they've had on merseyside we've never had one on tineside in the generation but my wife and the three boys were there and it was it was so real in those pictures during the day yesterday and i brought back

Some of those memories and then later on in the evening, I'd looked at my phone on X and I'd seen this story developing and I couldn't tell my children. I couldn't tell my wife. I was shocked. I was sickened by it and I was distracted all night and it was actually only today in the car that I told them what had happened because I wanted to have a bigger picture. It was truly shocking. It really was to see those images and I think the reason is...

It's because it's so real. We've all been to football events and invariably you are in mass crowds amongst people and it was just that reality of it that it could have been you, it could have been me and Andy leaving the ground, it could have been our children, our brothers, our sisters, our wives and

The good news, it seems a strange phrase to use, but there was good news overnight. There was good news that it wasn't worse than what it looked like it could have been originally. So I think that is the one positive to take from it. But also as well to touch on something Andy said earlier.

Parade days are the best of days. That day in Newcastle six, seven weeks ago, I've never seen a happier, more joyous collection of people, friends, neighbours, strangers. It was wonderful. You don't do away with them. Yes, you try and learn lessons as to why this...

why this has happened and we count our lucky stars that it wasn't more serious than it could have been. But don't do away with these days. They're brilliant. They really do bring people together and I think an incident like this will just bring not just the city of Liverpool together, but the whole football community too. Yeah, and I suppose also worth saying, given the fact that, I mean, you're talking about Newcastle there, Craig,

that in all of these competitions where we've seen new winners or winners for the first time in a long time, Newcastle being one, Crystal Palace being another, Arsenal women beating Barcelona in the Champions League final as well, why shouldn't they have a parade, especially if you're not used to having one? It should be an ultimately joyous day.

OK, I'm sure that there will be more developments on that story. We'll of course keep across them here on Sky Sports News for you. Let's turn our attention to Mary Earps and her decision to retire from international football just five weeks away from England's defence of the European Championship title because they won in such memorable, dramatic circumstances on these shores in 2022.

Andy, this is on the back of both The Telegraph and The Times, The Telegraph back page, Wigman Fury as Erpz quits. Because I think, you know, this is almost as much about the reaction as it is about the decision. But how shocking do you find this in terms of the timing primarily? Because England have Hannah Hampton, but not much else in their squad in terms of international experience right now.

Well, the shocking thing about it, David, is not so much the timing or that's not ideal, but it's the idea, the underlying idea, is that why Mary Epps has decided that she's going to quit international football is that she can't get her starting place in the team. I mean, that is the fundamental sort of idea that people are looking at that. And there's some very, very strong opinion pieces in tomorrow morning's newspapers about

about Mary's decision to retire at the age of 32, a young age to retire. I know she says, I'm going to leave it to the younger brigade. But listen, for a goalkeeper, early 30s is no age at all. That's the thing. It's this idea. It's the broader thing, isn't it? This idea that every international player, every England player who thought he or she was not going to get a start in place decided to say, well, OK, well, I won't play in the future.

then the international teams would be in a right stage. What I would say is that it is a personal decision. Myself and Craig both cover international tournaments. It's a long time away. And if Mary Earps thinks that, listen, she's not going to be playing any football, if she's only going to be there as a backup, if she doesn't want to be away for that length of time, away from her family, then I would respect that because I've seen players go away and have a fairly, fairly miserable time. However, the broader point is this idea, well, you know what?

I mean, Mary Earps, Queen of Stops, she was called. Someone today, I can't remember who it is, has called her the Queen of Strops because basically she can't get on the team, so she's not going to go. So it's not ideal. It's not ideal, but we should also remember, don't forget, how brilliant she has been for England.

We just saw there in the back page of The Guardian that she had been sort of mulling over thoughts about retirement for 12 to 18 months. There clearly has been some thought. I don't think you can call this any kind of knee-jerk reaction, but it had been clear that Serena Wiegmann had spoken about the goalkeeping situation before and had said that...

Hannah Hampton was a little bit ahead of her, so that was just last month in the battle to be England's number one. This speech from Susie Rack, Mary Earps makes indelible mark with England and leaves big gloves to fill. Yes, not just big gloves to fill, but golden glove in 2023 in the World Cup, FIFA best goalkeeper in both 2022 and 2023.

What will England miss here aside her goalkeeping talents, Craig? Because clearly she's a bit of an icon. She's sort of shown her cultural power as well, given what happened when Nike failed to produce a replica women's goalkeeping jersey for the World Cup and led a petition, 150,000 signatures, and got that one turned around.

She does have that star quality. One of my male colleagues went over to Paris not so long ago earlier this season and PSG wanted to put her front and centre of the coverage, the new women's facility there. So, no, she's a star. One thing I will say, David, is I would like to hear her side of the story on this. It was something Andy touched on there and the battle journalistically now ensues to get that first interview with Mary Earps. You know, that really would be a great get. But, yeah, I would like to hear her story because my...

on the face of it, my instinct would say that this is a selfish act. You said there, David, that it's not a knee-jerk decision. Well, I'll tell you one thing. If she'd been told today she was the starter at the Euros in Switzerland, she wouldn't have retired. So I think it is a knee-jerk decision based on information given to her that she's going to be number two. But...

You're a goalkeeper. You're one injury, one suspension, one bad performance even away from getting back in the team. So to walk away on a point of ego, on a point of principle for me, seems short-sighted. One, in the bigger picture of what a team needs and what a country needs and our teammates and the squad needs.

But also our own personal situation as well. We've seen so many times at tournaments these little twists of fate. So to that end, I think it is a knee-jerk situation. I think it is one she probably will come to regret if the current number one is injured in the first game for whatever reason.

I don't like it, but at the same time, I would like to hear her side of the story. So, yeah, there goes the challenge to all journalists covering the women's Euros this summer. Go and get that interview. Let's move on to Transfer News. We know that we've got the start of this mini window from 1st June to 10th June, and, of course,

Already, it doesn't matter if you're involved in the Club World Cup or you're not, there are Premier League clubs who are starting to make moves and it looks like Manchester United are the most concerted of the lot with Matthias Kunja set to join. Manchester United agree to turn £63m forward, says the sports section in The Times. And also, as far as this one's concerned, Andy,

It feels like, you know, United very keen to maybe just sort of make it very clear they're backing Ruben Amram here with a significant purchase, but done in a way that they're being told how to do it. Wolves are saying to them, you've got to do it this way. You've got to meet our terms. Do you think we're going to see more of that as the window progresses?

Well, maybe, but what's interesting, you're quite right, Walter Adam is that the terms of his release clause are basically you pay a fee now and that you pay the next two instalments by the end of the 26-27 season. Now, in some cases, I guess, you know, you're paying for longer than that. In fact, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already referenced the fact that

I think they've got about £300 million in instalments going out this summer for the likes of Anthony, for the likes of Jadon Sancho, for the likes of Mason Mount. So actually for them, for Wolves to play hardball and say, listen, you've got to pay this by the terms of the clause. I believe there was some negotiation, but I'm led to understand that

that it will be sorted within two years the full 63 million pounds presumably with any add-ons will be paid i like the statement from wolves but i also like the statement from manchester united as well i think it was hugely important that they got this conya deal done very quickly in the wake of what happened in bilbao i think it sends a good message to manchester united fans at the end of a season that's had very few good messages they've

They've got a player who's really, really coming into his own, 26-year-old Brazilian, big future ahead of him internationally, and he wants to join Manchester United despite the fact they've got no Champions League football, no Europa League football, no conference football, no European football, full stop. It just shows it's a boost to United that they still have...

which they always claim that everyone wants to join Manchester United. I'm sure everyone does, but they are still a big draw. And Kunya's a very good player. He's a big signing. Yeah, it does appear a significant move. Maybe it might just change that mood music around Old Trafford. Right, let's move on to the Telegraph. Well, you know, it's now a bigger tournament, quite literally a bigger tournament, the Club World Cup, because it's been expanded from the seven teams you normally compete to much more than that.

and Ronaldo eyes cameo in Club World Cup. And Craig, he's been linked with Botafogo because, of course, his own club in the Saudi Pro League didn't qualify. But, you know, he will want to play a part in this, won't he? Well, it wouldn't be a show without punch, would it, as my mum used to say to me. Yeah, I'm fascinated by the Club World Cup because I've got...

No idea, as I sit here now, how I actually think about it and feel about it. And I don't know whether by the time it comes around, I'll be so desperate to consume some football that I'm staying up in the middle of the night to watch matches and I'm reading everything around it. Or if I'll pay it no attention whatsoever, it'll just feel like a glorified set of exhibition games.

If you're asking me here now, I suspect it will probably be the latter. But it'll be fascinating. And Ronaldo's presence, if this does come off, however unlikely that may feel, would certainly add a level of intrigue to it. Craig, can I just stay with you to talk about Paul Mitchell? We saw it there at the bottom of the back page of The Telegraph. But in the mail, Newcastle sporting director leaves club after just one season as Premier League side release statement on abrupt...

exit just give us your take on this one craig yeah i'm surprised by the timing of the news on the eve of such a big important transfer window for newcastle but i'm not actually surprised by the news itself this is probably being the the writings being on the wall since mitchell first came into the club last summer there was reports of tension immediately i think he rubbed up staff and players the wrong way during those introductory meetings

It was hoped that some of those tensions would thaw as the season went on, that relationships would improve. But the fact that we've arrived here today with the surprise timing of the news, certainly that Mitchell's going to go without ever having made a significant first-team signing, would tell you that all wasn't well. And if it's not, it's probably best to move on. Yes, OK, fair point. OK, Deleon.

Let's just come to Andy on how important this window is for Newcastle United. Because I think a while ago when they were taken over by Saudi Arabia, people just thought they would be splashing the cash. But obviously Newcastle, back in the Champions League now, Carabao Cup winners, they want to strengthen while they're strong. How pivotal do you see it?

Well, it's a huge window for two reasons. Yes, they need to strengthen, but clearly, as Eddie Howe's frustration was clear towards the end of the season, they also need to keep hold of players who are absolutely day-in, day-out linked with others. And, you know, clearly, Alexander Izak is the prime example of that. That's the important thing. Listen, I think Newcastle have got a very, very, very good squad. A couple of additions, and I think it will be an excellent squad. So that would be great. But keeping clearly...

the most essential players in that squad together. Keeping the likes of Pima Rice there, keeping the likes of Isaac there, that's clearly the most important thing in this transfer window. One or two additions. Don't forget, David, they do have to still comply with profit sustainability rules. That is always the caveat to any dealings there any big club's going to do this summer. Yeah, absolutely right. OK, let's get on to one of the European finals. We've already had the Europa League final, Champions League finals to come, but

But in the meantime, Wednesday night in Wrocław in Poland, it's Chelsea against Real Betis, back page of the Sun. Enzo sweet nothing. Enzo Maresca not set to get any kind of Euro bonus should Chelsea beat Betis, Craig. And this is a man who I think you've seen the sort of really assertive side to him recently because he's wanting to show that he is worth what he's offering, but also that his young squad aren't really meriting of the criticism that's been fired their way.

These stories sometimes leave me cold when we talk about bonuses for already very rich men in cup finals because ultimately the bonuses are usually rather negligible anyway when it comes to the grant and the scheme of their pay packet. But Enzo Maresca wouldn't care about that. There's a trophy here and given how...

how forthright and on the front foot he was post-Forest, and we won't repeat what he said, some of the language there, but I thought, no, good on you, you know, go into bat for yourself. Nobody else is going to do it, so he won't care about not having a monetary reward for winning a trophy tomorrow night. This is about status. It's about putting down a mark, and he might just come out post-match if he does win, and Crowe, once again, and if he does, it'll make good viewing, so good luck to him. I didn't mind at all how he conducted himself post-match on Sunday.

Andy, we've got roughly about 45 seconds or so. Back page of the mirror. Means to an ends, obviously, on Enzo Maresca and Chelsea. If he does win, and they've obviously finished top four, we've talked about Nuno Espirito, Santo, Vito Pereira, Arnaz Slot as manager of the season. Does he deserve a mention in that conversation, do you think? Oh, absolutely not. No, no, not even close. No.

I understand what Craig's saying, and I like his spikiness, but listen, he's finished fourth with a billion-pound squad. I don't care how old they are. They've spent fortunes on players. They've finished fourth. They haven't exactly lit up the Premier League, and obviously the Europa Conference League is the third tier down. Will it save their season, by the way? Yes, it will, because as Craig says, it's a trophy, and when you lift that trophy, a big game in a fantastic stadium...

against quality opposition they've got. If they win that trophy, it will be a successful season for them. Should it be amongst the elite managers getting the award tonight at the LMA, Danette? No, I don't think so. All right, Andy and Craig, we will leave it there. Thank you very much indeed for your company on VAT Pages tonight. We'll see you again very, very soon.