Gareth Bale joins the exalted company of Ferenc Puskas and Raul... the Cardiff boy is already a Real Madrid legend

Last August Gareth Bale was in Cardiff on international duty, dodging Spanish journalists on his way to meet up with his Wales team-mates, and still uncertain of his £86million transfer to Real Madrid. One year on, he will be back in Cardiff to play in the European Super Cup for Real against Sevilla and he will do so with 22 goals, the Spanish Cup and the Champions League. It’s hard to recall a record signing who has had a greater impact in his first year. Bale is only the third player in Real Madrid’s history to score in the final of both the European Cup and the Spanish Cup in the same season. Only Ferenc Puskas and Raul have done it before. Legend: Gareth Bale was instrumental in landing Real Madrid their much-wanted tenth European Cup La...

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Simeone will fight to keep Courtois and Costa despite Chelsea interest

Atletico Madrid will fight to keep their best players this summer and hope their allegiance to the team and to their coach Diego Simeone will help ensure they stay. Chelsea loanee Thibaut Courtois spoke as if he wants to stay after the defeat by Real Madrid but it  is largely out of Atletico’s hands. ‘I don’t have an emotional link to Chelsea,’ said Courtois, 22. ‘I have nothing against them. It is just that I have this bond with Atletico after all I have lived through with the club these last three seasons. Emotional: Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says he has no 'emotional link' to his parent club Chelsea Target: The Blues are also chasing Diego Costa but Atletico are hoping the pair stay loyal to Diego Simeone Leader: The Atletico players are hugely...

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Who Arsenal could face in Champions League play-off

Having finished fourth in the Premier League, Arsenal will face a qualifying tie to reach next season's Champions League. The Gunners will enter the competition in the play-off round. This is what we know about who they could face: Arsenal will be one of the 10 teams in the 'non-champions' section of the draw Ten teams play in this round: five teams which enter at this stage, and the five winners from the third qualifying round for non-champions Arsenal will be seeded and will face a non-seeded team in a two-legged tie The other confirmed seeded teams are: Porto, Napoli and Bayer Leverkusen The only confirmed unseeded team so far is Athletic Bilbao (but they will be seeded if Zenit St Petersburg do not qualify for the play-off round) We will update this page as soon as further information...

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Justin 'bullies' Michael McIntyre and hit on girls with inappropriate 'whipped cream and cherries' pickup line at AIDS research gala

Poor Michael McIntyre. Britain’s favourite comedian – at least, in terms of the lorryloads of DVDs  and concert tickets he sells – didn’t see the funny side when he was given less than star treatment by  the celebrity juggernaut that is Justin Bieber. At the AIDS-research amfAR gala, Bieber ‘the diva’ bullied him terribly – as Michael told me at the dinner: ‘We are seated back-to-back and he keeps leaning his chair on mine and sticking his elbow in my face.’ Later, girls who walked with me to the after-party said Justin, 20, flirted with them by dropping the vomit-inducing line: ‘You girls don’t  know how to party. I’d like to get some whipped cream up in here.  And some cherries.’ Not so funny: British comedian Michael McIntyre complained...

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'I've seen Kanye with other women...but never like he is with you!' John Legend gives touching tribute to newlyweds Kim and Kanye...#Kanye

He's the king of the romantic ballad so it's no great surprise that when John Legend took to the stage at Kimye's wedding reception he began with a speech that would move the hardest heart. The smooth singer addressed the guests: 'To Kim and Kanye. It's really inspired me to be here. All these wonderful people here - it's a celebration of your love. 'I've seen Kanye with other women. I'm serious..this is a bad speech....but I have never seen him as in to someone as he is in to you.' Inside the party! John Legend tweeted a photo booth snap of him and Chrissy Teigen with the caption 'Love, love, love'    Giving...

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Kieran Hayler admits to having unprotected sex in Jane Pountney’s car 25 TIMES while married to pregnant Katie Price

Katie Price's cheating husband Kieran Hayler has revealed that he had unprotected sex with her best friend, Jane Pountney, because ‘it added to the risk’. The 27-year old plasterer, who married Katie in a beach wedding after just six weeks of dating, said that he and Jane had 25 sexual trysts before Price caught them in the act on a family holiday in Cape Verde. ‘Jane said she was falling in love with me and wanted to have kids,’ Hayler told The Sun on Sunday’s Sharon Hendry. ‘I said it too because as long as I told her what she wanted to hear, I was getting what I wanted.’ Love rat: Kieran Hayler has admitted to having unprotected sex with his wife Katie Price's best friend Jane Pountney The affair began in May 2013, when Keiran and Jane...

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Arsenal send delegates to Madrid to negotiate with mystery player

The Gunners are hoping to thrash out a deal for the marquee attacking player, with both Ivan Gazidis and contract negotiator Dicky Law included in the delegation MYSTERY SHROUDS SECRET ARSENAL TARGETArsenal have sent a delegation to Madrid to hold talks with a mystery star player, The Insider can reveal.The Gunners are closely pursuing a wide forward who Arsene Wenger and his scouts believe can be developed into a centre-forward.It is understood that the player is regarded as a marquee talent and would cost a considerable chunk of the €123 million-plus transfer warchest available to Wenger this summer. If a deal can be agreed, the plan is for him to go straight into the first team next season.Chief executive Ivan Gazidis and contract negotiator Dicky Law are both believed to have...

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Champions League Team of the Season: Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic lead all-star cast of 2013-14

Marco Reus, Branislav Ivanovic and Philipp Lahm gatecrash a side dominated by the Madrid clubs as Goal selects the standout performers from Europe's top competition this term Real Madrid's dramatic 4-1 win over Atletico Madrid sealed the fabled Decima triumph as the 2013-14 Champions League drew to a thrilling close on Saturday in Lisbon.There were records broken, upsets pulled off and dramatic comebacks aplenty in an enthralling competition, and the standout stars of the tournament this term have been rewarded with a place in Goal's Team of the Season.In goal is Atletico's on-loan star Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian, who is yet to reach a decision on whether he will return full-time to parent club Chelsea for next term, secured five clean sheets in 12 matches in the tournament...

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Keep it chic with a black box clutch like Rachel Roy

It was the most highly anticipated wedding of the year and the vows have finally been spoken. That’s right, the lavish Kimye wedding ceremony set behind a flower-clad wall on a hilltop overlooking Florence is over. But first thing’s first, we obviously need to know what all the A-list celebs were wearing to such a high-profile event. And first up is Rachel Roy and for a fashion designer, we would expect great things and she didn’t disappoint. Despite not donning a dress, Rachel did it like a dude in a fab tailored suit. But the bag glistening in the Italian sun was what caught our eye and rightly so being none other than Bottega Veneta. The good news is, this chic clutch is available to buy (click right,) but sadly...

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Keep things simple and effective in a LBD like Debbie

On-screen in Corrie, Debbie Rush has had a really tough time of late, playing character Anna Windass. Her character has had to deal with blow after blow, from bankruptcy to selling her body, you would think that even faux story lines would begin to grind you down. But evidently, her tough times on the cobbles haven’t taken their toll on Debbie. Striking a pose here at the British Soap Awards, the actress looked fresh as a daisy in her classic LBD. The dress is from The Pretty Dress Company (click right to buy) but it has been clearly lengthened for Debbie, perhaps more suited to the actress’ age than a mini-skirt. And we think you can’t beat a LBD for a posh do, particularly when teamed with glitzy accessories like Debbie’s...

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Earn your style stripes in a stylish blazer like Michelle

She's announced her collaboration with high street fashion chain Lipsy is to launch in July. So it's of no surprise that Michelle Keegan opted to wear her favourite Lipsy heels for Saturday night's Soap Awards. Living and breathing the brand we see! While Michelle might have opted for high street heels, the Corrie actress upped the fashion ante with the rest of her look, teaming her chic tailored trousers with a chunky stripe blazer from designer label BCBGMAXAZRIA, who counts Michelle Obama and Heidi Klum as fans. Someone's going up in the world... Our trusty Breton stripes have made a welcome return to the catwalks this season (as if they ever went away) but while in previous season's we've seen...

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Trend up your technology with a kitsch case

Remember the days when it was trendy for phones to be so small you could barely make out what was on the screen and lost them on an hourly basis? Well, those days are long gone, because there's a new wave of technology hitting the mainstream for 2014. And loud and proud is putting it mildly. Brooke Vincent was spotted arriving in London, and while we were taken back by her dedication to the leather trend (with a jacket and trousers we presumed she'd come on a Harley, but evidence shows she just got the train), it was her phone case that really caught our attention. Brooke's phone case is notable for many reasons. Firstly, it's by Moschino. Secondly, the McDonald's inspired design marks the first...

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Block it like it's hot in Jasmin's Beach Bunny bikini

They can go anywhere in the world and the Essex ladies look just as glamorous as they do back home. Jasmin Walia is always striking, but in her neon orange and pink colour block bikini, she must have really stood out by the pool in Ibiza. Well, it was her birthday! Her neoprene neon number is by Beach Bunny, an American brand whose risqué designs are loved by the likes of Rihanna, the Kardashians and Coleen Rooney. Jasmin has managed to hit on two huge trends in one. We'll let you into an insider tip - that zip detailing around the halterneck strap perfectly taps in to the sports luxe look that is set to be big news this summer. Plus, taking a cue from designers like Marc Jacobs, clever colour blocking is high on...

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Make them green with envy in Emma's Agent Provocateur bikini

It's a tough life for model and Made In Chelsea star Emma Miller. She's swapped the streets of SW3 for the shores of the South of France to sip on Champagne and soak up the sun. Luckily there's no sign of Spencer Matthews... yet! She looked incredible in her colour pop bikini, with its flattering ruched back bottoms and super cute berry details. And if you think it looks familiar, it's because Helen Flanagan wore it only yesterday on the beach in Dubai. Twinsies! It's by Agent Provocateur, a label you might associate more with super sensuous lingerie. But their iconic designs also translate perfectly into swimwear and are worth the extra investment. Click (right) to get yours now. But if you'd...

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Get suited and booted in a blazer like Danielle's

Move over Kim Kardashian and Kanye West! They might be getting wed in Florence today, but back in Essex, Danielle Armstrong and James Lock look even more loved-up than the soon-to-be married couple. Get a room guys... And Danielle has clearly been taking cues from Kim when it comes to her wardrobe. Wearing a nude vest top, ripped skinny jeans and pointed pumps, this ensemble is straight out of the Kardashian style bible. Just add some huge sunglasses and she would fit in perfectly with the wedding party in Paris! But the whole thing was sharpened up by her bright white blazer, which is by Topshop. The slim fit, cropped back and collarless shape makes it look tailored to perfection and transforms this otherwise simple...

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