China In His Hand

‘THE Sun says that David Beckham ‘thrilled’ fans by saying ‘I love you’ in Mandarin Chinese. ‘Wo Ai Li’ too, roared the appreciative crowd, who as luck had it were Chinese.

Looking out on a bright future?

And Dave’s linguistic skills extend even beyond that. ‘I’ve learnt a few words,’ says Dave to the paper. ‘Hola, Gracias, Muchas Gracias, Si, Solo and Cuidad [Watch Out!].’

Dave is, of course, being modest, having schooled himself in many more than these few notable gems.

What about muchas muchas gracias, muchas muchas muchas gracias and, our personal favourite, gracias muchas?

And it’s big thank you to the Mirror for showing us ‘the stars making cricket sexy’. You’d expect such a feature to come with a shot of a few soap actresses clad in cricket pads and helmets.

Instead you get to see James Anderson brooding in denim, a shirtless Darren Gough and Marcus Trescothick looking for all the world like a Prince Edward/Prince Andrew crossbreed.

Meanwhile, the Star says that Alex Ferguson is angry, upset and red in the face. The story could end there, given that this is Fergie’s usual state.

But the Star says that the bellicose Scot is angry today because Manchester United are tying to sell Juan Sebastien Veron against his wishes.

Like it or not, the Express says that Veron has agreed to join Chelsea in a package deal worth £40m.

It’s a little more cash than Michael Vaughan will earn for being England’s new cricket skipper. Not that the top batsman is too bothered.

Talking to the Sun, Vaughan says that he’s looking forward to the challenge of replacing England’s most successful captain in a generation.

‘The job has definitely come sooner than I expected, but I feel ready for the challenge.’

And let’s just hope he is ready. England take on South Africa today at Lord’s and a good result will mark a seamless transition from Hussain to Vaughan.

‘

Posted: 31st, July 2003 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink