CLAUDIO RANIERI came between Alfie Mawson’s parents — and was then eaten by his dog!
It is not often a Premier League footballer will sit down, tattooed arms behind his head in relaxed manner and tell you a bizarre story like it is the most normal thing in the world.
But that is precisely what happened as the Fulham ace also revealed his determination to become his new manager’s general and help lead the club out of relegation trouble.
Defender Mawson, 24, is now playing for the Italian who managed his boyhood heroes Chelsea in the early noughties as he was dreaming of a future as a professional footballer.
And he has a great story to tell about his early days following Ranieri and Fulham’s London rivals Chelsea.
He said: “My dad was an Arsenal fan but I was Chelsea. To be honest, I loved all football at the time, like all kids.
“The first team I played for was Hayes End Wanderers.
“At the end of one season they had the regular awards do. A charity night which raises funds.
“There was an auction and up for grabs was a Chelsea football signed by Ranieri and all the players.
“Mum was bidding for it but the price kept on going up and up. The bidding boiled down to just her and one other person across the room and neither one wanted to give in.
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“He’d gone over to have a drink and sit with some mates on another table and neither of them was aware they were going directly against each other.
“We got the ball but paid well over the odds for it, I suppose.
“I put it in my wardrobe but then one day I went out and left the door open. We had a dog at the time, a Dalmatian called Ronnie. He was just a pup.
“He did what puppies do, he ate it. I managed to salvage a bit of it and tried to keep it but to be honest it was done for.
“Maybe I could get Claudio to sign another one for me. And Scotty Parker as well because his name was on that ball, too.”
Centre-back Mawson is now ready to throw everything at the cause for Fulham.
He plays with No 26 on his shirt — a clear nod to Chelsea’s iconic captain and leader John Terry.
Mawson’s allegiance to the Blues is easily shelved for professional purposes yet Fulham fans will be grateful if their £20million summer buy from Swansea can take an ounce of inspiration from the former England skipper.
There has not been much time for Ranieri to settle in and get to know his squad after only being appointed last Tuesday on a 19-month contract.
Still at least his first game today is at home to fellow strugglers Southampton.
And Mawson, 24, said: “He is the manager with arguably the best Premier League story ever with what he did at Leicester, winning the title against such massive odds.
“If you can do that with a side where nothing was expected then it gives us faith that he can turn us around.
“If we buy into his philosophy and the way he wants to attack the game and do things then we’ll be fine and the lads seem to be on board.
“A few are coming back from international duty and at the moment it is a tough period for a manager to come in.
“He is getting his points across to 60/70 per cent of the team and then he’s got to go over it all again.
“We have just got to keep listening. He has to drill it into us. We can’t get bored if we want to stay in the Premier League. We can’t be nervous. He won’t be because he has dealt with bigger games than this.
“He is what we need. We have the ability to go and hurt teams but shipping the goals we have has been embarrassing.
“Every goal has to hurt, every chance we waste has to hurt. The gaffer said to us that last year we could get away with it. Not at this level, not in this league. Teams are ruthless.”
Relegation with Swansea last season will aid Mawson as he prepares to dig in.
He said: “This club ticks every box for me. I’m enjoying it as much as I can but I have got to rise to the challenge.
“I see myself as a leader. I’ve got to lead from the front. A lot of these lads won’t have been in this situation before. I know what it feels like to be relegated and to stay up.
“I have to use my experiences — good and bad.”
Linkhttps://textbacklinkexchanges.com/alfie-mawsons-dad-outbid-his-mum-for-chelsea-football-signed-by-claudio-ranieri-but-their-family-dog-ate-it/
News Pictures Alfie Mawson’s dad outbid his mum for Chelsea football signed by Claudio Ranieri… but their family dog ate it
You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!
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Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st
To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.
Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”
Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”
kim cattrall
Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb
SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.
Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
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