Emotional One Direction star Niall Horan hails Derby heroes and Wayne Rooney as club fight back in relegation scrap
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ONE DIRECTION star and Derby County superfan Niall Horan has hailed his club after they secured another victory on Saturday.
Wayne Rooney’s side are in danger of going out of business due to their ongoing financial crisis which has, so far, seen them deducted 24 points by the EFL.
2 Derby picked up a fourth league win in five games on Saturday Credit: Getty
2 NIall Horan is a season ticket holder at Derby County and has supported them since he was a child Credit: Getty
They were also recently hit with a transfer embargo.
Yet despite their serious off-field issues, Derby have won four of their last five Championship games and are unbeaten in the league since the beginning of December.
And, following their 1-0 win over Blackpool on the weekend, Horan insists he has never been more proud to be a Rams supporter.
He wrote on Twitter: “There are towns up and down the country that live for their football on a Saturday and Derby is well and truly one of them.
“A working class town with a solid football club since 1884.
“I have been a derby fan since I can remember and I’ve never been prouder to be.”
Horan has been a Derby fan since he was a child and currently has a season ticket at Pride Park.
And his post was well received by his social media following as they praised him for his diehard affection.
One said: “The love you have for this team since you were just a child is really special.”
Another added: “We know Niall. Love your passion. Hope all will work out.”
And a passionate Derby fan responded to the popstar by saying: “This season has shown what the club means to the fans!
“All Derby fans have wanted over the years is for their team to have passion.
“This current team has passion in bucket loads!”
SunSport revealed this week that Derby could be kicked out of the Championship if they cannot prove they have the money to end the campaign.
Heated exchanges between League chiefs and the club’s administrators hit a new peak when the order was made to have funds in place by midday on February 1.
The ultimatum means Derby have to find a bidder willing to put in funds to cover the season or sell some of their few remaining players.
The EFL could suspend their ‘golden share’ if they are not happy and that would mean they would be out of the Championship - with their results removed.
This threat emerged after administrators Quantuma were unable to do a deal with the EFL to handle the claims of Middlesbrough and Wycombe.
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Former Newcastle owener Mike Ashley is keen to buy the club but will not take on the Boro and Wycombe claims.
Meanwhile, Rooney has been linked with the vacant Everton job after Rafa Benitez was sacked on Sunday.
Derby currently sit 23rd in the table, eight points from safety after 26 matches.
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Derby County petition reaching crucial stage after Niall Horan intervention
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A petition demanding the Minister for Sport looks into the ongoing situation at Derby County is approaching 35,000 signatures.
At the time of writing, 32,400 people have put their names to the demand that Nigel Huddleston, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Mid Worcestershire, intervene in the legal wrangle preventing a takeover of the Rams.
Change.org, which is hosting the petition, says when it reaches 35,000 signatures, it will be ‘one of the top signed on Change.org’.
Derby fan Adam Boddington started the petition, asking Mr Huddleston to look at the compensation claims by Middlesbrough and Wycombe Wanderers against Wayne Rooney’s side.
Derby are currently in administration, and Quantuma, the business advisory firm appointed to oversee the club’s affairs by owner Mel Morris in September, released a statement on Friday referring to ‘disputed’ claims that are the ’last remaining significant obstacle’ that is preventing a takeover from being progressed.
A consortium made up of former Rams chairman Andy Appleby and ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers chief executive Jez Moxey is keen on taking on the club, while Mike Ashley has also been linked.
“The difficulty and currently, in our view, the last remaining significant obstacle is to deal with certain claims that are very much disputed but which we are being advised by the EFL cannot be currently compromised notwithstanding statute says otherwise,” Quantuma said.
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“While we accept this is frustrating for all, none of the interested parties are able to progress matters further until such time that an agreement can be reached.”
The petition was retweeted on social media by celebrity Rams fan Niall Horan, a former member of the boyband One Direction, to his 40 million followers on Sunday.
A tweet including the petition has been retweeted more than a thousand times, too.
“God only knows what’s next for us as a club but this club and it’s incredible support does not deserve to be in the hole we are in,” Horan wrote on social media.
“We’ve seen it happen too many times to great clubs and it can’t happen again. We are Derby County and we’ll fight to the end.”
What do you think the future holds for the Rams? Have your say in the comments section…
Niall Horan called out by One Direction band member for golf match!
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Niall Horan is slowly becoming an important name in the world of golf as the founder of Modest! Golf Management.
Horan has previously worked on different initiatives in the game such as Drive Chip Putt in America to support the next generation of budding golfers.
The Irishman is forging relationships with players and he also works alongside ISPS HANDA to promote golf and inclusivity for all abilities.
Tyrrell Hatton, Guido Migliozzi and Leona Maguire are just some of the big names that he works with and they have proven to be fruitful relationships.
However, Horan could soon be challenged by one of his old bandmates on the golf course. Liam Payne is aiming at taking up the sport.
The former One Direction star allegedly wants to improve his golf so that he can take on Horan one day, who has a handicap of nine.
“He’s good but I’m going to try to be better. This is my year of playing golf,” Payne told The Sun.
In June last year, Payne first created the idea of a match between the popstar pair when he posted a video of himself playing golf on his Instagram page.
He wrote,"@niallhoran you better watch yourself.” It seems that the 28-year-old is determined to match the standard set by Horan in the celebrity world.
We often see Horan play in various pro-ams such as at the BMW PGA Championship and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Who knows, maybe if Payne can spend enough time on the golf course and less time on the stage, he could make waves in the celebrity golf world too.
Niall Horan says he’s ‘proud’ of pal Conor Gilsenan after he gets axe from The Apprentice
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SUPERSTAR Niall Horan has said he’s “proud” of his pal Conor Gilsenan after he got axed from The Apprentice last night.
Former rugby player Conor came 2nd last in the programme after he got the blame for losing a challenge to create a kid’s toothbrush.
3 Conor with pal Niall Horan
3 Conor said he didn’t regret taking part in the show Credit: Instagram
The Mullingar man told how while he was disappointed with the result, he didn’t regret giving the show a go.
Taking to Instagram he said: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
“My time on @apprenticeuk was very short-lived and not all I had hope for, but I don’t regret giving it a shot.
“I thought long and hard about whether it was a good idea and at the time it felt the potential upside outweighed the risks.
“I went on for the challenge and to try and win. I’m a big believer in putting yourself outside of your comfort zone and learning as a result of it.
“I’ve always enjoyed watching the show and felt I could have done a better job than previous candidates.
“Having experienced it first hand, believe me, it’s not as easy as it looks on TV!”
Fans and friends flocked to his comment section praising Conor for his efforts on the show.
Niall Horan wrote: “That’s my friend ! Proud of ya gill. Love ya.”
Pamela Laird added: “You came across brilliantly and your time was for sure cut short! Loved watching you on the show!”
Niamh Cullen said: “You were super well done.”
Somebody else commented: “You were great man! And your style is on point! Bringing some flair to the boardroom.”
‘GREAT STORY’
Conor also told how he had weighed up the benefits if he had won the show.
He said: “If I had won, the benefits are obvious. Come up short, exposure for my business, @the301bar.
“Plus, a platform to promote any other ventures you decide to pursue in the future.
“There have been lots of successful ex candidates who have gone on to build great businesses and be very successful in their own right either as an entrepreneur or an employee.
“I enjoyed my time there, it was fascinating to see how these shows are produced from the inside, met some good people involved in the show, and despite the chaos, I learned a thing or two, mostly about myself.
“At the very least I’ve got a great story to tell friends & family!”
‘FULLY FOCUSED’
Conor revealed the highlight of his journey and told his fans he would be continuing to build his business.
He said: “The highlight of the process was my time on ‘You’re Fired’ with @tomindeed , Gary Pope , @drranj & @josierones .
“I wish all the other candidates the best of luck and look forward to crossing paths in the future.
“For now, I’m fully focused on continuing my journey in my sales role with FIS and building on the success of @the301bar with @topsy_ojo .
“Our next event is tomorrow at the Brentford Community Stadium. We’re also open to bookings for live sports, music or entertainment events and private hire.”
Zayn Malik was ’not on speaking terms with One Direction and felt like a robot’ before his exit
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Zayn Malik was ’not on speaking terms with his One Direction bandmates and directed his frustration towards Harry Styles’ in the lead up to his dramatic exit from the group in 2015.
The singer, 29, felt like an ‘outsider’ among Harry, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, according to former TOWIE star Abi Clarke, with whom he is alleged to have engaged in a brief fling while still in a relationship with supermodel Gigi Hadid.
When he was pressurised into ‘doing things he didn’t want to’, Zayn decided he didn’t want to be a ‘robot’ and ultimately called it quits before going solo.
Upset: Zayn Malik was allegedly not on speaking terms with his One Direction bandmates and directed his frustration towards Harry Styles, in the lead up to his dramatic exit from the group in 2015
Abi told a confidante about the falling out, according to The Sun.
They claimed: ‘He said he was being made to do things that he didn’t want to do. He said, “I’m not a robot.”
‘They wanted him to go down a path he didn’t want to. It led to a fall out.’
Zayn had directed his frustration towards Harry, annoyed with how the rest of the band would ‘obey’ him, they added.
Tragic: The singer, 29, felt like an ‘outsider’ among Harry Styles (right), Liam Payne (centre), Niall Horan (far left) and Louis Tomlinson (centre left), his former flame Abi Clarke, 30, reportedly told a friend (pictured in 2014)
Abi reportedly told the friend: ‘He was really fed up. Zayn felt he’d been made “the outsider”.’
She was also allegedly serenaded by the Pillowtalk songster, who invited her to appear in the music video for Dusk Till Dawn.
The anonymous friend claimed the reality star thought it was ‘surreal’ when she heard the track on the radio following its September 2017 release, despite their plan falling through for her to appear in the video.
Representatives for Zayn and Abi did not immediately respond when contacted for comment by MailOnline.
It follows reports that Zayn had an affair with Abi while he was in a relationship with Gigi Hadid, whom he split with in October after six years together.
Oh no! When he was pressurised into ‘doing things he didn’t want to’, Zayn decided he didn’t want to be a ‘robot’, and ultimately called it quits before going solo, according to reports
The pop star is said to have been ‘obsessed’ with the TV personality after seeing her from across a bar in Los Angeles, with the pair going on to have a secret fling.
Abi, who previously dated Floyd Mayweather, called Zayn ‘Mr Grey’ as they went on to meet up at his mansion in North London, according to The Sun.
Zayn split from supermodel Gigi in October, after six years together. They share a 16-month-old daughter Khai.
The reported affair only ended when Abi saw a text from the supermodel, 26, pop up on his phone, saying; ‘I miss you’.
Former flame: Abi reportedly told the friend: ‘He was really fed up. Zayn felt he’d been made “the outsider”
The stunned television star, who joined TOWIE briefly in 2013, is said to have thought Zayn had broken up with Gigi when they began the fling and so ended things upon seeing the message as she ‘didn’t want to be his other woman’.
Of their fling Abi told her friend, according to the publication: ‘My experiences with him were like Fifty Shades of Grey. I called him my “Mr Grey”. We had a great time together.’
Abi reportedly told her pal Zayn told her she was his type as he loved ‘curvy girls with a big bum’.
The pair were said to have first laid eyes on each other at LA bar The Bungalow with Abi being invited over to Zayn’s table. The publication claims Zayn ‘moaned to her how there were lots of skinny girls in LA’.
Shock: Abi, who previously dated Floyd Mayweather, called Zayn ‘Mr Grey’ as they went on to meet up at his mansion in North London, according to reports
Abi told her friend: ‘He said he liked my figure, He was very tactile, he was in an oversized black jacket and drinking brandy… he was all over me, kissing me,’ with Zayn’s manager ’trying to get us somewhere private’.
The influencer is also said to have told her friend that Zayn kept remarking that she ‘reminded him’ of his ex-fiancée Perrie Edwards, whom he dumped via text in 2015.
The pair are said exchanged numbers and went on to rendezvous at his £4million house in London.
Abi went on to describe to her pal Zayn’s ‘incredible’ three-floor home, which was adorned with superhero figures and ‘cool street art’, while the home is also said to feature glass floors, a giant teepee in the garden and a old-school pub.
It is said the singer confided in Abi about everything from his family, his time in One Direction and even his split from Perrie, 28, telling her he was ‘really upset’ about how that relationship had ended.
The now property developer went on to describe to her pal the moment the romance came crashing down after she accidentally saw a message from supermodel Gigi on the phone, which read: ‘I miss you’.
The pal said she told her: ‘I was stunned. It made me feel really s***. I went very quiet. He’d made it clear he was single. He was so attentive to me I thought it must be true. We were seeing a lot of each other and you grew feelings. It was very awkward.’
Following the end of their alleged fling, Zayn is said to have returned to LA full time, but Abi wasn’t far from his mind as some time later he FaceTimed her at 3am from the US.