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David Beckham has a not-so-secret-any-more cigar habit, according to reports.

The Sun quotes friends of the England midfielder as saying he smokes luxury $50-a-pop Cubans, mistakenly believing they are less damaging to his health than cigarettes.

Wife Victoria disagrees, however, and banishes Becks to the bottom of the garden at their Los Angeles pad to indulge his vice.

The timing his hardly the best, coming just a few days after it emerged Beckham suffers from asthma, but he is far from the first major sportsman to light up.

Fellow number 23-wearer Michael Jordan is a famed cigar smoker, while NBA champions have no sooner sunk the winning basket than they are breaking out the Cohibas.

Slaven Bilic had a 10-a-day habit throughout his playing days, now he has turned to coaching, and his penchant for lighting up on the touchline made him the scourge of Euro 2008 organisers.

And Zinedine Zidane was spotted puffing a crafty cigarette during the 2006 World Cup - although that particular storm in an ashtray was overshadowed by his rutting stag impression in the final.

Beckham's spokesman denied he was a regular smoker, saying: "He may have had a puff on a cigar once or twice in the past to make a celebration but that's it."

John Terry has hit back after an email was made public yesterday touting the England skipper's availability for lucrative personal endorsements.

The Chelsea man distanced himself from the email which, as well as mis-spelling 'influencial' made him look like a money-grabbing so-and-so.

"This email was sent without my authority or knowledge and was not approved by me (or those advising me)," said Terry. (Daily Mail)

Joe Cole is stalling on contract talks with Chelsea because he believes he will get more moolah if he waits until he hits top form.

The England man currently trousers £80,000-a-week, and fancies another 20 grand. As you would. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea have ruled out a move for Milan's ultra-combative midfield aggro-merchant Gennaro Gattuso. More's the pity. (Daily Mirror)

Photoshop picture of the day also comes from The Sun, which illustrates a Terry Venables column with a photo of Rafa Benitez in a straitjacket.

It's a bit misleading, however, since Venables (or ghostwriter Paul Jiggins) are saying it's Liverpool who have been straitjacketed by giving Benitez a five-year contract. Nice photo, though.

Andrei Arshavin has described just how disappointed he was at Russia's failure to qualify for the World Cup, although the Daily Mirror's insinuation that he nearly quit football seems a bit strong.

Arshavin said: "I'm inconsolable and desolate at what's happened ... When Arsene Wenger asked me what state I was in, I honestly told him that at the moment I just don't want to play football."

Sir Alex Ferguson begins his touchline ban today, and fears that 'super-fan' John Anthony Portsmouth Football Club Westwood's incessant bell-ringing will prevent him getting messages to the Manchester United bench. (The Times)

Manchester United and Everton are on the trail of Belgian teenager and headline-writer's dream Geoffrey Hairemans.

The 18-year-old Antwerp midfielder trained at United's Carrington base, an experience he mysteriously described as: "Very beautiful." (The Sun)

Manchester City are to appeal to the Ivory Coast and Togo for special dispensation to reduce the threat of losing Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor during the African Cup of Nations. According to FIFA rules, countries can call players up to two weeks in advance of the tournament. (The Guardian)

Tyrone Mears has put himself in the frame for an England call-up despite 'accidentally' playing for Jamaica earlier this year.

Burnley defender Mears played an international friendly in February, mistakenly thinking his father came from the Caribbean, but now wants to play for England.

"I would be lying if I said I had not bee thinking about selection," said Mears. And Fabio Capello would be lying if he said he had. (Daily Star)

Alex Chick / Eurosport