Denemek ALTIN - Özgür
MATTHAUS + STOICHKOV
Daily Express
|February 21, 2026
GRUEV Down-to-earth Ilia a mix of German enforcer and Bulgarian superstar
ILIA GRUEV is as humble a man as he is a footballer.
Not one to normally make the headlines, he could not avoid the spotlight after his sublime showing in Leeds’ 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest at the start of the month.
The defensive midfielder's two assists and a 97.8 per cent pass completion rate left him clinging to the man of the match award and manager Daniel Farke hailing his display as “a mix of (Bulgarian hero Hristo) Stoichkov and (German icon Lothar) Matthaus”.
“When you hear things like this it’s a really nice thing, because you see that he values you a lot,’ said Gruev.
It was no random comparison by Farke.
Gruev is a Bulgarian national but left his homeland aged six months when his father, Iliya - a midfielder who earned 13 caps for his country - signed for MSV Duisburg, a second-tier club in Germany, the country where he would grow up.
Bu hikaye Daily Express dergisinin February 21, 2026 baskısından alınmıştır.
Binlerce özenle seçilmiş premium hikayeye ve 9.000'den fazla dergi ve gazeteye erişmek için Magzter GOLD'a abone olun.
Zaten abone misiniz? Oturum aç
Daily Express'den DAHA FAZLA HİKAYE
Daily Express
Sir Keir's 17m who voted to get out of EU
TEN years ago then-Prime Minister David Cameron stood outside No10 and told the nation “the choice is in your hands”.
4 mins
February 21, 2026
Daily Express
£53m heist convict takes his battle for freedom to the UN
Cagefighter's 16 years in foreign prison over UK's biggest cash theft
4 mins
February 21, 2026
Daily Express
HILL WALKS IT!
Hendo's tears of joy after Southwell rout
1 min
February 21, 2026
Daily Express
Mum didn't deserve to die like this
A RAPPER'S arrogance led to the brutal death of a gran after she was mauled by his pack of XL bully dogs, her daughters have said.
1 mins
February 21, 2026
Daily Express
Row over 'racist' St George's Cross painted on pub
Patriotic landlord says he is an England sports fan and not anti-migrant’
2 mins
February 21, 2026
Daily Express
Hill's high hopes for Hull
HARVIE HILL says he looked at the squad Hull FC were putting together and immediately thought “I'll have a bit of that” after snubbing a chance to stay at Wigan.
1 min
February 21, 2026
Daily Express
ODDS AND NODS
William Hill spokesperson ARSENAL and Manchester City are as close as they've been for a while in points and odds after the Gunners' 2-2 draw with all-butrelegated Wolves.
1 min
February 21, 2026
Daily Express
Pep's dozen reasons to dismiss title talk
...AND HE CLAIMS IT'S ALL NEW TO CITY SQUAD
2 mins
February 21, 2026
Daily Express
Britain's paralysed by a fear of saying the wrong thing
NOTHING sums up the idiocy of the Left better than the claim that a Reform candidate was to blame for the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017.
3 mins
February 21, 2026
Daily Express
Britain's wheely got talent!
ACROBAT Paul Nunnari stuns Britain's Got Talent tonight, twirling himself skywards while still in his wheelchair.
1 min
February 21, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size