Steven and Ryan Sessegnon walked out at Craven Cottage side by side, each holding their daughters, last month.

The twins had made their way through Fulham’s academy together and played in the first team together on a handful of occasions – but that night, they played against one another for the first time ever.

It was a special moment; a full-circle moment.

In any of the previous three seasons, a game like this would have been a perfect chance for a family reunion, as Steven had been living in Manchester for three years while playing for Wigan.

But now he’s back home. And not just ‘home’ in terms of being back in south-west London. Properly back home.

He points ahead as he speaks to Sky Sports on a terrace at the Dons’ training ground in New Malden. “We used to play academy games literally across this grass.”

He points to the left. “I spent time at Coombe Boys School, which is five minutes up the road.”

Fulham’s Motspur Park training ground is six minutes’ drive away. There, his nephew Kayden is part of the U18 squad.

“It’s really wholesome to be back,” says Sessegnon. “It helps massively being around family.

“I get to see my older brothers, my nieces, my nephews and I see my brother [Ryan] a few times a week.

“We play at two different levels, so there isn’t too much to speak about as if we were in the same league, but we catch up on life, being dads, being providers, being men in our families and what the future looks like.”

Sessegnon’s return home has come at an important point in his career.

In his first season at Wigan in 2023/24, he played 29 games in all competitions. In his second, he suffered calf and knee injuries, before not playing again from January 4 2025.

At the start of his third, Gary Caldwell, who had replaced Ryan Lowe in February 2025, placed him on the transfer list.

“Things happen fast in football,” Sessegnon says. “When I was put on the transfer list, I was told I wasn’t going to play and I didn’t go on the pre-season trip – but I ended up starting the first game of the season through injuries or lack of availability, and I thought I did well.

“It’s fair game, it’s part of it. The manager came in, the club wanted to go in a different direction. As long as everyone can come out of it happy and people can move onto clubs they know they can do well at, there’s no problem with it.”

A move away did not materialise so, on the few occasions Caldwell did select him, he was deployed at centre-back, where he had never played before.

“It was tough. Very, very tough. I felt like I could contribute to a team, but didn’t really have the trust or belief behind me to do it.

“But as much as I could say I didn’t have the proper backing to be in my own position, I was still given a chance to play football. It was down to me and it just never happened.

“There was no issue with anyone else apart from myself. I learned a lot there, a lot I can take with me for the rest of my career. It was a learning curve.

“The biggest thing was professionalism. Even in the worst stages of when I wasn’t playing and I was told I wasn’t going to be a part of it, I could still carry myself and be the best possible person.

“I felt I owed it to myself to show people I was still a very good trainer, a very good player and I think that helped me stick around longer than they probably wanted me to.”

Sessegnon was released by the Latics in the summer and joined AFC Wimbledon on a two-year contract, with the option for a further 12 months, on June 25.

“I was preparing to go on holiday with my family and I got a call. As soon as they said Wimbledon, local, I said ‘let’s get it sorted’,” he recalls.

“But it was also about the position I would play, how the gaffer [Johnnie Jackson] set it out. It wasn’t complicated. I knew I could come in and, if I could get minutes, I would show my ability.”

Sessegnon’s first Dons appearance came on August 8 against Newport in the Carabao Cup, almost six months after his last competitive game for Wigan. He looks in genuine disbelief when he hears that.

His full league debut came on September 7, in a 2-0 Sky Bet League One win over Bromley. He has had to bide his time, but he understands why.

“It’s like injuries, you have a bit of anxiousness about getting going again, but I had the pre-season and here at Wimbledon, they looked after me very well. The gaffer has looked after me very well and communicated very well with me.

“In my head I wanted to start and play as many games as I could, but coming off the bench a few times has probably benefitted me to get to grips with football again.

“It’s probably the simplest football I’ve played in my career, but the most effective. We’re able to create chances, I’m able to get the ball high up the pitch.

“It’s not overthought, and I think it brings the best out of the whole squad and definitely myself. I’ve enjoyed it so far and it takes the pressure off the whole squad; we know we can create chances, we just have to be solid.”

The Dons have certainly been solid, with five clean sheets from seven games so far – the joint-most in the Sky Bet EFL.

They are four points behind leaders Bradford going into Saturday’s trip to Cambridge – which is live on Sky Sports+ – despite having only scored five goals so far.

Saturday 26th September 2:50pm


Kick off 3:00pm

That said, they are still among the bookmakers’ favourites to be relegated this season.

But now, back on home soil, Sessegnon has the chance to help AFC Wimbledon defy the odds again, just around the corner from where it all began.

Watch Cambridge vs AFC Wimbledon live on Sky Sports+ on Saturday; kick-off 3pm.

Lucas Roehrig has signed a promotional deal with Zuffa Boxing and will fight on Sky Sports.

The cruiserweight talent, only 23 years old, has impressed in his rise through the cruiserweight ranks.

He will fight next on Zuffa Boxing 12 at the Copper Box Arena on November 7, live on Sky Sports.

His trainer and mentor is former world champion George Groves. Roehrig has been flawless so far in his professional career.

The young Londoner has won nine fights, never been defeated and has taken five of those wins inside the distance.

Roehrig made his pro debut in 2024, halting former English champion Joel McIntyre in three rounds.

Last year he shut out American prospect Brian Jones over six rounds. From then on, he’s continued to box and beat opponents with winning records.

His last two fights have been consecutive stoppage victories, over Adam Kolarik and Faton Tolaj, at York Hall.

“I’m really excited. This is a new chapter for me,” Roehrig told Sky Sports News. “Zuffa have come onto the scene and made a big splash, and for where I’m at in my career right now, that’s exactly what I want to do too.

“I’ve been through the levels. I’ve boxed on Sky shows and on other channels, but I’ve also boxed on the small hall shows – I haven’t skipped a step.

“I think now is the perfect platform, perfect time to fight other prospects – Zuffa have a lot of other undefeated fighters – for me to really make some noise not just in the UK but internationally too.”

Roehrig is now joining a promotional powerhouse that has a strong cruiserweight stable, including Jai Opetaia, Chris Billam-Smith, Ryan Rozicki and more.

“I’ve said numerous times that I’m aiming for world titles, that’s the main goal, that’s why I work so hard and that’s why we’re going to be taking risks,” Roehrig said.

“Our first fight will be November 7. Make a splash, and then from there keep building. There’s other belts that I’d love to collect along the way, but the Zuffa belt and the world titles are the end goal.”

Zuffa Boxing 11, headlined by Johnny Fisher vs Michael Pirotton, takes place this Saturday live on Sky Sports.

Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari’s season can still rank as a “huge achievement” if they finish in the top three of the Drivers’ Championship, asking critics to “look at the positives” of the team’s year despite recent setbacks.

Hamilton and Ferrari’s hopes of winning this years world title have faded in recent races, with the Briton not finishing on the podium since the British Grand Prix at the start of July.

A first race retirement of the season last time out in Madrid saw third-placed Hamilton fall over 100 points back on championship-leading Kimi Antonelli for the first time this season, with the seven-time champion all-but conceding the title.

Antonelli’s overall lead at the top of the standings is 81 points over Mercedes team-mate George Russell.

Asked about his own championship prospects heading into weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the season’s 15th of a scheduled 23 rounds, Hamilton said: “Well, I mean, he’s 101 points ahead of me.

“Just in two races he gained something like 40-odd points on me, and we’ve been working so hard to gain just a couple of points here and there.

“There is still a long way to go and I think the focus for me is, if we can hold on to second – if not somehow catch Mercedes – for the constructors’, I think that would be remarkable.

“I think it’s also just having to think about where we were last year and where we’ve come to this year and whilst it sometimes seems doom and gloom, you actually have to look at the positives.”

Ferrari endured a winless 2025 campaign and slipped to fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, with Hamilton himself experiencing a difficult first campaign in red with no podiums for the first time in his career.

But he won for the first time at June’s Spanish Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc triumphing two races later at Silverstone.

Hamilton added: “We’ve been fighting, we’ve had wins and podiums, the team have done an incredible job in terms of bringing upgrades, so you really have to acknowledge the good things that we’ve done this year.

“I know lots of people focus on the negatives. For me, again, if I can battle with George and somehow get ahead of him, which would be very difficult as Mercedes are the leaders… if at the end of the year, managing to stay in the top three, even second, I think would be a huge achievement for us as a team.”

Hamilton is 20 points behind Russell, his former Mercedes team-mate, in the standings.

‘I believe we can make improvements’

Ferrari have consistently looked competitive early on in race weekends but the team’s recent results have often been compromised by operational and strategic issues within their own control.

“I think there’s positives to take out of the last few races, it’s just they haven’t been, I would say, the best in terms of execution and we’ve not had the best results,” said Hamilton.

“But the positives we take forwards and we try and learn from the areas we weren’t as good. I believe we can make improvements and I think we have.

“I’m excited for this weekend.”

Russell: I feel confident I can fight for victories again

The Spanish Grand Prix a fortnight ago also saw Russell fall a season-high margin behind Antonelli, who has won the last two grands prix to take his tally to eight overall in an extraordinary second campaign of F1 so far.

Russell, the pre-season title favourite, has spoken openly about his difficulties in meshing his natural driving style to the all-new 2026 cars but believes the situation is improving, saying in Baku on Wednesday that “I’ve been making very good progress and feel confident I can fight for victories again”.

He underlined the importance of continuing that trend all through the rest of this season ahead relatively stable winter of regulations into 2027.

“I think it is very important to try and resolve some issues, which, as I mentioned before, I think I’ve been pleased with that progress since the summer break,” said Russell.

“The race pace, which was a weakness, has been substantially better and has been in the mix every single race since the break.

“And I now feel more comfortable that I can fight for great results.

“Let’s see from now until the end of the season how the points could fall out. But next year is going to be pretty similar. Not much has changed with the chassis, not much has changed with the power units. Maybe the tyres are going to be slightly different from what we hear. So, it’s important I continue to build.”

Although he has effectively ruled himself out of title contention, Russell says his approach to each race weekend will not change.

“I’m going to keep fighting every single race until it’s mathematically impossible,” he stressed.

“But it doesn’t change how I go about my job. I want to try and win every single race and put it on pole every single race. That’s my goal.

“That’s what I’m working towards every single weekend, and what happens thereafter will be. And there’s obviously a huge deficit, but it’s not even really a consideration right now. It’s just the performance is the biggest priority.”

Sky Sports F1’s Azerbaijan GP live schedule

Thursday September 24
6.55am: F2 Practice
9am: Azerbaijan GP Practice One (session starts at 9.30am)*
10.55am: F2 Qualifying*
12pm: Team Bosses’ Press Conference
12.30pm: Azerbaijan GP Practice Two (session starts at 1pm)
2.15pm: The F1 Show

Friday September 25
5.10am: F2 Sprint*
9.15am: Azerbaijan GP Practice Three (session starts at 9.30am)*
11.10am: F2 Feature Race 1*
12.30pm: Azerbaijan GP Qualifying build-up*
1PM: AZERBAIJAN GP QUALIFYING*
3pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Saturday September 26
7.55am: F2 Feature Race 2
10.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Azerbaijan GP build-up*
12PM: THE AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX*
2pm: Chequered Flag: Azerbaijan GP reaction*
3pm: Ted’s Notebook*

*also live on Sky Sports Main Event

Racing on a Saturday! The 2026 Formula 1 season continues live on Sky Sports F1 this week as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix kicks off a triple-header of races, with the Baku race taking place on Saturday at midday. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime