With his four-wheel drive BMW parked in the club car park, his four-bedroom house nearby, fashionable training shoes and clothes, Hendry Thomas has come a long way from a childhood where money, if not food, was in short supply.
It is clear, from spending a few moments in his company, that his background was a long, long way from his current position of wealth and fame.
Now the defensive midfielder, who players for Wigan Athletic, the English Premier League side, will represent Honduras in their first World Cup for 28 years in South Africa next month with group games against Chile, Switzerland and Spain, the European champions.
Thomas, with mature features that belie his 25 years, has arrived on the world stage following eight years at local club Olimpia, where he made his debut as a 16-year-old. He did not go into detail, but his childhood was clearly tough.
"We had a certain level of poverty but we always had food and never starved," said Thomas in Spanish, via an interpreter at Wigan's training ground in north-west England, while sitting next to Maynor Figueroa, his club and Honduras teammate.
"I didn't play football as a way out [of the poverty]. I played football first and foremost because I loved the game and enjoyed the opportunity to play as a kid.
"Although I wouldn't go as far to say I am a millionaire, yes, football has given my family a better existence."
Asked what material effect his new-found financial rewards have afforded his family back home such as expensive cars or a bigger house, Thomas either sidestepped the inquiry or the question was literally lost in translation.
But he did acknowledge: "It's nice to be able to look after my family now."
The Honduran people have had a rough time in recent years, with floods causing destruction in 2008.
The Central American country of less than eight million people is said to have half of its population below the poverty line, but a rare World Cup appearance will no doubt bring some pride and cheer.
Honduras met Spain on their World Cup debut and managed a 1-1 draw against the 1982 tournament hosts, but finished last in their group.
Thomas - whose game mirrors that of Claude Makelele, the former France midfielder and a World Cup winner in 1998 who was famous for breaking up opposition attacks and starting new ones for his own team - is upbeat about the challenge.
The Group H clash against Spain in Johannesburg on June 21 will be especially meaningful for its cultural significance.
Thomas admitted there is still a Spanish feel about Honduras, which was under the European country's rule for more than 300 years.
"We are probably one of the less fancied teams in that group but it doesn't mean to say that we don't fancy ourselves [to win]. We think we have a chance.
"It's not that we don't respect our opponents but we don't fear them.
"I suppose the main objective first of all against Spain is to stop them from playing and put a brake on their tactics, but that doesn't mean we cannot make a nuisance of ourselves and hurt them on the counter."
Thomas is hoping that one of Spain's most dangerous players, their striker Fernando Torres, is fully fit for the tournament after undergoing knee surgery. There was an honest feel to the answer - even if it was delivered with a wide smile.
Honduras will boast a big name of their own in Wilson Palacios, who was sold from Wigan to Tottenham last year for about £12 million (Dh63.6m), although Thomas says the team's main strength is their togetherness. But expect some panache, too.
Thomas's first World Cup memories are of Romario, Dunga and the free-flowing Brazilians when they won the World Cup in 1994. Honduras, it seems, are seeking a similar method.
"What you will notice about us is that we play football in an entertaining way, we like to entertain the fans and I think we play a skilful brand of football.
"No matter who we play against you will see that we do try to enjoy our game. Tactically we might differ depending on the opposition but the main ethic is to go out and entertain."
* Reuters
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Results
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,000m; Winner: Dhafra, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
3.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Al Ajayib, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel
4pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Ashtr, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Majed Al Jahouri
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Falcon Claws, Szczepan Mazur, Doug Watson
5pm: Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Al Mufham SB, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Badar Al Hajri
5.30pm: Sharjah Marathon – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 2,700m; Winner: Asraa Min Al Talqa, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
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