Cases dealt with at Leicester Magistrates' Court include:

John McClafferty (35), of Herricks Avenue, Thurmaston, was proven guilty in absence of failing to give information about a driver's identity on December 5. He was fined £600 with £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge. Six points were put on his licence.

Chasiso Valentine Mpofu (32), of Tilford Crescent, Eyres Monsell, was found guilty in absence of exceeding the 30mph speed limit at Saffron Lane, Leicester, on October 18. He was fined £400 with £85 costs and a £40 victim surcharge. Five points were put on his licence.

Akber Osman (29), of St Peters Road, Leicester, was proven guilty in absence of using a vehicle on Dysart Way without third-party insurance on December 27. He was fined £600 with £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge. He was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for six months.

Cassie Owen (37), of Shipman Road, Braunstone, pleaded guilty to using a vehicle without third-party insurance in Glen Parva on February 26. She was fined £250 with £85 costs.

Mohammed Rashid (53), of Milligan Road, Aylestone, was proven guilty in absence of failing to give information about a driver's identity on November 20. He was fined £600 with £85 costs, a £60 victim surcharge and six penalty points were put on his driving licence.

Abdul Majid Reheman (21), of Teignmouth Close, Evington, pleaded guilty to using a vehicle without third-party insurance on November 11. He was fined £250 with £85 costs and a £25 victim surcharge.

Martin Sabo (26), of Rowlatts Hill Road, Rowlatts Hill, pleaded guilty to using a vehicle without third-party insurance on October 22.

He was fined £110 with £85 costs, a £20 victim surcharge and six penalty points were put on his driving licence.

Declan Sankey (23), of Castle Fields, Beaumont Leys, pleaded guilty to exceeding the 30mph speed limit on Saffron Lane, Leicester, on October 18. He was fined £165 with £85 costs, a £20 victim surcharge and disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 14 days.

Mahdi Sheik-Elmi (53), of Charles Street, Leicester city centre, was fined £200 for driving in Humberstone Road, Leicester, on November 4 without a seatbelt. He was found guilty in absence and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Harjit Shergill (41), of Hoylake Close, Evington, pleaded guilty to exceeding the 30mph speed limit on Aylestone Road, Leicester, on October 18. He was fined £200 with £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

A "truly inspirational" woman who has dedicated the past three decades to caring for hundreds of children has been named the Leicester Mercury's Mum of the Year.

Rosie Little, who has been a foster carer for 28 years, said she was "gob smacked, overwhelmed and amazed" to be chosen as this year's winner.

Eight fabulous finalists and their guests gathered at the awards ceremony, which included a champagne reception and three-course meal, at the historic City Rooms, in Hotel Street, Leicester, on Thursday.

The finalists' moving stories brought tears to many eyes as they were read out by the host, ITV weather presenter Emma Jesson.

Emma said: "I always expected today to be emotional and uplifting but it was more moving than I could have imagined.

"They are such selfless stories and these ladies have shown so much commitment and dedication to their families. All the mums are so big-hearted.

"You can't be a good mum without having good children – they all cared enough to put a pen to paper and nominate their mum, which is really special."

The room erupted in applause as judge Amanda Phillips, manager of Leicester's Haymarket shopping centre, which sponsored the event, announced Rosie, of Blaby, as the winner.

After collecting her award, Rosie said she had not been expecting to win.

"In my eyes, everyone is doing their best and are all amazing," she said.

"I am still fostering and will carry on – I think I want to go home to my kids now!"

Rosie was nominated for the award by her daughter Jodie.

Rosie fostered Jodie and her disabled brother 15 years ago.

Jodie said: "She took in myself and my severely disabled brother, aged three and four, and has been our rock.

"She has never turned her back on us – we're 18 and 19 and still live with her.

"The number of hospital visits, operations and time she has dedicated to my brother is remarkable."

Rosie was also tirelessly supportive when Jodie became a mother herself, she said.

Jodie said her mum had one birth child, a son, but had never treated her foster children any differently to him.

"She is selfless," said Jodie. "The best thing she has taught me is that family is not about blood, it is about love, care and stability.

"She is a truly inspirational woman."

Rosie's prize was £250, a weekend getaway and a trophy.

All eight finalists were given a goody bag with gifts from shops in the Haymarket shopping centre.

Introducing the awards ceremony, Leicester Mercury editor Richard Bettsworth said: "We are proud and pleased to be celebrating Leicestershire mums.

"Reading through the nominations, it's clear you lead incredibly busy lives. Today is an opportunity for you to put your feet up and relax.

"What comes across from the nominations is the selfless way in which you give those around you love and care."

Judge Amanda said: "This is the second year we have sponsored the Mum of the Year Awards and we are honoured to do so. Being a judge is not easy. We are always very moved by the strength and commitment you ladies have shown to your family."

Amanda told the gathered mums: "One thing you should take from this is your families love you."

Last year's winner, Jane Plume, of Shepshed, was at the event. She told the audience: "What really mattered to me last year was that my daughter nominated me. Every mum is incredible – I think you should be very proud of yourselves."

Jane said she was in tears listening to the stories this year – just as she was last year.

Almost 100 mums were nominated by friends and family members for this year's awards.

The two runners-up were Sarah Bailey, from Northfields, and Mayuri Jhalla, from Highfields, both in Leicester. The other finalists were: Deborah Barker, from Highfields, who was dominated by her son for devoting her time to caring for her family; Mina Bhogaita, of Belgrave, Leicester, who gave up her job to help her daughter with communication skills; Christine Hargrave, from Humberstone, who has helped more than 50 foster children; Marci Herus, from Syston, who is a "super mum"; and Joan Linney, from St Matthew's, Leicester, who is "one in a million".

For more information, or to buy photographs from the event, visit:

www.leicestermercury.co.uk/ mumoftheyear

Leicester City's official historian John Hutchinson continues his series revisiting the sites in Leicester that were significant in the history of the club. Today, as we walk past these significant sites, we are often unaware of the part they played in the history of Leicester City.

This former factory played an important part in the early history of Leicester Fosse Football Club.

It is situated in Clyde Street, which is just off the Humberstone Road, near St George's Retail Park roundabout.

In the early years of Leicester Fosse, the factory belonged to Joseph Johnson. It specialised in women's and children's footwear.

Joseph was absolutely central to the birth and early development of the football club. His income from the factory meant he could support the newly-formed Leicester Fosse financially.

He served as the club's treasurer until he resigned due to failing health in 1892. Four of Joseph's sons played for Fosse. Three of them, Ted, Hilton and William (the captain), played in the club's first game on November 1, 1884.

In 1891, Joseph guaranteed the rent to the Corporation for the field near Filbert Street, which was to become the home of the football club for more than a century.

Joseph died in Hendon in 1910. Soon afterwards, the business moved to a new factory in Ash Street, West Humberstone.

Joseph's grave is in Welford Road Cemetery. Unfortunately, a memorial plaque, made in 2006, mistakenly confuses him with another Joseph Johnson, the founder of the department store that later became Fenwicks.

The factory building still exists today. It is in the process of being converted into apartments.

Between 1892 and 1894, Leicester Fosse's HQ was at the Freemen's Hotel, on Aylestone Road. At this hotel, the Fosse Committee made some crucial decisions which saw the club's prestige rise enormously.

One of these decisions was to extend Filbert Street's members' stand to accommodate 1,400 spectators at a time when their gates were averaging about 4,000.

This decision was taken despite large crowds being conducive to the spread of a devastating smallpox epidemic which spread through Leicester in 1893.

Fosse committee meetings held in this hotel also decided to arrange a series of prestigious friendly games, to grant the club's first-ever benefit match (for full-back Harry Bailey) and to raise £250 by transferring right-winger Billy Dorrell to Aston Villa.

Most significantly, it was at the Freemen's Hotel that the Committee decided to apply (successfully) for Football League membership in 1894.

Over the years, the Freemen's Hotel has also been known as The Freemen's Arms and The Freeman's.

Its final name, before it was demolished recently, was The Pride of Leicester.

The now-demolished Temperance Hall in Granby Street was the scene of a hugely significant meeting in 1897 which prevented Leicester Fosse from going out of existence.

After only three years as a Football League club, Leicester Fosse was on the verge of financial collapse. Players' wages increased by £400, while gate receipts and subscriptions dropped by £500.

The Committee was "crippled in its efforts, in consequence of the formidable overdraft."

The 1897 AGM, called to discuss this crisis, was held at the Temperance Hall. This meeting produced a rescue package.

The club became a limited company (Leicester Fosse Football Club Ltd) with a share capital of £3,000.

The old committee was replaced by the club's first-ever board of directors. A new president was appointed together with a new secretary-manager, William Clark, (soon to be suspended for contravening various FA rules).

The Temperance Hall, with the Temperance Hotel next door (Picture 3) was built in 1853 by travel agent Thomas Cook.

The hall itself, let for concerts and public meetings, held 2,700 people. There was also a large library, together with various other rooms.

Fosse's AGM was probably held in the lecture room, which held 350 people.

For many years, the Temperance Hall was used as a cinema (Picture 4) known as the Prince's Cinema, and then the Essoldo. Demolished in 1961, it was replaced by the building pictured here (Picture 5).

Following their elevation to the Football League, Leicester Fosse outgrew their humble HQ at Freemen's Hotel. They needed a more suitable office from which to run the club.

Consequently, in 1894, the club moved their HQ to a more impressive office at 5½ St Martins, near the town centre.

The co-tenants in this now demolished Victorian office building (the site of which is in Picture 6) included an estate agent, a cigar manufacturer, a yarn manufacturers' agent, a tailor and an optician.

In 1904 (until 1911), the upwardly mobile Fosse then moved to an even more prestigious office on the third-level gallery of the nearby fashionable Silver Arcade.

The handwritten minutes of the board meetings held at 48 Silver Arcade indicate that the directors discussed issues such as players' wages (averaging about £3 per week), bank overdraft arrangements, player transfers, preparing for life in the First Division, the shame of losing 12-0 to Nottingham Forest while the team was suffering from a collective hang-over, and the appointment of an assistant trainer (preferably a total abstainer from alcohol!)

After years of neglect the Silver Arcade has been recently renovated (Picture 7).

Between 1911 and 1914, Leicester Fosse's Club Office was at Stanley Chambers, 30 Gallowtree Gate (Picture 8). This has since been demolished. The site is today sandwiched between Marks & Spencers and Boots (Picture 9). It was at this office that the directors took decisions which nearly led to the club dropping out of the League in 1915.

At Stanley Chambers, in an attempt to address the club's falling gates and colossal overdraft, the directors established a new three-year policy. It consisted of selling the best players and of recruiting inexperienced non-league players.

This policy resulted in too many poor-quality players, too many unsettled teams and a steady drift towards the foot of the two-division Football League, culminating in Leicester Fosse finishing bottom-but-one in the league in 1915.

It also contributed to the resignation of two of the three secretary-managers who left the club between 1912 and 1915.

Fosse's three-year tenancy began in September 1911. The directors' minutes reveal that the rent rose each year, from £15, to £17.50, to £20. The Fosse's co-tenants at Stanley Chambers included an artificial teeth manufacturer, a postcard publisher, a printer and a tailor.

Wright's Trade Directory notes that when the tenancy expired in 1914, the club office moved (temporarily) to the Filbert Street ground for the first time.

Leicestershire Foxes skipper Josh Cobb labelled yesterday's 25-run defeat by the Birmingham Bears in the NatWest T20 Blast as a "bad day at the office."

The Foxes slipped to their second consecutive defeat in the competition after failing to chase down a target of 176, which Cobb said he felt was around 30 above par.

"We were flat from ball one, I don't know why that was," he said.

"We didn't execute our plans as well as we would have liked and we made some sloppy mistakes in the field, so we continued to be flat."

Cobb had put the Bears into bat after winning the toss and that looked a good decision with a couple of tight overs early in the piece suggesting the deck was not particularly full of runs.

"I thought it was a good toss to win," he added.

"But we didn't make the most of what was in the wicket.

"It wasn't the best and they probably got 30 above the par score.

"Tom Wells played an exceptional innings to get us to 150, which I felt was around the par score on that wicket."

Wells' performance – he hammered 51 before playing on off the final ball of the match – was the one real highlight of the day for the Foxes, although the fact that Jigar Naik conceded just 22 runs in his four-overs is also worthy of mention.

All-rounder Wells smashed four huge sixes, all shots which were well picked and perfectly executed to suggest that it is not only Scott Styris who will be producing fireworks in the 20-over format this season.

"Tom is very powerful and clears the boundaries," said Cobb. "Hopefully we will see plenty more of that as the season goes on.

"It was an exceptional innings but we had left ourselves with a lot to do in the second half."

Leicestershire Foxes have plenty of thinking to do before they face Worcestershire Rapids on Friday evening in the NatWest T20 Blast at Grace Road.

The Foxes were soundly beaten yesterday by the Birmingham Bears on their home patch, their second consecutive defeat in the competition.

Although a 25-run reverse is not sufficient cause to be reaching for the panic button, the Foxes need to find more with both bat and ball if they are to have a real say in the 20-over format this season.

Yesterday they allowed the Bears to put too many runs on the board without ever doing anything spectacular. And when they came to chase down a testing target of 176, they were found wanting.

The absence of New Zealander Scott Styris with a calf injury did not help the Foxes, but more critical was the loss of their top three – Niall O'Brien, Josh Cobb and Greg Smith – inside the six-over powerplay which seriously set back their cause in front of a healthy Sunday afternoon crowd.

Having won the toss and put the Bears into bat, the hosts began well enough with a couple of tidy overs from Jigar Naik and Ant Ireland but, by the end of the sixth over, Birmingham were getting into gear at 49-1.

Their innings was built around a half-century from Will Porterfield, who made 67 off 46 balls – a feature of his knock the way he ran between the wickets rather than any power-packed hitting.

It was a case of steady progress, then, for the visitors until the last five overs which produced 53 runs, Ateeq Javid hammering 27 off just a dozen deliveries, benefiting from too many short deliveries as he lashed five boundaries which saw the Bears grasp the initiative.

To snatch back the momentum, Leicestershire needed to get their reply off to a good start. They did not get it, even though Cobb did have an escape when he was caught without scoring only to be reprieved by a no-ball from Keith Barker.

O'Brien perished in the second over when he drove Chris Woakes straight to mid-on and, in the next over, Cobb was caught as he miscued a short delivery from Chris Wright and gave a simple catch to cover.

Smith was then bowled by Boyd Rankin and three of the Foxes' premier strokemakers were back in the dug-out, none of them having reached double figures.

A glimmer of hope was supplied by a fourth-wicket stand of 41 in six overs between Ramnaresh Sarwan and Ned Eckersley, but by the time Eckersley was stumped for 18 off the bowling of Jeetan Patel, the required run-rate had spiralled to above 12 an over.

Sarwan hit 37 at a run a ball before he was bowled by Patel, and Tom Wells showed what he is about with a thunderous half-century.

He reached his first T20 50 in the final over of the innings from just the 28th ball he faced having smoked three fours and four sixes.

It was an innings full of promise but, as good as it was to watch, Leicestershire still finished considerably short of their target after a performance which fell considerably short of their own expectations.

Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez made a sparkling debut for Algeria as he all but secured his place on the plane to Brazil.

The 23-year-old was at his scintillating creative best as the Desert Foxes romped to a 3-1 victory over Armenia.

Head coach Vahid Halilhodzic said Mahrez has the ability to change a game at any time – even without the ball.

The winger, who was named in Algeria's final 23-man squad, will almost certainly now become the first City player to go to the World Cup finals since Muzzy Izzet in 2002.

Mahrez was pivotal in Algeria's attacking display against Armenia, setting up his side's second goal on 22 minutes.

He picked up the ball inside his own half, drove through the heart of the Armenia defence before setting up Nabil Ghilas to fire past the keeper.

Mahrez could even have marked his debut with a goal when he found the ball at his feet at the back post following a corner.

However, he was unable to keep his shot from rising over the bar.

Jeff Schlupp, who has missed out on selection for Ghana's final 23-man squad for Brazil, picked up his second cap for his country, starting in a 1-0 defeat against Holland.

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie scored the only goal of the game for the Dutch after just five minutes.

Schlupp played 69 minutes in Rotterdam before being substituted and, following the match, Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah confirmed the 21-year-old was to be one of three players cut ahead of next month's tournament.

Meanwhile, Liam Moore played a full 90 minutes as England lost 1-0 to Portugal in the third-place play-off of the Toulon Tournament.

Ricardo Horta scored against the run of play, capitalising on a mix-up between Moore and Saido Berahino, just before the hour-mark.

City Under-18s striker Simonas Stankevicius was part of the senior Lithuania squad that lost 1-0 to hosts Latvia in the final of the Baltic Cup.

He picked up two more senior caps, going on as a substitute in both the 1-0 semi-final victory over Finland and in the final.

Summer kicked off in style yesterday with warm temperatures, sunshine and bright blue skies – and if you did not make the most of it, you will soon wish you had.

Forecasters are predicting rain and grey, cloudy skies for Leicestershire for the rest of the week.

Today is set to be overcast all day, with rain in the afternoon.

Tomorrow is due to be the same, with the possibility of the sun peeping through the clouds at about lunchtime.

The picture is, unfortunately, going to get worse on Wednesday, when the rain is expected to be the heaviest of the week so far.

However, there is likely to be some respite on Thursday, when the showers lighten up.

Emma Compton, meteorologist at the Met Office, said the murky forecast was "nothing too out of the ordinary" for this month.

The maximum temperature today, she said, would be about 16 or 17 degrees, with an average of about 10 or 11 degrees. "The rest of the week will be a cloudy affair with showery outbreaks," she said. "But when the sun comes out it will feel warm because the winds will be fairly light."

The coolest day is set to be Wednesday, when temperatures are likely to reach a high of just 13C – though the predicted winds are likely to make it feel more like 10 or 11C.

Rain was far from people's minds yesterday, however, as residents across the county took advantage of the chance to soak up the rays.

Mum Clare Walters, 33, from Glenfield, said: "It was a beautiful day. We spent most of it in the garden and it was great for the kids. It made a nice change.

"It's a case of making the most of it while you can."

People commenting on our Facebook page had a host of fun activities lined up to help them make the most of the dry start to the month, from trips to Rutland Water to family barbecues. Others were heading to one of the community picnics taking place as part of The Big Lunch initiative, a national drive to encourage people to get to know their neighbours and others in their communities.

The Met Office announced yesterday that extreme summer rainfall may become more frequent in the UK due to climate change. New research led by the Met Office showed that, while summers are expected to become drier by 2100, intense rainfall and flash flooding could be much more frequent.

A young father was killed in a motorcycle crash in the early hours of yesterday.

The rider, named locally as Luke Gibbs, was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision.

The crash happened at about 4.50am in Belton Road, Loughborough, at the Meadow Lane and Ratcliffe Road junction.

Police said the rider came off what they described as a "high-powered motorbike".

They added that emergency services were called to the scene by a member of the public.

Yesterday, shocked friends gathered at the scene of the crash to lay flowers and tributes.

One friend, who did not want to be named, said: "I still can't believe it.

"Luke was such a great young lad and had a young daughter who was the spitting image of him.

"He was well-known in the town. No-one can get their heads around what's happened.

"His parents are in absolute bits. Everyone is devastated.

"It's hard to come to terms with. I only saw him the other day."

It is understood the motorbike was travelling into Belton Road from the Ratcliffe Road direction when the rider lost control of the machine and hit a traffic light pole.

A shopkeeper, who did not want to give their name, said: "I'm told the bike crashed into the light and the rider came off, with the bike continuing into someone's garden.

"His friends have been coming and going all day. They are obviously very upset.

"It's such a terrible waste of a young life.

"You can only imagine how his family are feeling."

Tributes have been left at the traffic light pole, which has been bent backwards at an angle. A few yards further on could be seen a large hole in a garden fence, through which the motorbike is believed to have crashed. A neighbour said she and her husband were awoken with a start by the noise of the collision.

"I was in bed asleep when I was startled by this almighty bang," she said.

"The bike was in our neighbour's garden but it wasn't until paramedics started to arrive I realised someone was lying on the ground.

"They worked so hard to save his life. It was heart-breaking."

People who knew Mr Gibbs said he had spent the previous day with a group of friends, who had enjoyed a day out together. One close pal, Darren Lawson, was among the many who took to the internet to pay tribute to Mr Gibbs and express their shock at his death.

Describing Mr Gibbs as "like a brother" to him, Mr Lawson wrote: "Words can't describe the way i feel, with u1minit few hours later ur gone heaven has gained a new angel but il miss u 4a lifetime x."

An investigation has been launched into the crash, and police are urging anyone with any information about what happened to come forward.

Detective Sergeant Mark Watling, of the force's serious collision investigation unit, said: "We would like to appeal to anyone who may have witnessed the collision or saw the rider beforehand to please get in touch."

The junction was closed yesterday morning while crash investigators examined the scene. It reopened at about 11am. Anyone with information should call police on 101.

Voting starts today in our £35,000 Cash For Your Community giveaway.

The Leicester Mercury has teamed up with Nottingham Building Society to run this scheme, which will benefit 150 community groups and charities.

But the amount of money each of the 150 groups gets is now up to you.

From today, voting coupons will be printed in the Mercury every day for four weeks.

Readers can send in votes for the group or groups they would like to receive cash.

The more votes a group gets, the bigger the slice of the £35,000 pot it will receive.

You can vote for as many groups as you wish, as many times as you like.

The names of all 150 groups have been published in the newspaper, and they are all available to view on our website by following the link below.

The final 150 were whittled down from a total of 195 groups which applied to take part in the giveaway.

Sue Owen-Bailey, senior community assistant at Nottingham Building Society, said: "The response to Cash For Your Community has been overwhelming and we're thrilled with the groups that have made it into the top 150.

"We understand these grass-root organisations really are at the heart of any community, so it's great to be supporting such a great mixture.

"What is so different about this campaign is it really is up to the community to decide how the money is distributed.

"I would encourage readers to get behind their favourite groups. We're expecting a very high level of voting activity so every vote counts in helping your group get their share."

On some days, there will be special coupons that are worth more than one vote.

Quadruple coupons are the most valuable – with each one notching up four votes for your favourite group.

As well as the biggest slices of cash, the three groups which collect the most voting coupons will get an extra £1,000.

A coupon collection form must also be filled in and sent with the tokens. You can send in one form with as many coupons as you wish.

The collection forms have been e-mailed to each group, so you can take your votes along to the organisation if you wish.

The forms are also available to download from our website, under the "voting tips" link on the community cash channel, so you can print them off and send your votes in directly if you wish.

We recommend groups sending in lots of coupons do so in stages, rather than all in one.

Also, keep an eye on our Facebook page, because over the coming weeks there will be an opportunity to boost your group's chances by voting on there.

Tess Rushin, the Mercury's social media and promotions manager, said the number of applications received was overwhelming – and the voting for groups is expected to be the same.

She said: "The range of groups we have had is incredible. People are coming up with interesting ideas of how to collect the coupons, too.

"It's so important to collect as many coupons as possible. The more you collect the greater your share of the prize fund."

If you are one of the lucky 150 final groups, please let us know what unusual ways you are collecting your coupons.

To see the final 150 groups, visit: www.leicestermercury.co.uk/communitycash-groups

For a coupon collection form, visit: www.leicestermercury.co.uk/communitycash

Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez will be on the plane to Brazil for the World Cup.

Mahrez will form a key part of Algeria's final 23-man squad after impressing for both club and country.

However, there was disappointment for his City team-mate Jeff Schlupp, who was "gutted" after being left out of Ghana's final 23-man squad.

The 23-year-old Mahrez cemented his place on the plane with a dazzling debut for the Desert Foxes in a 3-1 victory over Armenia.

Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic heaped praise on the City star following his side's win, showing just how key Mahrez could be to their hopes in Brazil.

"Mahrez had an excellent match. He showed that he is a player who can make a difference, even without the ball," said Halilhodzic.

"He is someone who is not only technical but also a physical force. In the build-up to the second goal, he eliminated his opponents with ease before setting up Nabil Ghilas, who scored the second goal."

The final squad announcement was initially delayed as the Algerian Football Federation waited on the extent of midfielder Hassan Yebda's injury before making the decision.

Algeria face a tough opening game against Belgium on June 17 before clashes with Russia and South Korea in Group H.

Mahrez will become the first City player to represent his country in a World Cup finals since Muzzy Izzet, for Turkey, in 2002.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Schlupp was one of the final three players to be cut from the Ghana squad following his side's 1-0 defeat to Holland.

He was joined by team-mates Jerry Akamink and David Accam as the trio to miss out.

It was thought that the City academy graduate stood a good chance of making the squad, with Ghana being short of options in the left-back department.

"Great season has come to an end," tweeted Schlupp, after Ghana's final squad was announced.

"Gutted not to be going to the World Cup but time to relax with my family now and get myself ready for next season."

Schlupp said he still enjoyed picking up his second cap for his country at the De Kuip Stadion in Rotterdam.

"Another great experience playing against a quality team and some world-class players in front of 50,000 fans," he said.