Manchester United are bigger than any celebrity and are on par with a religion on social media, says sporting director Richard Arnold. Mookie Betts Red Sox Jersey . United, whose Facebook page has more than 71m likes and Twitter followers in excess of 9m, are the worlds leading sports club in terms of interaction, according to Arnold. Most followed on Instagram? Find out which UK club is the most popular on Instagram Paul Pogbas world-record £89m transfer was supported with a social media campaign Pogback and Arnold claims it surpassed the unveiling of Real Madrids Gareth Bale and Barcelonas Luis Suarez, and the sporting director has not held back in putting Uniteds global reach into perspective. The level we are engaging at, to put it in context, is akin to religion, Arnold told the Web Summit 2016, in Lisbon, as quoted by the Daily Mail.John Lennon was famously quoted as saying The Beatles were bigger than Jesus. Whilst we wouldnt want to be disrespectful in that way, what you are seeing from a measurement point of view is that the level of engagement and fervour we get is on par with the worlds major religions and those are the only things at the same level as Manchester United in terms of that interaction and engagement. Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville admits hes surprised by Jose Mourinhos criticism of Chris Smalling but admits Luke Shaw needs to mature Despite having not performed to the same levels on the pitch as the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in recent seasons, Arnold claimed United have more than 650m followers across the world, saying thats like two Americas that love the same team.We just had our billionth interaction on Facebook, he added. Thats incredibly valuable because it allows us to gauge what fans like and allows us to adjust our behaviour going forward. Man Utd vs Arsenal November 19, 2016, 11:30am Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass United are competing on a social engagement level which no celebrity comes near to, according to Arnold, who is adamant this is one area the club are outperforming any other sports team. We are on a different scale to other clubs in our league, he said. We are also the biggest in the world at what we do across any sport and any team.Sport is one of the most engaging things in the world. Within that we are the most engaged. Get Sky Sports Alerts Breaking news, line ups and goal alerts from your football club - direct to your mobile Also See: Fergie: The hairdryer truth Griezmann wants Pogba reunion Jose’s biggest problem? Suarez: We both want Barca deal Dwight Evans Red Sox Jersey . Neither side would publicly confirm or deny any discussions were taking place, until the near unexpected happened. On Saturday night sources confirmed to TSN, the league and players agreed to terms on a new, tentative CBA, pending ratification by the unions players. A league source confirmed the CFLs board of governors must also ratify any potential agreement. Clay Buchholz Red Sox Jersey . -- San Francisco 49ers offensive co-ordinator Greg Roman is a finalist to replace Joe Paterno at Penn State, his agent said Monday. https://www.cheapredsox.com/2991z-jim-rice-jersey-red-sox.html .ca. The NHL Play of the Year showdown kicks off with some slick moves going head-to-head with a combination of soft hands and endless patience.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Panthers leader returned to the field Thursday. Quarterback Cam Newton practiced for the first time since undergoing ankle surgery on March 19, working in 7-on-7 drills during the teams final day of minicamp. Newton said he felt sluggish on his first day back. "My mind was moving faster than my body," Newton said. Newton said his left ankle is not yet fully recovered. However, he expects to be close to full speed when training begins July 25. "Im feeling better than I thought I would at this point," Newton said. Coach Ron Rivera said Newton was a little high on his passes, but thats expected having been out for so long. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound quarterback has thrown some passes on the side during recent weeks, but this was his first time working in live drills. "He talked about feeling like hed been cooped up and finally getting a chance to spread his wings a little bit," Rivera said. "He made some good decisions, made the right reads. Just didnt deliver the ball where he needed to. That will come with time. The healthier he gets, the better he gets, the more hell be in tune with what he needs to do." Rivera said Newton was cleared to practice medically Wednesday, but none of Newtons teammates knew hed practice until he took the field Thursday. The coach said he felt it was important for Newton to practice once before the start of training camp. "It just shows the team that hes coming, hes getting ready and hes working hard to get himself ready," Rivera said. "It was good to see his teammates see him out there." Said Newton: "Today is a step forward. Moving forward, this doesnt stop for me. I have to report back here during this off-season to try to get back to 100 per cent so I can be on schedule during training camp. Xander Bogaerts Jersey. " Carolinas wide receiver position underwent major changes this off-season, so Thursday was Newtons first chance to throw passes in a live practice to guys like Jerricho Cotchery, Jason Avant, Kelvin Benjamin and Tiquan Underwood. Center Ryan Kalil said having Newton sit out most of OTAs and minicamp is not ideal, but feels like hell have plenty of time to develop chemistry with his new group of receivers. Kalil points to Newtons rookie season in 2011 when he didnt have any OTAs or minicamp to fine tune his skills because of the NFL lockout. But Newton still went on to win Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year honours. "He played pretty well that season with a bunch of guys he hadnt thrown to before," Kalil said. "So Im not worried." Rivera said the next hurdle for Newton to clear is running. Newton, 25, has been doing most of his running inside on an underwater treadmill to alleviate any added stress on the ankle. Offensive co-ordinator Mike Shula is expected to limit Newtons reps with running plays when training camp arrives. "Were not going to force anything," Rivera said. "Weve already told the doctors they control the situation." Newton has started all 48 games for the Panthers over the last three seasons. But hes one of only a handful of returning players who are guaranteed a starting spot on offence. The Panthers still have questions to answer at both tackle spots, left guard and right guard and at all of the wide receiver positions. "Competition is healthy," Rivera said. ' ' '