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Grand plans are being drawn up for the future of Manchester United, yet in the present, Ruben Amorim’s men face arguably the most pivotal game of the season so far at home to Real Sociedad later today.

With the Europa League now providing the only realistic route to European qualification ahead of next season, progression is of paramount importance, with the game finely poised following last week’s 1-1 draw in San Sebastian.

United, on the night, were made to pay for their lack of ruthlessness in front of goal after being pegged back by a late Mikel Oyarzabal penalty, with that wasteful nature also on show at the weekend, amid the stalemate with Arsenal.

Having scored just one goal in each of their last three outings in all competitions, the Red Devils – backed by an expectant Old Trafford crowd – need to find their shooting boots at some stage.

Unfortunately for Amorim, the Portuguese coach will have slim pickings once again when it comes to team selection.

Man Utd team news

As was reported following the FA Cup clash with Fulham, 17-year-old striker Chido Obi is ineligible to feature on the continent having been left off United’s Europa League squad, although fellow teenager, Ayden Heaven, is available after his inclusion in the club’s ‘A’ list.

The lack of attacking depth has also been exposed following the loss of Amad to injury last month, although the United boss did tease that the Ivorian could potentially return at some stage, prior to the end of the season.

Elsewhere, tonight’s outing is likely to come too soon for the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw and Mason Mount, although the latter man is returning to first-team training.

Meanwhile, Amorim confirmed that Harry Maguire will not be in contention, after the Englishman’s absence since the meeting with the Cottagers, although he could return for Sunday’s trip to face former club Leicester City.

Speaking of centre-backs, Leny Yoro is also unavailable after the Frenchman limped off at half-time last time out, although, on a positive note, Manuel Ugarte – who has also been absent since the FA Cup encounter – is “in the squad”, according to Amorim.

Chalkboard

While those continued absentees may ensure the side largely picks itself, particularly defensively, the former Sporting CP boss could make a key alteration in the forward line.

Why Amorim must drop Joshua Zirkzee

Considering it was Joshua Zirkzee who opened the scoring a week ago, it might seem a bold call to drop the Dutchman back to the bench, yet it could be wise to consider unleashing him in the second half instead.

With Alejandro Garnacho enjoying his “best game” under Amorim last time out, as per his manager, and with Rasmus Hojlund enjoying a strong record in the Europa League this season, after netting five times in the league phase, the young pairing should seemingly start together again in attack.

Of course, Zirkzee could make up the final role in that attacking trio, in place of Christian Eriksen, yet with senior attackers limited, Amorim may wish to at least have one game-changer available to him.

Equally, as the former Bologna man showcased on Sunday, he simply is not capable of starting ahead of Hojlund as the leading number nine, with the 23-year-old replaced in the closing stages after losing the ball ten times from just 23 touches, while winning just one of his seven duels, as per Sofascore.

With Hojlund – who was perhaps afforded something of a rest at the weekend – having the pace to stretch the Sociedad defence, Zirkzee could then offer a valuable alternative late on.

Player (Club)

Games

Goals

Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiakos)

8

7

Malick Fofana (Lyon)

8

6

Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray)

7

6

Vaclav Cerny (Rangers)

9

6

Kasper Hogh (Bodo/Glimt)

9

6

Barnabas Varga (Ferencvaros)

8

6

Youssef En-Nesyri (Fenerbahce)

11

6

Samu Omorodion (Porto)

9

6

Rasmus Hojlund (Man Utd)

9

5

Yunus Akgun (Galatasaray)

8

5

Indeed, there may be wisdom in Amorim opting to unleash Toby Collyer later today instead, with the Englishman having made an impact off the bench against the Gunners, after teeing up Hojlund with a clever pull-back.

The former Brighton and Hove Albion starlet could be a wildcard pick in a more advanced berth, while he may also be a solution alongside the ageing Casemiro, ensuring Bruno Fernandes can slot in as one of the two number ten’s once again.

Either way, Collyer’s energy and exuberance could be vital as United look to take the game to the LaLiga side from the off, with his former youth coach Mark Beard describing the 21-year-old as “like a Kante” due to his “astronomical” running stats.

That Kante-like quality was also on show against Mikel Arteta’s side as he won 100% of his ground duels, while also registering a 100% pass accuracy, showcasing his ability to cover ground effectively, while also keeping things neat and tidy in possession.

Having that extra athleticism could then allow the likes of Fernandes and Garnacho to prioritise their attacking contributions, while it could also cover any weaknesses in Casemiro’s game, with the Brazilian still warranting a starting berth after an encouraging last outing, where he won 12 duels in total.

That bold selection call would then provide Amorim with the likes of Zirkzee, Eriksen and the returning Ugarte as options to call upon to change the game, as United chase what would be a vital result amid an otherwise dismal season.

Best signing since Bruno: Ratcliffe hit the jackpot on Man Utd's "bargain"

Man Utd may have finally struck gold on the transfer front with one key signing…

4 ByRobbie Walls Mar 12, 2025

Glasgow Rangers ended last week with a bang, with Barry Ferguson securing their first victory at Parkhead since October 2020.

The 3-2 win over Celtic saw the Ibrox side dominate the first half, going two goals ahead before they were pegged back in the second and it looked as though a draw was going to be a fair result.

Step forward Hamza Igamane. The striker was brought on with less than ten minutes to go and promptly scored the winner with a stunning effort that no goalkeeper in the world would have saved.

It was a marvellous display by the team, especially James Tavernier, who inspired his teammates.

James Tavernier’s game in numbers vs Celtic

The captain produced an excellent performance against Fenerbahçe in midweek. Given his record against Celtic at Parkhead prior to the game – just two wins since he joined in 2015 – not much was expected on Sunday.

The right-back shone, however, making four key passes throughout the match, creating one big chance and providing an assist.

Defensively, he won 50% of his ground duels, made two tackles and three interceptions, and proved the doubters wrong.

Accurate passes

Carter-Vickers (90)

Tackles

Raskin (4)

Shots on target

Raskin, Maeda, Hatate (2)

Ground duels won

Raskin and Maeda (7)

Key passes

Tavernier (4)

Despite a productive few days, Tavernier might not even be at the club next season, especially depending on who becomes the new manager.

If Tavernier does move on at the end of the season, the club have an ideal replacement as captain staring them in the face…

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The next perfect captain for Rangers

Nico Raskin has been one of the few bright sparks this season for the Light Blues in what has been an underwhelming campaign to say the least.

Arriving with massive potential in January 2023, the Belgian midfielder took a year or so to find his bearings, but his displays since coming back into the team after injury have been nothing short of sensational.

Against Celtic, Raskin opened the scoring with a header after just four minutes, while he won seven of his 12 ground duels contested, succeeded with 100% of his dribbles and made four tackles during the match.

He was everywhere, and the midfielder was praised heavily by journalist Scott Bradley following the match, who said: “Nico Raskin has been a different animal since Barry Ferguson came in. He’s truly tapped into his potential. Big future ahead for the lad.”

A big future indeed. Last week, Raskin even received his first ever call up to the Belgian national side ahead of the Nations League double header against Ukraine.

Raskin could further boost his reputation with big performances against the Ukrainians, which would certainly see his market value increase.

Tavernier has spent the last six years as captain of the Gers, but if the new manager is looking to change things ahead of 2025/26, then Raskin certainly appears up for the job. That’s a certainty.

83% duels won: Rangers star has just made himself as undroppable as Raskin

The Rangers star put in a fantastic shift against Celtic, as well as Nicolas Raskin.

ByDan Emery Mar 16, 2025

The Capitals head coach says dropping Kyle Mayers early on was a big reason for their loss

Ashish Pant01-Apr-20231:25

Ponting: ‘I don’t think it was a 190-plus wicket’

Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting reckoned that dropping Kyle Mayers early on, and the team’s lacklustre fielding in general, was a big reason behind their 50-run loss against Lucknow Super Giants.Mayers was on 14 off 15 balls when Khaleel Ahmed shelled a sitter at short third off Chetan Sakariya in the sixth over. The opener then flicked a switch and clubbed 59 off his next 23 balls. As a result, Super Giants amassed 193 for 6 despite being 30 for 1 after the powerplay. It was the fourth-highest total in Lucknow across all T20s.”To be totally honest, I think they got more runs than they probably should have,” Ponting said after the game. “I don’t think we helped ourselves in the field today. Our fielding after the first four overs was really sloppy.Related

Wood the odd one out in fast bowling bad boys club

Wood five-for, Mayers 73 stud Super Giants' win

“A couple of chances went down, a few misfields. One of those chances that went down was Mayers’, who ended up going on a bit of a run after that, which put us behind the game a little bit.”The thing with giving chances in the IPL is you’re giving very good players a second opportunity. And he cashed in. For pretty much from that moment on, he hit everything in the middle. He attacked our spin, which he played really well. So that’s just a good lesson for us.”We know that we have to be really sharp in the field. You can’t afford to put chances down, and if you do, you have to expect that they’re going to make you pay. There are a few reasons why we lost the game, and we’ll address those and hopefully improve for our next game.”Mayers’ knock meant Capitals ended up conceding 163 in the last 14 overs. Another staggering statistic was that Super Giants hit 16 sixes and just five fours in their innings. Ponting suggested that the surface in Lucknow wasn’t one where 190-plus should have been scored.”I think we conceded 16 sixes in our bowling innings. That goes to show that we were a fair bit off with our execution with our bowling,” Ponting remarked. “Whenever you’re giving up 16 sixes, and there’s only five fours, which is quite remarkable. So, whenever you’re giving up that many, it’s going to be hard to drag yourself back into the game.”Looking at the wicket today, I didn’t think it was a 190-plus wicket. There was a lot of dew there. If anything, on that wicket, it was probably better for us batting second.Ponting was also effusive in praise of Mark Wood, who rocked Capitals’ batting unit, finishing with 5 for 14 from his four overs. The Capitals coach, however, suggested that the Englishman’s spell wasn’t totally unexpected.”He bowled the way we thought he would bowl,” Ponting said of Wood. “We know he will run in and bowl fast; we know he will run in and attack the stumps and use his bouncer. That’s what he did.””He got those couple of bowleds and used his bouncer really well. He’s a world-class fast bowler. As this tournament goes on, if he stays fit, you will see him bowl some really fast spells.”

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka was slammed as "not very friendly" by an F1 champion after snubbing an interview at the Spanish Grand Prix.

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Saka slammed by F1 championEngland star attended Spanish Grand PrixDidn't want to be interviewedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Saka is included in the England squad which landed in Spain on Sunday, with the team heading straight to the Grand Prix in Barcelona. Several of the players were interviewed but Saka was more reluctant.

AdvertisementAFPWHAT WAS SAID?

Saka was asked by Sky Sports' Simon Lazenby who he was hoping would win the race, replying: "I don't like to say". F1 champion Nico Rosberg, also part of the Sky team, then said: "He wasn't very friendly".

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The England squad are in Spain for this Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Andorra at Espanyol's RCDE Stadium. They then return home to take on Senegal in a friendly clash at the City Ground on 10 June.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SAKA?

Saka will hope to feature for the Three Lions having missed out on March's victories over Albania and Latvia with injury. He then has a period of rest before preparing for the 2025-26 campaign with Arsenal.

The Todd Boehly era at Chelsea has seen huge funds dropped in the transfer market to try and hand various managers with the ammunition needed to achieve Premier League glory.

The American has splashed over £1.3b on new additions since taking over in May 2022, with the 51-year-old investing over £40m in 17-year-old Geovany Quenda from Sporting CP.

The teenager is set to return to his boyhood club on loan until the summer of 2026, when he will move to Stamford Bridge looking to nail down a regular starting role despite his tender age.

He won’t be alone in being a teenage sensation on the books by that point, with Kendry Paez and Estevao Willian both moving to the club before Quenda arrives in West London.

The trio will be hoping to make an immediate impact in England, potentially trying to emulate the success of one player who captured the hearts of the fanbase during his time as a Blue.

Eden Hazard’s stats as a Chelsea player

Back in the summer of 2012, Chelsea forked out £32m for the signature of Belgian winger Eden Hazard – a deal that will undoubtedly be one of the best in the club’s history given his record at the club.

The attacker is not only one of the best to grace the Bridge but also England’s top-flight as a whole, registering 110 goals and 78 assists in his 352 appearances during his seven years in West London.

There’s no debate that his best season came in his final year at the club, notching 21 goals and 17 assists in his 52 outings, helping the Blues win the Europa League in his final game before his eventual departure.

After winning two league titles, one FA Cup, a Carabao Cup and a PFA Player of the Year award, Hazard would move to Real Madrid in a £150m deal in the summer of 2019 – banking a whopping £118m profit in the process.

However, despite the huge spending over the last few years, the club have been unable to land a replacement, potentially offloading one who could’ve fit the bill too prematurely.

The Chelsea star who could’ve been the next Hazard

Cole Palmer is the latest attacker at Chelsea trying to play a key role in their ambitions of returning to Premier League glory, undoubtedly being the star in the final third since his move in 2023.

He’s notched 60 combined goals and assists in his 78 outings, helping Enzo Maresca’s side push for a Champions League place come the end of the current campaign.

However, he could’ve been aided in his attempts by Christian Pulisic, had the Blues decided to keep hold of the forward, rather than sell him during the summer of 2023.

The American international star scored 26 times in his 145 appearances after joining from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2019 – the same window Hazard departed for Madrid.

Such an occurrence led to journalist Owuraku Ampofo dubbing the 26-year-old as the “next Hazard”, but he was prematurely sold by Todd Boehly – joining Italian giants AC Milan for just £17m.

The move has allowed the winger to take his career to the next level, registering 16 goals and 10 assists in his first season in Serie A, cementing himself as a key member of the side at the San Siro.

He’s since taken his game up a notch in 2024/25, already scoring 15 times to date, subsequently outscoring current Blues star man Palmer, who’s only managed 14 under Maresca.

As a result of his consistent displays under Sergio Conceicao, his market value has skyrocketed, with Transfermarkt now valuing Pulisic at £42m – a rise of £25m in the near two years since he left England.

2019/20

34

11

8

2020/21

43

6

4

2021/22

38

8

5

2022/23

30

1

2

Total:

145

26

19

His subsequent value is also higher than new signing Quenda, who’s only valued at £25m despite his big-money transfer to the club, showcasing the mistake the club may have made in allowing the American to depart.

Boehly has gained a reputation for making needless additions since his takeover, spending huge fees on players not up to the level required of the Premier League.

He could’ve saved himself a lot of cash had he kept hold of Pulisic, with their loss Milan’s gain, potentially being a key player in their Serie A title ambitions for many years to come.

Quenda upgrade: Chelsea make enquiry to sign "one of the best left wingers"

Chelsea appear to be making serious moves ahead of the summer transfer window.

ByEthan Lamb Mar 23, 2025

The Reds may have romped to the 2024-25 Premier League title, but it's already clear that they're going to be very busy in the market

Liverpool boss Arne Slot did something truly remarkable last season. He made replacing the iconic Jurgen Klopp look easy, as the former Feyenoord coach led the Reds to Premier League glory. Perhaps even more impressively, he did so with just one new player in Federico Chiesa – and even then, the Dutchman barely used the Italian attacker.

It's, therefore, exciting to think what Slot might achieve with a significantly strengthened squad because it's already clear that Richard Hughes & Co. mean business this summer. After last year's infuriating inactivity (even in terms of tying Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold down to new contracts), the Reds are now seemingly intent on doing as much business as possible before the end of June.

Indeed, a deal for Jeremie Frimpong has already been completed, which has really taken the edge off Alexander-Arnold's departure for Real Madrid, and it seems that more world-class reinforcements are on the way.

GOAL runs through all of the areas the champions still need to strengthen, and who's likely to make way for the new arrivals…

Getty Images SportWrap up Wirtz deal ASAP!

Dominik Szoboszlai played a key part in Liverpool's 2024-25 title triumph, with his relentless running proving integral to Slot's pressing game. The Hungary international also stepped up in massive wins over Manchester City and Newcastle in February. However, 16 direct goal involvements was considered a slightly underwhelming return for a player who was regularly deployed just behind Liverpool's front three.

Consequently, the club's fans went into meltdown when it suddenly emerged that Liverpool were leading the race to sign Florian Wirtz, arguably the most exciting and effective No.10 in the game today.

Once it emerged that the Germany international was open to leaving Bayer Leverkusen, the natural assumption was that he would join Bayern Munich, who have always revelled in hoovering up all of the Bundesliga's top young talent. Wirtz, though, apparently has his heart set on a move to Merseyside, and Leverkusen are obviously far more open to selling their most valuable asset to Liverpool rather than the team that dethroned them as champions of Germany.

Bayer are understandably playing hardball, holding out for a fee in the region of £125 million ($170m), but, according to the latest reports, a British-record deal is close to being agreed. Until the official confirmation arrives, though, Liverpool fans won't rest easy, particularly as former Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso has just taken over at Real Madrid.

Wirtz wouldn't just be a statement signing; he'd be a game-changer, and likely to be worth every single penny. After all, the Germany international has only just turned 22 while only Salah (36) has racked up more assists than Wirtz (33) in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues over the past two years. Just imagine the damage they could do together in the Premier League – particularly with Frimpong supporting them!

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLine up a Robertson replacement

It was fantastic to see Andy Robertson collect the second Premier League winners' medal he so richly deserved, as it should remove any question mark over his status as one of the competition's best-ever left-backs. However, there's simply no getting away from the fact that the 2024-25 campaign underlined that Robertson is in decline, which is perfectly understandable for a 31-year-old.

Playing full-throttle football for so many seasons was always going to catch up with him eventually, as underlined by a solitary assist in 33 Premier League appearances. Even more worryingly, Robertson was, at times, a liability from a defensive perspective, most notably in Liverpool's two games against Fulham, when he was made to look very bad indeed by Antonee Robinson, a player long touted as his Anfield heir.

Hughes, though, has another successor in mind, namely Milos Kerkez, and signing the Bournemouth ace certainly makes an awful lot of sense. The Hungary international is still only 21 years of age (Robinson is 27) and showed this season that he can provide the kind of penetration down the left flank that was once Robertson's forte.

Kerkez has previously been linked with Manchester City, so he won't come cheap – Bournemouth are believed to be demanding approximately £45m ($61m) – but the word is that he, too, is desperate to join Liverpool, meaning Slot should have a Robertson replacement sooner rather than later.

GettySign a striker

Liverpool need to sign a striker this summer because, right now, they don't have one they can rely on. It really is as simple as that, because Diogo Jota can't stay fit, while Darwin Nunez can't convert open goals.

How much an interested party would be willing to pay for the Portuguese is unclear at this stage, given his injury record. Remarkable as it may seem, though, there are apparently a few clubs willing to pay a reasonable sum of money for Nunez.It's been claimed that Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone believes himself capable of getting the best out of the painfully unpredictable Uruguayan and Liverpool would certainly be open to sending Nunez to the Metropolitano if it would help to convince the Rojiblancos to let Julian Alvarez move in the opposite direction.

At this particular point in time, though, it seems far more likely that a Saudi Arabian club would be willing to pay over the odds for Nunez, given there was already interest in doing so during the January transfer window. Wherever Nunez goes (and he will depart this summer), the money raised from his sale will undoubtedly be put towards acquiring a promising young centre-forward.

With Champions League-qualified Newcastle having priced Liverpool (and pretty much everyone else) out of the running for Alexander Isak, and Arsenal seemingly closing in on Benjamin Sesko, Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike is looking like the preferred candidate to lead the attack next season – although it is worth noting that the Reds are going to face stiff competition for the Frenchman's services from Chelsea. Again, the fee could well be prohibitive but given the scarcity of No.9s on the market right now, it might be a price worth paying from Liverpool's perspective.

However, it will be well worth keeping an eye on any developments surrounding Victor Osimhen. The Nigeria international no longer seems to be on the radar of Europe's elite and appears to be edging towards the Saudi Pro League, but the buy-out clause in his Napoli contract is €75m (£63m/$84m) – which actually seems pretty reasonable for such a proven and well-rounded goal-scorer…

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Getty Images SportSort out Konate's future

Ibrahima Konate represents quite the conundrum for Liverpool. The France international clearly has it in him to become a truly world-class defender; he's big, strong, quick and his centre-back partnership with Virgil van Dijk was arguably the best in the Premier League last season.

However, Konate's Anfield future is far from certain for two reasons: firstly, he's worryingly error-prone; secondly, and far more importantly, he's got just one year left on his contract.

Konate may not be anywhere near as valuable as Alexander-Arnold, but Liverpool would still be loath to lose the 26-year-old for nothing at the end of next season. Hughes & Co., thus, have a big decision to make on Konate.

If it looks like he is even considering following in Alexander-Arnold's footsteps by running down his contract in order to secure a move to Real Madrid (or maybe even Paris Saint-Germain), Liverpool should cash in on Konate immediately. It would hardly be the ideal outcome, of course. It's not like the Reds are well-stacked in the centre of defence as it is, with Jarell Quansah having gone backwards over the past year and the frustratingly brittle Joe Gomez only just back from a season-ending injury.

We're also still waiting for the long-awaited arrival of a young, left-side centre-back to eventually take over from Van Dijk. Indeed, Liverpool really need to strengthen the heart of their defence this summer – even if they keep Konate.

The incident occurred during the third day’s play between Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Dhaka

Mohammad Isam16-Jun-2023The Bangladesh Cricket Board [BCB] has apologised after their security personnel assaulted a journalist during the third day of the one-off Test between Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Dhaka. BCB director Ismail Haider Mallick came to the press box within the hour of the incident, and assured that the people involved would be withdrawn from duty for at least one year.Mallick further added that the BCB is still in the process of identifying all the individuals who assaulted Tasfiq Shahriar, who works for the website. He vowed that the BCB would look further into improving the overall behaviour of the security staff.The trouble started when Shahriar was waiting for one of his colleagues to bring his accreditation card so that he could enter the press box during the third day’s play. One of the security personnel told him to stand across the street. Journalists usually wait near Gate No.1 of the Shere Bangla National Stadium, and Shahriar moved away from that spot when asked to.Suddenly one of the security staff swooped onto Shahriar and attacked him. He was talking to another journalist at the time. Shahriar has claimed that three to five persons attacked him, and left him with bruises on his nose and throat.This is not the first time that BCB security guards have had run-ins with journalists. Major incidents took place in 2006, 2015 and 2016.There have also been several unreported incidents involving security guards and journalists at the board headquarters in Mirpur.

Cristiano Ronaldo ranks international honours above club prizes, with the all-time great saying there is "nothing better than winning for Portugal".

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Won domestic & continental titles at club levelNow a two-time Nations League winnerBroke down in tears after victory over SpainFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 40-year-old frontman has been lifting major silverware again with his country. Despite facing questions of his contribution to the collective cause on the back of a disappointing European Championship in 2024, CR7 hit eight goals for Portugal in their triumphant UEFA Nations League campaign.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

That came to a close in a thrilling clash with Spain at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Despite trailing on two occasions, Roberto Martinez’s side – courtesy of Ronaldo’s 138th international goal – were able to force extra-time and penalties.

WHAT CRISTIANO RONALDO SAID

After breaking into tears at the end of a thrilling shootout – which he sat out after picking up an injury – Ronaldo hoisted another trophy aloft. He told afterwards of his emotions: “What a joy. First of all for this generation, which deserved a title of this magnitude, for our families. My children came here, my wife, my brother, my friends.

“Winning for Portugal is always special. I have many titles with clubs, but nothing is better than winning for Portugal. It's tears. It's duty done and a lot of joy. When you talk about Portugal it is always a special feeling. Being captain of this generation is a source of pride. Winning a title is always the pinnacle in a national team.”

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Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

Ronaldo is now a two-time Nations League winner, having previously claimed that prize in 2019. He also helped his country to Euros glory in 2016, with those medals meaning more to him than any domestic title or Champions League memento.

Visitors slip to DLS defeat despite century opening stand

ECB Reporters Network18-Jun-2023A half-century and two wickets from Lancashire’s Luke Wells helped ensure a third consecutive Vitality Blast win for Lightning as they saw off Durham in a nervy rain-affected finish at Emirates Old Trafford.Wells’ valuable 56 and a classy knock of 60 by New Zealander Daryl Mitchell had seen the hosts recover from 6 for 2 after the first over to post 195 for 7.But a brilliant opening stand of 125 between Alex Lees and Michael Jones had got Durham right back into contention before the rain came with just three overs left and the visitors slightly behind on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern on 150 for 3, meaning it was Lancashire who triumphed by just seven runs.Durham had got off to a brilliant start with Wayne Parnell dismissing Phil Salt first ball with a steepling delivery that hit the edge before the South African had Colin de Grandhomme lbw for 6 three balls later.A serious rebuild was needed and Wells and Jos Buttler stepped up putting on a third-wicket partnership of 51 in just 35 balls that was broken when the England man holed out to Parnell on the long-off boundary off Nathan Sowter for 31.Another rebuild and another international cricketer coming to the crease saw Mitchell join Wells as the pair took the score past the 100 mark during a period characterised by some frenzied scampering between the wickets and some delightful straight drives from Mitchell. Eventually the desire for quick singles was Wells’ downfall as he was run out but not before he had reached an excellent 56 off 39 balls.With Tom Hartley coming and going quickly it was left to skipper Liam Livingstone to create some momentum towards the end of the innings with a quick-fire 33 off just 17 balls as he and Mitchell produced Lightning’s third substantial partnership of 48 before Parnell got his third scalp with wicket of the captain and Mitchell handed the economical Ben Raine a deserved victim.With darkening skies and the threat of thunder, Durham got off to a flyer, helped by some wayward bowling and a succession of no-balls from Luke Wood and Jack Blatherwick, meaning they were 64 for 0 off the first powerplay.The runs continued to flow as first Lees then Jones reached their half-centuries before the latter finally skied a catch off Wells to George Bell stationed at cow corner for 50 with the opening stand broken on 125 – Durham’s highest ever first-wicket partnership against Lancashire in T20.Suddenly the game had changed and roared on by the home faithful, Lightning began to turn the screw with Ashton Turner quickly departing for 4 as he became another victim of Wells’ twirlers to leave the equation 57 off 24 balls and Lancashire crucially ahead on DLS for the first time in the innings.At the fall of Lees for 78, caught by Buttler off Mitchell, the heavens finally opened, with Durham seven runs behind on DLS and Lancashire breathing a huge sigh of relief.

Newcastle United are now keen on goalkeeper who’s so good with his feet he’s been described as “Guardiola style,” according to a new report.

Pope good enough for England – Anderson

Despite helping Newcastle United lift the Carabao Cup – their first major trophy in 64 years – earlier this month, Nick Pope wasn’t included in Thomas Tuchel’s first-ever England squad, with the German manager picking Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Dean Henderson and James Trafford ahead of him.

Former Newcastle defender John Anderson believes he was unlucky to be left out: “Pickford is obviously England’s number one and rightly so, but I would say Nick Pope is definitely better than the rest of them.”

Trafford, meanwhile, has been touted as a potential summer signing for the Magpies after what has been a record-breaking season in goal for Burnley in the Championship. The 22-year-old has kept a record 27 clean sheets in 38 games so far, conceding just 11 goals – an astonishing achievement that has put Scott Parker’s side well in the race for automatic promotion.

Championship Clean Sheets 2024/25

James Trafford (Burnley)

27

Illan Meslier (Leeds United)

21

Michael Cooper (Plymouth Argyle)

19

Aynsley Pears (Blackburn Rovers)

13

Freddie Woodman (Preston North End)

13

Stats via Transfermarkt.

On the potential of Newcastle signing Trafford in the summer, Anderson said: “He is up and coming and has had an exceptional season with Burnley. He is young and can only get better.”

Magpies eyeing Lammens but face stiff competition

Another keeper who is reportedly on Newcastle’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window is Royal Antwerp shot-stopper Senne Lammens. According to a new report from The Sun, the Magpies are one of a number of clubs alongside West Ham United, Manchester City and Manchester United that have got the 22-year-old on their radar.

The newspaper reports that Lammens is rated at around £30 million, and describe him as a “Guardiola-style” keeper because of his ability with his feet – something that be music to the ears of Newcastle fans given Pope’s well-documented struggles in that department.

Described by football scout Nikita Korneev as “one of Europe’s most exciting young keepers”, Lammens has already cemented himself as Antwerp’s first-choice goalkeeper, impressing in this season’s Champions League before they were eliminated.

A regular for Belgium’s U21s, he was also recently called up to Belgium’s national team for the first-ever time and could yet become the long-term successor to Thibaut Courtois for his nation.

Recently, Lammens opened up on being linked with a move to Old Trafford, saying: “The first time I heard it, I thought, ‘Wow, a world team that follows you. That is special.’

“They are still just rumours,” he explained. “Those top clubs have so many scouts and follow so many players. So it doesn’t have to mean anything yet. It will only become clear in the summer whether anything comes of it.”