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Celtic are looking to bolster their squad during the summer transfer window in order to bring even more trophies back to Parkhead in the 2025/26 campaign.

The Hoops have already officially confirmed their first signing of the window, with Kieran Tierney due to return to Glasgow after his contract with Arsenal expires at the end of this month.

The Scotland international will join the club on a free transfer to compete for a spot at left-back in Brendan Rodgers’ team next season, whilst Greg Taylor is out of contract this summer and looks to be on his way out of Parkhead.

Tierney will not be the only player to come through the doors before the window slams shut, though, as the Hoops are also reportedly closing in on a new striker.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph reports that Fulham centre-forward Callum Osmand has agreed terms to join the Scottish Premiership champions from the Premier League side, and the English team will be due compensation for the 19-year-old attacker.

What Callum Osmand could bring to Celtic

It was reported earlier this week that the teenage attacker is set to be a part of the first-team set-up because Rodgers rates him and wants to provide the youngster with an opportunity to stake a claim for a spot in the squad next season.

That is despite the fact that Osmand has yet to make a single senior appearance in his career to date. He has not been out on loan and has not been selected in the first-team by Marco Silva in Fulham, as he has had Carlos Vinicius, Rodrigo Muniz, and Raul Jimenez ahead of him, three seasoned Premier League number nines.

Rodgers has clearly seen something in the young striker, as he did when Moussa Dembele arrived from the Cottagers in a similar deal back in 2016, and Osmand’s statistics at youth level may explain what the manager has seen in him.

The Wales youth international scored 11 goals and provided four assists in 22 games for the Premier League side’s academy teams during the 2024/25 campaign, and he has been prolific throughout his youth career.

24/25

22

11

4

23/24

29

21

6

22/23

21

11

2

21/22

1

0

0

Total

73

43

12

As you can see in the table above, Osmand has been a reliable goalscorer at youth level for Fulham for several years, and now he is set to have an opportunity to showcase his quality at first-team level in Scotland.

This means that he could bring a goal threat off the bench for Celtic, as a back-up to the likes of Adam Idah and Daizen Maeda, if he can adapt to senior football.

Meanwhile, though, the Hoops are also eyeing up a deal for another player from England who could be an even more exciting addition for Rodgers.

Celtic in the running to sign Championship wing wizard

Pink Un journalist Connor Southwell has revealed that Celtic are one of a number of clubs in the running to land Blackburn Rovers winger Tyrhys Dolan in the summer transfer window.

In the Pink Un’s Q&A, a Norwich City supporter asked reporters if the English attacker was an option for the Canaries this summer, and was met with an unfortunate response.

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Southwell answered: “One they like. But so does most of the Championship and the big two in Scotland. I think the level of competition around him has made that a very unlikely prospect, if I’m being honest.”

The journalist stated that Liam Manning’s team are unlikely to sign the 23-year-old winger, whose contract at Ewood Park is due to expire at the end of this month, due to the level of interest from elsewhere.

Celtic and Rangers, along with a host of other teams in the English Championship, are in the running to land the winger, and their interest looks set to end Norwich’s chances of signing him.

Why Dolan would be more exciting than Osmand

Whilst Osmand looks set to be an exciting addition to the club due to his academy record, the young Fulham striker is very much an unknown quantity due to his lack of senior experience in football.

Dolan, on the other hand, has played 210 matches for Blackburn by the age of 23. This means that he is an incredibly experienced operator, despite his relatively young age, and that Celtic would know what they are getting from him.

The English wing wizard, who was hailed as “terrific” by journalist Elliott Jackson, has been there and done it at a good level in the Championship in England, which is why he would be an even more exciting signing than Osmand.

Dolan’s performances in the second tier for Blackburn were very promising in the 2024/25 campaign, and suggest that he could make a big impact at the top end of the pitch for the Hoops immediately if they were to sign him this summer.

Appearances

44

Touches per game

38.1

Goals

7

Conversion rate

14%

Big chances created

7

Key passes

44

Assists

6

As you can see in the table above, Dolan racked up 14 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined for Rovers this season, and that is despite them not being one of the top teams in the division.

Blackburn only averaged 49.1% per game in the Championship, compared to Celtic’s 75.1% possession per match in the Premiership. This suggests that the winger would have more chances to showcase his quality in the final third due to the share of the ball that the Hoops have week-in-week-out.

Now, imagine what Dolan could do in a dominant and front-footed team after he has already proven that he can deliver goals and assists in a midtable team in the Championship. That is an exciting thought!

That thought is also why the Blackburn star would be an even more exciting signing than Osmand, who is yet to prove himself at senior level, as he could hit the ground running by making an instant impact in the Premiership next season.

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Celtic are eyeing up a deal for a winger who could be their next Scott Sinclair.

ByDan Emery Jun 10, 2025

Arsenal are widely believed to have all but signed Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi, amid credible reports that they’ve scheduled a medical for the Spain international, but the move appears to be a bit more complex.

Arsenal reportedly set to sign Martin Zubimendi after months of talks

The Mail first shared news of Arsenal’s talks for Zubimendi all the way back in January, following efforts from ex-directors Edu Gaspar and Jason Ayto to strike a pre-summer deal.

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Negotiations have been ongoing ever since, and trusted transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano actually gave his famous ‘here we go’ to the deal way back on May 10.

Now, the BBC and other reliable media outlets share that Zubimendi is set for an imminent medical at Arsenal – strongly suggesting that the player will become Andrea Berta’s first signing as sporting director, bar a complete disaster.

However, Spanish media are beginning to state that his potential transfer isn’t quite so cut and dry.

News outlet Diario Vasco started by saying Zubimendi’s arrival could be delayed until July, mainly so Arsenal and Sociedad can register the transfer on their books as part of the next financial year, and not for 2024/2025.

COPE, meanwhile, claim to have contacted the midfielder’s entourage for clarity over his medical, and they apparently insist that one hasn’t been scheduled.

Zubimendi himself uploaded a photo of himself at Zurriola beach earlier this week too, which is in Spain’s Basque Country, suggesting he isn’t on a plane to London – at least for now.

Real Sociedad speaks out on Martin Zubimendi exit amid Arsenal claims

Speaking to El Desmarque, Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay has now spoken out in regards to reports that Zubimendi is on the verge of joining Arsenal.

The La Liga chief heavily implied Zubimendi’s exit is by no means a done deal, and he sent a subtle message to the Spain star about remaining at his boyhood club.

“We’ve told Martin to go to the national team calmly, to think about it, and we’d like him to stay,” said Aperribay.

“We know there are several options. Something may come to fruition or not. I don’t see it happening in the short term. We don’t see it that way, so we have to wait and see.”

Given the sheer number of reliable media sources who’ve reiterated that Zubimendi appears set to become an Arsenal player, this statement from the Sociedad chief hints that Mikel Arteta’s side could still have work to do.

Zubimendi agreed to join Liverpool last summer before changing his mind at the last minute, so Gunners supporters will certainly be keeping this in mind before celebrating his capture.

Arteta will be praying that his signing does come to fruition, given Zubimendi’s glowing reputation and Arsenal’s need to replace the exit-bound Jorginho.

Celtic are already probing for reinforcements this summer and have now set their sights on a talented gem who could offer a towering presence at Parkhead, per a report.

Celtic look to kickstart summer transfer business

The Bhoys are marching towards the end of the season in style and could finish the campaign with a domestic treble should they defeat Aberdeen at Hampden later this month.

Brendan Rodgers has once again shown his managerial prowess, domestically and in the Champions League, which he will hope can help his case in earning significant backing from the Hoops’ hierarchy this summer.

Looking ahead to the window, Celtic could make a surprise move for Aberdeen goalkeeper Ross Doohan to help fill their homegrown quota for European competitions next term.

Scott Bain could leave Parkhead in search of first-team football, and the Lennoxtown academy graduate fits the bill as a club-trained asset ready to step in.

Sarpsborg winger Sondre Orjasaeter is also on the list at Parkhead, though it remains to be seen whether Celtic will firm up interest in the Norwegian once the window opens for business.

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Posts BySean Markus Clifford May 5, 2025

Despite excitement over potential arrivals, Celtic aren’t assured of their place in next year’s Champions League league phase and need to navigate the final qualifying round to certify a spot in the competition.

Nevertheless, speculating to accumulate has to be the aim for the reigning Scottish Premiership champions. They have enough money in the bank to make a statement, so expect some exciting new faces to strengthen Rodgers’ talented group.

Casting an eye to the continent, Celtic are now in the mix to sign a towering young defender who could add further strength to their backline.

Celtic very interested in signing Veljko Milosavljevic

According to Max Sport, Celtic are ‘very interested’ in giant Red Star Belgrade defender Veljko Milosavljevic as Rodgers looks to add further solidity heading into next season.

For now, the Bhoys have been told the 17-year-old isn’t for sale, which is a stance that could change as clubs from England and France position themselves to sign the Serbia Under-19 international, who stands at 6ft 4.

Veljko Milosavljevic’s season for Red Star Belgrade – all competitions

Appearances

28

Goals

0

Assists

3

Prioritising the future, Celtic are always in the market for talent with sell-on value. While experience is always a bonus, the scope to develop stars of the future is a major avenue towards the club earning significant capital to reinvest.

Carrying the ball from deep, Milosavljevic has completed an average of 1.9 dribbles per match in the Serbian top-flight, illustrating a degree of comfort in possession that would fit Rodgers’ high-octane tactical framework.

Nevertheless, growing competition for his signature will leave Celtic with work to do as they look to convince another prodigious star to commit their future at Parkhead.

The thought of winning regular silverware and competing in European football may well be a tempting one for Milosavljevic, but you get the impression he will also need first-team guarantees.

Manchester United have submitted a £64 million bid to sign a “powerhouse” player ahead of interest from Arsenal and Chelsea this summer, according to a recent report.

Ruben Amorim responds to Gary Neville's criticism

The Red Devils played out a 0-0 draw against rivals Manchester City on Sunday afternoon in what was a dull affair for a Manchester Derby. After the game, former United player and captain Gary Neville stated that United need as many as “five new signings” this summer to help Amorim.

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Man Utd played out a 0-0 draw against Man City

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Joe Nuttall

Apr 7, 2025

Neville told Sky Sports: “I do understand why Ruben Amorim’s done that today, with the players he’s got, because he hasn’t got the players to adapt. They need five new players straight away before you even think about the rest of it.

“The three up front are not good enough, and the two wing-backs, they’re not good enough. They need five players. They need to serve him with five players who are good enough in this system to be able to play his system the way he wants.”

Then, speaking in his post-match press conference, Amorim responded by stating that he knows Neville is “critical about everything”: “I understand that Gary Neville is critical about everything. I understand that we are having the worst season in history.

“Manchester City won everything in the past, but this season they are struggling. So, we are not in the best of moments to give the best spectacle to fans. We are not fighting for the big things; it’s different.

“I understand the critical aspect of the players who played in this game in a different way because they were fighting every time for the titles. It’s a different context.”

Man Utd submit £64m bid to sign Viktor Gyokeres despite Arsenal green light

If – as Neville says – United need five new additions, INEOS could be working on one of those potential arrivals already. According to a report from Spain, Man United have made a £64 million bid to sign Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP.

The report states that United have positioned themselves as one of the teams most interested in signing the Sweden international, but they face competition from Chelsea, as they have also tabled an offer for the striker. Both Premier League teams have made an offer worth 75 million euros, while the player himself has given the green light for Arsenal to sign him, although this report does not mention the Gunners making a bid.

The Red Devils will hope to have an edge in this race, as Amorim worked with Gyokeres at Sporting and seemed to get the very best out of him. United want to sign Gyokeres, who has been dubbed a “powerhouse” by analyst Ben Mattinson, as they believe he will be a huge uprgade on struggling stars Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.

Viktor Gyokeres’ 24/25 league stats compared to Rasmus Hojlund
	Gyokeres	Hojlund
Apps	26	26
Starts	24	18
Goals	30	3
Goals per 90	1.24	0.17
Total shots	109	21
Shots per 90	4.51	1.22
Shots on target	60	9
Goals per shot	0.17	0.14

The potential arrival of Gyokeres at Old Trafford would surely spell the end for Hojlund, who, despite scoring against Leicester City before the international break, failed to make any significant impact in the Manchester Derby.

It is just three goals in 26 league games this season for Hojlund, who was subbed off on Sunday once again, and Amorim knows that if he has any chance of being a success, he needs to have a striker with a better success rate in front of goal, which Gyokeres has, given he’s got 30 goals in 26 league games.

Liverpool are on the march towards their second title of the Premier League era and Arne Slot is now willing to sweep aside rivals to secure the signature of an elite young talent at Anfield, per reports.

Liverpool aim for exciting summer with league title in sight

Despite a battling display from Everton in midweek, Liverpool prevailed against their rivals in a must-win clash to tick off another important milestone on their journey to becoming champions.

Arsenal may be lingering in the distance, but it would take a monumental collapse for the Reds to avoid taking the crown off a Manchester City side that is beginning a major transition under Pep Guardiola.

Arne Slot won’t want to pass up the opportunity of tempting high-calibre individuals to join him at Anfield, so it doesn’t come as a surprise to hear that Liverpool are keen to bring in Atalanta’s Ederson this summer for a fee in the region of £51 million.

Furthermore, the Reds are set to intensify talks regarding Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo to strengthen their backline, which appears to be a key point of contention amid Virgil van Dijk’s ongoing contract wrangle.

Mohamed Salah hasn’t signed a new deal, while heavy rumours linking Trent Alexander-Arnold with a Real Madrid switch have left a slightly bitter taste as Liverpool cross their final hurdles of the season.

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Planning in advance appears to be the modus operandi at Liverpool. The Premier League elite will be desperate to position themselves with a chance of claiming the league crown next season, and Slot needs to be on his guard to forego any sign of complacency.

Now, Liverpool have set their sights on a potential star of the future who is also attracting interest from several other clubs ahead of the summer window.

Liverpool position themselves for Vasco Da Gama talent Rayan Vitor

According to TBR, Liverpool are in the hunt for Vasco Da Gama star Rayan Vitor, who is also attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Becoming a long-term target, the 18-year-old has been on the radar at Anfield since he was 16 and was labelled a similar player to former Brazil star Adriano by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig.

Rayan Vitor statistics in 2025

Shots

3

Shots on target

2

Pass accuracy

69.2%

Duels won

6

Possession won in final third

3

Heralded for his “powerful” nature by ex-Vasco Da Gama coach Rafael Paiva, Rayan has registered five goals and one assist in 47 appearances for Vasco Da Gama’s senior side and is also a current Brazil Under-20 international.

Unlikely to immediately become a first-team fixture at Liverpool, the winger is deemed likely to move on this summer and would be afforded grace as a slow burner while he continues to develop physically and tactically.

Nevertheless, bringing the versatile talent to Anfield would be a statement of intent as Slot aims to build a dynasty on Merseyside over the next few years.

One bloc of countries approaches them with maturity and flexibility; for players from the other teams, they need to like it or lump it

Osman Samiuddin20-Jul-2024Let’s say there are two kinds of players in world cricket: Player A and Player B. (If it’s easier to picture Player A as, say, a New Zealand men’s international and Player B as, I don’t know, a Pakistani men’s international, by all means go ahead.)Player A is employed by an organisation. On top of basic financial remuneration, the player receives a range of perks of a kind most stable jobs offer: holidays, parental leave, sound medical care. They are also represented by a labour association that looks out for their best interests, during their playing career and after. Their employer is sensitive to the fact that the work landscape is changing and that this is the age of the gig economy. There are ever more opportunities out there for their employees, which allow the players not only to future-proof themselves financially but also to evolve and develop as cricketers while active. A central contract for Player A offers security and is, broadly speaking, a tool for empowering them.This an unexceptional paragraph of fact in most situations except in the situation of cricket because Player B is also, on paper, employed by an organisation. But that is where the similarities end. In reality Player B is not so much an employee as someone on the wrong side of an unbalanced power equation. Player B could have a 60-page contract with not a single mention of holiday policy or time off. Player B’s contract reads more like a thin book of strictures, fattened by a detailed spelling out of the punitive consequences should they do that which they should not. Player B has no recourse to a player association that looks out for their best interests. A central contract for Player B offers the employer a means of control, emasculating the employee in a manner that takes their status close to indentured servitude.Related

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If Player A foregoes a central contract, they are not ostracised by their board. They have an adult discussion about priorities and commitments and areas of overlap, which might be to the potential benefit of both parties. If Player B foregoes a central contract, on the other hand, they’re dead to the board. Socially they are seen in similar ways to betrayers or deserters.For Player A, an NOC (no-objection certificate) to play in a franchise league is a formality. For Player B, the NOC is merely a symbol of their powerlessness and exploitation. It’s a little like the global tyranny of visas. A sizeable minority of people doesn’t think about visas at all, jetting off to another country at a minute’s notice. The majority, meanwhile, suffocates under the weight of the requirement, spending half their lives filling out visa forms and paying exorbitant fees for the pleasure, and the other half waiting anxiously for them to be granted. If your visa doesn’t come through, tough (and suck up the financial hit) but at least you can envy-scroll through the Insta feeds of that minority, eh?These are broad, non-specific sketches. There are shades of course: some Player As are not as well off as other Player As, and some Player Bs are not as oppressed as other Player Bs. But the point is this: central contracts have become a modern bellwether for the health of the international game. When they were first widely adopted, a quarter of a century ago, they were celebrated as a game-changing step in the professionalisation of the game. (Australia, forever ahead of the curve, have had them since the mid-’80s). Now when players turn them down, it’s a sign that the international game is fading into irrelevance; the ECB chief executive, Richard Gould, called contracting “an existential issue” earlier this year, before overhauling the system to try and make the ECB as attractive an employer in the marketplace as a Chennai Super Kings.Except that it isn’t as simple as that because, as Player A and Player B show, central contracts might have started off with the same promise but they now represent multiple realities. Yes, turning them down (or choosing shorter deals as some England players did) in one part of the cricket world – let’s lump Australia, New Zealand and England together, clumsily, as a western bloc – suggests that international cricket is no longer what it was. But in South Asia, cricket’s biggest population, where the game is that much bigger, the option of turning a central contract down doesn’t really exist. Some players might be minded to, but turning down those who run the game is still seen as a snub in these parts, not an employment choice. So what does it say about international cricket there, where central contracts are desirable exploitative?Kane Williamson can choose to decline an annual contract with New Zealand and not have his loyalty questioned, unlike subcontinental players when they look for similar options•Mark Brake/ICC/Getty ImagesBy opting out of their contracts, for example, Kane Williamson and Trent Boult were essentially making choices for their work-life balance. There are few, if any, who can think of doing that in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh or India.On paper, Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir did pretty much what Boult did: opt out of central contracts, but still be available to return to play in a big ICC event. In reality, both first fell out with the PCB because of tensions over their availability for Pakistan, and NOCs, then had to make a public show of retiring so they could get those NOCs, and then had to take back their retirements to be available for Pakistan again. And that’s to say nothing of the toxicity that surrounded all this, the sniping from ex-players, coaches, selectors and fans; pretty much what Boult did in the same way ice is pretty much like fire.Ishan Kishan took a break for “personal reasons” (a phrasing that in itself puts one in the mind of those old Bollywood days when flowers were used to symbolise on-screen kisses) late last year and promptly lost his place in the side and from the central contracts pool. If Usama Mir had been a citizen of any of the western bloc countries, he would have filed and won a restraint of trade case against the board for refusing him an NOC, as the PCB did. Yet as a Pakistani cricketer he can’t even think about quitting his central contract, because, well, see Player B in the third para above. And because even without a contract, he’ll still need to rely on the board’s good graces to issue him an NOC, so it’s best not to piss them off.Not that long ago, of course, Player A was in a similar bind. Remember the agitations of Kevin Pietersen in 2012, wanting to play a full season of the IPL even as it clashed with his England commitments? It’s taken time for the ECB and NZC and CA to arrive at the pragmatism and flexibility they exhibit today. In truth, they had no choice because of a truly bonkers cricket calendar and labour laws in their countries. And it’s something to hear Tom Latham say that flexibility is needed. By contrast, Player B is discovering that the more complex the calendar gets, the more their board treats it as the Ming vase to their hammer.It would be remiss to not mention West Indian cricketers here, who were the first to collectively push against the inadequacies of the central contracts system in this new world. But they are somewhat unique in hovering somewhere between – or maybe being a bit of both – Player A and Player B. They have agitated and been punished by board administrations, but also been supported by a strong players’ association and reaped rewards. Pioneering, perhaps, rather than unique.West Indies’ players fought long and bitter battles for their right to ply their trade around the world•Getty ImagesUltimately central contracts are only a symptom. It is, as the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA, formerly FICA) has unfailingly been reminding us for over a decade, the scheduling, stupid. Two parallel cricket calendars, international and domestic franchise leagues, running side by side through the year, every year, neither shrinking; two calendars, let’s not forget, designed by the same people, only, pretending as if each were drawn up in isolation from their own selves.No wonder Tom Moffat, the WCA chief executive, says his organisation has all but given up hope that these same people will ever come together and formulate a workable structure. A soon-to-be-published WCA survey, says Moffat, will show that players want the WCA to put forward some solutions. Eighty-four per cent of players surveyed want ring-fenced windows during which either only T20 leagues are being played or only international cricket, and not both concurrently.Good luck with that. The geographical footprint of cricket is one thing: how do you squeeze leagues in North America and the Caribbean, in Australia and the subcontinent, in the UK and southern Africa, into a couple of windows? Plus, the bilateral calendar is hardly uniform, and lately the white-ball portion of it has started feeling especially random. And there are ICC events every year now.Instead, it might be simpler to do what cricket is doing anyway at the moment, which is to sit back and wait for the BCCI to do something about it. And the BCCI is currently engaged in a face-off with itself for which, by way of explanation, I can’t think of anything better than that Spiderman meme. On one side is the richest board in world cricket, doing more than its bit for international cricket, touring as many countries as it can (apart from one, natch), engaging in pointless bilaterals with countries that need them but also playing five-Test series and prioritising the World Test Championship, and paying its cricketers handsomely to play international cricket. On the other is the board that owns the richest, most expansionist T20 league in the game with one window already carved out for it and other windows being created in other parts of the world by franchises from that league. And it doesn’t allow its players to go play in those leagues, or any others.Recently, the BCCI publicly reasserted the primacy of India duty above the IPL, which is – how to put it – interesting times. The rest of the world will have to wait to see how that plays out (or if at all it does because, you know, inertia is not unknown in Indian cricket administration). And then, as the phrase goes, adjust accordingly.

The world’s leading limited-overs bowler talks about wanting to win a World Cup, her approach to left-arm spin, and her ambition of batting at No. 7 for England

Annesha Ghosh24-Jun-2022″It funny to think I started as a seamer,” says Sophie Ecclestone, the No. 1-ranked bowler in women’s ODIs and T20Is.”Funnier even to see how much has changed since I was 16-17 when I made my senior debut [for Lancashire] and for England. I’m really happy [the way] I’m going. It has, honestly, been a great career for me so far and, hopefully, I can continue that with so much cricket to look forward to now.”Top-ranking, a century of international caps, and a rapid climb to sixth spot on England’s all-time wicket-takers’ chart, Chester-born Ecclestone has ticked boxes by age 23 that many cricketers only dream of checking by the end of their careers. But after having twice finished on runners-up sides in two World Cups, Ecclestone says she is mindful of the distinction that eludes her.”A massive one for me is that, as a team with me in it, I have not really won a major trophy yet.”Ecclestone was part of the England sides that were losing finalists to Australia in the 2018 T20 World Cup in West Indies and the 2022 ODI World Cup in New Zealand. Prior to those, in 2017, Ecclestone had come very close to featuring in a World Cup-winning England team, but in the end she watched the team’s title-clinching victory from the stands at Lord’s.Related

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“I had to get my A-levels [exams] out of the way, so I couldn’t be available for the World Cup squad selection, which was a hard thing to digest initially,” remembers Ecclestone, who even bowled to the team in the nets ahead of the final against India.When the next ODI World Cup came around, Ecclestone’s imprint on England’s campaign was unmissable. Spinning her way to the top the wickets chart, she finished the tournament just two shy of equalling Lyn Fullston’s all-time record of 23 wickets from the 1982 edition.”I was in the crowd watching last time in 2017, so to be playing in the 2022 World Cup final was quite a big thing for me,” Ecclestone says.”It was disappointing to not be able to retain the title, but that World Cup was still an amazing experience for me: to get all those wickets and reach the final and for the team to get there because we had lost three games at the start.”Ecclestone had a solid hand in England’s spectacular turnaround from a winless start to a five-match unbeaten streak leading into the final. During that undefeated patch in the league stage, she took three back-to-back three-wicket hauls, and followed them up with a career-best 6 for 36 in the semi-final.0:54

Ecclestone on going from playing cricket for enjoyment to doing it professionally

“I didn’t think of it much as a semi-final,” she says of that fixture against South Africa, in which her figures eclipsed team-mate Anya Shrubsole’s 6 for 46 from the 2017 World Cup final as the best in a women’s World Cup knockout. “I told myself I should just keep it simple and enjoy it.”I play my best cricket, I am at my best when I enjoy it, so when I came out with 6 for 36 – that doesn’t come around very often in a World Cup semi-final, never mind playing for England – I was so happy with that, and reaching the final was very pleasing.”Being mindful of not “overcomplicating” her bowling has been a key ingredient in her success, she explains: “Keeping it simple is a massive thing for me because whenever I overcomplicate, I don’t bowl my best. So, thinking straight and bowling my best balls is what I stick to.”In pursuit of clarity of thought, she says she often makes it a point to switch off from cricket during the off season and between series: “I think a lot of people stay in the game and keep training, but I’m one that likes to get away from the game and do something different – spend time with family, go take my dog for a weekend away, or go watch Everton play football on Saturday. It’s just quite a nice change. It’s just getting a bit of head space mentally and have energy for the season.”Then there are the more visible strengths that underpin her bowling. Her high release point is one of them. “I am quite a tall spinner, so my height has a key impact for me, getting the bounce that I get on when it’s a good wicket.”One of the most accurate spinners going around when it comes to varying lengths especially, her bag of tricks includes a deceptive arm ball.Ecclestone has featured in two World Cup finals – in 2018 and 2022 – and ended on the losing side in both of them•Kai Schwoerer/ICC/Getty Images”I usually to try to get it at yorker length and hit the toes and try to get it in late. I use it as my out ball. People say it’s quite quick, so it works to my advantage.”Besides her precision, Ecclestone offers reliability in her dual role as strike bowler and container. Her 76 wickets in 47 ODI innings have come at an economy of 3.71 runs per over, and her 68 wickets in 49 T20I innings have come at an economy of 5.94.Her T20I average, 15.94, is among the best by a spinner in the women’s game since her debut in the format in July 2016. Among other things, it speaks of her ease of operating in all phases of a T20 innings.”In T20s, my favourite format, it’s always evolving, so it’s all just being [mentally] ready,” Ecclestone says. “Heather [Knight, the England captain] always brings me on when we need a wicket or some things happen, so it’s massive for me to do the basics right, like, staying alert, keeping that concentration throughout and just performing well when I’m asked to.”A highly sought-after name in domestic leagues, Ecclestone attributes much of her evolution into a premier bowler in world cricket to her cricket-playing elder brother, James, and personal coach, Gareth Breese.”My brother taught me to play cricket and football when I was growing up. It’s all down to him why I am so successful to do this today and, hopefully, it continues,” she says. “And there’s Gareth, my spin coach in England, whom I started working with when I was 19 or so. It’s down to him, really, that I am the bowler that I am.”I think people used to joke that I can whack a ball, but I do really want to go bat up the order for England”•FairBreak Global”What his focus with my bowling is mostly, like, on the day, the pitch might be different and a slower ball might be turning more or might be doing a bit more, and on another day, when it’s a good wicket, bowling a bit quicker. It’s just adapting to the conditions on the day and bowling as well as I can do and talking it through with Gareth.”Her graph as a bowler has been on an upward trajectory across formats, including Tests, where she has 15 wickets from four matches, for a while now. But recently in white-ball cricket, including domestic leagues like the FairBreak Invitational T20 and the Women’s T20 Challenge, she showed consistent glimpses of a newly cultivated power-hitting element in her batting.”A few years ago, you could be good at one aspect, you could just be a very good bowler, but now you’ve got to be good at two out of three or, ideally, three out of three [disciplines], so my batting’s been a massive thing for me to improve.”I’m hoping when Katherine Brunt retires, I can take the No. 7 spot [in the England line-up]. That’s the ultimate aim, so I’ve just been working really hard at it. I think people used to joke that I can whack a ball, but I really want people to take me seriously now and I do really want to go bat up the order for England.”Ecclestone will have plenty of opportunities to grow into a well-rounded cricketer in the upcoming big-ticket home summer. A multi-format series against South Africa begins later this month before women’s and T20 cricket make their debut in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July-August. That will be followed by the Hundred, and then limited-overs series against India.”South Africa and India are both very good teams. Our bilateral series against them will be good contests,” Ecclestone says. “And obviously, the Commonwealth Games are going to be huge. To be competing for gold medals is going to be quite a big thing and for it to be in England is quite big too. I am really excited for the occasion and, hopefully, to get a gold medal.”The 2023 T20 World Cup in South Africa is the second major event on the women’s international calendar in the next eight months. For Ecclestone, it will be yet another chance at ticking boxes on her to-do list.”Winning a major trophy – be it a T20 World Cup win or even the Commonwealth Games – will be absolutely huge for me,” she says. “That’s a short-term goal I want to achieve soon. Obviously, [I want to] win an Ashes as well – we have a few draws and a few losses in that. Winning a major trophy is a major goal ahead of me now.”

He has the form and the record, and he’ll need to lead the attack with Rabada and Shamsi both absent

Deivarayan Muthu13-Mar-2020In his first press-conference on his return to India, South Africa captain Quinton de Kock was asked if the inexperience in the line-up on this tour was a “weak link”. De Kock countered that question, replying that they still have the likes of Faf du Plessis and David Miller, who have vast experience in these conditions, having been regulars in the IPL. On the bowling front, however, South Africa are without Kagiso Rabada, who is still recovering from injury, and Tabraiz Shamsi, who is on paternity leave.In the absence of their No.1 quick and No.1 spinner, South Africa will look to Lungi Ngidi to step up once again. The 23-year old had led the attack admirably against Australia at home, his 6 for 58 in Bloemfontein wrapping up the series for the hosts. During the process, Ngidi became the fastest South African to 50 ODI wickets, getting there in his 26th match.Ngidi is just over three years old in international cricket, and has had his fair share of injuries during this period, but has already grown into a well-rounded white-ball bowler. He’s adept at bowling in the Powerplay as well as at the death, something that was on bright display during the home summer. In the second ODI against Australia, Ngidi hit hard lengths in the early exchanges and later returned at the death to snip off the tail with his variations.South Africa’s dominance, though, did not seem as likely when David Warner was in charge. He had used the extra pace and bounce of Anrich Nortje to his advantage, cracking the tearaway for 25 off a mere 12 balls. Where Nortje offered width, Ngidi immediately cut that off and took down Warner with his third ball. Ngidi hit a length that was neither cuttable nor pullable, on off stump, and although Warner had made some room of his own by backing away, he could only spoon a catch to cover.Then, after the Powerplay, Ngidi got rid of both Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschange by steadily building up pressure. By the time Ngidi had returned for the 34th over, Australia had recovered to 181 for 4, but Ngidi rocked them with another triple-strike. His offcutters gripped in the tiring Bloemfontein surface and proved too good for Australia’s lower order.Lungi Ngidi dismisses Moeen Ali•Getty ImagesThese variations and the scrambled seam had also scrambled the minds of England’s batsmen in the T20I series opener at Buffalo Park, helping Ngidi defend seven off the final over. Overall, in the death overs in T20s, Ngidi has picked up 27 wickets at an economy rate of 8.01.He has done the job at the death in the ODIs as well, giving up just 203 runs off 194 balls while claiming 19 wickets at an economy rate of 6.27.India’s lower-middle order has been strengthened by the return of Hardik Pandya, but South Africa can count on Ngidi and his good friend Andile Phehlukwayo, who also has some canny variations in his repertoire, to deal with India.It’s also worth noting that Ngidi has a decent ODI record against India: eight wickets in four games at an economy rate of 6.18. However, he has just played a solitary international in India – the Ranchi Test last year, where he not only went wicketless in 20 overs but also leaked over four runs an over.So, the question is can Ngidi be as effective in India as he is on the juicier tracks in South Africa? Ngidi can draw confidence from IPL 2018, where he emerged as an unlikely hero for Chennai Super Kings, especially at the death. He even fronted up to the Powerplay, and in the end his smart economy rate of 3.77 was by far the best among 42 bowlers who had bowled at least 25 overs in the tournament.Ngidi wasn’t selected for the first seven games that the Super Kings played in IPL 2018, but then the franchise had their home games shifted to Pune and they adapted on the fly, understanding the value on his pace – and sometimes the lack of it. Against Kings XI Punjab on a spicy Pune pitch, Ngidi repaid Super Kings’ faith and bagged a career-best 4 for 10 to knock them out of contention.Ngidi then missed the following IPL season and suffered multiple injuries that year, but he’s now back to his best. In South Africa’s last ODI series in India, Rabada denied MS Dhoni at the death and closed out the match skilfully. There’s no Rabada on this tour, and there’s no Dhoni either for India, but Ngidi has it in him to lead South Africa’s attack and extend their resurgence.

The local boy got three wickets in an over as West Indies were bowled out for 140

Alagappan Muthu13-Nov-2025

Jacob Duffy picked up three wickets in an over at his home ground in Dunedin•Getty Images

“A beautiful summer’s day,” Jacob Duffy said as the tree tops and the cloud cover exchanged high-fives and the temperature just about strayed out of single digits. Dunedin was a picture postcard, provided you were a fast bowler.The West Indies players in the dugout were all bundled up. Those that ventured into the middle were just bundled out. Duffy finished with 4 for 35, and in the process became the third-fastest New Zealand bowler to 50 T20I wickets and the primary force that led his team to a 3-1 series win.Bang, bang, bangWest Indies were put in and bowled out for 140, having lost four wickets in 11 balls in the powerplay. A batting line-up that was focused on making the most of the field restrictions was undone on a pitch with live grass, so in addition to the overheads that almost ensured swing, there was pace and bounce.Duffy harnessed all that help in the third over when he dismissed Shai Hope (top-edging a pull), Ackeem Auguste (bowled by the ball moving in late) and Sherfane Rutherford (caught behind trying to charge him).The first of those wickets took Duffy’s T20I tally to 50. This was his 38th match. Only Trent Boult (36) and Lockie Ferguson (37) have got there quicker. One of the Southland’s own now sits among New Zealand’s elite.His spell on Thursday also left Duffy with a strike rate of 13.8, the very best among the 20 Black Caps bowlers with at least 20 T20I wickets, and an average of 17.05, the second-best of that same group.New Zealand beat West Indies 3-1 to win the T20I series•Getty Images

West Indies’ sinking feelingWest Indies have a long and powerful batting line-up. Over the course of this series, they’ve added 277 runs at a strike rate of 176 going six down. So emerging from the powerplay at 47 for 4 wasn’t exactly the end of the world.But there was a tipping point when Rovman Powell, who threatened an incredible rearguard just last week by helping his side recover from 93 for 6 to get within touching distance of a 208-run target, fell in the seventh over.Roston Chase and Jason Holder eventually conceded to discretion being the better part of valour, putting on a partnership of 42 in 34 balls. But both set batters fell within five balls of each other and Matthew Forde joined them soon enough, leaving the score 94 for 8 in the 14th over.West Indies tried. They tried to plug the leak but all they did – on land reclaimed from a lake in old Pelichet Bay – was sink.Tim Robinson again started in a hurry•AFP/Getty Images

Robinson evokes McCullumNew Zealand had their own trials as the ball kept jagging around all day. But with the target as modest as the boundaries either side square of the wicket – 63m each – the jeopardy was reduced.Tim Robinson came out and nailed his Brendon McCullum impression, right down to the cock of the wrist just as the bowler releases the ball and the addiction to hitting up in the air. He made 45 in 24 balls with five fours and three sixes, though the shot of the day belonged to Romario Shepherd, who first cleared long-on, then the stands, and almost what remains of the old Dunedin art gallery.Devon Conway was content to go at a slower pace, bringing up 1000 T20I runs at home, and eventually sealing victory with eight wickets and 26 balls to spare.

رد الدولي الفرنسي كيليان مبابي، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد بقوة على سؤال أحد الصحفيين بعد مباراة أولمبياكوس ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على أولمبياكوس في اليونان، في الجولة الخامسة لمرحلة الدوري، دوري أبطال أوروبا 2025-2026، على ملعب “جورجيوس كارايسكاكيس”.

وانتصر ريال مدريد بقيادة مدربه تشابي ألونسو على حساب أولمبياكوس برباعية مقابل ثلاثة أهداف، أمس الأربعاء.

المباراة شهدت تسجيل كيليان مبابي لـ أربع أهداف “سوبر هاتريك” بقميص ريال مدريد أمام أولمبياكوس ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

اقرأ أيضًا | مبابي بعد السوبر هاتريك: دخلت قائمة الأساطير.. وفينيسيوس صعب مواجهته

واستطاع مبابي تسجيل 3 أهداف “هاتريك” في 6 دقائق و42 ثانية، إذ سجل على الترتيب في الدقائق (22، 24، 29) ليصبح بذلك ثاني أسرع هاتريك يُسجل في تاريخ دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ووجه أحد الصحفيين سؤالًا إلى كيليان مبابي، بعد المباراة عن اعتماد ريال مدريد عليه وحده لكنه رفض سؤاله ورد بقوة: “لا أريد أن أكون غير محترم، لكن هذا سؤال سيئ”.

وأكمل: “لكل فرد دوره في الفريق، دوري هو تسجيل الأهداف ولكن يمكنني القول إنه بدون لاعبين آخرين لا نفوز بالمباريات”.

وأضاف: “كل فريق لديه لاعبون لديهم دور يقومون به ولكن لا أعتقد أن هناك أي اعتماد على لاعب واحد بمفرده أو ما شابه، أعتقد أن الأمر من صُنع الصحفيين أو جهات خارجية”.

💥A Kylian no le gusta que se hable de Mbappé-dependencia en el Real Madrid… pic.twitter.com/i3s8zTh4lN — MARCA (@marca) November 26, 2025