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And just like that, Arsenal’s season has come to an underwhelming end.

Mikel Arteta’s side might have made it to their first Champions League semi-final since the 08/09 campaign, but on the domestic front, it’s been a disappointing year.

An astounding 14 draws in the Premier League ensured they finished a distant second to Liverpool, and were it not for a brilliant strike from Martin Odegaard late on yesterday afternoon, it would’ve been 15 draws.

With that said, it’s not been a good season for the Gunners’ captain either, although based on the star recently liked with the club, 25/26 could be a whole lot better.

Arsenal transfer news

With the rumour mill now in full swing, Arsenal have been linked with a host of incredibly talented footballers in recent weeks, such as Rafael Leao and Ademola Lookman.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former could cost an eye-watering £145m this summer, but as he’s racked up a brilliant haul of 12 goals and 13 assists in 50 appearances for a lacklustre AC Milan side this season, he may just be worth it.

Lookman, on the other hand, could cost a far more reasonable fee of around £55m, and as he’s managed to find the back of the net 20 times in 40 games and provided seven assists for good measure, he may be too good of a deal to pass up on.

However, to really help Odegaard get back to his incredible best, Arteta and Co need to improve the club’s striker options, which is where Benjamin Sesko comes in.

According to a recent report from Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal remain incredibly interested in the RB Leipzig striker ahead of the summer window.

In fact, Plettenberg has revealed that the Gunners’ new Sporting Director, Andrea Berta, has been in “direct contact” with his opposite number at the German club and that the club “have to sell Sesko in order to generate income.”

The report does not mention a potential price, but according to stories from earlier this month, the Slovenian’s release clause may now stand at about £75m due to his impressive performances this season.

It would be a costly transfer to get over the line, but given Sesko’s ability today and future potential, it is one well worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a dream for Odegaard.

Why Sesko would be perfect for Odegaard

Despite finishing second in the league, not a single Arsenal player hit double figures for goals in the competition, so it’s abundantly clear that a more prolific centre-forward could be the difference between a fourth runners-up medal and finally getting over the line next season.

This is where Sesko could come in, make a massive difference to the team’s fortunes, and, specifically, help Odegaard get back to his very best.

For example, in 45 appearances, totalling 3258 minutes, this season, the Slovenian “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 21 goals and provided six assists.

That converts to an average of a goal involvement every 1.66 games or every 120.66 minutes.

In contrast, Kai Havertz scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 36 appearances, totalling 2809 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 140.45 minutes.

Appearances

45

36

Minutes

3258′

2809′

Goals

21

15

Assists

6

5

Goal Involvements per Match

0.60

0.55

Minutes per Goal Involvement

120.66′

140.45′

Moreover, according to Understat, the Leipzig star’s 13 Bundesliga goals have come from an expected goals figure of just 10.84 this season, whereas the German’s nine league goals have come from an expected goals figure of 11.83.

So, just imagine how many more assists the Gunners’ Norwegian maestro would be able to rack up with a far more clinical striker in front of him.

Furthermore, as he’s still just 21 years old, there is no telling how much more effective the Radeče-born poacher could be in three or four years.

Ultimately, Arsenal need to sign a new striker this summer, and while he won’t come cheap, Sesko looks like someone who could lead the line for years to come and help get Odegaard back to his mercurial best.

Talks held: Chelsea now "really pushing" to sign £67m striker before Arsenal get to him

The Blues are giving Mikel Arteta serious competition.

ByEmilio Galantini May 26, 2025

An “outstanding” Rangers player has reportedly been left in limbo regarding his future at Ibrox, as Birmingham City consider making a move for him in the summer transfer window.

Rangers manager search continues

It always felt likely that Barry Ferguson would only be in interim charge of the Gers until the end of the season, even though he did his chances no harm after an impressive start, helping his side reach the Europa League quarter-finals.

Rangers have now officially confirmed that Ferguson will be moving on, with a club statement saying: “Everyone at Rangers Football Club would like to pass on their heartfelt thanks to Barry Ferguson and his staff, with yesterday’s game at Hibernian being their final match in charge.”

It’s now a case of the Scottish Premiership giants bringing in the ideal successor this summer, with David Ancelotti a leading target. The son of Carlo Ancelotti, he is the assistant to his father at Real Madrid, and may thwart interested parties by sticking by his Dad’s side on the Brazil coaching staff.

Meanwhile, reports linking Steven Gerrard with a return to Rangers still aren’t going away, with the Liverpool legend guiding the Gers to title glory in his first go round. Now, a new transfer update has emerged that is directly related to the managerial situation at Ibrox.

Ben Davies in limbo over his Ibrox future

According to a new report from Give Me Sport, financial powerhouses Birmingham City are keen on signing Rangers defender Ben Davies on a permanent basis this summer, having spent this season on loan at the Midlands side, helping them achieve promotion from League One to the Championship.

The Blues are one of the biggest teams in the English second tier despite having only just gone up, with reports suggesting they are set to spend on par with the three teams relegated from the Premier League this summer.

That said, the update states that the Gers’ “search for a new boss is preventing them” from sorting a deal. Birmingham are being forced to wait “until Rangers decide whether or not to keep” Davies which can only happen once a new boss comes in and assesses his squad.

Unless Rangers’ next manager rates Davies highly, which would arguably be a surprise after being shipped off on loan by Philippe Clement, it makes complete sense to sell him this summer.

A permanent switch to Birmingham could easily appeal to the English centre-back, considering he was such an influential figure throughout their promotion campaign, starting 32 games in League One and averaging 4.1 aerial duels wins per match.

Davies was also hailed by former Rangers manager Michael Beale, who said of him during their time working together: “What about Ben Davies? Comes into the season injured and misses up until after the international break. A lot has been said about him outside and the last two performances from him have been outstanding. Two clean sheets, coming back into the team.”

Rangers can forget Ancelotti by hiring manager who's a "joy to watch"

Rangers must move on from Davide Ancelotti to appoint this British head coach.

ByDan Emery May 19, 2025

Ultimately, it hasn’t quite worked out for Davies since his £4m move from Liverpool, even though he has still managed 58 appearances overall, scoring and assisting once apiece in that time. For that reason, a new challenge would benefit everyone, especially as he only has one year remaining on his current Gers deal.

Ahead of his final Test, Angelo Mathews looks back at a long, eventful career

Andrew Fidel Fernando14-Jun-2025In the first few years of your international career, it felt like you were a little bulletproof. You’d captained age-group teams, and suddenly you were the dynamic young allrounder in one of the greatest Sri Lanka teams that ever was. What do you remember of that start?I’d like to start off by thanking the Almighty, and then my parents, my wife, my kids, my siblings – everyone who has sacrificed a lot for me. Starting from school, I got every opportunity to study and excel in sports. I’m very thankful to my college, all my teachers, past presidents, rectors, my coaches from under-13 to first XI.I got those opportunities, and then I was able to excel and get myself to achieve the target of any cricketer’s dream – playing for the national team. I was suddenly called up to a team that I used to watch on TV. Those were my heroes. The next minute I’m with them, getting myself ready to play again. I was shocked. But the seniors helped me feel at home.Related

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You’re sitting here a much wiser man. How do you feel about the Angelo of that early era who was playing ridiculous amounts of cricket as an allrounder? Do you think about missed opportunities to set yourself up for a sustainable peak, or do you judge yourself with a bit more kindness?I didn’t actually think about my workload management. As I said, I’ve seen a stat where from 2010 to 2015 I have played the most number of games in the entire world. So that speaks for itself.I would say the only other regret I have in my career is that I couldn’t achieve the 10,000-run mark. But every other thing, I’ve given my best in every situation. I’ve tried to win games for my country in every situation. Giving 100% to your team in every single game is another thing, so I was wanting to play all three formats and contribute with bat, ball, and in the field, in every single game. I was absolutely going for it.Obviously, I could have done things better. It was in 2018 that I sat down with Dilshan Fonseka (men’s team trainer) and looked at the amount of injuries that I had. He told me that my body couldn’t bear it. So I changed everything – the way I eat, my lifestyle, and my training.The Headingley Test was one of the highlights of Angelo Mathews’ career•AFPWe’ll get to how you changed things up a bit later, but ahead of your final Test, I wanted to also talk to you about what most people remember as maybe your greatest Test innings – the 160 in Headingley. This was at your very peak…That was one of the standouts in my career, I would say. I remember quite a few innings where I was also surprised with how well I batted, and that is definitely one of the innings. That England tour was a very heated competition between the two teams, especially starting from the one-dayers where they were targeting me as the captain. I took that energy and I transferred it into my focus and performances and that helped me play that aggressive sort of cricket. I’m pretty happy with what we did on that tour, as a team, and for me as a cricketer and captain.The young Angelo was very cool, calm and collected. That England tour was when we saw a bit of grumpiness come in…It all started with that mankading incident in the one-dayers. I’d say we’d given them enough warnings, especially in the previous game, where they were stealing quite a few runs. Both teams were grumpy. The laws weren’t that strict [on player behaviour] back then, so we exchanged a lot of words.You were doing a lot of things for this team at the time, though. You were captaining. You were expected to finish games with the bat, but you were also playing match-saving innings. You were opening the bowling in limited-overs games, and also playing a role with the ball in Tests. And you were quite young – did it feel unfair to be loaded with so much responsibility?No, every single captain goes through this. I’ve lost a lot of hair during the tenure. Not many captains have a lot of hair left. Whether you’re captaining Sri Lanka or wherever, there’s always that added responsibility. Everyone is watching you, everyone is waiting to hear from you. So that sometimes can be a bit of a pain, but I enjoyed it. Sometimes I did feel like I wanted to give up. But then I said to myself, ‘You’ve been given this opportunity. Try and take the team to another level.’In 2018, something extremely unusual happened to you. You essentially got called fat by coach Chandika Hathurusingha, in one of the most insulting ways, and you were dropped from the team you had been asked to resume captaincy of. Does that still make you angry?No, I think you shouldn’t be holding on to things. You need to learn to let go. You don’t need to react. I’ve been brought up in a way where my parents and in my school, everyone has taught me to understand and then respect people. Later, things got a bit too ugly. Let’s say, whatever, whoever said about me, I didn’t really care because I know people have their own opinions.Angelo Mathews celebrated his Test hundred at Basin Reserve with a set of push-ups•Getty ImagesBut you did react at the time, and it was putting obvious pressure on you. When you hit a hundred at the Basin Reserve, you did push ups to almost defy the coach who was calling you unfit…Whatever the selectors and the coach decide is out of my control, so I was just trying to control what was in my control. In the heat of the moment, I did some push-ups, and I did react. But I didn’t want to react like that without performing.Another fun little moment came in that 2019 ODI World Cup match against West Indies, when you hadn’t bowled in months, even in the nets, but offered to make up the overs right at the end of the game. And you ended up taking a wicket!chuckles I hadn’t bowled in about six months, but I knew [captain] Dimuth Karunaratne was running out of options because all our top bowlers were finishing their quota of overs. And then I said to Dimuth, bowl our best bowlers for now and try and get this wicket. If in case, if they don’t get out and if you’re stuck with a couple of overs, I can still bowl you those two overs.Unfortunately the quota was finished with our best bowlers, and then I had to eventually roll my arm over. I think the experience paid off. I knew I couldn’t bowl onto Nicholas Pooran’s legs because he was so strong – he was just picking everything up from his legs and hitting it over the boundaries. So I knew that I had to go wider to him, and then I just went wide to him, and he just nicked it.

“Fitness plays a major part nowadays because of the volume of cricket that we play. I understand the value of being fit. I just want to encourage the younger generation to keep pushing.”Angelo Mathews

You’ve also spoken about reorganising your relationship with food around 2018. Is that something you wish you did earlier?I’d say yes, but then all the way until 2018, I was playing all three formats and didn’t really have the opportunity of being able to block out time for just training. You need at least six to eight weeks for that. Once I started getting injured constantly, I thought I needed to slow things down and think of what I actually needed to do rather than just playing. That’s when that meeting with Dilshan happened. I was doing a lot of static training, but needed to change to a lot of functional training. I made that change and feel absolutely brilliant.After being called fat for several years, you’re now posting shirtless mirror selfies with your abs popping in your mid to late 30s. That’s got to feel good…laughs Yes, I’m feeling good. I just want to inspire the younger generation. Fitness plays a major part nowadays because of the volume of cricket that we play. I understand the value of being fit. I just want to encourage the younger generation to keep pushing.We got some very grumpy moments from you late in your career too. I’m thinking of that heated press conference where you went all out against Bangladesh after you got timed out…I think that was one of the times that I did speak quite a lot because I was angry and I felt disappointed. I hadn’t done anything wrong. When I showed the video to the match referee and the umpires post-game, they realised it and said sorry. But that was a very crucial game for us and I felt like I was targeted. I don’t know what prompted them to appeal.I felt that the umpires should have got involved a little bit more. I certainly didn’t cross the two-minute mark when I went to the crease. It was obvious that my helmet broke at the time and not before I walked into the ground. So it was a fair reason for me to get angry.Any Sri Lankan player, and particularly someone who has captained as long as you, has many off-field battles to fight through their career as well. Any battles that stick out?There was one phase where some of the past cricketers were coming out and saying unnecessary stuff [about corruption] without evidence. That really hurt the entire team. You shouldn’t drag the players into it. I just urge them to produce evidence in front of everyone, but don’t just say things for the sake of it, because it tarnishes the team’s reputation. This was around 2018, when the big allegations were happening and the ICC had started an investigation in Sri Lanka, and they went through the entire team. It was a very disturbing thing for everyone.There will always be attempts to topple the administration, and that’s not our business. But they shouldn’t be dragging players into it.Now, there is a bill passed anyway (Sri Lanka has criminalised sports fixing), so if someone talks rubbish we can raise it according to the law. Back then we didn’t have anything.Are you glad that bill has passed?Yes, because it stops the rubbish that people say. If they want to say something and have evidence, then no problem.Moving back to your cricket, are there any parts of your record you look at now and are especially proud of?To finish third on the list of Sri Lanka’s Test run-scorers, behind two of the greatest that have ever played for Sri Lanka (Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene) – that makes me really proud. I know there is regret about 10,000, but I’m happy reaching 8000-odd. Due to injuries I couldn’t play a lot of Test cricket as well. But I’m fortunate that despite that, I was able to play 118 Tests.Dinesh Chandimal, Rangana Herath and Angelo Mathews during a lap of honour after the series win against Australia in 2016•AFPYou had two truly outstanding Test series wins in your record as captain – 2014 series win in England, and the 3-0 home whitewash against Australia in 2016. Were those your favourites?Yeah, they’re my two top ones. Because winning against England in England is a very tough ask.Against Australia, wherever you play, it’s going to be a challenge. We all know that they are a very strong team. And then to beat them 3-0, when they were number one at the time as well, with a young set of guys, was incredible. Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva were performing, and we were able to complete a whitewash with Rangana Herath leading the bowling.I know you’re available for white-ball cricket for a little while, but you must be thinking of post-retirement life. What does that look like for you?I haven’t decided. Cricket has given me everything. I would like to give back in whatever capacity. I’ll still keep playing for a year or two in leagues and other stuff if that comes my way. I feel I can still contribute to the game.I’d also like to thank SLC for all their support from 2008 till now. I’d love to thank the support staff since 2008 as well. A special mention to all the back-room coaches at the high performance centre, and all the other stuff there – the masseurs and masseuses, and the physios – everyone. Day in day out, they have helped me personally, and they have helped the teams, without much recognition. I’d like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the back-end staff at HPC. They’ve worked extremely hard to keep us fit and keep us in good form.

Marsh terms his team’s batting “as good as it gets” after Head blazes away followed by hundreds for Warner and Labuschagne

Andrew McGlashan10-Sep-20231:04

Warner: Labuschagne is putting his hand up for World Cup selection

It is hardly revolutionary to see a team blaze away at the start of a one-day innings, but Australia’s mindset in the first two matches against South Africa has given a clear indication of how they will approach the World Cup. And it won’t involve seeing out the new balls.Their gameplan also brought two contrasting outcomes in Bloemfontein. In the opening match their scorecard read a somewhat bizarre 113 for 7 in the 17th over chasing 223 before Marnus Labuschagne, who himself had rattled along to 36 off 20 balls after being subbed into the contest, and Ashton Agar settled into a more conservative tempo to secure victory.It was notable after the first game how stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh, who is leading in place of the injured Pat Cummins, made a point of saying he was pleased with the intent shown even though it left the team in trouble.Two days later, just about everything clicked as David Warner and particularly Travis Head cantered to 102 in the first ten overs. There was some loose stuff served up by South Africa’s attack but sustaining 10 an over was still a notable achievement.Related

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Even when Head, after making 64 off 36, and Marsh fell in consecutive balls there wasn’t really sustained consolidation. Warner and Labuschange added 151 in 20.4 overs, the latter playing as freely as he ever has in ODI colours to leave the selectors plenty to ponder in the next few weeks, and Warner needing just 33 balls for his second fifty. After a sluggish start, Josh Inglis also joined in with a maiden ODI fifty off 36 balls having been 13 off 19 at one stage.”We saw the lack, probably, of intent from South Africa the game before, so for us we had to get on the front foot,” Warner said. “Our goal is always to try to target the first ten. Then from there try to build a partnership outside of the powerplay. We got a couple of probably free shots outside the off stump, especially with Travis, his leg stump is his off stump, he can create that off-side play whenever he feels like it, but our gameplan was to take the first ten on and build from there.”Over the last couple of series, as attention has turned more specifically to the ODI World Cup, Australia’s ten-over powerplays have produced some hefty returns. In the last eight games, their lowest score in that period has been 53 for 2 against England in Sydney; on six occasions they have gone at better than a run a ball and twice have flayed over 100.David Warner needed just 33 balls for his second fifty•AFP/Getty ImagesAside from yesterday in Bloemfontein, the other triple-figure return came in Visakhapatnam when Head and Marsh crunched 112 in ten overs to almost complete a chase inside the powerplay. With such a small target there are fewer consequences should it go wrong, but the success Head and Marsh had together in India briefly raised the question of who should open at the World Cup. When Warner returned for the final game of that series he batted No. 4.But Warner and Head have a formidable record together: after their latest partnership the pair’s average is 100.55 with four century stands. Since returning to the ODI side in 2022, Head has had a phenomenal impact with 736 runs at a strike rate of 117.76. And for all the angst over Warner’s Test performances, his white-ball cricket has never provided the same concern. They will be together for the World Cup.”He [Travis] had a bit of a crack at me from the last game getting out on zero, it killed our partnership average he said,” Warner joked. “We know each other’s game plan very well, we are trying to put the pressure back on the bowlers and today, without swinging conditions, it probably enhanced that a little bit for us to go after them. If there is a bit of swing we’ll have to deal with that.”The desire to embolden the top order to keep playing with freedom is a big reason why Australia are stacking their batting down to at least No. 8, although on Saturday the lower middle order was the only part of the game that did not quite click with Tim David, Alex Carey and Aaron Hardie making 10 off 19 balls between them, but it was the smallest of blemishes.”Thought the way they batted was just outstanding to have 110 [102] off the powerplay, Heady and David Warner were amazing, then for Marnus to bat the way he did just carried it on,” Marsh said. “Thought our intent throughout the whole innings was something that we’ve spoken about and our execution today was as good as it gets with the bat.”It was, in fact, only Marsh who really missed out on the fun. “I’ll probably put the reverse sweep away first ball, I think,” Marsh, who now has five wins from five matches as Australia captain, said.

South Africa fast bowler Lungi Ngidi and his bowling coach Charl Langeveldt look ahead to the home series against India

Firdose Moonda13-Dec-20216:37

Lungi Ngidi: ‘If we get a good start against India, we can hopefully keep that up against England and NZ next year’

Lungi Ngidi is ready to start again. Again.At 25, Ngidi has already come back from several potentially career-ending injuries and now enters a home summer with no competitive game time under his belt after five months on the sidelines. He opted out of South Africa’s tour to Sri Lanka for personal reasons, did not feature in any IPL and T20 World Cup matches, and most recently, got Covid just as the 2021-22 season began.”I was looking forward to the Netherlands [ODI] series and was really excited to get some cricket, but then I got Covid,” Ngidi says. “Day four and five was probably when I had the worst of it, but other than that, it wasn’t that bad for me and it hasn’t set me back in any way. It was basically just taking another week of rest.”Ngidi didn’t miss much, since the first match of the series against Netherlands was washed out and the other two postponed after concerns over a new coronavirus variant, Omicron.He last played internationals for South Africa on their tour of Ireland in July, and though he has played four Tests this year, he has not featured in any domestic first-class cricket, and only ten red-ball matches in the last two years (including six Tests).Related

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Considering Ngidi made his Test debut almost four years ago, it may seem surprising that he has only played ten Tests in all. That’s not entirely unusual in South Africa, though. Most of the modern greats are eased in – in the time Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn played ten each, South Africa had played 32 and 25 Tests respectively. The team has played 26 since Ngidi’s debut.But Ngidi probably would have played more had injury not ruled him out of five Tests against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in 2018-19 and four against England in 2019-20.Since maintaining full fitness, he has played in all South Africa’s Tests, two against Sri Lanka and two against West Indies, and he was just starting to get his bowling loads up when he was kept warming the bench by Chennai Super Kings in the IPL and by South Africa at the T20 World Cup.Ngidi says he understood his exclusion. “With teams using different combinations, someone has to miss out and it happened to be me, but if that’s what it takes for the team to win, then so be it.”With CSK, I think Josh [Hazlewood] was doing really well for the team, so you don’t want to mess with a winning formula. At the World Cup, we started off a bit shaky against Australia, but after that we were on fire, so you wouldn’t have messed with something like that.”He says he works in the nets “even more when we are not playing because the trainer actually gets his hands on us and we have more than enough time to spend with him”.

“As a sportsman you are always under pressure, for performances, for selection, and being stuck in a hotel room can really affect that, especially if it’s not going well”Ngidi on the mental-health challenges of playing in bubbles

South Africa’s bowling coach, Charl Langeveldt, wants Ngidi to bowl even more.”The big thing with Lungi is making sure he bowls a lot more than he used to, because he started playing international cricket a bit later than a guy like KG [Rabada],” Langeveldt says. “He went straight from school into first-class cricket, having played just 50-over cricket, and then suddenly having to play for four days, having to bowl a lot more overs and just being in the field, on his feet. The big thing is getting bowling-fit. That’s the key for Lungi. The more overs he bowls, the less niggles he gets.”In an age where bowling loads are monitored by the ball, Langeveldt’s push for Ngidi to bowl more may seem counterintuitive, but it works alongside a conditioning programme.”To have bowling, you need strength training, a good cardio base and to be bowling-fit, meaning he has to bowl overs,” Langeveldt says. “When he was at school, he used to play water polo and you can see he has got a big upper body, so we focus on the lower part of his body – legs, core, that’s key for him. Also, with Lungi being a lot taller [than other fast bowlers], the impact on his joints when he plays a Test match, especially, means he needs a lot more recovery. It’s about managing that.”Reading between the lines, it seems Ngidi may not be an automatic pick to start the summer as he works to get overs in his legs. Though he is among the incumbents, South Africa have eight fast bowlers to choose from.”We’ve got very good competition and I am really looking forward to it,” Ngidi says. “It pushes players. “I don’t think anyone can be comfortable in their spot at the moment.”While that type of discomfort is healthy, it adds to the difficulties professional sportspeople are already facing, limited to biosecure environments for weeks or months on end. Like so many others who have spoken about the mental-health challenges, Ngidi confirms he has also found some part of it tough.Ngidi has only played ten first-class games, including six Tests, since the start of 2019•Michael Steele/ICC/Getty Images”You try to find things you enjoy. Usually if you are having a tough tour, you can just get out of the hotel, have a nice dinner somewhere or just take a walk. Now all those things are taken away from us. You are pretty much around the guys 24/7,” he says.For Ngidi the best team-mate to live in a bubble with is Andile Phehlukwayo. “We get along really well. We’ve been playing cricket together since we were 13. I understand him as a person; he gets me.”And the worst? “[Tabraiz] Shamsi,” Ngidi says, laughing. “He is always up for a chat and he is really into his gaming at the moment, so sometimes I can hear him from his room just walking down the corridors and that will probably get on my nerves a bit.”Neither Phehlukwayo nor Shamsi is part of the Test squad, so Ngidi will have to find other company for the series against India, and he doesn’t expect it to be entirely easy.”The main thing is to find something that helps you kind of forget or release the pressure a bit. It is difficult, as much as people may not understand, as a sportsman you are always under pressure, for performances, for selection, and being stuck in a hotel room can really affect that, especially if it’s not going well. Those four walls start to really close in on you.”I have full respect for anybody who pulls out of a tour because mentally they feel like they cannot handle it. I probably have felt that at some stage but it didn’t get to the point where I was ready to go home. It does affect you a bit. We find different ways to release the pressure.”And pressure there will be plenty of. This is the first series South Africa will play in the 2021-23 cycle of the World Test Championship, and it is already being talked up as a defining one for this generation of players. There is no one remaining from the team that won the Test mace in 2012, leaving this group with a completely clean slate to work from.”A tour like this can really get the ball rolling in the right direction,” Ngidi says. “The processes we are following now are putting us in a good position to compete in this Test Championship [cycle]. We’ve been speaking about a rebuilding phase, but I think it’s coming together.”We’ve got a good crop of players now and we are experimenting a bit with different combinations for different conditions, so I think those brave decisions are putting us in a better position and we are actually getting the results. I don’t think we can ever stop saying we are rebuilding, but I think we are past that stage now. We’ve got the momentum going and we kind of know which direction we want to take South African cricket.”In the direction where they can start again.

تحدثت صحف إيران عن مواجهة منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العالم، نسخة 2026، وذلك حسب القرعة التي تمت اليوم في مركز “جون كينيدي” في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وتستضيف كل من الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا والمكسيك نهائيات النسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس العالم، في الفترة بين 11 يونيو و19 يوليو.

وتُعد تلك هي النسخة الأولى من بطولة كأس العالم، بعد استحداث نظامها، حيث سيشارك فيها 48 منتخبًا، سيتم تقسيمهم على 12 مجموعة، ويتأهل متصدر ووصيف كل مجموعة إلى دور الـ32، بالإضافة إلى أفضل 8 منتخبات في مركز ثالث.

وشهدت القرعة تواجد كل من: بلجيكا، مصر، إيران ونيوزيلندا في المجموعة السابعة في بطولة كأس العالم الصيف المقبل (لمطالعة التفاصيل كاملة عن القرعة من هنا).

وقالت صحيفة “hamshahrionline” الإيرانية: “وُضع المنتخب الإيراني في المجموعة السابعة في كأس العالم، إلى جانب بلجيكا ومصر ونيوزيلندا، وبالتالي، يبدو أن إيران لديها فرصة جيدة للتأهل، وسبق أن توقع المدرب أمير قاله نوي أن إيران ستقع في مجموعة واحدة مع بلجيكا ومصر وهايتي، وقد تحققت اثنتان من توقعاته، ولم تحل محلها سوى نيوزيلندا”.

وأضافت: “ستواجه إيران نيوزيلندا في أول مباراة لها في كأس العالم، وفي حال فوزها، فقد تكون لديها فرصة جيدة جدًا للتأهل كأحد الفريقين أو أحد الفرق الثلاثة الأولى، ووعد أمير قاله نوي سابقًا بأن فريقه سيحصد 4 نقاط على الأقل في كأس العالم ويتأهل”.

في حين قالت صحيفة “ettelaat” الإيرانية: “بعد قرعة كأس العالم، وتواجدنا في مجموعة مصر، بلجيكا ونيوزيلندا، حصلنا على فرصة للتأهل إلى الدور المقبل”.

بينما قالت صحيفة “sharghdaily” الإيرانية: “يعد المنتخب البلجيكي، الذي يحتل حاليًا المركز الثامن في تصنيف الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (فيفا)، أحد أخطر المنتخبات في العالم، حيث يضم نجوما مثل تيبو كورتوا، ويوري تيليمانس، وتوماس مونييه، وأليساندرو سالماكيرز، وتشارلز ديكتيلير، وجيريمي دوكو، ولياندرو تروسارد، وروميلو لوكاكو، وكيفن دي بروين، ولويس أوبيندا، وأمادو أونانا، بينما فازت مصر، المصنفة في المركز 34 في تصنيف الفيفا، بسبع بطولات كأس أمم إفريقية، ويعتمد المصريون على نجوم أمثال محمد صلاح وعمر مرموش ومصطفى محمد، ما يجعلهم قادرين على إثارة المشاكل لأي خصم”.

واستكملت: “ويضم منتخب نيوزيلندا، الذي يحتل المركز 86 في تصنيف الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (فيفا)، والذي فاز بكأس أوقيانوسيا ست مرات، كريس وود كشخصية بارزة في الهجوم، إلى جانب لاعبين مثل بنجامين أولد وتايلر بيندون”.

أما صحيفة “asriran” فقد قالت: “لم يتواجد المنتخب الإيراني في مجموعة صعبة، سيواجه بلجيكا ومصر ونيوزيلندا في دور المجموعات، وهي من أكثر المجموعات تنوعًا من حيث أسلوب اللعب وجودة الفرق، لا تزال بلجيكا، بجيلها الجديد، من أقوى المنتخبات في أوروبا، وتعتبر المنافس الأهم لـ إيران في هذه المجموعة، أما مصر، بنجومها أمثال محمد صلاح، فهي من أكثر المنتخبات طموحًا في إفريقيا، رغم خسارتها مؤخرًا أمام أوزبكستان، أما نيوزيلندا، المصنفة في المركز 76، فهي أضعف منتخب في التصنيف الرابع، وقد حلت رابعة في هذه المجموعة”.

Daniel Farke looked long gone as Leeds United manager heading into an intimidating run of matches in the Premier League.

Not even the most optimistic Elland Road supporter would have expected the Whites to grab some much-needed points against Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool.

Yet, after this trio of difficult clashes, Leeds are four points better off with a win and a draw secured, which also – most importantly – means they’re two points above the dreaded relegation zone.

Farke will just keep his fingers crossed that this high-energy approach can be replicated versus the likes of Brentford and Crystal Palace to come, away from turning on the style against some of the division’s flashier opponents.

More positive results ahead would give Leeds a huge boost in their bid to avoid relegation, with the January transfer window also providing the Whites with an opportunity to add some standout signings to help them secure their survival.

Where Leeds could strength in January

Even though there has been a dramatic upturn in form, when Farke once looked like a dead man walking, Leeds will still likely be active in the hectic window to come.

Indeed, rumours are already beginning to circulate that the Premier League newcomers have Tromso midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl on their radar as transfer season edges ever closer. Moreover, the relegation-threatened outfit has also been linked heavily with a move for AC Milan striker Santiago Gimenez to bolster their centre-forward options.

Away from all this gossip, though, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has also come out to state via his YouTube channel that Farke and Co have even made a concrete approach for an attacking playmaker in the form of Martin Baturina.

Romano stated: “In the last few days, Leeds has been in touch, the teams are starting to move.”

The £21m midfielder, who only signed for Cesc Fabregas’ Como in the summer, is struggling for consistent first-team minutes in Serie A at the moment. Yet, despite his predicament, he isn’t overly keen on a switch to West Yorkshire, according to Romano, with Como allegedly turning down the approach.

Still, transfer stories can change in the blink of an eye, so don’t write this one off completely.

How Baturina can become Farke's next Rutter

If Leeds were eventually successful in their mission to land the captivating 22-year-old, Farke could sign Leeds’ new version of Georginio Rutter, with the 15-time Croatia international capable of being a terrifying assist machine, much like the former number 24 was at Elland Road.

Rutter did manage to hammer home some memorable strikes when still situated at the Whites, with eight goals tallied up. But, it was his unerring ability to create chances for fun that made him really stand out as a fan’s favourite during his short, but sweet, 66-game stint at the club.

TalkSPORT’s Jeff Stelling would herald him as a “class act” at Leeds for the way he managed to make creating chances galore look effortless, with a bumper 18 assists coming his way across that string of matches.

In league action alone across the 2023/24 season, Rutter would muster up a ridiculous 22 big chances created, which led to the silky Frenchman securing himself a deserved £40m move to Brighton and Hove Albion.

While it hasn’t gone Baturina’s way at Como to date, with just one Serie A start handed to him by Fabregas this season leading to zero assists being tallied, it’s clear from his explosive time at Hadjuk Split that he has the same devastating ability to carve team opens that Rutter possesses.

Fabregas has already waxed lyrical about the 22-year-old’s “immense” nature to make things happen in “key moments” when first moving to Italy.

The clip above saw the £21m-rated midfielder calmly tee up his teammate for a golden opportunity in the Champions League back in 2024, with the assists flowing throughout his time at Split, leading to scout Jacek Kulig once hailing him as one of “the biggest talents” in Croatia.

Albeit from a wider pool of matches than the Seagulls star, Baturina would see out his time in his native Croatia with a staggering 38 big chances created from 117 league contests, which trumps Rutter’s own creative prowess.

Analyst Ben Mattinson would weigh in with some praise of his own by stating that the new Como number 20’s passing range was “outstanding” throughout his much-talked-about Split stay, with Farke now hopeful – if a move can be pulled off – that Baturina can enhance Leeds’ attack even more, after the goals have started to come naturally against the likes of Chelsea and Arne Slot’s Reds.

Of course, there will also be a worry in the air that for £21m, Leeds are risking their money on a midfielder who hasn’t ignited into life in Serie A.

Still, the Whites were here before with Rutter when splashing the cash on him in a January window, and while it took time for him to acclimatise, he is now seen as a modern great. Could Baturina soon follow in his esteemed footsteps?

Leeds now make contact over signing "powerful" star who's been likened to Odegaard

He’s a wanted man.

By
Tom Cunningham

Dec 6, 2025

The San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners announced Friday that they teamed up to create the Vedder Cup for their annual series, a trophy named after Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, who spent his adolescence in San Diego and grew to fame in Seattle.

The trophy will, of course, be awarded to the team who wins the most games each year in their season series. But if there is a tie in wins, it goes to a couple of creative tiebreakers.

If the season series ends in a tie, the team with a greater run differential will claim the Vedder Cup. But if that is also a tie, it goes to the second tiebreaker that references Vedder's initials "EV."

"If the clubs share an even run differential in the season series, the team with the highest exit velocity recorded on a hit will win the Vedder Cup," the Mariners' website reads, mentioning that "EV" is both Vedder's initials and the acronym for exit velocity.

The Mariners and Padres are scheduled to play six games against each other this season—a three-game series at Petco Park in San Diego from May 16-18 and another three-game set at T-Mobile Park in Seattle from Aug. 25-27.

May the "Better Man" win.

India will play five matches on this tour, beginning with three one-day games, followed by two four-day matches

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2025Mumbai batter Ayush Mhatre will lead India Under-19 in a multi-format tour of Australia, which begins on September 21 at Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane. The 17-member side includes 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who had lit up IPL 2025 with his power-packed batting.India will play five matches on the tour, beginning with three one-day games, all at the same venue, on September 21, 24 and 26. That will be followed by two four-day matches, the first one also at Ian Healy Stadium from September 30 and the second in Mackay from October 7.From the U-19 side that recently toured England for a similar multi-format series, the players missing are Maulyarajsinh Chavda, Yudhajit Guha (now among the stand-bys), Pranav Raghavendra and Mohammed Enaan. In come Vedant Trivedi, Khilan Patel, Udhav Mohan and Aman Chauhan.Khilan, who was ruled out of the England tour due to a stress reaction in his right leg, has recovered and is included in the 17-member squad. Top-order Punjab batter Vihaan Malhotra, who excelled in both the four-dayers and 50-over leg of the England tour, has been rewarded with the vice-captaincy for the Australia tour.Mhatre was the leading run-scorer (340 in four innings) in the youth Tests in England, a high-scoring series which ended 0-0 with both matches severely curtailed by rain. India had earlier taken the one-day series 3-2, with Suryavanshi topping the run-charts with 355 runs in five innings. Offspinner Kanishk Chouhan led the wickets column for India in the one-day series, while fast bowler RS Ambrish impressed with six wickets in the youth Tests.The squad also includes wicketkeeper-batter Harvansh Singh Pangalia and offspinner Anmoljeet Singh, while Naman Pushpak and D Deepesh also retain their places. Apart from Guha, Laxman, B K Kishore, Alankrith Rapole and Arnav Bugga are the standby players.India had earlier clean swept the Australia U-19 side in both the one-day and four-day series at home in September-October last year.India Under-19 squad: Ayush Mhatre (capt), Vihaan Malhotra (vice-capt), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Vedant Trivedi, Rahul Kumar, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (WK), R S Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Naman Pushpak, Henil Patel, D Deepesh, Kishan Kumar, Anmoljeet Singh, Khilan Patel, Udhav Mohan, Aman Chauhan

Manchester United legend David Beckham has spoken of his pride after being officially knighted by King Charles. The former England captain's long-awaited knighthood was confirmed in the King's Birthday Honours list in June for his services to sport and charity. He received the award at a ceremony on Tuesday in Berkshire, which was attended by his family, including wife Victoria, who will now be known as Lady Beckham.

• Beckham knighted by King Charles

  Beckham's knighthood has been years in the making since becoming arguably the best-known footballer in the world in the 1990s with Manchester United. He increased his international fame by joining Real Madrid in 2003 and later LA Galaxy before becoming a co-owner at Inter Miami. Beckham, who grew up in east London but moved to United's academy as a teenager, made his Red Devils' debut in 1992 and consolidated his place in Sir Alex Ferguson's side in 1996, later becoming one of the most important players in the team's historic treble win in 1999. 

  He became England captain in 2000, two years after becoming a figure of hate for being sent off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup. Beckham quickly redeemed himself in supporters' eyes by qualifying England for the 2002 World Cup with his last-gasp free-kick against Greece. 

  Beckham ended his trophy-laden time with United to join Real Madrid in a £25m ($32m) deal in 2003, winning the La Liga title in his final season in the Spanish capital. He saw out his career with LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer and also played for AC Milan on loan before finally hanging up his boots while with Paris Saint-Germain in 2013. 

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  Beckham: Royal family most important institution in world

  "It's a very proud day for us as a family today," Beckham said after being knighted. "I grew up in the east end of London in a very humble family and my dream was always to become a professional footballer to play for Manchester United to play for my country. Everything else that has come with that has been incredible. But today to be honoured by one of the most important institutions in the world and one of the most respected institutions in the world, being an East End boy, it's a very proud day."

• Beckham: People around world want to discuss royal family

  "The monarchy has always been very important in our family, my grandparents, my parents, myself, my kids," Beckham added. "The royal family have always played a huge role. I've always had huge respect for our royal family. Especially when I get to travel around the world, people want to talk to me about our royal family and that shows how much respect people have, and to be here to receive a knighthood by his majesty the King is pretty surreal."

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  Beckham waited 12 hours to see Queen lying in state

  Off the pitch, Beckham played a key role in London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games and has worked with humanitarian aid charity Unicef since 2005. A fiercely proud royalist, Beckham queued for 12 hours to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state following her death in 2022. He was named ambassador for the King's Foundation in 2024, supporting the monarch's education programme.