Liverpool have procuded some excellent players from their academy over the years, that are now finding making their way in the first team.

One of those, Curtis Jones, has become a key player under Arne Slot this term, and started the first game of Thomas Tuchel’s reign as England manager.

There are also a few notable academy graduates in defence who have had a part to play in the first team at Anfield; they include effervescent right-back Conor Bradley and centre-back Jarell Quansah.

However, the most notable academy graduate in the first-team is Trent Alexander-Arnold, Sadly, he could be set to depart the club at the end of the season.

Why Trent has decided to leave Liverpool

Alexander-Arnold has done it all in a Liverpool shirt. In 349 games for his boyhood club, he’s scored 22 goals and grabbed 87 assists, helping his side to their first-ever Premier League title and the Champions League in 2018/19.

He has been one of the most creative players in Premier League history, notably reaching double figures for assists across three separate top-flight campaigns, registering 12 in 2018/19, 13 in 2019/20 and another dozen in 2021/22.

Yet, he might not add many more things to the incredible legacy he has built at Anfield. The 26-year-old is on the verge of signing for Real Madrid, according to highly reputable journalist David Ornstein.

In a recent report, he explained that Los Blancos are ‘working to close’ the signing of the England international, which will not cost them a transfer fee given his contract will expire at the end of the season.

This would be a seismic loss for Liverpool, who would need to find a way to replace one of their most important attacking outlets. Ornstein reports that Madrid have been tracking the right-back for two years and have been trying since January to convince him to join the club.

So, why is he departing? Well, it’s certainly not for the money. The Liverpudlian currently earns £180k-per-week in Merseyside and according to talkSPORT, he’s set to earn £220k-per-week at the Santiago Bernabeu, only a small raise.

It could also be in an attempt to boost his own profile. Last year the right-back admitted he wanted to win the Ballon d’Or, and Madrid could give him the platform to do just that considering they are serial Champions League winners. Europe’s elite competition is often seen as the catalyst for the game’s top players to be crowned the best player in the world.

But, where did it all begin? Well, in the youth ranks at Liverpool, of course. It was during the infancy of his career that he ran into some of the finest to come through the youth system, although some, as is the case in this scenario, don’t make the grade at Anfield.

Liverpool academy star was ahead of Trent

Liverpool’s academy has always been a rich source of quality players, no more so than when Alexander-Arnold came through the ranks.

Making his Liverpool U21s debut in 2016, a 3-0 defeat against Manchester City, the full-back was soon joined in the same side by Ben Woodburn. It was during that 2016/17 campaign where both players started making waves in the academy.

Woodburn looked like a serious talent and was already being talked about more regularly than Trent, largely because he’d scored eight times and assisted six goals in just 15 Premier League 2 outings.

It wasn’t long before the Welshman started making an impact at first-team level too, actually making his Premier League debut a month before Alexander-Arnold did, featuring in a 2-0 win over Sunderland, aged 17 years and one month.

So vast was the forward’s potential that he actualy holds a prestigious record at Anfield. He is the club’s youngest ever goalscorer, finding the back of the net against Leeds United in the League Cup at the age of 17 years and 45 days. He beat Michael Owen’s long-standing record in the process.

However, it didn’t work out for the prodigy. In total, the Liverpool academy graduate made just 11 appearances for the club, with his strike against the Whites his only goal for the club. Woodburn’s final first-team appearance came on the final day of the 2017/18 Premier League season.

The Wales international went on four separate loan spells during his time at Liverpool, but never really managed to settle at one club. In 2022, he departed Anfield on a free transfer, where he first played for Preston North End and, most recently, Salford City.

For the Class of ’92-owned club, Woodburn has enjoyed the most successful spell of football in his career. In 26 appearances, he’s scored three goals and grabbed three assists, the same as he got at North End in 64 appearances.

Woodburn record by club

Club

Games

Goals

Assists

Liverpool

11

1

0

Sheffield United

8

0

0

Oxford United

16

1

5

Blackpool

11

0

0

Hearts

30

3

2

Preston

64

3

3

Salford

26

3

3

Stats from Transfermarkt

Sadly, Woodburn did not live up to the expectation of him at Anfield. At one stage, it looked like he could go on to have a long and successful career at Liverpool, just as Alexander-Arnold has done, but it was not to be.

Related When Trent set up a Real Madrid goal: Worst defensive moments for Liverpool

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Posts ByStephan Georgiou Mar 26, 2025

Mark Howard admits, having danced with Channing Tatum and met Will Ferrell, life with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham can be “bonkers”.

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• Hollywood co-owners calling the shots
• Invite celebrity friends over for games
• Players have grown accustomed to chaos

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hollywood co-owners arrived at SToK Racecourse in 2021 and have overseen four remarkable years in North Wales. Three successive promotions have allowed the Red Dragons to make history, with every dramatic moment being caught on camera for the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series.

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• Getty/GOAL
  

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  A-list guests have become a common occurrence, with the likes of Tatum and Ferrell joining Kaitlin Olson, Blake Lively, Paul Rudd, Hugh Jackman, Eva Longoria and Bille Joe Armstrong in attending EFL fixtures.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  ‘Magic Mike’ star Tatum filmed a Super Bowl advert for SToK Cold Brew Coffee during his visit to Wrexham, with Howard and Co taking in another wild experience that few in their position get to enjoy.

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• WHAT MARK HOWARD SAID

  The veteran goalkeeper, who has severed ties with the Red Dragons as a free agent this summer, has told of his time with Wrexham: “Obviously, the three promotions were just incredible, we’ve had some good cup runs and a few promotion parties in Vegas, they’ve been very memorable, but then even the experience of meeting the celebrities that you meet.

  “I managed to meet Will Ferrell this year, I’ve done a TV advert with Channing Tatum, he got us all to dance and do a ‘Magic Mike’ performance and you think ‘when does that ever happen to any footballer ever?’

  “We’ve done loads of adverts, we’ve done baseball adverts, Marks & Spencer adverts, cold brew coffee adverts, we’ve done a whole variety of things and been asked to do weird and wonderful things to a camera.

  “At first, you’re a little bit scared of it, it’s a bit daunting, but you just end up embracing it and fully committing to it. The final product, when you get to see the full advert of us dancing with Channing Tatum, you just think ‘this is bonkers’.”

West Ham are considering a move for Aaron Ramsdale this summer after holding talks with the Southampton goalkeeper, per a new report.

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Ex-Arsenal 'keeper now at SouthamptonRelegated to Championship with Saints Hammers interested in stopperFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per talkSPORT, West Ham have held talks with Southampton 'keeper Ramsdale over a deal to bring him to east London. The Saints have dropped into the Championship and he is keen to stay in the Premier League as he bids to nail down a spot in Thomas Tuchel's England squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

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Southampton reportedly want around £20 million ($27m) if they are to allow Ramsdale to leave the club. He earns around £100,000-per-week, and it is unclear if the Hammers would be willing to match that. Lukasz Fabianski has departed the club, but Alphonse Areola remains their No.1.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ramsdale has won five England caps but he endured a truly terrible season with the Saints as they finished rock-bottom of the Premier League. The 27-year-old made 30 appearances and only kept three clean sheets; he conceded 66 goals in total.

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Ramsdale, who played 89 times for Arsenal, will hope to complete a move to a Premier League club this summer. Whether he lands at West Ham remains to be seen.

Rangers are back in action on Saturday evening, seeking to continue the momentum established prior to the international break.

First, Barry Ferguson’s side ousted Fenerbahçe from the Europa League, prevailing on penalties at Ibrox, thereby setting up a quarter-final clash with Athletic Club Bilbao.

Then, three days later, the Gers were 3-2 winners in the Old Firm derby, with Ferguson becoming the first Rangers manager since Walter Smith in 1991 to win their very first Glasgow derby at Parkhead.

While it’s too late to reignite the Premiership title race, the Light Blues will be seeking another victory at Dundee on Saturday evening, although this is unlikely to be straightforward, considering they’ve drawn their last two visits to Dens Park, held to a 1-1 stalemate there in January.

If Ferguson is to land all three points in the City of Discovery, he should unleash his superstar striker.

Cyriel Dessers' recent Rangers form

As noted by Scott Bradley of Breaking the Lines, Dessers’ performances for Rangers have been largely ‘inconsistent’ and ‘frustrating’, adding that he ‘divides opinion’.

The Nigerian striker arrived from Cremonese for a reported fee of £5.5m in July 2023, scoring 44 goals in 99 appearances for the club to date, averaging a goal every 138 minutes, which certainly isn’t bad.

Following Rangers’ 3-1 win at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium last month, Fenerbahçe manager José Mourinho said that “today, Dessers looked like the best player in the world”, with John Walker adding that this was Dessers’ ‘best match for Rangers’.

However, he is often criticised for not being clinical enough, a perception supported by the fact that, since the start of last season, he has missed a humongous 46 Opta-defined big chances across the Premiership and Europa League.

So, after Dessers got the nod at Parkhead, we’re advocating for Ferguson to start his other centre-forward at Dens.

Rangers' starting striker vs Dundee

Hamza Igamane’s last-gasp winner in the Glasgow derby a fortnight ago will forever cement his name into Rangers folklore but, even before that, his performances had been catching the eye.

During the international break, the 22-year-old made his senior debut for Morocco, coming off the bench for the final eight minutes as the Atlas Lions beat Niger 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Oujda.

Head Coach Walid Regragui, who guided the North African nation to the most recent World Cup semi-finals, praised Igamane’s “mindset”, also adding he “has a bright future ahead of him”.

At club level, Igamane has scored 14 goals since joining Rangers last summer, four of which have come in the Europa League, described as “unpredictable” and “outrageous” by scout Ben Mattinson, thereby attracting Premier League interest.

So, let’s analyse how Rangers’ two centre-forward options compare.

Appearances

45

37

Goals

22

14

Minutes-per-goal

120

152

Goals – xG

-2.3

+2.8

Shots on target %

47.8%

41.9%

Shot-creating actions per 90

2.78

3.52

Goal-creating actions per 90

0.88

0.94

Big chances missed

19

5

Average Sofascore rating

6.84

7.15

As the table outlines, while Dessers’ pure goals and minutes-per-goal statistics are superior, Igamane comes out on top for pretty much every other underlying metric.

In this season’s Europa League for example, the Moroccan ranks second for goals – xG, behind only Malick Fofana of Olympique Lyonnais, while the Nigerian sits joint-fourth bottom for the same metric, out of the 702 players who’ve attempted at least one shot in the competition, above only Ulrik Saltnes, Kevin Rodríguez and compatriot Victor Osimhen.

This emphasises that Igamane is a significantly more clinical centre-forward and, at 22 years old, has a significantly higher ceiling than 30-year-old Dessers.

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Thus, in Premiership matches that don’t matter a great deal, Ferguson should prioritise giving Igamane minutes, starting on Saturday, giving him the opportunity to stake a claim, with the first leg against Athletic Club coming up soon.

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Melbourne Stars have signed Western Australia left-arm pacer Joel Paris as they look to bolster their bowling stocks following a disappointing BBL campaign last season.Paris is set to play for his third BBL club after stints at Perth Scorchers and Hobart Hurricanes. Paris has been a stellar performer at Sheffield Shield level for WA having been a vital member of their attack in back-to-back Shield triumphs which has led to his selection for Australia A in four-day cricket.But he has been a fringe T20 bowler for a number of years having played just 37 BBL games over 10 seasons. He managed just 25 for Perth Scorchers between 2013 and 2020 having been carefully managed through some injury-ravaged seasons, with Scorchers predominantly using him as a reserve for Jason Behrendorff and keeping him fresh for red-ball duties with WA.In 2021 he moved to Hobart Hurricanes to play more T20 cricket but only managed 12 matches in two seasons. His best performance came in swinging conditions at the Gabba last season when he took 2 for 15 from four overs, including 13 dot balls.Related

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Stars have drafted two overseas left-arm pacers last season in Trent Boult and Luke Wood. With no guarantees either would return, and the need to possibly use their No.1 overseas draft pick on a quality spinner. Following the loss of Adam Zampa, Stars took the chance to add Paris to the squad after also signing Australia Test quick Scott Boland.”We identified a need for more left armers who could swing the ball in our team so to secure someone of Joel’s experience is fantastic for the squad,” Stars general manager Blair Crouch said.”He has been part of a very successful system in Perth for a number of years and knows what success looks like and we hope he can emulate that during his time as part of the Stars.”Paris is also a long-time WA teammate of Stars trio Marcus Stoinis, Hilton Cartwright and Nathan Coulter-Nile with the latter also set to sign on for another season.Marnus Labuschagne drives•Getty Images

Meanwhile, Heat have re-signed Marnus Labuschagne for another season under the BBL’s new marquee supplementary list for Cricket Australia contracted players. Under the new rules, BBL franchises will be able to contract as many CA contracted players as they like inside the AUD$3 million salary cap for their regular 18-man roster, as well as two additional players outside of the cap. Those players would be on a standardised AUD$50,000 deal.If they end up playing, only then will their AUD$50,000 deal and AUD$30,000 match fees count to the cap. If the player’s availability comes through unforeseen circumstances, CA will also allow clubs to bring money out of the following season’s cap to fit them in.That would likely only be activated for any player who has been dropped from Australian duties, or if international fixtures were to change. It is to avoid the situation that occurred in the last two seasons where Steven Smith was unable to play for Sydney Sixers due to league contracting rules, despite becoming available to play due to international scheduling changes.Labuschagne has been a regular member of Australia’s Test side since 2019 and has had limited availability in the BBL for Heat due to his Test commitments but has still managed to play three, six, two, and eight games respectively in each of the Heat’s last four seasons. But he has been contracted under Heat’s salary cap in each season without guarantees of his availability. He is unlikely to play much at all this season with Australia playing Test matches throughout the entire BBL season, but Heat were keen to have him if he became available at short notice.”We have seen the enormous impact that Marnus can have not only on a match, but more importantly on a season and on the entire squad, even if he’s only available for a few games, so we treated his re-signing as a priority,” Heat coach Wade Seccombe said.”We don’t know yet exactly how many games he’ll be available for given his international commitments, but we know what he’ll bring to the table both on and off the field whenever he puts the Heat jersey on.”Heat have also re-signed fast bowler Xavier Bartlett for the next two seasons.Melbourne Renegades have re-signed promising allrounder Will Sutherland to a two-year deal that will see him remain at the club until the end of the 2024-25 season.Hobart Hurricanes have re-signed 25-year-old batter Mac Wright for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

The walls are closing in on Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Australian started his tenure in North London with a sensational run of ten games last season, but things have gone from bad to worse since then.

As things stand, the North Londoners are 14th in the Premier League, with more defeats than wins to their name, and while injuries have played their part, the team that lost against Fulham at the weekend was at almost full strength.

Such a poor return this season has understandably seen a number of top managers touted to replace the Australian in the summer, such as Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, but a recent report has now thrown another name into the ring.

Spurs' manager search

According to a recent report from the Telegraph, Daniel Levy and Co have identified Iraloa and Fulham boss Marco Silva as ‘leading candidates’ to replace Postecoglou should they sack him in the summer.

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The report reiterates that following the North Londoners’ latest defeat – their 15th in the Premier League this season – the pressure is starting to mount on the Australian significantly.

Interestingly, while Bournemouth are expected to fight tooth and nail to keep hold of their manager for at least another season, there are ‘doubts emerging over Silva’s future at Fulham’, which could give the Lilywhites a real opportunity to land their man.

Moreover, while he has a contract with the Cottagers until the end of next season, it reportedly has a £6m release clause, making a scenario in which he joins Spurs entirely plausible.

Why Spurs should hire Silva

So, the argument for sacking Postecoglou is pretty straightforward: he’s lost 19 of 46 games this season and is averaging just 1.50 points per game across all competitions.

However, if it comes down to choosing between Silva and Iraola in the summer to replace him, why should Levy and Co go with the former?

Well, the first reason is the simple fact that, as mentioned above, he seems eminently more gettable than the Spaniard, which in turn could lead to a smoother transition from Ange and a better start to next season.

Silva vs Iraola 24/25
Manager	Silva	Iraola
Games (All Comps)	34	33
Wins	16	15
Draws	9	8
Losses	9	10
Points per Game	1.68	1.61
All Stats via Transfermarkt

The second reason is that, despite all the deserved attention the Bournemouth boss has received this season, the Lisboa-born gaffer is actually having a better campaign.

For example, across all competitions this term, the former Rayo Vallecano boss has won 15 games, drawn eight, lost ten and averaged 1.61 points per game, while the former Everton manager has won 16, drawn nine, lost nine and averaged 1.68 points per game.

Finally, while both managers are incredibly exciting and doing exceptionally well with their respective sides at the moment, the “special” Silva, as dubbed by journalist Jack Kelly, has far more experience working in English football, managing Hull City, Watford and Everton before taking the job in West London.

So, there is inherently less risk in hiring him, which, after a season like this one, is something that’ll surely appeal to the powers that be in N17.

Ultimately, it looks like Postecoglou’s time in the Tottenham hot seat is probably coming to an end in the summer, and if Levy and Co want to give the team the best chance of moving forward next season, they should look to bring in the man who has made Fulham a scary proposition.

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Fast bowler confirms decision at close of third day’s play, to bring end to 167-match career

Andrew Miller29-Jul-2023Stuart Broad has announced that the ongoing fifth Test of the Ashes series will be the last match of his professional career.Broad made his decision “at about 8.30pm” on Friday evening, the second day of the Test at The Oval, and informed his long-standing team-mates James Anderson and Joe Root of his decision before play on Saturday morning, and was understood to be fighting back tears at the time.He will bow out as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in Test history, and second among seam bowlers behind only his team-mate Anderson, having reached 600 Test wickets during the Old Trafford Test last week.”It’s been a wonderful ride, a huge privilege to wear the Nottinghamshire and the England badge as much as I have,” Broad told Sky Sports at the close of the third day’s play. “And I’m loving cricket as much as I ever have. It’s been such a wonderful series to be a part of, and I’ve always wanted to finish at the top. And this series just feels like it’s been one of the most enjoyable and entertaining I’ve been a part of.”Related

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Broad has scope to add to his current tally of 602 wickets when England embark on the fourth innings at The Oval, where they will aim to square the Ashes series at 2-2, and could yet add to his runs tally of 3656 after he and Anderson finished the third day unbeaten in their tenth-wicket stand.His career, however, will be synonymous with Ashes cricket. Uniquely, he has played in every home Ashes Test since his first series against Australia in 2009, claiming 104 wickets at 26.56 in those 25 Tests. In the course of this series, he also overtook Ian Botham’s long-standing record for Test wickets against Australia, with a total of 151 now to his name.”I’ve been thinking about it for a while, a few weeks,” he added. “England vs Australia has always been the pinnacle for me – I have loved the battles with Australia that have come my way and the team’s way, I have a love affair with Ashes and I think I wanted my last bat and bowl to be in Ashes cricket.”I told Stokesy [Ben Stokes] last night and told the changing room this morning and, to be honest, it just felt the right time and I didn’t want friends or Nottinghamshire team-mates to see things that might come out, so I prefer to just say it now, and just give it a good crack for the last Australia innings.”I have thought a lot about it, and even up till 8pm last night, I was 50/50. But when I went up to Stokesy’s room and told him, I have felt really happy since and content with everything I have achieved.”Broad made his England debut in a T20I against Pakistan in Cardiff in August 2006, two months after his 20th birthday, and went on to play the first of his 167 Tests the following winter, against Sri Lanka at the SSC in Colombo.He claimed a solitary wicket in that contest, that of Chaminda Vaas, on what was one of the most unforgiving surfaces he would ever encounter, but his career began in earnest in Wellington the following March, when he and Anderson were selected for the second Test against New Zealand, in place of the Ashes-winning pair of Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard, and together proved instrumental in instigating a 2-1 series turnaround.

“It does make me feel proud to have 150 Test wickets against the Aussies, to be in that sort of category with Warnie and Glenn above. I’ve loved every moment of bowling against Australia for sure – apart from Mitchell Johnson bowling at Brisbane, that was horrific”

Broad’s breakthrough performance came at the same venue where he will now bow out. With the 2009 Ashes locked at 1-1 going into the fifth Test at The Oval, and England feeling the pressure after an innings defeat in the previous Test at Headingley, Broad embarked on the first of the rampaging spells for which his career would eventually be known.Despite being the fifth bowler used by Andrew Strauss in Australia’s first innings, Broad trapped Shane Watson lbw with the sixth ball of his spell, then picked off Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin in quick succession. Australia’s innings collapsed from 73 for 0 to 133 for 8 by the time his spell was done, and by the time England sealed victory on the final afternoon, his place in Ashes folklore was secure.Remarkably, Broad would go on to deliver the coup de grace in each of England’s next two home Ashes victories – at Chester-le-Street in 2013, he returned the single-spell figures of 9.3-1-22-6 to put the series out of Australia’s reach, before his defining performance two years later at Trent Bridge, where he returned the incredible first-day figures of 8 for 15 in 9.3 overs to rout Australia for 60.In between those campaigns, his combative nature was perhaps best exemplified by his performance at Brisbane on the opening day of the 2013-14 Ashes. He went into that series as Public Enemy No.1, with the local Courier-Mail newspaper boycotting the use of his name in protest at his decision to stand his ground for a catch in England’s tense victory at Trent Bridge in the previous summer’s series.Broad rose above the noise, and the abuse from the crowd, to return a first-day five-for – and even walked into his press conference with a copy of the paper under his arm. As it turned out, Mitchell Johnson would outdo his efforts in the same match to set up a 5-0 Ashes rout, but Broad’s character had come through a fierce test of resolve.”I grew up from such a young age being besotted by [Ashes cricket],” he said. “I certainly think as a player, I’ve had a good record in England against Australia. Ultimately, I think the competitiveness of what Australia bring to cricket brings out the best in me. I love the energy that the crowd brings to it. I know my emotions have to be sky-high for me to be a good bowler.”It does make me feel proud to have 150 Test wickets against the Aussies, to be in that sort of category with Warnie [Shane Warne] and Glenn [McGrath] above. I’ve loved every moment of bowling against Australia for sure – apart from Mitchell Johnson bowling at Brisbane, that was horrific.”

“Jimmy will carry on, definitely. He’s feeling really good and fresh, and there’s a bit of a break after this series [ahead of] an India tour where he’s got a fantastic record. It never felt right for us to go together…”

For the early part of his England career, Broad had genuine aspirations as an allrounder – like his father Chris, whose three centuries in the 1986-87 Ashes were the defining factor in England’s famous away win – he started life as a left-handed opener, and his height made his back-foot cover-drive a particular strength.At Lord’s in 2010, Broad wrote his name on to the batting honours boards with a career-best 169 against Pakistan (in a match better known for the spot-fixing scandal). However, a vicious blow to the face by the Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron in 2014 dented his confidence with the bat, and it wasn’t until he took a leaf from Warne’s tactics as a tailender that he revived his batting credentials.With a tendency to retreat to leg and trust his eye to hit the ball as hard and far as possible, Broad went on to become a dangerous counter-attacking hitter in England’s lower-order, including a stint as the so-called “Nighthawk” in the ongoing Bazball era, with a licence to subvert the conventions of traditional nightwatcher tactics by taking the attack back to the bowlers in the day’s closing overs.Broad is expected to step straight into a role with Sky Sports after his retirement, although he admitted that his first priority at the end of the Ashes would be “baby-sitting duties”, after he and his fiancee Mollie King celebrated the birth of their first child, Annabella, in November last year.”There’s quite a long break after this series so I was getting a lot of time off anyway,” he said. “Even within this Ashes series, I’ve been home for seven or eight nights, maybe. I feel like I haven’t seen Annabella and Mollie as much as I would like to at such a young age. I love everything about being a dad. Did it come into my decision? Potentially. There’s certainly something that fills my heart with joy about the fact I’ll be spending a bit more time at home.”As for his longest-standing team-mate, Anderson – around whom most of the retirement speculation in this series has swirled – Broad was as unequivocal as the man himself had been when asked of his own plans on the second evening.”Jimmy will carry on, definitely,” Broad said. “He’s feeling really good and fresh, and there’s a bit of a break after this series [ahead of] an India tour where he’s got a fantastic record. It never felt right for us to go together… I was delighted to hear that Jimmy will keep going and carry on.”

فتح مصطفى يونس، نجم الأهلي السابق، النار على مسؤولي القلعة الحمراء، كاشفًا عن كواليس صادمة حول استبعاد نجله من قطاع الناشئين، مؤكدًا أن القرار تم بناءً على تعليمات، وموضحًا أن ما حدث معه تكرر مع أبناء نجوم آخرين.

وقال مصطفى يونس في تصريحات عبر قناة “on e”: “من الذي أخرج نجلك من الأهلي؟ فتحي مبروك بتعليمات، ليس نجلي فقط، بل نجل محمد عمارة، وأنا أعلنت ذلك في أحد البرامج”.

وتابع: “فتحي مبروك أخرج نجلي من الأهلي، لأن شخصًا ما قابلني في النادي وقال لي (يا كابتن مصطفى النادي ضم 3 ناشئين مقابل 10 ملايين جنيه في الموسم الماضي، ثم رحلوا هذا الموسم)”.

طالع أيضًا | طارق يحيى: فيريرا يشبه مدرب الزمالك السابق.. وأرفض الإساءة لـ الأهلي

وأضاف: “قلت لـ فتحي مبروك وإكرامي كلام لا أستطيع أن أقوله على الهواء.. وكيف هذا يحدث؟ ثم عدت لمنزلي، في اليوم التالي الساعة 7 صباحًا اتصل بي أحمد سراج (أحد المدربين في الناشئين بالأهلي)، قال لي -والله يا كابتن ليس لي علاقة.. قالوا لي مشي ابن مصطفى يونس-“.

وبسؤاله، من صاحب تلك التعليمات؟ أجاب مصطفى يونس بتهكم: “هيكون مين.. من أمي؟!”، وأضاف: “أحمد سراج قال لي إنهم طلبوا منه إن نجلي يرحل من النادي”.

وأردف: “هم يعتبرون أنني عندما أتواجد في النادي سأعرف ماذا يحدث وسأعلن ذلك وأتكلم، مثلما سمعت من أشخاص يعملون في النادي، ليس مصطفى يونس الذي يذهب للمسؤولين ويقول لهم لماذا أخرجتم نجلي من النادي”.

واختتم: “ابن مدير البنك يلعب، وابن فلان يلعب ولم نفز ببطولة في النادي الأهلي، ولم نُصعد لاعب من الأهلي، منذ كنت لاعبًا في ناشئي الأهلي فزت بكل البطولات، ولم أخسر سوى بطولة واحدة لم أكن أشارك بها”.

Dele Alli has reportedly split from girlfriend Cindy Kimberly after a three-year romance, with the ex-England star partying with a model in Ibiza.

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Dele went public with Kimberly in 2022Spaniard has removed posts on social mediaEx-England star holidaying in Mediterranean Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Tottenham and Everton midfielder Dele, who is now on the books of Serie A side Como, went public with 26-year-old Spaniard Kimberly – who once graced the cover of Sports Illustrated – in June 2022.

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The pair have spent plenty of time together in Italy, with Kimberly embracing the “WAG” lifestyle. are, however, reporting that the couple have decided to head their separate ways.

THE GOSSIP

Kimberly has removed all reference to Dele from her Instagram account, while also unfollowing the 29-year-old. It is not the first time that the pair have faced split rumours, but it may be the last.

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GettyWHAT A SOURCE SAID

Kimberly is currently in Marrakech promoting her new clothing line, while Dele has headed for a summer vacation in Ibiza. He has been seen in the company of Amsterdam-based model Parmida Shahbazy while on the White Isle.

A source told GSM: “We saw both of them at Pacha Ibiza. They came down from a car together and went straight into the VIP behind the DJ booth. They were there all night.” Dele’s sister Molly and Parmida now follow one another on social media.

Manchester City need to get their 2025 summer transfer window spot on. It certainly feels like we are in the midst of another changing of the guard at the Etihad Stadium. Several of their biggest names could depart the club in the summer, with Kevin De Buryne one player who may be on his way out.

The Belgian stalwart will not be the only one who could be in line to depart the Etihad Stadium. At the end of February, The Mirror reported the likes of Bernardo Silva, Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan, to name but three could also be sold.

This, of course, means City need reinforcements, particularly in the centre of the pitch…

Man City's big-money midfield target

One of the biggest weaknesses in City’s side this season has been their midfield with Rodri missing for most of the campaign through injury.

Nico Gonzalez did arrive in January but despite that, some big figures could still depart Manchester in the summer

So, in a bid to replace them, one of the players the club is targeting is Newcastle’s Brazilian superstar Bruno Guimaraes.

According to a report from Graeme Bailey, in conversation with Manchester City News, he believes the Newcastle midfielder is a genuine target, stating Pep Guardiola’s side could end up ‘making a play for him in some manner’ this summer.

In terms of a price for Guimaraes, the Citizens could be looking at paying upwards of £100m, at least according to Bailey. That would see him cost as much as Jack Grealish did back in 2021 from Aston Villa, and become their joint record signing.

Why Guimaraes would be a good signing

There is no doubt that Guimaraes’ impact at St James’ Park has been second to none.

The Brazilian, who was once described as a “flawless” player by Statman Dave, has been pivotal in the middle of the park for Eddie Howe’s side, helping them to their first domestic trophy in 70 years at the weekend.

This season, the midfielder has been truly excellent in the middle of midfield, playing 37 times across all competitions, scoring three goals and grabbing eight assists.

One of his best performances came against Liverpool in the Premier League, where he grabbed two assists in a 3-3 draw. It’s that level of performance against a big side that’s attracted the Citizens ahead of the summer.

Should City get this deal over the line, it is a signing that has a similar feeling to that of Erling Haaland. That is to say, someone who can have an immediate impact on the side and become one of the club’s best players.

The Norweigan striker has been sensational for City. So far for the club, he has 119 goals and 18 assists in just 137 games. The 52 goals he scored in his debut season helped City win their first Champions League and the treble.

Of course, it will be hard for Guimaraes to replicate the exact impact Haaland had, helping City win a treble, but like the City number 9 did when replacing Sergio Aguero, the Newcastle star can help to revitalise a midfield that is ageing and arguably past its best.

In signing Guimaraes, City would be getting the full package of a midfielder, as the stats from the last 365 days on FBref show. For example, the Magpies number 39 averages 7.69 progressive passes, which places him in the top 7% of midfielders in Europe, and 5.66 ball recoveries per game.

Progressive passes

7.69

93rd

Key passes

1.57

83rd

Shot-creating actions

4.06

93rd

Successful take-ons

1.35

94th

Ball recoveries

5.66

72nd

There is no doubt the Brazilian upgrades the City midfield. As an all-around package in the middle of the park, he is one of the best in Europe, as the stats show. He brings athleticism, dynamism and progression into City’s midfield, something which they have lacked this season.

It would be an expensive deal to do this summer, but singing Guimaraes could be the addition City need to help spur them back up the Premier League table this season.

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