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When it comes to the definitive Tottenham Hotspur player of the last decade or so, most people will think of Son Heung-min.

After all, the South Korean international was captain of the club when they won the Europa League last year and wore the shirt for a decade.

However, another Lilywhites star who at least has to be in contention for the title is, of course, Harry Kane.

While the England captain did leave the club, he is their all-time top goalscorer and was arguably the key player in the side that came painfully close to Premier League glory.

Unfortunately, he’s now blowing people away in Germany and is an early contender for next year’s Ballon d’Or. Worse yet, another striker Spurs sold is now starting to emulate the world-class forward.

Why Kane could win the Ballon d'Or

While there was a 15 year period in which the Ballon d’Or would generally go to either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, things are a lot more open these days.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

For example, Rodri won the award in 2024, and Ousmane Dembélé won it last month. So with this in mind, there is no reason Kane couldn’t be holding that golden ball next year.

In fact, in his usually humble way, the former Spurs star has already made it clear that he would “love to win” it.

Moreover, with the consideration for next year’s award beginning at the start of this season, it would be fair to say that, as things stand, the 32-year-old stands a great chance of getting his wish.

For example, in just ten appearances for Bayern, totalling 827 minutes, the Walthamstow-born machine has already scored 18 goals and provided three assists.

Appearances

10

Starts

10

Minutes

827′

Goals

18

Assists

3

Goal Involvements per Match

2.1

Minutes per Goal Involvement

39.38′

Minutes per Goal

45.94′

In other words, the “generational” talent, as dubbed by former manager Ange Postecoglou, has been averaging 2.1 goal involvements per game this season, or one every 39.38 minutes, which is utterly incredible.

Another way to look at those numbers is that, when you take away those three assists, the Englishman is averaging a goal every 45.94 minutes, which is undeniably world-class.

At the end of the day, there wasn’t really much Spurs could have done to keep hold of Kane in 2023, but they certainly could have retained another striker sold the following summer who is putting up numbers similar to his this season.

The former Spurs gem emulating Kane

As with all big clubs, Spurs have gotten rid of their fair share of players they should’ve kept over the years, and one international who is starting to fit that category is Troy Parrott.

The Irish international joined the club’s academy setup in 2017, but made just four competitive appearances for the first team before being sent out on several loans to Millwall, Ipswich Town, MK Dons and Preston North End.

Then, in the summer of 2023, Postecoglou sent him abroad for his fifth loan spell, to Dutch side Excelsior, and it was a brilliant move as, in just 32 appearances, he notched up 17 goals and five assists.

That was enough to convince fellow Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar to come in with a £6.7m offer, which was enough to tempt the North Londoners into selling, a decision that, based on how things have gone since, might have been a mistake.

In his first season with De Kaasboeren, the 23-year-old poacher found the back of the net 20 times and provided five assists in 47 appearances, totalling 3432 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.88 games, or every 137.28 minutes.

However, this season, the “phenomenal” forward, as dubbed by former manager Ryan Lowe, has taken things to a whole new level.

In just eight appearances, totalling 509 minutes, the Dublin-born goal machine has put the ball in the back of the net ten times and provided two assists for good measure.

Appearances

47

8

Minutes

3432′

509′

Goals

20

10

Assists

5

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.53

1.5

Minutes per Goal Involvements

137.28′

42.41′

That comes out to a brilliant average of 1.5 goal involvements every game, or every one every 42.41 minutes, which is a rate of return that is pretty much on parity with Kane’s.

Ultimately, it’s impossible to say how Parrott would have gotten on had he not moved to the Netherlands two years ago, but given his incredible form since then, he certainly feels like a player Thomas Franks would appreciate.

Tottenham Hotspur's most expensive sales of all time

A look at Spurs’ record departures in their history.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 7, 2025

Thomas Frank’s success at Brentford over a seven-year period undoubtedly led to his appointment at Tottenham Hotspur, often relying on one player during his time with the Bees.

Bryan Mbeumo was often the Dane’s star man across London, with his final season working with his former manager undoubtedly the best of his professional career.

The Cameroonian international netted 20 times last campaign, helping the side secure a top-half finish in Frank’s final campaign at the helm in West London.

After his appointment with the Lilywhites, the 51-year-old attempted to land the 26-year-old attacker, but he had his heart set on a transfer to Manchester United.

Missing out on the £71m star would have been a bitter blow to the manager, but he delved into the market to land another big-money Premier League star to provide the quality he hunted for.

Mohammed Kudus’ time at Spurs so far

During the summer transfer window, Spurs splashed £55m on the signature of Mohammed Kudus, with the Ghanaian winger the player Frank chose in his hunt for success.

Such a deal was part of the Lilywhites’ over £100m spending spree, already nailing down the right-wing role in the manager’s 4-3-3 system in North London.

The 25-year-old has wasted no time in impressing the fanbase, with his subsequent transfer fee now looking like an excellent piece of business by the hierarchy.

Whilst he’s yet to open his account for his new club, Kudus has already registered two assists, with both coming on the opening day in the 3-0 triumph over Burnley.

His recent showing against Villarreal in the Champions League also highlighted his immediate impact – completing four dribbles, the most of any player within the encounter.

However, despite his recent impressive displays, it appears as though the manager has found his new Mbeumo at Spurs, but in an unlikely source that not many fans would expect.

The Spurs star who’s becoming Frank’s next Mbeumo

In the last three years, Spurs have spent over £400m on new additions, highlighting the hierarchy’s ambitions to take the club to the next level.

Their Europa League triumph is evidence that their investment has been worthwhile, allowing a generation of supporters to experience a once-in-a-lifetime European success.

Brennan Johnson, who joined in a £47.5m deal from Nottingham Forest in 2023, scored the winner in such a game, further reflecting the impact of their big-spending in the transfer market.

However, centre-back Micky van de Ven has also showcased his excellent form since his own move, making himself a household name on the teamsheet – just like Kudus has in recent weeks.

The Dutchman joined the Lilywhites in a £40m deal from Wolfsburg in the same summer as Johnson, subsequently going on to make over 50 appearances in England.

He’s built an unbreakable partnership at the heart of the defence alongside club-captain Cristian Romero – with the duo keeping a clean sheet during the Europa League final triumph.

Van de Ven has taken his performance levels to new heights since Frank’s arrival, arguably being the Dane’s most important player in the early stages of the 2025/26 campaign.

The 24-year-old has been a part of the backline which has kept four clean sheets in the first five competitive outings, helping the side secure the win in the opening Champions League clash last night.

The Dutchman, who’s been labelled “incredible” by one analyst, has shown glimpses of being the manager’s own Mbeumo, following a similar pattern of moving to England from Europe at a young age.

Games played

13

Goals & assists

2

Pass accuracy

91%

Dribble success

50%

Tackles won

60%

Aerials won

1.7

Interceptions made

1.1

Recoveries made

5.6

While he operates in a hugely different position, he’s still managed to star at both ends of the pitch, even netting a goal in the recent Premier League victory over West Ham at the London Stadium.

His rise in market value is also similar to that of the Cameroonian international, subsequently being valued at £58.3m by FootballTransfers – an increase of £18.3m on the fee paid for his signature.

It’s clear that Frank wants to build a defensive foundation for any future success, as seen by their incredible record of just one goal conceded in 2025/26 across all competitions.

Whilst Kudus has the star qualities in attack to provide added ammunition, the presence of Van de Ven at the back is arguably just as important – further highlighting why he’s rapidly developing into the manager’s most important player at present.

Forget Kudus & Simons: Spurs star is becoming a "superstar" under Frank

Tottenham Hotspur have unearthed yet another top-level star in the Champions League last night.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 17, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Concórdia chega na última rodada da fase de grupos da Série D do Brasileirão na luta por uma vaga na próxima fase da competição. A goleada sobre o Caxias por 4 a 0, na última rodada, deu um gás a mais para o Galo do Oeste que visita o Brasil de Pelotas, na última rodada.

Nome que chamava atenção por suas apresentações no sub-20, o meio-campista Pedro Cella ganhou mais espaço na reta final da Série D (mais precisamente, desde o último mês de junho) e não decepcionou. Com ótimas atuações, ele vem ajudando o Concórdia a manter as esperanças por uma vaga na próxima fase.

– Estou muito feliz com o momento. É importante para um jogador jovem, como eu, esse tipo de sequência e em um torneio tão equilibrado como a Série D. Com muito trabalho e pés no chão, consegui buscar meu espaço e fico grato por ajudar o Concórdia – afirmou.

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Pedro Cella também analisou o confronto decisivo diante dos gaúchos onde, na visão do jogador, o importante é o Concórdia fazer a parte dele sem pensar nos demais resultados:

– É uma decisão. O Brasil de Pelotas está atrás da nossa equipe na tabela, mas ainda tem também chances de avançar. Precisamos ter foco total no jogo, sem ansiedade pelo o que acontece nos outros jogos. Um jogo onde precisamos de muita concentração e aproveitar as chances que tivermos. Estou preparado e o elenco também para buscarmos essa vaga.

Tendo atualmente 19 pontos e estando na quinta posição do Grupo 8, a equipe catarinense está atrás no saldo de gol de outro clube do estado, o Camboriú, última equipe da chave atualmente classificada.

Além disso, o CAC tem apenas um ponto a menos do que o terceiro (São Joseense) e o segundo colocado da chave, o Caxias, sendo que ambos se enfrentam na rodada derradeira da primeira fase. Com isso, basta vencer e o Concórdia estará, inevitavelmente, na próxima fase da Série D.

أشاد لاعب نادي ريال مدريد السابق، بقدرات أسطورة الفريق الملكي ومهاجم النصر السعودي الحالي، كريستيانو رونالدو، موضحًا أن الأخير قدم له الكثير من النصائح خلال فترته مع النادي الإسباني.

رونالدو يعتبر من أهم اللاعبين الذين مروا على تاريخ ريال مدريد، حيث استمر الدولي البرتغالي مع النادي الإسباني لمدة تسع سنوات وسجل العديد من الأهداف مع الروخي بلانكوس.

وانتهت رحلة رونالدو مع ريال مدريد خلال صيف عام 2018، حيث غادر اللاعب صفوف الميرنجي ليوقع مع يوفنتوس مقابل 100 مليون يورو.

اقرأ أيضًا .. راشفورد: سأصل إلى أفضل مستوياتي في تلك الحالة .. وبرشلونة جعلني أستمر مع منتخب إنجلترا

وأكد مدافع ريال مدريد السابق وألباسيتي الحالي، خيسوس فاييخو، أن رونالدو له فضل كبير عليه حقًا في مسيرته الكروية.

وقال فاييخو في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة ماركا: ”أكثر ما أثار إعجابي في غرفة ملابس ريال مدريد هو كريستيانو. ثباته ومثابرته جعلته مميزًا ومختلفًا، هو لاعب استثنائي وكان له تأثير علي ودعمني بكل ما أوتي من قوة، وأسدى لي الكثير من النصائح”.

كما كشف فاييخو عن تلقيه عرضًا من أتلتيكو مدريد، عندما كان لا يزال في صفوف ريال سرقسطة، حيث أضاف: ”لم يطلب مني ذلك من قبل، ولكن عندما كنت في صفوف شباب سرقسطة تلقيت عروضًا من فياريال وأتلتيكو مدريد، راهن سرقسطة علي وشعرت بالحب وقررت البقاء”.

وعن صعوبة ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو على الفرق المنافسة أوضح فاييخو: “رأيت كيف بدأ منافسون مثل باريس سان جيرمان أو مانشستر سيتي يرتكبون الأخطاء. الملعب يثير إعجابك، لقد شعرت بأن هناك مباريات يمنحك فيها اللعب على البرنابيو الصعود والفوز”.

وعن مدرب ريال مدريد السابق ، جولين لوبيتيجي والذي غادر الفريق الملكي عام 2019 لسوء النتائج، أجاب فاييخو: ”من المؤسف أنه لم يبق لفترة أطول، إنه مدرب رائع لكنه وصل في وقت صعب للغاية، كان ذلك العام صعبًا للغاية، عندما عاد زيدان أخبرنا أنه سيأتي ليعاني معنا”.

وعن مشاركته الشهيرة في إياب نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا عام 2022 أمام مانشستر سيتي اختتم فاييخو: ”عانى ميليتاو من بعض الانزعاج وشعرت أنه قادر على اللعب، شعرت بالقوة والاستعداد وكانت فرصة رائعة، وقد استمتعت بها كثيرًا”.

Head and bowlers will not feature while Carey, Konstas, Webster and Marsh are fully available prior to Sri Lanka tour

Alex Malcolm07-Jan-2025

Steven Smith is set to play three BBL games prior to the Sri Lanka tour while Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja will only be allowed to play one, as part of individual plans worked out with Cricket Australia’s high-performance team. Travis Head and Australia’s bowlers, meanwhile, are all set to rest before heading overseas.While Smith, Labuschagne and Khawaja will be restricted in their appearances, Alex Carey, Sam Konstas, Beau Webster, Mitchell Marsh and Jhye Richardson have all been cleared to play in the remainder of the BBL.Head, along with Scott Boland, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc will not play any part in the BBL season despite all being contracted.Australia are likely to announce a 16-man touring party for two Tests in Sri Lanka in the coming days and the squad is set to depart for the UAE for a pre-tour camp on January 19 or 20 meaning none of the touring party will be available for the BBL finals series which runs from January 21-27.Related

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Cummins likely to miss Sri Lanka tour but no end in sight for captaincy

Marsh set for BBL return after losing Test place

It remains to be seen whether all of the squad members from the Sydney Test against India are taken to Sri Lanka, with Josh Inglis, Peter Handscomb, Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann all coming into the mix. Glenn Maxwell is also a chance to head to Sri Lanka but with Australia already securing a spot in the World Test Championship, the need for his subcontinental experience has diminished and there is a chance the selectors might look towards the 2027 tour of India with how they shape the squad.Smith will miss Sydney Sixers clash with Melbourne Stars at the MCG on Thursday but is set to be available to play against Perth Scorches at the SCG on Saturday, with Marsh and Richardson also set to feature after they were included in Scorchers squad to face Renegades at home on Tuesday night.Smith will then be available to play against Adelaide Strikers on January 15 and Sydney Thunder on January 17, where Konstas will also play. Despite the fifth Test finishing a few days ago, Konstas is set to play for Thunder against Hobart Hurricanes in Sydney tomorrow night and in Thunder’s last four games.Khawaja and Labuschagne will only be made available for Brisbane Heat’s home clash with Hurricanes on January 16 after having 10 days off. They will not be made available for Heat’s last clash in Melbourne against Renegades on January 18 given they will likely head overseas the next day.Curiously, Carey has been made available for Adelaide Strikers’ last three matches, including a match in Perth on January 18. Webster is supposedly available for Stars on January 19 at this stage. It is understood that those players could make a staggered departure to the UAE in order to play in those BBL games if required.Head is contracted to Strikers but spoke of his need for a rest in the immediate aftermath of the Sydney Test and will not play any of those matches. Head also has an IPL contract and looks set for a near non-stop touring schedule from Sri Lanka onwards with trips to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, India for the IPL, England for the WTC final and the Caribbean for three Tests and some white-ball matches set to keep him on the road until July.Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins are staring at a similar schedule in the face although Cummins is likely to miss both Sri Lanka Tests for the birth of his second child while Hazlewood might be ruled out due to a calf injury.Lyon has been rested from the BBL despite a very light workload during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But at 37, having had a major calf injury in 2023, he is being managed ahead of two Tests in Galle where he looks likely to be Australia’s most relied-upon bowler.CA’s high-performance team and the BBL have long been discussing the availability of the Test stars during this short window between the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the Sri Lanka tour, with the BBL keen to have all players available for as many games as possible while the national selectors, coaches and medical staff were very keen to have as many of their stars rest during this precious window without international cricket. CA’s head of National Teams Ben Oliver said the decision on each player’s BBL availability had been made based on each individual program.”A five-Test match series is gruelling, and this was amplified by the intensity of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” Oliver said. “The players and staff deserve great credit for their preparation and management which has enabled sustained performance through what is a full international schedule.”We have worked with each player to form individualised plans which will best support recovery from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and preparation for upcoming international commitments including the tour of Sri Lanka and ICC Champions Trophy. Wherever possible, this includes players representing their clubs in the ongoing BBL season over the coming fortnight.”BBL general manager Alistair Dobson was pleased to get some of the Test stars playing in the competition over the next fortnight.”We are delighted to have number of Australian Test players entering the competition from tonight off the back of their historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory, and thank them for their commitment to the BBL,” Dobson said.

In a few weeks, Arsenal will begin the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, and their eyes will be riveted on the prize.

Having fallen short in each of the past three seasons, the Gunners know that this is a big one, with Mikel Arteta’s side having gone five years without silverware.

But the improvements have been vast, these recent years. A lack of trophies aside, this has been an incredible resurgence for a giant who had been cast to the wayside before.

There’s a strong case for Arsenal’s unfortunate injury record across the 2024/25 term to have impeded them in their pursuit of glory, but Arteta has revised the issues and made some impactful summer signings to take his squad to the next level.

And the months of work have now been crowned by the addition of Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Why Arsenal signed Viktor Gyokeres

Technically, Gyokeres isn’t yet an official Arsenal player, but the centre-forward has been the subject of an agreed £64m deal that will see him stand as Arteta’s chief goal-getter over the coming years.

The Sweden international scored 97 goals and added 28 assists across 102 matches for Sporting, winning the Liga Portugal in both of his seasons at the club.

Aged 27, he’s in the prime of his career, described by former Coventry City coach Adi Viveash as being a “physical machine”. He has what it takes to become one of the leading Premier League strikers of his era, rivalling the best over the coming years.

There’s no question that Gyokeres will be a fantastic signing for Arsenal, but there remains that slight uncertainty, for he has yet to ply his trade in the Premier League.

However, Arsenal are lining up another star who could prove to be an even better signing – and that’s not to Gyokeres’ discredit.

Arsenal agree fee for Premier League star

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are confident that they will complete the signing of Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze this summer, having agreed to pay his £68m release clause through a series of manageable instalments.

Eze scored the winning goal as Palace won the FA Cup final against Manchester City last season, and has been expected to leave for a new challenge, having already agreed personal terms with the Gunners.

The £100k-per-week talent has also attracted interest from Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, but it’s Arteta’s side who are set to enjoy his qualities next season and beyond, should the finer details of the transfer go through without a hitch.

What Eberechi Eze would bring to Arsenal

Like Gyokeres, Eze is 27, and would provide the Gunners with maturity and completeness of development. The Three Lions star’s 2024/25 season proved to the world that he has what it takes to become a star member of one of Europe’s elite outfits.

Pundit Rio Ferdinand hailed his “unique” style of play back in March, going on to claim he could “play for one of the top teams” in the world.

A dribble-happy attacking midfielder, Eze’s low centre of gravity, immense core strength and skilled passing game make him a difficult opponent indeed, with so many different ways to hurt his opponents.

Typically used as a left-sided midfielder by Oliver Glasner over the past 18 months, Eze completed 82% of his passes in the Premier League last term, as per Sofascore, while averaging two dribbles, 1.7 key passes and 4.8 successful duels per game, underscoring his roundedness.

His ability to shift, seamlessly, between the left flank and a more central attacking position bespeaks his sharpness and intelligence. Eze, in this regard, could plug two holes for Arteta, with both Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli linked with moves away this summer.

While Eze has become more potent over the past few years, he remains a robust physical profile who could dynamise the club’s overall attacking build-up.

As per FBref, he ranked last season among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for successful take-ons and the top 14% for ball recoveries per 90.

There’s no question that Gyokeres would bring to Arsenal a newfound degree of goalscoring quality, but there’s also no doubt that Eze has a skill set so impressive that he could come to nail down a starting berth on the left flank and emerge as one of Arteta’s most trusted lieutenants.

Will Arsenal’s soon-to-be-sealed striker hit the ground running in England’s top flight? Will he manage to retain that same level of destructive brilliance in tougher conditions, against steelier defenders?

These are the questions, and we shall soon find out. In any case, Eze has built himself up over a number of years in Europe’s highest-quality division, and, of course, with Gyokeres as a target man in the middle, both could enjoy the fruits of each other’s labours.

In Gyokeres, Arsenal will secure the centre-forward they have desired over the past several years. However, Eze might prove to be the better signing, all things considered.

His higher fee reflects that, and so does the consistency for Palace in the Premier League over the past five years, even leading analyst Ben Mattinson to call him a “superstar”.

Worth more than Isak & Gyokeres: Arsenal struck gold on "world-class" star

Arsenal have a bigger talent than all of the high-profile names floating about due to this summer’s transfer window.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 26, 2025

Mahmudullah will retire from T20Is at the end of Bangladesh’s ongoing bilateral series in India. He made the announcement on Tuesday, at a press conference on the eve of the second game in Delhi. Mahmudullah, 38, said that he had informed the relevant people in Bangladesh cricket about his decision, and will continue playing ODIs.”I am retiring from T20I cricket after the last game of this series. I was pre-decided before coming here,” Mahmudullah said. “I had a chat with my family. I spoke to the coach [Chandika Hathurusinghe], captain [Najmul Hossain Shanto], chief selector [Gazi Ashraf Hossain] and the board president [Faruque Ahmed] as well. I think it is the right time to move on from this format for me and the team. Especially with the World Cup coming up in less than two years. I will concentrate on the one-day game.”Three years ago, Mahmudullah had retired from Tests during a game against Zimbabwe. His white-ball career went off the rails somewhat when he was dropped for two years from the T20I side, missing 27 matches between 2022 and 2023. He returned in T20Is with a 54 against Sri Lanka earlier this year, but had an ordinary campaign at the T20 World Cup, before falling for 1 in the first T20I against India in Gwalior.Related

• High-flying India favourites for high-scoring contest in Delhi

• Bangladesh are behind the curve in T20I cricket, and it shows

A former captain in the format, Mahmudullah will retire as the join third-most-capped T20I player in history. He has played 139 matches and two more matches will take him level with George Dockrell at 141. He is also Bangladesh’s second-highest run-scorer in the format, only behind Shakib Al Hasan. Mahmudullah has also played in the most defeats in this format, and earlier this year he became Bangladesh’s oldest player in T20Is.Mahmudullah’s T20I career will be remembered for his transformation as a big-hitter almost a decade after his debut. At the start of 2016, Hathurusinghe had given him the role of finisher. He took up the challenge, adding more aerial shots to his repertoire.”Back in 2016, there was a T20 World Cup in India. Before that, we had a training camp in Khulna. I changed my batting approach from that camp,” Mahmudullah said. “I had to bat at No. 6 or 7, so I decided to change my approach and style. It was the team’s finisher role. It was a very tricky place to bat. Not always you could finish the game. People would usually highlight the ones you didn’t finish, rather than the ones you were there for. But it is part and parcel of this game.”He raised his strike rate for the following couple of years, culminating in his best T20 knock in 2018. His unbeaten 43 off 18 balls against Sri Lanka took Bangladesh to the Nidahas Trophy final, and it was played with an umpiring controversy around, which led to then captain Shakib nearly calling off the Bangladesh innings. Despite all that – during the last over of an already tense chase – Mahmudullah held his nerve and won the match off the penultimate ball when he whipped Isuru Udana for a six.Mahmudullah called the innings a career “highlight”, and identified Bangladesh’s defeat against India in the 2016 T20 World Cup match in Bengaluru as the most “frustrating moment” in his career. He said that although Bangladesh didn’t win a major trophy during his T20I career, the team did take strides forward in the 17 years since his debut.”Definitely we didn’t win a major trophy, but I don’t agree that we don’t have any achievements,” he said. “I think if a trophy is the only benchmark then many legends wouldn’t be called legends. The situation is very different from the time I made my debut in 2007 to now. It is not just due to the [‘five Pandavas’ from the , a reference to the combination of Shakib, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah and Mashrafe Mortaza]. Every player, coach and team management involved, have all contributed to this change in Bangladesh cricket.”Mahmudullah said that there were several players in Bangladesh who could replace him in the finisher’s role, but it was a batting position that required patience and support from the coach and captain. “Jaker Ali, Shamim [Hossain], Afif [Hossin] and Yasir Ali can be good choices at No. 6 or 7,” he said. “It is not easy to bat there in T20Is. You have to be brave. You can’t think about failure. You have to go out there, and hit the ball as hard as you can. Coach and captain has to back the batter in that position.”

South Africa 271 for 9 (Rickelton 91, Stubbs 79, Adair 4-50, Young 3-45) beat Ireland 132 (Dockrell 21, Williams 4-32, Fortuin 2-28, Ngidi 2-35) by 139 runs Career-best ODI scores from Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs respectively and career-best List A figures of 4-32 from Lizaad Williams helped South Africa crush Ireland by 139 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Rickelton and Stubbs put on a 152-run partnership in the middle of two mini-collapses to help South Africa get to 271 before Williams’ three-for in an eight-over opening spell left Ireland five down inside 14 overs. Ireland eventually only got to 132.South Africa got off to a watchful start, with Rickelton doing a majority of the scoring early on. He cut Mark Adair through point for a boundary off the first ball of the match before hitting a couple of cover drives off Graham Hume and Adair.In between, Hume induced the outside edge from him but was dropped by wicketkeeper Stephen Doheny.But Adair got the breakthrough in the seventh over, when he changed tactics and banged one in short. Tony de Zorzi got a top edge as he looked to pull and was taken at deep backward square.Temba Bavuma was then given out lbw first ball as a length ball jagged in from outside off, but was reprieved as he reviewed and ball-tracking showed the ball going over middle stump.But it was short-lived relief for the South African captain, as Craig Young got another inducker to beat his defence and crash into the stumps.Two wickets in two overs became three in three as Adair ended his first spell by getting Rassie van der Dussen to edge to second slip.Once the first powerplay ended, spin came in and that led to more chances. Stubbs tried to reverse-sweep Andy Mcbrine but hit it straight to short third where Craig Young shelled a catch in the seventeenth over. One ball later, Rickelton lofted debutant legspinner Gavin Hoey down the ground and just cleared long-on, who was standing a few yards inside the ropes and had to track back.Hume came back into the attack in the 22nd over, and was launched over long-on by Stubbs as he brought up a half-century stand with Rickelton.Rickelton brought up his maiden ODI half-century off 74 balls in the 26th over and immediately put his foot down on the accelerator.Hoey bowled a couple of half-volleys and Rickelton first lofted him down the ground before slog-sweeping him over midwicket. When Hoey shortened his length, Rickelton adjusted to steer it past the wicketkeeper for a boundary in what was an 18-run over.Stubbs brought up a 62-run fifty in the next over, before Rickelton slapped Campher through backward point for another boundary to bring up the century stand. While the first fifty runs of their partnership took 73 balls, they took just 39 balls to get the next fifty.Stubbs then came down the ground to Craig Young for a six over long-on that brought up 150 for South Africa in the 30th over, before Hoey was swept behind square by Rickelton next over.Even as Stubbs hit McBrine and Adair for boundaries, that was the last one Rickelton hit. After facing ten balls without a boundary, Rickelton tried to go after a full and wide delivery from McBrine but ended up dragging the ball on, falling nine runs short of a maiden ODI century.File photo: Lizaad Williams ended with 4 for 32•ICC via Getty Images

That dismissal sparked another mini-collapse as Adair combined with Balbirnie for two wickets in his next two overs. Stubbs pulled the fast bowler to Balbirnie at short midwicket before Phehlukwayo was done in by a slower ball and ended up spooning it short cover.A slower ball brought about another wicket as Wiaan Mulder was early in his attempt to pull Young and holed out at deep midwicket.Young then had his third when Williams skied his pull to deep midwicket, as South Africa lost five wickets for 38 runs.Bjorn Fortuin took South Africa past 250 as he hit Young for two boundaries before pulling Hume to midwicket for a 34-ball 28. Ngidi then hit a four and a six to take South Africa to 271.Ngidi continued giving South Africa momentum when the chase began, as he got Paul Stirling to chop on.Balbirnie and Curtis Campher then rebuilt for Ireland, adding 35 runs including top-edged sixes from both batters, before Williams drew an inside edge from Balbirnie that hit the stumps.Harry Tector brought out two gorgeous drives, one through point and one down the ground, off consecutive balls from Williams before he was trapped in front next ball.Williams then got one to stop on Campher, who was early into a shot and ended up offering a simple catch to cover.Debutant Ottneil Baartman then had his maiden ODI wicket when he got one to jag in and go through Doheny’s defence. George Dockrell and Adair hung around before the latter got a feather edge off Ngidi in the 21st over.Four overs later, Dockrell chopped on off Mulder before Fortuin trapped Hoey in front next over to ensure all of South Africa’s bowlers got on the wickets column.Williams returned to complete his quota and bounced McBrine out in his final over before Fortuin had Hume caught at mid-off to wrap up the win.

Everton are now reportedly leading the race to sign a Champions League-level winger who will be allowed to leave his current club this summer.

What Everton could do next after signing Travers

After confirming the arrival of Mark Travers from Bournemouth, Everton still have unfinished business in the summer transfer window. Ahead of their first season at The Hill Dickinson Stadium, the current transfer window reflects an opportunity for The Friedkin Group to make an impressive statement and set David Moyes up with a squad capable of more than just survival.

After Travers, Thierno Barry and the permanent arrival of Carlos Alcaraz, the Toffees still have plenty of work to do and that work could be done to reinforce their midfield.

Having lost Abdoulaye Doucoure following the end of his contract at the end of last season, Moyes is arguably lacking a physical presence at the heart of his midfield. But that’s where a familiar face in Tomas Soucek could arrive. The Czech Republic ace thrived under Moyes at West Ham and is now reportedly set to be the subject of an imminent £12m bid from Everton.

Tomas Soucek under David Moyes

Record (via Transfermarkt)

Appearances

207

Goals

32

Assists

11

It should come as no surprise that Soucek is now keen to reunite with Moyes after such a successful spell together the first time around. And for just £12m, Everton wouldn’t exactly be breaking the bank.

That said, Soucek isn’t their only reported target in midfield. The likes of Jacob Ramsey have also been mentioned in recent headlines, as Aston Villa continue to struggle on the PSR front. Like Soucek, the England midfielder would be an excellent addition.

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David Moyes wants to add some more attacking quality at Everton this summer.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Jul 15, 2025

The same can be said for a La Liga winger, as the Toffees aim to send a transfer statement.

Everton now in pole position to Samuel Lino

According to reports in Spain, Everton are now leading the race to sign Samuel Lino from Atletico Madrid this summer. The winger is reportedly free to leave the Champions League side and several sides have enquired about his availability as a result. Whether Everton are among those sides remains to be seen, however.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Samuel Lino

Jack Harrison

Starts

21

24

Goals

3

1

Assists

4

0

Successful Take-ons

27

24

Previously described as “interesting” by scout Jacek Kulig, Lino would be an instant upgrade on Jack Harrison, who has been linked with a permanent move to Everton this summer.

The Atletico Madrid man was involved in more goals in fewer games last season, whilst also enjoying more take-on success. In every key department, Lino should be preferred over the Leeds United man.

At 25 years old, Lino should be at the peak of his powers if he discovers his most clinical form. Reportedly in pole position, Everton should kick on and sign a player who has Champions League experience and outperformed other targets last season.

Defending champions drill co-hosts with aggressive top-order batting in Gros Islet, winning with 15 balls to spare

Vithushan Ehantharajah20-Jun-20243:45

Badree: ‘Adil Rashid is such a skillful bowler’

A devastating 87 not out from Phil Salt, supplemented by an unbeaten 48 from Jonny Bairstow, saw England thrash West Indies by eight wickets in St Lucia. It was the kind of performance that set down a marker for the rest of the teams in the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup 2024.The defending champions made light work of their target of 181, with a clinical 97-run stand between Salt and Bairstow earning victory with 15 deliveries to spare.Played out on a fine batting deck at the Daren Sammy National Stadium, Jos Buttler opted to chase at the toss. Things looked precarious after eight overs, with West Indies getting 72 on the board for the loss of just Brandon King, who collapsed with a side strain early in the fifth over, having scored 23 off his previous 12 deliveries.Related

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Phil proves he is worth his Salt

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A diet of spin restricted West Indies’ batters thanks to Adil Rashid – the pick of the bowlers with 1 for 21 from his four overs – and Moeen Ali, who would go on to remove Johnson Charles.Rovman Powell, promoting himself to No. 4, took 20 from the 15th over, striking Liam Livingstone for three sixes down the ground in four deliveries. But an attempt at a fourth off Livingstone’s final ball brought his downfall, caught low at short third by Mark Wood, returning to the XI in place of Chris Jordan.It was the first of three wickets to fall in the space of 12 deliveries for just six runs. Jofra Archer removed Nicholas Pooran caught behind in the next over, before Andre Russell nailed a Rashid googly straight to wide long on.Rovman Powell hit five sixes in his innings•ICC/Getty ImagesThat West Indies were able to reach 180 without any further loss from a position of 143 for 4 with three overs to go owes as much to Sherfane Rutherford as it does to Wood. The former was able to find 28 from 15 deliveries, 13 of them off the latter as the 18th over was taken for 19.England’s pursuit began steadily enough, reaching 58 for no loss after six overs. Roston Chase’s flat delivery eventually ended the opening stand on 67, trapping Buttler in front, before Moeen came and went, batting at No. 3 for the first time since March 2023.Salt remained, and though he did end up slowing down, Bairstow was on hand to pick up the slack, striking 46 off 21 up to the 16th over. It was then that Salt tagged back in, and unfurled a brutal attack on Romario Shepherd, striking the seamer for 30 with three fours and three sixes – the joint-most expensive over by a West Indian in a T20 World Cup.The first of those boundaries brought up Salt’s half-century from 38 deliveries, before he skewered any remaining jeopardy. It left West Indies to rue a half chance to remove Salt on seven in the third over, when he toed a hack across the line through to Pooran, who could not hold on.Bairstow clicks himself, and Salt, into gearSalt deserved the Player-of-the-Match award. But without Bairstow’s help, he – and maybe even England – might not have had something to celebrate.Salt had emerged from the powerplay with a respectable 35 off 20. But with the field spread, twirlers working in tandem and less of the strike, he had stalled. Going into the 14th over, he had scored just 12 more from 15 deliveries.That was when Bairstow set about a jump-start. For some reason, Powell returned to Alzarri Joseph instead of persisting with the frugal Chase. Bairstow used the pace on the ball to send the first delivery over the deep midwicket fence – the longer side, no less – before ramping the next delivery for four.Adil Rashid delivered the big wicket of Andre Russell•Getty ImagesPowell attempted to correct his error by bringing Akeal Hosein back on for his final over. Bairstow, though, was in an unforgiving mood. An attempted reverse sweep brought a subdued lbw appeal before a conventional sweep, a 76-metre six heaved into the stands at midwicket, and a fortuitous inside edge brought 14 from three deliveries. The 16 from the over outright made it Hosein’s most expensive of this World Cup.It was at that point, with 40 needed from 30, that Salt set about his assault on Shepherd. Bairstow watched on from the other end, settling into the role of cheerleader as his partner went ballistic. He eventually had the honour of striking the winning run, raising his personal best at T20 World Cups to 48 not out.”Once Jos got out, I had to be the better to bat through,” explained Salt. “For Jonny to come out and take the pressure off me by taking calculated risks. I couldn’t be happier about that as a teammate.”Windies given the run aroundIntent comes in many different forms. England blitzed the six-count on the tournament’s truest batting pitch, but the difference between the running out in the middle told as true a story.West Indies, for all their might, set a new unwanted record of 51 dot balls – the most any team has registered in a T20 World Cup when posting a score of at least 180. They were also responsible for the previous highest – 50 – in the 2016 edition, albeit when they chased down 193 to take down India in the semi-final on their way to their second title.Moreover, they were second-best when making use of this ground’s lop-sided dimensions, failing to rotate the strike as much as they could, and running just nine twos across their 120 deliveries. Not only did England run three more in 15 fewer deliveries, but they even managed a three in the fourth over when Buttler could not quite time a cut to the cover point sponge. It brought Salt on strike for the final ball of the over, which he used to get going by charging at Russell and launching him back over his head and onto the roof for the first of five sixes.Jofra Archer was consistently around the 90mph mark•ICC/Getty ImagesArcher gleeAt the time, the purchasing of Powell’s wicket for 20 runs from Livingstone’s only over did not seem a smart deal. Powell was only averaging 16.25 coming into this match. Having cooled a partisan St Lucian crowd, watching their captain hoist three quick sixes was a surefire way to get them warmed up for the arrival of Russell to assist Pooran, who was set on 32.Both were back in the hut 11 deliveries later. And while Rashid’s snaring of Russell was the icing on the cake in this little stanza that shifted the match England’s way, it was Archer’s in the 17th over that vindicated Buttler’s investment.Over the wicket to Pooran, Archer hammered a tight line across the left-hander. Ranging from full and yorker length, barring one misstep – a full toss third ball which Pooran guided through point for four – Archer had it all his own way.He was too sharp – consistently around the 90mph mark – and too unwavering for a batter slowly falling into a funk, desperate for room to access his favoured hitting zones down the ground. The least full of all the deliveries was the one that took the edge through to Buttler, Pooran presenting the face of the bat in defeat rather than defiance.With six wickets, Archer is now England’s joint top wicket-taker alongside Rashid, boasting an economy rate of 6.58, which is lower than any of his teammates barring Reece Topley (5.50), who has played two fewer games and is still yet to register a dismissal.But the best stat of all is that Archer has now turned out five times for England in the last 15 days. The previous five caps came in the space of 448 days. After the nightmare run of elbow and back injuries over the last two years, the 29-year-old may finally be out the other end.