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Reigan Heskey, the son of former Liverpool and England legend Emile, has overtaken Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho with his goals at the Under-17 World Cup. England secured their spot in the last 32 in Qatar as they finished second to Venezuela in Group E. The Young Lions then eased into the last 16 of the tournament as they got the better of South Korea on Saturday.

England overcome early scare to reach last 16

England endured an early scare as Dante Headley was bundled off the ball by Kim Ji-sung, who rifled his effort into the roof of the net. However, referee Abdou Abdel Mefire spared the Young Lions' early blushes as he blew for a foul in Headley's favour.

Liam Bramley's side went ahead midway through the first half as Seth Ridgeon's pass was inadvertently turned into the South Korea net through Jung Hui-seop. The game as a contest was settled 10 minutes before the break as Heskey doubled the Young Lions' advantage after heading Bradley Burrowes' cross past Park Do-hun.

The Young Lions had a few chances to extend their lead but were comfortable as they progressed to the next round of the U17 World Cup, where they will face Austria on Tuesday.

AdvertisementGettyHeskey in the running for Golden Boot

Heskey's header against South Korea on Saturday was his fourth goal of the tournament. The 17-year-old scored an early penalty in a resounding 8-1 win over Haiti last week before bagging a brace in a 3-0 victory against Egypt as England followed up their opening Group E 3-0 defeat to Venezuela in fine fashion.

Heskey is now tied with four more players in the race for the competition's Golden Boot, with Samuele Inacio, Vit Skrkon, Rene Mitongo, and Kim Yu-jin also locked on four goals. However, the quintet are behind Portugal forward Anisio Cabral in the race for the individual award.

Cabral moved ahead of the chasing pack with a vital brace in Portugal's 2-1 win over Belgium, a result that set up a last-16 meeting with Mexico, who themselves progressed to the next round with a 5-4 penalty shootout triumph over Argentina.

Foden and Sancho were key in 2017 triumph

Heskey's goal against South Korea means he has overtaken the tallies of two former Manchester City graduates from eight years ago. Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho each struck three times in India as England ultimately came from behind to beat Spain 5-2 in the U17 World Cup final back in 2017.

However, Heskey has some way to at least match Rhian Brewster's eight-goal haul in 2017. Brewster came in clutch for England as he bagged a hat-trick in the quarter-final win over USA and again in the semi-finals as the Young Lions got the better of Brazil in the semi-finals.

The 25-year-old also bagged a decisive goal in the final win over Spain, halving the deficit shortly before half time after Sergi Gomez had netted a first half brace. Morgan Gibbs-White, Foden – twice – and Marc Guehi then completed a second half comeback in a resounding victory.

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Getty Images Sport'Where do we look now?'

Heskey's father, Emile, will hope his son can continue his upward trajectory as England look to the future to determine who their next main striker will be. Harry Kane is currently the leading light for the national team, but at 32 years of age, the Three Lions need to start future-proofing their frontline.

Reigan was promoted to the City U21s ahead of the season having struck 18 goals and provided seven assists in 19 Under-18 Premier League appearances last season. However, Emile is concerned about England's future striker options, particularly as head coach Thomas Tuchel overlooked a backup forward for Kane for the November internationals with Foden used as a false nine off the bench against Serbia on Thursday night.

"We've been lucky over the years we could see where the next strikers were coming," the elder Heskey said on recently. "We had a chain of players who could go from that next level, I came in after [Alan] Shearer and Rooney came after me, but where do we look now? We always had that chain but we are struggling to find [the next one] now."

England play their final World Cup qualifier on Sunday evening as they take on Albania. Tuchel's side have already booked their spot at the 2026 showpiece and will look to round off qualification with a 100% record, and without conceding a goal having kept seven successive clean sheets.

Najmul Hossain Shanto has stepped down as Bangladesh Test captain following the 1-0 series defeat to Sri Lanka on Saturday.Shanto said he had already informed the BCB of his decision, which he took to reduce the number of captains within the Bangladesh set-up (they had one for each format), before bringing it to the public during the post-match press conference in Colombo after the second Test.”I have an announcement to make,” Shanto told reporters after Bangladesh were beaten by an innings and 78 runs. “I am stepping down from the Bangladesh Test captaincy. I don’t want to continue as captain in this format, and I want to give a clear message to everyone: this is not a personal matter. It is entirely for the betterment of the team, and I believe this will help the team. If the cricket board feels they will continue with three captains in three formats, that will be their decision.”Related

• Shanto reinstated as Bangladesh Test captain until end of WTC cycle

• Salahuddin: 'I have no ego; if someone better comes along, it's for the team'

• Rebuild, resurrect, recalibrate – Mehidy has an unenviable task as ODI captain

• Freed from the burden of captaincy, Shanto could relaunch his career

• Shanto: Not batting well in first innings 'major reason we lost'

The BCB said that they were surprised by Shanto’s decision. “We have been discussing the matter for some time, but I had no idea that he would announce it today,” Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, BCB’s cricket operations chairman, said. “It would have been good if this hadn’t happened – not just because he was a successful captain, but because I have seen his leadership qualities from very close. He has done well as a captain and he is a good leader. If he had continued, it would have been very good for us. But since he has made this decision, I respect that.”Shanto had been Bangladesh’s all-format captain but, earlier this year, quit the T20I role. Then, at a press conference before the team departed for Sri Lanka, he highlighted the importance of having a long-term ODI captain. This press conference happened on the same day as a meeting between the BCB directors, the outcome of which was Shanto being replaced as ODI captain by Mehidy Hasan Miraz. It is reported that Shanto was slighted by this sequence of events, but he avoided commenting on the matter.”I just hope people don’t see this as a personal issue or think I did this because I felt bad about the ODI captaincy snub,” he said. “I want to make it clear again: this is for the betterment of the team. There is nothing personal here. I already informed the cricket operations department a few days back.”Under Shanto, Bangladesh won four out of 14 Tests. They started by beating New Zealand in Sylhet in November 2023 and peaked with a series win over Pakistan in August 2024. In Sri Lanka, Shanto became the first Bangladesh captain to hit two centuries in a Test match. He averaged 36.24 during his time leading the team which was a marked improvement from when he was just part of the ranks (29.83).Shanto was first made a stop-gap captain in November 2023 following an injury to Shakib Al Hasan. He took over full-time in early 2024, the BCB giving him the reins across all formats for 12 months.Bangladesh do not play Test cricket again until October, when they host Ireland, which gives the board some time to figure out who their new captain will be. Mehidy leads them in ODIs, Litton Das does so in T20Is. It is likely one of them will be tapped to perform the role in Tests too.

His 84 off 87 balls took hosts 211 up in the first innings, before the SL spinners struck on a turning pitch

Danyal Rasool27-Jun-2025

Stumps Sri Lanka moved within four wickets of sealing a series win, with Bangladesh still 96 runs adrift of their first-innings lead in the second Test. After a dominant second day, the hosts consolidated their command on the game with another clinical display, stretching their lead past 200 before Bangladesh collapsed in their second innings. For Sri Lanka, Prabath Jayasuriya led a spin-bowling attack that sent Bangladesh scrambling, leaving them on the cusp of an innings defeat.A lead of 211 appeared impregnable on a surface that was beginning to take turn. Bangladesh’s brief bright start was cut short on the cusp of tea when, off the last ball of the session, Anamul Haque’s eyes lit up at a short delivery, only to be beaten by the extra pace and bounce as he toe-ended it to short midwicket.That was the only wicket a fast bowler took for Sri Lanka in their second innings on day three. Post-tea, Jayasuriya spun a web around the batters. Shadman Islam nicked off to the wicketkeeper off just his second ball of the session as the straighter deliveries wreaked havoc upon the batters’ judgments. Jayasuriya was unlucky not to snare Najmul Hossain Shanto on a number of occasions when he beat the outside edge by a whisker, and when Shanto charged down the wicket without connecting, only for the wicketkeeper to fumble the gather.Dhananjaya de Silva came into the attack and sent Mominul Haque packing, though, exploiting the grip off the surface and the natural advantage of a fingerspinner taking it away from the left-hand batter. Shanto, too, fell in Dhananjaya’s third over as the arm ball went through the gate ,and trapped him plumb in front.Prabath Jayasuriya got two wickets in the second innings•AFP/Getty Images

There was enough time to inflict further damage on the visitors. Late in the day, Jayasuriya produced a touch of extra turn that clipped the outside edge of the off stump to send Mushfiqur Rahim back. Then, for the second consecutive session, a wicket ended the session, as Tharindu Ratnayake got one to straighten and send Mehidy Hasan Miraz back when Dhananjaya reviewed.But it had looked rosier for Bangladesh in the morning. Taijul Islam and Nahid Rana dragged them back into contention as Kamindu Mendis and Kusal Mendis battled to hold on to the advantage Sri Lanka had established on the second day. After a first hour that the visitors dominated with three early wickets, a 49-run stand between the pair held Bangladesh at bay, taking Sri Lanka’s lead into three figures and steadily building upon it.While offspinner Nayeem Hasan darted one through Kamindu to just about edge the session for his side, Sri Lanka’s 154-run lead at lunch already threatened to have batted Bangladesh out of forcing a positive result.Bangladesh were staring into the abyss at the start after toiling all of the second day for two measly wickets as Sri Lanka approached 300. Early in the morning, though, Pathum Nissanka, having crossed 150, chipped Taijul to short cover. As Nissanka walked back to a standing ovation, Bangladesh sensed the new day was bringing with it fresh hope.Taijul Islam bagged a five-wicket haul•Associated Press

Taijul ran an arm ball through Dhananjaya in his following over, and with Sri Lanka suddenly uncertain, Bangladesh prowled. Kamindu decided to break the shackles by taking the quick bowlers on, hitting two boundaries in Ebadot Hossain’s over, and another two in Nahid’s. But Nahid hit the hard length and drew an edge out of nightwatcher Jayasuriya to third slip, one Mehidy snaffled on his second attempt.That brought Kusal to the crease, and he shared Kamindu’s ideas about how to approach the innings. An entertaining passage of play followed as Sri Lanka tried to revert pressure back on to the bowlers while never quite looking convincing enough to pull clear. At one stage, an edge from Kamindu kissed off stump on its way to the boundary – incredibly, without disturbing the bails.However, Sri Lanka continued to build on their lead, and it wasn’t until the partnership was one away from 50 that a wicket arrived. Nayeem fired one into Kamindu that never turned. The ball snuck past his inside edge, and deflected on to the stumps off his pads. It brought renewed hope for the visitors of running through Sri Lanka’s lower order, but with Kusal holding firm, that never quite materialised.Dhananjaya de Silva also struck twice•AFP/Getty Images

Sonal Dinusha didn’t last long as the excellent Nayeem sliced through his defences. But it was the frustrating eighth- and ninth-wicket partnerships that robbed Bangladesh of any momentum. Ratnayake showed Kusal he could be trusted from one end, impressively getting off the mark with a heave off Taijul for six – his first runs in Test cricket. Kusal punished the spinners whenever they dropped short at the other end, getting to his half-century early in the session before continuing to build.But Ratnayake fell into the trap Bangladesh laid, tempting him into another heave. This time Taijul went quicker, lower and flatter, and had protection at wide long-on, who completed a simple catch when the batter succumbed to the invitation.Kusal took on a more proactive role, farming the strike alongside Vishwa Fernando as he eyed three figures. That, however, eventually brought his downfall as he hared back for a second run that wasn’t there, a brilliant throw from Ebadot in the deep catching him well short of his crease.The innings wrapped up later that over with Taijul getting himself to five wickets. However, Bangladesh needed to produce a Herculean batting effort to challenge Sri Lanka after falling so far behind in the first innings. But Jayasuriya and Dhananjaya ensured it was a task Bangladesh look like they will fall far short of.

After losing three-consecutive games for the first time under Arne Slot, Jamie Carragher has told the Dutchman that he may have to copy Real Madrid to solve his current problem at Liverpool.

Slot points out "small margins" in Chelsea defeat

Last-gasp defeat against Crystal Palace saw the cracks begin to appear, but that could have been put down to a bad day at the office rather than a pending problem. Defeat in midweek against Galatasaray then sparked some uncomfortable questions, before Chelsea’s late winner handed Slot his biggest problem yet as Liverpool manager.

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ByDan Emery Oct 6, 2025

After spending £400m in the summer, the Reds have looked a shadow of the Premier League champions that they became last season. Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong have all endured particularly slow starts, whilst long-term stars such as Ibrahima Konate, Mohamed Salah and Alexis Mac Allister have failed to reach the levels they’re known for at Anfield. It has been an exposing seven days for Liverpool.

It’s now a big couple of weeks for Slot, who must solve his side’s current problems in the international break before welcoming Manchester United to Anfield. To do exactly that, Carragher has told the former Feyenoord boss that he may need to copy Real Madrid.

Carragher tells Slot to copy Real Madrid as problem emerges

Having his say on Liverpool’s current form, Carragher told Slot that he may have to copy Real Madrid to solve the “problem” of getting all his star men in the same, thriving team. The former centre-back even suggested that the Dutchman could need to become the “ultimate Real Madrid manager” after the Reds’ Galactico-esque summer.

Carragher said on The Overlap: “Because it’s being a Real Madrid summer in terms of buying big players, does Slot almost need to be like the ultimate Real Madrid manager? And I always think of Ancelotti, and I feel like Ancelotti every summer, you’d almost be thinking, ‘what’s he going to do with that?’

“Even last season there was, ‘how can he get Mbappe and Vinicius in the same team?’ But even go back to his AC Milan teams, or his Real Madrid teams, that was his greatest strength as a manager, he’d find a way whatever system, and he’d just get the best players on the pitch where they wanted to play and almost do it for the players.”

While the goals weren’t overflowing at St James’ Park on Saturday, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United did at least pick up a much-needed 1-0 win in Premier League action over lowly Wolverhampton Wanderers to finally get a victory on the board.

Before this confidence-boosting victory on home soil, the Magpies only had a point next to their name in league action, as they feared what a post-Alexander Isak reality would look like.

Now, however, with Nick Woltemade leading the line, the near future looks far more rosy, as the former Stuttgart goal machine scored on his debut to secure a slender victory over Vitor Pereira’s visitors.

Woltemade's dream debut

With Howe revealing before the Wolves clash that Yoane Wissa was going to be absent due to a knee injury, the pressure was severely ramped up on the new £69m striker to deliver some instant goods as the Toon’s fresh centre-forward option.

Chalkboard

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

He didn’t disappoint either on his first outing at St James’ Park, with the clinical number 27 finding himself in the perfect position to head home a Jacob Murphy deep into the first 45 minutes, which did see Wolves have a few openings.

Thankfully, after Woltemade headed past Sam Johnstone, the tight game swung in favour of the hosts.

More goals should soon come the 6-foot-6 attacker’s way, too, considering he was purchased for that lavish amount, off the back of him powering home a lethal 18 strikes from just 36 contests wearing Stuttgart white.

However, while the Toon masses are undoubtedly enthused by the potential of Woltemade, they look to be less overjoyed by the presence of Harvey Barnes in the first-team ranks as one of the German’s attacking partners, if his out-of-sorts showing against the Old Gold is anything to go by.

Unlike Murphy on the right wing, who assisted Woltemade’s game-clinching goal, Barnes would fail to deliver a single accurate cross all night to the head of the towering striker.

To add insult to injury, the ex-Leicester City attacker would also go the entire contest without testing Johnstone with an on-target effort.

With Anthony Elanga waiting in the wings, it does appear that Barnes might be on borrowed time as Howe’s dependable left-wing option, with Newcastle now left to rue the departure of an enigmatic forward, who could have been a dream partner for Woltemade to bounce off of, over relying on the 27-year-old.

Newcastle must rue selling "breathtaking" Barnes upgrade

Barnes has shown glimpses of his immense quality donning Newcastle black and white, away from a slow start this season.

In particular, last campaign saw the former Foxes hero pick up nine goals and four assists in league action.

But, the alarm bells will be ringing now surrounding the Burnley-born forward, with a poor injury record also weighing heavily next to his tally of no goals and no assists from his opening four league clashes this time around.

In an ideal reality, Newcastle would love to have a “breathtaking” Allan Saint-Maximin back in their ranks, as he was once labelled by former Magpies boss Steve Bruce, as a Barnes upgrade, with the slick Frenchman always consistently entertaining the St James’ Park masses when situated on Tyneside.

Lauded as a “special” talent by Jamie Carragher when at the peak of his powers in England, Saint-Maximin would always have a piece of magic up his sleeve, even when Newcastle found themselves in the doldrums.

In total, the brand-new Club America number 97 would tally up 13 goals and 21 assists for Howe and Co. before moving on to Al Ahli in 2023.

On the contrary, while Barnes does boast one more Toon strike, he only has eight assists next to his name, with Saint-Maximin’s trickery, matched with his eye for an assist, potentially music to the ears of the lofty German if he were still lining up for Howe’s side today.

With two goals already tallied up at Club America from just one league start in Mexico, meaning he’s further started the season in better form than a low-key Barnes, it’s clear to see that Newcastle prematurely got rid of their “rare” talent – as he was once dubbed by Paul Robinson – particularly with Woltemade now in through the door.

Games played

111

Goals scored

12

Assists

19

Big chances created

29

At the time, however, cashing in Saint-Maximin for £30m might have been viewed as a smart move.

But, with the silky Frenchman previously creating big chances for fun in the Premier League, Woltemade could well have even more excellent service to depend on if Saint-Maximin were still at the Magpies, over Barnes failing to spark into life.

Howe's "best" Newcastle duo are now more important than Bruno & Tonali

Eddie Howe might now have unearthed an even better duo at Newcastle United than Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali’s midfield partnership.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 13, 2025

A petition calling for footballing authorities to ban brick walls around touchlines has been launched following the death of ex-Arsenal youngster Billy Vigar. The Chichester City FC striker suffered a "significant brain injury" during an Isthmian League Premier Division game last weekend, before later passing away on Thursday. Now, fans want action to make the sport safer..

Football in shock over Vigar's death

The former Arsenal youth player reportedly collided with a pitch-side wall while playing for the non-league team away at Wingate and Finchley last Saturday. The 21-year-old died on Thursday after several days in an induced coma, with his family saying they were "devastated" that this had happened while he was playing the "sport he loved".

"After sustaining a significant brain injury last Saturday, Billy Vigar was put into an induced coma," the family said. "On Tuesday, he needed an operation to aid any chances of recovery. Although this helped, the injury proved too much for him, and he passed away on Thursday morning. The responses to the original update show how much Billy was loved and thought of within the sport."

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta paid tribute to Vigar and his family and now, football fans have launched a petition to try and make sure something like this can't happen again.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesVigar's law petition continues to grow

Shortly after his death, a petition titled, 'Vigar's Law – Ban brick walls around football pitches' was launched, and has quickly achieved more than 7,500 signatures. Those behind the petition have called on the Football Association to remove brick walls and other hard, immovable structures around football pitches. It adds that this is not an "isolated incident". 

Part of the post reads: "We, football lovers, urgently call for the removal of brick walls and other hard, immovable structures surrounding football pitches. This petition is driven by the heartbreaking death of Billy Vigar, a young and talented footballer whose life was tragically cut short after a collision with a pitch-side brick wall.

"Billy's passing is not an isolated incident – countless players at all levels have suffered serious injuries, including broken bones, concussions, and life-altering trauma, as a result of these dangerous barriers.

"Football is meant to be a sport of passion, skill, and community – not a place where a simple fall or a mistimed run can result in permanent injury or death. Yet many pitches, especially at grassroots and community level, remain bordered by solid brick walls placed only a few feet from the touchline. These walls serve no essential sporting purpose, yet they create an undeniable and avoidable hazard."

Calls for 'urgent action' in football

The petition set out four key pillars and a list of demands going forward. They are: Player safety must come first, preventable tragedies, no justifiable purpose, and duty of care. 

It points out that walls can be "lethal", and collisions with them can cause broken limbs, spinal injuries, and head trauma. They "offer no benefit" that cannot be achieved by "safer alternatives" such as mesh fencing, railings, or padded barriers. 

Moreover, they have called on councils, football associations, governing bodies, and facility owners to: "Immediately assess all football pitches for the presence of brick or concrete walls within the playing vicinity. Remove or replace these walls with safer alternatives (such as mesh fencing or padded railings) within a defined timeframe. Introduce strict guidelines prohibiting the construction of new hard-surface barriers near active playing areas."

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FA to review football grounds' perimeter walls

The FA says it will carry out an immediate safety review of perimeter walls at football stadiums for many non-league sides after Vigar's death. 

An FA statement said: "We will now conduct an immediate review, working with leagues, clubs, and relevant stakeholders across the game, that will focus on the safety of perimeter walls and boundaries around pitches in the National League system. This will include looking at ways we can assist National League system clubs to identify and implement additional measures at their stadiums that they determine will help to mitigate any potential safety risks."

Australia allrounder Ashleigh Gardner has been named Gujarat Giants captain for WPL 2025, ending fellow national team-mate Beth Mooney’s two-year reign at the helm.”It is an absolute honour for me to be named the captain of Gujarat Giants.” Gardner said in a Giants statement. “I have loved being a part of this team and I am excited to lead this fantastic group in the upcoming season. We have a great mix of young and experienced players and plenty of Indian talent in our squad. I am looking forward to working with the team and making our fans proud.”Related

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Gardner has been a vital cog for Australia across formats, chipping in with her all-round credentials. In the recent Women’s Ashes, she picked up five wickets including a second-innings four-for in the only Test match – a pink-ball affair at the MCG – and scored her maiden ODI century in the third ODI of the series. She missed the T20I leg of the multi-format series with a calf strain but had provided a reminder of her bowling abilities by picking 16 wickets for Sydney Sixers in WBBL 2024.”She is a fierce competitor,” Giants head coach Michael Klinger said. “Her game awareness, tactical acumen, and ability to inspire players make her the ideal choice to captain Gujarat Giants. We believe she will lead from the front and guide the team towards a successful campaign.”Gardner has been with Giants since the inaugural season and the move to elevate her to captaincy was made to free up Mooney, who is also the designated wicketkeeper and the opening batter for them. Gardner was also Giants’ vice-captain for most of the first season after Mooney picked up a calf injury one game into WPL 2023.Gardner is the No. 1-ranked allrounder in ICC’s ODI rankings while Mooney is the leading T20I batter.”I would like to thank Mooney for her highly valued leadership,” Klinger said. “Now, she will be able to focus on wicketkeeping and opening the batting lineup. She continues to be a major leader of our group.”Ahead of the auction for WPL 2025, Giants rejigged their support staff with assistant coach Nooshin Al Khadeer and mentor Mithali Raj parting ways. Australia assistant coach Daniel Marsh joined as the batting coach while IPL team Lucknow Super Giants’ spin-bowling coach Pravin Tambe is the bowling coach.

An “interesting” striker is now a top target for Glasgow Rangers in the summer transfer window, with Gers manager Russell Martin personally green-lighting the move.

Rangers need response after Martin criticism

It’s fair to say that Martin has already made his presence felt as Gers boss, producing some stinging criticism of his players after last weekend’s 1-1 draw away to Motherwell on the opening weekend of the Scottish Premiership season.

“Some of them have to drop their ego, I’ll look at us tactically and accept my responsibility in it. But today, it’s not really tactical, it’s a mentality problem, and we got more than what we deserved actually.

“We need work out who really wants to be all in and who doesn’t. But Europe is not an excuse. This club demands to play in Europe. We’ve qualified for that, so we’re going to be playing in Europe a lot and we’re going to have games after the European games a lot, and we have to manage them way better than today.”

Granted, Rangers did bounce back in midweek with a 3-0 win at home to Viktoria Plzen in Champions League qualifying, but a response is still required in the league on Saturday, as Martin’s side host Dundee.

The draw with Motherwell was further proof that additional firepower is needed for the Gers before the transfer window closes, and a key update has now emerged regarding one target.

Martins green-lights Rangers' move for striker

According to TEAMtalk, Macca Tel Aviv striker Dor Turgeman has now “emerged as one of Rangers’ top targets” in the current window, with a move for him being approved by Martin.

The 21-year-old is mentioned in the report as “one of the best strikers in the Israeli Premier League”, but the Gers “will have to sell players before committing to new signings”, amid doubts over the futures of the likes of Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane.

Turgeman was linked with a move to Rangers last month, and it is easy to see why the Premiership side are such admirers of him, given his status as an exciting young player.

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The youngster has scored 32 goals in 113 appearances for Tel Aviv, while at international level, he has one goal to his name in 10 caps for Israel. Scout Jacek Kulig has lauded Turgeman as an “interesting” striker, while journalist Kai Watson has heaped further praise on him.

“If you’ve followed me for any length of time you won’t be surprised to see Dor Turgeman here. The 21-year-old Israeli international is great with both feet, a strong carrier of the ball and lethal inside the box. He has all the tools to go to the top.”

As mentioned, Rangers’ pursuit of Turgeman could ultimately be dependant on what happens with other strikers at the club this summer, but he stands out as a talented long-term option who could be a star at Ibrox.

أعرب المهاجم الإسباني فيران توريس، مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة عن استيائه وحزنه الكبير بعد ترتيب زميله في سباق الكرة الذهبية 2025.

وأعلنت مجلة فرانس فوتبول هوية الفائز بجائزة الكرة الذهبية “بالون دور” للعام 2025، مساء أمس، الإثنين، في الحفل الذي أقيم بمدينة باريس عاصمة فرنسا.

وتنافس على الجائزة 30 لاعبًا، بينهم النجم المصري محمد صلاح، جناح فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي، بعد الموسم المميز الذي قدمه مع ليفربول.

اقرأ أيضًا | لابورتا يكشف تطورات عودة برشلونة إلى “كامب نو” وموقف تجديد عقد دي يونج

وحصد الفرنسي عثمان ديمبلي المركز الأول في سباق الفوز بالبالون دور، فيما جاء لامين يامال، نجم منتخب إسبانيا وبرشلونة في المركز الثاني، وفيتينا البرتغالي جاء بالمركز الثالث، بعدما توج مع باريس سان جيرمان ببطولات مميزة، بجانب فوزه بدوري الأمم الأوروبية مع البرتغال.

واندهش توريس من ترتيب زميله بيدري، نجم خط وسط الفريق بعدما جاء في المركز الـ11 في ترتيب مجلة فرانس فوتبول للفوز بجائزة الكرة الذهبية 2025.

ونشر المهاجم الإسباني صورة ترتيب بيدري عبر حسابه الرسمي على انستجرام وكتب رمزين تعبيريين، للتعبير عن خيبة أمله ومفاجأته وذهوله لانخفاض تصنيف الإسباني بهذه الجائزة الفردية.

Big Picture

After a T20 series where the view was longer-term to 2026, a number of big names were missing and the decider was washed out on a horrid day in Manchester, it feels like this upcoming five-match ODI series – yes, old-school and, yes, probably overkill – has a little more immediate relevance with an eye on next year’s Champions Trophy as some key multi-format players return.To highlight the shrinking relevance of bilateral ODIs, this is just the second series for both England and Australia since their contrasting World Cup campaigns last year: England lost 2-1 in West Indies last December while Australia beat the same opposition 3-0 in February. Quiz question: name the XIs these two teams put out in the final matches of those series (no cheating by clicking here and here).Related

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One significant player who won’t feature in these matches is Jos Buttler after a setback in the recovery from his calf injury. It means Harry Brook joins the list of England captains for the season, and it’s probably not insignificant given the feeling he is a genuine long-term option to lead the side. There will also be plenty of interest in how Jofra Archer goes in his first 50-over appearance in 18 months. It will be a significant increase in workload for him, although he will be carefully managed.Australia, meanwhile, have had an influx of senior names with Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc all part of the series. Alex Carey is also in the squad but, in ODIs, he is now Josh Inglis’ understudy after being dropped early in last year’s World Cup. Either way, the tour will include his return to Lord’s next week, the scene of a dramatic storyline in Carey’s career.Steven Smith was among those Australia players joining for the ODI leg•PA Photos/Getty Images

At the other end of the experience scale – you couldn’t actually go much further – is the call-up of quick bowler Mahli Beardman as a back-up player. With just one professional game under his belt it has certainly generated a talking point and, though he isn’t officially part of the squad yet, it wouldn’t take much more than some general soreness among the other fast bowlers for him to make a further step up.”He’s a ripping young kid,” Mitchell Marsh, a fellow West Australian, said. “For a 19-year-old he’s got a lot of talent, he showed that during the Under-19 World Cup. I think he’s going to learn a lot by being here. I’ve certainly faced him in the nets a few times. We’ve seen over the history of Australian cricket we’ve got a long list of guys who have been plucked, I guess, out of nowhere but Mahli is certainly extremely talented and bowls fast.”

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England LWLWW
Australia WWWWW

In the spotlight: Jofra Archer and Glenn Maxwell

The A-word will never be far away. So much of what England are doing at the moment is with an eye on the 2025-26 Ashes and the rehabilitation of Jofra Archer is at the top of that list. This match will be his first 50-over game – international or domestic – since March 2023 having until now been kept on a diet of T20 action in a carefully-managed return to action. That step-by-step approach will continue and there’s a chance he may not even bowl his full allocation of 10 overs, but it marks another significant step in Archer’s comeback and another stage towards what is hoped is an eventual return to Test cricket.Glenn Maxwell was rested for the series against West Indies earlier this year so hasn’t played an ODI since the World Cup final. After his horror leg injury in late 2022, the effects of which he still has to manage, he is another player who will be carefully handled by the selectors. At the age of 35 he’s one of those who may not be around come the next ODI World Cup in 2027, so the Champions Trophy could be a 50-over farewell for one of the most dynamic white-ball cricketers there has ever been.Jofra Archer’s previous ODI was in March 2023•AFP

Team news: Archer plays; opening question for Australia

Ben Duckett will open for the first time in his ODI career with stand-in captain Brook slotting in at No. 4. Jamie Smith has been confirmed as wicketkeeper and it is likely he would have done so even if Buttler had been fit. Archer will play the opening match of the series. Jacob Bethell is in line for a debut and the final decision would appear to be who goes at No. 6 with Liam Livingstone’s bowling likely to swing things his way to allow Brook to spread overs between him, Bethell and Will Jacks.England: (probable) 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Will Jacks, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Jamie Smith (wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Jacob Bethell, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece TopleyAustralia’s squad has been reportedly hit by a virus after captain Mitchell Marsh missed the second T20I with the illness. It may severely stretch their already thin squad for the first ODI with a number of senior players affected. As in T20s, Australia are searching for a long-term replacement for David Warner. Inglis and Jake Fraser-McGurk ended up there against West Indies after Travis Head was rested following the opening game so there are no shortage of options. Marsh has previously had success there, too, and if he goes in up top it potentially creates room for both Smith and Labuschagne. Inglis did not train much ahead of the opening match due to quad soreness so there may be a question mark over whether he plays. If so, Carey would come in.Australia: (possible) 1 Travis Head, 2 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 3 Steven Smith, 4 Cameron Green, 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Josh Inglis/Alex Carey (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell/Matthew Short, 8 Sean Abbott, 9 Mitchell Starc/Ben Dwarshuis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood/Aaron Hardie

Pitch and conditions

Trent Bridge can be a great place to bat in one-day cricket: since 2010 it has the highest average and strike-rate of all England and Wales venues. But the ball can also swing which gives the bowlers a chance. The sunny weather is set to hold on for at least the start of the series.

Stats and trivia

• Australia are on a 12-match winning streak in ODIs. A victory in Nottingham would put this side joint second with Sri Lanka, behind Australia’s own 21-match run in 2003.
• Adam Zampa will play his 100th ODI: since the 2020 tour of England he has taken 94 wickets at 21.71
• The last time the sides met in an ODI at Trent Bridge, England made a then world-record 481 for 6. It is one of only four times the teams have met in a one-dayer at this venue.

Quotes

“That’s a long way away yet. Personally, I’m just going to try and concentrate on each game and I’d probably urge everybody else to try and do that as well.”
“It’s certainly a busy schedule and there are times when we might have to manage guys through and playing five games in 10 days is certainly a big ask but we’ll manage that the best we can.”