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Newcastle United earned a last-gasp point against Premier League leaders Liverpool on Wednesday night. It was a hectic game, which ebbed and flowed with both sides leading at different stages. However, the Magpies managed to get themselves a crucial late point at full-time.

It was the Magpies who took the lead, thanks to a thumping strike from Alexander Isak. The Swedish attacker picked up the ball midway inside the Reds half, carrying it forward and firing an effort past Caoimhin Kelleher.

The visitors hit back five minutes into the second half, with England international Curtis Jones dragging his side level, teed up by Mohamed Salah.

Newcastle retook the lead just 12 minutes later, thanks to an Anthony Gordon strike, but that did not last long. Unsurprisingly, it was Salah who thought he had won the game for Arne Slot’s side, scoring in the 68th and 83rd minute, both of which were set up by the ever-creative Trent Alexander-Arnold.

However, all was not lost for the Magpies, who managed to claw things back in the dying moments and equalise through Fabian Schar. It was a satisfying result against a high-flying Liverpool side, but the Magpies might be frustrated they didn’t earn all three points given they led twice. There were certainly some standout players in Eddie Howe’s side.

Newcastle’s best players vs. Liverpool

One of the standout players on the night for the Magpies was undoubtedly Isak. He got a goal and an assist, providing Gordon with Newcastle’s second of the night. It was a vintage performance from the Sweden international.

He received a commendable 9/10 rating from Shield Gazette journalist Dominic Scurr. The journalist described Isak’s performance as ‘outstanding’, noting he was a ‘real creative force’ on the night. It was certainly an impressive showing.

Gordon also excelled and was a constant threat to the Liverpool backline all night long. The England international had some eye-catching stats at full-time on Sofascore. He completed three from five dribbles and created three chances, as well as making a nuisance of himself without the ball. The attacker won nine out of 13 ground duels.

Schar was another player who stood out against the Premier League leaders. Not only was his last-minute goal important, but he made some vital defensive contributions. Scurr gave him a 7/10 for his efforts, praising the fact he ‘kept things tight at the back’ for the Magpies.

It was certainly not a perfect showing from every player in Howe’s side, however, with Schar’s late goal bailing out a few teammates, including winger Jacob Murphy.

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Murphy’s stats vs. Liverpool

29-year-old winger Murphy had a tough night at the office against Slot’s men. Not only did he miss a couple of big chances, but the London-born star was sloppy for Liverpool’s second goal, losing the ball cheaply in the build-up.

Indeed, his chance that rattled the woodwork in the first 45 minutes was a golden opportunity to give the North East outfit the lead. Murphy was played in over the top of the Liverpool defence by Isak, but although his shot went past the outstretched hand of Kelleher, it could only clip the post.

The 29-year-old’s disappointing stats from the game show just how tough of a night it was against the Reds. He was sloppy on the ball, completing just 64% of his passes and losing possession 12 times. Murphy also won just one duel from five attempted.

Stat

Number

Touches

29

Pass accuracy

64%

Passes completed

7/11

Ground duels won

0/3

Aerial duels won

1/2

Dribbles completed

0/1

Key passes

1

Murphy received a disappointing 6/10 rating from Scurr, who was slightly critical of the fact he ‘gave the ball away cheaply’ in the lead-up to the visitors’ goal, noting his missed chances on the night, too.

Murphy will certainly be relieved that Schar managed to draw the Magpies level late on, given some of his errors on the night. It certainly leaves Howe with some selection issues, although he could well decide to drop the winger from the side ahead of a tough away trip to Brentford.

Watch out Miley: Newcastle have one of the "best prospects in the world"

Newcastle’s academy keeps getting better, with an even bigger talent than Lewis Miley coming through.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 2, 2024

Phil Foden helped fire Manchester City past Crystal Palace but that did not prevent Pep Guardiola from speaking his mind and berating his player for his overall disappointing performance in the 3-0 win. Foden buried the ball in the net in the second half to score his sixth goal in four Premier League matches but his coach was not happy with how he played.

Getty Images SportFoden on fire

Foden has well and truly put his troubles from last season behind him and proved to be City's most reliable player this season behind top scorer Erling Haaland. 

Foden has 10 goals and four assists in all competitions and has come into his own in recent weeks. He hit a brace against Leeds last month, including a last-minute winner, got another double in the 5-4 thriller at Fulham in the next game, while scoring and assisting in last weekend's comfortable win at home to Sunderland. 

City had taken a barely-deserved lead at Palace thanks to a header from Haaland and Foden's goal effectively wrapped up the points before Haaland struck again, this time from the penalty spot. But Guardiola was still not pleased with the midfielder's performance.

AdvertisementGuardiola brutally honest with Foden despite goal

Guardiola told : "Today he [Phil Foden] didn't play good, he lost a lot of balls. He was rushing with every action, he needs to play more calm and keep the ball and in the right moment change the gear. Saying that he is doing terrific for the team."

Getty Images Sport'Really difficult game'

Foden admitted that Palace had tested City and stressed that his side had to show patience to take the lead and hold on for the win. He told : "It's a really difficult game. We know what they are about. They make it tricky, set up well and have quality players on the break. The first half we were just trying to figure them out. Second half we started to hurt them more and in the end we killed the game off.

"The most important thing is patience. I think we maybe tried to attack too quickly. In the second half we did a lot better. That was the key for getting the result today. We had more control and more passes that is the City way. It is a full team performance. Really happy. I have been in great form in the Premier League recently and I'm delighted to keep that going."

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Haaland praised by Guardiola

Unlike with Foden, Guardiola had plenty of words of praise for Haaland after seeing the Norwegian score his 101st and 102nd Premier League goals for City. "Erling is a forward to score the goals but in the second half he keeps the ball," he said. "He was able to contain situations. He helped us be together. In the second half he was outstanding."

The win meant City kept the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal, who are two points clear at the top, and on third-placed Aston Villa who are just one point behind Guardiola's side in third. Unai Emery's Villa twice came behind to win at West Ham on Sunday and claim their ninth consecutive win in all competitions.

"It is a really tough place to come," Guardiola added when pressed on the significance of City's latest win. "When you lose the ball they attack incredibly well but we were patient. We were lucky when they hit the post from Wharton but really pleased for the performance and victory to grow our mentality."

The pair took the hosts to 199 for 2 and Sri Lanka wilted in the chase despite a half-century from Charith Asalanka

Deivarayan Muthu24-Feb-20221:51

Jaffer: Kishan showed why he should be in the T20 World Cup squad

Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer blitzed a depleted Sri Lanka attack with half-centuries as India eased to a 1-0 lead. After flickering briefly in the T20I series against West Indies, Kishan caught fire on Thursday and at one stage he even threatened to reach three figures.Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka ultimately had Kishan holing out in the 17th over for 89 off 56 balls, but Shreyas launched from the platform laid by Kishan and Rohit Sharma. Shreyas’ unbeaten 57 off 28 balls swelled India’s total to 199 for 2, which proved well beyond Sri Lanka’s grasp.The visitors sleepwalked their way to 57 for 4 in their first ten overs. In stark contrast, India had scored 58 for 0 in the powerplay alone and the momentum seamlessly switched from Kishan to Rohit to Shreyas.Charith Asalanka held off India with a fine fifty in the chase before Rohit’s men wrapped up a 62-run victory.The opening salvo
After Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera rushed India’s openers in the first two overs with speeds north of 140kph, Kishan lined up first-change Chamika Karunaratne for a triptych of fours. Kishan then used the pace and bounce of the quicks to his advantage, pulling Kumara and Chameera for sixes. Kishan claimed six of the seven boundaries India had hit in the powerplay.Rohit had dashed out of the blocks when he opened during the T20Is against West Indies, but he was largely becalmed in the early exchanges against Sri Lanka. He did hit a higher gear when he picked a googly from Jeffrey Vandersay and sent it over midwicket for six.Kumara snapped the opening stand at 111 in the 12th over when he bowled Rohit for 44, with a cutter that kept low. It could’ve been snapped much earlier had Janith Liyanage not dropped Kishan at deep midwicket when the batter was on 43. Liyanage eventually caught him at the same position, off Shanaka, but the miss cost Sri Lanka 46 runs.Kishan rumbled to a 30-ball half-century and celebrated it with a helicoptered boundary between deep midwicket and wide long-on. While Vandersay kept hiding the ball away from his swinging arc with wrong’uns, the seamers kept pitching it in Kishan’s arc.In the enforced absence of Wanindu Hasaranga, who has tested positive for Covid-19 once again and hence has not even made this trip, and Maheesh Theekshana, Sri Lanka’s attack lacked any penetration.Shreyas’ finishing act
Shreyas, who was bumped up to No.3 had a fairly quiet start: he was on a run-a-ball 12 at one point. He then exploded against Chameera’s pace and Karunaratne’s lack of pace, taking them for a combined 43 off 16 balls. He brought up the fastest half-century of the game, off a mere 25 balls, and pushed India closer to 200.Sri Lanka’s rickety chase
Sri Lanka lost Pathum Nissanka first ball – cleaned up by a Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivery that shot low. Bhuvneshwar took out Kamil Mishara, the other opener, too, having him drag a catch to midwicket. After being sloppy in the field, Liyanage was similarly sloppy with the bat, labouring to 11 off 17 balls.When the returning Ravindra Jadeja found quick turn to have Dinesh Chandimal stumped for 10 in the tenth over, Sri Lanka were 51 for 4. That they got a respectable 137 for 6 was down to Asalanka’s effort. However, he lacked substantial support from the other end as the next-best score for Sri Lanka was No.8 Chameera’s 24.The rapidly rising asking rate allowed India to experiment with Venkatesh Iyer’s medium-pace and debutant Deepak Hooda’s offbreaks. Venkatesh came away with 2 for 36 in his three overs while Hooda went wicketless in his three overs.No Virat Kohli. No Rishabh Pant. No Suryakumar Yadav. No Deepak Chahar. No problem for India.

The pressure is rising for Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil. The bad results continued into this week for the Old Gold, after West Ham United got a crucial 2-0 win over their relegation rivals. That leaves the Midlands club in 19th place in the Premier League with nine points to their name.

The Old Gold are rumoured to be targeting Jose Mourinho as an ambitious £5m replacement according to reports. Well, the legendary manager is good but not a magician and would need his entire squad to pull together as they look to keep the club afloat in the Premier League.

Matheus Cunha would no doubt be a crucial player under Mourinho, as he looks to continue his fine form this season.

Cunha’s stats in 2024/25

Despite the Old Gold being the second-worst side in the Premier League, according to the table, Cunha is actually having a phenomenal season. He has played all 15 games for the club in the top flight so far, scoring seven goals and grabbing three assists.

Impressively, the Brazilian forward has scored or assisted multiple goals in a single game twice this season. Unsurprisingly, they have both been matchwinning contributions, against Southampton and Fulham.

Against the Cottagers, he scored twice and grabbed an assist to help his side win 4-1 away from home.

He is actually on track to exceed his goals and assists total from the 2023/24 campaign, where he was impressive, too. The Brazilian forward scored 12 goals and had seven assists in 32 games last term, an average of 0.59 goal involvements per game. At his current rate of 0.66 goals and assists per game, he will beat that.

Not only does Cunha look Wolves’ best player by watching him, as games such as the 4-1 win over Fulham show, but he leads the way in many different stats this season, as per Sofascore. That includes the most big chances created with nine and the most combined goals and assists with ten.

Stat

Number

Rank

Goals

7

1

Assists

3

=1

Goals and assists

10

1

Big chances created

9

1

Key passes per game

1.9

1

Dribbles completed per game

1.8

=1

It is fantastic that Wolves have such a deadly player in attack, but they do not have many players who can profit from his creativity, aside from the in-form Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has six top-flight goals.

To give themselves the best chance of survival, the Old Gold have been linked with someone who could also form a great partnership with Cunha, potentially under Mourinho.

Wolves' search for a striker

The player in question here is Cunha’s fellow Brazil international Igor Jesus. According to a report from Brazilian news outlet UOL last week, Wolves are interested in signing the £16m striker in the January transfer window. However, they will face competition from Everton for his signature.

Jesus currently plies his trade in his homeland for Botafogo, after leaving UAE outfit Shabab Al-Ahli earlier in 2024. He has impressed so far for Fogo, scoring eight goals and grabbing five assists in 31 games for the club.

The 23-year-old scored on his debut for his national team, for whom he has featured in the same squad as Wolves midfielder Andre but not Cunha. The goal will certainly pique the interest of the Molineux faithful, making a late run across goal to meet a cross and direct it home with his head.

This signing could be the perfect one to link up with Cunha. Jesus could be the man to convert all the chances his compatriot creates. To have three assists despite having created nine big chances is not a good reflection of Wolves’ attackers.

However, bringing in a clinical machine like Jesus could be the player Cunha needs to put away his chances, and they could develop a formidable partnership together. This could certainly go a long way to pulling Wolves out of the relegation zone, particularly should that man Mourinho take charge in the near future.

The Portuguese coach enjoyed notable Premier League success in the past when deploying his own Brazilian marksman, with Diego Costa – who was also briefly on the books at Molineux – having scored 25 goals in just 57 games under the serial winner at Chelsea.

Signing Jesus, then, makes a lot of sense for Wolves. They would be showing intent by backing rumoured new manager Mourinho early, whilst £16m doesn’t blow all the budget and leaves some for other investments.

Transfer Focus

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

However, the Old Gold board would be signing the striker they, and Cunha, need, to help survive relegation from the Premier League.

Wolves must now sell £90k-p/w flop who Shi was “delighted” to sign

Wolverhampton Wanderers could be due a clear out this January.

1 ByKelan Sarson Dec 12, 2024

Jamie Carragher had his CBS Sports outing cut short after falling ill midway through their Champions League coverage on Wednesday night.

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CBS covering Champions LeagueCarragher cuts short his appearanceFalls ill midway through showFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Liverpool legend was on the CBS panel for their Champions League coverage on Wednesday but an unspecified illness cut short his duties on the night. The ex-defender left at half-time of the 8pm (GMT) kick-offs, leaving Kate Scott, Thierry Henry, and Micah Richards to front the show.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

When the half-time show began, Richards and Henry questioned where Carragher – who was at Anfield on Tuesday for Liverpool's Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain – had gone. That led host Scott to explain that the former England international had fallen ill.

DID YOU KNOW?

To start the CBS show, Scott poked fun at Carragher as part of her introduction. She said: "Hello, welcome to our London studios. I am Kate Scott and I am once again joined by Thierry Henry and Micah Richards. Tonight, just like the story of the prodigal son. A bit too big for his boots, he thought life would be sweeter on the road. He thought he would be away, enjoying drinking and revelling, but he took a major loss and realised his foolishness. He came home, humbled. Hoping that he would be accepted. Jamie Carragher, back in the chair."

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AFPWHAT NEXT?

It remains to be seen if Carragher will be well enough this weekend for his Sky Sports duties.

Kemar Roach flies home to West Indies after Surrey stint cut short by injury

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2022James Anderson and Saqib Mahmood are available for Lancashire’s home County Championship match against Gloucestershire this week.The pair bowled at Lancashire training this morning and, as centrally contracted players, were cleared by the ECB to play in the Division One fixture starting at Emirates Old Trafford on Thursday.The ECB also made Stuart Broad available for selection by Nottinghamshire, with the club due to announce their squad tomorrow to travel to Durham, although the , for whom Broad is a columnist, reported that he would delay his first outing of the domestic season for another week, targeting Notts’ subsequent three fixtures at Trent Bridge and Lord’s. Both grounds are venues for the opening Test series of the English summer, against New Zealand, with Broad hoping to make his return to the England side then.Broad and Anderson were high-profile omissions from England’s ill-fated Test tour of the Caribbean last month, with the visitors losing 1-0 to compound the fallout from their 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia.England’s interim managing director of men’s cricket, Andrew Strauss, had said the West Indies trip represented an opportunity for other seamers to take on leadership roles in the absence of the vastly experienced duo, but two of those players – Mark Wood and Chris Woakes – have been sidelined by injury. Wood underwent elbow surgery after breaking down during the first Test and is out of action until at least May, while, according to the , Woakes is expected to return for Warwickshire next month amid a setback after returning from the Caribbean with knee and shoulder complaints.Related

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Where next for England now that Joe Root has resigned the Test captaincy?

Saqib Mahmood turned down IPL offer to 'push red-ball credentials' with England

Following England’s performance against West Indies, Joe Root resigned as Test captain last week, and Rob Key was appointed to take over permanently from Strauss, who only intended to fill the role short-term. England are yet to name Root’s replacement, and employ a head coach to replace the sacked Chris Silverwood but, before his resignation, Root stated publicly that Anderson and Broad had a route back into the England team, starting with early-season wickets in the County Championship.Anderson said a week ago that he had had no contact with anyone in the England set-up since his omission, other than the physiotherapist, and Broad wrote in his weekend newspaper column that he had given no thought to suggestions he could take over as Test captain “because firstly I am not currently in possession of a shirt within the England Test team and my focus is very much on changing that by taking wickets for Nottinghamshire over the next few weeks”.”In fact, I would argue we are in a fairly unique position as far as selection for the Test team goes right now in that there are only two players whose names you could write in pen on the scorecard,” Broad added. “One of them is Joe Root, the other is Ben Stokes – and one of them isn’t going to be captain for the first Test of the summer against New Zealand at Lord’s on June 2 because he has just given the job away.”Mahmood recently revealed he had turned down an offer to become a replacement overseas player in the IPL to push his Test credentials by playing in the Championship, having made his debut on the Caribbean tour. He was rested for Lancashire’s 10-wicket win at Kent last week.Ollie Robinson, who was part of England’s West Indies touring party but didn’t play because of a back problem, is not available for Sussex in this week’s Division Two game at Worcestershire due to illness, which is not Covid-related.Meanwhile, West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach has flown home after scans confirmed he had suffered a hamstring injury during the second day of Surrey’s innings win over Hampshire on Friday. Roach had been due to play in Surrey’s first five red-ball matches.”I’m gutted that my time at Surrey has come to an end due to a slight injury but I want to thank the whole Surrey family for the love and care they have shown,” Roach said on Twitter.

Despite having both Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran to call on, Aston Villa are now reportedly eyeing a move to sign a £25m striker who’s outscored both of Unai Emery’s star men so far this season.

Aston Villa transfer news

Sat seventh in the Premier League, Aston Villa’s season is yet to hit the heights of the last campaign but that’s not to say that they’ve endured a complete disaster this time around. Attempting to balance Champions League football for the first time in forever, the Villans have enjoyed victories against the likes of Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig as well as a well-earned draw against Italian giants Juventus.

On the Premier League side of things though, there is room for improvement after a dramatic 2-1 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest last time out. A result of that manner just days after a Champions League victory suggests that the Villans need to return to the market for some much-needed squad depth in 2025. And that could see yet another talented forward arrive.

Aston Villa interested in signing £30m player with same agent as Barkley

Aston Villa are in the race to sign a player who is struggling for regular minutes.

ByBrett Worthington Dec 19, 2024

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Aston Villa are now eyeing Manfred Ugalde from Spartak Moscow. The impressive 22-year-old reportedly has a release clause of just £25m and has attracted the interest of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest alongside Aston Villa as a result.

It shouldn’t come as too great a shock that Ugalde is beginning to steal the headlines, either. After all, the Spartak Moscow star has scored an incredible 15 goals in 18 Russian Premier League games so far this season in a record that not many can match throughout Europe.

"Relentless" Ugalde could hand Emery selection headache

Whilst Aston Villa remain one of the richest teams in the Premier League when it comes to star strikers, with both Watkins and Duran to choose from, a side gunning for the top four can arguably never have too many goalscorers. And that could yet open the door for one more option to emerge and hand Emery the ultimate selection headache.

If handing Watkins the starting role over Duran has been difficult enough, then the arrival of Ugalde would provide Emery with another task entirely. With all three to choose from, the Villans would undoubtedly have one of the best selection of strikers in the Premier League.

Games

18

16

16

Goals

15

7

6

Assists

2

3

0

Minutes

1,433

1,126

492

At the centre of praise as a result of his goalscoring exploits both at FC Twente and now at Spartak Moscow, analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed the forward “relentless” at the start of the year and he’s only maintained that level ever since.

Of course, there are other positions that Aston Villa must strengthen, but that may not stand in the way of one more goalscorer joining their ranks and combining with both Watkins and Duran.

Spain, Germany and the Netherlands are among the favourites to win this summer's tournament and their chances will be bolstered by some top youngsters

There will be a ton of star names on show this summer when the Women's Euros kick off in Switzerland on July 2. With the likes of Lauren James and Leah Williamson set to represent reigning champions England, the double Ballon d'Or-winning duo of Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati expected to dominate in midfield for World Cup winners Spain, and players such as Vivianne Miedema, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Pernille Harder also bringing their talents to the tournament, it's going to be quite an event.

But while those established names are likely to make their impact throughout July, the stage is also set for some lesser known talents to make their breakthroughs and announce themselves to the whole continent. Some of those breakout stars will be late bloomers, players who have been around for a few years now and finally explode in a big way this summer. Others, though, will likely be the teenage talents that are coming of age just as the Euros approach.

There are some starlets already well-known to fans of the women's game who will get the chance to grace this a huge tournament in Switzerland, such as Barcelona's Vicky Lopez, who ranked top the NXGN 2025list, and then there are some lesser known youngsters who look set for prominent roles for their country this summer.

GOAL picks out the teenage talents to keep an eye on at this summer's Women's Euros…

Getty ImagesVeerle Buurman (Netherlands)

Veerle Buurman only made her senior Netherlands debut back in October, and yet she could well be a starter at this summer's Euros. Since being in the line-up for that friendly win over Denmark, a reward for great early form with PSV and some top performances in the youth national teams, the teenage centre-back has not dropped out of Andries Jonker's squad. She started, and scored (at both ends), against the United States in December, and was trusted against another top opponent, Germany, in February.

Jonker has a lot of options in the heart of defence. There is the experienced Sherida Spitse, the Dutch captain likely to hit 250 caps this year; Dominique Janssen who, like Spitse, can play at centre-back or in midfield; plus Caitlin Djikstra, who Buurman played well with against Germany. It's a competitive area of the park then, regardless of whether the Netherlands play with a back three or a back four.

It's clear, though, that Buurman is right in the mix to make the starting XI going into this summer's tournament, which says a lot about her composure, quality and physical capabilities at this early stage of her international career. With the 18-year-old having signed for Chelsea last year, before being loaned back to PSV for this current season, the Euros will be a good chance for the Blues' fans to see what she is all about, too, if she wins one of those starting berths.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMayzee Davies (Wales)

Mayzee Davies might be yet to make her senior debut for Manchester City, but she's already having an impact on the international stage. A defender who spent time in the academies of Everton, Man City and Manchester United before returning to the Cityzens last year, Davies received her first Wales call-up in February 2024 and has since won four caps. The latest of those was a big one, too, granted a first start when the team travelled to Italy for their first game of the new Nations League campaign. How did she take to the occasion? Her Player of the Match accolade tells the story.

Having been involved in every national-team camp for over a year now, Davies has been slowly accruing experience in the environment and showing head coach Rhian Wilkinson why she deserves a chance. If she can continue in the manner she is, she could be exposed to some even bigger moments in Switzerland, as Wales prepare to face England, France and the Netherlands in the 'Group of Death'.

Getty ImagesGiulia Dragoni (Italy)

After going to the 2023 Women's World Cup as a 16-year-old, Giulia Dragoni will follow that up with a European Championship this summer. Under then-coach Milena Bertolini, she started every game at the former, which was big billing for someone so young and with just one senior cap before the tournament kicked off. The teenager has not been used as heavily as that under new boss Andrea Soncin, which may well be a good thing, but she is still expected to have a prominent role as the Azzurre look to make up for back-to-back group stage exits at major tournaments.

Dragoni has built up a lot of senior experience in the last 18 months or so, with a loan move from Barcelona to Roma helping her rack up the minutes that her development needs. Whether as a substitute or a starter, she will hope to bring her learnings from this past year to the table as Italy look to navigate a tough group that features Spain, Portugal and Belgium.

For now, it looks like Soncin sees the young midfielder as a valuable impact sub, with her determined dribbling, defence-splitting passes and dangerous long-range shooting all attractive traits to bring off the bench in a game. Dragoni will hope to spend the remaining months of the season convincing the coach that she should be a starter, though.

Getty ImagesMared Griffiths (Wales)

Although her first Wales call-up came a few months earlier, Mared Griffiths breakout moment in the senior game was actually with Manchester United, after she scored twice in their FA Cup win over Wolves in February despite only coming off the bench in the 81st minute. Her first was an opportunistic tap-in, showcasing the midfielder's goal-poaching instincts, and her second was a technically superb hit on the volley, making it a debut to remember.

Less than a couple of weeks later, Griffiths' Wales debut would follow, and Wilkinson was full of praise for the difference the 17-year-old made out in Italy, even if she couldn't stop the Dragons from falling to a narrow 1-0 defeat.

"I’m privileged to be on camp every time, I’m so grateful," she said just before being granted that first cap. "You don’t expect to be here and you shouldn’t take it for granted. You have to work hard because of the competition." Matched with her talent and form, that is the kind of attitude that could get the teenager on the plane to Switzerland.

England allrounder says honour is a tribute to parents’ sacrifices during early years

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2022Moeen Ali has been awarded an OBE for services to cricket in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, and has conceded that “the door is open” to a possible return to Test cricket under Brendon McCullum’s new England regime.Moeen, 34, retired from Tests last summer, after claiming 195 wickets in 64 matches, in addition to 2914 runs at 28.29, with five centuries. He remains an integral member of the white-ball set-up, having been a member of the victorious 2019 World Cup squad, and was England’s stand-in captain in their most recent series in the Caribbean.However, speaking to The Guardian and PA Media, Moeen acknowledged that his honour is a reflection of his role-model status among the British Asian community that remains under-represented in the national team, having himself risen from community cricket in Sparkhill Park in Birmingham to more than 200 appearances for his country across formats.”It is obviously an honour and the more you think about it, the more you realise how nice it is and how rewarding it is,” Moeen said. “More than anything, I know it makes my parents happy and that’s the most important thing – one of the main reasons for accepting. It’s amazing and my family are really proud and happy.”I think it’s more about the journey I’ve been on, my background, my upbringing and all that,” he added. “Maybe the way I played a little bit and the way I go about my cricket, maybe that’s what people have liked or whatever.”From the word go, as soon as I played for England, people labelled me as being a potential role model. It is a big responsibility because you don’t want to let people down. But then as time has gone on, you kind of accept it and deal with it a lot better. You kind of do inspire a lot of people, especially from the inner city.”Moeen’s career owes a huge amount to the drive of his father Munir, who also helped to mould his cousin Kabir Ali into an England cricketer, and the love and support of his mother, Maqsood. And he said he was happy to be a “medal on their chest”.”I know if it wasn’t for them, that there’s no way any of us would have made it in any sort of cricketing capacity or had the strength to carry on at times. They made a huge effort and sacrificed their own lives in certain ways for us to make it.”Although for the moment Moeen remains an ex-Test cricketer, he admitted he was intrigued by the appointment of McCullum as England’s new head coach, in particular his stated determination to free up the players to perform with the same sense of liberation that many of them have frequently shown in white-ball cricket – including, in Moeen’s case, the IPL.”Baz [McCullum] messaged me asking if I was ‘in’,” he said. “I have played with him in the Indian Premier League and really enjoyed the way he works. We spoke and he mentioned potentially, in the future, if there is a tour – or whenever, really – would I be available? I said ‘call me at the time’. We’ll see.”The door is open. But I don’t want to disrespect [current England spinner] Jack Leach. It’s a difficult job – especially in England – and I know that I back him, I’m right behind him. I don’t want to put any pressure there, he’s a fantastic bowler.”I saw the suggestion of me not enjoying Joe Root’s captaincy but I did, he was always good to me. He’s a friend of mine and a great guy. When I retired I was finding it hard to get going. I had a few niggles, I was tired, I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I should.”But playing for England is amazing, especially at home. And even though it’s sad Chris Silverwood went as head coach and Root stepped down as captain, it’s always exciting when there is a new chapter. Brendon is a straight, honest guy, we’ve had a chat and maybe in the future, potential tours or whatever, who knows?”

Celtic are now expected to attempt a double transfer swoop this January, with a “sensational” player being targeted, according to a report.

Celtic set for January transfer business

It appears as though the Hoops could be active in the transfer market this winter, with Brendan Rodgers having recently held a summit with major shareholder Dermot Desmond and chief executive Michael Nicholson.

The trio discussed potential new arrivals in January, and a left-sided attacker was identified as a priority target, but it is not the only position Rodgers is looking to strengthen.

A new midfielder could also be brought in, with Manchester United’s Christian Eriksen deemed a potential target, although Neil Lennon does not believe the move has much chance of happening due to the Dane’s high wage demands.

However, Eriksen is not the only Premier League midfielder on the shortlist, with Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke revealing that Celtic have two other targets in mind, both of whom currently ply their trade for Chelsea.

According to O’Rourke, the Hoops are expected to make moves for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka in the January transfer window, with the duo currently out of favour at Stamford Bridge.

Both players have failed to force their way into Enzo Maresca’s plans, and they have started to attract interest from a number of other clubs.

However, Dewsbury-Hall is believed to be keen on staying in the Premier League, which could make it difficult for the reigning Scottish Premiership champions to get a deal over the line.

It would be viewed as a “great pick-up” if Celtic are able to get this potential double signing done this winter, but it remains to be seen whether either player could be tempted by a move north of the border.

Celtic target "would snub other offers" to seal Parkhead move – ex-scout

He was loved by the fans during his time at Celtic.

1 ByBarney Lane Dec 26, 2024 Dewsbury-Hall performing well in Europe

The Chelsea duo have largely been limited to appearances in the Conference League this season, finding it difficult to break into a team that is performing above many people’s expectations in the Premier League so far this term.

Dewsbury-Hall has been particularly impressive in Europe, picking up two goals and an assist in six outings, and he had a fantastic year with Leicester City in the English Championship last season, with 26 goal contributions in 44 games.

Rodgers knows the 26-year-old very well from their Leicester days, having lauded him as “sensational” in the past, so he could perhaps use the existing relationship to tempt him into a move to Parkhead.

Chukwuemeka is a little less proven, given that he is still only 21 years old, but he already has 37 Premier League appearances to his name, and a move to Celtic could provide the Englishman with the perfect platform to prove himself.

As such, it would be exciting news if Celtic are able to pull off a double signing this January, but it seems a little unlikely given that Dewsbury-Hall wants to stay in England.