As the 2023/24 Premier League campaign nears the business end, Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou will be largely satisfied with his side's progress since he took the reins last summer.

A season of excitement and resurgence has been punctuated by setbacks and poor results, sure, but there's no question that Spurs have come on leaps and bounds after last year, with an eighth-placed finish leaving the club outside European qualification.

An upswing of performance on the pitch has come from the fifth-placed side's polished recruitment, with stars such as Micky van de Ven and James Maddison arriving and youth players being retained to excel in the Premier League 2.

It hasn't always been rosy in that department in recent years though, with the sale of Kyle Walker-Peters a prime example of a scenario where the club might have been wise to invest more time and energy into his growth.

Why Spurs sold Kyle Walker-Peters

Walker-Peters broke into the Tottenham first-team from the academy and chalked up 24 senior appearances, scoring once and supplying five assists.

Sadly, he was never appreciated by manager Jose Mourinho and was sold to Southampton for £12m in 2020, with Pierre-Emile Hobjberg heading in the other direction.

With Serge Aurier already on the books and Matt Doherty landed from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £15m that same window, it did seem that Tottenham knew what they were doing but Walker-Peters would have had a great chance of cementing himself as a starter, had a bit more prudence been involved.

At Southampton, the 26-year-old full-back has now featured 155 times and has been lauded as an "extraordinary player" by former Saints boss Ruben Selles.

Last season, the south coast club plummeted into the Championship but Walker-Peters has always been one of the standout players, attracting transfer interest from some of Europe's foremost outfits to emphasise this.

Kyle Walker-Peters' valuation in 2024

In the second tier this season, as per Sofascore, Walker-Peters has clinched two goals and two assists apiece across 34 starting appearances, completing 91% of his passes, averaging 1.1 key passes, 1.5 tackles and 5.4 ball recoveries per fixture while succeeding with 64% of his dribbles and prevailing in 60% of his ground duels.

Moreover, the 5 foot 8 defender ranks among the top 1% of full-backs across divisions similar to the Championship for pass completion and progressive carries, the top 2% for progressive passes, the top 3% for successful take-ons and the top 13% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, highlighting just how versatile and effective a player he is.

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This dynamic and rounded quality would be perfect for Postecoglou's system; while Pedro Porro is the undisputed No.1 at right-back, he would be the perfect understudy and could have enjoyed several years at this point having starred as the main man in the position, with Porro only signed in 2023.

As such, Premier League heavyweights such as Chelsea have considered a move, with TEAMtalk revealing in January that Chelsea were interested in signing the player amid injury issues to Reece James, with a belief that a deal could be struck for £30m.

Such a fee marks quite the increase on that initial £12m departure under Mourinho, with the full-back's value soaring by 150%.

While Walker-Peters didn't make the move, he's proven on English shores for several years now and those at Tottenham surely look at this one ruefully – he could have been a real asset over the past few years.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Former fast bowler Courtney Walsh is part of a new interim management appointed for the West Indies women’s team. Walsh will be assistant to Gus Logie, who has been head coach since last month. Cricket West Indies (CWI) is still looking for a for a full-time head coach.The interim management also includes former Guyanese batsman Rayon Griffith, who was an assistant coach with the West Indies men at the 2019 World Cup and during the subsequent home series against India. He was also with runners-up Guyana Amazon Warriors at the CPL.”We’ve had some of the best minds and coaches in the region working with the players. Courtney and Rayon have been working really hard with the ladies at training and we are hoping to see the results on the field,” Logie said.CWI’s director of cricket Jimmy Adams was also pleased with the composition of the team’s technical support unit. “I am confident that our entire support staff, under Gus’ leadership and direction, is capable of driving our women’s cricket forward whilst we begin the search for a permanent head coach,” he said. “Gus has been involved with the program for the past two years and both Rayon and Courtney bring with them a strong working knowledge of what it takes to be successful at the elite level.”Walsh was most recently the bowling coach of the Bangladesh men’s team and has also served as a West Indies selector in the past.”My function is to focus a lot more on the bowlers and the cricket in general to get the ladies together,” Walsh said. “I’m just happy to be able to work with Gus – we haven’t had a chance to be on the same team since we were players and we just want the women to play the type of cricket we know they can play.”The ladies have been very warm and receptive and listened to what I’ve got to say. They are not afraid of trying and implementing what I’ve been telling them. I think one of the advantages I have, is that I was involved in women’s cricket before as a selector and I was part of a couple of their training camps, so they know me and they’ve seen me around. They know I want the best for them and they appreciate that, so for me it’s a plus coming back into the fold of the women’s team now.”CWI also named Evril Betty Lewis as the team’s interim manager, who will lead the new team management along with Logie, according to a board release.

It is believed that a European club have already secured the signing of a rising Tottenham starlet ahead of the summer.

Postecoglou wants Spurs academy improvement

Over the last few years, Spurs' academy has birthed some very promising talents, like Oliver Skipp, Dane Scarlett, Alfie Devine, Troy Parrott and, most recently, Jamie Donley to name a few.

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ByEmilio Galantini Feb 29, 2024

Tottenham's Under-21s are currently top of their Premier League 2 table, remaining unbeaten whilst winning 11 out of their 12 league fixtures this season – a very promising sign that N17's academy is still prospering.

The Lilywhites have many more promising young talents coming through their youth system as well, like striker Mikey Moore, who's bagged an incredible 12 goals and seven assists in 10 Under-18 Premier League games this season.

Crystal Palace (home)

March 2nd

Aston Villa (away)

March 10th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

Luton Town (home)

March 30th

However, despite these excellent signs, Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou is adamant that work still needs to be done at that level.

"I think we've got a lot of work to do in our academy and Simon Davies is certainly one that is putting a lot of emphasis and priority there," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's academy recently.

"I don't think we have the production line other top clubs have, certainly not. Even currently that’s why we’re investing in some younger players, even for the first team. For us as a football club that's definitely the way forward. My brief at the moment is still very much around the first team and building a first team and you can do that while giving opportunities to young players.

"If anything I think for sustainable success it's the best way to go because the team grows together when it's guys of similar ages as long as you've got good experience around them.

"That's what we're doing at first team level. We've still got a lot of work to do at academy level. We've got a great man there in Simon who has worked at some of best academies going and he knows what’s needed. We've got some good coaches in there now. This year has been better but in terms of a production line of young players I think we’re still well behind other clubs."

Following Postecoglou's comments on the Spurs production line, it appears one youngster who certainly won't be playing his way into the first team is young defender Rio Bromfield.

Monchengladbach sign Rio Bromfield ahead of summer window

According to Gladbach Live, as translated by Sport Witness, Bromfield is set to join Borussia Monchengladbach from Tottenham ahead of next season.

The 15-year-old left-back, who is a fully fledged Germany Under-16 international, looks set to link up with youth international teammates Marcello Trippel, Elias Vali Fard and Can Güner. The deal hasn't been announced, but this report suggests the agreement is done.

There are no clear favourites here, but the win in the first game will certainly make the visitors a confident unit

The Preview by Varun Shetty06-Nov-20191:00

I won’t change the playing XI for the second T20I against Bangladesh – Laxman

Big pictureAfter weathering several metaphorical storms and then a pollution hazard, Bangladesh are heading to Rajkot with a 1-0 lead. Still, their days aren’t getting brighter in a hurry, and this time it is more literal: the threat of Cyclone Maha looms over the second T20I.But perhaps they won’t mind it as much as India, who, it can be argued, played on a surface that was patently more suited to Bangladesh’s strengths than to those of their stroke-makers in Delhi. Rajkot is unlikely to produce anything like the slow burner at the Kotla, and a rain-affected T20I could further alter the dynamics as they look to pull level. One way or other, it will both test a side with a few newcomers, as well as offer opportunities for many of them.It is far-fetched to say that the visitors come in as favourites, or even that they are the more confident side heading into this fixture. But Bangladesh have just beaten India for the first time in the format, and they have done it without Shakib Al Hasan, without Tamim Iqbal, and for the first time in their history, without even a left-arm spinner in the XI. Anything is possible.Form guideIndia LLWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh WWWLW
In the spotlightThere is hardly a series where Rishabh Pant isn’t in the spotlight. Pant has been an international cricketer for just over two years, and in that time he’s simultaneously been perceived as the most exciting prospect and the most frustrating talent. Consequently, he’s over-discussed, over-advised, and for much of the last few months, it looks like he’s been overthinking. Yuvraj Singh noted recently that the youngster is a top-order batsman who is being forced to turn into a middle-order batsman, and in a more indirect sense, Adam Gilchrist echoed Yuvraj, saying Pant should focus on being true to his game rather than try to be the next MS Dhoni. Perhaps those strong words from similarly swashbuckling left-handers could spark something for Pant, who hasn’t made a 30-plus score in eight innings across formats for India. That, or the fact that India have two keeping options in this squad.The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s mandate that BPL teams must compulsorily field a legspinner who bowls four overs was a move to give their batsmen practice against that kind of bowling. Twenty-year-old Aminul Islam looked a good prospect not just for that, but also proved a handful for India on his debut in the first T20I. Aminul accounted for a shaky KL Rahul and was immediately under attack from Shreyas Iyer, who struck delightful sixes with the turn to put him under pressure. He endured with his flight and loop, however, and had Iyer eventually. His next challenge in international cricket will be a lot harder.Yuzvendra Chahal celebrates a wicket•AFPTeam newsIndia could stick to the same team, and it would be a superior batting line-up at this particular venue. Manish Pandey is considered a middle-order option, and so could remain on the bench as both Krunal Pandya and Shivam Dube offer bowling options. Arguably, the only spot available for a batsman is in the top three, where Rahul is both an opening option and a No. 3. Top-scorer in the last match, Shikhar Dhawan is unlikely to be dropped and Sanju Samson might fancy his chances if Rahul goes out. Khaleel Ahmed was expensive at the end in the first game, and the experience of Shardul Thakur could be tempting for India.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Sanju Samson/KL Rahul, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk) 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Shardul Thakur/Khaleel Ahmed
Bangladesh could well go in with the same line-up too. They used eight bowling options in Delhi and one of them was Soumya Sarkar, who bowled two overs. If they do indeed consider him a seam option, they could think of bringing left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny in place of a frontline seamer. That would give them three offspin options, one orthodox left-arm spinner, one legspinner, and three seam options.Bangladesh (possible) : 1 Liton Das 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Mohammad Naim/Mohammad Mithun, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk) 5 Mahmudullah (capt.) 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Afif Hossain, 8 Aminul Islam, 9 Mustafizur Rahman, 10 Al-Amin Hossain/Arafat Sunny, 11 Shafiul Islam
Pitch and conditionsThe India met department tweeted that the cyclone would weaken as it approached Saurashtra at noon on match day. It is expected to be cloudy throughout the day and there is a chance of thunderstorms in the evening, though.Stats and trivia In 2017, New Zealand made 196 for 2 and, in 2013, Australia made 201 for 7 batting first in the only two international matches at this venue. India lost to New Zealand and beat Australia. Rohit Sharma is set to play his 100th T20I.Quotes”There will definitely be a change in the way we approach [in Rajkot]. We were playing according to the pitch in the last game, according to how the pitch was behaving. Our approach will be different this time. We don’t know what’s the right score there but here we know it will be better than Delhi.””There wasn’t a lot of pressure on us at the start of the series, and we had nothing to lose. Everything to gain. Tomorrow is going to be the same. We will play aggressive and positive cricket.”

Gareth Southgate could take up a punditry job if decides to leave England manager's role after their Euro 2024 heartbreak.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Southgate could leave England job
• Likely to be offered a new role off the pitch
• Failed to help Three Lions win a major trophy

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per the Daily Mail, ITV could offer Southgate a pundit role if the decides to quit as England boss in the coming days. Amid the manager receiving severe criticism throughout the European Championship, ITV – including their pundit and Manchester United legend Roy Keane – were extremely supportive of the Three Lions boss. Thus the Mail understands that, if the 53-year-old decides to leave his job, he is certain to get a new role from the broadcasters ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gary Neville, who was part of ITV's panel during Euro 2024, will head back to Sky Sports and as a result, to fill the void ITV could consider appointing Southgate as their new expert. However, it remains to be seen if the England boss – who still has the support of the Football Association and a valid contract until the end of this year – decides to resign. Right after the heartbreaking final loss, the manager claimed he is yet to decide on his future.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  According to a report published by talkSPORT, the former Middlesbrough manager is likely to leave the England role soon with Newcastle United's Eddie Howe and former Chelsea boss Graham Potter likely to emerge as top targets to replace him.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  The Euro 2024 runners-up will be back in action in September as they take on Northern Ireland and Finland in Nations League clashes.

Arsenal have made great strides under Mikel Arteta. They sit top of the Premier League table and are into the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in 14 years. That doesn't sound bad, does it?

A large part of that has been the immense recruitment strategy that Edu and Co have deployed in north London since Arteta's arrival as manager in 2019.

There have been far more hits than misses, particularly in recent years with a host of 2023 signings shining of late.

We're running out of superlatives for the great Declan Rice, and so we should be considering his £105m price tag. He has won games on his own; just think of those late strikes against Manchester United and Luton Town for instance.

There is David Raya too. No Arsenal signing has arguably been questioned more than him during Arteta's reign but his penalty heroics – making two saves against Porto – demonstrate that he is the rightful no.1 at the Emirates Stadium. There has even been a revival for Kai Havertz who has scored four times in his last four Premier League matches.

However, if a different strategy was employed at Colney then only Rice would have been signed. London-born, what would the starting XI look like if the club could only buy and select local talent?

We've taken inspiration from the Athletic Bilbao model. Over the 125 years of the club's existence, they have operated with only Basque players at their disposal, utilising footballers from a region of northern Spain and across the border in France. Aymeric Laporte is one of the most poignant examples of recent times.

It's a fascinating tactic and it would be interesting to see what Arsenal's squad would look like if they deployed a similar strategy, recruiting and utilising players exclusively born in the London area.

Intrigued to find out who's involved? We've got all the answers…

1 GK – Arthur Okonkwo Born: London

The goalkeeper situation was rather tricky. Not a huge number of stoppers have risen to prominence in the modern era after being born in London so we've opted for 22-year-old Arthur Okonkwo on this occasion.

Aaron Ramsdale hails from Stoke-on-Trent while David Raya is Spanish so would be ineligible in this hypothetical squad of players.

Okonkwo is currently on loan at Wrexham in League 2, living the high life under Hollywood owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. He'd be required to make quite the step up if this starting XI was real.

2 RB – Reece James Born: Redbridge

There isn't a great depth of current Arsenal defenders from London so we've opted for probably the best option in the Premier League; Reece James.

The Chelsea skipper has a wretched injury history, notably playing just 390 minutes and eight games of league action this term but on his day he is an electric talent. For the Blues, James has supplied 21 assists since breaking into the senior setup. Just imagine that sort of quality in Arsenal's all-London lineup.

3 CB – Reuell Walters Born: Lambeth

The sole representative currently at Arsenal in our backline is academy star Reuell Walters. A regular trainer with the senior side, the 19-year-old hasn't played a single minute of first-team football this season but has been on the bench in the Premier League on eight occasions, highlighting how much Arteta rates his qualities.

Previously compared to William Saliba, it surely won't be too long before we see the Lambeth-born youngster make a breakthrough.

4 CB – Max Kilman Born: Chelsea

The Wolves skipper is Chelsea-born, coming through the ranks at Welling and then earning a move to Maidenhead United. A Jamie Vardy-esque rise from non-league football has subsequently taken him to the Premier League.

The centre-back is now comfortably one of the better English centre-halves in the division and has even been linked with a £30m move to Napoli. If Arsenal's transfer policy centered around London-born talent then they'd surely only be too happy to oblige for such a fee.

5 LB – Luke Shaw Born: Kingston upon Thames

The scorer of a goal in a European Championship final, Shaw is undoubtedly one of the finest talents to come out of London and walks into a side of capital-born talent.

Ben White is the only English defender regularly used by Arsenal and could be fielded at left-back, although was born in Poole, Bournemouth, so is ineligible for selection. The Man United full-back has been signed instead.

6 CM – Joe Willock Born: Waltham Forest

Now at Newcastle United, Willock has taken his game to a new level after graduating from the Arsenal academy under Unai Emery.

The central midfielder actually appeared 78 times for the Gunners first-team while at the club, scoring 11 goals and registering four assists.

However, after a swashbuckling loan spell in the Toon, where he famously netted seven games on the trot in the top flight, Arsenal cashed in to the tune of £25m. It's unlikely that would have happened if they only relied on Londoners.

7 CM – Declan Rice Born: Kingston upon Thames

Arsenal's club-record signing is an absolute shoo-in for this team and is perhaps one of the finest talents to ever come out of London.

Of course, Rice learnt his trade with West Ham United and after joining the Gunners last summer has become one of the most elite midfield players in the game.

The England international has now added attacking contributions to his arsenal – pardon the pun – scoring six goals and supplying seven assists throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

8 CAM – Emile Smith Rowe Born: Croydon

Now an outcast in the current Arsenal side, Emile Smith Rowe features prominently in this London-born XI as one of its key creators.

The 23-year-old's career has been ravaged by injury in recent years and is now seemingly not trusted by Arteta, with the Englishman starting just twice in the Premier League this term.

Arsenal supporters long for the days when he found the net on 11 occasions in 2021/22 but truth be told an exit looks inevitable this summer. It's safe to say he'd be far more important in a London-based XI.

9 RW – Bukayo Saka Born: Ealing

Who else? Saka walks into this team as one of the club's very best players. The winger is Arsenal through and through having risen through the ranks of the academy to make 216 first-team appearances.

The 2023/24 term is proving to be the best of the young attacker's career, netting 16 goals and laying on 15 assists across 37 appearances. Not bad indeed.

10 LW – Reiss Nelson Born: Elephant & Castle

Like Smith Rowe, academy graduate Nelson has found it tough to break into the starting lineup ahead of Saka and Co this term but he will always live long in the memory for that last-gasp goal against Bournemouth last season.

Sure, there might be better options around but Nelson is a pure Arsenal lad and would deserve a chance to make the left wing spot his own if the club could only select those hailing from London.

Leeds United came from a goal down to beat Leicester City 3-1 in a top-of-the-table clash in the Championship on Friday. The comeback was ignited by Connor Roberts, a player brought to the club by Daniel Farke in January, before Archie Gray and Patrick Bamford found the net.

Roberts arrived on loan from Burnley until the end of the season and may have just lent Leeds a significant hand in their efforts to reach the Premier League, but his long-term future is unclear.

Connor Roberts Leeds appearances so far
Game	Date	Mins
Rotherham United	10 February	15
Swansea City	13 February	13
Plymouth Argyle	17 February	7
Leicester City	23 February	17

As you can see in the table above, he's had to be content with fairly brief appearances from the bench so far as Farke continues to favour 17-year-old Gray at right-back. And based on the latest Leeds transfer news, the German may only view Roberts as a short-term solution.

Leeds now battle Spurs for Ebosele

According to HITC Football, Leeds are interested in signing Festy Ebosele from Serie A club Udinese. A number of clubs are watching his progress closely, including Premier League sides Spurs, Everton, West Ham and Leeds' promotion rivals Southampton.

Ebosele is particularly attractive to top-flight clubs given that he qualifies as a homegrown player following his time at Derby County. Udinese's sister club Watford are also admirers, but are the lowest-ranking side in the race.

"Rising star" Ebosele is a powerful runner

After joining Derby from the Bray Wanderers academy in 2018, Ebosele went on to make 41 first-team appearances over four years at Pride Park and then joined Udinese on a free transfer.

This Leeds star was Farke's real hero over Roberts against Leicester

The impressive Whites maestro put in a phenomenal performance in the middle of the park.

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Dan Emery

Feb 24, 2024

He's played 43 games for the Italian outfit to date, including 25 this season, and his tally of 19 league starts shows that he's made himself a key player. The 21-year-old has predictably caught the attention of his international bosses, and earned a senior debut for the Republic of Ireland in a 2-0 defeat to France in the autumn.

While Ebosele has been operating as a right wing-back, he's only managed one goal contribution this term (an assist in a 1-0 win away win over AC Milan in November). Instead, his biggest weapon has been his dribbling – he ranks fourth in the league for successful take-ons (fourth) and ninth for carries into the penalty area (31). Often, the only way for opponents to stop him reaching dangerous areas is to bring him down, which is why he's in the top 10 for fouls drawn too (39).

Dubbed a "rising star" by journalist Ryan Kilbane in an article for Football Talent Scout, he could be an excellent addition for a newly-promoted Leeds this summer, allowing Gray to shift into a specialist midfield role and Roberts to find a permanent new home.

GOAL brings to you the all time head to head stats between Spain and England.

For many years, the Three Lions and La Roja were both seen as perennial underachievers.

Spain finally broke their 44-year dry spell by clinching victory at Euro 2008. This marked their second European Championship, the first being in 1964.

They then embarked on an extraordinary run of dominance, winning the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, cementing their place in football history with an unprecedented four-year reign.

In stark contrast, England have never lifted the men's Euros trophy. They notably made it to the finals in consecutive tournaments, falling just short in both the 2020 and 2024 European Championships.

Here, GOAL takes a deep dive into the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides.

What is England's overall record vs Spain?

From 27 previous head-to-heads, England hold the upper hand over Spain, having won 14, drawn three and lost 11 of their encounters against La Roja.

Matches between the two nations have been rare in recent years, with the Euro 2024 final being their first encounter in over six years.

Since the turn of the millennium, La Roja have often had England's number, losing just three of their ten games, although all but three of those fixtures were friendlies.

Total meetings

28

Spain wins

11

Draw

3

England wins

14

Advertisement England vs Spain head-to-head results list

Date Result Competition

Jul 14, 2024Spain 2-1 EnglandEuropean Championship finalOct 15, 2018Spain 2-3 EnglandNations League League PhaseSep 08, 2018England 1-2 SpainNations League League PhaseNov 15, 2016England 2-2 SpainInternational FriendlyNov 13, 2015Spain 2-0 EnglandInternational FriendlyNov 12, 2011England 1-0 SpainInternational FriendlyFeb 11, 2009Spain 2-0 EnglandInternational FriendlyFeb 7, 2007England 0-1 SpainInternational FriendlyNov 17, 2004Spain 1-0 EnglandInternational FriendlyFeb 28, 2001England 3-0 SpainInternational FriendlyJun 22, 1996England 0-0 Spain (4-2 pens)European Championships Quarter-FinalSep 9, 1992Spain 1-0 EnglandInternational FriendlyFeb 18, 1987Spain 2-4 EnglandInternational FriendlyJul 5, 1982Spain 0-0 EnglandWorld Cup Group StageMar 25, 1981England 1-2 SpainInternational FriendlyJun 18, 1980England 2-1 SpainEuropean Championships Group StageMar 26, 1980Spain 0-2 EnglandInternational FriendlyMay 8, 1968Spain 1-2 EnglandEuropean Championships Qualifying Quarter-FinalApr 3, 1968England 1-0 SpainEuropean Championships Qualifying Quarter-FinalMay 24, 1967England 2-0 SpainInternational FriendlyDec 8, 1965Spain 0-2 EnglandInternational FriendlyOct 26, 1960England 4-2 SpainInternational FriendlyNov 30, 1955England 4-1 SpainInternational FriendlyMay 18, 1955Spain 1-1 EnglandInternational FriendlyJul 02, 1950Spain 1-0 EnglandFIFA World CupDec 09, 1931England 7-1 SpainInternational FriendlyMay 15, 1929Spain 4-3 EnglandInternational FriendlyGettyWhen was the last meeting between England and Spain?

The last meeting between the two sides was the Euro 2024 final on Sunday, July 14, 2024. The two sides battled it out for European supremacy at the Olympiastadion in Berlin in what was the biggest men's international game played between the two nations.

Spain won their record fourth European Championship title thanks to an 86th-minute goal from Mikel Oyarzabal. Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal starred for La Roja throughout that tournament, with the former scoring early in the first half of the final in Berlin.

Cole Palmer entered the fray as a substitute when Gareth Southgate took a gamble to turn the tide. Palmer levelled the score with a brilliant shot from the edge of the box. However, Oyarzabal delivered a late blow to the England supporters, extending the 58-year barren run without major tournament success.

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GettyWhen did England last beat Spain?

Gareth Southgate's charges came away with the bragging rights in a UEFA Nations League encounter on October 15, 2018.

Raheem Sterling was the star of the show for England, who ended a 31-year wait for a win away in Spain with this memorable 3-2 victory. The then Manchester City winger ended his three-year goal drought with a fine brace in Seville before Marcus Rashford moved Gareth Southgate's side into a 3-0 lead.

La Roja would make the scoreline more respectable in the second half with a goal apiece from Paco Alcacer and Sergio Ramos, as England took revenge for their defeat a month earlier in what was their first win in Spain since February 1987.

England would progress to the inaugural Nations League finals, and after a 3-1 extra-time defeat to the Netherlands, they clinched a third-place finish with a 6-5 penalty shoot-out success over Switzerland.

MatériaMais Notícias

Foram poucas horas de negociação e conversas até que o Botafogo dissesse “sim” e aceitasse o pedido da CBF em ceder o Estádio Nilton Santos para ser uma das sedes da Copa América, que será realizada no Brasil. Mesmo que o Alvinegro tenha que buscar um novo estádio para jogar – São Januário é o plano A -, a diretoria resolveu aceitar.

O primeiro fator levado em consideração foi a visibilidade. Como a presença de público ainda é pouco provável – e, se acontecer, será em menor escala -, o estádio, que é todo caracterizado nas cores do Botafogo, estará visível a todo momento nas partidas, treinamentos e dias de duelos.

Isto sem contar com a óbvia promoção “apenas” em participar do torneio. O Estádio Nilton Santos terá contato com o quinto campeonato de cunho internacional desde a sua inauguração. Antes, a arena sediou Jogos Militares, Jogos Olímpicos, Jogos Paraolímpicos e Pan-Americano.

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A parte financeira também pesou. A CBF, que entrou em contato com o Botafogo pedindo a “participação” do Nilton Santos, arcará com todos os tipos de despesa, manutenção e remodelação do estádio. O Alvinegro também ganhará dinheiro pelo aluguel nos jogos – vale lembrar que estão previstas duas partidas no local.

O gramado do Estádio Nilton Santos, atualmente desgastado pelo excesso de partidas, passará por uma mudança visando a disputa da Copa América. O plantio será melhorado para que sejam apresentadas melhores condições de jogos. O Botafogo enxerga isto com bons olhos, já que aproveitará a estrutura deixada após a competição de seleções.

Como o Glorioso terá que mudar, pelo menos, duas partidas da Série B como mandante de lugar, também será de responsabilidade da CBF cuidar disto. A entidade custeará locomoção e aluguéis para a equipe dona da arena em que o Alvinegro jogar. São Januário é o Plano A da diretoria do clube de General Severiano.

Pedro Neto has been one of the star performers for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League this season with his electric performances down the flank, but it seems Fosun are planning for his probable departure at the end of the campaign.

Pedro Neto's stunning Premier League season

The former Braga speedster has racked up three goals and 11 assists in 22 appearances in all competitions so far, including one goal and two assists in four FA Cup outings. In the English top-flight, only Ollie Watkins, Pascal Gross, and Kieran Trippier (ten) have registered more assists than Neto (nine) so far this season.

The 23-year-old winger, who has been linked with Tottenham Hotspur, has assisted at least three more goals than any of his teammates in the Premier League, and leads the squad with 2.1 key passes per game. His finishing is an area that needs improvement, though, as the Portugal international has scored two goals from an Expected Goals of 3.2, which suggests that the young dynamo has been wasteful in front of goal at times.

Despite his slight underperformance as a finisher, Neto has provided consistent quality in the final third with 11 direct goal contributions in 17 Premier League starts.

The club are now reportedly eyeing up a move for a new forward who could arrive as their next version of the Spurs-linked dynamo ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Latest Wolves transfer news

The Express & Star's Liam Keen has revealed that Wolves are interested in a summer swoop to sign Braga forward Rodrigo Gomes to bolster their wide options. Gary O'Neil is "keen" on a deal for the winger, who can also play at full-back if needed, as the club are keeping tabs on his progress in Portugal this season.

The reporter, however, has confirmed that nothing is agreed at this moment in time. There is also no mention of how much it would cost to secure his services.

His performances on loan with Estoril have caught the eye during the 2023/24 campaign. He has stepped up as a scorer and a creator of goals from the right wing, just like Neto has for the Old Gold. The 20-year-old only managed two goals and two assists in 51 first-team matches for Braga before being sent out on loan last summer, but has thrived since.

23/24 league season	Rodrigo Gomes	Pedro Neto
Starts	17	17
Goals	Four	Two
Big chances missed	Four	Two
Assists	Six	Nine
Big chances created	Seven	Seven
Stats via Sofascore

Neto has provided three more assists for Wolves but has created the same number of 'big chances' in the final third, which suggests that the only difference between them in that regard is the quality of their teammates when it comes to finishing those opportunities.

The 5 foot 9 maestro, who U23 scout Antonio Mango once hailed as "incredible" and a "diamond", has scored six goals and assisted seven in 27 outings in all competitions.

At the age of 20, Gomes also has plenty of time left to develop and improve. This means that O'Neil could work with him on the training pitch to unearth him as the club's next version of Neto.