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Former Everton striker Wayne Rooney has revealed the best teammate he has during his time as a Blues player, with Pele even watching his debut at another club.

Rooney's love for Everton

For a while, Rooney’s reputation at Everton was damaged because of his decision to join Manchester United as a teenager, having emerged as the most exciting young player in the country.

The England legend returned to Goodison Park later in his career, however, which went down well, and he has revealed in the past how much it hurt to leave the Blues first time around.

“I knew before Euro 2004 that I was getting touted to other teams because Everton needed the money. Certain individuals were going in to other clubs saying, ‘Would you take Wayne Rooney for £30 million?’. I was heartbroken. I mean, I loved the club and wanted to play for Everton but once I found that out, I was devastated.

“To be honest, I would have left at some point – of course, I would have to better myself and go and win trophies – but I was devastated. So I thought, you know what? Okay. I was getting pushed to join Chelsea because they were offering the most money but I didn’t want to go. I wanted to go to Manchester United. It was less money for Everton but that’s where I wanted to play.”

Rooney revealed "best" ever Everton teammate

Speaking to Everton’s X account in the past, Rooney revealed that Thomas Gravesen is the best player he shared a pitch with for the Blues: “I would probably say that Thomas Gravesen is the best player I’ve played with.”

Gravesen is a choice that will likely be met positively by Everton fans, with the Dane a hugely popular player during his time at Goodison.

He possessed both technical ability on the ball and tenacity out of possession, and his quality is highlighted by the fact that he earned a move to Real Madrid in 2005.

In fact, Pele was even present to watch his debut at the Santiago Bernabeu, and legendary manager Fabio Capello heaped praise on him at the time.

“He has been playing very well in front of the Madrid defence and is also very effective at helping build their attacks. He is turning into a very important player for them, as Madrid had problems in that position before he arrived. They were all over the place there. Now, with his arrival, there is more balance to the team.”

Watch out Grealish: Everton brewing teen star who outscored Ndiaye in 24/25

Everton’s youth academy is ready to reveal the latest homegrown hero.

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 19, 2025

If Gravesen were asked the same question, Rooney could easily get his vote, considering he is among the greatest English footballers of his generation, and it’s just a shame that they didn’t spend longer together at Everton.

Mehidy completed ten wickets in the game but Bennett and Curran laid a strong platform to enable the visitors to go 1-0 up

Mohammad Isam23-Apr-2025Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by three wickets in an exciting finish on the fourth evening of the first Test in Sylhet to go 1-0 up in the two-match series. It was Zimbabwe’s fifth overseas Test victory, which came after they completed their highest successful chase in the fourth innings. It was also their first win in the last 11 Tests and each of their last three wins have come away from home.Blessing Muzarabani was the architect of the victory with a nine-wicket match haul, but it needed Wessly Madhevere and No. 9 Richard Ngarava to push Zimbabwe over the line after they collapsed when needing less than 50 runs in their chase. Mehidy Hasan Miraz orchestrated the collapse when he picked up his second five-wicket haul in the Test. He also took his 200th Test wicket on the way to a ten-for. Madhevere reverse-swept him to the boundary to get Zimbabwe to their 174-run target.Openers Brian Bennett and Ben Curran got Zimbabwe off to a rollicking start with a 95-run stand in just 21 overs. Curran, who struck seven fours in his 44 off 75 balls, was out to Mehidy, skying him to mid-off. No. 3 batter Nick Welch fell lbw to Taijul Islam for 10, before Sean Williams misread the bounce against Mehidy in the 31st over. He top-edged a simple catch to Najmul Hossain Shanto at cover for 9. That’s when trouble started, at 127 for 3.Mehidy Hasan Miraz sent jitters in the Zimbabwe camp with his second five-wicket haul in the Test•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the next over, Bennett was done in by Mehidy’s spin and was caught by Mushfiqur Rahim at deep mid-on. The big shot he attempted was a risky move in that situation as he was batting well on 54. He struck seven fours and a six in his 81-ball stay.Taijul next struck when he had Craig Ervine caught behind off a delivery that was sliding down the leg side. Mehidy convinced captain Shanto to take the review, Ultra-Edge showed a spike, and Ervine walked off for 10. Mehidy struck again first ball of his next over when he clean bowled Nyasha Mayavo for 1. Zimbabwe were now 145 for 6.Wellington Masakadza, however, settled Zimbabwe’s nerves with boundaries in consecutive overs from Taijul. He struck a big six down the ground soon after he arrived at the crease, before slamming him past mid-off for a four. But his innings was ended by a Mehidy beauty – pitching on a length around off stump from around the wicket and turning ever so slightly to bowl him for 12.After defending his first two balls, Ngarava smashed Mehidy for four over wide mid-on to reduce the target to nine runs. Madhevere hit Taijul for another four off the first ball of the next over. He repeated the dose against Mehidy before the win that will go into Zimbabwe cricket folklore was sealed.The Test win will, however, be most remembered for Muzarabani’s bowling excellence. He has now taken five-wicket hauls in his last three Tests, which has helped him equal Heath Streak’s record for the fastest to 50 Test wickets for Zimbabwe. His match figures of 9 for 122 is the best by a Zimbabwean in Bangladesh. Muzarabani also found great support at the other end, with fellow quicks Ngarava and Victor Nyauchi and left-arm spinner Masakadza taking the remaining four wickets in the second innings.Blessing Muzarabani shows off the match ball after his six-wicket haul•AFP/Getty ImagesRain gave Bangladesh a bit of reprieve as the fourth day began 75 minutes late. Zimbabwe, though, attacked from the get-go, taking three wickets in the first 5.3 overs of the morning session. Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 255, having lost 6 for 62 on the day.Muzarabani struck with the second ball, dismissing Shanto on the pull. Nyauchi dived forward at fine leg to catch the top edge, ending Shanto’s innings at 60 off 105 balls. Mehidy followed his captain back to the pavilion soon after, edging Muzarabani to gully. Bennett took a simple catch as Muzarabani completed his five-for. Ngarava got into the act from the other end, removing Taijul in the next over.Hasan Mahmud’s rearguard action – 12 off 58 balls – stemmed the batting collapse. He added 35 runs for the eighth wicket with Jaker Ali, before holing out to mid-off where Muzarabani took an easy catch. Khaled Ahmed gave Ervine a catch next ball, as Masakadza again proved lethal for the Bangladesh tail.Muzarabani completed Zimbabwe’s dominant morning with Jaker’s wicket, when he top-edged a slog to deep midwicket. Jaker had been farming the strike for the previous hour, before opening up with just one wicket left. He had hit one six among his five boundaries and was eventually out for 58 off 111 balls.

Christian Vieri has tipped Inter’s 20-year-old striker Francesco Pio Esposito to become “a great striker,” stressing that the pressure of playing for a club like Inter will accelerate his growth. Esposito has already made his mark in Serie A with his first goal and is now being asked to step up in the absence of Marcus Thuram.

Esposito tipped for greatness at Inter

Inter youngster Esposito has enjoyed a rapid rise this season, marking his breakthrough with a goal against Cagliari in just his third Serie A appearance. The forward has mostly featured as a substitute but has shown glimpses of his talent and potential. His form has already drawn praise from both his manager Cristian Chivu and former Italy striker Vieri.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportVieri backs Esposito to grow into Inter’s next great striker

Speaking at a press event, the Nerazzurri legend highlighted the unique challenge of playing for clubs like Inter, AC Milan or Juventus, but insisted that pressure is exactly what will help Esposito develop.

“When you’re at Inter, Milan, or Juventus, you’re always under pressure. Like at Barcelona or Real Madrid. Last year he was at Spezia, he didn’t have the pressure Inter have, but it’s better to play in Serie A and the Champions League. Then there are those who are ready at twenty, and he’s already physically ready: he can handle the strain at international level, where you have to be a beast," he said.

“He has no problems, he’s really hungry to improve, and I often talk to his teammates: they tell me he’s really hungry. He’s a great talent, he’s under pressure, but it’s better to have it: he plays for a great team and has started off great, he has everything it takes to become a great striker.”

Esposito’s breakthrough highlights Inter’s rising star in Serie A

The Italian striker's goal made him the fourth-youngest Italian to score for Inter in Serie A this century, underlining his promise. Already praised by his manager for his strong display against Sassuolo, the youngster has proven he can link up effectively with senior forwards like Lautaro Martinez. With his pace, energy, and ability to stretch defences, Esposito is positioning himself as an exciting long-term option for the Nerazzurri.

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Getty Images SportWhat’s next for Inter’s rising striker

Esposito recently featured against Slavia Prague in the Champions League and could be handed more opportunities with Marcus Thuram sidelined by injury. Inter face Cremonese next as they look to maintain momentum in Serie A, and all eyes will be on whether the young striker can earn a starting role alongside Martinez.

The summer of the saga is finally over, but it’s difficult to know how Newcastle United supporters will feel about it.

On deadline day, Alexander Isak joined Liverpool for a reported fee of £125m, including add-ons, which makes this a British transfer record.

The Swede has, quite publicly, been on strike all summer as he attempted to force through this move to Merseyside, skipping the Magpies’ pre-season tour of Asia and also not turning up to the PFA awards, where he was named in the team of the season.

As a result, the Geordie faithful have completely turned against Isak, making it frankly unfathomable that he would ever play for the club again, so most will be glad to see him gone, albeit their team are losing arguably the best striker in the Premier League.

The Magpies have signed two very expensive strikers to fill his void, it remains to be seen if they’ll come good, but the astronomical fees being paid by all clubs this summer has only underlined the fact that Newcastle struck gold snapping up their talisman.

Newcastle's Isak replacements

On Saturday, Newcastle announced the signing of striker Nick Woltemade, arriving from Stuttgart for an initial fee of £65m plus up to £4.3m in add-ons.

This time last year, barely anyone had heard of Woltemade, considering he’d scored just two top division goals during his time at Werder Bremen.

However, the 23-year-old really burst onto the scene at Stuttgart, netting 18 times in just 36 appearances for die Schwaben, including scoring during each round of the DFB-Pokal, breaking the deadlock against Arminia Bielefeld in May’s final, as his side won the competition for the first time since 1997.

He then further enhanced his reputation during this summer’s U21 European Championships, bagging a hat-trick during Germany’s tournament opener against Slovenia, picking up the golden boot by netting six times in total, as die Mannschaft were defeated 3-2 by England in the final in Bratislava.

Standing at 198 cms (6 ft 6 in) tall, he is nicknamed “Woltemessi” due to his perceived good touch for a big man, so it’ll be fascinating to see how he fares on Tyneside.

That is not all, though, because on deadline day, Newcastle also finally completed the signing of long-term target Yoane Wissa.

The DR Congo international himself had gone full-Isak at Brentford, refusing to play as he pushed for a move, but the two clubs agreed a fee of £55m on Monday, after bids of £25m and £40m had both been rejected earlier this summer.

Wissa leaves West London as Brentford’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League, having been on target 49 times in all competitions for the Bees, 19 of which came in the Premier League last season, a tally only bettered by Mohamed Salah, Isak, Erling Braut Håland, Bryan Mbeumo and Chris Wood.

At 28 years old, however, £55m for Wissa, when you’ve also just signed another striker for around £70m, does seem very high, further underlining how much of a bargain Newcastle’s talisman has proved to be.

Newcastle talisman signed for a bargain fee

Back in October 2021, the Saudi Public Investment Fund completed their £305m takeover of Newcastle United and, after swiftly replacing Steve Bruce with Eddie Howe, they wanted to make a splash in the transfer market.

During that first January window, with the Toon Army very much embroiled in a relegation battle, having won just one of their first 20 fixtures, the new owners spent big to ensure Premier League survival.

Four new signings arrived for a combined £90m, namely Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Bruno Guimarães, and the latter instantaneously became a cult hero on Tyneside.

To date, Guimarães has made 147 appearances for the Magpies, scoring 23 goals and registering 24 assists, playing an instrumental role in the team that won last season’s EFL Cup, ending the club’s 70-year wait for major domestic silverware.

The table below emphasises his importance to Newcastle.

Minutes

3,844

2nd

Goals

5

7th

Assists

8

4th

Shots

54

4th

Completed passes

1,481

3rd

Key passes

52

1st

Passes into final third

180

1st

Progress passes

271

1st

Shot-creating actions

133

1st

Big chances created

13

2nd

Tackles

83

1st

Interceptions

33

3rd

Ball recoveries

188

2nd

Touches

2,213

3rd

Avg Sofascore rating

7.22

3rd

As the table reinforces, Guimarães is pivotal to everything Newcastle achieve; ranked first by every passing metric, while also in the top two for out-of-possession statistics, tackles and ball recoveries, producing goals, assists and chance creation at the other end of the pitch too.

The £40m paid to Olympique Lyonnais to secure his signature has turned out to be a complete bargain, especially considering his current estimated transfer value is around £69m.

For comparison, new signings Woltemade and Wissa are valued at around £26m and £27.6m respectively, substantially lower than the fees Newcastle have paid.

His international teammate Casemiro is certainly a fan, stating that Guimarães has been “exceptional” at Newcastle, adding that he is a “great player who has been demonstrating this in the most difficult league in the world”.

Thus, now that Isak has finally departed Tyneside, the Brazilian midfielder is ready to step up and be Newcastle’s talisman, leading them into a Champions League campaign, with Barcelona the first visitors to St James’ Park on 18 September; what a tie that’ll be.

Imagine him & Bruno: Newcastle lodge bid for "one of the world's best DMs"

Newcastle are looking to sign one of the best midfielders on the planet to partner Bruno Guimaraes

ByWill Miller Aug 31, 2025

تحدث رودريجو جوس، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد عن علاقته بـ زين الدين زيدان وثنائية مانشستر سيتي الشهيرة وأول هاتريك له في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وأجرى الدولي البرازيلي حوارًا مطولًا مع صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية تحدث من خلاله حول كارلو أنشيلوتي وعلاقته القوية به ومنتخب البرازيلي وأسرار كثيرة من كواليس انتقاله إلى الفريق الملكي.

وقال رودريجو، عن مباراة مانشستر سيتي الشهيرة: “كان أصعب يوم في حياتي، وكان أيضًا أفضل يوم في حياتي، ويوم العديد من مشجعي ريال مدريد الذين ما زالوا يكتبون لي ليشكروني على هذين الهدفين في دقيقتين، كان الأمر جنونيًا”.

وأكمل: “عند التعادل 1/1، أعلن المذيع الداخلي عن 6 دقائق من الوقت بدل الضائع، وكان الهدف بمثابة التأهل لنا، جنون الجماهير في البرنابيو واحتفلوا بعدد الدقائق كما لو كان هدفًا، هذا أخافهم (يقصد مانشستر سيتي) وفكرت لحظة وقلت في نفسي هل يمكنني تسجيل هدف آخر؟، وفعلت ذلك برأسي، انظروا، كان بإمكاني تسجيل هدف آخر قبل الوقت الإضافي لكن أنقذها إيدرسون، كانت ستُكتب أعظم هاتريك في التاريخ، في اليوم السابق، أخبرت والدي أنني سأسجل ثلاثة أهداف، وفعلت ذلك بالفعل، كان الأمر في رأسي، كان الأمر جنونيًا للغاية”.

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وعن أول مباراة شارك بها بقميص ريال مديد على برنابيو: “نعم، كان الأمر مميزًا للغاية، أتذكره كأنه كان بالأمس، لن أنسى أبدًا عندما اتصل بي زيدان ليخبرني أنني سألعب مباراتي الأولى في البرنابيو، لم أتخيل أبدًا أن يحدث ذلك بهذه السرعة، لطالما حلمت به ولكن عندما يحين الوقت، أشعر بتوتر شديد، أتذكر أن كاسيميرو مرر لي الكرة وسيطرت عليها جيدًا وراوغت وسددت وسكنت الكرة الشباك، كانت بداية مثالية”.

وعن تسجيل هاتريك في أول مباراة له في دوري أبطال أوروبا قال رودريجو: “كنتُ أعتقد أن بيننا رابط مميز، لطالما أحببت هذه البطولة، ثلاثية مثالية (هاتريك) أمام جماهيرنا، كانت البداية رائعة بهذه الطريقة”.

وعن اللعب تحت قيادة زين الدين زيدان: “كان شخصًا عاديًا لكنه أبهرني، نظرت إليه وقلت زيدان يتحدث معي! في الثامنة عشرة من عمري كان كل شيء جديدًا بالنسبة لي، وكان كل شيء مثيرًا للإعجاب، استغرق الأمر مني بعض الوقت لأعتاد عليه وأتقبل أنه مجرد مدربي، وهذا كل شيء، تحدث معي كثيرًا وساعدني وأحببت الوقت الذي قضيته معه”.

Tilak jumped a whopping 69 places after his back-to-back centuries in South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2024India allrounder Hardik Pandya is back on top of the T20I allrounders list in the ICC rankings, while Tilak Varma has broken into the top 10 among batters for the first time.Hardik displaced England’s Liam Livingstone at the top and also overtook Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee after he picked up two wickets and scored 18, 39 not out and 2 in the T20Is against South Africa. His top performance was his spell of 1 for 8 that included a maiden in three overs in the fourth T20I in Johannesburg. The last time Hardik rose to the top of the allrounders list was just a few months ago, after India won the T20 World Cup in June also by beating South Africa.Tilak, the Player of the Series in the recent bilaterals, shot up 69 places among the batters after his consecutive and unbeaten centuries that followed scores of 20 and 33 in the first two T20Is. He is now placed third, after Travis Head and Phil Salt, and closely followed by his captain Suryakumar Yadav. Sanju Samson, the other batter with two hundreds in the series, went up 17 places to 22nd, as he also bagged two ducks between the two centuries. Among bowlers, left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh moved to ninth after gaining three spots with the help of eight wickets against South Africa. Arshdeep was the top-wicket taker in the series among fast bowlers and bagged three-fors in the last two games.Adam Zampa, who picked up six wickets against Pakistan, was among the biggest gainers among the bowlers, reaching third spot after rising five places, just behind Adil Rashid and Wanindu Hasaranga. His team-mate Nathan Ellis shot up a significant 15 spots to reach 11th rank, after he finished the three T20Is against Pakistan with four wickets, including figures of 3 for 9 in the opening match that was truncated by rain.For South Africa, Tristan Stubbs climbed three places to move to 23rd whereas Heinrich Klaasen jumped six places but remained out of top 50, at 59th.After the 1-1 T20I series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, Kusal Mendis rose to joint 12th spot after going up three places. After they won the ODIs 2-0, Maheesh Theekshana went up six places to be placed sixth, that pushed Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj one spot down each, to seventh and eighth respectively.

Away from Nathaniel Phillips joining Ryan Mason’s ranks, it’s been somewhat of a quiet summer so far at West Bromwich Albion as far as incomings are concerned.

It’s definitely been hectic surrounding outgoings, however, with Grady Diangana, John Swift, and Semi Ajayi all exiting one after the other, having failed to agree on extended contracts at the Hawthorns.

The brand-new Baggies boss must have thought he’d won himself his second big buy when it was reported that AFC Bournemouth winger David Brooks was likely to join his camp.

But, no such deal has got off the ground, leaving the promotion hopefuls back at square one with who to bring in to boost their chances of moving up to the Premier League.

Brooks' collapsed West Brom deal

In a drastically sharp change of events, Brooks – who had reportedly completed a medical at the Hawthorns – has now seen a move to West Brom fall through.

This would have been an ideal signing for Mason to strengthen his numbers in attack in the wake of Diangana leaving the building, with the Welshman a top performer in the Championship in the not-so-distant past.

Just two seasons back, the AFC Bournemouth number seven proved himself to be an instant hit out on loan at second-tier promotion chasers Southampton, as seen in a whirlwind return of two goals and six assists coming his way from just 20 outings at St. Mary’s.

That bumped up his overall tally in the division to a sublime 11 goals and 16 assists, with Brooks’ adaptability to play as a left winger or as an attacking midfielder making him even more of a sterling, short-term pick-up.

An unfortunate twist in the tale has stopped this promising deal from occurring, though, but the Baggies could win themselves a dream alternative if this exciting starlet is loaned in instead.

West Brom's "fearless" Brooks alternative

Mason might as well put his Tottenham Hotspur connections to good use from the Hawthorns hot seat.

This might well prove to be a great weapon on West Brom’s end, with rumours circulating last month that Spurs’ teenage sensation Mikey Moore is being eyed up by the West Midlands side.

Moore is arguably cut from the same cloth as the Cherries forward, with Brooks held in high regard ever since breaking through at Sheffield United aged just 19. In the case of the North London prodigy, he’s already making waves at Thomas Frank’s men at the tender age of 17.

Indeed, a terrific solo strike against Elfsborg last year was his first ever senior strike for his boyhood employers, shining so much in the Europa League that teammate James Maddison suggested he was “like Neymar.”

LW

18

4

6

AM

8

6

4

CF

7

11

4

RW

6

1

0

Much like his Welsh counterpart would have been capable of, the teenage sensation could go on to be a superb talent for the Baggies across various attacking positions, with a lethal 11 goals coming his way across his fledgling career as a centre-forward, away from shining as a left or right winger like Brooks.

The worry would be that Moore might not instantly take to his new Championship terrain, having only ever been in that bubble of youth football at Spurs.

Yet, having recently also been hailed as “fearless” by Maddison when leaping into the Tottenham first-team, this should be another hurdle he’s able to overcome, with West Brom’s failed pursuit of Brooks quickly forgotten about if he goes on to be a success.

The new Fellows: West Brom looking at deal to sign "outstanding" EFL star

West Bromwich Albion could repeat their Tom Fellows magic by landing this EFL star.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 3, 2025

Everton are one of the clubs in the mix to sign a “brilliant” former Premier League player on a free transfer this summer, according to a new report.

Everton left-back signs new deal

The Blues may be looking at signing experienced players this summer, but retaining the services of their most exciting players is also of the utmost importance.

One big positive has emerged in that respect, with Everton left-back Josh van Schoor signing his first professional contract at the club, keeping him on Merseyside until the summer of 2027.

The 18-year-old is clearly delighted to have committed his future to the Blues, speaking about the new deal and calling it a “really special” moment for him.

“It’s a really special moment for me and my family. It’s something you work towards your whole life, and as a little lad you dream about it, so to sign is a very proud moment. When you’re working hard towards things, and then again over the past few years when you’re so close, to finally achieve it is a very good moment. Last season was good, I think I really found a good bit of form and captained the side a few times as well, which was really good for me.”

Everton keeping tabs on "brilliant" free agent

According to a fresh report from Caught Offside, Everton are also “keeping close tabs” on former Tottenham left-back Sergio Reguilon, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Spurs last month, having been on loan at Manchester United.

Bournemouth and West Ham are also mentioned in the update, with the Hammers mentioned as the “most enthusiastic” among the three Premier League clubs.

Reguilon could be an astute addition for Everton between now and the beginning of the new Premier League season, possessing lots of experience at a high level and no doubt wanting to get his career back on track, following a nomadic spell of late.

The 28-year-old has tasted victory against the Blues before, scoring in a 5-0 win for Spurs back in 2021/22, and Noel Whelan once called him “brilliant”, also saying:

“I’ve been an admirer of Reguilon for some time. He really stamped his authority on the game and grabbed the winner to show what a quality player he is.”

At 28, Reguilon is far from an ageing player, so he should be able to be a good player for Everton for the next four or five years, and the fact that he has Premier League experience is an added bonus.

Related Everton in active talks to sign "amazing" £20m+ Olympic Gold medallist

The Toffees want proven Premier League experience…

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Jul 14, 2025

The Spaniard could come in and provide stiff competition for Vitalii Mykolenko at left-back, giving the Blues two great options in that position.

David Bedingham, Dane Paterson and Dane Piedt are the only players from South Africa’s makeshift squad that toured New Zealand in February to be named for their next red-ball assignment, against West Indies in August. While Bedingham is seen as central to the future of South Africa’s long-format batting, Paterson, 35, has been included to add experience in the absence of Anrich Nortje and Marco Jansen, and Piedt, 34, to have a second spinner in addition to Keshav Maharaj.The rest of the players were all part of South Africa’s home series against India earlier this year with the exception of batter Matthew Breetzke, who has earned his first Test call-up. Breetzke is currently playing for Northants and was part of a South African A side that toured Sri Lanka last year. With Dean Elgar’s recent international retirement, he will provide batting back-up to a top five that will likely include Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham.Red-ball coach Shukri Conrad confirmed that Stubbs would take over the No. 3 spot, with de Zorzi moving up into Elgar’s opening slot. “Technically Stubbs is one of the best around,” Conrad said at a press conference. “He’s the type of cricketer that I want at the top of the order. And I think he has got all the makings of a top-class No. 3 batter. He will get a really good run and he is definitely one for the future. Some might say it’s a big call, but I certainly won’t be throwing someone in at the deep end and give him a task that I didn’t think he was capable of handling.”Wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton has been recalled after last playing Tests in the home series against West Indies in March 2023 and will compete with incumbent gloveman Kyle Verreynne for a spot at No. 6. The only seam-bowling allrounder in the squad is Wiaan Mulder, who also last played Tests at home against West Indies, after Jansen was rested from the tour.”Given the hectic schedules and not necessarily for South Africa – you take someone like Marco, who would have had two months at an IPL straight to a World Cup, straight into an MLC – the plan was always for different guys to be getting breaks at different times,” Conrad said. “So this is Marco’s time where we felt we can do some really good work with him from a rehab and conditioning point of view, and if there’s some technical work that needs to happen.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Jansen will also miss the October Tests in Bangladesh and “be ready for Sri Lanka and Pakistan”, Conrad said. “And then another quick will have the Bangladesh series off and be ready for Sri Lanka and Pakistan. So it’s conversations that Rob [Walter, the white-ball coach] and I have been having for the longest time now. We want to make sure that we manage these players properly. They never get time to actually do some work on their bodies and any technical stuff. It’s not a holiday.”The pace attack will be led by Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi with Nortje not considered after he opted out of a central contract this year with the aim of focusing primarily on T20 cricket. Paterson and left-armer Nandre Burger are the other two pace options.South Africa’s first-choice Test players have not been in action since the New Year’s Test, which they lost to India after being to miss the New Zealand series and honour SA20 commitments. South Africa lost that series 2-0 and sit in seventh place on the WTC points table, but have only played four matches. They have eight more Tests scheduled in this cycle – two in the West Indies, two in Bangladesh in October and home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan – and have hopes they could put themselves in a position to compete for a spot in the WTC final.”We’ve got eight test matches left in the cycle and whilst one doesn’t want to look too far ahead, in order to give ourselves a good crack at it, we probably need to win at least seven,” Conrad said. “That’s part of the end goal. We know that every Test series is going to be a challenging one. But when we play to our full potential, I think we can obviously get the right results. We’re still very much in the mix.”Those members of the squad who are not involved in the MLC or on the county circuit – Bavuma, Breetzke, de Zorzi, Mulder, Paterson, Stubbs and Verreynne – will take part in a four-day training camp in Durban before departing for the West Indies. The first Test takes place in Trinidad from August 7 and the second in Guyana a week later.

South Africa Test squad

Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne

Celtic are now likely to complete the signing of an “amazing” attacking player soon, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Attackers the order of the day for Celtic

Brendan Rodgers will know the importance of adding to his squad and making his team even more of a force next season, in order to prevent Rangers from closing the gap in the Scottish Premiership, and perhaps more excitingly for the Hoops to improve in the Champions League.

Celtic appear to be prioritising attacking signings this summer, with Benjamin Nygren strongly linked with sealing a move from Nordsjaelland to Parkhead.

Meanwhile, Evan Ferguson has emerged as an audacious transfer target for the Hoops ahead of next season, with the Brighton striker’s stock falling over the past 12 months, following a tough spell out on loan at West Ham.

That’s not to say that the Republic of Ireland international couldn’t be a fantastic acquisition for Celtic, however, with Gary Lineker calling him a “born goalscorer” and once tipping him to replace Harry Kane at Tottenham.

Now, it looks as though the Scottish champions could be edging towards another attacking signing.

O'Rourke: Celtic set to finalise deal for Balikwisha

Speaking to Football Insider, O’Rourke claimed Celtic have a good chance of signing Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha this summer.

“There’s real potential that Celtic could finally get a deal done for Balikwisha. He’s been a long-term target for them, they tried to sign him in the summer transfer window last year but an injury and failing to agree a price stopped their hopes. Their interest has never gone away, they’ve continued to keep tabs on him. He has got back to full fitness after a bad injury and finished the season strongly.

“Celtic will be in the market for a new winger and Balikwisha has remained on the radar. They’ve been given a boost in their pursuit as well, reports are suggesting in Belgium that Royal Antwerp are experiencing some financial problems. They may have to cash in on some of their players, and with the 24-year-old in the final year of his contract Celtic could land him for a bargain fee of £5million.”

Balikwisha has been linked with Celtic for some time, with talks mooted recently, and he could be a brilliant signing this summer, with the 24-year-old possessing so much quality.

Belgium Under-21s

10

1

Belgium Under-19s

3

0

Belgium Under-18s

1

0

Belgium Under-17s

5

1

Belgium Under-16s

4

1

The attacker already has 46 goal involvements in 141 appearances for Antwerp, and at international level he has been capped for Belgium across five different youth age groups, also being called “amazing” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

While primarily a left winger, Balikwisha can also shine on the opposite flank and as a striker, so Rodgers would be signing a player who can add so much depth to his attack.