Category Uncategorized

Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens enjoyed a dream international debut as Belgium stormed into the 2026 World Cup with a ruthless 7-0 demolition of Liechtenstein. It was a landmark evening for the 23-year-old, who not only kept a flawless clean sheet but also watched his team-mates tear their visitors apart with a clinical, seven-goal masterclass.

• Belgium blitz their way into another World Cup

  Coach Rudi Garcia demanded a rapid start, and his players delivered with ruthless precision. After just two minutes and thirty seconds, Youri Tielemans swung in a measured cross that Hans Vanaken steered into the net with a glancing header. It was the early breakthrough Belgium wanted and Liechtenstein dreaded. Despite holding firm for another half-hour, the visitors eventually cracked under relentless pressure. Alexis Saelemaekers found space on the byline, cutting the ball back perfectly for Jeremy Doku, who finished unmarked from the spot. With confidence flowing, Doku struck again minutes later, this time after pouncing on a loose clearance, dancing past three defenders, and guiding the ball into the corner. By half-time, Belgium were cruising at 3-0. The second half, however, produced an explosion.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Seven-minute storm shreds Liechtenstein

  Eight minutes after the restart, Tielemans flicked a corner into a dangerous area, allowing Brandon Mechele to prod home a fourth. Three minutes later, Tielemans’ long-range strike forced a save from Benjamin Buchel, but Saelemaekers reacted quickest to smash in the rebound. Barely sixty seconds passed before Charles De Ketelaere joined the party. Doku turned provider, rolling a pass across the box for De Ketelaere to tuck home Belgium’s sixth. A minute later, Thomas Meunier surged down the flank, squared to De Ketelaere again, and the forward coolly fired in his second. At the other end, Lammens had only one save to make.

• Lammens' meteoric rise continues

  For Lammens, a clean sheet on his international debut marked another milestone in a rapidly ascending career. United signed the Belgian star late in the summer window after cooling interest in Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez. Lammens called his deadline-day move "a dream come true" and "the beginning of something special". Since then, he has featured in five Premier League matches, conceding seven goals but earning widespread praise for his composure, agility and shot-stopping. He played a pivotal role in United’s October revival, helping the side secure consecutive wins over Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton. His performances have drawn comparisons to legendary United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel. Lammens himself has resisted such talk, insisting he has "a long way to go". But one man who sees the potential is Sir Alex Ferguson.

  In an interview with , the former United manager spoke warmly about the young stopper and said: "There are signs, the manager has had some good signs. Particularly the goalkeeper has been outstanding, he’s only played three or four games and he’s looking really good. Of course, [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Matheus] Cunha, the new players from Wolves and Brentford, they’ve added to it. I hope the manager gets a bit of success because at United you need to have success – the signs are getting better. I think back-to-back wins is something teams like United should always expect. But having gone through a cycle where the improvement has to come by waiting and being patient, they’ll enjoy it now."

  Lammens is not worried about the pressure at United and said: "There's been a lot of commotion about the goalkeepers in recent years. They've received a lot of negative comments. I wasn't worried about that. I want to be someone people look up to. My dream is to play here for the next ten years, be important to the club, and build a legacy. That's a long-term goal."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Lammens' United look to restart momentum after mixed results

  Amorim’s side followed their three-game winning run with two successive 2-2 draws against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham. United return to action on November 24 with a home clash against Everton.

And what’s the latest a batter has come and scored a hundred in an ODI?

Steven Lynch09-Sep-2025England beat South Africa by 342 runs at the Rose Bowl. Was this their biggest win in ODIs? asked Bill Green from England
England ran up 414 for 5 in Southampton last weekend, then bowled South Africa out for 72 to win by 342 runs. It was – by exactly 100 – their biggest win in a one-day international, beating 242 runs against Australia at Trent Bridge in June 2018.More than that, though, it was the largest victory margin in any men’s one-day international, beating 317 runs by India (390 for 5) against Sri Lanka (73) in Thiruvananthapuram in January 2023. There have been three others by more than 300 runs.There have also been exactly 50 ODIs that were won by ten wickets: the quickest of those came when New Zealand overhauled Bangladesh’s 93 in Queenstown in December 2007 in just six overs.There have been bigger victories in women’s ODIs: New Zealand (455 for 5) beat Pakistan (47) by 408 runs in Christchurch in January 1997, and there have been seven further wins by more than 300 runs.In the Duleep Trophy semi-final the other day Central Zone scored 600 without anyone reaching a century. Was this a record? asked Akram Fazal Mirza from India, and others
The highest individual score in Central Zone’s total of 600 against West Zone in the Duleep Trophy semi-final in Bengaluru last week was Shubham Sharma’s 96. This was only the fifth time any team had reached 600 in a first-class innings without anyone making a hundred: the highest of all remains Surrey’s 671 for 9 declared against Kent in Beckenham in May 2022, when the highest individual contribution was also 96, by Ollie Pope.Namibia made 609 against Uganda in Windhoek in September 2010, with a highest score of 87 by Ewald Steenkamp, while the Indian record remains 605, by Madhya Pradesh against Haryana in Rajnandgaon in March 1999 (highest score Jai Yadav’s 90). Surrey’s 603 against Gloucestershire in Bristol in July 2005 included a highest individual score of 89, by Azhar Mahmood.Cameron Green came in in the 35th over against South Africa and hit a century. Has anyone entered later in an ODI and reached 100? asked Michael Z from Australia
Australia’s Cameron Green entered after 34.1 overs against South Africa in Mackay last month: he reached his century off 47 balls, and ended up with 118 not out.There have been five known centuries scored in one-day internationals by batters entering even later in the innings (we don’t have ball-by-ball details for all ODIs, but it looks unlikely there are any additions). Top of the list is Green’s frequent team-mate, Glenn Maxwell, who came to the crease after 39 overs against Netherlands in Delhi during the 2023 World Cup, and hit eight sixes in a 40-ball hundred.AB de Villiers came in after 38.3 overs for South Africa against West Indies in Johannesburg in January 2015, but still had time to smash 149, with 16 sixes: he reached 100 from just 31 balls, still the ODI record. United Arab Emirates’ Asif Khan hit 101 not out against Nepal in Kirtipur in March 2023, having entered after 37.3 overs. And England’s Jos Buttler has two such innings, both against Pakistan: in Dubai in November 2015 he entered after 35.3 overs and scored 116 not out, while in Southampton in May 2019 he came in after 35.1 and hit an unbeaten 110.Glenn Maxwell came out to bat in the 40th over against Netherlands in 2023, and reached his hundred off the next 40 balls•AFP/Getty ImagesAndrew Hudson scored 163 on his Test debut against West Indies, but was out for a duck in the second innings. How many other players have done this? asked Greg Nilsen from South Africa
Opener Andrew Hudson did indeed start his Test career with 163, against West Indies in Bridgetown in South Africa’s “comeback” Test in April 1992. He followed that with a duck in the second innings: at the time the only other man to start his Test career with a century and a duck was India’s Gundappa Viswanath, with 0 and 137 against Australia in Kanpur in November 1969.Since Hudson, three others have achieved the feat on debut: Mohammad Wasim made 0 and 109 not out for Pakistan against New Zealand in Lahore in November 1996, Keaton Jennings collected 112 and 0 for England vs India in Mumbai in December 2016, and earlier this year Ismat Alam made 0 and 101 for Afghanistan against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.There’s also been one instance in a women’s Test: in Bloemfontein last December, England’s Maia Bouchier made 126 and 0 against South Africa.Rahul Dravid, by never making 89 in Tests, missed out on scoring the first 14 numbers in the Fibonacci sequence in Tests. Has anyone else managed 13? asked Chris Goddard from England
The first 14 numbers in the Fibonacci sequence – in which the next number is obtained by adding the previous two together – are 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144 and 233. You’re right that while Rahul Dravid did score 233 – against Australia in Adelaide in December 2003 – he was never out (or not out) for 89.It appears that no one can beat him, although there are six other batters who have 13 of the 14 numbers (unlike Dravid, they are all lacking 233): Mike Atherton, MS Dhoni, Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara, Shakib Al Hasan and Steven Smith (who might yet add the next number in the sequence!)Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Thomas Frank’s time in charge of Tottenham Hotspur may not be going exactly to plan at this moment in time, as his side have been in concerning form of late.

The Lilywhites have conceded 11 goals in their last three games in all competitions, losing 5-3 to PSG and 4-1 to Arsenal in their last two outings since returning from the international break.

Tottenham have won one of their last six games in all competitions, keeping one clean sheet in that time, and this shows that Frank and his staff have plenty of work to do to improve the team’s defensive record.

Spurs let in 65 goals in 38 Premier League games in the 2024/25 season under Ange Postecoglou, which shows that this is not a new issue, and it may take time for the problem to be solved.

Whilst there is plenty of attention on the defensive side of their game, and rightly so given recent results, there should also be attention given to where they need to improve at the other end of the pitch.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, with one assist, was one of the standout performers for PSG, as he moved to eight goal contributions for the season, but Spurs do not have similar quality in their wide areas.

Ranking Tottenham's wingers this season

The Lilywhites spent £55m to sign Mohammed Kudus from Premier League rivals West Ham to bolster their ranks out wide in the summer transfer window, and he has been arguably the best winger at the club this season.

In the 2025/26 campaign, the Ghana international has more assists (five) than any other player in the squad for Spurs, with one assist on top of all of that creativity, per Transfermarkt.

However, even then, there is plenty of room for him to improve because of a return of one goal in 17 appearances in all competitions is far from an exceptional return for a £55m signing.

On the flip side, Brennan Johnson has scored four goals in 18 matches in all competitions, per Sofascore, yet he has failed to provide a single assist for his teammates, which shows that he needs to improve on the creative side of the game.

1

Mohammed Kudus

2

Brennan Johnson

3

Wilson Odobert

4

Xavi Simons

5

Mathys Tel

As you can see in the table above, Wilson Odobert ranks just below the two of them, because he has one goal and two assists in just 751 minutes of football as a young player who is still learning and improving.

Xavi Simons, signed for £52m from Leipzig, and Mathys Tel, who have both played centrally and wide, have each registered just two goal contributions in all competitions, which is why they must rank fourth and fifth.

All of this shows that Frank does not have many amazing options in the wide areas, but that could change for the second half of the season if things go to plan.

Spurs told that £50m bid will be accepted for Premier League forward

According to former Aberdeen, Everton, and Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness, Tottenham Hotspur could sign Savinho from Manchester City in the January transfer window.

The ex-Premier League chief has told Spurs that a bid of £50m could be enough for them to tempt the Cityzens into cashing on the Brazil international, after the Lilywhites failed with a £60m approach for the forward in the summer.

Transfer Focus

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

Speaking to Football Insider, Wyness said: “There are a lot of City fans complaining about him, et cetera, et cetera. But I do think he’s a quality player.

“I think a change of scenery would obviously do him the world of good. And I think it’ll give Spurs a chance to get a better deal with City. And I do expect something like this to happen in January. So I do expect probably a bit of not so much cut-price, but certainly lower than expected, maybe around a 50 million mark even with bonuses for a player of that quality.”

Savinho has only started four matches in the Premier League for Manchester City so far this season, with the likes of Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku ahead of him, and Wyness seemingly believes that his lack of game time could open the door for Spurs.

It is now down to Fabio Paratici and Frank, though, to do a deal with City and to convince the Brazilian star to make the move to North London, because he could be their own Kvaratskhelia.

Why Spurs should sign Savinho

Like Kudus, Savinho is not a winger who is likely to come in and score 20 or more goals a season like Mo Salah or Vinicius Jr, because he has only scored four goals in all competitions since the start of last season, per Sofascore.

However, the 21-year-old talent is an exceptional dribbler and creator who could provide an exciting presence for supporters to watch out wide in the second half of the season and beyond.

Kvaratskhelia, who is valued at £79m, is one of the best wingers in the world, having won Ligue 1 and the Champions League, scoring in the final, last season, so it would be unrealistic to expect Tottenham to sign a winger who is exactly like him in every area of the game.

However, as you can see in the chart above, Savinho is very much like the Georgian star when it comes to creating chances and dribbling past opposition players on the wing, based on their respective statistics over the last 365 days.

In fact, the Brazilian Spurs target was one of the most creative players in his position in all of the top five major European leagues in the 2024/25 campaign, as shown in the table below.

Raphinha

12

Bradley Barcola

11

Vincenzo Grifo

11

Vinicius Jr

10

Rafa Leao

10

Moses Simon

10

Alex Baena

10

Heung-min Son

10

Savinho

10

Zuriko Davitashvili

8

Whilst he may not be in the best moment at Manchester City, with one goal and two assists in 15 appearances, his form last term shows that he is capable of being an elite creator and dribbler in the Premier League.

Savinho, who Paul Merson claimed could be a “superstar”, ranked in the top 6% of his positional peers for xAG (0.27) in the Champions League and the top 4% in the Premier League with 0.35 xAG, per FBref.

These statistics and his statistics in comparison to Kvaratskhelia suggest that Spurs would be signing an exceptional young creator on the wing if they snap him up in January.

That is why Paratici should hope that Wyness is right and that a deal could be done for £50m, because the Brazilian could arrive in North London as their own version of the PSG superstar because of his creative and dribbling skills.

Romero upgrade: Spurs "ready to make" £35m bid for "world-class" defender

Tottenham Hotspur look set to make a huge January move for a new centre-back.

1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 28, 2025

“I want to play all the formats and succeed in all the formats… if I want to do that, then this is the challenge I have to go through,” Shubman Gill says about being an all-format player and leader

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-20253:13

Gill outlines the challenges of being an all-format player

Test captain, T20I vice-captain, and now ODI captain as well. Shubman Gill isn’t just one of a vanishing breed of all-format international players but also one holding leadership roles in each of them. He is aware of the toll this can take on him, especially mentally, but he is prepared to take on that challenge in order to achieve his own goals in all three formats.”Physically, most of the time, I feel fine, but sometimes, yes, there is mental fatigue, because when you are constantly playing, there is obviously a certain expectation that I have from myself, and to be able to keep up with my own expectations sometimes becomes the challenge,” Gill said on the eve of the second Test against West Indies in Delhi, in his first press conference since being appointed India’s ODI captain.”But I think that’s the challenge, to be able to play all the formats for India, and I want to play all the formats and succeed in all the formats for the country, and win ICC titles. So, if I want to do that, then this is the challenge I have to go through.”Related

India trying to ready Reddy for greater challenges

Can Rahul close gap between his stats and his ceiling?

Gill inherits the wealth of India's Rohit-Kohli era

Gill replaced Rohit Sharma as ODI captain, and will captain two former full-time captains in Rohit and Virat Kohli when India play three ODIs in Australia later this month. With both Rohit and Kohli in their mid-30s and retired from both the other formats, a certain amount of doubt surrounds their future as ODI players with the next World Cup in that format two years away.”Absolutely,” Gill said, when asked if he saw Rohit and Kohli playing an important role in ODIs leading into that World Cup. “The experience the two of them have [is immense], and there are very few players who can match the number of matches they have won for India.”There are very few players in the world with such skill and quality along with that experience, and we look at it from that perspective.”Gill becoming ODI captain capped a five-month period over which he has become the face of Indian cricket, with his appointment as Test captain in May followed by a Test tour of England in which he scored 754 runs – the second-most by any India batter in a bilateral series – at an average of 75.40. While Gill acknowledged how “exciting” these months had been, he said he wanted to put past achievements behind him and keep looking ahead.”[The ODI captaincy] is obviously is a big responsibility and an even bigger honour, so I’m very excited to lead my country in that format, and yes, the last few months have been very exciting for me, but I’m really looking forward to what the future has,” he said. “I want to stay [in the] present as [much as] possible and don’t really want to look back on what I’ve been able to achieve or what we, as a team, have been able to achieve. Just want to look forward and win everything that we have in the upcoming months.””The challenge is to stay on top for five days in a Test match, and that is more difficult than captaining in a T20 game”•Associated PressWhen asked what qualities he had inherited, or would like to inherit from his predecessor Rohit, Gill picked two. “So many qualities that I have inherited from Rohit – the calmness that he possesses, and the kind of friendship that he has among the group is something that I aspire to, these are the qualities that I want to take from him.Asked to compare the task of leading teams in red- and white-ball cricket, Gill felt Test cricket presents captains the stiffest challenge. He was perhaps reflecting on missed opportunities in his first series in charge, in England, where India drew 2-2 when they could have potentially won the five-Test series had they not let momentum slip away from them in a handful of sessions.”I feel in Test matches, the better team [in that match] does come on top at the end of the day because you’ve got more chances and more opportunities to make a comeback,” Gill said. “Whereas in T20, if you have three-four overs of bad period, there might be a case that you are completely taken away from the game. So, it is different in that sense.”When you are playing a Test match, whenever a team wins a Test match, for that particular match, that team deserves to win the Test match because they played better cricket not for two-three hours or not for one day, but consistently over a period of three, four or five days.”So the challenge is to stay on top for five days in a Test match, and that is more difficult than captaining in a T20 game. Whereas, in a T20 game, you get off to a really good start and then you maintain that, then you are sort of able to be on top of the game for the entirety of the game, but in a Test match, you can be on top for two days, but if you don’t turn up on day three, the other team can make a comeback.”0:49

Chopra: ‘Sai Sudharsan needs runs or the pressure will mount’

Gill on Sai Sudharsan: ‘We think he’s the man for us’Leading into the Delhi Test, there has been a lot of media scrutiny on B Sai Sudharsan, Gill’s opening partner at Gujarat Titans in the IPL, who is under a certain amount of external pressure with an average in the early 20s across his first four Tests, and with a number of other middle-order batters knocking on the door. Gill suggested Sai Sudharsan’s numbers were a little misleading, and said he continues to enjoy the full backing of the team management.”I don’t really think he’s had a lean run,” Gill said. “He got one innings in the first match [in Ahmedabad]. At The Oval, he played a crucial innings of 40 runs [38] on that wicket where the ball was seaming. The match before that, he scored a fifty [61] in Manchester. Not every match everyone is going to score a hundred.”You have to give young players more opportunities. They are still trying to figure out their game. And we believe that you have to first see someone’s potential and then see their game in the entirety, not just judge someone from one, two, three, four matches. Once you have given someone enough matches – six, seven, eight matches – then you can sit back and have a think over it, where he needs to learn, or if he needs to play some more domestic matches or play some more India A games.”But as of now, we think he’s the man for us and he’s someone that can play for India at No. 3 for a very long time.”

Three cricketers from Pakistan and one from England represent the overseas contingent

Mohammad Isam08-Feb-20251. Mohammad Naim, 511 runs, 143.94 SR, 1×100, 3x50sNaim is arguably Bangladesh’s most in-form T20 batter this season. He got going with 316 runs, the highest in the NCL T20s, before topping the BPL batting charts. Naim looked comfortable clearing the circle during the powerplays, almost against all attacks. Naim showed more awareness around the wicket and became the second Bangladeshi to score 500 runs in a BPL season. His 511 runs is just short of Najmul Hossain Shanto’s 516 runs in the 2022-23 season.2. Tamim Iqbal, 413 runs, 129.06 SR, 4x50s (capt)Tamim got into his stride in Fortune Barishal’s third game with an unbeaten 86. It was the first of his four fifties, and although he batted with less risk than most of his innings last year, his team earned regular good starts. Tamim saved his best of the tournament for the final, bashing a 24-ball fifty and paved the way for a big chase. This is the sixth time that Tamim has been selected in ESPNcricinfo’s BPL XI.3. Zakir Hasan, 389 runs, 140.43 SR, 3x50sZakir was Sylhet Strikers’ only shining light this season. The left-hand batter went after Rangpur Riders in their second game, hitting four sixes in a 38-ball half-century. Zakir then struck back-to-back fifties in Sylhet, against Khulna and Dhaka. His unbeaten 75 against Khulna had half a dozen sixes. Zakir couldn’t finish the BPL on a high note with little support from the other Sylhet batters.4. Graham Clark, 431 runs, 153.38 SR, 1×100, 1x50The Durham batter joined Chittagong slightly late, but he hit the ground running immediately. He struck 40 and 39 in his first two innings, following it up with 60 (against Dhaka Capitals) and 101 (against Khulna Tigers). It was only Clark’s second T20 century, striking seven fours and six sixes in 50 balls. Clark didn’t hit any more fifties, but often gave Chittagong good starts. He got struck on the face during the second qualifier, but finished the tournament with 44 off 23 in the final.Graham Clark is the non-Asian in the BPL XI of the season•Chittagong Kings5. Khushdil Shah, 298 runs and 17 wicketsKhushdil was Rangpur Riders’ fulcrum during the league phase, hitting two fifties and scoring at 175.29 in ten innings. He also took 17 wickets at a 9.94 average, the most wickets for a spinner in this season’s BPL. He started the campaign with a 23-ball unbeaten 46 against Dhaka, before slamming quickfire knocks against Barishal, Khulna and Chittagong. His unbeaten 73 against Khulna was his highest, while he struck seven sixes in his 59 off 28 balls against Chittagong. His run coincided with his return to the Pakistan ODI side after three years, when he was picked for the Champions Trophy.Related

From BPL to Champions Trophy – Simmons wants 'that 50-over mentality' quickly

Bosisto, the lost boy of Australian cricket, finds his way in the BPL

Faheem Ashraf back in Pakistan squad for CT

Tait keeps it simple to find success with Chittagong Kings

BPL crisis: Rajshahi dues to be cleared by February 10

6. Mahidul Islam Ankon (wk), 316 runs and seven dismissalsBatting down the order meant fewer opportunities, but Ankon made the best use of his liminted chances. He opened Khulna Tigers’ campaign with a superb unbeaten 59 off 22 balls, including six sixes against Chittagong. He had 200-plus strike-rate in two other innings, generally batting in the high 150s for the rest of the tournament. His wicketkeeping was steady and gave Khulna all-round stability in the season.7. Faheem Ashraf, 20 wickets at 13.90, best 5/7Ashraf last played ODIs in September 2023, and now returns to the Pakistan Champions Trophy squad after a productive BPL season. He took 20 wickets including a five-wicket haul against Sylhet. He also had three-wicket hauls against Chittagong and Dhaka. Faheem was also fairly miserly, conceding at just 7.12 per over throughout the campaign. Champions Barishal didn’t have Faheem for the back-end of their campaign.8. Aliss Al Islam, 15 wickets at 21.06 avg, best 3/17Regarded as the only mystery bowler in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket, Aliss was in top form. He conceded runs at 6.32 per over throughout the tournament, picking up 15 wickets. He took 3 for 17 against Rajshahi to get Chittagong their first win. He continued to bowl very well in the powerplay. Aliss also had a great role with the bat in the second qualifier, hitting the match-winning boundary to take Chittagong to the final. He missed out on the big game due to an ACL injury.Taskin Ahmed returned 7 for 19, a BPL record, in a game this season•Durbar Rajshahi9. Taskin Ahmed, 25 wickets at 12.04, best 7/19Taskin finished the BPL by picking up the most wickets in a season. His 25 scalps beat Shakib Al Hasan’s record of 23 wickets in the 2018-19 season. He started off with a seven-wicket haul, only the third such figure in T20 history. He had only two wicketless matches, and later led the troubled Durbar Rajshahi side when they changed the captain. Taskin showed great leadership on and off the field. It was also his bowling that kept Rajshahi in the hunt in most contests.10. Khaled Ahmed, 20 wickets at 20.10, best 4/31Khaled was Chittagong’s best bowler during the competition, taking 20 wickets. He was tied in second place with Aakif Javed and Faheem Ashraf. He started expensively, but then imbibed coach Shaun Tait’s simple messages as he started to bowl with more control. He took 3 for 21 against Dhaka, before his four-wicket haul against Sylhet. He went wicketless in the BPL final, but Khaled gave a wholehearted effort.11. Akif Javed, 20 wickets at 14.30, best 4/32It was Javed’s second BPL season, but this time he really entered the limelight. The left-arm fast bowler hailing from Kohat hasn’t played for Pakistan, but Javed looks close to a national call-up. This time in the BPL, he came into his own in three matches that got him ten wickets. He took 3-29, 4-32 and 3-23 against Khulna, Chittagong and Rajshahi in the middle of the tournament. When Rangpur rang in the changes in the Eliminator match, Javed survived among the existing overseas contingent.

Should Celtic re-appoint Ange Postecoglou to replace Brendan Rodgers?

Well, the Australian did enjoy great success during his two seasons in Glasgow, winning five trophies, meaning he may remain the club’s most universally popular manager of the modern era.

However, following an ill-fated 39 days stint in charge of Nottingham Forest, reports suggest that Postecoglou is not looking to jump straight back into management, while his record at Tottenham and the City Ground, Europa League triumph aside, would be causes for concern, suggesting he may not be the dream candidate some supporters believe him to be.

Instead, should they target “one of the best coaches” around in a move reminiscent of what occurred in the year 2000?

Martin O'Neill's Celtic career

On Monday evening, when news of Rodgers’ resignation was announced, Celtic also confirmed that Martin O’Neill would be placed in interim charge, working alongside Shaun Maloney.

This is the 73 year old’s first managerial position since an Ange-esque 19 game stint at Nottingham Forest in 2019 and, having been in charge of the Republic of Ireland for five years before that, he hasn’t truly been a club manager since leaving Sunderland in 2013.

He did make a winning start to life back in the dugout, overseeing a 4-0 demolition of Falkirk in the Premiership on Wednesday night, with Johnny Kenny bagging a brace, while Benjamin Nygren and Sebastian Tounekti were also on target.

Sunday’s League Cup semi-final against fierce rivals Rangers at Hampden should be a significantly tougher assignment, but O’Neill certainly has pedigree when it comes to winning Old Firm games.

The Irishman began his managerial career in the ’90s with very impressive stints in charge of Wycombe Wanderers and Leicester City, gaining promotion in charge of both, before winning two League Cups with the Foxes.

This earned him the Celtic job in 2000, viewed very much as a left-field choice at the time, but this proved to be a masterstroke.

Prior to his arrival, Rangers had won 11 of the last 12 Scottish titles, but O’Neill won the league in three of his first four seasons as well as leading Celtic to the UEFA Cup Final in 2003, ultimately defeated by José Mourinho’s Porto at the Cartuja in Seville.

Not since Jock Stein has a Celtic manager been so successful in Europe, with O’Neill also winning 13 of his 24 Old Firm games, while he also boasts the best win percentage of any permanent Hoops boss in history, before even including Wednesday’s win.

Martin O’Neill

283

75.6%

Ange Postecoglou

113

73.5%

Neil Lennon

335

70.7%

Jock Stein

761

69.6%

Brendan Rodgers

292

68.8%

Gordon Strachen

195

64.6%

Willie Maley

1,617

64.4%

Ronny Deila

118

63.6%

Billy McNeill

455

60%

David Hay

209

56.9%

Tommy Burns

140

55.7%

Liam Brady

126

54%

Jimmy McGrory

843

49.7%

Note: minimum 100 matches in charge.

O’Neill will be hoping to improve that win ratio further, for however long he remains in the dugout, although that won’t be easy, with games against Rangers and then Midtjylland in Herning next on the agenda.

So, should Celtic appoint someone who is reminiscent of when O’Neill first arrived a quarter of a century ago?

Celtic could appoint 'one of the best coaches' in England

Of all the people reportedly in contention to become Celtic manager, Nicky Hayen, Craig Bellamy, Robbie Keane, Kjetil Knutsen and others, would Kieran McKenna represent the biggest coup?

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Sky Sports has reported that the Ipswich Town boss is a name whom the Celtic hierarchy are ‘very keen on’, although it remains to be seen if he would leave mid-season – while a reported £5m get-out clause could also prove prohibitive.

Just 39 years old, the Northern Irishman has been in coaching since 2009, employed by Tottenham and Manchester United as a youth coach and scout, before working alongside José Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjær as an assistant at Old Trafford.

Solskjær spoke glowingly about McKenna, describing him as “the most thorough and analytical… process-driven coach that I’ve worked with”, while fellow ex-Man United great Nicky Butt agrees, labelling him “one of the best coaches I’ve ever seen on the grass”.

His reputation earned him his first head coach role at Ipswich, enjoying unparalleled success in Suffolk, guiding the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions, leading them back into the Premier League for the first time since 2002, even if they were relegated straight away.

A mixed start to this EFL Championship campaign has the Blues 12th, but there is still firm belief that, with McKenna in charge, the East Anglian-based outfit will be promotion contenders.

In fact, despite taking a battering pretty much every week in the Premier League last season, only Mick O’Brien in the ’30s and Sir Alf Ramsey have a better win percentage of any Ipswich boss in history.

As outlined by the Coaches Voice, McKenna favours a ‘short-passing style’ with width provided by attacking full-backs, allowing wingers to drift inside, concluding that this approach should take him ‘ to the top of the game as a coach’, something that would suit how Celtic have played in the past and their current squad.

Also, as documents, McKenna’s history working with youth teams means he is more than willing to bring through younger players, helping Omari Hutchinson and others realise their true potential at Portman Road.

So, while his lack of experience, and poor Premier League record, with an admittedly weak squad, are causes for concern, the Celtic board must be bold, rather than churning through the same three of four faces.

If Neil Lennon wasn’t currently Dunfermline Athletic manager, he’d almost certainly be in the dugout; the Pars face Scott Brown’s Ayr United on Friday, winner gets the Celtic job anyone?

On a serious note, when O’Neill arrived in 2000, this was off the back of work with Wycombe and Leicester largely in the EFL, so who is to say McKenna could not do something similar, as he would certainly bring a freshness and new ideas to a club going a bit stale.

​​​​​​​

As good as Kenny: Celtic star who won 10 duels is already undroppable

This Celtic star who was as good as Johnny Kenny is now undroppable for Martin O’Neill.

ByDan Emery Oct 30, 2025

In one of the most high-profile releases in IPL history, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have decided to let go of their star allrounder Andre Russell ahead of the auction for IPL 2026.Russell has been a constant for the franchise since IPL 2014 and was among five players retained by the franchise ahead of the 2025 mega auction. Though Russell had cost KKR INR 12 crore, releasing him has given the franchise an additional INR 18 crore for the auction, since he was Player 1 in KKR’s list of retainees last year, worth INR 18 crore, and that amount gets credited to the team’s purse now.A bona fide T20 great, Russell is also an IPL GOAT. Only two players in IPL history have scored over 2000 runs and picked 100 wickets. One of them – Russell – has been released, and the other – Ravindra Jadeja – has been traded, making the 2026 retention window among the most headline-making ones.Related

• CSK to release Matheesha Pathirana

• Venkatesh Iyer heads long list of big-ticket players released by KKR

• Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk on Delhi Capitals' release list

• RR trade Samson to CSK for Jadeja and Curran

While the development will surprise many, including KKR fans, the franchise had deliberated releasing Russell ahead of the 2025 mega auction before deciding to stall that call. Russell, who is 37, had retired from international cricket in July, having only played the T20 format after the 2019 World Cup.Russell, who was the Player of the Tournament in IPL 2019, was part of the KKR’s title-winning teams in 2014 and 2024. Russell also won 16 Player-of-the-Match awards at KKR and is only behind the other KKR great Sunil Narine. A powerful batter who is known to take bowlers apart, especially in death overs, Russell has hit the joint-seventh most sixes (223) in the IPL.It is understood that more than one franchise sought out Russell in trade. KKR, though, will have the biggest purse, INR 64.30 crore, at the auction and could look to even buy him back. The teams will also pay attention to Russell’s form in the 2025 season. With the bat in ten innings, Russell hit 167 runs at a strike rate of 163.72, including a 50. His bowling numbers, though, were under par: eight wickets in nine innings at an average of 27.12 and an economy of 11.94.

Though a top-tenner for the best part of the last decade, Rohit has never been the top-ranked batter in the 50-over format before

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2025Rohit Sharma has become the No. 1-ranked ODI batter following his innings of 73 and 121 not out in the second and third games in the series in Australia, which India lost 2-1.The two knocks took Rohit up from third spot to the top for the first time in his career after being in the top ten for large periods over the past decade. The century, in particular, boosted Rohit’s points and took him past Ibrahim Zadran and Shubman Gill.Rohit wasn’t the only India cricketer to gain after the three-ODI series in Australia, with Axar Patel rewarded for a strong all-round performance. He took a wicket in each of the three ODIs and chipped in with scores of 31 and 44 in the first and second games. That took him up six places on the bowlers’ table to No. 31, and up four spots to No. 8 on the allrounders’ table.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

Click here for the full player rankings

Within the respective top tens, Mitchell Santner moved up three rungs to fourth place following the first two ODIs against England, and Josh Hazlewood moved up two spots to eighth among the bowlers.Elsewhere, following the shared two-Test series between Pakistan and South Africa, Keshav Maharaj gained nine places to a career-high rating, and the 13th place, on the bowlers’ list. While Maharaj picked up nine wickets in the only Test he played, his team-mate Simon Harmer had 13 wickets from the two Tests and moved up 26 spots to No. 45.For South Africa, Aiden Markram (up two spots to 15th) and Tony de Zorzi (up seven places to joint 47th) also gained on the Test batters’ table.

His batting suffered after he became the all-format captain. But now he once again has the freedom to express himself as a batter

Mohammad Isam29-Jun-2025Najmul Hossain Shanto was asked to steer the Bangladesh team away from a high-profile feud. He ended up leading the cricket team amid a political upheaval, where he saw both sides of the coin. He tried to quit the captaincy once, but was talked out of it. Eight months later, when he finally stepped down as Test captain following the Sri Lanka series, Bangladesh lost out on a good leader on and off the field. Still, one can’t help but say that Shanto’s exit as captain is a blessing for him and the team. After a 19-month tumult, he can now focus solely on his batting and try to reprise his 2023 form.Bangladesh need arguably their best batter of this generation to get them runs regularly. Shanto spent much of his captaincy dealing with a lot of things out of his control. He is much better off playing drives down the ground and through covers.As captain, Shanto was caught up in an intriguing world, one that was thankless. The last straw was the BCB sacking him as the ODI captain when he had big plans about leading the team for the next few years. Shanto’s captaincy was a breath of fresh air but it is he who now needs to breathe freely as a batter.Related

• Asalanka expects seam and batter-friendly pitch at Khettarama

• Settled SL meet a Bangladesh in transition for ODI series opener

• Shanto steps down as Test captain after series loss against SL

• Shanto wants to step down as captain after South Africa Tests

• Shakib absence 'unfortunate', but Shanto wants Bangladesh to focus on cricket

****

Although the BCB bosses said Shanto’s decision caught them off guard, Shanto had followed the correct procedure. He informed the necessary personnel about his decision some time ago, before announcing at the end of the Test series. It was the natural endpoint for such an announcement.Shanto didn’t want to wait too long to tell the public after making up his mind about the captaincy. This was a rational decision with an ODI series, under new captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, less than a week away. Shanto also could have waited till the end of the Sri Lanka tour but things change fast in Bangladesh cricket.Mehidy Hasan Miraz has replaced Shanto has ODI captain•BCBHad Shanto waited till then, his resignation could have had many more interpretations. Had he resigned after the first Test in Galle, his twin centuries could have been seen as a fitting reply to the BCB, given the way the board’s treatment regarding his ODI captaincy. But he waited till the end of the series.Shanto, like every Bangladeshi cricketer, is aware of the climate in which he operates. The BCB has a long history of sacking captains. On most occasions, it is done without informing the captain. It is preceded or followed by a media trial. It takes a mental toll on the cricketer, as many would vouch.Shanto experienced the sacking just a couple of weeks ago. The following day, when Mehidy was at his first press conference as the new ODI captain, there was a question about the BCB’s treatment of Shanto, and whether he is also prepared for such a fate.”We always work with that sort of thing at the back of our mind,” Mehidy said.

****

Shanto, though, showed that BCB’s mismanagement wasn’t going to be a distraction, with his twin centuries. Rain prevented Bangladesh’s push for victory on the final day, but Shanto walked away with his head held high. It was a display of his wide-ranging ability and overall quality.Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto has a long partnership in the first innings in Galle•Getty ImagesShanto dominated the 264-run fourth-wicket stand with Mushfiqur Rahim in the first innings. It was a counterattack after Bangladesh had lost three early wickets. He drove the ball, at times uppishly early on, before switching to horizontal bat shots, particularly the sweep, against the Sri Lanka spinners.Shanto’s strike rotation was just as impressive as his ability to find boundaries, something he has done in many innings during the last 18 months. His partnership with Mushfiqur was an example for the dressing room of how senior batters should stand up in the hour of need. With his unbeaten 125 in the second innings, he became the second fastest from Bangladesh to reach seven Test hundreds, in 68 innings.

****

Shortly before the 2023 ODI World Cup, with then-incumbent captain Shakib Al Hasan rested, Shanto captained Bangladesh in a one-off match against New Zealand. It was a volatile time in the Bangladesh team with Shakib and Tamim Iqbal at loggerheads. There was so much bitterness that the BCB decided it was time to start with a clean break in the leadership group.Coach Chandika Hathurusinghe had backed Shanto for full-time captaincy•BCBShakib’s finger injury in the World Cup made it easier for the board to pivot towards Shanto as the Test captain for the New Zealand series in November 2023. Shanto started with a century and led Bangladesh to their first home Test win against New Zealand. He also impressed in the following white-ball series in New Zealand, where Chandika Hathurusingha said he would back Shanto as the full-time captain.Bangladesh, though, had a bit of a nightmare when the USA beat them 2-1 in a T20I series before the 2024 T20 World Cup. They managed to reach the Super Eights, but performances were unconvincing. Their exit, when they dithered in a shortened chase against Afghanistan, left fans irate. Shanto scored 112 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 95.72, with many calling for his sacking.Bangladesh, however, bounced back in August last year when they beat Pakistan 2-0 in the Test series. Shanto made only 58 runs but was widely praised for the way he handled the team on and off the field, particularly in the immediate aftermath of a regime change back home. Shanto strived to keep the team’s focus on cricket.The prevailing volatility, though, caught up with the cricket team. Shanto was found himself in the middle of the Shakib selection dilemma shortly before the home Tests against South Africa in October. Shakib ultimately couldn’t reach Bangladesh to play the series, which left Shanto disappointed.Shanto led Bangladesh to a 2-0 Test series win in Pakistan•Associated PressShanto’s frustration reached a point when he mulled leaving the Bangladesh captaincy during the South Africa series. The BCB president Faruque Ahmed talked him out of it after a long meeting.When Shanto had a hamstring injury a couple of weeks later, there was a first glimpse of the new leaders in Mehidy (Tests and ODIs) and Litton Das (T20Is). Bangladesh won a Test in the West Indies under Mehidy, and Litton led them to a 3-0 win in the T20Is. The BCB duly noted the two captaincy candidates.

****

Shanto didn’t bat particularly badly as the Bangladesh captain, but not having to think about the captaincy henceforth should allow him to fulfil his batting potential. His main reference point will be the 12 months prior to his first match as Bangladesh captain.He was averaging 40-plus in Tests and ODIs and had played several match-winning knocks in T20Is. It began with the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, where he was Bangladesh’s top run-getter. It was followed by four match-winning knocks against England at home. Then came centuries against Ireland and Afghanistan, followed by a superb ton against Afghanistan in the 2023 Asia Cup.Neither Shanto nor Bangladesh had a great time at the 2024 T20 World Cup•ICC/Getty ImagesAfter he took over the captaincy in all three formats by early 2024, his batting also suffered. But now he once again has the freedom to express himself fully as a batter.Apart from looking at his own performances in the 2022-23 period, Shanto can also take advice from Mushfiqur, who has had a productive post-captaincy career. Since his Test captaincy, Mushfiqur has averaged 42.60 in 40 Tests, with five of his seven 150-plus scores coming in this period. He had similar success in ODIs as well after his captaincy period was over.This is Shanto’s chance to step up his game and join the likes of Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant and Ben Duckett, who are all from the same Under-19 batch as Shanto. More importantly, an unburdened Shanto will be hugely beneficial to the Bangladesh team. They have lost some big names in the last 12 months, and don’t have any other young batter who has been consistent.Shanto could be the lynchpin of Bangladesh’s batting for the next ten years. Hope the BCB realises that and lets him do his job.

Chelsea star Keira Walsh claimed that she loves to set up goals more than scoring them but she has changed her 'mindset' under pressure from team-mates and manager Sonia Bompastor. After spending two-and-a-half seasons at European giants Barcelona, the English midfielder returned to her home in February 2025 as the Women's Super League winners signed her.

Shift in Walsh's position in new season

Walsh, who is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world at the moment, operated in a deep role after signing for the Blues earlier this year. However, since the start of the 2025-26 campaign, Walsh has been deployed in a more advanced position, which is allowing her to contribute more to the team's attack. The change in position also helped her score her first-ever Chelsea goal last month as Walsh's solitary strike helped her club beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0.

In the seven Women's Super League matches Walsh played last season, she had only one shot on goal. Compared to that, in the eight matches she has played this season, the midfielder already has 14 shots to her name. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'I've always preferred playing the assist'

Speaking to , Walsh opened up on her change of role, revealing that her team-mates and coaches have played a role in her development. 

"It's maybe not position and playing further forward, but Sonia and Cami [Abily, Chelsea's assistant manager] are always telling me to shoot, and it was the same when I played at Barca," she said. "The girls were always encouraging me. For myself, I've always preferred playing the assist or the assist before the assist. That's something that I've always liked doing.

"It was about me changing my mindset a little bit and still trying to help the team in that respect – maybe it is taking a shot more, and sometimes I was probably overplaying a little bit. It's feeling more confident, and Sonia and Cami really encouraged me to do that. Not a lot of central defensive midfielders do, apart from [Moises] Caicedo. The way I play defensive midfield it is more about breaking lines and trying to break presses, and contributing a little bit more in attack. I'm not known for my big tackles, although I am working on that. When it opens up, Sonia's encouraged me to take the ball forward, and if I feel like a shot is on, then it's being free to do that."

Walsh aiming 'to be in the right place at the right time'

Walsh added: "In the position I play, a lot of it will be on the second phase or drop-downs, and maybe from set-pieces with the drop-downs there as well. It's trying to be in the right place at the right time. I'm not as good as Sam Kerr at that, but recently, I feel like I've been lucky with where the ball has landed and opened up for a shot. Previously, I would have tried to make a pass in the box, and with a lot of bodies around, it's not ideal. Cami is always going on at me to shoot, whether it's right foot or left foot. The left foot's not so great, so I try not to do that too much."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportInjury blow for Chelsea ahead of Liverpool

Blues boss Bompastor has confirmed that star goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has been ruled out of action for a few weeks due to a quad injury. Speaking ahead of Chelsea's clash against Liverpool on Sunday, the manager said: "Hannah won't be here. She picked up a quad injury. She will be out for a few weeks. We'll see if we see her before the end of the year but I'm not sure. It could be the case, yes."