Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has confirmed he spoke to Joe Willock after a bizarre viral story claimed the Magpies midfielder had been rescued from York Maze. The fake news — which started on social media before being repeated on BBC Radio One — became one of the strangest tales of the international break, prompting Howe to personally verify the truth with his player.

• Joe Willock 'lost' in York Maze

  Newcastle United manager Howe has revealed that he held a light-hearted conversation with Willock following a fake story that went viral online. Newcastle social media prankster @FrancisChipp wrote: “EXCLUSIVE: Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock, 26, had to be rescued from York Maze after a distress call to emergency services was made at around 5pm on Tuesday. He had been lost in the UK's largest maze for approximately six hours.”

  Despite its obviously comedic tone, the post quickly gained traction and even found its way onto BBC Radio One’s breakfast show, where presenter Melvin Odoom repeated the claim on air. The broadcaster later apologised after learning that the account frequently spreads fictional football stories as part of an online hoax.

  As per the Shields Gazzette, the viral story also reached York Maze, which was reportedly “inundated with messages” about the supposed incident before issuing their own public clarification that it was entirely untrue.

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  Howe fell for the fake news and reached out to Willock

  Howe admitted the story caused enough of a stir that he felt the need to ask Willock directly whether there was any truth to it. Speaking ahead of Newcastle’s trip to Brighton this weekend, the Magpies boss addressed the bizarre situation with humour: “Yeah, I did discuss it with him, just to check whether it was true or not,” Howe laughed. “Probably like everybody else. This was right in the early stages of it. Thankfully, it wasn’t.

  “But, no, Joe is fine. He’s got the ability to laugh with it rather than be concerned about it.”

• Willock struggling on the fringes of the Newcastle squad

  The viral episode comes during a challenging period for Willock, who has struggled to secure regular game time this season. After suffering a calf injury during pre-season, the midfielder missed Newcastle’s opening Premier League fixture and has since been limited to just three appearances across all competitions. With the midfield competition intense — including the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and Joelinton — Willock has found himself on the fringes of Howe’s starting XI.

  Newcastle’s inconsistent domestic form has only added to the scrutiny, as the club sits mid-table after seven league matches with two wins, three draws, and two defeats. However, they seemed to pick up some much-needed steam before the start of the international break with a 4-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise and a 2-0 win against Newcastle United.

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  Newcastle and Willock up against Brighton up next

  With the international break now over, Newcastle turn their focus to the Premier League, where they will face Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium before facing Benfica at home. Willock is expected to be part of the matchday squad and could feature in the Premier League squad as Howe continues to rotate his midfield options amid a busy domestic and European schedule. The Newcastle boss has been keen to reintegrate Willock gradually as he works toward full fitness following his injury layoff.

  Howe also emphasised the importance of maintaining a positive team spirit as the Magpies look to build consistency and climb back toward the top half of the table. The viral maze story may have provided amusement in the short term, but for Willock and Newcastle, attention now firmly returns to on-field matters. With a crucial run of fixtures ahead, including Champions League and league challenges, both player and manager will hope the next headlines focus on football rather than fiction.

Off the back of picking up a battling draw away at Crystal Palace last time out in the Premier League, Sunderland should be full to the brim with confidence as Aston Villa come to town.

After all, Unai Emery’s Villans are yet to even score a goal in the tough division so far this season, away from also failing to collect a single win, with the Black Cats also two victories from two on home turf at the Stadium of Light.

Still, Sunderland will know they cannot underestimate the West Midlands outfit despite their slow start out of the blocks, with Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers a dangerous duo to contain at the peak of their powers.

The defence will have to be switched on throughout, therefore, but Regis Le Bris might be tempted with a tinker to the forward department ahead of the showdown later today, as Chemsdine Talbi potentially drops out of his starting XI.

Why Talbi could be dropped

When looking back on the 0-0 stalemate at Selhurst Park, it’s clear that it was a clash where the Black Cats’ defence shone more than the attackers.

Both Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete, in particular, rose to the occasion when thwarting Jean Philippe-Mateta throughout, with the no-nonsense centre-back pairing winning eight duels between them, as per Sofascore.

Yet, while the defenders covered themselves in immense glory, some of the attackers did struggle to get into the tight affair, with Talbi guilty of putting in an unmemorable showing.

While Simon Adingra on the left won all of his ground duels and completed two tricky dribbles forward, his Moroccan counterpart wasn’t as lively, with zero duels won on his end, while failing to even attempt a dribble to catch the hosts off guard.

Having cost a reasonable £19.5m to bring in this summer, which is a dent in the Black Cats’ overall spending of £162m, those with Sunderland connections will feel a little disappointed in what the promising 20-year-old has offered so far.

With Enzo Le Fee reportedly back fit for a return to home soil today, Le Bris might well fancy starting the magical midfielder instead of persisting with Talbi, leading to another exciting attacker at his disposal being pushed out to a new role down the right.

Why Simon Adingra should start in a new role

Indeed, while Le Fee can play in a central role or down the left, the stylish Frenchman is not well-suited to the right channel.

On top of that, the last time he featured in the league on the left flank, he was the hero that kickstarted a swift Black Cats comeback in a 2-1 win over Brentford, having levelled proceedings with his coolly taken penalty.

The real question remains, however, in who will take over from an absent Talbi on the opposing wing, with Adingra perhaps the chosen man to swap the left flank for the right against Emery’s challengers.

Unlike Talbi, as has been previously mentioned, the ex-Brighton and Hove Albion attacker did stand out in flashes against the Eagles, meaning the Ivorian being axed for the contest today would have felt harsh. Moreover, he also showed throughout his stay on the South Coast an adaptability to shine on the right wing.

Amazingly, despite starting every Sunderland clash to date on the left, Adingra would actually make more appearances for Fabian Hurzeler’s side on the right flank, with a healthy seven goal contributions coming his way from this alternate position from 27 total matches.

It could well be a change that sees the 23-year-old attacker spark into life, with the “explosive” forward – as he has been labelled previously by analyst Ben Mattinson – yet to truly get up and running on Wearside, despite collecting 12 Premier League goal contributions on the books of the Seagulls down either channel.

Having also scored against Villa last season, Adingra will be hoping another tricky display from himself can inspire Sunderland to yet another victory at the Stadium of Light.

Talbi, on the contrary, might have to exercise patience, as both Le Fee and Adingra attempt to cause chaos all match to further their side’s excellent start and to keep Villa deep in their unwanted mire.

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England are hopeful that Gus Atkinson will be available to face India in next month’s Test series despite a hamstring strain that has ruled him out of their upcoming ODI series against West Indies.Atkinson bowled a single three-over spell on the third and final day of England’s innings win over Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, and was seen holding his hamstring. He has since been ruled out of the three-match ODI series, which starts on Thursday. “He will now undergo a period of rehabilitation under the supervision of the England medical team,” an ECB spokesperson said.Since making his debut last July, Atkinson has been a consistent threat for England in Test cricket with 55 wickets at 22.30 in his first 12 matches. He would be a significant loss ahead of a five-match series against India, but England have insisted that he will be available for the first Test at Headingley on June 20.England’s fast-bowling resources were depleted against Zimbabwe, but Brydon Carse (toe) and Chris Woakes (ankle) have returned from injuries in the County Championship this month and Jofra Archer (thumb) is targeting a Test comeback at some stage in the India series. Mark Wood (knee) has already been ruled out of the series.Related

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Archer was also ruled out of the ODI series against West Indies this week, with Luke Wood replacing him in England’s squad. Atkinson will not be replaced, with Carse, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton and Matthew Potts comprising England’s other seam options for Thursday’s series opener at Edgbaston.Woakes will step up his return this week by playing for England Lions against India A at Canterbury. Sonny Baker and Josh Hull, who both have England development contracts, are other fast-bowling options in the Lions squad, along with Hampshire’s Eddie Jack – who is yet to make his first-class debut – and Gloucestershire’s Ajeet Singh Dale.

West Ham United are fighting to improve their fortunes under Nuno Espirito Santo and could now be set to make an ambitious move in January.

West Ham look to regroup after Arsenal defeat

Following a solid point against Everton last Monday, West Ham suffered a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal over the weekend and will feel that the international break has come at a decent time for the new manager to perfect his vision at the London Stadium.

Nuno has already taken the bold step of axing James Ward-Prowse from his squad, illustrating a ruthless streak that was sorely lacking under Graham Potter. Nevertheless, it will take more than that to get a restless support back on side.

Speaking after his side were defeated at the Emirates Stadium, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss urged his squad to stick together as he looks to build a sense of unity in the capital that will translate into results.

He stated: “We’ve had two tough games away from home against very good teams. Now is the moment to analyse but with all the changes that has been happening I feel the players are responding and trying and that pleases me the most.

“The international break will be important for all of us especially for the players to be calm, there’s been many changes and many noises around us. This is our priority – that we know each other as a group because it is basically our unity and fight for each other.”

While fans remain frustrated at the current West Ham ownership, there is potential for things to get better on the pitch, and the Hammers could now be set to conclude a statement deal involving one of the world’s renowned young talents.

West Ham make contact over Endrick loan move

According to reports in Spain, West Ham have made contact to sign Real Madrid star Endrick on loan as they look to solve their lack of firepower, albeit Valencia and Real Sociedad are interested in striking a temporary arrangement to bring in the Brazil international.

The 19-year-old has failed to appear for Los Blancos this term and difficulties have occured in trying to displace the likes of Kylian Mbappe, though he has delivered seven goals and an assist in 37 appearances for the club.

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Labelled “spectacular” by Carlo Ancelotti, Endrick is someone that Real Madrid feel could develop away from the spotlight of the Santiago Bernabeu and his future is set to be decided in the next few weeks by club chiefs.

Niclas Fullkrug and Callum Wilson are both ageing and could do with a younger striker to take on some of the goalscoring burden. On the flip side, it remains to be seen whether Callum Marshall’s development would be impacted if the Irons were able to pull off a statement capture.

A “perfect choice” to be the next Rangers manager is now one of the contenders to take charge at Ibrox alongside the heavily linked Sean Dyche, Danny Rohl and Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard, Rohl and Dyche linked with Ibrox hotseat

Russell Martin was sacked by the Gers on Sunday evening, with the 1-1 draw away to Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership proving to be one underwhelming result too many for the board, leaving them languishing in eighth place in the table.

It was a decision that has been coming for months, with Martin making a poor start to life at Ibrox and never recovering, and it’s now time for the 49ers to nail their successor to the Englishman, with several names already being mentioned.

Former Everton and Burnley boss Sean Dyche is an early contender to come in at Ibrox, as he looks for a fresh challenge after departing the Blues last year, possessing a huge amount of experience.

Meanwhile, a Steven Gerrard reunion also feels possible, having guided them to league title glory in 2020/21, and young German Danny Rohl is appreciated within Ibrox, as he looks for a new club after Sheffield Wednesday.

Russell Martin at Rangers

Matches

17

Wins

5

Draws

6

Defeats

6

Goals scored

21

Goals conceded

24

Points per game

1.24

Rangers eyeing 52 y/o manager who's the "perfect choice"

According to a new claim from Give Me Sport, Kevin Muscat is very much on Rangers’ radar to be their next manager, being seen as a fourth option alongside Dyche, Gerrard and Rohl.

The 52-year-old is currently in charge of Shanghai Port FC, but the Gers may be hoping to lure him back to Ibrox, having played there during his playing career. The obstacle faced by the 49ers is Muscat’s contract in China is believed to be extremely lucrative and tax free, meaning he will have to be seriously tempted by the project on offer at Ibrox to make a move.

Muscat has constantly been named as a potential Rangers manager in recent years, so often being linked with the job when it has become available. In fact, The Rangers Journal believe he has always been the “perfect choice” for the Gers, with the club deciding to hire the likes of Philippe Clement and Martin instead.

Admittedly, Muscat has no European experience in management, which does work against him in terms of knowing the British game well, but if the fans see him as a popular choice, that goes a long way for starters.

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Rangers’ board have to be so careful in their decision-making, not wanting to make a third incorrect appointment in a row, but Muscat stands out as a front-runner, and the fact that he knows the club well from his playing days can only be a good thing.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will not have been pleased with the lack of ruthlessness in his side in the 0-0 draw with Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership last weekend.

The Hoops failed to convert any of the seven ‘big chances’ that they created at Parkhead, and the goalless draw meant that they dropped to second in the table.

Celtic have now had four 0-0 draws in all competitions, if you include the second leg that they lost on penalties to Kairat, and it is clear that they have an issue in the centre-forward position that needs to be addressed.

Why Celtic have an issue in the centre-forward position

Kelechi Iheanacho was signed on a free transfer to replace Adam Idah the day after deadline day, and his start to life at Parkhead has been a mixed bag.

The Nigerian marksman, as shown in the clip above, scored an excellent goal against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League, after scoring on his debut against Kilmarnock in the Premiership.

However, Iheanacho missed two other ‘big chances’ in the 1-1 draw with Red Star and two ‘big chances’ in the 0-0 draw with Hibernian, per Sofascore, firing over from close range in the first half and missing a header at the back post in the second half of the latter game.

Unfortunately, Johnny Kenny came off the bench against Hibs and also missed two ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net, without completing a single pass in 16 minutes, per Sofascore.

Celtic clearly have an efficiency issue in the number nine position, and the solution could be to look to summer signing Callum Osmand in the coming weeks.

Why Celtic should unleash Callum Osmand

The Scottish giants swooped to sign the Welsh forward from Premier League side Fulham in the summer, and he has started his career in Scotland with the B team.

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Osmand has already scored two goals in two games in the Challenge Cup for the B team, including one last week in a 2-1 defeat to Edinburgh.

He has made a fast start to life in the academy system at Parkhead with those two goals, and Brendan Rodgers should take notice of that and look to bring him into the first-team set-up.

Osmand, who was hailed as “lightning quick” by Fulham expert Jack Kelly, is not part of the squad for the Europa League, which means that he is unable to be selected for the clash with Braga on Thursday, but he could be used against Motherwell on Sunday.

Kenny and Iheanacho have missed six ‘big chances’ and scored one goal in the last two matches combined, which suggests that the Hoops need a centre-forward who offers more of a clinical edge in front of goal.

24/25

22

11

4

23/24

29

21

6

22/23

21

11

2

21/22

1

0

0

Total

73

43

12

Osmand, as you can see in the table above, is a prolific number nine who has consistently scored goals at an impressive rate throughout his youth career, which has been extended by two goals in two games for the B team in Glasgow.

Including his brief spell with the Hoops so far, the Welsh striker has scored 45 goals and provided 12 assists in his last 75 matches at youth level, which is a terrific return for the 19-year-old star.

These statistics suggest that the teenage forward may have the clinical edge that the Hoops are currently lacking in front of goal, which is why it may be worth unleashing him in the first-team, even if that is off the bench to start with, to see if he can translate his form into the first-team.

Celtic, certainly in the Premiership, are a dominant team that create chances at will, as evidenced by the seven ‘big chances’ that they created against Hibernian. This means that, in the league, they need more of a clinical finisher than an all-round centre-forward.

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That is why unleashing Osmand, who appears to be a natural goalscorer, over Kenny and Iheanacho may make a lot of sense if the team continues to struggle for goals.

For the first time since clinching a second successive European Championship title back in July, England's Lionesses return to action this week, beginning their 'homecoming series' which will take the team around the country as they celebrate the summer's incredible triumph with as many fans as possible. It starts in Manchester on Saturday against Brazil, the South American champions, and moves onto Derby three days later, where Australia will be the visitors, before resuming in November with two more friendlies.

These final two international camps of 2025 are not just an opportunity for the Lionesses to show off that Euros trophy, though. Ahead of qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup beginning in the New Year, Sarina Wiegman can use these four friendlies to experiment a little and see some new players, with there three names in this month's squad who have accepted senior call-ups for England for the first time.

To an extent, there is a need to experiment, too, as Wiegman is missing a number of key players this month. That's particularly the case at centre-back, as Leah Williamson is still sidelined with a knee issue picked up during Euro 2025 and Millie Bright has just this month called time on her international career, and in the forward line, with Lauren James also still working her way back from an injury sustained during the Euros title run, Lauren Hemp having suffered a knock to her ankle last month that rules her out of this camp and the in-form Jess Park, who looked set to provide a solution amid those absentees, a late withdrawal from the squad.

So, what should England fans be looking out for this month? GOAL picks out six things to keep an eye on as the Lionesses return to action:

Getty ImagesCentre-forward pecking order

Going into Euro 2025, the centre-forward pecking order felt quite clear. Alessia Russo was England's starting No.9, with Aggie Beever-Jones second in line and Michelle Agyemang, something of a wildcard inclusion by Wiegman, adding to the options. However, Agyemang's impressive impact in the Lionesses' first group-stage game changed everything, with the teenager able to leapfrog Beever-Jones in the depth chart over the course of the tournament, something she justified by scoring in the quarter- and semi-finals.

How, then, does that look as England return to action for the first time since the Euros? Russo's position will not change but, with Wiegman likely to use the friendlies to rotate and experiment, both Beever-Jones and Agyemang will be out to show what they can do and why they should be the manager's first port of call from the bench. The latter may feel like she has the edge after the Euros, but Beever-Jones is in electric form as the top-scoring Englishwoman in the Women's Super League so far this season.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLe Tissier's much-debated role

Maya Le Tissier has been an unused sub in 12 of England's 13 games in 2025, and yet she comes into this camp as one of the main talking points. That's because, upon unveiling her squad for October, Wiegman once again reiterated that she sees the Manchester United captain as a right-back, not at centre-back, despite her only playing the former position once since joining the Red Devils back in 2022, as the club's social media admin, somewhat incredibly, was keen to point out shortly after those comments were made.

That United employee is not alone in thinking Wiegman's perspective is strange, though. Arsenal icon Ian Wright, a regular pundit in the women's game, described Le Tissier as the "most consistent English [centre-back] in the league" after seeing the Lionesses' boss' quotes. "I don't understand," he added.

It's even more of a talking point this month, given the absence of Williamson and Bright's retirement. With Alex Greenwood seemingly, and deservedly, England's first-choice left-sided centre-back, there is a gap on the right to be filled in this camp, if not also in the next, depending on Williamson's recovery. Many believe Le Tissier should get the chance to play there, but it seems more likely that she adds to her eight England appearances by playing the same position she did for her sole cap in 2025, at right-back.

Getty ImagesGoalkeeping inexperience

When Mary Earps made the surprise decision to call time on her England career just a few weeks before Euro 2025 began, many wondered – and some even expected – Wiegman to give a shot-stopper other than Hannah Hampton a run out before the Lionesses headed to Switzerland. After all, neither Khiara Keating nor Anna Moorhouse, who completed the goalkeeping unit in the Euros squad, had a cap to their name. However, despite having three opportunities to do so, Wiegman didn't, with both still awaiting their senior England debuts at this point.

It was understandable in two of those pre-tournament fixtures, as the Lionesses took on Portugal and Spain in the Nations League. The clash with the former ended 6-0, making it seem like a good chance to play Keating or Moorhouse in hindsight, but the reverse fixture saw England held to a frustrating 1-1 draw, so it was not expected to play out like that, while the latter was a meeting with the world champions. That Wiegman stuck with Hampton for the Lionesses' friendly against Jamaica at the end of June was more surprising, though it did also make some sense for consistency going into the Euros.

These next two camps, then, really feel like the chance for Keating or Moorhouse to get out on the pitch. England have two years to build up to the next World Cup and they will not want to be in a situation for that tournament where only one of their goalkeepers is capped. The Lionesses' November fixtures are a little more favourable in terms of easing a shot-stopper in, as China and Ghana are weaker opponents than Brazil and Australia, but at the end of the day, all of these games are friendlies and Wiegman has to give games to other goalkeepers sooner rather than later.

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Getty ImagesKelly's minutes

Despite being the hero of Euro 2025 (and Euro 2022), Chloe Kelly is still trying to force her way into Wiegman's first-choice XI. Yet, it doesn't feel like she comes into this camp primed to make a statement in her quest to do so.

Kelly ended the 2024-25 season in flying form on loan at Arsenal and looked set to continue that when she made her move to the Gunners permanent over the summer, especially after such a special Euros. However, the forward has only accumulated 234 minutes across the club's first eight games of the season.

It appears part of the reason why could be fitness related, as Kelly has had noticeable strapping on her knee a few times in recent weeks, with her also not in the squad for Arsenal's second game of the season due to a knock. But her ability to impact games remains evident, with her providing a fantastic assist for the Gunners' last goal before the international break after a quick and clever free-kick teed up Russo against Benfica.

Is she able to build on that during this camp? Kelly could really use the minutes, as she looks to properly get her 2025-26 season up and running, and the absences of all of James, Hemp, Park and even Grace Clinton, another player who can play out wide but withdrew after the squad announcement with injury, could pave the way for her to get quite a few.