All posts by h716a5.icu

GOAL selected the 10 best talents in women’s football born on or after January 1, 2001 – but are they living up to their potential?

Since the first NXGN list centred around women’s football back in 2020, GOAL has profiled the best wonderkids in the world on an annual basis. Some of those recognised have gone on and justified all of the hype, while others are still working hard to make their way to the top.

And so after the NXGN 2025 list was revealed, let’s take a look at where the stars of 2020 are now:

Every NXGN list

Dembele, Tielemans & 2016's best wonderkids

Mbappe, Donnarumma & 2017's best wonderkids

De Ligt, Kluivert & 2018's best wonderkids

Haaland, Sancho & 2019's best wonderkids

Saka, Rodrygo & 2020's best wonderkids

Pedri, Ansu Fati & 2021's best wonderkids

Le Tissier, Bennison & 2021's best women's wonderkids

Bellingham, Musiala & 2022's best wonderkids

Dumornay, Fowler & 2022's best women's wonderkids

Gavi, Garnacho & 2023's best wonderkids

Shaw, Thompson & 2023's best women's wonderkids

Yamal, Mainoo & 2024's best wonderkids

Caicedo, Moultrie & 2024's best women's wonderkids

10Linda Caicedo (Deportivo Cali)

2020: Having made her senior Colombia debut in 2019, Caicedo made a controversial transfer later the following year when she switched from America de Cali to rivals Deportivo Cali, after leading the former to their first-ever Championship title.

2021: Unable to make her Copa Libertadores debut the year before with America due to age restrictions, Caicedo did so in 2021, scoring four goals in four games. She helped Deportivo win the league, too, and netted her first senior international goal in a 2-0 win over Chile.

2022: The busiest year of her young career saw Caicedo star as Colombia were Copa America runners-up, winning the tournament’s Golden Ball award while also being named Player of the Match in the final. She also helped fire her country to the U17 World Cup final a few months later, scoring four goals in six games.

2023: Just days after her 18th birthday, Caicedo joined Real Madrid and played in the club's first major final a few months later. She then starred at the Women's World Cup as Colombia enjoyed a best-ever run to the quarter-finals, winning Goal of the Tournament for her strike against Germany.

2024: Caicedo's stock continued to rise in a year where she became an Olympian for the first time and her Colombia team came so close to eliminating Spain, the world champions, in the quarter-finals, only to lose on penalties.

2025: It's another big year for Caicedo, who looks set to play in a fourth senior major tournament in four years this summer at the 2025 edition of Copa America. Club success remains on the cards too, with Real Madrid into the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League for just the second time.

Advertisement9Yuzuki Yamamoto (Tokyo Verdy Beleza)

2020: After an excellent showing at the 2019 AFC U19 Championship, it felt like 2020 could be a great year for Yamamoto to build on that. However, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the lack of football that took place as a result, largely limited her opportunities.

2021: Yamamoto made her first appearance in a league match for Tokyo Verdy Beleza in late 2021, in the newly-formed WE League. It would go on to be an excellent season for her, in which she played 20 games in all competitions for the senior team, scoring four goals.

2022: After scoring her first goal for Tokyo Verdy Beleza in March, Yamamoto had an excellent U20 Women’s World Cup in 2022, scoring three goals and registering three assists in six games as Japan reached the final. Those numbers won her the Bronze Boot.

2023:Yamamoto was a regular at Tokyo Verdy Beleza, either as a starter or from the bench, and played for Japan at the Women's Asian Games, helping her nation to win the gold medal.

2024: Now a key player in her club's starting XI, Yamamoto had a fantastic 2023-24 season and was one of her team's top players for goals and assists in the WE League.

2025: Yamamoto has continued that form into the 2024-25 as Tokyo Verdy Beleza look to make up for last year's trophy-less season, something they are in a strong position to do right now.

8Kate Wiesner (Penn State)

2020: The college programme in the U.S. was hit heavily by the Covid-19 pandemic, with Wiesner seeing little action as a result.

2021: Wiesner didn’t see any action in the spring due to injury, but returned for the fall, starting nine of her 19 appearances for Penn State.

2022: The following year, for her senior season, Wiesner started 22 games and led the Big Ten in assists, with 11 in her 23 appearances. She also netted two goals.

2023:Wiesner started the year with an U23 camp with the national team and completed her final season at Penn State, going out strong by being selected for the Third Team All-Big Ten squad.

2024: With the seventh overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft, Wiesner was chosen by the Washington Spirit and helped the team reach the Championship game in her rookie year in the top league in the United States. She was also called up as a training player to Emma Hayes' first USWNT roster.

2025: Wiesner will be looking to establish herself more firmly in the Spirit's starting XI in her second year in the NWSL, while hoping that can help her USWNT chances.

7Gift Monday (FC Robo)

2020: After making her senior international debut in 2019, Monday continued to excel in Nigeria with FC Robo, named Player of the Month twice in succession in the 2020-21 season.

2021: Monday left Robo in 2021, for Bayelsa Queens, and would fire them to the 2021-22 league title, top-scoring in the league and winning the Player of the Season award.

2022: The forward would soon earn a big move abroad, signing for Tenerife in the summer of 2022 to play her football in the top-flight in Spain. She was part of Nigeria’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, too, as the Super Falcons finished fourth.

2023: In her first season outside of her home country, Monday became a regular starter in Tenerife’s team and finished her first Liga F campaign with three goals and three assists. She also earned a place in Nigeria's Women's World Cup squad.

2024: Monday registered a team-best and individual-best tally of goals in the 2023-24 season, though her goal-scoring form sadly could not help Nigeria qualify for the Olympic Games in the summer.

2025: Monday has started 2025 in an explosive manner, scoring six times in her first league five games of the calendar year, and will hope to keep that up ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations in July.

Qualification process for women’s 2024 T20 WC and 2025 ODI WC announced; first women’s U-19 WC to be in South Africa in January 2023

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Apr-2022Twelve teams will qualify automatically for the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the USA. The qualification process for the two other marquee events, the women’s T20 World Cup in 2024 and the women’s ODI World Cup in 2025, have also been finalised by the ICC, which concluded its meetings in Dubai on Sunday.For the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup, which will comprise 20 teams for the first time, the qualification process is that the top-eight teams from the 2022 edition (to be hosted in Australia this October-November) along with the two hosts – West Indies and the USA – will get automatic berths for the league phase. The remaining two slots, via the automatic-qualification route, will be taken by the next-highest-ranked teams on the ICC T20 rankings as of November 14 this year.In case West Indies finish in the top eight in this year’s World Cup, then the top-three teams based on their ICC rankings on the cut-off date will make the grade. If West Indies fail to finish in the top eight at the T20 World Cup this year, then the top-two teams in the rankings table will qualify for the 2024 edition. The eight remaining slots will be filled via the ICC’s regional qualifiers comprising the top-two teams from Africa, Asia and Europe, along with one team each from the Americas and the East Asia Pacific groups.Eight teams to get direct entry for 2024 women’s T20 WC
A similar qualification process will be adopted for the women’s T20 World Cup in 2024, which will comprise ten teams. Eight teams will take the automatic route: the top-three teams from each of the two groups in the 2023 edition, scheduled in South Africa, along with the tournament host and the next-highest-ranked team on the ICC women’s T20 rankings on a pre-determined cut-off date. If the hosts are among this group of top-six teams, the next two highest-ranked teams on the table will qualify automatically. The remaining two teams will emerge from a global qualifier.Women’s Championship key to entry for 2025 World Cup
The 2022-25 cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship will play a key role in determining the teams for the next Women’s World Cup, which will be an eight-team tournament. The ICC is yet to finalise the venue for this event, but it will be played in 2025 and is part of the next cycle of global tournaments between 2024 and 2031.The top five at the end of the Women’s Championship cycle, along with the hosts, will gain automatic qualification for the ODI World Cup. For the remaining two spots, a qualifying event will be held, which will have the four teams that finished at the bottom of the championship cycle along with two more sides based on the ICC ODI rankings at a pre-determined cut-off date.A key update to the process, however, came at the meeting as the board approved a recommendation for ODI status to be extended to a number of Associate Member women’s teams to allow them to progress to global qualifying events based on ODI rankings. Hosts New Zealand had qualified automatically for the 2022 event along with Australia, South Africa, England and India after finishing in the top five of the 2017-21 Women’s Championship. Pakistan, West Indies and Bangladesh qualified by virtue of their rankings after the qualifier in November 2021 was cancelled after the Omicron variant of Covid-19 hit Southern Africa. Thailand missed out on qualification because of that cancellation in heart-breaking circumstances: they were top of their group when it was called off and because they didn’t have ODI status, had no way of making it to the World Cup.Meanwhile, it was also decided that the inaugural Under-19 Women’s World Cup would be held in South Africa in January 2023, with 16 teams participating in it. It will be held before the Women’s T20 World Cup that South Africa is slated to host from February 9 to 26.

Ruben Amorim has done an excellent job during his opening weeks in charge of Manchester United, transforming the club’s forward line in a short period of time.

In the four matches during his spell at the helm, the Red Devils have scored eight goals, including four in the demolition against Everton in the Premier League last weekend.

Joshua Zirkzee had only managed one goal before the 39-year-old’s arrival, but scored a double in the meeting with the Toffees, looking a completely different prospect under his guidance.

Marcus Rashford is another player who has massively struggled with confidence over recent months, but the Englishman has already found the back of the net three times in just two starts since Amorim took control.

However, despite the aforementioned duo’s recent form, the new United boss looks set to dip into the transfer market in January and further strengthen his forward line.

Man Utd targeting £50m talent in January

According to reports in Spain – via Football365 – Amorim has made a request to the United hierarchy for them to make a move to land Porto striker Samuel Omorodion next month.

It remains to be seen how much money the new manager will have at his disposal in his first window, but the report claims that the Spaniard is his top target in the coming weeks.

The Portuguese outfit are said to be holding out for a fee in the region of €60m (£50m) for his signature, looking to make a quick profit after forking out £12.7m for his services in the summer.

Omorodion would be a solid option, providing that focal point that Amorim desperately wants, especially if the club are to gain Champions League football come the end of May.

Any deal for the 20-year-old would undoubtedly be another huge investment from the hierarchy after their £200m spend in the summer, but it would allow the former Sporting CP boss to have a new version of a player who impressed in Portugal.

Why Omorodion could be Amorim’s next Gyokeres

Viktor Gyokeres is a name that has been mentioned all around Europe over the last 12 months, with his goalscoring exploits catching the eye since the start of the year.

The Sweden international has registered a mammoth 60 goals this calendar year, already notching 25 goals in just 22 matches throughout 2024/25, including a hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League.

However, it’s been widely reported that the 26-year-old has a €100m (£83m) release clause in his contract which has put numerous clubs off despite his phenomenal goal return.

As a result, Amorim may turn down a reunion with his former talisman, targeting a move for Omorodion – who has netted 13 times in all competitions this season – instead.

Whilst the Spaniard may have registered significantly fewer goals so far this campaign, he has matched or bettered Gyokeres in numerous key areas – potentially being a superb fit for the Red Devils in the present day and the future.

The “outrageous” star, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has managed to direct more of his efforts on target, averaging a higher goal per shot-on-target rate – taking advantage of his chances more often than the Swede.

Games played

9

12

Goals & assists

10

17

Shot-on-target accuracy

48%

41%

Goals per shot on target

0.9

0.5

Pass completion rate

81%

75%

Aerials won

2.1

0.9

Omorodion has also won more aerials per 90, giving United that direct option at the top end of the pitch they’ve desperately been crying out for over the last couple of years.

Both would be superb options for Amorim, undoubtedly offering an upgrade on the current players at his disposal at Old Trafford.

Should they complete a deal for former Atlético Madrid striker Omorodion, it would be a signal of intent from the board, handing the club a huge advantage in their top four Premier League ambitions despite the below-par start to the season.

Man Utd sold their original Yoro for £10m, now he's struggling big time

The former Manchester United ace has failed to make an impact away from Old Trafford.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 6, 2024

Liverpool's hopes of agreeing new contracts with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have been boosted by the terms of their new kit deal with adidas.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Reds are severing ties with NikeThree stripes back for 2025-26Hoping to agree contract extensionsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Reds have revealed that they will severing ties with current suppliers Nike and returning to adidas from the 2025-26 campaign. It will be the third time in the club’s history, and the first since 2012, that the Premier League giants have sported the iconic three-stripe design on their shirts.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

According to , Liverpool’s multi-year agreement with adidas is worth double the £30 million ($39m) a year that Nike are paying. Over the course of a five-year deal, the Reds could be pulling in £300m ($388m).

DID YOU KNOW?

That cash injection has arrived at the best possible time for Liverpool, as they are seeing a number of notable contracts at Anfield run down. Egyptian talisman Salah, Dutch defender Van Dijk and home-grown full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold are all heading towards free agency in the summer of 2025.

GettyTELL ME MORE

The Reds now have more money to play with when it comes to extension talks. They are hoping to get deals done with Salah and Van Dijk, as Alexander-Arnold is linked with Real Madrid, with adidas keen to have as many superstars on board to help promote their new range of matchday and training wear.

Harry Kane is a player who tormented Arsenal for many years during his time at North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, scoring countless goals during his time in the Premier League.

The Englishman has scored 15 times against the Gunners in his 21 appearances, the third-most against any opposition he’s faced during his professional career.

However, many supporters thought they would have a respite period from his goalscoring exploits after his move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023.

The 31-year-old would score against Mikel Arteta’s side in the Champions League last season, subsequently knocking them out of the competition at the quarter-final stage.

Over the years, Arsenal have lacked that clinical presence within the attacking third of the pitch, potentially having their own version of the Englishman who’s similar to Kane, as per FBref.

Arsenal monitoring European star ahead of January

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal have been spotted scouting RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

The Gunners were previously interested in a move for the Slovenian over the summer transfer window but were unable to strike a move for the 21-year-old sensation.

However, they aren’t alone in the pursuit of the talisman, with Manchester City and Manchester United also monitoring Sesko ahead of a potential move in the coming weeks.

It’s previously been reported that he could be available for around £58m in January, with the attacker having an agreement in his current contract that he could be offloaded for such a fee.

Whilst they may face tough competition for the youngster’s signature, he would be a stellar addition given his 11 goals in 23 matches during 2024/25 – providing an upgrade on the current options at Arteta’s disposal.

Transfer Focus

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

Why Sesko would be an upgrade on Jesus

Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus has had his doubters over recent months, even being linked with a potential move back to his homeland ahead of the upcoming window.

However, in recent weeks, he’s been given an opportunity to stake his claim for the Gunners, taking his opportunity with both hands in his last couple of outings.

The 27-year-old arrived with huge expectations after his £45m move from Manchester City in the summer of 2022, but his injury issues have plagued his time at the Emirates.

Jesus has been handed two starts this week against Crystal Palace, scoring five times in the last two outings, trying to prove to the boss that he can provide the goals needed for a title challenge.

However, it may be too little too late for the attacker, with Sesko providing an upgrade on the former City ace based on his figures from the ongoing campaign.

When comparing their stats from the respective divisions, the RB Leipzig ace has dominated in numerous key areas, with the £58m fee touted for his services looking to be a potential bargain.

Games played

15

14

Goals & assists

8

2

Shot-on-target accuracy

54%

33%

Dribbles completed

48%

27%

Aerials won

2.8

1

Aerial success rate

58%

33%

The striker, who’s previously been dubbed as a “top young talent” by Leipzig technical director Christopher Vivell, has outscored the current Gunners star, managing to get more of his efforts on target in the process.

He’s also completed more dribbles and won more aerials, demonstrating he has the skill set needed to be the focal point in which the club has been crying out for in recent years.

The battle for the attacker may hot up over the next couple of weeks, undoubtedly becoming a man in demand after his excellent start to the campaign this time around.

However, his figures in recent months show he’s a talent that Arteta and Co simply can’t miss out on, handing the club the added boost towards the closing stages of the season to close the gap to runaway leaders Liverpool.

Saved by Jesus: Arsenal were let down by "awful" 116-touch star at Palace

Arsenal returned to form in the Premier League with a thumping win over Crystal Palace.

ByMatt Dawson Dec 21, 2024

Ben Stokes denied as Durham manage just one of the eight wickets needed

David Hopps08-May-2022Maiden first-class hundreds can come in many guises. Players dream in their youth of hooking a great fast bowler for six on a lightning-fast pitch to the adulation of the crowd. Real life can be more prosaic. Jack Haynes got his on the flattest deck imaginable when he nicked Matthew Potts in front of third slip and the ball bounced away to the boundary. But now he has one after some painful near misses, he is a mere 21, and he looks well equipped to make more exciting ones in the future.Haynes met his feat with a leap in the air, an embrace from his captain, Brett D’Oliveira, who was blocking down the clock at the other end at the time, and a standing ovation from the crowd.There was a extra piquancy, beyond run-of-the-mill county loyalty, to their pleasure. Many remember his father, Gavin, who played for Worcestershire throughout the 1990s, a long-forgotten age of small scores, seaming pitches and madcap run chases. Jack also had visions of that breakthrough hundred before. He was run out for 87, backing up too far at the non-striker’s end, against Warwickshire at Edgbaston last summer, and also reached 97 against Derbyshire at New Road before hitting a long hop from Matt Critchley to deep midwicket.Ample reason therefore for him to draw considerable satisfaction from a hard-fought draw on a placid fourth-day surface that was certainly wearing but only for any neutrals watching. So will Worcestershire, considering that at one point they were 41 for 4 in response to Durham’s first-innings declaration at 580 for 6. To escape from a Ben Stokes pummelling and hundreds in each innings from Sean Dickson with such assurance was professionally satisfying.Tips for county batters to improve their concentration: connect with nature, take up meditation, reduce multi-tasking. “Bat on flat pitches,” the ECB’s approved solution, is yet to be added to the list, but at this rate it’s only a matter of time. Haynes’ mindset never wavered over six hours as he finished unbeaten on 120 from 276 balls.Stokes bowled 30 overs in the match, 15 in each innings, and endured a wicketless game: only 20 fell over four days. His attempts to make early breakthroughs were repelled in perhaps the most intensively-contested cricket of the day. In the final throes, he fell over trying to bounce out Haynes (lying on the floor, he watched Haynes’ uppercut fly to the cover boundary) and then he was stopped in his tracks by a fly in his eye, briefly bringing a tiny tremor of concern.Worcestershire, 85 for 2 overnight, needed another 357, Durham required another eight wickets. Durham took their only wicket of the day seven minutes before tea, the first over with the new ball when Azhar Ali edged a little outswinger from Chris Rushworth to second slip, out for 92 and so missing a first hundred for Worcestershire. Haynes’ century was raised in the following over. By such small margins, contentment and frustration occur.For much of the day, the asking rate for Worcestershire to fashion an exceptional victory was only four an over. It was unlikely but not impossible. It might have been worth a look, if only for a wicket or two. But the ECB in its wisdom has allocated eight points for a draw – 50% of the total for a win – and a generation that has bought into the adventure of short-form cricket is less willing to risk what they have if the format (or the points allocation) does not force it upon them.Durham blew what few chances they had to make earlier inroads. Haynes was missed at slip by David Bedingham when he cut the slow left-armer, Liam Trevaskis, on 61; Matt Salisbury almost had Azhar caught at gully by Bedingham on 82, a much simpler chance. Borthwick did not introduce his own legspin until the 75th over, which felt a mite defeatist until you considered that any turn or bounce would have been miraculous. Eight of Haynes’ 20 boundaries came off Potts, who had licence to make things happen but who on this occasion came out second best.Durham, highly fancied at the start of the season but still seeking their first win, only took two Leicestershire wickets last month on a final day at Chester-le-Street. It can’t get any worse than that, they consoled themselves as they headed, bodies aching, to their cars. Oh, yes, it could. One hopes for their sake that the wicketless final day is not still to come.

Coleen Rooney has reportedly agreed a £10m documentary deal, but has been warned that said series could lead to “hatred or mockery towards Wayne”.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Streaming giants battled for 'At Home With' showI'm A Celeb star happy to let cameras into her worldHusband has found coaching career difficultFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty/ITVWHAT HAPPENED?

After seeing her stock soar on the back of a runner-up finish in the 2024 edition of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here, Coleen is said to have been inundated with offers when it comes to media work. Disney+ have battled it out with streaming rivals Amazon Prime for the right to give fans a fly-on-the-wall look at life in the Rooney household.

AdvertisementTHE GOSSIP

Coleen is excited by that project, but questions have been asked of whether husband Wayne is quite so enthralled, with the Manchester United legend currently back on punditry duty after enduring another flop in the coaching game at Plymouth.

GettyWHAT AN INSIDER SAID

An insider has told : “Coleen is really excited at the idea of having her own reality show, but some people are worried that it could cause tension between her and Wayne. Having kept a low-profile for so many years, stepping back into the limelight has renewed Coleen’s self-confidence. The only problem is Wayne is at a crossroads in his career and his friends worry being eclipsed by his wife could knock his self-esteem.”

DID YOU KNOW?

The source went on to say: “Her and Wayne’s mutual friends are worried that the producers might want to show Coleen as the one calling the shots at home, while Wayne could be portrayed as this kind of dithering background presence. But that’s more because he can be camera shy – reality TV just isn’t his thing. Coleen has had more experience – she’s a real natural.”

Leeds United moved to the top of the Championship table on goal difference on Boxing Day with a relatively comfortable 2-0 win at Stoke away from home.

The Whites secured the three points thanks to a double from Joel Piroe, who scored either side of half time, and are now in control of their future, as the lead at the top of the division is now for them to lose.

Daniel Farke will surely be pleased that his team put in a solid performance, keeping a clean sheet, whilst also providing a strong threat offensively.

The balance of his midfield set-up played a big role in the side’s overall display, and Joe Rothwell starred for the Whites with his showing in the middle of the park.

Joe Rothwell's performance against Stoke

The Bournemouth loanee was selected to play ahead of Japan international Ao Tanaka and justified his selection alongside Ethan Ampadu with a terrific performance.

Rothwell displayed his quality in and out of possession to prevent Stoke from building attacks, as well as being able to dictate play to develop plays for his team.

The English midfielder won four of his five duels, made three tackles, and was not dribbled past a single time, which shows that he got the better of the Stoke players more often than not in defensive situations, to keep Illan Meslier quiet.

In possession, the experienced maestro also completed 94% (78/83) of his attempted passes and created two chances, showing that he offered reliability and creativity on the ball.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Rothwell was, therefore, outstanding as a box-to-box midfielder, but his display may have taken attention away from central defender Pascal Struijk, who was the unsung hero for the Whites.

Pascal Struijk's performance against Stoke

Can he do it on a cold Thursday night in Stoke? Yes. It was not an easy evening for defenders, with a thick fog limiting the visibility on the pitch, but the Dutch titan put in an excellent display.

Narcis Pelach’s side only had 25% possession, despite playing at home, on the night and this meant that they were often looking for the longer pass in an attempt to alleviate the pressure that Leeds were putting on them with their dominant play.

Farke, therefore, needed a player to step up and win the aerial duels to prevent Stoke from being able to win flick-ons and second balls to get themselves back into the game, and that is what Struijk did.

Minutes

90

90

Duels won

3

8

Aerial duel success rate

0%

73%

Touches

104

110

Clearances

0

2

As you can see in the table above, the academy graduate was the main man from a defensive perspective for Leeds on Boxing Day, whilst his centre-back partner failed to win a single aerial duel or make a clearance on the night.

These statistics illustrate Struijk’s dominance at the heart of the defence and show that he kept his team on top by winning the majority of those crucial aerial battles and preventing the home side from getting back into the contest.

Therefore, the left-footed colossus was an unsung hero for the Whites on the night because he did the dirty work that may have gone unnoticed.

Leeds signed "Pablo Hernandez’s successor" but then sold him for 10x less

Former Leeds United sporting director Victor Orta did not do his best work on this deal.

ByDan Emery Dec 26, 2024

“Even if we fail, we will learn from that and grow as a player and grow as a team”

Hemant Brar13-Jun-20221:37

Shreyas Iyer: ‘Important to try out our plans even if we fail’

India are prioritising firming up their plans for the 2022 T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia in October-November, over the results of bilateral T20Is. That’s what Shreyas Iyer said after India lost the second T20I against South Africa in Cuttack to fall 2-0 behind in the five-match series.Related

Dale Steyn: 'More confident' Bhuvneshwar Kumar has found the missing ingredient

Resourceful South Africa look to seal series with two to play

How Heinrich Klaasen tamed a tricky Cuttack pitch

Klaasen's explosive 81 gives South Africa 2-0 lead

“Our main aim is obviously the World Cup, so we have to see to it that we plan towards it,” Iyer said. “So we have that sort of mindset where we are completely free and not thinking about anything else. These are the actual games where we can practise what we were lacking in the past. That’s what we keep discussing in the team meeting as well. No matter what happens, whatever plans we discuss in the team meeting, we have to execute those. Even if we fail, we will learn from that and grow as a player and grow as a team. So that’s more important till we reach Australia.”One of those plans is for batters to keep attacking even if wickets are falling at the other end. That strategy was on display in the first T20I, where almost every Indian batter threw his bat around to take India to 211 for 4.India will continue to bat aggressively, Shreyas Iyer said•Associated Press”We have made this plan that we will keep going no matter what happens,” Iyer said. “Even if we keep losing wickets, it’s our gameplan and in the future too, we will go in with the same mindset. We will back ourselves and back our instincts.”However, on a difficult Cuttack pitch on Sunday, the Indian batters failed to score freely despite trying hard. Eventually, they could post only 148 for 6, which didn’t prove to be enough.”I feel if something we could have done on this wicket is playing until 11 to 15 overs,” Iyer said. “But at the same time you need to keep the scoreboard ticking also. If I look back, I think 160 could have been a really good score on the board to put them under a little bit of pressure but we were around 12 runs short.”Iyer also said that India want to use Dinesh Karthik mainly in the last five overs. They lost their fourth wicket in the 13th over and Axar Patel walked in ahead of Karthik. Axar managed only 10 off 11 balls. Karthik came out with 37 balls left in the innings but he too struggled to score quickly. He was on 9 off 16 balls at one point before finishing on 30 not out off 21.”It’s definitely something we have strategised earlier as well. We had seven overs left and Axar Patel is someone who can take singles, who can keep rotating the strike. And we didn’t require someone to come in and start hitting from ball one at that point of time. Even DK [Karthik] can do that obviously but DK has been a really good asset for us after 15 overs where he can come and straightaway slog the ball. Even he found it difficult to start well today. Obviously, the wicket played a huge role in today’s game, but we will be using this strategy in the next games as well.”

Dominik Szoboszlai was brutally trolled by Arda Guler fans on social media underneath his wedding post as Instagram saga drags on.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Turkey beat Hungary 6-1 on aggregate in the Nations LeagueGuler & Szoboszlai got involved in a social media spatTurkish fans hit out at the Hungarian on his wedding postFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The online banter between the two footballers has been ongoing, fueled by their recent Nations League clash, where Turkey dominated Hungary with a 6-1 aggregate victory in the quarterfinals. During the second leg, Real Madrid star Guler found the back of the net, scoring Turkey’s second goal in a convincing 3-0 win. After finding the net, he made a shushing gesture towards Szoboszlai, which took the Hungarian by surprise.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After the game, the Liverpool midfielder came across a post from Hungarian media outlet Nemzeti Sport, highlighting the moment Guler silenced him. Rather than ignoring it, Szoboszlai fired back in the comments, sarcastically referencing "1088 minutes"—the total amount of time Guler has played for Real Madrid this season. However, Guler didn’t let the remark slide. The 19-year-old responded through an Instagram story, hitting back at Szoboszlai with a direct message: "This guy is a joke. Isn’t six goals enough to shut you up?"

HOW DID THE FANS RESPOND

Away from football, Szoboszlai had a reason to celebrate, as he officially tied the knot with his partner, Borka Buzsik. Taking to Instagram, Szoboszlai shared a romantic photo of himself and his new wife, locking lips on their special day. He kept the caption simple, posting only "2025.03.25 ❤️", marking the date of the ceremony.

The comment section of the post was flooded with GIFs of Guler’s celebration, as Turkish supporters continued their relentless trolling campaign.

@szoboszlaidominik Insatgram@szoboszlaidominik Insatgram@szoboszlaidominik InsatgramGetty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SZOBOSZLAI AND GULER?

While the online rivalry rages on, both Szoboszlai and Guler have major club commitments ahead. Guler remains part of a Real Madrid squad chasing a historic treble, with the club still in contention for La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League. Despite limited game time this season, the Turkish star is eager to prove his worth in the final stretch of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Szoboszlai is focused on Liverpool’s title challenge in the Premier League and with a crucial Merseyside Derby against Everton coming up at Anfield next week, he will be looking to silence his critics on the pitch.