Everton have an "athlete" out on loan with more assists than any Toffees star

Everton, despite off-field murmurs of a potential points deduction, are letting their football do the talking at present with plenty of positives for the Toffees to latch onto from recent victories.

Back-to-back wins in the Premier League and League Cup versus West Ham and Burnley saw Jordan Pickford keep two consecutive clean sheets, Ashley Young net his first goal in Everton colours and Dominic Calvert-Lewin play for the majority of both contests with a goal and an assist for his efforts to shake off fears he would pick up an injury again.

Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

The Toffees have managed, in the process, to distance themselves from the relegation spots with Sean Dyche targeting another victory this coming weekend against Brighton and Hove Albion when Everton return to league action.

Away from the current crop of first-teamers at Goodison Park, young Blues prospect Stanley Mills is making a name for himself down in Oxfordshire on loan, with the 20-year-old notching up more assists than any Everton player this campaign.

Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil are tied at the top of the assists chart for the Toffees with two each, Mills ahead of both names with four as he continues to dazzle League One defences early into his Oxford United stint.

Stanley Mills' style of play

Everton's explosive right-winger is highly thought of in Merseyside, consistently performing at U21 level with the club before embarking on this new loan venture at Oxford to kickstart his senior career.

For the U21s, Mills has torn opposition defences to shreds regularly down the channels – netting 17 goals in 48 outings, including assisting a further five.

Outgrowing his age bracket arguably, Mills has settled into League One life well with the U's since making the loan switch in late July.

Singled out as a "natural athlete" by his dad, Danny Mills, in an article by The Athletic's Patrick Boyland – the young winger impressing Frank Lampard when the ex-Chelsea player turned Toffees boss first rocked up to Goodison Park – he's shown his pedigree for Liam Manning's men.

Stanley Mills' numbers this season

It wouldn't take long for the exciting talent to instantly endear himself into the hearts of Oxford supporters, Mills arrowing a wonderful effort into the back of the net versus Fleetwood Town to help his team convincingly win 3-0 on the seaside.

His creative flair on the ball has also been a standout of his game since making the move, the 20-year-old assisting four times in total including in his last match as the U's beat Lincoln City 2-0 on their travels to cement second spot in the division.

The young starlet had five efforts of his own at Sincil Bank also, as per Sofascore, registering two out of his five shots on target but he was unable to find the net to add to his slim senior goal collection.

Son of the ex-Manchester City and Leeds United defender – who was capped 19 times by England – the emerging superstar will hope he can follow in his father's footsteps by having a lengthy career at the top.

For the time being, however, Mills will continue enjoying his football at Oxford with dreams of becoming an Everton first-team star his ultimate goal.

Alongside Robertson: Liverpool’s "explosive" ace also sustains new injury

Liverpool could be set to lose the services of another one of their squad members to injury alongside Andrew Robertson, if a new update is to be believed.

Who is currently injured at Liverpool?

The Reds have Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Caoimhin Kelleher on the sidelines as it stands, with Jurgen Klopp’s latest blow coming in the form of Robertson, who had to withdraw from international duty after sustaining a serious looking shoulder injury.

As well as those, Curtis Jones still won’t be available for selection for Saturday’s Merseyside derby against Everton because he will be serving the second of his three-game suspension following his previous red card, and now another player is likely to be missing.

At Anfield, Ben Doak has made zero starts and just one substitute appearance this season in the Premier League (WhoScored – Doak statistics), but regardless of his lack of first-team minutes, he still received a call-up to represent his nation over the past fortnight having impressed in the Europa league.

Scotland’s youth international, however, was forced to leave his squad having suffered a fitness setback meaning that he returned to Melwood to undergo further assessment, and whilst the extent of the right-winger’s problem still remains to be seen, the 17-year-old isn’t likely to be staging his comeback anytime soon.

Ben Doak injury update

According to The Liverpool Echo, who have shared an injury update on Ben Doak, Klopp isn’t expected to have the forward at his disposal for this weekend’s highly-anticipated encounter vs Everton, further damaging the manager's depth:

Ben Doak has provided Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp with another potential injury headache ahead of Saturday's Merseyside derby. Liverpool are waiting to discover the nature and extent of the damage, but the uncertainty is another unwanted concern for Klopp as he grapples with availability issues for the weekend visit of Everton.”

Liverpool forward Ben Doak.

How good is Ben Doak?

Whilst Doak isn’t a regular senior feature for Liverpool at this moment in time, he’s previously been dubbed an “explosive” attacker by football talent scout Jacek Kulig for how prolific he can be in the final third, which he’s shown throughout his career.

The Dalry native, who pockets £180-per-week (Liverpool salaries), has posted 19 contributions, 11 goals and eight assists, in 37 appearances since first bursting onto the scene, which highlights the threat he poses to an opposition’s backline (Transfermarkt – Doak statistics).

Sponsored by Adidas, the forward is also a versatile operator having been deployed in four different positions over the pitch, including in three roles across the frontline and even slightly deeper in the midfield, but this versatility is another quality that the boss is likely to be missing.

Therefore, Doak’s absence will come as a blow to Klopp even though he isn’t a guaranteed starter, especially with the list of other absentees meaning that the manager could be limited in his options, so all parties will be hoping that the academy graduate’s injury isn’t too bad so that he can return to the pitch as soon as possible.

Joe Denly demolishes Surrey with century and hat-trick

Joe Denly had a night to remember as he scored a hundred and then took a hat-trick as Kent Spitfires beat Surrey by six runs

ECB Reporters Network and ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2018

Joe Denly walks out in front of a full house at Kia Oval•Getty Images

ScorecardJoe Denly had a night to remember as he scored a hundred and then took a hat-trick as Kent Spitfires beat Surrey by six runs in their Vitality Blast opener at the Kia Oval.In front of a crowd of 23,291 Denly made 102 from 63 balls, helping the Spitfires to 173 for 6 after they had won the toss.Surrey were on course for a successful chase when they reached 135 for 3 in the 13th over with Ben Foakes going well before Denly, bowling his occasional leg breaks, made another decisive contribution. Rikki Clarke was stumped coming down the track, Jamie Smith lbw padding up and Matt Pillans caught by wicketkeeper Sam Billings off a top-edge into the leg side.”I may have taken a hat-trick in the garden before but not out in the middle,” Denly said. “And if I’m honest it was a naughty hat-trick ball, caught down the leg side, but I’ll take it because it got us back in the game. As a specialist batsman the century probably means more to me but I’ll take the hat-trick – it was a very nice moment.”Research by the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians revealed that Denly duly became the first player in List A 50-over or T20 cricket to score a hundred and take a hat-trick in the same match. There were three previous instances of 50 and a hat-trick in T20, and seven in List A.Download our T20 Blast Podcast

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Kent’s victory was far from certain. Freddie van den Bergh and Morne Morkel departed cheaply to leave Surrey needing 18 off 16 balls but Foakes took a precious boundary off Carlos Brathwaite in the 19th over to get the equation down to nine off 12 balls with two wickets in hand.However, he could only watch at the other end as New Zealander Adam Milne sealed victory by yorking Gareth Batty and having Jade Dernbach caught behind off successive balls. Surrey were bowled out for 167 with seven balls unused and Foakes was left stranded on 75 not out.It was quite a night for Denly, who passed 4,500 T20 runs during an innings where he seldom took any risks, ruthlessly punishing anything short or wide instead.His stand of 104 off 66 balls with Heino Kuhn for the second wicket laid the foundations for Kent’s formidable total.The Spitfires looked on course for more than 200 when Denly was in full flow but they were pegged back by Pillans, who finished with 3 for 22 including Denly, who drove wearily to long on in the final over after striking 12 fours and two sixes.Pillans also picked up debutant Brathwaite, who was brilliantly caught by the diving Smith, and skipper Billings (14). Surrey skipper Dernbach, who had removed Daniel Bell-Drummond for a second-ball duck in the first over, returned to pick up Alex Blake as he finished with 2 for 32.Surrey’s reply began well. Foakes and opener Rory Burns needed just 40 balls as they thrashed 85 for the second wicket after the early loss of Will Jacks. Seamer Ivan Thomas came in for particular punishment as his two overs disappeared for 37 runs.Even when Burns (39) lost his leg stump trying to work Callum Haggett down the leg side and Ollie Pope fell cheaply Surrey needed 65 from 64 balls with six wickets in hand. Denly, though, had other ideas and Surrey, who were without five internationals including their Australian pair Aaron Finch and Nic Maddinson, were left to reflect on a second successive defeat.

Liverpool: Klopp could now unleash teen "machine" alongside Gordon

Liverpool should be emboldened that while Saturday evening's shattering defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League has resulted in an injury to the in-form Cody Gakpo and suspensions to Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota, the rekindled verve and vitality is there for all to see.

What's also pleasing is that the Anfield side boasts a wealth of academy talent that eclipses anything the club has been seen in recent years, with such exciting options offering a different approach for manager Jurgen Klopp, should he need it.

And use it he has; last season, with Liverpool suffering an incredible depletion of form and fluidity, a young Stefan Bajcetic was brought into the senior fold to aid the beleaguered Reds in their efforts, and he shone as the brightest spark in a midfield that was languishing heavily below expectations.

Hailed for his "exceptional" rise to prominence by Klopp last season, the 18-year-old Spaniard is but one example of the rich crop of precocity just waiting for a chance to impress on the major stage.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is the obvious example, having been promoted to Liverpool's vice-captain in the summer and praised as "world-class" by former Barcelona right-back Dani Alves.

The aforementioned Jones has also enjoyed an impressive rise over the past year, while Ben Doak, aged 17, has currently made eight senior showings in age-belying fashion, and has been proclaimed to be a 'Scottish Wayne Rooney' by his agent Jackie McNamara due to his small yet strong stature and innate physicality.

Some remarkable talent, and all names starting to make themselves known on the major stage, but perhaps one of Liverpool's most prodigious youngsters is yet to become known to the masses.

Oakley Cannonier, goalscoring sensation, has recently returned from injury and is looking to continue his ascent to prominence after demonstrating such a sharp cutting edge in the earliest phase of his youth career.

Who is Oakley Cannonier?

Cannonier's progress beneath the surface at Liverpool has seen him be hindered by a long-term injury that has ruled him out of contention for much of the past year.

The aptly-named Cannonier has been firing the strikes home with vicious regularity at youth level, scoring 44 goals and supplying five assists from only 60 appearances for the Reds' respective development sides, heralded as a "goal machine" by prominent Liverpool reporter Neil Jones for his efforts.

The 19-year-old forward exhibited his prolific abilities last term with a flourish, scoring ten times from only 12 outings during a term that was hampered by injury – including seven goals from only four matches in the UEFA Youth League.

Last month, the striker returned to action with a resounding hat-trick in a friendly against Hull City after indeed spending ten months on the sidelines, and will now surely be viewed as one to keep an eye on as he continues to build back the form that left the likes of The Athletic's James Pearce describing him as "outstanding."

An out-and-out centre-forward, Cannonier will indeed be hoping that he could find his name on the senior team sheet this season for the first time, perhaps linking up with academy peer Kaide Gordon, who is looking to pick up where he left off under Klopp's wing after battling his own long-term absence.

How good is Kaide Gordon?

It's perhaps a testament to Gordon's prodigious skill set that he is still only 18-years-old (for a few more days) and has already forged four senior showings under Klopp's stewardship and netted his maiden goal – and that's despite spending the entirety of the 2022/23 campaign on the sidelines with a long-term injury.

Once described as "exceptional" by his manager, Gordon thrived for Liverpool's development squad after signing from Derby County for a reported fee of £3m as a 16-year-old, posting 12 goals and five assists across all competitions.

The one-cap England U21 international is capable of thriving across both offensive flanks and boasts skill, speed and guile in abundance.

Already demonstrating his ability to provide both incisive and creative danger, the Merseyside outfit's second-youngest-ever goalscorer would work seamlessly in tandem with Cannonier, providing the all-encompassing attacking threat as the focal frontman.

Player

Age

Result & Competition

Ben Woodburn

17 years, 1 month, 14 days

2-0 vs Leeds, League Cup

Kaide Gordon

17 years, 3 months, 4 days

4-1 vs Shrewsbury, FA Cup

Michael Owen

17 years, 4 months, 22 days

2-1 vs Wimbledon, Premier League

Jordan Rossiter

17 years, 5 months, 30 days

2-2 vs Middlesbrough, League Cup

Ki-Jana Hoever

17 years, 8 months, 7 days

2-0 vs MK Dons, League Cup

With both Gordon and Cannonier sharing an unfortunate spell on the sidelines with long-term injuries despite remaining pleasingly ensconced in the maiden stage of their professional career, with ample time to grow into their skin, they can both prove to be the first-rate phenoms Klopp and Liverpool crave for in the future.

As mentioned earlier, Liverpool's rise since that fateful day when Klopp graced the Merseyside club as manager for the first time has done more than just improve the first-team squad.

Liverpool's Kaide Gordon

Liverpool, as a footballing institution, has been comprehensively rejuvenated, the stains of a miserable period in the club's history wiped away, and sustained success is now stitched into the fabric of the outfit once again.

As such, youth players are now held in a higher regard. The investment is felt. Gordon and Cannonier are but two of the teenage sensations pushing for a place on the Premier League pitch soon, and given the immense quality brimming from each, there is every possibility that both earn a shot to cement their berth soon enough.

Uganda stun Denmark in four-wicket over

ScorecardPeter Della Penna

How the tide turns. Uganda scripted a comeback only dreams are made of. Denmark needed five runs off the final over, with four wickets in hand. Then, they committed hara-kiri as Roger Mukasa, the captain, brought himself on for the first time and created magic at the Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur.Mukasa darted his part-time offspin from around the stumps into Denmark’s right-handers, denied them the room for the swing and created panic that delivered two wickets and two run outs. This meant Denmark were delayed promotion to Division Three, while Uganda gave themselves an excellent chance to get there.It boiled down to No. 11 Bashir Shah needing three off the final ball. He flicked the ball into the gap at deep midwicket, only for Frank Nsubuga’s athleticism and a sharp relay to Fred Achelam catching Bashir short of the crease to trigger wild celebrations.Denmark were at 73 for 4 in 23.4 overs when rain delayed play for a little over two hours. When they returned, Denmark were set a revised target of 131 in 29 overs. They took it till the end, only for it to disintegrate at the last moment.For the third match in a row, Mohammad Irfan and Nsubuga took the new ball and they reduced Denmark to 7 for 2 inside four overs. With rain clouds lurking, Denmark continued to trail on DLS par. They suffered another setback when Freddie Klokker chipped softly to midwicket off Deusdedit Muhumuza in the 22nd over, just 14 balls before play was halted.Uganda’s chances of setting a defendable total looked bleak at 155 for 7 in 45 overs. Despite a 79-run third-wicket stand between Masaba and Hamu Kayondo, their platform for a rocket boost cameo from Irfan backfired when he was out for 3 in the 37th over.It took a ferocious assault from Achelam and Kenneth Waiswa to add 60 off the last five, including a backbreaking 20-run 49th over. Achelam was eventually named Man of the Match for his 39 off 28 balls to go along with his clean takes to complete the pair of last-over run outs.

Tottenham: Big Davinson Sanchez Exit News After Development

Tottenham Hotspur defender Davinson Sanchez is now closer than ever to leaving Spurs after a development, with a report from the English press sharing some news.

Who has left Tottenham this season?

New Lilywhites boss Ange Postecoglou has watched a plethora of his squad depart this summer, either on loan or permanently.

Indeed, former Spurs superstar Harry Kane joined Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in one of the most high-profile transfers this year, while Sergio Reguilon, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Harry Winks, Alfie Devine, Troy Parrott and Dane Scarlett all joined him out the door.

Despite the British window closing on September 1, it is believed that further Spurs players could follow them, as Turkish and Saudi Arabian sides can still make signings until a later date.

Saudi clubs have until this Thursday to add to their squads, while sides from the Turkish Super Lig can keep on bringing in players before September 15.

This gives Postecoglou and Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy an opportunity to shift more deadwood over the next few weeks, with expensive flop Tanguy Ndombele coming as one of the players who look set to make way in the next days.

Ndombele is said to be on his way to Galatasaray, according to Fabrizio Romano, while Colombia international defender Sanchez is another rumoured to be be nearing a move to the Turkish club.

Galatasaray have apparently set their sights on the 27-year-old alongside Ndombele, with a report by CaughtOffside sharing news on his potential move further east.

Sanchez, who doesn't appear to be in Postecoglou's plans at Spurs, is apparently "closer than ever" to leaving the north London after both the player and Galatasaray reached an agreement over personal terms.

Tottenham Hotspur's Davinson Sanchez during training

Spurs and the Turkish giants are said to be "edging closer to a final agreement as well", with the former Ajax sensation's transfer looming "fairly imminently".

It is also believed that final details are now being ironed out for him to depat N17, over six years after Tottenham signed him in a past club-record deal from the Eredivisie.

What's been said about Davinson Sanchez?

The South American hasn't been playing at a top level for Spurs in recent years, and his poor peformances date all the way back to Jose Mourinho's tenure in charge.

Speaking to Football Insider all the way back in April 2021, former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan slammed Sanchez for making "schoolboy"-like errors.

"Sanchez hasn’t looked great for a while now," Whelan explained over two years ago.

"We’re talking about fine margins and you look back on goals they concede when he’s in the side and it’s always little mistakes that cost them.

"Jose Mourinho will have been very disappointed to have kept giving Newcastle that hope. That’s not what you need when you’re meant to be going for Europe, is it?

“He’ll be tearing his hair out when he watches the goals they conceded. Schoolboy mistakes, especially from Sanchez. Shocking stuff.”

If Spurs can indeed agree a deal to offload Sanchez, it's arguably the right call, as his potential departure would also free up space for Postecoglou to bring in another defender next year.

Leeds Weighing Up Premier League Midfielder Move

Looking to strengthen before the summer transfer window slams shut, Leeds United could reportedly turn their attention to the Premier League as they attempt to build a squad capable of promotion at the first time of asking.

So far this summer, Daniel Farke has welcomed a total of four new arrivals, with the pick of the bunch being Joe Rodon on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

Now, however, the Yorkshire club could reportedly turn to Jonjo Shelvey.

What's the latest on Jonjo Shelvey to Leeds United?

According to reports, Leeds are considering making a move for out-of-favour Nottingham Forest midfielder Shelvey this summer. The former Newcastle United man is yet to make an appearance for Steve Cooper's side this season, and missed the final part of the last campaign after a reported bust-up with the manager.

Now, Leeds could swoop in to end a saga to forget for the Englishman, after they recently lost Tyler Adams to Bournemouth, leaving them in need of a midfielder, as per Teamtalk.

With plenty of experience to his name, it would certainly be interesting to see Shelvey make the move to Elland Road this summer. If he does stay at Forest, game-time looks unlikely to come his way anytime soon.

Should Leeds United sign Jonjo Shelvey?

Replacing a 24-year-old midfielder with a 31-year-old player who was frozen out at the back end of last season is far from a good look on paper for Leeds. However, Shelvey's experience could be crucial in a young squad at Elland Road.

The likes of Ethan Ampadu and Archie Gray could undoubtedly do with a bit of guidance in the middle of the park to combine with their youthful fearlessness. So, whilst Shelvey is far from a star player, he could yet play a pivotal part if he made the move to the Yorkshire club.

It's worth noting, too, that the midfielder has experience of earning promotion from the Championship after securing the league title with Newcastle back in the 2016/17 season.

When at his best, Shelvey has earned plenty of praise, too, including from former Hull City man Michael Dawson, who said on Sky Sports, via Nottingham Forest News: "He certainly creates chances, he gets on the ball and makes things happen. That’s something that Forest in the first 60 minutes, or even in previous games, have been missing.

“He will get on the ball in the middle of the field, he’s got a wide range of passes, he’s a very confident player. Not just confident, he can execute that pass when he sees it, if it’s a long-range one he can hit that.”

So far this season, Leeds have struggled for control in some areas and have, therefore, failed to get off to an emphatic start.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

In their opening three games, Farke's side have struggled, failing to win a single game, with draws against Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion, as well as a surprise defeat at the hands of Birmingham City.

Shelvey could bring some much-needed calm to what is a rocky ship at Elland Road, if he does end up making the move this summer.

فودين: وضعنا أنفسنا في كتب التاريخ.. واحتفال القناص مستمر

علّق فيل فودين، نجم فريق مانشستر سيتي، على تحقيق لقب بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، 2023/24، اليوم على حساب آرسنال.

وفاز مانشستر سيتي في الجولة الأخيرة من الدوري الإنجليزي، ضد وست هام بنتيجة 3-1، كما فاز آرسنال على إيفرتون بهدفين مقابل هدف.

وحسم مانشستر سيتي بذلك لقب الدوري الإنجليزي، للمرة الرابعة على التوالي.

وقال فودين في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “من الصعب جدًا وصف ما فعلناه اليوم بالكلمات، لم يفعل أي فريق ذلك من قبل (4 ألقاب متتالية)، لقد وضعنا أنفسنا في كتب التاريخ”.

وأضاف: “ترى ما يعنيه هذا بالنسبة للجماهير ولنا نحن اللاعبين الذين يعملون طوال العام من أجل هذه اللحظة، إنها لحظة خاصة لمشاركتها مع الجماهير”.

وواصل: “الفوز بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز أربع مرات، لم يفعله أي فريق من قبل، لذا فإن القيام بذلك يعني أننا مع أفضل الفرق على الإطلاق)، أنا في حالة ذهول لأكون صادقًا”.

اقرأ أيضًا | رسميًا.. مانشستر سيتي بطلًا لـ الدوري الإنجليزي 2023/24

وعما إذا كانوا يشعرون بالتوتر، رد: “لست أنا فقط، بل جميع اللاعبين لعبوا في مباريات مهمة على مر السنين، وقد مروا بهذا الوضع عدة مرات أيضًا، لذا فمن المؤكد أن هذا ساعد في تخفيف التوتر”.

واستطرد: “لقد ظهرنا اليوم واثقين من أنفسنا ولقد لعبنا كرتنا، وحصلنا على النتيجة في النهاية”.

وفيما يخص تسجيله الهدف الأول في الدقيقة 2، قال: “بداية مثالية تقريبًا، في بعض الأحيان أؤمن بالتسجيل مبكرًا بعض الشيء، لحسن الحظ سجلت لنا الهدف الثاني وهذا حسم أمرنا قليلاً، طريقة احتفالي، القناص، موجودة لتظل بالتأكيد”.

وعن فوزه بلقبه السادس في مسيرته، قال: “أنا لا أشعر بالملل من ذلك أبدًا، أنت تريد هذا الشعور في كل مرة، عندما تفوز بشيء لا يوجد شعور أفضل، أريد الاستمرار في الفوز قدر الإمكان”.

Youngsters aping Kohli's actions 'worries me' – Dravid

The former India captain fears aping Kohli’s aggressive words and approach might lead to youngsters not being authentic to themselves

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2017

Youngsters need to do what works for them and not blindly follow Virat Kohli, according to Rahul Dravid•Associated Press

The impact of Virat Kohli’s in-your-face persona on young, impressionable cricketers is a cause for concern for Rahul Dravid. The former India captain feared aping Kohli’s aggressive words and approach might lead to youngsters not being authentic to themselves.While Dravid admitted to cringing at some “outrageous” things Kohli says on occasions, he also defended him by saying that so long as he was true to himself, and it helped get the best out of him it shouldn’t matter.”I think the game is still about performance. So let’s not take that way from someone like Kohli,” Dravid said at the Bangalore Literature Festival on Sunday. “That’s his personality. People have asked me, ‘Why didn’t you behave like that?’ But that’s not what got the best out of me. I would have been inauthentic to myself if I had tried to put tattoos and behave like Virat.”Sometimes, especially before an Australia series, you’ll find Virat saying the most outrageous things. And I read the paper and cringe at times. But then I think back, maybe he actually wants that contest. He wants that lip on the field because that gets the best out of him. Now that might not be everyone’s cup of tea. But at the end of the day, he’s got to do what gets the best out of him. Ajinkya Rahane is very different and he gets the best out of himself by doing different things. I think being authentic to yourself is very, very important.”If engaging in a contest, sometimes needling the opposition, is getting the best out of Virat – and it certainly is because his level of performance is second to none in the world today – then so be it. You can’t blame him for it.”What worries me a little bit is a lot of that gets translated into junior cricket. That’s the scary thing for me, not so much what Virat does. Kids at 12, 13, 14 want to become the next Virat Kohli, not realising that maybe that’s not authentic to who they are.”During the Test series against Australia earlier this year, Kohli took on Steven Smith and alleged systematic DRS abuse. He also said his relationship with the Australia players was irrevocably damaged. Dravid was happy that cricketers today were a far more confident lot and that the financial security that came with playing the game even at a lower level empowered them.”I think there’s a certain confidence and belief in Indian cricket today which has come about through results,” he said. “It’s definitely more evident today than from the time I started. I remember I was sitting on a flight and I was really excited going on one of my early tours and said, ‘It’ll be great if we can win the series.’ And what I got was, ‘We’ll be lucky if we can win one Test match. Let’s hope we can win one and draw the rest’. People expect India now to win. Certainly, there is a level of fitness, confidence and belief that probably didn’t exist when I was starting out.”When I look at a lot of the India A guys or Under-19 guys that I coach, I can see the fearlessness and confidence. It also comes with a certain level of financial security. For me, as a 21-22-year old, I knew that the B.Com degree I barely managed to get in college wasn’t going to suffice, and I needed to make cricket work. There was a pressure to make cricket work and make it possible for me to lead a good life. Today’s cricketers know that even if they don’t play for India, they can still make a very good living for themselves. I’m very happy about that.”Dravid, however, had one cautionary note for young players: they don’t need a player agent until the time they reach a high standard of cricket. “One of the things I like to tell young cricketers is that you don’t really need an agent. Okay, a Virat Kohli or a Mahendra Singh Dhoni today needs an agent because if they have to focus on their cricket and play at that high level, they need to ensure that somebody else is looking after their finances,” he said. “They don’t want to be chasing their dates, or chasing people for money that is owed. But at the younger age of 17, 18 and 19, having agents is definitely not necessary. I don’t see any big hoarding of a 17 or 18-year old. The only hoardings you see today are Kohli or Dhoni or one or two other Indian players. So it’s only when you reach that standard of cricket do you need agents to support and help you.”

تقارير: مانشستر يونايتد يحسم مستقبل سانشو وجرينوود

تحدثت وسائل إعلام إنجليزية، عن تطورات جديدة حول مستقبل ثنائي مانشستر يونايتد، جادون سانشو، وماسون جرينوود، مع النادي الإنجليزي في الموسم القادم.

ويحتل مانشستر يونايتد المركز الثامن في سلم ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، برصيد 54 نقطة.

اقرأ ايضاً.. مانشستر يونايتد يعلن عودة الثنائي المصاب قبل مواجهة آرسنال

وانضم جرينوود إلى صفوف نادي خيتافي الإسباني على سبيل الإعارة قادماً من نادي مانشستر يونايتد لمدة موسم واحد.

فيما التحق جادون سانشو بصفوف نادي بوروسيا دورتموند الألماني على سبيل الإعارة لمدة ستة أشهر.

وبحسب ما جاء في شبكة “ManchesterEvening News”، فإنه يهدف نادي مانشستر يونايتد إلى بيع جادون سانشو وماسون جرينوود في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية القادمة.

وتابعت الشبكة الإنجليزية أن إدارة مانشستر يونايتد تطمح في جلب ما يصل إلى 70-80 مليون جنيه إسترليني إذا غادر كلا المهاجمين بصفقات دائمة. 

ويأتي ذلك بناءً على رغبة المدير الفني لفريق مانشستر يونايتد، إريك تين هاج، الذي يسعى إلى تعزيز صفوف فريقه في الميركاتو الصيفي القادم.

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