Already one of the true legends of the women’s game, Lucy Bronze has been a regular for England since making her debut in 2013 and has played all across the park, although she is best known as a marauding right-back, overlapping Beth Mead in the Euros to often devastating effect. Born into a bilingual Portuguese-English family in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Bronze, now 31, played for Alnwick Town until she turned 12, when FA regulations prevented her from continuing to play for the boys’ team, a matter about which her coach felt so strongly he launched an unsuccessful discrimination case to challenge the rules, reluctant to lose his best player to an outmoded technicality. A multi-talented athlete in secondary school, she played at youth level for Blyth Town and Sunderland, graduating to the latter’s senior squad and winning the FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division in 2008/09 before relocating to the US to enrol at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to play for the Tar Heels, a path future LionessesAlessia Russo and Lotte Wubben-Moy would later follow. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here Returning to England to complete her sports science degree at Leeds Metropolitan University, playing for the institution’s women’s team while supporting herself by working at Domino’s Pizza, Bronze then commenced her senior career in earnest with Everton in 2010. After two years, she transferred to city rivals Liverpool where she won back-to-back Women’s Super Leagues, before moving to Manchester City in 2014, where she again won the title and the FA Cup in 2016. She then moved on to France to play for all-conquering Lyon in 2017, winning the Champions League, three successive league titles, two domestic cups and finishing second in the running for the 2019 Ballon d’Or before returning to City for further cup success. A final switch to Barcelona alongside long-time teammate Keira Walsh followed last summer and the Catalans duly won the title and Champions League in Bronze’s debut season. A hugely popular and respected member of the England set up with 105 caps to her name and counting, and an Instagram account for her West Highland Terrier Narla, it could all have been so different for Lucy Bronze. As the daughter of a maths teacher, she had reportedly planned to become an accountant had football not worked out. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule

Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly is one of the most versatile members of Sarina Wiegman’s England squad – and one of its great characters – and comes into the World Cup in the form of her life, having scored 30 goals in 30 games for her club this season in all competitions to take home the Women’s Super League’s Golden Boot. The Harrogate native, 31, started with Killinghall Nomads where she was scouted by Leeds United before making her first league appearances for Lincoln City Ladies, scoring four times across 24 games in 2011 and 2012. But she first really made a name for herself in New York playing for St John’s University Red Storm in Queens, setting the college’s record goals tally of 50 despite playing in just two years out of the three she was enrolled at the institution between 2013 and 2015. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here Thereafter relocating to California and turning out for the Los Angeles Strikers, the Los Angeles Blues and SoCal FC, she finally found a home at Houston Dash in Texas, making 118 appearances and scoring 42 goals across a seven-year stretch. A brief loan move to West Ham during the Covid-disrupted 2020/21 season brought a return to the UK that was made permanent when she signed for Villa in the summer of 2022. It was Phil Neville who first brought her into the international fold in 2016 and she has since gone on to make 69 appearances and score 13 goals. She starred at left-back in Wiegman’s victorious Euro 2022 team but more recently played up front during February’s Arnold Clark Cup, when her two headed goals saw England beat Italy 2-1 in game two, setting the Lionesses firmly on the path to another tournament win. She could well stay there in place of Alessia Russo, in which case Alex Greenwood would typically be expected to replace her at left-back, although she may now be needed at centre-back with Leah Williamson out and Millie Bright returning from injury. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule

Riyad Mahrez is the latest Premier League player to head to Saudi Arabia after signing with Al-Ahli

MLB Rumors: The New York Mets are more willing to trade Justin Verlander as the deadline approaches. However, a report on 'sticky stuff' from The Athletic could bring everything to a halt.Justin Verlander, now 40, is one of the top starting pitchers on the market. He has another season...

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A bronze statue of former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger lifting the Premier League trophy has been unveiled outside the Emirates Stadium. Wenger won three top-flight titles and the FA Cup on seven occasions while in charge of the Gunners between October 1996 and May 2018. The Frenchman managed 1,235 matches during his time in north London and helped the club go unbeaten in the league during their 2004 title success. Arsenal also spent 20 successive seasons in the Champions League under Wenger, including reaching the 2006 final, where they were beaten 2-1 by Barcelona. The 3.5-metre statue of the 73-year-old, created by award-winning sculptor Jim Guy, was fixed into position outside the North Bank Stand on Friday morning. Arsenal executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis told the Gunners’ website: “We’re delighted to recognise and celebrate Arsene Wenger’s outstanding leadership and career at Arsenal Football Club. “Arsene’s contribution to, and achievements with, the club mark him out as the club’s greatest manager. “He treated the club and its supporters to many trophies and fantastic memories and brought a revolution in the running of the club, an unbeaten season and the move to Emirates Stadium. “It is fitting, therefore, that as a mark of the club’s enduring respect and gratitude a magnificent statue of Arsene now stands outside Emirates Stadium.” Wenger will be the club’s guest of honour for the Emirates Cup match against Monaco on Wednesday and is due to visit the statue in the coming days. His statue joins five others – featuring Tony Adams, Dennis Bergkamp, Herbert Chapman, Ken Friar and Thierry Henry – on the podium around the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who was signed by Wenger in 2011, said: “It’s such a great tribute that the club has done something special for Arsene that he fully deserves and merits. “With a statue now at the stadium, Arsene can have that recognition and be here at our club forever. “He chose me to be one of his players and selected me to be the captain of the club and that’s something I will never forget.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Stonewall hopes Jordan Henderson speaks out about LGBTQ+ rights after Saudi move Joe Root takes stunning catch but Australia stifle England in fifth Ashes Test Riyad Mahrez becomes latest Premier League star to complete Saudi Arabia move

'We've hit so many milestones together and this is the biggest one. It's everything we dreamed of!' said Tara Davis

After trading Carlos Santana to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Pittsburgh Pirates are nowhere to be done making trades.The Pittsburgh Pirates cemented themselves as sellers when they traded veteran infielder Carlos Santana to the Milwaukee Brewers. This was expected, as Santana is a free agent at seas...

China's Qin Haiyang broke the men's 200m breaststroke world record to complete an unprecedented clean sweep at swimming's world championships on Friday, while Australian teen...