Lewis Hamilton fears he will start Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix outside of the top 10 following a disheartening day in practice for the British driver and his Mercedes team. As Max Verstappen predictably set the pace for Red Bull with a practice double at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, Hamilton finished only 11th, more than six tenths of a second back. Home favourite Fernando Alonso raised hope that he could challenge Verstappen and his all-conquering Red Bull team after he finished second for Aston Martin, just 0.170 seconds back. George Russell was eighth in the other Mercedes. Before stepping into his cockpit this weekend, Hamilton admitted that his team’s much-anticipated upgrade, which made its debut in Monaco a week ago, had not provided the magic fix he was hoping for. And on his new machine’s second outing at a track where the Silver Arrows said they would obtain a greater understanding of their upgrades, the evidence suggests they are no closer to taking on the mighty Red Bull, or leapfrogging rivals Aston Martin and Ferrari. Indeed, Mercedes might have fallen further down the pecking order, with Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, and the Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas all above the seven-time world champion in the order. Asked about his prospects for qualifying on Saturday, Hamilton said: “From the pace that I had today it will be a struggle to get into the top 10. It is not going to be easy, that is for sure. “We are fighting as hard as we can. It was a difficult day getting on top of the tyres. The car feels… like the car. Hopefully we can make some changes overnight. “It is impressive to see the improvements that everyone has made around us – if you look at the Alpines, and you can also see the Aston Martin is right behind the Red Bull which is impressive.” Hamilton said after May’s Miami Grand Prix that he was “counting down the days” for the upgrade he hoped would propel him back to the front. But there appears no end in sight to his 30-race losing streak. Verstappen, 39 points clear in his pursuit for a third successive title, has been in a class of one for the past 18 months and his dominance continued on Friday. A day after he made the ominous prediction that Red Bull could win all 16 remaining races this year, Verstappen finished seven tenths faster than anyone else in the opening running before returning to the top of the timesheets for the day’s final action. Alonso however, lingers with intent. His home race this weekend marks the 10th anniversary of his 32nd and last win in the sport. However, the Spaniard, 41, is enjoying a career resurgence following his transfer from Alpine to Aston Martin, finishing on the podium at five of the first six races. “Every time I have come to Barcelona I have been told it has been five years since I last won, and then seven years, and now it is 10,” said Alonso. “But it doesn’t feel that long to me. Last year we saw how much Mercedes improved during the season, and they won in Brazil with George. There will be an opportunity around the corner and we have to be there to take it.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen sets the pace again but little to cheer for Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton toils in 12th as Max Verstappen and Red Bull dominate in Spain Fernando Alonso: Hamilton can win eighth title but Verstappen can break records

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There are barely 100 miles between Doha and Dammam. One city in the Persian Gulf which, until recent years, relatively few football fans elsewhere had to consider, brought arguably the culmination of Jordan Henderson’s Liverpool career, the other a conclusion that feels both sudden and premature and yet comes 11 years after Brendan Rodgers infamously tried to offload him to Fulham to get Clint Dempsey. Three years before Doha hosted the World Cup final, it staged the Club World Cup final. Henderson, the fifth Liverpool captain to lift the European Cup, became the first to raise the trophy that gave them the mantle of world champions. The ‘Hendo lift’, a trademark shuffle before picking up the silverware, capped their rise from the doldrums and his own ascent. Henderson was the misfit who became the only Liverpool skipper to win the lot: Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, European Super Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield. And now he has joined the retirement home for Liverpool captains in Saudi Arabia, reunited with Steven Gerrard at Al Ettifaq in Damman. Robbie Fowler is in the neighbouring city of Al Khobar. Perhaps Phil Thompson and Phil Neal, Alan Hansen and Ian Rush will pop up there too, though presumably not Graeme Souness, who has criticised Henderson’s decision. That Gerrard, the mentor who groomed Henderson as his successor, has now disrupted Jurgen Klopp’s plans to transition between generations may irritate: Liverpool’s history has been a burden before but two men who have made the right sort have now posed a problem in the present. For Henderson, a departure comes with less fanfare than his old sidekick James Milner’s move to Brighton and more questions if he has tarnished what otherwise looked a wonderful legacy. Contrasting statements can both be true. The midfielder has earnt the right to take whichever decision he chooses; his band of admirers can nevertheless be disappointed with the one he has made. Liverpool LGBTQ+ fan group Kop Out said they were “appalled and concerned”; Henderson had appeared an ally to them, and to many other communities, offering vocal leadership on the field and moral leadership off the field. Saudi Arabia is not the logical destination for a man who had taken principled stands. If nothing came easily to Henderson at Anfield, now there is the sense he is giving up something he worked so hard for. When the Wearsider signed his penultimate Liverpool contract, in 2018, he said: “There is no other place in the world I would rather play football. I want to be here for as long as I can be.” Times change, along with circumstances, opinions and priorities but a slogan Liverpool adopted – “this means more” – felt particularly true for Henderson; the tearful pitchside embrace with his father, Brian, after the 2019 Champions League final moved many who knew neither in person. Henderson represented a great feelgood story; he was the ugly duckling who became a swan at Anfield, part of the seemingly gruesome foursome of expensive British buys in 2011, with Andy Carroll, Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing. If none appeared good enough for Liverpool, Rodgers shared those doubts upon his appointment the following year; he was willing to let Henderson leave. Instead, the midfielder won him over to such an extent that he became captain. There was a sense, too, that Klopp was initially unconvinced by Henderson. In later years, he was happy to call him Liverpool’s “General”. Henderson, he reflected in 2021, was “essential to all the things we achieved in the last few years”. His Liverpool career was a triumph of character even as he could remain curiously underestimated or damned with faint praise. “If anybody does not see the quality of Jordan Henderson, then I cannot help them,” Klopp said in 2020; many remained blinded to it but Henderson was voted Footballer of the Year that year as the driving force in a team who won 26 of their first 27 league games and who ended Liverpool’s three-decade wait to become champions of England. Without ever oozing class, he proved a top-quality performer in two roles for Klopp: first, in the manager’s vernacular, as a No. 6 and then, after Fabinho’s arrival, as a No. 8 as well. He was an eager gegenpresser but that sometimes camouflaged his other qualities: he has often been a fine crosser, including from infield positions; many of his 33 Liverpool goals were spectacular. He had the tactical awareness to cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold in a way that meant the attack-minded right-back was rarely exposed for years. He was a valiant makeshift centre-back, including in the Club World Cup semi-final. He made 57 appearances as they came agonisingly close to the quadruple in 2021-22; perhaps that represented a last hurrah before the troubled 2022-23, the arrival of fellow midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, the reinvention of Alexander-Arnold, the prospect of a diminished role and, maybe, the passing of time persuaded him to move on when he had two years left on his contract and enduring importance. Or, alternatively, it was simply the Saudi millions. Henderson leaves with 492 appearances, level with Roger Hunt, one behind Ronnie Whelan, and eight years as captain, topped only by Gerrard, Ron Yeats and Alex Raisbeck. From unpromising beginnings, he became an all-time Liverpool great. But it is a shame he decided it had to end this way. Read More Liverpool agree £12m deal to sell Jordan Henderson to Saudi club Al Ettifaq Who could replace Fabinho? Liverpool transfer options analysed Liverpool transfer news: Latest Romeo Lavia and Federico Valverde updates as Dominik Szoboszlai signs

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Deadline-day signing Sofyan Amrabat says he only ever wanted to join Manchester United and believes Erik ten Hag’s side can “do something big” this season. The 27-year-old’s qualities came to the fore during the 2022 World Cup, where his outstanding midfield displays helped Morocco on their historic run to the semi-finals. Amrabat was linked with moves aplenty after Qatar and numerous clubs expressed their interest in a player that only wanted to leave Fiorentina this summer for one destination. The midfielder played under Ten Hag at Utrecht at the start of his career and was determined to link back up with him at United as he wrapped up a long-discussed deal at the start of September. Asked if it was a difficult process waiting to get the move, Amrabat said: “Yes, of course. “After the last game with the club, it was the Conference League final with West Ham and from that moment, the window started for me. “A lot of clubs, a lot of speaking, talking, but for me it was clear I wanted Manchester United. “It was long, long months for me, difficult months for me, but at the end it’s nice on the last day that I signed here and that I’m here is now the most important (thing).” United paid 10million euros (£8.6m) to sign Amrabat on loan for the season, with the deal including the option to trigger a permanent move. The Serie A will receive a 20m euros (£17.1m) fee and up to 5m euros (£4.3m) in potential add-ons if that option is taken by Ten Hag’s men. “I don’t think about that,” Amrabat said of his future beyond this season. “For me, today, I am a Manchester United player. “The only thing I can do is every day to give everything that I have, to do my best, to try to help the team. “I hope we have a fantastic season, I hope we can win something and then later we will see what will happen. “Of course, I would love to stay here, but that’s not important for me. I don’t look too far into the future.” Amrabat spoke as he basked in the afterglow of an impressive first appearance at Old Trafford, where he helped United beat Crystal Palace 3-0 in the Carabao Cup third round. “It was fantastic,” he said with a smile. “It was a dream of mine. Since I was a child I worked for this every day and to be here is a dream, it’s fantastic.” After a small injury delayed his debut, Amrabat finally made his bow off the bench in Saturday’s much-needed win at Burnley before making his first start against Palace three days later. Those back-to-back victories have lifted the mood around Old Trafford after what had been a challenging start to the season on and off the field for absentee-hit United. Pressure and scrutiny had grown having lost four of their opening six matches of a season for the first time since 1986, but Amrabat is confident they can kick on and enjoy a successful season. “I have a lot of confidence because I see that we have so much quality,” he said. “I think it was a bit unlucky with the injuries we had. Of course for every team it’s difficult if you have a lot of injuries. “But I see a lot of quality, we have a fantastic coach, we have fantastic fans, so I believe that we can do something big. “But at the end you have to show it on the pitch, not with talking, not with speaking, you have to work for it and hopefully we can reach something very nice.” United won the Carabao Cup in their first season under Ten Hag, who described Amrabat as a “warrior” on Tuesday as he started as makeshift left-back due to a string of absentees. “First of all, when I make a step on the pitch, for me it’s normal that you give everything, that you fight for every metre and give your all for the team,” the Morocco international added. “Of course you can make technical mistakes, everyone can have a bad game, but I think – at the end – most importantly, you fight for the badge, for the club and that’s the minimum you can do. “I think, for me, that’s normal and that’s what I try always. “The manager knows me very well, a long time – maybe seven years ago that we worked together, so it’s a long time. “But he knows me, I know him, I know what he wants and I try to do that at the best (level).” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jonny May says Marcus Smith ‘probably the fastest off the mark’ in England squad Attack coach Alex King says Wales ‘worked so hard’ to reach World Cup last eight I’ve waited my whole life for this – Rosie Eccles ready to seize Olympic chance

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Manchester United smashed the British transfer record when they completed the signing of Argentina’s Angel Di Maria on this day in 2014. The Red Devils, in a rebuilding phase following the departure of their hugely successful manager Sir Alex Ferguson the year before, paid £59.7million for the then 26-year-old. Di Maria, brought in by the club’s new Dutch boss Louis van Gaal, arrived at United fresh from helping his old club Real Madrid seal their 10th European title the season before. Di Maria said at the time of his signing: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester United. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Spain and there were a lot of clubs interested in me, but United is the only club that I would have left Real Madrid for. “Louis van Gaal is a fantastic coach with a proven track record of success and I am impressed by the vision and determination everyone has to get this club back to the top – where it belongs. I now just cannot wait to get started.” However, things never really clicked for Di Maria at Old Trafford on the pitch. He also endured a fairly miserable time off it, after an attempted burglary at his home in February 2015. Less than a year later, he joined Paris St Germain, and told the French media that he did not have a great relationship with Van Gaal. Di Maria spent seven years at PSG before joining Juventus in 2022. Last year was a special one for him, as he played and scored in the World Cup final as Argentina beat France on penalties. Earlier this summer he rejoined Portuguese side Benfica, his first European club after leaving Rosario Central in 2007. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live