Week 3 was about just getting through it for most of the highly ranked teams

Fran Kirby shook off suggestions she might feel intimidated by the new faces in England’s camp after she returned from her long absence in the 1-0 victory over Belgium on Friday. Kirby had not played for England since the Lionesses faced the Czech Republic in a friendly last October and missed this year’s World Cup after undergoing knee surgery. The Chelsea midfielder received a warm reception by the sold-out crowd in Leicester when she came on in the 65th minute of the Nations League clash. Kirby said: “It feels like I haven’t been away. Obviously, I know a lot of the girls from playing against them. “Everyone who has come in has brought a fresh face and a new standard. It has been nice to be in training around them and getting to know them more personally. “I don’t think I need to mould in at all, I’m probably one of the oldest players here now. I think I know what I’m doing. “It’s nice to be on the pitch, it’s nice to get a win, so I’m happy. “I’ve been working really hard over the summer to try and get back as quickly as possible and to be involved tonight was really special.” Kirby, who has suffered a spate of injuries and fitness issues in recent years, announced in May she would be going under the knife to fix a knee issue that had long plagued her, with doctors determining surgery was the only way to rectify the situation. The 2019-20 season saw Kirby diagnosed with pericarditis, a heart condition, and in 2022 she was sidelined with a fatigue-related illness that led to her installing an oxygen tent at her home. As for this most recent problem, Kirby said: “At the beginning it was quite tough because you don’t really know when the end of the injury is. I accepted quite early on that I wasn’t going to be part of the World Cup squad, not that it made it any easier. “I was able to support the girls and feel the same emotions that they were feeling and going through. Being back with them now just means that all of the hard work paid off in the summer.” Friday’s victory moved the Lionesses up to second place in Group One, with a quick turnaround before they face Belgium again in Tuesday’s return fixture. England need to finish top to advance in the tournament, which also serves as a qualifier for next summer’s Olympics in Paris. Kirby’s reception from supporters was perhaps second-loudest to only former Leicester goalkeeper Mary Earps, who seemed to elicit a roar every time she made a stop en route to earning England a first clean sheet since they faced Nigeria in the last-16 at the World Cup. Kirby said: “The support that I’ve had over the past year has been incredible from fans – national team and Chelsea. I can’t fault anyone for their support and that has been really pivotal for me coming back. “It’s frustrating when I’m injured and can’t be out there, so to hear that reception when I came on is really special and it’s something that I won’t forget. “I’ve been working really hard to get back out on the pitch as much as possible and I want to stay there.” Read More England ‘feeling the heat’ of World Cup implosion – Marcus Trescothick Erik ten Hag admits Man Utd ‘have a way to go’ as they prepare for derby day Son Heung-min hails Guglielmo Vicario for ‘unbelievable saves’ in win at Palace Luka Doncic scores 49 with four straight three-pointers to beat Brooklyn Texas Rangers win World Series opener in extra innings On this day in 2017: Anthony Joshua beats Carlos Takam to retain world titles

The top ten teams in Europe after week 8 of the footballing season - ranked.

Cade Klubnik threw for three touchdowns and ran for fourth as Clemson played its most complete game of the season in a 48-14 victory over Florida Atlantic

There’s a new American football superstar with hundreds of thousands of followers and a host of celebrity pals. His name is Madden San Miguel, but everyone knows him as 'Baby Gronk', and the really remarkable thing is that he’s only 10 years old. He’s gaining a reputation as one of the most impressive youth football players around and he’s been pictured with the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Olivia Dunne and Shaquille O'Neal. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter But who is he? This is everything you need to know about Baby Gronk. His name is inspired by NFL star Rob Gronkowski, who played tight end for the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before his retirement in 2021. His fans are regularly treated to videos of him training and playing football, putting in impressive appearances for a player so young. He’s also already visited close to 20 college football programs. Things stepped up a gear for the sporting prodigy in March when he posed for a picture with gymnast and influencer Dunne. @theqbplug Baby Gronk is TAKING OVER the Sports World ? His dad, Jake San Miguel, spoke to The Athletic and said that his aim – aside from getting him to the NFL – was to grow his son’s profile so that he could set him up for life by making him a millionaire by the time he leaves high school. “I don’t think my son is a God or better than all these other kids out there. His goal is to go to the NFL. But the NFL is rare,” he said. “So my goal is to build him a platform and a following where he is making money now and it’s going into a savings account.” @theqbplug This 10-Year-Old is RICHER than you! “That way he can live a good life without struggle or worry. It’s the insurance behind sports. You don’t have to go pro anymore. Like Livvy Dunne, she’s set for life already because of the internet.” How has Baby Gronk managed to be pictured with so many high-profile celebs and influencers? Well, it turns out his dad is a marketing man with plenty of contacts. "I do marketing," the dad said. "On that end, I can't give too much because I wouldn't want to give away what I do. It's a brand. It's a movement. I do all of that. I manage everything. "I know a lot of people. I have friends who played in the NFL. I have friends who coach in the Power 5. Former teammates from my high school team. I know people who run social medias for a lot companies." Some have raised concerns about the way Baby Gronk’s dad has been handling the new found fame. One video shows the 10-year-old appearing on the Bring The Juice Podcast, with his dad stopping the interview in order to feed answers to his son. Sam Miguel Jr. was asked whether he’d take social media star Dunne to prom, and he was prompted by his dad: 'You gotta say "I already DM'd her, and asked her, and she said yes."' The social media charge is clearly being led by San Miguel Sr. Golf influencer Paige Spirinac has also called him out after he DM’d her, clearly feeling that a collab wouldn’t fit with her brand. “Are u ever in Dallas Tx?” the first message she received read. The second said: “We gotta collab.” ESPN Sportscenter anchor Ashley Brewer also revealed that San Miguel had been in touch to ask the broadcaster to do a story on Baby Gronk. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

MLB Rumors: Aaron Boone speaks out about Josh Donaldson problemJosh Donaldson has been benched frequently of late by the Yankees. He has just two non-home run hits this season, and has been rather one-dimensional for a New York team that needs productivity out of its lineup without Aaron Judge....

After their bench-clearing incident, Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien revealed what Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado told him to spur it on.MLB rivalries mean that much more when two teams are neck-and-neck for a division lead. That is the case for the Texas Rangers and Houston ...

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes Pep Guardiola did not need to lead his side to an historic treble to put himself in contention for “the greatest” football manager of all time. Rodri’s 68th-minute strike in Saturday’s 1-0 Champions League final victory over Inter Milan was enough to secure the Spanish manager a 12th major trophy with City and anoint him as the first manager to secure two European trebles, having also accomplished the feat with Barcelona in 2009. Champions League winner Ferdinand heaped praise on the City boss using an unlikely artistic analogy to describe what he feels is Guardiola’s unmatched vision. He told BT Sport: “Does he need this game to be recognised as one of the greatest, if not the greatest? We’re all I think in agreeance, he doesn’t even need it because of the way he sees the games. He has his teams painting pictures like we’ve never seen in my lifetime. “(Like Picasso), Michaelangelo, however you want to do it.” Ferdinand was equally certain Guardiola’s men, who needed several spectacular stops from Ederson to secure the European title, would never be forgotten, adding they were now: “Immortal. Statues galore. “Listen, this team have played a brand of football that around the world is looked at, is admired. This has been a project and a process for a long time, for many years now, Pep Guardiola coming in. But these players have produced some football that is out of this world. Individually but as a collective this team will go down in history obviously. A fantastic team and they’ve dug deep when they needed to, and they’ve been able to play both sides of the game. I think that’s been the difference between this Manchester City team to past ones. Rio Ferdinand “They deserve to. A fantastic team and they’ve dug deep when they needed to, and they’ve been able to play both sides of the game. I think that’s been the difference between this Manchester City team to past ones. They can pass, they can play the fairytale football but also when need be they can dig in, roll their sleeves up and fight through games as well. Balance is everything in this team.” Ferdinand’s fellow pundit Joleon Lescott was part of the Manchester City side under Roberto Mancini that secured a club-first Champions League berth in 2011. He observed a change in Guardiola over the course of a Premier League season that saw City looking up at Arsenal in the table before securing a third consecutive title and the FA Cup at the campaign’s close. He told BT Sport: ” I think he’s been the most open and honest this season. I think it was the Spurs game when he came out and said he doesn’t recognise the team. No one’s seeing this outcome in the first half of the season. No one’s seeing a treble. “Then he outed Kevin De Bruyne and wanted more, he did the same thing with Kyle Walker. So the relationship you have with a group of players, you can only do that if you are so close and you are genuine about your connection with a group of players.” Cesc Fabregas, who played under Guardiola at Barcelona, recalled the days the City boss was untested in England, even drawing doubters who wondered if he could recreate his success in the English game. Since joining City in 2016 Guardiola has led the side to five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and a Champions League. Fabregas told the broadcaster: “He’s a very tough manager to play for because he demands the absolute best, but the day-to-day you have fun because he has a philosophy that every player dreams of. “We first thought, not me because I knew the way he worked first-hand, but that when he came to England he would find it difficult. Can he bring this type of play to the country? “And everyone doubted him. But he’s a very special man, a very special person, a very special manager and I am delighted for him.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Pep Guardiola emotional as Manchester City win Champions League to seal treble The key performers in Manchester City’s trophy treble I’ll never doubt my strength again – French Open champion Iga Swiatek

Texas right-hander Jon Gray will not make his scheduled start Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels while dealing with a blister

After some Vikings fans attacked running back Alexander Mattison with racial slurs on social media, the team and NFL released statements denouncing the behavior.

Pete Alonso hit a tying double in the eighth inning and Rafael Ortega a winning single in the ninth to boost the New York Mets over the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 and stop a four-game losing streak

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson’s son is the team’s newest tight end