List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

Sergio Ramos has returned to boyhood club Sevilla after signing a one-year deal with the Andalusian club. The 37-year-old former Spain and Real Madrid captain, a free agent after leaving Paris St Germain in June, has returned to Sevilla 18 years after leaving to join Real Madrid. Sevilla announced on their official website that Ramos had passed a medical on Monday morning before signing a 12-month contract. LaLiga club Sevilla said: “Sevilla FC have reached an agreement for the signing of Sergio Ramos. “The academy graduate is returning to the club 18 years after he signed for Real Madrid in 2005, aged 19.” Ramos progressed through Sevilla’s academy, making his first-team debut as an 18-year-old, and went on to make 49 appearances in all competitions before joining Real Madrid in 2005 for £23million. He scored 101 goals in 671 appearances in total for Madrid during a trophy-laden 16 years, which included five LaLiga titles and four Champions League wins, before joining PSG on a two-year deal in 2021. Ramos, who won two Ligue 1 titles with PSG, made a record 180 appearances for Spain, scoring 23 goals, and won both the World Cup, in 2010, and the European Championship, twice, in 2008 and 2012. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Eric Ramsay has stepped down from his role as Wales assistant coach due to family reasons and work commitments at Manchester United. Ramsay only joined the Wales coaching staff in March, with boss Rob Page welcoming the appointment by saying: “Eric is arguably one of the best young coaches in football at this moment in time.” But the 31-year-old, who hails from mid-Wales and worked at Swansea, Shrewsbury and Chelsea before being appointed as a set-piece coach at United in 2021, lasted just six months in the role in what has been a difficult Euro 2024 qualifying campaign for the Dragons. “The FAW can confirm that Eric Ramsay has stepped down as assistant coach due to personal reasons,” read a statement from the Football Association of Wales. “Family commitments and his current role as first team coach at Manchester United mean that Ramsay will be unable to continue his work with Cymru. “Rob Page and the FAW would like to thank Eric for his work with the team and wish him well for the future.” Ramsay said: “This has been an extremely difficult decision to make but it is the right one for myself and my family after the recent birth of our second child and taking into consideration the intensity of my role at Manchester United. “Having discussed everything with my family, Rob and the association, we came to the conclusion that it was best to depart my role before the upcoming internationals so that the group can fully concentrate on the fixtures. “I’m extremely thankful to everyone at FA Wales; the experiences throughout the last six months have been amongst the proudest moments of my career to date. “It was a real pleasure to work with this group of players and I wish everyone nothing but success going forward.” Sheffield United first-team coach Jack Lester has replaced Ramsey and joined the Wales camp ahead of their two September games. Wales host South Korea in a Cardiff friendly on Thursday before travelling to Latvia for a crunch Euro 2024 qualifier next Monday. Page’s side have an uphill task to qualify automatically for the European Championship finals in Germany next summer after taking only four points from as many games. Wales are currently fourth in Group D ahead of meeting bottom team Latvia in Riga. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Evangelos Marinakis wants Nottingham Forest to be ‘a dominant force’ once again Tottenham duo Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele set for moves to Galatasaray Man arrested after Roy Keane allegedly headbutted at Emirates Stadium

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis says his club are on a path to becoming a “dominant force in English football”. After securing survival in their first Premier League season in 23 years last term, Forest are looking to kick on and have made a decent start, winning two of their four opening games, including a 1-0 win at Chelsea on Saturday. Marinakis has again invested heavily, with a splurge of signings on transfer deadline day as seven players arrived at the City Ground. Divock Origi, Ibrahim Sangare, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Nicolas Dominguez were among those and Forest now look to have a much stronger squad than last year. And Marinakis, who has also made a significant investment in the club’s infrastructure, wants to see his club back at the top table of English football. “Our vision for the club is clear and unwavering: we are on a path to re-establish Nottingham Forest as a dominant force in English football,” he said in a letter to fans. “This journey is not just about the short-term, it’s about building a sustainable future. We are investing in youth development, nurturing young talent, and building a squad that can compete at the highest level for years to come. “The players we have brought in are fighters and winners who understand and believe in our vision for the future of this great club. “When players of the talents of those we have brought in this summer choose Nottingham Forest over the other dominant European clubs chasing their signatures, you should know that they choose us because we have shared with them our vision and they have fully invested in what it is we want to achieve.” Forest were able to recoup over £45million on Brennan Johnson, who was sold to Tottenham, and Marinakis paid tribute to a player who came through the City Ground ranks. “He is the ultimate young professional and his contributions to the club he loves have been enormous – helping us achieve promotion back to the Premier League and instrumental in helping us retain that status on the final home game of last season,” the owner added. “In moving to Tottenham Hotspur he has also provided his boyhood club with the financial means to reinvest and continue to grow. “We thank him for being part of our family and giving so much of himself to us. Go well, Brennan, be strong and healthy and we wish you every success.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Tottenham duo Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele set for moves to Galatasaray Man arrested after Roy Keane allegedly headbutted at Emirates Stadium Premier League playing time for England-qualified players drops again

A 42-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault after football pundit Roy Keane was reportedly headbutted at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. Footage was posted on social media of fellow Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards pinning a man against a wall in the moments after the alleged assault on Sunday. The Metropolitan Police refused to identify anyone involved in the incident, but issued a statement that said: “Police are investigating an incident at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, September 3, during which a man was assaulted. “On Monday, September 4, a 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault (ABH). The man has been taken into police custody. “Enquiries are ongoing.” Sky confirmed that Richards had attempted to “defuse” the situation after the alleged assault following Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United. A spokeswoman said: “We understand the police are investigating an alleged assault by a member of the public immediately preceding the footage circulating on social media. “In the footage seen, Micah Richards was acting to defuse a situation.” Any witnesses or those with information can contact the Metropolitan Police on 101 quoting the reference CAD 6961/3 Sept. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Tottenham are on the verge of offloading both Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele to Galatasaray, the PA news agency understands. While the English transfer window shut on Friday night, other transfer windows around Europe remain open and Turkish outfit Galatasaray have moved for two players which Spurs view as dispensable. Outcast Ndombele is set to sign for Galatasaray on loan, with the option to make the move permanent. Meanwhile, Sanchez, who has featured twice under Ange Postecoglou this season, is close to securing a permanent transfer. The departures of the duo will be a boost to Postecoglou, who has repeatedly made clear his desire to trim a bloated first-team squad that only have Premier League football to concentrate on until January. Ndombele will get his wish of Champions League football by signing for the Turkish Superliga side, with this set to be his third consecutive loan spell away from Spurs since he joined in 2019. The French international was originally given a chance to revive his Tottenham career upon Postecoglou’s arrival, but an ankle injury in pre-season was followed with poor time-keeping issues that saw the Australian coach give the green light for Ndombele’s departure. Sanchez will follow him to Galatasaray in a deal worth in the region of 15million euros, which brings his six-year association with the north London outfit to an end. Colombia centre-back Sanchez made 207 appearances for Tottenham following his arrival from Ajax but endured a mixed time, with his last outing for the club in a penalty shoot-out defeat to Fulham in the Carabao Cup where his spot-kick was saved. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

England go into the season’s first international break with cause to worry once more about the lack of homegrown players in the Premier League. Less than 30 per cent of playing time in the early stages of the campaign has gone to players eligible for England, continuing a running concern for national team boss Gareth Southgate. Here, the PA news agency looks at what the data can tell us. Struggle for playing time Of 86,710 minutes played by Premier League players this season, 25,399 have gone to players eligible for England. That equates to 29.3 per cent of the available playing time, a slight decline on recent seasons as a peak to nearly 40 per cent in the 2020-21 season was not sustained. Southgate said during March’s international window: “It has been around 32 per cent (in 2022-23) but that’s down from 35 per cent when I took over and 38 per cent in the years before, so the graph is clear.” The issue has been part of the ongoing ‘New Deal For Football’ discussions between the FA, Premier League and EFL, which covers the post-Brexit system of Governing Body Endorsements (GBEs) for overseas players, as well as financial distribution, cost controls and the domestic calendar. There have been 161 England-qualified players (EQPs) used in the 39 games so far, with 20 of those playing over 400 minutes including stoppage time. Eight of those 20 made Southgate’s squad for the upcoming games against Ukraine and Scotland, including Chelsea defender Levi Colwill, who joined Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah in earning a first senior call-up. Leading clubs Six clubs have so far given over 40 per cent of playing time to EQPs, a list headed by Everton at 49.4 per cent. England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has been ever-present for the Toffees along with veteran compatriot Ashley Young, with James Tarkowski just seven minutes behind. James Garner has been a mainstay in midfield, while defender Michael Keane was replaced after two games by fellow Englishman Jarrad Branthwaite. Newcastle have three English ever-presents in Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn. Trippier is in this month’s England squad though Pope was surprisingly left out. Anthony Gordon is another regular, with significant playing time too for Callum Wilson, Harvey Barnes and Sean Longstaff. Newcastle’s total includes just under 90 minutes for Elliot Anderson, the midfielder selected by Scotland for this window but who remains eligible for England until he makes a competitive debut – potentially against the Three Lions next Tuesday. Crystal Palace have three players in Southgate’s latest squad – Pope’s replacement Sam Johnstone, Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze – after giving over 45 per cent of playing time to EQPs. Arsenal are at 43 per cent, Luton 42 and Chelsea 40. Fulham lagging behind At the other end of the scale, Fulham have used only two EQPs so far this season and one of those, Tosin Adarabioyo, has played only 12 minutes. That leaves Harrison Reed carrying the load in a paltry total of just over seven per cent, the only single-figure mark in the top flight. Tottenham have fared little better at 11 per cent following the departure of Southgate’s captain Harry Kane for German side Bayern Munich – one of four members of the England squad playing his football overseas, along with Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, Fikayo Tomori of AC Milan and Jordan Henderson following his controversial move to Al-Ettifaq. Brentford are at 13 per cent without suspended England striker Ivan Toney, with the ever-present Rico Henry instead leading the way. Burnley are next lowest at 15 per cent with Wolves, Aston Villa and Henderson’s former club Liverpool all giving between 17.5 and 18.5 per cent of playing time to EQPs. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Luke Donald ‘blown away’ by Ludvig Aberg as Swede handed Ryder Cup wild card Ireland hooker Ronan Kelleher feeling ‘unbelievably healthy’ ahead of World Cup Owen Farrell says high tackle that led to World Cup suspension ‘a mistake’

Jurgen Klopp hasn’t had a knock on his office door. But Dominik Szoboszlai heard the speech in the dressing room. Mohamed Salah had told his teammates he is staying, the Hungarian reported. The Egyptian, according to his manager, has never come to tell him he was leaving. The German, seeing Salah’s commitment in matches and training, noting his input in meetings of the players’ leadership group, had not felt the need to ask him if his next match would be for Al-Ittihad. “For me it wasn’t a subject for one second, to be honest,” Klopp said. Perhaps only for him. Klopp could brush aside a £150m bid, with a breezy indifference to the prospect of a windfall, because of Salah’s attitude. “I never had any doubt about his commitment to this club,” he said. “You can’t imagine how much fuss the world has made but how calm we are with it. He is our player and wants to play here.” Which, Szoboszlai said, was the message conveyed to the rest of the side. The Saudi Pro League transfer window remains open but Liverpool’s position is unchanging: Salah is not for sale. The 3-0 win over Aston Villa was his latest tour de force, but there were few signs it will prove his last: there was no wave that could be interpreted as a farewell on the pitch afterwards, his hug with Klopp was brief while the manager paid more attention to Jarell Quansah. There was a feel of normality, though these are abnormal times. More than a few would be distracted by the prospect of becoming the best-paid player in the world: not Salah. Other footballers, from Matheus Nunes to Wilfried Gnonto, went on strike towards the end of the window. Salah instead struck against Villa. Such dissent as he has shown this season came at Chelsea on the opening weekend when he contrived to rip a relatively small bandage into several pieces and fling it on the pitch in his annoyance at being substituted. Yet it was all a sign of an enduring ambition: to play, to excel. The signs are that it is to continue at Liverpool. He has propelled himself to greatness in Europe in a way that was not preordained – not for a player from his background, not for a fringe figure at Chelsea – and perhaps he is reluctant to give up his spot at the top table. Saudi Arabia may not be a retirement home for everyone, but it is for some. Salah’s old sidekicks Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are there, the Senegalese after a troubled season at Bayern Munich, the Brazilian when his race felt run, but Salah is in the sort of shape to suggest that, even at 31, he is not entering his dotage. Even as Erling Haaland seems to have supplanted him as the annual Golden Boot winner, he may be more creative than before. Perhaps no forward in the Premier League presents such an all-round threat. As the best-paid player in Liverpool’s history, he is scarcely a pauper. Yet, in a time of transition at Anfield, when the side of 2024 may not reach the heights of some of its recent predecessors, it is notable that Salah has given no indications he is going. And this when he had more reasons to decamp to Saudi Arabia than most. The inexplicable element is that Al-Ittihad left their approach so late: as the best Arab footballer on the planet and, along with Karim Benzema, the outstanding Muslim player, Salah is seen as a flagship signing, a long-term target for the league as a whole. But that time may now have to be next summer, if not later. Liverpool will tend to sell anyone when three criteria are met: when the offer is big enough, when the player wants to go and when Klopp has the time to recruit a replacement, should he need one. Al-Ittihad only ticked one of those three boxes and increasing the bid to, say, £200m would not change that. If Klopp, his players and the fanbase who sang about their Egyptian king are in harmony, the most intriguing element of the Liverpool coalition is the owners. Fenway Sports Group traded their way to the top; Liverpool’s rise was financed in part by selling very well. Financial logic dictates that nine-figure sums for players in their thirties must be accepted. The case for keeping Salah is partly footballing, partly fiscal, given the value of Champions League qualification, partly a case of morale and status and keeping Klopp happy. But taking £40m for Fabinho, who seemed an old 29 last season, represented the kind of offer they were otherwise unlikely to get; £12m for a 33-year-old Jordan Henderson definitely was. Taking £150m for Salah, who could leave on a free transfer in 2025, might have seemed a no-brainer. But it would also be accepting defeat; for Liverpool but maybe for Salah, too. Read More Jurgen Klopp gives update on Mohamed Salah Saudi Arabia transfer As Saudi clubs prepare world-record bid, Mohamed Salah shows his true value to Liverpool Liverpool reinvented as midfield shuffle hints at Jurgen Klopp’s past Andy Robertson expects Mohamed Salah to stay at Liverpool despite Saudi interest Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool’s stance on keeping hold of Mohamed Salah will not waver Jurgen Klopp gives update on Mohamed Salah Saudi Arabia transfer

Fantasy Premier League managers get one free transfer a week to make but with the competition in full flow some may have saved up for two free switches to their teams while others will be considering a four-point hit or more to maximise the chances of success. Here are five players who we think are worthwhile considering as the Premier League heads into the new gameweek, judging by upcoming fixtures and individual player form. Destiny Udogie, Tottenham - Defender (4.7) In his last three matches, the defender has recorded 22 points, making him a good option for those looking to move some things around and free up some money in their team. He has already notched up two assists this season, and Spurs’ next match is against Sheffield United, although rotation may be expected with Liverpool and Arsenal to come afterwards. After those two difficult matches however it is a good run for Tottenham going forward. Udogie could be a high-scoring option, especially if there is flexibility to rotate him out for the difficult matches. Bryan Mbeumo, Brentford - Midfielder (6.8) Mbeumo has enjoyed an impressive start to the season, averaging 8.2 points per match and has already scored four goals. While Newcastle away next week might be a tough ask for Brentford, there are matches against Everton and Nottingham Forest afterward. While not necessarily a cheap option, he can offer a more affordable option than other midfielders. Julian Alvarez, Manchester City - Forward (6.7) Forwards, and in particular Manchester City forwards often come with a high price tag, which makes Alvarez a relative bargain. He has averaged seven points a match, scoring two goals and recording three assists, especially during his 14 points during City’s dominant 5-1 win over Fulham at the weekend. With City’s next three fixtures coming against West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Wolves it could also be the ideal time to add in some extra support. James Maddison, Tottenham - Midfielder (7.8) Tottenham have won their last three matches, so on paper they look strong and it’s the right time to add their players to a squad. Maddison has been outstanding since joining the club, averaging 7.2 points a match, scoring two goals and providing two assists. It is a high price tag but could be worth the investment in the long run. Alphonse Areola, West Ham - Goalkeeper (4.1) Areola was known for his shot-stopping abilities when he was at Fulham, and seems to have taken over the number one spot at West Ham this season. As goalkeepers go he is a cheap option at just 4.1 million but he has averaged five points a match, including a memorable 10 points during the second gameweek against Chelsea. At a minimum, he is guaranteed to play every week, and with West Ham’s impressive start to the season he could be a good addition if the rest of your budget is allocated in other positions. The Hammers face Man City at home and Liverpool away next, but Areola could be a cheap option to pair with a more expensive goalkeeper who has difficult fixtures in gameweeks seven and eight, with the potential to score points against Sheffield United at home and Newcastle at home. Read More James Ward-Prowse, Raheem Sterling and 5 players to buy ahead of FPL Gameweek 4 Fantasy Premier League: 30 players you must consider for 2023/24 season Bryan Mbeumo, Nicolas Jackson and 5 players to buy ahead of FPL Gameweek 3 Ange Postecoglou expects Brennan Johnson to ‘fit in really well’ at Tottenham Tottenham ‘still at the beginning’ despite Burnley rout – Ange Postecoglou Erling Haaland on fire again for Man City and Tottenham continue fine start

Gabriel Jesus wants to kick on and get his rhythm back after the Arsenal striker scored for the first time since overcoming a nagging, frustrating knee issue. The 26-year-old impressed after joining from Manchester City last summer but was laid low in December with an injury sustained in Brazil’s World Cup group game against Cameroon. Jesus did not return to action for Arsenal until mid-March and had to go back under the knife last month due to irritation with the original knee problem. The striker made his second substitute appearance since then on Sunday, when he completed a memorable late 3-1 Premier League comeback win against Manchester United. “I’m feeling good,” Jesus said after the Emirates Stadium triumph. “It’s tough when you just come back from injury. “After a holiday, I started to feel in my knee again. It was unlucky for me. It’s tough. “After pre-season, you go and try but you feel in pain. And then I made the decision to do surgery as quickly as possible to come back stronger. “That was tough, but now I’m getting back. It’s so important to get the rhythm again, so, yeah. I’m back. I feel good and I’m happy.” Jesus says he felt completely fine at the end of last season and only once felt his knee play up at the end of a training session, but even then it felt fine the next day. His right knee continued to feel fine during his post-season holiday and the start of pre-season, only for the issue to flare up again. “When I came back, in the first week, still nothing,” Jesus said. “Then after I started to feel it. And for me, it was (a case of) if I’m not 100 per cent, I won’t be myself. I was trying. “Personally, I’m good with the pain, so I was keeping playing and training. “I was feeling it a little bit, but for me it was nothing. But then we hit a point when I couldn’t run or move, so I decided to do a surgery and that was it.” Asked how mentally tough he found that, Jesus said: “First day is s*** when you just find out. Then the day after you realise you have to keep going, fighting and smile because I have a life. “God has given me a life, God let me wake up every morning, so I have to be grateful, I’m blessed. “I can walk, I can be here, I can smile, so nothing to complain. Just believe in God and keep fighting.” That belief extends to collective success at Arsenal, who head into the international break with 10 points from their first four matches after beating United on Sunday. Marcus Rashford’s opener was immediately cancelled out by Martin Odegaard, before Declan Rice and Jesus struck in stoppage time after Alejandro Garnacho saw a goal ruled out for the visitors. “That’s the Premier League,” the Brazil forward said. “Sometimes the game changes a lot. We conceded, we came back, we had a penalty, didn’t have a penalty. “In my opinion there were some bad decisions from the referee. “Even with their (disallowed) goal, maybe it was a foul on me, but it was offside. “Then, after the game changed again, we scored two and we won the game. That’s it. “When you play a massive game like this against a tough opponent, it’s always like this. “We tried to win but they have quality as well – behind, in the middle, up front. That’s the Premier League, that’s why it’s the toughest league in the world.” Jesus now has a fortnight to recuperate and continue to build fitness, while fellow striker Eddie Nketiah gets his first taste of senior international football. England Under-21s’ all-time top scorer has been named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the first time having scored twice in the opening weeks of the campaign. “First of all, competition is always good – for me and for him,” Jesus said. “In all positions when you have competition it’s a good thing. “From day one, I’m a big fan of Eddie because of the way he works and the way he trains is amazing. It’s not easy to come from the academy at a massive club and fight to play in the first team. “Congrats to him, he’s doing so well and he deserves to be called into the England national team. “For me personally, it’s good competition. It’s always good for the club because for sure he’s making me better and I’m making him better as well.” Arsenal return to action at Everton on September 17, with United back in action the previous day as they look to return to winning ways at home to Brighton. Manager Erik ten Hag said: “We have to improve, definitely. But you see, and also what we have seen last year, we can beat everyone. It was such small margins today, so it could also have been our side.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Brennan Johnson’s potential is ‘quite scary’ – Wales captain Aaron Ramsey Andy Robertson expects Mohamed Salah to stay at Liverpool despite Saudi interest Police launch investigation following alleged assault on Roy Keane

Sophie Turner and Joe Jones are divorcing, Florida State hammered LSU, Max Verstappen won his record 10th straight race and more in the Roundup.

Aaron Ramsey has described Brennan Johnson’s potential as “scary” but admits he was unhappy to see his Wales team-mate join Tottenham on transfer deadline day. Ramsey spent 11 years in north London at Arsenal where he made 370 nearly appearances and twice scored FA Cup final-winning goals for the Gunners. The 32-year-old midfielder left Arsenal in 2019 and had spells at Juventus and Nice before rejoining his first club Cardiff this summer. But having linked up with Wales for their crunch Euro 2024 qualifier in Latvia, Ramsey showed his Arsenal loyalties run deep when he said of forward Johnson’s £47.5million move from Nottingham Forest on Friday: “I wish it weren’t to Tottenham. “For him it’s a brilliant move. The potential he has is quite scary and hopefully he can take those next steps and go to the next level. “He’s going to be important for Wales as well. He’s going to be huge for us over the years to come and we’re all excited that he has another platform to go on and improve himself again.” Wales play South Korea in a Cardiff friendly on Thursday before the more serious part of their September double-header in Riga next Monday. Defeats to Armenia and Turkey in June have left Wales with a mountain to climb to automatically qualify for the Euro 2024 finals in Germany next summer, piling the pressure on manager Rob Page into the bargain. Wales have won only once during a 12-game run that saw them fail to win a game and score only once – a Gareth Bale penalty – at their first World Cup appearance for 64 years. That 1-0 victory came against Group D whipping boys Latvia in Cardiff in March. Skipper Ramsey said: “We are all behind the gaffer as what he has done has been quite remarkable coming into the job in the circumstances that he did. “We’ve got to a European Championship and a World Cup and now we have to go through a transitional period, which are always tricky at times. “We have lost some big players and it was always going to be difficult. But now we’ve got an opportunity to bounce back and we know what we have to do. “We’ve been in this position before. We had to take it to the Hungary game in the last European Championship and hopefully this will be a similar case.” Ramsey says he is feeling the benefits of family life after returning to hometown club Cardiff. He said: “I just feel like there has been a weight lifted off my shoulders, I am feeling a lot more free and I think that definitely helps going onto the pitch. “It has been difficult being away from the family over the last 18 months, you need that balance right to be able to enjoy every aspect.” Asked about the impending school run he will be undertaking, Ramsey said: “I’m looking forward to that, having three boys screaming in the car in the morning. “I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in to being a family again.” Tom Lockyer has withdrawn from the Wales squad with a thigh injury. Luton defender Lockyer had been named in the squad for the first time since collapsing in May’s Sky Bet Championship final and undergoing surgery to address an irregular heartbeat. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Andy Robertson expects Mohamed Salah to stay at Liverpool despite Saudi interest Police launch investigation following alleged assault on Roy Keane Marcus Trescothick backs struggling England pair to get back among the runs

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson insists the players have no concerns about “ultimate professional” Mohamed Salah’s immediate future as speculation of a potential world-record bid from Saudi Arabia continues. Pro League champions Al-Ittihad last week had a £150million offer rejected by Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon, who now considers the matter closed. However, that has not done anything to prevent suggestions they could return with a bid around the £200m mark for the 31-year-old, who is the world’s highest-profile Arab player. Manager Jurgen Klopp reiterated the club’s stance after the 3-0 win over Aston Villa, in which Salah scored and had a hand in the other two goals, and Robertson said the squad were united in their belief there would be no departure before Thursday’s closure of the Saudi transfer window. “For us we block that out, Mo blocks it out. We let other people talk about that,” he said. “For us there is no concern. For us Mohamed Salah is a Liverpool player and we believe that is what is going to be the case for the foreseeable future. “He’s the ultimate professional. He does what it does, he is one of the best players in the world and he is professional. “He lets other people do the talking, let’s other people say what they have to say, but he’s always been committed to Liverpool and you saw that with the performance he put in. “The club’s position was that it knocked it back, it rejected the bid and that is what the stance was. For us there is no concern. For us Mohamed Salah is a Liverpool player and we believe that is what is going to be the case for the foreseeable future Liverpool defender Andy Robertson “For me Mo has been Mo all week. He’s not been affected; I’ve been around him a lot and he’s not been affected by anything. “Mo has reacted in the best way possible and I think you have seen that with his performance, I think he was pretty special.” At every media appearance over the last two weeks Klopp and the players have had to deal with questions about the future of Salah, who has two years left on a contract signed last summer which made him the highest-paid player in the club’s history. But Robertson said it had not been destabilising or affected the squad’s focus as they made it 10 points from a possible 12 to head into the international break in third place in the Premier League. “Look, there is speculation around a lot of players and it is how we deal with it and he (Salah) has obviously done well,” he added. “Our squad is what it is and that’s the squad that is going to go forward now with the window shut. “It is about getting the most out of the squad, it is about looking forward to the season ahead and trying to do better than what we did last season.” After some criticism over recruitment following the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, coincidentally to Saudi Pro League clubs, Liverpool’s squad looks refreshed and re-energised. World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, both signed before the start of pre-season, are starting to look like the long-term future of midfield they were brought in to be, with the latter scoring his first goal for the club against Villa in an impressive all-round performance in a comfortable victory. “I thought it was probably our best performance of the season so far, which is pleasing,” said Robertson. “I thought they (the midfield) were excellent, but to be honest I thought every player was excellent – even the subs who came on – it was a complete squad performance.” On Szoboszlai’s goal, a sweetly-struck shot from the edge of the penalty area for which he built a reputation at previous club RB Leipzig, the Scotland captain added: “We’ve maybe not seen as much of it in games as we have seen in training but he’s got a pretty nice strike on him, that’s for sure. “Technically he is a very gifted player, we’ve seen that already and I think he’ll have a big career here and we are looking forward to being a part of it.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Police launch investigation following alleged assault on Roy Keane Marcus Trescothick backs struggling England pair to get back among the runs Football rumours: Door not closed on Joao Palhinha’s Bayern Munich move