List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

WVU just came out with the best uniform reveal of the week. What are the odds that they will be able to pull off the upset against Penn State?

Who in the college football rankings would sit on to if we re-ranked the Top 25 by College Football Playoff projections? It's not Georgia.

Sergio Reguilon has joined Manchester United on a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur, with Erik ten Hag suggesting his fifth summer signing could be parachuted in for a debut at Arsenal on Sunday. The Spanish left-back became United’s second signing of deadline day after Turkish goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, who joined from Fenerbahce for £4.3m. Ten Hag said he was delighted to secure a player of Reguilon’s quality as an emergency left-back after both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia were ruled out until November. The 26-year-old, who has also played for Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, trained with United on Friday and Ten Hag indicated he will be available. “He is here, yes,” he said. “He is very experienced player, he has played for big clubs and played a lot of games in La Liga and the Premier League so has a very good background. So he can play very intense football so we are happy. We had a problem with Luke Shaw injured and Tyrell Malacia injured so we covered very well in an emergency situation.” Reguilon, who had been surplus to requirements at Spurs as new manager Ange Postecoglou preferred to pick Destiny Udogie at left-back, said he could not reject the chance to play for United. He said: “In life you have to be ready for everything and the chance to represent this great club with such an illustrious history is one that I could not turn down. Having spoken to the manager, I know what he needs from me, and I am ready to play my part in helping the team to achieve success. I know that I can contribute to Manchester United this season; I am ready to fight for this group and show everyone my qualities.” Ten Hag believes the 25-year-old Bayindir has the potential to improve and was pleased to bring him in, along with Andre Onana and Tom Heaton as one of his three goalkeepers. He added: “He will be in the squad as well so happy with the keeper group, we covered every position so I think we have a very good keeper group with the signing of Altay. We followed him very intensely and we think he has the skills to fit in at Manchester United and fit in at English football so we are glad we signed him. We are confident he will make a lot of progress.” Bayindir could be required if Onana, who has been recalled to the Cameroon squad, plays in the African Cup of Nations in January. Ten Hag added: “I know everything about it, of course we spoke about it. We are in good contact with Andre.” Rasmus Hojlund will be fit to make his United debut at the Emirates Stadium, with Ten Hag saying: “I think he is ready to start.” Read More Transfer news latest: Mohamed Salah bid rejected by Liverpool as Nuno Tavares secures Arsenal exit Rasmus Hojlund fit to make Manchester United debut at Arsenal – Erik ten Hag Man United start deadline day by signing Turkish goalkeeper as Dean Henderson replacement

Despite out-gaining Utah by nearly 100 yards, the Florida Gators never really stood a chance against the Utes, losing their first game of the season.

Who are the youngest players in MLB history, and who are the youngest players since 2000?

Tottenham have agreed a fee in excess of £45million for Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson. Spurs had made the Wales international their number one target following the sale of Harry Kane and looked to have got their man after agreeing a price with Forest, the PA news agency understands. Johnson will now undergo a medical, with there expected to be no complications in the deal going through before the 11pm deadline. The 22-year-old was a key player in Forest’s Premier League survival last season, scoring eight goals and notching three assists in a struggling side. Forest, who turned down two bids from Brentford for their homegrown player, will be able to satisfy Financial Fair Play requirements with the sale, due to Johnson’s development at the club. His pace and ability to stretch defences will appeal to Spurs, who have been keen on him for some time. Forest are trying to push through a permanent deal for Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi as a potential replacement, while also hoping to sign Argentina international Nicolas Dominguez. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Pep Guardiola is recovering well from his recent back operation, Manchester City assistant boss Juanma Lillo has said. The City manager is currently out of action after undergoing surgery last week but is expected to return after the upcoming international break. Lillo took charge of the side for the treble winners’ Premier League trip to Sheffield United last week and remains at the helm for Saturday’s visit of Fulham. “I speak very regularly with him, not just in footballing terms but professional terms,” Lillo said at a press conference on Friday. “He’s much better and things are taking place in the way that they should do. All of us are delighted and are really looking forward to him getting back.” Lillo was in contact with Guardiola throughout City’s victory at Bramall Lane last Sunday and during preparations for this weekend’s encounter. “It’s the same as the previous game,” said Lillo. “With Pep there would be more energy but we’re in contact with him all the time. “We share our responsibilities well, we have our roles very well defined by him and we will continue on the right path but he obviously continues to have input. “We’re not quite finished in our preparation for the game.” Defender John Stones is nearing a return to action after a thigh injury. The England international was expected to be sidelined until after the international break but Lillo has delivered a positive update on his condition. Phil Foden and Manuel Akanji have recovered from illness but Kevin De Bruyne is a long-term absentee. Lillo said: “Phil is completely recovered from his illness, Manu’s problem was more for prevention rather than anything serious. He’s more or less there and John is more or less there as well.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live AZ Alkmaar among Aston Villa’s opponents in Europa Conference League group stage Rasmus Hojlund fit to make Manchester United debut at Arsenal – Erik ten Hag Liverpool reject £150m Mohamed Salah bid as Brighton sign Barcelona’s Ansu Fati

Kevin Clark is leaving The Ringer to create a digital show and podcast for Omaha and ESPN, The Big Lead has learned. This Is Football debuts Sept. 6 and will ha

Rasmus Hojlund is fit to make his debut this weekend and Erik ten Hag says Sergio Reguilon could feature at Arsenal having trained with Manchester United ahead of his loan move. Denmark international Hojlund joined United at the start of August for a fee rising up to £74million from Atalanta, but the 20-year-old has yet to feature, due to a back complaint. But Ten Hag says the striker is fit to feature at Arsenal, when new goalkeeper Altay Bayindir and left-back Reguilon will also be available for selection. United have agreed a loan deal with Tottenham for the left-back, and the Dutchman revealed he had trained with his new team-mates ahead of the announcement of the move. “Yes (Hojlund will be available),” Ten Hag said. “He had a good training week so tomorrow we have the final training. But he is doing well, responding well, so, yeah, he will be available for Sunday’s game. “(Bayindir) will be in the squad as well, Altay, so happy. Now we have the keeper group fully there. We covered every position so I think we have a very good keeper group with the arrival of Altay.” Asked if Reguilon could be involved at the Emirates Stadium, the United boss said: “He is here, he trained. Yes (he will also be available for Sunday).” Reguilon comes in after United went from too many options at left-back to too few when Luke Shaw’s muscle injury compounded the absence of Tyrell Malacia and recent exits. The Spain international was linked with a move to Old Trafford three years ago and spent last season on loan at Atletico Madrid. “He’s a very experienced player, played for big clubs, played already a lot of games in LaLiga, Premier League, so, yes, I think very good background,” Ten Hag said. “We have seen he can play very intense football, so we are happy while we had a problem with Luke Shaw injured, Tyrell Malacia injured, therefore long-term out. So I think we responded very well on that emergency situation.” On top of deadline-day moves for Bayindir and Reguilon, progress has been made in United’s move for Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat. The 27-year-old midfielder starred at the World Cup for Morocco and previously played under Ten Hag at Utrecht. “There are so many rumours, but it’s nice, eh?,” the United boss said when asked about Amrabat. “I think we have done good business, we constructed a strong squad and we are ready to go in to the fight.” Pushed again on Amrabat, he said: “I can’t tell (you much) because I don’t know if he can sign, so if we have news, we will report it immediately.” There could be outgoings as well as incomings before the day is out, with multiple clubs looking at Mason Greenwood, Eric Bailly and Donny Van De Beek. However, Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay look set to stay, having been subject of interest this summer. “If you see the schedule, it’s tough, it’s really condensed,” United boss Ten Hag said. “When you see last season the World Cup, crazy season, the season takes longer, two weeks longer. We played (the) FA Cup final one week longer. With this squad we have depth and we have quality players and we can be in a variety of systems Erik ten Hag “We had a short break, we had a really condensed pre-season again, so we need numbers. But also we need not only numbers, the numbers have to be quality. “I think, yeah, with this squad we have depth and we have quality players and we can be in a variety of systems and we are happy with it. “We are ready to go into the fight.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live AZ Alkmaar among Aston Villa’s opponents in Europa Conference League group stage Liverpool reject £150m Mohamed Salah bid as Brighton sign Barcelona’s Ansu Fati Fraser Franks set for op – four years after heart problem ended football career

Liverpool rejected a £150million offer for Mohamed Salah from Saudi Arabia Pro League side Al-Ittihad while Brighton completed the signing of Barcelona forward Ansu Fati. Salah has been the subject of interest from the Middle East for some time and the PA news agency understands a verbal offer was made on Friday. However, the club have rejected it out of hand and consider the matter closed as the forward is not for sale. The offer is understood to have been £100m up front with a further £50m in add-ons. Brighton have signed Fati on a season-long loan from the Catalan giants. The 20-year-old Spain international made 36 LaLiga appearances last season for Xavi’s men as they went on to win the title. “This is a great deal for all of us,” Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi said on the Premier League club’s website. “I am sure Ansu will help us to reach a new target and we can help him get back to the level he deserves to be.” Fati came through the Barcelona academy, making his senior debut in August 2019 and later became the club’s youngest goalscorer in both LaLiga and the Champions League. Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United were all doing early business. City completed the signing of Matheus Nunes from Wolves. After overcoming some minor sticking points in final negotiations over an initial £47.3m deal on Wednesday night, both clubs were able to come to an agreement on a £53million move – a club-record sale for Wolves. The 25-year-old Portugal international was keen to move to the Etihad Stadium and did not train with Wolves in order to push the move through. Midfielder Tommy Doyle, 21, heads the other way, joining the Molineux club on a season-long loan with the option to make the switch permanent next summer. Doyle’s exit follows that of fellow City academy product Cole Palmer, who has joined Chelsea on a seven-year contract. The PA news agency understands Chelsea will pay an initial £40million for the 21-year-old with an additional £2.5m in possible add-ons. Manchester United confirmed the signing of Turkey international goalkeeper Altay Bayindir from Fenerbahce. The 25-year-old has signed an initial four-year contract at Old Trafford, with the option of a further year. Bayindir is the second goalkeeper signed by the Red Devils this summer and will provide competition to fellow new arrival Andre Onana. “It is a huge honour to join Manchester United and become the first Turkish player to represent this incredible club,” Bayindir said in the statement announcing his signing. United could add further recruits on deadline day, with a loan move for Tottenham full-back Sergio Reguilon close to completion. Nottingham Forest signed Arsenal full-back Nuno Tavares on a season-long loan, with the option of making it permanent. “Forest is a historic club which won two European Cups and to be part of it makes me really happy,” he said. “I’m really happy to stay in the Premier League as it’s the best league in the world and I’m thankful to Forest for giving me that opportunity.” Forest forward Brennan Johnson continued to be linked with a move to Tottenham. Aston Villa brought in French defender Clement Lenglet on a season-long loan from Barcelona. The centre-half spent last season on loan at Spurs, making 35 appearances in all competitions. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Fraser Franks set for op – four years after heart problem ended football career Brighton to face European giants Ajax and Marseille in Europa League Liverpool turn down £150m offer for Mohamed Salah from Al-Ittihad

The Europa League group stage draw has been completed with Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham, who won the Europa Conference League last year, and Rangers discovering their opponents. Liverpool are the bookies' favourites, but Brighton are next up alongside Jose Mourinho's Roma, who recently bought Romelu Lukaku to boost their chances. Atalanta, Marseille and Villarreal are also contenders. Relive the Europa League group stage draw below and get all the latest football betting sites offers or sign up to bet365 using The Independent’s unique bonus code by clicking here: Read More Uefa calls added time rules ‘absurd’ and refuses to follow suit Rangers fail to qualify for Champions League after thrashing by PSV Eindhoven

Former Newport defender Fraser Franks faced a difficult “grieving process” when a heart problem cut short his football career at the age of 28. But four years on, as he prepares for surgery that will ultimately save his life, he is “grateful” the condition was picked up early – as many people are not even aware they are at risk. “I’ll be having a mechanical valve fitted and work done on my aorta,” Franks, now 32, told the PA news agency. His surgery is set for September 4. “It is a big operation and I’ll be in hospital for about 10 days. And the recovery after, I won’t be able to lift anything, even a bag of shopping, for two to three months. “With a four-year-old daughter, that’s going to be difficult for me and her,” added Franks, who shares daughter Nellie with his wife, former S Club 8 singer Stacey McClean. “It’s been a lot to get my head around. There will be certain things I can’t do afterwards and a lot of lifestyle adjustments, but I’m really happy and content with it. “I’m grateful that this has been found and that there’s a solution for me, where unfortunately a lot of people haven’t got that. “I’ve had conversations with cardiologists and surgeons (who’ve said) this is going to save my life, I probably wouldn’t live much longer with the heart I’ve currently got. So I’m really grateful for that and it’s only through playing for a professional football club that this was picked up.” Franks was born with a bicuspid valve – meaning his aortic valve – which helps control blood flow in the heart – had two cusps (flaps) instead of the usual three. The condition is believed to affect around one in every 100 people, but it often does not cause symptoms and only becomes serious if the valve begins to leak or develops severe narrowing (aortic stenosis), which is what has happened in Franks’ case. A routine medical at the age of 16 first picked up the defect. Franks, who signed with Chelsea at age eight, had always been fit and healthy, but when he signed with Brentford at 16, like all players joining pro clubs, he was given a heart scan. Further investigations revealed the bicuspid valve, but because it was not causing problems, he was given the green light to continue as normal. Franks carried on, trying not to give it too much thought – until at 28, he suddenly started feeling unwell after a game and was rushed to hospital the next day, worried he was having a heart attack. “I wasn’t having a heart attack or anything like that, but I contracted an infection. While I was in there though, I told them I’d had this heart issue when I was 16, so they scanned me and saw the condition had worsened,” he recalled. “I’d developed aortic stenosis and the valve was leaking a lot more. Then it was deemed unsafe for me to carry on playing football, so I had to stop playing there and then.” London-born Franks has teamed up with the British Heart Foundation for their September Spotlight campaign, which aims to shine a spotlight on hidden heart conditions. His story highlights how heart problems can potentially affect anyone – including those who are young and seemingly very fit and healthy. Even when symptoms are mild or barely noticeable, undetected issues could become serious and even life-threatening, which is why research and awareness is so vital. Plus, as Franks has experienced, there are complex layers and emotional challenges to living with a hidden heart condition too. Being forced to suddenly retire early when he’d previously felt fine – and still looked well on the outside – was tough. “Ever since age eight, I’d been known as ‘the footballer’. It had been my whole identity, so to retire at 28 out of the blue was difficult,” Franks explained. “I think I kidded myself in the first six months, where I was saying, ‘Yeah I’m fine, I’m enjoying retirement and all that good stuff’. But I was really struggling and drinking heavily. “I reached out and got some help and had to do a lot of therapy. It really is a grieving process and I had to figure out who I was and what I enjoyed away from being ‘the athlete’. I do a lot of work around addiction and alcohol now, because I really struggled with those things Fraser Franks “And I didn’t play at the top level, so I didn’t have savings in the bank – I had to pretty much get to work straight away and earn a living. My wife was heavily pregnant then too, so there was a lot of stress and overwhelm at that period.” Yoga and meditation also proved a huge help in coming to terms with everything and Franks has since found a new sense of purpose, channelling his experiences into helping others. He added: “I do a lot of work around addiction and alcohol now, because I really struggled with those things. “That’s become a big part of what I do now, helping people who want to transition away from sport and working with young athletes on addiction and mental health.” He took up yoga as a gentle form of exercise when doctors told him strenuous sport was too risky. “I just completely fell in love with it,” Franks added. “I’ve found a real passion for it. It’s actually a goal of mine now – it’s going to be something I’ll be thinking about when I’m in hospital – when I’m healed, I want to go to India or Bali and actually earn a qualification and get trained as a yoga teacher. “Instead of focusing on all the things I’m unable to do, that’s something I will be able to do. That brings me a lot of comfort.” :: This September, the BHF is shining a spotlight on hidden heart conditions and urging everyone to get involved by supporting the charity however they can, with stories, stuff, time or money. Visit spotlighton.bhf.org.uk Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Brighton to face European giants Ajax and Marseille in Europa League Liverpool turn down £150m offer for Mohamed Salah from Al-Ittihad Man City seal Matheus Nunes deal as Cole Palmer leaves and Man Utd sign keeper