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Rob Page says Wrexham striker Paul Mullin will be considered for Wales selection if he scores regularly in League Two. Liverpool-born Mullin qualifies for the Dragons through his Welsh-born grandmother and has said he would love to represent Wales on the international stage. The 28-year-old has scored 78 goals in two seasons at Wrexham – helping the club owned by Hollywood actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds back into the English Football League – and won the 2022-23 FA Cup Golden Ball as the competition’s top scorer. Mullin’s eligibility has been a big talking point among Wales supporters with many keen to see him given a senior call, but manager Page was reluctant to select someone plying his trade in the fifth tier of English football. “Forget what he’s done up until now,” Page said ahead of Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Armenia in Cardiff. “If he is playing in League Two and he’s scoring goals, then we will look at him and consider him. But there is a massive gap from where he’s been up to League Two. “We will keep monitoring him and if he keeps scoring goals as he goes up the levels he’ll prove himself.” Mullin has already shone in League Two and won the division’s Golden Boot with a 32-goal season in Cambridge’s 2020–21 promotion campaign. He enhanced his reputation further in the FA Cup this term with nine goals, three of which came against Championship pair Coventry and Sheffield United. Page said: “I watched him against Sheffield United and I was very impressed by him, just from a work-rate point of view. “I wouldn’t want to play against him, he’s a pain in the backside. “Forget his goalscoring and his eye for goal, I like him because he’s a pain to play against. He’s like a rat, and I want that.” Page admits Wales need to sharpen their attacking play for games against Armenia and Turkey after collecting four points from their opening two Euro 2024 qualifiers in March. Brennan Johnson and David Brooks have returned to the squad after missing the 1-1 draw in Croatia and the 1-0 home win over Latvia. “While I was happy with the Latvia performance and how we controlled the game, that final detail at the top of the pitch is where we need to improve,” Page said. “Having Brennan back fit, and Daniel James, Harry Wilson and David available is only going to help us achieve that. “With the personnel we’ve got we can have two or three different formations without any problem. “The game plan might change within a game, but having players like Brennan will give us the opportunity to get higher up the pitch and score more goals. “We’ve got some good players and the problem now is finding out how to get them all into the same team.” Read More Why Wrexham? How Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney came to buy a club they’d never heard of Wrexham seal long-awaited Football League return in front of Hollywood owners Aaron Ramsey ‘fully focused’ on Wales amid uncertainty over future with Nice Wales boss urges Premier League clubs to sign James Rob Page discusses possibility of Gareth Bale joining Wales coaching staff David Brooks back in Wales squad after beating cancer

Gabri Veiga, tipped to be the next young star of Spanish football, has a long list of skills and abilities, but if one thing sticks out about this supremely confident 21-year-old then it’s his ability to strike a ball. The secret to his ball-striking abilities, however, may surprise you. “I began playing football because of pumpkins,” he has explained. Playing at his uncle’s house when he was a toddler, he discovered a pumpkin on the kitchen floor and started to kick it “out of curiosity”. From then on, all he wanted to do was kick balls and he joined his first football club aged four. Later, as a 12-year-old, he was enrolled in the famed A Madroa academy of local Galician club RC Celta and now, in 2022/23, the attacking midfielder has emerged as one of the team’s key players, working up a profitable partnership with Iago Aspas, the team’s most senior and exceptional player and another who also came through the club’s academy many years ago. Fast forward to this term and Veiga scored the two crucial goals on the final day of the season to see Celta Vigo beat champions Barcelona and secure their top-flight status. That could yet turn out to be his last action at Balaidos, with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United all being heavily linked with a move and the talented attacker sitting high on their list of priorities for this summer’s transfers. Veiga’s release clause is set at €40million (£34.4m) - though it’s perhaps worth noting that Celta have only sold one player for more than €15m since Nolito left for Man City in 2016. Eleven goals - top ten among Europe’s U21 players Between them, Aspas and Viega were responsible for scoring 23 of RC Celta’s 43 LaLiga Santander goals in 2022/23 and the veteran striker has done his part in making the youngster feel comfortable, personally setting up two of the midfielder’s 11 goals. Veiga’s goal count this campaign, his first full season in the first team, is nothing short of stunning. Nobody scored more goals from midfield in LaLiga this season. In his age category, Veiga is truly standing out. Of all the Under-21 players in Europe’s top five leagues, Veiga finished with the seventh-highest goal tally, only trailing the likes of Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka. Also, he is the Under-21 player with the second-most goals produced in LaLiga 22/23 (11 goals and four assists), only one behind Villarreal’s Nicolas Jackson (12 and four). Veiga is about much more than his goals, however. He has proved his versatility throughout his youth career, playing in every position aside from goalkeeper, centre-back and left-back. It is perhaps that rich variety of experience which has seen him to develop into the player he is today: a midfielder with remarkable vision and ability to make the final pass, with the courage and pace to take players on and the timing to run in behind defences and latch on to through balls. “In my career I’ve only seen one or two players who have the characteristics of Veiga,” said RC Celta coach Carlos Carvalhal, who has been in management for 25 years. “He is a very complete player. He has a different profile to all the other midfielders in Spain, who are usually about touch and possession. Gabri breaks games open.” A player who can score different types of goals As Carvalhal alluded to, Veiga’s qualities make him the ideal link between midfield and attack and his 11 goals this season showcased his various attributes. The two most eye-catching goals were his long-range rockets against Real Betis and UD Almería, with the former being his first goal in front of the home fans at Balaídos, when he rounded three defenders before pinging the ball into the far bottom corner, while the latter goal was a thumping drive from outside the area with hardly any back-lift, which cannoned in off the crossbar. His first goal had come against Atlético de Madrid, a first-time finish which crept in at the near post, while he produced an ice-cool shot to score against Sevilla FC after racing on to a through ball from Aspas. His best individual display yet, however, came in the thrilling 4-3 win at Real Betis earlier this month. He scored RC Celta’s second goal with a cheeky lob right in front of goalkeeper Rui Silva after creating the danger himself with two clever headers. He then gave his side the lead by appearing at just the right time to knock in Jorgen Strand Larsen’s cross from the byline. What next for Veiga? He was believed to be under consideration by Luis Enrique as a potentially surprise call-up for the World Cup and, even if he didn’t go to Qatar, his debut for Spain’s senior team cannot be far away. He is in the U21 squad for this month’s fixture against Mexico. An international debut is bound to further raise Veiga’s profile and confirm what everyone at RC Celta already knows: that he has what it takes to make it to the very top. Read More Jude Bellingham uses pain of England’s near misses in bid for Euro 2024 glory Sheikh Jassim waiting to hear if final offer to buy Man Utd has been successful Joelinton: I received racist insults after Arsenal game Jude Bellingham uses pain of England’s near misses in bid for Euro 2024 glory Sheikh Jassim waiting to hear if final offer to buy Man Utd has been successful Joelinton: I received racist insults after Arsenal game

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Jude Bellingham says he is harnessing the pain of England’s near misses as the talented teenager homes in on European Championship glory next summer. The national team are in the midst of their most successful period since Sir Alf Ramsey led Bobby Moore’s heroes to World Cup glory in 1966. The surprising run to the 2018 semi-finals in Russia was followed by manager Gareth Southgate leading England to a first European Championship final two years ago. Bellingham’s first tournament ended in an agonising shoot-out defeat to Italy at Wembley and his maiden World Cup ended in a galling quarter-final exit to France in December. But now attention turns to their quest for Euros glory in Germany next summer – a tournament England will take a giant step towards by winning June’s qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia. Bellingham, who is closing in on a move to Real Madrid after Borussia Dortmund accepted their offer, will play no part in those matches due to a knee injury, yet he still reported to St George’s Park as he continues rehabilitation. “We’ve got to attack the qualifiers with the same mentality as we attack major tournaments,” Bellingham recently told the PA news agency. “The last three (tournaments), I’d say, we’ve been pretty successful. The last one was a bit disappointing, but we probably played a harder opponent than the previous ones. “The way we went out was disappointing, but you take confidence in the fact that you can go toe-to-toe with one of the better teams in Europe. “It stands you in good stead when you know there’s not many better teams on paper – you’d like to think – that are better than us. “So, you take that confidence and you take the experience that we’ve gained from the last few. “The goal is always to try and win it. That should be the goal for all of us going into it and that’s what we’ll try and do.” Bellingham does not lack confidence and nor should he given England’s performances in Qatar. A narrow defeat to eventual finalists and Euro 2024 favourites France did for Southgate’s side in the desert, where the midfielder says their progress was no mirage. “I felt so confident going into that France game that we’d get a result,” said Bellingham, speaking in his role as ambassador for McDonald’s Fun Football programme – which provides free, inclusive football coaching for children aged five to 11 across more than 1,500 locations in the UK. “I think probably we fell short in the big moments for their goals and obviously the penalties and moments like that. “The majority of the game we didn’t have clear chances, but when we did, we could have been a bit more decisive maybe. But, like I said, it’s an experience to take into the next ones. “I just really enjoyed the experience as a whole – relishing being away, playing in such a good team, having that pressure on me and on the team. It’s something that I really enjoyed.” Bellingham underlined his place as one of the greatest talents in the world in Qatar, flourishing in England’s midfield after a restricted but valuable role at Euro 2020. Aged 17 he became the youngest English player to feature in a major tournament, making three substitute appearances in a crash course summer of learning. “It was a bit of weird one for me because I didn’t play (much),” Bellingham said. “It was my first major tournament and I didn’t play too much. “But I was still like a sponge while I was there, trying to learn from everything that was going on around me, having it in England as well. “You could see the pressure up close almost and you went to the games and the atmosphere was incredible. We fell short at the final hurdle, so you take a lot of experience from that. “But there’s also a level of…not regret but motivation that you can take from the tournament. “I think, for me, the pain that I felt after that final and after the World Cup will definitely drive me in the tournaments to come.” You certainly would not back against ambitious Bellingham and his talented England team-mates as they look to finally land silverware in Germany. “I’d just say stick with us, really,” the 24-cap teenager said when asked what his message to supporters would be. “England fans can feel it themselves, They’re ambitious, but they’re not stupid. There’s a reason for the kind of expectation and the hype around the team at the minute. “The truth is that we are delivering. We’d like to deliver a trophy and a tournament win, of course, but I think there’s steps to doing that. “A lot of the great international teams in the past didn’t win straight away. They had to build for years before they managed to get over the line. “I think that there’s something similar happening with this England team now. I wouldn’t say patience is the word but just stick with us because we’ll deliver.” :: Jude Bellingham was speaking at a McDonald’s Fun Football session to announce his role as an ambassador for the UK’s largest grassroots participation programme for 5-11 year olds. Find your nearest free session at www.mcdonalds.co.uk/football. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Nottingham Open to commence as normal despite ‘horrific’ incident in city centre Joelinton: I received racist insults after Arsenal game Sheikh Jassim waiting to hear if final offer to buy Man Utd has been successful

Berry Henson is a part-time Uber driver who has traveled the world to get to the U.S. Open

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With the Denver Nuggets closing out the National Basketball Association Finals on Monday, billionaire real estate developer Stan

Julianna Pena has labelled Amanda Nunes a ‘coward’ for retiring at UFC 289. Nunes, 35, retained the bantamweight title with a points win over Irene Aldana on Saturday, before calling time on a career seen by many as the greatest in women’s mixed martial arts history. One of the few blemishes on the Brazilian’s career came in 2021, when Nunes – who also holds the UFC women’s featherweight title – was submitted by Pena with the bantamweight belt on the line. Nunes avenged the upset loss by dominating the American in 2022, and the pair were due for a trilogy bout at UFC 289 until Pena withdrew due to injury. Pena, 33, was in attendance in Vancouver to see Nunes retire, and the former champion said on The MMA Hour on Monday: “There was a part of me that really wanted to storm the cage. I had so many people like, ‘Yes, we’ll do it, we’ll throw you over the gate!’ Then my coach was like, ‘Don’t do it. Be classy and don’t do it.’ So, I let her have my moment, but it was really difficult for me, because there were so many times where my urge was to go, ‘Now is the time, go, go go.’ “But at the end of the day, she’s retired, she’s off in the sunset, she’s dead to me at this point, and we’ve just got to keep the division moving. Now we’re stepping into day one of the ‘Pena Power’ era. I’m the champ, I’ve always been the champ in my heart and in my head [...] It’s just a matter of time before the belt’s around my waist again. “I’ve been telling you from the beginning: She’s been wanting to retire, she was one foot out the door the entire time. “She even said it herself: She was going to retire after she tapped to me, but she didn’t, because she decided I’m too good looking and she doesn’t want me to have the belt. Seriously, she’s got a problem with me.” Pena has not fought since losing the bantamweight title to Nunes last July. The rivals were set to headline UFC 289 until a rib injury forced Pena out of the bout, leading Aldana to step in. “At the end of the day, Amanda didn’t want the fight,” Pena said. “The whole time, the UFC asked her to make the trilogy, she didn’t want to make it, and they made that clear to me. They said, ‘She doesn’t want to fight you.’ That’s why it took so long to book the trilogy, and when I fell out because of injury, she said it was ‘less heavy’ for her. “Hopefully she comes back. That would be best-case scenario, so we can squash this thing and finish this trilogy. It was literally going to be the greatest trilogy in women’s MMA. It’s never happened before, and she lost that opportunity to make it happen. I lost that opportunity because I got injured, she lost that opportunity because she wants to retire early. I say she took the coward’s way out, and that’s all there is to it.” Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More MMA great Amanda Nunes retires after win over Irene Aldana at UFC 289 Miami Heat mascot hospitalised after Conor McGregor punch Meet Charles Oliveira, the UFC’s miracle man

Jack Grealish has urged Bernardo Silva to snub interest from Barcelona & PSG to remain with Man City.

Rob Page says Wrexham striker Paul Mullin will be considered for Wales selection if he scores regularly in League Two. Liverpool-born Mullin qualifies for the Dragons through his Welsh-born grandmother and has said he would love to represent Wales on the international stage. The 28-year-old has scored 78 goals in two seasons at Wrexham – helping the club owned by Hollywood actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds back into the English Football League – and won the 2022-23 FA Cup Golden Ball as the competition’s top scorer. Mullin’s eligibility has been a big talking point among Wales supporters with many keen to see him given a senior call, but manager Page was reluctant to select someone plying his trade in the fifth tier of English football. “Forget what he’s done up until now,” Page said ahead of Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Armenia in Cardiff. “If he is playing in League Two and he’s scoring goals, then we will look at him and consider him. But there is a massive gap from where he’s been up to League Two. “We will keep monitoring him and if he keeps scoring goals as he goes up the levels he’ll prove himself.” Mullin has already shone in League Two and won the division’s Golden Boot with a 32-goal season in Cambridge’s 2020–21 promotion campaign. He enhanced his reputation further in the FA Cup this term with nine goals, three of which came against Championship pair Coventry and Sheffield United. Page said: “I watched him against Sheffield United and I was very impressed by him, just from a work rate point of view. “I wouldn’t want to play against him, he’s a pain in the backside. “Forget his goalscoring and his eye for goal, I like him because he’s a pain to play against. He’s like a rat, and I want that.” Page admits Wales need to sharpen their attacking play for games against Armenia and Turkey after collecting four points from their opening two Euro 2024 qualifiers in March. Brennan Johnson and David Brooks have returned to the squad after missing the 1-1 draw in Croatia and the 1-0 home win over Latvia. “While I was happy with the Latvia performance and how we controlled the game, that final detail at the top of the pitch is where we need to improve,” Page said. “Having Brennan back fit, and Daniel James, Harry Wilson and David available is only going to help us achieve that. “With the personnel we’ve got we can have two or three different formations without any problem. “The game plan might change within a game, but having players like Brennan will give us the opportunity to get higher up the pitch and score more goals. “We’ve got some good players and the problem now is finding out how to get them all into the same team.”

With the 2022/23 season completed and Premier League clubs now focused on the summer transfer window, WhoScored.com take a look at which players suit each team’s biggest need over the next eight weeks. You can see the first part from Arsenal to Fulham here. Liverpool What do they need - central midfielder Who should they sign - Manu Kone Liverpool have signed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton, but the Argentine won't be the only new central midfielder to make the move to Anfield this summer. Khephren Thuram and Manu Kone are also on the club's radar, with the latter the latest to be linked with a switch. Kone returned the seventh best dribble success rate (60%) in the Bundesliga last season, while he ranked 10th for possession won in the midfield third (109) and 15th for tackles per 90 (2.5) with the Gladbach star emerging as one of Liverpool's top midfield targets. Luton What do they need - striker Who should they sign - Antonio-Mirko Colak Carlton Morris was the leading light in Luton's successful play-off push having scored 20 league goals for the Hatters last season. However, beyond Morris, Luton have few attacking alternatives to ease the burden on the 27-year-old. For context, centre-back Tom Lockyer was their third-highest scorer, with four goals. Promoted teams often make the mistake of prioritising attack over defence, but Luton can ill-afford to rely on Morris to keep them up. Antonio-Mirko Colak started the Scottish Premiership season brightly, and ultimately ended the campaign with 14 league goals, but injuries hampered his long-term impact, so much so that he hasn't started a league game since March. The Croat could prove a crucial signing in the final third were they to make a move for the Rangers man. Manchester City What do they need - right winger Who should they sign - Wilfried Gnonto While a team chasing a historic treble is unlikely to really need to strengthen in the off-season, Manchester City could certainly use the summer to bring in another right winger. Riyad Mahrez is now the wrong side of 30, and while a success under Pep Guardiola, the champions need to plan for life beyond the Algerian. Relegated Leeds will be aware they need to cut costs, with Wilfried Gnonto a sellable asset on the books at Elland Road. The Italy international works hard off the ball, too, as evidenced by a return of 1.8 tackles per 90, and this would certainly appease Guardiola. Manchester United What do they need - striker Who should they sign - Rasmus Hojlund Harry Kane may be the priority for Erik ten Hag as the Manchester United boss seeks an overhaul of his attack, but with Real Madrid also interested in the Tottenham hitman, the Carabao Cup winners can't afford to be dragged into a bidding war. Rather, they should focus their efforts on securing the services of star-in-the-making Rasmus Hojlund. The Dane ended the 2022/23 Serie A season with a respectable nine goals and two assists to his name despite starting just 20 of 38 league matches. At 20 years of age, there is more to come from Hojlund, and fans should be desperate to see the Atalanta man develop into a world-class striker at Old Trafford. Newcastle What do they need - attacking midfielder Who should they sign - James Maddison Following their Champions League return, Newcastle need to add quality bodies to the squad as they gear up to compete on multiple fronts following a successful season under Eddie Howe. James Maddison is one linked with a move to St. James' Park and having scored 10 and provided nine assists, the 26-year-old certainly proved his worth for a relegated Leicester side. Able to cover a number of roles in the final third, Newcastle won't have a straight shot at Maddison, but he's one who'd boost their chances of another top-four finish and silverware next season. Nottingham Forest What do they need - goalkeeper Who should they sign - Dean Henderson Nottingham Forest were fortunate enough to convince Keylor Navas to join on loan from PSG in January to ease Dean Henderson's injury, though the Costa Rican is unlikely to make a permanent switch to the City Ground. As such, Forest should explore the possibility of signing Henderson once the transfer window opens. The 26-year-old is unlikely to establish himself as first choice at parent club Manchester United, who themselves are looking to sign a new shot-stopper, so would be open to Henderson's sale. Sheffield United What do they need - attacking midfielder Who should they sign - Carney Chukwuemeka While it remains to be seen whether Sheffield United can retain the services of on-loan Manchester City pair James McAtee and Tommy Doyle, the Blades could maximise the loan market once more in order to bring fresh blood into the side. Chelsea spent big to sign Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa, and he is very much one for the future. However, he needs game time to continue his development, something that may prove hard to come by at Stamford Bridge next season. New boss Mauricio Pochettino will likely want a first look at Chukwuemeka before making a decision on his future, but if the Blades are unable to keep McAtee and Doyle, the former Aston Villa teenager would help ease their respective returns to City. Tottenham What do they need - goalkeeper Who should they sign - David Raya Tottenham are set to undergo a major rebuild this summer under Ange Postecoglou, and the best position to start is in goal. Hugo Lloris is set to leave north London, so the Frenchman's successor should be the priority. A ball-playing goalkeeper is key, with David Raya rightly their number one target. Brentford have already signed Raya's replacement in Mark Flekken, and that may soften their stance on the Spaniard. The 27-year-old ranked first for saves (154) and third for accurate long balls (410) in Europe's top five leagues this season, and could prove the perfect new goalkeeper for Spurs. West Ham What do they need - central midfielder Who should they sign - James Ward-Prowse Given Declan Rice's likely exit once West Ham's Europa Conference League campaign is done and dusted, the Hammers will need a new midfielder to ease the England international's exit. West Ham will command a huge fee for Rice, so they need to be wise in the summer market in order not to be priced out of a move for a successor. That being said, Southampton will likely have demanded a big price for James Ward-Prowse anyway, with the Saints captain set to leave on the back of their relegation. The 28-year-old ranked seventh for key passes (74) in the Premier League last season and he could prove the right player to help pick up the pieces if, or when, Rice departs. Wolves What do they need - striker Who should they sign - Folarin Balogun Like Chelsea, Wolves' primary issue was the inability to hit the back of net. Indeed, they scored fewer goals (31) than any other Premier League side last season, and with Raul Jimenez and Diego Costa unlikely to be Wolves players once the summer window closes, they need investment in attack. If they can convince Arsenal to sell Folarin Balogun, then the USA international could be what they need to reignite their stagnant frontline. Balogun scored 21 league goals from Reims last season and after a taste of regular first-team action, is unlikely to settle for a spot on the bench at the Emirates. RB Leipzig had been linked with a move for the 21-year-old, but their decision to firm up their interest in Lens hitman Lois Openda means Wolves may yet have a chance to sign Balogun. Read More How Jude Bellingham can become the anti-Haaland for Real Madrid Alexis Mac Allister believes he can add to trophy collection with Liverpool Replacement for Granit Xhaka and a No9 for Mauricio Pochettino: Transfer targets for every Premier League club Kylian Mbappe alerts Premier League clubs with surprise announcement about his future Jack Grealish revels as Manchester City parade treble Manchester City’s trophy parade in pictures

Real Madrid are interested in signing Kylian Mbappe from PSG this summer, but they will need a helping hand from the forward if they are to complete a transfer.