Lewis Hall among three England Under-20 players to train with senior squad
England were joined for training by three members of the Under-20 set-up as preparations continued for the matches in Ukraine and Scotland. Gareth Southgate’s side men head to Poland to take on Ukraine in a Euro 2024 qualifier on Saturday, before heading to Glasgow for a friendly three days later. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish withdrew from the initial 26-man selection on Monday through injury, with 21 of the remaining players taking part in the full session at St George’s Park the following day. Callum Wilson, Bukayo Saka and uncapped Levil Colwill were not involved in training due to load management, with Lewis Hall among the three prospects brought up from the England Under-20s squad to help make up the numbers. The talented 18-year-old left-back joined Newcastle on a season-long loan from Chelsea last month, with an obligation to buy depending on performance-related criteria. Fellow Chelsea product Bashir Humphreys was another involved. The 20-year-old defender is on loan at Sky Bet Championship outfit Swansea. Tottenham midfielder Alfie Devine was the other to link up with the senior squad for training. The 19-year-old is currently on loan at League One side Port Vale. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-09-05 20:59
Steph Curry Invests in Israeli Cyber Startup’s $50 Million Round
Four-time NBA champion and perennial all-star Stephen Curry is among the new investors in Israeli cybersecurity startup Upwind
2023-09-05 20:54
Declan Rice shows what Arsenal have and what Chelsea don’t after creating £100m midfielder
A few years ago, Declan Rice said he would have passed. Now, however, the £105m man assumed responsibility, shot and, via a deflection off Jonny Evans, gave Arsenal a 96th-minute lead against Manchester United. As Gabriel Jesus scored an even later goal, it was not technically the winner. But Rice was the scorer of the de facto decider in the sort of match that can define seasons and establish reputations. Perhaps particularly for central midfielders, given that it is a fixture that evokes memories of Patrick Vieira against Roy Keane. Vieira scored the winning penalty in an FA Cup final shootout against United; Keane scored a disproportionate number of his United goals – five, almost 10 percent – against Arsenal. Rice’s first in Arsenal colours came at United’s expense. The most expensive Englishman ever can appear something of a throwback player: called a defensive midfielder, but often an all-rounder, in the way the Frenchman and the Irishman were. His post-match interview was conducted next to Keane who, like Graeme Souness, a similarly dominant and brilliant midfielder and another whose punditry could focus more on personalities than tactics, subscribes to the great man theory of history: as a footballing great himself, he tends to argue that matches are determined by the determination of individuals, by a willingness to seize the moment, by winning a personal battle. It suits him to argue games are won by warriors, not formations involving inverted full-backs or box midfielders. Football has grown more complex, the tactical intricacies of managers such as Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola reducing the significance of going mano a mano with the opposition’s alpha male. And yet, in the age of the £100m midfielder, perhaps Rice has a responsibility to be more than just another cog in the wheel, to be the match-winner at least sometimes. If it is simplistic to demand a tangible impact that always equates with his price tag for a player whose contribution stretches far beyond goals and assists, he is nevertheless charged with improving Arsenal. Turning one point into three and winning a game against rivals is a way of doing that. And if philosophies and systems seemed to have reduced the reliance on the individual, there is evidence in the midfields of Arteta and Guardiola that football can still come down to big players producing big deeds at big moments. Ilkay Gundogan spent the first half of his Manchester City career as a neat passer. In the second half, he was transformed into the man for the big occasion, the scorer supreme who could use his footballing intelligence to find space and his technique to finish. It was, in part, why he became captain; by the time of his FA Cup final brace, he felt more Roy of the Rovers than Sergio Busquets. As the defensive midfielder, Rodri’s primary responsibilities were to engineer perpetual possession and to cut off counter-attacks. Yet as the Spaniard grew in stature, he has tended to deliver crucial contributions: most obviously the Champions League final winner and most recently the superb late decider at Sheffield United but a pre-Rice Arsenal can probably still remember and regret his injury-time winner at the Emirates Stadium on New Year’s Day in 2022: if the sense is that managers like Guardiola and Arteta want their midfielders to be elegantly robotic, executing a strategy with practised excellence, the importance of individual interventions is still apparent. Rice need only gaze across the Arsenal midfield to see. Martin Odegaard joined with certain similarities to Gundogan: obviously an assured passer, he has turned himself into an accomplished scorer as well as a regular skipper. The Norwegian’s two goals this season, a nerveless penalty at Crystal Palace and a swift equaliser against United, were signs of his substance, of a capacity to deliver when it matters. That Rice did likewise feels auspicious. He has cost the sort of sum that used to be reserved for attackers. Chelsea created the £100m midfielder and now have two of them, a £222m double act. That can seem the product of a shift in thinking, recognising the significance of dictating a game. But there is still the need to decide it. Enzo Fernandez has shown his incisive passing as he has become increasingly creative: that he only has two assists in their colours is in part a reflection of others’ poor finishing. But the Argentinian has a lone goal himself, and that was against AFC Wimbledon of League Two, while he missed a penalty at West Ham. Moises Caicedo’s Chelsea career has only spanned 205 minutes on the pitch and, while Fernandez has been used as a No 10 of late, the Ecuadorian’s deeper role means he is likely to score fewer goals than the World Cup winner or Rice. Nevertheless, at such a colossal cost, each was bought to make a difference. And when, deep into added time, it seemed Arsenal would drop two points, Rice did. Read More Arrest after Roy Keane allegedly headbutted at Emirates Stadium Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus hopes he has seen the last of knee niggles Declan Rice rises to the moment as Arsenal avoid disastrous slip-up
2023-09-05 20:52
4 Trae Young trades the Hawks should consider
Trae Young and the Hawks haven't progressed past the first playoff round since their 2021 Conference Finals. Their partnership might be ending; here are four potential trades they should consider.
2023-09-05 20:51
Dabo Swinney Left Hanging By Clemson QB Cade Klubnik During Embarrassing Loss to Duke
Clemson QB doesn't high-five Dabo Swinney
2023-09-05 20:49
Benzema's Al Ittihad avoids path to face Man City in semifinals of Saudi-hosted FIFA Club World Cup
Saudi Arabian champion Al Ittihad and its star striker Karim Benzema avoided Manchester City in the semifinals draw for the first FIFA Club World Cup to be hosted by the kingdom
2023-09-05 20:48
Saudi Pro League news: Salah to Al-Ittihad, Sancho's United escape, Lascelles to Al-Shabab
Today's Saudi Pro League news includes Al-Ittihed being set to make a last ditch attempt to sign Mohamed Salah. Jadon Sancho could avoid spending a season on Manchester United's bench if he moves to the division and Jamaal Lascelles has been linked with A
2023-09-05 20:25
KL Rahul named in India's Cricket World Cup squad. Tilak Varma and Prasidh Krishna miss out
KL Rahul has been named in India's Cricket World Cup squad despite the wicketkeeper-batter not playing in an international game since May
2023-09-05 19:59
Sergio Ramos reveals he turned down contract offers to join Sevilla
Sergio Ramos has revealed he turned down offers from Saudi Arabia and MLS in order to return to Sevilla.
2023-09-05 19:56
Real Madrid have spelled Jude Bellingham's name wrong in their own dressing room
Jude Bellingham is a generational talent, and the wonderkid has made a brilliant start to life at his new club Real Madrid. However, it looks like there are still a few teething problems with the language barrier – after the Spanish club spelled his name wrong in their own locker room. Bellingham was reacting after scoring yet another goal for his new side after moving from Borussia Dortmund when people noticed an unexpected detail in the background. The player, who is still just 20-years-old, scored the winner for Real Madrid against Getafe on Saturday (September 2) and cameras captured his reaction to the result. "I've never heard a stadium sound louder in my life,” Bellingham said, before celebrating with his fellow players. Only, people on social media seemed a little more concerned with his locker, which featured a big spelling mistake. The big letters behind him actually spelled out “Bellimgham” and not Bellingham. "Can’t even spell his name right on that locker," one football fan posted. However they spell his name, Real Madrid fans have definitely already taken him in as one of their own. He’s enjoyed an incredible start, having scored on his debut against Athletic Bilbao. He then scored two and scored again against Celta Vigo before scoring against Getafe. In fact, he has equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record set in 2009, having become only the second Real Madrid player in history to score in their first four games for the team. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter 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
2023-09-05 19:53
South Africa opener Quinton de Kock to retire from ODIs after upcoming Cricket World Cup
Quinton de Kock has been selected in South Africa’s 15-man squad for the Cricket World Cup for what will be his last tournament before retiring from one-day internationals
2023-09-05 19:47
Villarreal fires coach Quique Setién after 3 losses in the team's first 4 Spanish league matches
Villarreal has fired coach Quique Setién after the team lost three of its first four matches in the Spanish league
2023-09-05 19:27