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Defender Wouter Verstraaten has revealed the reasons behind his decision to join South Shields over Sunderland.

Having been interested in the defender for some time, Sunderland took him on trial in February which saw him feature in a game against Liverpool.

The 23-year-old can play anywhere along the defensive back line, having developed during his youth career with Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven (as per Sunderland Echo).

The Dutchman impressed during his time at the Academy of Light and was offered a deal to join the under-23 side but he rejected the deal and opted instead for a move to join Shields.

Now, having completed a move to Shields, the defender has opted to reveal the reasons why he chose the non-league side over League One outfit Sunderland.

Speaking to the Mariners Podcast as per The Shields Gazette, Verstraaten said: “During lockdown there were some negotiations with both parties.

“The main thing I can say is that South Shields have been clear, and honest, and felt like home from the beginning on. That’s something that Sunderland couldn’t convince me with.

“Obviously I’d been talking with them about what team I was coming in for – the under-23s or the first team – and they couldn’t get clear on that.

“They were very – I wouldn’t say weird, but I felt like there was something going on within the organisation of Sunderland that they couldn’t convince me about their plan for me.

“As a 24-year-old player, I just wanted to have a more clear path that I was going to go in and not be a young player who was going to work his way up from the under-23s or whatever.

“South Shields just felt like home from early on and they understood my situation. They told me to go and talk with Sunderland but to know that they were there and they also said what path they wanted to go down with me.

“I’m very happy I made this decision.”
The report goes on to add that Sunderland are keen to bring in a number of players to bolster their under-23 squad.

It does sound very odd when a player rejects a higher club for a lower one but Verstraaten is obviously at a stage in his career where he is happy to play at that level.

Sunderland will find it hard to entice players to the club’s academy, especially after the fall in standard that has developed over the last 12 months.

What do you make of the defender’s Sunderland rejection? Let us know in the comment section below…

Craig Conway has revealed he almost signed for Glasgow Rangers in 2011 before the Gers encountered their financial issues.

Conway has recently signed for St. Johnstone, and actually faced the Gers on Wednesday – the Ibrox outfit prevailed 3-0. However, it seems that he could have appeared for the 54-time Scottish champions all the way back in 2011 before he eventually moved to Cardiff City instead.

Speaking to The Scottish Sun, he said:

“I went and met Ally McCoist at Murray Park. I was pretty close to signing but I had my heart set on going down south. That was always the aim.

“Ally is a legend and a great guy. I remember sitting having tea and toast with him. He’s a real character.

“I was genuinely close to signing. It was before they had their financial issues. It was to play in the top flight.

“I think it was about six months later that things started to go wrong there.
“I backed myself to go down south and I loved every minute of it so I’ve no regrets.”
Conway might not be the biggest name, but he has had a solid career in the game. All in all, he has made 454 appearances, racking up 45 goals and a very impressive 93 assists, whilst he was also in the squad for Cardiff City in 2011/12 League Cup final against Liverpool.
For Conway, given the issues the Gers had – they went into administration in 2012 – he probably made the right decision.
Let us know what you think below!

According to Football Insider, Leeds United have identified Arsenal defender Rob Holding as a potential Ben White alternative.

What’s the word?

With reports claiming that the Whites have made a third bid for Ben White, Football Insider have revealed that the club are simultaneously working on other options.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have reportedly registered their interest in Holding, and that “the club have been told in preliminary discussions with Arsenal that Holding, 24, will be made available for a move this window”.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

It’s added that with the Gunners closing in on a centre-back signing of their own, Holding will be put up for sale, although White remains the priority for Leeds this summer.

Dominated Leeds in the FA Cup

Despite only making 18 appearances in the first-team last season for Arsenal, Holding did have a huge role to play in the Gunners’ FA Cup triumph.

Not only did he play the full 90 minutes in the final against Chelsea, but he also started in the third round clash against Leeds themselves. And if Bielsa needed any convincing about whether a move for the 24-year-old would be a good one, then he simply has to go back and watch that match.

In a 1-0 victory for Mikel Arteta’s side, Holding shook off some early nerves to put in a commanding display at the back. As per Sofascore, he made three clearances, blocked two shots (a team-high), and made one interception, whilst he also had a 100% success rate on duels challenged on the ground.

Speaking later in January about the 6 foot 2 ace, Arteta said: “He is a very interesting player, very focused, very determined and very willing to learn. Obviously the fact he has been out for such a long time, he is lacking competition now and lacking that rhythm. We need to try to give him as much as possible to help him. He is a player that is going to be very valuable for us.”

If Leeds continue to face roadblocks in their pursuit of White this summer, then Orta must go after Holding, who offers plenty of Premier League experience and has shown first-hand what he can do against the team too.

Having signed from Ruch Chorzow back in January 2019, Mateusz Bogusz has found himself on the periphery of the first-team picture at Leeds United, making just two appearances.

The 19-year-old has yet to make a start for the Whites in league football, with his sole 90 minutes coming in the Carabao Cup. Despite the lack of game-time, Marcelo Bielsa’s side handed Bogusz a new contract earlier in the summer, tying him down until 2023.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

With the international break in full flow, the starlet looked impressive as he scored twice in Poland U21’s 6-0 thrashing of Estonia on Friday evening.

And after seeing his goal-scoring display, Leeds fans took to Twitter to hail the youngster.

A couple of fans even wondered why Bogusz isn’t in the starting line-up already at Elland Road.

With Bogusz seeing very little game-time in the Championship, it’s difficult to see how Bielsa will include him when the Premier League gets underway next week.

The Carabao Cup could again be where Leeds fans see the Polish prodigy in action, and with him only being 19, there’s still plenty of time for him to blossom into a regular for Bielsa in the coming years.

Needless to say, Everton have been on fire lately. Carlo Ancelotti is adamant on building a strong and competitive team for the upcoming 2020/21 Premier League campaign and so far, he’s done a great job.

Not only have the Toffees secured a couple of huge signings that could give them a boost next season but they are not ready to stop just yet either.

According to the newest reports from ESPN, the Toffees are close to landing Chelsea’s Fikayo Tomori on a season-long loan deal. Of course, this is not the first time we hear about Ancelotti’s interest in the 22-year-old talent but it seems he is quite serious in the attempt to lure him to Goodison Park.

But Everton are not nearly the only ones looking into that option. The same source confirms the likes of Rennes and Newcastle United are also in the queue for his signature but the Blues are now in pole position to get the deal over the line.

Nothing is set in stone just yet, however, but it seems that Ancelotti is in a comfortable situation as of right now. Following the incredible signings of Allan, James Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucoure, Chelsea’s youngster would indeed round off a fantastic run in the market.

Still, we will have to wait and see whether Tomori truly ends up arriving at Goodison Park and if so, what exactly can he bring to the table.

Either way, exciting times lie ahead for the Toffees.

Verdict

Even though he enjoyed a great spell under Frank Lampard on loan at Derby County and to a certain extent at Chelsea as well, Tomori did not play a single minute since the restart, his last game being the 2-2 draw vs Bournemouth on February 29.

So maybe another loan could indeed be what both parties would want for the youngster and surely a boost for Everton in their chase.

Leeds United face one of the toughest tests they’ll be up against all season this weekend as they host Manchester City at Elland Road.

Pep Guardiola’s side have been one of the dominant forces in world football over the past few years, breaking all sorts of records and consistently picking up silverware each season.

Unfortunately for Leeds, they will be without one of their most important players on Saturday evening as Jack Harrison will be ineligible to play against his parent club, meaning United will have to look towards an alternative.

Marcelo Bielsa has hinted that Ezgjan Alioski will take Harrison’s place, and with the Macedonian struggling for game time so far this season, this will be a huge opportunity for him to stake a claim for a place in the XI.

However, this chance may have come along at the worst possible time, because playing against Manchester City is always a mammoth task.

Both Alioski and Stuart Dallas are able to play as either a left-back or a left-midfielder, so Bielsa could end up playing the Macedonian in either role, but no matter which spot he ends up in, his job will prove incredibly difficult.

He may be tasked with defending Riyad Mahrez, a man in hot form, getting a goal and an assist in his first league appearance of the season against Leicester, while generally being one of the trickiest wingers in the division, contributing to 20 league goals last term.

Or, he may be tasked with trying to attack down Kyle Walker’s side, which is another nigh on impossible task with the England international remaining one of the strongest defenders in the division, being dribbled past just once so far this season.

The Macedonian has his admirers, indeed Danny Mills raved about his form a year ago, praising his “infectious” attitude (Football Insider).

But he is set for a baptism of fire no matter where he is deployed if he is given his first ever Premier League start at the weekend, and he may end up struggling to make the most of taking this chance to cement himself as a regular starter in Bielsa’s XI.

In other news, this Spurs star should try and force through a move to Leeds…

There isn’t long left in the transfer window, and Leeds United are still chasing that elusive central midfielder that they’ve been chasing all summer long.

At one point it looked like Rodrigo De Paul was going to come in, then the Michael Cuisance deal seemed to be all but done before falling apart. But with United failing to bring in either of those players, they’re still in need of a midfielder.

They have been linked with a number of options with some reports stating that a bid has gone in for Jose Campana.

However, with Leeds there is always the fear that they’re going to mess things up, and one of the more worrying links that has emerged is to Cagliari’s Nahitan Nandez.

The Uruguayan was reportedly subject of a £30m bid from the Whites, and while that was rejected, the interest is supposedly still there.

Unfortunately, a look at Nandez’s statistical makeup shows that he’d be the opposite of what Marcelo Bielsa needs from his midfielders.

Leeds are at their best when they dominate possession, romping home to the Championship title with an average possession of 59.6%, and while that has fallen to 53.4% so far this season, keeping the ball is still key to Leeds’ success, and in order to do that, you need midfielders who can make passes.

Nandez isn’t that type of player, he has a pass success rate of under 80% for each of his last two seasons, with this season’s rate sitting at 77.4%, meaning that 22.6% of his passes don’t find the mark.

When you consider Serie A’s reputation of being a slower league where players get more time on the ball, this becomes even more concerning, and his pass success rate actually dropped below 70% in the Copa America, where the more intense South American style saw him pressurised a lot more.

You could excuse this poor record if he was always looking to play risky, defence-splitting passes that sometimes don’t come off, but he averaged just one key pass per game last season, racking up just three assists.

Nandez just doesn’t seem like the type of player Bielsa needs in the heart of his midfield, especially in the high-octane environment of the Premier League.

Celtic may face a battle to keep one of Neil Lennon’s stars this winter after fresh reports emerged this weekend…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Ligue 1 outfit Nice are hot on the trail of Hoops midfielder Ryan Christie and are plotting a move for him during the January transfer window.

They value the Scotsman at £10m but believe they could snag him for cheaper as he enters the final 18 months of his contract at Parkhead.

It’s claimed that Premier League duo Burnley and Newcastle United are also interested.

Shades of Armstrong

Whilst £10m could prove to be a tempting sum of money, Peter Lawwell would be doing Lennon a disservice by sanctioning such an exit, hasn’t he learned from past errors?

When the Bhoys sold Stuart Armstrong to Southampton for £7m in the summer of 2018, they soon lacked his creative and goalscoring influence from midfield, and in some ways they still do.

Christie has scored three goals and provided seven assists in all competitions already this season, via Transfermarkt, so it’s no surprise to see clubs begin to circle like eagles but selling him would mean they are back at square one for that number ten role.

David Turnbull is still bedding in at Parkhead whilst Lennon clearly doesn’t fancy Olivier Ntcham enough to start regularly.

The 25-year-old attacking midfielder is one of Lennon’s favourites and that much is seen in the high praise handed out in the past, even once comparing his star man to Kevin De Bruyne.

“His energy’s fantastic, his enthusiasm’s fantastic but more than anything it’s his quality. The quality of the ball for the second goal is De Bruyne-esque.”

Even Armstrong himself sees just how important Christie is, praising him during the last international break, adding: “He’s taken it to another level with Celtic and has been fantastic.  Even in the European games, he excels. He has so much energy. His technique is spot-on, especially his first touch at speed – that’s incredible. He just poses that attacking threat that every player likes to have. He’s a great player to have in our team.”

Lawwell simply cannot even think about this sale – only if they receive a club-record fee, perhaps.

AND in other news, Celtic can plan for life without Scott Brown with move for SPFL sensation…

Glasgow Rangers ace Joe Aribo marked his return from injury with his second goal of the 2020-21 season to help secure three points at Ibrox.

Aribo, 24, was ruled out for a couple of months after he suffered an injury against St. Johnstone in August. But the 4-cap Nigeria international made an appearance as a substitute as he replaced Scott Arfield against Celtic in the closing stages of the first Old Firm derby of the season, before he came off the bench in the 2-0 win over Standard Liege in the Europa League.

Steven Gerrard rewarded him for his efforts with his first start in over two months on Sunday afternoon. And Aribo returned the favour as he opened the scoring against Livingston, with the win meaning Rangers have moved six points clear of their arch-rivals Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership table. Jermain Defoe’s initial shot was blocked but Aribo remained unmarked and he slotted home the opener from six yards outside the goal.

Rangers assistant manager Gary McAllister praised the “very talented” player for his performance and physical condition, as quoted by the Glasgow Times.

He said: “We are all big fans of Joe Aribo here, I think he has been missed. Visually, he looks in a good place as far as where his body shape is.”

“He is in great nick. He has probably put a wee bit of muscle on his upper body.

“We expect big things from Joe. He’s a very talented player. And he can play in two or three different positions. We are pleased to get him back on the pitch.”

SofaScore gave Aribo a high grade of 7.1 – he completed 29 out of 33 passes in total at a pass accuracy rating of 88%, whilst he won four out of nine ground duels, took one shot on target, and completed two out of three dribble attempts, as well as made one tackle and three clearances, which shows that he put in a defensive shift as well.

Similarly, GlasgowLive gave him a grade of 7/10, claiming he “announced his return to the starting XI with a goal and showed plenty of energy throughout. Not quite at full speed yet but a strong performance given his injury lay-off.”

If this performance is anything, Aribo, who currently earns wages worth £8k-per-week, could be giving Gerrard a big headache, as Scott Arfield has also impressed in recent weeks, whilst Bongani Zungu still has not made his first-team debut despite the fact he arrived at the Ibrox outfit on transfer deadline day.

Surely there is no better way to show the boss what you can do than by scoring upon your return to the starting line-up. Full marks from us.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers ace Ianis Hagi sends Gerrard timely reminder with masterclass vs Livingston…

According to a recent update by The Sun, West Ham are eyeing a cut-price move for Lyon star Moussa Dembele – with David Moyes and the club supposedly on red alert as the Ligue 1 giants prepare to sell their striker. 

Dembele, who has bagged 31 goals in two seasons for Lyon in the league alone, could now depart the Groupama Stadium with West Ham touted as one of the clubs interested in a move.

After Michail Antonio’s most recent injury blow, questions have been asked surrounding the Hammers’ strength in depth and whether signing another forward should be one of Moyes’ top priorities.

Reacting to this Sun report, plenty of West Ham fans have had their say over swooping for Dembele.

While some hint that a move is unlikely, others have swooned over the mere idea of the Hammers putting pen to paper on a deal for the Frenchman – tipping the ‘absolute monster’ to ‘displace Antonio’.

Find all of the best verdicts here.

Fans swoon over Dembele

In other news: ExWHUemployee has dropped a behind the scenes claim on this ‘fantastic’ Moyes signing, find out more here.