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Former England great looks forward to return Down Under, with a vital role to play in Ashes challenge

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Oct-2025Andrew Flintoff played for England in just one Ashes tour, standing in as captain for the injured Michael Vaughan in 2006-07, as Australia regained the urn with a 5-0 drubbing. This winter, 19 years on, he returns in a different role, as head coach of the Lions, and with far more optimism.Arriving in Perth on Monday, Flintoff’s charges will be sparring partners with England as they look to regain the urn for the first time since 2015. They will provide vital opposition in the sole warm-up match at Lilac Hill, a three-day match ahead of the series opener at Optus Stadium on November 21, before embarking on their own tour which runs parallel to the first two Tests.The onus on supplementing the Test squad means the travelling party will feature six players – Rehan Ahmed, Jordan Cox, Matt Fisher, Josh Hull, Tom Hartley and Sonny Baker – with England caps. The Lions will have ringside seats to one of the most high-profile Ashes bouts in recent history – some could even find themselves tagged in for a few rounds.”I think it’s exciting all round,” Flintoff tells ESPNcricinfo at Loughborough, where the Lions have been training in an outdoor tent on pitches tailored to replicate those in Australia. “A couple of injuries and there might be opportunities.”Even for everyone, going to Australia for an Ashes year? Alright, you’re not at the same venues, but you’re going to be in and around Perth for the first Test. In Brisbane for the second. You’re going to experience the atmosphere being in Australia, all the hype around it.”I must admit, when I went and it didn’t go well, it was a bit of a shock. It was completely different to anything. But these lads are going to experience all these things, and they’re going to have the opportunity to practice with the England lads. Me included – I’m going to have a good day at the Ashes and watch England play. It’s all good.”The Lions’ fixtures, by design, will also offer those who miss out on Test selection time in the middle, should it be required. Four-day matches against a CA XI and Australia A begin a day after the start of the Perth and Brisbane Tests, with a fixture against a Prime Minister’s XI sandwiched in between.This is not the first time the Lions have shadowed England at the start of a major series. Next year, a red-ball series has been organised in South Africa ahead of next winter’s tour which features Tests, ODIs and T20Is. It is a continuation of more joined-up thinking throughout the national pathway, with the Lions now more of a bridge than ever before. It is something Rob Key was quick to reinforce when he took on men’s managing director duties at the start of the 2022 summer.Ed Barney has been the ECB’s performance director since 2023•England & GB Hockey”There’s a deep connection from top to bottom,” says Ed Barney, who followed Mo Bobat as men’s performance director in December 2023, a year before Flintoff became Lions head coach. “All credit to Keysy; he’s not a big process man, and I dont think he’d mind us talking to that too much. But one of the things he does believe in is alignment in terms of philosophy … playing philosophy.”There’s a natural level of alignment between Brendon McCullum, Fred and Michael Yardy (Under-19 coach), fundamentally. Some of the skills and attributes that we value and go after, and the understanding of international cricket. That’s unique in international elite sport.””We’re all in this together, aren’t we?” adds Flintoff. “We want the best for English cricket.”I look at the way England operate and I feel so fortunate to be involved in it, with Keysy, Baz, Ben [Stokes] and now Harry [Brook]. It’s a culture which I think is the right way to go about it. It’s all about expression, fun, backing each other, creating an environment, but underpinned from hard work.”Let’s be honest, I tried it every which way as a player. But it was no secret that the way it worked best was hard work, from a physical point of view, from a practice point of view, and also enjoying it. That should never be underestimated. I want these lads to enjoy playing cricket.”Flintoff and Barney have complementary experiences. The former was one of England’s most talismanic cricketers, the latter worked as performance director for England and Great Britain hockey, and was previously at the ECB from 2010 and 2013 as a talent indentification scientist.”Ed’s not from a cricket background, but he’s got an understanding of cricket,” says Flintoff. Barney interjects: “I’ve got a PhD in cricket, mate.””Have you?” comes the reply. “I’ve got an MBE”.Their combination has seen a re-imagining of what the Lions should – and could – be. While previously seen nominally as “England A” – the next-best set of players in the country – it is now a hybrid entity, dexterous enough to facilitate the differing needs of a variety of cricketers.Eddie Jack is one of the ‘high potential’ fast bowlers within the Lions set-up•Getty ImagesAt the start of the year, Shoaib Bashir toured Australia with the Lions to get a head start on what bowling off-spin over there requires. Stokes used an Abu Dhabi training camp in pre-season for some warm-weather rehabilitation as he returned from a second hamstring tear. In the summer, Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue played for the Lions to tune up for the India Test series, while Jofra Archer and Mark Wood were in regular attendance at various training sessions doubling as mentors. Bashir, having been overlooked by Somerset at the end of the season, attended a spin camp held at Loughborough overseen by legendary Sri Lankan batter Kumar Sangakkara.While the majority of the Ashes squad have been training in New Zealand alongside the ongoing white-ball series, Bashir, Ollie Pope and Matthew Potts have been in the UK with the Lions. Woakes, having retired from international cricket earlier this month, was on hand this week to do some coaching.At the other end of the spectrum, there are “high potential” picks and those fresh to the set-up. Six-foot-four quick Eddie Jack features, having come close to joining the full squad in the build-up to the Headingley Test against India before an injury crisis at Hampshire scuppered those plans. Somerset’s precocious 17-year-old batter Thomas Rew is an early graduate of the U19s. Glamorgan’s Asa Tribe, with five ODIs and 26 T20Is for Jersey, is getting his first exposure to the pathway.

It’s a culture which is all about expression, fun, backing each other, creating an environment, but underpinned from hard workFlintoff on the ethos that fuels England’s set-up across squads

Crossover with established talent and up-and-comers is encouraged, even on the fly. During one session in the Loughborough tent earlier this month, Kent and England U19 batter Ben Dawkins, who attends the university, was given a surprise hour-and-a-half-long net against Stokes and Wood as part of their Ashes preparations.The malleability of the set-up is held up as a strength, and Flintoff takes pride in the way it has boosted the careers of up-and-coming fast bowlers. Baker and Jack, for instance, were handed first-class debuts by the Lions before they had represented Hampshire in the format. Similarly, Mitchell Stanley’s bowling workload increased from 32 overs in 2024 to 331 in 2025 (all formats and miscellaneous matches). Stanley finished the season by taking 11 wickets for Lancashire against Kent, made up of his first two first-class five-wicket hauls. All three are part of the ECB’s pace project, established last year to mould the next tranche of quicks.”One of the nice things about this job is you give someone their first-class debut in Australia, he takes wickets and then there’s the pride when he makes his England debut,” says Flintoff of Baker.Matthew Fisher is one of the quicks who will be on stand-by for the Ashes•SLC”Eddie Jack, we gave him his debut (against India A) and he gets Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel and Nithish Kumar Reddy. This is a lad that had never played red-ball.”Mitch Stanley, I saw him bowl in the nets at Old Trafford when they signed him a few years ago. He was off a few paces and I thought, ‘wow, look at this’. Then he goes back to Lancashire and takes 11-for. It makes you think, ‘maybe we are doing something right here’.”Barney goes deeper on Stanley as a testament to the program: “That’s an exceptional win in terms of what Lancashire have been able to do and our ability to work collaboratively with them off the back of Australia (at the start of the year). Sitting down and mapping out a plan and seeing that play through.”As ever, collaboration with the counties is a must. A meeting with the respective directors of cricket in London three weeks ago was used as a debrief of how the summer panned out, sharing notes and future plans. After Australia, the Lions head to India for a spin camp that will also feature fast bowlers, before a white-ball series against Pakistan Shaheens in Abu Dhabi that coincides with several counties also being in the UAE for their pre-seasons.It is no secret that there has been a degree of conflict between the county game and the ECB’s high-performance aims, the current example being the mooted binning-off of the Kookaburra ball, originally introduced in the County Championship to promote fast bowling. Barney believes the Lions can facilitate a healthier relationship between the two.”County cricket is where it’s played,” says Flintoff. “But to play international cricket is different. We’re trying to fill that gap, whether it’s using the Kookaburra ball more. Playing on different surfaces. Spin camps where Kumar Sangakkara comes down. Going to Australia where the ball bounces a lot more, and giving them games for what they might face playing for England.”Barney adds: “The reality is, the domestic game has a choice to make, as to whether it wants to align itself with producing future international players, or whether it wants to be more orientated towards a product that is recognised and valued by the game or the membership.Related

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“Lions cricket can adapt and, to a certain extent, respond to that. I don’t think it’s a problem at all. What we want to have is some consistency of contact time, so we’ll talk to these guys about how this is not just an Australia tour, this is a six-month period where we want to work with you consistently.”At the turn of the year, the focus turns to limited-overs cricket with a view to 2027’s ODI World Cup, as England look to reinvigorate their ailing white-ball fortunes.Amid the cultivation of new talent, there will be an eye on three crucial player types – spinners, finishers and seam-bowling allrounders for all formats. The ECB have depth charts on all of them, with Yorkshire allrounder Matthew Revis put forward as an example of the kind of player they are looking to challenge and grow.”There are a multitude of skills and areas we are wanting to succession plan well for,” says Barney. “Whether that is power-hitting and finishing with the white ball and players who are able to thrive in that role for 2027. Who is Adil Rashid’s successor? Or Liam Dawson from a left-arm point of view?”There is a real orientation to who are our pace-bowling allrounders in the future, both in red-ball and white-ball cricket. Revis has got some real strength to his batting, where can we get his bowling to?””It’s not a new thing, is it, searching for an allrounder?” Flintoff says, knowingly. “Geez, we’ve had a few good ‘uns.”

Rest of India lost a wicket off the first ball of the third day of the Irani Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2025
Vidarbha strengthened their grip on the Irani Cup fixture by taking a sizeable first-innings lead against Rest of India and then extending it to 224 on the third day in Nagpur.The day began with Rest of India on 142 for 5 in response to Vidarbha’s 342, with their captain Rajat Patidar and Manav Suthar at the crease. Vidarbha fast bowler Aditya Thakare struck with the first ball of the day, dismissing Suthar lbw after successfully reviewing the umpire’s not-out decision.Yash Thakur took the next two wickets, bowling Saransh Jain with a yorker and having Akash Deep caught at cover. Patidar had resumed his innings on 42 and got to 66 with ten boundaries before he was the penultimate wicket to fall – caught off fast bowler Harsh Dubey while trying to clear the long-off boundary.Thakur picked up the final wicket to dismiss Rest of India for 214, finishing with figures of 4 for 66 and giving Vidarbha a first-innings lead of 128.Vidarbha’s openers Atharva Taide and Aman Mokhade put on 42 for the first wicket in the second innings before Taide holed out to deep midwicket off Suthar. Mokhade fell for 37 in the 24th over, caught behind while trying to hook Gurnoor Brar. From 64 for 2, Dhruv Shorey and Danish Malewar steered Vidarbha to 96 at stumps, ahead by 224 runs with eight wickets in hand.

Crushing loss in Hamilton cannot dent celebration of series win, ahead of blockbuster 2025

Vithushan Ehantharajah18-Dec-2024Two blokes walk into a pub in Hamilton.One is wearing Ben Stokes’ batting gloves, having donned them for the 10-minute scooter ride from Seddon Park, where he had obtained them from England’s Test captain. The other is wearing Brydon Carse’s Test jumper – a surprisingly good fit considering he was giving up about a foot in height to the Durham seamer.Punters revelling in freshly-acquired souvenirs felt like an sound allegory for the journey this England team has embarked upon in 2024. Their joint-busiest year of Test cricket has provided room for a regeneration. Of the 24 players have been used, seven had the honour of wearing that kit for the very first time.Each has seized their chance in different ways across a variety of roles. Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith and Carse have made themselves immediate first-teamers. Jacob Bethell’s assuredness over the last month has brought on a pleasing headache. Shoaib Bashir, for all his pluck, remains a work in progress.The new year offers more bucketlist moments for a new-look team, with India at home and Australia away. For those at the opposite end of the spectrum, 2025 promises to be a legacy year. Defining for the project Stokes and Brendon McCullum have embarked upon together. Legend-lifting for Joe Root. Status-deciding for Harry Brook. “Get a ticket early,” urged McCullum, as much to supporters as the cricketers desperate to be in the mix for those blockbuster events.Shoaib Bashir benefitted from Stokes’ empathetic captaincy in India, but that trait was misplaced in Pakistan•Joe Allison/Getty ImagesGetting excited about all that can wait. On Tuesday, much like those two punters, England were celebrating. It did not take them long to shed the frustration of a 423-run defeat in the third Test. Coolers of drinks made their way onto the field not long after the broadcast cameras were switched off. A first series win in New Zealand since 2008 was toasted, before morphing into a celebration of Tim Southee’s retirement. Both teams mingled late into the day, before everyone piled into the home dressing room. Games were played – namely “Zimmy Zimmy”, a staple of university students, essentially ‘pass the parcel’ based on rhythm and numbers – before goodbyes were said.Such geniality between these two teams is nothing new, of course. Nor is an England team’s affinity with the gorgeous vistas and range of outdoor activities (not just golf) this country provides. But while the extra-curricular parts of 2023’s New Zealand tour felt like a bit of a lads holiday – camaraderie high on the agenda ahead of that summer’s Ashes – this was more of a spa retreat.A Queenstown base to start, the odd course along the way, and encouraging players to take the scenic route from Wellington to Hamilton to enjoy the best of what the North Island has to offer after establishing an unassailable 2-0 lead in Wellington. England achieved the primary objective of this trip, but they also ticked off a secondary: de-stressing from a wearying 12 months.The 4-1 loss in India at the start of the year crushed a few older souls, the 2-1 loss to Pakistan on the other side of the home summer tested newer spirits. It was during the former that Stokes realised the team needed more dynamism. And as much as that would come from a refresh, his return as a functional allrounder would be integral to that.Fast forward to Pakistan and Stokes’ obsession to get back to the “old him” had reached untenable levels. By his own admission, he had “ruined” himself by ramping up his own training levels after a left hamstring tear in August had wiped out the hard work of the previous six months.Brydon Carse has inked himself into England’s first XI after some thrilling displays as the third seamer•Getty ImagesHe was tetchy, off the pace as captain and, worst of all, had lost the empathetic perspective that had been a vital crutch for his leadership. A trait all the more important given the number of players new to the environment.Stokes has been able to rediscover his emotional equilibrium on this trip. He came out to Christchurch ahead of time to surprise his family, many of whom, including his mother Deb, were in attendance at Hagley Oval for pretty much every ball of the first Test. Time with loved ones has perhaps brought a reminder for perspective. Reflections of his captaincy came in the weeks following the Pakistan series, and subtle changes have been made. Even with the recurrence of his hamstring injury, the 33-year-old seems to be in a much healthier place.Perhaps the most interesting strand of 2024 to tug at is the other side of the personnel transition. Punting on young “unproven” talents is the easy bit. The hard part has been moving on the established ones.James Anderson was the highest profile example of this. A necessary parting of ways, conducted via an uneasy hotel meeting, meant that Stokes, McCullum and managing director Rob Key came with a good deal of heat from all corners (including the man himself, of course). The silver lining for Anderson is, much like Southee this week, he got closure. The others have not been quite so lucky.Related

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Jonny Bairstow was parked after notching 100 caps at Dharamsala in February. The 2022 Bazball poster boy will enter the new year as a dead weight on the central contract list until October, without any clarity on whether his international future is actually over. Similarly, Ben Foakes sat out the last six months of his deal as Smith came in to offer the best parts of both keeper-batters.Ollie Robinson, once regarded as a vital cog in the Anderson-Broad succession plan, has also not been seen since that tour, He is unlikely to feature again under the current regime, as much through losing the trust of McCullum and Stokes as the emergence of Atkinson.Even serial reserve batter Dan Lawrence seems to have run his race after underperforming as a fill-in opener in the Sri Lanka series when Zak Crawley broke his finger. It was a thankless task in an unfamiliar role – both of which Bethell has excelled in the last month.Ollie Pope finishes 2024 with his place in jeopardy despite launching it with a hall-of-fame innings in Hyderabad•Getty ImagesIndeed Bethell has now brought a further awkward conversation around Ollie Pope. A man who started the year with a star-turn in the heist of Hyderabad now finds himself at a peculiar juncture in his international career.England’s vice-captain is a team man in a team of team men. His initial play for the No.3 spot was a way of getting into the XI, but as his stint has gone on, there has been a growing sense his presence in the role has been for the benefit of others. It allows Root to remain at four, and Brook at five. Just as importantly, Pope’s average remains above 40 in that position.But Pope’s selflessness is also why he now finds himself in a conundrum. There was no surprise when he took the hit of moving down the order to No.6 for this series, so that he could keep following the injury to Jordan Cox. Stokes in particular lauded him for doing what was best for the team. But the vacancy allowed Bethell to state an all-too-attractive case.It is a case that does not have to be answered for a good few months, given England’s next Test is not until May. But it is remarkable to think a player who began 2024 with a hall-of-fame innings and went on to captain four Tests in the middle is now ending it with such uncertainty.Alas, that is international sport. And the growing pains of a revamp are these necessary evils – tough decisions that, in the case of Pope, might seem contrary to the team’s promoted values of backing players unequivocally, ridding them of fear and rewarding their loyalty.Therein lies the main takeaway from this year. The results read nine wins and eight defeats, but majority of the year post-India has been about revitalization and amending the broad brushstrokes of the first two years.Stokes and the England team might not like the word “ruthless”, but there is no better word to describe the mentality they will need to adopt as 2024 comes to a close. With India and Australia on the horizon, 2025 will be about winning at all costs.

Manchester United are interested in completing the signing of Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher in the January transfer window.

The Red Devils may have found some real form for the first time under Ruben Amorim, but it is also clear that midfield reinforcements are needed, whether that be in January or next summer.

Casemiro feels almost certain to leave United at the end of the season despite finding his goalscoring boots recently, departing when his contract expires, so bringing in a younger alternative to marshal the troops in front of the defence is key.

There is also a general lack of midfield depth for Amorim to call upon, with the club’s 20th most expensive signing Manuel Ugarte struggling to be a convincing signing since arriving, and Mason Mount continuing to be an injury-prone figure.

Gallagher has been linked with a move to United in the past, with the England international considering a potential addition, and now a new update has emerged on a move to Old Trafford.

Man Utd want to seal Conor Gallagher signing

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano claimed that Manchester United remain interested in signing Gallagher on loan from Atletico, with a January move possible.

“I told you several times that Man United want to add a midfielder, but in this moment to go for a very expensive midfielder in the January transfer window might be difficult. Players like (Carlos) Baleba maybe are not even available.

“Same for Angelo Stiller and then there could be opportunities – a name that Manchester United considered in the summer transfer window final days was Connor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid. Conor Gallagher remains an option in case Atletico Madrid decide to open doors to a loan move. At the moment Gallagher is only focused on Atletico Madrid.

“Manchester United’s interest is genuine since August. But Gallagher is one of the options they have in case it could be an opportunity on loan, in case it can be a typical general deal. So we will be following the situation. But Gallagher is a name we have to keep there.”

There is plenty to admire about Gallagher for United, not least the fact that he already has so much Premier League experience from his Chelsea and Crystal Palace days, during which Frank Lampard called his work rate “amazing”.

The 25-year-old has made 136 appearances in the competition, while Atletico’s legendary manager Diego Simeone has lauded his intense style of play.

‘It’s never easy for players coming from England to adapt to the Spanish championship, to the language. He has competed very well in different places and in positions where he doesn’t feel more comfortable. He will evolve, he has room for growth. He is very intense in offensive and defensive play, he brings a lot to us.”

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Gallagher would bring much-needed legs to United’s midfield, potentially proving to be an upgrade on Ugarte, and he has the team ethic to be a popular figure at Old Trafford from the off. The fact that he has only managed two La Liga starts this season also means he could be open for a new challenge.

Man Utd's future "£100m+ footballer" is another Casemiro in the making

After the success of Harry Amass on loan, Sheffield Wednesday have now reportedly set their sights on signing Gabriele Biancheri and Victor Musa from Manchester United in January.

The Owls are slowly but surely solving the problems left behind by Dejphon Chansiri and now have plenty of reason to be optimistic after clearing debts owed on deals for Yan Valery and Ike Ugbo.

According to The Star’s Alex Miller, with those debts cleared, Sheffield Wednesday’s FIFA transfer restriction has been lifted and they’ll be in a position to sign players at long last in January. What’s more, those at Hillsborough are still waiting for a verdict from the EFL on lifting their ban on signing free agents in what would be a major boost.

Whilst Championship safety remains a mere fantasy after their 12-point deduction, Sheffield Wednesday at least have the chance to drag their rivals down with them after the international break, given that Sheffield United sit as low as 22nd as things stand.

Victory over their rivals in the Steel City derby would take the Owls within two points of reaching the positives again and manager Henrik Pedersen, who is already looking forward to the game – telling reporters: “Oh I am looking forward.

“You can see from the players, from the fans, the energy is good. We are together with a lot of hope for the future and when we see the boys at Southampton, they don’t work hard enough for the three goals, but away at Southampton there were so many good things.”

Off the pitch, meanwhile, the manager will have the chance to welcome some much-needed reinforcements in January, which could start with two more Man United gems.

Sheffield Wednesday targeting Musa and Biancheri

According to transfer reporter Graeme Bailey, Sheffield Wednesday are now targeting Victor Musa and Gabriele Biancheri at Man United following the success of Amass’ loan deal this season. The left-back has started all 11 of Sheffield Wednesday’s Championship games and even scored his first goal for the club against Southampton last time out.

Now turning back to Old Trafford, the Owls could land two more impressive talents. Both 19-year-old strikers, Biancheri has scored four goals in seven Premier League 2 games so far this season and has enjoyed a better season than Musa, who is yet to score.

As a result of his recent rise, it’s Biancheri who has earned the most praise with Canada boss Jesse Marsch telling reporters after inviting the forward to join the country’s training camp in June: “He’s a dynamic player. He’s very good around the goal. You can see he’s an intelligent player.

“He’s a version of Jonathan David. He’s not exactly the same player but he’s a striker that can play up on the backline and is also good at coming underneath and connecting plays and being part of the build-up phase.”

Sheffield Wednesday takeover latest

Back-to-back wins for Tottenham Hotspur. What is this? Yes, we know, shock horror, right?

Thomas Frank’s time in charge of the Lilywhites has not been smooth sailing so far and prior to Spurs’ win over Brentford last weekend, they had not won a game of football since the end of October.

November was a horror month for Frank, one that already raised questions about his future. However, the north Londoners are now on the right track again and they have Xavi Simons to thank for two inspirational displays in the last two games.

Xavi Simons' Spurs turnaround

While Simons’ goal against Slavia Prague in their 3-0 win on Tuesday came from the penalty spot, this has been a much-improved few days for the Dutchman who appears to be coming good in Spurs colours at long last.

Simons also found the net in the win over Brentford on Saturday and appears to be a lot happier with how things are going now.

Speaking after the game, the Netherlands international said: “It is really nice to score the goals, but feeling great on the pitch, that is the most important for me and I’m enjoying it. So, really happy to be in this moment.”

Also making an appearance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday was club legend, Son Heung-min.

The South Korean left Spurs behind in the summer for a new adventure with LAFC in MLS and he was back in England this week to finally wave goodbye to fans after a decade of service.

Simons commented: “I didn’t meet Son (before) personally and now a little bit. He is a big legend for the club and it’s a real pleasure for me to take this number and build my own legacy, so really happy to meet him.”

Son waves farewell to Spurs

Son scored 173 goals in 454 appearances for Spurs, with his final competitive appearance in the historic Europa League triumph over Manchester United back in May.

The South Korean paraded the trophy around the stadium days after that victory in Bilbao, but left in pre-season to sign for LAFC. Thus, he did not have the chance to say goodbye until this week.

An emotional evening started with Son’s mural being unveiled on the High Road before he spoke to the crowd and promised, “I will always be Spurs.”

Speaking to Korean media after, he stated: “First of all, I’m happy to be back in a place where I spent my youth and is like a home. I’m so grateful that so many fans welcomed me and cheered for me. It was a little hard (on Monday) because the flight time was longer than I thought, but I had a really happy day. Thank you so much.”

Mathys Tel, who was only drafted into Spurs’ Champions League squad this week as a replacement for the injured Dominic Solanke, was delighted to see Son.

Tel added: “Sonny is like my big brother. He is always texting me, his support is always behind me, so back in the Champions League, we won and Sonny was there… a lot of good things. Sonny is a big legend at Tottenham, so when a guy like Sonny comes after he did everything, you give everything for him.”

Spurs star showed why he could become a "future £100m" player vs Slavia

Tottenham Hotspur have yet another gem on their hands after the victory over Slavia Prague.

ByEthan Lamb 2 days ago

Chelsea have held talks with one of Europe’s brightest young attacking talents and made their plan for him crystal clear, with the Blues getting a response to their serious interest.

Chelsea's plan to sign 'more Estevaos' as Blues target rising stars

BlueCo’s recruitment strategy remains firmly focused on acquiring world football’s brightest prospects before they reach superstar status, with several teenage sensations already lined up to follow in Estevao’s footsteps at Stamford Bridge.

The Brazilian wonderkid’s dazzling performances this season highlight the success of Chelsea’s approach to signing elite young talent with modest salaries.

Estevao chose Chelsea over rumoured interest from Real Madrid, PSG and Barcelona after the club spent three years of scouting, ultimately going for him ahead of Endrick, who’s since endured a torrid time at the Bernabeu by contrast.

The 18-year-old was convinced by Chelsea’s project and the playing opportunities available in London (Sky Sports), with more players like him due in West London very soon.

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He’s admired up and down the Premier League.

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Emilio Galantini

Dec 2, 2025

Sporting Lisbon winger Geovany Quenda, who’s been called ‘the next Cristiano Ronaldo’ by Portuguese media sources, arrives next summer following a March agreement worth up to £40 million, with the young forward viewed as another potential game-changer.

Joining Quenda will be two 17-year-olds — Kairat Almaty forward Dastan Satpaev and Corinthians left back Denner — with Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha also coming to Cobham next year.

Looking even further ahead, 16-year-old Ecuadorian centre-back Deinner Ordonez is scheduled to arrive from Independiente del Valle in January 2028, so Chelsea are very much planning for the future.

As the Blues plot to secure ‘more Estevaos’, in the words of Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol that is, TEAMtalk now bring news of yet another rising star attracting Chelsea’s attention.

Chelsea hold talks with Austrian starlet Johannes Moser

That man is 17-year-old attacking midfielder Johannes Moser.

The teenager was one of the standout stars at the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar recently, taking home the Golden Boot after a remarkable tournament which saw him bag eight goals during Austria’s route to the final against Portugal.

Moser was also named Runner-Up in the Player of the Tournament Award, taking home the Silver Ball, and he’s already clocked 13 senior appearances for FC Liefering in the Austrian second division.

All signs point towards him being a real one to watch in the coming years, and TT state that he has ’emerged as one of the finest teenage attacking players in mainland Europe’.

According to their information, Chelsea have also held talks with Moser and his representatives in a bid to convince the versatile forward to join them, alongside Man City.

Enzo Maresca’s side went as far as presenting their plan for Moser to develop as a player under the BlueCo umbrella, but TT also report some bad news on that front.

Indeed, at least for now, the Austrian is apparently set to snub both Chelsea and City’s interest in favour of remaining at Liefering, specifically the Red Bull Group, to further his development.

Liefering, who are Red Bull Salzburg’s reserve team, have managed to hold on to Moser thanks to Red Bull making it clear that his pathway into the Salzburg first team is ‘already in place’.

While a move to the Premier League is off the cards for now, the wunderkind’s sky-high potential means we shouldn’t rule out another English swoop in future.

The format of the WTC discourages defensive cricket, and that has made Test matches look and feel very different to what they were – the story in numbers

Sampath Bandarupalli07-Jun-2025In November 2015, South Africa lost an away Test series for the first time in nearly a decade when they went 2-0 down after three of the four Tests in India.In the final Test, a dead rubber in Delhi, South Africa focused solely on playing for a draw instead of trying to get a consolation win when set a target of 481 in five full sessions. To achieve that, they scored 143 runs in 143.1 overs. They were on track for the longest time, but then lost their last five wickets in just 31 balls after tea on the final day. Morne Morkel was the fastest scorer with a strike rate of 33.33.No team in the 152-year history of Test cricket has gone that long while scoring as slowly.Fast forward ten years, and teams have a solid reason to do what South Africa tried to do in Delhi. You get four crucial points to help your cause on the World Test Championship (WTC) table, after all, and prevent the opposition from claiming the full 12 points.Except, no one seems to be thinking that. There were only four draws in the WTC cycle which will have it’s winner at Lord’s in just over a week’s time.