“The way I look at this innings, I think it’s an outstanding innings,” Tom Moody says about KL Rahul’s century

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-20251:07

Moody: ‘Rahul has managed to adjust again to a different role’

It’s tough to be KL Rahul sometimes.Over the years, he has faced criticism for his strike rate in T20 cricket and it was once again a talking point when he scored an unbeaten 112 off 65 balls in a losing cause against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday. Despite a slow start from Delhi Capitals (DC), where they scored just 28 for 1 in the first five overs, Rahul ensured the team almost had 200. But it wasn’t enough as B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill chased down the target with ease and took GT to the playoffs.Rahul scored his century in 60 balls on Sunday, and his 112 not out came at a strike rate of 172.30. He has been striking at 148.04 in IPL 2025, having accumulated 493 runs in 12 innings. In terms of his strike rate, he hasn’t done better since IPL 2018, when he went at 158.41 in scoring 659 in 14 matches.The criticism hasn’t gone down well with Tom Moody.Related

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“I always find the criticism around KL Rahul quite extraordinary,” Moody said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out. “I think he’s a lot better player than a lot of people give him credit for. And the way I look at this innings, I think it’s an outstanding innings. And yeah, look, it’ll depend who wins the game to whether he’s, you know, the Player of the Match or not. But the way I look at this and I look at the batting card, what’s let them down and not reaching that 220 is the other batters that were in only struck at 150. On a [batting-friendly] surface, you want impact.”When you’ve got someone in there that’s anchoring, that’s building the total, your role when you come in is to impact the game – 30 off ten balls, those types of innings, that suddenly take you to that 220. Instead of pointing the finger at the same person, I think it’s the other way around.”At the end of ten overs, DC were 81 for 1 with Rahul on 56 off 38 balls. However, between 15 and 18, Rahul faced a total of only six balls with Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs at the other end facing more of the bowling. This, Moody felt, made him lose a bit of momentum.”The team had the opportunity to get it to 220. The team didn’t do that,” Moody said. “This is not an individual sport. This is a team sport. And that’s where the communication around who’s coming in and the communication when you’re out there: ‘okay, we need to target two boundaries at the beginning of this over; let’s make this a big over’, that type of conversations.”To me, they just lay idle a little bit in that middle [period]. And also, we’ve got to recognise KL Rahul, I believe, only faced four [six] balls in a period of four overs in the middle of that. So therefore, you know, he lost a bit of his rhythm as well.”

Former Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy made the bold decision to part ways with head coach Ange Postecoglou after the club won the Europa League at the end of last season.

The dismal Premier League form, which resulted in a 17th-placed finish, was enough to see the former Celtic boss lose his job, and Thomas Frank was brought in to replace him.

The Danish tactician has won five, drawn two, and lost two of his first nine matches in charge of the Lilywhites, in what has been a fairly impressive start to life in North London.

Frank will not have been happy with his side’s performance in their 1-1 draw at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out in the Premier League, though, as they needed a last-gasp equaliser from Joao Palhinha to snatch a point.

Levy backed the new head coach in the transfer market with a host of new signings, including Palhinha, before he moved on from the club after the summer transfer window.

One of the summer signings who has divided opinions among the fanbase so far this season is former West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus.

Why Spurs need to see more from Mohammed Kudus

The Europa League champions swooped to sign the Ghana international from their Premier League rivals for a fee of £55m in the summer, hoping to improve their attack.

There have been flashes of quality from the left-footed star early on in his Spurs career, with three assists in six Premier League matches to date.

His best moment in a Spurs shirt so far was his assist for Richarlison’s wonder goal against Burnley on the opening day of the season, with a lightning-quick change of direction to create space for a cross for the Brazilian striker.

His three assists, though, have come from one ‘big chance’ created and an xA of 1.09. This suggests that he has been slightly fortunate to have been rewarded with as many assists as he has.

Kudus’ assist against Brighton is perhaps an example of that fortune, as the winger appeared to be going for goal with a shot that fell to the feet of Richarlison, who bundled the ball in from close range.

Minutes

90

90

Shots

2

2

Dribbles completed

6/12

5/10

Key passes

2

1

Assists

0

1

Duels won

8/20

8/24

Possession lost

27x

22x

As you can see in the table above, the £55m signing from West Ham has been incredibly wasteful in the last two matches for Spurs against Brighton and Wolves, losing the ball a staggering 49 times in 180 minutes.

To create only three chances for the team whilst losing the ball 49 times suggests that Kudus is not providing enough quality in his end product, as a dribbler or as a creator.

His lack of threat as a goalscorer is also a cause for concern. Kudus has yet to score from 1.01 xG in the Premier League for Spurs, which comes after he scored just five goals from 6.90 xG for West Ham in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.

Therefore, Tottenham and Frank need to see more from the winger on the ball and in the final third, because his current lack of goals and his wastefulness in possession are not ideal.

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Spurs, though, do have a young talent emerging in their academy who could have the potential to replace the £55m signing in the mid-to-long-term.

Luca Williams-Barnett made his first-team debut for the club against Doncaster in the League Cup earlier this month at the age of just 16, and he could be a future star in North London.

Why Luca Williams-Barnett could replace Mohammed Kudus

The versatile attacker got eight minutes of senior football under his belt off the bench in that match, which shows that he is in Frank’s thoughts and has done enough at academy level to warrant a chance in the first-team.

Williams-Barnett’s form for the club at youth level has been sensational and suggests that the Lilywhites have a major talent on their hands that they need to carefully develop.

Described by analyst Ben Mattinson as “one of England’s best talents at youth level”, the 16-year-old talent has started the 2025/26 campaign with a return of six goals and four assists in all competitions, including a hat-trick for the U21s against Leicester City earlier this month.

Williams-Barnett predominantly plays through the middle as a number ten, per Transfermarkt, but he has also been deployed out wide on the left and the right during his youth career in North London.

The teenage sensation was described as a “pure talent” with “silky dribbling” by U23 scout Antonio Mango. Talent scout Jacek Kulig, meanwhile, hailed him as the figurehead of an “exciting” generation of young talents at Spurs.

Appearances

23

8

Minutes

1857

599

Goals

20

6

Minutes per goal

93

100

Assists

12

4

Minutes per assist

155

150

Minutes per goal contribution

58

60

It is easy to understand why talent scouts are so excited by the potential of Williams-Barnett when you look at his statistics in the table above, because he has averaged a goal or an assist every hour of football at youth level since the start of last season.

These statistics show that he provides a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Spurs at U21 and U18 level, which earned him a first-team debut against Doncaster.

The next step for Williams-Barnett in his development is to make his Premier League debut and show that he can translate his attacking prowess to first-team level.

Given that Kudus is yet to fully convince on the right flank and that the youngster has played out wide at academy level, unleashing the 16-year-old star on the right wing could be one way to plot a pathway into the team for him.

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There is no rush for that to happen this week or next month, or even this year. He only turns 17 on Wednesday and has plenty of time left ahead of him, but his impressive progression at youth level suggests that Frank has a Kudus replacement in the making.

Romario moved around the penalty area with the stealthy gait and sly gaze of a panther, ready to suddenly accelerate as soon as the ball came his way, to disorient the opposing defenders with a couple of feints, to pounce on the ball, which inevitably ended up at his feet, as if magnetised, and finish with an unstoppable shot of pure technique or power, or alternatively serve up a perfect assist for one of his team-mates. He was a Hall of Fame striker if ever there was one.

One of the game's greatest finishers

Having emerged from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Romario achieved the highest goals a footballer could aspire to. His greatest successes came with the Brazil national team, with whom he won the South American Under-20 Championship (1985), silver at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, two Copa America titles (1989 and 1997), a Confederations Cup (1997) and, above all, the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

Romario turned scoring goals into an art form. Sometimes he scored on the run, after sneaking away and touching the ball several times with his favoured right foot, while on other occasions he was more direct, finding the net with either foot with his first touch or on the rebound.

AdvertisementAFP'Unmarkable' with a magic touch

Romario claims that, including friendlies, charity matches and youth games,he has scored over 1000 goals over the course of his career, a milestone he reached at the age of 41 on 20 May, 2007, when he scored a penalty for Vasco da Gama against Sport Recife.

It matters little that FIFA only recognises 760 of his goals in official matches between clubs, the senior national team and the Olympic side, making Romario the fourth-highest scorer in football history, though they concede his tally reaches 929 when taking into account his youth-team efforts.

"When Romario touches the ball, it makes a magical sound," former Italy centre-back Alessandro Costacurta said of facing the Brazilian goal machine. "'Tum tum tum'. He touches it many times in a few metres and then has the ability to understand when his opponent is moving, but above all to understand the movements of his team-mates first in order to pass the ball. Inside the area, he is unmarkable."

Robbed of the Ballon d'Or

Certainly, 'O Baixinho' ('The Little One') – as he was called because of his short stature – ruled the penalty area, but Romario was capable of scoring goals in all sorts of ways; with lobs or soft touches, with brutal power, from inside the area or from distance, and even with his head, thanks to his ability to control the ball and read its trajectory in advance. He won team and individual trophies around the world, finishing as top scorer in 26 different competitions, a record that is unlikely to be equalled.

Romario's magical year came when he won the World Cup in 1994, but at the time non-European Union players were not eligible for the Ballon d'Or, meaning he missed out on winning the greatest individual prize in the game. FIFA did award Romario the FIFA World Player of the Year award, while in 2000, he won the South American Ballon d'Or as the best player on the continent, but he never got his hands on the ultimate footballing honour.

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From the favelas to the big leagues

Born on 29 January, 1966 in Bairro Jacarezinho, Romario grew up within one of the worst favelas in Rio de Janeiro. Despite the situation of destitution and absolute poverty, his love for football saved him, and at the age of 10, he began playing football with Estrelinha de Vila de Penha, a team founded by his father.

In 1979, at the age of 13, Romario was signed by the Olaria youth team, whose first team played in the Brazilian top-flight at the time. Here he was spotted by Vasco da Gama, who brought him into their youth academy.

After failing to impress once again as Liverpool suffered their first defeat of the season against Crystal Palace, Jamie Carragher has pinpointed “another problem” that Florian Wirtz is having at Anfield.

Slot: Liverpool "have to go back" to set-piece strength

In what is becoming quite the trend, Liverpool were undone by two set pieces against Crystal Palace as the Eagles shocked the Premier League champions late on at Selhurst Park. Eddie Nketiah’s late strike was the fourth goal that Liverpool have conceded from set pieces this season in a record that Arne Slot admitted must change.

The Dutchman said in his press conference ahead of the Galatasaray game: “Last season I said many times, the reason we hardly conceded was that 11 players worked incredibly hard to make it difficult for the other team to even create a chance.

“That’s what we have done this season many times as well, but you can work as hard as you want but a set-piece is almost a different game inside a game. That was, by the way, one of our main strengths last season, that we hardly conceded from set-pieces.

“We have to go back to that, we haven’t changed our set-up, we haven’t changed anything, so we have to prove in the upcoming weeks and months that we were maybe a bit unlucky in conceding some set-pieces.

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“That can happen in five or six games [and can be] difficult to see it for the long term. We definitely have to improve because I also see teams in the Premier League that win games by set-pieces, and we lose games because of set-pieces.”

It’s not just set pieces that Liverpool should be concerned with, however. £116m arrival Wirtz is yet to make his mark and many have had their say as to why that is, including former player Carragher.

Carragher pinpoints "another problem" for Wirtz

Without a goal or assist since the Community Shield, there’s no denying that Wirtz is struggling to adapt to life at Anfield. The German has looked a shadow of the player that many know he is capable of becoming at Anfield and Saturday’s defeat has welcomed some uncomfortable questions.

Taking the chance to have his say on Wirtz’s struggles, Carragher actually told Monday Night Football that the form of Alexis Mac Allister is causing the midfielder “another problem”. The Argentine has faced injury struggles since the end of last season and has endured his own poor form on the pitch as a result.

There’s plenty of truth to that statement. In Wirtz’s most impressive Premier League display, he only showed signs of life against Arsenal when Mac Allister was replaced by Curtis Jones and no longer occupying similar spaces to the former Bayer Leverkusen star as a result.

The big question for Slot this summer revolved around how he would get both Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak in his side. As it turns out, however, his biggest problem could be fitting both Mac Allister and Wirtz into his midfield.

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has officially extended his contract with the club until 2029. The Dutch international expressed his delight at continuing with Barcelona, stating that he is eager to win many more titles with the Catalan side. The midfielder acknowledged that winning every possible trophy will be the club’s main objective this season.

• Barcelona confirm new contract after agent trouble ends

  Since his 2019 arrival, the midfielder has been a key figure in the team’s success, helping Barcelona win two La Liga titles and two Copa del Rey trophies so far. Contract renewal talks had previously stalled due to complications with his former agent, Ali Dursun, who reportedly prevented De Jong from switching representatives, delaying the process. However, with Sebastian Ledure now acting as his new agent, negotiations progressed smoothly, leading to Barcelona officially announcing his contract extension until 2029.

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  De Jong 'living the dream' with Hansi Flick's team

  After signing the deal, De Jong expressed his delight at continuing his journey with Barcelona, calling it the fulfilment of a lifelong dream. He said: “As I’ve always said, since I was a child, I dreamed of playing for Barcelona — and now that I’m living this dream, I want to stay here as long as possible and win many titles with this club.”

  He added: “I haven't yet won the Champions League with Barcelona, and this is a big goal for me and the team. We also want to win all possible titles — more league championships, cups, and the Super Cup. We will try to achieve that.”

• De Jong happy with Flick relationship

  Barcelona reached the Champions League semi-final and won La Liga in the 2024–25 season under manager Hansi Flick. Despite missing the start of the season due to injury, De Jong made 46 appearances for the Catalan club, scoring two goals and providing two assists.

  The Dutch midfielder also praised Flick for his influence on both his development and the team’s success, saying: “My relationship with the manager has been good from the first moment. He has always said that he believes in me, and he has shown that. I can improve many things and I will keep working like always.”

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  What comes next?

  Barcelona will now hope that De Jong can lead from the front and return to his best form as the team looks to bounce back from two consecutive defeats across all competitions when they face Girona on Saturday.

ذكرت تقارير صحفية سعودية، عن المدرب الأقرب لتولي القيادة الفنية لفريق الزمالك، خلال الفترة المقبلة، بعد اقتراب رحيل يانيك فيريرا عن الأبيض. 

واستقر الزمالك برئاسة حسين لبيب، عن توجيه الشكر إلى يانيك فيريرا المدير الفني، عقب تراجع النتائج في الدوري الممتاز. 

طالع.. خاص | الزمالك يستقر على المدير الفني المؤقت بعد رحيل فيريرا

وكان الزمالك قد تعادل مع البنك الأهلي، بالأمس بهدف لكل فريق، ضمن مباريات الجولة 12 من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز. 

وذكرت صحيفة “الميدان السعودية”، أن المدرب الجزائري نور الدين بن ذكري المدير الفني السابق لنادي الخلود، اقترب من تولي القيادة الفنية للزمالك، وذلك بعد الاستقرار على رحيل البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا من منصبه بصورة رسمية.

وأضافت: “بعد قرار الزمالك بإقالة المدرب البلجيكي يانيك فريرا، المدرب بن زكري يقترب كثيرًا من قيادة الفريق حتى نهاية الموسم، بدءًا من الأسبوع المقبل في نصف نهائي كاس السوبر المصري المقام في دولة الإمارات”.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة طلائع الجيش، في الجولة الـ13 من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز يوم الأحد المقبل، في الساعة الخامسة على ملعب القاهرة الدولي. 

Sophie Ecclestone has been left out of England’s white-ball squad for the home series against West Indies, where Issy Wong is poised to make a comeback to international ranks.Ecclestone has been unable to play domestic cricket due to a knee injury, although she turned out for Lancashire on Wednesday and scored a fifty as England’s selection panel, including newly appointed national selector Lydia Greenway, named their squads.Maia Bouchier was omitted, while Wong joined fellow Warwickshire seamer Emily Arlott in the squad for three T20Is. Arlott – yet to make her international debut – was also selected in the squad for three ODIs to follow.Wong last played for England on the tour of Ireland last September while the first-choice T20 squad was preparing for the World Cup after a difficult period struggling with her form. She impressed for England Women A in their recent tour of Australia and in her county’s opening matches.Also making returns are batters Alice Davidson-Richards and Emma Lamb, selected for the ODIs off the back of impressive performances with the bat in the Metro Bank One Day Cup domestic competition.The Blaze’s opening batter Tammy Beaumont and spinner Linsey Smith – the leading wicket-taker in the Metro Bank One Day Cup – are selected in both squads while Mahika Gaur, the 19-year-old left-arm quick who travelled to Australia for the Ashes but didn’t play as part of her return from injury, was called up for the ODIs. Beaumont returned to the T20I format last year following a two-year absence from the format although she only played the Test and ODIs in Australia.”Following her knee injury, Sophie Ecclestone is physically not quite at 100% yet,” said head coach Charlotte Edwards. “She’s been rehabbing and working hard but she’s only just got back on the park for Lancashire so she doesn’t have enough cricket under her belt to be ready for this series.”All-rounders Freya Kemp (back) and Danielle Gibson (stress fracture) are both unavailable due to injury. Lauren Filer’s return from a knee injury continues positively and she will continue to be reviewed.”Maia Bouchier misses out having been a part of the Ashes series, Maia’s talent is there for all to see and the challenge to her is to go and make consistent match-winning contributions for Hampshire in domestic cricket. It’s the same for any player who’d disappointed to not be a part of these squads.England Women T20I squad: Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), Emily Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Paige Scholfield, Linsey Smith, Issy Wong, Danni Wyatt-HodgeEngland Women ODI squad: Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), Alice Davidson-Richards, Emily Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Mahika Gaur, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Linsey Smith

MatériaMais Notícias

Palmeiras e Vasco se enfrentam neste domingo no Allianz Parque, pelo Brasileirão 2023 e em todo duelo entre os dois clubes, é preciso exaltar a irmandade entre as duas torcidas e como a história dos dois clubes possuem alguns personagens em comum.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras pode contar com retorno de Dudu ao Brasileirão para manter vivo sonho de títuloPalmeiras27/08/2023PalmeirasLuan e Gómez podem reeditar dupla diante de adversário que marcou estreia do paraguaio no PalmeirasPalmeiras27/08/2023PalmeirasMarcos Rocha celebra os 109 anos do Palmeiras: ‘É uma honra fazer parte da história’Palmeiras26/08/2023

+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Engana-se quem pensa que essa relação é apenas de torcida organizada, uma vez que a amizade começou ainda nos anos 40, muito por conta do Capitão Adalberto Mendes.

+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!

Em suas histórias mais do que centenárias, Vasco e Palmeiras também contaram com jogadores que possuem grande identificação e história com os dois clubes.

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O Lance! decidiu relembrar alguns deles pra você:

Fernando Prass

Ídolo e símbolo da reconstrução do Palmeiras, o goleiro Fernando Prass também fez história no Vasco ao conquistar a Copa do Brasil de 1998!

Luizão

Campeão Paulista naquele histórico time de 1996, Luizão também está na história do Vasco muito pela Libertadores de 1998 e o ataque histórico que formou com Donizete!

+ Palmeiras x Vasco: onde assistir, desfalques e prováveis escalações do jogo pelo Brasileirão

Pedrinho

Cria da Colina e um gênio com a sua perna canhota, Pedrinho infelizmente sofreu muito com as lesões durante a sua carreira, mas também deixou sua marca e guarda com muito carinho a sua passagem de mais de três anos pelo Palmeiras!

continua após a publicidade

Edmundo

Talvez o sinônimo do que é a relação entre Palmeiras e Vasco. Edmundo e o seu coração se dividem entre o cruzmaltino e o alviverde imponente. Ídolo máximo das duas torcidas!

Luan Garcia

Cria da Colina, Luan Garcia se formou como homem no Vasco e após ganhar o ouro olímpico, acabou se transferindo para fazer história no Palmeiras!

Diego Souza

Campeão e destaque da Copa do Brasil de 2011, vencida pelo Vasco, o meia Diego Souza teve uma passagem marcante pelo Palmeiras, entre 2008 e 2010!

Amaral

Formado nas categorias de base do Palmeiras e bicampeão brasileiro pelo Verdão, o volante Amaral passou pelo Vasco entre 1999 e 2000 e acabou conquistando uma Taça Guanabara pelo cruzmaltino.

Felipe

Felipe Maestro é outro craque canhoto que surgiu no Vasco e também acabou vestindo a camisa do Palmeiras, em 2001. Apesar da curta passagem no Verdão, Felipe fez uma ótima Libertadores naquele ano,

Jair Rosa Pinto

Campeão Mundial de 1951 com a camisa do Palmeiras, Jair Rosa Pinto iniciou os seus passos no futebol no Madureira e logo foi para o Vasco da Gama, e foi em São Januário que ele se tornou o primeiro grande camisa 10 do futebol brasileiro, fazendo parte do histórico time cruzmaltino que ficou conhecido como o ‘expresso da vitória’.

A bola rola para Palmeiras x Vasco a partir das 18h30 (horário de Brasília), deste domingo (27), no Allianz Parque e o jogo só será transmitido pelo Premiere FC.

Leeds United have been hit with an injury blow ahead of their clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road in the Premier League on Saturday.

Wales international Daniel James has suffered an ankle injury that is currently being assessed by the club, although they are hopeful that it will not be a long-term issue.

Journalist Graham Smyth claims that the forward is set for “weeks” on the sidelines, debunking some speculation on social media that he was due to be out for months with an ACL injury.

If James misses several weeks and games through injury with this ankle issue, Daniel Farke should avoid relying on Jack Harrison as an alternative to Brenden Aaronson on the right flank.

Why Jack Harrison should not replace Dan James

The left-footed attacker returned to Elland Road this summer after spending the previous two seasons on loan with Everton in the Premier League, and he has yet to fully win the fans back over.

Harrison has produced no goals, no key passes, no ‘big chances’ created, and no assists in five appearances in the top-flight for Leeds so far this term, per Sofascore, which shows that he has offered virtually nothing at the top end of the pitch.

That should not come as a surprise to many, though, because the former Manchester City academy prospect struggled badly in the final third for Everton in the 2024/25 campaign.

24/25 Premier League

Jack Harrison

Appearances

34

Starts

24

Minutes

2088

xG

3.52

Goals

1

Key passes

34

Assists

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Harrison managed one direct goal contribution in 2,088 minutes of football in the Premier League for the Toffees before his return to West Yorkshire.

This is why Farke should turn to U21 talent Connor Douglas to replace James in the squad whilst the Wales international is missing through injury.

Why Leeds should unleash Connor Douglas

The 19-year-old attacker is a versatile star who can play through the middle as a number ten or out on the right flank, which suggests that he could be a suitable alternative to Aaronson in the short-term, given that the American is a similarly versatile wide option.

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Douglas’ form for Leeds at academy level suggests that he is an exciting young player who has the potential to make an impact at the top end of the pitch, after he scored in a 1-0 win over Norwich City’s U21s on Monday night.

The English winger has scored six goals and provided six assists in 36 appearances for the club at U21 level, as well as six goals and three assists in 27 matches for the U18 side, per Transfermarkt.

These statistics show that he can contribute with goals and assists from a wide position, something that Harrison has struggled to do, and that is why he should be given a chance to see what he can do at first-team level whilst James is out with an ankle injury.

Douglas was described as an “electric” forward who is a “joy to watch” by PureFootball writer Trent Gaffney, which also suggests that he could get supporters off their feet with his front-footed and direct play.

Fans may prefer to see a talented young forward given an opportunity to shine and showcase his exciting potential in James’ absence, instead of Harrison being given yet another chance after failing to impress in the last 13 months or so.

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That is why Farke must unleash Douglas as the replacement for James in the Premier League, for however many matches he misses, instead of just using Harrison.

This current Celtic team are insipid, uninspiring and lifeless in attack, so just imagine how much Matt O’Riley would improve everything.

When the 20 year old arrived from Milton Keynes in January 2022 for a reported fee of £1.5m, no one could’ve forecast just how good he would be.

In the end, the Danish international is in the conversation to be Celtic’s best attacking midfielder of modern times, scoring 27 goals and registering 35 assists in 124 appearances for the Hoops, named the club’s player of the year and players’ player of the year in 2023/24.

He was sold to Brighton & Hove Albion for £25m just 13 months ago, before joining Olympique de Marseille on a season-long loan this summer, starting les Phocéens’ Champions League opener against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu on Tuesday.

As replacements Arne Engels and Benjamin Nygren struggle to hit the heights O’Riley reached in Glasgow, did Celtic sell their own homegrown version, whose value has increased by almost 1,300% since leaving?

A lack of pathways for Celtic youngsters

Most top-flight Scottish clubs, not just Celtic, are often criticised for not giving academy graduates an opportunity.

Of course, current squad members Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor, James Forrest and, to a slightly lesser extent, Anthony Ralston have managed to come through the academy and become first-team regulars, but the vast majority do not.

The table below documents a selection of Celtic academy youngsters who have been forced to depart in search of regular first-team action.

Selected Celtic academy sales since 2020
Players	Celtic apps	Club joined
Joey Dawson	1	Scunthorpe
Daniel Cummings	1	West Ham
Rocco Vata	6	Watford
Bosun Lawal	1	Stoke
Daniel Kelly	6	Millwall
Conor Hazard	7	Plymouth
Karamoko Dembélé	10	Brest
Owen Moffat	3	Blackpool
Ben Gannon Doak	2	Liverpool
Armstrong Oko-Flex	2	West Ham
All information courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table documents, none of the players listed made more than ten appearances for Celtic’s first team, all sold for, at most, nominal compensation fees.

Karamoko Dembélé was the most-hyped, but Ben Gannon Doak is the name that leaps off the page, given that he just joined Bournemouth from Liverpool in a deal worth £25m, and is a starter for Steve Clarke’s Scotland side.

Due to post-Brexit rules, English clubs in particular are looking north of the border for talent, given that it is now more difficult to bring youngsters in from the EU.

Thus, is there another Celtic youngster who departed seven years ago who they may rue selling most of all?

Forgotten former Celtic youngster starring in Italy

During the 2010s, brothers Liam and Ewan Henderson were both coming through the Celtic young ranks together to plenty of excitement.

Liam, the older of the duo, made his senior debut against Motherwell in December 2013, actually accumulating 37 appearances in total, albeit 23 were as a substitute.

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He spent six months on loan at Rosenborg, before also being loaned out to Hibernian, etching himself into club history by helping Hibs win the Scottish Cup for the first time in 114 years, coming off the bench to provide two assists against Rangers in the final.

Ian Crocker’s commentary line, “it’s Liam Henderson to deliver”, now a core part of Hibs’ folklore.

However, he did not manage to have quite the same impact at Celtic, despite the fact Brendan Rodgers said “as time goes on, he impresses me even more… what I love about Liam, he’s got great personality”.

Nevertheless, he was sold to Bari in January 2018 for just £115k, and has called Italy home ever since.

After making just 19 appearances for I Galletti, he spent time at Hellas Verona, Empoli on loan and Lecce, re-joining Empoli permanently in 2021, featuring 119 times for the Azzurri, a key figure during their stay in Serie A, racking up 15 assists.

This summer, he finally departed Stadio Carlo Castellani, joining fallen giants Sampdoria, scoring on his debut for I Blucerchiati against Spezia in the Coppa Italia, starting their first three Serie B matches subsequently.

Thus, Football Transfers estimate that his current market value is around £1.6m, which represents a 1291% increase on the £115k he departed Celtic for.

Also, according to Global Football Rankings, Serie A, where Henderson has played the vast majority of his football, is the second-strongest league in the world, while his current home Serie B is 30th, just three spots below the Scottish Premiership.

Thus, it is unquestionable that Henderson possesses the talent and the quality to have been a key contributor at Celtic, had things panned out differently, or at the very least been able to bring in a significantly higher transfer fee.

A creative midfield star at a string of clubs since departing Parkhead, there is a sense that the Glasgow side have perhaps let a homegrown O’Riley slip from their grasp.

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