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Martin O’Neill has now confirmed that he will “step aside” when Celtic find their next manager and revealed that there has not been any talks with the club about taking a permanent role.

O’Neill insists he has no idea whether he will remain at the helm for Celtic’s next match against St Mirren amid reports that the Hoops have stepped up their search for a new permanent manager.

The 73-year-old has been in caretaker charge of the Scottish champions for the last four games since Brendan Rodgers resigned two and a half weeks ago.

It has been reported this week that the Celtic board have been interviewing candidates, with Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy emerging as the new bookmakers’ favourite.

Other names mentioned includes Kieran McKenna at Ipswich Town and Kjetil Knutsen. Whether the Hoops can lure either of those names away from their current positions at Portmand Road and Bodo/Glimt is the question that everyone’s asking.

Reports have claimed that Knutsen wants to at least complete his side’s Champions League campaign, which could end in January in the earliest scenario. Meanwhile, there have been no signs that McKenna will be leaving Ipswich anytime soon.

As Celtic’s search goes on, O’Neill has continued to roll back the years. In his four matches, the 73-year-old – assisted by Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham – has overseen two Scottish Premiership victories, a Europa League defeat by Midtjylland and an extra-time win over 10-man Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final.

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ByTom Cunningham Nov 14, 2025

The final against St Mirren takes place on December 14 and there are some who would like to see the veteran remain in charge for the Hampden showdown in order to add to his trophy haul from his glittering first spell in charge in the early Noughties.

O'Neill insists no talks with Celtic board

To no surprise, O’Neill has been questioned a number of times about the Celtic job, but his answer remains the same. He will “step aside” as soon as the club no longer need him and, despite rumours, there have been no talks about the permanent job.

The 4-2-3-1 tactician has done a solid job so far and may yet get the chance to continue that job after the international break, but admitted that he’s not bothered whether he’s in charge for the Scottish Cup final in December, saying: “I am a romantic and have been a romantic all my life. I know the history of football and all of those particular things but that doesn’t bother me one jot.”

Celtic hold talks to sign "talented" manager who's like a young O'Neill

Tottenham Hotspur are a club who are looking to reach the next level under the guidance of Thomas Frank, with the first-team making huge strides since his appointment.

The Dane has largely worked with the players already at his disposal in North London, but he has also delved into the transfer market to bolster his chances of success in the role.

He spent over £100m on new additions during his first window, with Mohammed Kudus already having a huge impact during his first handful of Premier League outings.

The Ghanaian may have cost £55m in the summer, but he’s been worth every penny, as seen by his tally of one goal and four assists – with the latter the joint-highest of any player in the division.

With the January transfer window rapidly approaching on the horizon, the board and manager will be hoping that any new additions could follow in the same vein in North London.

Spurs’ hunt for added signings in the January window

Over the last couple of weeks, a new striker has been firmly in Spurs’ sights, which has led to numerous names being linked with a winter move to join the Lilywhites.

Dušan Vlahović is just one name on their shortlist, with returning Sporting Director Fabio Paratici no doubt playing a key role given his previous stint at Juventus.

He’s not alone in their sights for a new talisman, as Porto star Samu Aghehowa is also another option, but he could be slightly realistic given the £87m release clause within his current contract.

Other areas of the pitch are also being subject to potential investment, with the winger department also one of interest – leading to Brentford star Kevin Schade being named as one target.

According to CaughtOffside, Paratici is already working on a potential deal for the German, who joined the Bees back in 2023 under Frank’s tenure at the helm.

Another report states that Keith Andrews’ side are reluctant to offload the 23-year-old in the coming months, but could listen to offers in the region of €55m (£48m) for his signature.

Why Spurs’ £48m target could end Johnson’s Spurs career

Brennan Johnson’s time at Spurs has been a rollercoaster to say the least, with the winger often a hugely inconsistent figure within the Spurs first-team.

He joined in a £47.5m deal from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2023, but came under huge fire from the fanbase for his lack of impact in the first 12 months in North London.

However, his Europa League-winning goal and total of 18 efforts last year subsequently papered over the cracks of his career with the Lilywhites – as seen during the early stages of 2025/26.

The Welsh international has since dropped down the pecking order after Kudus’ arrival, often showing he can’t be relied upon to provide the goods by Frank.

His latest showing showcased his struggles, as Johnson scored the opener against FC Copenhagen, but was subsequently sent off for a rash tackle in the second half.

The manager will no doubt be disappointed with the winger after his actions in the Champions League, which in turn could only fuel rumours over a winter move to land Schade.

When comparing the German’s stats with those of Johnson from the ongoing campaign, he’s managed to outperform him in key areas, which could push the Welshman further down the pecking order.

Schade, who’s been labelled a “world-beater” by Dietmar Hamann, has already achieved a higher tally of combined goals and assists in the Premier League this season.

He’s also placed more of his shots on target so far in 2025/26, arguably making him a more efficient and effective option within in the final third for Frank in North London.

How Schade & Johnson compare in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Schade

Johnson

Games played

10

10

Goals & assists

3

2

Shot on target accuracy

46%

40%

Key passes

1.2

0.7

Shot-creating actions

1.6

1.4

Take-on success

32%

25%

Carries into final third

1.1

0.7

Aerials won

2.8

0.4

Stats via FBref

The German’s talents are further reflected in his higher take-on success rate and tally of key passes completed per 90 – subsequently offering the Lilywhites a phenomenal creative outlet.

His creativity, coupled with his goalscoring prowes,s could make Schade an excellent addition, potentially putting an end to Johnson’s spell at the club as a result.

Frank’s previous stint working with the youngster could also hand the manager another reason to prioritise him over Johnson, with the Dane having the keys to unlocking Schade’s success.

At just 23, he has bags of time to improve in the years ahead, potentially replacing Johnson and playing a key role in any success during the Frank reign at Spurs.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Nov 6, 2025

Leeds United bolstered their options in the centre-forward position in the summer transfer window by swooping to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer.

The former England international was available after his Everton contract ran out at the end of June, and the Whites moved to add some Premier League experience to their squad.

Calvert-Lewin scored three goals and missed 16 ‘big chances’ in the top-flight for the Toffees in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which means that he was a risky signing for Leeds after such a dismal year in front of goal.

So far, the English striker has scored one goal and missed four ‘big chances’ in five appearances in the Premier League for the Whites this term, which suggests that he is on course for similar struggles in the final third.

Daniel Farke will be hoping that the experienced number nine can turn his form around and start to finish the high-quality chances that will come his way.

Leeds may need a reliable and consistent Premier League striker to fire them to safety this season, which is why it remains a source of regret that the club were unable to sign Erling Haaland many years ago.

The story of how Leeds United almost signed Erling Haaland

When the Norway international, who is now a superstar at Manchester City, was 17 years old and playing for Moldes, Leeds came incredibly close to bringing him to Elland Road.

Agent Hayden Evans once revealed that he offered Haaland to Victor Orta, the sporting director of the Whites at the time, and brought the young striker and his family over to Thorp Arch.

He added: “They were in the middle of a first-team session and [Thomas] Christiansen at the time stopped the session and came over to Erling, hugged him and talked about football – that went really well – and Christiansen was impressive, frankly.”

Evans also revealed that Orta had a Leeds shirt with Haaland’s name on the back, and that the teenage forward was keen to make the move because he was a Leeds supporter at the time, having been born in the city.

However, the agent claimed that the deal broke down because Molde wanted £4m for the Norwegian talent and the Whites were unable to commit to that amount of money in the Championship, whilst Orta’s idea for Juventus to sign and then loan him to West Yorkshire did not go through either.

Since then, Haaland has scored 94 goals in 104 Premier League matches and 52 goals in 50 appearances in the Champions League in his career, per Transfermarkt, to become one of the best attackers in world football.

What Leeds would give to have a player of his quality in their bid to avoid relegation from the top-flight this season. Although, if they had signed him at the age of 17 and he progressed as he did with Molde, RB Salzburg, and Borussia Dortmund, the Whites may not have had him on their books for long.

The West Yorkshire outfit, however, produced an incredibly valuable young talent who was then compared to the brutish centre-forward from their academy in Archie Gray.

Leeds hit the jackpot with Archie Gray

Leeds hit the jackpot with the English youngster after he rose through the ranks at Thorp Arch before emerging as a key player under Farke in the 2023/24 campaign.

The Whites did not have to deal with a selling club wanting millions of pounds for Gray, as Molde did with Haaland, because he spent his entire academy career with the club, which meant that the versatile star did not cost them a penny.

He made 11 appearances for the U18s and 26 appearances for the U21s before Farke decided to make him a permanent member of the first-team squad at the age of 17, the same age that Haaland was when he came close to a move to West Yorkshire.

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Along with making a breakthrough in first-team football at a similar age, the English starlet was also compared to the Manchester City star by journalist Phil Hay.

Ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, the reporter said: “Archie Gray, he just seems to come from the genetically modified school of Erling Haaland. Every time you see him he gets taller and bigger. He looks like he’s about 25 when he’s actually 17. He’s just physically amazing and also technically very good.”

Farke clearly saw the same things that Hay saw from the teenage prospect, because the 2023/24 campaign was Gray’s breakthrough season in the first-team.

The 17-year-old wonderkid started 40 of his 44 appearances in the Championship that term, whilst he has also started all three of the club’s play-off games, including the final against Southampton at Wembley.

As you can see in the table above, Gray held his own from a physical perspective, winning 55% of his duels, which backs up Hay’s comments about his physique.

The Whites hit the jackpot with the England U21 international, who came through their academy system, because Farke was willing to put his faith in the youngster to start week-in-week-out at right-back as a 17 and 18-year-old.

As a result of the platform that the manager provided him with, Gray’s performances in the Championship at such a young age led to him sealing a big-money move away from Elland Road in the summer of 2024.

Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur swooped in to sign the English youngster for a fee of £30m, which meant that Leeds made a £30m profit on a player they did not have to pay a fee to sign at academy level.

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Therefore, the Whites struck gold with Gray because they developed a £30m talent from their academy system in an era where homegrown players can sometimes have their pathways blocked by expensive signings from other clubs.

Over the last couple of years, Tottenham Hotspur haven’t been afraid to splash the cash in their attempts to catapult themselves closer towards Premier League glory.

However, they’ve found out first hand that spending big money doesn’t equal immediate success, with numerous players unable to have the desired impact in North London.

In the summer of 2019, the Lilywhites hierarchy forked out a then club-record £62m for the signature of French midfielder Tanguy Ndombele – but it would be a deal that proved to be a disaster.

He racked up 91 appearances during his five-year spell in England, but he was massively questioned over his lack of fitness and constant attitude problems under various managers.

As a result, the club let him leave for nothing last summer, subsequently joining Nice on a free transfer and departing as one of the club’s worst signings in history.

However, one other huge addition will be hoping he doesn’t endure the same fate after his own transfer to join Thomas Frank’s side during the recent transfer window.

Mohammed Kudus' immediate impact at Spurs

In one of his first moves as Spurs manager, Frank decided to fork out a reported £55m for the signature of winger Mohammed Kudus from London rivals West Ham United.

The Ghanaian featured for the Hammers over a two-year period before moving across the capital, with real hope he could provide a new dimension to the Lilywhites’ attack.

He may have only featured in nine games to date, but the 25-year-old has already made an immediate impact in North London throughout 2024/25.

The attacker has registered four assists to date – the most of any player in the squad – highlighting his ability to create endless opportunities for those around him.

However, he also recently netted his first goal for the club in the last outing against Leeds United, with such a strike securing all three points for Frank’s men.

It may only be early days in his career with Spurs, but Kudus has already demonstrated his quality and is arguably making himself one of the first names on the teamsheet.

However, despite his impressive form in North London, he’s now valued lower than one player who joined the club for a fee lower than his in recent times.

The Spurs star who’s valued more than Kudus

Spurs’ Europa League triumph last campaign is evidence that their work in the transfer market has been hugely effective, despite also wasting huge amounts of money on players not at the level required.

Bargain additions such as Lucas Bergvall had huge parts to play in their recent European triumph, with the Swedish international exceeding everyone’s expectations throughout 2024/25.

He only joined last summer for a reported £8.5m from homeland club Djurgarden, with very few supporters expecting the 19-year-old to have an immediate impact in the first-team.

However, the injury crisis allowed the youngster to stake his claim for a regular starting role, racking up 45 appearances across all competitions in his debut year.

His talents catapulted the club to the Europa League title, which has seen them qualify for the Champions League – allowing them to attract world-class talents to Frank’s side.

As a result, the hierarchy completed the £52m signing of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig in the closing stages of the summer window – finally ending their hunt for a new number ten.

The Dutchman arrived with huge expectations after his form in the Bundesliga last campaign, subsequently ending the year with 17 combined goals and assists in just 25 outings.

However, his time in England is yet to take off, only registering one assist in his first seven outings – but he will certainly need time to settle, given he’s just 22 years of age.

It’s not stopped Simons from receiving heaps of praise from numerous high-profile names, with one analyst even labelling the youngster as a “phenomenal” talent.

Xavi Simons – Spurs stats (2025/26)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

7

Minutes played

420

Assists

1

Shots taken

1.4

Pass accuracy

88%

Successful passes

30

Chances created

1.8

Dribble success

55%

Dribbles completed

1.8

Fouls won

1.4

Stats via FotMob

He’s also seen his market value soar in recent months after his transfer, with CIES Football Observatory now valuing the sensation at a staggering £97.3m.

Such a figure is nearly two times higher than the fee paid for Kudus this window, further highlighting how highly rated the Dutchman is despite his early struggles in the Premier League.

Whilst Kudus has hit the ground running, he does have prior experience in England’s top-flight, with Simons likely to have the same impact in the near future once he’s settled.

However, there’s no denying the Lilywhites have a potential world beater on their hands, with the prospect of the aforementioned starring together for years to come a hugely exciting one for the fanbase.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Oct 9, 2025

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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• Getty Images Sport
  

  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.

It doesn’t take much for the mood to change in football, and Arsenal are the perfect example of that.

Just a few days ago, there was a real sense of optimism around the club following big wins over Nottingham Forest and Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League.

However, their performance against Manchester City left a lot to be desired, and were it not for a late equaliser from Gabriel Martinelli, the Gunners would have lost their second Premier League game of the season.

It was a game to forget for much of the Arsenal team, and while Mikel Merino has received plenty of criticism, there is another star that Mikel Arteta should consider dropping for the game this week.

The Arsenal players who underwhelmed vs City

Now it is important to clarify that few, if any, Arsenal players were genuinely terrible yesterday.

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After all, while the result was hugely disappointing, the Gunners would not have earned a point against a team like City if they played terribly.

With that said, there were more than a handful of starters who underwhelmed in a big way, like Leandro Trossard.

The Belgian did little to dispel the idea of him being a better impact player than starter, as in 84 minutes of action, he amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.15, failed to complete a single cross, didn’t register a shot on target and was accurate with just 78% of his passes.

Someone who had some pretty impressive numbers for the game, but made one consequential mistake, was Gabriel Magalhães.

The Brazilian stalwart found himself far too high up the pitch and mistimed a tackle in the lead-up to Erling Haaland’s opener, which meant he had no chance of catching the Norwegian.

Finally, it was another outing that showed a midfield of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and Merino does not work.

Merino’s game vs City

Minutes

45′

Expected Goals

0.00

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.03

Assists

0

Passes

18/20

Crosses

0

Long Balls (Accurate)

1 (0)

Shots on Target

0

Aerial Duels (Won)

2 (0)

Lost Possession

6

All Stats via Sofascore

The latter was particularly ineffective, completing 18 passes, failing to complete a long ball or cross, losing 100% of his aerial duels, losing the ball six times and generally being more of a hindrance to build up than any sort of help in defence.

It was a game to forget for all of these starters, but there is another who was at the very least just as bad and should therefore be dropped from the team this week.

The Arsenal star Arteta should drop

When it comes to arguably the most ineffective player on the pitch for Arsenal yesterday, it probably won’t surprise many of you that we’re talking about Viktor Gyokeres.

Now, before the pitchforks come out, the Swedish international has had a couple of good games for the club, such as Leeds United and Forest, but yesterday was not one of those.

The former Sporting CP superstar was anonymous for pretty much the entire encounter, as while he held the ball up relatively well at points, he offered little to no threat.

Now, there is an argument to be made that the rest of the team didn’t create enough chances for him; it could also be said that the best strikers help create their own chances.

It might sound like a harsh appraisal, but we aren’t the only ones who were disappointed by his performance.

For example, The Standard’s Simon Collings awarded him a 5/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he ‘could not make an impact.’

Unsurprisingly, his statistics more than back this up, as in his 97 minutes of inaction, the Stockholm-born poacher didn’t take a single shot on target, took just 22 touches, completed six passes, lost 100% of his ground duels, lost the ball 13 times and failed in 100% of his dribbles.

In short, it was a poor showing from the man who is supposed to spearhead this Arsenal side to Premier League glory.

Therefore, Arteta should take him out of the firing line for the game against Port Vale tomorrow night, give him time to rest, and hopefully, he can come back into the side next week rejuvenated and ready to show the fans what he can do.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Sep 22, 2025

West Ham United have been here before when losing a star asset in the drama of the summer transfer window.

Indeed, the summer of 2023 saw Declan Rice heartbreakingly leave behind his boyhood Hammers for Arsenal, with the only bonus being that £105m hit the Irons’ bank account to soften the immediate blow.

At least the Premier League side had sufficient time to adjust to their Rice-less reality, with Lucas Paqueta’s exit from the club, perhaps going right down to the wire of deadline day, instead, amid interest in his services from Aston Villa.

Graham Potter’s men will surely have last-minute replacements up their sleeve in case their much-talked-about midfielder does depart, with the low-morale Hammers entering into a last-ditch race for this £34m gem, as per reports.

West Ham enter late race for £34m star

The latest on Paqueta’s short-term Hammers future seems to change by the minute.

He was reportedly in line to make a £47m move to Unai Emery’s Villans, but now, according to journalist Jacob Steinberg, he should be staying put, unless a drastic exit takes place imminently.

That was seemingly rubberstamped by the Brazilian’s goal celebration during the Hammers’ 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

Still, after the pretty bleak start to the season experienced by those at the London Stadium, additions to the midfield ranks could be prioritised.

Indeed, as per Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, the already relegation-threatened Hammers have entered the late race to secure the services of Arsenal reserve midfielder Fabio Vieira.

Plettenberg states that a departure is planned before deadline day for Vieira to exit the Emirates, with the previous £34m buy for the Gunners also attracting interest from Stuttgart.

How Vieira can be Fornals 2.0

Potter and Co. might well view the Portuguese attacking midfielder as a suitable replacement for Paqueta if the Brazilian does up and leave dramatically, with West Ham also winning their next Pablo Fornals potentially by snapping up the versatile 25-year-old.

Before heading back to his native Spain with Real Betis, Fornals was a firm fan favourite plying his trade in East London.

The six-time Spain international would tally up an impressive haul of 23 goals and 19 assists across a mammoth 203 appearances for the club, with pundit Noel Whelan even going as far as to herald the 29-year-old as an “unsung hero” when he was still pulling on claret and blue.

Vieira will hope he can be seen in a similarly glowing light if he leaves North London behind shortly, having shone in flashes for Mikel Arteta’s men, when not consistently stuck on the periphery.

After all, despite making just 49 appearances for Arsenal since his £34m switch from FC Porto, the attacking midfielder has gone on to collect a respectable three goals and ten assists.

With a sublime 15 goals and 24 assists under his belt in Portugal, too, he really could come into his own as an adaptable, Fornals-like presence if Potter and Co. come calling.

Across his up-and-down playing days in Portugal and England, Vieira has at least managed to stand out as a flexible presence, with seven different positions on the pitch being filled by the diminutive 5-foot-7 attacker across 165 clashes above. To add context, Fornals would line up in the same number of different positions for West Ham during his celebrated stay.

While he hasn’t always been front and centre of Arteta’s plans, the 25-year-old playmaker will pray he can get back to his “special” best at the London Stadium, as he was once labelled by writer Hayley McGoldrick, having also been dubbed a “smooth operator” previously by journalist Tom Kundert. That smooth presence could certainly also be applied to Fornals.

If he can star in East London away from the stifling environment of North London, he could also fill a Paqueta-shaped hole down the line, with the Brazilian also being showered with high praise, having been branded “mercurial” for the Hammers by ex-London Stadium coach Mark Warburton.

Even if he does stay, West Ham needs some boosts to lift the dire mood, with Vieira arriving just in the nick of time perhaps having that desired effect.

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Aug 31, 2025

Allrounder Michael Bracewell will captain a different looking New Zealand T20I squad for the five-game series against Pakistan at home that starts on March 16. Seven members of New Zealand’s silver-medal winning Champions Trophy squad have been selected for the series while those with IPL commitments were not considered.The series will mark Bracewell’s second series as New Zealand captain, having led the side during the tour of Pakistan in April 2024.”Mitch Santner’s done a great job since taking over as white-ball captain and I’ll really just be trying to build on his good work and create an enjoyable environment for the guys to perform in,” Bracewell said in an NZC statement. “Pakistan are always a dangerous short-form side with lots of power and pace and we know they’ll be hurting after an early exit in the Champions Trophy.”Among the players selected for the series are Ben Sears, the fast bowler who has recovered from his hamstring injury, and Ish Sodhi, who missed the recent home series against Sri Lanka. Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke have been included for the first three games only, with the selectors managing the workloads of the pacers from the Champions Trophy.In a glance: New Zealand’s T20I squad for home series against Pakistan•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Matt Henry, who injured his shoulder in the Champions Trophy semi-final, has been selected for the last two T20Is – subject to fitness – while Finn Allen, James Neesham and Tim Seifert have also been included after confirming their availability, if selected, for the build-up series to the 2026 T20 World Cup.Daryl Mitchell and Mark Chapman will have a bigger responsibility with the bat as Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips are all unavailable due to the IPL. Lockie Ferguson and Santner will also miss the series with the IPL starting March 22. Kane Williamson opted out of selection; he has PSL commitments, starting from April 11, with Karachi Kings.From the recent series against Sri Lanka, top-order batter Tim Robinson, fast bowler Zakary Foulkes (only last two games) and wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay are in the squad.”We’re certainly starting to narrow our sights on the ICC T20 World Cup in India next February and March,” selector Sam Wells said. “Half of this squad is only returning from the Champions Trophy on Wednesday and so we’re going to need to manage those players really carefully.”The Pakistan series will provide an opportunity for all players to put their best foot forward and push their case for selection in the 15-player squad for next year’s major global tournament.”Each game of the five-match series will be played as a double-header with New Zealand Women facing Sri Lanka and Australia on the same day at the same venue.

New Zealand squad T20Is against Pakistan

Michael Bracewell (capt), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zakary Foulkes (games 4 & 5), Mitchell Hay, Matt Henry (games 4 & 5), Kyle Jamieson (games 1, 2 & 3), Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Will O’Rourke (games 1, 2 & 3), Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi

The BCCI announced he will sit in as captain on the press conference scheduled for January 18, when the two squads will be named

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-20254:39

Refresher course: remember how good Gill and Rahul are at ODI cricket?

Rohit Sharma is set to continue as India’s ODI captain; this was confirmed when the BCCI announced he will sit in as captain on the press conference scheduled for January 18, when the squads for the Champions Trophy and the ODIs against England will be announced. The three ODIs against England will be India’s last in the format before they begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20.Rohit’s future came into sharp focus after he had stood down from India’s XI in the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this month. He, however, clarified that the decision shouldn’t be misconstrued as a retirement.Related

Rohit joins Mumbai training camp in bid to rediscover form

Rohit says he 'stood down' for SCG Test: 'It is not a retirement decision'

Rohit, 37, has been struggling for form and during the home series against New Zealand, he also admitted to captaincy errors, which contributed to India’s 3-0 whitewash. In six Test innings against New Zealand at home, Rohit managed only 91 runs at an average of 15.16 and then in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, his average slumped further to 6.20 in five innings.In a bid to rediscover his form, Rohit had linked up with the Mumbai squad for training sessions in the lead-up to the start of the second phase of the Ranji Trophy.Having ended his T20I career by winning the T20 World Cup title in Barbados last year, Rohit now has the chance to lead India to an ODI world title at the Champions Trophy. India will play all their three league games in Dubai, which will also stage one of the semi-finals and possibly the final too, if India get there.India have played just six ODIs since November 19, 2023, when they lost to Australia in the World Cup final in Ahmedabad.

Peter Crouch turned heads when the ex-Liverpool man turned up as a mascot for a non-league team after losing his Fantasy Football league.

• Crouch last in Fantasy Football league
• Ex-Liverpool man told to do a forfeit
• Acts as mascot for non-league side

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The ex-England international finished bottom of his fantasy football league with That Peter Crouch Podcast hosts, Chris Stark and Steve Sidwell. As a punishment, the 6ft 7in star walked out as a mascot for Farnham Town before their Southern League Premier Division South game against Sholing on Saturday.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The popular former Stoke City ace took part in pre-match player meet and greets, was part of a half-time show, and ate dinner with the other mascots. And best of all, the 44-year-old wore a Farnham kit to blend in with the Surrey outfit, to the delight of many at Memorial Ground. Incidentally, the game ended in in a 2-2 draw. 

• WHAT CROUCH SAID

  Alongside a clip of him walking onto the pitch before kick-off, Crouch tweeted: "Having the best day at Farnham Town today as mascot."

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Crouch's actions went viral on social media, with many praising the big man. Some may wonder if the retired footballer will be attending any more Farnham games this season, as they try to secure promotion from the seventh tier of English football.