All posts by h716a5.icu

Still on the hunt for reinforcements after confirming the arrival of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Everton have now reportedly made their first approach to sign a Serie A winger.

Latest on Jack Grealish to Everton

After Dewsbury-Hall, Everton seemingly returned straight to the transfer market in an attempt to land further upgrades. And the name that they have since stumbled upon is Jack Grealish. The Manchester City winger desperately needs to leave the Etihad and those at the Hill Dickinson Stadium could now provide him with the perfect opportunity to depart this month.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Everton have offered Manchester City a straight loan for Grealish without an option to buy. It’s a deal that would see them opt out of any mandatory fee, but also one that could see them miss out on a permanent deal for the winger in a frustrating blow if he rediscovered his best form in Merseyside.

Having already signed Dewsbury-Hall, Carlos Alcaraz and Thierno Barry, Grealish’s arrival would likely complete Everton’s much-needed attacking overhaul. Given that both the Chelsea midfielder and the Man City man would be from the Premier League’s top six, too, the Toffees’ summer would suddenly begin to look more and more impressive.

Welcoming Dewsbury-Hall after he put pen to paper, David Moyes told the club’s official website: “We are pleased that Kiernan has chosen to join Everton. He had other clubs interested in signing him but he was excited by the opportunity and the challenge at Everton.”

Everton make first approach to sign Gonzalez

With that said, as their search to complete their attacking overhaul continues, Grealish is not the only name on The Friedkin Group’s list. According to TuttoSport, as relayed by Sport Witness, Everton have now made their first approach to sign Nico Gonzalez from Juventus this summer. The Serie A winger has been granted his exit and it’s now the Toffees and Fulham who have made initial enquiries for his signature.

Like Grealish, the 27-year-old is already thinking about his World Cup place one year in advance and knows that game time will be key to ensuring that he’s in the squad for Argentina’s first defence of the trophy.

Minutes

1,750

721

Goals

3

1

Assists

2

1

Key Passes per 90

0.98

3

When compared, it’s easy to see why Gonzalez has found himself on Everton’s shortlist alongside Grealish. It is, however, also clear that Grealish is the standout option due to his creativity in possession.

He’d be Gueye 2.0: Everton closing in on move for "exciting" £22m star

Everton are looking for plenty more new signings this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 7, 2025

Despite earning praise from manager Igor Tudor for his “strong” desire and “great availability”, Gonzalez’s output compared to the minutes that he played last season do not make for pretty reading. On paper, the Argentine outscored Grealish, but if the latter enjoyed similar game time then it may well have been a different story.

The left-arm spinner has previously led the side in a stand-in capacity and will start the full-time role against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2024Mitchell Santner has been named New Zealand’s new white-ball captain, taking over from Kane Williamson who stepped down after the T20 World Cup earlier this year.Santner has previously captained in 24 T20Is and four ODIs and his first series in the full-time role will come against Sri Lanka from late December.The first major event in his tenure will be February’s Champions Trophy before focus turns to building to the 2026 T20 World Cup.”It’s obviously a huge honour and a privilege to be asked,” Santner said. “When you’re a young kid the dream was always to play for New Zealand but to have the opportunity to officially lead my country in two formats is special.”It’s a new challenge and I’m excited to get stuck into the important period of white ball cricket that we have ahead of us.”Head coach Gary Stead explained that they were conscious of not adding to Tom Latham’s workload as Test captain. Santner is also a first-choice selection across both white-ball formats.”In Tom Latham we have an accomplished and experienced captain who has led the side admirably across all three formats,” Stead said. “Tom’s doing a great job as full-time Test captain since taking over in October and we’re keen to allow him to focus on that job which requires a considerable amount of time and energy.””Mitch is a fantastic team man and leads by example in all facets of the game. He’s an incredibly calm and collected personality and he has a huge amount of respect in the changing room, which will serve him well.”He’s had plenty of experience leading the T20 side and did a good job when he captained the ODI team last month, so he already has a good understanding of what it means to lead the team. I’m sure Mitch will also bring his own ideas and style of leadership to the role.”Santner has recently enjoyed a resurgence of his Test career with Player of the Match performances against India in Pune and England in Hamilton but New Zealand now have a light schedule in the format during 2025.

Crystal Palace always have a keen eye on young talent and could be set to raid a Premier League rival to bring in an exciting gem for a minimal fee, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Crystal Palace continue to field Eberechi Eze interest

There is no secret about the fact that the Eagles have in-demand players on their books and speculation continues to mount surrounding the jewel in their crown this summer.

Arsenal are long-term admirers of Eberechi Eze and want to bring him to North London. In exchange, there may be potential for Crystal Palace to land defender Jakub Kiwior as a makeweight to shore up their defence.

Despite his goals, assists and flair making the England international the star of the show, he isn’t the only star that could leave Oliver Glasner searching for reinforcements, as speculation over Marc Guehi’s future is intensifying by the day.

Champions Liverpool are working to secure Guehi’s signature and the fact he has one year left on his contract in South London has posed a question to Steve Parish and company over whether to sell the Three Lions’ man while he retains value, something he admits will be hard to turn down if their valuation is met.

He stated: “We will just have to see what happens. It needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind. It is a really tough one. We will do everything we can in the next few weeks to give ourselves the best chance. I am aware we are in four competitions this season. But the money we have is not infinite.”

Crystal Palace want to sign £26m star from under nose of Nottingham Forest

The Eagles are keen to get one over their divisional rivals…

BySean Markus Clifford Aug 11, 2025

While that storm continues to brew, in the meantime, Crystal Palace want to close in on a talented young midfielder who is also attracting interest from elsewhere.

Crystal Palace make contact to sign Arsenal's Dan Casey

According to Romano on X, Crystal Palace and Norwich City have made contact to try and sign out-of-contract Arsenal midfielder Dan Casey, who could move for a compensation package before the end of the window.

The youngster has a new deal on the table at the Emirates Stadium after a return of 20 goals at Under-18 level last term. Nevertheless, he is yet to sign, signalling he could up sticks for a minimal fee if the correct opportunity presents itself.

Labelled “really reliable” by Adam Birchall, the attacking midfielder can play in a variety of different positions, including centre-forward, on either flank or even as a deep-lying six when needed.

Crystal Palace have done some wonderful work over the years in nurturing young talent and the 17-year-old could well be the next in line to join their conveyor belt of exciting stars.

Real Madrid legend Raul believes he will return to the club in the future, but doesn't rule out taking on "a challenge that excites" him before then.

Raul talks about his future coaching plansPromises to return to Real MadridDoesn't rule out taking on another opportunityFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Legendary former Madrid striker Raul has promised that he will return to the Santiago Bernabeu one day, hinting that he has set his sights on managing the first team in the future. The iconic ex-No.7 is currently without a job after he left the head coach position at Castilla at the end of the 2024-25 season.

AdvertisementImago ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Raul began working as a coach in Madrid's La Fabrica academy before taking on as the B team's manager in 2019. He spent six seasons with Castilla and came agonisingly close to firing the reserves to a promotion to the second division in the 2022-23 season, losing to Eldense in the play-offs. During his spell as Castilla boss, he also took over the reins of the U-19 team in the UEFA Youth League knockouts in 2020 and led them to the title. Despite proving his managerial mettle time and again, he never came close to earning promotion and becoming the first-team head coach.

WHAT RAUL SAID

Speaking about his future on the podcast, Raul said: "The plan will come on its own. You have to be patient and calm. I have been a coach at Real Madrid Castilla for six years, and I am sure that in the short term some opportunity, some challenge will come that excites me, because I believe that to do things you have to be motivated and you have to feel it."

He also kept doors open to a return to the Chamartin: "I've been at the club where I wanted to be and which is my home, and I know I'll come back again when the time is right, at another time."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT FOR RAUL?

Madrid's all-time appearance maker was subject to immense speculation during his time at Castilla, receiving interest from across Europe. He was eyed by Schalke, where he played after leaving Los Blancos as a player. Leeds, too, were reported to have an interest in the Spaniard's services. Most recently, following the sacking of Erik ten Hag, Raul was linked with the Bayer Leverkusen role. However, the ex-Spain international is currently on a sabbatical, although his words indicate that he is ready to take on his next "challenge" if the right opportunity comes his way.

Pakistan overcame a deficit of 421 but South Africa’s target of 58 was little more than a formality

Danyal Rasool06-Jan-2025South Africa marked their qualification for the WTC final in style, romping to a ten-wicket win over Pakistan. It is their seventh successive Test win, and came after two and a half days of toil with the ball before they finally prised Pakistan out for 478 in the third innings. A valiant century from Pakistan captain Shan Masood and numerous other contributions forced South Africa to bat again as the visitors overcame the second-highest first-innings deficit in Test history. However, the target – 58 – was little more than a formality, and South Africa took 7.1 overs to knock it off.But Pakistan made them wait for the win. When South Africa enforced the follow-on leading by 421 on Sunday afternoon, they did not anticipate having to bowl another 122.1 overs. Masood, unbeaten overnight on 102, carried on and tried to rebuild after a mammoth 205-run opening stand with Babar Azam. South Africa were frustrated for large parts of the day, most notably during an 88-run stand between Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha in the afternoon. But Keshav Maharaj, who had been denied for most of the day, found the breakthrough, and regular wickets after that ensured a finish was on in the late-evening sunshine.Related

Pakistan need to know what they want from Test cricket

Youthful Maphaka finds – and gives – joy on challenging debut

Earlier in the day, Marco Jansen got nightwatcher Khurram Shahzad out early on before Rabada cleaned up Kamran Ghulam. Maharaj more or less bowled through the entire session, interrupted only when he switched ends at one point. His variations in pace and flight, as well as a ball that continued to turn, posed the most significant threat to the batters, but the wickets came to pace.Shahzad had done his job and never quite looked equipped to carry on too long. When a length ball from Jansen grew too big on him, he chipped it straight to Maharaj at point. Ghulam never quite appeared to settle, keeping the slip cordon interested throughout his innings. He should have been on his way without scoring when, in the same over as Shahzad fell, he slashed at a wide one but it burst through David Bedingham’s hands at first slip.Kyle Verreynne celebrates the key wicket of Mohammad Rizwan•AFP/Getty ImagesThat wicket was always coming though. Rabada’s increasing frustration at his wicketlessness and general indiscipline – he bowled another four no-balls this morning – was mounting. Just after overstepping, he found a beauty that nipped back off the seam into Ghulam, pegging back his middle stump. It was an excellent way to bring up his 50th Test wicket at Newlands, with the roar that followed it making clear how much it meant to him.Saud Shakeel and Masood continued to make South Africa work for each scalp, and yet South Africa could have had one more before lunch. Kwena Maphaka squared Shakeel up with a lovely delivery that straightened as it hit the pad, only for South Africa to opt against a review. As Shakeel received extensive treatment for the blow, Hawk-Eye showed it was hitting leg stump.Masood’s vigil at the crease ended in somewhat contentious circumstances. Maphaka got one to shape away off the seam that kept low before cannoning into the batter’s front pad. Umpire Nitin Menon felt it was missing off stump, but when South Africa reviewed, Hawk-Eye showed it hitting. It prompted a furious response from Masood, whose protests continued all the way along his slow walk off the crease and into the dressing room.It capped a bright first hour post lunch for South Africa. Shakeel had been dispensed with shortly after play resumed in much the same way he fell in the first innings: nicking off into the slips while drove at Rabada. With Masood departing, there was a danger Pakistan might crumple in a heap, as they have tended to recently.David Bedingham made short work of South Africa’s victory target•AFP/Getty ImagesBut Agha and Rizwan rebuilt once more. They wore off the sheen of the second new ball and kept the strike turning over. There were just three fours in the first 55 runs of the partnership as Pakistan looked to milk the tiring bowlers, but when Mulder erred, Agha was quick to put him away for two fours in three balls.The two carried on as Pakistan wiped out the deficit, but soon Rizwan chipped Maharaj to short cover, precisely where Bavuma had placed a fielder for the shot, and South African nerves began to loosen once again.Agha, having been reprieved by DRS, fell quickly after – two runs shy of his half-century – when a Maharaj delivery ripped and bounced, drawing a sharp catch for Aiden Markram in the slips. Mir Hamza came out and had a bit of fun, including a heave back over the bowler’s head for the only six of the innings. But it wasn’t built to last. Aamer Jamal reverse-swept Maharaj to slip before Rabada wrapped the innings up, and Bedingham and Markram sprinted off the field.Six years ago, at this very ground, Pakistan’s third innings ended on the third evening, with South Africa needing 41 to wrap the series up. Stumps were called, with the game concluding on the fourth morning.This time around, the South Africa openers did not let the match go into the next day. Bedingham provided a shot in the arm with an eye-catching little knock – an unbeaten 47 off 30 – that ensured it took South Africa just 43 balls to seal a win that, despite a very long wait in the field, was ultimately routine.

Former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas is optimistic about the national team's striker situation following Ricardo Pepi's return from injury for PSV. Though Folarin Balogun established himself with a strong showing earlier this month, Lalas said Pepi's return to fitness and form provides crucial competition for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

Getty Images SportLalas encouraged to see Pepi back

The Fox Sports analyst referenced Pepi's recent brace for PSV in their 5-3 victory over NEC Nijmegen as evidence of the 22-year-old regaining his sharpness after missing significant time.

“One of the things that we've talked about now for the entire cycle is this open attacking striker position,” Lalas said on the State of the Union podcast. “We all welcome the return of Balogun in this past window and he actually did a very good job. It goes back to… competition for spots. And so it's wonderful to see Pepi, who is kind of the next in line, back playing, back scoring – which isn't necessarily anything new from a PSV perspective over there in Holland.

"And we've talked about, you know, some of the perception versus the reality sometimes when it comes to the defending. But beggars can't be choosers. And I love the fact that he's there.”

AdvertisementBalogun, Pepi make a strong tandem

Pepi's recovery adds depth to a position where the USMNT has historically struggled to find consistent performers.

“If we get to next summer and both of those guys are healthy and we're still playing one striker, that's a nice little tandem to have,” Lalas said. “Regardless of who ends up starting, if that person works out great, then you give them a rest and somebody comes out in fresh and ready to go and does and does some more damage.

“Or if things aren't going well, maybe they wear them down, and then you put in someone. We're going from 'Who the hell is going to play striker for us' to – and I don't want to get ahead – but the possibility of having two quality strikers who are in their prime that will score goals, and I think will be dangerous. Are they world-class? No, by any stretch of the imagination. But it's better than what we've had.”

USMNT striker situation

With Pepi now 22 and Balogun 24, both strikers are approaching their theoretical prime years as the 2026 World Cup approaches.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportRoad ahead

Ricardo Pepi and PSV Eindhoven have enjoyed an excellent start to the 2025-26 season with Pepi returning to full fitness recently for the Dutch side. They’ll face Ajax on Sept. 20 at home followed by Excelsior on Sept. 26 in the Eredivisie. 

Glasgow Rangers are still looking for their first win of the Scottish Premiership season after they were held to a 1-1 draw by St Mirren away from Ibrox on Sunday.

The Light Blues needed academy graduate Findlay Curtis to come off the bench to score an excellent goal to rescue a point for the side late in the second half.

Russell Martin’s team looked bereft of quality at the top end of the pitch until Curtis and James Tavernier, who supplied the corner that led to the goal, came on as substitutes.

If the head coach wants to bring the captain back into the starting XI, in the Champions League or against Celtic next weekend, Max Aarons may need to drop out.

Why Max Aarons should be dropped

The Bournemouth loanee is not a horrendous player and he did not put in a terrible performance against St Mirren on Sunday, but he does not offer the same level of attacking threat that Tavernier does.

Aarons has only created one chance in three starts in the Premiership for Rangers, per Sofascore, and did not create any chances in 69 minutes on the pitch in this match.

The English full-back has not offered enough going forward, whilst Tavernier has only started one of the three games and created three chances for the team, per Sofascore.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

This is why Aarons should be dropped from the XI to add more creativity to the side, but the defender is not the only player who should be ruthlessly dropped, as Lyall Cameron’s position should also be under threat.

Why Lyall Cameron should be dropped

Martin must ruthlessly ditch the Scottish central midfielder alongside Aarons after the former Dundee man put in a disappointing display against St Mirren.

The manager knows that he will get a hard-working, tireless, performance from Cameron, who runs his socks off, but the quality in and out of possession was not there for him on Sunday.

He missed a very presentable opportunity to open the scoring when Jayden Meghoma whipped a brilliant ball into the box, although it was maybe at a bit of an awkward height.

Aside from that miss, though, the 22-year-old central midfielder’s all-round performance was not good enough to justify him keeping his place in the team against Celtic next weekend, looking beyond the second leg against Club Brugge.

Minutes

90

Shots on target

0

Dribbles completed

0/1

Big chances created

0

Ground duels won

0/6

Aerial duels won

0/1

Tackles + interceptions

0

Dribbled past

2x

As you can see in the table above, Cameron failed to deal with the intensity and the physicality of the clash with St Mirren, as he lost 100% of his duels.

The opposition found it far too easy to get the better of him in one-on-one situations, and he did not make up for his lack of physicality with quality or creativity on the ball in the final third.

Mohamed Diomande won more duels (one) and made more tackles and interceptions (two) in just 26 minutes off the bench for the Light Blues, which suggests that he may have more to offer to the team out of possession as a physical presence.

Rangers may need physicality to deal with Celtic next weekend at Ibrox, as they look to close the already-growing gap to their rivals, which is why Cameron should be ruthlessly ditched from the XI alongside Aarons.

Morelos 2.0: Rangers are in talks to sign a "powerful" £5.6m-rated striker

As Rangers seek to bolster their forward line before the transfer window closes, could the Gers sign a “powerful” striker similar to Alfredo Morelos?

ByBen Gray Aug 22, 2025

Julian Alvarez silenced talk of a rift with Diego Simeone in the best way possible, by firing a stunning hat-trick that sealed Atletico Madrid’s 3-2 comeback win over Rayo Vallecano. After the match, the Argentine forward addressed the lip-reading controversy from the Mallorca game, insisting his frustration was misinterpreted and that his bond with Simeone remains intact.

Julian Alvarez's lip-reading controversy

Alvarez’s explosive display against Rayo Vallecano came just days after controversy swirled around him. In the Mallorca game, cameras caught him visibly frustrated after being substituted, and social media lip readers claimed he muttered criticisms at Simeone, sparking rumours of a fallout. With speculation rising over tensions in the Atleti camp, all eyes were on how the Argentine striker would respond on the pitch and off it. The speculations caught more traction after his six-match goal drought and the club's inconsistent display in this year's campaign.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAlvarez clears the air around the lip reading incident

After his hat-trick heroics, Alvarez directly addressed the controversy in a post-match interview.

"The words they said… The lip-reading they did had nothing to do with what I'd said. I swore and he was angry with me, to be honest," he said. "This always happens with social media, but it's all good. Let's keep improving so we don't drop points along the way."

He admitted frustration at being subbed but stressed it was aimed at himself, not Simeone, dismissing the online storm as a misunderstanding blown out of proportion.

Alvarez's on his hat-trick heroics

If his words weren’t enough, the Argentine let his football do the talking. He netted a superb hat-trick to drag Atletico past Rayo Vallecano, with his third goal – a composed left-footed finish in the dying minutes – sealing three points for the capital club. Asked to pick his favourite, he said: "The third was very nice, it was a left-footed one, and it was right at the end to turn the game around. I'll stick with the third."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPDiego Simeone backs Alvarez ahead of derby clash

For Simeone, there’s no doubt about Alvarez’s importance. “Julian is the best player we have,” he declared, urging the club to keep him long-term. Next up is the Madrid derby on September 27 – another chance for the Argentine to prove once again why Simeone calls him “the best” and why Atleti’s future may rest on his shoulders.

Crystal Palace are set for an extremely busy end to what can only be described as a frantic transfer window at Selhurst Park.

While the incoming signings to date haven’t blown anyone away, it’s more been focused on the high-profile exits being regularly spoken about, with Eberechi Eze now officially an Arsenal player.

With Marc Guehi’s future also precariously up in the air today as the clock ticks down to 7pm, it is sure to be a rollercoaster day for those with an Eagles connection.

However, there also could be a flurry of late incoming signings to counteract activity out the door.

Palace strike up late move for £17m defender

Already, the drama of deadline day has thrown up Getafe star Christantus Uche moving to East London – as a verbal agreement has now been struck between the Spanish side and Oliver Glasner’s men – with another star set to join him in his new Premier League postcode.

Indeed, as was exclusively broken by journalist Charlie Parker-Turner, via X, Glasner and Co. have reached another agreement to snap up Brighton and Hove Albion centre-back Igor Julio on a loan deal. Fabrizio Romano has even revealed that the deal is at the late medical stage, already.

This could well be a temporary measure in case Guehi exits the building.

But, regardless of whether the Liverpool-linked defender leaves or not, adding in the £14.5m brute at the final hour could be seen as a better last-minute buy than securing the services of Uche.

Why Julio could be a better signing than Uche

After all, Palace aren’t exactly overflowing with centre-back options currently, even with Guehi still in their grip.

There are realistically only three centre-back figures available for selection at the moment, with Chris Richards and Marcel Larcoix the only other notable first-team presences in the heart of defence, as the duo – alongside Guehi – shut out Aston Villa valiantly last time out in a resounding 3-0 away day win.

Games played

37

Games started

27

Minutes played

2596

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Passes completed

2130 (93%)

Duels won

95

Whilst he hasn’t always been a guaranteed starter for the Seagulls, the Brazilian has stood out in flashes on the South Coast, with a mightily impressive 93% pass accuracy managed across his 27 Premier League starts to date, perhaps making him a worthwhile candidate to fill the expected Guehi void to come.

Moreover, Julio has even been dubbed an “animal” for his prowess in the air by former Brighton coach Inigo Calderon, with his relentless energy to retrieve the ball – as seen in his high 4.4 ball recovery average during his debut top-flight season – also another positive characteristic of the reserve defender’s game if Glasner needs to utilise the South American shortly.

Of course, attacking signings often catch the eye more, with Uche’s impressive record of five goals and eight assists for Getafe a tantalising prospect.

But, the rising Nigerian star has never set foot on English soil before, with the Eagles already well-stocked in the attacking department, arguably, with Jean Philippe-Mateta leading the line with his usual venom, on top of Ismaila Sarr bagging a second Premier League strike of the season already at Villa.

Therefore, while Uche will likely strike up a healthy partnership with Mateta and make Palace even more of an attractive watch, sealing Julio’s services feels like a more shrewd, late capture on loan, particularly if the Eagles’ window ends with Guehi’s heartbreaking departure being confirmed.

Crystal Palace make late approach to sign 19-cap defender alongside Canvot

The Eagles are ready to try and land his signature.

BySean Markus Clifford Aug 30, 2025

Connolly had played just four first class games and was wicketless from his 96 deliveries before his Test debut in Galle

Tristan Lavalette06-Feb-20250:40

Connolly: ‘I like to be aggressive while I’m playing red-ball cricket as well’

From the moment his clutch batting memorably lifted Perth Scorchers to the BBL title almost exactly two years ago, Cooper Connolly quickly became a fan favourite and there was plenty of intrigue over the potential of this promising left-arm spinning allrounder.But even his legion of admirers out west could not have foreshadowed his rise to Test cricket would be so swift. After just four first-class matches, the 21-year-old Connolly became Australia’s 471st men’s cricketer after he replaced offspinner Todd Murphy in Australia’s XI for the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. He became Australia’s fourth debutant in as many Tests.With his emotional parents standing nearby, Connolly, 21, was presented with his baggy green cap by former Test batter and fellow Western Australian Simon Katich.Related

'I earned my opportunity' – Connolly reflects on whirlwind Test debut ahead of Shield return

Cummins and Hazlewood ruled out of Champions Trophy

Travis Head expects Sam Konstas to open in WTC final

Sri Lanka hope for Nissanka boost as Australia target rare series win in Asia

Sri Lanka's 'strength is spin', but it's a game Australia can play too

His selection for this Test had been murmured in recent days with expectations that the surface used for this match would be notably dry and especially favourable to spin.Connolly’s selection has raised some eyebrows given he is wicketless from 96 deliveries in his first-class career so far. But all three of his Shield matches have been at the pace-friendly WACA ground, while he bowled only six overs against India A in Mackay in early November which was his last first-class match.Albeit a different format, but Connolly did take six wickets in the recent BBL season – where he was named player of the tournament after scoring the most runs in the league stage – highlighted by a strong performance against Sydney Thunder in favourable spinning conditions at the Showgrounds.ESPNcricinfo LtdIf the surface for the second Test does spin sharply, Connolly could prove dangerous and provides another left-arm spinning option alongside Matthew Kuhnemann, who had so much success in the series opener.”From what I’ve seen in the nets he bowls some really good balls,” stand-in captain Steven Smith said on Wednesday. “He was pretty consistent when he was bowling in Dubai and in the nets here.”That’s kind of all you’ve got to do in these conditions, just try and bowl as many good balls in a good area and let the conditions take over.”Connolly’s inclusion also underlines bolder selections from Australia’s hierarchy who have shown a willingness to experiment ever since picking 19-year-old Sam Konstas for the Boxing Day Test against India.Cooper Connolly receives his debut cap from Simon Katich•Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesWith Australia’s spot in the World Test Championship final secured, Connolly edged veteran Glenn Maxwell for a spot on the Sri Lanka tour having made his T20I and ODI debuts in the backend of last year. Undoubtedly, selectors have an eye towards the future – Australia’s next tour of India is just two years away – but they will insist his selection in the second Test is a decision based on specific conditions.At this stage of his fledgling career, Connolly is certainly a much stronger batter and adds significant depth to Australia’s order at No. 8. He has already scored three half-centuries from his six first-class innings, starting with 90 off 115 balls on debut at No. 7 in last year’s Shield final between WA and Tasmania.It was an elegant knock on a tricky WACA surface that instantly drew comparisons to former WA great Shaun Marsh. But given his all-round skills and X-factor ability, with an uncanny knack of hitting the most mesmerising shots, Connolly has been likened to Maxwell and Travis Head.”It’s pretty cool to be honest. You dream of it as a kid watching them smack it around,” he told ESPNcricinfo last December about the comparisons to Maxwell and Head. “I feel proud of myself… it’s a dream to put on a baggy green.”