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Martin O’Neill marked his Celtic homecoming with a comprehensive win at Parkhead, and there has been a claim on the chances of him landing the Hoops job on a permanent basis.

O’Neill Celtic return begins with 4-0 win over Falkirk

The 73-year-old former Hoops manager was installed along with ex-Celtic player Shaun Maloney as the interim management team following the stunning resignation of Brendan Rodgers on Monday night.

Irish striker Johnny Kenny scored twice in the first half before goals after the break from midfielder Benjamin Nygren and wide-man Sebastian Tounekti took the Hoops to within six points of William Hill Premiership leaders Hearts, who drew 2-2 at St Mirren. O’Neill, who was Hoops boss between 2000 and 2005, said:

O’Neill joked about being nervous before the game. He added: “Well, first of all, I jokingly said – maybe true – I have not been as nervous since I sat my 11-plus but, again, I think I passed that when I was 48.

“But honestly, really concerned about the game, naturally. Concerned about the usual thing about letting myself down, which is I’ve done so many times it’s untrue, and letting other people down here at the football club.

“Just coming in a bit of a whirlwind and to play in the manner which we did when I thought was great and obviously most important thing was winning the game. Naturally, I couldn’t be more pleased. I thought the players did really brilliantly.”

Next up for O’Neill and Maloney is Sunday’s League Cup semi-final against rivals Rangers, who are also showing early promising signs under new manager Danny Rohl.

Chances of Celtic making Martin O’Neill permanent manager

Talking to Sky Sports, Tino Callaghan from the Celtic Exchange said that conversations could be had over O’Neill staying on as permanent Celtic manager if the Hoops defeat Rangers on Sunday.

However, Callaghan also added his personal opinion, believing those at Parkhead need to ‘go in a different direction’.

A number of managers have been linked with the permanent job, such as Club Brugge’s Nicky Hayen, Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna and Wales’ Craig Bellamy.

How Nicky Haven feels about taking Celtic manager job

O’Neill looks set to be in the dugout at Hampden Park, and if Callaghan’s claim is correct, another positive result may see Celtic chiefs take note and explore the idea of keeping the Irishman on.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has fired back at Cristiano Ronaldo and urged the club to look to the future, rather than focus on the mistakes made under his regime and those made by previous managers. The United manager has also highlighted the key problem "he cannot allow" to continue holding his team back this season.

• Ronaldo wades in on United slump

  In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo criticised Man Utd's continued struggles, stating the club "don't have a structure" and are "not on a good path". He expressed sadness over the team's decline, despite still loving the club. Ronaldo claimed that Amorim could not perform "miracles" with the current set-up and that some players don't have the right mentality for a club of United’s stature. The comments came nearly three years after his explosive 2022 interview with Morgan, which led to his departure.  

  The five-time Ballon d'Or winner said: "You have to follow with the intelligent people, smart people, to create a base for the future as Manchester United have (done) so many years ago. Nicky Butt, Gary (Neville), Roy Keane, (David) Beckham, they became big players but they had youth. So Manchester United right now, they don't have a structure. I hope that changes in the future, present/future, because the potential of the club, it's amazing. It's one of the most important clubs of the century. 

  He added: He's (Amorim) doing his best. What are you going to do? Miracles? Miracles is impossible. We say in Portugal, 'miracles is only in Fatima', and he's not going to do miracles." 

  The Miracle of Fatima occurred in Portugal in 1917,  where observers claimed to have seen the sun dance, spin, and appear to fall towards the earth. 

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  'Let's continue and forget the past'

  Amorim said: "Of course, he knows and he (Ronaldo) has a huge impact in everything he says. What we need to focus on is the future. We know that we as a club made a lot of mistakes in the past and we are trying to change that. Let's not focus on what happened, let's focus on what we are doing now and we are doing that. We are changing a lot of things in the structure, the way we do things and want the players to behave. We are doing that and we are improving, so let's continue and forget the past."

• Amorim identifies key problem

  Amorim added: "I think you can attack really well. Sometimes when you defend better, you attack better. I think it's not that, it's the way we defend the box, but the last game we struggled inside the box because we allowed the crosses into the box without any pressure.

  "These small details that you watched during the last game, we have worked on that. In our last game, they had 17 shots and we cannot allow that. It's something we need to change. We can attack the same way, score even more goals, but we need to defend better."

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  United Spurred on for revenge

  United face Tottenham this weekend, the first time the two teams have met since the Europa League final in May, which the Reds lost 1-0. Spurs have an excellent away record, but have been woeful at home and Amorim believes his side have improved since losing the final in Bilbao. 

  Amorim said: "The characteristics of the players, we have different characteristics in our team, but we also have a lot of players who played last year. We are a better team, we play better and we understand the game better. We are more confident. At this moment, we play with a different confidence. We manage better the moments of the game, but if you remember that game, they had that shot on the goal and won the game. I expect a different game. We can play better, but also have a little bit of luck to win the game."

  He added: "I think we are more confident. We believe more that we can win any game and we prove already that we can win any game. The last game was tough on us because in some moments we weren’t the team we were supposed to be in every minute. And compare that against Brighton, it was a different thing.”

A maiden IPL contract has been followed by his first New Zealand call-up, but he doesn’t want to settle as a “one-dimensional player”

Abhimanyu Bose23-Dec-2024″If you told me this would happen a month ago, I probably wouldn’t believe it.”It has been that kind of a month for Bevon Jacobs. In late November, Jacobs was in for a surprise when he found out he was joining his compatriots Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner at Mumbai Indians for his first IPL gig. Just a month later, he has earned his first international call-up, for the upcoming home T20Is against Sri Lanka.Jacobs, 22, has just 12 List A and nine T20 games under his belt, and made his first-class debut only last month in the Plunket Shield. This handful of games were, however, enough for him to showcase his hard-hitting abilities.”It’s always something I’ve tried to aim for and, you know, it came a little bit quicker than I anticipated,” Jacobs said after the New Zealand squads were announced. “But, you know, I’ll grab the opportunity and I’m just going to be happy to be in that environment and try and learn heaps.”Related

• Jacobs gets maiden NZ call-up for Sri Lanka T20Is

• Who is Bevon Jacobs, MI's latest under-the-radar recruit?

• Santner named New Zealand's white-ball captain

He admitted it was “pretty full circle” that he found out about his international call-up while in Lincoln, where he was part of the rain-hit T20 warm-up against the touring Sri Lankans but didn’t get to bat. Jacobs had begun his cricketing journey, which he describes as “bit of left and right there and thereabout”, in Auckland before moving to Canterbury, where he made his List A and T20 debuts in 2023.After an impressive first season, Auckland signed him back, and he has already impressed with scores of 75, 79, 44 and 80 in his first four red-ball games.”Obviously growing up in Auckland, that was awesome, and age-group cricket, but I spent three good years down here [in Canterbury] and I really enjoyed it, and so to have it announced here, it’s not the worst situation ever,” he said.The IPL 2025 auction was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, so Jacobs only found out his fate the following morning New Zealand time, much to his disbelief. When he went to wake his father up to break the news, Jacobs senior woke up in a panic, thinking someone was trying to break in. “I was like, ‘no, no, I’ve just been picked up in the IPL’. So that was a pretty good laugh,” Jacobs had said at the time.Making the New Zealand squad, however, was a more emotional moment for his family.

“They were both pretty big surprises. IPL feels like such a slim chance but Black Caps is something that I’ve dreamed about since a kid. I think IPL was kind of a focus or like a goal maybe set a little bit later”Bevon Jacobs

“I called my dad first and he shed some tears over the phone. So that’s pretty special, something that we’ve been working hard together for many years,” Jacobs said. “He’s put a lot of sacrifice and effort into it, and the same with the rest of the fam. He was pretty happy and pretty proud, as were they all.”I’ve got a really nice support group, friends and family, but mum’s put a lot of time into it, dad’s put a lot of time into it, endless net sessions and hours and sometimes giving to cricket and giving up something that they might want to do outside of the game just so they could support me.”And scraping together everything, it’s not exactly a cheap sport. You put cost as well as time into it and so I think I’m really grateful for them to have backed me to get to this point and so hopefully I can make them proud.”So what was a bigger surprise for him – the IPL gig or getting called up to play for New Zealand?”That’s a tough one. They were both pretty big surprises,” Jacobs said. “IPL feels like such a slim chance but Black Caps is something that I’ve dreamed about since a kid. I think IPL was kind of a focus or like a goal maybe set a little bit later.”Black Caps has always been the dream so I think that’s probably the one that hit me the hardest. But, obviously, both really special and just glad to have the opportunity.”Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner will be Jacobs’ team-mates at Mumbai Indians too, in the IPL•AFP/Getty ImagesJacobs has a reputation for the big hits, and in his first Super Smash season, he was employed in a finisher’s role and hit 134 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 188.73. The only batter among those who faced at least 50 balls in the tournament to have scored quicker was Doug Bracewell (200.02).”I guess the job for me will probably just be to go out there and try and hit it as hard as I can and hopefully get some runs on the board, some quick runs for the team and if that’s the position I’m put in, then yeah I’ll give it my best shot.”But Jacobs has bigger ambitions than just being a power-hitter.”I don’t want to be a one-dimensional batter,” he said. “Obviously I like to bring that power game into the team but I think going for that longer-format stuff is definitely something I want to work towards and be recognised as going forward.”After an impressive start to his first-class career, Jacobs is averaging 41 from seven knocks with three half-centuries. He believes the direction Test cricket is headed in – with more attacking batting and higher strike rates – it does have space for his quick-scoring abilities, but he also wants to be able to put in the grind when needed.

“I think if I can rub shoulders with those guys, scratch their brains and just see how much I can learn from them and just try to make myself a better player, I think there’s much I can learn from them and just try to make myself a better player, I think that’s going to be the biggest thing for me”Bevon Jacobs on joining the New Zealand change room

“I mean there’s obviously been some common trends with some extra power, some more creativity coming into the red-ball set-up,” he said. “I think it’s more just about how everyone goes at their own sort of way. And if that’s the way that I can bring an impact in that situation then that’s what I’ll try and do. But if it’s something a little bit more that I need to develop then I’ll work on that as well.”His long reach aside, Jacobs’ strength helps him hit a long ball, as he showcased during his stint in the Queensland T20 Max, in Australia, where he smashed 100 off 40 balls on the final day of the competition for South Brisbane against Toombull.But it was in Lincoln, Jacobs said, where he “fell in love” with the fitness side of the game.”I came down to Lincoln on a cricket scholarship and I got sorted with the strength and conditioning programme here and then I kind of just fell in love with that sort of side of the sport, getting in the gym, and it’s just something that I like to tick off pretty frequently.”Now, Jacobs is looking forward to soak in the “special” experience of rubbing shoulders with players he “grew up watching” and while scoring runs is on the agenda, his main focus is to grow as a cricketer.”I mean, obviously, you want runs on the board but I think it’s mainly just going to be a big learning experience. I think if I can rub shoulders with those guys, scratch their brains and just see how much I can learn from them and just try to make myself a better player, I think there’s much I can learn from them and just try to make myself a better player, I think that’s going to be the biggest thing for me.”

Barcelona's promising winger Roony Bardghji has decisively shut down speculation linking him with a January exit, insisting that he "feels great" in Catalonia and has no desire to leave. Despite limited playing time since his summer move from FC Copenhagen, Bardghji affirmed that both manager Hansi Flick and the football club have put their trust in him.

• Bardghji dismisses January transfer rumours

  Bardghji has made it clear he intends to remain at Barcelona, despite recent media speculation about a potential January departure. The Swedish international, who joined the Catalan giants from Copenhagen in the summer, has not enjoyed extensive minutes on the pitch but remains committed to the club.

  In an interview with Fotbolskanalen, cited by Mundo Deportivo, Bardghji addressed the rumours directly: "That’s what the media writes. But I have had a great time and I have a good relationship with Hansi, who is an amazing coach. He and the club trust me, which means a lot. I feel great. I’m improving every day and learning a lot. I’ve had quite a bit of playing time, so I feel great. I am patient. I’ve been here for three or four months."

  Bardghji has made nine appearances in all competitions for Barcelona, with only two of those coming as starts. His total playing time amounts to approximately 173 minutes in La Liga and 22 minutes in the Champions League. Despite these limited minutes, the 20-year-old winger expressed satisfaction with his progress and adaptation to life in Catalonia.

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  Confidence from Hansi Flick and the club

  A key factor in Bardghji's decision to stay is the evident confidence placed in him by head coach Hansi Flick and the Barcelona hierarchy. Sport newspaper reported that Flick and his staff "have no doubts: the winger has a great future ahead." This internal belief seems to outweigh any external pressure or the player's current reduced role.

  Bardghji himself highlighted his strong relationship with Flick, calling him "an amazing coach." This positive dynamic suggests that the manager sees long-term potential in the Swedish talent, even if immediate regular starting berths are challenging to secure due to intense competition, particularly from the likes of Lamine Yamal on the right wing.

  The club's financial struggles and the necessity to return to the 1:1 rule have often fuelled speculation about player sales. However, Bardghji's firm stance indicates that some players, especially young talents with high ceilings, are considered integral to the long-term project.

• Reflecting on El Clasico experience and standout moments

  One of the highlights of Bardghji's early Barcelona career was his late substitute appearance in El Clasico, a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. Despite the disappointing result for his team, Bardghji described the experience as memorable.

  "It’s the most important game and you could feel it in the media, everywhere, even before the game. There was a lot of intensity on the pitch and afterwards. I didn’t participate (in the scuffle at full time), but a lot of things happened. There is a lot of emotion, because it is an important match and a great rivalry. It’s normal, but it was amazing to be there," he recounted to Fotbolskanalen.

  Beyond El Clasico, Bardghji has already produced a "standout image of the season" with a curling finish he scored against Olympiacos, a moment he described as "great" and "went a bit viral afterwards." These glimpses of his talent, even in limited minutes, have reinforced the club's belief in his abilities.

  Bardghji faces stiff competition for a starting spot, most notably from the highly-rated Lamine Yamal. However, the Swedish international remains patient and focused on his development. He sees his time at Barcelona as a continuous learning process, stating: "I’m improving every day and learning a lot."

  Barcelona acquired Bardghji from Copenhagen for several million euros plus add-ons, a "low-risk operation" to secure a "gem of Swedish soccer." Clubs like Porto and Stuttgart have reportedly inquired about a potential loan move in the winter market, but Bardghji's firm intention to stay indicates he believes his development is best served at Camp Nou.

  Bardghji has also recently made his first senior international appearance for the Swedish national team, further underscoring his rising profile in European football.

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  What next for Bardghji and Barcelona?

  Bardghji's immediate future remains at Barcelona. He will continue to train under Flick, seeking to earn more playing time and develop his skills within the demanding environment of La Liga and the Champions League. His commitment allows Flick to maintain squad stability during the winter transfer window, a period where the coach reportedly prefers not to make major changes.

  For Barcelona, retaining Bardghji is a vote of confidence in their long-term project and their ability to nurture young talent. As the club navigates its financial constraints, relying on promising youth players like Bardghji will be crucial. His patience will be tested, but his determination to succeed at Camp Nou is clear as he aims to become a more integral part of the first team in the coming months. Barcelona will now be seen in action against Athletic Club in LaLiga before taking on Chelsea in the Champions League. 

South Africa blown away for 72 to go down by 342 runs – the heaviest defeat in men’s ODIs

Matt Roller07-Sep-2025Jacob Bethell cracked the first hundred of his professional career as England thrashed South Africa by a record margin in Southampton. Bethell’s 110 off 82 balls, a timely reminder of his immense talent, was more than South Africa’s batters managed between them as Jofra Archer ran through their top order in a blistering new-ball spell to set up a thumping consolation win.At 21, Bethell became the second-youngest England player to score a men’s ODI hundred and set the platform for a huge total in a 182-run partnership with fellow centurion Joe Root, who hardly broke a sweat. South Africa were never likely to chase 415 even if Temba Bavuma – who strained a calf in the field – had been fit to bat, but after a dramatic collapse it took a last-wicket stand of 15 for them to surpass their lowest-ever ODI score of 69.Archer struck with his second ball, a loosener which Aiden Markram edged behind, but there were no more of those across an opening burst of 4 for 10 in seven overs. He had Ryan Rickelton nicking behind, Matthew Breetzke top-edging while trying to leave one alone, and Tristan Stubbs caught in the slips as he cranked the pace up to 93mph/150kph.

SA fined for slow over rate

South Africa were fined 5% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over rate. They were one over short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration. As per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct, players are fined 5% of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.

It was a searing spell which had South Africa’s batters hopping around, with Stubbs and Corbin Bosch both wearing blows on the body. Archer was well backed up by Brydon Carse, who had Wiaan Mulder caught off the top edge and Dewald Brevis edging to third slip, before Adil Rashid mopped up the tail. It could have been even worse but for two dropped catches.Harry Brook, England’s captain, hailed the “ultimate performance” from his side, while Bavuma promised a debrief after “a poor showing” in which things went “terribly wrong” for South Africa. “A display like that doesn’t do us justice,” he said, before sheepishly lifting the series trophy.Bethell’s twin failures in England’s fifth-Test defeat to India at The Oval sparked countless column inches, which highlighted the low volume of cricket that he has played this summer. He acknowledged on Sunday morning that he could have played more, but his 76-ball hundred underlined that he is a special talent whose rapid promotion to this level is deserved.Jofra Archer ripped the heart out of South Africa’s batting•Philip Brown/Getty Images

South Africa had the chance to inflict England’s first home whitewash since 2006 after sealing the series at Lord’s on Thursday but were completely bereft of intensity. They rested Lungi Ngidi and were uncharacteristically sloppy in the field: Breetzke made a hash of a very simple chance off Jamie Smith at cover, but Nandre Burger’s drop of Bethell on 44 at mid-on proved particularly costly.Retaining his spot at No. 4, Bethell took the initiative early in his innings by attacking Keshav Maharaj. He punished the short ball, launched three straight sixes, and reached three figures with a rasping cover drive, celebrating his first senior century in his 141st innings across first-class, List A and T20 cricket by running towards the pavilion with his arms outstretched.Bethell has now made at least 50 in four of his six ODI innings this year, and this hundred confirmed his status both as an automatic pick in England’s white-ball teams and as one of the world’s most exciting young batters. If he can continue his form on a tour to New Zealand in late October, he could yet displace Ollie Pope as England’s No. 3 for the first Ashes Test in Perth.Related

• McCullum: England must 'find ways to deal with' packed schedule

• Conrad calls South Africa's thrashing by England 'embarrassing'

• Jofra Archer: 'There was an ooh or an aah every single over'

• Bethell: 'I've got to be ready to perform in Ashes'

• Jamie Overton replaces Saqib Mahmood in England XI for third ODI

Root played in Bethell’s slipstream, reaching an effortless hundred – his 19th in ODIs, six more than any other England batter – in 95 balls. It was vintage Root: he hit only six boundaries but scored 50 singles, 10 twos and two threes to run South Africa ragged. For the second ODI series in a row, they conceded 400-plus in a dead-rubber after going 2-0 up with a game to spare.England made their best start of the series after being asked to bat first by Bavuma, reaching 59 in the ninth over before Ben Duckett’s international summer ended with a top-edged pull to midwicket. Smith looked in fine touch, racing to his second half-century of the series, before he swung Maharaj straight to long-on for 62 two balls after the drinks break.South African heads dropped during Bethell and Root’s vast stand, and even two quick wickets in the 41st over – Bethell stumped charging Maharaj, and Brook run out for the second time in the series while attempting a casual second – could not slow the scoring rate, as Jos Buttler and Will Jacks ensured a strong finish.Buttler belted 62 not out off 32, launching Maharaj back over his head, scooping Mulder for six and turning a ramp off Burger into a late deflection for four. Jacks’ straight six off Burger doubled as a forewarning for the government’s emergency alarm test, which set off a flurry of phones in the stands; a loft over cover took England past 400 for the seventh time in ODIs.South Africa’s bowling effort was summed up by them conceding 27 extras, including 19 wides, while Burger’s analysis – 0 for 95 off 10 – was the most expensive in their ODI history. Codi Yusuf only narrowly avoided the feat himself in conceding 80 from his 10 wicketless overs of medium pace – the most by a South African debutant in ODIs – then became the second of Rashid’s three victims.

A sight no Tigers fan wanted to see occurred on Wednesday during the club's 6–2 victory over the Mets. Lights-out relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan, one of the Tigers' savvy trade deadline pickups and one of the best relievers in all of baseball since the July 31 deadline, appeared to suffer an apparent injury while warming up in the bullpen. The Tigers broadcast showed Finnegan firing a warmup pitch in the bullpen, then squatting down in discomfort. Finnegan then walked through the Tigers dugout and headed down the steps towards the clubhouse.

Will Vest began wamring up in the bullpen in Finnegan's stead, with the former eventually entering the game in the top of the seventh inning, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless in relief. The Tigers announced that Finnegan experienced right groin tightness while warming up, according to Cody Stavenhagen of .

In 14 1/3 innings pitched since his acquisition by Detroit, Finnegan has yet to allow an earned run and has struck out 19 batters.

One of the biggest success stories a Manchester United academy graduate has had since leaving the club is, without doubt, Scott McTominay.

The Scotland international has shone for his new club Napoli and played a crucial role in getting his country to the 2026 World Cup.

The 28-year-old has played 50 games for the Italian giants now, scoring 17 goals and assisting seven in that time. He became a club hero by helping guide them to the Scudetto title last season, winning the Serie A MVP award and earning himself a Ballon d’Or nomination in the process.

Ruben Amorim never got the chance to work with him at United, but it would have been fascinating to know how he’d have utilised him.

How Amorim could have used McTominay at Man Utd

It is interesting to note that under Antonio Conte in Naples, McTominay has operated in a few different roles. He’s played as a number ten, a box-crashing number eight and even off the left-hand side.

Well, had Amorim got the chance to coach the Scot, he may have used him as a number ten in his infamous 3-4-2-1 system. The United academy graduate has great instincts in the box and excels at occupying the centre-backs.

If he were to play high up under Amorim, the chances are he’d be spending more time in the box.

Of course, the other area McTominay would naturally fit in Amorim’s system would be as a number eight. In this role, he could still have crashed the box, making late runs to get on the end of crosses from the wing-backs.

Off the ball, his physicality would have been a handful. That is perhaps best showcased by his 1.85 aerial duels won per 90 minutes over the last year, placing him in the top 11% of midfielders across Europe’s big five leagues.

Of course, we’ll never truly know how McTominay would have fitted in under Amorim, but there is a player in the academy who could be seen as the Portuguese manager’s own version.

Amorim’s in-house Scott McTominay

Over the years, United’s esteemed academy, Carrington, has produced some exceptional talent. McTominay is one of the modern examples, and the Red Devils have some brilliant talent coming through still.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

One of those is Sekou Kone, a man who could be viewed as the second coming of McTominay.

The Malian youth international is seen by football scout Antonio Mango as a player who can be “a beast under Ruben Amorim.”

At 19 years of age, Kone has already been involved in first-team squads thanks to United’s manager, who clearly sees talent in him to give him that opportunity. The midfielder was an unused substitute for three Premier League games last season.

As for his performances in the academy, the five-foot-nine midfielder has shown good versatility and an eye for goal. He’s played 14 games for the Red Devils’ under-21 side, scoring twice and operating as a number ten and in the pivot, just as McTominay has shown for Napoli.

The competition in which Kone truly announced himself was the Under-17 World Cup back in 2023.

He helped steer Mali to third place and was one of the standout players in the competition, creating 10 chances and grabbing two assists.

It will certainly be interesting to see how far down the line we are from Kone’s first-team debut.

The 19-year-old could operate in a few different roles, and his ability to have an effect in the final third might pique Amorim’s interest.

It is easy to see how he is the second coming of McTominay. A versatile midfielder who can be physically dominant, despite having a smaller frame than the Scot, and someone able to score goals.

He is certainly an exciting prospect for Amorim and United.

Next Carrick: Man Utd want to sign "one of the best CMs in the PL" for £60m

Man United could enhance the quality of their midfield with the signing of another Michael Carrick.

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 19, 2025

Stats highlights from the penultimate day of the Oval Test

Sampath Bandarupalli03-Aug-20251:44

Bangar: India could have bowled straighter to Root

24 – Hundreds for Joe Root in Tests in England, the most by a batter in a single country. He goes past Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Mahela Jayawardene, who have 23 centuries each at home.Root now has 39 tons in Test cricket, the fourth-most by a batter, behind Sachin Tendulkar (51), Kallis (45) and Ponting (41).13 – Number of hundreds for Root in Tests against India. Only Don Bradman has more Test tons against an opponent – 19 against England, while Sunil Gavaskar also has 13 against West Indies.Related

• Root says shoulder injury won't prevent Woakes from batting

• India claw back after Brook, Root tons to set up thrilling finish

50 – Innings Harry Brook has taken to record ten Test hundreds; the least for any batter in the last 70 years. Overall, only eight batters have taken fewer innings to score their tenth hundred in Tests.13 – Fifty-plus scores for Root in the fourth innings of a Test match, the joint-most by any batter, alongside Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Graeme Smith and Chris Gayle.7 – Brook’s 91-ball century in this fifth Test is the seventh-fastest in the fourth innings of a Test match. The two fastest fourth-innings hundreds have been by England players – Gilbert Jessop off 76 balls against Australia in 1902 and Jonny Bairstow off 77 balls against New Zealand in 2022.1:58

Bangar: Brook largely responsible for what unraveled

21 – Number of individual hundreds by England and India batters in the five Tests, the joint-most for a Test series, alongside the five-match series between West Indies and Australia in 1955.9 – Number of batters with 400-plus runs, the most for a Test series. The previous highest was eight during the Frank Worrell Trophy in 1975-76, and the 1993 Ashes.19 – Century partnerships in this series are the joint-most for a Test series. The 1957-58 series between West Indies and Pakistan and The Wisden Trophy in 1967/68 also had 19 century stands.The 195-run partnership between Root and Brook was the 85th century-stand in all Test cricket involving Root. Only Rahul Dravid (88) and Tendulkar (86) have been involved in more century stands, while Ponting was also part of 85.100 – Total number of hundreds for England in Tests at The Oval. It is the second venue where England batters have a century of tons in Tests, after Lord’s (141). Australia have three such venues – Melbourne (116), Adelaide (110) and Sydney (108).

A former England international, who played Premier League football, has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape. The suspect, who is said to have represented the Three Lions in the 2010s, was detained when passing through Stansted Airport following an allegation from an ex-partner that is now being investigated by the relevant authorities.

• Suspect apprehended at Stansted Airport

  Police have announced that the player in question has been bailed pending further inquiries. He was apprehended by security when being stopped at Stansted. Border Forces stepped in at passport control.

  reports that the former Premier League performer was wanted by police over a “non-recent allegation of attempted rape reported by a former partner”. He was stopped from boarding a flight with a budget airline on November 30.

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  Allegation made by former partner

  A source told The Sun, with efforts being made to avoid causing a scene in a very public place: “He was walking through passport control when he was discreetly pulled aside by Border Force. There was clearly an issue and he was led away.”

  A complaint is said to have been lodged by the player’s ex-partner several weeks ago. Essex Police subsequently opened an investigation. Officers from that constabulary are said to have been alerted to possible movement, allowing them to descend on Stansted Airport and make an arrest.

• Suspect held in police custody

  The one-time England international will have been held behind bars after being taken to a local police station, as he waited for his solicitor to arrive. Fingerprints, a DNA sample and mugshots have been taken – as is standard procedure in a case of this type.

  It is reported that the suspect was held in custody for “several hours” before being released on bail as inquiries continue. The player at the centre of the investigation is said to have “attended recent public events”, leading to confusion as to why he has only now been arrested when passing through an airport.

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  Statement from Essex Police

  An insider for The Sun added on decisive action that was taken over the weekend: “It’s bizarre that he was arrested at the airport when he has been quite visible in public recently.”

  The complainant is said to have been “interviewed by specialist sex crimes officers and offered counselling and support”. A spokesperson for Essex Police has said, with the suspect unable to be named for legal reasons: “A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape and has been bailed to a date in late February 2026 while we continue our inquiries.”

Tickets for the Guwahati semi-final are priced at INR 100 while those for the Navi Mumbai game are priced at INR 150

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2025The sale of tickets for the semi-finals of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 will start from 6pm IST on October 11, the ICC has announced. Google Pay users have an exclusive two-day pre-sale window before the general sale goes live at 7pm IST on October 13.The release stated that tickets are available for the first semi-final on September 29 in Guwahati. The first semi-final will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo if Pakistan qualify. In that case, there will be a 100% refund for fans who had booked tickets in Guwahati. The chances of Pakistan’s qualification are slim with them losing each of their first three games, including one against Bangladesh.The tickets for the first semi-final are priced at INR 100 while those for the second semi-final at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai are priced at INR 150. The Navi Mumbai stadium has attracted big crowds for women’s games in the recent past.Tickets for the India vs Australia match in Visakhapatnam on October 12 and for the India vs England game on October 19 in Indore have already been sold out. Tickets for India vs New Zealand on October 23 and India vs Bangladesh on October 26 are close to being sold out as well.The tournament opener had seen 22,843 spectators, the highest for a league stage game for any ICC women’s competition. The previous record was an attendance of 15,935 in Dubai for the India vs Pakistan match at the Women’s T20 World Cup last year.