Sam Whiteman signs season-long deal with Northamptonshire

Australian holds UK passport but will be registered as an overseas signing for 2023

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2023Northamptonshire have announced the signing of Western Australia opening batter Sam Whiteman on an a season-long deal for the 2023 summer.Whiteman, who was player of the final in WA’s 16th Sheffield Shield title in the 2021-22 season and is their current acting captain, will be available for the County Championship and Royal London One-Day Cup. Though he possesses a UK passport having been born in Doncaster, Yorkshire, he will be registered as an overseas signing.The 30-year-old has 4,652 first-class runs at an average of 37.90, with 10 centuries. He is currently Western Australia’s second top scorer in the ongoing campaign, which they lead, with 390 at 43.33, and scored a career-best 193 against South Australia in November.As a white-ball cricketer, Whiteman’s returns are comparatively weak – averages of 23.51 and 17.55 in List A and T20, respectively – though he was part of a successful Perth Scorchers outfit in the Big Bash League, and is now representing Sydney Thunder in the ongoing season. He has not yet been capped by Australia, having represented the country at “A” team and Under-19 level. This will be the left-hander’s first taste of professional cricket in the English system.Speaking on his deal with the Division One county, Whiteman said: “I’m really excited to have signed with Northamptonshire for the 2023 season. It’s always been an ambition of mine to play first-class cricket in the UK so to get that opportunity for a large chunk of the campaign is really pleasing. I’m looking forward to joining up with my new teammates in April.”Head coach John Sadler was delighted with Whiteman’s signing, as Northants look to build on their sixth-place in the County Championship and second-from-bottom finish in Group B of the Royal London Cup last year.”Sam comes very highly recommended and is someone we’ve watched closely in recent times.” Sadler said speaking to the club website. “I’m very confident that not only will he score plenty of runs, he’ll add value to us as a group in many ways both on and off the field.”Northamptonshire’s new Championship captain Luke Procter was also excited for what Whiteman could bring: “I’m really looking forward to having Sam with us this season.”He’s a quality bat but he’s also got that leadership experience with WA, they’re flying in the Shield so far so I’m sure he’ll bring a lot value on and off the field too.”

Sky Sports: Leeds could sign 26 y/o who "takes good free kicks" for Farke

Leeds United could now sign a set piece master on an initial 18-month deal this January, according to a Sky Sports reporter.

Farke addresses Leeds January transfer plans

Daniel Farke may currently have his Whites side top of the Championship, however, it isn’t all positive at Elland Road. The club have begun 2025 by throwing away leads late on against both Blackburn Rovers and Hull City, with goalkeeper Illan Meslier having another afternoon to forget last time out.

Farke continued to back Meslier in his latest press conference, though, saying: “We were all angry after the last game. Our supporters have the right to be critical, there is pressure and that is normal we have to accept that. But some pundits and comments were pretty disrespectful. The outside world love to try and divide us, but we are close together and we back our players.

“We were not happy with the last game, we want to improve his consistency and it is important to address this, but his performances have been good enough to make sure we are top of the league. We are all convinced Illan will deliver more good moments for us and we back him, there is no panic and he is a very, very good goalkeeper.”

The German also stated how the club are expecting a quiet winter window: “Younger players for their development it makes sense to send them out on loan, we will assess the rehab of Patrick and how that progresses, but overall we are in a very good position and I expect a very quiet January.”

Leeds could sign their next Archie Gray in "one of the best CMs" around

Leeds United could be about to land a new version of the talented youngster.

1 ByEthan Lamb Jan 10, 2025

One player who has recently been linked with a move to Leeds is Hoffenheim forward Mergim Berisha, who previously scored 23 goals under ex-Whites boss Jesse Marsch.

New Leeds update on move for Mergim Berisha

Now, taking to X, Sky Sports journalist Ben Heckner revealed that Leeds are indeed keen on Berisha, who could potentially be on the move in an initial 18-month loan with an option to buy in 2026, with Werder Bremen also keen.

Berisha hasn’t exactly been prolific for Hoffenheim this season, scoring once and registering one assist in 540 minutes of action. He did come in for praise from Germany coach Antonio Di Salvo back in 2023 after Berisha was handed his first senior international call-up.

“We brought Mergim on when he was still as Salzburg. He works very well with his back to goal, can shoot with his left and right and takes good free-kicks. You can see from his hit rate in the Bundesliga that he can prevail.”

Should Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt both move on, then a move for Berisha could make sense, despite his poor goal tally this season, making this one to watch over the coming weeks.

West Indies strong on spin, weak on batting

Stats preview of the Test series between West Indies and Australia

Bishen Jeswant02-Jun-20153 Number of times West Indies have beaten Australia in a Test match since 1998, all at home. In the same period, West Indies played 11 Tests in Australia, losing ten and drawing the other. West Indies were whitewashed in two of the three Test series in Australia (in 2000 and 2005) but did not suffer this fate a single time in four home series against their opponents.

West Indies’ record against Australia in Tests since 1998
Host country Mat Won Lost Draw Loss %
West Indies 14 3 9 2 64.29
Australia 11 0 10 1 90.91

47.9 Batting strike rate in Test matches played in the West Indies over the last 10 years, the lowest for any Test nation. The only other countries where batsmen scored at a strike rate of less than 50 in this period were Zimbabwe and UAE.31.6 Bowling average of spinners in the West Indies over the last five years, the best among Test nations. Spinners have taken almost 15 wickets per match in the West Indies in this period, the most in any country outside Asia. They have also taken 15 five-wicket hauls in the West Indies over this period, again the most outside Asia.

Spin bowling in various countries over the last five years
Host Country Mat Wkts Ave Econ SR 5 10 Wkts/mat
West Indies 23 311 31.59 2.86 66.0 15 3 13.5
Zimbabwe 8 106 31.83 2.82 67.5 3 1 13.3
India 20 385 31.85 2.90 65.7 24 4 19.3
U.A.E 18 302 34.64 2.85 72.9 13 2 16.8
Sri Lanka 22 356 34.87 2.93 71.3 24 5 16.2
England 36 254 37.74 3.20 70.6 11 1 7.1
Bangladesh 15 281 39.87 3.28 72.8 16 1 18.7
South Africa 21 137 40.20 3.14 76.5 5 1 6.5
Australia 26 168 48.98 3.41 85.9 5 1 6.5
New Zealand 16 86 49.27 2.80 105.5 1 0 5.4

28.7 Batting average of West Indies’ players at home over the last five years, the poorest for any top-eight team at home. Their batsmen average 30.02 in away Tests over the same period. West Indies are the only team whose batsmen, over the last five years, have a better average and strike in away Tests.

Team-wise batting – Home and away – last five years
Team Mat (H) Ave (H) SR (H) Mat (A) Ave (A) SR (A) Avg diff SR diff
Australia 26 39.17 58.51 26 28.81 49.84 10.36 8.67
Bangladesh 15 33.56 53.58 8 24.84 48.51 8.72 5.07
England 34 37.59 52.43 25 30.63 47.34 6.96 5.09
India 20 40.50 55.41 30 28.40 50.24 12.1 5.17
New Zealand 16 36.06 52.65 26 27.75 49.40 8.31 3.25
Pakistan NA NA NA 43 32.67 47.79 NA NA
South Africa 21 37.64 54.40 19 41.50 48.95 -3.86 5.45
Sri Lanka 22 36.33 50.28 21 31.70 48.48 4.63 1.80
West Indies 23 28.71 47.27 21 30.02 51.12 -1.31 -3.85
Zimbabwe 8 27.48 43.72 6 18.44 46.75 9.04 -3.03

3 West Indies batsmen who have scored 1500 Test runs over the last five years, the fewest for any top-eight nation. They are Shivnarine Chanderpaul (3198), Darren Bravo (2548) and Marlon Samuels (2068). Chanderpaul is not playing the first Test. Seven Australia batsmen have scored more than 1500 runs in this period, the second-best for any team after India (8).

'The extra 1%' – Marcus Rashford shows off additional training regime as Man Utd loanee returns to Aston Villa after England duty

Marcus Rashford is aiming to add an extra "one per cent" to his game as he returned to Aston Villa following international duty with England.

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Rashford back from England dutyShowed off his training regimeIs flying on loan at Aston VillaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The attacker made his first England appearance in a year as England won their first game under new boss Thomas Tuchel against Albania last week before starting again as they beat Latvia. He is gearing up for Aston Villa's FA Cup clash against Preston this weekend by doing some individual training in the gym.

AdvertisementWHAT RASHFORD POSTED

The 27-year-old shared images of his training regime on Instagram, writing in the caption: "The extra 1%".

He also posted a picture of himself on a training pitch.

instagram/marcusrashfordTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Rashford has enjoyed a resurgence since joining Villa from Manchester United on loan in January, making four assists in their six-game winning run before the international break.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

The winger will hope to fire Villa through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup when they face Preston on Sunday.

Brothers in arms! Jude Bellingham links up with teenage sibling Jobe at St George's Park as Real Madrid & Sunderland stars prepare for England duties

England duty has become a family affair for the Bellinghams, with Jude joining teenage brother Jobe at St George’s Park.

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Real 'Galactico' forms part of senior ranksBlack Cats playmaker in U21 squadPreparing for action against Albania & FranceFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Real Madrid ‘Galactico’ Jude forms part of the senior Three Lions ranks, having been called upon by new head coach Thomas Tuchel in his first selection. The 21-year-old has become a talismanic presence for his country and already has 40 caps to his name.

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Younger sibling Jobe forms part of the U21 squad, having made two appearances at that level. He is earning international recognition after catching the eye at Sunderland – who are pushing for promotion into the Premier League.

DID YOU KNOW?

Both of the Bellinghams will be in action on Friday, as Jude lines up against Albania at Wembley in a 2026 World Cup qualifier and Jobe heads to France for a friendly encounter. For now, they are enjoying rubbing shoulders at England’s training base at the Football Association’s national football centre.

InstagramWHAT NEXT?

Jude has been taking in an eventful spell at Real, with a controversial red card and subsequent ban accompanying Champions League progress to the quarter-final stage and a minor knock. Jobe, meanwhile, is generating transfer talk on the back of his performances for Championship play-off hopefuls Sunderland.

Cricket Australia targets sport's inclusion at 2032 Olympics

Cricket Australia has targeted the inclusion of the sport at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics as part of a strategic plan to expand participation and maintain the game’s position at the heart of the country’s sporting culture.The ambitious “Where the Game Grows” plan released on Monday aims to double the number of children aged five to 12 playing the game to 210,000 over the next five years, with girls making up 60,000 of that tally.Another of the targets is to get cricket back into the Olympics for the first time since 1900 – if that goal has not already been achieved at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.Cricket has been shortlisted for possible inclusion at the 2028 Olympics along eight other sports and the International Cricket Council (ICC) will make a presentation to organisers later this month.The host city can include any sport but needs the approval of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).Women’s T20 cricket made its Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham last month with Australia beating India by nine runs in the final to claim the inaugural gold medal.Brisbane has plans to rebuild the city’s Gabba cricket ground as a 50,000-seater Olympic Stadium to host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2032 Games.The inclusion of cricket in the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics is part of the “sustainable future” strand of the plan, which also aims to improve fan experience, expand the grassroots and continue Australia’s success on the world stage.CA has set a target of at least three ICC tournament triumphs over the next five years for both the men’s and women’s national teams.Elsewhere, it has committed to publishing an action plan related to environmental sustainability.”Cricket is a quintessential part of the Australian summer. However, recent years have shown how vulnerable our game is to a changing climate,” the document said.There is also a strong focus on the BBL and WBBL with this season labeled the “Rebound” following the impact of Covid, especially on attendance, before a period that has been called “Reimagine”. The challenges are particularly acute for the BBL given the rapid growth of T20 leagues in the January window.”This strategy contains both a vision and a clear plan for how we can achieve bold, transformative change while also meeting our core responsibilities,” said CA chief executive Nick Hockley.”I would like to thank everyone across the game for their passion and commitment as we work to unite and inspire everyone to love and play cricket, and in so doing make cricket a sport for all that makes Australians proud.”

More misery for Man Utd! Harry Maguire & Manuel Ugarte set to miss Europa League trip to Real Sociedad as Ruben Amorim dealt frustrating double injury blow

Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte are set to miss Manchester United's Europa League last-16 first leg tie at Real Sociedad in a blow to Ruben Amorim.

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Maguire and Ugarte set to miss Sociedad tripAnother frustrating blow for AmorimMultiple other first-team players injuredFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Both players sustained knocks during Sunday's FA Cup fifth-round defeat at home to Fulham and were withdrawn during the match. According to , it is unlikely that Maguire or Ugarte will board the flight to Spain with the rest of the United squad.

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The pair join an extensive injury list, which sees Amorim down to the bare bones in terms of availability. Lisandro Martinez, Amad Diallo, Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount and Jonny Evans are all also absent for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Chido Obi-Martin is ineligible for the Sociedad game, but Toby Collyer is set to return.

WHAT MANCHESTER UNITED SAID

Manchester United said on their : "In addition to Manuel Ugarte's absence, there was no Harry Maguire in [today's] session. It is understood that both Ugarte and Maguire look set to miss the game with minor knocks sustained at the weekend, but we will confirm the travelling squad when the players head to the airport."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

United's final chance of silverware this season is on the line as they head to Real Sociedad for Thursday's first-leg clash, before they host the second leg at Old Trafford next week. A visit from Arsenal in the Premier League sits between the two games on Sunday afternoon.

São Paulo levou mais cartões do que cometeu faltas em Santiago

MatériaMais Notícias

da betano casino: A vitória do São Paulo em cima da Universidad Católica em Santiago foi recheada de polêmicas. No primeiro jogo válido pelas oitavas de final da Copa Sul-Americana, o Tricolor paulista levou mais cartões do que fez faltas.

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>ATUAÇÕES: Com o São Paulo com três a menos, Luciano desencanta em goleada cheia de emoções

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> Veja tabela da Copa Sul-Americana e simule os próximos jogos

Com direito a três jogadores expulsos, no caso Igor Vinícius, Nestor e Calleri, o árbitro Christian Ferreyra aplicou doze cartões, sendo oito amarelos. Além dos citados anteriormente, Reinaldo, Luciano, André Anderson, Pablo Maia e até mesmo o preparador físico da equipe entraram para a lista dos advertidos.

Entretanto, o elenco de Ceni cometeu apenas nove faltas. Por outro lado, a equipe chilena fez cinco faltas e levou apenas dois cartões. A polêmica arbitragem não passou batida. Tanto os torcedores quanto o próprio Rogério Ceni questionaram as atitudes de Ferreyra.

O treinador mostrou sua insatisfação e citou que estranhou algumas atitudes no confronto.

-Não queremos falar de arbitragem, mas temos que repensar, temos que ter mais força na confederação sul-americana. Eu me recordo de uma época em que a gente tinha força, mas hoje não temos e sofremos muito.No fim, quando vai cumprimentar o árbitro, ele dá bênção aos jogadores deles. Claro, pode, é respeitoso. Mas, não sei, três expulsos nossos, abraços, beijos… Quando um de nós foi cumprimentá-lo, ele diz que “você eu não cumprimento”. Estranho – disse o técnico durante a coletiva de imprensa pós jogo.

Com as expulsões e os pendurados, a situação do São Paulo se complica no jogo de volta da próxima quinta-feira (7). Mesmo com a vantagem, os três desfalques preocupam, ainda mais por envolver Calleri – o artilheiro da equipe e responsável por um dos gols no triunfo por 4 a 2.

Além disso, o Tricolor paulista apresenta uma longa lista de lesionados, que não devem retornar a tempo.

Com todos esses problemas, o São Paulo deve contar com apenas sete jogadores de linha no banco para duelo da volta, que será disputado no estádio do Morumbi.

7 candidates who could replace Philippe Clement at Rangers

Glasgow Rangers find themselves in a similar rut that occurred after a few weeks of the 2023/24 campaign.

Having enjoyed a new manager bounce under Michael Beale, poor recruitment in the summer of 2023 led to a disjointed start to the season, with the Light Blues failing to qualify for the Champions League, while slipping eight points behind Celtic.

Philippe Clement replaced the Englishman in October last year, winning the League Cup just two months into his Ibrox reign. However, it has been far from plain sailing since.

Having clawed back the deficit in the league last term, the Gers lost to Motherwell, Ross County and Celtic to finish second, while being defeated 1-0 in the Scottish Cup final by their Old Firm rivals.

Following a busy summer transfer window, hopes were high that Clement could lead the Light Blues to the title this term, but that already looks unlikely as they currently occupy third place in the table.

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The Gers missed out on the league title in his first season, but where does Philippe Clement rank among his predecessors?

ByCharlie Smith Jan 4, 2025

Competition

Opponent

Score

Premiership

Kilmarnock

1-0 loss

Premiership

St Johnstone

2-0 win

Europa League

Lyon

4-1 loss

Premiership

Hibernian

1-0 win

Europa League

Malmö

2-0 win

League Cup

Dundee

3-0 win

Premiership

Dundee United

1-0 win

Premiership

Celtic

3-0 loss

Premiership

Ross County

6-0 win

League Cup

St Johnstone

2-0 win

Champions League qualification

Dynamo Kyiv

2-0 loss

Premiership

Motherwell

2-1 win

Champions League qualification

Dynamo Kyiv

1-1

Premiership

Hearts

0-0

It isn’t just the results which are poor, but the performances have been dismal at times. The Gers had sacked their manager before Christmas in the previous two seasons and Clement is a man under serious pressure, so will it happen again in 2024?

With the rumour mill circling regarding his future, we have taken a look at potential candidates who could take the reins at the Light Blues should Clement lose his job in the next few weeks.

1 Kevin Muscat Shanghai Port

Yokohama F. Marinos manager Kevin Muscat.

Australian Kevin Muscat spent the 2002/03 season at the Gers during his playing career, helping the club win the domestic treble, and he has since forged an impressive managerial career.

He led Melbourne Victory to the A-League championship in 2014/15 and 2017/18 before going on to achieve success in Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos, replacing Ange Postecoglou. In the land of the rising sun, Muscat led the club to the J1 League title in 2022, finishing runners-up twice, while claiming the Japanese Super Cup last year.

Before Clement was unveiled, Muscat revealed that he spoke to Rangers concerning the vacant role. Could it be different this time?

2 Derek McInnes Kilmarnock

Derek McInnes

Like Muscat, McInnes also played for the club during his career, spending five years at Ibrox between 1995 and 2000.

His longest managerial spell was with Aberdeen, taking charge of the club for eight years and leading them to the 2014 League Cup, their first trophy in 20 years.

His spell at Kilmarnock has been an overriding success, and he has won two matches against Rangers since the start of last term. The Gers made an approach for the Scot in December 2017, but McInnes turned them down.

3 Ole Gunnar Solskjær Free agent (last job: Manchester United)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is currently without a club, and despite not leading the Old Trafford side to any silverware during his spell as boss, experience managing at that level could be an advantage for the Gers.

It ended poorly for the Norwegian, but he won 91 of his 168 games at United, finishing Premier League runners-up in the 2020/21 campaign and coming close to winning the Europa League in the same year before losing to Villarreal on penalties.

4 Graham Potter Free agent (last job: Chelsea)

Graham Potter has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023, but he has turned down a few jobs since, including the chance to manage French side Lyon.

It appears as though he is waiting for the right opportunity to get back into management. Would Rangers suit him? That he is more of a project manager rather than instant success indicates this may not be the case, but if given time, the Englishman would surely build a solid team at Ibrox.

Unfortunately, time is something the club simply does not have right now, especially with how far behind they are in the Scottish Premiership.

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ByCharlie Smith Oct 21, 2025 5 Frank Lampard Free agent (last job: Everton)

When Beale was sacked last year, it emerged that Lampard was keen on taking over the reins at Rangers. A while later, news broke that Lampard wasn’t even in the running, and he will almost certainly be an outsider if Clement receives his marching orders.

Sacked from both Chelsea and Everton, his next appointment must be a success, but it would be a massive gamble for Rangers to appoint him. Of course, the same was said about Steven Gerrard, yet he ended up returning the club to the summit of Scottish football by winning the league title in 2021. Stranger things have happened.

6 Kjetil Knutsen Bodo/Glimt

Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen.

Kjetil Knutsen’s spell in charge of Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt has been incredible. Since 2018, he has led the club to three league titles (in 2019, 2020 and 2023) with his style being easy on the eye.

He became the first coach to see his team score six goals against one managed by José Mourinho, displaying evidence of how his attack-minded philosophy can glide through even the toughest defences – and this is something which would be advantageous for Rangers.

His success in Norway may see bigger teams than the Ibrox side emerge as possible destinations, but if Clement does leave, Knutsen could be an inspired choice.

7 Oliver Glasner Crystal Palace

Current Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner registered an interest in the vacant role following Beale’s sacking last year, but nothing materialised.

Glasner was the man in charge of Eintracht Frankfurt when the German side won the Europa League final against Rangers in 2022. After a positive start to life as the Eagles manager, his side have struggled this term.

Indeed, they currently occupy 18th place in the Premier League table, failing to win a single league match all season. While his job may not be under fire just now, if things persist, could he find his position untenable?

Especially considering his success elsewhere, Glasner could also be another suitable candidate to take over at Ibrox, even if he is out of a job himself in the coming weeks.

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Birmingham City and Wagner now reach fee agreement over exit of 20 y/o

Birmingham City and Tom Wagner are believed to have reached a fee agreement over the exit of a player who works “extremely hard”, according to a new update.

Birmingham buzzing after Wrexham victory

The Blues are still buoyant after their most impressive League One result and performance of the season so far earlier this week, as they beat Wrexham 3-1 at St Andrew’s.

The match was billed as a top-of-the-table clash involving two clubs renowned for their A-List owners, with the likes of Tom Brady and Ryan Reynolds huge figures in modern popular culture. Brady was even at the game with David Beckham, in what was a star-studded affair.

It was Birmingham who prevailed on the night, comprehensively outplaying Wrexham, who took an early lead but couldn’t contain the hosts from that point on. Not only was it a statement victory from Chris Davies’ side, but it also showed why plenty consider them the favourites to win League One this season.

This weekend, the Blues make the trip to Rotherham on Saturday afternoon, looking to remain unbeaten in the league and aiming to go top of the table above Wrexham, despite playing one game fewer.

Birmingham reach agreement over player's exit

According to The Birmingham Mail, Birmingham and Wagner have come to a fee agreement over Rico Browne’s move to Walsall, having decided against signing a new deal at St Andrew’s.

The report says that Walsall “have agreed a compensation package with Blues due to Browne’s age and contract offer”, bringing an end to his time at the club.

This feels like the best outcome for all concerned, even though the fact that Birmingham were willing to offer Browne an extension does suggest that they valued him as a player. The 20-year-old will now have a far better chance of enjoying regular playing time at Walsall, who currently play in League Two, allowing him to grow as a player and not risk growing stagnant at St Andrew’s.

Meanwhile, Walsall head coach Mat Sadler has made clear his happiness at the signing of the young centre-back, saying after his arrival on Thursday:

“With the injuries that we had, it’s a really good opportunity for an extra player to be with us and somebody who we think can improve with us. I didn’t just want to bring anybody in, I wanted to bring somebody in who’s got a real chance of getting better, improving and will work extremely hard, so I’m delighted to bring Rico in and we look forward to working together.”

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There is always a risk that Birmingham could regret not doing even more to keep hold of Browne as the years pass, but it does look as though he had made up his mind when it came to his future, and it will be heartwarming to see him do well at Walsall, having made 31 appearances for the Blues’ Under-18 and Under-21 sides combined.

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