Norwich City have appointed former Rangers boss Philippe Clement as the club’s head coach, and the new boss has revealed a message of ambition from majority shareholder Mark Attanasio.

Clement – sacked by Rangers in February – has signed a contract through to the summer of 2029 and will be joined at Carrow Road by coach Stephan Van Der Heyden.

The Belgian replaces Liam Manning, who left Carrow Road ahead of the international break with the Canaries second bottom of the Sky Bet Championship, having lost all of their home matches so far this season.

Norwich were reported to have spoken to both ex-Wolves boss Gary O’Neil, who had a spell as a player with the Canaries, as well as former Sweden and Blackburn manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, before settling on Clement.

Although the Belgian’s time at Ibrox ended following a disappointing run – with Rangers well adrift of rivals Celtic in the league – Clement did win the 2024 Premier Sports Cup and had previously guided Club Brugge to their domestic title twice before a spell at Monaco.

Clement excited by Norwich ambition

His reign in Glasgow was marred by issues with ownership and recruitment – the Rangers board are still unter intense scrutiny after their failed summer revamp of the playing squad and appointment of Russell Martin – but Clement has revealed he is excited by what Attanasio and Co have in store in Norfolk.

“I’m really excited by this story and opportunity. I’ve known of this club for a long time and, whilst we are not in a good moment at this time, we are excited to work together with the players and staff to turn things around,” Clement said on the Norwich club website, revealing the board’s ambition convinced him to join.

Clement’s first game in charge will be away at Birmingham on Saturday.

Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper added: “Philippe is an incredibly experienced and prominent head coach, with clear values and beliefs that align with ours.

“We now have an incredible amount of work ahead of us to ensure we improve performances and results and we will do everything possible to ensure Philippe has our full backing and support.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da pinnacle： A Seleção Feminina encerrou a temporada de 2021 com um título nas mãos. Com gols de Kerolin e Giovana, as comandadas de Pia Sundhage derrotaram o Chile por 2 a 0 nesta quarta-feira (1) na Arena da Amazônia, venceram o Torneio Internacional de Futebol Feminino e deixam uma boa perspectiva na preparação para a Copa América de 2022. Em jogo acirrado, marcado por observações e pelo desentrosamento natural causado devido ao “rodízio” de elenco, a equipe garantiu o 100% de aproveitamento na competição.

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da doce： A Seleção Feminina volta a campo em fevereiro para disputar o Torneio Internacional da França. Dos dias 14 a 23, as brasileiras encararão França, Holanda e Finlândia.

CHILENAS RONDAM A ÁREA
​
A técnica Pia Sundhage promoveu seis mudanças em relação à Seleção Brasileira que iniciou a goleada por 4 a 1 sobre a Venezuela (a mais significativa foi entrada de Marta como titular ao lado de Debinha). Diante do Chile, um adversário mais impetuoso, as Guerreiras lidaram nos primeiros minutos com dificuldades defensivas diante dos avanços de Rojas e Urrutia.

Urrutia levou a melhor sobre Tamires e arriscou, mas o chute foi fraco e parou nas mãos de Letícia. A atacante ainda deu trabalho para Daiane e Tainara. Logo depois, Rojas puxou contra-ataque e Lara encheu o pé, só que a bola subiu.

BRASIL BATALHA, MAS O GOL…

Após 15 minutos de pressão chilena, o Brasil foi se soltando em campo aos trancos e barrancos. Kerolin cruzou para Ary Borges, que tentou por cobertura e mandou para fora. Em seguida, Duda e Marta também se atrapalharam ao concluir.Debinha fez o cruzamento e Kerolin surgiu livre, mas cabeceou em cima de Endler.

Embora tenha melhorado o toque de bola na reta final, a Seleção continuou a penar para criar jogadas com qualidade. Marta aproveitou uma rara brecha na direita, se desvencilhou da adversária e cruzou, só que Debinha chegou atrasada. Já Antônia passou como quis pela marcação e arriscou, fazendo a bola tirar tinta da trave.

PARA EMBALAR!

Bastaram cinco minutos para a Seleção achar uma brecha para seu poderio ofensivo. Antônia abriu caminho para descida de Ary Borges. Com velocidade, a camisa 17 aproveitou um espaço deixado pela esquerda e cruzou para a área. Kerolin surgiu livre na área chilena e desviou na saída de Endler para delírio da torcida na Arena da Amazônia.

As chilenas ainda ensaiaram uma reação com Aedo. No entanto, as Guerreiras se lançaram novamente à frente. Kerolin cruzou e Debinha acabou se enrolando. Antônia ainda arriscou finalização de longe, mas a bola foi por cima da meta de Endler. As comandadas de Pia Sundhage continuaram a se impor, mas esbarravam em erros de passes.

SEM SUSTO…

Quando o ritmo da partida caiu, a técnica Pia Sundhage promoveu as entradas de Adriana e Giovana. Em seguida, o Chile voltou a assustar em uma cobrança de escanteio de Araya na qual Letícia espalmou para evitar qualquer susto. Em seguida, Tamires arriscou de longe e Endler encaixou.

GIOVANA RATIFICA O TROFÉU

O título foi sacramentado aos 36 minutos graças à perspicácia digna das Guerreiras. Giovana aproveitou a hesitação de uma defensora chilena e deu o bote. A camisa 14 chutou com calma e superou Endler aos 38.

Na reta final, Ivana Fuso tentou arrancada e Geyse chutou pelo lado de fora da rede. Mas a vitória e o título estavam confirmados, indicando uma evolução brasileira sob o comando de Pia Sundhage.

Manchester City have now made contact over a deal for a 58-cap international, who is able to play in a number of positions.

Man City looking to increase squad depth after Bayer Leverkusen defeat

Pep Guardiola clearly had a lot of faith in some of his back-up options heading into the Champions League tie against Bayer Leverkusen, having made ten changes to his starting XI, but his side came up short in a 2-0 defeat.

The Spaniard has since admitted he probably made too many alterations, saying: “I always had the belief of the long season and everyone had to be involved but maybe it was too much. They played not to make mistakes instead of doing what we had to do.

“It was not the performance that we thought. I take full responsibility. We missed something. We missed an incredible opportunity and now we need to fight in the next games.”

Despite limiting the German side to an xG of just 0.51, the Blues conceded two goals for the second game on the spin, and having kept one clean sheet in their last seven games, they have now joined the race for a new defender.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Man City have now made contact over a deal for versatile AS Roma defender Zeki Celik, who is able to play as a wing-back, full-back and at centre-back.

Celik could be available for a bargain fee in the January transfer window, given that his contract is set to expire at the end of the season, but if the Italian club are unwilling to sanction a departure, City could wait to snap him up on a free next summer.

Worse than Savinho: Man City star is in danger of becoming another Grealish

This Manchester City star is in danger of becoming the next Jack Grealish after another off-performance versus Bayer Leverkusen.

2 ByKelan Sarson Nov 26, 2025

There may be competition for the defender’s signature from a plethora of rival Premier League clubs, however, with Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea also making enquiries of their own.

"Perfect player" Celik impressing for club and country

The 58-cap Turkey international was recently lauded by national team manager Vincenzo Montella, who said: “He’s the perfect player for any coach,”

“Celik is professional, reliable, does his job wherever you play him. In a locker room it is always needed to have guys like him.”

The 28-year-old has also put in some impressive performances for AS Roma as of late, recently scoring and recording a 95% pass-completion rate in his side’s 2-0 victory over Udinese, with the latter statistic indicating he could be ideal in a Pep system.

As such, Celik could be a solid addition to the Man City squad, particularly on a free transfer, with Guardiola clearly keen on bolstering his options at full-back, given that a Bundesliga star has also been identified as a potential target…

Manchester United are set to partner with an international architecture firm to develop plans to regenerate the area around Old Trafford.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• United appoint renowned architecture firm
• Club to revolutionise area around Old Trafford
• Decision on stadium still hasn't been made

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The club aim to turn the district into a "world-class football destination" amid plans of either renovating Old Trafford or possibly building a new stadium. Earlier this year, United appointed Foster + Partners to lead a £50 million ($66m) project to modernise their Carrington Training Complex. Now, the same firm will be tasked with creating a "vibrant destination for visitors from Manchester, the UK and all around the world".

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United said in a statement that Old Trafford will not be part of the project as the club hierarchy continue to consider their options, but stressed that a "world-class stadium" will be at the heart of the masterplan.

• WHAT UNITED SAID

  "The focus will be to design a world-class football destination and home for Manchester United fans, coupled with a wider masterplan comprising mixed-use developments which will benefit the local community, attract new residents, increase job provision, and make it a vibrant destination for visitors from Manchester, the UK and all around the world," the club's announcement said.

  "The exercise will include substantial engagement with fans, community members, local authorities and the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, whose feedback and insights will be incorporated into the masterplan design."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

  It has been reported that partial-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to have a decision made regarding Old Trafford by the end of the year. It emerged this week that United are open to demolishing their iconic ground and build a 100,000 capacity 'Wembley of the North' stadium, which would cost around £2 billion ($2.6bn).

In this interview, Axar talks about the T20 World Cup triumph, the celebrations that have followed, his batting, and his role going forward

Ashish Pant20-Jul-2024″So many people dream of such things and out of them, we 15 have lived the dream.”It’s been three weeks since Axar Patel played a key role – with bat and ball – in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph, but the aftereffects of that memorable day in Barbados continue to ring loud among Indian fans.This outpouring of love and gratitude is something that Axar is still wrapping his head around. Open-bus parades, felicitations in the hometowns, celebrations that don’t seem like stopping any time soon. Has it sunk in yet for Axar that he is now a T20 world champion?Related

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“Not yet to be honest. And even if we want to, the others are not letting us do it. The kind of atmosphere there is, the people are not letting it sink in. The kind of welcome we are getting, the kind of reception we are getting, locally too, is great. It’s been really enjoyable these last few days,” Axar tells ESPNcricinfo in an interview facilitated by JSW Sports. “I am not much of a social guy. But when I came back, everyone was showing so much love. Even when I came to Gujarat, I think I reached home after 12am, and even then, people came in huge numbers to meet me. It was incredible.”That is when I thought how much craze there is for cricket in this country. It felt that along with us the entire country and the people have won this trophy. I feel fortunate and I am glad to witness these things.”Going back three weeks things could have been much different for India if not for Axar’s timely 31-ball 47 at a critical juncture. Batting first in the final, three of India’s top four were back in the shed inside the first five overs. That meant a promotion almost out of the blue for Axar. He had been asked to bat at No. 4 in an earlier group game against Pakistan, but to be promoted in the final, with his side in trouble, was a test of his mental aptitude.Axar says the key to that innings was to not second-guess himself and opt for a simple see-ball, hit-ball approach.”I came to know about the promotion barely four or five balls before I went out to bat,” Axar says. “It wasn’t that long. When Rishabh [Pant] got out, I was asked to get ready and I think in the next over itself Surya [Suryakumar Yadav] got out.Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya keep the party going•BCCI”I wasn’t nervous. Obviously, there is pressure on you, but at the time, I didn’t understand how to react. I don’t think when I went to bat there was anything going on in my mind. I had gone with a see-ball, hit-ball mindset. I was not thinking about anything, not worrying about the consequences, there were no second thoughts in my mind.”I consistently communicated with Virat [Kohli] , so I didn’t feel that I have come in early and that I have to do something different. I kept talking with Virat and we communicated clearly about what we have to do.”Axar’s role in the Indian side is of a spin-bowling allrounder who can be useful with the bat lower down the order. But his batting has been on an upswing, especially in the last year or so. In IPL 2024, he was often employed as a floater, at times coming in at No. 3 or 4 for Delhi Capitals, and that’s a role he has been asked to do in the Indian team as well of late.Not having a permanent batting position in a line-up can be off-putting for a player, but not for Axar who sees being a floater in a positive way.”Every batsman likes to have a fixed batting position because it becomes a bit easy for him to plan for his role. But as a floater, I feel that the captain and coach trust you which is why they are sending you in tough situations. I am taking that in a positive way,” he says. “When the team needs someone to stand up, they are banking on me to deliver. That means they have seen something in me. When the team trusts you to deliver in such crunch situations, you start trusting yourself even more automatically. And once you deliver in one or two matches, it gives your confidence a different sort of boost altogether.”It is not as if this has happened just once or twice. I have been asked to perform this role for Delhi Capitals and other teams as well. After a point, you get used to it and it doesn’t matter which position you are batting in. You are confident in batting in any position and you know what to do in that situation.”But how does Axar classify himself, as a batting allrounder or a bowling allrounder?”, allrounder (Whatever works for me on a given day, I become that variety of allrounder),” he says with a smile. “If my bowling clicks, I am a bowling allrounder; if the batting clicks, then batting allrounder. I started off as a batsman, so I think I like my batting more. In the last two or three years, the kind of batting I have been doing, I feel I am now capable. I was not doing justice to my batting in the earlier years.”Axar Patel gave the India innings some impetus in the T20 World Cup final•Getty ImagesIndia will next be travelling for a three-game T20I and ODI series to Sri Lanka and Axar is part of both squads. The T20I leg will mark Suryakumar’s first stint as full-time T20I captain after Rohit Sharma retired from the format, and also Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment as India head coach.Axar, who played five T20Is against Australia under Suryakumar’s leadership last year, described him as a “bowler’s captain” and one who likes to keep the “atmosphere lively and cool.””I have spent a lot of time with Suryakumar. Surya is a happy-go-lucky guy. He keeps the atmosphere lively, loves doing mimicry and such fun stuff. I know he will keep the atmosphere cool,” Axar says. “I recently played a five-game T20I series when he was the captain. I know he is a bowler’s captain. He gives the bowlers the fields they ask for. And it was like that with me, too. I don’t think there will be a lot of change. We will get to know now playing under his captaincy about his mindset. You can’t judge someone’s captaincy by one tour. When we play more, we will get to know more of his captaincy style.”With Gautam , yes, we will go to Sri Lanka, there will be meetings, we will exchange a few thoughts and after that I will get to know exactly what my role is and what he thinks. I will get more clarity on that only after that.”Axar made his India debut back in 2014, and in ten years, he has only played 14 Tests, 57 ODIs and 60 T20I games. But finally, after all these years, he seems to have found a permanent spot at least in the white-ball scheme of things. Ravindra Jadeja’s retirement from T20Is makes Axar the leading spin-bowling allrounder in the format, as he was selected ahead of Jadeja for the ODI series for Sri Lanka as well.Axar, however, isn’t looking too far ahead of himself and wants to focus on short-term goals.”I can only set my goals based on the kind of role I am expected to perform. It shouldn’t happen that I am asked to perform some role and my goals don’t align with it,” he says. “I don’t believe in long-term planning. I just look at the present, what’s in front of me and just the short-term goals is what I look at.”

da 888casino： Liverpool ended a run of three successive defeats in all competitions by claiming all three points against West Ham United at the London Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday.

da pinnacle： Arne Slot’s team had lost 3-0 to Nottingham Forest and 3-0 to Manchester City in their last two outings in the top-flight, which is why it was so important for them to bounce back with a win against the Hammers.

Alexander Isak scored his first league goal for the Reds after his £125m move from Newcastle United in the summer, as part of an attack that looked very different after some impressive tweaks from the head coach.

The key tactical tweaks Liverpool made against West Ham

Instead of playing Curtis Jones or Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back, Slot opted to go with a natural defender in Joe Gomez in the back four and it was a tactical decision that paid off big time.

The former England international was not dribbled past a single time in the 90 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore, and provided an assist for the second goal with an excellent cross after Szoboszlai, who was able to play further up the field, did well to lay the ball off to him.

Slot also played Florian Wirtz in the number ten role, after he was left on the bench against PSV, and the Germany international completed 93% of his attempted passes in a controlling and metronomic display in the middle of the park.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

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The Liverpool boss also made the bold call to drop Mohamed Salah from the starting line-up to play Szoboszlai out wide on the right, days after Alan Pardew suggested that the Egypt international has looked “lost”.

In Salah’s absence, though, Reds forward Cody Gakpo showed that he is the manager’s most clutch player this season with an impressive display.

Liverpool's most clutch player

In March of last year, the £40m signing from PSV was criticised by former Liverpool defender and pundit Jamie Carragher, who claimed that the Dutchman “plays like the game is in slow motion”.

Believe it or not, that’s not the first time the former centre-back has criticised the Dutchman.

Indeed, just after he signed, Carragher wrote that he was ‘baffled watching Gakpo’s early performances,” further stating that ‘Gakpo is not a typical Klopp signing, lacking lightning pace and the capacity to lead a high press.’

There is a languid demeanour to the way that Gakpo plays for Liverpool on the wing, but that is not an inherently bad thing because it is not down to a genuine lack of effort, as shown by his output this season.

The Netherlands international added a goal and an assist to his tally in the 2-0 win over West Ham, setting up Isak for the opener before burying a finish late on to seal the win.

With Salah out, Gakpo once again showed that he is the most clutch player in the squad in the Premier League this season, because he has been the most productive player in front of goal.

Last season, Salah was the player Liverpool looked to when they needed a goal, as he ended the campaign with a staggering 29 goals and 18 assists, per WhoScored.

25/26 PL

Gakpo

Liverpool rank

xG

3.8

1st

Goals

4

1st

Big chances created

7

1st

Chances created

25

1st

xA

2.6

1st

Assists

3

1st

Goals + assists

7

1st

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, it is Gakpo who has been the go-to man for Slot in the top-flight so far this term, leading the way in pretty much every significant attacking metric.

These statistics show how clutch the Dutchman has been for the Reds this season, because he has been their main star for both goals and creativity at the top end of the pitch, which was on full display with a goal and an assist on Sunday.

Until Salah is able to get back to his best in the Premier League, which will hopefully happen in the coming weeks, Gakpo should be considered the most clutch player in the squad for his output so far.

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Liverpool are starting to prepare for Mo Salah’s departure from Anfield.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 30, 2025

Warwickshire quick leads fightback after Alastair Cook impersonates Gower

George Dobell22-Apr-2021

Olly Stone strains in his release•Getty Images

Not all wickets are equal. It has long remained one of cricket’s charming idiosyncrasies that the wicket of Ricky Ponting on a batting paradise in Adelaide is valued (in basis career statistics, at least) the same as the wicket as Charl Willoughby – a man who did almost as little for bats as the wet markets of Wuhan – on a minefield in Leeds.But there are dismissals that make you sit up and take notice. So it was when Olly Stone dismissed Paul Walter at Edgbaston. Walter was well set at the time. The ball was old – in its 69th over – and the wicket held no terrors. Quite the opposite: this looks like an excellent batting track for the time of year.But such is Stone’s pace and hostility, he had Walter caught at third man – a fly slip, really, albeit one standing on the boundary – by a bouncer that reared towards his neck, took the shoulder of the bat and flew every bit of 40 metres. He had already softened him up with a pair of bouncers that struck him on the upper body.Pace isn’t everything, of course. But just because it’s not everything doesn’t mean it’s nothing. And on flat surfaces – the sort England can anticipate in Australia this winter, for example – well-directed pace is an invaluable tool. Stone, with his pleasing shape, his probing length, his pace and his sharp bouncer looks tailor-made for the trip. Marcus Trescothick, England’s new elite batting coach, will have noted this as he watched on from the deserted stands at Edgbaston.By then, Stone had already had Dan Lawrence caught at midwicket – not from his finest ball, to be fair – and Nick Browne caught behind after flashing at one he might have left. Replays also suggested Stone might have been a little unfortunate not to win a leg-before decision against Browne before the batter had scored and was even more unfortunate not to win a leg-before decision against Walter when he had 30. An edge from Browne, on 24, eluded the slip cordon.Stone did not have things entirely his own way. Ryan ten Doeschate, in particular, made full use of an unusually short boundary towards the Priory side of the ground by pulling successive fours and then a six when Stone tried to bounce him. But Stone countered with the dismissal of Adam Wheater, poking at one flashing past his off stump, to claim his fourth wicket and see off Essex for a total that might be considered as much as 100 below par.Given Stone’s injury record, it was encouraging he played this game at all. He delivered 41 overs last week and, having not played back-to-back first-class games since 2019 – this is actually just his fourth first-class game since July 2019 and one of those was curtailed by injury – it bodes well that he didn’t just report fit, but was able to generate such pace. In this form, he offers England a depth in their fast-bowling resources they have not had for a decade or more – in other words, since they last time they won in Australia.Related

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Stone admits previous career doubts as he hopes for recall

“My body is feeling great,” he said afterwards, belying an open blister and blackened nail on his big toe. “Having had an injury-free winter, I felt ready to play back-to-back games and I wanted to prove to people that I could do it. It’s all about being ready for the Tests against New Zealand.”I hope I’m the finished article now. I’m still pushing hard to improve but all the months of rehab were about getting to where I am now. Dismissals like that one – the Walter one – are the dream, really. I’m really happy.”Stone’s contribution helped Warwickshire hit back in the final session of an intriguing day. At tea, Essex had been well-placed at 186 for 3 with Warwickshire ruing two or three dropping catches. The worst of them, Sam Hain putting down Browne in the slips on 20 off Craig Miles, looked as if it might be especially expensive as Browne moved ominously into the 60s.Nick Browne made his first half-century of the season•Getty Images

Indeed, such was Browne’s patience that he played only five scoring shots in the first two hours of play and his first single came from his 92nd delivery. It was some surprise when, almost immediately after the second interval, he poked at one from Stone in a fiery three-over burst that removed both set batters and turned the direction of the day’s play.Earlier, an impostor purporting to be Alastair Cook produced a more than passable impression of David Gower in making a run-a-ball 46. He certainly looked like Cook; he even wore his shirt. But, as he reeled off a string of gorgeous drives and pulled Stone for six, it was hard to recall a time he had ever batted so fluently. As Browne, who contributed eight of their first 50 runs, put it: “I’ve batted with Cookie a lot of times over the years and never seen him bat like that before. He looked like Bradman.”Oliver Hannon-Dalby, plugging away at the other end on a probing length, ended with even better figures than Stone. But harsh though it may be, England are blessed with an abundance of excellent fast-medium bowlers who can threaten with a Dukes ball. It’s bowlers like Stone who could unlock batting line-ups on the flatter surfaces generally encountered in Test cricket.Given the wretched luck he has suffered with injuries over the years, there can be no room for complacency. But as England build for the Ashes, Stone seems to be coming to the boil nicely.

Captain takes break after gruelling run of biosecure campaigns in UAE, South Africa and Pakistan

Firdose Moonda15-Feb-2021Quinton de Kock will sit out of South Africa’s domestic T20 competition, which starts on Friday, on medical advice. De Kock has been given a mental health break and will aim to be ready for the Pakistan white-ball series at home in April.”On medical advice, Quinton will be on a break for a few weeks. The South African Cricketers Association and Cricket South Africa (CSA) will continue to support him through this process,” Andrew Breetzke, SACA CEO told ESPNcricinfo.This season has been particularly taxing on de Kock, who took on the responsibility of captaining the Test team in a temporary capacity, along with leading the white-ball sides, being the first-choice wicketkeeper in all formats and among the senior-most batsmen. His form took a significant dip and he only scored 74 runs in six innings as captain, after being moved to the No.5 position in the Test line-up, further adding to his burden.Related

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The effects of living in biosecure bubbles also appear to have taken their toll on de Kock. In January, he described the environment as “unsettling,” and spoke about the scarcity of time at home over the summer.Since September last year, de Kock has been involved in several bubbles, from the IPL to South Africa’s white-ball series against England (which was interrupted by Covid-19 concerns and ended early) to the festive-season Tests against Sri Lanka and the recently completed trip to Pakistan. South Africa were due to go directly from the bubble in Pakistan to a home series against Australia, but the indefinite postponement of that three-Test series means that de Kock will have some time off.On Monday, CSA’s director of cricket Graeme Smith confirmed that all nationally contracted players will be obliged to play in the domestic T20 competition and the four-day matches which will follow in March. De Kock and Faf du Plessis are the only exceptions. CSA have yet to make a decision about whether the contracted players have to remain at home for the Pakistan series, or will travel to the IPL for the start of the tournament, expected to be in mid-April. The Pakistan series runs from April 2 to 16.

There has been a lot of talk about how Tottenham Hotspur supposedly messed up when they allowed Troy Parrott to leave the club after his international heroics.

The Ireland international scored five goals in two games for his country during the current international break, which included a last-gasp goal to qualify for the World Cup play-offs.

Parrott struck twice in a 2-0 win over Portugal, in a game that Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off in, before netting an extraordinary hat-trick against Hungary in their second match.

Given his goal output and the importance of those goals to Ireland, the 23-year-old centre-forward has been a hot topic in football in the last week or so.

That has made some question Tottenham’s decision to sell him to AZ Alkmaar for a reported fee of £7m in the summer of 2024, after he came up through the youth ranks in North London.

Former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood recently said said: “I’ve got a big question for anyone who decided to let Troy Parrott go. I’m not sure he had a fair opportunity to prove himself, he’s had to go to AZ to do that.”

Why Spurs should not be blamed for selling Troy Parrott

Whilst Sherwood may be right that he did not get much of an opportunity at Spurs, with four first-team appearances, the Lilywhites should not be blamed for cashing in on him last year.

After a return of 31 goals in 38 games for Spurs at U18, Youth League, and U21 level, per Transfermarkt, the Irish marksman was given a chance to showcase his quality over a series of loans.

Unfortunately, Parrott largely struggled in his domestic loans in League One and the Championship before enjoying a strong spell with Excelsior in the Netherlands, which led to his £7m move to AZ Alkmaar.

Excelsior (23/24)

32

17

Preston (22/23)

34

4

MK Dons (21/22)

47

10

Ipswich (20/21)

18

2

Millwall (20/21)

14

0

As you can see in the table above, the Spurs youngster did not offer much of a regular goal threat in his two spells at Championship level with Millwall and Preston.

That is why it is hard to blame Tottenham, who aim to compete at the top end of the Premier League and in Europe, for cashing in on Parrott, as he had not shown much potential in English football at senior level.

The Irishman, as shown in the graphic above, then went on to hit a career-high 20 goals in all competitions in his first season with AZ Alkmaar, and currently has 13 goals in 14 matches, per Transfermarkt.

Whilst his form for club and country in the present day makes it look like Tottenham were wrong to cash in on him, they made a decision that did make sense on the evidence that they had available to them at the time.

Of course, you can still argue that it was a mistake, as he only played four matches for the first-team, but it is one that those in power in North London in the present day can use as a learning experience moving forward.

With this in mind, current first-team manager Thomas Frank, who was not at the club when Parrott was sold, should use the Irishman’s situation as a reference point when dealing with a star who is currently struggling out on loan.

In The Pipeline

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

Spurs youngster Jamie Donley is struggling to get a game on loan with Stoke City in the Championship, but he could be the next Troy Parrott in the making.

Why Spurs need to keep their faith with Jamie Donley

Donley has been earning rave reviews from many in recent years, including from reporter Charlie Eccleshare.

Speaking on a podcast for The Athletic in early 2024, he said: “He’s not a pure striker, he’s a nine and a half, some have compared him to Harry Kane, and someone I spoke to the other day compared him to Julian Alvarez.”

Since then, however, Donley has not really kicked on. In a bid to help him to do just that, the Lilywhites sent the 20-year-old talent on loan to Stoke for the 2025/26 campaign in the hope that he would improve and gain valuable experience in the second tier, as they did when they sent Parrott to Millwall and Preston.

However, the Northern Irish attacking midfielder has only played four times in the Championship, all off the bench, and has been an unused substitute on eight occasions in the league, per Transfermarkt.

The Spurs loanee, who assisted a goal on his debut against Derby, has also failed to make the matchday squad for their last three league matches, which suggests that he is not in Mark Robins’ plans.

Despite his lack of game time at club level with the Potters, Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill has kept faith in the playmaker, as he played against Slovakia and Luxembourg during the international break.

Donley scored from the penalty spot against Luxembourg on Monday night and was described as the “best player on the pitch” by the Northern Ireland manager after the game.

Along with his international performances, Spurs should also keep faith in the 20-year-old attacker because of his form on loan at Leyton Orient in the 2024/25 campaign.

xG

4.05

Top 22%

Goals

8

Top 9%

xA

6.39

Top 1%

Chances created

62

Top 1%

Assists

10

Top 1%

Accurate long passes

60

Top 3%

Successful dribbles

28

Top 16%

As you can see in the table above, Donley was an exceptional performer at League One level last season with Leyton Orient, ranking in the top percentile of his positional peers as a creative force in the number ten position.

These statistics, his form for Northern Ireland, and his return of 37 goals and 30 assists in 90 matches for Spurs at U18 and U21 level, per Transfermarkt, suggest that he has far more potential than his stint at Stoke suggests.

This is why Tottenham should not give up on Donley because of his struggles out on loan this season, as he has not been given a single start in the Championship and could still have a future in North London if given a chance at Spurs or at another club on loan.

Parrott struggled out on loan in the Championship and was sold to go on to greater things. Tottenham can learn from that by providing Donley with the chances that the Ireland hero did not get.

He can end Bentancur's stay: Spurs gem is showing "shades of Mousa Dembele"

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ByEthan Lamb Nov 19, 2025

It wasn’t straightforward, it wasn’t pretty, but it is one of those wins that would give South Africa immense satisfaction. On a turning track, where a modest 188, made largely thanks to Mithali Raj’s battling 79 and Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s magnificent 3 for 13, the visitors dug deep to carve out a five-wicket win to take the series 4-1.The victory was set up by Mignon du Preez and Anneke Bosch, who hit half-centuries in a 96-run fourth-wicket stand. It was crucial coming at the time it did, because the visitors had been reduced to 27 for 3 in the 11th over, with the ball jumping off the rough created at one end by left-arm seamer Monica Patel. South Africa have now won 10 of their last 11 ODIs, winning back-to-back series against New Zealand, Pakistan and now India.But they would’ve been nervy at the start. Opening the bowling, Gayakwad defeated Laura Woolvaardt with sharp turn as substitute fielder Jemimah Rodrigues took a sharp catch at slip in the second over. In the fourth, Gayakwad beat Lara Goodall with sharp turn to trap her lbw. But after a three-over spell, Gayakwad was taken off the attack to give inexperienced Patel, playing in just her second game, a spell.Although India struck soon enough, in the 12th over, when D Hemalatha beat Sune Luus in the air and off the deck, they couldn’t sustain the pressure. In looking to attack, the inexperienced spinners conceded more runs than they would have ideally liked.In the absence of Poonam Yadav, the frontline spinner, Deepti Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur, who earlier in the day injured her hip flexor to be ruled out of the game, the responsibility was on debutant C Prathyusha and Hemalatha to offer maximum support to strike bowler Gayakwad. It proved a task too steep as their inexperience showed.Wristspinner Pratyusha, who has a quick-arm action, struggled to land the ball at drivable lengths, which made it easy for du Preez and Bosch to pick her away both off the front and back foot. Bosch was particularly aggressive, looking to clear the infield by getting to the pitch time and again. du Preez, meanwhile, showed all her experience by using the pace to play cheeky paddles.Their industrious partnership meant the score kept ticking along, forcing Raj to keep going back to her two trump cards Goswami and Gayakwad from time-to-time Gayakwad had bowled out going into the last 10, with South Africa still needing 36. This helped Marizanne Kapp guide Nadine de Klerk through the tricky phase with the target within touching distance.Things may have yet been interesting had Goswami taken a catch to remove Kapp at long-off with South Africa still needing 32. South Africa would’ve been six down. It would’ve also come quickly on the back of the wickets of Bosch and du Preez, who fell in the space of 15 deliveries, to Gayakwad and Prathyusha respectively.The missed opportunity had a deflating effect; Pratyusha who should’ve had her second wicket finished with 1 for 60 off nine overs instead. With Patel unable to have any kind of stranglehold over the batters, Kapp calmly wiped off the remainder of the runs with 12 balls to spare, with India forced to rue their batting lapses.That they took the fight till the end was thanks to Mithali Raj’s rescue act after the rest of the batting stuttered yet again. The lone ranger who has carried the India middle order for much of her career, Raj hit her 55th ODI half-century after being put into bat by South Africa.The loss apart, India may also be staring at another major worry ahead of the T20Is, with Kaur, the designated captain for the shortest format, having to retire hurt after a hip-flexor injury. Pushed ahead of Raj to No. 4 on the day, Kaur had settled in to put together a half-century stand with her captain, before retiring out in the 31st over just as India looked to launch.It proved to be a huge setback, after they appeared to have overcome the early losses of Smriti Mandhana, Priya Punia and Punam Raut, India’s highest run-getter, with the scoreboard reading 53 for 3 in the 13th over.Hemalatha, in her first game after replacing Deepti struggled to wriggle out of a hole she dug herself into. Taking 12 balls to get off the mark, she survived an ugly hoick before nicking one to the wicketkeeper two balls later. Then the returning Sushma Verma, picked ahead of Taniya Bhatia, did little to prove her batting credentials, given out lbw to de Klerk.India’s slow middle order consolidation also allowed Sune Luus to get her fifth bowling options – de Klerk and Bosch – to dictate terms; their 16 overs went for just 61 runs for three wickets, all reward for de Klerk’s accurate medium pace.In the face of this meltdown, Raj, who took her time, like she does, focused on holding one end up even if strike-rotation proved difficult initially. And while debates continue over whether she should be accelerating a lot more upfront, India’s middle and lower order did her no favours by collapsing the way they did to give the team management plenty to think of in terms of their approach In the face of a changing game leading into next year’s 50-over World Cup.