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Leicester City were in cruise control at the top of the Championship, sweeping past teams with relative ease and making a mockery of the division.

When the Foxes made it 11 wins from 12 with a 3-1 victory over Swansea City in October, they broke the record for the best start to a Championship season since the league rebranded in 2004.

Because of this, talk of Enzo Maresca's side totalling the most points ever in a single second-tier campaign began to surface, however, consecutive 1-0 defeats against Leeds United and Middlesbrough have quelled those talks, at least for the time being.

In an all-star Leicester team, only one thing has remained a constant since his arrival in 2012, and that has been Jamie Vardy spearheading their charge towards success.

Jamie Vardy's 23/24 statistics

At the age of 36, Vardy is no spring chicken anymore and of course, those once magical goal-scoring powers were going to suffer an alarming drop off one day.

In the past few seasons, the Englishman has lost a yard of pace and doesn't get into scoring positions as often as he used to, but you never lose the knack of scoring goals, and the former Fleetwood Town striker has demonstrated that this term.

Although a return of four goals in 16 matches is underwhelming for someone who used to regularly break the 20-goal mark in one season – winning the Premier League Golden Boot in 2019/20 – Vardy still plays a crucial role in stretching opposition defences with his pace in behind.

A menace to play against physically and difficult to stop with his sharp movements, the veteran striker has made a career out of lurking on the last defender and pouncing at the chance to be sent through on goal.

Much like Wayne Rooney, Vardy possesses a street striker element to his game – never giving a defender a moment of peace – and wreaking havoc in the attacking third with his devastating finishing.

He's accumulated a staggering 175 goals in 444 appearances for Leicester but given he's soon to retire, the Foxes will forever rue their decision to sell Andrej Kramaric in 2016, who has since become a world-class finisher in the Bundesliga.

Andrej Kramaric's goal record

Leicester broke their transfer record in 2015 when they shelled out £9m on a 23-year-old Kramaric from FC Rijeka.

Despite rigorously scouting the young Croatian, he immediately struggled to adapt to the intensity and demands of the Premier League – like many foreign exports – and only found the net four times in 20 appearances.

In truth, he just did not fit into City's shape, or with their intense, pressing, relentless style and was never going to get in ahead of Vardy, for whom Leicester's entire game was based around getting him in behind defences.

Indeed, Nigel Pearson, the man who brought him to the club, couldn't fit Kramaric into the team and shipped him out on loan to Hoffenheim in the 2015/16 campaign.

Whilst the Foxes were celebrating their famous Premier League title triumph, the striker posted nine goal contributions in 15 matches for the Bundesliga outfit, so few were shocked to see Hoffenheim snap him up in the summer of 2016.

Now aged 32 and in his eighth season with the German side, Kramaric – much like Vardy – has become a goal-machine since departing the King Power, amassing a staggering 121 goals and 51 assists in 262 appearances for the club.

Stat

Club appearances

Goals / Assists

Jamie Vardy

300

125 goals / 34 assists (159 G/A)

Andrej Kramaric

262

121 goals / 51 assists (172 G/A)

Stats via Transfermarkt

On the international stage, the 88-cap Croatia "genius" – as hailed by commentator Derek Rae – has had huge success too, reaching the World Cup final and semi-final in 2018 and 2022, respectively, including scoring the winner which knocked England out at the last four stage in Russia.

Leicester ultimately missed the chance to enjoy an elite European striker as his spell at the club overlapped with the time in which Vardy was at the peak of his powers, and not one supporter would change that for the world given the legendary status that the Englishman has achieved.

But considering that Kramaric has plundered six goals in nine matches this term and outscored Vardy, perhaps they would now take him back in a heartbeat.

Shahbaz Nadeem celebrates a wicket•AFP

An unbeaten 87 from Hanuma Vihari and three top-order wickets from Shahbaz Nadeem helped India B make a winning start to their Deodhar Trophy campaign, as they defended 261 to beat India A by 43 runs. Nadeem, the left-arm spinner, took the new ball and struck with successive balls in his second over to send back Prithvi Shaw and Karun Nair, both lbw.India A’s top order continued to flounder until R Ashwin joined Dinesh Karthik at 87 for 5. The Tamil Nadu pair added 123 to bring parity back to the contest: at one stage, India A needed 52 from 47 balls with five wickets in hand.But Mayank Markande broke the partnership, having Ashwin stumped for 54 (76b, 5×4), and Nadeem dismissed Karthik in the very next over, having him caught and bowled one short of a hundred. Karthik’s 114-ball innings contained 11 fours and a six.India A’s lower order then collapsed against the legspin of Markande, who finished with figures of 4 for 48. The last five wickets only added eight runs to India A’s total.Ashwin had a good match with the ball too, finishing with figures of 2 for 39 in nine overs as India B, who chose to bat first, limped to 261 for 8 after threatening to post a much bigger total. Forties from Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Iyer set up Vihari and Manoj Tiwary (52, 58b, 1×4, 2×6) to put on 99 for the fourth wicket. At one stage, India B were 194 for 3 with 12.4 overs remaining.The run-out dismissal of Tiwary, however, sparked a collapse. No one from No. 6 downwards got into double figures even as Vihari tried to keep the scoreboard moving at the other end. Following Tiwary’s dismissal, Vihari scored 39 off 30 balls to finish unbeaten on 87 (95b, 9×4). At the other end, India B’s lower order and extras combined to score only 28 off 45 balls. Even so, India B’s total of 261 for 8 proved more than adequate.

Inter Miami came out late for the second half of their MLS clash with NY Red Bulls in a move that did not go down well with Taylor Twellman.

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Inter Miami at NY Red Bulls in MLSStruggling without injured Lionel MessiTwellman criticizes half-time anticsWHAT HAPPENED?

Inter Miami went in at half-time 2-0 down to NY Red Bulls after seeing former winger Lewis Morgan score twice for the hosts. Tata Martino's side then kept their opponents waiting at the start of the second half after coming out late at a sodden Red Bull Arena. The move by Tata Martino and his men was criticized by former USMNT star Twellman on social media.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementWHAT TWELLMAN SAID

He wrote on X: "This is absolutely ridiculous from Inter Miami #Gamesmanship."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Things went from bad to worse for Miami after the break. Wikelman Carmona added a third for the hosts, before Morgan completed his hat-trick with 20 minutes remaining to make it a tough day for Inter Miami. Martino's side have already been described as the "villains" of MLS by Alexi Lalas and are unlikely to win many friends with incidents such as these.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI

Inter Miami's next fixture is at home to New York City FC on Saturday, March 30. The MLS side are currently without superstar Lionel Messi due to injury, with the Argentina international also expected to miss Miami's next game.

Double-header men’s and women’s T20Is will be the main attraction as New Zealand men are set to play five Tests, 11 ODIs and four T20Is from December to March

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2018

Stu Forster/Getty Images

New Zealand are set to play hosts to Asian teams Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh during their 2018-19 home season from December to March. The India tour will be particularly significant given both the men’s and women’s teams will feature in three T20I double-headers in early February after they complete their respective ODI series.New Zealand home summer

Versus Sri Lanka:
1st Test: December 15-19, Wellington
2nd Test: December 26-30, Christchurch
1st ODI: January 3, Mount Maunganui
2nd ODI: January 5, Mount Maunganui
3rd ODI: January 8, Nelson
Only T20: January 11, Auckland
Versus India:
1st ODI: January 23, Napier
2nd ODI: January 26, Mount Maunganui
3rd ODI: January 28, Mount Maunganui
4th ODI: January 31, Hamilton
5th ODI: February 3, Wellington
1st T20: February 6, Wellington
2nd T20: February 8, Auckland
3rd T20: February 10, Hamilton
Versus Bangladesh:
1st ODI: February 13, Napier
2nd ODI: February 16, Christchurch
3rd ODI: February 20, Dunedin
1st Test: February 28-March 4, Hamilton
2nd Test: March 8-12, Wellington
3rd Test: March 16-20, Christchurch

While the men’s teams of India and New Zealand will feature in a five-match ODI series – starting January 23 – that will serve as preparation for the 2019 World Cup, the women’s teams will square off in three ICC Women’s Championship fixtures that helps to identify seven direct qualifiers (excluding the hosts) for the 2021 Women’s World Cup to be held in New Zealand. All six women’s matches will be televised live for the first time in New Zealand history.In a move to align with viewer-friendly timings in India, NZC pushed back the start of all games, barring the second T20I in Auckland on February 8, by one hour as per their agreement with India’s host broadcaster Star Sports. There are restrictions on the number of events that can be held at night at Eden Park because of its proximity to residential areas.While the first and third T20Is will begin at 8pm local time, the Auckland game will start an hour earlier. “NZC would’ve liked to have scheduled more India matches at Eden Park in Auckland but was unable to do so because of restrictions at the venue,” NZC’s chief operating officer Anthony Crummy said. All five ODIs between the men’s teams will start at 3pm local time.New Zealand’s international summer will start with two Tests against Sri Lanka, starting December 15 in Wellington, followed by the Boxing Day Test in Christchurch, before they play three ODIs and a lone T20 in January. Once India’s tour of New Zealand ends with the last T20 on February 10, the hosts will take on Bangladesh for three ODIs, followed by a three-Test series – the first ever between the two sides. This will also be Bangladesh’s first three-Test series since hosting Zimbabwe in 2014. The three Tests will be played in Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch.”NZC had hoped to schedule the opening Bangladesh Test at Seddon Park as a Day-Night fixture but could not obtain agreement from the Bangladesh Cricket Board and was forced to revert to the traditional hours-of-play,” an NZC release said.Meanwhile, India will also field an A team that will feature in three four-day fixtures across Mount Maunganui, Hamilton and Whangarei, and three 50-over fixtures, all at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui during the same period.This series is in line with NZC’s increased investment in the ‘A Programme’ as announced in the new NZC-NZCPA (New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association) master agreement earlier in July. The BCCI has in recent times increased the exposure for their A teams through tours to run alongside the senior team’s tour, like in England this summer.

On a pitch most suited to their spinners, India’s batsmen and fast bowlers somehow contrived to leave all the eggs in their spinners’ basket, but under the pressure of expectation when defending a small total, they failed to prevent the end of India’s nine-series winning streak in bilateral ODIs. On a dry, almost Asia-like track in Leeds, England could be proud of themselves for outperforming India’s spinners, considered the best in the world, and also batting better against spin than a line-up that has grown up facing some of the best spinners in the world. Powered by Joe Root’s second successive hundred, they finished the chase of 257 off in 44.3 overs.Adil Rashid, who suffered in comparison to Kuldeep Yadav two matches ago, began England’s turnaround by bowling an imperious-looking Virat Kohli past his outside edge after pitching on leg stump. India were looking good for 300 during the partnership between Kohli and Dinesh Karthik, but Rashid took out both of them to start a turnaround in which India got only 100 runs in the last 20 overs. The fast bowlers – playing, according to Kohli, because they hadn’t yet got a game in the series – got off to an ordinary start, conceding 14 risk-free boundaries in the first nine overs.Eoin Morgan was proactive against spin•Getty Images

India’s spinners had a big ask now. They were under pressure of conjuring up a win, especially on a day when the opposition spinners had pushed India into a corner. A wicket first ball would have raised India’s hopes. The wicket came through a diving collection and run-out by MS Dhoni, who had been central to India’s slowdown. Just when India lost Kohli for 71, Dhoni was beginning to get stuck. Once Kohli and Suresh Raina fell, there was no way Dhoni was going to take any risks. Dot balls rose, there were a few boos around again, but Dhoni played on regardless.Unlike at Lord’s, you could see what Dhoni was trying to do here. He had seen a turning pitch, he knew the tail was long, and he went on to make sure India got 250-260 as opposed to risking getting bowled out for 230 in an effort to get 280. As it turned out, Dhoni couldn’t even see India through to the end of the innings, and it was left to Shardul Thakur to hit India’s first six in 638 balls this series and take India past 250 with a 13-ball 22.Dhoni is seldom out, though, and now, having conjured this run-out to send back James Vince, was the time he could help his spinners control the game. Except that India had Root to deal with. In a team full of bludgeon brothers, Root carries the responsibility of anchoring innings when the going is tough. Once again, it was left to Root to take England through this tricky spell of spin.Two matches ago, Root had faced three balls of left-arm wristspin in all international and T20 cricket for two dismissals, but he showed England the way out with a hundred at Lord’s. He did the same here. The most effective shot he has played in both the matches is the extra-cover drive, against the turn, almost every time Kuldeep has overpitched. That shot has brought him short balls and a negative line on the pads. Unless the ball was overpitched, Root chose to stay deep in the crease, playing the ball late, often guiding the spinners past the slip.In Root’s company, captain Eoin Morgan also flourished, taking apart Suresh Raina after nine overs of frontline spin had not brought India a wicket. The two went on to become England’s most prolific partnership during the course of the chase. Root scored 15 of the last 22 runs – four others were wides – to end with the century that took him to most centuries for England, past Marcus Trescothick’s 12. He ended with a boundary and a bat drop reminiscent of Grant Elliott’s. A statistic that will matter much more is that Root now had 68 runs off 68 deliveries after having been dismissed twice in the first three from the left-arm wristspinner.The other number that mattered was a third successive dismissal against spin for Kohli. The last two dismissals have been comprehensive, lbw past the inside edge off Moeen at Lord’s, and bowled by Rashid at Headingley. Until then, he had looked destined to score another century in another series-decider. This was an innings that helped India recover from the early dismissal of Rohit Sharma against moving ball. Shikhar Dhawan again ran himself out after a good start.Dinesh Karthik, playing ahead of KL Rahul, and Kohli then added 41 in 40 balls, but that is when Rashid turned things around. An over after almost getting Karthik to play on – early into an expansive drive – Rashid succeeded in doing the same in the 25th over. In the 31st, Rashid produced the ball of the series, leaving Kohli stunned, as if he had seen a ghost. The demons, as it turned out, had just begun to show up for India.

Jadon Sancho has been linked with a move away from Manchester United, but another player could also still leave this summer, according to a fresh claim.

Can players still leave after the transfer window?

It's fair to say things aren't going too well at Old Trafford at the moment, with both on and off-field problems finding the club under the spotlight in a negative sense.

United have only picked up six points from their opening four Premier League matches in 2023/24, and were extremely fortunate to beat Wolves in one of their two wins, with too many performances lacking quality and fight.

Away from the field, Sancho's future continues to be a big talking point, with a move to Saudi Arabia not happening late in the day, while Mason Greenwood and Antony have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Erik ten Hag has added some key signings to his squad this summer, but some players can still leave despite the closure of the British window, with Turkey's transfer period open until Friday and several other countries lasting even longer.

Will Donny van de Beek leave Man Utd?

According to a new update from Football Insider, Donny van de Beek "could quit" United within the next few days, potentially sealing a move to Turkey before their transfer window closes:

"Man United would like to move midfielder Donny van de Beek on as transfer windows slam shut worldwide, sources have told Football Insider. It is believed there will be options open to the 26-year-old in Turkey.

"Van de Beek was the subject of interest elsewhere before the English window shut, but couldn’t agree a move away from Old Trafford by 1 September. He had options in Europe, with a potential move to Ligue 1 outfit Lorient falling through and interest from La Liga side Real Sociedad failing to materialise."

Van de Beek has arguably been one of the most disappointing signings of the Ten Hag era to date, and possibly of the last decade or so at United, having arrived from Ajax with a big reputation.

It is hard to think of any genuinely great performances that he produced for the Red Devils – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp did once call him "really good", in fairness – with just two goals and assists apiece coming his way in 60 appearances overall.

For whatever reason, Van de Beek just hasn't worked out at United, so if the club are able to get him off their wage bill before the Turkish transfer window closes, it would surely be the best outcome for all parties.

The Dutchman's current deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2025, but that does mean that his value is slowly diminishing the closer it gets to running out, meaning that selling him in the coming days should still lead to United getting the best possible amount for him.

The fact that Ten Hag has seemingly given up on Van de Beek is telling, considering he managed him at Ajax and played him regularly, and his Old Trafford nightmare needs to come to an end.

Throughout world football, there are often groups of people that feel so attached to the clubs they support that it exceeds normal fandom or support. These individuals form together, over many years, creating fan groups dedicated to the club and their beliefs – these are more commonly known as ‘Ultra Groups’.

Ultra groups date back to the 1930s, where there were evident groups of individuals who associated themselves strongly with football teams in Brazil – these then grew across the world with the first known ‘Ultra Group’ being that of Hajduk Split in 1950, where the Torcida Split was formed by the fans of the club.

The ideology of the ultra movement has developed world over, and hundreds, if not thousands, of fan groups, have been formed from them until the present – with a strong presence in Europe and especially Italy. Here, we at Football FanCast have taken a look at the Top 10 Ultra Groups world over…

Hajduk Split – Torcida Split

It would make sense to start with the original ultra group of Europe. Torcida Split was formed by a group of students in Zagreb, after witnessing the passionate crowds from Brazil during the 1950 World Cup.

They are regarded as the oldest organised supporter group in Europe, and they are extremely dominant across Dalmatia – with strong relationships with the ultra groups of Benfica, Saint Etienne, the Polish club Gornik Zabrze, and fellow Dalmatian ultra group Tornado Zadar.

The group has branches in countries across the globe, primarily in places with strong Croat communities.

Dinamo Zagreb – Bad Blue Boys

Another addition from Croatia, the ‘Bad Blue Boys’ or BBB for short, are the ultra group of Dinamo Zagreb and was founded in 1986 in Zagreb itself, and the name for the group was inspired by the 1983 Sean Penn film ‘Bad Boys’.

The BBB had offered great support to the first Croatian president Franjo Tudman during 1990 after the countries independence from Yugoslavia – but that relationship broke down after Tudman tried to change the name of the club to NK Croatia, forcing the BBB to turn against him. The group has a strong relationship with Panathinaikos FC ultra group Gate 13, Dynamo Kyiv, Dinamo Tbilisi, and AS Roma (Fedayn).

In August 2023, the group were implicated in a mass brawl that led to the death of a 29 year old fan when 120 members travelled to AEK Athens for a Champions League playoff game against the Greek side despite being told not to. The ensuing fight injured eight fans, leading to 104 fans being arrested by the Greek authorities.

Ferencvaros – Green Monsters

Hungarian club Ferencvaros has a ferocious amount of support from their ultra group ‘the Green Monsters’, or B-közép in Hungarian. Formed in 1995, the group is known for there fanatic support of the club and have a strong rivalry with fellow Budapest club Újpest’s ultra group.

The group boycotted Ferencvaros games back in 2015 after the Hungarian FA deployed a palm print system to identify fans going into the stadium to try and put a stamp on the ultra group’s support, but these decisions were later overturned and the Green Monsters got their way over the FA. Despite being a smaller club, the support from the Green Monsters is some of the best in Europe, and are one of the most violent ultra groups around.

River Plate – Los Borrachos Del Tablón

The fans of the Argentinian side River Plate are one of the most fierce in Argentina and all of South America. Known as Los Borrachos del Tablón, the group is more commonly referred to as a barra brava rather than an ultra group, which are Argentinian supporter groups that provoke violence from other fan groups.

The club’s explosive rivalry with Boca Juniors is known across the world, as is the rivalry of the fan groups – with games between the pair often resulting in bloodbaths, with one Boca Juniors fan being shot in 2002, causing the ‘superclasico’ to be suspended.

St Pauli

An ultra group that differs from the rest – the fans of German Bundesliga 2 club St Pauli – are known for their left-wing ideology. The fans model themselves as anti-fascist, anti-racist, anti-homophobic, and anti-sexist, and often come into conflict with neo-nazi groups and hooligans of away teams at away games.

The group is very inclusive and progressive with their political views, something that has earned them their fame in the footballing world. The fans have great relationships with the fan of Ternana, Rayo Vallecano, SV Babelsberg 03, Partizan Minsk, Hapoel Tel Aviv, AEK Athens, and Celtic.

Their rare political stance in the world of football has also earned them a significant following outside their native Hamburg as well, including a supporters group in India called the ‘Raj Pauli.’

S.S. Lazio – Irriducibili

The ultra group of SS Lazio, known as the Irriducibili, is one of the most hated and violent in all of world football. In stark contrast to the ultra’s of St Pauli, the group has never shied away from expressing their neo-nazi affiliation and have often posted banners in support of Arkan, a Serbian war criminal, and ones of Nazi affiliation.

There strong rivalry with AS Roma is also well documented, with the Derby Della Capitale being one of the biggest derbies in not just Italian, but world football. The group are well known for their fascist behaviour, with rival and even their own players being subject to racial abuse from the Curva Nord – all of which is why many fans world over have such hatred towards the group, and rightly so.

Red Star Belgrade – Delije

The ultra group of Serbian side Red Star Belgrade refers to themselves as Delije, which is loosely translated to “Heroes, “Braves, or “Studs”. The group has links all the way back to the 1940s but were formally named and created in 1989 – and are known for their proud Serbian nationalism, and enjoy strong friendships with the supporters of Olympiacos and Spartak Moscow due to their shared Orthodox faith.

One of the darkest and most violent moments in the group’s history came during a 1990 game against rivals Dinamo Zagreb, in which the Delije and the Bad Blue Boys violently clashed in and around the stadium following heightened tensions in the region. Whilst obviously not a leading cause for the Yugoslav wars, the event captured the sentiment of the time and has since been dubbed the ‘match which started a war.’

Galatasaray S.K – ultrAslan

Often seen as the largest organised fan group in the world, with an estimated 100,000 members, the ultrAslan was born in 2001 after Galatasaray were starting to become a successful and well regarded European club – this led fan Alparslan Dikmen to create the group, and was the leader until his untimely death in 2008.

The group is renowned for their creativity in displays, and even brought 3000 flares to a game against Fenerbahçe in 2001 which interrupted the game – this led to the Turkish FA banning the use of pyrotechnics at games with tough fines for the club’s if used. Unlike many other ultra groups across Europe, the group are apolitical, but still very patriotic towards the club and are considered to be one of the more dangerous ultras groups in Europe.

S.S.C. Napoli

Napoli is the fourth most supported club in all of Italy – behind only Juventus and the two Milan clubs – and their fans make it known. The club has many different ultra groups, but the most notable being Commando Ultras Curva B, ultras Napoli, and Fedayn – all of which are very proud and supportive Neapolitans and Napoli fans.

The club was one of the first to gain ultra group support in Italy and was also the first club to use firecrackers in the stadium, which later became flares and pyrotechnics. Recent events of violence have put a damper on their name, with gangs inciting violence and carrying weapons have attacked fans of visiting teams.

Olympique de Marseille – Commando Ultra 84

French club Marseille are known for having some of, if not the most, passionate support in world football – and the ultra group Commando Ultras 84 epitomise that support. The group was founded in 1984 – making them the oldest ultras group in France – and are well known for their use of banners and tifo’s to create mesmerising displays at the Velodrome in support of their club.

Their rivalry with PSG – especially their ultras the Bologne Boys – is one of the fiercest in Europe, and games often can get quite hostile. This ferocity is only further enflamed due to CU84’s generally left-wing persuasion – something the Bologne Boys certainly don’t share.

If you ever go to Marseille, it becomes very evident very quickly that OM is more than just a football team to the people of the city; something made all the more apparent by groups such as Commando Ultra 84.

Aston Villa have been revived since the arrival of Unai Emery in October 2022, with the Spaniard handing the squad a new lease of life in terms of their progression and goals for the season ahead.

The former Arsenal manager took the side he inherited from Steven Gerrard from 16th to 7th last term, earning them a place in the Europa Conference League and marking Villa’s first involvement in Europe since 2010.

Strong signs of development on the pitch were reinforced by a successful transfer window, where the club recruited five new faces, as well as breaking their record fee to capture Moussa Diaby in a £51.9m deal.

As well as new arrivals, the Villans have seen a host of individuals develop under Emery’s guidance, with names such as John McGinn, Tyrone Mings and Lucas Digne thriving in the Spaniard’s system.

Another name has continued his development strongly thanks to the 51-year-old’s arrival, seeing his market value shoot up thanks to consistent game time and high performance levels.

How much did Jacob Ramsey cost Aston Villa?

Jacob Ramsey has been a consistent performer since the arrival of Emery, moving from strength to strength following his emergence into the first team under Dean Smith.

The versatile midfielder joined the club at the age of six, and has since advanced through the levels at Bodymoor Heath, where he today finds himself as a player of great importance to Emery’s side.

Back in 2020, the academy graduate was handed his Premier League debut by Smith, coming on as a substitute against Fulham to mark his first minutes in the top-flight.

His full debut came shortly after in a statement fixture, when he played 90 minutes against rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 2020/21 campaign, a season in which he registered 22 total league appearances.

When Smith was dismissed and replaced by Gerrard, things continued to tick for the Birmingham-born whiz, as he became a favoured player under the manager, making 34 appearances in the Premier League in the 2021/22 season.

The Englishman’s game turned up a notch thanks to Gerrard’s trust in fielding the youngster ahead of other star names, with his selection being a testament to his charged level of performance.

A strong ball carrier among other notable attributes, Ramsey bolstered his in-game numbers between his breakthrough season and the campaign that followed, averaging 1.15 progressive carries per 90 in 2020/21, which doubled in 2021/22 where he averaged 3.32 per 90, via FBref.

Another element of his game that came on leaps and bounds was his goal contributions, as he scored six and registered one assist under Gerrard in the season before last, making his claim to the starting XI undoubtedly.

What is Jacob Ramsey’s market value now?

At the start of the former Liverpool captain’s reign as manager of Villa in November 2021, Football Transfers noted the midfielder's expected transfer value (xTV) at around £7.8m.

Due to strong progression and consistent minutes in the first team, the England U21 star is now valued by CIES Football Observatory at €60m (£52m), showcasing just how much he has improved his game at his boyhood club.

Why is he worth that much?

Hailed as a “big talent” by scout Jacek Kulig, the midfielder continued to thrive during the transition between Gerrard and Emery as manager, maintaining his place in the squad.

Last season, the 22-year-old secured 35 appearances for Villa, scoring a further six goals and registering an improved seven assists, making him the club’s joint second-highest scorer, on par with Douglas Luiz and the since-departed Danny Ings.

Averaging 1.43 key passes per 90 last term, Ramsey seemed to unlock a further element to his game, acting as the provider, with his assist rate of 0.24 per 90 placing him in the top 5% of midfielders in the Premier League, via FBref.

Emery previously lauded the youngster as “very good” for being able to take on the demands asked of him in his role, adding that the “spirit that he adds” makes him a player of great importance in his side.

The stage was set for the midfielder to continue his encouraging career path this season, however a huge injury blow at the U21 European Championships has seen him miss the beginning of the campaign.

In the quarter-finals of the international tournament, the Villa whiz was forced off due to what was later revealed as a broken metatarsal, forcing him to miss not only the start of the domestic season, but the end of the championships that England went on to win.

Being a boy from Birmingham with huge talent, it’s hoped that the Englishman can pick up where he left off once he is available for contention again, with his ability set to be of great importance to his club going forward.

It wouldn’t be the first time that the Villans have seen an academy graduate’s value soar, with Jack Grealish departing Villa Park as a £100m player after concluding the same journey that Ramsey is on.

What’s next for Jacob Ramsey?

While it would be magnificent for both club and player to see Ramsey hit the heights of Grealish, there is a difference between the pair's projected paths at Villa.

At the time of his exit to Manchester City, Villa had just finished 11th in the league, with a feel of the club just coasting around the mid-table area, making his move understandable as he searched for a new challenge.

Emery has injected a different aura to the Midlands, making the project in hand one of exciting promise and a perfect set-up for Ramsey to further his talents and grow into the squad as they continue on their latest journey.

Once he returns from his injury, it’s expected that the Englishman will resume his position in the squad, with added competition introduced this summer in the form of Youri Tielemans, whose presence will only induce an even higher level of performance to ensure game time.

Villa’s academy has once again produced a talent that has the world at his feet, with his market value catapulting from a figure expected of a promising talent, to that of a progressing Premier League star.

Despite leaving on a dim note, the Midlands club have Gerrard to thank for continuing to place his trust in Ramsey, who will no doubt generate the Villans some funds in the future.

Fulham have now made contact with Racing Club over Juan Ignacio Nardoni, and a new report has revealed they may have to shell out a huge fee for the midfielder…

Who are Fulham signing this summer?

Liverpool have now made it clear they are interested in signing Joao Palhinha, meaning Fulham may have an even more pressing need to bring in a central midfielder, having targeted a player in that area of the pitch earlier in the window.

The Cottagers were priced out of a move for Fred, with Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth claiming Manchester United were "asking for too much money", and the Brazilian has since gone on to join Fenerbahce.

An alternative option for Marco Silva's side was AC Milan's Charles De Ketelaere, however he is now poised to join Atalanta, meaning they could be forced to move on to other targets, and they have now identified a surprising new option.

According to reports from Italy (via Sport Witness), Fulham have shown the "most interest" out of all the clubs to come forward for Nardoni, and they are now "seriously thinking" about making him their latest summer signing.

Contact has already been made with both Racing Club and the 21-year-old's entourage to discuss a deal, and negotiations could even be set to start in the next few days. If the west Londoners are to prise the youngster away from Racing Club, they will have to be prepared to spend big, with it being reported the Argentinian side value him at around €25m (£21m).

More recent updates from Argentina (via Sport Witness), state that Racing are trying to price Silva's side out of a transfer, as they are not keen on selling the midfielder this summer because he is considered an important player.

Who is Juan Ignacio Nardoni?

Born in Nelson, Argentina, the starlet has burst onto the scene in his home country, after coming through the youth ranks at Club Atletico Union, making a total of 35 appearances for Racing Club, during which time he has amassed two goals and five assists.

Although he has shown he is capable of posing a threat on the front foot, the maestro often plays in a more defensive central midfield role, indicating that he is a very well-rounded player.

Journalist Fabian Godoy has previously spoken very highly of the Racing star, praising him for his physical attributes, as well as his passing ability, while also branding him a "top player."

However, the Argentine's contract is not currently set to expire until December 2025, leaving Racing in a strong negotiating position, and it would probably be unwise for Fulham to meet their demands and shell out £21m.

A fee of €25m (£21m) would make the former Club Atletico Union man the Cottagers' second-most expensive signing of all time, which would be a huge risk, considering Nardoni is unproven outside of Argentina.

If Fulham choose to accept Al-Hilal's £46m bid for Aleksandar Mitrovic, they will have the funds to strengthen multiple areas of their squad, but they should target players who have more experience at the top level.

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is set to make his Bundesliga debut this week for Bayern Munich, so we've looked at how other Brits abroad fared on their first league appearances.

What's the latest on Harry Kane and Bayern Munich?

Earlier this month, the German giants took a bold step in the transfer market and stumped up what could end up being as much as £100m to land the striker.

This will be the first time in his career that Kane will be playing for a team outside of England and supporters will be highly interested to see how he gets on.

He has already made his debut for Bayern, coming off the bench as his new side lost 3-0 to RB Leipzig in the German Super Cup – meaning his wait to lift a trophy goes on.

After that disappointment, Kane will no doubt be desperate to make a big impression on debut and expectations will be high as he takes on Werder Bremen tonight.

Backing this up, research from NeueOnlineCasinos.io – when going by how other top Brits did on their league debuts abroad – shows that Kane has a 66% chance of scoring, a 10% chance of bagging a hat-trick, while there is also a 2% chance he gets sent off.

The data looks at how Gary Lineker, Paul Gascoigne, Jadon Sancho, David Beckham, Gareth Bale, Steve McManaman, Michael Owen, Jude Bellingham and Tammy Abraham all did as they made their first league appearances abroad.

Using that research, Football Fancast has all the details laid out below.

Gary Lineker, Barcelona

Making his first appearance for Barcelona on 29th August 1986, Gary Lineker took just two minutes to get off the mark.

He ended up finishing the game with two goals to his name, netting in the 25th minute, as Barca beat Racing Santander 2-0 in La Liga.

Paul Gascoigne, Lazio

Things didn't go quite as well for Paul Gascoigne as he swapped English football for Italian and made his bow on 27th September 1992.

Indeed, Gazza was subbed at halftime having failed to score or register an assist for Lazio as they drew 1-1 with Genoa in Serie A.

Steve McManaman, Real Madrid

Back in Spain and back on track as Steve McManaman did get a goal contribution in his first La Liga outing with Real Madrid.

The former Liverpool winger picked up an assist as Los Blancos claimed a 2-1 win against RCD Mallorca on 22nd August 1999.

David Beckham, Real Madrid

Staying in Madrid, after David Beckham completed a high-profile move away from Manchester United, he settled in at great speed.

The English icon took just eight minutes to score on debut as he bagged a goal in a 2-1 win for Real Madrid against Real Betis on 30th August 2003.

Michael Owen, Real Madrid

For a while, it seemed as though Real Madrid was the only place English stars wanted to go as Michael Owen followed the same path abroad as Beckham and McManaman.

The striker would have loved a debut La Liga goal but had to settle for just an assist – for Ronaldo, no less – as his new side won 1-0 against RCD Mallorca on 29th August 2004.

Gareth Bale, Real Madrid

The first Welshman on the list was another Brit who ended up at Real Madrid, making his first league appearance on 14th September 2013.

While Gareth Bale's new side failed to get a win, he did at least score in the 2-2 draw against Villarreal.

Jadon Sancho, Borussia Dortmund

Unlike the others, Jadon Sancho arrived at his new club as an unproven youngster and this fact is reflected in his Bundesliga debut.

Indeed, the current Manchester United man came off the bench, replacing the injured Maximilian Philipp in the 83rd minute. Understandably, he failed to contribute a goal or an assist as his side drew 2-2 against Eintracht Frankfurt on 21 October 2017.

Jude Bellingham, Borussia Dortmund

While Jude Bellingham is now playing his football in Spain at Real Madrid, he truly built his reputation in Germany much like Sancho before him.

The 20-year-old burst onto the Bundesliga scene as a teenager making his league debut on 19th September 2020, claiming an assist in a 3-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Tammy Abraham, Roma

Having left Chelsea, Tammy Abraham looked like a great fit at Roma very early on and this is well reflected by his Serie A debut performance.

The English striker didn't score but did pick up two assists in a 3-1 win against Fiorentina on 22nd August 2021.