Asad Shafiq, the former Pakistan Test middle-order batter, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket and is expected to take up a position as a national selector.Shafiq, 37, was a core part of the Misbah-ul-Haq Test side in the 2010s, playing a vital role in their rise to the top of the Test rankings in August 2016. He announced his retirement on Sunday, after captaining the Karachi Whites side to the National T20 title, beating Abbotabad in the final in Karachi. He has agreed to play three games for his department side SNGPL (Sui Northern Gas Pipelines) in the returning Patron’s Trophy – the first-class tournament for department teams – because they will be missing several players away on Test duty. But effectively, the T20 final was his farewell.Related
Shafiq played the last of his 77 Tests for Pakistan in 2020, nearly 10 years after his debut. He had been a regular on the domestic circuit since, though he said after the final that he was no longer feeling as excited about the game as he used to.”I’m no longer feeling that excitement and passion that I did when I first started playing the game,” he said. “I wanted to thank all those who have helped me through my career.”After being dropped in 2020 I kept on playing domestic cricket for three years in the hope of getting another crack at the Pakistan team. But before the start of this season, I had decided this would be my last season because I felt that closing in on 38 years of age this was time to retire instead of people telling me to step down.”Alongside Misbah, Younis Khan and Azhar Ali, Shafiq formed a middle order that was the bedrock of much of Pakistan’s success, especially during their years of exile in the UAE. He ended his career with 4660 runs at an average of 38.19, though in his best phases it hovered near the mid-40s. That was a function partially of him playing the majority of his Tests at No. 6, as a bridge between the engine room and a perennially fragile lower order. Famously, he has the most Test hundreds from that position; he went past Sir Garry Sobers’ record after one of his most memorable centuries, a 137 at the Gabba that nearly took Pakistan home in a mammoth chase of 490.That hundred came soon after his 109 at The Oval, in a win that not only levelled the series but also took Pakistan to the top of the Test rankings. Shafiq had made his international debut in England, in the immediate aftermath of the 2010 spot-fixing scandal, playing his first ODIs on that tour and his first Test in November that year, as Misbah took over as captain. “It was quite difficult after the 2010 incident and we had to win the trust of the public back,” he said.A future as a selector in Wahab Riaz’s new-look committee now awaits, as Shafiq waits for his contract to be finalised.
It looks set to be an interesting summer for Chelsea after another trophyless domestic season at Stamford Bridge, this time with Enzo Maresca in the dugout.
The Blues decided to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino at the end of the 2023/24 campaign and brought the Italian in to replace him, but the Conference League is the club’s last chance to land a trophy this term.
Chelsea may want to make further changes to their playing squad to build a team that can compete for the Premier League title, or at least the League Cup and the FA Cup.
One player whose future is currently up in the air ahead of the summer transfer window is Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho, who the club have a £25m obligation to buy.
Jadon Sancho for Chelsea
The Athletic’s David Ornstein has revealed that the Blues will have to pay the Red Devils a fee of £5m to opt out of that obligation, and it remains to be seen whether they will do that or pay the £25m to sign him permanently.
Why Chelsea have a big problem with Jadon Sancho
Chelsea and Maresca have a big problem with this Sancho dilemma because there are pros and cons to either keeping him at Stamford Bridge or paying £5m to send him back to Old Trafford.
On the one hand, £25m to sign an England international who turns 25 this week seems like good business with fairly low risk, given the nature of the fee and the time he has on his side to contribute over several seasons.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
On the other hand, Sancho’s performances on the pitch across all competitions for the Blues this season have been a cause for concern, as the winger has only produced two goals and five assists in 29 matches.
This shows that the £100k-per-week forward has failed to make much of an impact at the top end of the pitch from a wide position for Maresca’s side, which is why there may be reticence to splash out £25m to sign him permanently.
Moments like the goal above have been few and far between and Chelsea may feel that they could find better value for money elsewhere in the domestic market, as they once did with the signing of Damien Duff from Blackburn Rovers.
How much Chelsea paid to sign Damien Duff
Back in the summer of 2003, Roman Abramovich splashed the cash to bolster the squad to compete for major honours, and one of the first signings of his era in charge of the club was Duff.
The Blues reportedly paid a fee of £17m to sign the Blackburn Rovers star after he had scored nine goals and provided one assist in 26 matches in the Premier League during the previous season.
His first season at Stamford Bridge ended with a solid return of six goals and 13 assists in 37 appearances in all competitions, as he showcased his ability to score and assist goals from a wide position.
The left-footed star followed that up with ten goals and 13 assists in 48 games in the 2004/05 campaign, including six assists in ten
Champions League outings, and helped Chelsea to win the Premier League title for the first time.
His form dipped in his last season at Stamford Bridge, with just three goals and four assists in all competitions, but he contributed to another top-flight title.
Overall, Duff turned out to be excellent value for money for the Blues, with his goals and assists in his first two seasons, as a domestic signing, and Maresca may have unearthed the club’s next version of him with Pedro Neto.
Why Pedro Neto is Chelsea's new Damien Duff
Unlike Sancho, Neto is similar to Duff in the sense that he is also a left-footed winger who wants to run at opposition players and take them on to make things happen for his side – an exciting player to watch.
Speaking about the Portugal international earlier this season, pundit Troy Deeney said: “Pace scares people. Coming in off that left foot, he can shoot or he can cross, but he’s also got that raw speed which is going to back defenders off.”
One of the great things about Neto is the simplicity of his game. He does not need to do fancy tricks and flicks to get by players, instead looking to just drive with his ball control and speed to put defenders on the back foot – just as Duff did during his time at Stamford Bridge.
As you can see in the clip above, the former Wolves and Lazio man took a touch out of his feet and smashed the ball into the bottom corner, rather than trying to overcomplicate it with more touches or by trying to find a top corner.
Chelsea reportedly paid £54m to sign the forward from Wolves last summer and he has shown more moments of quality than Sancho has this season, with five goals and six assists in 34 matches in all competitions.
24/25 Premier League
Pedro Neto
Starts
16
xG
2.05
Goals
3
Key passes
31
Big chances created
6
Assists
4
Dribbles completed
23
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Neto created 31 chances in just 16 starts and provided four assists from a wide position, which shows that he can offer a big creative outlet on the flank.
However, an accumulation of 2.05 xG in 16 starts as a forward suggests that Maresca needs to find a way to get the winger into better goalscoring positions, to make the most of his finishing quality.
Only Enzo Fernandez (ten) and Cole Palmer (19) have created more ‘big chances’ for Chelsea in the Premier League, though, so there is not much that needs to change from his performances in that sense.
If the manager can get Neto to add more goals to his game to go along with his creative brilliance then the Blues could have another Damien Duff on their hands, as the Portuguese starlet already shares so many similarities with the Irishman.
After Yamal: Chelsea can soon unleash the world's second-best wonderkid
The Chelsea youngster could emerge as a first-team option for Enzo Maresca next season.
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Dan Emery
Mar 21, 2025
Like Duff, Neto is a left-footed winger who wants to beat players with pace and dribbling, rather than using fancy skills, and is a player who can consistently create high-quality chances for his teammates to find the back of the net.
Sri Lanka sail through into the Super Six stage, along with Scotland and Oman
Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Jun-2023Ireland won the toss, made a double-strike in the ninth over of Sri Lanka’s innings, and took 6 for 44 in their last six overs. But so comprehensively did Sri Lanka win the other portions of this match, that they trounced Ireland by 133 runs, bowling them out for 192 after they had made 325.This means that Sri Lanka sail through into the Super Six stage of the World Cup Qualifier, along with Scotland and Oman from their group. Sri Lanka will carry forward their points from their big win against Oman. They play Scotland on Tuesday and the winner of that match will pick up two more points for the next round.Ireland, meanwhile, have been knocked out of contention for the ODI World Cup. They still have one match to play, against UAE, but both those sides have already been ruled out.For Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga got his third five-wicket haul in as many matches, while Dimuth Karunaratne brought up his maiden ODI hundred, having made four successive half-centuries in the lead-up.Both players’ places in Sri Lanka’s top XI were not secure. While Hasaranga is a T20I star, he had not quite translated that into ODI glory. Karunaratne, meanwhile, had been Sri Lanka’s most consistent Test batter of the last five years but had not excelled in white-ball cricket.Wanindu Hasaranga celebrates after dismissing Gareth Delany•ICC/Getty ImagesThis recent run of half-centuries and now this run-a-ball 103 will make Karunaratne a more serious World Cup prospect, while Hasaranga’s 5 for 79 puts him at 16 wickets in the tournament – easily the top wicket-taker.Karunaratne’s contribution was arguably more instrumental to the victory. After Barry McCarthy took two wickets in two balls in the ninth over, Karunaratne and Sadeera Samarawickrama built a 168-run stand. This partnership – in which the batters largely picked up risk-free singles and twos and pounced on the loose deliveries, particularly those that were short – forged Sri Lanka’s victory. Samarawickrama was dropped on 66, at mid-on, and he went on to make 82 off 86 balls.Karunaratne and Samarawickrama came together in the ninth over; when they were parted in the 36th, with 216 on the board, a score of more than 300 seemed inevitable. Their attack, which has not conceded 200 so far in the tournament, will go into the Super Six stage as perhaps the best on show.Even if it had been too little too late – so thoroughly did Karunaratne and Samarawickrama dominate the middle overs – Ireland’s late charge with the ball did dent Sri Lanka. They could have made 20 more, Dasun Shanaka said in the after-innings interview, but the lower order was dismissed cheaply.The top order, though, had got Sri Lanka through once again, and the bowling was dominant enough to make short work of the Ireland chase. Ireland were 57 for 3 in the 11th over, 116 for 6 by the 20th, and essentially never had the measure of the chase.Aside from Hasaranga’s five, Maheesh Theekshana got two wickets, and Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara and Shanaka took one each. Curtis Campher top-scored for Ireland with 39.
علق حسام غالي، عضو مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، على توقف مباراة بالميراس في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025 في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.
وتوقفت مباراة الأهلي وبالميراس الجارية حاليًا، المقامة ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025 في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.
طالع| فيديو | توقف مباراة الأهلي وبالميراس والجميع يغادرون الملعب
وقرر حكم اللقاء أنتوني تايلور، إيقاف المباراة وطالب الجميع بالخروج من ملعب المباراة، بسبب الطقس السيئ في مدينة نيو جيرسي.
ويلتقي الأهلي مع بالميراس، على أرضية ملعب “ميت لايف” بمدينة نيويورك الأمريكية، ضمن لقاءات الجولة الثانية من مرحلة المجموعات.
ويتواجد الأهلي في المجموعة الأولى ضمن منافسات كأس العالم للأندية، رفقة أندية إنتر ميامي الأمريكي، وبورتو البرتغالي وبالميراس البرازيلي.
وقال حسام غالي، في تصريحات لقناة إم بي سي مصر: “أعتقد هذا التوقف في مصحلة الفريق، الجو كان صعبًا، اللاعبون ارتاحوا، شوط أول جيد وبعد ذلك حدث هبوط مستوى في الشوط الثاني نتيجة نقص بدني وعدم تركيز”.
وتابع: “متبقي 25 دقيقة أتمنى الفريق يعود بدنيًا أقوى ومعنويًا ويكون لديهم رغبة في التعادل، لو رجعنا ستكون معجزة”.
The England legend discussed the decision that he now wishes he could take back, despite winning multiple MLS championships
Beckham regrets taking captaincy from DonovanSays he initially refused owner's requestThe pair won multiple MLS championships togetherGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED
David Beckham, the current Inter Miami co-owner and former Real Madrid and Manchester United superstar, made 124 appearances for the LA Galaxy, winning back-to-back MLS Cups alongside club legend Landon Donovan and other greats.
However, Beckham admitted that his biggest regret was taking the armband from the American after the team's ownership approached him to do so, discussing the situation on his UEFA Champions League alternative show "Beckham & Friends Live."
"When I first moved to LA, Landon Donovan was the captain,” Beckham said on CBS Sports. “And the owner of the team came to me and said, 'I want you to be captain.' And I said, 'No, Landon Donovan is the captain.' And then a week went by and they came to me again and said they spoke to Landon, Landon’s completely fine with it.
“I then asked Landon and he said ‘Yeah, of course no problem.’ And they gave me the captain’s armband. It’s my one regret, I should never have taken it off of Landon.”
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Beckham's arrival at LA Galaxy in 2007 represented a watershed moment for Major League Soccer, bringing unprecedented attention and legitimacy to the American league.
However, the captaincy situation with Donovan revealed the challenges of integrating international superstars into established team cultures.
The two players eventually resolved their differences after a tumultuous period that included public criticism from Donovan in 2009. Donovan was quoted that year in “The Beckham Experiment” by then-Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl.
“When David first came, I believed he was committed to what he was doing,” Donovan said. “He cared. He wanted to do well. He wanted the team and the league to do well.”
But something changed, according to Donovan, and Beckham decided soon after the former coach Ruud Gullit was fired that it wasn’t worth his time. “He just flipped a switch and said, ‘Uh-huh, I’m not doing it anymore’.”
“I can’t think of another guy where I’d say he wasn’t a good teammate, he didn’t give everything through all this, he didn’t still care,” Donovan said. “But with (Beckham), I’d say no, he wasn’t committed.”
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AFPWHAT’S NEXT?
MLS teams continue to navigate the delicate balance between signing international stars and respecting homegrown talent. Beckham will hope to avoid any such issues with his Inter Miami team, led by Lionel Messi, as they look to defend their Supporters' Shield this season.
Aston Villa have a variety of attacking options that Unai Emery will be hoping can claw them up the Premier League table and into a spot for a European finish. They’re currently tenth in the top flight, with 42 points to their name, but just four off a top-four spot.
Three January additions helped to strengthen in attack, with Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio joining the club on loan, and Donyell Malen permanently from Borussia Dortmund.
They have been added to the firepower in forward areas that include the likes of Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey, all of whom are flying this season.
Another attacker who Emery has in the squad is Leon Bailey, but he has struggled this season.
Bailey’s 2024/25 campaign
Bailey is into his fourth season at Villa Park, after his summer move in August 2021 from German outfit Bayer Leverkusen. They paid the 2023/24 Bundesliga champions just £25m to sign the winger almost four summers ago.
The Jamaican has had an up-and-down time of things at Villa Park. This season has been a real struggle, after registering 28 goal involvements last term. In 33 games across all competitions, he has scored one goal and has three assists to his name.
Things have been especially tough going for the 27-year-old in the Premier League this term. Bailey, who has operated on both flanks, has managed just one goal and two assists in 22 games, with his sole strike coming in a 2-1 win over Leicester City.
It has certainly been a tough season for the Villans number 31. With his disappointing performances this term, it might not be a surprise to see that Bailey’s market value has crashed to as low as £31.4m, according to Transfermarkt.
Incredibly, that is not as low as one of his former teammates, despite impressing since his move.
The former Villa player worth more than Bailey
Over the past few seasons, Villa have done a lot of business which has enabled them to spend so heavily and build a squad that has taken them to the Champions League. One of their biggest sales was that of Moussa Diaby.
Market Movers
The Frenchman left Villa Park just one year after joining, also from Leverkusen. Villa were able to sell him for an impressive £50m, with the former PSG academy star moving to Saudi Arabia to join Al-Ittihad.
Diaby performed well for Villa during his one-season stint in that famous Claret and Blue shirt and was described as “electric” by Statman Dave. In 54 games for the club, he scored ten goals and grabbed nine assists, with his 14 goal involvements in the Premier League crucial for helping his side into the Champions League.
Diaby record by competition for Villa in 2023/24
Competition
Games
Goals
Assists
Premier League
38
6
8
Conference League
11
3
1
FA Cup
3
1
0
Carabao Cup
1
0
0
Conference League qualifiers
1
0
0
Stats from Transfermarkt
Since his move to the Middle East, it has been a mixed bag for Diaby. He has performed well, but the winger has missed a substantial portion of Al-Ittihad’s season through injury. The French winger has been unavailable nine times this term.
However, he has been an assist machine for the Saudi side. In 17 games across all competitions, the 25-year-old has scored once, but managed 13 assists, including grabbing two against Al-Hilal.
Despite his impressive performances, the winger’s value has dropped dramatically. As per Transfermarkt, he is now worth just £28.9m, almost half of the amount that they sold him for in the summer – and even less than Bailey.
Although Diaby has had a better campaign than Bailey this season, the values suggest that Villa made the right choice with who to sell. Getting £50m for the Frenchman has proven to be an excellent deal given his injury issues. Perhaps the Villans made the correct call with who to sell after all.
Aston Villa have already sold their own Mateta who's a "true monster"
Aston Villa may regret selling this star who’s shades of Mateta.
أعلن الفرنسي هيرفي رينارد، المدير الفني لـ منتخب السعودية، عن قائمة اللاعبين، التي سيخوص بها مبارياته القادمة في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.
ويتواجد منتخب السعودية في المجموعة الثالثة لـ تصفيات كأس العالم، بجانب اليابان وأستراليا وإندونيسيا والبحرين والصين.
ويستعد منتخب السعودية لاستكمال مشواره وخوض الجولتين التاسعة والعاشرة من التصفيات الآسيوية المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.
طالع أيضاً.. منتخب فلسطين يوضح لـ”بطولات” موقف وسام أبو علي من توقف يونيو ومونديال الأندية
ويلتقى المنتخب السعودي مع نظيره البحرين يوم 5 من شهر يونيو القادم على ملعب البحرين الدولي، فيما سيواجه أستراليا في العاشر من شهر يونيو المقبل على ملعب مدينة الملك عبدالله الرياضية بجدة. قائمة منتخب السعودية لمباراتي البحرين وأستراليا في تصفيات كأس العالم
حراسة المرمى: نواف العقيدي – أحمد الكسار – حامد يوسف – عبد الرحمن الصانبي.
خط الدفاع: حسن كادش – جهاد ذكري – عبدالإله العمري – علي لاجامي – حسان التمبكتي – مهند الشنقيطي – سعود عبدالحميد – متعب الحربي – نواف بوشل – علي مجرشي – محمد بكر.
خط الوسط: مختار علي – مصعب الجوير – علي الأسمري – ناصر الدوسري – فيصل الغامدي – محمد كنو – علي الحسن – زياد الجهني – تركي العمار – مروان الصحفي – سالم الدوسري – همام الهمامي – عبدالرحمن العبود – أيمن يحيى.
خط الهجوم: عبدالله الحمدان – عبدالله آل سالم – مهند آل سعد – صالح الشهري – فراس البريكان.
⚪🟢 | إليكم خيارات مدربنا @Herve_Renard_HR لقائمة المنتخب الوطني لمواجهتي البحرين و أستراليا ضمن التصفيات النهائية المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026 .
Manchester United picked up just their second Premier League win from their last five clashes when getting the better of Marco Silva’s Fulham last time out.
Lisandro Martinez was the late hero the Red Devils were crying out for as his deflected strike fortuitously looped over the head of Cottagers goalkeeper Bernd Leno, sending the away masses into pandemonium in the process.
Ruben Amorim
Whilst Ruben Amorim will be encouraged by two victories on the spin now in all competitions, he will still hope for a late signing to boost his ranks this transfer window.
Man United agree personal terms with priority target
This January has been dominated by news of Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford potentially upping and leaving Old Trafford but INEOS have been attentive to any market opportunities that could emerge.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Now, with a week left of the transfer window, they could well be closing in on the first acquisition of the Amorim era.
Indeed, as per transfer insider Fabrizio Romano via his X account, United have already agreed terms with Lecce ace Patrick Dorgu. That said, they still have a fee to agree with the Serie A side before the window slams shut in a week’s time.
Romano states that the Red Devils are due to go back in with another approach though that is closer to the Serie A club’s asking price of £33m.
How Patrick Dorgu compares to Bukayo Saka
Whilst it is crystal clear that United are targetting Dorgu to gift Amorim a more expansive wing-back in-keeping with his Sporting philosophy, the Dane can also play straight up as a winger, with his current boss Marco Giampaolo getting more out of the 20-year-old when deploying him down the right wing.
As a result, there are similarities to be made between the promising talent and Arsenal sensation Bukayo Saka, with both players in question naturally left-footed but both an absolute menace to contain down the opposing flank.
Before delving deeper into his standout features as an attacking presence, Amorim would love to welcome the £33m man through the door due to his energy and tenacity as a defender.
Whilst Diogo Dalot has shone at points as a defensive figure down the left, with 4.3 duels won a game on average in the Premier League on top of collecting six clean sheets, Dorgu has won a far more impressive 6.9 duels per match this season in Serie A, alongside also amassing 4.7 ball recoveries as a tireless body for his side.
Patrick Dorgu for Lecce
It’s even led to one analyst online heralding Dorgu as a “monster”, with United in desperate need of some freshness such as the 20-year-old’s arrival to try and push up the league away from their current lowly standing of 12th.
He could also offer Amorim some versatility away from just being his ideal profile for a full-back, with the four-time Denmark international more than capable of playing further forward on the right based on his glittering numbers for this season so far.
RW
10
3
0
LB
6
0
1
LM
2
0
0
RB
2
0
0
LW
2
0
0
Indeed, when glancing at the table, all of his goals this campaign for Lecce have come from the right flank meaning Dorgu could give Amad Diallo some great competition if he were to arrive on the scene shortly.
This ability to shift between playing at left-back and right wing could mean he is United’s very own Saka down the line, with the England international lining up as a left-back for Arsenal at the start of his senior days in North London, before then being fully morphed into a frightening prospect in attack.
The rest is history from the perspective of the Gunners with Saka now up to 79 goal contributions from 120 career games as an out-and-out right winger, as Arsenal’s gamble on their academy product to become a beast in the senior game more than paid off.
Dorgu isn’t quite the finished article himself currently but there’s a lot of potential for the 20-year-old to cause the Premier League havoc, whether that be on the left-hand side or on the right.
Saved by Martinez: 3/10 Man Utd dud just proved why INEOS have to spend
Manchester United claimed a hard-fought 1-0 win over Fulham in the Premier League last night.
Cristiano Ronaldo would, according to Teddy Sheringham, “bite your hand off” for the chance to represent Manchester City at the FIFA Club World Cup.
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Guardiola's side will be competing for global crownSpecial transfer window set to open before eventUnited legend CR7 already linked with Inter MiamiFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
With that expanded competition being added to a packed schedule in the summer of 2025, clubs involved are being given a special transfer window in which to do business. Short-term deals are allowed that could see players snapped up on contracts which only run for a matter of weeks.
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It has already been suggested that Portuguese superstar Ronaldo could be targeted by Inter Miami for such an agreement, allowing him to play alongside eternal rival Lionel Messi for the first time in their record-shattering careers.
DID YOU KNOW?
Premier League giants City are also heading to the CWC and are currently sweating on the fitness of star striker Erling Haaland – with the prolific Norwegian frontman nursing an ankle injury that could rule him out of more trophy bids.
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Getty ImagesWHAT TEDDY SHERINGHAM SAID
Could Pep Guardiola be tempted to make a play for Manchester United legend Ronaldo? Ex-Red Devils forward Sheringham told when presented with that question: “I mean, Man United fans wouldn't be happy. If the figures add up, Ronaldo would probably jump at the chance. He can definitely score a goal, can't he? That, there's no denying.
“Yeah, they looked a little bit lost without their focal point (in the Manchester derby), didn't they? They didn't have that same flow to their team, but I don't know.
“Wow, I've not even thought about that, Ronaldo would definitely be excited by it. That would be funny. I bet if you offered him the chance to go to Man City, he would bite your hand off.”
Mary Earps has revealed that she returned to England duty after a two-year break saying: “I hope I don’t embarrass myself.”
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No selections between 2019 and 2021
Earned recall when Wiegman took over
Now has 53 caps and major honours
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The two-time FIFA Best Women’s Goalkeeper made the Lionesses squad for Euro 2017 and the 2019 World Cup without getting onto the pitch. She was then left wandering in the international wilderness until being included in Sarina Wiegman’s first selection in September 2021.
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WHAT MARY EARPS SAID
Earps is a now a Euro 2022 winner with 53 caps to her name, but has told when asked when she felt comfortable in England camp and as though she had ‘made it’: "When I got brought back in by Sarina, I'd been out for such a long time and I remember thinking 'What if I don't have it?' I was out for what felt like an eternity, I could barely remember what an England camp felt like. I honestly went in thinking, 'I hope I don't embarrass myself'.
"I got brought into some training camps with Team GB around that time and it probably took me a few camps [to settle back in]. I think conversations and games helped that, but I never felt like 'Oh, this is mine [the No 1 spot]'.
"I'm not that type of person where I'm entitled like that. Anything can change at any time. I just wanted to play as many games and help the team as possible. I was always trying to make the most of every single moment.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Earps, who is now playing her club football in France for Paris Saint-Germain, added: "I think being out of it makes you appreciate it even more. It felt like a bonus because I made peace with my eight caps. That's not bad – it's better than one, it's better than zero. It's something to tell the kids, and you rationalise it in your own mind, then suddenly, I'm picking up caps and I'm playing more games than I probably ever thought.
"You do lose a lot of confidence when that happens [being dropped from the team]. You think 'Well, I was just never very good'.
"I actually thought at one point I was robbing a living so to then go on and have the level of success I've had – what a bonus, what a life. No complaints from me. It's beyond anything I could ever express in words, and I just hope that I have.
"Whatever I do, I hope I've done something good with this privileged position I've been given. I don't see it as 'this is mine, I'm owed this' – not at all. Football is a crazy old game."
Getty/GOAL
WHAT NEXT?
Earps is in no position to rest on her laurels at present, despite all that she has achieved, with Hannah Hampton providing fierce competition for England’s No.1 spot as the Lionesses ready themselves for a European Championship title defence in Switzerland this summer.