There would appear to be nothing that Harry Kane cannot do in sport, with the Bayern Munich and England striker hitting 300-yard golf drives.
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Frontman is a big fan of golfRegularly hits the fairwaysShowcasing his skill setFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Kane has never hidden his love of life on the fairways, with every opportunity taken during down time in his day job to hit the greens. He has rubbed shoulders with some famous faces when picking up a club, with a round once enjoyed with all-time great Tiger Woods.
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The 31-year-old has previously been quizzed on pursuing a future career outside of football, telling : “I’d still say ‘never say never’, because I don’t like to rule anything out. It takes such a lot of time and dedication, it would be really, really, really tough. I think sometimes people don’t appreciate how much work goes into it. You watch it on the TV and you see them doing it so effortlessly and you think ‘I could have a go at that’, but it’s really tough.”
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Kane has been showcasing his talent once again, with England’s all-time leading goalscorer posting a video on social media of his “stock yardages” with each club that he carries in his bag. He was able to drill the ball over 300 yards when taking out a driver.
After a brilliant first year in charge of Manchester United, in which he led them to third in the Premier League and League Cup glory, life has been hard for Erik ten Hag.
Instead of kicking on in the league and making a good go of things in the Champions League last season, the Dutchman's side fell to eighth and were booted out in the group stage.
It would be fair to say that aside from one or two youngsters, last year was a bit of a disaster for everyone in the squad, although perhaps the biggest disappointment was Marcus Rashford.
The Englishman went from one of the most dangerous players in Europe to a total non-threat who was so ineffective that a former United flop sold in 2021 outscored him.
Rashford's 23/24
There was a lot expected of Rashford going into last season, as across 56 matches in the campaign prior, he scored a frankly outrageous 30 goals and provided 11 assists for good measure, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.36 games.
Unfortunately, like the team as a whole, the Manchester-born dynamo seriously underdelivered and ended the campaign with a paltry tally of just eight goals and six assists, meaning he could maintain an average of a goal involvement once every 3.07 games.
Unsurprisingly, this dire run of form saw the 26-year-old dropped from the England squad altogether, meaning he missed a major tournament for the first time since making his debut for the Three Lions in 2016.
It wasn't just on the pitch that he was giving Ten Hag headaches, either.
In January, he was dropped from the squad after not turning up to training due to an 'illness' and then being spotted on a night out in Belfast – talk about being discreet.
In all, last season was nothing short of a disaster for Rashford, and he'll have to dramatically improve this season. Otherwise, he could risk losing his place in the team altogether, and it's certainly not a good sign when a former United flop manages to outperform him.
Daniel James' 23/24
Yes, the player in question is Welsh speedster Daniel James, who joined United from Swansea City in the summer of 2019 for a fee of just £15m plus around £3m of add-ons, and while life in Manchester got off to a flying start thanks to a goal against Chelsea on his debut, it became quickly apparent that he wasn't good enough.
Just a couple of years later, Ole Gunnar Solskjær sanctioned the sale of the then-23-year-old to Leeds United for around £25m, although after spending a middling campaign with the Peacocks in which he produced eight goals and assists, he was sent to Fulham on loan for the 22/23 season.
He was less productive at Craven Cottage and returned to Elland Road in May of last year, scoring just three goals and providing a single assist in 23 matches.
Former Fulham loanee Dan James.
At this point, it wasn't entirely clear whether he would remain with the Whites in the Championship or look for a move back to the Premier League, but luckily for Daniel Farke and the Leeds faithful, he stayed in Yorkshire, where he enjoyed his best campaign to date.
In 46 appearances across all competitions, the player Micah Richards, once branded as a "nightmare", found the back of the net on 13 occasions and provided eight assists to boot, meaning he beat out Rashford and averaged a goal involvement once every 2.19 games.
Appearances
46
43
Goals
13
8
Assists
8
6
Goal Involvements per Match
0.45
0.32
Ultimately, while James is thriving in the second tier, he is not a better player than Rashford, and the decision to sell him in 2021 was the right one. Still, the Englishman should note how quickly the club got rid of him when the Welshman was deemed not good enough, as another season like the last one, and it could be him who is shown the door.
Man Utd flop sold by Van Gaal is now outscoring both Rashford & Garnacho
The incredible talent just couldn’t get to grips with life in Manchester.
Azeem Rafiq has labelled the positions of Yorkshire chief executive, Mark Arthur, and the club’s director of cricket, Martyn Moxon, “untenable” following the completion of a report into racism at the club.The report was launched following Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire. It concluded that “several of the allegations made by Azeem were upheld” and that he had been “historically… the victim of inappropriate behaviour”.It also found that the club had “failed to implement its policies and procedures in relation to these serious issues”.As well as extending his “sincere apology” to Rafiq, the club’s chair, Roger Hutton, admitted “the club could, and should, have supported him better”.While the club offered “profound apologies” to Rafiq, he is adamant that it is actions, not just words, which are required to demonstrate Yorkshire’s determination to change. To that end, he feels that all those who were in a formal meeting to discuss his concerns in August 2018 – and, he feels, did little to act upon those concerns – should now leave the club.”I’m uncomfortable with several aspects of Yorkshire’s statement,” Rafiq told ESPNcricinfo. “For a start, I’d like to know which allegations have been upheld and which have not.”Terming what went on as ‘inappropriate behaviour’ doesn’t sit right with me, either. It was racist behaviour. They should say so.”I’m also uncomfortable with the narrative that these are ‘historic’ allegations. Most of them concern people who are not just still at the club but in positions of power.”There has to be accountability. It seems to me that, while everyone who was in that room in August 2018 remains in positions of responsibility at the club, it will be hard to take their words seriously.”For that reason, I feel the positions of the chief executive, the director of cricket and the inclusivity and diversity manager are untenable.”Moxon, who enjoyed a long and successful career as a player at Yorkshire, had been director of cricket at the club since 2007, while Arthur has been chief executive since 2013.
أكد البرتغالي جوزيه بيسيرو، المدير الفني لنادي الزمالك، أنه طبق طريقة لعب جديدة في مباراته أمام الأهلي، موضحًا سبب تغيير نبيل عماد دونجا وحقيقة حزن صفقة الفريق الجديدة، التونسي أحمد الجفالي، بسبب عدم المشاركة.
وتعادل الأهلي والزمالك، 1-1، في اللقاء الذي أقيم اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات الجولة 15 في قمة بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
وقال بيسيرو خلال تصريحات في المؤتمر الصحفي بعد المباراة: “الأهلي بدأ بشكل أفضل في الشوط الأول، لكن دون فرص حقيقية بخلاف كرة إمام عاشور في العارضة، وفي الشوط الثاني أيضًا الأهلي بدأ بشكل أفضل، لكن نجحنا في الدخول بالمباراة بعد ذلك”.
طالع | الزمالك يتلقى ضربة بعد التعادل مع الأهلي في الدوري المصري
وأضاف: “طبقت طريقة لعب جديدة في مباراة اليوم، وتدربنا عليها لمدة أسبوع فقط ونحتاج الوقت للتعود عليها، وفي الشوط الثاني أنهيناه بشكل أفضل من الأهلي، راض عن النتيجة، كنا نستحق ركلة جزاء، مثلما كان لنا ضربتين جزاء في مباراة بتروجيت، الجميع يخطئ لكن كان يجب مراجعة الكرة للتاكد من صحتها”.
وأردف: “نمتلك لاعبين أصحاب جودة عالية، وسعيد جدًا بالجماهير لمساندتنا طوال المباراة، أهتم حاليًا بالشق الدفاعي ونحتاج تركيزًا أكبر من اللاعبين، نمتلك لاعبين مميزين ولا أحتاج آخرين، لكن أتمني عودة المصابين والإيقافات”.
وعن خروج دونجا، أوضح: “استبداله بسبب تلقيه إنذارًا، وليس لعدم تنفيذ التعليمات”.
وأتم: “أحمد الجفالي صفقة الزمالك الجديدة، لم يكن حزينًا مثلما روج البعض، هو سعيد لأنه متواجد في أحد أكبر أندية إفريقيا، ويحتاج فقط التأقلم، أبحث عن خلق عائلة واحدة داخل النادي، أعامل اللاعبين كأولادي واللاعب لم يشتكي لأحد”.
The three had spent the last nine days in a managed isolation facility in Colombo
Shashank Kishore07-Aug-2021
Krunal Pandya was the first to contract the virus in Sri Lanka•AFP/Getty Images
Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal and K Gowtham have returned to India after returning negative Covid-19 tests in Colombo, where they had to stay back at the end of India’s limited-overs tour last month following positive tests for the virus.The absence of direct commercial flights between India and Sri Lanka because of the pandemic, however, forced the three to take a roundabout route back home, via Maldives. They first went to Male, the capital of Maldives, before arriving at their respective destinations in India after a stopover in Kochi.Related
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While Pandya and Chahal travelled onwards to Mumbai, Gowtham landed in Bengaluru, where he spent a few hours at an isolation facility within the airport premises until his RT-PCR test results came out negative.Pandya, Chahal and Gowtham spent the last nine days at a managed isolation facility in Colombo, finally returning a negative test before being allowed to board the flight. Their return came a week after the rest of India’s 25-member contingent got back home in a chartered flight.The first to contract the virus was Pandya, a day after the first T20I on July 27. As a precautionary measure, India isolated eight players they identified as his close contacts. This also forced the second T20I to be postponed by a day.Chahal and Gowtham, who were part of this group of close contacts, and had initially tested negative, returned positive tests two days later. The situation, with that many players isolating, eventually forced India to bring their five reserve bowlers into the main squad, and hand T20I debuts to Chetan Sakariya, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Rana and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the second T20I and Sandeep Warrier in the last one.All three of Pandya, Chahal and Gowtham are understood to have recovered as well as possible, and are expected to link up with their respective IPL squads in the third week of August for short camps ahead of their departure to the UAE for the second half of the postponed 2021 edition of the IPL.
Chelsea centre-forward Nicolas Jackson has enjoyed a strong start to the season in the Premier League under new head coach Enzo Maresca.
The Senegal international has racked up four goals and three assists in six appearances in the division so far this term, after a return of 14 goals in 35 outings in the 2023/24 campaign.
However, his 18 goals in the Premier League since the start of last season have come from xG of 23.3, which suggests that the striker has not made the most of his opportunities in front of goal.
That may be why Chelsea are reportedly still in the market to add another number nine to their squad in the upcoming January transfer window…
Chelsea's interest in Bundesliga star
According to Calcio Mercato, the Blues are one of a number of teams lining up a bid to sign RB Leipzig centre-forward Benjamin Sesko after the turn of the year.
The report claims that Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool are all prepared to splash the cash to sign the Bundesliga star to bolster their respective attacking options.
It states that the current feeling is that a fee of around €80m (£67m) will be needed to secure his services, whether that is in January or next summer.
Benjamin Sesko scores for Slovenia
Calcio Mercato adds that AC Milan have also been tracking the Slovenia international in recent years but that his price tag is unlikely to be affordable to any teams in Italy, which could give Chelsea a boost in their pursuit of the marksman.
Maresca could now land an upgrade on Jackson, and an excellent partner for Christopher Nkunku by securing a deal to sign Sesko in January.
Why Chelsea should sign Sesko
Firstly, the Slovenian star stands at 6 foot 5 and provides an imposing presence at the top end of the pitch, which could complement Nkunku – who stands at 5 foot 10 – well.
Sesko has won 67% of his aerial duels in the Bundesliga this season and could offer physicality in the number nine role that would then allow a smaller player, like the Frenchman, to shine in possession without having to worry about his lack of strength in those duels.
Alongside his physical attributes, Sesko is also a terrific finisher who could come in and offer more than Jackson as a goalscorer for Chelsea, based on their respective performances over the last 14 months or so.
Appearances
36
41
xG
8.57
23.3
Goals
16
18
Big chances missed
9
28
As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old star has outperformed his xG by just over seven goals since the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
Whereas, Jackson has underperformed his xG by just over five and this suggests that Sesko is far more clinical in front of goal, and more likely to make the most of the chances that Chelsea create.
Sesko, who was described as a “monster” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, could then create an exciting partnership with Nkunku, who has scored seven goals in ten games in all competitions this season.
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The France international, who has lost 53% of his duels in the Premier League this term, lacks physicality and the Slovenian giant could come in to offer quality in that side of the game, to free up the 26-year-old to shine with his finishing qualities.
The allrounder is keen to represent Quetta Gladiators which would be his fourth franchise
Danyal Rasool30-Aug-2021Shahid Afridi looks set to finally call time on his playing career, strongly suggesting next year’s season at the Pakistan Super League will be his last. Afridi, who is currently with Multan Sultans and spent two seasons at Peshawar Zalmi and one at Karachi Kings, expressed a desire to represent a fourth franchise, Quetta Gladiators, in his final season.”Maybe this ends up being my last PSL,” Afridi told reporters. “I would like to play for Quetta Gladiators this season, provided Multan allow me to leave. If Nadeem Omar and Quetta’s owners want to have me, I would love to represent them.”Afridi last played international cricket for Pakistan more than five years ago in 2016, but has continued to take part in the PSL ever since its inception well into his forties. He captained Zalmi in the first season and was part of the team that won the title the following year. His current franchise, Sultans, are the defending champions, having beaten Zalmi in the final in June. Afridi played a part in the first half of this year’s edition before missing the UAE leg with a back injury.Should Afridi retire next season, he would walk away from the PSL as one of its most successful allrounders. To date Afridi has 44 wickets in 50 PSL games at an economy rate of 6.97. That places him eighth on the all-time list; no one who has taken more wickets has conceded fewer than seven runs per over. While relatively less successful with the bat, he has still had an impact. His 465 runs have come at a strike rate of 153.46 – only Kieron Pollard (166.24), Luke Ronchi (166.12) and Asif Ali (164.29) top that for those with at least 30 innings.The 2022 PSL will take place in January and February after it was moved to an earlier window to avoid a clash with the IPL and squeeze in a tour by Australia.
Sol Campbell believes seven members of Arsenal’s current squad would have been good enough to play some part for the club’s historic ‘Invincibles’.
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Gunners last landed Premier League title in 2003-04
Completed that entire top-flight campaign unbeaten
Arteta hoping to enjoy similar success with class of 2025
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Back in 2003-04, the last time that the Gunners lifted the Premier League title, the north London outfit completed an entire top-flight campaign unbeaten. Arsene Wenger was calling the shots back then, while all-time greats such as Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp formed part of star-studded ranks.
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England international Campbell was a defensive rock, with the classy centre-half savouring two championship wins and a couple of FA Cup triumphs during his iconic first spell with Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s class of 2024-25 are hoping to enjoy similar success in the present and immediate future.
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WHAT SOL CAMPBELL SAID
They have plenty of talent at their disposal and Campbell – speaking as part of the campaign – told GOAL when asked who could make it into the fabled ‘Invincibles’: “The two centre-halves – [William] Salbia, definitely, and Gabriel for sure. I think [Bukayo] Saka as well. [Martin] Odegaard looks like he could do a bit back in the day for us. [Gabriel] Martinelli as well, he can be incredible. [Jurrien] Timber is looking really good. Also [David] Raya, the keeper.
“It’s difficult because the physicality was different for a keeper. You would have to deal with guys that would really block you in. This blocking the keeper has been around a long time in football – Stoke used to do it, Wimbledon back in the day. It’s not new rocket science now, blocking players or keepers, or blocking paths. It’s just about being clever with it.”
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Campbell was joined in Wenger’s starting XI on a regular basis in 2003-04 by versatile Ivorian Kolo Toure, with the pair forging quite the centre-half partnership. Saliba and Gabriel now provide the steel at the heart of Arsenal’s defence and are considered by many to be the most formidable duo in European football.
Ruben Amorim has shown a lot of temper during his underwhelming start at Manchester United, however, reports have suggested the anger is nothing new.
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Amorim's temper on show at Man Utd Underwent therapy for anger management Former player Simao reveals Amorim's behaviour Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Manchester United signed Amorim as their choice to succeed Erik ten Hag after the Red Devils suffered one of their worst starts to a Premier League season. While the former Sporting coach has had a few good results, the 20-time Premier League champions have not been very convincing and Amorim's anger and disappointment have been evident.
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Amorim has been very, maybe too, vocal about Manchester United's struggles as he claimed that his side were 'the worst' in the club's history. The Red Devils lost 3-1 to Brighton earlier this week and Amorim reportedly gave a very harsh earful to the players and even broke a TV during his rant. The Telegraph has now revealed that the Portuguese coach's anger issues are not new and he has also undergone therapy for anger management. However, his childhood friend and former teammate Bruno Simao has revealed that despite 'exploding' a lot, he never seemed to lose his 'nerve'.
WHAT SIMAO SAID
Speaking to The Telegraph, Simao said: “Honestly, I’ve never felt that he struggled to control his nerves.
“At the beginning of his career, he was very emotional – he would explode a lot, but not in a bad way, not with the players, but in the heat of the moment and all that. But I’ve always thought he had a strong mental and psychological foundation. And that’s why I’ve always said that his communication skills are incredible. He knows every moment of the game, he knows how to get into the player’s head and win the group’s trust.”
“He’s so strict that on the day I missed a training session, I was done – I wouldn’t play under him again. The only reason why I wasn’t let go was because the other players changed his mind. Then I had a chat with him and explained everything, but in his strictness, regardless of the degree of friendship, regardless of where I had played or whatever, for him, there are no names, no data, no status. Everyone is equal."
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Despite his outburst in the press conference as he labelled his team the 'worst Manchester United', Simao has claimed that the comments were more to put pressure on himself rather than to 'throw the players under the bus'.
Simao added: “There is clearly a plan behind every sentence he says. He doesn’t throw his own under the bus in public. The statement from last weekend served to put even more pressure on himself and the team, all because he knows that everyone can give more. It also served as a message to the board, as he urgently needs signings. And no less important, it also resonated with what the fans think.”
Pakistan’s T20I assignments will begin on September 25 with a five-match series against New Zealand, in Lahore
Umar Farooq06-Sep-2021
Khushdil Shah made his T20I debut against Australia in November 2019•Getty Images
Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah have both been included in Pakistan’s T20I squad for the upcoming home series against New Zealand and England, as well as the 2021 T20 World Cup which begins in October. Both players had been dropped from the team in April this year, but earned their places back because they are seen as “trusted options” by the PCB for the bigger tournaments.In a surprising move, though, opening batter Sharjeel Khan was left out of the 15-man squad completely, and was even ignored from the travelling reserves. His exclusion is believed to be in some part due to the influence of incoming PCB chairman Ramiz Raja and his keenness to keep players tainted with corruption out of the side. Sharjeel’s disappointing performances since his comeback in March has made the decision easier for the selectors to drop him. Sohaib Maqsood, who has been retained in the squad, is likely to fill in the top-order role left by Sharjeel.The selectors have also dropped allrounder Faheem Ashraf, instead naming Usman Qadir, Shanawaz Dahani and Fakhar Zaman as travelling reserves. Pakistan have till October 15 to make any changes to their 15-man squad.Pakistan’s T20I assignments will begin on September 25 with a five-match series against New Zealand, in Lahore. This will be followed by two home matches against England in Rawalpindi, on October 13 and 14. Pakistan will then head to the UAE to kickstart their T20 World Cup campaign, with the marquee clash against India in the Super 12 phase, on October 24.”We have tried different combinations, identified different areas and found final options for the best selection,” PCB chief selector Mohammad Wasim said while announcing the squad in a press conference on Monday. “There were things required but had been missing and now you will see the difference as we tried to cover all the bases specially considering the conditions in UAE where we are carrying an advantage.”We are very much familiar with the conditions and have a good T20 record so taking every aspect in account including the opponents we have combined this team. The team has a tendency required for modern day cricket, a brand we often talk about. We tried to load specialist players for the role. So we are quite hopeful that with all the preparation our team will play outstanding and perform.”The inclusion of Asif and Khushdil in the squad is likely to raise some questions, as both players had been given a number of chances before they were completely dropped. Asif shot to prominence as one of Pakistan’s most hard-hitting batters in the circuit, but could never quite display that talent on the international stage. He is currently averaging 16.38 with a strike-rate of 123.74 from 29 T20Is. His domestic T20 career is decorated with a strike-rate of 147.02. Asif is presently playing in the CPL, with 32 runs at a strike-rate of 96.96 from five games.”We tried different batters in the middle but we didn’t get performances,” Wasim said when asked what made him recall two players who didn’t have the performances to back it up.”I do agree they [Asif and Khusdil] didn’t perform (since they were dropped) but then none of the other made their case as well. So we figured out which player we can lay our confidence in, who can do well under pressure and can perform in those conditions against the bowling line-ups expected in the UAE. They are the best options we have with left and right combination in the middle. Asif Ali is still the best striker of the ball in Pakistan. I believe he can do well in pressure handling and will do well in the tournament. We considered a lot of players but we have our trust on them as compared to others.”Sarfaraz Ahmed, who has been travelling with the team in recent games as a back-up option, has also been excluded, with Mohammad Rizwan slotted in as the main wicketkeeper-batter in all three formats. Sarfaraz has been replaced with a younger option in Azam Khan, who made headlines for his hefty strike-rate in domestic T20s, though he is yet to establish himself in international cricket.”Azam is selected as a back-up keeper with Rizwan as our number one keeper and he will remain on top. Earlier we had an option to pick a larger squad and there were always room, but now when it comes down to pick a 15-man squad, then Azam can easily edge anyone because of his ability as a power-hitting batter. If on any day we want anyone with a high strike-rate in the middle order, he offers the luxury of being able to fill in as an extra batter as well.”Pakistan have until 16 October to make changes to the World T20I squad.Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Asif Ali, Sohaib Maqsood, Azam Khan (wicket-keeper), Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hasnain.Reserves: Usman Qadir, Shanawaz Dahani, Fakhar Zaman