Malan passes 10,000 T20 runs to lead Yorkshire rout

Luxton makes 62 in big stand as Leicestershire are routed at Headingley

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Jun-2025

Dawid Malan drives down the ground•Allan McKenzie/SWpix

Captain Dawid Malan became the fifth English batter to reach 10,000 career T20 runs at the start of a superb 88 which helped his Yorkshire side achieve their first Vitality Blast win of the season at the expense of Leicestershire Foxes at Headingley.The former England left-hander hit five sixes in an opening 48-ball knock which helped his side, on the back of three North Group defeats, set the Foxes an imposing 214-target that was never threatened.Yorkshire’s 213 for seven was underpinned by Malan and his second-wicket partner Will Luxton, whose 62 off 34 balls from number three represented a maiden career fifty in this format in his ninth match. They shared 132 inside 12 overs.Leicestershire, in suffering their second defeat in five, were bowled out for 107 inside 17 overs and suffered their heaviest ever runs defeat in this format – by 106 runs. Leg-spinner Jafer Chohan claimed four for 27.Malan, aged 37, was playing his 365th career T20 game and followed Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Jason Roy and James Vince to that milestone.Yorkshire – inserted following a 30-minute rain delay – made an excellent start, reaching 65 for one after six overs of powerplay, including three successive fours for Adam Lyth against Logan van Beek and a big six over midwicket apiece for Malan and Luxton.Malan reached the 10,000-mark in style by hoisting Matt Salisbury’s seam over cover to pass the two runs he needed at the start of this fixture.Lyth feathered Roman Walker’s seam behind, leaving the White Rose at 30 for one in the fourth over, before Malan and Luxton motored.They took the score to 101 after 10 overs and beyond.Malan reached his fifty off 30 balls shortly afterwards before both he and Luxton hoisted sixes off Tom Scriven’s seam in the 13th over to notch a century stand.Luxton’s fifty was achieved off 24 balls, and he hit four sixes in all.Both then fell caught, leaving Yorkshire 177 for three at the start of the 17th over, Luxton to the left-arm spin of Liam Trevaskis and Malan to Walker.Having struggled for early control on a ground which time after time produces big totals, Leicestershire struck six times in the last 5.1 overs even though 51 runs were added in that time.Van Beek finished with three expensive wickets, while Dom Bess clobbered a late 18.The Foxes’ chase then failed to get off the ground, reduced to 20 for two at the start of the fifth over. New Zealander Will O’Rourke and fellow pacer Matt Milnes got Rishi Patel and Louis Kimber caught in the ring.Not even the presence of former Yorkshire captain Shan Masood in the visiting line-up could alter the course of this fixture.Malan brought the part-time off-spin of Lyth on immediately after the powerplay, and Masood knew he had to take a risk with the run-rate spiralling.He could only loft his first ball down long-on’s throat, and at 34 for three it was all but game over.Wickets continued to fall as Leicestershire’s task reached the impossible stage.Chohan struck twice in two balls on two occasions with his leg-spin, while Bess’s off-spin also accounted for two wickets.Chohan had Logan van Beek stumped for an innings-high 26.

Shows fazem Botafogo buscar alternativas para mandar a partida contra o Grêmio

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo deve mudar de rota para o confronto com o Grêmio, pela 33ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Como há shows da Banda RBD no calendário do Estádio Nilton Santos, o Alvinegro mandará a partida com os gremistas, prevista para o dia 8 de novembro, em outro estádio.

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A banda se apresentará no Niltão nos dias 9 e 10 de novembro.

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

Segundo o jornal “O Globo”, internamente o local está descartado para o duelo. Com isso, estão em pauta as possibilidades da partida acontecer no Maracanã, em São Januário ou no Mané Garrincha.

Pela logística, o Maraca sai na frente. Porém, a qualidade do gramado é bastante contestada. Em relação a Brasília, as condições do gramado são exaltadas, mas a distâncias dos torcedores é ponderada.

O Botafogo volta a campo nesta segunda-feira (2), para enfrentar o Goiás, no Niltão.

Freya Kemp stamps mark as Hampshire hold off Somerset

Freya Kemp registered a superb unbeaten half-century as Hampshire carved out a hard-fought five-run victory over Somerset at the Cooper Associates Ground to return to winning ways in the Vitality Blast T20 women’s competition.Hampshire elected to bat on a sound Taunton track and internationals Maia Bouchier and Charli Knott staged an enterprising opening partnership of 80 in 9.1 overs, scoring 43 apiece as bat dominated ball. Kemp then built upon solid foundations, raising a forthright 65 not out from 38 balls, striking seven fours and two sixes to propel the visitors to 169 for 6.Required to score at 8.5 an over, Somerset were bolstered by Niamh Holland’s superb career-best T20 innings of 60 from 53 balls. She struck six fours and two sixes, shared in stands of 52 and 63 with Sophie Luff and Amanda-Jade Wellington for the third and fourth wickets respectively and helped set up a tense finale.Wellington hit 44 from 25 balls to make a game of it, but the Australian was out in the final over and Somerset, looking for their first win of the Blast campaign, came up just short at 164 for 6. Linsey Smith was the pick of the Hampshire bowlers, returning figures of 2 for 26 from four overs.Hampshire won the toss, elected to bat and made a flying start, Bouchier and Knott accruing nine boundaries between them in raising a quickfire 51 from the six-over powerplay. Adept at finding the gaps, these two scored freely either side of the wicket to heap pressure upon the Somerset bowlers and force a series of errors in the field.Somerset skipper Luff deployed six different bowlers in the first nine overs in a bid to break the partnership and the home side breathed a collective sigh of relief when England batter Bouchier, having rushed to 43 from 26 balls with eight fours, fluffed her lines and skied a delivery from Wellington to long-on, where Chloe Skelton took an athletic catch.Making her final appearance before returning to Australia, overseas star Knott surrendered her wicket in almost identical fashion, attempting to hit Charlie Dean’s offspin over the top and succeeding only in finding Wellington at long-on with the score 90 for 2.Offspinner Skelton and seamer Mollie Robbins applied pressure through the middle overs, but Somerset were unable to contain Kemp, who proved effective in hitting the spinners down the ground. The partnership for the third wicket between Kemp and the experienced Georgia Adams gathered pace, the latter successfully adopting a supporting role as the more aggressive Kemp went through the gears.Adams had contributed 10 runs to a stand of 49 in 36 balls when she danced down the pitch to Dean and holed out to long-off in the 17th. Dean then pouched a return catch to send back Rhianna Southby without scoring next ball, Wellington ran out Abi Norgrove for 1 and Luff threw down the stumps to remove Mary Taylor as the visitors subsided to 152 for 6 in the face of a belated Somerset fightback.Unperturbed by chaotic events at the other end, Kemp went to an assured 50 from 33 balls, the left hander almost single-handedly lifting Hampshire to a competitive total.Somerset’s reply was undermined by confusion, Bex Odgers failing to respond when called through by Holland and being run out in the very first over. Fran Wilson then top-edged a Lauren Bell delivery to deep third and departed for 4 as the home side lurched to 19 for 2 in the fourth.It might have been worse for Somerset had Bouchier not dropped Holland on 15 at long-on off the bowling of Mary Taylor. The England Under-19 allrounder made good her escape to stage a restorative partnership with Luff, the third-wicket pair adopting a high-risk strategy in raising 52 from 34 balls to partially redress the balance. Hampshire kept their cool under pressure and Smith persuaded Luff to hit to extra cover for 23, at which point the home side were 71 for 3, requiring a further 99 at 10 an over.Holland did her best to keep Somerset in contention, going to a 39-ball half century in style, pulling Taylor over midwicket for six and then driving the next ball straight down the ground for four to bring an appreciative audience to their feet. Promoted up the order, Wellington provided valuable support as the fourth wicket pair advanced the score to 115 for 3 at the end of the 15th.Smith finally accounted for Holland in the 18th, pinning her lbw in the act of reverse sweeping as Somerset slipped to 134 for 4. The home side’s hopes rested with Wellington thereafter, but she was run out in the final over as Hampshire held their nerve.

Luus and Mlaba lead South Africa to series-levelling victory

West Indies put up a fight with Hayley Matthews and Shemaine Campbelle scoring half-centuries but it wasn’t enough

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2025South Africa’s men had their day at Lord’s and it might well have roused the women’s team because they came back from 0-1 down in the ODI series against West Indies with a power-packed performance. There were contributions all the way down the batting order to put up 309 for 9, led by Sune Luus’ enchanting 76 off just 65 balls. Nondumiso Shangase produced a career-best 55 having been trusted with the No. 3 position for only the second time ever. And Annerie Dercksen was around to provide the flourish at the end, even though wickets were falling, as South Africa picked off 106 runs in the last 10 overs.West Indies, in reply, built their innings around fifties from Hayley Matthews and Shemaine Campbelle but their challenge wilted in the face of some miserly spin bowling from Nonkululeko Mlaba, who brought up her best figures in ODI cricket with 4 for 33. Her dismissal of Matthews came at a crucial time with West Indies keeping up with the required rate at 107 for 2 in the 20th over largely thanks to their captain’s fluency. She made 56 off just 58 balls with nine fours.Cambelle kept fighting – 53 off 58 even though she hit just five boundaries – and West Indies arrived into the last 10 overs of the game with 221 runs on the board – 18 more than South Africa at the same time and only 89 away from victory with five wickets in hand. Mlaba and the eternally gifted Marizanne Kapp took a game that was in the balance and broke it with three wickets in 11 balls. Campbelle was gone. The West Indies’ lower order had been opened up and the game petered out to its only conclusion.Scoreboard pressure played a big part in all that. Having been put in, South Africa found the going a little tough with even their free-flowing captain Laura Wolvaardt only able to score 28 off 47 balls. But the openers’ willingness to weather that period – Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits stayed together for 15.1 overs – ensured the rest of the line-up had better conditions to bat in. It showed in how only one of the remaining top seven batters had a strike rate below run a ball. Luus was the major driving force for the innings, scoring her first ODI fifty in the last 20 innings, a sequence that goes back to September 2023. Her partnership with Shangase lit the torch paper – 85 off 69 – and that fire spread. Dercksen came in and kept up the tempo, adding 40 off 23 balls with Luus before Luus fell. But that was just a reason to go harder and Dercksen and Chloe Trying put on 57 off 34 for the seventh wicket.Tuesday’s ODI now becomes a decider before the two teams get together for a three-match T20I series.

Arsenal have the new Saka & he's already one of the best "in world football"

It might still be early in the season, but Arsenal are looking like a scary proposition at the moment.

Mikel Arteta’s side are flying atop the Premier League table and remain unbeaten in the Champions League with three wins from three.

While not every win has been emphatic, Tuesday night’s demolition of Atlético Madrid certainly was, as to a man, the Gunners were exceptional.

Moreover, while he didn’t produce a goal involvement, Bukayo Saka was once again a major threat, and in even more encouraging signs, another of the starters is starting to show shades of the talisman in his own game.

Saka's start to the season

Last season was a strange one for Saka and Arsenal as a whole. Although he missed almost four months of football due to a hamstring injury and subsequent surgery, the Hale End phenomenon still racked up a brilliant haul of 12 goals and 14 assists in 37 games for the side.

Appearances

37

Minutes

2619′

Goals

12

Assists

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

Minutes per Goal Involvement

100.73′

It was also clear that, towards the end of the campaign, he was still lacking that match fitness and sharpness that helps make him such a world-class talent.

Fortunately, even though he was still lacking that at the start of this season, he still managed to open his account with a well-taken goal at home to Leeds United on matchday two.

However, as if he hadn’t already dealt with enough bad luck over the last year or so, he also suffered another hamstring injury in that game.

This resulted in him spending another few weeks on the sideline before returning to the fray in the second half against Manchester City last month.

This setback has undoubtedly led to him being a bit rusty over the last few weeks, but even so, his immense talent has seen him remain the most dangerous attacker in Arteta’s side.

Moreover, he’s started to look somewhere close to his best again over the last week or so, and the difference has been crystal clear, as while he didn’t score or assist a goal against Fulham on Saturday, he was a huge threat, racking up an expected assists figure of 0.55 and playing seven key passes.

And then, while he wasn’t quite as influential on Tuesday, he still looked like the Gunners’ most realistic route to goal for much of the first 45, with former professional turned pundit Paul Merson claiming he had the Spanish side “on toast” at points.

In all, despite still not being at his peak, Saka is undoubtedly Arsenal’s most important player and talisman, so it’s pretty exciting to see another player start to show shades of his game in their own.

The Arsenal star emulating Saka

You really could take your pick when it came to standout performers for Arsenal on Tuesday.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Declan Rice was on point once again with his deliveries, Viktor Gyokeres nabbed a brace, and Gabriel Magalhães did what he does best.

However, the starter who once again exhibited some Saka-esque qualities in his game was Myles Lewis-Skelly.

The young Englishman was handed his third start of the season, and he more than repaid Arteta, but what in his game showed shades of his fellow Hale Ender?

Well, perhaps the most important is his ability to pull opposition players towards him, and then skip past them with ease to set up a promising attacking situation for the team.

This is exactly what he did for the second goal on the night, when he took five players out of the game with an incredible run from the middle of the park before setting up Gabriel Martinelli.

However, there are more similarities between the two academy gems than just that.

For example, while you can’t describe either one as towering or particularly imposing, both of them are fighters, far stronger than they look and capable of being a little bit nasty in the most complimentary of ways.

Furthermore, the 19-year-old is also technically brilliant, as in addition to his close control, he has a wand of a left foot, which has seen him chalk up a few assists since his debut.

With all that in mind, it’s not hard to see why one analyst described the youngster as one of the best talents “in world football” on Tuesday night.

Ultimately, there is still some way to go for Lewis-Skelly before he reaches his prime, but as things stand, he’s already an outrageous talent and shares more than a few traits with Saka.

9/10 star who had his "best game in an Arsenal shirt" is becoming like Rice

The game-changing monster is starting to look like another Declan Rice for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 22, 2025

ليفاندوفسكي يكشف آخر تطورات مستقبله مع برشلونة

كشف الدولي البولندي روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة موقفه من الرحيل عن الفريق الكتالوني بعد نهاية عقده.

وينتهي عقد المهاجم صاحب الـ 37 عامًا مع برشلونة بنهاية الموسم الحالي وحتى الآن لا توجد أي مؤشرات حول استمراره مع الفريق الموسم أو رحيله.

وقد أشارت تقارير صحفية سابقة إلى السيناريوهات المتوقعة لمستقبل مهاجم بايرن ميونخ السابق مع برشلونة، (للمزيد من التفاصيل اضغط هنا).

ومن المقرر أن يخوض منتخب بولندا مباراة حاسمة أمام هولندا في العاصمة البولندية وارسو يوم الجمعة المقبل، ضمن منافسات تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.

وسُئل ليفاندوفسكي، عن مستقبله الفترة المقبلة مع برشلونة خلال المؤتمر الصحفي المنعقد للمباراة الحاسمة في التأهل لكأس العالم.

وقال ليفاندوفسكي، في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “سبورت”: “مازلت لا أعرف الإجابة، لهذا السبب لست مُتعجلًا على حسم قراري، أنا في سلام مع نفسي”.

وأضاف: “أن أكون في حالة هدوء مع نفسي فهذا هو الأهم، حتى لو تواصل معي النادي الآن على سبيل المثال، فلن أُجيب على هذا السؤال لأنني أيضًا بحاجة إلى الشعور بما هو أفضل لي”.

وأتم ليفاندوفسكي تصريحاته قائلًا: “حاليًا أنا هادئ تمامًا، كما قُلت لست متعجلًا من حسم قراري بعد وفي هذه اللحظة لا أتوقع أي شيء آخر”.

Moyes has a bigger talent than Richarlison in Everton's "creator of chaos"

Rome wasn’t built in a day. And neither will David Moyes’ new Everton be realised less than a year after he took the reins from Sean Dyche, whose project had fallen apart as the Friedkin Group’s much-anticipated takeover from Farhad Moshiri was completed.

The 3-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur served Moyes’ team their first competitive defeat at the Hill Dickinson, pinning them in 14th place in the Premier League, with 11 points, as the European pack begin to steal away.

It is very early in the campaign, and predicting where most sides will land when all is said and done is pretty much dancing on the head of a pin. In any case, the Merseysiders know that they have limitations within their squad, namely, lacking the right full-backs or reliable and prolific goalscoring options.

While Everton signed Thierno Barry from Villarreal for a £27m fee this summer, the France U21 international has yet to find his feet in the Premier League.

Compounding this problem is Beto’s wastefulness in front of goal. With nine goals, the 27-year-old is the joint-top scorer at Everton since Moyes returned, but most of this haul was bagged during a ferocious purple patch last season, five goals in four games.

Change may well be afoot in 2026, and Moyes will be conferring with technical director Angus Kinnear as he considers adding another goalscorer to the ranks.

Everton's plans for a new striker

Richarlison has been linked with an emotional return to Merseyside of late. You might have heard. The Tottenham forward was supposedly on Moyes’ radar this summer, but nothing came of the ostensible interest.

Now, according to former Goodison Park CEO Keith Wyness, the Toffees could be in line to seal the Brazilian’s signature in January, bringing back a fan favourite and solving a glaring problem.

The issue is that Richarlison would be a stop-gap solution, and while he has enjoyed bursts of clinical form with Spurs, too many times has he drifted in and out of form, suffering more than his share of injuries besides.

25/26

9

3 (2)

24/25

15

4 (1)

23/24

28

11 (4)

22/23

27

1 (4)

This season, the 29-year-old has scored three goals and assisted two more – the last assist coming, of course, against Everton on Sunday as he delivered for Pape Matar Sarr to head home. However, Richarlison has just one goal in his past 13, having bagged a brace on the opening day of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Whether the £90k-per-week forward would make a progressive return to Merseyside remains to be seen, but maybe Everton would be better off not knowing. Would he truly prove an upgrade on Beto and Barry?

In any case, Everton don’t need to push for such a short-term fix when they have a third candidate to turn things around in the final third.

Everton have a better option than Richarlison

Tyler Dibling hasn’t clicked into gear at Everton after joining from Southampton for £42m this summer, but the silky attacking midfielder has so much potential.

If he finds form, Moyes could turn to his “creator of chaos” – as noted by analyst Ben Mattinson – in Iliman Ndiaye as a makeshift striker, covering for Beto and Barry in their woes.

The Senegal international has been one of Everton’s standout stars since joining from Marseille in 2024, and after finishing as the club’s top scorer for the 2024/25 campaign with 11 goals – despite missing part of Moyes’ reintroduction to Goodison Park – Ndiaye has carried that vein of form across the summer, notching three goals and supplying one assist from nine Premier League appearances this term.

Hailed by content creator Jacob Horsfall as “one of the best the Championship has ever seen” during his earlier stint with Sheffield United, Ndiaye has translated his quality to the Premier League – and then some.

While he is typically a left-sided forward, the 25-year-old has featured primarily on the right this term to accommodate Jack Grealish, and his natural-born clinical edge suggests he could be a fine makeshift striker this season.

Surely he would prove himself a bigger talent than Richarlison, making more of an impact than the Brazilian, who has ebbed and flowed, ebbed and flowed, since leaving Everton for Tottenham in a £60m package three years ago.

Ndiaye, in any case, has risen in stock as Richarlison’s own has depreciated. Tottenham are actually keen on Everton’s goalscoring talisman, and while TFG have priced him at £70m in retaliation, there’s no doubt the crafty Lilywhites would seek to entertain a form of swap deal if the chance arises.

It’s telling that Ndiaye sits alongside Beto as Everton’s top scorer since Moyes returned in January, and that having featured less often than the Bissau-Guinean.

Iliman Ndiaye

26

9

Beto

30

9

Abdoulaye Doucoure

17

3

Charly Alcaraz

25

3

Michael Keane

15

2

Jake O’Brien

19

2

Would Richarlison have outscored the Senegalese, had he played this year in Moyes’ squad? It’s hard to argue that he would have, with analyst Ben Mattinson arguing he “could play for a top six side”.

This is his quality, with FBref recording that he ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe for successful take-ons, the top 2% for ball recoveries and the top 7% for tackles won per 90, underlining just how dynamic and robust his skillset is.

And Ndiaye, furthermore, has yet to miss a single big chance in the Premier League this term, maintaining his prolific quality despite being shipped out to a new area of the field by Moyes.

Would Ndiaye be a long-term answer at number nine? Probably not. But given the finances that would be involved in bringing Richarlison back to the club, making this left-field tactical decision might not be a bad thing on Moyes’ part.

Everton have their best prospect since Rooney who "will play for England"

Everton could now have uncovered their best prospect since Wayne Rooney in this England-destined star.

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Chicago Fire’s Brian Gutiérrez reportedly secures Mexican passport, open to El Tri call-up after earning USMNT caps

Chicago Fire midfielder Brian Gutiérrez is reportedly eligible to represent Mexico after obtaining his Mexican passport, according to Súper Deportivo. Born in Illinois to Mexican parents, the 22-year-old has been one of MLS’s top young playmakers and now hopes to make the jump to Javier Aguirre’s national team.

Getty Images SportDual national previously played for U.S. youth teams

Born in Berwyn, Illinois, to Mexican parents, Gutiérrez grew up within the U.S. soccer system and even featured for the U.S. youth national teams. Gutiérrez made his senior national team debut for the USMNT in January 2025 during an international friendly camp and earned his first two caps in matches against Venezuela and Costa Rica. He was later called up to the roster for the CONCACAF Nations League Finals in March 2025. 

However, because those games were not official competitions, the 22-year-old remains eligible to switch federations and represent Mexico at the international level.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBreakout 2025 season with Chicago Fire

 Gutiérrez enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign for the Fire, playing 35 matches across all competitions and logging 2,381 minutes. He talled nine goals and six assists in 29 league appearances. His performances made him one of the most productive and creative midfielders in the league, showcasing his vision, technical skill, and versatility in attack.

Getty Images SportGutiérrez by the numbers

Since making his professional debut as a teenager, Gutiérrez has appeared in 164 matches for the Fire, contributing 21 goals and 25 assists in more than 10,000 minutes of play. His consistency and growth have positioned him as a rising figure among MLS-based dual nationals now catching Mexico’s attention.

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Getty Images SportAnother American-born talent choosing El Tri

Gutiérrez’s decision mirrors that of Obed Vargas, the Seattle Sounders midfielder born in Alaska who recently committed to playing for Mexico. As the Mexican Football Federation continues to expand its scouting network across the United States, players like Gutiérrez represent the new wave of binational talent strengthening pool ahead of future international tournaments.

Gerrard now targeting ex-England coach in instant Rangers request at Ibrox

On the brink of a new era at Ibrox, the 49ers have already been handed one request by the next Rangers manager, who is beginning to form his backroom team.

Gerrard on the brink of Rangers return

It’s been an incredibly busy week for Rangers, who called time on Russell Martin’s tenure last week following a disastrous spell in charge. The former Southampton boss lasted just 123 days and picked up just one win in seven Scottish Premiership games. It was a run that simply could not go on, no matter how badly the 49ers wanted their first appointment to work out.

Since then, it has been all hands to the pump in their search for a new manager which is seemingly about to end with Steven Gerrard. The Liverpool legend is reportedly on the brink of returning to Ibrox in his first job in management since leaving Al-Ettifaq in January. Arriving with it all to do, Gerrard will be hoping to achieve the same success as his last tenure, having won Rangers’ 55th league title.

Gerrard, according to former England teammate Rio Ferdinand, is chomping at the bit to get back in the technical area and now has the chance to do exactly that at the club he’s had the most success as a manager.

Rangers have already lined up his backroom staff, with Jermain Defoe, Gary McAllister and Steven Davis set to return to the club with him alongside another previously unnamed coach, who has now been revealed.

Gerrard requests Steve Holland at Rangers

According to The Daily Record, Gerrard now wants Rangers to hire Steve Holland as part of his backroom staff in his first request as manager. The former England coach has been out of a coaching role since managing Yokohama Marinos in Japan in a short spell earlier this year, but could now hand Gerrard a major boost.

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The Gers are closing in on the appointment.

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Having been the England assistant for four years from 2013 to 2016, Holland is someone that the former Liverpool midfielder should know well and given that Michael Beale’s Rangers return seems unlikely, the Gers should go all out to welcome his preferred choice.

The 45-year-old recently spoke about the importance of leaning on his backroom staff, including Defoe and McAllister.

Whilst they will be important appointments for Gerrard, the experience that a man like Holland would provide is simply invaluable at this stage of his managerial career.

'I played for Gary Neville's Salford and an ex-Man Utd star "spat" at me'

Former Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri has been accused of spitting at an ex-Salford City player.

FA reviewing claims Hannibal spat at Leeds fans

Now at Burnley, Hannibal, was accused of spitting at Leeds United supporters during the Clartes’ 2-0 win over the Whites in the Premier League.

The 22-year-old came on as a late substitute at Turf Moor, with a complaint made by a visiting supporter.

Lancashire Police said it is “aware of an alleged incident involving a Burnley player during the second half of the Premier League game between Burnley and Leeds United at Turf Moor on Saturday”. The force added: “We are currently working with Burnley Football Club to establish the facts.”

Meanwhile, The FA are also reviewing the claim, and should an investigation follow, former referee Keith Hackett said Hannibal could be banned for at least three matches.

“The spitting allegation will be investigated by The FA, having entered the public domain. If proven, the player faces a suspension. It is classed as violent conduct and a minimum of three games.”

However, following the claims over the weekend, a former opponent of Hannibal’s has also made a spitting allegation at the midfielder.

Matty Lund makes spitting claim against Hannibal

Replying to Mike Keegan of The Daily Mail, who covered the news of FA reviving the claim, midfielder Matty Lund alleged that Hannibal spat at him during a match where the Tunisia international was a Man Utd player.

Lund player for Gary Neville and David Beckham’s Salford City for four years, but left in the summer and is currently without a club. His claim appears to come from an incident the season before his move to Salford, when his Rochdale side drew 0-0 with a United U21 team featuring Hannibal in the EFL Trophy.

The 34-year-old won three caps for Northern Ireland and came through at Stoke City, playing for Burton Albion in the Championship in 2017/18.

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