انتهت مباراة منتخب الكويت مع نظيره القطري، بالتعادل الإيجابي بنتيجة 1-1، خلال اللقاء الذي أقيم بينهما اليوم الجمعة، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الخليج 2024 “خليجي 26”.
وأقيمت مباراة قطر مع الكويت، في الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة من عمر مباريات المجموعة الأولى لبطولة كأس الخليج.
ويتواجد منتخبا قطر والكويت في المجموعة الأولى من بطولة كأس الخليج “خليجي 26” بجانب الإمارات وعمان.
وبنتيجة التعادل، يتأهل منتخب الكويت إلي دور نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس الخليج “خليجي 26″، في مركز الوصافة بالمجموعة الأولى برصيد 5 نقاط.
وودع منتخب قطر، بطولة كأس الخليج “خليجي 26″، لاحتلاله المركز الرابع والأخير برصيد نقطتين.
وينتظر منتخب الكويت، متصدر المجموعة الثانية التي تضم (السعودية والعراق والبحرين واليمن) لمواجهته في دور نصف النهائي من كأس الخليج “خليجي 26”.
طالع | المنتخبات المتأهلة إلى نصف نهائي كأس الخليج 2024 “خليجي 26” (محدث باستمرار)
وتقدم منتخب الكويت في المباراة، عن طريق لاعبه محمد دحام في الدقيقة 74 من زمن المباراة، أحرزه من تنفيذ رائع لركلة حرة مباشرة من على حدود منطقة الجزاء، سددها مباشرة في المرمى.
واستطاع اللاعب محمد مونتاري مهاجم قطر، أن يسجل التعادل في الوقت القاتل من المباراة تحديدًا في الدقيقة 90+11. أهداف مباراة الكويت وقطر في كأس الخليج “خليجي 26”
وكان منتخب قطر سجل هدفًا في الدقيقة 37 من زمن الشوط الأول، عن طريق اللاعب يوسف عبد الرزاق، لكن الحكم الجزائري مصطفى غربال ألغاه لوجود خطأ على مهاجم العنابي ضد مدافع منتخب الكويت.
طالع | ترتيب المجموعة الأولى في كأس الخليج 2024 “خليجي 26” بعد نهاية الجولة الثالثة هدف قطر الملغي أمام الكويت في كأس الخليج 2024 “خليجي 26”
وكان أيضًا منتخب قطر، سجل هدفًا عن طريق المهاجم محمد مونتاري، في الدقيقة 65، لكن تم إلغاءه أيضًا بسبب التسلل.
وكان منتخب قطر تعادل في لقاء الجولة الأولى مع الإمارات بنتيجة 1-1، وخسر في الجولة الثانية أمام عمان 2-1.
بينما منتخب الكويت، تعادل إيجابيًا 1-1 مع عمان في الجولة الأولى، وفاز على الإمارات 2-1 في لقاء الجولة الثانية.
وتلعب بطولة كأس الخليج “خليجي 26″، في دولة الكويت، بمشاركة 8 منتخبات، حيث انطلقت يوم السبت 21 ديسمبر وتنتهي يوم الجمعة 3 يناير 2025.
With a deal to sign Lloyd Kelly on the cards, Newcastle United are now reportedly interested in signing a Premier League record-holder to boost Eddie Howe's side this summer.
Newcastle transfer news
Reports are indicating that the Magpies are set to sign Kelly on a free deal now that his Bournemouth contract has come to an end. The defender is on course to become their first signing of the summer to ease Howe's defensive depth problems. Kelly could instantly help to replace Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles, who both suffered ACL injuries towards the end of the campaign. The Newcastle target confirmed his Bournemouth exit on Instagram.
He may not be the only defender through the door this summer, however, with Newcastle also reportedly eyeing a move to sign Dean Huijsen from Juventus this summer after seeing their deal to sign Tosin Adarabioyo hijacked by Chelsea. Meanwhile, behind Howe's defence, there could also be change given recent links to both Giorgi Mamardashvili and Filip Jorgensen – two La Liga standouts.
Valencia goalkeeperGiorgi Mamardashvili.
What's more, according to West London Sport, Newcastle are eyeing a move to sign Asmir Begovic, who will soon be a free agent following the end of his Queens Park Rangers contract – though the London club are reportedly in talks over a new deal. The Magpies aren't alone in their interest, however, with West Ham United also reportedly eyeing a free move for the veteran shot-stopper.
Newcastle make first move for "brilliant" £45,000-p/w Almiron upgrade
This would hand Howe a major boost.
ByTom Cunningham May 31, 2024
Following the departure of Loris Karius, Howe could do with an extra goalkeeper through the door to provide cover for both Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka, should injuries occur. There are not many goalkeepers with more experience in English football than Begovic either, representing an ideal third choice to turn to this summer. The former Stoke City man looks set to have a decision to make in the coming months.
"Fantastic" Begovic would bring wealth of experience
Now 36 years old, Begovic won't be asked to step into a number one role in the Premier League, but his experience can quickly prove to be invaluable if he completes a move to Newcastle this summer.
Asmir Begovic
Having worked under Howe at Bournemouth too, the former Chelsea shot-stopper should have no trouble settling in. The added history to Begovic's arrival would also be the fact that he holds the Premier League record for the goal from the longest distance after scoring from his goal kick against Stoke City in 2013.
Now over 10 years on, Begovic, on £32,500-a-week, is still earning praise from those in English football, including from QPR boss Marti Cifuentes, who said via Football League World: “We won 1-0, but he made two crucial saves in two crucial key moments.
"We won here at Hull a few months ago in a fantastic performance, again he saved the game for us. Those three points without him would have been impossible, absolutely."
With a decision to make, Begovic will be one to keep an eye on this summer in what could prove to be the final move of his career.
Manchester United have been dealt a boost in their pursuit of a new defender this summer after it emerged that a long-term target "dreams" of playing for the club.
United in need of defensive reinforcements
As this season has made abundantly clear, Manchester United are in need of additions to their backline if they have any hope of improving another disappointing Premier League campaign under Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils are on track to concede the most goals they have ever managed in a Premier League campaign, while injuries have also forced them into 14 different centre-back combinations, culminating in Casemiro playing alongside Jonny Evans in the defeat to Arsenal.
Man Utd can now end Casemiro experiment by starting their teen sensation
The Man United prospect has only started three Premier League games this season.
ByTom Lever May 15, 2024
Lisandro Martinez, set to return to the bench against Newcastle, has been restricted to just nine Premier League appearances, while Tyrell Malacia has missed the entire campaign and injury to Luke Shaw has seen Diogo Dalot often deployed as an auxiliary left-back.
A left-back is definitely on the club's wishlist this summer, while the impending departures of Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane this summer when their contracts expire makes a centre-back a necessity too.
Now, reports also claim Aaron Wan-Bissaka is on his way out this summer, with the club open to a sale at a massive loss on the £50m they shelled out to bring him to the north-west from Crystal Palace.
As a result, another option at right back will be needed, and United have just been handed the perfect chance to secure one of their top targets.
Defender "dreams" of Manchester United
That comes in the shape of Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries, who Manchester United have long been linked with. The Inter Milan defender has enjoyed another fine season with the Nerazzurri, helping them scoop the Serie A title.
He has been showered in praise back in the Netherlands, with ex-Real Madrid man Rafael Van de Vaart labelling him the "ideal full back" after one performance for his country.
“[Denzel] Dumfries is our big star. He is really our very best player at the moment, he’s involved in everything,” he told Dutch broadcaster NOS. “He has provided seven assists in the last seven games, but it could have been even more. He is always on the move. A really great player. His touches are also good, which was different in the past. He is the ideal full back.”
Denzel Dumfries 23/24
Appearances
29
Goals
3
Assists
5
Key passes per 90
1.5
But trouble lies ahead between Dumfries and Inter, with a new contract not close and his current £52,000 a week deal expiring in 12 months as things stand.
As per reports in Italy, the two parties "remain distant" over a new deal, despite the Dutchman having "softened his requests". While a transfer isn't being considered right now, Inter "wouldn't be opposed" to cashing in on the 28-year-old for between 30m and 35m euros (£25.7m-£30m).
For his part, Dumfries "dreams of Manchester United" should he leave San Siro, and given their long-term interest in the defender, a move could well come to fruition quickly should they firm up that interest.
Play was abandoned without a ball being bowled on the third day in Manchester
The Report by Valkerie Baynes18-Jul-2020England need to take 19 wickets in two days if they are to keep their series alive against West Indies after the third day of the second Test at Emirates Old Trafford was a washout.With finer weather forecast for Manchester on Sunday and Monday and a fresh seam attack, England’s prospects are “not ideal”, to use Ben Stokes’ words, but they are not completely dire. Failure to force victory in the coming days, however, will mean West Indies retain the Wisden Trophy that they won in the Caribbean 18 months ago.”It’s looking like we’ve got to take 19 wickets in two days,” Stokes told Sky Sports. “But the wicket has offered something throughout the whole Test so far, so we just need to make sure that we can expose that and put as many deliveries as we can, challenging their defensive shots as much as we can.”ALSO READ: Archer cleared to play in third Test after fine and written warningStuart Broad is back in the team and likely to be hungry after his consternation at being overlooked for the first Test in Southampton, which West Indies won by four wickets. He is joined by Sam Curran, who made an early breakthrough when he had opener John Campbell out lbw late on Friday to put the tourists one wicket down still trailing by 437 runs.Chris Woakes is the other addition after England opted to rest Mark Wood and James Anderson following their efforts in the first Test and Jofra Archer was omitted on the first morning of this match for his unauthorised trip home en route to Manchester.Archer will be available for selection for the third Test, also at Old Trafford, after a disciplinary panel fined him £15,000 and gave him a written warning for his indiscretion.In the meantime, it will fall to Broad, Curran, Woakes and Stokes to get the job done for England, not to mention Dom Bess, who will have watched with interest as fellow offspinner Roston Chase claimed a five-wicket haul in the first innings after finding good spin and bounce.”It’s not only offering for the seam bowlers,” Stokes said. “We’ve got the options there that we feel we can bowl West Indies out twice if we have to.”It was Stokes’ performance with the bat that went a long way towards putting England in a commanding position at the end of the second day, his 176 combined with Dom Sibley’s 120 meant the hosts posted a first-innings 469 for 9 declared. Had England not lost the first Test, for the eighth time in ten series, their task over the next two days may not have been quite so pressurised.”If we use the first two days as a benchmark for how we want to bat then, then the better we’re going to become,” Stokes said. “We are a very good team at bouncing back from defeats and we’ve proven that.”If we can keep producing days and games like we generally do after a first Test then we’ll start coming closer to being the No. 1 team, which is obviously a goal of ours.”We’re in a great place as a side. We’ve got the right personnel, the right team, the right people helping the players out right now. And I think in two or three years’ time, all the tough times that we’ve experienced – in South Africa and this first game against West Indies – is a great learning curve, not just for the younger guys in the team at the moment but also for the more experienced guys.”If you are always learning from mistakes, it’s going to make you a better player as an individual, but also a better team.”
He’s targeting the role of a finisher in the Indian team and has been training with that in mind
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-202032:18
‘I still have that fire burning in me, I really want to compete’
Robin Uthappa, who last played for India in July 2015 on a tour of Zimbabwe, believes he “still has a World Cup” left in him, and is targeting a comeback to the Indian team in the T20 format.Uthappa, 34, has played 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is, and was part of the 2007 50-over World Cup campaign as well as the inaugural T20 World Cup played later in the same year. However, he was dropped from the team in mid-2008 and his international appearances since then have been sporadic, with a total of eight ODIs and four T20Is since his first comeback in October 2011.”Right now I want to be competitive. I still have that fire burning in me, I really want to compete and do well,” Uthappa told ESPNcricinfo. “I honestly believe I have a World Cup left in me, so I’m pursuing that, especially the shortest format. The blessings of Lady Luck or God or whatever you call it, plays a massive factor. Especially in India, it becomes so much more evident. I don’t think it is evident when you’re playing cricket outside of India. But in the subcontinent and India especially, with the amount of talent that we do have in our country, all of those aspects become evident.”You can never write yourself off. You would be unfair to yourself if you write yourself off. Especially if you believe you have the ability and you know that there is an outside chance. So I still believe in that outside chance. I still believe that things can go my way and I probably can be a part of a World Cup-winning team and play an integral role in that as well. Those dreams are still alive and I think I’ll keep playing cricket till that is alive.”Uthappa has scored 934 runs in ODIs at an average of 25.94 and a strike rate of 90.59, while in T20Is his corresponding numbers are 249 runs at 24.90 and 118.00. He has had great success in the IPL, initially with Royal Challengers Bangalore and then in more sustained fashion with Kolkata Knight Riders. He was the top run-getter in the IPL in 2014, and central to Knight Riders’ title run that year. However, underwhelming returns in 2019 meant the team released him, and he was picked by Rajasthan Royals in the last auction.
“I still believe in that outside chance. I still believe that things can go my way and I probably can be a part of a World Cup winning team and play an integral role in that”Robin Uthappa
On his numerous short comebacks in the Indian team – he played one T20I in 2011, one in 2012, five ODIs in 2014 and finally three ODIs and two T20Is in 2015 – Uthappa felt he had been batted out of position.”When I played for India [in 2007 and 2008], I scored all my runs opening the batting. Then [in his comeback phases] I ended up playing for India in the middle-order, which seems so… from one perception it seems very unfair,” Uthappa said. “That kind of cycle has repeated itself maybe three or four times in the three or four comebacks that I’ve made in the Indian team. I scored all the runs up the order, and I got to bat in the middle-order when I got back in the Indian team.”Stats-wise, Uthappa has slightly better numbers when he has not opened the batting for India. In the 16 ODI innings in which he batted at the top of the order, he has an average of 25.50 and a strike rate of 88.31 with four half-centuries. In 26 ODI innings in which he has batted lower down, he averages 26.30 at a strike rate of 92.44 with two half-centuries.Uthappa has opened only twice in T20Is, making 1 and 18* at less than a run a ball. When not opening the batting, he averages 25.55 at a strike rate of 121.69.In his comebacks in 2011, 2012 and 2014, Uthappa played as an opener and crossed 20 once in five innings. On another comeback in 2014 and a subsequent one in 2015, he batted in the middle-order.Uthappa said he was targeting the role of being a finisher for the Indian team and had begun training with that specific goal in mind, till the coronavirus pandemic enforced a standstill.”What I’ve been trying to do is to make sure that I’m well prepared,” he explained. “Opening the batting is something I can do at any point of time. I’m trying to make sure I’m well equipped to bat in the middle order as well. One of the things that we need today in Indian cricket is a good finisher, and that’s something that I’m pursuing and working hard on. It’s something I’m looking forward to improving on a day to day basis.”I’m actually missing practice really bad right now because that was one of the aspects I was working on and I felt like I was beginning to get somewhere. Because you know it’s a process. These kinds of things don’t just turn up on their head. You need to work on it and get better at it on a day to day, week to week, month to month basis. I felt like I was getting places. A small kind of sweet spot. God willing, I believe it will happen at some point in time.”
كشفت تقارير صحفية بريطانية، أن الحكم الدولي الإنجليزي ديفيد كوت، تم إيقافه من قبل الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، بسبب الفيديو المسرّب له بإهانة كلوب وليفربول.
كان ديفيد كوت قد تولى مسؤولية إدارة مباراة ليفربول وأستون فيلا، السبت الماضي في الجولة الحادية عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، وفاز ليفربول على أستون فيلا بهدفين دون رد على ملعب “الأنفيلد”.
وظهر أمس مقطع فيديو مُسرب لـ ديفيد كوت، يعود تاريخه إلى سنوات مضت، حيث ظهر خلاله وهو يوجه سبابًا بذيئًا إلى ليفربول ويورجن كلوب، مدربه السابق.
وقررت الهيئة المسؤولة عن التحكيم في إنجلترا إيقاف ديفيد كوت بشكل فوري لحين الانتهاء من التحقيق.
صحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية، أكدت أن الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، قرر إيقاف الحكم الإنجليزي، بسبب فضيحة الفيديو الذي تضمن ألفاظًا بذيئة.
وكان كوت قد شارك في مباراة أيندهوفن وجيرونا ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، كحكم فيديو، لكن الآن مسيرته المهنية أصبحت في مهب الريح، في انتظار نتائج التحقيق.
وتحاول الآن رابطة الحكام المحترفين في إنجلترا، معرفة متى تم تصوير الفيديو، وما هي الظروف التي أحاطت به، مع الاستماع لأقوال الحكم نفسه خلال الأيام القادمة.
After a summer of outstanding Test returns, Labuschagne is turning his attention to a new challenge
Daniel Brettig10-Jan-2020
Marnus Labuschagne acknowledges his century•Getty Images
Having dominated the home Test summer, Marnus Labuschagne wants to become a multi-format master in the vein of Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Joe Root and his friend and team-mate Steven Smith as he embarks on a first ODI tour for Australia to face India on the subcontinent.It was in the 50-over game that Labuschagne first showed promise as a busy middle-order batsman, winning player of the tournament in the domestic limited-overs tournament in 2016 for Queensland before being part of the National Cricket Centre intake the following year.He subsequently earned his chance for Australia in Test matches, making a quantum leap during the 2019 Ashes in England and then carrying on to still more masterful displays against Pakistan and New Zealand. Now, granted the chance to be part of Australia’s white-ball squad for the first time, Labuschagne has revealed the long-term consistency and a role across formats for the national team are his major goals for the future.ALSO READ: ‘Clinical’ Glenn Maxwell still in ODI frame – Aaron Finch”You look at the guys I look up to and aspire to – Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Joe Root. They’ve been doing it for a very long time, five, six years they’ve been consistent, not just in one format, but two or more formats,” Labuschagne told ESPNcricinfo before departing for India. “So for me personally there’s a lot to learn and a lot to grow, because I’ve had some success this summer but the real challenge for me is to be more consistent going on and being able to keep putting continued performances on the board.”If I can continue to do that, then that’s obviously going to be the challenge for me, and getting an opportunity in this one-day series is an opportunity for me to show a slightly different part of my game that we haven’t seen this summer, but that’s a really exciting challenge too.”As an example for the type of adaptable, evolving batsman Labuschagne would like to be, he admitted that the standard set by Michael Hussey for Australia, where he started life as an opening batsman but developed into a player capable of playing just about any role in the top six, while also adding power to his game to dominate the back end of an innings, was a hard one to ignore.
“With the opportunities that might come in the next few months, we’ll have to see, but definitely Michael Hussey is a great person to learn from,” Labuschagne said. “The way he played the one-day game, the way he finished off the innings and the way he probably started his innings. There are a few similarities there, but I’m definitely not comparing myself to Michael Hussey. My job is to just enjoy these next couple of weeks and then we’ll go from there.”I can’t look too far ahead of myself and that’s one thing I’ve been able to do the whole summer, keep it really clear, take it game by game, enjoy the moment, make sure I’m really well prepared and really ready to go, but not getting too far ahead of myself is a really key thing for me.”The likelihood for Labuschagne is that he will play a somewhat different role for Australian than for Queensland, where this season he batted at No. 3. With Aaron Finch, David Warner, and Smith seemingly locked into the top order for Australia, Labuschagne, Peter Handscomb, Alex Carey and Ashton Turner will be juggled in the remaining spots. Labuschagne’s wrist spin bowling, part of the reason he was chosen for Australia’s Test side in the first place, will also be a factor, particularly in the absence of Glenn Maxwell’s off-breaks.Marnus Labuschagne celebrates his first List A century•Getty Images
“Whatever role I’m given is one I’m going to try and keep,” he said. “If that’s batting in the top four or even outside the top four, whatever that is, it’s just for me to be able to know I bat at three and four for Queensland so that role in the middle order is one that I’ll probably be given and for me it’s just to be consistent and play that role as best I can.”A big part of playing in India is how you play spin, so for me being nice and clear with my plans about how I play spin and then just trusting the processes I have. Batting in the middle order it’s about running really hard between wickets and trying to get those runs through the middle, then when you get the opportunity towards the back end to open the shoulders a bit.”The whole one-day game’s moved in that more aggressive, positive direction, but I’ve been lucky I’ve been able to move with that and play in this era where one-day cricket is a really high scoring game. As batters that’s your job, you need to put big totals on the board, especially if you’re batting first, and it’s also great because it’s going to be tough conditions in India and they’re obviously a very strong side. So just about enjoying the challenge and not getting too far ahead of yourself, taking it ball by ball and game by game.”As for what awaits Labuschagne after the brief India tour, he said he was hopeful of getting more of an opportunity to play for the Brisbane Heat in the closing stages of the Big Bash League. So far he has played just seven matches over three tournaments for the club, only getting to play one match last summer.”I’m not sure – I hope when I come back there’s an opportunity there for me to play, and I get some opportunities to showcase my T20 game, which is something that people probably haven’t seen yet,” he said. “But for now I’ll just enjoy this next challenge of one-day cricket and then go from there.”
Celtic brought manager Brendan Rodgers back to Glasgow last summer after Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou decided to make a move down south.
The now-Spurs boss enjoyed a terrific two years in Scotland and was particularly successful in the transfer market with several fantastic additions, including the likes of Jota, Kyogo Furuhashi, Joe Hart, and Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Ange Postecoglou
One of his last signings in charge of the Hoops, during the January transfer window at the start of last year, was right-back Alistair Johnston from MLS side CF Montreal.
Postecoglou struck gold by bringing the Canadian to Parkhead, as his value has since soared alongside his excellent front-footed displays for the club.
How much Celtic paid to sign Alistair Johnston
The Daily Record reported that Celtic splashed out a fee of £3m to sign the talented defender after his impressive performances in North America throughout 2022.
Johnston made 35 appearances in the MLS in the 2022 campaign and caught the eye with four goals and four assists from right-back, which shows that he provided an attacking threat from that position.
The Canada international also won 50% of his defensive duels during that period, as he stood up to the physical test of the division, and the Hoops then swooped to secure his signature midway through their season.
Appearances
14
Sofascore rating
7.20
Big chances created
5
Assists
1
Duel success rate
52%
He hit the ground running in the Scottish Premiership, as you can see in the table above, with an impressive return of five 'big chances' created in just 14 matches to help the team win the title.
Alistair Johnston's current market value
At the time of writing (26/03/2024), Johnston is valued at €8m (£6.8m) by Transfermarkt and this shows that Postecoglou and Celtic hit the jackpot with him, as his value has soared and his performances on the pitch have been, largely, superb.
The 25-year-old whiz has created eight 'big chances' and registered two assists in 25 Premiership matches for the Hoops so far this season, which means that he has racked up 15 'big chances' created in just 39 league games for the club.
Former Hoops man Steve Guppy, who worked with Johnston at Nashville in the MLS, heaped praise on the full-back's outstanding ability to cross the ball.
Trent Alexander-Arnold warming up for Liverpool.
He claimed that the right-back's style and technique when it came to passing and crossing the ball was "reminiscent of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s at Liverpool", and went on to say that he was "excited" to see the defender play for Celtic due to that quality.
Johnston has recorded two assists in his last four Premiership matches for the Hoops and both of those were crosses to Adam Idah, who converted one with his left foot and one with his head.
That is incredibly high praise when you consider that the England international recently broke the Premier League record for assists by defenders, with the 58th of his career so far – by the age of just 25.
At 25, the Celtic star still has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve over the years to come. For now, though, it is hard to deny that he has been a terrific signing by Postecoglou, with his soaring value and Trent-like crosses in the Premiership.
Derby County's disastrous 2021/22 campaign – which ended with relegation down to League One – is now very much a distant thought put to the back of the mind of many fans at Pride Park, who look to be currently watching a promotion-winning team.
The Rams certainly have the upper hand in the battle for the final automatic promotion spot up to the Championship after beating Bolton Wanderers last time out, a decisive header from Kane Wilson winning the box-office clash to give his side a four-point cushion in second place.
Although everything is going swimmingly well for Paul Warne and Co in the here and now, there might well be some intrigue from Derby fans to see where a selection of forgotten faces from yesteryear have ended up.
This ex-Rams youth product, for example, has had a bumpy time ever since waving goodbye to Pride Park two years ago, sold by Wayne Rooney to a Premier League buyer with major things expected of him that haven't yet come to fruition.
Derby County's former manager Wayne Rooney.
Luke Plange's time with Derby
Luke Plange would make his Derby debut in the same campaign that saw the Rams lose their Championship status, but the youngster was one very notable bright spark amidst all the doom and gloom engulfing Derbyshire at the time.
Formerly on the books at Arsenal as an academy product, Plange would finally get his moment in the senior spotlight relocating to the Rams.
Plange would be rewarded with a first-team debut against Bristol City in December of that season by Rooney, after bagging ten goals in 18 youth games for the club.
1. GK – Ryan Allsop
2. CB – Craig Forsyth
3. CB – Curtis Davies
4. CB – Phil Jagielka
5. RM – Kamil Jozwiak
6. CM – Graeme Shinnie
7. CM – Max Bird
8. CM – Jason Knight
9. LM – Dylan Williams
10. ST – Luke Plange
11. ST – Tom Lawrence
Sourced by Transfermarkt
It would take the 6 foot 2 centre-forward just two games to prove Rooney's bold faith in him was justified in the men's set-up, firing home a rebound effort to steer the Rams to a 1-0 win over Blackpool.
The Derby boss at the time wouldn't just utilise Plange as a youngster in isolation, bedding in the likes of Max Bird, Jason Knight and faces such as Eiran Cashin from off the bench to give the beleaguered Rams energy when needed.
Plange would go on to score three more goals that season for his eventually relegated side, but he wouldn't be sticking around to make up the numbers in any promotion push from League One that followed.
Crystal Palace would take a punt on the emerging Derby star after he had shone brightly in spurts for his doomed side, forking out £1m to land the raw talent just a matter of weeks after he burst onto the scene against Blackpool before immediately loaning him back to Pride Park to aid his growth.
Yet, ever since leaving Derby behind permanently, Plange has never quite managed to break through into the Eagles' first team in the same manner he did when sending tremors through the Rams set-up.
Once described as being a "clever" player by Rooney – high praise indeed from a man who was once a wonderkid himself before going on to have an esteemed career – Plange now finds himself stuck in a continuous loop of loans away from Selhurst Park instead of exploding into life for the South London side which now sees him plying his trade in Finland.
Luke Plange's time at Crystal Palace
The one-time Derby prospect has never started a senior game for Palace, only being restricted to U21s football to the dismay of the now 21-year-old.
Plange has netted four goals in four games playing in the Premier League 2 for the youthful Eagles – with a hat-trick recently picked up against Aston Villa U21s – but it's when he's been chucked out to various different clubs on loan to test his mettle away from these comforts that he's really struggled.
The two-time England U20 international has become a well-travelled striker consequently, playing for the likes of Carlisle United and Lincoln City in the EFL whilst also venturing out to far-away RWD Molenbeek to test himself in unfamiliar surroundings in Belgium.
Plange has unfortunately been goal-shy wherever he's ended up away from Palace, only managing to find the back of the net an unconvincing four times from 54 appearances as a nomadic loanee with his time at Sincil Bank seeing him fire routine blanks across 18 torrid games.
Still, regardless of all these shaky spells away from south London, new Palace boss Oliver Glasner would gift Plange a spot on the substitutes bench during his first Premier League match as manager to take his total times on the Eagles bench to five for the campaign.
One final chance for Plange in Finland
Glasner was clearly impressed by his form for the Palace youth side, but Plange now finds himself at his fourth loan club regardless and arguably his most unique one yet in HJK Helsinki, playing in a division ranked as the 34th best among UEFA's coefficient of European nations.
Plange will now view Finland as his home until January 2025, having put pen to paper on a deal with the Finnish first-tier side just this month.
The 6 foot 2 youngster will hope he can lead the line with confidence for his new employers, reawakening a deadly streak potentially in senior football that hasn't really been present since his electric beginnings in Derbyshire.
If Plange was to struggle in the Veikkausliiga – where his current loan side are the reigning champions – the patience held by those at Palace for him to come good could become very thin.
It's been an up-and-down time for Plange ever since walking out of Derby two years ago, whilst the Rams have rebuilt well ever since their former youth star exited to make breaking back into the Championship a very real possibility this campaign.
The improved fitness levels of Mohammed Shami. Jasprit Bumrah’s outswinger to right-hand batsmen. Also, India’s fast-bowling bench strength, and the facilities now available in the country; all these are indicators of Indian fast bowling’s great health, according to former pace spearhead Zaheer Khan. Still, Zaheer would like to see Navdeep Saini given a chance in Test cricket.”The longer format, that’s the format that suits Saini,” Zaheer told . “Saini has got the pace and consistency in length.”Saini, who was among India’s reserves for the World Cup, put his pace and short-ball skills on full display on the tour of Florida and the Caribbean in August. On T20I debut, Saini was on a hat-trick after getting Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer off consecutive balls in Lauderhill. He finished that game with figures of 3 for 17, and the Player of the Match award.In the Test matches that followed, Bumrah was at his lethal best, with 13 wickets in four innings at an average of 9.23, including only the third hat-trick by an Indian in the format. Chief among Bumrah’s weapons in this series was the ball that moved away from the right-hand batsmen, and his newfound ability to bowl this delivery consistently makes him all the more potent, Zaheer said.”I have always said that if he had that outswinger for the right-handers, he will be a nightmare for the batting sides. I am glad that it has happened now,” Zaheer said. “He needs to work on his fitness and keep doing the things that have brought him this far. With experience he will keep getting better and better.”ALSO READ: Jasprit Bumrah – The complete bowler, whatever the formatZaheer said Shami – who had finished third on the Test-wicket charts in the West Indies, taking nine at 17.77 – was reaping the benefits of the work he had put into his fitness. “With Shami we all knew about the wrist position and the upright seam. The only iffy thing was fitness but now he has worked on that.”During the World Cup in England this year, Shami had spoken of how he had worked hard on that aspect of his cricket. Leg issues kept him out for parts of 2016 and 2017, and when he returned for India, it seemed obvious that his fitness levels were down. That phase culminated with him missing out on the Afghanistan Test in Bengaluru in June last year, after failing a fitness test.”I was heavy after the injury, I used to feel tightness in my knee after long spells, so I knew I had to do something extra if I had to play for a longer time,” Shami had said during the World Cup. “I have cut down on my food, I follow a diet and people laugh about it when I tell them that. It’s not strict, but I avoid stuff doctors tell me to. I don’t eat sweets or bread, it has helped me a lot.”Zaheer said the “hunger” Shami has shown to get to where he is at the moment was commendable. “He has been phenomenal in terms of getting his fitness level up to the standard that is required. This has been a huge plus for him. Ability was always there. Just that some injuries had kept him out for a year. He has come back strongly. A lot of credit has to go to him for how he is managing himself and the hunger that he has shown to come back and play at the top level.”When asked what has made the biggest difference in getting Indian fast bowling to the healthy state it is now in, Zaheer said: “Over the years, the infrastructure has improved. There is this access to better fitness facilities. There are these processes in place like the one at the National Cricket Academy where players are taken care of since Under-14s. There is also a proper passing of knowledge and that is helping in a big way.”