All posts by h716a5.icu

Yuzvendra Chahal is also in contention, according to the India captain, after watching how England have struggled against the two wristpinners

Nagraj Gollapudi13-Jul-2018India’s wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal could both find a place in the Test squad, according to Virat Kohli, following their success in the limited-overs games against England. India are set to pick their team for the five-Test series in England in the next few days.”There might be a few surprises in there,” Kohli told Sky Sports after India won the first ODI at Trent Bridge, when asked by Mike Atherton whether Kuldeep had done enough to play the Tests. “Anything is possible because we still have a few days to pick the Test side. Yeah, look, he is making a strong case for himself. So is Chahal. Both of them together are pretty lethal for us. Looking at the English batsmen struggling against them we might be tempted to do that.”Kuldeep’s case is particularly compelling, having taken a five-for in the T20I series and a six-for in the first ODI, on his maiden tour of England. He has played two Tests so far and taken nine wickets at an average of 20.77. Chahal has only featured in limited-overs cricket for India and has played 27 first-class matches for Haryana. He has 70 wickets at an average of 33.90 with two five-fors.The fingerspinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been India’s regular spinners in Test cricket in recent years, but they have lost their place in the limited-overs teams and now face a challenge from the two wristspinners. Although the BCCI has not revealed a date for the Test selection, it is understood the squad will be picked in the next few days. MSK Prasad, the chief selector, joined the Indian squad in Nottingham this week and it’s likely the Indian think-tank will consult the India A coach Rahul Dravid before the squad is announced. Dravid is currently with India A, who are playing West Indies A in the UK.India have so far lost just one match on this tour, which began with two T20Is in Ireland. Before leaving India, Kohli had said his wristspinners would be his primary weapon, especially in the middle overs of ODIs.”When given more overs and more time they become even more lethal when guys are not going hard against them for 4 overs,” Kohli had said. “When they have 10 overs and they have something to play with to come back into the game, they know they have the skill to make an impact.”Kohli summed up the victory in Nottingham as “clinical” and gave credit to Kuldeep, whose 6 for 25 were the best figures for a left-arm wristspinner in ODIs. “Tonight Kuldeep was outstanding. To give away 25 runs on that sort of a pitch and picking up 6 wickets in the first innings with two hard balls was an outstanding spell,” Kohli said. “I don’t think I have seen a better ODI spell for a while.”But why had Kuldeep been dropped for the Bristol T20I? Kohli said that was a “tactical” decision keeping in mind the breeze blowing towards the shorter boundary. “We want him confident because we know he can be a matchwinner. And T20 cricket is such a short game that anyone can make an impact and win you games, but when it comes to longer games we need players who can really make an impact, because in 50-overs cricket if you don’t get wickets in the middle overs it is going to be really difficult.”Kuldeep and Chahal had already proved their worth in South Africa, where India won the ODI series 5-1 – 28 of the 33 wickets they had taken there had come in the middle overs. So far in England, Kuldeep has 18 wickets from 24.3 overs at an economy rate of 4.89 and an average of 6.66. Chahal has got 8 wickets from 30 overs at an economy rate of 6.73 and an average of 25.25.There is also a stark difference in the impact Kuldeep has made in the middle overs against England, who have played Chahal more confidently. Kuldeep has given just 59 runs off 69 balls at an economy rate of 5.13, while Chahal has gone for 132 runs off 198 balls at an economy rate of 7.33.”These two remain a strength for us in the middle overs,” Kohli said. “We got to make sure we keep them strong, keep them confident and put in these kind of performances regularly. These two guys since they have come into the team they have been the difference for us. They remain a huge weapon for us.”

Manchester United have announced the appointment of an "expert task force" to explore regenerating Old Trafford.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Man Utd appoint task forceWant to develop "world-class stadium""Local leaders" to work with expertsWHAT HAPPENED?

United announced on Friday the formation of a task force to explore options for regenerating Old Trafford. The club said in a statement that a "world-class football stadium" will be "at the heart of the project" as they aim to transform both Old Trafford and the surrounding area.

Lord Sebastian Coe will chair the task force and it will also include Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and former player Gary Neville. "The feasibility of a new stadium" will be explored, with the club aiming to construct a ground that is capable of hosting both club and international fixtures.

AdvertisementWHAT UNITED SAID

United issued a statement featuring a variety of quotes, from Neville, Burnham and new United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Neville said: “I’m incredibly fortunate to have had the privilege of playing hundreds of games at Old Trafford, and no one can take away those amazing memories. But Old Trafford has evolved throughout its history and it’s clear we are at a point where it has to change again to ensure that Manchester United has a world-class stadium befitting the world’s greatest club. While I want the best for Manchester United, I also want the same for the surrounding community. Old Trafford should be a stadium that the whole of Greater Manchester can take pride in, and be a catalyst for sustainable, cohesive growth in an area of the city that has been neglected for too long.”

Burnham added: “The development of one of the most iconic stadiums in world football will help attract investment, create jobs, and lead to new opportunities that will not just benefit Trafford but communities across our city-region and beyond. Greater Manchester has been a hive of innovation and creativity for centuries, and sport has played a huge role in shaping our past and present. This bold and exciting vision for the future of Old Trafford and the surrounding area can become another success story for our city-region.”

And Ratcliffe concluded: “This can be a major regeneration project for an area of Greater Manchester which has played such a key role in British industrial history, but which today requires new investment to thrive again. The north-west of England has a greater concentration of major football clubs than anywhere else in the world, yet we don’t have a stadium on the scale of Wembley, the Nou Camp or Bernabéu. We will not be able to change that on our own, which is why this task force is so important to help us seize this once-in-a-century opportunity.”

Getty THE BIGGER PICTURE

Old Trafford has not undergone any update since 2006, and the stadium has essentially been allowed to fall into disrepair under the ruinous ownership of the Glazer family. However, Ratcliffe and INEOS appear to be spearheading a drive to bring United's facilities back in line with the top clubs across the continent; it remains to be seen, of course, if the club will have to move elsewhere for a season or two, as Tottenham Hotspur did when they relocated to Wembley while they were constructing their new stadium.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

United have matters to attend to on the pitch as well as off it. They face Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, knowing they need to win if they are to cling onto any hope of a top-four finish; they are currently 11 points behind Aston Villa, who play fifth-placed Spurs on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told that one star of theirs has been "more impressive" than James Maddison, but "nobody paid attention" to him.

Spurs form under Ange Postecoglou

The north Londoners are enjoying somewhat of a fairytale beginning to the Premier League season, with popular Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou making the finest start to a campaign of any new manager in recent English football history. The Lilywhites have won seven out of their opening nine top flight matches, remaining unbeaten over a run which has seriously surprised on-lookers.

Speaking to Premier League productions earlier this month, pundit Ian Wright hailed praise for Postecoglou and his start to life at Spurs; candidly admitting he is shocked by how good the tactician really is.

“It’s underrated,” said Wright. “It’s an underrated effort he is doing, at the minute. Major Ange Postecoglou fans. I remember people saying at the start that ‘he needs to start well’. With the players he has got, you want them to do well and win some games and stuff. But I didn’t expect it to be in the grove it is now and so quickly.

“Not just physically, but mentally as well. They know what they are doing – we are looking at a team that we know that will improve simply because Bentancur is to come back."

The Australian has a few star players to thank for his new-found popularity in north London, with summer signing Maddison proving to be nearly unstoppable at times. Maddison signed for Spurs from Leicester City for around £40 million in the summer, which is proving to be more and more of a bargain as the weeks go by. The England international has racked up three goals and five assists in the league alone so far, most recently helping Tottenham to a 2-0 win over Fulham on Monday.

He's now gearing up for a clash against Crystal Palace tomorrow, where Tottenham are surely favourites to clinch all three points and maintain their very impressive start to the campaign.

Guglielmo Vicario "even more impressive" than Maddison

However, despite Maddison's truly electric start, one pundit believes goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has actually been "even more impressive" with his stellar contribution between the sticks. Indeed, speaking to ESPN, Janusz Michallik has claimed that "nobody paid attention" to Vicario who is now really pulling up trees at Spurs.

“It’s easy to point at James Maddison, all the goals and how they’re scoring in so many different ways. But defensively what he’s done is even more impressive. They’re the second-best defensive team, look at Vicario, Google probably went down when Vicario came to London because nobody paid attention to who he was, but, today, we’re talking about Sanchez, Onana and Raya, here you have Vicario who is excellent,” Michallik said.

Signed from Empoli to replace Hugo Lloris, the Italy international has made some pretty important saves in big moments, with Fabrizio Romano recently revealing Spurs are "very happy" with Vicario.

"Tottenham are very happy with Guglielmo Vicario and his impact with English football. Understand real fee invested by Spurs to sign Vicario from Empoli was €19m. Top signing."

Five Tests in six weeks will put the pressure on quick bowlers from both sides and England have factored that in to their planning for the series

Andrew McGlashan29-Jul-20182:06

Broad accepts workloads may have to be managed

Stuart Broad is ready for the the possibility of England rotating their pace bowlers during the Test series against India, which involves five matches in six weeks.Broad, who has overcome an ankle injury to be ready for the series, is one of five pace options in the squad for the first Test at Edgbaston – including the uncapped Jamie Porter – and knows that the demands of the schedule will make it a challenge to be ever-present.His new-ball partner James Anderson will also come into the series having had to manage injury since the Pakistan series. Broad revealed there have already been discussions over the scenario where a quick is rested and how that would be dealt with.”I think there has already been small conversations saying about ‘don’t be disheartened if you are left out for a Test match’, it’s not a personal attack or dropping, it’s management of your bowlers to make sure we give ourselves the best chance,” Broad said.”I won’t get to the stage where I am left out at say, Lord’s, I’d go back and play county cricket, if you’re missing out, fresh bowlers come in, you stay around [the squad], keep talking, stay part of the unit so it’s only natural to expect small changes throughout five Test matches, but the bowlers have to be able to take it.”While the warm summer in the UK could lead to flat pitches and the potential for some back-breaking work for the seamers, there is also the chance of it working the other way if conditions demand that the spinners do a lot of the work. Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali have been recalled to the England squad – the former’s comeback prompting much debate – and both are expected to feature this week.England’s pace pack

Current squad
James Anderson: England’s leading Test wicket-taker; has been nursing a shoulder injury

Stuart Broad: England’s second-leading Test wicket-taker; has battled an ankle injury
Sam Curran: 20-year-old left-arm allrounder; made debut v Pakistan
Jamie Porter: uncapped Essex seamer known for line and length
Ben Stokes: one of the world’s leading allrounders; will miss second Test due to his trial in Bristol
In the wings
Chris Woakes: injured v Pakistan, selectors felt he hasn’t yet had enough cricket
Mark Wood: has played two of the last three Tests but injured during recent Championship match
Jake Ball: remains on the fringes after tough tour of Australia
Craig Overton: has had a taste of Test cricket with middling results
Jamie Overton: Craig’s brother and has more pace; in good form

“If the pitches turn square and the spinners do a lot of the work, you might not bowl so much but come on when the ball starts to reverse swing,” Broad said. “So sometimes your workloads can be higher if green and nibbling, but if it turns the spinners will bowl 20-30 overs each before the new ball.””The positive is we haven’t had a huge amount of overs towards the end of June then July, so we’re going into a five Test series in just over six weeks really fresh. It’s going to be tough, we get a break in a series normally but the fixtures have fallen such that it’s going to be a physical challenge for the bowlers and we need to be fresh, fit..and I think we all will be.”As far as the first Test is concerned, Broad is confident that he will enter the contest at full fitness despite the recent ankle problem that flared up at the end of June. The injury stemmed from swelling that put pressure on his ligaments. He has had one Championship match, against Surrey, to prepare for India where he took 2 for 80 off 19 overs.”I was looking out for pain and swelling but there was none first innings and the overs leading in,” he said. “I had no pain after the game, I am going in 100% fit and you can’t say that too often so it’s an exciting place to be.”One of England’s key challenges with the ball will be getting past Virat Kohli, who will be desperate to correct one of the few anomalies on his CV: a Test average in England of 13.40 after a torrid time in the 2014 tour. But whereas on the subcontinent that may involve coming up with ‘funky’ plans to outwit the batsmen, Broad believes that traditional virtues could still hold sway despite the recent heatwave.”The history of Test cricket will suggest if you hold the top of off longer than anyone else you will have success, in England particularly it’s about owning the top of off,” he said. “Say you’re playing against someone like Graeme Smith, it’s very different technique, but I don’t think Kohli has a thing like that. Steve Smith you bowl different to a normal right-hander but Kohli is quite orthodox.”Your plans can be simpler and you just have to out-patience world class batsmen at both ends. As a bowling unit we will just have to make it as hard for all of their batsman but particularly a key player like Virat to score earlier and try and create pressure that way. We won’t have Headingley in June pitch, it will be attritional cricket where you hold for periods of time and try to speed the game up day three four and five.”

Gio Reyna continues to be left out at Nottingham Forest as the U.S. men's national team star was glued to the bench once again in a draw with Luton.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Reyna benched yet againLess than a half of game time since joining clubForest settle for 1-1 drawGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

It was a vital match in the relegation race, with both teams needing every point they can get at this point in the season. It was Forest, though, that seized the advantage initially thanks to a goal from Chris Wood.

Forest's big moment came in the 34th minute. Played in by a cross from Morgan Gibbs-White, Wood was just able to get the outside of his boot to the ball, flicking it back across goal to give Forest a 1-0 lead in the first half.

Of the two teams, it was Forest that were closer to scoring that second goal of the game for most of the contest, with Luton surviving thanks to two goal-line clearances. Those clearances proved vital, too, as Luton scored a late equalizer to seal a share of the points.

The goal came from a corner kick in the 89th minute, and it helped Luton steal a result at home. Luke Berry was the goalscorer as Forest were unable to block his shot on goal as the two sides finished level at 1-1.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

With the draw, Forest picked up a point that could have, and probably should have been three to help them through this relegation race. That one point puts them on 25 for the season, leaving them just three ahead of Luton, who occupy that last relegation spot with nine games remaining. Forest also have a potential Financial Fair Play sanction hanging over their head, with Monday's verdict having the potential to completely alter the course of the club's campaign.

GettyUSMNT IMPACT

Reyna's spell at Nottingham Forest continues to feel like a disaster, as the American once again failed to get the minutes needed to make this loan worthwhile. Reyna, to be fair, was nursing a knock heading into this game but, after returning to training in the build-up, the hope was that he'd get some sort of chance to contribute.

He's played less than one full half of soccer since joining the club in the winter transfer window. Reyna is getting less playing time than he was even getting at Dortmund, with the lack of minutes in Germany being the reason this loan was sanctioned to begin with. Reyna's inability to crack not just the Forest XI, but the Forest substitutes is a real concern heading into USMNT camp.

Reyna, of course, was called into that camp, with head coach Gregg Berhalter admitting he was concerned by Reyna's lack of gametime. Berhalter, though, says he has full belief in Reyna, who did have a strong 2023 with the national team despite his club issues.

Joining Reyna on the bench, of course, was Matt Turner, who remains Forest's backup goalkeeper for the time being.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT COMES NEXT?

Reyna will now join Turner in flying across the Atlantic for the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League games. First up for the U.S. will be a semifinal clash with Jamaica, with the winner advancing to a final against Panama or Mexico and the loser playing one of those sides in the third-place game.

The ODI series will count towards the Women’s Championship, which will determine the automatic qualifiers for the Women’s World Cup 2021

Madushka Balasuriya28-Aug-2018The Sri Lanka women’s team is set to host India for three ODIs and five T20Is in September.The Indian team are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka on September 7, with the first two ODIs set to take place in Galle on the September 11 and 13. The teams will then travel to Katunayake for the final ODI and the first T20I, on September 16 and 19 respectively. The next three T20Is will be played in Colombo at the Colts Cricket Club grounds, before the action returns to Katunayake for the final match on September 25.The ODI leg of the tour will count towards the Women’s Championship, which will determine the three automatic qualifiers – apart from the hosts New Zealand – for the Women’s World Cup 2021.India, who are currently two places above eighth-placed Sri Lanka on the Women’s Championship points table, come into the tour on the back of a 2-1 win against England in the ODIs at home, while Sri Lanka have lost their last two 50-over series 3-0 – away to West Indies and at home to Pakistan.There is no question that India begin as favourites, having lost just one of 26 ODIs against Sri Lanka. The home side fair only marginally better in the shortest format against this opposition, with three wins in 12 T20Is. Last time the two sides met in a bilateral series was in 2016 in India, when Sri Lanka were whitewashed 3-0 in both the ODI as well as T20I series.

As a footballing institution, Tottenham Hotspur is thriving right now. The first team's surge to table-topping Premier League status has been emphatic and the youth fold are in tandem, among the finest English football has to offer.

How generous Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou is in handing out opportunities for his teenage prospects remains to be seen, but with so many exciting talents, there is sure to be a debut or two across the campaign.

The offensive line, in particular, has seen a rich profusion of precocity come into blossom of late, but despite the sale of world-class talisman Harry Kane in August, newly-appointed captain Heung-min Son is excelling as the focal frontman.

How is Heung-min Son performing?

Son was very much at the epicentre of Tottenham's strife last season, failing to produce the same virtue of his "special" past performances, as was claimed by former boss Jose Mourinho.

Indeed, despite scoring 14 times from 47 appearances throughout the 2022/23 campaign, the South Korean captain was not at the races and toiled as the Lilyewhites slumped to an eighth-placed league finish.

This season, the 31-year-old is very much reinvigorated, posting six goals from his past five appearances in the Premier League, all in the centre-forward position.

He has been excellent, with Postecoglou effusive in his admiration for the forward, saying: "He's been outstanding as a leader and as a player. I've put him in that nine position now and he just works so hard."

Losing Kane was always going to be a bitter pill to swallow, but Tottenham have swiftly wiped the past malaise away and now chart a course for success of a new distinction, and while an established, first-class striker was not signed, Son is proving to be a worthy successor.

The natural left flanker is thriving, yes, but he needs support up front and while the likes of Richarlison and £13m summer signing Alejo Veliz, aged 20, are alternatives, there may come a point where another dimension is needed, and teenage prospect Will Lankshear could be the man for the job.

Who is Will Lankshear?

Lankshear has been at Tottenham since joining from Sheffield United in a deal believed to be worth £2m in 2022, beating Brentford to the exciting talent's signature.

A knee injury suffered last February hampered an exciting first season in London, having posted five goals and two assists across 13 outings and earned praise for his “phenomenal” start to life at the club by Spurs expert John Wenham.

And indeed, since the turn of the summer Lankshear, still only 18, has plundered four goals and an assist from five matches across the Premier League 2 and ERL Trophy.

Given that he has been described by Wenham as a new version of Harry Kane and that he once played for Arsenal's youth side, like the England captain, there's a good chance that he is set up for success under Postecoglou's management.

A natural finisher with a range of skills, he could even be an even better fit than Jamie Donley, with the Spurs youngster touted for big things and dubbed the 'new Harry Kane' himself by the Belfast Telegraph.

Donley, who often plays just behind the centre-forward in a more creative berth, has scored five goals and supplied seven assists from six matches this season, boasting a versatility in his production that very much mirrors Kane.

However, while Donley will undoubtedly get his break this season after earning a place on the bench against Liverpool last month, what Postecoglou needs to complement Son is an out-and-out scorer, and Lankshear, who has been said to be "among the best – if not the best – striker for his age group" by Sky Sports' Lyall Thomas, fits the bill.

Andreas Pereira has taken aim at England's lack of trophies ahead of Saturday's friendly with Brazil at Wembley Stadium.

England to host Brazil at WembleyPereira back in Brazil squadAims dig at Three Lions(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Fulham star Pereira is celebrating being back in the Brazil squad for the first time in six years and is targeting victory in his team's next game against England. Brazil are under new management after appointing Dorival Junior as coach and he will be hoping to mould a squad capable of winning the Copa America in the summer.

AdvertisementWHAT PEREIRA SAID

Pereira told ESPN: "About Brazil and England, we don’t necessarily feel that there is a big, big gap. The last time Brazil won a tournament was fewer years ago than when England won a tournament. We could say there is a gap. But Brazil will always have big, big players and a big team. England as well. I think they have a lot of players that I think the Brazilian fans like. It is more the flair players – players like Rashford and Saka.

“We respect them and we know it is going to be a tough game but we are ready and we know what we are capable of. We want to win the game. We are Brazil. We always want to win everything.”

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

England's men's team famously haven't won a trophy since lifting the World Cup in 1966 but will be hoping to end that drought this summer at Euro 2024. The Three Lions finished as runners-up at Euro 2020 but will feel they can go one better this time around with a squad packed full of quality and including players such as Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Bukayo Saka.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND

England take on Brazil on Saturday with the visitors missing a host of key players due to injury such as Neymar, Gabriel Martinelli, Casemiro, Gabriel Magalhaes, Alisson Becker and Ederson. The Three Lions follow up that game with another friendly at Wembley against Belgium on Tuesday.

Aston Villa have made an exciting start to the Premier League campaign under Unai Emery; however, Sky Sports expert Kieran Maguire has been reacting to recent news behind the scenes at Villa Park.

Aston Villa off-field developments…

Despite taking 22 points from their first ten fixtures in the English top flight, Aston Villa have had to tread carefully regarding some off-field developments at the club that have come to light in recent weeks.

An update from the Villans' official website last month revealed that summer signing Nicolo Zaniolo had been assisting the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) with their enquiries into an investigation into alleged illegal betting activity in the country, alongside meeting with senior club officials.

Zaniolo, who has attracted attention from media circles due to his implication in the alleged scandal, was dropped from the Italy squad last month alongside Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali for their double-header against Malta and England while football authorities in Italy tried to establish the nature of their proposed involvement in any illegal betting activity.

Nevertheless, reports indicate that Zaniolo is unlikely to face disciplinary action for any football-related offences and will instead incur a small fine for using online sites to play poker and blackjack, which he has admitted doing despite stringent regulations surrounding football and gambling.

The Italy international has been a key part of the Villans' consistent start to the season and could start away to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday as Emery's men aim to break into the top four of the Premier League.

Nicolo Zaniolo's statistics for Aston Villa in 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

13

Goals

0

Assists

0

Nicolo Zaniolo key statistics – Premier League (WhoScored)

Shots per game

1.9

Successful dribbles per game

1

Key passes per game

0.8

Kieran Maguire drops Nicolo Zaniolo verdict

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports expert Maguire has indicated that 'hard to feel sympathy' towards Aston Villa over Zaniolo's recent difficulties in light of the Villans' controversial agreement with front-of-shirt sponsor BK8, an online gambling enterprise that has caused controversy in the past, with Norwich City cutting ties with the brand back in 2021.

Delving into the relationship between football and gambling, Maguire stated: "It’s exactly the same risk as signing a player who has suffered a serious injury such as an ACL. So it’s part of the business. I think it’s a much broader issue in terms of this ongoing relationship between the betting industry and young footballers who have significant amounts of cash.

"They have a competitive nature. They are attractive VIP customers to the betting industry who don’t seem to make a huge effort to screen things. It was an illegal gambling operation that he’s alleged to have been involved with and there will always be those. But it’s hypocritical to feel a lot of sympathy for Villa considering they recently decided to partner with a rather tawdry gambling organisation themselves. So it is hard to feel sympathy for them."

Undoubtedly, the intertwining nature between football and gambling will continue to be a complicated one as more instances of activity relating to the two become apparent across Europe.

On his professional debut, 14-year-old USMNT prospect Cavan Sullivan delivered an outstanding assist for Philadelphia Union II.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Cavan Sullivan makes professional debutNotches stupendous assist14-year-old set to sign for Man CityWHAT HAPPENED?

The 14-year-old, who is on the verge of signing for Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, delivered the long-range assist in stupendous fashion for Union II on Sunday. The delivery landed perfectly in front of the feet of the striker, who then fired home to make it 2-1. Sullivan's pass ended up being the game-winning plug, with Union II claiming victory on the day over New England Revolution II.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Sullivan has been dubbed the "best 14-year-old in the world" by Man City scouts, and as a result, the Premier League side have worked to secure his services before he signed a first-team professional contract with the Union.

On a brilliant weekend where Cavan made his pro debut, his older brother Quinn, 19, also netted a strike for the first-team in a 3-1 victory over the Portland Timbers. Less than 24 hours later, he was pictured in the stands rooting on Cavan and Union II.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Philadelphia UnionWHAT NEXT FOR SULLIVAN?

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Sullivan and City are set to put pen to paper 'soon,' with the 14-year-old joining the reigning treble-winners on a multi-year deal. Until then, though, there is a plan in place for Cavan to play with the Union U17s in the Generation Adidas tournament at the end of the month.