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Of all the England players who were left out of Thomas Tuchel's squad for their October fixtures, Jude Bellingham's omission seemed the most confusing. The midfielder has been one of the Three Lions' main protagonists ever since breaking into the starting XI post-Euro 2020 heartbreak and has long been heralded as a key player for whichever team he's representing.

There was, at least, sound enough reasoning not to call upon Bellingham for this international window in particular. After Real Madrid's elimination from the Club World Cup in July, he decided to finally undergo surgery on a long-standing shoulder issue which had been of detriment to his performances all throughout 2024-25. This was expected to result in a period of three months on the sidelines, but such has been the superhuman aura about Bellingham in his short career thus far, he made his return in September, several weeks ahead of schedule.

Bellingham has played five times for Madrid this season, though those appearances have only seen him clock 126 minutes in total, while he has started just once – in their 5-2 defeat to city rivals Atletico. "He has not fully gathered rhythm yet at Real Madrid," Tuchel said at his squad announcement a fortnight ago. "He is back in the team. He hasn't finished one full match until now, he has only started one match, so he is in the period where he gets his rhythm, where he gets back to full strength."

That was, however, one of two reasons why Bellingham didn't make the cut on this occasion. The other ought to at least make the 22-year-old feel a little uncomfortable, but it serves as great news for positional rival and fellow West Midlands native, Morgan Rogers.

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  Challenge to England outcasts

  Tuchel's explanation that Bellingham needed more minutes in his legs again came as part of a wider point about why he called upon the same squad as in September (bar Bukayo Saka coming in for the injured Noni Madueke). The German also said: "Jude is a very special player, and for special players there can always be special rules. I get this. But for this camp we decided that we stick with our straightforward decision to invite the same team. That applies also then for Jude, he deserves always to be in camp."

  That seems fair enough, but Tuchel also laid down the gauntlet to the various other stars he either overlooked or ruled out for this camp. "We are not collecting the most talented players, we are trying to build a team. Teams win trophies, no-one else," was his headline message.

  "That's how it is in international football," the Three Lions' boss continued. "But the thing you are playing [back to me] is not what I am saying. You are playing the game that says: 'He (Tuchel) is saying the others who aren't in the team, you cannot build a team with them'. It's not like this. We built a team with the players who were available and they did so well so we go again with them. Nobody said we can't do the same with them. Or even better, or maybe the same level, with the others.

  "For this moment we stick with our choice and the radical statement is that we don't collect the most talented players. We collect the guys who have the glue and cohesion to be the best team. Because we need to arrive as the best team. We will arrive as underdogs at the World Cup because we haven't won it for decades and we will play against teams who have repeatedly won it during that time. So we have to arrive as a team or we will have no chance."

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  Bellingham's role

  Bellingham's performances in the Tuchel era have been quietly positive, even if the perception is they have been mixed. In the German's first game in charge, a 2-0 win at home to Albania, Bellingham played as a No.10 who was afforded licence to roam, and he teed up debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly for the opening goal. A few days later in their 3-0 triumph over Latvia, Tuchel deployed Bellingham in a deeper role with the task of drifting towards the left to link up with winger Marcus Rashford, and though he was a net-positive in attack, the Madrid man had to be hooked when he risked picking up a second booking.

  Fast-forward to the June internationals, and Bellingham proved less than decisive in an underwhelming 1-0 triumph against Andorra in Barcelona. He was then dropped to the bench for the following 3-1 defeat against Senegal at the City Ground, coming on as a late substitute and seeing a goal ruled out after a VAR check for a foul in the build up.

  Not for the first nor last time, Tuchel then fanned the flames of controversy post-Senegal, claiming that Bellingham's visible on-pitch attitude could be construed as 'repulsive'. He said: "How we can have the best version of him [Bellingham] and the best acceptance that people understand what he is bringing to us, and that he is bringing a certain edge? Sometimes you see the rage, you see the hunger and the rage and the fire, and it comes out in a way that can be a bit repulsive, for example for my mother when she sits in front of the TV. In general we are very happy to have him. He is a special boy."

  Tuchel would go on to apologise for these comments and his careless choice of words in a second language, but the damage had been done and the soundbite was in the universe. There were already question marks over how he and a star player like Bellingham would get along.

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  Less is more

  Starting with that win against Latvia at Wembley back in March, Tuchel has sought to mould Rogers into more of a No.8, a traditional central midfielder who can get forward and drag the team into attack. He still gets into similar areas as at club level with Aston Villa, flitting between the lines and pulling into wide areas, but it's also clear that the England boss values Rogers' ability to drive from deep too.

  In that rare start together versus Latvia, Rogers completed only 33 passes out of 39 attempted across the full match, whereas Bellingham made 56 of his 60 in 67 minutes. Rogers also completed the most dribbles, seven out of eight, compared to Bellingham's tally of one out of two. Both took six shots.

  The upside of Rogers is he isn't a player who typically requires lots of touches, happy enough to drift and coast in order to make an impact out of nothing. In this sense, he is more of a Dele Alli 2.0 than Bellingham, whose evolving game has seen him demand a lot more of the ball and get involved as much as possible. Few would question if Rogers went 20 or 30 minutes without doing much, but the knives would be out for a bonafide superstar like Bellingham if they did the same.

  When Rogers has been in the thick of the action in an England shirt, he's delivered, most notably proving the catalyst in last month's 5-0 thrashing of Serbia in a hostile Belgrade atmosphere. Even in this excursion, Rogers made 22 of 27 passes and had only 40 touches in total despite playing the full 90. Tuchel had his new midfield talisman team up with winger Madueke and striker Harry Kane, playing the role to a tee and building a new set of relationships that the manager has openly craved. It's hard to tell whether a jack-of-all-trades like Bellingham would retain such similar positional discipline.

  When Tuchel was asked what he wants of his most advanced midfielder, he recently replied: "We want goal threat; team effort in pressing and high press; physicality; discipline in the position; being influential – everything." For now, Rogers ticks more of those boxes.

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  Club struggles

  While Rogers' stock as an England player has never been higher, the reverse must be said of his status at Villa. He romped to the 2024-25 PFA Young Player of the Year award, but has started the new season in questionable form for Unai Emery's side. In 10 games across all competitions for his club, Rogers is yet to score and has tallied only two assists to date.

  What seemed to be the nadir of Rogers' slump came during Villa's 1-0 win at home to Bologna in their Europa League opener, during which he was booed at points and received ironic cheers whenever he completed a pass. Given he only made 10 of the 24 he attempted (in the full 90 minutes), at least that wasn't too often, then.

  "The fans have to show their emotions. We have to accept it," Emery warned post-match. "They applaud us and sometimes not. We have to accept it. Morgan is young and needs time for experiences. I kept him on the field because I wanted his reaction, how he was accepting everything and he did it. He didn’t play well and wasn’t clinical in the attacking third to do the last assist, but I wanted to keep him because, firstly, he’s always doing his task. (He was) working for the team, but today he was not being clinical offensively. He needs to take experiences today, not playing every game well, the crowd not being happy with him and him getting his experiences and grow up through it."

  This is problem England and Tuchel could encounter further down the line if Rogers' Premier League and Europa League performances remain the subject of such ire. Villa's improved run of seven games without defeat and four wins on the spin suggests the worst of their struggles are behind them, while Rogers' two assists came in his last two matches.

To paraphrase the great Homer Simpson, it is not only easy to criticise, but fun, too. It is quite simple to sit and judge from this ivory tower, but hey, that's football after all, merely a game of opinions. Being a Premier League manager must be one of the loneliest gigs in the world, particularly when results are wayward and your job security is the subject of international speculation.

For those reasons, it should be easy to sympathise for these people, who still retain that humanity at the end of the day. Alas, somebody has to compile a list such as this.

Before we begin, we need to point out some important distinctions to making this hall of infamy. This is not simply ranking the gaffers with the worst win ratios, rather those who underperformed expectations to a staggering extent that it's almost impressive. For example, Kieran McKenna has the worst win percentage of any Premier League manager to take charge of a full 38-game season with 10.5%, but did anyone really expect an Ipswich Town side who had won back-to-back promotions to stay up?

Without further ado, here are GOAL's picks for the worst Premier League managerial tenures ever:

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  10Les Reed (Charlton Athletic)

  Football fans under the age of 25 will probably know of Les Reed from previous lists such as this. He has only ever been a manager once, and it turns out there's a pretty good reason as to why he never entered the profession again.

  Reed, who will turn 73 before the end of 2025, has enjoyed a successful career in a variety of backroom staff, developmental and consultancy roles, notably helping build the Southampton teams of the mid-2010s and more recently advising Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac at Wrexham. He's clearly a clever man, just one not suited to being a football manager.

  Charlton Athletic were an established top-flight side heading into the 2006-07 season, but following the departure of club legend Alan Curbishley, the only manager they had ever employed in the Premier League, they first turned to Iain Dowie, who was arguably awful enough to have made this list instead having won only two non-cup matches before his autumn dismissal. Reed, Dowie's assistant, was named as successor, but he proved out of his depth in the hot-seat and won merely one of his eight games at the helm, which came courtesy of a last-minute goal to beat Blackburn 1-0.

  Alan Pardew became the Addicks' third manager of the season and managed to take the survival race down to the penultimate week of the campaign, but it was too little and too late to save the south Londoners from relegation.

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  9Remi Garde (Aston Villa)

  Aston Villa's decline and eventual relegation from the Premier League in 2016 truly began with the appointment of Tim Sherwood a year earlier, but hey, he managed to steer them clear from the drop at the end of the 2014-15 season and led them to an unlikely FA Cup final. When ex-Arsenal star Remi Garde was brought in as his replacement, there was genuine hope and belief he could bring together a band of misfits.

  That Villa team included names such as Jack Grealish, Idrissa Gueye, Jordan Veretout and Jordan Amavi who would go on to have fine careers elsewhere, yet ultimately the team lacked enough quality around them, as Garde came to find out. Despite earning a credible 0-0 draw with title favourites Manchester City during his first match in the dugout, Garde emerged as the victor in only two of his 20 Premier League matches at the helm, with own goals being scored on both occasions to boost Villa's chances.

  It was a strange failure considering Garde had steered Lyon through their post-Ligue 1 titles patch of transition and only left the club in 2014 due to personal issues. This short stint in the West Midlands made him effectively unemployable in Europe again however, with his next – and to date, latest – job coming in MLS with the Montreal Impact from 2017 to 2019.

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  8David Moyes (Manchester United)

  Listen, is it harsh for David Moyes to make this list considering how woeful every Manchester United manager has been ever since his reign? Yes, but we also need to remember how his spell felt in the moment.

  The Red Devils were the reigning champions. It was no secret they had wanted other managers to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson instead – Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola were among the names floated at the time – and so Moyes walked into an unideal situation from the off. That also slightly reduced the weight of expectation on him, yet he still managed to limbo beneath that bar regardless.

  United's philosophy under Fergie was 'win at all costs'. It transcended formations and personnel. Under Moyes, they endeavoured to do the opposite and was the first in a long line of failures at Old Trafford. Ruben Amorim may yet crack this list when all is said and done, while Erik ten Hag's final 18 months where the vibes went straight to hell are worthy of a place here, but the United nomination has to go to the man who started this run.

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  7Roy Hodgson (Watford)

  Roy Hodgson has earned a deserved reputation of steering teams to safety and making them competitive against top sides. You can see why Watford pivoted to him in January 2022 having already dismissed Xisco Munoz and Claudio Ranieri with the team teetering on the brink of the relegation zone.

  The blueprint seemed simple enough. Hodgson, at this stage breaking his own record for oldest manager in Premier League history, would bring steady principles to a side in need of stability and they would cobble enough points together to move away from the drop. It sounded great in theory, less so in reality.

  The veteran manager couldn't bring together a fractured dressing room and, if anything, made relations between the club and fanbase worse. Following their 1-0 defeat at his past (and future) club Crystal Palace, Hodgson applauded the Selhurst Park home crowd, but neglected the away end, claiming they were too far away for him to acknowledge.

  Remarkably, Hodgson, who failed to secure even a single home victory at Watford, lasted until the summer before being shown the door by the trigger-happy Pozzo family, seemingly heading into retirement before heading back to Palace for old time's sake.

“Right now it looks like a mess”. Those were the words of Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, speaking after his former side slipped to a frustrating 1-0 defeat away to Galatasaray on Tuesday evening.

Victor Osimhen’s first-half penalty proved enough to clinch all three points for the Turkish giants in that Champions League tussle, with the trip to Istanbul a particularly damaging one amid notable injury blows for both Alisson and Hugo Ekitike.

While the reigning Premier League champions remain top of the pile domestically, this has been a challenging week for Arne Slot’s side, having been deservedly beaten by an in-form Crystal Palace at the weekend.

This is certainly no time to panic, amid a difficult seven days in what has largely been a flawless tenure for the Dutchman to date, although with the warning signs having already been there in recent weeks, something needs to change.

As Carragher alluded to on CBS, the Merseysiders “haven’t gained anything going forward, but they’ve lost a lot defensively” following the summer squad overhaul, with the backline looking all at sea thus far.

With just two clean sheets in ten games in all competitions in 2025/26 – the last of which came away at Burnley – the Reds need to find a way to plaster over the cracks that are emerging…

Konate & Frimpong's display vs Galatasaray

While there were few who could hold their heads high on Tuesday night, among those who particularly underwhelmed were Ibrahima Konate and Jeremie Frimpong, with the pair enduring another worrying display against the Super Lig side.

In the case of Frimpong, there may well be concerns brewing over his ability to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back for the long-term, with Slot even favouring him in a more advanced role, in order to afford Mohamed Salah a well-earned rest.

That switch certainly didn’t pay off, however, with the diminutive Dutchman hooked on the hour mark after a desperately disappointing showing, having lost the ball on 16 occasions from just 35 touches, as per Sofascore, while winning just two of his nine attempted duels.

Such lightweight quality hardly inspires any confidence that the ex-Bayer Leverkusen man can flourish when moved back into a full-back berth, with Slot perhaps wise to avoid pairing the summer signing with the hapless Konate in that right channel.

Indeed, the Frenchman endured another sorry outing up against the rampant Osimhen, having notably gifted possession to the Nigerian in the second half, after a slack pass back was intercepted by the ex-Napoli striker.

As noted by the Liverpool Echo’s Paul Gorst, the former RB Leipzig man ‘looks worryingly out of form of late’, with the failure to get the Marc Guehi deal over the line looking set to haunt Slot and co over the coming months.

Even despite the lack of alternatives, Slot needs to find a way to take Konate – and Frimpong too – out of the firing line, with the same perhaps true of this season’s Alexander-Arnold…

The new Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool

While ‘Trent’ may now be old news at Anfield, it is worth noting that the struggles of the injury-hit Real Madrid man last season now appear to be being repeated in this new-look Liverpool side.

There is a sense that the Reds romped to the title in 2024/25 in spite of the Englishman, not because of him, with the contract rebel never seemingly managing to win over Jurgen Klopp’s successor in the dugout.

Indeed, while the attacking quality remained – with his 14 goals and assists eclipsing his tally of 13 from the previous campaign – the 26-year-old’s defensive woes were plain to see.

Substituted off on 16 occasions in the top-flight, the academy graduate notably made four errors leading to a shot, while being dribbled past 1.7 times per game, as per Sofascore, with Slot certainly not wholly impressed by what he saw:

That scenario now looks to be repeating itself with the case of £40m man, Milos Kerkez, with the Hungarian youngster also emerging as something of a liability at full-back, following his summer switch from Bournemouth.

Much like Alexander-Arnold, the 21-year-old – who registered five Premier League assists last season – is a real asset in an attacking sense when at his best, with that form also seeing him create eight ‘big chances’ under Andoni Iraola’s watch.

Unfortunately, that quality is yet to be seen in a Liverpool shirt, with Kerkez still waiting to register his first goal involvement for his new side, after making ten appearances in all competitions.

Targeted on the opening weekend by former teammate Antoine Semenyo, the rampaging left-back has regularly come under the microscope since then, not least following his early withdrawal amid the threat of a red card at Turf Moor.

It was also his errant clearance which led to the throw-in that saw Palace clinch victory at the weekend, while in midweek, the £75k-per-week menace won just three of his seven attempted duels, while failing to provide a single successful cross or long ball.

It is, of course, still early days, with the at-times hot-headed defender also perhaps not aided by the woes of those ahead of him, having yet to strike up a fruitful partnership with Cody Gakpo down that left flank.

That being said, as was the case with Alexander-Arnold’s demotion behind young Conor Bradley on occasion last term, Kerkez may find himself ousted for a more steady presence in the form of the long-serving Andy Robertson.

Like Trent, at his best, the former Cherries starlet can be such a weapon from the flanks with his wicked delivery and attacking instincts. Like Trent, too, however, at his worst, he can be a costly figure in a defensive sense for Slot’s side.

Liverpool star who's "on par with Salah & VVD" had his worst game under Slot

Liverpool endured a night to forget as they were beaten by Galatasaray in the Champions League.

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Angus Sinclair

Oct 1, 2025

Brenden Aaronson’s strong run of form reached new heights with a goal in Leeds United’s 2-1 victory over West Ham, earning plaudits from USMNT legend Alexi Lalas. The FOX Sports analyst praised Aaronson’s steady improvement and work ethic, saying the midfielder has played his way back into U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino’s plans.

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  'He's got an opportunity'

  Lalas emphasized that Aaronson's previous solid form for the U.S. and his current strong run for Leeds make him a strong candidate for the upcoming U.S. call-ups in November. 

  “Well, stock up again,” Lalas said on his State of the Union podcast. “It's in the context of his club performance. We have seen Brendan Aaronson play well, not necessarily be the best player on the field for the U.S. men's national team. He's got an opportunity. I think he's worked his way back into the, not the good graces, because I don't think Pochetino didn't like him."

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  Reassessing Aaronson's ceiling

  Lalas said that critics might have placed limitations on what Aaronson could achieve at the highest levels of European football.

  “Always when we talked about Brenden Aaronson, it was about that ceiling and what he was,” Lalas said. “Maybe there's still a little room, and maybe we shortchanged him in terms of what he can be. But this is not surprising to me… people, and I'm talking about coaches, mostly fans, fans alike, too, recognize and I think they see value in his 'work ethic.'"

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  'Very good soccer player'

  Lalas emphasised how Aaronson's work rate has translated into appreciation from both the coaching staff and Leeds supporters. 

  “Sometimes that can happen when you say someone works hard, it's, you know, damning with faint praise, right?” Lalas said. “It's they work hard. And what you are almost implying is that they're not really good at soccer. And so they make up for it with hard, with hard work. Very good soccer player. I think he’s kind of like a Cristian Roldán, who has done more with less than others…

  "This is a good thing, and it's a good thing that he's being recognized and he's playing well. I don't necessarily think it's going to translate into him starring for the national team, but this is better than him not playing well and not even being involved in the national team going forward.”

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• Road ahead for Aaronson and Leeds

  face Brighton and Hove Albion next on Oct. 31 in the Carabao Cup, and then they’ll face Nottingham Forest on Nov. 8.

Crystal Palace are thought to be in pole position to sign a new forward who stunned Chelsea earlier this year.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner responds to Man Utd rumours

The Eagles have enjoyed a brilliant start to the 2025/26 Premier League season after lifting the FA Cup and Community Shield earlier this year and are now on a club-record 18-game unbeaten run.

Saturday’s dramatic win against champions Liverpool saw Palace move on to 12 points after six games, with Eddie Nketiah’s late winner ending the Reds’ 100% start to the campaign.

As a result of the brilliant job Oliver Glasner is doing at Selhurst Park, he continues to be linked with roles elsewhere.

There have been claims he is on Manchester United’s radar to replace Ruben Amorim, with reports even suggesting he would take the Old Trafford job “in a heartbeat”.

“My information is if Glasner was offered the Manchester United job, he would take it in a heartbeat.” (Ben Jacobs)

However, when asked about the direct rumours of a move to Manchester and other ‘top clubs’, Glasner has now said:

Steve Parish and co will be hoping Glasner continues in his position when the January 2026 transfer window opens, and it looks as if the Eagles are already working on one potential addition.

Matthew McConaughey reveals shock Premier League team that he's a "fan" of

The Hollywood star has made an unexpected reveal…

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 1, 2025

Crystal Palace "in negotiations" to sign Flamengo forward Wallace Yan

According to reports in Brazil, relayed by Sport Witness, Crystal Palace are thought to be in pole position ahead of Wolves to sign Flamengo forward Wallace Yan in 2026.

The Eagles had talks in the summer which will continue into the New Year. Flamengo director Jose Boto is aware of Palace’s talks for Yan which involve the player’s agent, Claudio Guadagno.

Journalist Julio Miguel Neto said: “The Flamengo forward is in negotiations to move to Europe, and Crystal Palace appear as the main interested party.”

At the age of 20, Yan has now scored seven goals in 28 appearances for Flamengo’s first team after coming through the academy, two of which came at the Club World Cup. He even sealed a shock win for the Brazilian side over eventual winners Chelsea, scoring the third goal of a 3-1 win late on.

Filipe Luis, a former Chelsea left-back, is the manager of Flamengo and has described what Yan is like as a centre-forward.

“He uses both feet and finishes very well with either. He is light, versatile, healthy and a finisher. I see him much more as a nine, a guy who attacks space.”

A move to Selhurst Park is seemingly being worked on behind the scenes, making this one to watch over the coming months.

Bayern Munich’s plan to welcome back Jerome Boateng as an intern under Vincent Kompany has collapsed amid fan outrage over the former defender’s past conviction. The ex-German international, who had hoped to begin his coaching journey at the club where he won everything, has now stepped back, urging focus on Bayern’s success while he turns toward his A-license studies.

• Bayern’s plan with Boateng and the fallout

  Bayern had intended to bring Boateng back home in a mentorship role under Kompany. The plan was simple but symbolic as the 2014 World Cup winner, who spent a decade in Munich winning nine Bundesliga titles and two Champions Leagues, would begin his post-playing career where it all began, learning the ropes of management.

  The club had approved the short internship as part of Boateng’s A-license certification, giving him hands-on experience with one of Europe’s top technical setups. Kompany, who shared a dressing room with Boateng at Manchester City, was said to be enthusiastic about having him join the staff in a developmental capacity.

  However, what began as a low-key initiative quickly turned into a storm. Bayern fans launched protests, both online and at the Allianz Arena, condemning the decision and citing Boateng’s 2024 conviction for intentional bodily harm. Supporters unfurled banners reading: “No place for violence at Bayern,” and a petition titled: “Set boundaries against misogynistic violence” gained thousands of signatures within days. The growing backlash led Boateng and Bayern to jointly decide to cancel the arrangement.

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  Boateng speaks out after fan's protest

  For Boateng, the internship cancellation was a painful but calculated decision. The former Bayern centre-back, who had initially expressed joy at returning to Sabener Strasse, admitted that the controversy took a toll on him. Yet, in his words, his focus remains on rebuilding and contributing to football from another angle. 

  In a message on Instagram, the defender announced: “After the recent discussions surrounding me, I’ve decided to focus on my topics – the A license, RYZR, and Arena2. That’s where my focus is right now, and your full focus should be solely on the pitch and the goal of continuing this impressive streak of 13 consecutive victories.”

  Bayern echoed his sentiment in a statement on social media. The statement from the club said: “In a constructive exchange that FC Bayern and Jérôme Boateng had this week, it was decided that Jérôme Boateng will not be an intern at FC Bayern. Jérôme feels very connected to FC Bayern and does not want FC Bayern to suffer any damage due to the current controversial discussion surrounding him.”

  The withdrawal helped defuse rising tensions with supporters, ensuring that the club’s image and fan unity remained intact. Yet the episode also reignited debate about rehabilitation in football and how former players with legal histories can rebuild their careers.

• Boateng's legal saga and it's impact

  The uproar around Boateng’s return stems from a six-year legal saga that shadowed the twilight of his playing career. The case dated back to July 2018, when Boateng was accused of assaulting his former partner, Sherin Senler, during a vacation in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

  Boateng consistently denied the allegations, but the case went through multiple appeals and retrials. In September 2021, a Munich court initially fined him €1.8 million, later reduced to €1.2 million after appeal. In July 2024, the final verdict imposed a suspended fine of €200,000 and ordered him to donate €100,000 to charity, though no criminal record was issued. The court emphasised protecting the couple’s daughters, calling them “the real victims” of the prolonged legal dispute.

  While the case ended without jail time, its reputational impact was immense. The controversy affected Boateng’s final playing years, limiting his club prospects. After leaving Bayern in 2021, he had brief stints in France and Italy before retiring in 2025, closing a glittering chapter that included over 300 appearances, nine Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokals and two Champions League crowns.

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  What’s next for Boateng and Bayern?

  Although the internship has been shelved, the Bavarians made it clear that the door to the club remains symbolically open. The management and Kompany personally thanked Boateng for his understanding, emphasising that his contributions to the club’s legacy would always be remembered.

  Sources close to Bayern indicated that the original plan was for Boateng to shadow the coaching staff through early 2026, but fan sentiment made the move untenable. Kompany, meanwhile, has publicly supported the decision while urging focus on the team’s ongoing campaign.

  Boateng, for his part, has pivoted his energy toward the next chapter, completing his UEFA A coaching license, expanding his athlete recovery company RYZR, and developing Arena2, a project focused on community-based sports performance.

Manchester City starlet Reigan Heskey, the son of former Liverpool striker Emile, helped to give England lift-off in their U17 World Cup campaign as he inspired an 8-1 victory over Haiti. Having lost their opening game of the tournament in Qatar, the Young Lions knew that three points were imperative in their second Group E fixture. Neil Ryan's side ultimately eased over that line.

• Young Lions plunder eight goals in huge win

  Having fluffed their lines in surprising fashion against Venezuela, slipping to a humbling 3-0 defeat, it took less than 60 seconds for England to open the scoring against Haiti. Heskey was involved from the off, with his low cross being turned home by Tottenham No.10 Luca Williams-Barnett.

  The tricky Spurs playmaker looked lively throughout the opening exchanges, with some neat footwork – which saw him skip and spin away from a couple of challenges – coming close to providing another sight of goal. At the opposite end of the field, Haiti posed a threat with pacey counter attacks.

  England were, however, to see collective nerves settled further inside quarter of an hour. The match officials initially waved away Heskey’s claims for a penalty after he was sent tumbling inside the box by Emerson Alexis, but a VS review saw a spot-kick awarded – with coaches able to lodge two requests during any given contest.

  Having earned the opportunity from 12 yards, Heskey stepped up himself and calmly sent Haiti’s goalkeeper the wrong way as he found the bottom corner. Ryan’s side were given a wake-up call in the 17th minute when their offside trap was beaten and Franco Celestin headed in off the underside of the crossbar from a matter of inches.

  England’s two-goal lead was restored inside four minutes, with Heskey involved prominently once again as he teed up Chelsea’s Reggie Walsh for a composed finish. The heat and humidity was clearly becoming too much for Haiti, as they were left chasing shadows, with the Young Lions pulling away early in the second half.

  Venezuelan-born Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez of Lyon opened his account for the tournament in the 55th minute, showing good strength to hold off his marker and drill low across goal and into the net. England’s fifth arrived three minutes later as Heskey set up substitute Chizaram Ezenwata of Chelsea for a shot that was fired through defenders on the line.

  Haiti were then hit for six in the 64th minute when the impressive Williams-Barnet grabbed his second of the game. The 17-year-old once again showcased dancing feet as he found space where there was very little and completed a mazy dribble with a cheeky nutmeg.

  Despite only being introduced in place of Rodriguez, exciting Stamford Bridge prospect Ezenwata helped himself to the match ball when completing his hat-trick with there still 10 minutes left on the clock. Two smart finishes, one in off the post and another across the goalkeeper, saw him to a memorable hat-trick at a prominent international tournament.

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  The MVP

  Williams-Barnett looked very impressive – with Tottenham seemingly having a huge talent on their hands there – while Ezenwata claimed the match ball, but Heskey made the difference when England were looking to take control of proceedings.

  He is not the same kind of player as his father – who was a powerful striker – with the talented teenager more at home on the flanks. He does, however, still boast an eye for goal – be that hitting the net himself or providing for others.

  Haiti never got close to containing the threat that he posed before being replaced 11 minutes from time. Heskey helped to get the ball rolling inside the opening minutes, before firing home from the penalty spot himself.

  He showcased his unselfish side when putting chances on a plate for Walsh and Ezenwata. He will be brimming with confidence ahead of England’s final group stage fixture against Egypt on November 10.

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  The big loser

  It feels harsh to brand any of the Young Lions as a "loser" given how commanding they were across 90 impressive minutes. The only blot on an otherwise impressive copybook came in the form of Celestin’s first-half goal. Arsenal keeper Jack Porter – who was the Gunners’ youngest debutant before seeing Max Dowman break that record – will be disappointed not to have kept a clean sheet. He was worried at times during the opening 45 minutes, but was left with little to do as England put their foot on the gas and pulled away from Haiti in style.

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  Match rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In a move that could see them skip out the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Liverpool have reportedly joined the race to sign an impressive South American wonderkid.

Van Dijk: It's "clear" Liverpool must improve

Returning from the international break looking to return to winning ways for the first time in three games, against rivals Manchester United no less, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has admitted that the Reds must improve.

The Dutchman also praised the Red Devils, sending a warning to the rest of his teammates about the threat that they pose even after getting off to a difficult start to the campaign, themselves.

For Arne Slot, it’s an unfamiliar position.

The Dutchman only knows winning ways in Merseyside after securing the Premier League title in his debut campaign last time out. Now, for the first time, the pressure is on him to turn Liverpool’s £400m summer spending spree into a side capable of defending that title.

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Anfield chiefs rarely panic on that front, however, and will instead have their sights set on further improvements.

After smashing their transfer record twice in the summer to welcome Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have reportedly shifted their focus towards a wonderkid.

Liverpool join Ian Subiabre race

As reported by The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, Liverpool have now joined the race to sign Ian Subiabre alongside Arsenal, Manchester City and a number of other Premier League rivals.

The youngster is one of the most promising stars that South American football has to offer, and is reportedly ready to move on from River Plate in 2026.

Described as a “direct dribbler” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Subiabre would be an excellent coup for Liverpool, especially in January if a winter move does indeed become possible.

Whether it’s been those at Anfield in the case of Alexis Mac Allister or Chelsea with Moises Caicedo, a number of top Premier League sides have missed out on bargain deals for South American stars before paying a premium price to the likes of Brighton to secure those same players.

The Reds could now skip that step by landing a repeat of Man City’s Claudio Echeverri deal for Subiabre next year.

While Subiabre’s deal is due to expire at the end of 2026, reports from his homeland suggest the 18-year-old is actually ready to renew his deal until 2028 — giving River Plate the chance to recuperate a larger fee for him.

This proposed fresh contract, if officially announced, would include a whopping £74 million release clause.

Liverpool will be praying this isn’t the case, and Subiabre pulls a ‘Trent’ by running his current deal down.

If not, Slot’s side would have to fork out much more money for the Argentine, albeit maybe not as high as the clause.

The Detroit Tigers won yet again on Wednesday night, taking care of business easily against the Tampa Bay Rays to move even closer to completing one of the most remarkable runs in baseball history and securing a playoff spot. They are now 10 games over .500 and will make the playoffs barring a collapse this weekend against the lowly Chicago White Sox.

In short, the vibes are immaculate and have been boosted by Bally Sports Detroit's broadcast of the 29-11 stretch. Jason Benetti has been as advertised, one of the very best announcers working any sport. And a rotating crew of analysts including Dan Petry, Andy Dirks, Kirk Gibson and Carlos Peña have added to the experience.

Peña found himself in the middle of Benetti and Gibson last night and authored a great moment in the sixth inning. Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson was at the dish with with one on and one out against Tampa Bays reliever Manuel Rodríguez. Peña noticed the way Torkelson was being pitched and applied that baseball instinct to predict a big fly on the next pitch.

And when Torkelson launched a two-run home run to make Peña look like a genius, the player-turned-analyst reacted like Joe Rogan watching a shocking knockout ringside.

It's been a long, long time since anyone doing a Tigers broadcast has had reason to have this much fun. Game after game it becomes clear that everyone involved is taking full advantage of the surprising opportunity at every turn.

Kieran McKenna has delivered his verdict on Celtic following recent reports that the Scottish giants could look to land the Ipswich Town manager to replace Brendan Rodgers.

It’s been quite the week at Celtic Park. Chaos unfolded on Monday when Brendan Rodgers made the decision to resign and since then, the Hoops have travelled back in time – appointing Martin O’Neill on an interim basis.

The veteran manager has instantly got the Scottish champions back to winning ways, overseeing a 4-0 victory over Falkirk on Wednesday evening before telling reporters: “I’m really pleased to win in the manner we did, and we played some delightful stuff. Could have scored a couple more, too.

“My anxiety has calmed somewhat. When you get a few goals in front you can perhaps enjoy the last 10 or 15 minutes, and it kind of brought me back. I’ve not seen Celtic often, not live, to make criticism of this side. A restoration of confidence was great.”

Leaving O’Neill to turn things around on the pitch, Parkhead chiefs have commenced their search for a new manager and already faced their first blow thanks to Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian has reportedly chosen to take a break from football after getting the sack at Nottingham Forest just 39 days into the job. This shuts down any rumours that he could be making a sensational return to Scotland in the coming weeks.

Forced to search elsewhere, Celtic could yet turn towards Wales boss Craig Bellamy or Club Brugge’s Nicky Hayen, who has refused to rule a move out.

Meanwhile, another option is McKenna. The Ipswich Town boss has quite the reputation and has reportedly made Celtic’s shortlist as a result. Whether he decides to call it quits at Portman Road is another question, however.

Kieran McKenna delivers fresh Celtic verdict

Asked about the vacant job in his latest press conference, McKenna revealed where he ranks Celtic as a club whilst also speaking about his verdict on the position in Scotland.

Despite holding them in high regard, it looks as though Celtic will have a tough task on their hands if they want to lure McKenna away from Ipswich.

The former Manchester United coach has done an excellent job in Suffolk, taking Ipswich to as high as the Premier League following back-to-back promotions before suffering relegation last season.

Former Irish League star Thomas Stewart is one of many ex-players and pundits to have praised McKenna, previously telling reporters: “He’s well-educated, an intelligent man and I always felt that when we had conversations when we were younger.

As good as Kenny: Celtic star who won 10 duels is already undroppable

This Celtic star who was as good as Johnny Kenny is now undroppable for Martin O’Neill.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 30, 2025

“I think we were the only two from the U16 Victory Shield team that got left out and went on to play for the U21 team. I’ve full respect for him and he’s doing an amazing job.”

For now, though, Celtic may be forced to miss out on their managerial target.

Celtic to contact Craig Bellamy