تحدث لامين يامال نجم برشلونة الشاب، عن فوز فريقه القاتل أمام أتلتيكو مدريد، خلال منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني.
وتقدم أتلتيكو مدريد بهدفين، ثم حول برشلونة تأخره إلى فوز برباعية، وسجل لامين يامال الهدف الثالث.
وقال لامين يامال في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: أنا سعيد جدًا، كانت انتصارًا مهمًا”.
وأضاف بشأن الاحتفال في غرفة الملابس: “كنا نحتفل معًا، كنا جميعًا سعداء، الآن حان وقت التوجه مع المنتخب”.
وواصل: “من الغضب والإحباط أخرجنا أفضل ما لدينا، لأن الأمور لم تسر كما أردنا، قدمنا أفضل ما لدينا”.
اقرأ أيضًا | رجل مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد في الدوري الإسباني
وأردف: “هدف ليفاندوفسكي كان مهمًا جدًا، وكذلك هدف فيران توريس، ثم جاءت الأهداف الأخرى تقريبًا من تلقاء نفسها”.
وتابع لامين يامال: “كنت متأكدًا أنه إذا سجلت، سيكون في المباريات المهمة، بصراحة، لا أركز كثيرًا إذا لم أسجل في المباريات التي يفوز فيها الفريق، كل شيء من أجل مساعدة الفريق”.
وأتم: “الانتصار على أتلتيكو مدريد هو بمثابة ضربة قوية، هو استعادة الصدارة مع مباراة أقل لنا”.
An ex-Barcelona youth coach has revealed how they beat Espanyol to Lamine Yamal's signature – despite him forgetting his boots for a trial.
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Yamal could have joined Espanyol
Ended up signing for Barcelona
Despite forgetting boots at trial
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Albert Puig, who was a youth coach at Barcelona between 2005-10, has revealed how close Yamal was to joining Espanyol when he was at La Torreta academy. He said a six-year-old Yamal forgot to bring his boots to his Barcelona trial and that Juan Gascon, a president of La Torreta, insisted he "has to play for Barca".
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WHAT ALBERT PUIG SAID
He told Jijantes: "Lamine Yamal had already gone on a trial with Espanyol. They had noticed him before. Then, two key figures at La Torreta appeared. The president, Rafa Rodriguez and Juan Gascon. Also the scout, Isidre Gil, absolute legend. If I’m not mistaken, he also scouted Marc Casado and many others. So, Isidre Gil goes to La Torreta’s playground, and there in the bar he asks if they have any good players. And Gascon answers, 'Look, there’s a little dark-skinned kid who’s really good'. Talking about the guy [Lamine Yamal] Espanyol had scouted. The next day they had a match and they won 6-0. He said, 'Well, this kid has to play for Barça'.
"Then Lamine Yamal came for a trial. A funny detail: Juan Gascon told him a thousand times to not forget anything, but of course, what happens? He forgets his boots. Well, we are talking about a six-year-old kid. And obviously we lent a pair of boots.
"Despite being one or even two years younger than others, he stands out incredibly. And, obviously, since I was there, you can imagine who made the decision. From that moment, we told him to keep coming back, and we formally notified them that we wanted him."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Yamal is, arguably, the best Barcelona academy product the club have produced in decades. Not only was he voted the best young footballer in the world, the 17-year-old is already one of the best players on the planet. How different it could have been if he had joined Espanyol..
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WHAT NEXT?
Yamal could next feature for Barca at home to lowly Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Monday night.
Chelsea could now be ready to sanction a shock exit from Stamford Bridge in January despite their strong start to the season under new boss Enzo Maresca, it has been claimed.
Chelsea hold Arsenal to draw
Having lost just twice in the Premier League all season so far, Chelsea head into the international break in third after holding out-of-form Arsenal to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The Blues fell a goal down thanks to Gabriel Martinelli, but responded through a rasping drive from Pedro Neto, who found the bottom corner from 25 yards out to restore parity and grab his first Premier League goal in Chelsea colours.
They survived a late scare late on when Leandro Trossard poked wide with the last kick of the game, but held on to a point against a team tipped to challenge for the title, who now find themselves behind the Blues on goal difference and a massive nine points off the early leaders Liverpool.
It underlines just how impressive Enzo Maresca’s work has been at Stamford Bridge since his arrival in the summer, with his only defeats coming against the clubs directly above the Blues (Manchester City and Liverpool) and the west Londoners having a favourable run of fixtures ahead to try and pull ahead of the competition in the race for the top four, or even mount an unlikely title challenge of their own.
Chelsea’s next five Premier League games
Leicester City (Away)
Aston Villa (Home)
Southampton (Away)
Tottenham (Away)
Brentford (Home)
But their success hasn’t been shared by everyone, and now one player could be ready to jump ship mid season.
Forward could leave Chelsea in January
That is according to French outlet L’Equipe, who point to Chelsea attacker Christopher Nkunku as the potential wantaway star this winter. Signed from RB Leipzig two years ago, the Frenchman has not started a Premier League game since the opening day of the season, and has seen just 154 minutes of Premier League action including the final two minutes against Arsenal.
Speaking ahead of the season, Maresca was full of praise for the Frenchman, suggesting he would be an important figure at Stamford Bridge.
“I knew Nkunku before I joined and I love him. He can play in the pocket, as a nine and winger. He’s a very good fit for this system”, Maresca told the media.
Chelsea star was nearly sold under Poch, now he's become undroppable
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ByConnor Holden Nov 11, 2024
However, that has not translated to significant Premier League game time and with Estevao due to join up with the squad next summer and the Blues reportedly keen to sign a new striker as soon as January, competition for places in Maresca’s attack will only become more fierce.
And as per L’Equipe, Nkunku is already unhappy with his playing time in west London, while the Blues “would be open to selling Nkunku given the amount of firepower they currently have at their disposal”.
In fact, Old Trafford is named as a potential destination, with Manchester United looking to hand more firepower to new incoming boss Ruben Amorim. However, any deal is likely to be expensive, with Nkunku under contract until 2029 at Stamford Bridge, and still in the prime of his career, leaving it unlikely that he would be sold on the cheap.
It has been a simply outrageous few years for Ipswich Town and their fans.
Kieran McKenna has led the club from the depths of League One to the heights of the Premier League, and while it’s too early to say, their performances thus far suggest that they could stay up this season.
Moreover, the club went big in the summer and brought in several talented first-teamers to ensure that even if they do go down, coming back up should be much more straightforward.
However, while buying gifted players is certainly one way to help the club grow, the Tractor Boys will want to start producing more of their own talented prospects in the academy, as doing so in the past has made them a pretty penny, especially one gem who was once compared to Alan Shearer.
Notable Ipswich academy players
Okay, before we get to the star who earned the club a hefty sum of money, let’s start with another academy product who might’ve done the same had he not been released before making a first-team appearance: Nick Pope.
Nick Pope
Yes, the English shot-stopper, who supported the Tractor Boys, was part of the club’s youth set-up as a teenager but moved to non-league outfit Bury Town at just 16 years old in July 2008 before moving to Charlton Athletic in 2011, where his professional career kicked off with several loan moves.
Nowadays, the Soham-born star has 201 Premier League appearances to his name between Burnley and Newcastle United and has represented the Three Lions on ten occasions – so it would be fair to say that releasing him was probably a minor mistake.
However, spotting young talents is an incredibly difficult thing to do, and for every player a club releases too soon, there is usually another gem they can cash in on, and in the Blues’ case, that gem was Connor Wickham.
Unlike Pope, the Hereford-born poacher made it into the senior side and became the club’s youngest-ever player when he debuted in April 2009 at 16 years and 11 days old.
Over the next few seasons, the tremendously exciting prospect would score 15 goals and provide four assists in 72 games and win the EFL’s Young Player of the Season and Championship Apprentice Award in 2011 before earning an £8m move to Sunderland that same summer, which was a record sale for Ipswich.
Now, while fans would probably have rather kept the up-and-coming striker at the time, the following years would show that the ownership was 100% correct in their decision to take the profit and run.
Wickham's post Ipswich career
Now, the most important thing to mention when discussing Wickham is that, unfortunately, his has been another career ravaged by injury, as in the 13 years following his departure from Portman Road, he has missed a staggering 170 games through problems with his hamstrings, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, groin and back.
Not only was the promising centre-forward beset by physical issues, he also had to deal with unfair expectations during his stint at the Stadium of Light, as during one of his very few hot streaks in 2014, Black Cats legend Niall Quinn made the frankly insane claim that the then 21-year-old could be “Sunderland’s Alan Shearer” – talk about setting someone up to fail.
During his time as a Sunderland player, the former Ipswich prospect was sent on loan to Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United, and when he was finally sold to Crystal Palace for just £7m in August 2015, he had 15 goals and three assists to his name in 91 appearances.
Ipswich Town
72
15
4
0.26
Sunderland
91
15
3
0.19
Crystal Palace
50
11
5
0.32
Sheffield Wednesday
30
11
3
0.46
Forest Green Rovers
20
9
0
0.45
Leeds United
5
0
1
0.20
Cardiff City
12
1
2
0.25
MK Dons
15
1
0
0.06
Charlton Athletic
4
1
1
0.50
Preston North End
2
0
0
0.00
The same poor form and poor luck followed him to Selhurst Park, and over his six years with the Eagles, he racked up 11 goals and five assists in 50 appearances while also spending another season on loan with Wednesday.
Following the expiration of his contract with Palace, Wickham has spent the last few years on short-term deals with Preston North End, MK Dons, Forest Green Rovers, Cardiff City and, most recently, Charlton, but as of July, he has been without a team.
Ultimately, Wickham has been extraordinarily unlucky with injuries throughout his career, and with that in mind, it would be hard to deny that Ipswich did very well to get £8m for him back in 2011, as had he stayed in Suffolk, they may well have struggled to get anything from him in the long run.
Ipswich hit gold selling a future European Champion for 1624% profit
Ipswich Town hit the jackpot with the Premier League veteran.
Lamine Yamal has dismissed the prospect of him leaving Barcelona any time soon as the young star says he owes "everything" to the club.
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Yamal's contract expires next yearPSG said to have made a huge offerTeen star insists he will stay at BarcaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
At just 17 years old Yamal has risen to superstardom thanks to his stunning performances for Barcelona and Spain, reportedly sparking a massive €250 million (£211m/$277m) from Paris Saint-Germain last year.
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Yamal's current contract with the Camp Nou side expires at the end of June next year but he has reportedly agreed to an extension once he turns 18 in July, and the academy graduate has reiterated his commitment to the club.
WHAT YAMAL SAID
"I don't think anyone doubts what I'm like as a Barca player, what I love for this club. I've said it since I made my debut and I think it will be resolved in the end. If both parties want something to happen, it will happen. But I don't think anyone can doubt what I feel for this club," he told .
Asked about the links to Paris Saint-Germain and if he could leave in the near future, the winger added: "I don't think so. I don't get any, but if someone in my circle did, they wouldn't even tell me. First, and above all, because I had a contract and then because I think it was unfeasible for me to go to another club. Well, it's the only club I've been at apart from La Torreta, which was the team I started at. But yes, I owe everything to Barca. In the end, it's where I grew up, I was at La Masía from the age of 12 and playing for Barca from the age of seven."
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL?
Yamal has five goals and 10 assists in 21 matches in La Liga this season and will be looking to improve on that record when his side take on Las Palmas in the Spanish top-flight this weekend. Barca are sitting top of the La Liga table ahead of Real Madrid on goal difference after 24 games.
Wrexham are still writing a Hollywood script in League One, with Max Cleworth proving to be the hero for them once again in a 2-1 win at Mansfield.
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Parkinson's side battle to away win
Remain within touching distance of top two
Bid to book day out at Wembley up next
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Phil Parkinson’s side were gifted a dream start at Field Mill, with Calum MacDonald inexplicably turning into his own net when trying to deal with a drilled cross from Ollie Rathbone. The creator of that goal clipped the post a few minutes later, before Jay Rodriguez fired straight at Stephen McLaughlin when presented with a sight of a net that was no longer guarded by a goalkeeper.
MacDonald was having the most eventful day, though, and he restored parity in the 16th minute when sliding in at the back post and recording Mansfield’s first goal on home soil since January 18. The game was severally disrupted by a concerning injury picked up by Wrexham midfielder Andy Cannon, with a lengthy delay to proceedings brought to a close when he was stretchered from the field wearing an oxygen mask.
Cleworth thought he had put the visitors back in front early in the second period but, after finding space 12 yards out, crashed a well-struck effort against the crossbar. He was not to be denied in the 58th minute when latching onto a pass on the edge of the box and drilling low into the bottom corner.
Record signing Sam Smith came agonisingly close to adding a third for Wrexham when straining to reach a cross that only required a touch from a matter of inches, but was unable to get his head to the ball. A couple of other half chances came and went before the full-time whistle blew.
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The Red Dragons remain third in the League One table, as they continue to chase down a historic third successive promotion, but are just three points behind second-placed Wycombe. Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney provided the funds in January that helped to add greater depth to Parkinson’s squad, with an immediate return on that investment being sought.
THE MVP
Max Cleworth has been billed as a Premier League star of the future, and it is easy to see why. The 22-year-old can always be relied upon to give his all at both ends of the field. He has matured as a defender, while operating in a three-man centre-half unit, while also picking up a useful eye for goal. He registered his eighth effort of the season when helping to wrap up all three points against Mansfield. Cleworth finished with the aplomb of a prolific striker when thundering a first-time shot into the bottom corner from 18 yards out.
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THE BIG LOSER
Harsh to bill Andy Cannon as a “loser”, but he was the most unfortunate player on the pitch. He had been brought back into a League One starting XI for the first time since January 16, but saw his afternoon cut painfully short. Cannon was tended to by medics on the field for several minutes, with it clear that he had suffered a serious knock. He required oxygen before being carried away for further attention. Wrexham may be without the 28-year-old for several weeks – having already had to contend with a number of fitness problems during the 2024-25 campaign.
Pat Cummins grateful he’s not a selector with some tough decisions to made in Sydney
Andrew McGlashan29-Dec-2021Last week left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel was left out of the New Zealand Test squad the match after taking all 10 wickets in an innings against India. It is not inconceivable that Scott Boland becomes another name on the list of those left out after a spectacular display with no certainty that he will line up at the SCG despite taking 6 for 7 on debut.Boland tore through England on the third morning in Melbourne having claimed two wickets in his opening over the evening before. It earned him the Johnny Mullagh medal as Player of the Match in an historic and emotional occasion.It has added to the fast-bowling riches Australia’s selectors currently have to choose from having had to explore the depth on offer during this Ashes – with outstanding results. Boland, Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser have all featured alongside the ‘big three’ and it is a credit to them (although also a sad indictment of England’s batting) that the absences of Pat Cummins in Adelaide and Josh Hazlewood in the last two Tests has barely been felt.Related
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Scott Boland's blitz – how MCG six-for sealed Ashes
During the MCG Test, Hazlewood returned to bowling in the nets and was hopeful of being ready for his home-ground fixture in Sydney but there is no need to rush him if any doubts remain over the side strain he picked up in Brisbane.Richardson suffered some lower left shin pain after his successful return in Adelaide where he claimed five wickets in the second innings with a cautious approach taken over him by being left out in Melbourne. Boland, with his six-wicket haul, may have pushed ahead of Neser in the pecking order although his selection has been termed ‘horses for courses’ due to his fine record at the MCG.But figures of 6 for 7 become hard to ignore and the Sydney pitch may be another to suit Boland’s wicket-to-wicket lengths. In five first-class matches at the SCG he has 15 wickets at 24.73.”It’s one of those good days where as captain I can firmly say I’m not a selector because good luck to them,” Cummins said. “The niggle to Jhye presented the opportunity to Scotty but I thought it was a really brave call by the selectors to bring in Scotty for this game and full credit, they’ve made the right call. Jhye will hopefully be available, Josh will hopefully be available, no idea. It’s a luxury at the moment.”Scott Boland has been the latest Australia quick to make their mark•Getty Images
One option available is to potentially rest Mitchell Starc who is the only Australia frontline quick to have played all three matches so far although there will be a reluctance not to have someone in such fine form in the continued push for a whitewash. One factor that may be considered is that the final Test in Hobart will be with the pink ball which is where Starc can be so dangerous.Starc is the leading wicket-taker in the series with 14 at 19.64. He claimed a wicket with the first ball in Brisbane, took on the senior role in Adelaide and was a central figure in the electric final hour on the second day in Melbourne.”For me, he’s been just about the player of the series so far. Just fantastic,” Cummins said. “We saw in Adelaide how he lifted and led the attack. Think this summer he was gone to a new level. He’s experienced, but he’s found another gear, with the ball that’s not swinging he’s beating the outside edge consistently.”He’s been titanic for us. We spoke at the start of the summer how there was external pressure, but zero internal pressure. We know what a superstar he is. He’ll go down as one of the all-time great Aussie bowlers. We’ve got to remember that sometimes. He’s shown his class in all conditions. Feel so lucky to have someone like that in the team.”The one specialist bowler in the Australia squad yet to feature is uncapped legspinner Mitchell Swepson and while it would appear unlikely he will play in this series Cummins indicated there would be an open mind going into the SCG.Swepson will likely be needed in Australia’s upcoming overseas assignments next year and has been a regular part of Test squads over the last 18 months without being able to join Nathan Lyon in the XI. The development of Cameron Green’s bowling opens the door for a twin-spin attack but they will be wary of overburdening the allrounder and have seen England’s vulnerability to pace.”It might be a spinning track and you’ve got Mitchell Swepson bowling beautifully. It’s a luxury at the moment,” Cummins said. “If Swepson debuted and then suddenly he’s off to a subcontinent tour, you’d think that experience would be a good thing for just about everyone.”Once you play one your next one’s probably going to be a little bit better. But it’s an Ashes series, we’re going to pick the best 11 that we think is going to win that Test match in Sydney.”
Em busca da terceira vitória consecutiva no Campeonato Paulista, o Corinthians tem uma missão muito difícil nesta quarta-feira (16): enfrentar o líder geral da competição, o São Bernardo. E com isso o técnico Fernando Lázaro tende a levar o seu time campo com algumas novidades.
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A primeira delas deve ser o retorno do meia Willian ao time titular. Uma das contratações mais badaladas do Timão nos últimos tempos, o camisa 10 é o único do ‘quinteto fantástico’ que ainda não teve um bom momento desde o retorno ao Parque São Jorge. O jogador também o único entre Giuliano, Paulinho, Renato Augusto e Róger Guedes que ainda não marcou gols desde que chegou à equipe alvinegra.
> TABELA – Confira e simule os jogos do Timão no Campeonato Paulista > GALERIA -Veja todos os técnicos estrangeiros na história do Corinthians
Nesta temporada, Willian foi titular apenas na estreia, contra a Ferroviária, até aqui. Depois ficou fora dos duelos contra o Santo André e Santos para fazer um trabalho de controle de carga. Ainda que se colocasse à disposição para esses compromissos, o camisa 10 foi preservado por decisão da comissão técnica e o núcleo médico corintiano, com participação do Centro de Inteligência e Futebol (Cifut). Ao retornar, atuou 30 minutos contra o Ituano e 35 diante do Mirassol, nos dois últimos compromissos do Corinthians.
Outra novidade, que também pode ser considerada surpresa, pode ser a presença do meia Roni entre os titulares. Fernando Lázaro tem revesado as presenças de Cantillo e Du Queiroz como primeiros atletas do meio-campo, e até agora nenhum entre os dois agradaram. A presença de Roni pode dar uma sustentação a marcação central, ainda que o camisa 29 não tenha a pegada defensiva como principal característica.
Caso se confirme a escalação como titular do Roni, a prata da casa voltará aos 11 iniciais depois de cinco meses. O jogador começou uma partida pelo última vez no dia 12 de setembro do ano passado, em um empate em 1 a 1 entre Atlético-GO e Corinthians, em Goiânia, pela primeira rodada do segundo turno do último Brasileirão. Na mesma partida teve uma lesão no joelho e só voltar a ficar a disposição dois meses de pois, em novembro, e desde então só entrou no decorrer das partidas.Durante a pré-temporada, o meia também chegou a tratar de dores musculares na coxa direita.
Sunderland have a reputation for being a hotbed that allows young talents to shine and prosper, going all the way back to Jordan Henderson’s emergence up the ranks at the Stadium of Light.
Henderson would go on to be a household name in the Premier League with Liverpool after kickstarting his career in the senior game on Wearside, whilst the likes of 19-year-old Jobe Bellingham in today’s squad are expected to go on and achieve similarly big things when leaving the Black Cats.
Bellingham also has a teammate in the middle of the park who is being tipped to be a superstar as he continues to develop, with Chris Rigg already a first-team face week in week out for Regis Le Bris’ side in the Championship at the tender age of 17.
Rigg's time at Sunderland
Rigg only being a wide-eyed teenager still must stun those looking in from the outside, considering the Black Cats number 11 has been in and around the side since early 2023.
When making his first professional appearance in January of that year, the teen went down as the second youngest player ever to don a Sunderland jersey, with the starlet never looking back as more and more first-team chances opened up.
Now, Rigg has made 40 appearances in the senior mix with six goals fired home across that span of games, as the introduction of Le Bris in the dug-out has managed to get even more out of the raw youngster.
Three of those strikes have come in Championship action under the Frenchman, including a stunning flicked finish against Middlesbrough back in September, which narrowly won his table-topping side the contest 1-0 against Michael Carrick’s men.
There could be some regret on the end of the second-tier outfit now that they didn’t try and keep another Rigg-like homegrown product over the summer, particularly considering Le Bris’ tutelage is seemingly working wonders on other young faces in the squad.
The Sunderland youngster who could have been the first Rigg
The former academy prodigy here is Ellis Taylor, who walked away from the Sunderland U21 structure in May after not being gifted a new contract at his boyhood employers.
He has since moved on to League Two Harrogate Town, but it will feel like a case of what could have been when it comes to the 21-year-old, especially when you consider how quickly Rigg has taken to Le Bris’ new managerial methods.
LB
13
3
2
LM
10
1
0
RM
8
4
0
RB
8
6
1
CF
5
2
2
CM
3
0
0
AM
2
0
0
RW
1
1
0
DM
1
1
0
Playing in a staggering nine different positions for Sunderland when on the roster of their U21s, everyone at the club must have been anticipating that the Hartlepool-born youngster would eventually make a name for himself in the first-team fold.
He was even touted as having a “really bright future” at the Stadium of Light by Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman in 2021, only for him to go on to make a disappointing five first-team appearances in total before Harrogate picked him up for nothing.
He has since gone to be a hit for the Sulphurites – after being labelled as an “exciting” new signing by Harrogate head of recruitment Lloyd Kerry when the capture was announced – with the versatile 21-year-old scoring three times from 20 games, matching Rigg’s goal numbers for the season in the process.
Of course, the Black Cats ace is shining two leagues above his counterpart, but Taylor hasn’t allowed his career to fall off a cliff after departing his boyhood club.
Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg.
Instead, he has taken to his new League Two environment well, with the potential there one day for Taylor to face off against Le Bris’ men down the line, if he can rise up the EFL ladder.
Chris Rigg is not the only Sunderland star being tracked by massive clubs
Successes against Labuschagne little consolation for England getting “battered”
Andrew Miller13-Jan-2022Mark Wood insists he does not take any moral victories out of his high-octane Ashes performances “because we have been getting battered”, but hopes that a green pitch at Hobart could offer one last opportunity for England to go out on a high at the end of a tough campaign.Wood, who turned 32 this week, has dismissed Marnus Labuschagne three times in 52 balls in the series, and has earned plaudits for his wholehearted displays at Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, where he has consistently bowled in excess of 90mph.However, he goes into the Hobart Test with just eight wickets at 37.62 to show for his efforts, and with England already 3-0 down in the series after losing the Ashes in 12 days of action, he is desperate to get some validation for his displays in the form of “wins and wickets”.”Personally, I feel pleased with my efforts but when you’re playing for England, effort should be should be given,” Wood said. “It’s non-negotiable. You should be giving everything you’ve got, every time, and I’ve tried to give 100%. I would like more wickets in the end column but, especially in the first innings at Sydney where I only picked up one wicket, I felt I bowled really well.”Mark Wood has bowled with fire but little luck throughout the Ashes•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesIt would be an achievement in itself for Wood to play at Hobart given his prior injury record, in which he has often struggled to back up his uncompromising displays for two Tests in a row, let alone three. But having adopted a longer, smoother run-up in recent years, compared to the sprinter’s-blocks-style approach of his early career, Wood believes he’s taken much of the strain off his body, and hopes a strong finish to the series can finally assuage the lingering doubts about his durability.”Maybe it has proved things wrong but, at the same time, I understand why people would think that when you look at my record,” Wood said. “But since I’ve changed my run-up, things have been different. As a fast bowler, you’re probably never 100% and you carry niggles, but I’m really pleased with how I’ve stood up in terms of injuries, and the medical team have been fantastic with me.”I look forward to trying to play four games out of five. This is one last big push for me to try and keep my speeds up and offer that to the team. It’s all well and good playing the games, but it’s wins and wickets I’m after, so that’s my priority.”Without the likes of Jofra Archer and Olly Stone to back up his 90mph methods, Wood admits he has been England’s only remaining “point of difference” in this series.”I’ve actually enjoyed that responsibility of having to keep charging in, doing that side of things for the team,” he said. “I have kept my paces up, but not got the wickets I really wanted. Now I have another chance in this game to put something in the right column at the end.”The continuation of his recent run of success against Labuschagne, currently the ICC’s No.1-ranked Test batter, would help England’s cause no end. Having not been dismissed for less than 47 in 14 consecutive first-innings since his Test recall during the 2019 Ashes, Labuschagne fell for 1 and 28 in Australia’s first innings at Melbourne and Sydney, then again for 29 in the second innings at the SCG, as Wood’s raw pace exposed him on each occasion.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”I noticed he was changing his technique [in the second innings],” Wood said. “His back foot was coming across more, opening himself up a little bit [because] I was trying to be wide on the crease. Luckily I got him again but it wasn’t the greatest ball, it bounced a bit on him, and might have hit a crack.”Nevertheless, after twin scores of 103 and 51 in the Adelaide victory, and a crucial 74 in the first innings at Brisbane, Wood acknowledged that Labuschagne was still a major part of an Australia team that has dominated the critical moments of the series.”He’s one hell of a player, so I’m just pleased to get top players out like him. We know we need to try and capitalise on the first 20 balls of an innings, and really put them under pressure there, because if he gets in, he does a lot of damage.”I’ve played games against Marnus where he’s getting the better of me so I don’t see it as a huge thing in my mind. But I want to raise my game and prove myself against the best players. It’s always special when you get a big wicket like [Steven] Smith or [David] Warner or Labuschagne, these are top, top players.”Wood dismissed Smith for 12 in his first innings of the series at Brisbane, and despite an important 93 at Adelaide, his haul of 217 runs at 36.16 is a long way short of his huge returns in the last two Ashes. Wood, however, said there was no extra pleasure to be got from keeping him relatively quiet, because England were still getting “battered”.”It would be a moral victory if he was getting out and we were winning, but he’s still contributing to them winning,” Wood said. “They’re still getting more scores than we are and we’re still not bowling them out, so it’s important that we turn that around.Related
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England’s team for the final Test could feature as many as five changes from the side that drew at Sydney last week, with Rory Burns expected to return in place of the out-of-form Haseeb Hameed, and Jos Buttler already heading home after suffering a broken finger while keeping wicket on the second day. Ben Stokes (side strain) and Jonny Bairstow (cracked thumb) are also doubts, but Wood insisted that England’s walking wounded would do their utmost to be ready for the contest.”They’re in good spirits so far, and both of them are pretty obvious characters to tell if they’re not,” he said. “They’ve seemed happy and they’ve trained as normal, and they are two characters that don’t give up easy, so we’ll just have to see how they train tonight.”The Hobart Test is likely to be Wood’s final slice of Ashes action in Australia, but he and his white-ball colleagues are due to return Down Under next winter for another shot at the T20 World Cup, and he said that the memories of this tour would be a driving force come that campaign.”I certainly don’t want to feel like I’ve done in this series,” he said. “When you’re disappointed, sat in the dressing room, it’s not a nice place to be. When we come out here for the T20 World Cup, we’ll be coming out here to win, and we’re here to win in this last Test match as well. We haven’t performed very well on this trip, but this gives us a chance to show some fight, and some character, and stand up for England.”