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One of the most notable players in Leeds United’s history over the past 25 years or so is certainly Rio Ferdinand. The former England centre-back only spent two seasons at Elland Road, between 2000 and 2002, but certainly left a huge impact on the club.

Ferdinand, who has gone into punditry and presenting since his retirement, played 73 times in West Yorkshire and was a key figure in the heart of the defence. He skippered the club on numerous occasions, including during their famous Champions League run of 2000/01, where he helped them reach the semi-final.

Since Ferdinand’s days at the club, there have been a couple of other notable English talents ply their trade at Elland Road.

Leeds’ notable English talents since Ferdinand

It is certainly hard to find a player as good as Ferdinand was, yet, through their academy, the Whites produced a couple of big names. One of those was Kalvin Phillips, who was lovingly dubbed the “Yorkshire Pirlo” for his ability to control the game at the heart of midfield.

Now 29 years of age, Phillips played 234 games for his boyhood club after graduating from their academy. He was pivotal to their success in returning to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa and England’s run to the final of Euro 2020.

Eventually, he earned a big move to Manchester City, although his career has stalled since.

Another player who could be considered one of Leeds’ most talented since Ferdinand is Archie Gray. The 19-year-old now plays for Tottenham Hotspur and helped them win the Europa League last season.

Like Phillips, Gray is an academy graduate and only had one full season at Elland Road before the Lilywhites snapped him up. He played 52 games for his boyhood club before departing for North London, a huge £30m move which highlighted his talent.

As good as Phillips and Gray are, there is someone in the Leeds academy who could be considered their best talent since Ferdinand.

Leeds’ most talented player since Ferdinand

It is always a proud moment when you bring a player through the academy and into the first team, like Phillips and Gray. Ferdinand, of course, came through West Ham United’s academy before his move to Leeds.

Well, the man who could be their biggest talent since the centre-back is Harry Gray, the younger brother of Archie. At just 17 years of age, Gray has already made his debut for the club and has shone at youth level.

The England under-17 striker made his debut for the first team last season, with Daniel Farke giving him a four-minute cameo in the 6-0 win over Stoke City. He was also on the bench for the 3-1 win away to Wolverhampton Wanderers this season.

The Whites academy graduate has proven why he is “the real deal,” as football analyst Ben Mattinson put it, for the youth sides. Gray has 15 goals and two assists in just 24 appearances for the under-18s and under-21s side combined.

Games

11

13

Minutes

819

998

Goals

8

7

Assists

0

2

Misn per G/A

102

110

One of the standout moments from Gray’s campaign so far is the hat-trick he scored against Scunthorpe United.

Donning the number nine shirt, you can see from this one game that the striker possesses pace, a real instinct in the box and the ability to score a range of goals.

It is easy to see why you might consider the 17-year-old to be Leeds’ best talent since Ferdinand was at the club. In a separate post on X, Mattinson described him as “one of England’s best prospects in his generation”, while evoking a certain Harry Redknapp when suggesting that he’s “going to the very top”.

With the numbers he puts up and the skillset he possesses, it feels like only a matter of time before Gray breaks into the first-team for his boyhood side and makes a real name for himself.

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There is a 70% chance of rain on Saturday, and wet weather had also interrupted the training sessions of both teams on the eve of the game

Ashish Pant02-May-2025

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) bid to get to 16 points and strengthen their chances of a top-two finish in IPL 2025 might take a hit, with a rain threat hanging over their home game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday.There have been sporadic spells of rain of varying intensity in Bengaluru over the last two days, and there is a 70% chance of rain on Saturday, with the met department predicting that “rain or thundershowers would occur towards afternoon or evening” on May 3.The weather played a part on match eve as well, interrupting the training sessions of both teams. CSK started their training around 3pm but could only practice for about 45 minutes before rain intervened. The players then resumed training at 4.30pm. RCB held their practice session later, starting around 5pm.Related

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Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal batted for close to 45 minutes to an hour before it started hosing down, but this time the rain did not relent for three hours and RCB’s practice session had to be cancelled. There was also a thunderstorm and occasional lightning throughout the evening, which caused waterlogging in many parts of the city.While CSK have already been knocked out of contention for the playoffs, after managing just two wins in their first ten games, this is a crucial game for RCB. They are currently third on the points table with seven wins and three losses. A win on Saturday will lift them to the top spot.There was already a rain-shortened match in Bengaluru last month when the RCB-Punjab Kings (PBKS) game was reduced to 14-overs-a-side.This is the first time that RCB will face CSK in Bengaluru since their high-octane clash in IPL 2024, when RCB’s 27-run win helped them scrape through to the playoffs. When the two sides met earlier this season in Chennai, RCB won by 50 runs.

Hamid had been suffering from cancer according to his family

Danyal Rasool04-Apr-2025Former Pakistan Test cricketer Farooq Hamid died at the age of 80. Hamid, who played one Test for Pakistan at the MCG in 1964, had been suffering from cancer, according to his family.The PCB said on its official website it was saddened to learn of his passing. Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif also expressed his sorrow.Hamid’s career spanned the 1960s, a time when Pakistan cricket was in an extended period of decline. He was a fast-medium bowler who spent almost the entirety of his career on the domestic first-class circuit, playing for domestic departmental side Pakistan International Airlines, and the regional side Lahore, where he was born. In 43 first-class matches, he took 111 wickets at 25.21.He was called up for Pakistan’s tour of Australia and played his first and only Test in December 1964 at the age of 19 in Melbourne under the captaincy of Hanif Mohammad. His solitary wicket was that of Ian Chappell in what ended up being a drawn game.Hamid quit cricket at 25 after becoming disillusioned by what he saw as political interference in cricket. His older sister Tahira Hamid, who died in 2020, was an influential figure in the early years of Pakistan women’s cricket in the mid-1970s.

Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that his dismissal by Bayern Munich was "worse" than the sackings he faced at Chelsea and Real Madrid. The Italian coach says it was a mistake against Paris Saint-Germain that saw him given his walking papers just a month into the 2017-18 season. The legendary manager reflected on the disappointing period in an upcoming autobiography.

Not Madrid or Chelsea: Bayern sacking the most ruthless for Ancelotti

Ancelotti is one of the most celebrated and decorated coaches in football history, with a CV that speaks for itself. He achieved success at almost every club he managed, but that was not enough to prevent him from facing the sack. He was dismissed by Chelsea in 2011, just a year after he helped the Blues win the league and cup double. In 2015, Real Madrid let go of him after he guided them to their 10th Champions League title. However, it was his sacking by Bayern in 2017 which Ancelotti has described as the most "ruthless." It was the first time he was sacked mid-season in a career which had completed 22 years at the time.

AdvertisementAFPAncelotti explains why Bayern sacked him

published excerpts from Ancelotti's upcoming book, in which the legendary head coach was critical of Bayern while revealing the reasons that led to his dismissal.

"Once, the bosses asked me to instill more discipline among the players and gave me a list of five points to read out to them," he said. "However, I felt that we were dealing with a top-class professional team, not a youth team, so the players should be treated accordingly. So I stood in front of the team in the locker room, pulled the piece of paper out of my pocket, and said, 'I have orders from the board to read this list to you.' That was my way of distancing myself from this task.

"Then, at the end of September, we went to another of my former clubs. Against Paris Saint-Germain, I decided to forgo our aging wingers and let our defenders push further forward, while we focused primarily on attacks through the middle. It was a mistake. The balance was off, and they were able to disrupt us with their counterattacks. They scored their first goal in the second minute. The final score of 3-0 was Bayern's heaviest defeat in the competition in 21 years.

"The day after the game, the club's board met and concluded that I was the problem. 'Our team's performance since the start of the season hasn't lived up to the expectations we had of them,' [Karl-Heinz] Rummenigge said. The game in Paris clearly showed that we had to take action.

"I've been fired four times by major clubs: Juventus, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. This goes to show that it doesn't take an erratic president or unpredictable owner to get you fired. Shareholders of a company can do that, too.

"It was the most ruthless dismissal of my entire career. After my departure, they reached the Champions League semifinals and were eliminated by — guess what! — Real Madrid."

A look at Ancelotti's coaching career

After an illustrious career as a midfielder, Ancelotti took his first steps in football management at Reggiana in 1995, before coaching Parma and Juventus. Since leaving Juve, he has coached AC Milan, Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton, before returning to Madrid for a second spell in 2021. In all, Ancelotti has won 31 titles at club level. He holds the record of winning five Champions League as a manager, doing so twice with Milan and thrice with Madrid. At the end of last season, he left Madrid after being in-charge for four seasons and joined the Brazil national team.

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Getty Images SportWhat's in store for Ancelotti beyond 2026 World Cup?

The 66-year-old was appointed as Brazil head coach on a deal that will expire after the 2026 World Cup. The ex-Milan, Chelsea and Madrid boss recently hinted that he wouldn't mind extending his stay as the Selecao's manager. However, he left the doors open to a Real Madrid return, stating that they are the only club he would consider managing after his time as Brazil boss comes to an end.

As the Premier League campaign draws near and they continue their summer business, reports are now claiming that Tottenham Hotspur have launched an approach to sign a Barcelona midfielder.

Palhinha reveals delight at Premier League return

After missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White, who opted to sign a new contract at Nottingham Forest instead of joining up with Thomas Frank’s side, a new midfielder always seemed on the Tottenham agenda. And whilst Joao Palhinha is a different type of player to Gibbs-White, he will offer the Lilywhites the reinforcement that they’ve been craving.

Delighted to be back in the Premier League following a tough year at Bayern Munich, Palhinha – on paper – is the perfect midfielder for Frank’s hard-working, combative midfield.

It wouldn’t even be absurd to suggest that the ex-Fulham man could be the Dane’s new version of Christian Norgaard, who thrived under his management at Brentford before leaving for Arsenal this summer.

That said, Palhinha isn’t the only midfield name to find himself on Tottenham’s radar following their Gibbs-White disappointment earlier in the summer transfer window.

Tottenham make first Casado approach

As reported by Sport in Spain, and relayed by Sport Witness, Tottenham made an approach to sign Marc Casado from Barcelona before they secured Palhinha’s signature.

The 21-year-old is free to leave the La Liga giants for around €30m (£26m) this summer and, although he reportedly turned down the chance to complete a move the first time around, it will be interesting to see whether Spurs come calling with a second attempt to secure his arrival this month.

Praised for his “superb attitude” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Barcelona’s loss could quickly become Tottenham’s gain if they managed to convince Casado into a move this summer. Whilst Palhinha’s arrival does ease their desperation for another midfielder, the chance to sign a La Masia graduate is not one that the Lilywhites should turn down.

At just 21 years old, the Spaniard would be the long-term option that Palhinha – at 30 years old – can’t guarantee Frank’s side, especially given that they have no obligation to buy the latter after his loan spell next summer.

Bjorn Fortuin named as replacement, with Maharaj to be assessed ahead of first Test starting December 26

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-2024

South Africa left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing ODI series against Pakistan. According to a media release, “scans revealed a left adductor strain”, with Maharaj having suffered the injury during warm-ups ahead of the first ODI on Tuesday.South Africa have named Bjorn Fortuin as a like-for-like replacement for Maharaj for the second and third ODIs against Pakistan.Maharaj had limped off just before the toss for the first game, and was last moment replaced by pace-bowling allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo in South Africa’s XI. The release further stated that Maharaj will be returning home to Durban “for rehabilitation and will be reassessed ahead of the first Test against Pakistan”.Maharaj’s injury adds to an already lengthy list of missing bowlers for South Africa. The hosts are already without Anrich Nortje (fractured toe), Gerald Coetzee (groin), Lungi Ngidi (hip), Nandre Burger (lower back), and Wiaan Mulder (broken finger). Moreover, Maharaj recently bowled South Africa to a final-day win against Sri Lanka in the second Test in Gqeberha, bagging 5 for 76 to trigger a batting collapse.In Maharaj’s absence, South Africa have spin-bowling options in Dane Piedt and Senuran Muthusamy to choose from for the Test series against Pakistan.Those with an outside chance of making it to the side include batting allrounder Neil Brand, who bowls left-arm spin, and had toured New Zealand earlier this year; legspinner Shaun von Berg, who also made his debut on the same tour; and left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, although he had last played first-class cricket in 2021.The first Test of the two-match series against Pakistan begins in Centurion on December 26. South Africa are one win away from making it to the final of the World Test Championship, where they are currently placed at No. 1 in the points table.

Debutant Archie Bailey led the rout as Gloucestershire’s bowlers sparked a dramatic Middlesex collapse on an eventful day three at Lord’s.Bailey took 4 for 30 as the hosts crumbled from 122 for 2 to 165 all out, leaving Gloucestershire 234 to win on day four.Zafar Gohar chipped in with 2 for 22 as the home side lost their way following Sam Robson’s 50 at almost a run a ball. Wicketkeeper James Bracey took his tally to 11 catches plus a run out in the match amid the carnage.Zafar had earlier made a stylish 86 with a six and 10 fours as the visitors rallied from an overnight 154 for 5 to 309 for 9 declared, a deficit of 68.Skipper Toby Roland-Jones led the wicket quest with 5 for 79, the fifth time in the last nine innings he has taken five wickets or more.Gloucestershire began the day needing 74 to avoid the follow-on and were dealt and early blow when Roland-Jones castled Tom Price with only two added to the score.No other home bowler was able to carry the menace of their skipper and after new batter Zafar got underway with an edge through the slips for four, he and Ollie Price set about reducing the deficit.Price, on his first appearance at Lord’s looked untroubled as he moved to 76 before falling into the leg trap to give Henry Brookes his only wicket of the innings.Zafar played beautifully, mixing sound defence with controlled aggression, sweeping Josh De Caires to raise the 200 before hitting the next ball over mid-off for a one-bounce four. Pace too was summarily despatched, a short one from Brookes pulled to the midwicket fence as he moved to 50 in 108 balls.Zaman Akhter proved a great foil either side of the lunch interval before Roland-Jones returned to remove him in the first over with the new ball to complete his five-fer, though the decision looked harsh with the impact well above the knee roll.Zafar cleared the ropes in his quest for a second first-class hundred five years on from his first but came up short when he pinned in front by Higgins, at which point Gloucestershire declared nine down.Robson quickly avoided a king pair before surviving vociferous appeals for caught behind on 22, Tom Price spreading his arms more than once in a vain attempt to have his cries upheld and all fielders seemingly convinced the ball had been feathered. Robson remained unmoved as the appeals fell on deaf earsBailey immediately replaced the crestfallen Price and the youngster soon had a moment to cherish, his maiden first-class wicket, Mark Stoneman caught by Cameron Bancroft diving away to his left at second slip.A cloudburst prior to tea proved a precursor to a stormy evening for the Middlesex batters.Robson initially forged on, driving and cutting forcefully until nicking Akhter’s first ball through to Bracey immediately after completing his half-century.Max Holden was even more forceful in his quickfire 39, reverse sweeping Zafar to the boundary twice in quick succession, before falling to a catch in the deep. His dismissal sparked the slide as the hosts either couldn’t or wouldn’t reverse out of their all-out attacking mindset.Higgins chopped on before Jack Davies’ hesitation over a second run proved fatal, Bracey intercepting the throw from the deep to turn and flatten the stumps.Bracey would figure in the dismissals of Josh De Caires, Luke Hollman and Roland-Jones as the procession from to and from the pavilion gathered pace while Bailey got the prize wicket of Leus Du Ploy lbw.Zafar completed the collapse by bowling Brookes for a duck to leave the visitors favourites for a successful run chase tomorrow.

What was feeling like a disappointingly quiet summer for Arsenal has now burst into life.

Mikel Arteta’s side have now confirmed the signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga, are close to announcing deals for Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi, and appear determined to do more business.

For example, the last few days have seen links to Eberechi Eze explode, and even Ollie Watkins seems to be back in contention.

However, while the Aston Villa star would be an exciting addition to the Gunners’ squad, reports have suggested that the club are getting closer to another, better option to lead the line next season.

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For a long time, it seemed that Benjamin Sesko would be the player to come in and solve that problem, but over the last week or so, reports emerged claiming that working out a deal to sign him has proven far more challenging than anticipated.

At the same time, Watkins’ name has also been thrown back into the ring, with reports from earlier this week claiming that talks had once again been held with his camp and that he would “love” to join the Gunners this summer.

However, while the Englishman is an incredibly talented footballer and goalscorer, it appears that the North Londoners have their eyes on another striker.

At least that’s according to a recent report from BBC Sport, which claims that Arsenal are still incredibly interested in goalscoring machine Viktor Gyokeres.

In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that the Gunners are now making real ‘headway with a potential move’ for the Swedish international ‘in recent days.’

While it’s not clear exactly how much the Sporting CP star would cost, the report claims that the final price will likely be in excess of £70m.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but it’s one Arsenal should pursue as Gyokeres could be a real game-changer for them, and a better signing than Watkins.

Why Gyokeres would be a better signing than Watkins

Now, while it is somewhat simplistic, the most significant reason that Gyokeres would be a better signing for Arsenal than Watkins this summer is his exceptional level of output.

For example, it would be fair to say that the England star enjoyed a brilliant campaign with Villa last season, in which he scored 17 goals and provided 14 assists in 54 appearances, totalling 3578 minutes.

In other words, the former Exeter City gem averaged a goal involvement every 1.74 games, or every 115.41 minutes.

Appearances

50

52

Minutes

4169′

4248′

Goals

43

54

Assists

15

13

Goal Involvements per Match

1.16

1.28

Minutes per Goal Involvement

71.87′

63.40′

However, despite being an objectively great return, those numbers still pale in comparison to what the Sporting star was able to produce.

In his 52 appearances for the Lisbon outfit, totalling 4248 minutes, the Swedish “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored a mammoth 54 goals and provided 13 assists for good measure.

That means the international poacher maintained an out-of-this-world average of 1.28 goal involvements per game, or one every 63.40 minutes.

That sensational rate of return is so extraordinary that it makes it hard to recommend any striker other than the former Coventry City star, and the fact he’s two years younger than the Villa ace is just a bonus.

Ultimately, Watkins would be a great addition to Arsenal’s squad this summer, but Gyokeres would be an utterly game-changing one, and therefore, Andrea Berta and Co should be doing all they can to bring him in.

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Unbeaten 67-run stand with Marizanne Kapp takes charge of run chase after hosts’ 125 for 4

ECB Media06-Aug-2024

Oval Invincibles returned to winning ways with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Manchester Originals in the Women’s Hundred at Emirates Old Trafford.An unbeaten 67-run stand between Paige Scholfield and Marizanne Kapp from 37 balls took charge of the run chase after the hosts managed 125 for 4. In-form Scholfield crashed 48 from 27 balls after opener Chamari Athapaththu laid the foundation with 33 from 36 balls.Invincibles were equally as impressive in the field, highlighted by a host of sharp catches, with Aussie leg-spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 22.Both teams were looking to bounce back after disappointing results on Sunday. The Originals lost to cross-Pennines rivals Northern Superchargers, while Invincibles arguably let one slip in their derby draw with London Spirit to mark a rare two-game winless run, Tuesday’s result putting the Oval outfit in second place on the points table.After a slow start, which saw the Originals manage 25 without loss after the powerplay, openers Laura Wolvaardt and Beth Mooney found the rope seven times in 15 balls.Mooney, the No. 2 draft pick, was just getting going when Seren Smale held a sharp chance at short third off Ryana MacDonald-Gay, who snapped up an even better catch at mid-on moments later to remove the competition’s second-highest runscorer Woolvardt.Originals started to slow, they went 34 balls without a boundary, before skipper Sophie Ecclestone added some much-needed late power to finish unbeaten on 26 from 15 balls.Invincibles set about proving that was not nearly enough on a good pitch with Sri Lanka star Athapaththu and captain Lauren Winfield-Hill adding 48 for the first wicket.Alice Monaghan removed Winfield-Hill and Alice Capsey in quick succession and when Athapaththu was lbw to Kathryn Bryce there was work to do at 60 for 3.Scholfield ensured any nerves were short-lived though as she found the rope on seven occasions, while Kapp added 19 from 11 to power the Invincibles home with seven balls to spare.Meerkat Match Hero Scholfield said: “I really enjoyed it. We’ve had a couple of tough games in a row. You learn more from losing than winning and we went away and studied what was going on and I think we were more disciplined today.”We just spoke about nudging her (Sophie Ecclestone) around and getting rotation of strike going and then going after the other bowlers.”

With Newcastle United still chasing a deal to sign Anthony Elanga, Nottingham Forest have reportedly set their sights on signing a young Premier League gem who could replace the Swede.

Nottingham Forest battling to keep Elanga

Those in the Midlands managed to keep hold of Elanga last summer and that victory quickly paid dividends in an excellent season at the City Ground. The interest in the winger hasn’t gone away, however, and this time Newcastle have money to spend. The Magpies have already reportedly made an enquiry about signing the former Manchester United man and Forest face another fight to keep hold of one of their star players.

Elanga, himself, chose to remain coy when asked about his Nottingham Forest future whilst on international duty with Sweden recently, telling reporters: “There’s a lot of talk. I’m focusing on what I can do and my focus today was on the game. In football there are always rumors. The most important thing is that I focus on what I can control.”

After missing out on the Champions League even after a fantastic campaign, there may be some concern around the City Ground that Nuno Espirito Santo could lose his top players this summer.

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As ever, Evangelos Marinakis has already set his sights on incomings of his own, though. The Greek owner and Nottingham Forest have recently been linked with moves for the likes of Igor Jesus and Real Valladolid star Raul Moro. What’s more, the Tricky Trees are also reportedly interested in signing an impressive Premier League gem if Elanga chooses to leave the club in favour of Newcastle this summer.

Nottingham Forest assessing Oscar Bobb move

According to Football Insider’s Mick Brown, Marinakis is now assessing a Nottingham Forest move to sign Oscar Bobb from Manchester City this summer. The young winger returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines towards the end of last season and will be desperate to get up to speed with some much-needed game time.

Brown, a former Premier League scout, told Football Insider: “A Premier League loan move is exactly what Bobb needs. After the injury he had, he has to prove to everybody that he is still capable at this level.

“It’s difficult to come back from something like that, he has some proving to do, but he has to be playing regularly to do it. If you take him out of that Man City side and put him in another Premier League team, a Crystal Palace or a Nottingham Forest, it will show where he’s at. Palace and Forest are both clubs I’ve heard are having a look at the deal.

The 21-year-old is a player who Pep Guardiola believes has “incredible potential”, but his short-term future could lie at the City Ground. It’s there that he could step into Elanga’s role and discover his best form following a frustrating injury setback.