Category Uncategorized

Graeme Swann claimed his best Ashes figures of 5 for 44 on the second day and felt his dismissal of Chris Rogers constituted one of the worst pieces of cricket in Test history

George Dobell19-Jul-2013When a bowler takes a wicket with a full toss as ugly as the one Graeme Swann delivered to Chris Rogers, he can be fairly confident it is going to be his day.Certainly Swann admitted to some “outrageous fortune” on his way to claiming his best Ashes figures of 5 for 44. He was even happy to float the suggestion that the dismissal of Rogers constituted the “worst piece of cricket in Test history.”It all helped to underline that Swann and his England colleagues were the beneficiaries of as inept a performance of Test batting as Australia has displayed on this famous old ground since the Second World War.On the ground where Don Bradman and Greg Chappell made Test centuries, where Steve Waugh lifted a World Cup, and where Keith Miller and Glenn McGrath ripped through England’s batting, Australia produced a performance unworthy of their proud heritage. England weren’t required to operate in anything above third gear.That is not to say that Swann and co bowled poorly. Far from it. But, on a pitch on which Swann England rated a par score at around 400-450, to dismiss Australia for just 128 was reflective not just of a solid bowling performance but of something rotten within the Australian batting.It sounds harsh, but the standard of cricket in this series has been oddly mediocre. While there have been outstanding individual performances – the batting of Ian Bell and the bowling of James Anderson stand out – the batting of both top-orders to date has been some way below that expected at this level. And on the second day of this game, England’s bowlers did not need to be anywhere near their best to dismantle an Australian batting line-up who are in danger of being remembered as the weakest to have represented their nation.At times, England were not even forced to earn wickets. Phil Hughes fell to a wild swing, Ashton Agar was run out in a style that might have been considered too slapstick for inclusion in a Laurel and Hardy film and Rogers should have hit the delivery that dismissed him into St John’s Wood High Street.Even Shane Watson, the man promoted to open the batting due to his superior technique, fell after attempting to play across a straight ball in the over before lunch. Rarely in Test cricket are wickets sold so cheaply.For that reason it is necessary to maintain some perspective while judging this England performance. Their top-order batting continues to under-perform, they missed two relatively straightforward chances in the field and they were obliged to use a succession of substitute fielders as several members of the team left the field to gain treatment for various aches and pains. On a flat pitch and under a hot sun, they should have faced a draining day.Instead they found life easy. Australia, showing the fight of a pacifist kitten, produced a display of batting so lacking in backbone or intelligence that it reduced a full house crowd to something approaching bewilderment.The issue of DRS typifies the contrast in professionalism between these two sides. While England have devised a largely successful formula that involves calm decision making, Australia continue to treat DRS as if it is a form of barely intelligible black magic.Brad Haddin’s pre-match comments that Australia “go on feel” and that the DRS “is not actually a big thing” sounded strangely fatalistic, even amateurish, in the modern game where analysis plays such a huge role. Leaving such an important area to chance is a dereliction of duty and is costing Australia dear.Swann is a fine cricketer and arguably England’s best spinner since Jim Laker. But he will never take a softer five-wicket haul in Test cricket than this. Although the pitch is dry and a few balls turned alarmingly from a largely unthreatening line outside the right-handers’ leg stump, Swann benefited most from some reckless batting.He claimed two wickets as first Usman Khawaja and then Ryan Harris tried to drive him over the top and skied catches. He gained another when Brad Haddin attempted to slog-sweep a delivery from outside off stump. The Rogers dismissal, described as “embarrassing” to batsman and bowler by Swann, will win mentions for years to come as a contender for ‘the worst delivery to take a Test wicket.’Only Steve Smith, brilliantly caught by Ian Bell at short leg off a delivery that spat off the pitch and took the batsman’s glove, could claim innocence for his downfall.”It was a mixture of good bowling and a bit of outrageous fortune,” Swann admitted afterwards. “The Rogers dismissal was very strange. I can’t put my finger on why it happened. I’m not sure there’s been a worse piece of cricket in Test history. I’m sure he’s as embarrassed about it as I was. It was one of those freaky things. It completely slipped out of my hand.”Swann certainly bowled better than he had at Trent Bridge. While he is yet to regain the remarkable accuracy that has typified his bowling in the past, he was noticeably tighter than he had been in the previous Test and, against such fragile opposition, it proved enough to make them buckle. He is the first England spinner to claim a five-wicket haul in an Ashes Test at Lord’s since Hedley Verity in 1934.Describing the performance as a “boyhood dream”, Swann said that his previous mention on the Lord’s honours board had been tarnished when the game became the focus of allegations about spot-fixing.”I’m on the honours board once before from a game against Pakistan,” Swann said, “But that was tainted. So to get it up there in an Ashes game is a boyhood dream. For a while I was thinking I might get on the batting board this morning, but agonisingly I fell 72 runs short.”England maintained the pressure well in the field. Stuart Broad, again bowling better than his figures suggest, executed England’s plan to dismiss Michael Clarke perfectly – a succession of bouncers left him reluctant to get forward and pinned on the foot by the full delivery that followed .Tim Bresnan, recalled in place of the enigmatic Steven Finn, justified the decision by providing few soft runs, James Anderson delivered eight maidens in his 14 overs and the ground fielding showed impressive commitment and athleticism. It was typified by Jonny Bairstow who, with England leading by almost 250 with Australia nine down, turned a four into a three following a long chase and diving stop on the long off boundary.England’s fortune extended into their second innings. Had Joe Root been caught on eight, a simple chance that passed between first slip and keeper, the scrutiny on his new role of opener would have increased and Australia might have scented an opportunity to clamber their way back into this game. Instead an opportunity to lift the mood was transformed into another dispiriting setback and Root went unpunished for his lapse.For those England supporters who grew up familiar with the ritual humiliation that characterised Ashes encounters in the 1990s, there will be some grim satisfaction in days like this. But for those who relish combative, good quality cricket, this was a bitterly disappointing experience.In years to come, this period may be remembered as the lowest ebbs in the history of Australian Test cricket. It would be unwise to read too much into England’s current ascendancy.

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the third day of the lone Test between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Harare

Firdose Moonda in Harare06-Aug-2011 Celebration of the day
Zimbabwe had plenty to celebrate in the field and they were going to give every success its due, so when they had their biggest reason to make merry, they got the party started. When Shakib al Hasan edged a Chris Mpofu delivery to Tatenda Taibu, Zimbabwe had the major breakthrough they wanted and Ray Price and Mpofu unveiled the special jig they had planned for the occasion, the kind normally seen on a football field. They tapped feet, first right, then left, then right again and then embraced. The crowd was delighted and some of them even joined in every time another wicket fell.Quick change of the day
Brian Vitori started off bowling over the wicket and didn’t seem to be getting the same zip as he was on day two. He knew something needed to change. Without warning the umpire or the batsman, he switched tack to come around the wicket. A few paces after he started running in, he realised that he hadn’t gone through all the motions, turned around, went back to his mark, and gestured emphatically to the batman that he would be switching to around-the-wicket and started again. It turned out to be a good decision, because he got more movement and, eventually, his third wicket. Best buy of the day
With a bigger crowd coming in to the ground on the weekend, it was time for the entrepreneurs to show their wares. Apart from the usual culinary delights, with a wider than normal range of sweets for sale, there was everything from sunglasses to bunches of roses on offer. The best buy of the day belonged to the ZC stall which was selling shirts, caps, cricket balls and a ZC wallet.The no-go zone of the day
While Tinotenda Mawoyo and Vusi Sibanda were batting Zimbabwe into a comfortable position in the third session, 12th man Malcom Waller decided he would try to learn how to emulate them. He asked batting consultant and former opening batsmen Grant Flower to give him throw downs in the nets. The pair, together with the team’s fitness trainer, made their way to their training spot, only to find it cordoned off and the lines being painted. They asked the man who was doing the painting if they could interrupt him for a little while, but weren’t allowed to, and had to go around to the secondary nets on the far side of the ground for their practice.The noisiest fans of the day
Harare Sports ground only has a capacity of 10,000, and will be lucky to fill half of it on any given day in this Test match. What it did have today was some vociferous fans, who were causing quite a din. The open, uncovered stand, which was mostly deserted before today, had a group of supporters occupying a few rows in one of its corners. They had with them a few umbrellas, a couple of dance routines and some chants. As Zimbabwe batted, they became more and more enthusiastic, clapping their hands, doing pirouette-like turns and singing with all the melody they could muster. Most of the songs were in the local Shona language but the odd English word crept in.

Michael Hussey must be the most calculating batsman in the game

Ali Cook10-Oct-2008

Michael Hussey must be the most calculating batsman in the game. When he goes out he carries a protractor in his mind along with an unbending desire. He thinks in degrees for runs and has proved the method works all over the world.In Hussey’s autobiography he reveals he writes lots of lists. At the crease his duties are on a sheet in his brain.Anil Kumble is bowling mostly googlies

There’s an eight-metre gap between cover and mid-off

If he pitches up, hit it through 78 degrees

Full face, don’t try to smash it
So Hussey was prepared when Kumble skipped in and delivered a fuller ball around off stump. He took a big step, checked his drive and stroked it with such superb timing that he pierced fielders who could almost touch each other. The boundary moved him to 82. While most of his team-mates had to wrestle for their returns, Hussey had the ability to glide.One of the few times his precision left him was when Ishant Sharma forced an inside-edge that went for four and raised his ninth century in 26 Tests. It is an incredible record built on the adding-machine properties made famous by Bradman. Hussey now averages 70.60, sitting high above Graeme Pollock and near the feet of The Don.His driving on the off side was exact throughout, but he was not content waiting for the opportunities to play a big shot. With India unable to force the wickets that were expected initially on a pitch offering more uneven bounce, he toyed with them by varying his speed like an all-stops train. Accelerate with a four, slow for a well-placed single, stop, let out a deep breath, start again.After drinks in the second session Harbhajan Singh was operating, very briefly, without a man on the boundary in front of square leg, trying to force Hussey into a mistake. Only Hussey doesn’t take unnecessary risks. When he decides to do something he has already considered the dangers and deemed them too small. If his mind was a guide for race-horse punters none of them would be in debt.With the off side packed, he stepped back to the first vaguely short offering and pulled a boundary in front of square. Later in the over he slog-swept a six to long-on and quickly judged it time to slow down. His constant contributions eased the demands on his partners. He must be a fabulous man to bat with; solid and dependable yet always ticking things over.After the valuable stand of 91 with Brad Haddin ended he conducted a fruitful partnership of 59 with Brett Lee. One of the concerns for Australia heading into the series was that the lower order would collapse in the unfamiliar conditions and the handy runs usually expected of them would evaporate.Hussey was able to delay the fall until Zaheer Khan lined up Lee and Mitchell Johnson in a couple of overs after tea before focusing on the main man. Hussey knew time was running out when Lee departed, so he altered his thinking and embraced more unconventional means. A reverse-sweep was successful but soon he was facing the suddenly nasty swing of Khan. An inside-edge toppled his middle stump and, last man out, he scurried off with 146.It was an ugly end but it was not a stain on a consummate performance. Ponting is undoubtedly the best batsman in the team, but Hussey will be his greatest ally during this series. Nothing flusters or hurries him. Not the heat, or the noise, or the bowling.Only the sight of no more batsmen in the dressing room could force him into a lethal error. In such a taxing and distracting environment he is Australia’s most valuable player.

The striker was one of the last players cut before Mexico announced its final 23-man squad for Qatar 2022

• Mexico was eliminated in the group stage
• Martino opted for Rogelio Funes Mori instead
• Giménez hopes to make his World Cup debut in 2026

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Santiago Giménez has finally opened up about the painful experience of being left out of Mexico’s squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In an interview with YouTuber “El Escorpión Dorado,” the current AC Milan striker revealed that then-head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino had told him he was the starting striker – only to cut him at the last moment.

  "I honestly saw myself on the list," Giménez said. "The last time I was called up, Tata told me: ‘You’re my starting striker right now, and if you keep playing like this, you’ll go to the World Cup.’ I started scoring, I was doing well… and then he left me out.”

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Giménez’s exclusion caused backlash at the time, as the striker was enjoying a strong first season with Feyenoord, scoring consistently and impressing with his performances. Despite that, Martino left him off the final squad, arguing that Giménez lacked playing time – a rationale that was heavily questioned by both media and fans. Instead, the Argentine coach called up fellow countryman Rogelio Funes Mori, who was then playing for Monterrey. Funes Mori ended up playing just four minutes during the entire tournament, further fueling criticism toward Martino’s decision.

• AFP
  

  WHAT SANTIAGO GIMÉNEZ SAID

  Giménez also detailed how he learned about the decision and criticized the way it was handled. According to the forward, he was flown to Girona along with Diego Lainez under the impression they would train with the team ahead of the final roster announcement. Just a few hours after landing, however, both were informed – via phone call – that they had been cut.

  “They knew it would be a tough decision, so they wanted to get it over with quickly. But the way they did it was wrong – they told me over the phone. I flew to Girona because they said I’d be training in case something happened… like a backup option," Gimenez explained. "Lainez and I arrived, and two hours later, they told us we weren’t going. We got on a plane just to turn around and go back to Mexico.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  At just 24 years old, Giménez has yet to make the impact he would’ve hoped for with the Mexican national team. In 42 appearances for the AC Milan striker has scored only five goals.

Sri Lanka’s quicks struggled for control on windy day in Wellington, where only 48 overs of play was possible

Madushka Balasuriya17-Mar-2023Stumps In rain-impacted Wellington, with heavy winds for company, New Zealand batted just 48 overs as bad light brought about an early close to an already truncated opening day. Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls were unbeaten on 26 and 18 at the close respectively, though it was when Devon Conway was at the crease during his 108-ball 78 that New Zealand had looked the most threatening.Sri Lanka’s seamers, whose eyes might have lit up at the opportunity to bowl first on a supremely green top after Dimuth Karunaratne won the toss, unfortunately had to cope with some of the windiest conditions ever seen at Basin Reserve.”Today was certainly the windiest I’ve played at the Basin. Certainly a lot of challenge for the bowlers, and we wanted to make the most of that and put pressure on them,” Conway said after the end of play. Put pressure New Zealand certainly did.While there was certainly extra bounce in the surface – Conway would describe it as “tennis-ball bounce” – the gusty winds meant the likes of Kasun Rajitha, Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara were unable to gain the same sort of lateral movement they had so effectively utilised in Christchurch, while maintaining good lengths were also proving difficult.Conway and his more watchful opening partner Tom Latham also proved adept at leaving the ball on length, meaning Sri Lanka’s seamers were forced to pitch it full if they wanted to force the batters into a stroke. It was here that Conway in particular flourished.In a stand worth 87, it was Kumara that took the brunt of Conway’s aggression, with eight of his 13 boundaries coming against the strapping quick. Anything too short or wide was pulled and cut with ease, while anything overpitched was driven just as efficiently.Kasun Rajitha picked up the first wicket when he sent back Tom Latham•Getty ImagesThe first wicket came only once Latham looked to break free, pulling one straight down deep square-leg’s throat off Rajitha.Conway, though, carried on in a similar vein, as Williamson took over the anchor role in a 31-run stand. With the seamers struggling to make a consistent impact, Sri Lanka were forced to turn to spin shortly before tea. And it was the continued use of Dhananjaya de Silva’s offbreaks that provided an unlikely breakthrough in the final session.De Silva’s flatter trajectory from around the wicket slowed down Conway’s scoring, the left-hander scoring just three runs off the 16 deliveries he faced from de Silva. Eventually that pressure told, with Conway charging de Silva and only managing to chip a low return catch.Sri Lanka might even have had three for the day had debutant Nishan Madushka – replacing Niroshan Dickwella with the gloves – held on to a thick edge off Nicholls. It was quick and low to his left – almost a mirror image of the chance Dickwella had grassed off Williamson in Christchurch – but one Madushka ought to have held on to. Madushka has been brought into the side mainly on the back of his batting ability, and the pressure will certainly be on going forward.Williamson and Nicholls played through the rest of the session on pure merit until bad light meant play was stopped 45 minutes prior to the scheduled close.

Sanju Samson got a chance at the top of the order but he was lbw for 1

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2024

India sprang a surprise at the start of their T20 World Cup warm-up game against Bangladesh in New York, sending Sanju Samson out to open the batting alongside captain Rohit Sharma.Samson’s stay was brief: he was lbw to Shoriful Islam for 1 in the second over of the match.Rohit, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli are the three regular openers in India’s 15-member squad. Kohli wasn’t available to play in the warm-up game, having only arrived in New York on the eve of the match. Samson is one of two wicketkeeper-batters in the squad alongside Rishabh Pant.Pant batted at No. 3, replacing Samson at the crease.India’s opening combination was a topic of debate in the lead-up to the tournament, with Rohit, as captain, expected to take one of the two opening slots.Kohli, who has spent most of his T20I career as a No. 3 batter, comes into the World Cup on the back of a hugely successful IPL at the top of the order, topping the run charts with 741 at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69, and showcasing an improved ability to access the boundary against spin in the middle overs – this had been an area of concern in recent seasons.Jaiswal, meanwhile, offers India a high-intent, left-hand option with the tactical advantage of preventing oppositions from bowling left-arm spin in the powerplay – a style of bowling both Rohit and Kohli have struggled to score quickly against in the past.Given that this is a warm-up match where both teams can use their entire squads – with a maximum of 11 allowed to bat and 11 fielding at any given time – not too much can be read into the choice of Samson as opener and Pant at No. 3. It’s possible that India may be looking to have a good look at both their keepers before deciding on whom to pick in their tournament-opener against Ireland on June 5.

Ex-Manchester City star Terry Phelan has come up with an ingenious plan for how the Premier League giants could accept a £1 billion FFP fine.

• Verdict yet to be delivered in FFP case
• Punishments have been speculated on
• City continue to plead their innocence

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Those at the Etihad Stadium maintain that they have done nothing wrong when it comes to a Financial Fair Play case that sees at least 115 charges hanging over the blue half of Manchester. A definitive ruling is yet to be passed following an independent hearing.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A verdict will be delivered at some stage, with various punishments being speculated on. There has been talk of City being stung with points deductions, transfer embargoes or expulsion from the top-flight of English football.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Arguments have been offered against most of those sanctions, but a hefty fine could still be on the cards. Billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour will have no problem paying, and he may be given a chance to benefit those further down the EFL pyramid.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• WHAT PHELAN SAID

  Phelan, speaking in association with , told GOAL when asked about what happens next for City and their chances of getting off scot-free: “How long is it going to take – 10 years, 15 years? Let’s enjoy them while we can. Let’s enjoy football.

  “I know what supporters are like – it happened to Everton, it happened to this club, why is it not happening to Manchester City? It’s not happening for a reason. What is the reason? I don’t know, it’s only the top men that know why it’s not happening.

  “Maybe they will get a £100 million fine, 300m, 400m. If they get a billion-pound fine and then distribute it amongst all the other clubs in the lower leagues, I’d be happy with that.”

  Getty Images

On a day where only 32.3 overs were possible, Bangladesh were 38 for 2 at stumps

Himanshu Agrawal08-Dec-2023

Glenn Phillips provided a lesson on how to bat on a sharp turner, counterattacking his way to 87 off just 72 balls on the third day of the second Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand. On a challenging pitch where almost every ball from the spinners was either turning square or keeping incredibly low, or both, Phillips had walked in at 46 for 5 on the first evening. His aggressive intent took New Zealand to 180, eight ahead of the hosts’ first-innings total of 172At stumps, Bangladesh were 38 for 2 in their second innings, 30 ahead of New Zealand. A late start and an early finish because of bad light meant only 32.3 overs were possible in the whole day.Gloomy conditions in Dhaka forced a late start, with play on Friday beginning two and a half hours later than scheduled. This was after rain had washed out the entire second day. With New Zealand on 55 for 5, and trailing by 117, overnight batters Phillips and Daryl Mitchell played contrasting roles to thwart Bangladesh, who predictably had left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and offspinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz bowling in tandem.While Phillips seemed to be on the offensive as early as the second over of the day, Mitchell remained content to block. Often standing deep in the crease, Phillips slashed hard at deliveries that were even slightly short and outside off, and swung across the line against the ones that were full and in the line of the stumps.In the second over of the day, he punched Mehidy for four to deep point, before slog-sweeping and driving him for further boundaries in the 16th. In between, he was beaten by Taijul twice while looking to push at deliveries that were turning away, even as the ball stayed low or skidded through.But the conditions mattered little for Phillips. And despite Bangladesh having multiple fielders on the leg-side boundary – deep-backward square leg and deep midwicket were in place most of the time – he continued attacking. His first six came in the 18th over when Mehidy bowled one full on the pads, and he slog-swept it over deep square leg.Mahmudul Hasan Joy fell in the first over of Bangladesh’s second innings•AFP via Getty Images

At the other end, Mitchell took a good stride forward to get to the pitch of the ball to defend the full deliveries. Even when he stepped out, he only looked to nudge them away. In the 20th over, he attempted a reverse sweep off Mehidy and the ball popped up to short leg. The on-field umpire ruled it in the batter’s favour, and when Bangladesh reviewed it, replays showed the ball had hit Mitchell just below the left shoulder.In the next over, Mitchell also had a slice of luck when he leaned into a drive against Taijul, got an outside edge and the ball fell just short of the slip fielder. Bangladesh introduced Nayeem Hasan into the attack from the other end. Phillips launched his first ball over deep-backward square leg for six, but three deliveries later, Nayeem got Mitchell.With a mid-off in place, Mitchell stepped out to hit Nayeem over his head but didn’t get the required distance. Mehidy, halfway back at long-on, ran across to his left and dived sideways to complete the catch. Mitchell fell for 18, ending a sixth-wicket stand of 49 off 60 balls with Phillips.Nayeem also had Mitchell Santner nicking to slip in his second over, reducing New Zealand to 97 for 7. But Phillips kept going, with even umpire Rod Tucker not being spared. In the 26th over, he pulled one forcefully towards square leg where the ball hit Tucker just above his left knee. In the same over, he hit Nayeem for a six and a four. The boundary brought up his half-century, off just 38 balls.He and Kyle Jamieson added 55 off only 53 deliveries, of which Jamieson contributed 20. Phillips and Tim Southee then took New Zealand past Bangladesh’s total before the innings came to an end. The visitors’ last five wickets smashed 134 runs at a run rate of 5.25, the highest for 100 or more runs for the last five wickets where the first five fell within 50 runs (where data is available).Ajaz Patel then had Mahmudul Hasan Joy nicking to slip the third ball of Bangladesh’s second innings. Zakir Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto stroked a few boundaries after that, before Shanto chipped Southee to mid-off in what turned out to be the penultimate ball of the day.

أتم مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، برئاسة حسين لبيب، التعاقد رسميًا مع ثنائي جديد لتدعيم صفوف فريق كرة اليد الأول بالقلعة البيضاء خلال الموسم الجديد.

وتعاقد الزمالك مع الشقيقين محمد عدلان وعمر عدلان، لاعبي طلائع الجيش، لتدعيم صفوف الفريق الأول لكرة اليد بالنادي خلال الموسم الجديد.

طالع.. رسميًا | الزمالك يعلن رحيل لاعبه

ويُعد انضمام الثنائي إضافة قوية للفريق الأبيض، في إطار خطة الإدارة لتجديد الدماء ودعم الفريق بعناصر شابة وواعدة استعدادًا للاستحقاقات المقبلة.

وقاد هشام نصر، نائب رئيس الزمالك، ورامي نصوحي عضو مجلس الإدارة المفاوضات مع نادي طلائع الجيش والثنائي من أجل ضمهما حيث تلقيا عروضًا خلال الأيام الماضية.

يُذكر أن محمد عدلان من مواليد 2006، بينما وُلد عمر عدلان عام 2004، ويأمل الجهاز الفني في أن يشكّل اللاعبان إضافة قوية للفريق خلال المرحلة المقبلة.

يحاول ريو نجوموها النجم الشاب لنادي ليفربول التعلم أكثر من خلال تدريباته مع الفريق وتواجده بين اللاعبين الكبار هذا الصيف.

ويعد نجوموها جزءًا من قائمة ليفربول المكونة من 29 لاعبًا والمتواجدة حاليًا في هونج كونج لخوض أولى مباريات الفريق التحضيرية للموسم الجديد في آسيا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. حقيقة تقديم بايرن ميونخ عرضًا جديدًا لضم لويس دياز.. وموقف رودريجو مع ليفربول

وكان ليفربول قد حقق فوزًا وديًا ساحقًا على ستوك سيتي بخماسية نظيفة وسجل نجوموها هدفًا.

وفي تصريحاته للموقع الرسمي لنادي ليفربول كشف نجم الفريق الشاب عن قدوته في عالم كرة القدم: “محمد صلاح قدوتي وأنا أتعلم الكثير منه حقاً”.

وأضاف: “أشعر أن تجربة تدريبي مع الفريق لا توصف حقاً، التدريب مع أفضل فريق في العالم في سن مبكر جداً هو بمثابة حلم لكل طفل”.

وواصل: “إنه لأمر مذهل، التدريب هنا في هونج كونج، إنه مكان جميل والجلسات التدريبية مكثفة وصعبة، لكن كلاعب كرة قدم تحب التدريب واللعب في الملعب كل يوم، لذا كان الأمر رائعًا للغاية”.

وتابع: “التدريب مع أفضل فريق في العالم، اللاعبون الذين تتدرب معهم، تتعلم منهم وتختبر نفسك أمامهم، لقد كان أمرًا رائعًا”.

واختتم: “الصبر مفتاح النجاح، لا أريد التسرع في أي شيء، أنا شاب، فقط واصل العمل الجاد وابذل قصارى جهدك وأظهر للمدرب ما أستطيع فعله حقاً وأؤثر على الفريق”.