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Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring James Tarkowski to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claimed that, with the 29-year-old’s contract at Burnley coming to an end later this month, Victor Orta is keen on the idea of bringing him to LS11 on a free transfer.

However, the report added that Everton, Aston Villa and Leicester City are also keeping a very close eye on the England international’s situation ahead of a potential swoop of their own this summer.

Imagine him & Kristensen

Considering just how impressive Tarkowski has been for Burnley since joining them in February 2016, and with Leeds conceding 79 goals in the Premier League this season – the second-worst record in the top flight, with only bottom club Norwich City shipping more – it is not difficult to understand why Orta would be interested in a deal for the 29-year-old this summer.

Indeed, over his four full Premier League campaigns prior to 2021/22, the £19.8m-rated defender averaged extraordinary seasonal SofaScore match ratings of 7.13 in 2017/18, 7.04 in 2018/19, 7.14 in 2019/20 and 7.09 in 2020/21 – a remarkable feat considering that the Clarets finished seventh, 15th, 10th and 17th in these respective seasons.

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Furthermore, despite Burnley’s relegation from the top flight in 2021/22, the £70k-per-week talent still impressed over his 35 Premier League appearances. He helped his side to keep seven clean sheets, scoring one goal and providing two assists, along with making 1.4 interceptions, 1.8 tackles, 5.2 clearances and winning 6.9 duels (at a success rate of 68%) per game.

These returns saw the player who Andy Jones dubbed “unbelievable” average a SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him not only as the Clarets’ best performer in the league but also as the seventh-best defender in the entire top flight.

As such, it is clear to see that Tarkowski would greatly improve Jesse Marsch’s options at the back, particularly following the Whites’ all-but-confirmed signing of Red Bull Salzburg right-back Rasmus Kristensen.

Indeed, with the 29-year-old having typically operated on the right of Burnley’s centre-back pairing, the prospect of the twice-capped England international lining up alongside the Kristensen in the Whites’ backline will certainly be an incredibly exciting one for both Marsch and the Elland Road faithful. Therefore, we believe that Orta must do all he can to try and seal Tarkowski’s signing this summer.

AND in other news: Orta could unearth the new £103m-rated talent as Leeds now plot bid for “dream” target

Sunderland’s forgotten man Will Grigg is set to finally depart the club, after finding himself on back-to-back loan spells.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from the Sunderland Echo, who claim that the 30-year-old will be subject of talks between Rotherham United boss Paul Warne and the Northern Irishman’s representatives.

As per the report, Grigg is out of contract at the Stadium of Light this summer and is not expected to be offered a new deal by the Black Cats, with the forward not having donned a Sunderland shirt since last year, in what was a solitary appearance before being chucked back out on loan, this time to Rotherham United.

Millers boss Warne has been impressed with Grigg and has stated his intent to sign the striker, saying this (as per Sheffield Star via Sunderland Echo): “I’m going to have a conversation with his agent.

“I would like to keep Griggy but it’s down to the player. He’ll consider the geography of it, the finances of it, what other offers he gets.“It might be something we sort out in a couple of weeks, it might be something we revisit in July.”Time’s upGrigg, who has scored two goals in League One.He’s played a part that is almost unquantifiable for Warne’s side, though the manager has indeed noted his impact, despite a lack of direct attacking returns:“A striker’s job isn’t just to score. Look at Smudge, he’s been brilliant for us over the years but it’s only this season that he’s scored 20-plus goals.“Griggy was the glue in our team. When he was injured his boots weren’t easy ones to fill.”Whilst that may be the case for Rotherham, Sunderland possess more direct forwards like Ross Stewart, who has just hit 28 goals for the Black Cats in League One this season and with Grigg dubbed as a “Sunderland flop” as per Roker Report, it looks as though his time at the Stadium of Light is finally up.The £6k-per-week earner has been nothing but a disaster since being brought to the club by Stewart Donald back in 2019 for a fee of £4m. It felt like a panic buy at the time and it has not proven to be good business at all with the forward finding the net just 29 times during his stint.It feels like it’s time to finally cut ties with the striker for good.In other news: Sunderland could unearth their next McGeady by signing “brilliant” 33-goal gem 

Arsenal are reportedly interested in a move for Juventus midfielder Arthur this summer, according to journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

What’s the word?

As per German outlet Wettfreunde, the Sky Sports transfer guru revealed that the Brazilian playmaker “could come to Arsenal” in the upcoming window, with his current side potentially set to try and cash in as they pursue other targets.

The report suggests that the north Londoners were keen on a deal for the 25-year-old in January – as backed up by claims at the time – and could continue that interest again at the end of the season.

Di Marzio does, however, suggest that Max Allegri’s side could ask for centre-back star Gabriel in return, with the Serie A side seeking a replacement for long-serving stalwart Giorgio Chiellini, who is set to leave the club in just over a month or so.

Supporters will be buzzing

If they can avoid having to let their current gem depart as part of the deal, a move for his compatriot Arthur would no doubt prove to be an astute piece of business for both Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu.

The 22-cap international – who joined the Turin outfit in a swap deal involving Miralem Pjanic from Barcelona two years ago – has found game time hard to come by at the Allianz Stadium so far this season, making just ten league starts, although has shown enough quality previously to warrant the hype.

Even amid a difficult stint in Italy, the £18m-rated man has still produced some impressive statistics, ranking in the top 3% for completed passes among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, as well as in top 15 % for both progressive passes and progressive carries.

Such quality in possession has previously seen the former Gremio man likened to Spain icon Xavi by former teammate Lionel Messi, while pundit Kevin Campbell also dubbed him a “baller” for his technical talent.

At present, Arteta’s men are crying out for new additions in the centre of the park, with a playmaking, midfield metronome seemingly required alongside the more defensive-minded Thomas Partey. As a result, any move for a player like Arthur would surely have supporters beaming from ear to ear.

He may be slightly older than last summer’s additions – with all six signings made under the age of 23 – although he still has plenty of time ahead of him to thrive in the Premier League, with links to both him – and 25-year-old Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus – perhaps illustrating an exciting change of tack in the transfer market from Edu and co.

IN other news, Forget Laca: Arsenal already have their new Saka in “deadly” 17-goal Hale End starlet…

Barcelona have no intention of executing the option to buy clause in Adama Traore’s contract loan contract from Wolves.

What’s the word?

That is according to the latest report from the ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano, who has claimed that the Catalan-based side do not intend to pay the €30m (£25.5m) fee that was negotiated when the player signed on loan from Wolves.

Taking to Twitter, Romano stated: “The only way to keep him [at Barcelona] has always been a swap deal, with no money included in the negotiation with Wolves.

“As of today, there are chances for Adama to come back at Wolves and then leave again.”

Wolves fans left confused

The latest update from Romano will leave the Old Gold faithful confused as to how they should be feeling.

On one hand, his return to the Molineux could serve as a major boost for both the club and the player, with the Spaniard-of-Malian-descent surely out to prove Xavi wrong.

On the other hand, Lage’s side have drastically struggled to create chances this season, having created just 35 chances this season – the third worst in the league –  and Adama’s direct approach can shake up the Old Gold’s frontline once more.

Traore played around half of the season for Wolves before leaving to join Barcelona on-loan and registered an average of seven successful dribbles per 90, which to this day is still the highest metric amongst the entirety of the Premier League – with Newcastle United’s Allan Saint-Maximin’s average of 4.9 dribbles per game the nearest threat.

Raul Jimenez has certainly looked like a shadow of his former self without his partner Adama pinging crosses into the box. So if Adama was to stay, you could certainly expect a boost in creative numbers at the Molineux next season.

Though as Romano stated in his latest update, “there are chances for Adama to come back at Wolves and then leave again.”

After suffering for game time for the Blaugrana recently, Adama has been affected, with a report from Spanish outlet, Sport, claiming that the 26-year-old was “very upset after not even warming up against Mallorca.”

With Wolves’ reported desire to sign Ez Abde from Barcelona and Ousmane Dembele out of contract at the end of the season, La Masia youth product may just get a second opportunity to show Xavi exactly what he is made of in what would be a second consecutive loan spell for the forward.

In other news: Agent links: Wolves eyeing move for sensational “discovery”, Imagine him and Jimenez 

As the new head coach of the franchise, Nayar reflects on the landscape ahead in the women’s game

Ashish Pant10-Aug-2025Abhishek Nayar has whipped up quite a CV despite only retiring from all forms of the game six years back: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) assistant coach, Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) head coach, India batting coach and endorsements from players of international repute. His latest role sees him venture into women’s cricket as head coach of UP Warriorz (UPW) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) for the 2026 season.The Nayar-UPW association isn’t a new one. He’s run a few training camps for them in the last few years and worked with a some players individually, including captain Deepti Sharma. He is also good friends with Kshemal Waingankar, his former Mumbai team-mate and the COO and director of cricket for UPW. So when the possibility of leading the UPW backroom staff opened up, the decision was an easy one for Nayar.”I have spent some time with people associated in the UP Warriorz ecosystem. I used to follow how they’re going, their performances. There was a bit of an emotional connect even without really, really being associated with them,” Nayar told ESPNcricinfo. “For me, when the opportunity came and they were trying to restructure the support system, it was quite an easy decision, because I already had a bit of affinity towards the franchise, an understanding of how the franchise works, the ownership, and their whole value system and approach to the WPL and to women cricketers. So for me, it wasn’t a very hard one.”The hardest decision in my head was more about, will I be able to understand women’s cricket as well as I’ve managed to understand men’s cricket. But I pride myself on doing the work and hopefully getting there.”While this is Nayar’s first time helming a women’s franchise team, he has had stints with women’s teams in recent years. Ahead of the 2024 women’s T20 World Cup, Jon Lewis, the then head coach of England women (and UPW), got the team to India for two training camps, which were overseen by Nayar. While he agrees it was a different kind of challenge, Nayar says the stint helped enhance his coaching prowess.Related

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• Nayar appointed UP Warriorz head coach

“For me, it was an experience like this one is, and I never let go of an experience in life,” Nayar said. “So I took up the challenge. It was very, very awkward for me the first day, because getting the… you’re so used to saying ‘batsman’ all the time, so to start saying batter was my initial challenge. But now I’m getting a hold of it.”Luckily, commentary then helped me a lot to understand the 25 yards, 30 yards, the small differences, but yeah, it was a challenge, but I absolutely loved working with the England women players. And that was my first thought process that I can coach a lot more than manage.”[I am] still in touch with a lot of the players there and a lot of the people that I worked with who are now actually actively currently part of the last series that India played [against England in July].”

“You see fitter cricketers, you see their movement patterns a lot better. Their throws are a lot faster. That is a statement as to where WPL is taking Indian cricket and the impact it’s going to have in the years to come, just like IPL had on men’s cricket”Abhishek Nayar

By taking up the UPW role, Nayar finds himself in a unique position. He is the only one with a high-profile role in both the WPL and IPL – UPW head coach and KKR assistant coach. According to Nayar, while the basic process remains the same, there is a lot more coaching involved in women’s cricket and the space to enhance the skills of a player as opposed to men’s, where it is mostly about management.”With men’s cricket, once you start working with elite players, there’s less coaching, there’s more mentoring because it’s more about understanding the mind and not so much the technique,” Nayar said. “I think with women cricketers today, in regards to a coach, there’s a lot of excitement because you can actually help amplify the skill as well as the mindset. You can coach a lot more.”In men’s cricket, you need to manage a lot more rather than coach. You’re not really developing a player when you’re coaching in men’s cricket. Very rarely will you see someone innovating and coming up with a new shot, or you’re suddenly saying, ‘oh, Shubman’s playing something different or he’s playing a scoop shot’. Very far and few.”I was watching this recent India-England [women’s] series, and I could see that our women cricketers are growing. You can see a difference in the shots they’re making, you can see that they are bowling new deliveries, they’re tactically sounder. So you can see that growth. Men’s cricket is still a lot between the ears. With women’s cricket, there’s a lot in the skill as well, but a lot you can do in between the ears as well. So I think it’s exciting. It’s going to be fun.”With the next WPL season just a few months away, Nayar has already linked up with the UPW backroom staff to formulate plans. They had a training camp and trials in Chennai recently, with Nayar trying to understand the domestic ecosystem and “what the talent is besides all the top players in Indian cricket”.Nayar has followed the WPL from the inaugural season and firmly believes the tournament is a game-changer for women’s cricket.Apart from his role as UPW head coach, Abhishek Nayar is also assistant coach at KKR•kkr.in”I think the cricket has been crazy [at the WPL]. While I have my trials here [in Chennai], there’s a stark difference in me watching a trial two years ago to what I’m seeing today in regards to the six-hitting ability of a women’s cricketer and the ability to play a sweep and reverse sweep initially in the innings. And that all boils down to the WPL.”For me, the biggest difference has been the levels of fitness in every women’s cricketer. You see fitter cricketers, you see their movement patterns a lot better. Their throws are a lot faster. That is a statement as to where WPL is taking Indian cricket and the impact it’s going to have in the years to come, just like IPL had on men’s cricket. I’m 200% sure that the WPL will continue to have this sort of an impact on women cricketers all around.”The one aspect Nayar is yet to get his head around as he gets more involved in women’s cricket is the scouting and introduction of newer players into the system. But with the onset of women’s leagues in Bengal, Maharashtra, Delhi and now Karnataka, Nayar is confident that scouting will get easier.”It’s very new to me. I’ve been looking up to the KKR scouting for a while and that helps you understand men’s cricket a lot better. You already have your contacts in men’s cricket,” Nayar said. “With women’s cricket, I’m trying to use the same formula now that I’ve just come in.”It’s still very early stages, but I think it will end up being quite similar wherein you start following leagues. There’s a Delhi Premier League, a Bengal league that happened, a Maharashtra league. We’ll have to start tapping into that slowly and start understanding that.”Luckily, we have time this year. So I think it will still be pretty much the same where we try and get feedback from coaches who’ve been in the system for a long time. Coaches who’ve understood women’s cricket and been part of it right from the inception and academies around India as well who play a major role in making sure these cricketers then go on to play state.”After a strong start in 2023, where they qualified for the playoffs, UPW have had two underwhelming seasons in 2024 and 2025, finishing second to bottom and bottom on the points table. Now with Nayar on board, the franchise will hope for a better 2026 season as they chase the elusive WPL title.

The South Africa batter says he finds the format “tiring”, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it means nothing to him

Firdose Moonda11-Oct-2023If you want to know whether Quinton de Kock cares about ODI cricket, watch his reaction after he scored his 50-over World Cup ton against Sri Lanka. There’s the power of the pull shot and then the passion of the wide-legged stance, the fist pump, the raised bat and the roar, followed by the pathos of the glint in the eye. Was it sweat or a tear? We may never know but we know enough: that hundred meant .”It was big,” de Kock said, typically poker-faced in Lucknow, ahead of South Africa’s next match against Australia. “Not just because it was a World Cup, but because I’ve been wanting a hundred for a while. I’ve got a couple of starts and then obviously I was not capitalising so just to get one again was pretty nice.”Before South Africa’s tournament opener, de Kock’s last ODI hundred came 20 months and 18 innings ago. Since then, he has scored three fifties, reached double figures 13 times, notched up a first T20I century, signed up for leagues including the MLC and the Big Bash and announced his retirement from the 50-over game. This World Cup is his last dance in the format in which he is, by a distance, the leading run-scorer of this generation of South Africans. He has 6276 ODI runs; the next most in the squad is David Miller, more than 2,000 runs behind. Overall, de Kock is seventh on South Africa’s all-time list and only Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Herschelle Gibbs have more ODI hundreds than him. Whatever else happens in this World Cup, de Kock will go down as one of South Africa’s most celebrated white-ball cricketers.Related

• Cummins and ODIs, not quite a love story just yet

• Storied World Cup rivals joust again but it is Australia under pressure

• De Kock on ODI retirement: 'Time to get final top-up in T20 leagues'

Potentially, his farewell in the format also puts a(nother) question mark at the end of the sentence about the future of this format, although the man himself believes there is life in it.”I’m not going to speak on behalf of everyone. For myself, I find it quite tiring, but I’m sure there’s still a lot of guys, a lot of youngsters coming through from school, who would love to play this format,” he said. “I highly recommend that they find a way to keep it going, because there are a lot of guys with big ambitions who want this format to carry on. I think they need to find a place and a time for it to happen.””They” are the administrators, with whom de Kock has not always had the best of relationships but who may still be interested in his thoughts over the longevity of ODI cricket and the value of it. Ultimately, it was ODI cricket that made de Kock, after his three centuries against India in 2013, long before he was a T20 star. The longer limited-overs version allowed him time to build both his innings and his confidence and though cricket and its skills development has changed in the decade since de Kock debuted, he is an example of the kind of player ODIs can produce. He is also an example – maybe one of the last ones – of what ODI cricket can mean to players.For de Kock and this generation, a 50-over World Cup trophy is still the ultimate prize, even as the lure of T20s grows stronger. De Kock is one of those who have hung around, hoping for success in ODIs, when he could have walked away. He cares about it, even though his usually deadpan expressions and monotone and sometimes monosyllabic answers to questions, make it easy and lazy to assume he doesn’t.Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Quinton de Kock – the three centurions against Sri Lanka•ICC via Getty ImagesDuring the recent series against Australia, de Kock spoke to the host broadcaster about his decision to focus solely on the shortest format and said that his loyalty to the national cause was what kept him on the ODI stage for the last five years. By his calculations, he could have walked away in 2018, cashed in on the T20 circuit and had his feet up by now.Instead, he is putting the fishing on hold to play his third 50-over World Cup and has started by showing he is willing to give it his all. His hundred against Sri Lanka laid the foundation for South Africa to break the World Cup batting record and, along with Rassie van der Dussen, provided the stability for Aiden Markram to score the fastest tournament hundred. And de Kock wasn’t the only one who let his emotions out that day.

“We’re doing really well as a batting unit and we’ve worked really hard on our game over the last couple of years but it’s only one game into the World Cup”de Kock doesn’t want South Africa to get too carried away by their start

All three South Africans who scored centuries against Sri Lanka were more animated than usual. That may be because the sense of belief in their own abilities is building but de Kock is still cautious.”We’re doing really well as a batting unit and we’ve worked really hard on our game over the last couple of years but it’s only one game into the World Cup,” he said. “So it’s hard to say how we are really going even though we managed really well in our last couple of games. The batting form hasn’t been over the course of years, it’s only been over a month or a couple of months. In order for us to be the best, we still need to be a bit more consistent, especially in tight games, like World Cups. That will determine how good we actually are.”South Africa’s only measure for how good they actually are, so far, is that they have not won a World Cup. For a squad that has always oozed talent that is something they want to change, especially as their most talented players, like de Kock, may not play in this format for much longer. Does that add extra motivation to this campaign? De Kock was not convinced.”I’m pretty much the same whether I’ve announced that I’ve retired or not retired,” he said. “I don’t really know how it happened. It was just a matter of working on one or two things and going out there and getting it done.”As simple as that.

The Sri Lanka allrounder looks back at the high points and fondest memories from his 12-year career, and maps the way forward

Interview by Andrew Fidel Fernando04-May-2021Thisara Perera announced his retirement from all international cricket yesterday, calling time on his 12-year career. He spoke to ESPNcricinfo about his reasons for announcing his retirement before the T20 World Cup, his most memorable innings, and his plans for franchise tournaments in the near future.You’re still only 32. Why have you decided to retire now?
I’ve played cricket for Sri Lanka for 12 years now. I think it’s time to give a chance to the youngsters. There has to be some lead-up time before a World Cup for a young player to prepare himself. You can’t do that in a rush. In 2023 there’s an ODI World Cup, and there are only a few months left before the T20 World Cup. Rather than retiring too close to those events, I thought it was better to give someone else the chance now.Related

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• Thisara Perera retires from international cricket

• Thisara Perera becomes first Sri Lankan to smash six sixes in an over

• Shoaib Malik, Thisara Perera fire Stallions to inaugural LPL title

It’s likely that you were part of Sri Lanka’s plans for this year’s T20 World Cup. Why are you retiring from that format as well?
They haven’t let me know much about their plans. All I knew was that they were dropping several seniors from the ODI team, so I thought it’s better that the young player who replaces me in ODIs gets that same chance in the T20I side. He then has the time to get settled and be stable in the side. If he plays a few one-dayers as well, there’s more than enough time for him to get set and play the World Cup.You’ve been a World Cup winner. Did you not have dreams of doing it again?
I definitely did. I’d been thinking for a while that before I quit I’d like to bring another World Cup home. One of the greatest highlights of my life was being able to finish the 2014 World T20 [final] with a six. I was seven when Arjuna Ranatunga won the 1996 World Cup with a four, and that’s really where my life in cricket started. From very early on, I wanted to hit that winning run, and I was overjoyed at having been able to do that.But with the situation at the moment – this is a time when they are looking closely at youngsters – I thought it’s better not to make anyone lose out on a place.Perera sealed Sri Lanka’s victory in the 2014 World T20 final with a six•ICCYou haven’t been consistently picked over the last five years, although you also had a spell as the limited-overs captain between 2017 and 2018. Were there frustrations for you during this period?
Failure happens to everyone. There are times you are right at the top of the staircase, and times when you’re right at the bottom. That’s a normal part of life. When I was low, I did my best to become free from what was holding me down. Sometimes those things have worked perfectly. I think I did a lot for the country. There are plenty of records that I’ve set.You took four wickets in an innings and also hit 75 in your last Test for Sri Lanka, in 2012. Do you feel you should have had more opportunities?
Yes, I didn’t get any opportunity in the Test format since then despite my performance in that match. I didn’t go to ask too much about it also. I watched for a few years, then retired from Tests. I just didn’t get a chance.What are some of your fondest memories playing for Sri Lanka?
Early on in my career, I loved the 2011 World Cup final, because I was able to end our innings with a six. Then there’s the 2014 World T20 and that winning six. I’ll never forget that. I became the first Asian cricketer to take hat-tricks in both ODIs and T20Is, and the first Sri Lankan player to hit six sixes in over in first-class cricket. I also hit the biggest six by a Sri Lankan – 123 metres in Perth.Any innings or spells that meant a lot to you?
Yes, the 140 that I hit against New Zealand [in Mount Maunganui in 2019]. I came in at No. 7 after a few wickets had fallen cheaply and we were out of the game [Sri Lanka were 121 for 5 after 25 overs, chasing 320]. But through my innings, I was able to get us close [they lost by 21 runs eventually]. I hit the most sixes struck by any Sri Lanka player during that innings – 13. I was batting with the tail for most of the innings. Nuwan Pradeep was batting at the other end and I remember telling him to hang in there somehow, because I was doing my best to get us to a win. We fell short narrowly. It’s very rare that someone in the losing team gets a Man-of-the-Match award. But I did for that game.Perera led the Jaffna Stallions to a title win in the inaugural Lanka Premier League in 2020•Jaffna StallionsWas there something that you wanted to achieve but couldn’t?
I did as much as I could. We won a T20 World Cup; to win a 50-over World Cup was another goal. Of the seven World Cups I played, 2011 was the one in which we came so close and still didn’t win, despite the fact that we gave it our everything. That was just our fate. But I did what I could for Sri Lankan cricket, and I’m retiring happy.You were a penetrative bowler in your early years. Were you disappointed at how it fell away later in your career?
I was bowling really well when I started, but then I suffered a major side-strain injury late in 2012, and I focused more on my batting after that. I used to bowl 140kph, but anyone who gets a side strain is worried about bowling from then on, because of the pain. But although my pace decreased, I still got a lot of wickets. I had 175 ODI wickets, and I think I was balancing that and my batting well. My heart tells me that I gave everything I could with the ball as well.What are your plans for retirement?
I’m still a professional cricketer. There are franchise tournaments, and I haven’t stopped that, and I’ll play for a while. I play domestic cricket for Sri Lanka Army, and I’m an Army officer. I can give that my full attention now. I can also focus more on my family.You’re the captain of the Jaffna Stallions LPL team. How important is that franchise to you?
I recently spoke to the owner, Anandan Arnold. We did extremely well in the last tournament, winning the tournament. And I think we’ll continue to do well this year. Based on the discussions we’ve had, I want to keep playing for Jaffna Stallions.Anything else you’d like to add?
I’ve got a few people I’d like to thank. Harsha de Silva was my coach at St Joseph’s College, and that’s the place that changed my life the most. I used to play as an opening batter, and it’s only later that I started batting at No. 6 and had the chance to play as an allrounder. I made my international debut in 2009, and I remember Kumar Sangakkara with a lot of affection, because he was the one that brought me into the team and was my first captain. I want to thank my parents, my brothers and sisters, and my wife, Sherami Perera, all of whom sacrificed a lot during my 12 years with the national team. Sherami would sometimes be without me for months while I was touring. I am very grateful to my family.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após contar com o Allianz Parque na semifinal e na grande final do Paulistão 2024, o Palmeiras se prepara para retornar para a Arena Barueri nesta noite de quarta-feira (17).

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➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

O Verdão conta com um ótimo aproveitamento no estádio onde vai encarar o Internacional, em jogo válido pela 2ª rodada do Brasileirão 2024.

Em cinco jogos na Arena Barueri nesta temporada, o Palmeiras tem quatro vitórias e um empate, em partidas todas válidas pelo Paulistão.

O Verdão está invicto em Barueri há sete partidas e conta com um ótimo retrospecto atuando na sua ‘segunda casa’, em 39 jogos, foram 25 vitórias, 8 empates, 6 derrotas, 73 gols marcados e 31 gols sofridos.

Na temporada de 2023, o clube também precisou visitar a Arena Barueri na reta final do Brasileirão, e só saiu derrotado do clássico contra o Santos, inclusive ganhando do Internacional por 3 a 0.

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Apesar de ter o Allianz Parque para o jogão contra o Flamengo no próximo domingo (21), o Palmeiras voltará para Barueri para encarar o Athletico-PR e o Vasco, pela sexta e oitava rodada do Brasileirão 2024.

Wayne Rooney joined Manchester United from boyhood club Everton in August 2004 for a fee of £27 million ($36m), a world-record sum for a teenager at the time. The transfer was controversial among Toffees fans, and the former England striker has revealed details of the intimidation campaign directed at his family and his then wife-to-be Coleen and also how he's helping his son take first steps in his football career.

Rooney switch caused anger on Merseyside

Rooney quickly justified the chunky price tag, making an explosive debut with a hat-trick against Fenerbahce in the Champions League. At Old Trafford, under Sir Alex Ferguson,he matured into a world superstar, becoming known for his incredible work rate, stunning goals – like his famous overhead kick against Manchester City – and leadership. 

Over 13 successful seasons, Rooney won 16 major trophies, including five Premier League titles and the Champions League. He became the club's all-time leading goalscorer with 253 goals in 559 appearances, cementing his status as a United legend, alongside the likes of Bobby Charlton, George Best, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo. 

But in the immediate period after his move from Goodison Park, 49 miles up the M62 to Old Trafford, his family faced a campaign of hostility. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRooney: 'I had to stay tough'

Rooney said on the : "I got death threats. My parents' house was getting spray painted and smashed up. My girlfriend at the time, wife now, her house was getting spray painted. I think that's where you have to be mentally strong. The people around you have to help. Leaving was difficult because I went to Manchester United, and Liverpool and Manchester was a big rivalry so that made it a lot more difficult. But I was always of a mindset of 'I don't care'. I knew what I wanted and I knew how to get there. I had to stay tough in my mind. This was people from my city so it was tough but I thought 'I don't care', you have to be selfish and make these decisions." 

Rooney reveals life as a football dad

Rooney has been retired for just shy of six years, and in that time he has seen his eldest son progress through the youth ranks at Manchester United, and is conscious of the changing pressures that face Kai, compared to his playing days. 

Rooney said: "Now the difference is social media. When I was young, I was in the local newspapers and so everyone in Liverpool really knew me. Now I have it with my boy who's 16 and he's on social media. He plays for my United, he's sponsored by Puma and there's hundreds of thousands or millions of people watching them when they're that young, and I didn't have that really. Being a young player and going into the first team especially, you're getting judged. Rightly or wrongly, you get judged and that's where you need the people around you, people at the club or your family to keep you in a good place. We can all get carried away with social media as well. So it's really important that the people who are close to you have your best interest. It's the main thing." 

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Getty Images SportMedia career makes stuttering start

Rooney's career at the BBC has faced certain challenges primarily due to a difficult transition to live television punditry on Match of the Day. While he has been praised for his knowledgeable and candid approach on his pre-recorded podcast, his on-camera performances have been hindered by significant nerves and hesitation. This has led to criticism, which has described his live analysis as "dreadful" or "painful" and noted his struggle to form coherent sentences under the pressure of the studio environment. The BBC is reportedly providing additional media training to help him adapt, which underscores the initial difficulties in his role despite a lucrative two-year contract.

Kalvin Phillips left Leeds United for Manchester City to chase his dreams, but since penning an emotional, two-page letter to his boyhood club to mark his departure from Elland Road, his career has been a living nightmare. There have been multiple runs of bad luck, injuries and humiliation, and when his former club visit the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, the England international is highly unlikely to even be on the bench.

A Leeds native, Phillips knew he wanted to play for his local team from the first time he visited Elland Road as a boy. He had a tough upbringing, raised by his mother after his father was imprisoned for much of his childhood and adult life. Phillips was born a triplet but lost one of his sisters when she was a couple of months old, leading to his mother being left to grieve on her own while fending for herself, sometimes going without food so her children could eat.

Phillips would pass the prison his father was interned in every day on the way to Leeds' Thorp Arch training ground, and when he helped the team win promotion back to the Premier League in 2020 for the first time in 16 years, his dad called him so that Phillips could hear the in-mates chanting the club's anthem, 'Marching on Together'.

Phillips was one of the stars as Leeds finished ninth in their first season back in the big time, earning a call-up to the England team in 2020. He subsequently started all seven games for the Three Lions at the European Championship the following summer. One year later, having helped Leeds avoid relegation on the final day of the season, he moved to City in a deal worth up to £42 million, making him Leeds' record sale (albeit only for two weeks before Raphinha joined Barcelona for £55m).

"I hope you guys understand my decision and will accept that I only want to chase my dreams and test myself against and with the best teams and best players on the planet," Phillips wrote when he left for City. Unfortunately, his result in that test was a resounding failure, and Phillips' career has been on a downward slide since, one so steep that he now faces an almighty fight just to get it going again.

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  Doomed from the start

  It might have seemed like a small detail at the time, but with hindsight one could say that Phillips' time with City was doomed from the start. He was too ill to attend his presentation in front of fans along with the other new arrivals, including Erling Haaland, in the summer of 2022, and he did not have the best introduction to the coaching staff either. 

  According to , Guardiola and his assistants noted that Phillips struggled to understand the role of being City's holding midfielder and they quickly concluded that the recently departed youth academy player Romeo Lavia, then 18, would have been a better fit.

  Phillips made his first appearance for City in a pre-season friendly against Club America in the unfamiliar position of centre-back, replacing Nathan Ake at half-time. He got 21 minutes in the next game against Bayern Munich, this time in midfield, and when the season began, he played a grand total of one minute across City's three opening Premier League matches. 

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  'Overweight'

  Phillips made his first City start in an August friendly against Barcelona, but that was when his problems truly began as he injured his shoulder, aggravating a long-running issue. The only solution was to undergo surgery, meaning he missed the next 10 matches, only returning to the matchday squad for the final game before the season paused for the World Cup.

  Phillips was still selected by England for the tournament in a call that emphasised how highly he was still regarded by Sir Gareth Southgate, and he made two appearances in Qatar. However, when he returned to Manchester, he was given a shock.

  Guardiola didn't pick him for the Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool that kicked-off domestic action following the World Cup, and when asked why in the press conference, the coach gave a surprisingly strong response: "He's not injured, he arrived overweight."

  Those comments plagued Phillips for years. "That narrative on social media just grew and grew," he told former Leeds team-mate Patrick Bamford. "Every club that I’d go to, I spoke to, like the manager and the nutritionist and stuff like that, they’d always speak about weight before they’d say anything else. And it got to the point where it peed me off a little bit. I was getting quite frustrated with it."

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  Not part of Pep's vision

  Phillips was a bystander during City's run to the treble in his first season at the club as he started just two Premier League games, both after they had already wrapped up the title. His second season was even more miserable as he played just 89 minutes of Premier League football across four substitute appearances. 

  Again, the writing was on the wall from the start as City signed not one holding midfielder but two, first bringing in Mateo Kovacic and then Matheus Nunes in the summer of 2023. Phillips, who was already struggling to get any game time while competing with the un-droppable Rodri, was now very clearly fourth choice in his position. 

  His first start of the campaign in the Carabao Cup against Newcastle ended in a 1-0 defeat, while his only other starts were in meaningless Champions League group games after City had qualified for the knockout stage. He did manage to score his only goal for the club, however, netting from the penalty spot against Red Star Belgrade.

  When Guardiola was asked why he used Phillips so sparingly, he gave a damning explanation: "It’s just because I visualise some things and visualise the team and I struggle to see him. I feel so sorry for my decision for him. I’ve said that many times. He doesn’t deserve what has happened to him and I’m so sorry." 

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  No respite

  Having turned down the chance to leave City on loan in the summer of 2023, Phillips took the opportunity to get more game time in January 2024, moving to West Ham. But instead of turning his career around in east London, he plunged to new depths.

  On his debut against Bournemouth, he gifted a goal to Dominic Solanke with his second touch of the ball, while in his next home game he was brought on at half-time as West Ham were destroyed 6-0 by Arsenal. At Nottingham Forest he was sent off, he was hauled off at half-time against Burnley, and when he boarded the team bus after a 4-3 defeat at Newcastle, one fan shouted "useless" at him. Phillips raised his middle finger in response.

  He played just one more game for West Ham after that incident on Tyneside. His loan spell ended with him making just 10 appearances for the Irons, three of which were starts, while he failed to complete 90 minutes even once. 

  Phillips returned to Manchester and went on City's pre-season tour of the United States in 2024, but with it being clear he had no hope of getting regular game time, another loan move beckoned. Newly-promoted Ipswich Town took him on and upon signing Phillips talked of "wanting to enjoy playing football again".

  "The main reason I came to Ipswich was to get back playing football," he said. "[To] kind of play football, not stress free, but with less stress and less eyes on me, maybe. When I went to West Ham, I felt like there was quite a lot of eyes on me."