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Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters has delivered a definitive update on his future at the club during a new interview following a summer of uncertainty in the Championship.

How old is Kyle Walker-Peters?

The St. Mary’s right-back is 26 years of age and has plied his trade on the south coast for the past three years having permanently joined in 2020 following a successful loan spell from Tottenham Hotspur, via Transfermarkt. To date, he’s made a total of 126 appearances.

England’s former international still has another two years remaining on his contract with Russell Martin’s side, but over the summer, his future was looking extremely uncertain having attracted attention from several high-profile clubs in the Premier League.

Arsenal, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Fulham have all been credited with an interest in the defender over the past couple of months, but with a deal having failed to come to fruition before the deadline on September 1st, he remained in the second tier.

Is Kyle Walker-Peters leaving Southampton?

Speaking to The Daily Echo, Walker-Peters opened up on his future at Southampton amid the interest he received over the summer and shared his stance on a potential exit, whilst commenting on life under Martin. He said:

"Of course, I was aware that there was a lot of interest. I'm not someone who was going to try and force my way out or have things put in the media. That’s not my style.

“First and foremost, I love Southampton. With the new gaffer coming in, he was excellent with me. He was excellent with everyone actually. He has implemented his style really well. I’m enjoying it. The focus for myself and everyone in the dressing room is to try and get back into the Premier League."

How good is Kyle Walker-Peters?

Members of the media have called Walker-Peters a “top-class” full-back, and whilst he’s naturally a defender, he is much extremely good in the attacking aspect of his game having racked up ten goal contributions (seven assists and three goals) since putting pen to paper.

The Edmonton-born talent, who pockets £20k-per-week, also ranks in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons and pass completion, highlighting his desire to dribble past his marker, burst down the flank and link up the play with his teammates in the final third.

Furthermore, Walker-Peters has the ability to operate in four different positions over the pitch, so his versatility is another attribute that makes him a great option for the boss to have at his disposal, and Martin will be hoping to fend off any further interest in January.

It was a historic weekend for Nottingham Forest.

Their 1-0 win away at a struggling Chelsea was the first time the east Midlands outfit won at Stamford Bridge since 1995.

Summer signing Anthony Elanga's goal just after half-time was enough to give Forest the three points. The result helped send them into the top half of the Premier League table going into the international break.

Following the performance, Premier League Hall of Famer and Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer heaped praise onto two Forest stars, in particular, highlighting their importance in the Garibaldi's victory.

Which two players impressed Shearer?

Speaking to the official Premier League website, Shearer named defenders Joe Worrall and Willy Boly as part of the defence for his team of the week.

On Boly's performance, Shearer said that the Frenchman "used his experience to frustrate Chelsea. Marshalled his team really well."

The Premier League's record goalscorer shared similar sentiments for Worrall, stating that the Forest captain was "magnificent at the back in really tough circumstances."

The two defenders put in a colossal effort as part of a back five with Scott McKenna, Serge Aurier and former Chelsea youngster Ola Aina.

Despite conceding 21 shots on goal, only two actually troubled American goalkeeper Matt Turner, highlighting just how difficult the Forest defenders made it for Chelsea's attackers.

How good was Worrall and Boly?

Forest boss Steve Cooper paid special tribute to his skipper. His immense performance came off the back of a tragic week for the defender.

His uncle, Sergeant Graham Saville, unfortunately passed after being hit by a train whilst attempting to save someone on the track.

"He’s been incredible," Cooper stated.

"He’s put himself second for his family and for the football club.

“I cannot speak highly enough of the man that he’s been over the last week or so. I know how important today will be for him, and it will give him and his family some respite.

“Nothing can make what happened any better, but at least this gives them some nice feelings for a short while. I can’t speak highly enough of Joe, with what he and his family have been through. A lot of that result was for them."

Indeed, Worrall's titanic showing was summed up by his returns, per Sofascore. Earning a 7.3 rating – better than nine of the Blues' well-paid stars – the Tricky Trees skipper recorded a whopping seven clearances, three blocks and two tackles to help thwart the likes of Nicolas Jackson and Raheem Sterling.

Meanwhile, Boly – who earned a match-high 7.9 rating – matched his captain's clearances but made four blocks and three tackles, whilst also winning 80% of his duels, both on the ground and in the air. Well and truly living up to the tag of being a "monster" – as once lauded by The Athletic's Tim Spiers.

Cooper will be hoping the impressive defensive duo can resume such duties when Forest return to action after the international break, where they will continue their campaign at home to Burnley on the 18th of September.

The announcement was made ahead of Nidahas Trophy as the BCB is yet to narrow in on a replacement for Chandika Hathurusingha

Mohammad Isam26-Feb-2018Courtney Walsh has been named Bangladesh’s interim head coach for the Nidahas Trophy as the BCB is yet to narrow in on a replacement for Chandika Hathurusingha.Walsh joined the Bangladesh coaching group in September 2016 as a bowling coach on a three-year deal. He is currently the senior-most coach in the group and was an obvious candidate.Meanwhile, Khaled Mahmud will no longer be a part of the support staff. Formerly the technical director, he is now expected to return as team manager. The former Bangladesh captain made public his displeasure at the function of the team earlier this month, calling the environment “dirty.””Since I will be going to Sri Lanka, a lot of the directors also will come with me. I personally feel that [Khaled Mahmud] Sujon should go as team manager,” said BCB president Nazmul Hassan. “We still haven’t talked to him about it. We have finalized on the other roles like we have also decided to give the batting duties to someone which we will announce on Tuesday.”Hassan is also likely to have a more hands-on involvement in the team’s affair. “I didn’t bother about playing XI selection in the last series. I left it to everyone else, including players and management,” he said. “This time we have made a squad after considering who will play in the playing XI. So since there is a final decision being taken, there is obviously a direct involvement.”

After losing confidence during the Ashes, Moeen Ali has found some release with England’s return to their freewheeling one-day cricket

Daniel Brettig15-Jan-2018Among all the members of England’s touring party, no one was looking more eagerly for a way out of his Ashes rut than Moeen Ali. Outbowled by Nathan Lyon, who also became his nemesis at the batting crease, Moeen was almost completely ineffectual after starting the series well enough in Brisbane.In the weeks that followed, Moeen admitted losing confidence in himself as a cricketer, but he was part of the ODI team’s collective surge in the opening match at the MCG on Sunday, bowling 10 economical overs and then walking out to hit the winning runs from the bowling of a more modest offspinner in Travis Head.Moeen eager for IPL experience

As the ECB has gradually relaxed the restrictions on contracted players going to the IPL, so too has Moeen Ali’s interest increased. This year all players are permitted to go to the Twenty20 tournament for seven weeks, with limited-overs specialists allowed to stay for the duration, and Moeen has joined the likes of Joe Root in nominating for the auction.
“I have never put my name in before and heard so much about it,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity to play with other players from around the world and learn from them. I just want to experience it and improve my cricket. I think it makes players better. People have come back with a lot of confidence from the experience. I think it’s a must we do that. Personally, if I don’t go it won’t be the end of the world. I would love to play but if I don’t, no problem.”
Should he be picked up, Moeen said he was not overly concerned by the potential for burnout. “If I feel like I have done too much I will speak up,” he said. “I will see how I am going. But I am going home after this international series and having a break for a couple of weeks which will be nice. So let’s see how I feel.”

Lyon’s absence reflects his current status as a Test match specialist, and Moeen said he had revelled in the change-up as part of a team with clear roles and burgeoning confidence that their best, epitomised by Jason Roy’s England ODI record score, is world-class.”It was nice to move to a different format of the game because the pressure was less, if that makes sense. Bowling to someone like [Aaron] Finch is a great challenge and I felt that having five bowlers meant it was a key role for me,” Moeen said as England travelled up to Brisbane for Friday’s second match. “Something I pride myself on is to go for less boundaries than everybody else. And I did. My confidence from yesterday has gone up a little bit. Hopefully it can keep climbing.”As a team we know we can beat anybody anywhere, whereas in Test cricket all round the world playing away is very difficult. Even if you believe it’s possible it is difficult to go away and win. The way Australia played throughout the whole five Test matches. They had pace we didn’t have, they had a gun spinner bowling brilliantly – we didn’t – they had batters who scored hundreds and double-hundreds regularly. Again, we didn’t. They were too good for us whereas in the one-day stuff we have players who can break records, as we saw yesterday.”It just feels like we can genuinely beat anybody anywhere. The attitude is obviously different because it’s a different sort of cricket, so it’s been refreshing. When J-Roy was batting yesterday we were egging him on to beat the record. When he was on about 120 everyone thought he was going to do it. In the back of our heads we have these records but the first focus is to win the game and we know if someone like J-Roy bats the way he does we can beat anybody in the world. And we have players like that all throughout the line-up.”Reflecting on his Ashes series, which began with a finger problem that restricted his ability to prepare, Moeen said things had seemed more difficult and success more elusive the harder he tried to strive for it. And as much as those close to him tried to help, any genuine progress needed to come from within, and that was an escalating struggle over the course of the five Tests while he wrestled with the unmistakable sense of letting down Joe Root’s team.”That was the most disappointing thing for me. I feel like I was letting the team down, the fans down,” Moeen said. “The Barmy Army was singing the whole time. When your confidence is low, and you are trying to perform the best you can but it’s not happening it is most disappointing. It’s not that you are not scoring runs or not getting wickets. It’s just that you feel as an individual you are letting your team-mates down. I am sure a few of the guys felt the same thing but that was my biggest fear.”When you lose a bit of confidence in your own game sometimes you try harder and it can be that the harder you try the worse it gets. That’s what was happening. You try everything – different approaches going into bat, be positive, but nothing really came off and like I said the harder I tried the worse it was getting. These things happen, and you can learn from them.”When you are losing and not playing well, once it’s done it’s not like a burden [lifted] but you can relax a bit. The intensity is quite high and people talking about you all the time gets to you, even though I am somebody that doesn’t listen too much or read too much. It’s pretty difficult to get away from it and you start doubting yourself as a player. The thing that you have to realise though is that bad performances don’t make you a bad player. So you just have to somehow believe in yourself and keep trying to get back to where you know you can be.”The mental release of the end of the Ashes coincided with the endorphins released by training with a limited-overs team that has gained plenty of respect around the world, notably from Australia’s captain Steven Smith after the MCG match. Moeen said that the notion of learning from opponents ran both ways, for England in the Tests as much as for Australia in ODIs, and that a key to limited-overs success had been a sense of fun running through the whole squad.”It’s fun. Very enjoyable,” Moeen said. “There have been times when we have had disappointments as well, but we have had less of those in the last few years and it’s a great environment to be around.”We watched them and we can learn from the way they played. Australia in the Ashes was a fantastic team. In all departments they outplayed us and we struggled big time and so for us to play the way we played yesterday and beat them was brilliant. We are 1-0 up after one game and our challenge is to do what they did to us in the Test matches now. We’ve got to be a little bit better at that as a team. We know that but the main thing is to win the series, learn and improve from here going forward.”

Tottenham Hotspur have continued their fine start to the new Premier League campaign, and could be set to add to the feelgood factor that the Ange Postecoglou era has already brought with a new face…

Who are Tottenham Hotspur signing this summer?

Already the summer signings have taken to life in north London with ease, as James Maddison has immediately become a key cog in attack, with Micky Van de Ven instantly shoring up the defence.

However, despite those huge strides having already endeared the new boss to the Lilywhites fans, there is still a long way to go before they reach the level they will feel they belong.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Perhaps in an effort to emulate the success earned with one English maestro, they could sign another by reigniting their interest in Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze.

However, the £70m price tag is certain to prove a stumbling block, with Daniel Levy sure to try and push the fee closer to the figure paid for the former Leicester City star.

How good is Eberechi Eze?

Unloading £40m on the relegated magician, many likely wondered how the signing of Maddison would turn out, especially with Harry Kane leaving for pastures new.

Many knew he was too good to stay in the Championship with the Foxes but could he step up for a European place-chasing side?

Already it seems that those fears have been assuaged, with the 26-year-old instantly assuming the role of Spurs' new star man.

This was especially crucial given the crushing departure of the England captain to Bayer Munich earlier in the window.

With one goal and two assists in their opening three games, it is no surprise that he boasts his club’s highest rating for the current campaign.

This 8.03 average rating is buoyed by a further 87% pass accuracy, three key passes and one tackle per game, via Sofascore.

TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole even noted:

“The more I think about it he could be the best signing of the summer. I am so excited for him, especially the way Ange plays.”

Should Eze join, seeking to emulate this kind of form, it could prove to be double trouble for the rest of the division.

Especially given the 25-year-old is a similar creative livewire to Maddison, having scored ten and assisted four last season in the league whilst also boasting 1.1 tackles and 1.5 key passes per game, via Sofascore.

His creativity is largely unrivalled, and his dynamic ability on the ball would prove imperative in offering a counter-balance to the technical prowess of the £170k-per-week Spurs maestro.

After all, when compared to other midfielders across Europe, he sits in the top 1% for non-penalty goals and total shots per 90, the top 4% for shot-creating actions per 90 and the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90, via FBref.

This form even led analyst Statman Dave to laud his “dancing shoes” and his dribbling proficiency, which would more than align with the beautiful, high-octane football fans in north London are once again becoming accustomed to.

To snag another English star from a team lower down the table could prove to be repeating a masterclass from earlier in the window, which has already proven to be more than profitable despite the initially questionable fee.

Arsenal and Fulham have been facing off against one another for over a century since their first meeting in an FA Cup tie all the way back in February 1904, a game the north Londoners – then Woolwich Arsenal – won 3-2.

Football FanCast has everything you need to know as the two teams prepare to meet again in the Premier League.

Despite playing just two games of the new campaign, it's the Gunners that come into the tie in slightly better form, having won against both Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. However, the nervy way those games concluded could give the Cottagers some encouragement.

For their part, the west Londoners kick-started their season with a brilliant 1-0 win away to Everton before succumbing to Brentford 3-0 on Saturday, losing Tim Ream to a red card in the process.

Arsenal vs Fulham: What's their head-to-head record?

Arsenal and Fulham have met 61 times since that initial clash in 1904, perhaps less often than people would've assumed. There have been some fairly large periods in which the two teams haven't met, like between 1915 and 1949, and 1968 and 2001.

The fixture has been heavily dominated by the Gunners throughout its history, with the men in red winning over two-thirds of games and drawing more than they've lost.

Arsenal wins: 42 Draws: 11 Fulham wins: 8 Arsenal vs Fulham: What's their record at Highbury/Emirates Stadium?

Arsenal have hosted their west London opponents 31 times over the years and have been utterly dominant when doing so. They've won 25 games at home – including one south of the river.

For their efforts, Fulham have managed to come away with a point on eight separate occasions, most recently in April 2021 – but have yet to record a victory when travelling to Arsenal.

It's been an incredibly one-sided affair at the home of the Gunners and helps to explain the lopsided nature of this fixture's results.

Arsenal wins: 25 Draws: 6 Fulham wins: 0 Arsenal vs Fulham: What's their record at Craven Cottage?

Fulham have had a better time of things when at home, winning eight of the 30 games played at Craven Cottage and drawing a further five.

However, the Gunners again dominate, even when away from their place. Their 17 wins are over double what their hosts have managed over the years, and so even though there is a better chance of a Fulham win, the odds remain in Arsenal's favour in west London.

Fulham wins: 8 Draws: 5 Arsenal wins: 17 Arsenal vs Fulham: What's their Premier League record?

The two teams have faced off 32 times since the inception of the Premier League, and unsurprisingly, it's three-time champions Arsenal that have been utterly dominant in that period. The north Londoners have won 23 of those meetings and drawn six.

However, Fulham have had at least some success since their first Premier League meeting in September 2001, achieving three victories, the last of which came in January 2012 courtesy of goals from Steve Sidwell and Bobby Zamora.

That said, since 2012, it has been one-way traffic, with Arsenal winning eight out of ten games and drawing only twice to take 26 of the 30 points on offer.

Arsenal vs Fulham: Which team has the most goals?

Given the sheer level of dominance when it comes to results, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to hear that it's a similar story with the number of goals scored as well.

In their 61 meetings, the Gunners have managed to put away 136 goals, with the Cottagers only being able to reply with 66 of their own.

Unfortunately for Fulham, it doesn't get any better at home either, with the side scoring just 38 goals to Arsenal's 59.

When Arsenal host, it's been a barrage of goals from the home side. In 31 games, they've scored a massive 77 goals, whilst Fulham have only responded with 28 of their own – a ratio of 2.85 Arsenal goals for every Cottagers goal.

Arsenal vs Fulham: What happened in last season's fixtures?

Mikel Arteta's men won both fixtures against Marco Silva's outfit last season, and whilst the second game was a walk in the park, the encounter at the Emirates was a much tighter affair than many expected.

It was Fulham that opened the scoring in the second half, with Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic finding the back of the net on 56 minutes – stunning the Islington crowd.

However, it took just eight minutes for the hosts to respond thanks to a deflected shot from captain Martin Odegaard which trickled past former Gunner Bernd Leno in goal.

The following 20 minutes saw sustained pressure from the home side until Gabriel Magalhaes lashed home the winner from a corner on 86 minutes.

The return fixture was a far more relaxing affair for the Arsenal faithful as the team found themselves 3-0 to the good by half-time thanks to a hat-trick of assists from January signing Leandro Trossard.

It was a goalless affair in the second 45, as with the match all but sewn up, there was no need to push their luck. Silva will be hoping his side can enact some revenge this weekend and come away with at least a point this time around.

Arsenal vs Fulham: What is Gabriel Martinelli's record?

Not many players in the current Arsenal squad have played many games against the Cottagers, as Arteta has completely overhauled the squad following his arrival in late 2019.

That said, Martinelli has a good record against Fulham, having played three games against the side, winning two of them, drawing one and scoring in the team's 3-0 demolition of the side earlier this year.

Arsenal vs Fulham: What is Raul Jimenez's record?

Jimenez has faced the Gunners eight times in his career, all in the Premier League for his former side Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In those eight games, he has emerged on the victorious side twice, with one point another two times and leaving empty-handed on four occasions. The 32-year-old has scored one goal and provided one assist for his teammates in those eight games.

However, with no goal or assist against Arsenal in his last five games against them, Fulham probably shouldn't expect too much from the Mexico international.

Arsenal vs Fulham: What is Arsenal's biggest win?

Arsenal's record win over Fulham is 5-1 – a result they have managed twice in their 61 meetings with their London rivals.

The first instance was a home game in the old First Division that saw inside forward Doug Lishman score a hat-trick alongside goals from Alex Forbes and Peter Goring back in the 1950/51 campaign.

Of course, most Arsenal fans will have a far better memory of the game at Craven Cottage in October 2018, when Unai Emery was still in the dugout.

Despite taking the lead on 29 minutes thanks to a strike from Alexandre Lacazette, the two sides went in on level terms at half-time following a 44th-minute equaliser from Andre Schurrle.

The second half was a total rout, however, with the Gunners playing some incredibly silky football and putting another four past Marcus Bettinelli to no reply.

Both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Lacazette scored a brace that day, but Aaron Ramsey's goal is perhaps remembered most fondly for the outstanding build-up play and passing that led to it.

Arsenal vs Fulham: What is Fulham's biggest win?

Despite often being on the losing end of encounters with their cross-city rivals, Fulham has actually got the biggest win out of the two sides, and it came all the way back in November 1913 when both teams were in the old Second Division.

It was the first league encounter between the two sides after Arsenal had beaten the Cottagers 3-2 in the FA Cup nine years earlier, and it ended 6-1 to the home side in front of a crowd of around 35,000 fans.

Arsenal vs Fulham: What are the recent results?

Across the last six meetings between these two sides, it has been all Arsenal. The most recent game – taking place in mid-March – finished 3-0 to the visiting Gunners and was a completely one-sided affair from start to finish.

The game prior to that was a more tightly contested encounter, with Arsenal relying on an 86th-minute winner to claim all three points.

However, the match before that – in April 2021 – ended in a draw thanks to a 59th-minute penalty from Josh Maja and an incredibly late 90th-minute equaliser from Eddie Nketiah.

Arsenal vs Fulham: When is it?

Arsenal host Fulham on Saturday 26th August at 3pm UK time. Whilst it might not be one of the most prominent fixtures in the league, it is still a London derby and one that both sides will be desperate to win for very different reasons.

The Gunners go into it with two wins under their belt, however, with tactical changes being made by Arteta, they haven't looked anywhere near their flowing best and will look to make a statement with a big home win in front of their supporters.

It'll also be the perfect opportunity for Kai Havertz to justify his hefty price tag to the Arsenal faithful after failing to register a goal or assist in his first two league games.

On the other hand, Fulham will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Brentford and maintain their push to stay in the top flight for another year.

The Cottagers, too, have a new signing that will be looking to prove his worth to the wider league in Raul Jimenez. The Mexican has come in to fill the void of Mitrovic, who has joined Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal.

The ex-Wolves ace will have to perform brilliantly to get anything out of this Arsenal team at home.

With both clubs looking nervously at either end of the table, this clash should be an exciting one to watch and could be precisely what the sides need to springboard their respective campaigns.

Doubts put to bed, as battling performance in front of parents brings England batsman to the brink of tears

George Dobell in Perth14-Dec-2017An emotional Dawid Malan admitted he almost broke down in tears after reaching his maiden Test century towards the end of the first day of the Perth Test.Malan, playing his eighth Test, knew he needed to provide a substantial innings to sustain both his own career at this level and England’s hopes of retaining the Ashes. Shortly after he came to the crease, England were 131 for 4 and facing the prospect of squandering first use of a pitch that may offer bowlers pace and bounce, but also looks full of runs.But in partnership with Jonny Bairstow, Malan saw England through to the end of play. Despite conceding he had to look away when England’s opener, Mark Stoneman, sustained a crushing blow to the side of the head, Malan led the way as the pair produced not only their side’s highest partnership of the series to date – an unbroken 174 for the fifth wicket – but took them to their highest total so far.While England’s batsmen still have work ahead of them on day two – their bowlers could struggle to find much encouragement from this surface – Malan and Bairstow’s efforts represented perhaps England’s best day of a tour in which they have tended to make the headlines for the wrong reasons.Rendering the occasion all the more special for Malan, he played the innings in front of his parents, Dawid and Janet, who had flown in from South Africa to watch him. He pointed his bat in their direction upon reaching three figures and hugged his mum as he left the pitch at the end of the day.”It was so emotional, I didn’t really know what to do,” Malan said afterwards. “I almost started crying when it happened.Dawid Malan shapes to sweep•Getty Images”To make my maiden Test century in front of my parents after the amount of sacrifices my old man and mum made for me made it very special. It’s nice to repay them for all the time they’ve given me.”Reflecting on the off-field issues that have dogged England’s tour, he said: “We made the headlines for the wrong things and the only way to put those things to bed is to win games of cricket. We’re in a position now when we’ve got one foot in the door and we need to capitalise on that on day two.”Malan concedes there were moments during the first few weeks of his Test career when he doubted he was good enough to make it. Feeling he was picked for his Test debut in July just as he had lost a bit of form, his first innings brought him just one run and ended when Kagiso Rabada both bowled him and knocked him off his feet with a perfect yorker. After his first four innings yielded just 35 runs, he feared he may be dropped.But now, with a century behind him, he hopes he has proved to himself he belongs at this level.”After those first two games, I never thought I’d score a run in Test cricket to be honest,” Malan said. “It was quite tough. But I’ve adjusted my game here and there to work at Test cricket.”I was under a bit of pressure coming into the game. And there was a tough period at the start of my innings and then another about an hour later. In other innings I’ve felt comfortable but given it away. Here I was ruthless. It was especially nice to get some runs when the team needed it.”It’s good to put the doubts to bed. We always felt we have the backing from the coach and captain, but every time you open the newspaper you read how poor you are and how bad you are. So it’s nice to tick a box and prove to yourself you can play at this level and score hundreds.”Anything you do is about self-belief. You need to prove to yourself you belong. When you get that first hundred or first five-for, you have the belief to trust your game going into the next match. It doesn’t mean you’ll be successful, but you have the belief you need to perform at the highest level.”He endured a couple of nervous moments, most notably when he was dropped on the slips on 92, but says he generally relished the pace of the bowling and the challenge it offered.”I got a bit ahead of myself there,” he said. “I knew I was two or three shots away from scoring a hundred and premeditated my shot a bit. I thought the ball would be full, so I set up to clip through midwicket but it swung away a bit. It was a good time to have a let-off. It put me back in my box.”When I saw Mark Stoneman hit on the head, I wanted to walk away and have a chat with someone in the back of the dressing room. But I’ve really enjoyed the pace that these guys bowl. When you play county cricket you’re more worried about being nicked off with 78mph dibbly dobblies, so I’ve really enjoyed the challenge. It tests you in different ways: not only technically but your heart as well.”Now we need to capitalise on the moment. We need to put as much pressure on them as we can and score as many as we can. That first hour will be crucial and if we give them a sniff, we’re going to be on the back foot.”

Burnley are reportedly in talks to sign Sporting CP midfielder Renato Veiga, and an update has shared how much a deal could cost the Clarets.

What’s the latest Burnley transfer news?

Vincent Kompany and those at Turf Moor have been extremely busy so far this summer with a number of new players brought in for the club’s Premier League which began with a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City last week.

In total, 11 new players have made the move to Burnley, with the club so far spending around £77m. Zeki Amdouni, James Trafford, Jordan Beyer, Dara O'Shea, Michael Obafemi, Luca Koleosho, Sander Berge, Wilson Odobert, Nathan Redmond, Lawrence Vigouroux and Jacob Bruun Larsen have all arrived, and it looks as if there could be further additions before the September 1 deadline.

The club are without a game this weekend with their scheduled top-flight fixture away against Luton Town postponed in advance, which could result in the club putting their focus firmly on the transfer market, looking to secure moves to add strength in depth to Kompany's squad. It appears as if Veiga is a player who the Clarets have their eye on, with an update emerging.

Journalist Dominik Schneider took to X in the last 48 hours to share what he’s heard on Veiga. He stated that the midfielder is being eyed by Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach, however, the player’s representatives are in concrete talks with Burnley and Swiss outfit FC Basel, with a €6m fee wanted, although there is scope for a loan move with an option to buy.

“Renato Veiga is on the list of Borussia Monchengladbach. First their priority transfer is backup for Tomas Cvancara. Veiga's representatives are in concrete talks with Burnley FC + FC Basel. Sporting wants €6m transfer fee. Loan with option is also possible.”

Who is Renato Veiga?

Veiga is 20 years of age and is primarily a holding midfielder, although he can play as a centre-back or a left-back, so would offer plenty of versatility to Kompany’s squad.

The Portuguese youngster, already sponsored by Adidas, has represented and captained his country at U20 level and has been on the books of Sporting CP for a number of years.

Standing at 6ft 2, the left-footed gem is yet to make a senior appearance for Sporting CP, however, he did go out on loan to German club FC Augsburg last season, where he went on to turn out on 13 occasions in the Bundesliga.

Veiga has featured on nearly 50 occasions for Sporting CP’s B and U23 teams, and with his contract expiring in 2025, now could be the ideal time for Burnley to make their move.

Valued at €1m by Transfermarkt, Burnley and Kompany may see Veiga as an exciting youngster who could only get better in time with the right coaching. He appears to be a player in demand in the final few weeks of the window as well, so a move could be one to keep an eye on prior to the end of the month, wit the Clarets seemingly involved in talks.

The pair’s half-century stand consigns Sylhet Sixers to their first loss in the competition

Mohammad Isam08-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsPCB/PSLThe curtains came down on Sylhet’s BPL 2017 with a relatively straightforward chase that saw Khulna Titans prevail by six wickets to open their account this season. That meant the home franchise, Sylhet Sixers, were consigned to their first loss in four matches.Khulna, who completed the chase in 18 overs, benefitted from Michael Klinger’s calm. The Australia batsman, who made 47 not out on BPL debut, found support from Carlos Brathwaite, who struck an unbeaten 23, to cruise home in style.Sent in to bat, Sylhet posted 135 for 5 on the back of captain Nasir Hossain’s 47. The sluggish nature of the surface resulted in batsmen holing out in attempting big shots, with Mahmudullah and the impressive West Indies bowler Jofra Archer, who cranked the pace up and bowled consistently over 145 clicks, took two wickers each.Khulna’s redemptionAfter conceding 200 plus in their first game, Khulna were a lot tighter and consistent in their lengths. This helped them overcome a poor start, after Upul Tharanga and Danushka Gunathikala went briefly on a rampage. Gunathilaka made a crisp 25-ball 26.Nasir and Ross Whiteley added 57 runs for the fifth wicket, but there was hardly any zing about their batting. Nasir finished on an unbeaten 47 off 35 balls with five boundaries while the usually aggressive Whiteley made 27 off 23 balls as they made 135.Taijul gives Sylhet a footingOpening the bowling, Taijul put Khulna under pressure with his build-up of dot balls that eventually resulted in the wickets of Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Chadwick Walton and Rilee Rossouw in the first 6.5 overs. Khulna still needed 92 at that stage. Taijul bowled a charging Shanto, while Walton too was bowled trying to force him on the off-side. Rossouw’s reverse sweep on 19 found Krishmar Santokie at short third-man.Klinger’s calm helps Khulna prevailMahmudullah and Klinger added 50 for the fourth wicket, until the Khulna captain was caught at long-on in the 14th over. Brathwaite, batting at No 6, started with a six and in the same over Klinger struck two fours to reduce the target down to 23 off the last five overs. The rest of the chase was simply a formality.

Newcastle United's season kicked off with fireworks at St. James' Park on Saturday, with Eddie Howe's side decimating Aston Villa 5-1.

The tremendous victory reaffirmed the Magpies' strength as a new European force and paid homage to the efforts of technical director Dan Ashworth on the transfer front, with summer signings Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes both on the scoresheet.

The different facets have come together like a dovetail joint, but Howe has stated that he would love one more signing this month, and with the central defence untouched, the likes of Odilon Kossounou could join the fold.

Is Odilon Kossounou joining Newcastle?

According to the Daily Mail's Craig Hope, Kossounou is part of a six-man strong shortlist as the Magpies work out the feasibility of completing a swoop for a centre-back.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

It's claimed that United need to be 'creative' due to Financial Fair Play regulations, and with Kossounou reportedly only valued at £24m – with Crystal Palace also in pursuit – Howe could complete his squad.

What is Odilon Kossounou's style of play?

It is a testament to Newcastle's superlative recruitment strategy that the final few weeks of the summer window are nigh and any further additions are almost a luxury.

This is not to say that the Tyneside club have spent extravagantly, far from it; Newcastle have worked diligently to sign the right players in the right positions, and the result against Villa is evidence that fruitful fortunes lie ahead.

It is true that the central defence has not been bolstered, but Howe's side concluded the 2022/23 campaign with the Premier League's joint-best defence – alongside champions Manchester City.

However, Fabian Schar has entered the final year of his contract and outside of the Swiss and his imperious partner Sven Botman, the pickings are sparse – Jamal Lascelles is a peripheral figure and Dan Burn spends the lion's share of his time playing as a makeshift left-back, albeit to great effect.

Leverkusen's Kossounou, aged 22, would enter the fold and likely provide cover for the established duo and be nurtured to a more prominent role over the next 12 months, possibly viewed as an heir to Schar's position for the club if the 31-year-old does indeed leave next June.

Last season, the Ivorian colossus won 64% of his aerial battles in the German Bundesliga, which bodes well considering Botman won 66% and Schar succeeded with 67% of his aerial duels in the Premier League last term.

Given that Newcastle are also pursuing Kossounou's Leverkusen teammate Edmond Tapsoba this summer, who is valued at €45m (£39m) amid rival interest from Tottenham Hotspur, it's clear that Newcastle are targeting a particular profile.

As per FBref, Tapsoba ranks among the top 15% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 75% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90.

Kossounou, comparatively, ranks among the top 15% of positional peers for progressive passes, the top 17% for shot-creating actions and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, which underscores Leverkusen's ball-playing philosophy, starting from the back and playing balls through the thirds to in a constant flow.

For this season, the young defender could be a tailor-made fit for the Magpies' flourishing system, and the ideal heir for Schar, having been lauded for possessing a "crazy amount of talent" by scout Jacek Kulig.

Tapsoba might appear to be the more attractive option on surface level, but Kossounou is a burgeoning ace and he is making strides season upon season, and perhaps he would be best placed spending a season playing second fiddle to Newcastle's defensive duo, all the while preparing to clasp the baton and cement a regular starting berth for the Toon.