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As part of the NxGn series, Goal takes a look at the most promising young players in the U.S. national team talent pool

The U.S. national team youth movement is in full swing, and we have already seen some teenagers break in early as they look to help the United States rebuild after failing to qualify for the World Cup.

The battle for playing time in Major League Soccer for teenage players continues to be a point of contention, with more and more fans calling for teams to "play their kids." Tyler Adams is leading the charge on that front as one of the New York Red Bulls' top players, while D.C. United's Chris Durkin has started to earn minutes with his club after making his MLS debut earlier this season.

Tim Weah earned his first U.S. cap in Tuesday's friendly win against Paraguay, capping a whirlwind start to 2018 that saw him make his first-team debut with Paris Saint-Germain. The 18-year-old forward has seen his stock rise considerably since impressing at last year's U-17 World Cup.

With Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie set to leave the teenage ranks with birthdays later this year, here is a look at the best American prospects born after 1998.

1Ulysses Llanez, LA Galaxy IIRegarded as the top American prospect born in 2002, Llanez narrowly missed out making last year's U-17 World Cup squad and is already establishing himself as a top candidate for the next U.S. U-20 team. He impressed at the LA Galaxy's preseason training camp and, after making his pro debut with Galaxy II in 2017, Llanez should see an increased role this year with the USL side.AdvertisementNorth Carolina State Athletics2Manny Perez, North Carolina State The U.S. Under-20 national team defender is an exciting right back prospect who would have been a top two pick in the 2018 MLS draft had he chosen to sign the Generation Adidas offer made to him. A solid defender who is dangerous in the attack, Perez should turn pro soon and is already generating interest from European scouts.Getty Images3Andrew Carleton, Atlanta United The former U.S. Under-17 national team playmaker enjoyed a breakout showing at the U-17 World Cup last year, but the question now is when and if he will have his chance with Atlanta United. Minutes have been tough to come by in 2018, but he has shown glimpses that suggest he could handle an increased role.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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FC Nordsjaelland4Jonathan Amon, NordsjaellandA speedy winger who started generating buzz after breaking through at Danish club Nordsjaelland at the end of 2017, Amon is a South Carolina native who could emerge as solid left wing option in the upcoming U.S. Under-20 national team cycle. Left wingers are hard to come by, and he's showing himself to be a dangerous one, although he's been sidelined by injury in recent months. He turned heads at the U.S. youth national team super camp in January.

A Manchester United fan has gone viral for noting down 11 Marcus Rashford mistakes in his "absolutely embarrassing" display against Newcastle.

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Rashford dismal against NewcastleWas toothless in attack and sluggish defensivelyWas taken off around the hour markWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international continued his rather lacklustre and inconsistent form on Saturday against the Magpies. Rashford hardly had an impact in attack as he was given little room to manoeuvre by Tino Livramento on the right wing and was also guilty of not tracking back on several occasions. One fan, @SimonUTD11 on X (formerly Twitter), took it upon himself to document just how poor the United forward's performance had been.

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Rashford showed hardly any improvement after the break. To make matters more complicated, Anthony Gordon scored the opener for Newcastle which forced Erik ten Hag to look towards his bench. The Dutchman brought on Rasmus Hojlund to replace Anthony Martial, while a visibly frustrated Rashford was substituted for Antony.

WHAT THEY SAID

Rashford has found the net just twice in 18 appearances this term, which highlights his poor return in front of goal. He was an anonymous figure for United on the pitch on Saturday evening, leaving United Stand presenter @bethTmufc to brand the forward's display as "absolutely embarrassing", highlighting specifically his "lack of effort".

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

Rashford has failed to keep up with his 2022-23 form when he ended up scoring 30 goals. His dismal performances prompted Darren Bent to pick Arsenal's Kai Havertz rather than him in his team, whereas Tim Sherwood asserted that the forward shouldn't start for England at the upcoming Euros if he keeps firing blanks. However, he will hope to turn around his fortunes soon and find the net against Chelsea on Wednesday night at Old Trafford.

Everton were close to signing Luis Diaz in 2021, but Rafa Benitez wasn't convinced by the now-Liverpool winger.

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Former sporting director Marcel Brands wanted DiazBenitez turned down move for Porto starColombia winger signed for Liverpool in January 2022WHAT HAPPENED?

Brands was pushing for the signature of Diaz in the summer of 2021, and prepared to send James Rodriguez to Porto as part of the deal. However, Benitez intervened and pumped the breaks on the deal, Brands told

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Diaz would later sign for Liverpool the following January, with the Reds spending an initial £37.5m (€45m/$50m) on the Colombian winger. Everton, meanwhile, brought in Demairi Gray on a cut-price deal.

Getty ImagesWHAT BRANDS SAID

On the failed move, Brands revealed: "I wanted to install my philosophy and structure in the Club that would allow Everton to progress, but the decisions from above did not allow it. In the summer of 2021 we were looking to bring Luis Diaz from Porto. I was working hard to get James Rodriguez to go to Porto as part of the deal that would bring Diaz to the Club, however, Rafa Benitez ruled against it because he was not sure about the player."

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WHAT NEXT FOR DIAZ

Diaz figures to be in the side when Colombia take on Paraguay next week in Conmebol 2026 World Cup qualifying. He scored twice to lead his side to a win over Brazil on Thursday night.

Michael Vaughan believes it is time to replace Moeen Ali with Adil Rashid in the England Test side and for Gary Ballance and Ian Bell to swap the places in the batting order as England prepare for the start of the Investec Ashes

George Dobell30-Jun-20151:00

‘England should throw Rashid in for something different’ – Vaughan

Michael Vaughan believes it is time to replace Moeen Ali with Adil Rashid in the England Test side and for Gary Ballance and Ian Bell to swap the places in the batting order as England prepare for the start of the Investec Ashes.Vaughan, England captain when they won the 2005 Ashes, feels that Rashid’s legspin can help England cut through Australia’s tail and fears Moeen is not bowling with the confidence required to withstand the likely assault he will face. While Vaughan accepted that Australia would also target Rashid, he feels he is bowling with such confidence following the ODI series against New Zealand that he can come through such a challenge.”I certainly would have Rashid in the squad and I’d be looking to play him,” Vaughan said. “I just think it would be something that Australia wouldn’t expect. I think they’re expecting to face Moeen. “If England can surprise them and play just a little bit above the level they did against New Zealand, I think it will surprise Australia.”I just look at Rashid the other day flicking them out at Durham. If he does well in the four-day game at Durham as well, I’d just throw him straight in as a young chap who’s confident. He is on the crest of that one-day wave, so I’d just play him.”With the way that he bowls and the way England have really struggled to get rid of tails, it is something different that England might surprise Australia with.”Moeen Ali is the incumbent spinner in England’s Test side•Getty ImagesVaughan admitted that Rashid is not the finished article, though. He cautioned against too much expectation in him and suggested that Alastair Cook, as captain, would have to find a way to assist him, in first innings especially.”I wouldn’t expect him to whip through the Smiths and Clarkes in the first innings,” Vaughan said. “Any top-order player will probably attack him. And in the first innings, on good pitches, you would have to manage him very well. But with careful management and careful field settings he certainly can play a big part.”Vaughan suggested Moeen can still perform an important role for England in the future. “I think Moeen is terrific, I really do,” Vaughan said. “I think he’s going to have years and years with the England side. But he has had a difficult time of it of late. He has not quite been as consistent and he has not been having the long spells as he has not been taking wickets.”When you go into an Ashes series you have to be so confident in your own ability and you have to be on top of that confidence level to compete. I just don’t know if he’s got the confidence level. He’s not bowling enough overs for me to suggest that he’s bowling with that fizz like he did last year.”He bowled great against India. But you don’t pick someone for what was happening last year. And if they go one-nil down it’s going be a long series.”Vaughan believes Bell would benefit from the demonstration of confidence a promotion to No. 3 in the batting order would provide. Bell currently bats at No. 4, with Vaughan suggesting he could swap places with Ballance.”The way Ballance played against New Zealand was a concern but he’s tough,” Vaughan said. “He got good balls, but his feet weren’t moving as well as he can. So I’d make the change. I’d put Gary at No. 4 and Bell at No. 3. I just think that every now and again Bell needs a prod and a poke. He should gain a lot of confidence by someone telling him he’s No. 3.”That could knock Gary’s confidence, but I just think he’s better suited at four. I look at the whole order and you can have left hand, right hand down the order. At the moment, we have three lefties at the top of the order. If you have three of one suit in any position of the order, you can get used to captaining against it.”Hardys of Australia are proud sponsors of England cricket. Show your support this summer with #HardysENG or #HardysAUS to win prizes

Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique says he would rather have Everton star Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the Reds side than Darwin Nunez.

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Nunez has four goals this termCalvert-Lewin struck three timesEx-Reds star says Everton man is betterWHAT HAPPENED?

The Uruguay international has scored four goals and registered three assists so far this season, but has failed to find the net the last three games in all competitions. Everton forward Calvert-Lewin, meanwhile, has struck three times in just six matches.

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The two will likely go head-to-head when Liverpool host the Toffees in the first Merseyside derby of the season and ex-Reds player Jose Enrique believes it is Calvert-Lewin who looks more like a world class forward.

WHAT THEY SAID

“Obviously, Liverpool fans are not going to like hearing this from me, but with both Darwin Nunez and Dominic Calvert-Lewin fully fit, I think I would take Calvert-Lewin,” he said to . “People seem to forget how good Calvert-Lewin is when he’s fully fit – he’s an excellent player. The way I see it – put Darwin Nunez in any world-class teams in the world and I don’t think he’s starts for most of them. However, if Calvert-Lewin could keep himself fit, I really believe he could be a starting number nine for a world class team, that’s the kind of level I see from him.

"Even when Darwin Nunez is scoring goals for Liverpool, I still have my doubts about him as a player under Jurgen Klopp. I love him and think he would do well for loads of other teams who play counter-attacking football – he’s outstanding for that – but for a team that presses a lot like Liverpool do, I’m not so sure."

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Liverpool and Everton will meet at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday.

Manchester United are reportedly lining up a £16m move to sign Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri amid Rasmus Hojlund's struggles in front of goal.

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Man Utd tracking Moroccan striker En-NasyriCould pay upto £16m as transfer feeTen Hag wants cover for struggling HojlundWHAT HAPPENED?

According to the Red Devils are actively pursuing a move for the Moroccan striker in a bid to strengthen its squad in the January transfer window.

Amid a challenging season, with seven losses in their first 17 Premier League games and struggles with injuries and underperforming signings, United are ready to dip into their market to revive their fortunes. Their Danish frontman, Hojlund, is yet to score in the English top-flight and Marcus Rashford's declining output has compounded the troubles for Erik ten Hag.

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United were earlier linked to Bundesliga sensation Serhou Guirassy, but it is believed that the striker prefers a move to United's league rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Scouts from United have been deployed to observe En-Nesyri's performances and will also be present in the upcoming La Liga clash against Atletico Madrid.

DID YOU KNOW?

En-Nesyri has been one of the few bright spots for Sevilla this season with his eight goals and four assists as the Andalusian side find themselves reeling in the 14th spot in La Liga.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Sevilla should be willing to offload the En-Nesyri as they are in the midst of a financial crisis and are looking to reduce expenses by offloading players which can help them fill their coffers. The striker could be a potent addition to United as he has proven himself on the international stage as well by playing a crucial role in Morocco's impressive run to the World Cup semi-final last year.

Queen Elizabeth II has died aged 96, bringing a 70-year reign to an end in which she touched all aspects of UK culture, including football.

The Queen was on hand at some of the biggest moments in UK football history.

From presenting England's only ever World Cup to Sir Bobby Moore in 1966, to honouring several generations of the game's most influential figures, to her regular presence at the FA Cup final.

There are even rumours that the monarch held a soft spot for one – or perhaps even two – Premier League teams during her life.

Below, GOAL takes a look back at Elizabeth and the Beautiful Game.

Getty ImagesPresenting the 1966 World Cup

Thirteen years after her coronation, Queen Elizabeth had the pleasure of presenting the Jules Rimet Trophy to England's victorious 1966 World Cup winning side.

Reflecting on the occasion in 2020 ahead of the European Championship final, she wrote: "Fifty-five years ago I was fortunate to present the World Cup to Bobby Moore and saw what it meant to the players, management and support staff to reach and win the final of a major international football tournament.

"I want to send my congratulations and that of my family to you all on reaching the final of the European Championships, and send my good wishes for tomorrow with the hope that history will record not only your success but also the spirit, commitment and pride with which you have conducted yourselves."

Getty ImagesWest Ham supporter?

Unlike other Royals, Elizabeth never publicly revealed which football team she supports.

However, that did not stop rumours circulating that she was a West Ham fan. As reported by The Mirror back in 2009, the monarch supposedly unveiled her secret love for the Hammers when a member of her household told her that he was a Millwall supporter.

Previously, it had also been suggested that the Queen was an Arsenal fan.

GettyHonouring football players

One of Elizabeth's most important cultural roles was recognising the contributions of various footballing figures in the New Year's Honours and Queen's Birthday Honours.

Sir Stanley Matthews was the first player to receive a knighthood, and he was followed by major football figures such as Alf Ramsey, Alex Ferguson and Bobby Robson in later years.

Plenty of footballers have received OBEs, MBEs and CBEs too, such as Roy Hodgson, David Beckham and, most recently, Gareth Bale.

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Getty ImagesMeeting Arsenal after the Emirates Stadium opened

Elizabeth had been slated to open Arsenal's new ground, the Emirates Stadium, in 2007, only for a bad back to prevent her from doing so.

To make amends, the monarch invited the first-team squad to Buckingham Palace. Arsene Wenger's side were treated to a tour of the State Apartments and then stuck around for afternoon tea.

After the event, Thierry Henry said: "It went really nicely. I have no words to describe the experience the Queen has given us."

Liverpool suffered a huge injury blow in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea as Ryan Gravenberch was forced off on a stretcher in the first half.

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Liverpool face Chelsea in Carabao Cup finalGravenberch stretchered off earlyKlopp fuming over Caicedo's challenge(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Dutchman's afternoon at Wembley was ended inside the opening half-hour following a late challenge from Chelsea's Moises Caicedo. The summer signing grimaced in pain and could not continue, with Joe Gomez replacing him after 28 minutes. As it became clear the midfielder was set to come off, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp, who was already without the injured Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez, was seen furiously remonstrating with the officials over the tackle, especially as Caicedo escaped a booking. In the end, it didn't matter a great deal to the result as Liverpool won in extra-time thanks to Virgil van Dijk's header.

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Liverpool already have a hefty injury list, with the likes of Diogo Jota (knee), Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee), Alisson (thigh), Nunez (knock), and Salah (thigh) currently sidelined. With the Reds, who fielded a youthful bench against Chelsea due to their multiple absentees, aiming for a quadruple in Klopp's last season in charge, another injury blow such as this is far from ideal. The 21-year-old was later seen wearing a protective boot whilst on crutches at full time, so he could be out for a while.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Liverpool, who currently sit top of the Premier League and are vying for Europa League and FA Cup triumphs as well, won the Carabao Cup for a record ninth time in 2022 when they beat Chelsea in the showpiece event. Now with this victory, that has risen to 10.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Following this victory, Liverpool are in FA Cup action on Wednesday when they host Championship side Southampton at Anfield, whereas Chelsea entertain Premier League hopefuls Leeds United in the same competition that very night.

Peter Moores has been confirmed as England’s new head coach five years after he was sacked from the same job

Alan Gardner19-Apr-20142:27

England go back to the future with Moores

Peter Moores has been confirmed as England’s new head coach five years after he was sacked from the same position. He returns after being identified as the “outstanding coach of his generation” by Paul Downton, the ECB’s managing director, during a three-month recruitment process to find Andy Flower’s successor.There was no immediate announcement on whether Paul Farbrace, currently under contract as coach of Sri Lanka, would come in as Moores’ assistant, although Downton said the ECB was in “advanced negotiations” over the role. Moores’ reappointment means that Ashley Giles, England’s limited-overs coach since the start of 2013 and the early favourite to succeed Flower, is out of a job.Downton said that the ECB had interviewed five candidates – Moores, Giles, Mick Newell, Mark Robinson and Trevor Bayliss – and that “one person stood out”. He described Moores and Alastair Cook, England’s Test and ODI captain who was present at the Lord’s unveiling, as “the future of English cricket”. Moores, who previously coached England between 2007 and 2009, once again begins his tenure in the aftermath of a 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia. “I think this is his time,” Downton said.Peter Moores has been appointed as England coach for the second time•Getty ImagesMoores admitted it was “great to be back”, expressing pride at being given another opportunity in the job. Since being removed from the England position, after a breakdown in his relationship with the captain at the time, Kevin Pietersen, Moores has rebuilt his reputation with Lancashire, guiding the county to their first Championship in 77 years in 2011.”I think you’ve got to earn the right to have the job,” Moores said, in response to being asked whether he deserved a second chance. “Since being England coach first time I’ve had five years at Lancashire, which I’ve loved – a great club and a great chance for me to reflect and move on and develop. I think I’ve managed to do that and I’m looking forward to bringing that back, working with Alastair over the coming months.”I’d like to be involved with a team that’s connected to the public, that’s connected to the media, it’s open, it commits totally and it’s a team that everybody’s proud of … You do learn from your mistakes, you evolve. I’m proud of some of the things that happened last time as well.”Moores will take charge in all three formats on the recommendation of Flower, who stepped down after England’s disastrous tour of Australia. Pietersen has also been discarded by England since then and there are few certainties about team selection for the summer. England suffered further humiliation at the World T20 in Bangladesh, where they lost to Netherlands, and Moores has a significant restoration job on his hands.”I am very excited about the prospect of returning to a role I have done before and to building a strong relationship with Alastair Cook and the rest of the players and staff,” Moores said. “In any time of change there comes opportunity and this is one I can’t wait to get stuck into.”England’s heavy workload and the experience of splitting the Test and limited-overs coaching roles between Flower and Giles seems to have persuaded the ECB to appoint a senior assistant who is able to step in and deputise for Moores. Robinson, who worked with Moores during their successful period at Sussex, had been tipped for the position but Farbrace is now the favoured candidate – despite SLC expressing its surprise and disappointment at the possibility of losing the man who has been Sri Lanka’s coach for less than three months.Moores’ return, which became more likely after he publicly stated his interest in the job at the start of the month, completes a full-scale restructuring at the ECB, with Downton replacing Hugh Morris and James Whitaker becoming the new National Selector. Downton dismissed the idea that Pietersen’s exclusion was in any way related to the appointment, underlining that it had been the “unanimous conclusion” of the England hierarchy after the disintegration of the Test team in Australia.Downton statement on Moores’ appointment

“Peter has a great reputation around the world as an outstanding coach and he will return to the role as England head coach with a great deal more experience and understanding of the challenges that the role presents. There is no doubt that he is the leading English coach of his generation and I believe that this is his time.
“His domestic credentials are beyond reproach having won the County Championship at Sussex and then repeating the feat at Lancashire, whose 2011 triumph was their first for 77 years. He was also the lead at the National Cricket Performance Centre at Loughborough between 2005 and his appointment as England coach in 2007.
“In his time with England he gave Test debuts to Stuart Broad, Matt Prior and Graeme Swann as well as helping to further the international careers of players like the current England captain Alastair Cook and James Anderson. He also brought Andy Flower into the England set-up as well as influential individuals like Mushtaq Ahmed as spin bowling coach. I was hugely impressed by his vision for the future of the England team and I am looking forward to working with him in the years to come.
“I would personally like to thank Ashley Giles for the job he did with the limited-overs squads in the last 18 months. It was a really difficult decision to make as we had an outstanding field but the panel were unanimous in the choice of Peter and I know that support will be echoed around the counties.”

Cook said it was a relief to “finally get to a day where we’ve got a new coach and we can start planning for the future”. He and Moores will begin to plot the way forward immediately, with less than three weeks until England’s first ODI of the summer, before Test series against Sri Lanka and India. Moores also gave a hint that he may attempt to overhaul the pragmatic approach favoured by England under Flower by referring to the team playing “a style of cricket that’s really worth watching”.Downton said the opportunity had come too early for Giles, who was brought in as part of a split coaching brief at the end of 2012. Giles, who rarely had a first-choice squad to work with, guided England to the final of the Champions Trophy but experienced defeat in seven limited-overs series before the disappointment of their World T20 campaign.”In all honesty, I think it has just come slightly too early for Ashley,” Downton said. “He’s been a coach since 2007 and you compare that to Peter, who has coached for 16 years. What I said to Ashley is that this is by no means the end, he and the other guys that applied for the job are the spine and backbone of English cricket coaches going forward. I’d be surprised if Ashley doesn’t come back and maybe in the future he will be England coach.”David Collier, the ECB’s chief executive, added: “Paul Downton conducted a thorough and far-reaching recruitment process. He has canvassed opinion worldwide resulting in the recommendation of Peter Moores. The board unanimously endorsed the recommendation and have every confidence in the choice of Peter. We wish him every success in the future. I would like to thank all the other candidates who made up what was an extremely impressive shortlist and in particular I would like to acknowledge the work of Ashley Giles, who has made a major contribution to cricket in England and Wales.”The manner in which Moores’ stint ended is what it is largely remembered for the rupture with Pietersen but he laid the foundations for several years of success under Flower and has continued to enhance his standing in the county game. Having led Sussex to the Championship title in 2003, Moores won his second pennant with Lancashire and although relegation followed a season later they were promoted straight back in 2013. Before discharging his duties with Lancashire, he will oversee their Division One fixture against Warwickshire, which begins at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene will be unavailable for selection for the second Test, thanks to a finger injury to his right hand

Andrew Fidel Fernando at Lord's16-Jun-2014Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene will be unavailable for selection for the second Test, thanks to a finger injury to his right hand, which he sustained while keeping during the first day at Lord’s.He will be replaced in the squad by batsman Kithuruwan Vithanage, with Dinesh Chandimal likely to take over the gloves at Headingley. The injury will not prevent Jayawardene from batting in the second innings of the first Test.Jayawardene had had an X-ray on the second morning, leaving Kaushal Silva to keep wicket for a few overs, but that had not revealed a fracture. The bruising around the affected area has not receded, however, prompting the change in personnel as a precaution. Jayawardene will return to Sri Lanka after the Lord’s Test.A Test specialist, Jayawardene had also missed Sri Lanka’s Tests in Bangladesh this year due to a family bereavement. There are two keepers in the Sri Lanka squad as well as Kumar Sangakkara, who can take the gloves at a pinch.