Paul Farbrace has been targeted by Worcestershire as an ideal candidate for the role of head coach.ESPNcricinfo understands that Farbrace, the England assistant coach, has been contacted by the club with a view to replacing Steve Rhodes.It is far from the first time a county has attempted to lure Farbrace away from England. Both Surrey and Yorkshire have made approaches inrecent times and he has a long-standing relationship with Kent, the club where he played and coached for several years.It would be a surprise if he leaves the England role now, though. He has been heavily involved in revitalising the limited-overs side with a view to leading them into the 2019 World Cup. He is also unlikely to want to leave on a low such as a resounding Ashes defeat.It is understood Worcestershire also contacted Graeme Hick, who showed little interest in the role, and Nic Pothas, who is currently working with Sri Lanka. Andy Flower has so far declined to confirm rumours that he, too, had been contacted with a view to talking about the role though in many ways it would be odd if he hadn’t. Vikram Solanki, the club’s former captain and a man recently interviewed for the CEO role, is also thought to be in the frame.Rhodes was sacked a few weeks ago after it emerged he had failed to report the arrest of Alex Hepburn, a young player in the staff, in connection with a rape. Hepburn has subsequently been charged.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA wonderfully absorbing one-day international which ebbed and flowed throughout was eventually won by New Zealand as they squeezed home by three wickets with four balls to spare despite Ben Stokes’ intervention on his return to international cricket. Mitchell Santner was the hero at the end, hitting 45 off 27 balls, including consecutive sixes off Adil Rashid and finishing the match with another off Chris Woakes to ensure Ross Taylor’s 18th ODI century, and a 178-run stand with Tom Latham, did not go to waste.Stokes, playing for England for the first time since September 24, was brought back for a second spell in the 38th over, with New Zealand strongly placed, needing 98 off 13 overs with two well-set batsmen, and revived his team when Latham pulled to mid-on and Colin de Grandhomme edged a slower ball behind. Between those scalps Henry Nicholls also departed and when Taylor charged at Rashid, being stumped for superb 113, it appeared England would get home. New Zealand needed 41 off 25 balls with three wickets in hand.However, the move to keep going with Rashid backfired as Santner twice cleared the leg side and then after the first four balls of the penultimate over from Tom Curran had gone for just four he found a vital boundary over square leg leaving nine off the final over. Santner inside-edge the first ball to fine leg, Woakes sent down a wide, then Santner cleared deep midwicket. It was a thriller.England’s innings, in which Jos Buttler top-scored with 79 off 63 balls, was not one of their dynamic performances, yet a commendable effort on a slow pitch where few batsmen found fluency. New Zealand were impressive at the death with just 67 coming off the final 10 overs – and 25 of those off the last two – but 284 for 8 looked formidable when the chase was reduced to 27 for 3 by excellent new-ball spells from Woakes, who claimed his 100th ODI wicket when Colin Munro edged a charge, and David Willey.Ross Taylor marks his 18th ODI hundred•Getty Images

Taylor and Latham played expertly. Taylor became the third New Zealand batsman to pass 7000 ODI runs, after Stephen Fleming and Nathan Astle, while Latham responded to the scrutiny over his position with just his second fifty-plus score in 32 home ODI innings. Latham gave the innings momentum, moving into the 40s at better than a run-a-ball, although was given a life on 47 when Buttler couldn’t hold a thin edge down the leg side off Rashid. The pair nursed the innings into a far more stable position, ensuring the required rate didn’t rise much above the seven-an-over mark while they were together.Eoin Morgan returned to Stokes – whose first spell was four overs – and his first over back cost 11, but in his second Latham clubbed a pull to mid-on. In the next over, from Tom Curran, Nicholls drove a low catch to backward point and then Stokes struck again as England surged back into the favourites’ position.Taylor brought up his hundred off 107 balls then took two boundaries off Stokes as he showed signs of tiring and it proved his last over. It felt as though Taylor would need to do it all himself, but Santner proved otherwise.England will rue some sloppiness in the field – particularly the second half of New Zealand’s chase when dew may have been a factor – but they had managed a competitive total. It was hard especially at the beginning and the end against Tim Southee and Trent Boult, while Santner was also a challenge. Jason Roy and Joe Root had set a solid platform having realised gung-ho batting wasn’t the order of the day, adding 79 in 14 overs, before New Zealand’s spinners started to have their say.Roy was defeated by Santner’s arm ball, Morgan chipped Ish Sodhi’s googly to mid-off the ball after pulling a six and Stokes’ first innings back in the side ended on 12 when he became over-eager against Santner, top-edging to short third man. At 139 for 4, England needed to stabilise things.Root, returning to the side after his T20 tri-series break, played serenely with some lovely touches during a 53-ball fifty – his eighth in 11 matches since the start of the Australia tour – but another hundred went begging when he was defeated by Munro’s knuckle ball.Buttler had provided a kick to the innings with consecutive sixes off Sodhi, striking wonderfully down the ground, but even he struggled to get the death bowling of Southee and Boult away until a late six off each to take his tally to five. In the end that finish proved vital for New Zealand, who continued their strong recent record of chasing on this ground, but in such a compelling match it was difficult to pick out one defining moment.

The opener was left out of the Tamil Nadu side after he supposedly – contrary to the coach’s words – failed to report for a Vijay Hazare Trophy match

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2018

India and Tamil Nadu opener M Vijay is confident of accomplishing his “dream” of winning the Ranji Trophy for his state before he quits the game. That said, he was “hurt” by the manner in which he was left out of the Tamil Nadu side after he “failed to report” for the Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Mumbai on February 8.After Vijay had apparently informed Tamil Nadu coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar of a “shoulder pain” on the morning of the match, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) said that the state body, the selectors and the physio were unaware of his injury. He was subsequently replaced with young batsman Pradosh Ranjan Paul for the remaining matches in the tournament.While the TNCA was understood to be unhappy with Vijay’s “attitude” over a period of time, Kanitkar was the lone voice of support for Vijay, saying he had known about the opener’s injury. He acknowledged the possibility of a communication gap and also vouched for Vijay’s commitment towards Tamil Nadu.Vijay felt things “could have been handled better”. “I just feel sad for whatever that has happened. Things could have been handled better,” he told reporters in Chennai on Wednesday, after the conclusion of a TNCA first-division league match where he scored a hundred for his club side Jolly Rovers. “I’m set to talk with the TNCA officials soon and I feel things will be fine.”I felt let down that my commitment was questioned and I was hurt. I love playing for Tamil Nadu and take a lot of pride in representing the state. My dream is to win the Ranji Trophy for Tamil Nadu, and I’m confident it will happen.”Vijay played Tamil Nadu’s first two matches in the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy, against Gujarat and Goa, and scored 11 and 51. His absence was a blow to an already beleaguered side, which had failed to qualify for the knockouts of the Ranji Trophy and finished fifth out of seven in the league phase of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Vijay had no illusions about the fact that much work remained for Tamil Nadu, should they want silverware.”We have a long road ahead,” he said. “We need to sit and think about what went wrong and work on it. I am going to win the Ranji Trophy for Tamil Nadu for sure before I hang up my boots. I am clear on that part. It is about when that is going to happen. I want Tamil Nadu to do well for not just one year, but three to four years in a row.”Vijay himself had an underwhelming outing in his most recent international assignment against South Africa, where six innings fetched him 102 runs at an average of 17. He acknowledged that he did not spend enough time in the middle. “It all boils down to shot selection. At times, it tends to happen at that level,” he said. “Again, they had some good bowlers. They kept it in the good areas, and the wicket was also a bit difficult to negotiate. It was good learning, as a top-order batsman. I am just hoping to apply what I’ve learnt over there in the future.”

Aston Villa could have a busy end to the summer transfer window, as Unai Emery and Monchi revise their targets ahead of deadline day on Friday.

The Spanish duo have welcomed four names to the squad at Villa Park so far, with both incomings and outgoings expected before the close of the window with reports linking a host of talent to the club.

The Villans have already broken their transfer record fee in a deal worth £51.9m for Moussa Diaby, who has already started to repay his price tag with impressive performances, now, the Midlands side could repeat the success with another target revealed.

Who could Aston Villa sign this summer?

From Ferran Torres to Ansu Fati, Emery’s side have been linked to some strong attacking talent this window, not many as impressive as their latest target.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Ryan Taylor urged people to “keep an eye” on Villa making a potentially “crazy” late move for Atletico Madrid sensation Joao Felix.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

“Keep an eye on Felix. I know this is crazy, but I think the later we get in the window, I really feel like he's going to leave Atletico Madrid and he's going to be floated to a lot of clubs on loan," he said.

"I don't know if Aston Villa would go in for Felix for the kind of money that would be offered, but I think he will probably be touted to Aston Villa. So keep an eye on that one.”

Last month the 23-year-old dynamo, who was purchased by Atletico for £113m, was rumoured to be of interest to the Villans via various Spanish news outlets. However, the Portugal international is now valued at just €46m (£40m) by FootballTransfers.

What could Joao Felix offer to Aston Villa?

Having been lauded as a “phenomenon” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the prospect of Felix arriving at Villa Park is extremely exciting.

The 23-year-old dynamo already has 72 domestic goals under his belt, representing Atletico, Benfica and of course more recently, Chelsea, whom he spent half a season with last term on loan.

Now, the dazzling Portuguese talent finds himself at a career crossroads, with his future at Atletico far from imaginable, and no new home identified yet.

Considering the formidable talent of the versatile forward, a hefty price tag is expected to be required to lure him away from the Spanish outfit, who are rumoured to want at least €100m (£86m) for his services.

For Villa, it’s unclear whether the price would be too much to compensate, however, the club now have knowledge of just how strongly a marquee signing can impact the side.

Breaking the club transfer fee for Diaby has so far proved to be an impressive piece of business, with the Frenchman registering two goals and an assist in his opening three Premier League appearances.

The 24-year-old’s success could be replicated by the signing of Felix, who is undoubtedly a similar calibre of forward to the former Bayer Leverkusen whiz, at least according to FBref's statistical model which lists Diaby as a comparable player to the one-time Chelsea loanee.

Speaking after his side’s 3-1 win over Burnley, Emery reinforced the importance of his new summer signing in his side, saying via the club’s official site that “his qualities are adding to us being stronger in our squad.”

Such could be said about Felix, who could be a repeat of the marquee grab for the Frenchman in the market, in a signing that could add to the star quality already provided by Diaby at Villa Park.

Monchi could pull off a second window masterclass by obtaining the signature of Felix, whose potential arrival in the Midlands could replicate the excitement already generated through this summer’s business.

Manchester United have now been provided with an update on their pursuit of Brentford left-back Rico Henry, which suggests they could be ready to make a move soon…

What's the latest Man United transfer news?

Although the transfer window has only just ended, Man United may be forced to enter the free agent market to sign a new winger, given that there is growing uncertainty over the futures of both Antony and Jadon Sancho.

Antony has been placed on leave until further notice, following allegations that he attacked three women, while Sancho has been involved in a public falling out with Erik ten Hag, meaning former Aston Villa man Anwar El Ghazi is now being considered for a transfer swoop.

There have also been reports that Nico Williams is of interest to United, but there is set to be stiff competition for the Athletic Bilbao winger's signature, as Barcelona, and Premier League rivals Liverpool are also named as potential suitors.

Not only is Ten Hag short on wide options, but the manager is also lacking bodies at left-back, with Luke Shaw set to miss the next three months due to injury, while Tyrell Malacia also remains sidelined.

Diogo Dalot played on his unfavoured side in the 3-2 victory against Nottingham Forest, before Man United completed a loan move for Tottenham Hotspur's Sergio Reguilon on deadline day, with the Spaniard joining on a deal running until the end of the season.

However, Reguilon may not have been the first choice option, as Football Insider report that an approach was made with Brentford over a potential deal for Henry, and United retain an interest in the defender.

In fact, the Red Devils are now ready to step up their pursuit of the Bees' left-back, but they may have to fend off interest from elsewhere, as other unnamed "top Premier League clubs" are also keen.

The 26-year-old is said to be on the fringes of the England squad, with the report revealing he is "definitely" in the plans of Gareth Southgate, and he could also be in line for a move to Old Trafford in the January transfer window.

How good is Rico Henry?

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has lauded the Englishman for the impact he makes in both a defensive and attacking sense, saying:

“Rico has seamlessly made the step up to the Premier League. Defensively he is fantastic, and you can see the way he defends one on one against some great attackers.

“He is also contributing up the field with the way he can arrive in the penalty area, as we have seen this season. There are bits to work on, but it is great that he will continue that development with us.”

The full-back bagged his first assist of the season against Tottenham Hotspur on the opening day, but there are some concerns over his defensive ability, ranking in just the 34th percentile for tackles, and the 46th percentile for interceptions per 90 over the past year.

However, Henry has been a key player for Brentford over the past two seasons, making 71 top-flight appearances, indicating he could be ready to make the step-up to Man United, and Ten Hag should continue to monitor his performances ahead of the January transfer window.

MatériaMais Notícias

O montante de dívidas do Santos se encontra em aproximadamente em R$ 320 milhões com impostos. Os números foram levantados em reunião realizada nesta quarta-feira (30), onde o presidente em exercício, Orlando Rollo, convocou membros da Mesa Diretora do Conselho Deliberativo, das comissões e todos os pré-candidatos à presidência do clube, em pleito previsto para dezembro.

RelacionadasLibertadoresOlimpia x Santos: prováveis times, desfalques e onde assistirLibertadores30/09/2020SantosOrlando Rollo afirma que prioridade da gestão é liquidar dívidas do Santos e não descarta vender atletasSantos29/09/2020SantosEm liminar judicial, Peres classifica afastamento da presidência do Santos como ‘golpe’ e pede retornoSantos30/09/2020

No geral, se encontraram dívidas de curto, médio e longo prazo, que vão de 13 dias a três anos como prazo de pagamento. A prioridade será saldar as pendências com Hamburgo (ALE) e Huachipato (CHI), que já acionam o Peixe na Fifa, impedindo o clube a registrar novos atletas desde março. O débito com esses clubes representa 45 milhões, mas ainda há a iminência de uma terceira punição, vinda das parcelas não pagas ao Atlético Nacional (COL), pela contratação do zagueiro Felipe Aguilar, vendido ao Athlético-PR em março, por R$ 10 milhões, por 50% dos direitos. Essa especificamente corresponde a R$ 7 milhões, totalizando em R$ 52 milhões a dívida que o Santos tem com outras equipes.

Além deles, o Alvinegro também deve R$ 80 milhões aos grupos Doyen/DIS, e possui pendências com escritório de advocacia Bonassa Bucker. Também há dívidas cíveis e trabalhistas que se arrastam até 2023, com Receita Federal e Previdência Social.

PRESENTES NA REUNIÃO

Estiveram presente os pré-candidatos à presidência do Santos, Andrés Rueda (que participou por videoconferência), Fernando Silva (acompanhado do seu vice, Reinando Guerreiro), Esmeraldo Tarquínio (acompanhado do seu vice, o ex-goleiro Fábio Costa), Ricardo Agostinho, Rodrigo Marino (que chegou com a reunião em andamento, pois o encontro coincidiu com a live de lançamento da sua candidatura), Milton Teixeira Filho e Vágner Lombardi. Alegando imprevistos, apenas Daniel Curi não compareceu.

Também participou da reunião os membros do novo Comitê Gestor e integrantes de duas torcidas uniformizadas santistas. O presidente do Conselho Deliberativo do Santos, Marcelo Teixeira, participou do encontro virtualmente.

* Sob supervisão de Vinícius Perazzini

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers tried to sign a talented defender from the continent to ease his defensive crisis at Parkhead, but the player rejected the opportunity to join the Scottish champions and instead opted to stay at his current club, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Celtic?

Last weekend, Celtic defeated their arch-rivals Rangers at Ibrox by a score of 1-0 despite having no away fans present in the stadium to claim victory in the first Glasgow Derby match of 2023/24, as per BBC Sport.

In a match mired in controversy surrounding Kemar Roofe's disallowed goal due to a foul from Cyriel Dessers on Gustaf Lagerbielke in the build-up to the eventual chalked-off strike, Celtic rallied to claim a crucial three points courtesy of a stunning volley from talisman Kyogo Furuhashi.

Speaking to Celtic TV via STV News, Hoops boss Rodgers saluted his players' efforts in the wake of recent criticism surrounding their performances and complimented their determination to overcome Rangers in a typically hostile atmosphere, as he stated: "I’m so happy for the players. I think they have been on death watch by the media for the last week or so, coming into this game. But for me, as a coach, it was about staying calm, working the players and knowing that they’re going to grow and develop and this is a big part of the development – to come and win away at Ibrox."

Danish midfielder Matt O'Riley, Republic of Ireland international Liam Scales and new boy Lagerbielke were the standout performers on the day for Celtic according to SofaScore, earning respective match ratings of 7.8/10, 7.4/10 and 7.2/10 for their exploits on the pitch.

Celtic summer window signings

Fee

Gustaf Lagerbielke (IF Elfsborg)

£3m

Odin Thiago Holm (Valerenga)

£2.5m

Marco Tilio (Melbourne City)

£2m

Hyun-Jun Yang (Gangwon)

£2m

Hyeokkyu Kwon (Busan I-Park)

£1m

Paulo Bernardo (Benfica)

Loan

Nat Phillips (Liverpool)

Loan

Maik Nawrocki (Legia Warsaw)

£4.3m

Luis Palma (Aris FC)

£3.5m

Tomoki Iwata (Yokohama F. Marinos)

Undisc.

All fees according to Sky Sports

Who did Celtic miss out on signing?

Cited by The Daily Record, Sevilla sporting director Victor Orta has stated that defender Kike Salas rejected an opportunity to head to join Rodgers on a loan basis to help ease the boss' defensive concerns.

Orta said: "We have many young players who will be very good, but we have to be patient about their development. Kike Salas is a great example of a kid who has come through our youth system and many teams wanted him on loan.

"I had practically every team in the second division asking for him and he also had the chance to go to top foreign teams like Celtic and Red Bull Salzburg, but didn't. So he is very valued and we need to show more faith in these players. We can't be talking about home-grown talent and, when the home-grown talent plays, always questioning them."

What next for Celtic?

Celtic now sit top of the Scottish Premiership on goal difference and will return to action following the conclusion of the international break to face Dundee at Parkhead on September 16th, as per Sky Sports.

Champions League football will once again grace the Scottish giants this year and they will compete against Feyenoord, Lazio and Atletico Madrid in Group E to try and secure European Football after Christmas.

Liverpool goalkeeper Caomhin Kelleher is reportedly a target for Celtic and is believed to be keen on a move to Parkhead despite the Reds rejecting advances from the Hoops to sign him in the summer transfer window, as per The Sun.

The Republic of Ireland international is behind Allison in the pecking order at Anfield; nevertheless, Liverpool would need to find a homegrown replacement before letting the 24-year-old move on to new pastures.

تحدثت وسائل إعلامية إنجليزية، عن تصدر نادي آرسنال سباق التعاقد مع مهاجم لايبزيج وسط اهتمام كبير من مانشستر يونايتد خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية المقبلة.

ويسعى ميكيل أرتيتا المدير الفني لفريق آرسنال، إلى تعزيز صفوف فريقه قبل بداية الموسم التحضيري استعداداً لمنافسات الموسم الجديد.

اقرأ ايضاً.. أوباميانج يكشف كواليس خلافه مع أرتيتا والرحيل عن آرسنال: اتهمني بوضع السكين في ظهره

وكشفت شبكة فوتبول لندن الإنجليزية أن مهاجم لايبزيج، بينجامين سيسكو، على رادار الانتقال إلى صفوف آرسنال في الموسم المقبل.

وتابعت الشبكة الإنجليزية أن سيسكو المهاجم السلوفيني أبدى رغبته في الانضمام إلى آرسنال بدلاً من مانشستر يونايتد.

ومن المقرر أن تبلغ قيمة انتقال سيسكو مهاجم لايبزيج إلى آرسنال مبلغ 45 مليون جنيه إسترليني.

ويتواجد سيسكو في قائمة منتخب سلوفينيا التي ستخوض منافسات يورو 2024 الشهر المقبل في ألمانيا، في مجموعة تضم إنجلترا، صربيا والدنمارك.

وشارك بينجامين سيسكو هذا العام في 42 مباراة مع لايبزيج هذا الموسم، حيث أحرز 18 هدفاً وقام بصناعة هدفين طوال الموسم بجميع المسابقات.

During their nail-biting victory against Afghanistan, Zimbabwe were lifted by the strong support from a huge crowd in Bulawayo, especially when their spirits were down

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo07-Mar-20180:40

WATCH – Bulawayo goes wild as Zimbabwe win thriller

“Was that stressful?” Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer joked to the wide-eyed gaggle of local journalists after his team’s nerve wracking two-run win over Afghanistan in Bulawayo.Queens Sports Club doesn’t have the gladiatorial grandeur of Wanderers, the storied history of Lord’s, or the spectacle of Eden Gardens, but during Zimbabwe’s backs-against-the-wall win the electric atmosphere rivalled any match to have taken place on more hallowed grounds. Zimbabwe’s victory wasn’t so much about individual performances, as it was the combined efforts of the fielders, bowlers and a broiling, festive crowd of spectators. It was high drama, and at the very end, with the tension rising to almost unbearable levels, Afghanistan blinked first.”We knew we had a score on the board,” Cremer said. “In competitions like this, it doesn’t matter how small the target is, if you have runs on the board there’s always that pressure.”It’s supposed to get tense, we’re playing for our countries – both teams – and it has to get tense,” said a breathless Sikandar Raza after the match. “We say that the team that panics first will lose. We just kept our composure. In that last over we thought ‘we’re right into it, one mistake or one bad shot … ‘ Let’s just drag it into the last over, and if they panic they’ll lose.”Defending a sub-par total, in the last over, against a team who are among the tournament favourites, Zimbabwe showed remarkable depth of character. “It’s the fact that we have friendship, we have brothers in the team, and we don’t let each other down,” Raza said. “We fight until the very end, until the game is either lost or won. And today great character was shown.”Afghanistan went into that last over – bowled by Brian Vitori – needing just four runs to win, but with only nos. 9 and 11 to do it. Dawlat Zadran and Shapoor Zadran had shown tenacity to keep Afghanistan clinging on after being 177 for 9. After missing a swipe at the final delivery of the penultimate over, Shapoor had finally let his emotion show, angrily miming the shot he should have played.When he edged the next ball he faced, Vitori’s third in the last over, the floodgates opened, with hundreds of spectators rushing onto the field. The overjoyed masses that ended up in the middle were a vital part of what had just unfolded.”They played a huge role today,” Raza said of a capacity Queens crowd. “When my head was dropping, when Nabi’s dropped catch was ringing in my head, and I wasn’t getting a breakthrough and there were a few edges that dropped short or went to the boundary, the fans never let me drop my head. And not just me, everyone who went to the ropes today, the fans were cheering them on. They were the real 12th man today.”The energy of the crowd clearly spilled onto the field, and Zimbabwe were noticeably animated – even after Raza dropped a simple chance to give Mohamad Nabi a second life. He went on to make 51 before Raza removed him – of course.”Nabi was a big fish, and I dropped him, and I kept saying to myself, and the skipper kept saying to me as well: ‘You have to get him out now, and you will get him out’,” Raza said. “And the fact that the whole team was behind me and motivating me, it gives you a bigger heart to try and get someone out and not bowl too defensively.”Raza kept tossing the ball up, and in his eighth over – the 37th of the innings – he ripped the heart out of Afghanistan’s middle order. Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, and Rashid Khan were dismissed in the space of six inspired deliveries. With the third dismissal, Raza sprinted out to deep midwicket, where the crowd was most concentrated, and the team and fans celebrated together.”We took three chances, and those chances paid off in that over where we got three wickets, which certainly was quite pleasing,” Raza said. “And humbling.””I think that over from Raza, that’s what we needed,” said Cremer. “Because those guys can bat, and if they had just applied themselves they could have got that score easily. But Raza has been excellent for us. Not only with the bat, but he’s turning into the bowler with a golden arm for us. That over was the turning point in the game.”‘On a steaming hot late summer’s day, Raza’s exertions with the bat and in the field resulted in serious cramping, with the physio called onto the field and Raza eventually hobbling off for an over. But wild horses couldn’t have stopped him from coming back, still limping, for the thrilling denouement.”Skipper said to me ‘see what you can do, if you can try and spend an over here and see how your body feels, otherwise you can go out’, and I said ‘I will not leave you here. And we’ll see how far we can go.'”For his 60 runs and three wickets, Raza was named Man of the Match. He was quick to share the glory. “I thought it should have been Blessing or BT (Brendan Taylor) sitting here now with the Man of the Match because I thought those two were the real heroes.”It wasn’t just me, it was everyone together. It was the character. The way the boys showed courage and we held our composure. Most importantly the way we stayed united out there. And that helped us to win the game.”This victory should feel as sweet to the fans as it does to us. Maybe people from the outside don’t realise how many things are hinging on these qualifiers for our families, for our futures. Most importantly, there are 15 million people [in Zimbabwe] looking for something to smile about, looking for something to give them hope, looking for happiness. We’ve just got to make sure that we give each of those 15 million people something to smile and cheer about.”

After enjoying one of the most successful seasons in the club’s recent history in becoming Europa Conference League champions, West Ham United followed up with an action-packed summer transfer window.

Club captain Declan Rice left to join Arsenal in a record-breaking £105m move, which allowed the Hammers to reinvest heavily in their squad, bringing in the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse among others.

While several new incomings were brought in, we have also seen West Ham in recent years begin to capitalise on the talent being nurtured in the academy, with the goal of producing a future star.

Who is in West Ham’s academy?

The most notable name to have graduated from the setup more recently would have to be the now-departed Declan Rice.

Rice, who was originally part of the Chelsea academy, joined West Ham at the age of 14 after being released from their London rivals. The England international would spend ten years at the club and of course captained the side in their victorious European run last season, winning their first major trophy since 1980.

Despite the 24-year-old’s absence, by no means does it rule out any more talent being able to make a name for themselves by following a similar route into the first team.

In their trip to Bucharest for the final group game of the Europa Conference League last season, manager David Moyes selected a young side with top spot in the group already guaranteed, giving players the opportunity to impress.

Of those youthful starters, one of which was 18-year-old prospect Divin Mubama.

The young forward marked his debut by assisting his first goal for the club in a comfortable 3-0 win.

After continuing to impress in the Premier League 2, Mubama would make his Premier League debut in the closing stages of West Ham’s defeat to Arsenal towards the end of 2022.

Another brief cameo in the FA Cup in early 2023 had fans impressed, and the teenager was rewarded with another start shortly after in the 2nd leg of the round of 16 stage in the Europa Conference League, against Cypriot side AEK Larnaca.

Moyes’ faith in the youngster paid off, with Mubama scoring his first senior goal for the club and West Ham’s fourth on the night, as they progressed to the quarter-finals in a 6-0 aggregate win.

While it may seem as though Mubama is head and shoulders above the rest of his competition at youth level, there is currently another gifted centre-forward making headlines in West Ham’s current youth setup.

Northern Ireland’s Callum Marshall.

Who is Callum Marshall?

The promising forward joined the Hammers U18s in January 2022 from Northern Ireland outfit Linfield, and has impressed in multiple teams at youth level in the time since.

In terms of his performances, the majority of his appearances so far have come in the U18 Premier League, where Marshall has played 32 times over the last two seasons, scoring 25 goals and assisting four.

He has also had his chances in the U23’s side as well, playing in the Premier League 2 14 times and scoring on six occasions.

On the international stage, the 18-year-old has played for both Northern Ireland's U18 and U19 teams, scoring once.

Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for Marshall to catch the eye of fans on social media.

Only a matter of months after his arrival at the club, his standout performances in the U18’s side, particularly after a winning goal against Brighton, gained plenty of praise.

Journalist Josh Bunting, for example, took to Twitter to write: “Callum Marshall is flying with West Ham under 18’s, what an impact he’s made in east London.”

With no doubt that West Ham have two incredibly talented centre-forwards on their hands, some may argue that only one will be able to win the battle for a future place in the first team, but that might not be the case.

How do Mubama and Marshall compare?

The 2022/23 FA Youth Cup saw West Ham lift the coveted trophy for the first time since 1999, and both players played a major role in the run to do so.

In Marshall’s six appearances, he scored four goals and assisted one, with an average of one goal contribution every 103 minutes.

Mubama on the other hand made five appearances and scored an incredible eight goals, including an unstoppable hat-trick in the 6-1 semi-final win against Southampton and would end the tournament as the top scorer.

The two players’ equally impressive contributions to the U18’s cup success highlights their ability to be able to play alongside each other, rather than leaving the manager with the difficult choice of whom to pick.

While Mubama is more of an out-and-out centre-forward, Marshall is also capable of performing on either side of the attack, which is always a benefit to have with a forward as seen with so many examples in modern football, with Kylian Mbappe perhaps being the most notable.

In all competitions for West Ham, Marshall does have the slightest of edges in terms of goals per game, with 0.64 – compared to Mubama’s 0.6.

Goals

Assists

Goals

Assists

Premier League 2

14

2

6

1

U18 Premier League

30

4

25

4

FA Youth Cup

10

1

4

1

What does the future hold for Marshall?

Despite having yet made his first senior appearance for the club, it would not be a surprise to see Moyes slowly integrate the Northern Irish gem into the first team on occasions this year, as seen with Mubama the previous year.

Following the Europa Conference League success of last year, the Hammers will notice a jump in quality as they compete in this year’s Europa League, although the experience won’t be too new to Moyes and his side, who went all the way to the semi-finals in their previous appearance in the competition in the 2021/22 season.

Perhaps the earlier stages of the domestic trophies could prove to be an opportunity for Marshall to get his chance, though even if it may be deemed too soon for the 18-year-old, his position at the East London side will be one to watch in the upcoming seasons.