Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai was reduced to tears after Hungary's clash with the Netherlands was halted due to a medical emergency.
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Emergency on Hungary bench halted game
Szoboszlai seen wiping tears from his eyes
Hungary staff formed protective barrier
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Hungary star Szoboszlai was seen in tears after their Nations League clash with the Netherlands was halted due to a medical emergency on the Hungarian bench. Videos appeared to show the team's staff reacting quickly to another person on the bench losing consciousness, and they formed a protective ring as treatment was administered. Medical staff rushed to the stricken individual's aid and the game was paused as they were attended to after seven minutes of the game. It has since been reported Hungary coach Adam Szalai is the individual involved.
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Neither team have made any comment on the situation, but Szoboszlai's emotional reaction, and the speed and intensity of the rush to aid the individual, points to a distressing situation. Hungarian Football Xtra, on X, claimed that Szalai was the staff member involved, and they quote MLSZ, a Hungarian news outlet, who say he was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Amsterdam. He is said to be stable.
DID YOU KNOW?
Szalai joined Marco Rossi's coaching staff in October. A former striker, he earned 86 caps for his country.
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mlsz.hu
WHAT NEXT?
Hungary will hope to receive a positive update on Szalai's condition swiftly. Football is ultimately secondary when it comes to matters of life and death.
An exit for one high-earning Chelsea player is now getting closer after talks with a club abroad, as co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley continue their work to re-shape Enzo Maresca's squad.
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1
By
Emilio Galantini
Jul 16, 2024
Centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, striker Marc Guiu, starlet Omari Kellyman, midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Brazilian starlet Estevao Willian and 20-year-old Renato Veiga have cost chairman Todd Boehly around £93 million in total, while departures for Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech, Lewis Hall, Omari Hutchinson, Michael Golding and Ian Maatsen work wonders to balance the books.
Chelsea's sales have brought in around £89 million, meaning that the west Londoners are steering on the right side of PSR for this financial year with a net spend of just £4 million.
Chelsea's best-performing players in the Premier League last season
Average match rating (WhoScored)
Cole Palmer
7.48
Conor Gallagher
7.13
Nicolas Jackson
7.07
Moises Caicedo
6.85
Noni Madueke
6.84
This could allow Maresca's side to invest even more into the Chelsea squad over these next few weeks. It is believed Maresca himself has made clear he wants a new striker to compete with Nicolas Jackson, and Chelsea are also still targeting a new winger after missing out on Michael Olise.
More exits are expected as well, with there being a fair few high-profile names who Boehly is eager to sell. Striker Romelu Lukaku has serious interest from both AC Milan and Napoli, according to recent rumours out of Italy, while goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is eyeing a move away as well.
Romelu Lukaku
The shot-stopper spent last season on loan at Real Madrid, and it is believed that Kepa is very keen to make a return to the Bernabeu on a permanent deal. However, much could depend on Andriy Lunin's future in that respect, as Carlo Ancelotti will have no need for another keeper if the Ukraine international decides to extend his contract – which is set to expire next year as things stand.
Arrizabalaga exit edging closer after Al-Ittihad open talks
The £150,000-per-week ace does have other options to Real, like the Saudi Pro League, where Al-Ittihad are plotting to reunite Kepa with N'Golo Kante.
The Athletic have an update on this, and the reliable news source claims a permanent Chelsea exit for Kepa is edging closer as talks continue with Al-Ittihad. The Saudi side recently had an initial bid turned down for his services, but it appears they haven't given up the chase just yet.
Real Madrid's loan goalkeeperKepa Arrizabalaga.
The 29-year-old became world football's most expensive ever goalkeeper when he joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao for around £72 million in 2018, but hasn't quite managed to justify his price tag since then despite the odd impressive showing.
"His strength is to save penalties, he’s shown it a few times now: in the Carabao Cup twice, against Villarreal, and even in training, it’s hard to beat him," saidformer Chelsea assistant Arno Michels on Arrizabalaga in 2022.
"In penalty shootouts, he has the ability to read the mind of what the player is going to do. We are very happy with Kepa and he deserves this trust because he is a fantastic guy."
Leah Williamson is happy to join up with the Lionesses squad after suffering a tough start to the Women's Super League season with Arsenal.
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Williamson happy to join England squad
Suffering torrid time in WSL with Arsenal
Believes the break has come at the 'right time'
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Arsenal have had a torrid time since the start of the season as the Gunners have only won twice in five games so far in the Women's Super League and have lost one of their first two clashes of the Women's Champions League group stage. Manager Jonas Eidevall has resigned from his role, meaning Arsenal are currently with interim boss Renee Slegers as they look to land a permanent replacement over the current international break.
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Arsenal vice-captain Williamson has been called up to the England national team by Sarina Weigman for their friendlies against Germany and South Africa. The England captain has admitted that leaving the Arsenal squad amid these turbulent times has been 'refreshing' as she also admitted that the break has come at the 'right time'.
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WHAT WILLIAMSON SAID
Speaking to the media, Williamson said: "I'm a footballer, our job is to win games and that hasn't happened so smoothly.
"Results tell a story, performance is another thing that you can actually change and affect on a day-to-day basis and to be honest, I'm happy to be here in a different environment. I think sometimes that comes at the right time and since I've been here, I've had no contact with club.
"To be here in this environment is refreshing, obviously; it is natural for that to be the case at this time and playing for this team, everyone knows how much we love it. I think you see that every day.
"It's been a different start to the season. Obviously, we've been at club for a long time. Normally, we'd have an international break window before this so it's been different in that sense of being there [with Arsenal] for so long and being in one place, we're not used to that."
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WHAT NEXT FOR WILLIAMSON?
The England captain will likely be a starter for Wiegman in both matches for the Lionesses as they take on Germany on Friday, October 25, and then South Africa on October 29.
Aston Villa look intent on strengthening their squad ahead of the 2024/25 season, which will see the Midlands outfit play in the Champions League.
Unai Emery certainly hasn’t rested on his laurels, already signing Lewis Dobbin from Everton, while Ian Maatsen has seemingly sealed a move from Chelsea.
Ian Maatsen for Borussia Dortmund
The pair won't be the only arrivals in the Midlands this summer, as Emery eyes a swoop for a former Premier League player…
Aston Villa look set to raid Sporting Club
According to a report from Portuguese outlet O Jogo (via Sport Witness) earlier this month, Villa have been linked with a move for Pedro Goncalves recently as they seek to bolster their attacking options.
Bayer Leverkusen have had an offer of £25m rejected as the Portuguese club demand a much higher transfer fee, something which could potentially be a stumbling block for Emery.
Sporting Lisbon's Pedro Goncalves.
Might Goncalves want a second crack at the Premier League, however, as he made just one appearance during a spell with Wolves at the start of his career.
Player
Year Joined
Games Played
Andre Moreira
2018
2
Tiago Ilori
2015
0
Nelson
1996
72
A move for the 26-year-old would allow Emery to sign a perfect player for Maatsen to link up with, as well as bringing in an upgrade on Morgan Rogers.
What Pedro Goncalves could offer Aston Villa
Signing Maatsen could be a shrewd piece of business, but by adding Goncalves to his squad, the Spaniard could form an impressive duo on the left wing.
Pedro Goncalves of Sporting CP
Last season, the former Wolves starlet scored 18 goals while grabbing 17 assists across all competitions. 18 of these goal contributions came from the left wing, which suggests this is the position he is most comfortable performing in.
During his loan spell at Borussia Dortmund, Maatsen created three big chances, averaged 0.5 key passes and succeeded with 0.8 dribbles across just 16 Bundesliga matches, proving that he loves to get forward whenever possible, something which could work in Goncalves’ favour.
Emery signed Rogers in January from Middlesbrough after he enjoyed an impressive start to the season, but he failed to really replicate this sort of form in the Midlands.
Indeed, when compared to his positional peers across similar leagues, the youngster ranked in the top 8% for assists per 90 (0.42) yet ranked in the lowest 88% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.11) and the lowest 60% for total shots per 90 (1.97).
In comparison, Goncalves ranked in the top 12% for non-penalty goals (0.38), the top 3% for assists (0.42) and the top 9% for total shots (3.15) per 90, which certainly proves he would be a major upgrade on the current Villa gem.
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Football talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed Goncalves as “incredible” way back in 2021 and since then, he has improved both his performances and statistics season after season.
The chance to play in the Premier League and compete at the top end of the table, plus participation in the Champions League, could give Emery an advantage in his pursuit of the winger.
Much will depend on the fee Sporting Club demand for their prized asset in the coming weeks.
Sohail Khan and Sharjeel Khan star as Sindh get past Central Punjab
Danyal Rasool02-Oct-2020
Shaheen Afridi picked up five wickets•PCB
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Balochistan by 8 wickets A Shaheen Afridi-inspired Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bounced back from an opening day loss to get their National T20 Cup campaign up and running with an eight-wicket drubbing of Balochistan. The Pakistan fast bowler took five wickets, sending the openers packing early and ripping through the lower-middle order to end up with figures of 4-0-20-5 to restrict Haris Sohail’s side to 152, the lowest first-innings score of the tournament so far.Imran Butt’s 37 was the highest score for Balochistan, but it came in 32 balls, and in a high-scoring tournament, Balochistan never quite looked like they would be able to muster the sort of first-innings total to put pressure on KPK. When Wahab Riaz, whose run-a-ball economy rate was a vast improvement on the 51 he conceded in three overs on Wednesday, cleaned up Butt, there was little substance lower down.There was little drama in the chase. Fakhar Zaman’s cameo ensured KPK jumped ahead of the asking rate nice and early, with Mohammad Hafeez picking up the mantle at No. 3, smashing a blistering 25-ball 45. Mohammad Rizwan offered valuable company, top-scoring with an unbeaten 57, and as the bowlers failed to make any sort of inroads, Iftikhar Ahmed wrapped it up with a breezy 29 off 16. KPK would get to the target with three overs still to spare, drawing level with Balochistan on points; both sides now have a win apiece.Sindh beat Central Punjab by 7 wicketsIn the late game, Sindh got their first win of the campaign in similarly resounding fashion, inflicting a first defeat on Central Punjab. After Central Punjab had managed a stuttering 154, chiefly thanks to Abid Ali’s half-century, Sindh’s 134-run opening partnership ensured they barely needed anyone else to brush the total aside, with Sharjeel Khan’s explosive 56-ball 77 enough to sink Central Punjab by seven wickets.Sindh’s bowling was a team effort, with Sohail Khan accounting for three of the top five, while Mohammad Asghar was economically soundest, taking 2 for 23 in his four. Only one bowler – Mohammad Hasnain – conceded runs at more than eight per over, while Central Punjab’s hero last game, Abdullah Shafique, struggled for fluency today, taking 25 balls to score 17.But while Central Punjab had made short work of chasing a total in excess of 200 the first time out, it turned out defending 154 was a different kettle of fish altogether. Even with a bowling attack spearheaded by Naseem Shah, they were unable to stem the flow of runs or make any inroads into the Sindh batting line-up, with Sharjeel and Khurram Manzoor methodically keeping the scoreboard ticking while putting away loose deliveries to ensure they maintained firm control of the contest. With Sharjeel in a destructive mood, Manzoor could afford to be more circumspect, getting to his own half-century in 45 balls.Both openers did fall in quick succession and as the asking rate crept up, there may have been brief concerns that Sindh might mess the chase up, but a pair of sixes from Azam Khan in the penultimate over sealed the deal. It ensured all four teams that played on the day ended with one win and one after two games each.
Arsenal come into this summer with a great deal of expectation in the transfer window.
The club’s business last summer was exceptional, welcoming the ever-impressive Declan Rice to the club in a £105m deal from West Ham.
Kai Havertz, pivotal during the run in also arrived, with the German having gone from strength to strength in Arsenal colours.
Yet, before we see any similar signings in 2024, it’s likely the Gunners will increase their transfer kitty by selling players on the fringes.
Some of those could be Hale End products. That would be a shame given their academy roots but needs must, right?
Who could leave Arsenal this summer
It’s likely that Eddie Nketiah will finally depart the Emirates Stadium. The likes of Fulham, Crystal Palace and Wolves are all reportedly interested in the striker.
Palace are also said to be eyeing Emile Smith Rowe, an exciting attacking midfielder who found himself on the fringes in 2023/24.
Then there’s another academy graduate in Reiss Nelson who looks well-placed to depart north London this summer.
Hale End departures won’t stop there, however. One of the most disappointing exits looks set to be Reuell Walters.
The young defender has been highly rated at the club and has already declared that he’ll be leaving when his contract expires at the end of this month.
There does appear to be an element of confusion though. That’s because in Arsenal’s retained list, it was revealed that discussions were still ongoing in a bid to keep him in N5.
Arsenal have already tied Ethan Nwaneri down to a new contract but it appears that Walters will be a bridge too far.
While the exit of a teenage defender with no senior team experience is unlikely to cause too much unrest, it’s a massive shame to lose such a talented young prospect.
Why Walters’ departure is bad news
When it comes to their academy players, Arsenal have been a victim of their own success in recent years.
It wasn’t long ago that Unai Emery was blooding Bukayo Saka and Smith Rowe in the first team.
Mikel Arteta took them to the next level upon his arrival as manager but since their emergence in the first team, opportunities for those coming through the ranks haven’t been too forthcoming.
Nwaneri has become the youngest player in Premier League history since then but has still only played twice under Arteta.
Arsenal's youngest debutants
Player
Age at debut
Year & opponent faced
#1 Ethan Nwaneri
15 years, 5 months, 28 days
2022: Brentford
#2 Cesc Fabregas
16 years, 5 months, 24 days
2003: Rotherham
#3 Jack Wilshere
16 years, 8 months, 12 days
2008: Blackburn
#4 Jermaine Pennant
16 years, 10 months, 15 days
1999: Middlesbrough
#5 Paul Vaessen
16 years, 11 months, 11 days
1978: Lokomotive Leipzig
#6 Ryan Smith
16 years, 11 months, 18 days
2003: Rotherham
#7 Gedion Zelalem
16 years, 11 months, 29 days
2014: Coventry
#8 Armand Traore
17 years, 16 days
2006: West Brom
Data via Transfermarkt.
As for Walters, despite being named among the subs on ten occasions last season, wasn’t given any minutes. That’s despite another departing member of the squad in Cedric being given playing time when Arsenal already had three points in the bag. So, can you really blame the teen for leaving? Arguably not.
Allegedly the future of Arsenal’s defence, the English talent could have been a key player for Arteta in the forthcoming years.
Described as a “ball-playing monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, he also outlined how Walters would be “perfect” in Ben White’s role on the right-hand side. Also said to be “similar to Saliba” with regard to his ball carrying, you don’t get a more impressive set of comparisons than that when you play for Arsenal.
There is a worry, therefore, that the club could come to regret his departure. He’s not the same positionally but those at Colney may look towards Cole Palmer’s situation at Chelsea and know that losing exceptional young players can come back to haunt you.
Palmer wasn’t given a fair chance at Manchester City and as a result, sought more regular first-team opportunities elsewhere.
The end result? Well, we all know the story by now. The winger signed for Chelsea and is now in the Euros squad having won the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season award, scoring 22 goals and supplying 11 league assists under Mauricio Pochettino. Only the devastating Erling Haaland scored more in the division.
Cole Palmer celebrates for Chelsea
Obviously, Walters won’t make that sort of an impact wherever he goes next but there is a lesson to be learnt. No matter how successful you are as a club, if you don’t show to those coming through the youth system that you’ll be given a pathway to first-team appearances, they will only go and thrive elsewhere.
Losing the 19-year-old won’t exactly damage their title ambitions next season but they could certainly be left to wonder what if in a few years time.
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The Premier League has become one of the best leagues in world football since 1992. The game has seemingly evolved with every passing season, and with it, the teams have only improved.
However, occasionally, there are sides that are so woefully underequipped for the competition that it makes you wonder how they even got there to begin with.
In the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, all six promoted clubs – Luton Town, Burnley, Sheffield United, Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton went straight back down, with some of those clubs recording some of the worst points totals in Premier League history.
With that in mind, Football FanCast has looked back at the worst points tallies since the formation of the Premier League to see which teams were truly out of their depth in the top flight. However, we have not included the 2009/10 Portsmouth side, as without their nine-point deduction, they would have finished with a relatively respectable 28 points.
Worst Premier League points totals
Team
Points Total
Season
Derby County
11
2007/08
Southampton
12
2024/25
Sunderland
15
2005/06
Sheffield United
16
2023/24
Huddersfield Town
16
2018/19
Aston Villa
17
2015/16
Sunderland
19
2002/03
Norwich City
21
2019/20
Norwich City
22
2021/22
Ipswich Town
22
2024/25
Sheffield United
23
2020/21
Burnley
24
2023/24
Sunderland
24
2016/17
The best points totals in Premier League history
No room for the Invincibles here…
ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 2, 2024 Here's a detailed look at the worst points totals in Premier League history: 13 Sunderland 2016/17 24 points
Sunderland make their first (spoiler alert: not last) appearance on the list at number nine thanks to a particularly dreadful campaign in the 2016/17 season that saw them rack up a measly points total of just 24.
The Black Cats had been in relegation fights for the previous three seasons before this one and even finished in 17th place the year before on 39 points, just two above relegated Newcastle United – we’re sure they loved that, though.
So, when they finally went down, nobody could say they didn’t see it coming.
And let’s be honest: when your great idea of how to avoid relegation is signing David Moyes and loaning in a 21-year-old Adnan Januzaj, you can’t really blame anyone else.
12 Burnley 2023/24 24 points
In truth, Vincent Kompany’s Burnley never gave themselves a fighting chance. That said, the fact they were able to take their survival bid to the penultimate weekend is something of a minor miracle. But with the Clarets being in the relegation zone for the entire season, they can have no complaints.
By December, they had mustered up just four points, and only beat two teams (Fulham and Brentford) besides their Championship rivals from the previous year. Their only solace was that they were not the worst team in the Premier League that season.
11 Sheffield United 2020/21 23 points
Now, from a relegation that everyone saw coming from a mile off to one that really was quite a surprise, especially the manner in which it happened.
Sheffield United were promoted from the Championship in the 2018/19 season, and there was a general expectation that they would seriously struggle in the Premier League, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The Blades took the 2019/20 Premier League season by storm, racking up win after win and at one point looking like serious contenders for a Champions League spot – and then the pandemic happened.
Whether it was other teams working out their tactics, a lack of fans in the stadiums, or something else entirely, the team just weren’t the same after the restart and ultimately finished in ninth, which for a promoted side is still an extremely impressive feat.
So when the 2020/21 season started, people expected the Blades to maintain their mid-table position and maybe even push for a Europa League spot, but instead, the team totally fell apart.
The architect behind their impressive form, Chris Wilder, was sacked in March, and the team limped home to a 20th-place finish and a points total of just 23 – talk about a drop-off.
10 Ipswich Town 2024/25 22 points
Ipswich Town’s rise to the Premier League under Kieran McKenna was remarkable, winning back-to-back promotions from League One to seal their place back in the top flight for the first time since 2002.
However, their return back in the Premier League was short-lived, as the Tractor Boys, despite drawing plenty of games early on, picked up just 22 points.
Ipswich recorded just four league wins all year, two of which came against Chelsea and Tottenham. However, they shipped 82 goals in 38 games and were relegated in April.
9 Norwich City 2021/22 22 points
When people think of Premier League yo-yo clubs, there’s a very good chance that one of the first teams that come to mind is Norwich City.
The Canaries made a habit of dominating the Championship, coming up to the top flight for a season, and then going back down to do the whole thing over again – which is precisely what they did between 2020 and 2022.
After being relegated in 2020 (see below), the Canaries went on to rack up 97 points in the 2020/21 Championship season before registering less than a quarter of that total in the 2021/22 Premier League season.
They haven’t returned to the big time since, but you can be sure that they will be there soon enough to start the whole process over again.
8 Norwich City 2019/20 21 points
Norwich have the unwanted accolade of being the only team to feature on this list with back-to-back top-flight campaigns, as their 2019/20 season was somehow even worse than their 2021/22 effort.
In all, they managed to win just five games, draw ten and lose 20, ending up with a points total of 21 and a goal difference of -49. They were so poor that they would have needed another 15 points just to survive.
That said, they did pull off one of the shocks of the season, though, beating reigning champions Manchester City 3-2 at Carrow Road in mid-September.
We reckon they’d rather have stayed up, though.
7 Sunderland 2002/03 19 points
The Black Cats make their second unwanted appearance on this list, and we’re afraid they aren’t done there.
In the space of five seasons, Sunderland won promotion to the Premier League, secured back-to-back seventh-place finishes, survived a relegation battle by the skin of their teeth and then, finally, after a miserable season that saw them accumulate just 19 points, they were sent back down to the second tier.
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It was an absolute whirlwind of emotions for the fans, and while the board had hoped that the appointment of Howard Wilkinson in October 2002 would be enough to see them maintain their place among England’s top 20 teams, the writing was on the wall.
The good news was that it would only take two years in Division One to come back up, although the bad news was, well, it wouldn’t take them two seasons to go back down again.
6 Aston Villa 2015/16 17 points
When it comes to English football’s biggest clubs, few come greater than Aston Villa.
Boasting a European Cup success in 1982, seven First Division titles and seven FA Cups, the Claret and Blue are among the many giants that call English football home.
So, when they were relegated from the Premier League for the first time in almost three decades in 2016, it was a worrying indictment of how the club had been run in recent years, especially as they went down with such an embarrassingly low points total of just 17.
While it was shocking to see such a prestigious side drop into the second tier, it was hardly a surprise for those watching them week-in-week-out as they had only just survived the previous season – three points, to be exact.
Really, the club’s biggest mistake came in the March before the season started, as for some reason, unbeknownst to the rest of us, they decided to offer Tim Sherwood a three-and-a-half-year deal to become manager. Madness.
5 Huddersfield Town 2018/19 16 points
We’re into the podium positions now, although it’s not exactly the most prestigious of podiums. The team to register the joint-third-worst points tally in Premier League history is Huddersfield Town, who did so in their disastrous 2018/19 season.
Now, while it’s always going to be embarrassing to be on a list such as this, the fact that the Terriers managed to survive in the top flight for two seasons is an achievement to be recognised and while it certainly went wrong in their second year, that first season has to be viewed as a success.
Unfortunately, you can’t call their second year anything but a miserable failure, as they finished the campaign 20 points from safety and registered just three wins all season.
4 Sheffield United 2023/24 16 points
Wes Foderingham
Sheffield United’s most recent return to the Premier League certainly didn’t go to plan. Seemingly doomed from the beginning of the campaign, the Blades never looked like escaping relegation trouble before their demise was confirmed in April after a heavy defeat at Newcastle.
That particular 5-1 reverse wasn’t atypical of their results this past term, with the South Yorkshire side also on the receiving end of four 5-0 thumpings, a 6-0 thrashing and a woefully embarrassing 8-0 disaster – with four of those six games in front of the Bramall Lane faithful.
They also set the record for the most goals conceded in a Premier League season, reaching triple figures with two games to spare as they broke Swindon Town’s record of 100 (in a 42-game season) before the campaign’s end.
Reece Topley, Dan Lawrence among enlarged list of players
ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-2020Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett and Joe Clarke are among the high-profile omissions from England’s enlarged 55-man training group.Eighteen bowlers returned to individual training last week with a focus on red-ball cricket, and a further 37 names have been added to that list.Players have not yet been named with specific formats in mind, but the longlist will be the source of the squads for the Test series against West Indies and ODI series against Ireland.Several uncapped players who impressed on England Lions’ tour to Australia have been included, with James Bracey, Brydon Carse, Will Jacks, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Dan Lawrence among them.Ben Duckett, Sam Billings, Reece Topley, Liam Livingstone, Mason Crane and David Willey are among those who have been named after a spell out of the international fold, but there is no room for Hales or Plunkett in the group. Others to miss out include Sam Northeast, Tom Abell and Jamie Porter.Liam Plunkett at England’s nets session•Getty Images
“It’s really pleasing to be in a position to have players returning to training and a huge amount of work has been done by many to get us this far,” Mo Bobat, the ECB’s performance director, said. “The pool of players will give selectors strong options when it comes to selecting squads across formats further down the line, as we move closer to our aim of playing international cricket this summer.”We will need to continue to work closely with our medical team and government to ensure that our return to training and play activities are in line with best-practice guidelines. We’re also really grateful for the positive and collaborative response from our county colleagues who are doing a great job at facilitating coaching and support for the players. The fact that we can call on our network to support the national effort shows the strength of our system.”Hales has not been involved with England since being dropped before the World Cup last year, following a positive drugs test, with England captain Eoin Morgan saying earlier this week that it “might take some more time” for him to be reconsidered.Plunkett, 35, lost his central contract a few months after playing a key role in England’s World Cup win. Clarke, like former Worcestershire team-mate Kohler-Cadmore, was stood down from Lions duty last year after revelations concerning a WhatsApp messaging group during the trial of Alex Hepburn. It was recently revealed that Hepburn is appealing his rape conviction, with the hearing set for next month.England training group: Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jonny Bairstow(Yorkshire), Tom Banton (Somerset), Dom Bess (Somerset), Sam Billings (Kent), James Bracey (Gloucestershire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Henry Brookes (Warwickshire), Pat Brown (Worcestershire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Tom Curran (Surrey), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Joe Denly (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Laurie Evans (Sussex), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Richard Gleeson (Lancashire), Lewis Gregory (Somerset), Sam Hain (Warwickshire), Tom Helm (Middlesex), Will Jacks (Surrey), Keaton Jennings (Lancashire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Yorkshire), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Craig Overton (Somerset), Jamie Overton (Somerset), Matt Parkinson (Lancashire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Phil Salt (Sussex), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Reece Topley (Surrey), James Vince (Hampshire), Amar Virdi (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)
Newcastle United have been blessed with several terrific strikers over the years at St. James' Park, ranging from homegrown talent Andy Carroll to Alexander Isak in 2024.
The Magpies have had the pleasure of watching some superb goalscorers, with two of them currently within Eddie Howe's squad.
Callum Wilson and Isak have been on fire this campaign, with both players achieving double figures in all competitions as the club targets a second successive European campaign.
Newcastle striker Alexander Isak.
Unfortunately, the Sweden international's sublime form has led to reported interest from sides such as Arsenal and he may now follow in the footsteps of Carroll, who came through the academy before being sold for a huge fee following his impressive stint within the first-team – joining Liverpool on an ill-fated £35m deal in 2011.
However, despite the trio's success on Tyneside, they will never compare to one player who was a huge hit at St James' Park during his time at the club.
Alan Shearer's stats at Newcastle United
Before the takeover by the Saudi PIF, Newcastle had been depleted of any form of success for over the last 20 years, only finishing inside the top five of the Premier League once since the 2004/05 season.
However, during the early years of the Premier League, the Magpies were a force to be reckoned with, mainly down to the impact of striker Alan Shearer.
Alan Shearer vs Leicester City
The prolific forward joined the club during the 1996/97 season, making an immediate impact scoring 25 times in 31 appearances – a tally that saw him win the Golden Boot Award for the third time.
His goals propelled the club to a second-placed finish that season, continuing his brilliant goalscoring form over the next couple of years, reaching double figures in two of the following three campaigns.
The former Blackburn Rovers man remained a constant goalscoring threat for the Magpies over the course of his time at St James' Park, with the Newcastle-born striker a prevalent part of the club's constant qualification for European competitions.
Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer.
Shearer scored 25 times in European competitions for his boyhood club, but his tally wouldn't compare to the figure he achieved in the Premier League.
A knee injury ended his career in 2005/06, but he managed to amass a total of 260 goals in England's top flight – a record that still stands to this day, nearly a decade after he hung up his boots.
Top scorers in Premier League history
Player
Goal tally
1# Alan Shearer
260
2# Harry Kane
213
3# Wayne Rooney
208
4# Andy Cole
187
5# Sergio Aguero
184
Stats via Transfermarkt
Everyone knows a natural goalscorer is the hardest thing to find in football, with Shearer gifted with the ability to find the back of the net.
They don't come cheap, especially in the modern game, but, how much would he be worth in a modern transfer market? We have the answer.
How much Alan Shearer would be worth in 2024
In 1996, when Newcastle signed Shearer from Blackburn, they broke the world transfer record. They paid £15m for the striker, an obscene amount of money, but one that proved to be a successful investment.
Whilst that set the transfer record nearly 30 years ago, if Shearer had joined the Magpies today, that transfer would have been roughly worth an extraordinary £138m, according to a conversion tool from The Totally Money Transfer Index.
That is a deal that would have eclipsed the £115m that Chelsea paid Brighton last summer to acquire the services of midfielder Moises Caicedo and also the £105m Arsenal paid to sign Declan Rice.
Alan Shearer
Such a fee also places the striker-turned-pundit ahead of a certain Kylian Mbappe, with the fleet-footed Frenchman currently valued at £129m, as per CIES Football Observatory Tool, amid another stellar campaign that has seen him score 43 goals in all competitions.
All things considered, Newcastle signing Shearer is one of the best pieces of business that the club have ever done. He was pivotal to their success and undoubtedly up there as one of the best players the Premier League has ever seen.
Newcastle hit the jackpot on warrior whose value has skyrocketed 328%
He’s enjoyed a successful stint in the first-team under Eddie Howe.
Sunderland won't look back on this Championship season with much fondness when the full-time whistle is sounded against Sheffield Wednesday on the final day, with a whole catalogue of errors resulting in the Black Cats having to make do with a run-of-the-mill mid-table finish.
There were once promotion aspirations in the Sunderland camp with Tony Mowbray at the helm, before the disastrous Michael Beale took over and failed spectacularly with just four wins from his quickfire 12 games in charge.
Mike Dodds hasn't been able to lift spirits at the Stadium of Light as an interim option either, with a dark cloud hanging over proceedings as of late with a dire defeat often coming after a promising victory.
The next appointment is a crucial one for the Sunderland hierarchy to get spot on therefore, with a number of names continuing to be linked to the pressurised job post.
Sunderland could hire fantastic Dodds replacement
Rumours earlier this year seemed to be pointing in the direction that ex-Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom has a strong chance of being Dodds' successor. The former Blades boss could potentially get stuck back into the rough and tumble of managing in the Championship after a scathing experience in the Premier League.
Heckingbottom would walk away from Bramall Lane this campaign battered and bruised, overseeing just one Premier League win from 14 in charge before being ousted by Chris Wilder.
The former Leeds United boss did manage to get The Blades up to the top flight in the first place however, with this promotion on his sketchy CV surely one reason Sunderland are eyeing him up as Dodds' immediate replacement.
Another could well be the impact Heckingbottom had on Iliman Ndiaye at Bramall Lane, the attacking midfielder plucked out of non-league obscurity at Boreham Wood to then go on to become a star in his promotion-winning side.
The powers that be at the Wearside outfit will hope the 46-year-old can work similar magic with Jobe Bellingham if he takes over from Dodds, who has had an up-and-down time of things lately donning a Black Cats strip.
How Bellingham could perform under Heckingbottom
Heckingbottom is massively responsible for Ndiaye's upward career trajectory, with the 24-year-old now finding himself on the books at Olympique de Marseille after tearing the Championship to pieces for the Blades.
In that promotion-winning campaign, where Sheffield United impressively finished in that coveted second automatic promotion spot, the Senegalese attacking midfielder would net 15 goals and pick up 11 assists as a stunning star for Heckingbottom's men.
Bellingham will hope he can up his output to the same levels as Ndiaye next season if the 46-year-old does walk into the building, with the former Birmingham City youngster onto an admirable seven strikes for the campaign so far even with his side's topsy-turvy form killing their chances at a more respectable league finish.
Heckingbottom even stuck Ndiaye up top on his own at points during that successful season, with Dodds experimenting at playing Bellingham in the same role this campaign which hasn't always worked out.
Labelling the Birmingham youth product as "unbelievable" when speaking about what next season holds for Sunderland, Dodds will watch on from afar as to how the next manager in the Black Cats hot-seat does with the promising teenager at his disposal.
Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom.
Appointing the former Blades boss could well feel like a risk, but with one of his ex-players in Wes Foderingham labelling him as "fantastic" for turning around the fortunes in South Yorkshire to jump up to the top flight, he could well do the same relocating to Wearside.
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