Marcus Rashford Impressing every step of the way / Image via independent.co.uk
It is not often in a contemporary football world that a young football player shows such a great mentality, character and overall professional behaviour like Manchester United and England striker Marcus Rashford.
A tender 18-year-old boy has been thrown into the cruel vortex of the Premier League and top flight football at a delicate time of his physical and mental development, but Rashford’s conduct has been nothing short of impressive, from the first moment he stepped on the pitch in a senior competition.
Rashford’s stellar success goes hand in hand with his humility and modesty – the two traits that have become so uncommon among players of his age, who often get blinded by in…
England defender Lucy Bronze revealed she made a post-match beeline to console “upset” Lauren James after the forward was shown what could be a World Cup-ending red card in the Lionesses’ nervy last 16 victory over Nigeria.
James will miss at least her side’s quarter-final clash with either Colombia or Jamaica after she was sent off late in Monday night’s knockout match in Brisbane for deliberately stepping on the back of Nigeria defender Michelle Alozie.
Bronze was one of the 10 Lionesses who doggedly defended their way through 30 minutes of extra time in the goalless draw before Bethany England, Rachel Daly, Alex Greenwood and Chloe Kelly wrapped up the 4-2 win on penalties.
Bronze said: “Obviously she’s going to be disappointed in herself. I went…
UAE-based side Al Shabab have claimed that a deal to bring Michael Owen to the Middle East is close to being completed.
Owen is available on a free transfer having been released by Manchester United this summer, and has previously hinted he would listen to offers from club sides around the world, having spent time abroad earlier in his career with current Spanish champions Real Madrid.
Al Shabab has now claimed that a meeting with the 32-year-old s representatives is due to take place, and that negotiations to bring the England international to the club could be concluded soon .
They announced via Twitter: Michael Owen has been identified as a candidate to play for Shabab next season and we are in negotiations with his management team.
The player s age…
West Brom boss Alan Pardew has suggested a hamstring injury suffered by Jonny Evans in Saturday s FA Cup win over Liverpool could scupper a January move for the Northern Ireland defender.
Pardew revealed on Friday that the club have received approaches for the 30-year-old but that none had met the Baggies valuation of the player, who has 18 months left on his contract.
Evans has been long linked with a move away from The Hawthorns, with Manchester City and, more recently, Arsenal the names in the frame.
The former Manchester United man was instrumental in his side s impressive 3-2 win at Anfield but was clearly struggling towards the end, and Pardew has suggested it could affect a possible transfer in the final few days of the window.
Jonny is being ap…
Melbourne City have completed the signing of Socceroo full-back Ivan Franjic.
City announced on the deal on Thursday, with Melbourne-born Franjic penning a three-year contract.
The 27-year-old capped 19 times by the Socceroos was a free agent after quitting Russian Premier League club Torpedo Moscow over unpaid wages in April.
Coming back home to Melbourne is very important. I will be playing first-team football which has been difficult over the last 12 months but now I can t wait, Franjic said.
Melbourne City are an ambitious club and they want success. These are the clubs I want to be at, that want to go out and win titles and that was a major reason for me coming here.
Franjic returns to the A-League, where he won three championships with Br…
Socceroo defender Rhys Williams could miss the rest of the year with scans confirming he damaged ankle ligaments playing for Middlesbrough.
The 24-year-old defender collapsed in the second half of Middlesbrough s 2-0 victory over Gillingham in England s League Cup on Wednesday and was substituted.
While it remains unclear whether surgery will be required, Middlesbrough believe Williams will miss up to two months of football.
He s had scans this morning and he s damaged his ankle ligaments, which was what we suspected, Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray told the club s official website.
He will now see a specialist to decide if he needs an operation or not but it s still going to be a considerable time out.
Williams, who was named captain of Mi…
Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech is going through his longest run without a clean sheet in his Premier League career.
The 34-year-old conceded strikes from Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling as the Gunners surrendered an early lead to lose 2-1 to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Cech has now conceded in each of his last eight appearances in the top flight his worst run since he joined Chelsea from Rennes in 2004.
It was also the first occasion since 2012 that City, who have now leapfrogged Arsenal in the table, came back from a half-time deficit to win a Premier League match.
8 Petr Cech has gone eight consecutive Premier League games without a clean sheet for the first time in his career. Breached.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)
2012 Ma…
World champions Germany will begin the road to their title defence in a favourable qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup in Russia which features the likes of Czech Republic and Norway.
Joachim Low s side lifted the famous trophy in Brazil last year and will be expected to be among the 32 nations to feature in Russia following a kind draw in Saint Petersburg on Saturday.
Former Germany striker Olivier Bierhoff conducted the UEFA draw alongside Aleksandr Kerzhakov, with Low s world champions also lining up against Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan and San Marino in Group C.
Old foes England and Scotland will compete to progress from Group F, with Slovakia also likely to be firmly in the reckoning Slovenia, Lithuania and Malta their other opponents.
…
Since roughly the midway point of an improbable march to the Premier League title last season, people have been talking loudly about not underestimating Leicester City, only for their actions to often whisper gently beneath the bellow of their words.
Now it is the turn of Diego Simeone to pick up the script, although Atletico Madrid s head coach is not one for platitudes and brings an authenticity few can match.
There are few reference points in modern football for Leicester s Premier League heist, but Atletico s besting of the mighty Real Madrid and Barcelona to win LaLiga in 2013-14 is the clearest one they even had the temerity to seal glory on the final day at Camp Nou.
Two well-drilled and tireless banks of four, livewire attackers and a collective toiling s…
Jesse Lingard s maiden international goal ruined Ronald Koeman s debut in charge of Netherlands as England recorded a 1-0 victory in Amsterdam.
Lingard s first-time strike from the edge of the box in the 59th minute secured England a morale-boosting result as they stepped up their World Cup preparations.
After back-to-back 0-0 draws with heavyweights Brazil and Germany last November, Gareth Southgate s side turned in a promising performance despite the absence of star striker Harry Kane through injury.
A fourth successive clean sheet, secured with Kyle Walker playing in a back three, showed England have solid foundations to build on, while they looked bright and bubbly in possession.
In contrast, Koeman will now fully appreciate the size of the ta…