David Moyes cemented himself in the West Ham United history books earlier this year as he lifted the Europa Conference League trophy at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Scottish boss secured the club their first piece of silverware since 1980 and their first European trophy since 1965, which means that he won the first competition of many current supporters' lifetimes with the win over Fiorentina.

He has enjoyed two spells in charge of the Hammers and has been in his current term in the hot seat since December 2019. The former Everton chief has led the team to two top-seven finishes in the Premier League to go along with his success in Europe.

During this time, the ex-Manchester United manager has overseen a number of excellent signings in the transfer market who have been superb additions for the club.

Moyes has been able to unearth some gems, such as Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen, and one player he struck gold with was right-back Vladimir Coufal.

How much was Coufal worth at Slavia Prague?

At the time of his move to the London Stadium in October 2020, Transfermarkt valued the talented full-back at €2m (£1.7m) after he had spent two years with his Slavia Prague.

Coufal racked up 88 appearances in all competitions in little more than two seasons with his former club and caught the eye with his ability to bomb forward and make things happen at the top end of the pitch.

The Czech Republic international produced seven goals and nine assists from right-back in total as he showcased his quality on the ball.

He also accumulated some valuable experience in the Champions League during the 2019/20 campaign with Slavia. The imposing defender averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.74 across six matches in a group that consisted of Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, and Inter, which means that he was able to compete against some of the biggest teams in Europe.

Coufal held his own in those matches with a duel success rate of 54% to go along with 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game for his side, as per Sofascore. The quality of the opposition did not stop him from being able to dominate from a physical perspective and he was able to win possession back for his team on a regular basis.

This means that the Czech defender was able to display his quality on and off the ball during his time with Slavia as he showcased his attacking prowess domestically and his defensive strength in Europe against tougher opponents.

His two years there also came after the attack-minded full-back chipped in with six goals and ten assists in 156 matches for Slovan Liberec in his home country.

Coufal's performances for Slavia, however, were enough to convince Moyes to swoop for his services ahead of the 2020/21 campaign and the Scottish boss' decision has turned out to be an inspired one.

How many appearances has Coufal made for West Ham?

The 31-year-old ace has amassed 113 appearances for the Hammers in all competitions to date since his move to the London Stadium in 2020.

He immediately nailed down a place in the starting XI and enjoyed a terrific first season in England with his consistently impressive displays at right-back for Moyes.

Coufal averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.01 across 34 Premier League starts throughout the 2020/21 term, which was the fifth-highest score at the club – behind Declan Rice, Aaron Cresswell, Tomas Soucek, and Jesse Lingard.

The Czech Republic international caught the eye with his superb defensive work as he made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game to go along with a duel success rate of 57%, as per Sofascore. No West Ham player made more tackles (2.1) per match than the former Slavia star and only four players made more interceptions per clash.

He also provided an excellent attacking outlet down the right flank with 1.3 key passes per game and seven assists in total, which placed him second within the squad in both statistics – behind Cresswell.

The experienced defender, who created nine 'big chances' for his teammates that season, then started 25 Premier League matches during the 2021/22 campaign and followed that up with 24 starts in the division the following term.

Coufal also played a big role in the club's Europa Conference League success last season as he started nine matches, including the final, and delivered quality at both ends of the pitch.

He made 1.7 key passes and 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game for his side to go along with an average Sofascore rating of 6.94, which was higher than both Soucek and Lucas Paqueta's respective scores.

How much is Coufal worth now?

At the time of writing (22/09/2023), Transfermarkt have his value at €9m (£7.8m) and this is a significant rise of 350% from the initial €2m that he was valued at in 2020 at the time of his move from Slavia.

This shows that Moyes struck gold with the signing of the Czech star, who the Scottish boss hailed as "ambitious", as he has gone on to be a reliable performer for the Hammers over the course of a number of years.

Coufal has proven himself to be a dependable Premier League option at right-back, who can hold his own defensively whilst also providing a threat going forward, and that has been reflected in his soaring market value over the last three years.

He also remains an integral part of the team at the age of 31 as the impressive full-back has started all five of the club's top-flight games this season and registered one assist.

Along with that, the £52k-per-week gem has made 4.2 tackles and interceptions per game to win the ball back for his side on a consistent basis. He ranks joint-second and joint-fifth within the squad for tackles and interceptions respectively, which shows that he is one of the best at the club when it comes to disrupting the opposition's attacks.

Hopefully, Coufal will be able to maintain his form and enjoy yet another strong season at right-back for West Ham and increase his market value by even more, to hammer home the point that Moyes hit the jackpot by signing him from Slavia.

Leeds United have invested plenty of funds in their playing squad over the last year, spanning three transfer windows of vast overhaul.

With two of those entrusted to Jesse Marsch, the American manager made some outstanding blunders when scouring the market, questionably advised by the since-departed Victor Orta.

Players such as Brenden Aaronson, Georgino Rutter and Max Wober were all brought in for huge fees, with only one still actually at the club. It is a testament to their scattergun approach that they find themselves in their current predicament, once again languishing in the Championship and seeking promotion.

With Daniel Farke the man entrusted to hopefully deliver on that goal, having reinvested some of the funds gained from their numerous sales this summer, he will hope to get their form back on track after a patchy start.

All stats via Transfermarkt

However, the squad he inherited has not been completely gutted, with some remnants from previous regimes actually set to aid in his pursuit not just of a Premier League return but also long-term success.

The likes of Wilfried Gnonto and the aforementioned Frenchman are expected to be key components of an attack that could terrorise this level.

And yet, aside from those stars, there are a few lesser-known assets that could soon be set to flourish, with the backline a particular area of strength.

How good is Joe Rodon?

However, it will take some doing to usurp their current centre-back pairing, with Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk unlikely to be broken up aside from injury.

The Welsh international has joined on a loan spell from Tottenham Hotspur, bringing a wealth of experience given he shone last season on loan with Rennes. He featured 16 times in Ligue 1, maintaining an admirable 6.88 average match rating buoyed by his 90% pass accuracy and 3.4 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

So, to see him drop into the second tier of English football marked a huge coup, with the former Norwich City manager having lauded him recently: "I think he was quite impressive and we had time to speak and work with him, also individually on our tactical approach

"We got the feeling he was prepared and we don’t have to speak about his quality, he knows this league inside out, he was rock solid when he played in this league and that was the reason Tottenham spent so much money on him.

"He has unbelievable pace and it is good when we have to defend that high in the field, it helps. He brings also aerial threat into our game, we have many smaller, not the tallest players, (it’s) also important for us in terms of set-pieces he is strong in duals and build up passes in his technique.”

Already he has enjoyed a fine start to life in Yorkshire too, with his 7.13 average rating making him the seventh-best performer within Farke’s squad.

The emergence of the 25-year-old titan came at the perfect time too to coincide with the injury sustained by Liam Cooper, who seems set to endure another campaign blighted by ailments.

A long-term successor is needed for the experienced Scotsman, who boasts 266 appearances for Leeds. With Rodon merely a temporary measure, he is unlikely to be that man.

So, perhaps delving into the younger options at Thorp Arch could be a wise move for Farke, to begin nurturing one young defender in particular and getting him to the level needed to step up next year.

Who is Diogo Monteiro?

If anyone is seemingly ready to make that step up, it is surely Diogo Monteiro, who only traded senior football for the Whites’ youth setup in January.

As part of that tiny aforementioned group of Marsch success stories, the £1m expended to bring in the 18-year-old marked an essentially risk-free investment, with his potential exceedingly high.

Football Scout Ron Dor even suggested the teenage star was a “beast in the making”, highlighting his physical prowess for such a young age by branding him a “monster”.

With seven senior appearances for FC Servette, who are a mainstay in the Swiss top flight, his pedigree is showcased. This is further emphasised by the fact that he is already captain of his youth team at international level too.

Although it is a small dataset to analyse, his sole start in the Super League from last campaign marked just a glimmer of the stunning skillset he could bring to England. Helping keep a clean sheet against Young Boys, the youngster made two tackles, won six of the ten duels he competed in and made one interception, via Sofascore.

This fed into his 7.4 rating, which was arguably upheld more by his ball-playing assets than these defensive figures. Enjoying 88 touches of the ball, he maintained an 87% pass accuracy, hitting the target with seven long balls and even recording one key pass.

It was a true masterclass from a man who seems set to be the quintessential modern-day centre-back, and should he translate this kind of quality into Farke’s senior squad, his value could be set to skyrocket.

However, he faces a tough task to usurp Cooper though, whose standout season in a White shirt arguably came during the 2020/21 term.

Enjoying their first season back in the top flight for over 16 years, the former Hull City star managed a 7.10 average rating, with his 86% pass accuracy feeding into his 2.4 interceptions, 2.7 tackles and 2.7 clearances, via Sofascore.

The club captain was immense, but already Monteiro has shown flashes of both the quality and leadership that has seen Cooper so revered around Yorkshire.

It will not be an easy process to replace him when he does decide to call time on his tenure at Elland Road, which has admittedly taken a blow in recent years due to his injury troubles, but in their young Portuguese star, they at least have some promise that his replacement is not far around the corner.

The hope is that he can enjoy the next year alongside both him and Rodon, absorbing as much information and experience from them as possible in order to become even better once he gets that chance in the senior squad. The opportunity will surely soon arise if he remains patient.

كشفت تقارير صحفية عن تطور هام في إيقاف محمد الشيبي لاعب بيراميدز، من قبل اتحاد الكرة بعد لجوءه للقضاء المدني في أزمته مع حسين الشحات جناح الأهلي.

وكانت الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم قد قرر معاقبة الشيبي بالإيقاف لمدة 6 مباريات، بعد لجوءه للقضاء في أزمة حسين الشحات.

وكانت أزمة قد اندلعت بين حسين الشحات ومحمد الشيبي بعد مباراة الأهلي وبيراميدز بالدوري المصري في الموسم الماضي، بسبب اشتباكهما لفظيًا وصفع الشحات للشيبي.

وكانت محكمة جنح مدينة نصر قررت حبس حسين الشحات سنة مع إيقاف التنفيذ وتغريمه 100 ألف جنيه، وحرمانه من عضوية أي نادِ رياضي لمدة 5 سنوات، لضربه الشيبي لاعب بيراميدز.

طالع.. خاص | إيقاف تنفيذ عقوبة محمد الشيبي من اتحاد الكرة

وأفادت صحيفة البطولة المغربية، أن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”، أبلغ اتحاد الكرة المصري بأن قرار إيقاف محمد الشيبي غير قانوني.

وأوضحت، أن القرار صدر منذ قليل، على أن يتم إبلاغ الأطراف المعنية بالقضية مما ينتج عنه قرار من اتحاد الكرة برفع العقوبة على الشيبي خلال ساعات.

ويستعد بيراميدز لمواجهة سموحة مساء اليوم الخميس ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة والعشرين من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز.

An unbeaten 18-run stand for the tenth wicket took India past the finish line after the hosts were reduced to 190 for 9

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-2018
Smriti Mandhana flicks the ball in front of square•BCCIHow would you describe the 2017 Women’s World Cup final? A thriller? If so, the next ODI between India and England turned out to be nothing less – this time in the opener of the three-match series in Nagpur.It took a last-wicket stand of 18, between Ekta Bisht and Poonam Yadav, to help the World Cup runners-up beat World Champions England in a thrilling finish. Before their performance with the bat, the two India bowlers also took seven wickets to dismiss England for 207.A collapse, one reminiscent of their failed run-chase in the World Cup final at Lord’s, had reduced India from 166 for 3 to 190 for 9, but with 18 needed off the last three overs, Poonam joined Bisht at the crease and scored four runs – all in singles – in the 48th over.A front foot no-ball off the first delivery of the 49th over from stand-in captain Anya Shrubsole, the Player of the Match in the World Cup final, conceded five as Bisht found the backward-point boundary. Three nervy singles and another four, from Poonam, made it 12 runs off the over. Shrubsole hung her head, clutching her knee in dismay, and India needed two to win off six balls.Bisht then worked a single towards third man off Natalie Sciver, before a wide down the leg side sealed victory in 49.2 overs. The run-a-ball scores of 7 by Bisht and 12 by Poonam handed India their first win in the 50-over format this home season, following a 3-0 hiding against Australia in Baroda last month.India should not have struggled in the low chase after Smriti Mandhana made 86. With the equation reading 37 needed off 72 balls, Veda Krishnamurthy, Sushma Verma and Jhulan Goswami played out 46 balls for 13 runs, before left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone removed all three batsmen in consecutive overs. Her 4 for 37 followed offspinner Danielle Hazell’s 2 for 24 that had left the hosts wobbling at 41 for 2 inside the Powerplay. One of Hazell’s wickets was that of Mithali Raj, lbw for a duck in her 192nd ODI appearance.Georgia Elwiss is bowled by Ekta Bisht•BCCIMandhana subsequently steered the chase with two fifty partnerships en route to her sixth half-century in seven matches. With Harmanpreet Kaur (21 off 38) she added 51 for the fourth wicket and shepherded India close to the hundred-run mark, before sharing a 71-run stand with Deepti Sharma. Variable bounce and turn on the Nagpur pitch forced Mandhana to be cautious, but she managed to hit five fours and three sixes.England had also collapsed after opting to bat. They slid from 71 for no loss to 124 for 6 in the middle overs. Leading the undoing for the visitors was legspinner Poonam, who dismissed Danielle Wyatt (27) and Amy Jones in the 12th over. She followed up with a second caught-and-bowled dismissal in the 16th over – Tammy Beaumont for 37 – before Bisht ran through the middle order with three wickets.A semblance of resistance, however, came from Fran Wilson, whose 78-ball 45 hauled England to 181 for 8 on the back of three partnerships, including the 40-run eight-wicket stand with Hazell. After Wilson holed out in the 46th over, Hazell provided a final flourish. Her 52-ball 33 lifted England past 200, but Bisht bowled her in the final over to set India a target of 208.

In a nutshellQuetta Gladiators turned in a performance that would have been well-suited to their form in the first two seasons, crushing Karachi Kings by 67 runs. Riding the high from Wednesday’s pulsating finish, they played their best match of this year’s tournament by far, dominating Karachi from the first ball to last. They amassed 180, thanks to major contributions from their two biggest stars. Shane Watson scored an unbeaten 58-ball 90, while Kevin Pietersen belted 52 off 34 balls to subdue a Karachi bowling attack that had more weak links than an Anne Robinson game show. Afridi and Imad Wasim were off colour, while Imran Khan and David Wiese bore the brunt of the punishment Pietersen and Watson dished out. By the end of the innings, it seemed a small win for Karachi that Sarfraz Ahmed’s men didn’t get closer to 200.Karachi experimented by sending Afridi to open the batting with Joe Denly, in the process reminding everyone why he hasn’t been opening the batting for the last decade or so. He looked particularly wobbly, and was dismissed for 1 off 5 balls. The rest of the Karachi top order was no better, as Mohammad Nawaz bossed proceedings in the first Powerplay with an excellent spell. By 10 overs, Karachi were 55 for 5, and the game was already over, with both sides going through the motions for the last hour or so. Before long, Quetta had clinched a big win, boosting their net run rate and sending a message to the rest of the league.Where the match was wonOpening with Afridi, Karachi would have hoped to get off to an aggressive start in the Powerplay, and keep in touch with the asking rate. It’s safe to say that idea didn’t work, but it’s worth looking at the scale of the disaster in the early overs. Four of their top five batsmen fell for a combined six runs, with Denly, Afridi, Ingram and Bopara scoring 1, 1, 5 and 0 respectively. Nawaz, Rahat Ali and Hasan Khan were without blemish early on, all of them taking wickets and not conceding runs. That was in marked contrast to Quetta’s top order, which, thanks to Watson and Pietersen, had taken the game away from Wasim’s men before the second innings had even begun.The men that won itThursday was a good day to shut up everyone who wrote Quetta off this year due to their lack of star power. With a lineup including two of the biggest names of this generation, it was only a matter of time before someone found themselves on the wrong end of a Quetta hammering. In the twilight of their careers, Pietersen and Watson tore into Karachi with an enthralling partnership, walloping 86 runs in 58 balls. Crucially, that was in the middle overs, a time when most teams’ scoring rates go down. That meant Quetta’s innings never really decelerated, resulting in an imposing total. Watson even returned for a stellar bowling spell, conceding 18 runs in three overs and taking the wicket of Babar Azam.The (big) numbers gameWatson’s unbeaten 90 superseded Sohaib Maqsood’s 85 that until today had been the highest individual score in PSL 3. Moreover, Quetta’s 67-run win is the biggest in terms of runs in the history of the league. At one stage, Quetta looked like they were on course to beat Multan Sultans’ 183 and claim the highest team total this year too, before a late part-rally by Karachi’s bowlers deprived them of that record.Where they standQuetta surge to second in the table after Thursday’s big win, their eight points behind only Multan Sultan, who have nine. Karachi, with seven points, drop down to fourth.

West Indies A completed a 3-0 whitewash over England Lions in the unofficial Tests as Jomel Warrican capped an impressive personal series with a haul of 11 for 88

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2018

ScorecardWest Indies A completed a 3-0 whitewash over England Lions in the unofficial Tests as Jomel Warrican capped an impressive personal series with a haul of 11 for 88, giving him 31 wickets over three matches at an average of 8.96.The Lions’ struggles against spin continued as they were bowled out for 102 in their first innings, Warrican taking a six-for. That left them facing a deficit of 134 and, after West Indies A declared their second innings on 273 for 9, Warrican was again their tormentor as the Lions were wrapped up for 195 on the final morning.Four of the Lions’ top six made it to 20 but none got beyond 26, as Warrican collected his fourth five-wicket haul of the series. Haseeb Hameed top-scored in each innings, a 130-ball 48 spanning two-and-a-half hours the closest the tourists came to recording a half-century in the match.Afterward, the Lions coach, Andy Flower, suggested that while he was disappointed with such a heavy defeat, the steep learning curve would be beneficial to batsmen learning how to play spin. Only three Lions players managed to score fifties in the series and none averaged more than Hameed’s 27.83.”We want to see what the players are made of and how good they are under pressure,” Flower said. “This was strong opposition with 92 Test caps in their squad compared to 14 in ours. It’s exactly the type of challenge we want to put in front of our youngsters. In that sense the tour has allowed us to learn a great deal about the players but the results are obviously extremely disappointing.”We have come up against two spinners who have offered challenges in difficult conditions and the disappointing thing is that the batting line up haven’t learnt how to deal with those conditions across the course of the series.”They have shown glimpses of improvement and Haseeb Hameed showed the sort of form that we know he is capable of, but again, nobody went on and made that match-winning contribution. This series has given us the opportunity to really learn about these batsmen in alien conditions.”With Warrican and Rahkeem Cornwall topping the wicket-takers’ list, the Lions could take something from the performance of Somerset pair Jack Leach and debutant Dom Bess, who claimed 5 for 88 in the West Indies A second innings. Leach was far and away the pick of the Lions bowlers, with 18 wickets came at 21.05.”With the West Indies having two quality spinners it has given our guys an opportunity to learn from them as well, and that is another great thing about these Lions tours,” Flower said.”Jack has been excellent across the three Test matches, taking 18 wickets at 21. He should be really proud of his performances over the series. Bess came into the team for the final match after waiting patiently for his opportunity and showed the skill he possesses.”He has worked incredibly hard, has an excellent attitude and bowled beautifully for his five-wicket haul.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Contratado recentemente pelo Corinthians, Cazares ainda não fez sua estreia como titular. Até aqui foram cinco partidas saindo do banco de reservas e 136 minutos em campo. Vagner Mancini, que já conhece o meia-atacante desde 2019, quando trabalharam juntos no Atlético-MG, esclareceu os motivos pelos quais ainda é preciso ter cautela até que ele possa jogar durante os 90 minutos.

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Entre o último jogo do equatoriano pelo Galo, em 7 de março, e o primeiro dele com a camisa do Timão, no dia 30 de setembro, foram mais de sete meses sem entrar em campo, já que no clube mineiro, antes da mudança para São Paulo, ele treinava separadamente e não fazia parte dos planos de Jorge Sampaoli. Além disso, teve o período de inatividade por conta da paralisação pandemia de coronavírus, com o qual ele foi contaminado e precisou ficar em isolamento.

Apesar de ser um jogador de comprovada técnica, suas condições físicas ainda estão distantes das ideais e não há tempo hábil para que Cazares possa se preparar melhor, já que a maratona de jogos impede um trabalho específico. Dessa forma, Vagner Mancini pensa em acelerar alguns processos, para que ele se recupere jogando, pois considera que atualmente o meia-atacante está distante daquele atleta que se destacou no Atlético-MG desde 2016.

-Eu tive a oportunidade de ter o Cazares como atleta no Atlético-MG recentemente, e eu, a olho nu, falo que está muito distante daquele jogador fantástico que foi no Atlético-MG. Óbvio que nós não temos muito tempo para isso, há a necessidade sempre de acelerar alguns processos para que o atleta possa nos ajudar efetivamente dentro de campo, por isso a opção de deixá-lo no banco de reservas para que ele participasse de uma parte do jogo.

– Eu acredito que seria necessário um tempo até o Cazares entrar em forma realmente. Como não temos esse tempo, vamos ter que acelerar o processo dentro de campo. – explicou o comandante alvinegro.

Por já ter trabalhado com Cazares no Galo, Mancini conhece a forma como o equatoriano se encaixa melhor dentro de campo. Segundo o novo treinador do Corinthians, há a possibilidade de utilizar o meia em três posições no setor ofensivo, mas admite que é pelo centro que ele pode entregar mais ao time.

– Intenção é usá-lo por dentro que é onde rende mais. Mas eventualmente pelas pontas, também – concluiu.

Como o próprio Vagner Mancini adiantou, Cazares deverá continuar sendo opção no banco de reservas no Corinthians, inclusive diante do Flamengo, no próximo domingo, às 16h, na Neo Química Arena, pela 17ª rodada do Brasileirão-2020. Com 18 pontos e fora da zona de rebaixamento, o Timão ocupa a 14ª posição na tabela após a vitória heroica sobre o Athletico-PR.

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Nottingham Forest have overcome a lot of heartache over the previous two decades since dropping out of the top flight, including relegation to League One in 2005 and the financial hardships that followed, but supporters are now enjoying the most fruitful period in recent history.

Since their promotion back to the Premier League, a footballing giant has been awoken on Trentside with their resurgence back to England's top table being spearheaded by Steve Cooper's managerial expertise and following an exceptional transfer window, are in a good position to consolidate once more.

While the City Ground is a cauldron of hope and excitement these days, their path back to the big time has been far from simple and in their attempts to assemble a squad good enough to challenge for promotion, Forest have missed out on several quality stars.

Every team has stories to tell when discussing the ones who got away and became world-beaters elsewhere; Forest are no different. From coming very close to signing Gareth Bale in 2009 to failing in their pursuit to land Ivan Toney in 2020, those two examples are the most pressing of those woes laid bare.

Another is that of John McGinn, who was once heavily linked with a move to the City Ground, in what would have been a huge blessing for the tricky trees.

Did Nottingham Forest nearly sign John McGinn?

In the summer of 2017, Nottingham Forest were scouting for an all-action and tireless midfielder with John McGinn popping up on their radar from Scottish Premiership side Hibernian.

At the time, the 22-year-old was one of the hottest prospects in the division and the Hibs demonstrated that by holding firm in their valuation of the midfielder, knocking back two bids that were made by Forest for £750,000 and £1.5m, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Speaking after the two bids were submitted, manager Neil Lennon said: "It is laughable and we’ve kicked it into touch.

‘They’ll need to come back with far more money than they’re offering at the minute. If they do then, fine, that’s a decision the club has to make. If other clubs come in for John, we’ve got a valuation of the player."

Lennon also went on to say that he valued McGinn at £5m, a valuation which wasn't met the following summer as Aston Villa swooped in with a £2.7m bid and managed to prise him away from Easter Road as Forest were made to regret not signing the Scotland international in the years that followed.

How good is John McGinn?

An integral piece to the promotion puzzle assembled by Dean Smith as Aston Villa returned to the Premier League in 2019, McGinn has since established himself as one of the most industrious, all-action and consistent midfielders in the top flight.

Described on many occasions as "Duracell bunny" for his energetic and dynamic displays, the 28-year-old provides Villa with a constant wave of energy across all areas of the pitch, boasting the ability to cover every blade of grass and using his exceptional ball-carrying to drive his side up the field.

This is reflected in the metrics he's produced when compared against his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues in the past year, ranking in the 6% for successful take-ons, top 8% for fouls drawn and top 12% for through balls, as per FBref.

McGinn breaks the lines well with his piercing runs and can operate in a multitude of positions; in the double pivot in a midfield two, in behind the striker or on the right of a front three, and showcasing this versatility has seen him receive huge praise from Emery.

The Spaniard commented: “His qualities in different positions is always good for the team. He’s very competitive in every position and now playing as a No.8, he’s playing very well. I changed his position and he has done well.”

It's not a coincidence that the £120k per-week live wire has been a favourite of every manager he's worked under, including Steven Gerrard, who gave him the role of captaincy during his time at Villa Park and showered him with praise, saying:

"He is universally respected, he has been around the club for a long time, the fans adore him and everyone around Bodymoor, everyone around Villa Park, have got major respect for John, his peers have, he plays with consistency, he is my type of player and that is a few reasons why I decided to go with him.”

Lauded as "outstanding" by Dean Smith after signing, McGinn has been a revelation since joining Villa for £2.7m five years ago and continues to his value skyrocket.

Now valued at a whopping £32m (€36.7M), according to Football Transfers, Forest are made to rue not landing McGinn when they had a chance.

Southampton’s 11-year stay in the Premier League ended last season, with the South-coast outfit finishing rock-bottom of the league.

Saints fans must ruminate how a team playing in front of a packed-out St.Marys Stadium in the UEFA Europa League seven years ago will have to completely rebuild a squad that looked like it only had an upward trajectory.

A side containing the likes of Dušan Tadić, Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane is the same club that is now recruiting Championship standard players while clearing out their squad as they try to recoup as much money as possible.

The Hampshire-based side was a defensive circus show conceding a mammoth 73 goals (the second most in the league) as their opposition couldn’t stop finding the back of Gavin Bazunu’s net.

The Saints could have been more defensively solid if they were to keep former Southampton academy player Tyrone Mings on their books.

The now Aston Villa centre-back has been smashing it in the Premier League earning him a few caps for England in the process.

Why did Southampton release Mings?

The academy coaches at Staplewood often get most players’ verdicts bang on.

After all they are a football club that has risen from League 1 to the promised lands of the Premier League which was been heavily helped by the academy players involved in the first team.

To think in League 1, Southampton had the likes of Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain contracted to them.

However, with Mings, it was a different story.

The now 6 foot 5 “titan” – as described by Sky Sports journalist Dan Bardell – was ironically released due to his small stature.

In 2009, the then 5 foot 8 Mings was told by coaches at Staplewood that he would no longer be an academy player, with his height being the main issue as they believed it could impact his future development.

There was a chance for the now England international to stay with the Hampshire outfit, but Southampton were facing budget cuts to their academy system and the young defender was deemed surplus to requirements.

How did Mings’ career play out?

Life for the ball-playing centre-back was particularly rosy following his release from Southampton. Mings found himself living in a homeless shelter at a young age and had to work pulling pints in his local pub.

Speaking on his time living in a shelter, Mings said:

"I often get asked about spending time in a homeless shelter growing up. I was about 7 or 8 but what we didn’t have in money at the time we certainly made up for with love and support as a family.

"It probably taught me the gratitude of having a close support group of friends and family that you can lean on when things aren’t going well because you can make the best of a bad situation".

Perseverance kept Mings’ goal of becoming a professional footballer alive and like many players who are released from academies they often find their feet in non-league.

The now Aston Villa defender started his career at non-league side Yate Town before moving on to Chippenham Town where he excelled with Football league clubs watching his exciting progress.

The “class act”, as also expressed by Bardell, caught the big break he was looking for in 2012 when signed for Championship side Ipswich Town.

Portman Road would be where the 6 foot 5 defender would call home for the next three seasons as he racked up 63 appearances for Tractor Boys scoring one and assisting on eight occasions.

The rapidly developing Ipswich defender was making massive strides in his game in Norfolk and in 2015 was picked up by Premier League new boys Bournemouth in a deal worth £8m.

Not a bad piece of business considering he was signed for only £10k.

Who else was interested in Mings?

The Bath-born defender was also close to joining south London outfit Crystal Palace and Premier League giants Arsenal.

The Eagles were looking for defensive reinforcements at left-back and Mings was identified as a target, however, Ipswich rejected the incoming £3.5m bid for the Englishman.

Arsene Wenger was reportedly a keen admirer of the then 21-year-old and when asked if he would sign the promising Ipswich player he said:

"He is one of the young players we follow."

Mings was added to the very long list of players whom Wenger could have signed and went on to achieve great things.

The then Bournemouth man would pack his bags for potentially the final time in his career as he switched the beaches of the south coast to the urban city that is Birmingham as he signed for Aston Villa in a deal worth £25m in 2019.

How has Mings played at Villa?

Known as a “fantastic footballer” and “dominant" by former Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard, Mings has had a solid few years in the Midlands.

Last season, the £100k-per-week man played as the great ball-playing centre-back we all know him as.

Mings ranked first for both accurate passes (46.0) and long balls per (3.0) 90 in the entire Villa squad. His average long palls per 90 was on par with Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and the England defender was just behind Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (3.1).

The 18-capped England international also demonstrated his phenomenal defensive capabilities as he ranked first for clearances (4.5) and blocks per 90 (0.6), according to FotMob.

It’s safe to say Mings has adjusted to life at Villa Park very well.

Is Mings Southampton’s biggest howler?

The Saints have a proven track record for nurturing some of the finest British footballers and their academy has previously been on par with some of the big six teams.

James Ward-Prowse, Luke Shaw and Gareth Bale are the most notable names to have been produced at Staplewood.

However, like most top academies there will be a few blunders, such as the now £22m valued Mings

.

Name Current club Sold for Highest market value Tyrone Mings Aston Villa Released £26m Ben White Arsenal Released £45m Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Beşiktaş £15m £34m

White is another absolute shocker for Southampton – like Mings, the now Arsenal man was released for nothing and has gone on to represent the Three Lions at international level.

To make matters worse, fellow south coast club Brighton & Hove Albion were able to sell the former Saints academy prospect for a very healthy £50m.

The Championship side only managed to get one season out of Oxlade-Chamberlain who could have solidified a first-team spot in Southampton’s midfield in the Premier League.

They did manage to get £15m for the then 17-year-old, however, the UEFA Champions League winner could have left St. Marys with a bigger legacy left behind like Ward-Prowse.

The academy coaches and recruitment team at Staplewood can move past the decision to let Mings and White go for free after all they are continuing to produce more promising players such as Tyler Dibling.

What Southampton need to do is try to avoid the past repeating itself.

They have let a few of their wonderkids go with the very highly-rated England youth international Jimmy-Jay Morgan leaving the south coast for a place in Chelsea’s academy.

The New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman has played 86 ODIs and 68 T20Is, and was the match-winner for Western Storm in the final of last year’s Kia Super League

ESPNcricinfo staff03-May-2018

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Rachel Priest has joined Wales women as their first-ever overseas signing, ahead of their 2018 English domestic campaign. She will look to spur Wales’ bid for promotion to Division One of both the Women’s County One-Day Championship and the Women’s County T20.Priest, who last played for New Zealand at the 2017 World Cup last June, has played 86 ODIs, scoring 2119 at an average of 28.35 with two hundreds, and 68 T20Is, in which she has made 714 runs at a strike rate of 106.02. She was part of the Western Storm team that won the second Kia Super League in 2017, and scored a match-winning 72 off 36 balls in the final against Southern Vipers.”It’s amazing to have a player of Rachel’s calibre in the team,” Wales head coach Aimee Rees said. “We are still a very young squad, so it will be brilliant for our Welsh girls to gain such invaluable experience from playing and training alongside an international cricketer. It will also hopefully help inspire the next generation of welsh female cricketers.”