It’s a new week, and Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank will be gearing up for a return to Premier League action at the weekend, when his side travel to Arsenal.

Tottenham have been a mixed bag this season, certainly more secure and steely than last year under Ange Postecoglou’s leadership, but lacking the snap and verve that the fanbase associates with the core of the club. To dare is to do, after all.

Someone embodying that mantra right now is Troy Parrott, whose stunning hat-trick at the weekend saw Ireland defeat Hungary and seal a World Cup play-off spot, having only days before bagged a brace to sink Portugal.

The AZ Alkmaar centre-forward, 23, is shaping into quite the goalscorer, becoming the player Spurs knew he could be after he graduated from the academy.

Parrott's record at Spurs

In July 2024, Tottenham sold Parrott to AZ Alkmaar for around £7m. The Republic of Ireland international had made his Premier League debut aged 17, but only ended up featuring three further times across all competitions before leaving for good, having completed no less than five stints out on loan.

Troy Parrott – Goal Record by Club

Club

Apps

Goals

AZ Alkmaar

61

33

MK Dons

47

10

Preston

34

4

Excelsior

32

17

Ipswich

18

2

Millwall

14

0

Tottenham

4

0

Data via Transfermarkt

In fact, each of the goalscorer’s four senior outings for the Lilywhites came during the 2019/20 campaign, and while Spurs knew when they sold him last year that he had untapped potential, it was clear he was going to struggle for minutes given the club’s attacking pecking order.

There was plenty of chatter regarding Parrott and his potential, even at that nascent stage. Of course, comparisons against Harry Kane were drawn, and talent scout Jacek Kulig has since praised him for his “incredible” performances over in the Netherlands, making good on that potential that was stunted by injuries.

There was always the promise of success. While he didn’t enjoy a prolific spell with Preston North End in the Championship, the player’s tenacity could not be questioned. His former manager Ryan Lowe said: “His work rate is phenomenal. For the size of him, he is a bit of a unit inside. He’s not massive, but very strong, uses his body very well & he got down the sides plenty of times.”

If this tells us anything, it’s that development in football is not linear, and it can take talented prospects a time to find their footing after showing initial promise at the foot of their professional career.

Tottenham must learn from their past mistake – if selling Parrott for a small fee could be called an error – and devote plenty of time to their new version of the Irish hero, who arrives in London at the start of 2026.

Spurs have a bigger talent than Parrott

Parrott is growing into his skin, so sharp and dynamic in the final third. There is an expectation that he should kick on and enjoy further success over the coming years, and Spurs may have to watch ruefully on as he makes headway.

However, that poignancy will be tempered and then some by the emergence of Mason Melia, who has completed a transfer rising to £3m last season, slated to join in January after the completion of the Irish league campaign.

Having idolised Kane and made his professional debut as a 15-year-old, the rangy striker is establishing himself as quite the hot prospect, with his former youth coach Hughie Nolan remarking that “nothing has fazed him” as he has raised his level again and again over his formative years.

The Athletic’s Connor O’Neill said after the announcement that he’s “easily the best young talent I have seen in the League of Ireland”. Parrott left his homeland and signed for Spurs before he could make his senior bow, but Melia arguably has more hype around him, and still only 18, there is so much scope for growth.

Having already featured 98 times for St. Patrick’s Athletic, notching 25 goals and eight assists, Melia will provide an interesting dimension to a Tottenham side crying out for attacking inspiration. Richarlison and Dominic Solanke have not provided the answer, for differing but equally concerning reasons.

Mathys Tel is a young and talented striker, beginning to show signs of the talent that Tottenham saw when bringing him over from Bayern Munich, but the jury is very much out and there are questions relating to whether the 20-year-old has what it takes to lead the line in the Premier League.

Moreover, he has recently emerged as a transfer target for Roma in Serie A, the Italians viewing him as an alternative option to Manchester United as the winter transfer window draws near.

With Parrott doing so well at the moment, it’s inevitable that wistful gazes will be cast toward the Irishman as he establishes himself as one of Europe’s most underrated strikers.

But while there’s a romanticism about a potential deal in 2026, bringing him back home, there’s little need when Tottenham have already signed a more talented Irish striker in Melia, who is now just over a month away from heading down N17.

Frank’s ability to nurture young prospects is well known in England, and Tottenham’s wider embracing of their youth suggests that Melia has made the right choice in moving to the capital and choosing white. He might be a “hidden gem” at the moment, as said by analyst Ben Mattinson, but Melia will soon establish himself as a major player in the Premier League, notably described as “the Irish Alexander Isak” for his effortless strike of the ball.

Will he need a bit of time? It’s more than likely. But the teenager is an aggressive and mobile striker, willing to make runs and connect play while simultaneously keeping one eye on goal at all times.

His wealth of experience, despite his young age, suggests that Tottenham may well hit the jackpot with his addition to the ranks. Parrott might be the talk of the town in Ireland right now, but in Melia, the Londoners have signed a young forward with the capacity to outstrip his older countryman and seal his place among Spurs’ finest forwards of the modern age, something Parrott was unable to do before leaving for a small fee.

Related Keown called Spurs star "embarrassing" in 2024, now they must "double" his wages

This Tottenham Hotspur star has turned his fortunes around after being called “embarrassing” last year.

Posts ByDan Emery Nov 17, 2025

Barcelona's famed La Masia academy has long been the envy of every other top club in Europe, and for good reason. It has forged dozens of legends over the last 46 years, from Pep Guardiola and Albert Ferrer, to Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and a certain Lionel Messi. Every generation produces multiple superstars, with Lamine Yamal leading the current crop after bursting onto the scene as a 15-year-old.

Pedro Fernandez Sarmiento could be about to follow the same path. Or 'Dro', as he has been known by friends and family for his entire life. “People think there’s some special meaning behind it, but it’s actually simple,” he said earlier this season. “When I was a baby, my older brother couldn’t pronounce ‘Pedro,’ so he called me ‘Dro’. The name just stuck.”

As a footballer, though, Dro certainly special. At the tender age of 17, he is already earning minutes in the Barcelona first team, and has been capped three times by Spain's Under-18s. ”He’s a great player and still has room for improvement,” Hansi Flick said after drafting Dro into his squad over the summer. ”Congratulations to La Masia for the work they’re doing.”

The Barcelona manager has developed a sterling reputation for his handling of the club's prized youngsters since taking over in 2024, with the likes of Fermin Lopez, Alejandro Balde and Marc Casado also making major strides forward alongside Yamal and Pau Cubarsi. If Dro listens to Flick and continues to maximise his time on the pitch, it won't be long before he is also considered a household name.

• Where it all began

  On January 12, 2008, Dro was born in the coastal town of Nigran to a Spanish father and Filipino mother. At the age of four, he started playing for Val Minor, a renowned local club that was also once home to the Alcantara brothers, Thiago and Rafinha, and former Valencia and Leeds United striker Rodrigo Moreno.

  Dro's first steps into football were not easy, but his talent shone through almost instantly, as his first coach, Javier Lago, recently recalled to : “When he arrived at the camp, he was very small and did not even want to train. That day ended in tears, he left with his mother, but returned later. It was all thanks to the persistence of his mother, Ella. And as soon as he entered the field again, two touches of the ball were enough to understand that there was something special in him.”

  It is customary for promising footballers based in the Galicia province of Spain to hone their skills on the futsal pitch, and Dro progressed quickly under the watchful eye of Lago and Jose Antonio Covelo, a Barca scout who played for the club in the 1980s. Thanks to Covelo's presence on the Val Minor coaching staff, Barca were able to track Dro's progress up until he turned 14, at which point they won the race for his signature ahead of Real Madrid and Real Betis.

  From day one, Dro stood out from his La Masia peers. “I put him on the field against players two years older, but he surprised everyone,” Barca youth coach Anton Davila said of Dro's introduction to training. “He always had a strong defender on his back, but he passed him as he wanted: with his heel, with a turn to the side, with his right foot or his left. He was an inexhaustible source of frustration for opponents.”

  Dro only needed two years to break into Barca's Juvenil squad, and he would go on to help the U19s make history in the 2024-25 season.

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• The big break

  Under the stewardship of Juliano Belletti, who famously scored Barcelona's winning goal against Arsenal in the 2006 Champions League final, the Juvenil A team won the league, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Youth League to complete a remarkable treble. Dro played a small but significant role in their success, most notably scoring twice in the Youth League group stages, and came on for the last 11 minutes of their 4-1 final victory over Trabzonspor.

  He was also handed his first Spain U17 call-up in March, and started in European Championship qualifying games against Germany and Austria. By the summer, Flick was ready to get a closer look at Dro, despite the fact he was still waiting on his debut for Barca's Athletic reserve team, and asked him to report for pre-season training before the squad headed off on a tour of Japan and South Korea.

  Preparations began on July 13, and over the next 12 days, Dro did enough to earn a spot on the plane. According to , Flick was "hugely impressed" by the teenager, who then made his senior bow for the Blaugrana as a 78th-minute substitute against Vissel Kobe in the first game of the tour.

  Dro marked the occasion in style, wrapping up a 3-1 victory with a superb first-time volley from just outside the box. Understandably, he was overcome by emotion after the final whistle as he revealed what Flick had asked of him before he was sent on for Marcus Rashford.

  “I didn’t even know how to celebrate, to be honest. It was unbelievable,” he said. “I came in a bit nervous, the first time with the best club in the world, but then the ball came to my feet on the edge of the box and I gave it a go. Hansi and my team-mates calmed me down before the game and I felt so comfortable. Flick told me to do what I know to do with the ball, and then off the ball to push and press as hard as I can.”

  Flick rested Dro for the subsequent win over FC Seoul, but started him in Barca's final outing against Daegu. Dro didn't score in the 5-0 win, but was one of the standout performers in the first half as he showed plenty of courage on the ball and linked up well with Yamal.

• AFP
  

  How it's going

  As a reward for his performances in Asia, Dro was named on the bench in each of Barca's first three La Liga games at the start of the 2025-26 season, but a thigh injury delayed his highly-anticipated competitive debut. It finally came, though, when Barca welcomed Real Sociedad to the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on September 28, as Dro lined up on the right side of a three-man midfield alongside Frenkie de Jong and Pedri.

  There were moments when Dro appeared to struggle physically, which is probably why Flick took him off for Dani Olmo at the interval, but the youngster still posted a 92 percent pass completion rate, and his technical quality shone through in the 2-1 victory.

  "He's a very talented player. He's a Barca player," Flick said after the match. "It's great to have these kinds of players to be able to manage minutes. I really like that everyone tries to give their best. This is what we need because we have a lot of games."

  The following month, Dro started again, this time in a home game against Olympiacos in the Champions League. Barca ran out 6-1 winners, with Fermin bagging a hat-trick in a dominant display from Flick's side. Dro played 59 minutes and provided the incisive pass for Fermin's second goal, which made him the second-youngest player to ever record an assist in the competition, after former Borussia Dortmund star Giovanni Reyna.

  "It’s a special day for me, one that I’ll never forget," Dro said when facing up to the media. "I’ve always dreamed of playing in matches like this. I [also] have a strong desire to play in El Clasico." He ended up being an unused substitute as Barca fell to a 2-1 defeat againstReal Madrid four days later, but by the time the two arch-rivals meet again in La Liga in May, it's entirely possible that Dro will be a nailed-on starter.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Biggest strengths

  Dro primarily operates as a No.8, but is versatile enough to play in an attacking midfield role or on the left wing when required. He excels at breaking through the lines, possessing the close control and dazzling footwork to evade defenders effortlessly at speed.

  Barca can look to Dro to manufacture space and exploit it. His passing range and positional awareness are remarkable for such a young player, while he also exudes natural composure in everything he does. 

  "I think of myself as a technical player," Dro said during Barca's pre-season tour. "I like to dribble past players and have fun on the pitch." You can sense that enjoyment whenever Dro picks the ball up; he's an elegant footballer who doesn't seem to feel pressure.

  We haven't seen it at first-team level yet, but Dro is also something of a set-piece specialist. He scored several free-kicks from distance for Barca's U19s, and can potentially be another strong option for Flick in dead-ball situations as the season progresses.

Stats highlights from MI’s first win of IPL 2025, against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium

Sampath Bandarupalli31-Mar-202510-2 – Mumbai Indians’ (MI) win-loss record against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium in the IPL. They are the first team to win ten IPL matches against an opponent at a single venue.The eight-wicket win on Monday was their 24th overall against KKR in the IPL, three more than any other team against a single opponent.5256 – Balls taken by Suryakumar Yadav to complete 8000 T20 runs – the second quickest to the milestone behind Andre Russell, who took 4749 balls to score 8000 runs. Suryakumar passed the milestone during his unbeaten 27 off 9 balls against KKR.4 for 24 – Ashwani Kumar became the first Indian bowler to take a four-wicket haul on IPL debut. Amit Singh’s 3 for 9 against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in IPL 2009 was the previous best by an Indian on IPL debut.6 – Bowlers with four or more wickets on IPL debut, including Ashwani. He has the fourth-best figures (4 for 24) for an IPL debutant, behind Alzarri Joseph (6 for 12 vs SRH) in 2019, Andrew Tye (5 for 17 vs RPGS) in 2017 and Shoaib Akhtar (4 for 11 vs DD) in 2008.14 – Number of players to take a wicket with their first ball in the IPL, before Ashwani got Ajinkya Rahane on Monday. Matheesha Pathirana, in 2022, was the previous, while Hanuma Vihari, in 2013, was the last Indian to strike with his first ball in the IPL.30 – Wickets taken by Trent Boult in the first over of an IPL innings – the most for any bowler. His dismissal of Sunil Narine was his 11th for MI in the first over; the other 19 were for his previous franchise – Rajasthan Royals (RR).5/5 – Narine has fallen to Boult in all five T20s in which he has faced the left-arm quick. He has scored only 23 runs off 19 balls from Boult.

Fulham are now considering a move for Brendan Rodgers as a replacement for Marco Silva, with their current manager being heavily tipped to join a rival Premier League club.

Silva is under pressure at Craven Cottage, as a result of his side’s poor start to the Premier League season, now sitting in 15th place and just one point above the relegation zone after the 2-0 defeat against Everton at the weekend.

The 48-year-old is the third longest-serving manager in the top flight, behind only Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola, having been in charge since July 2021, but his future is now in doubt, having been unwilling to commit to a contract extension.

Consequently, the club hierarchy may need to start thinking about replacements, and they are weighing up a move for a former Premier League manager…

Fulham considering Brendan Rodgers as Marco Silva replacement

According to 67 Hail Hail’s transfer correspondent Graeme Bailey, Fulham are now considering Rodgers as a replacement for Silva, with the Northern Irishman available after resigning from his role as Celtic manager last month.

Not only is the Portuguese manager at risk of being sacked, but he has also been heavily tipped to take over at Nottingham Forest in the future, given his relationship with controversial owner Evangelos Marinakis.

It is unclear whether the 52-year-old would be willing to make the move to Craven Cottage, but there are plenty of indications that he would be a solid long-term replacement for Silva.

In his most recent Premier League job, the Carnlough-born manager impressed considerably, with Gabriel Agbonlahor describing him as “world-class” courtesy of the work he did at Leicester City.

The ex-Leicester boss led the Foxes to FA Cup glory in the 2020-21 campaign, which he followed up with a victory in the Community Shield ahead of the following season.

Games

204

Wins

96

Draws

37

Losses

71

Points per game

1.59

The former Celtic manager also knows what it takes to win, having led the Hoops to 11 trophies during his two stints at Parkhead, winning two trebles on the spin across the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns.

Silva has arguably taken Fulham as far as he can, given their performances this season, and Rodgers has proven he could be an excellent replacement.

Every current Premier League manager has been ranked by Football FanCast Every current manager in the 2025/26 Premier League ranked

Every current Premier League boss ranked from best to worst.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 8, 2025

Mariners star Cal Raleigh may have all but locked up the American League MVP award on Wednesday night when he blasted his 60th home run of the season, becoming the seventh player in MLB history to hit 60 home runs or more in one campaign.

With four games to play, Raleigh sits just two home runs away from tying the American League record set by Aaron Judge in 2022, and three away from breaking it. Ironically, Judge and Raleigh are neck-and-neck in the AL MVP race.

Only Roger Maris, Judge, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds have hit more home runs in a single season than Raleigh. Raleigh's 60th home run tied Babe Ruth's mark set in 1927.

The Mariners went on to beat the Rockies on Wednesday night to move to 89-69 on the season. There's no doubt there's more to come from Raleigh in what remains of the regular season, and into what should be a raucous postseason atmosphere at T-Mobile Park.

Mariners outfielder Victor Robles is working his way back to MLB after suffering a shoulder injury while making a phenomenal catch in the outfield earlier this season.

Currently rehabbing at Triple-A Tacoma, Robles was ejected from Sunday's game after a truly wild outburst stemming from him getting hit by a pitch. The first pitch of Robles' at-bat in the third inning ran up and inside, prompting Robles to chop at it in order to avoid getting hit.

Irate, Robles retaliated by launching his bat in the direction of the pitcher's mound, immediately resulting in the home plate umpire signaling for his ejection. Robles had some words for the opposing pitcher before attempting to charge the mound, though he was ultimately held back by the umpire and some of his teammates.

The meltdown didn't end there, however. After exiting the field, Robles continued his tirade into the dugout where he proceeded to litter the field with some snacks before eventually retreating into the locker room.

A truly shocking meltdown from the veteran outfielder.

كشفت صحيفة ماركا اليوم السبت، عن التحدي الذي ينتظر دين هويسن، مدافع نادي ريال مدريد ، خلال الفترة المقبلة مع الفريق الملكي.

ويمضي هويسن موسمه الأول كلاعب في صفوف نادي ريال مدريد، حيث تعاقد معه الفريق الملكي خلال صيف العام الحالي قادمًا من صفوف نادي بورنموث مقابل 58 مليون يورو.

وأصبح هويسن لاعبًا أساسيًا ولا غنى عنه في تشكيلة ريال مدريد وأثبت نفسه تحت قيادة المدرب تشابي ألونسو، والذي يعول كثيرًا على المدافع الشاب في طريقة لعبه.

ويمتاز هويسن بقدرته على اللعب بقدمين اليمنى واليسرى بنفس الكفاءة، إضافة إلى براعته الكبيرة في التمرير وكسر الخطوط، مما جعل اللاعب الشاب مدافع بدرجة لاعب وسط.

وأفادت ماركا، بأن هويسن ينتظره تحدي كبير حول القتال على مركز أساسي في تشكيلة ريال مدريد خلال الفترة المقبلة، وذلك في ظل تواجد أنطونيو روديجر.

ويعاني هويسن في الوقت الحالي من إصابة خفيفة، لكنه من المنتظر أن يكون جاهزًا في الفترة المقبلة، مما جعل ألونسو يعول على روديجر بشكل أساسي.

أقرأ أيضًا .. تيباس مهاجمًا ريال مدريد: من الصعب اختلاق هذه الأمور مثلهم وعاد روديجر مرة أخرى إلى التواجد في تشكيلة ريال مدريد الأساسية، بعدما غاب الدولي الألماني عن الملاعب خلال الفترة الماضية بسبب الإصابة.

وأشادت الصحيفة بثنائية إيدير ميليتاو وروديجر، والتي أتت ثمارها خلال مواجهة ريال مدريد وأتلتيك بلباو الأسبوع الماضي في الدوري الإسباني، حيث انتصر ريال مدريد بثلاثية نظيفة.

وأوضحت الصحيفة، أن تحدي هويسن مختلف في الوقت الحالي مع ريال مدريد، ليس من أجل إثبات نفسه في تشكيلة الميرنجي الأساسية، وإنما العمل على تطوير مستواه.

وأردفت ماركا قائلة، إن تواجد روديجر مع ميليتاو وكذلك هويسن يعطي متنفسا كبيرا لألونسو، والذي لديه عمق قوي الآن في خط الدفاع.

ويستعد ريال مدريد لمباراة سيلتا فيجو غدًا الأحد، وذلك ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ15 من بطولة الدوري الإسباني على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo visita o Cobresal-CHI nesta quarta-feira (8), pela quarta rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Libertadores. A bola rola a partir das 21h30 (de Brasília), no Estádio Zorros del Desierto, em Calama, no Chile, com transmissão da Globo e do Paramount+.

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Aposte R$100 no Lance! Betting e ganhe R$384 se o São Paulo vencer os dois tempos contra o Cobresal

Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

No Lance! Betting, as odds apontam 1,58 para vitória do Tricolor, 4,03 para o duelo terminar empatado e 5,95 para o triunfo do Cobresal.

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Cobresal x São Paulo – Libertadores
4ª rodada – Fase de grupos

🗓️ Data e horário: quarta-feira, 8 de março de 2024, às 21h30 (hora de Brasília)
📍 Local: Estádio Zorros del Desierto, em Calama (CHI)
📺 Onde assistir: Globo e Paramount+

➡️ Assine o Star+ e acompanhe o melhor da Libertadores quando e onde quiser!  

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

COBRESAL (Técnico: Gustavo Huerta)
Requena; Pacheco, Bechtholdt, Alarcón e Sandoval; Navarro, Mesias, Munder e García (Valencia); Diego Coelho, Lezcano.

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SÃO PAULO (Técnico: Zubeldía)
Rafael; Igor Vinícius, Arboleda, Diego Costa e Welington; Pablo Maia, Alisson, James e Luciano; Ferreira e Calleri.

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Futebol NacionalLibertadoresOnde assistirSão Paulo

Tottenham Hotspur have now submitted a £62m opening offer for Athletic Club forward Nico Williams, and they are confident a deal will be finalized soon.

Spurs are now stepping up their pursuit of a new forward, amid doubts over the capabilities of some of Thomas Frank’s current attacking options, with Jamie O’Hara particularly scathing of the frontline after the 1-0 defeat at home against Chelsea earlier this season.

The former midfielder said: “We’ve got a garbage team – going forward at home at the minute is absolutely terrible. “We’ve spent £60m on Xavi Simons, £60m on Richarlison, £60m on Ndombele. The money we spend on some players… our recruitment is an absolute disgrace.”

Not only that, but Dominic Solanke has been unable to overcome his persistent injury problems, with the striker missing 15 Spurs games already this season due to an ankle issue, and Mathys Tel has scored just two Premier League goals so far this season in the Englishman’s absence.

The Lilywhites need goals from somewhere if they are going to push for the Champions League places this season, and they have now made their first move to sign a new forward…

Tottenham submit opening offer for Athletic Club star Nico Williams

According to a report from Spain, Tottenham have now submitted a €70m (£62m) opening offer for Athletic Club forward Williams, matching the bid made by London rivals Chelsea, with both clubs confident they will be able to finalize a deal soon.

The 23-year-old’s future at the Spanish club is now up in the air, with Spurs looking to triple his salary, having emerged as serious contenders for the winger’s signature, given that he is viewed as a perfect fit for their forward line.

The north Londoners are trying to get a deal done in the January transfer window, and there is every indication the Athletic Club star could be a real difference-maker in their bid to secure Champions League football for the second season running.

Perhaps the Spaniard’s most impressive attribute is his dribbling, averaging 3.33 successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 99th percentile, when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers, while also ranking in the 90th percentile for progressive carries.

Lauded as “world-class” by journalist Zach Lowy, the 30-time Spain international has also made a promising start to the season in La Liga, chipping in with two goals and two assists in nine matches for Athletic Club.

With a number of Tottenham’s current attackers struggling, including Simons, who is yet to score since making the move to north London, bringing in a new winger in January might be necessary, and Williams has proven he could be an excellent addition to Frank’s squad.

Nico Williams has been named as one of the best wingers in the world The Best 15 Wingers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best wide man in world football right now?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 28, 2025

Opener’s willingness to produce a tempo against type allowed England to build towards another famous win

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Jun-20251:53

Did we see a refined version of Bazball?

The initial concept of Zak Crawley was simple.A languid driver, a devastating puller, sharp reactions to the quick stuff, good interception points for the bouncy stuff. The judgement outside off stump… steady, don’t worry about that. Faults against medium pace? Who cares mate. Get him in and let him loose against the best bowlers, particularly when Test matches need to be seized, and lie back and think of England. Tall bloke goes brrrrrr – England win.Yet, despite being the one constant in the opening partnerships that have launched England’s highest successful chases, Crawley has somehow become the straight man. Outscored by Alex Lees (56 to 46) in the 107-run stand that toppled 378 against India in 2022, he “reprised” the subdued role on Tuesday, against India once more, in a stand of 188 that helped topple 371. Crawley’s 65 off 126 balls – his slowest of 22 Test half-centuries – came while Ben Duckett managed 41 more having faced just three extra deliveries. Duckett would eventually finish on 149, earning him the player-of-the-match award and the back page of every British newspaper. Not for the first time, the smaller bloke went brrrr, and England won.Sensing this one-way love-in, Ben Stokes made a note including Crawley when answering almost every post-match question about Duckett. “The way Zak played was huge,” was the England captain’s variation of that message to the written press.Duckett offered similar: “Massive credit to Zak. The way he played… I take my hat off to him.” Magnanimous from the bloke who has often done most of the scoring in their increasingly fruitful alliance.Since coming together for 2022’s winter tour of Pakistan, Duckett and Crawley have been England’s most productive partnership. Their 2,114 runs in tandem have come at an average of 44.97, and their rate of notching fifty every three stands is the best globally among the 10 opening pairs to have had at least 20 partnerships since Crawley’s debut in November 2019.Duckett and Crawley left India floored with their 188-run stand•Getty ImagesInterestingly, of their 16 fifty-plus stands, Duckett’s runs have come at a strike rate of 92.55, while Crawley has gone at 77.28. It is as much a recognition of the gumption that underpins the former’s consistency as the peculiar route the latter takes. Peculiar, because it is an evolution of sorts, even though his overall numbers haven’t advanced that much.Since Brendon McCullum and Stokes took over, Crawley averages 33.41, which remains unspectacular even if it is a five-point improvement on his 21 Tests prior to the 2022 summer. His overall Test average is 31.55, while his first-class figure is similar at 32.20. Even his four-match start to this season with Kent in Division Two reads 31.28. He remains achingly early thirties, like a tote bag with a Substack.As Crawley says, he “doesn’t really think like that” when it comes to worrying about his place during bad patches, which has been a luxury afforded to him throughout by this management group. And while he did finish the 2023 Ashes series and the 2024 tour of India as England’s most productive run-scorer, he has not used that freedom to be more daring. Think of this as public funds being misappropriated to fix the potholes, rather than build the big slip-and-slide we were promised in the public square.”He is definitely thinking about batting differently now,” Duckett said, having had a front-row seat to Crawley’s move towards conservatism. “He’s still smacking the bad ball away, but his thought process is so calm.”The same, Duckett said, had been true in their 231-run stand against Zimbabwe in their previous Test at Trent Bridge, when Crawley’s share had been 124 from 171 balls.”Zak getting a hundred against Zimbabwe, you’d probably guess it was off 75 balls,” he added. “But the way he was so determined and ground out a score was huge. Same today.”Crawley, himself, feels in a good spot, particularly when it comes to patience and concentration. “I was glad to hang around with Ducky,” he said, a sentiment which also goes against his apparent type, but was absolutely what was required. Said patience allowed him to have a clear-headed approach to Jasprit Bumrah.Related

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“I’ve faced him a lot now and you know there’s a couple of crackers in there and you put it behind you,” Crawley said. “A lot of teams have star bowlers who you’re eyeing up to take it a little easier against, and Bumrah is certainly one of those. I feel like I kind of know how I want to play against him, but he’s a massive threat and a great bowler.”No one has faced Bumrah more often in Tests – 204 deliveries since the start of 2024 – and yet the dismissal at Headingley, caught at first slip at the end of the first over of the match, was only the second time Crawley has fallen to him.Crawley currently averages 48.50 against a fast bowler who, rightly, is being talked about as one of the greatest of all time. And he is doing so not by trying to hit him off his lengths, or put pressure back on him, but offering the utmost respect.Has the Crawley story jumped the shark? The one player with a licence to be an island unto himself – freely expressive, expansive strokes, the large adult son of Bazball – is now the sensible one. Negotiating, grinding out, surviving and existing, like every other opener to have played the game.Some England fans reading that will wonder if they’ve been hoodwinked all along. Crawley’s century-less 2024, with an average of 27.80 across 14 Tests and a list of potential replacements for this summer, already seems a little out of date. The alternative to the original Crawley, an opener with traditional values, is now seemingly this one. You either die Zak Crawley or live long enough to become a different Zak Crawley. This Crawley is coming from inside the house.None of this has been straightforward. It certainly has not been easy for the man himself.”I wasn’t playing how I wanted to play in the winter and I feel a lot better about my game now,” Crawley said, referencing a run of 10 single-figure scores in 19 innings since the end of last summer. That included such a torturous tour of New Zealand, averaging 8.66, that he probably still checks to see if Matt Henry is lurking under his bed. That was followed by an SA20 campaign in which he was dropped from the Sunrisers Eastern Cape side, the worst fate for any overseas signing.”The leadership of the team don’t really talk about these things,” he said. “If my place was under pressure, they certainly wouldn’t tell me, so it was never explained to me like that.”I wanted more runs but I was pleased with how I played, and my patience. I knew that was what the team needed at that point. But for me it’s all about how I’m playing, and I’m playing a lot better now.”A 1-0 lead in a five-match series, and victory at the first attempt in a 10-match blockbuster against India and Australia, all delivered with a chase to savour. And done so with Crawley, the one player relied upon to push the tempo against the very best teams, playing it slower and steadier than ever before.