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Landmark moment comes in front of biggest crowd and with oldest team-mate beside him

Cameron Ponsonby26-Mar-2022″Tears just came to my eyes instantaneously,” an emotional Joshua Da Silva said, just moments after bringing up his maiden Test century. “They are coming to me now, it means the most to me. Thanks to God and my parents, everybody supporting me. It means the whole world to me.”Pick any metric you want and this was a fantastic innings from Da Silva. Coming in at No.8 with the score 95 for 6, West Indies were staring at a match-losing deficit in reply to England’s 204. The early stages of his innings were restrained with just 13 runs coming off his first 86 deliveries. Fifty-three came off his next 86 as he began to open up. And then as he shepherded the final stages of the innings he returned to his shell with 34 coming off his final 85 deliveries.”I’m just batting balls,” Da Silva said at the close on day two when he was on 54 off 152 balls. “When I bat balls I know runs will come in the end, I’m not too fazed about what my strike-rate looks like. Stokesy and those guys got pretty upset with me but I’m just batting and having fun.”I love getting talk. It makes me want to go and make more runs and bat longer. It fuels me.”When Da Silva was finally given out caught behind, one ball after reaching his century, however, the talk turned to respect with each England player congratulating him on a fine innings. But in bizarre circumstances, Da Silva, who himself believed he had hit the ball, was called back to the crease on review after it turned out he made missed it. And so having left the pitch entirely, Da Silva returned. He defended his next ball straight back to Craig Overton who promptly whanged it as hard as he could back at Da Silva. England had gone from talk, to respect, to flat-out violence. And it was all Da Silva’s doing.One of the great things about individual achievements is that they are so often far from actually individual, as the joy and pride on show is shared by fans, friends and relatives alike. As Da Silva thumped the ball down the ground and to the boundary to bring up his century, his arms were just two of thousands also lifted above their heads in celebration.Related

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• Leach, Mahmood find tenth-wicket fight to halt West Indies rampage

Back in England, a video surfaced of Johnno Gordon, Da Silva’s former captain from his time as an overseas player at Old Wimbledonians in 2017, shedding a tear as the moment arrived. The two remain close and had gone for dinner together in Barbados where Gordon had come out to support. Although, it must also be said – given that Gordon is the co-owner of the small independent cricket company Woodstock, who sponsor Da Silva – it can’t be completely ruled out that the tears of joy weren’t at the airtime his bats were getting on BT Sport.Closer to home, and Da Silva spoke of the moment being that much sweeter for having had his friend and club-mate from Trinidad Jayden Seales at the other end. Da Silva was on 65 when Seales came to the crease and, given that Seales had a first-class top score of just 7 at that point, there was little expectation that he would be adding too many more. Except from Jayden himself, of course.”Seales told me he has my back,” Da Silva said. “And I backed him 100%. He told me he is going to get me there and he did, so I can’t thank him enough for the role he played.”Da Silva is a Covid cricketer. His maiden tour was to England in 2020, the first to be played in a bubble, and so he has known no different to the restrictions in place and the lifeless and empty stadiums that have accompanied his 14-Test career so far. Support from his team-mates and from afar is all he’s known. But today he saved the best moment of his cricketing career for the first, and biggest, crowd that he will have played in front of as a West Indian.”Words can’t describe it. It’s been phenomenal, especially to have so many fans here and we have a lot of them in Grenada thankfully. To see them stand up and clap, especially for Mayers who’s been getting wickets for fun, it’s exceptional to see and be a part of.”Kyle was telling me this morning that I was going to get a hundred and how it would feel if I got one and just, words can’t describe. An exceptional feeling.”

That Miandad six, Saleem Malik’s miracle, Hrishikesh Kanitkar’s moment of glory, and more magic moments from one of the world’s great sporting rivalries

Shamya Dasgupta08-Apr-2020Sharjah, March 1985, Four Nations Cup

India had just beaten Pakistan comfortably in the final of the Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket in Australia, and one-day cricket was beginning to replace Test cricket as the most popular format. That’s when we got this magical low-scoring contest – with a match aggregate of 212 runs – in a tournament also featuring Australia and England, held in a shiny new part of the world. Imran Khan took 6 for 14 to bowl India out for just 125, but then Kapil Dev and the mesmerising L Sivaramakrishnan ripped through Pakistan, who lost their last four wickets for two runs to finish with 87. It left us stunned….Sharjah, April 1986, Austral-Asia Cup, final

… till we got Javed Miandad and that six! India and Pakistan met in the the final of a five-team tournament that also featured Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Both sides scored at nearly five an over – a big deal then – with India getting half-centuries from K Srikkanth, Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar. Pakistan faltered in the chase but were steadied by Javed Miandad, who made a run-a-ball century despite wickets falling around him. He brought down the equation to a boundary needed off the last ball with one wicket in hand. Chetan Sharma looked to bowl a yorker, which turned into a low full-toss that Miandad hit for six over midwicket. Miandad was already a hero. This audacious innings made him an icon, and not only for Pakistan fans.Calcutta, February 1987, bilateral series

Not to take anything away from what Miandad achieved in Sharjah, but the defining ODI innings of the ’80s for me came from Saleem Malik in a game I watched from the stands at Eden Gardens. Back then you just didn’t see batsmen score 72 runs at a strike rate of 200. Pakistan were chasing 239 in 40 overs. Malik came in at 161 for 5 and seemed to smash every single ball exactly where he wanted to. At 174 for 6, when Imran Khan fell, we started celebrating in the stands. Malik scythed us down to size with his 11 fours and a six. For me, it’s still the greatest ODI innings ever.Venkatesh Prasad’s dismissal of Aamer Sohail in the 1996 World Cup quarter-final has become an iconic India-Pakistan moment•Getty ImagesHyderabad, March 1987, bilateral series

Those were the days when a Pakistan team could spend two months playing in India. And the days when the third ODI of a series could be played over a month after the second with three Tests filling the space in between. Pakistan had already won the first two games of the six-match series by the time the two teams met in Hyderabad. Abdul Qadir faced the last ball with Pakistan needing two to win. But after completing the first run, thus tying the scores, he attempted an impossible second and was run out. His dismissal meant Pakistan had lost seven wickets compared to India’s six, which, according to the rules for that series, gave India the win. Pakistan eventually won the series 5-1.Bangalore, March 1996, World Cup, quarter-final

India and Pakistan have faced off in all but one World Cup since 1992, but none of them have really been classic contests. Of the lot, this one from 1996 was the most dramatic. There was Ajay Jadeja’s exhilarating attack against Waqar Younis and the Aamer Sohail v Venkatesh Prasad face-off. It certainly was eventful and, for a while, looked like it could go either way.Chennai, May 1997, Independence Cup

It wasn’t really much of a contest, not after Saeed Anwar’s record-setting 194, but this match remains memorable because of that innings. Anwar was the dasher-who-didn’t feel-like-one and the double-century was definitely on. What a shame that he didn’t get it when, with more than three overs left in the innings, he was caught off the top edge sweeping Sachin Tendulkar, who would go on to get that record just under 13 years later.Shahid Afridi’s late hitting took Pakistan to a one-wicket win in a 2014 Asia Cup match against India•AFP Dhaka, January 1998, Independence Cup, 3rd final

I pick this one over India’s win in Karachi a few months earlier because of the occasion (the decider of the Independence Cup), the drama in fading light, the record (at the time the highest ODI chase), some outstanding innings, and Hrishikesh Kanitkar’s moment of glory in the end. It had looked like Anwar and Ijaz Ahmed had batted India out of the contest, but Sourav Ganguly fought back with a century and a 179-run stand with Robin Singh, and Kanitkar sealed it with a four off the penultimate ball.Karachi, March 2004, bilateral series

This was the first match of a historic tour and it suitably set the tone for what would be a riveting series. Close to 700 runs were scored in all; Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid played top knocks; Inzamam-ul-Haq got a century in the chase; and some really special bowling from Zaheer Khan, L Balaji and Ashish Nehra at the death stopped Pakistan just short.Dhaka, March 2014, Asia Cup

This was edge-of-the-seat stuff. India put 245 on the board and then applied the choke. Mohammad Hafeez led a professorial fightback, planned and calculated, but it needed Shahid Afridi to strut out and start biffing it around to give Pakistan the advantage. They needed ten off the last over and two typical Afridi sixes, off R Ashwin, sealed the deal.The Oval, 2017, Champions Trophy, final

This one will be fresh in the memory, of course. Was it a great game? No, it was one-sided. Why was it memorable then? Firstly, because it was the Champions Trophy final and Pakistan won it despite all pre-match logic favouring India, who had dominated Pakistan in the opening game of the tournament and only lost to them twice* before in a major ICC event. More than that, though, it was memorable because of Mohammad Amir. Fakhar Zaman’s century had set up a challenging chase for India, even with their mighty batting line-up. But Amir left no room for doubt in one dizzying spell that accounted for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan. It was a masterful display against a top-notch top order. One of the best you’ll ever see.*04:18 GMT, April 9, 2020: It was incorrectly stated that India had only lost once to Pakistan in a major ICC event before the 2017 Champions Trophy. This has been corrected.

Barcelona forward Raphinha has publicly dismissed recent speculation linking him with a move away from the Catalan club, particularly to the Saudi Pro League, labelling the reports "nonsense". Despite the Brazilian international's consistent denials and his stated desire to retire at Barcelona, the transfer rumours persist.

Raph refutes transfer speculation

This ongoing saga surrounding Raphinha is largely driven by the club's well-documented financial constraints and the lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia, which the attacker has admitted were tempting. Reports earlier this week suggested a verbal pact existed with sporting director Deco to facilitate a move after the 2026 World Cup if a substantial offer materialised. However, Raphinha quickly took to social media to refute these claims, underscoring his commitment to the Barca project. 

AdvertisementAFPRaphinha: 'Fake news'

As reported in , speaking to a Spanish TikToker, Raphinha said: "I don't know where they get so much nonsense, really. Well, this one, where fake news always comes out, very nice."

Flying form under German boss

Under Hansi Flick, Raphinha has flourished this season, becoming a key player and even a team captain. His strong performances, which include a high volume of goals and assists, have solidified his importance to the squad and led to an agreement on a contract extension until June 2028. For now, Raphinha's focus remains on succeeding at Barcelona, with the transfer noise an unwelcome, though constant, distraction. 

Raphinha reflected on his current situation and his vocal persona in the Barca dressing room, saying: "I often feel like I'm being a bit pushy, too much. There are many times my team-mates think I talk too much, that I'm annoying, and that I demand too much from them, but that's just who I am. I demand more from people who I know can give much more. Someone has to, and I accept this responsibility, then in the dressing room we hug and celebrate the victory."

And following the recent 3-1 victory over Atletico Madrid, Los Rojiblancos boss Diego Simeone heaped praise on the Brazil star, saying: "Raphinha is an incredible player. He can play everywhere. As a winger, as a midfielder, as a striker, or even as a wing back. He can score, can create, he presses and runs. I don’t know how he didn’t win the Ballon d’Or. For me, I would choose him always."

Reflecting on finishing fifth in the Ballon d’Or race, the 28-year-old forward said: "When you give so much, work hard every day, and feel you’ve had an incredible season, you naturally expect to be among the best,' he said. 'Finishing fifth was an honour, of course, but my expectations were higher."

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Getty Images SportTitle race tipped to go to the wire

The battle between Barcelona and Real Madrid for La Liga crown has been a breathless, thrilling affair which has shifted dramatically in momentum in recent weeks. Just weeks ago, Real Madrid held a seemingly comfortable lead, but a stunning surge from Barcelona and dropped points from Los Blancos has completely flipped the script. The season has been defined by clutch performances and high-scoring drama, including a recent 5-3 Barcelona win over Real Betis and a decisive 3-0 Real Madrid victory at Bilbao. Key players like Kylian Mbappe for Madrid and Ferran Torres for Barcelona are lighting up the scoring charts. But injuries and form fluctuations are playing a significant role.

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O Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) divulgou, na madrugada desta terça-feira (22), o áudio das análises do VAR na partida entre Vasco e Fortaleza, pela partida de volta da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil.

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A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Durante o confronto, disputado em São januário, Wilton Pereira Sampaio foi chamado duas vezes para rever possíveis lances de pênanlti.

PÊNALTI PARA O VASCO

O atacante Marinho, no primeiro tempo do duelo, tentou afastar um cruzamento dentro da área, mas acabou desviando a bola com o braço esquerdo. Após a consulta, Wilton Perereira Sampaio assinalou pênalti para a equipe mandante, convertido por Vegetti.

– É na mão. Deixa só eu terminar de checar com calma. (…) A bola vem de lá, e ele domina com a mão. Wilton, recomendo revisão para possível penal – afirma o árbitro de vídeo.

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TOQUE DE MAICON NA ÁREA

Na segunda etapa, Wilton assinalou pênalti após um suposto toque no braço do zagueiro Maicon dentro da área. Depois de revisar o lance no monitor, o árbitro reverteu a marcação e assinalou escanteio para o Leão do Pici.

Após empate em três a três no tempo normal, o Vasco eliminou o Fortaleza nos pênaltis e garantiu a classificação às oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil.

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Tudo sobre

Copa do BrasilFortalezaFutebol NacionalVasco

There were a few interesting names on the teammates when Glasgow Rangers announced their U19 side to take on St Mirren on Monday night, as several first-team players were involved.

Dujon Sterling made his long-awaited return from an Achilles injury to start at centre-back alongside fellow first-team defender Clinton Nsiala, although the young Gers then found themselves 3-0 down at half-time, and went on to lose 4-2.

Along with those two central defenders, attacking midfielder Kieran Dowell played his first match since August, having been out through injury, after Russell Martin opted to keep hold of him in the summer.

Why Rangers should have sold Kieran Dowell

Since moving to Ibrox from Norwich on a free transfer in 2023, the English playmaker has failed to prove his worth to the Scottish giants on the pitch, which is why he should have been moved on before this season.

In almost two-and-a-half years at Rangers, Dowell has produced more goals and assists out on loan (ten for Birmingham) than he has for the Gers (five), per Transfermarkt.

The left-footed dud has scored two goals and provided three assists in 38 games for the club, including no goals and one assist in six matches under Martin this season.

His contract is due to expire at the end of the season, per Transfermarkt, and it remains to be seen if he is a part of Danny Rohl’s plans, with the likes of Djeidi Gassama, Mikey Moore, Oliver Antman, Nedim Bajrami, Findlay Curtis, and Thelo Aasgaard ahead of him in the pecking order.

Should his deal expire next year without him working his way back into the team to make a big impact at Ibrox, Dowell may well be looked back on as a pointless signing due to his lack of contributions on the pitch.

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Meanwhile, one of Kevin Thelwell’s summer recruits currently looks like he is on course to be the biggest waste of time for the Light Blues since Dowell, Joe Rothwell.

Why Joe Rothwell has been a poor signing for Rangers

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, of course, because the idea of the signing of Rothwell on paper seemed solid. A technically sound central midfielder who could control the game in midfield, with experience in the Premier League and the Championship.

However, the midfield technician, signed on a permanent deal from Bournemouth, has not been able to deliver quality performances for the Light Blues on a consistent basis, as he has seemingly struggled with the intensity and speed of the football in Scotland.

It is always difficult to predict how a player will adapt to the intensity of the league, which is why so many players, like Dowell, flop after good spells elsewhere, and Rothwell has followed in Dowell’s footsteps as another player who has fallen short of the physical requirements.

25/26 Premiership

Joe Rothwell

Percentile rank vs CMs

Successful dribbles

4

Bottom 42%

Touches in the opposition’s box

4

Bottom 26%

Tackles

7

Bottom 26%

Duels won

16

Bottom 25%

Duel success rate

47.1%

Bottom 39%

Ball recoveries

22

Bottom 36%

Possession won in the final third

1

Bottom 19%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the English central midfielder ranks poorly among his positional peers in a host of metrics based around physicality and mobility.

These statistics show that Rothwell, who has no goals and two assists in 19 appearances for Rangers, does not have the speed or mobility to consistently compete against other midfielders in the Scottish Premiership.

The 30-year-old dud, whom Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar described as “rotten”, has been an unused substitute in all three of the league matches that he has been available for during Rohl’s tenure.

This suggests that the German head coach has not been too impressed by the English dud, which means that his future could be thrown into doubt in January should his game time not improve.

Related Thelwell signing is a bigger waste of time than Chermiti & Miovski at Rangers

This Glasgow Rangers flop is a bigger waste of time this season than both Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti.

Posts ByDan Emery Nov 24, 2025

Therefore, this Thelwell signing looks like the biggest waste of time at Rangers since Dowell because he is an experienced player who has not made an immediate impact on the pitch, and now looks to be surplus to requirements already.

INEOS are now reportedly prepared to spend more than £100m to sign Raphinha from Barcelona under one circumstance at Manchester United in 2026.

The Red Devils owners have not been afraid to spend big on transfer fees in the last six months, despite their cost-saving measures off the pitch. Sir Jim Ratcliffe continues to back Ruben Amorim, who has shown signs that he could yet turn things around at Old Trafford, and that could yet result in further much-needed reinforcements.

INEOS have already seen the majority of their summer signings settle into life at Old Trafford, with Bryan Mbeumo even picking up the Premier League’s Player of the Month award for October to match Amorim’s Manager of the Month achievement. The former Brentford forward scored three goals and assisted one other to earn the award.

After watching Mbeumo pick up the award and claiming the Manager of the Month prize himself, Amorim told reporters: “The credit is not mine, the credit is for my players. They did really well, and our goal is to win the next one because it means we win football matches.”

The former Sporting CP boss, more than anyone, will be well aware that there’s still a long way to go, however, and INEOS must still back the Red Devils in the transfer market.

Forget Mbeumo: "Phenomenal" Man Utd star was the real player of the month

Bryan Mbeumo has won the Premier League Player of the Month, but one other Manchester United star may feel hard done by.

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Ethan Lamb

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On that front, those at Old Trafford have already been linked with 2026 moves for the likes of Elliot Anderson and Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic. Anderson would be a particularly impressive signing, given how he’s starred in a struggling Nottingham Forest side as of late, whilst Vlahovic would undoubtedly add depth to Amorim’s frontline.

Neither of those players would be as impressive as Raphinha though, who has scored twice against Man United throughout his career.

Man Utd prepared to spend over £100m on Raphinha

According to reports in Spain, INEOS are now prepared to spend €120m (£105m) to sign Raphinha if Man United qualify for the Champions League this season. Qualification for the competition would hand the Red Devils further financial freedom and the ability to attract stars such as the Barcelona winger.

The Brazilian would instantly become Man United’s record signing at £105m, finally dethroning the £89m fee that they paid to sign eventual flop Paul Pogba in 2016.

Unlike the Frenchman, Raphinha may well prove to be worth every penny after becoming one of the best wingers in the world at Barcelona and finishing fifth in the 2025 Ballon d’Or.

Whether a club-record bid would be enough to lure Barcelona into a sale is the big question. Manager Hansi Flick should be desperate to keep hold of his winger, having told reporters last season: “He has good dynamics with the ball and he has had an extraordinary match. His offensive and defensive dynamics, and his good technique, are something special. I have never had a player like him and he helps us a lot.”

Forget Cunha & Mbeumo: "Explosive" Man Utd star is coded for the Fergie era

Eni Aluko has revealed her shock history with Joey Barton, claiming that the former Manchester City midfielder “was congratulating” her four years prior to posting “grossly offensive” social media posts that have led to formal conviction. Barton has been found guilty on six counts of posting “extreme” content about Aluko and her fellow broadcasters Lucy Ward and Jeremy Vine.

• Barton found guilty in long-running case

  Prosecutors in that case argued that ex-England international Barton “had crossed the line between free speech and a crime”. The 43-year-old, who has 2.7 million followers on X, claimed that Aluko was only awarded punditry work to “tick boxes” after the “George Floyd nonsense” and regularly questioned why she formed part of men’s football coverage.

  Ex-Lionesses star Aluko was left stunned at becoming a target for Barton, having previously been the subject of encouraging messages, and has urged online trolls to consider the impact that their words have on people in real life.

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  Aluko calls on social media companies to take action

  Aluko, who won 105 caps for England in her playing days, told : “Joey Barton is an intelligent man. I think he knows what he's doing. Four years before these awful posts, he was congratulating me on my career and saying lovely things, and it was all career-based as well, congratulating me when I went to Juventus, congratulating me when I got the job at Aston Villa as a sporting director. So there's a calculation to what he did in relation to me that is really malicious and disappointing. But I hope that person who sent me all those lovely messages, I hope he gets back to whoever that person was."

  She added: “I would say that you really need to take into account the impact it has on somebody's mental health. There's been really tragic examples of what social media abuse can do to somebody. We've seen people take their life, we've seen people become severely depressed. It's not just hurty words, if you are consistently harassing somebody or inciting violence and saying that you should be shot, there are consequences to that in the UK.”

• Aluko reacts to verdict in Barton case

  Aluko is relieved to reach the end of what has been an emotionally draining saga, claiming to feel “10 times lighter” after seeing Barton convicted. She does, however, believe that social media companies need to do more when it comes to policing their platforms.

  The 38-year-old added: “Social media companies like X aren't listening. They're not going to protect the people on the platforms. They actually reward hate speech, which is why somebody like Joey Barton thinks, 'to promote my podcast, I'm going to say extreme things'.

  “It's the reward system, it's become a business. So the counter to that, in my view, should be Ofcom fining these social media companies if we consistently keep seeing racism, sexism, hate speech on their platforms. We need more accountability for the social media platforms.”

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Barton has been out of football since 2023

  She went on to say of an episode that has come at a “huge emotional cost” to her and her family, with the hope being that people will now give more thought to their online behaviour and the potential impact of it: “One of the problems with social media is that the amplification of people like Joey Barton [makes] people think they can say the same. But, I'm glad that we have a criminal consequence, and I think people should really take note of what that looks like, so that you regulate your own conduct online and make sure that you're not crossing the line.

  “There's an element for him where he has to feel a sense of deep regret. It's cost him a lot of money, and, I don't think it's in any way, shape or form enhanced his reputation. If he ever wanted to work in football, I'm not sure that's ever going to happen, given just his conduct towards other people in the game. He's got to suffer the consequences of his conduct, and hopefully there's a bit of self-reflection. I'm a believer in rehabilitation, and somebody reflecting and doing the work to improve as people, so that will be down to him.”

  Barton, who also represented the likes of Newcastle and Marseille before retiring in 2017, has been out of football on a professional basis since seeing a two-and-a-half-year spell as Bristol Rovers manager brought to a close in October 2023. He hosts a podcast called ‘Common Sense with Joey Barton’.

Leeds United have proved to be more than a match for Premier League football and now have growing confidence they can seal a statement deal at Elland Road in January.

Leeds move forward after pivotal victory over West Ham

Daniel Farke has had his doubters in the top-flight and some reservations will always remain after his previous spell in the division with Norwich City. However, there can be no doubt that he has made the Whites a competitive force at the highest level.

Claiming 11 points inside nine matches, Leeds find themselves in a decent position to kick on after a much-needed victory over West Ham United on Friday, which may be symbolic in a way as the Hammers slide further towards the bottom of the table.

Either way, there is a long way to go and nobody will be getting ahead of themselves. Still, Farke singled out his players for the determination they showed to ensure three points were claimed in front of a raucous home crowd against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men.

He said, via BBC Sport: “First of all, I’m delighted to take the three points. It is difficult to explain how we were standing there after the last three games with one point. We had much more domination and controlled the performance. We had a difficult week, in terms of illnesses and injuries.

“It was a difficult week for us. You could feel it. We showed passion and bravery. In the last 20 minutes you could feel it was a difficult week. A big fighting spirit, will and passion to bring it over the line.”

Come the January window, Leeds could make a move for Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder Issouf Sissoko and may look to his displays in Champions League qualifying matches as an indicator of his potential.

With the engine room a key priority, Farke and company are now said to be growing in confidence that they can sign an experienced international in mid-season.

Leeds could land Piotr Zielinski in January

According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Leeds are hoping to sign Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zielinski in January as the Serie A giants are now ‘definitely’ open to sanctioning his departure.

The reporter said: “He was linked with Leeds in the summer window and they were linked with a couple of other midfielders as well. He is well down the pecking order at the San Siro. He’s struggled for game time, had just two starts in the Champions League, so he’s not started a Serie A game.

Appearances

47

Goals

2

Assists

4

“Inter are definitely open to his departure to try and save some money and boost their own transfer coffers. Whether they’ll be able to sell Zielinski to Leeds, that remains to be seen. He’s 31 now, but I still feel he’s got a lot to offer and the player himself would be interested in a move away in January in search of regular first team football. If he’s not going to be getting that at Inter, he will maybe seek a move away.”

In a campaign where he has struggled for starts, the Poland international has still managed to create three chances in 167 minutes of Champions League football, per Fotmob, illustrating his capacity to cause danger.

While his £139,000 per week wages would be an expensive commitment, they are probably not out of the Whites’ budget, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Zielinski were to end up at Elland Road.

Elgar, Critchley make fifties but hosts are undermined by top and tail collapses

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay01-Jun-2025Will Smeed made light work of Essex’s meagre total as 2024 runners-up Somerset made it two wins from two to begin their Men’s Vitality Blast campaign.T20 powerhouse Smeed whacked 81 in 54 balls to canter to an eight-wicket victory, as they chased 148 with 25 balls to spare.Tom Lammonby also chipped in with 36, in a 96-run opening stand, as Somerset’s men avenged the defeat their club-mates suffered in the Women’s Vitality Blast earlier in the day.Matt Critchley and Dean Elgar’s half-centuries merely sugar-coated a second successive heavy defeat for Essex – having lost their opener at Hampshire by 106 runs.Essex chose to bat, it started badly and ended horrendously, but in the middle, Elgar and Critchley fashioned an 83-run partnership.Adam Rossington edged a Craig Overton nip-backer behind to the first ball of the innings before Michael Pepper top-edged a hook and Paul Walter was incredibly caught one-handed by Thomas Rew on the deep midwicket boundary edge.But having been 36 for three at the end of the powerplay, the Eagles recovered to 119 for three in the 14th over, though a mixture of smart placement and innovative hitting.Elgar was the master of playing the angles on the leg-side, with a pair of big sixes over square leg, in his 36-ball half-century.Critchley swung hard and often but found true class in his reverse scoops – two of which sailed for six – with two other maximums coming in his 54 in 31 balls.But Elgar’s departure, caught on the top edge, began a death-spiral – with the last six wickets falling for 29 runs in 35 sorry balls.In the over following Elgar’s demise, Ben Green took three wickets. Charlie Allison was well caught on the slide by deep midwicket Tom Lammonby, before the same fielder easily pouched Luc Benkenstein and Simon Harmer turned to deep square leg.Critchley’s reign ended when he was run out in the aftermath of a no-ball confusion, with Shane Snater – the only other batter after Elgar and Critchley to reach double figures – giving Australian quick Riley Meredith a deserved second wicket to end up with two for 18.Lewis Gregory polished things up by castling Sam Cook; Essex bowled out for 148.Somerset barely broke a sweat in their chase. Smeed set the tone with two boundaries in the first over of the innings, which Lammonby followed up with a loopy six over square leg.The pair continued to pepper the boundaries and ease towards victory, until Critchley caught and bowled Lammonby, followed by Tom Kohler-Cadmore slog-sweeping straight in the air.But Smeed reached his 13th Somerset fifty in 26 balls, barely taking a risk in his swings through gaps. He took that up to 81 in 54 balls to get his side over the line with a single.

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has described out-of-favour Joel Piroe as “the best finisher I’ve ever worked with” and says the striker has a crucial role to play this season.

Farke paid tribute to Piroe before Saturday’s lunch-time kick-off against Tottenham at Elland Road having left the Dutchman out of his side’s previous four starting line-ups.

Piroe’s 19 league goals helped fire Leeds to promotion last season, earning him the Sky Bet Championship’s Golden Boot, but he did not even make Farke’s squad for last month’s defeat at Fulham.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has emerged as Leeds’ first-choice striker, while Farke has given fellow summer signing Lukas Nmecha the nod off the bench ahead of Piroe in recent matches, with the Whites boss going into Piroe’s versatile ability.

Farke also described Piroe as a “top professional”, adding: “I’m pretty sure that we will see him on many occasions on the pitch and hopefully he can deliver.”

Leeds will bid to extend their unbeaten home league record to 24 matches on Saturday against Tottenham.

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Farke’s side last lost a league game at Elland Road in September last year – 1-0 against Burnley – while a third Premier League win of the season could lift them into the top half of the table.

Tottenham, who have won five of their last six encounters with Leeds, sit fourth after last week’s 1-1 home draw against Wolves and drew 2-2 in Norway against Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday in the Champions League.