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The homegrown striker looked set to succeed Wayne Rooney as the club's all-time top scorer but instead parts with his career and reputation in tatters

February always has been a defining month for Marcus Rashford. It was in the second month of 2016 that he came out of nowhere and scored his first senior goals to fire Manchester United to victory against Midtjylland in the Europa League, before then bagging his first Premier League goals to down Arsenal three days later.

In February 2023, Rashford was in the form of his life, scoring six goals in a memorable month which included netting twice against rivals Leeds, running rings around Barcelona at Camp Nou and lifting the Carabao Cup at Wembley. A lot had changed 12 months later, though, when he was in the spotlight for his debauched night out in Belfast and subsequent missed training session. And yet on February 1, he started for United against Wolves and scored within the opening minutes. At the end of the month, he penned a defensive piece in in which he tried to explain his love and commitment to the club, but only succeeded in further winding up supporters.

So it is fitting then that February should be the month that Rashford finally leaves United, nine years after bursting on to the scene from the club's academy while he was still at school. He departs a shadow of the world-beating striker he was just 24 months previously and with his reputation among many fans severely damaged.

Rashford's departure for Aston Villa on loan represents a fresh start for him and a chance for United to rid themselves of a problem that has been festering for a while. Yet the overwhelming feeling is one of great sadness, the confirmation that a glorious romance between a homegrown player and the club he loved has come to a painful and bitter end…

(C)Getty ImagesChange in mentality

Days before the Carabao Cup final in February 2023, when Rashford was scoring for fun and leading United's exciting, if brief, renaissance under Erik ten Hag, he explained what was behind his resurgence in form. The striker had made a huge transformation compared to the previous year, when he had struggled under Ralf Rangnick and was dealing with a number of issues, including a long recovery from back surgery and the emotional pain of missing his penalty in England's Euro 2020 final shootout defeat by Italy.

"Football is probably 95 percent your mentality. That gives you the baseline to perform," he said. "There are a lot of players that have ability – that’s why they play at the top level. But what sets them apart is the mentality. I’ve been on both sides of it. I understand the strength of it and the value. I’m concentrating a lot more on keeping myself in that headspace and it’s needed in order to win games and trophies."

Rashford's mentality back then was one of his greatest strengths, and he marked the majority of the 30 goals he scored in that stunning 2022-23 campaign by pointing to his head. He had done a lot of the hard work that previous summer, when he headed to Nike's headquarters in Oregon for a crash course in condition and strength training to work on his explosivity. Other examples of him using his brain were seen in him taking on the British government over school meals, advocating for child literacy and writing children's books with titles such as 'You are a champion' and 'You can do it'.

But in the last two years, he has been back – as he would put it – on the other side of the mentality divide. His mental state was seen as being so bad that Ruben Amorim left him out of his matchday squad for the best part of six weeks, repeatedly citing his attitude to training. In the eyes of the coach, Rashford's mentality was so poor that he would rather pick his 63-year-old, overweight goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital than the 27-year-old.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Must be ashamed'

The shift in perception around Rashford has been a shock to everyone in football, and in last week's episode of Gary Neville's podcast, Wayne Rooney, Roy Keane, Jill Scott and Ian Wright all expressed their dismay at the situation. "Not training, not putting in the right attitude doesn't cross your mind," said Wright, while ex-England women's international Scott said she could not imagine the embarrassment of team-mates thinking she were lazy.

Rooney revealed that he has urged Rashford to leave United on a couple of occasions. He said: "I've spoken to Marcus a couple of times and I've given him my thoughts and my opinion. I said you need to leave the football club because whatever is going on in his life and whatever is going on at Manchester United, he's not the same. It's not him. So I said for him, to have a fresh start, he needs to leave the club. The fact that your manager is coming out and saying that you are not training right is crazy."

As ever, Keane took the toughest line. "Whatever’s going on with players leaving, months left on contracts, a player who doesn’t train properly… I don’t understand it," he said. "You might as well leave me out of this conversation. Especially if you think he wants to move, which is more of a reason to train properly so when you go to a new club you’re up to speed and when you leave the club at least you showed a decent attitude. All these things getting thrown at him. He must be ashamed."

GettyBeginning of the end

Questions about Rashford's attitude to training beggar belief given his status as one of United's top earners after signing a contract less than two years ago that is worth £325,000 ($401k) per week until 2028. At the time, coming off the back of his best-ever season, there were no complaints among United supporters. Rashford's previous deal was due to expire in 2024 and there was a serious danger of him leaving for free and strengthening a major rival, in Europe or in England, while at the peak of his powers.

Rashford declared his love for United after signing the contract, aged 25, and looked forward to a long and prosperous future with the club. "I joined Manchester United as a seven-year-old boy with a dream. That same passion, pride and determination to succeed still drives me every time I have the honour of wearing the shirt. I've already had some amazing experiences at this incredible club, but there is still a lot more to achieve and I remain relentlessly determined to win more trophies in the years ahead," he said.

"As a United fan all my life, I know the responsibility that comes with representing this badge and feel the highs and lows as much as anyone. I can assure you that I will give everything to help the team reach the level we are capable of, and I can feel the same determination around the dressing room. I couldn't be more excited for the future under this manager."

United fans were equally excited after winning a first trophy in six years and returning to the Champions League, and Rashford looked set to be the flagbearer of this exciting new era, his future locked down. However, that contract appears to have been his undoing, and rather than the deal bringing him more responsibility, he began to behave less seriously and with more recklessness upon signing it.

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Getty/X (@jr_fundss)'Party' lifestyle

For his summer holidays in 2023, Rashford returned to the United States, but not to work on conditioning, and rather to go partying. There's nothing wrong with footballers letting their hair down in their rare and short periods off, but when the new season began, Rashford did not look as motivated as before or as mentally switched on.

He went to a nightclub hours after United's painful 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the derby, a very bad look from the point of view of supporters and indeed for his then-manager Ten Hag, who called his actions "unacceptable". The Dutchman insisted at the time that Rashford had apologised and vowed not to make the same mistake again.

"He's very motivated to put things right. He's totally with us," he said in November 2023. "So he makes a mistake, but that doesn't say he's not fitting in. I see him every day in training, what he's doing. I know. Also off the pitch, how he lives."

Ten Hag's words implied Rashford's behaviour was a one-off, but the player's decision to go out two nights in a row in Belfast two months later while missing training suggested otherwise. So did a report in which detailed his fondness for going to casinos in Manchester's Chinatown district and playing poker while "knocking back beers". One source said: "Marcus loves the nightlife, but the concern is that he’s been doing just too much of it. His house has been a party house."

The allrounder has not been able to secure permission to cross borders

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2021Sydney Sixers have been left “a little bewildered” that they have been unable to secure permission for Erin Burns to join their squad in either Adelaide or Mackay which means she will miss the entire WBBL unless Sixers are able to host home finals.Burns, who has been capped six times by Australia, had made herself unavailable for the start of the competition in Hobart to be able to spend time at home following her stint at the Hundred which had required two weeks quarantine on return.It had been hoped that she could join the team in Launceston and when that wasn’t an option the club attempted to secure other routes but nothing has worked.”We tried all that we could, but it was to no avail,” Cricket NSW’s interim head of female cricket, Clare Crewdson, said. “We are disappointed for Erin and her team-mates and a little bewildered as to why we were unable to achieve what other sports have, by moving players and families across borders to fulfil their jobs.”But at the end of the day we respect the decisions and processes implemented by State Governments and feel for those people locked out of states that are unable to see family and friends.”Although New South Wales and Victoria have started to open to each other as vaccination rates rise, there remain significant border restrictions to other states which are expected to last until December for most areas.Sixers have said that if they are able to host a final at home – Cricket Australia has left the option open should restrictions allow in late November – that Burns could rejoin the squad.”I’m gutted I can’t join the Sixers because WBBL is always such a highlight of the season and so not to be able to pull on the magenta with the girls is devastating,” she said. “I have so much confidence in this group to do a great job and I will be following closely.”Sixers are currently sixth in the table with two wins from their first five matches.

Chloe Kelly has missed out on a spot in the Lionesses' latest squad, with England able to welcome back Lauren James and Ella Toone after injuries.

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Lionesses squad for February fixtures revealedKelly misses out after lack of game timeJames & Toone back from injuryFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Kelly hasn't played since January 12, having left Manchester City to join Arsenal on loan on deadline day in the winter transfer window. That's because the Gunners' first two fixtures after that move were against City, and the winger could not face her parent club. Their third was in the FA Cup, with Kelly unable to play as she is cup-tied. She can play again before England meet-up, and she is likely to feature against Tottenham this weekend, but with Sarina Wiegman able to welcome back a number of others, the 27-year-old hasn't made the cut on this occasion.

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James' return boosts the wide areas, while Toone's return to fitness, and her electric form, could see her bolster the attack from the No.10 position. Niamh Charles, the Lionesses' regular left-back, is also back from injury. Nikita Parris, meanwhile, has earned a first call-up since November 2022 and will provide necessary competition for Alessia Russo in the No.9 role. Parris has nine goals in all competitions for Brighton this term.

WHAT WIEGMAN SAID

Speaking about her team selection for the Women's Nations League games against Portugal and Spain this month, Wiegman said: "These are two big games to start 2025. It is exciting that we have the chance to write a new chapter in our story in the months ahead, especially with the European Championships this summer, but we will focus first on what is right in front of us and a very important Nations League campaign.

"Portugal are getting stronger all the time and it will be good for us to get a week’s training together in what we hope will be great conditions, both on and off the pitch before we play. I am expecting a high-level game, and it is also good to experience a different environment in our first match abroad since last summer.

"We then have another special occasion at Wembley against Spain. I am sure we will get great support, and we can’t wait to see our fans again. Hard work during the week and our performances in these two matches can give us a strong foundation for a big year ahead."

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Laura Blindkilde Brown and Ruby Mace both made debuts in England's last game of 2024 and the two young midfielders keep their place in this squad, which is particularly notable after Georgia Stanway's recent surgery. She is not the only Lioness to drop out from the December squad due to a knee problem, with Alex Greenwood also set to be a key absentee in defence.

Manager bounce. It’s a fear-inducing thing when you’re up against a team that has been struggling, only to dispose of its manager and replace them with a shiny new leader.

For Chelsea, this is the task. Enzo Maresca’s squad travel to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United in the Premier League this afternoon, seeking three points against a team boasting one measly win across eight matches in all competitions.

Erik ten Hag was sacked at the start of the week, but thankfully, Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim will not alight in England until the November international break. Even so, interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy will galvanise the Theatre into a cacophony of noise, having led United to a 4-1 win over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

Chelsea were dumped out of the domestic cup competition that evening, losing to Newcastle United after a disasterclass in defence, but thankfully, Maresca is bound to ring the changes, shifting his set-up back to its usual Premier League model.

Chelsea team news

With no fresh injury concerns for Maresca’s squad, this is a good opportunity to inflict further misery on Man United before Amorim stamps his style on the team.

That said, Jadon Sancho is ineligible to feature at Old Trafford since he is on loan from Man United, and cannot participate against his parent club as per the terms.

Omari Kellyman, signed from Aston Villa in deal worth up to £19m this summer, is also sidelined, though the 19-year-old has yet to feature for the senior side anyway.

The visitors must launch a concerted attack on the wobbly United backline, all the while standing firm against a profligate side, yes, but one that has created 24 big chances in the Premier League this year, the joint-third-highest score in the division.

Cole Palmer will hold the key to victory.

Cole Palmer will be crucial

It hardly takes a perusal through the memory bank to recall Palmer’s stunning hat-trick against the Red Devils last season, turning the Premier League match on its head with an incredible final flourish. It, perhaps, truly established the ace as one of the finest talents on the continent.

After blitzing past Premier League defences in his first full season as a professional, as if they were paper cutouts, rival supporters understandably prayed for a future tag of ‘one-season wonder’, but it hasn’t been forthcoming.

Already this season, just a few months in, Palmer, aged only 22, has posted seven goals and five assists across nine league matches, with his stunning showings even leading Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher to pronounce him “the best player in the Premier League.”

What a player, ay? As per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 2% for assists, the top 8% for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for progressive passes per 90.

Last season’s heroics established Palmer as a force to be reckoned with, but now he’s growing into a top, top player. Refined and robust, he’s so important for the west Londoners.

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Cole Palmer

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Erling Haaland

31

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Ollie Watkins

37

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Mohamed Salah

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28

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Phil Foden

35

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5.

Heung-min Son

35

27

Chelsea are blessed to have an attacking midfielder with such a potent threat, and though Sancho is unavailable, Maresca will still be able to unleash a thrilling frontline.

Noni Madueke will be on the right flank; Nicolas Jackson will of course reprise his role at number nine. However, Pedro Neto may well find himself benched even after impressing against Newcastle last weekend, because Mykhaylo Mudryk – the club’s Ukrainian Neymar – might be the perfect man for the left wing on this occasion.

Maresca must unleash Mykhaylo Mudryk

Mudryk has had a tough ride throughout the duration of his Chelsea career so far, but there are genuine signs of progress under Maresca’s wing this season.

Now, many might assume that Neto would be the shoo-in for a starting berth on the left flank with Sancho out of action, but this might not actually be the best idea.

The Portugal international is an electric and dynamic talent, impressed against the Magpies in the Premier League last weekend, but he faded as that one dragged on and lost eight of his 12 duels. That is something that might be exploited by his countryman Diogo Dalot, who flattered to deceive last time out but has arguably been United’s best player in 2024/25, winning an eye-catching 64% of his duels, as per Sofascore.

Man United are an aerially dominant team, ranking fifth in the Premier League this term (53% average), whereas Chelsea (47% average) languish in 15th.

Therefore, it’s perhaps not the best idea to utilise a cross-heavy star in Neto, who of course is not one-dimensional, and instead unleashes Mudryk, whose ability to weave past the last line is an uncanny thing.

With Palmer capable of incredible defence-splitting passes, and also among the finest creators in Europe, such strengths could be maximised.

The Ukraine international also produced quite an impressive performance in midweek, even if Chelsea’s defensive disaster pulled them out of the Carabao Cup.

He looked lively in flashes, and though Chelsea struggled to really get going – something that Mudryk was candidly a part of – he was certainly a bright spark, making three key passes, completing two dribbles, and winning nine duels, as per Sofascore.

That success in the duel is something that could be crucial in claiming purchase against Man United and is a large part of why Mudryk must be unleashed for this one – after all, he has a point to prove and is maybe, just maybe, starting to click into gear.

This is a glorious opportunity for Chelsea to leapfrog Arsenal, who were defeated at Newcastle on Saturday, and condemn the Red Devils to more misery before their new era gets going.

Mudryk has only started once in the top flight this year but now is his time to shine, and with Palmer pulling the strings from the centre, and that is why Maresca should boldly drop Neto after his assist last weekend to start the winger.

Imagine him & Palmer: Chelsea battling PL rivals to re-sign £110m sensation

Chelsea would be getting themselves an unbelievable talent.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 1, 2024

Southee’s 5 for 69 keeps India to 345 despite Iyer’s debut century

Karthik Krishnaswamy26-Nov-20213:38

Jaffer: Iyer a No. 5 candidate for all conditions

Tim Southee delivered one of the great Test-match spells by a visiting fast bowler in India to drag New Zealand back into the Kanpur Test, before Will Young and Tom Latham put on a resolute and unbroken 129 to ensure all four results were still in play after two engrossing days.Having been bowled out for 345 shortly after lunch, India probed from every conceivable angle for 57 overs, but their five bowlers couldn’t separate New Zealand’s opening pair. While the ball occasionally gripped and turned square, and more often kept low, the slowness of the surface allowed the batters to adjust and survive.Watch live cricket on ESPN+ in the US

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from India vs New Zealand live in the US. Match highlights of India vs New Zealand is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

For all their frustrations over the last two sessions, India’s five-man attack bowled with control throughout – particularly in the post-tea session, in which they conceded just 57 runs in 31 overs – ensuring that the scoring rate was kept down, and New Zealand went to stumps still trailing by more than 200 runs.Young and Latham, however, showed the rest of New Zealand’s line-up a template to survive. Knowing that the pitch wasn’t going to rush them, they let the ball come to them, meeting it right under their eye as far as possible, and didn’t go looking for scoring opportunities outside their comfort zones. Against the spinners, Latham waited for the line to shift outside off stump so he could sweep while minimising the risk of lbw. That shot was his primary scoring option aside from leg-side flicks and nudges.Young, meanwhile, reached his fifty with a flurry of drives against the spinners before tea. But he was content to remain scoreless for long periods in the final session, when R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel began to find their rhythm and the ideal pace and seam positions for this surface.As the day neared its close, all three spinners began to beat the bat more often. Ashwin thought he had Latham caught behind in the penultimate over of the day, and the umpire agreed, only for a review to indicate it was bat brushing pad rather than an edge. It was Latham’s third successful review; he had twice been adjudged lbw off the inside edge before tea, once against Umesh Yadav and once against Jadeja.The first half of the day belonged to Southee. Having nursed a groin strain that took him off the field for parts of the first day’s play, he recovered sufficiently – or bowled through residual pain – to pick up four wickets in an unbroken spell of 11 overs on the second morning to complete his 13th five-wicket haul in Test cricket and his second in India.Tom Latham profited from the sweep in Kanpur•BCCIStarting the day at 258 for 4 with two half-centurions at the crease, India were bowled out for the addition of only 87 runs. The bulk of those runs came from Shreyas Iyer, who became the 16th India batter to score a century on debut, and Ashwin, who made a counterattacking 38 at No. 8.Kyle Jamieson was New Zealand’s most impactful performer on day one, but he began day two completely out of rhythm, and Iyer, resuming on 75, hit him for five fours in his first three overs of the morning to hurry into the 90s. He brought up his hundred in Jamieson’s next over, with a sliced drive for two backward of point.By then, though, Southee had already made a crucial incision. He began the day with four balls wide of Jadeja’s off stump, delivered from around the wicket, and the left-hander shouldered arms to all of them. He followed it with one that swung sharply into the stumps, and Jadeja, stuck in his crease, played down the wrong line and was struck on the back pad, with an umpire’s call verdict on height saving him after New Zealand reviewed the initial not-out decision.Southee didn’t have to wait long to get his man, though. A similar delivery in his next over drew a similar, leaden-footed response, and this time the ball rattled into the stumps via the inside edge.The wickets kept coming. A pair of full outswingers that weren’t quite full enough to drive prised Wriddhiman Saha and Iyer out; the first, delivered from wide of the crease, drew an off-drive down the wrong line, and the second, delivered from closer to the stumps and swerving away to scramble the batter’s shape and causing him to spoon the ball to cover point.Then, in his eighth over of the morning, Southee alternated inswingers to the left-handed Axar with scrambled-seam balls that straightened off the pitch. Axar played and missed at the first scrambled-seam ball, and hung his bat out and edged the second to the keeper. India were 313 for 8.By then, Ashwin was already on 20 off 22 balls, having come in and taken on Southee’s outswingers and hit him for three fours through the off side. Southee kept going for three more overs in the quest to finish the innings off, but Ashwin farmed the strike, refusing singles to keep Umesh away from the strike as much as possible.Ashwin could have been dismissed for 16 when he stepped out to Ajaz Patel and missed an attempted lofted hit, with the ball scooting through low. The ball, however, narrowly missed off stump and bounced off Tom Blundell’s pad before he could react. It could have been the first wicket to fall to a spinner in this Test match, but as on day one – when he missed reviewing an lbw decision against Shubman Gill – the luck wasn’t quite with Ajaz.It turned after lunch, though, as he spun one out of the footmarks and past the outside edge to bowl Ashwin, and got one to skid through with the arm to trap Ishant Sharma plumb in front.

Manchester United coaches are starting to run out of patience with Rasmus Hojlund after the Danish striker's run without a goal stretched to 16 games.

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Amorim's staff not pleased with Dane's formHojlund hasn't scored since mid-DecemberFans cheered him being substituted at EvertonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The forward cut a frustrated figure during Saturday's 2-2 draw with Everton and United scored both of their goals in the thrilling comeback after he had been taken off for 17-year-old Chido Obi. According to the club's coaching staff are losing patience with the Danish international amid his longest scoring drought since his £72 million ($91m) move from Atalanta in 2023.

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The report claims that one member of Ruben Amorim's backroom team was 'particularly scathing' about Hojlund's blunt display in the 1-0 defeat at Tottenham earlier in the month. However, the coaches are also said to be trying to encourage the forward in training in a bid to get him firing again. Hojlund's last goal came in the 2-1 victory at Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on December 12.

DID YOU KNOW?

United's travelling supporters cheered the substitution of Hojlund at Goodison Park with 20 minutes still to play. That was partly due to excitement around seeing 17-year-old Obi in action after his goal-scoring feats for the U18s although the MEN claimed that there was also a sense that the fans were showing their displeasure at Hojlund.

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

Hojlund will be hoping to end his long run without scoring when United meet relegation-fighting Ipswich Town at Old Trafford on Wednesday. The match could also determine whether or not the Red Devils get sucked into an unthinkable battle against relegation themselves, as they are 13 points above Ipswich with 12 games left of the season. Defeat would see the gap reduced to 10 points.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have had some major sales over the past few summers. It has certainly not made things easy for them this season; the Old Gold sit 19th in the Premier League on six points, having won their first top-flight game last weekend against Southampton.

Over the last two few summers, they have lost some prominent first-team players. In 2023, former club captain Ruben Neves was sold to Saudi side Al-Hilal and his fellow Portuguese midfielder Matheus Nunes joined Manchester City. More recently, Max Kilman signed for West Ham United last summer.

However, there is one sale which has arguably impacted the club – and current boss Gary O’Neil – more than any other. That player is Pedro Neto.

Neto’s Wolves career

It was a memorable weekend for Neto during the most recent round of fixtures, as he scored his first Premier League goal for Chelsea to earn them a hard-fought point, as the Blues drew 1-1 at home to Arsenal.

It was a stunning long-range strike, and it perhaps demonstrates just how high of a level the winger can, and is, playing to at the moment.

He made the move to West London over the summer, with Wolves eventually settling for a fee of £54m including add-ons. The 24-year-old has made a good start to life in Blue, with three goals and three assists to his name in 13 games.

Even though his Molineux career was tarnished by injury, Neto was superb for the Old Gold during his time at the club. He featured 135 times in total, scoring 14 goals and grabbing 24 assists. The Portugal international starred during the 2023/24 Premier League season. He played just 20 games, but scored twice and grabbed nine assists, a very productive campaign.

Injuries did ravage Neto’s career at Wolves, however. Since the start of the 2019/20 season, the 24-year-old missed a total of 584 days out with injury. The longest spell he was out for was 52 games between April 2021 and February 2022.

Although he struggled with fitness throughout his time at Molineux, there is no doubting Neto’s brilliance for the Old Gold. They miss him after his summer departure and have yet to find a replacement.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

However, there was a period of time when Wolves thought they had Neto’s dream replacement in the academy.

The ex-academy star who could have replaced Neto

The player in question here is young winger Theo Corbeanu. The 22-year-old Canadian attacker was once highly rated at Molineux, described by journalist Alex Dicken as someone who could ‘follow Pedro Neto’ and become a prominent first-team player.

He was also highly regarded by those within the club at the time, with U23 boss James Collins hailing him as “an outstanding prospect”, while stating that he’s “got a bit of everything”.

The youngster never really managed to establish himself at Molineux, however. He went on five separate loan spells, some in England and some across Europe, looking to gain experience in an attempt to break into the Old Gold’s first team.

The winger, born in Ontario, did not manage more than six goal involvements in a single loan move. He managed one goal and five assists in 18 games for Swiss side Grasshoppers of Zurich.

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Games

Goals

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Grasshoppers of Zurich

18

1

5

Blackpool

18

3

1

Sheffield Wednesday

18

2

3

MK Dons

17

1

1

Arminia Bielefeld

15

0

0

Corbeanu played once for the Midlands club, making an eight-minute cameo in a Premier League game in 2020/21 against Tottenham Hotspur away from home. He featured on the bench a further 12 times but was an unused substitute.

In February 2024, the winger made the move from Molineux to Spain amid his limited role under O’Neil, joining Granada on a permanent deal. He has played 19 times for the club so far, across both the first and second tier of Spain, and has just one goal to his name.

Looking back on the deal, Wolves fans will surely be disappointed that their Neto replacement was not someone waiting for his opportunity in the academy, with it certainly frustrating that Corbeanu could not kick on and become a first-team regular.

Wolves targeted “Europe's most wanted” manager, they got Lopetegui & O'Neil

Wolves almost appointed a leading manager in 2022

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 7, 2024

North Zone vs South Zone ends in draw with Towhid Hridoy scoring his maiden double-century

Mohammad Isam22-Dec-2021Nayeem Hasan triggered Central Zone’s fourth innings collapse and helped East Zone post a 10-run win in the Bangladesh Cricket League. The offspinner took 6 for 48 as Central Zone, who were cruising on 145 for 1 at one stage, were bowled out for 189 in chase of 199.Nayeem starred with the bat as well, chipping in with 68 in East Zone’s second innings to help the team post a modest total.With the ball, Nayeem broke the 120-run second wicket stand between Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Mithun on the fourth morning. It triggered the collapse, with Central Zone losing their last nine wickets for 43 runs.That apart, left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam took three wickets.It was a tight contest from the first day. East Zone, who were bowled out for 245 in the first innings, managed to take a lead of 18 runs. Left-arm quick Abu Hider took his third five-wicket haul for Central Zone before Asaduzzaman Payel and Tanvir scalped three each to restrict Central Zone to 227 in their first innings.However, Central Zone hit back by bowling out East Zone for 180 in the second innings. East Zone slipped to 51 for 6 before Nayeem and Pritom Hasan struck fifties, adding 103 runs for the seventh wicket. Wicketkeeper Pritom struck six fours and a six in his quickfire 54.It was the first first-class match at the Shere Bangla National Stadium since the pandemic.The other match, between North Zone and South Zone, ended in a draw at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.Batting first, Naeem Islam’s 28th first-class century helped North Zone to 385 all out after both openers Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain got out for ducks. Naeem, who made 137 off 342 balls with 15 fours and a six, put together two huge stands to get North Zone out of trouble. He added 90 runs for the fourth wicket with Marshall Ayub, who made 47, and shared a 160-run fifth wicket stand with Mahidul Islam, who scored 76.Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed took six wickets for South Zone. struck 217, his maiden double-hundred, hitting 16 fours and four sixes in his 387-ball innings. Amite Hasan made 131, his fourth first-class ton, and added 258 runs for the third wicket with Towhid.Sunzamul Islam and Mohammad Sharifullah took four wickets each, both having bowled more than 60 overs each.North Zone made 62 for 1 in the remaining 26 overs on the final day as the match ended in a draw.

Netherlands lost their last eight wickets for just 64 runs, costing them the opportunity to level the series.

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2022A century from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and four wickets for Mujeeb Ur Rahman helped Afghanistan beat Netherlands by 48 runs to wrap up a series win with an ODI to spare.In the second of three matches in Doha, Afghanistan batted first after winning the toss, and despite the early loss of Usman Ghani, got off to a solid start thanks to an 83-run partnership between Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah. The Dutch bowlers found wicket-taking a challenge, and that stand was followed up by 106 runs added for the third wicket, with Hashmatullah Shahidi scoring a half-century.Once Shahidi was bowled by debutant Ryan Klein, Afghanistan struggled to tee off, but cameos from Najibullah Zadran and Rashid Khan meant they managed to get up to 237. Fred Klaassen and Phillippe Boissevain took two wickets each.The chase began with the early loss of Musa Ahmed and Colin Ackermann. A 90-run stand between Scott Edwards and Bas de Leede pushed Netherlands up to 125 for 3, but once that stand was broken, Afghanistan began to take control again.Pieter Seelar’s run out saw the lower middle order come in, but strikes from Rashid and Mujeeb meant Afghanistan were burrowing deep inside the Dutch tail. Once Edwards fell for 86, there was little resistance from the rest, and by the time Mujeeb bowled No. 11 Vivian Kingma, Afghanistan had wrapped up a comfortable win. The Netherlands lost their last eight wickets for just 64 runs, costing them the opportunity to level the series.

Arda Guler failed to make an impact against Real Sociedad on Wednesday, but Ancelotti does not believe that there are any problems with the player.

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Recent report suggested Madrid unhappy with Arda Guler workrateTurkey international failed to impress against Real SociedadAnacelotti insists youngster just needs timeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has rubbished claims that there are any problems between him and Turkish youngster Arda Guler, who was handed a rare start on Wednesday evening as Madrid saw out a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.

Advertisementgetty imagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Recent weeks have been rife with speculation that Guler isn't enjoying his time at Real Madrid under the tutelage of Ancelotti, who had handed him only 291 minutes of action since the turn of the year in 16 games.

Guler's lack of playing time gave way to rumours that the Turkey international was contemplating a summer exit, with further reports claiming that the Madrid coaching staff was not particularly pleased with the midfielder's attitude in training in recent weeks.

While Guler failed to create anything noteworthy in the final third, his defensive work-rate left a good impression on Ancelotti, who had nothing but words of encouragement for the No.15.

WHAT CARLO ANCELOTTI SAID

"Arda worked very well in his position, helping a lot in defence," Ancelotti asserted after the Sociedad game (h/t AS).

"I read that there’s a ‘Guler problem,’ but there is no case here. It’s a process — for him and for all young players. The same happened with Rodrygo, Vinicius [Jr.], [Fede] Valverde… He needs time to integrate into the best squad in the world. Everyone understands that. And those who don’t, need to.”

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARDA GULER?

Real Madrid await a challenging period, with five matches scheduled over the next 15 days, where they face Real Betis, Rayo Vallecano, and Villarreal in La Liga, alongside a Champions League Round of 16 double-header against local rivals Atletico Madrid. These upcoming battles will be demanding, and opportunities for the likes of Guler will be few and far in between.