Category Uncategorized

Dani Gregory scrambles a single off the last ball to seal result

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay14-May-2025

Alice Capsey scored a crucial century for Surrey•Getty Images for Surrey CCC

A stunning finish at Beckenham saw Surrey tie with The Blaze in the Metro Bank Cup, after Dani Gregory scrambled a single off the last ball.Georgia Elwiss, who top-scored with 82 and took 3 for 35, looked to have handed the visitors victory but a superb 125 by Alice Capsey dragged Surrey back from the brink.When Capsey was out, Surrey’s last-wicket duo of Alexa Stonehouse and Gregory needed 40 from 29 balls. They got the target down to nine off the last over and two off the last ball, but with the No. 11 Gregory on strike they could only manage one, leaving both sides unsure if they should laugh or weep.The visitors had dominated after being put in, with Amy Jones hitting 80 and Kathryn Bryce 56. Gregory had Surrey’s best figures with 3 for 66.Surrey got Tammy Beaumont for just 8, when she pulled Stonehouse straight to Ryana MacDonald Gay at backward square, they struggled to contain Jones and Bryce.They put on 113 for the second wicket and Jones looked poised for a century until Gregory had her caught behind.Bryce also looked well set until she missed a straight one from MacDonald-Gay and was bowled middle stump.Sarah Bryce had made 34 when she edged Stonehouse and Chathli took a sharp one-handed catch.Gregory slowed The Blaze’s progress by bowling both Maddy Green and Ella Claridge in successive overs for 21 and seven respectively, but Elwiss and Kirstie Gordon responded with a stand worth 63 that was only broken when the latter was run out by Paige Scholfield for 26.Davidson-Richards took two wickets in as many balls in the final over, with Scholfield snaring Elwiss on theboundary and MacDonald-Gay reeling in Cassidy McCarthy at mid-off, but Grace Ballinger just avoided getting caught and bowled off the hat-trick ball and Groves finished with a flourish, hitting an unbeaten 10 from five, including a six over mid-wicket.Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge put on 57 for Surrey’s opening wicket, but the former was caught behind for 20 off McCarthy.Capsey was on six when she was dropped by Elwiss on the midwicket boundary off Kathryn Bryce, but Bryce struck in the same over to get Wyatt-Hodge for 43, caught at backward square by Groves.Scholfield went on the attack, smashing Gordon back over her head for six, then sweeping her for another maximum over cow corner, but she went for 37 of 31 balls when she miscued Elwiss and Kathryn Bryce took a diving catch at deep midwicket.Davidson-Richards made a single, smashed a Groves delivery into her own foot, hobbled back to the crease and was caught and bowled off the next ball.Elwiss then got Chathli for five, caught on the boundary by Sarah Bryce and Phoebe Franklin for 17 after Groves took a steepling catch at backward square.Moore went for 10, caught by Gordon off McCarthy but Capsey made her maiden List A century by sweeping Gordon for four after hitting the previous delivery for six. She hit the next ball for another six. Elwiss at dropped Capsey again at extra cover off Ballinger, but she held on to catch MacDonald-Gay for 27 off the next ball and when Capsey skied Ballinger to Gordon the game seemed up. Yet Stonehouse still managed to hit sixes off Ballinger and Kathryn Bryce to leave Surrey needing nine from the last over.Stonehouse hit Ballinger’s first ball for four, then took a single. The third was a dot, the fourth and fifth singles, leaving Gregory on strike. She straight drove Ballinger who couldn’t break the wicket before the single was completed, leaving the scores tied.

Tottenham could sign a highly-rated player in the winter window, knowing that he was once keen on a move to N17.

The recent board restructure, which resulted in ex-chair Daniel Levy resigning and CEO Vinai Vinkatesham taking a more prominent role alongside members of the Lewis family, has prompted some optimism over their future recruitment plans.

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol recently mooted the possibility of further squad investment from ENIC, who may now be willing to spend more on both wages and transfers overall to hand Thomas Frank the best chance of on-pitch success.

The Lilywhites are already one of world football’s highest revenue-generating clubs, according to the Deloitte Money League, and Levy’s success in turning the club into a financial powerhouse cannot be understated.

Real Madrid

£1.2 billion

Man City

£727 million

PSG

£700 million

Man United

£668 million

Bayern Munich

£664 million

FC Barcelona

£659.5 million

Arsenal

£621.5 million

Liverpool

£620 million

Tottenham Hotspur

£533 million

Chelsea

£474 million

However, Levy’s reputation for underspending compared to rivals was a key complaint of his tenure, and arguably contributed towards Tottenham’s lack of silverware during the 24 years he was chairman.

Now, Spurs insist a “new era” has begun with the swathe of recent boardroom changes, and it will be very intriguing to see how the north Londoners tackle their first transfer market post-Levy.

Frank has overseen an excellent start to 2025/2026, and worked wonders to tempt Xavi Simons with a move to Tottenham, according to super agent Ali Barat.

Reports over the summer claimed that Frank was also really pushing to sign Man City forward Savinho, and the Dane apparently believed that he could do ‘big things’ in north London, as per the reliable Fabrizio Romano.

Pep Guardiola was publicly clear that he wanted to keep the Brazil international and a potential Spurs move ultimately fell through, with City rejecting two bids, including an offer just under £61 million (Fabrizio Romano).

Savinho transfer to Tottenham alive for January after previous Levy plan

As per journalist Dean Jones, speaking to TEAMtalk, Levy was prepared to pay up to £65m for Savinho in the summer, and Tottenham know the winger wanted to join them before deadline day on September 1.

Spurs are still keeping an eye on Savinho, and it is believed they could move in January if Frank’s side get enough encouragement.

Savinho has played just 37 minutes in all competitions so far.

This is partly down to injury, but if the ex-Girona star continues to be on the fringes of Guardiola’s plans, a January move could well tempt him.

Savinho faces a battle to get into the starting eleven on a regular basis amid Jeremy Doku’s sensational start to the season, and with the 2026 World Cup looming, the 21-year-old may fancy a move elsewhere as Frank’s side maintain a serious interest.

His best-ever campaign yielded 11 goals and 10 assists in 41 appearances for title-chasing Girona in 23/24, and Guardiola has called Savinho an “exceptional” player.

Fast bowler made one Championship appearance in 2024 before injury curtailed his stay

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-2025Neil Wagner, the former New Zealand fast bowler, will return to Durham for the final four months of the season, with his first appearance set for their home County Championship clash with Sussex on June 22.Wagner, 39, claimed 260 wickets in 64 Tests for New Zealand, from 2012 until his international retirement in February 2024, earning plaudits along the way for his indefatigable left-arm line of attack. He announced his New Zealand domestic retirement last week but said he still had plans to play county cricket.He made a one-off Championship appearance for Durham against Nottinghamshire last season, claiming four first-innings wickets to set up an innings win, but managed just three further List A games before his short stint was curtailed by injury.In total, Wagner has claimed 841 first-class wickets in more than 200 first-class appearances, and his return will shore up Durham’s fast-bowling stocks, which are set to be hit this summer by Brydon Carse’s likely inclusion in England’s Test plans.Related

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“I am extremely excited to join Durham again!” Wagner said. “I loved and enjoyed my short time their last season, which was unfortunately shortened by injury, but I feel like have some unfinished business with wanting to contribute and play a role for a great club.”I met some awesome people during my last time in Durham and can’t wait to join up with the lads again and play some exciting cricket.”Durham is Wagner’s fifth county, following appearances for Northampton, Lancashire, Essex and Somerset.Director of Cricket, Marcus North said: “We are delighted that Neil is returning to Durham this season for a large block of the summer.”We saw during his short spell with us last season how much of an influential character he was in the changing room, so when the opportunity presented for Neil to return it was an easy decision.”His left arm pace complements our bowling attack immensely and his record speaks for itself with over 800 first-class wickets to his name, we are really pleased to welcome him back in June and see him play a key role in our County Championship success”.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele was confirmed as the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner earlier this week and final voting figures revealed he finished more than 300 points clear of Barcelona's teenage superstar Lamine Yamal. The Frenchman's stellar campaign, which included a historic quadruple, made him only PSG's second ever recipient of the prestigious prize.

• 2025 Ballon d'Or voting points confirmed

  Final voting numbers released on Friday, four days after the ceremony itslef, confirmed that Dembele finished top with 1,380 points, ahead of Yamal on 1,059 – the only two playes to break through the 1,000-point barrier. Vitinha (703), Mohamed Salah (657) and Raphinha (620) rounded out the top five.

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• Paris Saint-Germain dominate the rankings

  The top 10 also included Achraf Hakimi (484), Kylian Mbappe (378), Cole Palmer (211), Gianluigi Donnarumma (172) and Nuno Mendes (171). Liverpool star Salah was recognised again after another prolific year, while Palmer earned a surprise eighth place after shining for Chelsea. The top 10 included five Paris Saint-Germain stars overall, highlighting Les Parisiens' massive season.

• Getty Images
  

  Dembele's fantastic 2024/25 season

  Dembele's triumph caps off a campaign in which PSG finally lifted their first Champions League trophy. The reinvented Frenchman scored 35 goals and provided 14 assists across all competitions as Luis Enrique's side swept to four titles. For Yamal, finishing second at just 18-years-old underlined his growing status as the future of Barcelona and Spain, while he remarkably still has three more chances to break Ronaldo Nazario's record as the youngest ever winner. It's already impossible to imagine him winning at least one Ballon d'Or during his career.

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• Dembele and Yamal could face off next week

  Dembele will now look to build on his Ballon d'Or triumph by sustaining PSG's momentum into 2025-26. Yamal, meanwhile, will be determined to go one better after already proving he belongs among the world’s elite. The two former colleagues could go head-to-head next week when PSG take on Barcelona at the Olympic Stadium, with Yamal declaring himself fit after injury.

It was not the return to Premier League action that West Ham United fans were hoping for on Saturday afternoon.

However, while Graham Potter’s side were trounced 3-0 by Sunderland, there were at least a couple of positives to take from the game, like El Hadji Malick Diouf’s first competitive game for the club.

The Senegalese international certainly wasn’t spectacular against the Black Cats, but he was still one of the Hammers’ better players on the day and showed enough to suggest he could be a key player.

For example, he played two key passes, took one shot on target, was successful in 100% of his dribbles and even made three clearances.

So, fans should be excited about reports linking the club with an up-and-coming player who could be a perfect teammate for Diouf.

Diouf’s game vs Sunderland

Minutes

97′

Touches

54

Expected Goals +Assists

0.23

Number of Sprints

10

Key Passes

2

Shots on Target

1

Dribbles (Successful)

1 (1)

Fouls Won

1

Clearances

3

All Stats via Sofascore

West Ham target a dream teammate for Diouf

With just under two weeks to go until the transfer window slams shut, West Ham are still being linked with several players who could help keep them out of a relegation scrap this season.

Transfer Focus

Expand Collapse

One of those players touted for a move to the London Stadium has been AS Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini, who could be available for free and would bring an abundance of top-flight experience with him.

However, while the Italian international would be an excellent addition to the squad, it now looks like the Irons are closing in on another midfield ace, someone who’d be a perfect teammate for Diouf.

At least that is according to a recent report, which has claimed West Ham United are still very interested in Mateus Fernandes.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Hammers are now preparing an offer for the Southampton star, which, according to other stories this month, might have to be worth around £50m to get the South Coast side to sell.

However, while that is an enormous sum of money, Fernandes might just be worth it, especially as he could help get even more out of Diouf.

Why Fernandes would be perfect for Diouf

There are two primary ways that Fernandes could help get more out of Diouf this season, and the first is down to his offensive qualities.

For example, despite playing in a terrible Southampton team last season that was in real danger of taking Derby County’s most unwanted of records at one point, the Portuguese ace was still able to amass a pretty decent tally of three goals and six assists in 42 games.

What makes that more impressive is the fact that he was tasked with playing all over, from defensive to attacking midfield and even in wide midfield at points.

So, just imagine how much more effective he could be playing alongside considerably more talented players at the London Stadium – his output would shoot up.

At the same time, Diouf would now have a central midfielder to his right who is more than capable of progressing the ball and laying on chances for him, in turn boosting his own goal and assist tally.

However, the former Sporting CP star is also more than capable of doing the defensive work, which is the second reason he could help get more out of the former Slavia Prague star.

For example, FBref ranked the “exceptional” talent, as dubbed by Mattinson, in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles in the defensive third, the top 2% for tackles plus interceptions and blocks, the top 4% for ball recoveries and more, all per 90.

With the Olhão-born monster able to do this in the middle of the park, Diouf may have more freedom to maraud forward and swing in a cross or take a shot on himself, thus bolstering the chance he gets himself an assist or goal.

Ultimately, Fernandes would be a great signing in his own right, but with the Senegalese international on the left, he could have an even more game-changing addition to this West Ham side.

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Scott Boland will be favourite to come into the line-up for the day-night contest in Adelaide

Andrew McGlashan30-Nov-20241:21

Clarke: Australia has some work to do to keep Kohli down

Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the second Test against India with a side strain.Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett, who are both uncapped at Test level, have been added to Australia’s squad although Scott Boland will be Hazlewood’s likely replacement in the XI for the day-night Test.Related

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A Cricket Australia statement said that Hazlewood had a “low grade left side injury” and he would remain with the squad in Adelaide to work through his recovery.Hazlewood was the pick of Australia’s bowlers in Perth with 5 for 57 across 34 overs. This will be the first Test that Hazlewood has missed since Headingley in last year’s Ashes which followed a period where he suffered a run of frustrating injuries – including two side strains – while he was also omitted due to conditions on various subcontinent tours. Between December 2021 and June 2023 he featured in just four Tests.Should, as expected, Boland return to the side it would be his first Test since he came in for Hazlewood in that Ashes game at Leeds. He has a stunning record at home with 28 wickets at 12.21 from six matches.Last season against Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand, Australia got through all seven Tests with an unchanged attack and last week’s Perth Test marked the 10th consecutive outing where Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc had lined up together.Abbott, a regular in Australia’s white-ball squads, has often been considered unfortunate not to have earned a Test cap. For Doggett, meanwhile, it has been a rapid return to national contention after he was previously selected for the series against Pakistan in the UAE in 2018. It comes on the back of taking a career-best 6 for 15 for Australia A against India A in Mackay having not been an original member of the squad before being called up as an injury replacement.Josh Hazlewood was impressive during the opening Test•Associated Press

Michael Neser would have been firmly in contention for a call-up but suffered a hamstring injury in the second Australia A match at the MCG and is unlikely to be fit until the start of the BBL.Western Australia duo Jhye Richardson and Lance Morris, who are both centrally contracted, have recently made their returns to Sheffield Shield cricket for the first time this season.Australia’s selectors had previously added uncapped allrounder Beau Webster to the squad amid concerns over Mitchell Marsh after he pulled up sore following Perth. Josh Inglis, originally selected as the spare batter, remains in the squad but could be leapfrogged by Webster if Marsh is unavailable for Adelaide.The loss of Hazlewood adds to the uncertainty around Australia heading into the second Test after their 295-run thrashing in Perth. There are question marks over the batting line-up, with Marnus Labuschagne the most under pressure after his twin failures in Perth including 2 off 52 balls in the first innings.Australia will be begin training in Adelaide on Monday, a day earlier than originally scheduled. India are due to play a two-day game against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra on Saturday and Sunday although heavy rain has put that in doubt. Boland is part of the PM’s XI squad with a view to getting some overs under his belt having played just two first-class games this season.

Chelsea have added another promising player to their books, continuing BlueCo’s policy of signing world football’s most exciting young talents.

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Enzo Maresca already has a squad filled with youth, so much so, that there is a real case to be made for the club to prioritise more experience.

Most recently, Chelsea agreed a deal with Ajax worth over £35 million for teenage starlet Jorrel Hato, who joins Liam Delap (22), Jamie Gittens (20) and Joao Pedro (23) as their latest incomings of the window.

Despite his age, Hato already boasts over a century of senior appearances from his time at Ajax, including some noteworthy Europa League performances.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Hato underwent his medical yesterday, according to Fabrizio Romano, with Chelsea adding yet another starlet to their ranks ahead of the new season.

Todd Boehly and the board haven’t been shy when it comes to splashing the cash on these prestigious talents, having spent nearly £270 million this window alone, and Chelsea are yet to make any signings over the age of 23 in the build up to deadline day.

Chelsea also fielded the youngest ever starting eleven in Premier League history last year (OptaJoe), and amid their talks for RB Leipzig starlet Xavi Simons, not to mention an expected bid for Alejandro Garnacho, their average age isn’t likely to go up any time soon.

Chelsea confirm signing of Jesse Derry from Crystal Palace

The club are very much still prioritising players with huge sell-on value and potential, with Chelsea recently agreeing a deal for young Crystal Palace attacker Jesse Derry too.

The 18-year-old “sensation” was on the verge of a move to Germany, before Maresca’s side hijacked the transfer to keep him in London. Derry was a man in-demand, attracting interest from eight European clubs, but it was Chelsea who ultimately won the race for his signature (Fabrizio Romano).

Now, almost a week later, Chelsea have confirmed Derry’s arrival, with the Englishman putting pen to paper on a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

The teenage forward represented England at this summer’s Under-19 European championships, coming after he racked up 20 goals and five assists in just 27 outings for Palace’s Under-18s during his time at Selhurst Park.

Derry made the step up to Under-21s football at Palace last season too, but he’ll now attempt to battle his way into Maresca’s set up over the coming years.

Fabrizio Romano says that Arsenal are about to sign yet another player this summer, with sporting director Andrea Berta remaining busy in the transfer market after an already-ambitious window.

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Mikel Arteta has already watched the Premier League title hopefuls confirm deals for Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard most recently.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£75m

The Gunners announced Norgaard’s capture on Thursday for an initial fee of £10 million, which could rise to £15 million if add-ons are met, and he comes in to shore up Arteta’s midfield whilst replacing the departed Thomas Partey.

“We’re delighted to welcome Christian to Arsenal,” said Arteta about Norgaard’s arrival.

“He is an international player with a wealth of experience of the Premier League. He has proven leadership skills and a strong character which will be invaluable to our squad.

“He is a strong midfielder with excellent tactical awareness and versatility. He also has physical presence and intelligence which will give us added depth and balance. Christian will bring a lot to the group both on and off the pitch, and we’re excited to start working with him in this next chapter of his career. We welcome Christian and his family to Arsenal.”

Attention now swiftly turns to who will follow the Denmark international to N5.

Arsenal remain in ongoing talks to sign Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres as negotiations reach a very advanced stage, and it is believed the 27-year-old is now on strike as he attempts to force through his desired move to north London.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have also held talks with Eberechi Eze’s representatives, according to reliable media sources, and a potential deal for the England international playmaker is separate to their pursuit of Chelsea winger Noni Madueke.

Earlier this week, after agreeing personal terms with the 23-year-old, Arsenal opened formal talks with Chelsea over signing Madueke, and it now appears those negotiations have reached a swift conclusion.

Arsenal given green light to sign Noni Madueke with agreement reached

That is according to Romano and widespread reports, which claim that Arsenal have now reached a total agreement for Madueke, in a deal worth north of £50 million including add-ons.

Arteta’s side have been given the “green light” to sign the ex-PSV Eindhoven sensation, with Chelsea set to make a £20 million profit – two years after he joined them from the Eredivisie for around £30 million.

The forward, called a “machine” by members of the media, was also dubbed one of Chelsea’s “best players” by Enzo Maresca last season.

However, Madueke is now poised to become the latest in a long line of transfers between the west Londoners and Arsenal, which surely casts major doubt over the long-term futures of both Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard – especially if they also complete a deal for Eze.

Chelsea need to balance the books with player sales, in light of their estimated £140 million summer transfer expenditure so far, not to mention pressure from UEFA with regard to FFP.

The Blues are set to receive a bucket-load of prize money from reaching the final of the Club World Cup, having earned a reported £80 million in total from their six games at the tournament so far, but the sheer amount of deadwood on Enzo Maresca’s books needs trimming.

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Posts 2 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 9, 2025

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys and Marcus Bettinelli all departed Stamford Bridge recently and brought in around £19 million, but there are a host of other players in line to depart the west London club.

Lesley Ugochukwu, João Félix, Renato Veiga, Ben Chilwell, David Datro Fofana, Armando Broja, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku and Djordje Petrovic could all reportedly leave Chelsea too, but BlueCo face an almighty task to find all the aforementioned men new homes before deadline day on September 1.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Madueke, and ESPN report that they could agree a £43 million deal with Chelsea by the end of this week, so as things stand, it appears that transfer could be closest to completion.

Petrovic is also attracting a lot of interest after reaching a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that he can leave Chelsea for £25 million.

The writing has been on the wall for a lot of the previously named Chelsea men for quite some time, but striker Nicolas Jackson could now join them out the door, especially after the arrivals of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap.

Jackson is “no longer” unsellable, according to multiple reports, and it shows just how quickly things can change in football. The Senegal international was branded one of Maresca’s “most important” players by pundit Joe Cole in May, but Jackson now finds himself in an increasingly precarious situation.

Nicolas Jackson could leave Chelsea in Barcelona loan deal

According to reports in Spain, Barcelona could offer the African a new temporary landing spot.

While talks between the Catalans and Maresca’s side are yet to take place, Barca have apparently “set their sights” on signing Jackson from Chelsea, amid a belief that the 24-year-old would fit perfectly into Hansi Flick’s system.

Chelsea are also said to be open to letting Jackson depart for the Camp Nou on an initial loan deal, on the condition he’s guaranteed game time, so Barca’s hierarchy are closely monitoring the ex-Villarreal gem ahead of a potential swoop.

If Barca do entertain the possibility of signing him permanently in future, perhaps at the end of his loan if he does well enough, then Fabrizio Romano reports that Chelsea have placed a £52 million price tag on his head – so Barca know exactly what it will take.

Whilst England are lucky to have the likes of Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Phil Foden to choose from at the heart of their midfield these days, it wasn’t so long ago that Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes were all available in the engine room.

The current generation is special, but England’s last ‘golden generation’ still arguably had the most talent at their disposal in pursuit of a first honour since the 1966 World Cup.

It wasn’t just in midfield that the Three Lions were spoilt for talent. It’s a squad which also featured Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand and John Terry. And the list could go on.

Many have had their say as to why England were dumped out of the 2002 World Cup and then on penalties against Portugal at Euro 2004, including Lampard. The former England and Chelsea midfielder told reporters: “I think at times, we [the Golden Generation] were too rigid. I talk from my own personal experience of playing at World Cups against teams that were not at our level.

“I’m not talking about France and Italy, more teams like Ecuador, who were keeping the ball in midfield because they were outnumbering us in the centre of the park. The things that maybe me and Stevie [Steven Gerrard] were used to doing where we had numbers, now we are just trying to cover space and you get a bit mentally done with it in the game wondering why this is happening.”

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Outnumbered or not, there’s no denying the quality that England particularly had in the middle of the park. But finding the right balance between Lampard, Gerrard and Scholes often proved to be The Three Lions’ biggest problem, and that sparked a midfield debate which has rumbled on for decades since.

Rooney named Gerrard as his greatest ever England teammate

Having played with all three at international level and Scholes with Manchester United too, Rooney should be an expert in the age-old England midfield debate, and he delivered his official verdict to The Overlap in 2024.

Whilst praising all three, Rooney went on to reiterate that Scholes could not achieve what Gerrard did in a Liverpool side which often struggled to compete with the very top honours: “All were world-class players. Stevie could come to Manchester United and be a top player and do what Scholes could do. But I don’t think Scholes could do what Stevie did at Liverpool.”

Appearances

504

611

499

Goals

121

177

107

Assists

97

116

61

League titles

0

3

11

The numbers certainly don’t help to end the debate after Rooney’s verdict, but what they do highlight is England’s clear failure with all three at their disposal in a golden generation.