All posts by h716a5.icu

An update has emerged on Nottingham Forest and their attempts to bolster their midfield options before the summer transfer window slams shut tonight.

What's the latest Nottingham Forest transfer news?

According to Spanish outlet Sevilla ABC, the Tricky Trees are 'pressing' ahead with a late swoop to sign Real Betis central midfielder Guido Rodriguez.

The report claims that the club have already had one offer of €7.5m (£6m) turned down for the Argentina international and are now prepared to raise their offer to secure his services.

It states that these next few hours are important after talks between Betis and the experienced ace, as it now remains to be seen whether or not he will move on before the deadline passes.

How good is Guido Rodriguez?

The 29-year-old has proven himself to be an excellent combative midfielder in LaLiga over the last few years and could form an outstanding partnership with Ibrahima Sangare in the middle of the park.

Forest have reportedly agreed a £30m deal to sign the Ivory Coast international from Dutch giants PSV and he could be a dominant force alongside Rodriguez for Steve Cooper's side.

In the Eredivisie last season, the 25-year-old giant caught the eye with an average Sofascore rating of 7.24 across 29 appearances as he scored five goals and made 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game for his side.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.07 across 34 LaLiga outings for Betis as he showcased his ability to break up play to win possession back for his side on a regular basis.

The £28k-per-week ace made a phenomenal 4.6 tackles and interceptions per match for his team and displayed his physical strength with a duel success rate of 60%, which shows that he came out on top in the majority of his physical contests.

He also averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.05 over 32 Spanish top-flight outings during the 2021/22 campaign and made an impressive four tackles and interceptions per appearance. This shows that the Argentine brute has been able to deliver a high standard of defensive performances over a prolonged period of time.

Comparatively, no Forest central midfielder managed more than Remo Freuler's 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League last season.

No player in any position averaged a Sofascore rating higher than 6.99 for Cooper's side as they avoided relegation back to the Championship, which illustrates how impressive the two potential deadline day recruit's performances for their respective clubs were last term.

Indeed, Rodriguez, who was once described as a “defensive monster” by analyst Marcus Bring, has the potential to be an outstanding addition to the squad due to his knack for winning the ball back more frequently than any of the manager's current options have the capability of doing.

Therefore, the current Betis star could form a monstrous partnership with Sangare as they are both able to be destroyers in midfield with their physical strength and their quality out of possession to be rocks in front of the defence.

Adelaide Strikers death bowler Ben Laughlin has described his final, match-winning delivery as “stinky” and admitted he “got lucky” when Kieron Pollard swung hard and missed

Melinda Farrell in Adelaide02-Feb-2018Adelaide Strikers death bowler Ben Laughlin has described his final, match-winning delivery as “stinky” and admitted he “got lucky” when Kieron Pollard swung hard and missed the ball while trying to snare victory and a spot in the final for the Renegades.Pollard and Tom Cooper had scored 10 runs off the first five balls of the last over but still needed three for victory off the final ball of the match to seal the win.Laughlin was aiming to bowl a yorker but knew he had missed the mark as soon as he released the ball, which pitched on a length and tailed into Pollard, missing both the inside edge and the stumps. The batsmen scampered through for a bye but by then the Strikers’ celebrations had begun.”Hell no!” Laughlin laughed when asked if he had meant to bowl a length ball to the hard-hitting Pollard. “I was trying to hit the hole wasn’t I? I got lucky so thanks, Poll!”Before starting his final run-up, Laughlin had what looked like an intense discussion with the Strikers captain, Travis Head. “He was actually thinking, ‘I’ll come in and stop the one,’ and I was, like, ‘Trav, sit back and stop two not one’,” Laughlin said. “But we got there.””I knew half way down, when I let it go, it wasn’t right. It was a stinky, horrible length ball that didn’t come out very well. Sometimes you get lucky though, don’t you?””It was panic stations. He swung at it hard, didn’t he? I don’t know how he missed it.”Laughlin has become a specialist death bowler for the Strikers but, despite his extensive experience bowling the final over, this was the first occasion where a match was decided on his final delivery.”It was pretty awesome,” he said. “I’ve never had that last-ball-to-win scenario, so that’s cool. It sort of ticks it off the list now. It was an amazing roar afterwards, I’ve got a tingly feeling now thinking about it. The boys went off, there was a bit of emotion afterwards so it was cool.”

This is the Sri Lanka cricketer’s second arrest in 18 months, after having been taken into custody following a car accident in Colombo in September 2016

Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Mar-2018Sri Lanka cricketer Ramith Rambukwella has been arrested on charges of assault and drunk driving on Friday night. It is alleged that the assault was made on two university students.The media wing of the Sri Lanka Police confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the arrest had been made on Nawala Road in Colombo, and that Rambukwella will be produced in the Aluthkade Magistrate court on Saturday.This is Rambukwella’s second arrest in 18 months, after having been taken into custody following a car accident – also in Colombo – in September 2016. He had also previously been involved in a bizarre incident in July 2013, when on the way back from the Caribbean with the Sri Lanka A team, he caused mild panic on a flight by attempting to open the aircraft’s cabin door at 35,000 feet. Rambukwella has a history of disciplinary problems dating back to his time with the Sri Lanka Under-19 side.Sri Lanka Cricket officials had not been fully briefed on the circumstances of Rambukwella’s latest arrest, but at least one official said that if the charges against him were true, the board would hand out its own punishment.Rambukwella played two T20Is for Sri Lanka, the most recent of which was in July 2016. He is active in domestic cricket, having played for Tamil Union in the club-based T20 tournament over the past few weeks.

Liverpool have made some pretty historic January signings in recent history, with the likes of Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge, and Virgil van Dijk all completing moves in the winter transfer window, before going onto enjoy great success for the Reds.

Now, Jurgen Klopp has reportedly already turned his attention to January reinforcements, despite the summer transfer window just coming to a close, and his side's solid start to the Premier League campaign.

So far this season, Liverpool have remained unbeaten, only dropping points on the opening day of the season against Chelsea. Following that disappointing draw, the Reds went onto defeat Bournemouth, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa.

Nonetheless, those at Anfield are still looking to strengthen, particularly when it comes to options for the future, having reportedly joined the race for one particular standout player.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

Throughout the summer, Liverpool's midfield rebuild didn't exactly follow the script, having initially welcomed both Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, before then losing Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.

Failed pursuits for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia left the Reds without a defensive midfielder, but the arrival of Wataru Endo and the late signing of Ryan Gravenberch signalled a sigh of relief around Anfield.

Now, according to Tipsbladet, via Sport Witness, Liverpool are among the clubs to show "strong interest" in Tromso IL youngster Jens Hjerto-Dahl, having watched him play for Norway U18's win over Dennmark U18s.

The teenager has been described by Sport Witness as "one of the Nordics’ most exciting players" in what is high-praise for the youngster. As things stand, Hjerto-Dahl will reportedly sign a contract extension until 2027, when he turns 18 on October 31, potentially making any deal for his signature more difficult to negotiate for the likes of Liverpool.

Who is Jens Hjerto-Dahl?

Liverpool already reduced the age of their midfield in the summer transfer window by swapping Henderson, 33, and Fabinho, 29, for Mac Allister and Szoboszlai, who are yet to even turn 25-years-old. But, that doesn't mean they haven't got an eye on future talent, and their reported interest in Hjerto-Dahl proves that.

The 17-year-old can play in both central midfield and defensive midfield, and has already made 13 appearances for the Tromso first-team this season, scoring three goals and assisting a further two, for five goal involvements in total. For a player who is yet to turn 18, those numbers show someone who may have the world at his feet before too long.

If he does make the move to Liverpool, then Hjerto-Dahl will need plenty of patience, given the competition for places under Klopp. As proved by 18-year-old Stefan Bajcetic, however, if a player is talented enough, they will get an opportunity at Liverpool. The Spaniard made four appearances in the Champions League, as well as a further 11 appearances in the Premier League last season, and even managed to get himself a goal along the way.

Hjerto-Dahl may be looking at Bajcetic's path as one he can replicate, if he does get a move to the English giants in January.

The ICC has set October 1-3 for the hearing on the PCB’s dispute with the BCCI, and the decision of the panel will be final

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2018The BCCI and the PCB’s dispute over two unplayed bilateral series moved a step forward after the ICC constituted a three-person dispute panel four months after Pakistan decided to take the legal route in pursuit of its resolution. The hearings will take place in Dubai from October 1-3 and the decision of the panel will be final.”The International Cricket Council today confirmed that the Hon Michael Beloff QC will chair the Dispute Panel in the matter of proceedings between the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Board of Control for Cricket in India,” the ICC said in a statement. “The other two members of the panel, which has been established under the Terms of Reference of the ICC Disputes Resolution Committee, are Mr Jan Paulsson and Hon Dr Annabelle Bennett AO, SC. The hearing will take place in Dubai from 1-3 October and, as per Article 10.4 of the Terms of Reference of the ICC Disputes Resolution Committee, the decision of the Dispute Panel shall be non-appealable and shall remain the full and final decision in relation to the matter and binding on all parties.”The PCB claims up to $70million worth lost revenue from failure of the BCCI to play two series – in November 2014 and December 2015 – which were agreed by the boards in April 2014. Both series were officially slotted into the ICC’s Future Tour Programme (FTP) with Pakistan as host. However, amid a deteriorating political situation, the BCCI refused to honour that agreement.The PCB, saying they had no option left, sent a notice of dispute to the ICC. Under the watch of the ICC, both boards met on a number of occasions to try and reach a resolution in good faith, to no avail.In a final motion, a three-person dispute panel headed by Beloff with Paulsson (Pakistan representation) and Bennett (Indian representation) will have a three-day hearing at the ICC headquarters in Dubai. Beloff, incidentally, was head of the ICC tribunal which banned Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif for spot-fixing in 2011. The proceedings are likely to be conducted in private.”Unless the parties agree to settle their dispute in the meantime, the Dispute Panel shall decide the outcome of the case following deliberation in private,” read the terms of reference. “They shall endeavour to reach a unanimous decision, but a majority decision shall suffice. No member of the Dispute Panel may abstain from voting on the outcome of any dispute, but any member may record a dissenting opinion which may be attached to the majority decision with the permission of the Chairperson of the Dispute Panel. “The bone of contention is the original agreement between the two sides in 2014, which is expected to be a central pillar in the PCB’s arguments. It had agreed on both sides playing six series between December 2015 and November-December 2022, and also an effort to play a short limited-overs series in Pakistan (or a neutral venue) in November 2014. But amid tense relations between the two governments, any chance of a resumption in bilateral ties had always looked distant. And that has been the BCCI’s core claim all along – that it does not have government permission to play Pakistan.India and Pakistan have not played a full series since the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, which India blamed on militants based in Pakistan. Pakistan visited India for a short limited-overs series in December 2012, but that did not do enough to thaw the frosty relationship.

It proved to be a summer of change for Tottenham Hotspur, with the most notable departure having been the sale of club record goalscorer, Harry Kane, following the Englishman's £100m move to Bayern Munich.

The 30-year-old goal machine was followed out the door by fellow academy graduate Harry Winks who sealed a £10m switch to Championship side, Leicester City, while Davinson Sanchez was another remnant of the Mauricio Pochettino era to have moved on permanently, joining Galatasaray for a reported fee of £12.8m.

Aside from a raft of further loan departures – including Djed Spence following Joe Rodon to Leeds United – the north Londoners also saw diminutive forward, Lucas Moura move on to pastures new after just over five years on the books at N17.

The experienced Brazilian had originally been snapped up from Paris Saint-Germain back in January 2018, although the 31-year-old was sent packing this summer with chairman Daniel Levy making a sizeable loss on his initial investment.

How much did Tottenham pay for Lucas Moura?

The fleet-footed speedster had caught the attention of Levy and Pochettino following his standout form in France at the Parc des Princes, having racked up 94 goals and assists in 229 games in all competitions for the Ligue 1 giants.

That impressive, trophy-laden spell in Paris persuaded Spurs to fork out around £23m in order to bring the winger to England, with the winter arrival tasked with providing further firepower alongside the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

While not always a regular fixture of the side over the next few years, Moura did cement his "cult hero" status – as per pundit Paul Robinson – following his remarkable hat-trick against Ajax to fire the club to a maiden Champions League final in 2019.

That stellar showing came as a significant high point in an otherwise mixed spell in north London for the 5 foot 8 enigma, as he was never able to truly kick on from that thrilling night in Amsterdam.

How much did Tottenham sell Moura for?

On reflection, it would appear that the 2018/19 season was as good as it got for the 35-cap international in a Tottenham jersey, as he scored 15 goals in all competitions, including bagging ten goals in 32 league appearances.

Following on from that standout season, Moura would remarkably score just ten top-flight goals across the next four seasons combined, having perhaps suffered as a result of the sacking of Pochettino in November 2019.

The winger's woes were particularly evident in his final season at the club as he failed to start a single league game under Antonio Conte and co, with it somewhat perplexing that Levy did not agree to sanction his departure last summer – amid reported interest from the likes of Newcastle United and Aston Villa.

As it proved, the Lilywhites ultimately allowed the misfiring marksman to leave at the end of his contract back in June, with the club unable to recoup any of their initial investment in the former PSG man.

There may be those who believe that the forgotten figure should have been allowed to depart far sooner amid his slide down the pecking order, with the 2018 transfer having perhaps not quite gone as expected, despite Moura's haul of 39 goals and 27 assists in 221 games in all competitions.

Mumbai Indians managed to break their three-match losing streak with a massive 46-run win

The Report by Varun Shetty17-Apr-20183:17

Agarkar: Looks like RCB might be staring down another long season

Kishan injury not serious – Rohit

Ishan Kishan, the Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper, left the field in the 13th over of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s innings after a throw from Hardik Pandya bounced awkwardly and hit him near his right eye. Aditya Tare took over as substitute keeper after Kishan went off the field, having shown signs of being in acute pain.
After the match, Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma said Kishan hadn’t suffered any major injury. He said it was only swelling around the area of impact, and that he would be fine in a few days.

Mumbai Indians’ first win of the season came in an imposing performance that saw them post 213 after being 0 for 2, through powerful performances from Evin Lewis and Rohit Sharma, before their spinners went against the trend of the game to tie Royal Challengers up in a steep chase.Virat Kohli made an unbeaten 92, but it was a subdued effort for most part. It was another case of Royal Challengers’ middle order crumbling under pressure after their bowlers had struggled to keep the runs down, even with the sixth bowling option of Corey Anderson who had been brought in to replace Brendon McCullum.Implosion and explosionApart from his return against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, Umesh Yadav has brought his captain wickets every time he’s been given the ball. On Tuesday, he was rewarded with the brand new ball on a cloudy evening. Kohli said at the toss that the dampness and overhead conditions had prompted him to elect to bowl, an assessment that seemed perfect after the first two balls, both of which beat the inside edge, one of a right-hander and the other of a left-hander, one off the pitch another with bend through the air.But after what could have been a dramatic hat-trick to start the innings was averted, Royal Challengers could not keep the pressure on. It was a pitch that thoroughly suited Lewis’ propensity to hit on the up.Washington Sundar strayed short and wide too often in his 19-run first over, Mohammed Siraj tried too many things in his first over, which cost 16, and in both those overs Quinton de Kock allowed wides to run past him for a bonus eight runs. Despite that first over and the sixth that went for only four, Mumbai made 60 off the Powerplay.A strange methodMumbai’s method was effective, but peculiar. They played 20 dot balls in the Powerplay, and would play 24 between overs 7 and 15. After Lewis got to his maiden IPL fifty with a six in the ninth over, he played and missed at two balls. At that point, he had made 51 with 42 coming off nine scoring-shots and 17 dot balls. Lewis wasn’t keen on risky singles after some mix-ups with Rohit, and the pair missed out on quite a few runs when the fielders were at the edge of the circle.Still, the scoring rate didn’t subside, compensated in plenty by sixes off every over of spin during that phase. By the time Lewis got out to a top-edge off Anderson, the third-wicket pair had added 108 in 11 overs.Grand finishYuzvendra Chahal hadn’t completed his quota twice in three games this season. On Tuesday night, that would turn into three in four. With Sundar going for 32 off his two, Kohli decided to go with four overs from Anderson.Rohit particularly enjoyed this as he produced yet another innings where a seemingly slow start was amplified into match-winning tempo – a strike rate of 120 in the Powerplay, 162 in the middle, and 239 in the slog overs. He took Anderson for 39 off 19 balls, his most productive return against any bowler, making use of the angle across him to strike predominantly through cover and extra-cover for the fours, and picked up big sixes over the leg side off hip-height short balls from Umesh and Siraj.For all the talk of an improved bowling line-up, Royal Challengers now have the worst economy rate in the last four overs this season, 12.49. It was that kind of profligacy that allowed Rohit, starting the final over on 80, to move within reach of a century with two balls to go. Mumbai finished with 213, with some luck at the end when Hardik Pandya’s caught-behind dismissal was controversially overturned in the 19th over, after which he smacked 17 off his next four balls.A meek surrenderRoyal Challengers were never in it in the chase. Not when de Kock and de Villiers fell in the space of three balls, not through the middle overs when a brittle middle order was exposed yet again, and not during the majority of Kohli’s innings – one that took him past Suresh Raina for most IPL runs – when he showed more anger at his partners than intent to go after the bowling.After a quick start in de Kock’s company, Kohli settled for drives down the ground, nudges for ones and twos – sometimes even off full-tosses – and shots dropped pitchside. Kohli scored 32 off singles in an innings of 62 balls, with a scoring rate of six an over in the middle overs.Among all individual scores between 80 and 95 in the IPL, only one has included more singles: Kohli himself, when he made 34 out of 80 that way against Rising Pune Supergiant in April 2016.Mumbai’s spinners found plenty of grip and looked altogether more menacing than Royal Challengers’ duo. Krunal Pandya’s slow pace in particular was difficult to go hard against, and in combination with Mayank Markande he shut down the batting operation in the middle overs. They went for a combined 53 off their eight overs and picked up four wickets between them.By the time Kohli decided to go after the bowling, Royal Challengers were looking at upwards of 20 runs per over with less than half their batsmen left, and although some clean, gorgeous hits came off Kohli’s blade in that phase, the match was long gone.Perhaps the most disheartening thing for Royal Challengers was the reality that the two batsmen who were brought in to fortify the middle order – Sarfaraz Khan and Anderson – made only five runs between them off seven balls. It was yet another challenge to the claim of this being their most balanced team.

Aston Villa fans could be in dreamland for the second time in a few days following their victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as Unai Emery's men are now confident of being able to agree a big new contract at Villa Park, as per reports.

What's the latest news involving Aston Villa?

According to Calciomercato via TEAMtalk, Juventus are keen on Aston Villa loanee Nicolo Zaniolo despite his bright start to life in the West Midlands and may try to make a surprise swoop for the Italy international next summer.

Zaniolo has previously shown interest in moving to Juventus and it is said that 'anything can happen' with his future; however, it remains to be seen if Aston Villa will look to strike a permanent deal with Galatasaray for the 24-year-old. At the same time, a lot would depend on the financial capability of Italian giants Juventus, something which has been called into question in recent months.

Aston Villa managed to pick themselves up in exemplary fashion away to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, recording a victory over their ten-man opposition thanks to a strike from Ollie Watkins in the 73rd minute, as per BBC Sport. Chelsea defender Malo Gusto was sent off for a lunge on Lucas Digne at the 58th-minute mark, enabling Aston Villa to gain control for the rest of proceedings and subsequently find a way to win in west London, moving Emery's men up to sixth in the Premier League standings.

Speaking to the media post-match, Emery applauded his side's resilience in the wake of damaging defeats to both Newcastle United and Liverpool this term, stating: "We needed to find a way where we were stronger than we were against Newcastle and Liverpool. Today was tough but we competed very well."

Who could sign a new deal at Aston Villa?

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are still working to tie England international striker Watkins down to a new deal in the West Midlands and there is now 'confidence' from all sides that a new contract will be agreed very soon. Watkins is believed to be happy at Aston Villa and the new deal will include a sizeable upturn in his wage expenditure alongside his responsibility of leading the line under Emery.

Torquay-born Watkins has been an integral part of the furniture at Aston Villa since joining the club in 2020 and has gone on to rack up 47 goals and 15 assists in 125 appearances in all competitions for the Villans, as per Transfermarkt.

Once again proving to be a nuisance for defenders this term, Watkins has averaged 2.7 shots and 1.7 key passes per match so far in the Premier League in 2023/24, according to WhoScored.

Labelled "outstanding" by former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith back in 2021, Watkins has also shown his selfless side this campaign, successfully mustering 19 shot-creating actions in the English top flight, with five directly leading to goals, as per FBRef.

Is Celtic’s Champions League campaign about to come to an end?

On Tuesday night, Brendan Rodgers’ side will be in Bavaria, seeking to knock out six-time European champions Bayern Munich.

Having lost the first leg 2-1 at Parkhead, the Celts have a mountain to climb, although Daizen Maeda’s late header in Glasgow does give them a glimmer of hope.

So, if the Hoops are going to massively upset the odds by winning in Germany for the very first time, this will be their 13th attempt, they’ll need their goalkeeper to put in another outstanding performance.

Kasper Schmeichel: loving life at Celtic

As noted by Kurtis Leyland of Glasgow World, when Schmeichel joined Celtic last summer, replacing Joe Hart who had retired, few doubted that the Dane was a ‘top-class’ goalkeeper, but there were still some doubts, given that he is now 38-years-old.

On the contrary, as noted by Graeme McGarry of the Herald, he has been ‘outstanding’ since arriving in Glasgow, with Schmeichel himself saying this week that “experience is the biggest gift” in football.

He started with six successive Premiership wins and clean sheets, the first time Celtic have achieved that since 1906, and he has a few more records in his sights.

Appearances

40

Goals conceded

35

Clean sheets

23

Domestic clean sheets

20

Champions League clean sheets

3

Shots on target faced

135

Saves

105

Save %

79.3%

Post-shot xG prevented (UCL only)

+0.5

In this season’s Champions League, only seven goalkeepers have made more saves than Schmeichel’s 30, only four have faced more than his 45 shots on target, with the Danish international recording the fifth-highest post-shot xG figure of 15.5, a tally only bettered by four keepers.

Domestically meantime, he ranks first in the Premiership for save % (85.5%) and clean sheets (19), on course to smash the top division clean sheet record of 25, set by Rangers four seasons ago, themselves beating the previous record that had stood for 115 years.

Schmeichel’s form has already seen him rewarded with a new contract, stating that he has “loved every minute” since arriving at Celtic, while manager Rodgers added his “top keeper” has “made a great impact”.

Nevertheless, the 38-year-old will not be able to go on forever, but have Celtic already sold the perfect heir to Schmeichel’s number one throne?

Celtic already sold the perfect Schmeichel successor

Back in 2020, fair to say Celtic were having some goalkeeping issues.

Summer signing Vasilis Barkas did not impress, with former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie describing him as ‘awful’, form that saw the Greek international dropped, but his replacement Scott Bain didn’t convince much either – having played just 78 times since signing in 2018.

So, ahead of the 2020 Scottish Cup Final against Hearts, taking place in December due to Covid-19, Neil Lennon decided to go with a relatively unknown 22-year-old Conor Hazard in goal, making just his third senior appearance.

Well, after a thrilling 3-3 draw at an eerily empty Hampden, as noted by Andrew Smith of the Scotsman, Hazard would prove to be the ‘hero’, denying both Stephen Kingsley and Craig Wighton in the subsequent shootout, as the Celts completed an unprecedented quadruple treble.

Despite his heroics, Hazard would make just four more appearances for the club, spending 2022 on loan at HJK Helsinki, winning the Finnish title as well as being named Veikkausliiga goalkeeper of the year, before being sold to Plymouth Argyle in July 2023 – for a reported fee of just £500k.

Well, the Northern Ireland international was back in the news earlier this month, making four saves as the Pilgrims historically dumped Liverpool out of the FA Cup, with Sunaadh Sagar of ESPN describing his stop at the end of stoppage time as ‘stunning’.

In this season’s EFL Championship, only seven goalkeepers have a higher save percentage than Hazard’s 73.8%, averaging almost 4.5 saves per 90, while the Northern Irishman ranks first for post-shot expected goals per shot on target, all impressive statistics considering his team are 23rd in the division, facing rock-bottom Luton on Wednesday night.

According to Transfermarkt, he is now worth €1m (£830k), his highest-ever value; for comparison, Schmeichel’s value is €750k (£620k).

Where Are They Now

Keith Bailie of the Belfast Telegraph believes Hazard should be his national team’s number one, so will Celtic also rue the day they allowed him to leave, because the 26-year-old is showing he would’ve been more than capable of succeeding Schmeichel one day?

Rodgers could unleash his own Olise by starting "magical" Celtic star

Brendan Rodgers should drop Hyun-jun Yang from the starting line-up to unleash this Celtic star.

ByDan Emery Feb 18, 2025

The RCB quick wants to play all three formats of the game for India, and not just Test cricket as he has done in recent times

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Apr-2018Royal Challengers Bangalore fast bowler Umesh Yadav wants to play all three formats of the game for India, and not just Test cricket as he has done in recent times.”That’s a tag I’ve carried all along,” Umesh told the IPL website while talking about being regarded largely a long-form specialist. “Because in Test cricket, you have a lot of time to play around with your pace and swing. If you have the talent, you can reverse it.”I want to play all three formats for my country because I enjoy all three formats. I have age on my side, and I believe I have the ability to deliver in all formats. I try and give it my best because whether you’re bowling in limited-overs cricket or in Tests, you have to hit the same length with the new ball.”With competition from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, Umesh has played only 71 ODIs since his debut in 2011 – the last in September 2017 – to go with his 36 Tests. And he’s played just one T20 international – against Sri Lanka in 2012, when he took 1 for 24 in three overs.Umesh was speaking about his aspirations to play all formats for India after his 3 for 23 – all the wickets in one over – was instrumental in RCB’s win against Kings XI Punjab. That performance followed a 2 for 27 in Kolkata, his first IPL game of the 2018 season.”When you get a fast bowler as your coach, especially one who invests a lot of confidence in you, gives you all the help and support you need, your own confidence as a bowler starts soaring,” Umesh said of the role RCB bowling coach Ashish Nehra had played. “Nehra told me, ‘You’ve got pace at over 140, so you must try and pitch it on the stumps. If a batsman tries to hit you straight or comes down and clobbers a six, that’s fine with me.'”So I tried to give it all the energy I had, hit the right lengths and areas. And I’ve been able to do this because of him. Ever since our camp began, he’s made me practice bowling at the stumps, with the off stump as the marker in the off side.”The Kings XI openers had raced to 32 for 1 in three overs when Umesh had Mayank Agarwal caught behind, the first strike in an over that changed the game. “Over the past three-four months, I have played a lot of cricket against Mayank Agarwal,” Umesh said. “So my strategy was to make him play as straight as possible with my stump-to-stump line. And that’s what I kept trying. I pitched up the first delivery, luring him into a flashy hit, and that’s what he did.There were more celebrations next ball, as Aaron Finch unsuccessfully reviewed the lbw decision given against him. “With Aaron Finch, I knew he’s someone who’s never too comfortable if you bowl him an inswinger at the start of the over,” he said. “So I bowled one on a good length and into the stumps, swung in it with a lot of pace and that ploy worked for me.”The fifth ball of the over, a short one that Yuvraj pulled, could had been caught had the fielder at deep square leg not misjudged the trajectory. The sixth ripped through the left-hander’s defences from around the wicket. “Initially my plan was to bowl the first deliveries on a good length, then bowl a bouncer and then bowl on a length again,” Umesh said. “I worked on my plans, and I executed them well. That’s precisely why I got those three wickets.”With five wickets in the first two games of the 2018 season, Umesh has more opportunities to impress his RCB – and India – captain Virat Kohli.