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As revealed by former manager Philippe Clement, Rangers “tried” to sign Kenny McLean during his time at the club only to miss out on the Norwich City midfielder.

It’s a case of what might have been for those at Ibrox, who have endured a tumultuous time since not only missing out on their target, but also sacking Clement. After hiring Russell Martin to replace the Belgian, the Gers were forced to make another decision less than three months into the season – giving Martin his marching orders.

Related 45 minutes all season: Rohl's "big talent" can end Rothwell's Rangers stay

With Joe Rothwell out of favour at Rangers, does Danny Röhl already boast a massive upgrade in a “big talent” who’s played just 45 minutes all season?

Posts 1 ByBen Gray Nov 21, 2025

Now, with Danny Rohl in charge, Rangers have already won more points in the Scottish Premiership than they did in the entirety of Martin’s rein. Sporting director Kevin Thelwell will be hoping that the German’s arrival has at least made up for a disappointing summer of decisions.

He told reporters during the international break: “Yeah, I still feel very confident. The situation is clearly that we felt that we weren’t going in the right direction previously and so unfortunately we had to make that change.

“We’ve changed for an individual who’s got very good experience despite his young years and I think he’s proven that with some of the things that we’re seeing on pitch. I think there’s a clear difference in terms of the way in which we’re playing at the moment and fundamentally that’s leading to getting some good results.”

With Livingston up next, Rohl has the chance to make it four wins from four in the Scottish Premiership and potentially move up to third if results go Rangers’ way. As January approaches and targets such as Kilmarnock’s David Watson reportedly emerge, there’s no doubt that a change in fortunes on the pitch will be doing the Gers a world of good.

As Clement found out not so long ago, however, Rohl may not get the chance to welcome every top target.

Clement reveals Rangers wanted Kenny McLean

As revealed by Clement, Rangers tried to sign McLean during his time at the club, but missed out after the midfielder decided to stay put at Norwich City. Now, the former Ibrox boss has finally received the chance to work with the Scot after taking the vacant role at Carrow Road and revealed his long-term admiration for his talents.

If Rangers did secure McLean’s signature then they would, of course, have a World Cup midfielder in their ranks these days. The 33-year-old recently played his part as Scotland secured World Cup qualification in dramatic fashion against Denmark, scoring a stunning half-way line goal.

Given how much talent they welcomed from the Championship last summer that hasn’t worked out, losing out on a player of McLean’s quality should be seen as a real blow at Ibrox.

Dubbed “great” by former Norwich player Iwan Roberts, the 33-year-old will always have his part in Scottish football history after his goal against Denmark to secure a World Cup place.

£5m Rangers flop is bigger waste of money than Miovski and Chermiti

Chris Lynn almost single-handedly takes Hampshire into final with feat never previously achieved

Alan Gardner13-Sep-2025

Chris Lynn became the first man to score a hundred in the 22-year history of T20 Finals Day as his unbeaten 108 from 51 balls took Hampshire through their semi-final against Northamptonshire almost single-handedly.Lynn described his achievement as “not bad”, although he joked he was more interested in becoming one of a slightly less select club to have hit six sixes in an over. Having brought up his century, from 49 balls, with the fourth of five consecutive sixes off Lloyd Pope’s legspin, he duly struck the fifth over the ropes – only to be given out lbw to the last ball of the over, a decision that was overturned on DRS.The second semi-final at Edgbaston had appeared to be delicately balanced up until that point, with Hampshire needing 38 runs from 24 balls in a game that had shortened by rain. But after Lynn’s five sixes – taking his tally in the match to 11 – it was left to James Fuller to hit the winning runs with 2.2 overs to spare.Related

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Six-smashing Lynn powers Hampshire to final with unbeaten 108

Former Australia international Lynn was one of a handful of overseas players still available to play on Finals Day, with his status as a T20 freelancer meaning he was not subject to being recalled for the start of the Australian domestic season, like many of his compatriots involved in the Blast.Lynn’s efforts eclipsed the previous best individual score on Finals Day, the 92 scored by Luke Wright for Sussex in their semi-final win over Somerset in 2018. In this case, it was a one-man demolition, with Lynn smashing 108 out of Hampshire’s total of 155; the next-highest score in the innings was James Vince’s 12.”It’s easy to sit here and say it’s a flat wicket now,” Lynn said at the post-match presentation. “[It was a case of] one ball at a time, we knew it had a bit in it up front, they’ve got some quality seam bowlers. For us, it was about partnerships. That’s the first domino down. Really happy, but still got one more job to do. Personally, it would top my day off if we can go again. I really like this shirt, I hope they’ll have me back next year.”Asked about becoming the first man to score a century on Finals Day, which was first held to cap off the inaugural season of the Twenty20 Cup in 2003, Lynn said: “Not bad, I probably wanted six sixes more. I wasn’t worried about the lbw, it was about trying to join Yuvraj [Singh] and Polly [Kieron Pollard].”The scoreboard shows Lynn’s five consecutive sixes off Lloyd Pope•Getty Images

Northamptonshire had battled back to make a game of it, having been 86 for 6 before the second of two heavy showers – the first having pushed back the start – led to a reduction in overs. The innings was resurrected by a partnership of 70 in 40 balls between Justin Broad and Luke Procter, although Hampshire’s target was revised down to 155 on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern.They nevertheless made life difficult for Hampshire’s batters – Lynn aside – with four of the top five dismissed after going at less than a run a ball. Ravi Bopara, Northamptonshire’s veteran allrounder, said it took an “unbelievable” innings from Lynn to settle the outcome.”I thought we put a good total on the board,” Bopara said. “That was a decent total on that wicket, which was slowing up a bit. We though we had the game in the balance there, with about six overs to go – then obviously you have the one big over that loses you the game. I though Lynny played unbelievable, when someone had a day out like that it’s hard to stop them.””It is a tough wicket to get going, there’s not a lot of pace in it. You do need a bit of power, which Lynny has got and he showed it tonight. That’s why he’s been so successful in T20 cricket throughout his career, because he’s got the capability of clearing the ropes and taking the pitch out of the equation.”Hampshire, looking to secure a record fourth T20 title, advanced to contest the trophy against Somerset, the 2023 winners who have themselves reached four of the last five finals. Both teams share the record for Finals Day appearances with 11.Lynn was able to strap the pads back on straight away, after Somerset won the toss and chose to bowl. He could not repeat his semi-final heroics, despite hitting his fourth ball for six – his 12th of the day – as he holed out to cover for 12 off seven balls.

Ken Shuttleworth, the former Lancashire and England fast bowler, has died at the age of 80.Shuttleworth, who played five Tests in 1970 and 1971, made his debut in the first Test of that winter’s Ashes-winning tour of Australia, claiming five second-innings wickets at Brisbane.A tall, strongly built, right-arm quick, Shuttleworth came in off a long run, bowling with a side-on action and genuine pace. Born in St Helens, he joined Lancashire in 1964, and provided a cutting edge to support the metronomic methods of Lancashire’s attack leader, Brian Statham.”I was bowling as quick as what you see the fast bowlers bowl now,” Shuttleworth told The St Helens Star in 2021. “Brian and Ken Higgs were still the two main bowlers with Peter Lever and myself taking turns as the third seamer.”Having dismissed Geoff Boycott for his maiden first-class wicket at Old Trafford, Shuttleworth went on to claim 484 wickets at 22.92 for Lancashire, followed by a further 99 for Leicestershire in the latter seasons of his career.His best figures came in 1968, when he claimed 7 for 41 against Essex at Leyton, en route to a season’s haul of 73 first-class wickets (65 of which came for his county). Two years later, he bettered that with 74 wickets at just over 21.But for a glut of injuries, Shuttleworth would likely have added significantly to his international appearances. He toured Pakistan with the Commonwealth Team in 1967-68 under the captaincy of Richie Benaud, then played for England versus Rest of the World at Lord’s in June 1970.On that winter’s Ashes tour, under the captaincy of Ray Illingworth, he featured in the first two drawn Tests, then – in his solitary ODI appearance – he claimed England’s first wicket in the format, in the maiden fixture at the MCG in January 1971.”I just took it as another game,” Shuttleworth said of his Test debut. “We got stick, which you expect when you’re out there, but we were the first team since Douglas Jardine’s in 1932 to win the Ashes in Australia.”As the one-day game took off in the 1970s, Shuttleworth’s short, sharp spells were a key source of Lancashire’s success, which included a hat-trick of Gillette Cup wins in 1970, ’71 and ’72 and two Sunday League titles in 1969 and 1970. His best figures of 5 for 13, including the wicket of Garry Sobers, came at Trent Bridge in 1972.After his move to Leicestershire in 1975, Shuttleworth concluded his career in league cricket in Staffordshire, and after a few years in business, returned to the game as a first-class umpire. In 2021, he was inducted into Lancashire’s Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife Barbara and daughters Sara and Hannah.

The tourists went to tea at Edgbaston on 182 for 3, thanks largely to Jaiswal’s 87

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jul-2025Yashasvi Jaiswal fell 13 short of a sixth Test century – and fourth against England – as Ben Stokes prized out the opener as the only wicket in what was an otherwise solid middle session for India on day one of this second Test.The tourists went to tea at Edgbaston on 182 for 3, thanks largely to Jaiswal’s 87 that kept up the left-hander’s steak of scoring at least 50 in all seven of his Tests against England. But the home skipper was able to cap the damage caused by the opener, who slashed at a wide delivery outside off stump through to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.Related

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Shubman Gill remains unbeaten on 42 at the interval, with plenty on his shoulders already as India made sweeping changes after going 1-0 down in the series. The big news was that Jasprit Bumrah would sit out this Test, with Akash Deep, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar drafted into the XI.Those changes give India a completely different feel from the defeat at Headingley, with Sai Sudharsan and Shadrul Thakur dropped. Explaining the decision to rest Bumrah, Gill revealed the India management felt Lord’s will offer Bumrah more than this track.So far, it has offered more to bat than ball. Jaiswal negotiated what early movement there was, watching Chris Woakes prise out KL Rahul early for a torturous 2 from 26 deliveries in an impressive new ball spell which read 1 for 15 from seven overs, including four maidens on the bounce. Woakes was unlucky not to make more inroads after standing umpire Sharfuddoula turned down two close LBW appeals – the first against Jaiswal on 12, the second against Nair on 5. Both were reviewed only to come back with fractional Umpire’s Call on the predicted path into the stumps.Fellow opening bowler Brydon Carse had to wait until six minutes before lunch to get his reward, when hard length surprised Karun Nair (promoted to No.3) on 31, splicing to Harry Brook at second slip. That ended a productive stand of 80 for the second wicket which Nair had driven initially before Jaiswal took the wheel.Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out on a century•PA Images via Getty ImagesHe moved to his half-century off 59 deliveries, accelerating into it with the help of some wayward bowling from Josh Tongue. Three boundaries from the Nottinghamshire quick’s third over were followed by three-in-a-row from what turned out to be Tongue’s sixth and final one of his spell, as Stokes ordered his quicks to instigate their usual bumper ploy.A hook took Jaiswal to 49, before he leapt into a vicious cut high over point to pass fifty, followed by a celebratory four – his 11th – carved past third. And he showed patience through the middle session, driving Carse through cover five balls after lunch, and later guiding Tongue past the cordon for the last of 13 boundaries to take him to 81.Perhaps he ran out of patience when going after Stokes. Nonetheless, there is a foundation for a big score, that Gill and Rishabh Pant preserved. The latter in particular seemed watchful, with 14* off 28, showing one moment of malice when he stepped out to Shoaib Bashir and lifted him over wide long on for the first six of the innings.

Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Liam Delap has recovered from his injury and could be in Chelsea's matchday squad for their Carabao Cup fixture against Wolves on Wednesday. The Blues boss also jokingly expressed doubt over whether the English striker could take long throw-ins like his father and former Premier League star, Rory.

Maresca's pointed comments on teams using long throw-ins

Ahead of Chelsea's shock 2-1 defeat at home against Sunderland in the Premier League last weekend, Maresca opened up on his team's vulnerability when it comes to defending long throw-ins. The Italian coach had explained why he does not prefer to deploy such tactics himself, as he told reporters: "Knowing that at this moment most teams in the Premier League – but also in other leagues – are using long throws, we try to find solutions and learn how we can deal with that. It’s difficult. Most of the long throws go inside the six-yard box, so it’s complicated. We have reviewed the goal Brentford scored against us not only this week, because we are playing Sunderland, but other teams we faced after Brentford who use a long throw.

"If we don’t do it, it’s probably because I don’t like it, but you need to evolve in football, so probably one day I will do it. In this moment, we don’t plan to play with throw-ins, but it’s a matter of evolution and probably one day we will. If clubs do it, it’s because they think it’s good to do. Long throw-ins now are more or less like ten or 15 years in England – and Liam’s dad was the king of long throw-ins! In case we decide to go for long throw-ins, we will take out Liam and bring on his dad."

Chelsea conceded to a long Sunderland throw and this led to Maresca commenting: "It is always difficult to just bring seven or eight players inside the box. Almost inside the six-yard box. It is difficult to deal with that. We tried to prepare that but it can happen."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportChelsea asked to check 'Delap's DNA'

At a press conference on Tuesday, Maresca was asked to clarify these comments and whether the club would need to check Delap's 'DNA' to see if he could take long throws the same way his father, Rory, did. "No, I said many times that as a human being you can say something, but then you have a million people that can interpret it in a different way," Maresca replied. And what I can control is what I say. What I cannot control is the mind of people, how they can interpret it. I said that in this moment we are not looking for a long throw-in. Because I'm a manager, I love to evolve. Probably one day I will use that. These are my words.

"Now if people interpret it in the wrong way, I cannot control. I'm not here to control what people think. So I didn't ask Liam about a long throw-in. But again, not tomorrow. Probably one day we're going to ask Liam. I also said that we can swap Liam with this guy [Rory]."

Injury boost for Chelsea as striker returns

Delap, who joined Chelsea from Ipswich Town in the summer, picked up an injury in just the third match of the 2025-26 campaign as he limped off in the first half of the Blues' 2-0 win over Fulham on August 30. Since then, the striker has remained sidelined but is now on his way to return to action for the English giants.

Speaking on Delap's latest condition, Maresca said: "Yes, he took part in a complete lead session yesterday and is available for tomorrow. No, 90 minutes, no. It's I think two months now that he's out, so he needs gradually back to 100%."

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Getty Images SportMaresca likely to rotate squad against Wolves

Keeping in mind the hectic schedule until the November international break, Maresca might consider rotating his squad against a struggling Wolves side – who are yet to win a game in the Premier League – in their Carabao Cup fourth round tie. After the cup fixture, the Blues face Tottenham Hotspur in a difficult Premier League clash away from home on November 1. Before the international break, they play two further games, one against Qarabag FK in the Champions League and a home fixture in the league against Wolves.

David Beckham has shared images of the heartwarming moment in which his mother met Inter Miami and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi for the first time. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has been in the United States since 2023, with a stunning move being made to South Florida, but he has only just rubbed shoulders with members of Beckham’s immediate family.

American dream: Messi has been in the States since 2023

Messi is in America alongside his wife Antonela and their three sons. They settled quickly in Miami after taking the decision to bid farewell to Europe. Messi enjoyed a record-shattering spell with Barcelona, before then spending two years in France with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain.

A large Spanish-speaking community in the Sunshine State has made adjustment easier for the Messi clan, with the World Cup winner enjoying freedom in his personal life that was often denied him at Camp Nou and Parc des Princes.

AdvertisementMessi settled in America around friends and family

Manchester United and England legend Beckham helped to make Messi’s switch to the USA possible, as he is a co-owner of Inter Miami. He has also been able to bring in Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul – as Messi finds himself surrounded by close friends.

Alba and Busquets have announced that they will be retiring at the end of the 2025 MLS campaign, with Inter Miami readying themselves for the start of another play-off quest, but the expectation is that Messi will be sticking around.

He has enjoyed mingling with the Beckhams in Florida – including former Spice Girls popstar Victoria – and was among those to attend a lavish 50th birthday celebration for ex-Three Lions captain David.

Messi has now met up with Beckham’s mother, after seeing Sandra attend a Herons training session. The Argentine GOAT was happy to pose for pictures as Becks posted on social media – with everybody full of smiles: “When your Mum meets Leo for the first time.”

How Beckham talked Messi into MLS move

Beckham has previously said of talking Messi into making a move to MLS: “All he was interested in is a place where his family could come enjoy and have a great life. That was really important for Leo. I mean, from day one, from the moment he put his foot down in Miami, it's been a dream, honestly.

To be able to say that we've signed the world's greatest ever player to ever play the game. Everybody's got their opinion on who they think is the best player of all time – whether it be Diego Maradona, Pele, all of these great players.

“But to say that we have in the MLS, in Miami, the greatest player to play the game, it's just like a dream, you know? It's a dream every time that I'm there. If I go for the whole of the summer, which I went for four weeks this summer, I go into training every single day because, personally, I can't believe we've got Leo. Secondly, I just want to watch what he does. And that's a special thing for us.”

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GettyTrophy target: Messi chasing down more silverware

Messi helped Inter Miami to their first piece of major silverware within weeks of his arrival, as the 2023 Leagues Cup crown was captured. In 2024, the Herons savoured Supporters’ Shield glory when posting the highest regular season points tally that MLS has ever seen.

They have graced the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup since then, but have been unable to secure more domestic or continental honours. Collective sights at Chase Stadium are locked on landing the MLS Cup.

Messi will have a leading role to play in that quest, having claimed the Golden Boot for 2025 with a 29-goal haul. He also registered 19 assists, with records continuing to tumble around the South American superstar.

A contract extension has been lined up for the evergreen 38-year-old – which may take him beyond his 40th birthday, as he emulates the achievements of eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo who is still going strong at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr. Beckham, who is now a Sir after being knighted in King Charles’ Birthday Honours List, will be helping to thrash out those fresh terms.

Stop. Start. Stop. Start. That’s how Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) batting innings panned out against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as the home team posted 166 for 7 in the first innings. In positive news to the LSG camp, captain Rishabh Pant played a crucial hand despite some struggles against spin to top score with 63 off 49 balls.Pant began his innings inside the powerplay after CSK pacers Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj landed early blows by dismissing Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran cheaply. He began his innings swiftly with his cuts and one reverse-lap six over short third.But the bowling of Noor Ahmed and, to an extent, Ravindra Jadeja saw Pant’s strike rate plummet from a high of 165 to 103. Off Noor, he played 10 dots in 15 balls for a strike rate of 40, the second-worst of all batters versus one bowler in the IPL (minimum 15 balls).However, from 40 in 39 balls, Pant found his touch against the pace-on options of Matheesha Pathirana and Khaleel to turn his innings around. He raced to a 42-ball fifty courtesy two sixes and then looked for a big finish, but fell to Pathirana in the 20th over after a job well done.Mitchell Marsh (30) and No. 5 Ayush Badoni (22) contributed with useful cameos but were outfoxed by Jadeja in his three-over spell of 2 for 24. Marsh paid the price of pulling across the line while Badoni charged at a fast, wide delivery.Abdul Samad’s 11-ball 20 late in the LSG innings allowed them to get 45 runs in the last three overs in Pant’s company. But, it still left LSG with their lowest score of IPL 2025.

Even in defeat, Manchester United’s opening-day performance felt like progress, but Ruben Amorim’s side followed that one up with a draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage, and it is clear there is still much work to do.

Whether the Red Devils succeed in welcoming further additions before the closure of the transfer market remains to be seen, but negotiations are ongoing with Belgian side Royal Antwerp for goalkeeper Senne Lammens, that pressure point of a position at Old Trafford, while Amorim has made it clear that he seeks a central midfielder too.

Man United have succeeded in refashioning their frontline, but with Mason Mount fit and catching the eye, Amorim has made the decision to drop Bruno Fernandes into a deeper midfield berth.

The skipper remains effective and influential, but it’s crucial that the right profile is partnered with him, lest tactical imbalances become more prominent.

With this in mind, it’s starting to look like Kobbie Mainoo’s time at the Theatre of Dreams could be drawing to a premature close.

The latest on Kobbie Mainoo's Man Utd future

Mainoo is a cherished part of his current Manchester United crop. He’s one of their own. However, Amorim clearly hasn’t warmed to him despite his impressive debut campaign in red.

Indeed, the England international’s reduced playing time under the Portuguese tactician’s wing has led him to consider his future at Old Trafford, and a potential departure before the deadline is now on the cards.

Already, the 20-year-old has played 72 times for Man United’s senior side, scoring as Erik ten Hag’s side defeated Manchester City to win the 2023/24 FA Cup final, but as Amorim alludes to, there is no room at the inn right now.

His departure this summer would be a contentious thing for those of a Man United persuasion, but there’s little doubt that, should he leave, United would act to bring in an exciting replacement.

Man Utd discuss move for new midfielder

According to GIVEMESPORT, Manchester United are interested in signing Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller before the transfer market slams shut, and are engaged in internal discussions over a formal offer.

However, there are some within the INEOS hierarchy with reservations over signing the German international, for he does not boast a similar profile to Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, a top summer target whose route to Manchester has been closed off by his employers.

Valued at €60m (around £51m), Stiller, 24, could become a more concrete target upon the possible departure of Mainoo, whose exit is indeed edging toward happening.

How Stiller compares to Mainoo

Stiller’s technical quality and completeness in the middle of the park make him an intriguing option for Amorim’s Manchester United side, who could do with some more fluency and quality when directing the flow of their attacking play from X to Y.

A product of Bayern Munich’s youth academy, Stiller has since left for Hoffenheim and then been rehoused once more at Stuttgart, where he played 83 times, scoring five goals and supplying 17 assists while protecting the backline from his anchoring berth.

Looking at how the deep-lying playmaker compares to Mainoo, you begin to see why Jason Wilcox and Amorim are eager to snap him up.

Mainoo was at his career best during that breakout season. The 2023/24 term put the then teenager’s name on the map, all right. However, Stiller’s roundedness suggests he could prove an upgrade on the Three Lions man.

Mainoo might have a bit more of a robust defensive profile, but Stiller’s press resistance and slick, smooth ball-playing game make him a more Amorim-shaped midfielder in any case. Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte leave plenty to be desired, but the tough-tackling duo do provide the squad with more variation.

Remarked by his Stuttgart teammate Denis Undav to be “one of the best sixes” currently hailing from Germany, Stiller also ranks among the top 3% of positional peers across Europe for passes attempted, the top 2% for progressive passes, the top 10% for assists and the top 8% for shot-creating actions per 90, courtesy of information from FBref.

His creativity and maestro-like skills might appear to be more in line with the talents of Fernandes, and perhaps that is so, but with Mainoo so frustratingly on the periphery in Amorim’s system, does it not make sense for the outfit to target a replacement who differs and who aligns with the manager’s vision?

Given that Liverpool have also shown a vested interest in the German this year, it would appear that his is a profile which could have a positive effect on the development of Amorim’s project.

Mainoo only started 19 times in the Premier League last year, and his 45% success rate in the duel further underscored Amorim’s hesitance about unleashing him from the outset each week.

Praised by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley for his “special” skill set, Stiller’s signature could come with the promise of progression, and while many would rightly hope for Mainoo to stay put, his sale would demand a suitable replacement.

And, through the Stiller, initial frustration would be tempered and then some.

New Carrick: INEOS chasing move to bring £100m + English star to Man Utd

Manchester United could sign a big-money English star.

1

By
Will Miller

Aug 25, 2025

Rahane’s vast experience, both as captain and player, made him an ideal candidate, says franchise CEO

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Mar-20251:44

Rahane: KKR have to start from scratch this year

Ajinkya Rahane’s vast experience and “maturity” in handling an “intense” tournament such as the IPL made him the automatic choice to lead defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), franchise CEO Venky Mysore has said.Rahane was one of the contenders for the captaincy alongside Venkatesh Iyer, the India and Madhya Pradesh allrounder. Venkatesh was released after the 2024 season but was bought back by KKR in the auction for INR 23.75 crore (US$2.3 million approx.). While Venkatesh recently said he was ready to take on the captaincy, if offered, KKR eventually picked Rahane for the job, with Venkatesh named his deputy.”IPL is quite an intense tournament,” Mysore told ESPNcricinfo. “Clearly, we think very well of Venkatesh Iyer but, at the same time, it [captaincy] is taxing on a youngster. We have seen lots of people having lots of challenges with it as they go forward. It takes a very steady hand, takes a lot of maturity and experience, which we felt Ajinkya brings with him.”Related

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Shreyas Iyer had captained KKR to the title in IPl 2024, but KKR could not retain him after he opted to head back into the auction, where he was bought by Punjab Kings. Incidentally, Rahane, who was the first player to come up on the second day of the auction last November, had gone unsold at the first time of calling. KKR eventually got Rahane for his base price of INR 1.5 crore ($180,000 approx.) at the end of the auction when franchises got an opportunity to call back unsold players of their choice.This is Rahane’s second stint with KKR, having played seven matches for them in IPL 2022, when they finished seventh. Rahane has turned out for six franchises in the IPL and is among a select group of players to have been part of the IPL from its inception in 2008. Rahane has some experience captaining India (with eight wins in 11 games across formats), is among the most successful active captains in domestic cricket, and has led in 25 matches across two IPL franchises: once at Rising Pune Supergiant and the rest at Rajasthan Royals.Mysore felt such a wealth of experience could only be beneficial for KKR. “He has played 185 IPL games, 200 [195] international games across formats,” Mysore said. “He has led India, led Mumbai in domestic, he’s led in IPL. And he has played from season one of IPL. All that is massive. There should be no surprise at all [on appointing Rahane as captain].Ajinkya Rahane was appointed the new KKR captain, while Venkatesh Iyer will be his deputy•Kolkata Knight Riders

“Captaincy cannot be underestimated. This is going to be my 15th season, so I have seen a lot. It is not only about what you do on the field. There’s a lot of [other] stuff when it comes to IPL, including dealing with media, and there will be expectation in terms of the captain. At the same time, it is a new cycle, there is diversity in the team; if you have to be a successful captain you have to invest in building relationships with everybody so that you know how to get the best out of everyone.”And then there’s preparatory stuff in terms of camps, bowlers’ meetings, batters’ meetings, interaction with coaches – that’s a lot to take in. From that perspective, we are lucky we have got Ajinkya, who will be terrific for us. Not only as a captain, of which there’s no doubt, but also as a batsman. He has scored tons of runs.”Venkatesh Iyer is ‘captaincy material’Mysore also said that that Venkatesh would continue to be part of the leadership group and that he had the potential to grow into a future captain. “We have been very, very impressed with the leadership qualities that he has shown,” Mysore said. “He’s a franchise player and what he has shown in terms of how he participates, and the respect that others have around him, and the energy he brings [to the dressing room]… so he definitely has got massive potential. He’s one for the future for us for sure. He clearly is captaincy material.”The move to appoint Venkatesh as the vice-captain, Mysore said, would also allow him to learn from Rahane. “Knowing Ajinkya, he will take him [Venkatesh] under his wing and mentor him on the captaincy side of things. So, in a way, I expect they will be kind of joined at the hip and working very closely together.”

Manchester United hit their nadir last season, but Ruben Amorim is a stoic sort and has knuckled down and made tentative progress with the Premier League giants.

Maybe the Portuguese tactician was a little too frank during interviews, but at least he understands where the cracks lie for the Old Trafford side, who finished 15th in the league and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.

There have been positives throughout the Premier League Summer Series in America, for sure, but the Red Devils still have improvements to be made, irrespective of who might be welcomed to the fold.

Saying that, the recent draw against Everton corroborated Amorim’s desire for a new midfielder, with Manuel Ugarte flattering to deceive.

Why Man Utd need to replace Manuel Ugarte

Ugarte, 24, joined Man United from Paris Saint-Germain last summer in a deal rising to £50.5m. Last season, he left much to be desired, but did feature 45 times across all competitions, scoring twice and laying on six assists.

Man United showed some promise against the Toffees, but Vitalii Mykolenko dispossessed Ugarte in in the build-up to Iliman Ndiaye’s first-half goal, leading Bruno Fernandes to claim that his team “looked a bit lazy” at times.

Much has been made of United’s need for a focal frontman, but with Casemiro getting on, a secure and confident midfield anchor is equally as crucial to the success of the project.

That’s why INEOS are weighing up a move for Atalanta’s Ederson. As per TEAMtalk, the Brazilian could be available for around £52m this summer, which makes him the most expensive man on United’s midfield shortlist.

But there’s a reason for that. Man United have a ‘long-standing interest’ in Ederson, and if it proves financially viable, he could complete a midfield that needs reinforcing.

Why Man Utd want to sign Ederson

Ederson is a 26-year-old midfielder who has established himself as one of the best in the business over in Italy. Across 139 appearances in all competitions, he has scored 13 goals and supplied four assists.

Hailed as a “machine” of a midfielder by reporter Carlo Garganese, this is exactly the kind of hardy, dynamic player that Amorim needs to welcome to his squad, should he wish to return to European competition and challenge for silverware at the Old Trafford helm.

Instrumental in winning the Europa League in 2023, Ederson has the strength, self-belief and roundedness to succeed under Amorim’s wing in the Premier League, with the right balance in his performances to nestle into the United centre, acting as a tough-tackling six but also a progressive force.

On the surface level, it doesn’t look like Ugarte did all that badly across his first Premier League campaign, but he’s susceptible to a poor error of lapse of focus, with one Man United content creator online even saying he “is frightened to death of passing forward.”

No such problem for Ederson, who ranked among the top 12% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.

Though Amorim and INEOS will continue to push ahead with a deal for a new number nine, this one could prove to be equally important.

Described by Italian journalist Damiano Er Faina to be “the strongest defensive midfielder in the world”, Man United might just hit the jackpot if they push ahead and complete their midfield with his many-faceted player.