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Loss of new ball could have unsettled veteran, instead it was catalyst for another key display

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Aug-2022James Anderson stands at the top of his mark, new Dukes in his hand, braced to deliver the first ball of a Test match at the James Anderson End. And those of us foolish enough to think India’s no-show at Emirates Old Trafford last year had scuppered one last appearance for England’s greatest quick at his home venue gladly chomped down on those sentiments.He is as ready and able as he ever has been, 18 dismissals at 20 in the summer so far, enough to not dare predict an end for the 40-year-old. His first ball is so comically down the leg side, even he sees the funny side. With that out of his system, Anderson goes on to bowl three for 32 from 15 overs, as South Africa are skittled for 151 on day one of this second Test.As much as this was business as usual in his 100th Test appearance at home, Anderson’s performance began with the kind of jolt that had not been felt for generations. As he was going through his warm-ups on a practice strip after Dean Elgar decided to bat first, Stuart Broad sidled up to do the same, just as they had done for their previous 130 matches together over the last 14 years. And ahead of what was to be the 200th time the pair had opened the bowling together, the usual conversation ensued.”Are you happy at that end?” Anderson enquired, gesturing towards the Brian Statham End. “I’m not taking the new ball,” Broad replied.”It was the first I knew about it,” Anderson said in his press conference at stumps. The laughs accompanying the anecdote said it all: a disbelief that had still not dissipated, seven hours and 81.2 overs of play later.For the first time since January 2010 at Cape Town, the Branderson collective were not opening up a first innings despite both being in the XI. And while it was tactical back then, with Graham Onions getting the chance ahead of Broad, Thursday felt more of a seminal moment with Ollie Robinson the one to knock Broad back to first change.This was a reluctant but necessary step towards the future. Robinson, aged 28, is a man returning for a spot that, even only 10 Tests in, is rightly his. Fitness issues overcome, he showcased all the skills that had garnered 39 dismissals at 21 so far, and immediately set about putting to shame Broad’s work in the first five Tests in the Stokes-McCullum era (18 wickets at 35.61). In his first seven-over spell, Robinson’s average seam movement of 0.93 degrees was higher than any of Broad’s previous nine this summer. That he finished with just one for 48 was a reminder of the game’s inherent unfairness. He deserved much more.Broad bided his time at mid on, offering wisdom or scampering around at midwicket, seemingly hell-bent on providing visual proof there is plenty of road to come. Unfortunately for him, the continued pontification about Anderson’s retirement has resulted in Broad being dragged into the same conversation. Is he closer to retirement than Jimmy? Yeah, probably. And it was hard not to feel that way with the new ball out of his possession. A player irked at constantly being lumped in with Anderson – four years his junior – has finally been unseated from his status in the team. It all had a Touching The Void feel to it, with Broad the one dangling over the edge. Then, 10 overs into the match, he replaced Anderson. And, just like that, he was back on top of the mountain.It took just 11 balls to get into the game: Elgar, on the verge of nuggeting his way into a set position, was set up for an uncharacteristically flustered dismissal. A couple of rejected lbw appeals had the opposition skipper wanting to press forward, and some familiar nip away drew an edge that nestled into Jonny Bairstow’s hands low at third slip. Midway through Broad’s next over, Joe Root’s hands were pounded at first as extra lift and more accompanying nip left Keegan Petersen short of options but to defend in vain.Both of Broad’s celebrations were dripping in emotion. Not the kind suggesting disappointment being exorcised, but almost as if he was reaffirming something to himself. When informed by Stokes that he would be giving up his new-ball privileges, he responded positively, which perhaps reflects an environment in which the team comes first, but the person is just as important. And beyond picking off Kyle Verreynne for overall figures of three for 37, Broad’s influence when the ball was in other people’s hands was every bit as noteworthy.If he was not sacrificing his body, he was offering chunks of his grey matter, too. Anderson’s lbw dismissal of Simon Harmer was celebrated immediately with a point to Broad at mid-off.”The ball before, he [Harmer] actually lunged at me and got a good stride in,” Anderson explained. “Broady said, ‘put your square leg back, but bowl the same ball’. So I put square leg back thinking he might think I’m going to bounce him. Then his stride was much shorter and he was sort of stuck on the crease.”I didn’t think about it, so it was good that he was thinking about the game and thinking about field positioning. It’s nice when something like that comes off.”Related

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There was more to come when Keshav Maharaj was sent back to the dressing room with the very next ball. At the top of his mark to Kagiso Rabada, Anderson admitted to excitement at the prospect of a first Test hat-trick. Again, Broad offered a word of advice and the mother of all humblebrags: “He came over and said, ‘when I took my two international Test hat-tricks… I just went full and straight’. Anderson tried but sent his effort down the leg side.By the close, the cameras were transfixed on Broad padded up in the dressing-room: ready, shadow-swishing in preparation for the much-vaunted Nighthawk cameo. The prospect of quick late runs was enticing given how quickly he might have hacked into the 40-run deficit that Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow will be eyeing up on Friday morning. But there was something amusing, poetic and intriguing about the fact that a day that began without Broad was ending with all eyes on him.The new England dressing-room has reignited his sense of self, partly because it is more closely aligned to the character of a man who believes he is capable of anything. And while we may never actually see the Nighthawk in action, the faith being put in his batting at present is a new crutch. All of 157 Tests into his career and he has emerged – heck, reimagined – as something of a playable wildcard.In many ways, it perpetuates his standing as a cult figure within the game. He may have to get used to life without the new ball, but this new role – indeed this new way of being – may just stave off the impending sadness of an England cricket team without Stuart Broad.

With Shreyas Iyer a nailed-on No. 4, the team might have finally found the right men for the right spots

Alagappan Muthu11-Feb-2020The ball flew to the boundary, and all it took was a roll of the wrists.Martin Guptill is a master of making batting look absurdly simple. On occasion, he doesn’t even look up after hitting his shot.There really is nothing cooler than opening the batting in modern-day limited-overs cricket. You have pace on the ball. There are only two fielders on the boundary when you start your innings. And, you don’t really face that much movement, either in the air or off the pitch.It seems – actually, it – opportunistic but Guptill, who got to a fifty with a strike rate of 172 facing only India’s quicks, fell to his ninth delivery of spin. Yuzvendra Chahal bowled him with a legbreak that had been bewitched.But the fact remains that once pace is taken off, the game changes. The ball doesn’t ping off the bat. Worse, it starts to grip and move sideways.So imagine being a specialist opener. Imagine having all the shots. The scoops. The ramps. The inside-out drive. The reverse sweep. And then being told the only way you can get in the XI is by remaking yourself into a middle-order batsman.For a measure of how hard that is, in all the history of ODI cricket, only 15 players, having originally looked like they would be specialists in the top order (min 20 innings), became good enough to last 15 or more innings at No. 5 and lower.ALSO READ: We didn’t deserve to win, they deserve 3-0 – Virat KohliIn other words, to meet the changes you’ll face – no pace on the ball and limited opportunities for quick runs – and overcome them to score big and score freely, you have to be as good as, oh I dunno, AB de Villiers.KL Rahul is definitely not there yet. It is hard to imagine anyone can get there, actually. But it should present a measure of how hard he has to work. At least, the early signs are positive. The 27-year-old made his first century in this new role in a match where the top three contributed less than 20% of their total (296).There was a calmness to his entire knock. It began in the 13th over and continued all the way through to the 47th and never once did he look in danger of stagnating. Part of that is because of pure ability. Rahul is one of the few Indian batsmen who has a 360-degree game. Look through his knock in Mount Maunganui. You’ll see that he gets off the mark with a punch through point every bit as classy as Kane Williamson’s. Then a crisp on-drive reminiscent of Virat Kohli. A sweep shot that contained no premeditation. A fully upright scoop for six against the 6’8″ Kyle Jamieson, who had no trouble hitting the splice of the other batsmen.India have seen his talent blossom for years now. He emerged as a player very much in the orthodox mold, who once expressed frustration that he got tired around the 120-mark in first-class cricket. It didn’t take long for him to fix that and start scoring triple hundreds.T20 cricket was next. Having been a bit-part player primarily because he didn’t have a power game he rose to claim the fastest fifty in the IPL. And that tournament’s been around for 12 years.KL Rahul scored 112 at nearly a run a ball•Getty ImagesRahul, quite apart from how good he looks at the crease, has shown something far more special throughout his still-young career: the ability to rise to a challenge. Again and again and again. That is why Kohli and his team management believes he is their best man for the No. 5 spot.Other teams have attempted this. New Zealand, for example, found a gem in Tom Latham because of his skill in tackling spin bowling. But he is an outlier. Over the last five years, only he, Moeen Ali and Sikandar Raza have been tried as potential openers (20 innings) first before settling into a permanent role in the middle-order (ten or more innings at No. 5 or lower).Compare that with success stories of middle-order batsmen who went on to become very good openers. Rohit Sharma. Virender Sehwag. Shane Watson. More recently, Marcus Stoinis became the BBL’s leading run-getter after jumping up the order. Jos Buttler is set to be trialled up there by England. The transition from bottom to top is a lot more common because it is relatively easier in limited-overs crcicket.India’s middle-order has been a problem for a little while. It may well have cost them a World Cup. But now, away from the glare of a 50-over ICC event, they have the freedom to invest in players even if it comes at the cost of losing a few matches and that has helped in the discovery of talent which could be around for a long time.Shreyas Iyer looks a nailed-on No. 4. He has crossed fifty in each of his last three ODI innings and turned one of them into three-figures as well. Hardik Pandya should walk back into this team when he gets fit. Rishabh Pant’s story has to have a few more chapters in it. There will be dismay among the fans that India have been whitewashed, but there have been gains. There have been significant gains.

Celtic’s new head coach Wilfried Nancy will already have plenty on his plate in the coming weeks after taking over the club midway through the season, in the midst of a Scottish Premiership title race.

Aside from the obvious objectives, which include making it to the next stage of the Europa League, winning the league title, and winning the two domestic cups, the French boss also needs to develop players.

One player who desperately needs to kick on after an underwhelming start to the 2025/26 campaign is central midfielder Arne Engels, who must show his quality under the new boss.

Why Nancy needs to get more out of Engels for Celtic

Celtic splashed out a club-record fee of £11m to sign the central midfielder from Augsburg in the summer of 2024 under Brendan Rodgers, and he enjoyed a strong first season at Parkhead.

Engels delivered ten goals and 13 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops in his debut season, per Transfermarkt, yet he has only managed two goals and four assists in 23 games in the current campaign.

This shows that the Belgium international needs to improve his performances under Nancy to prove that he was worth the £11m that the club paid for him last year, and to attract interest from other clubs to potentially be sold for a profit in the future.

Whilst Celtic’s club-record signing is yet to raise his value at Parkhead, there is a former Hoops talent who is now valued at even more than Engels.

The former Celtic star who is now worth £20m

In the summer of 2024, Rocco Vata, despite the club’s and Rodgers’ attempts to keep him, decided to leave at the end of his contract to sign for Championship side Watford.

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The Premiership champions raked in a compensation fee of £225k for the Ireland international, who came through the ranks at Parkhead, and he is now worth a staggering £20m 18 months on from that move.

At the end of November, the Daily Mail reported that Crystal Palace, Fulham, Atalanta, and Eintracht Frankfurt are all interested in signing the Irishman, who is valued at £20m by the Hornets, ahead of the January transfer window.

Vata’s journey gives off shades of Ben Doak. The winger left Celtic to join Liverpool for a compensation fee of £600k in 2022 and was sold to Bournemouth for £25m in 2025, after making just two first-team appearances for the Hoops.

The 20-year-old talent, Vata, has provided six goals and six assists in 47 games for Watford, per Transfermarkt, and his impressive play on the left wing has clearly attracted interest from some big clubs across Europe’s major leagues.

Vata was described as a “potential superstar” by analyst and Watford content creator Louorns on X last year, which now looks like a terrific take when you consider the clubs interested in him and the valuation on his head at the age of just 20.

Hibernian

6

Ross County

1

Kilmarnock

22

Motherwell

11

Aberdeen

3

Buckie Thistle

26

Yet, as you can see in the table above, the versatile attacker barely got a look-in during his time at Celtic, with zero starts in his six first-team appearances for the club.

It is easy to say with hindsight, but Celtic should have offered him more chances on the pitch at first-team level to show the talented youngster that there is a pathway to regular football at Parkhead.

Perhaps Colby Donovan’s emergence, with 516 minutes under his belt this season, is an example of them having learned from their mistake with Vata last year and with Doak in 2022.

Now, Vata is shining in England with Watford, with 12 goal contributions since the start of last season, and could seal a £20m move away from the club in January if any of the aforementioned interested parties are willing to seriously pursue a deal.

This shows the kind of value that can be generated by simply giving young players an opportunity to shine, as Watford have done with Vata, as he is now valued at more than Celtic’s club-record signing, Engels, was signed for.

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Hopefully, Donovan’s emergence this season is a sign that Celtic have learned from their mistakes with Vata and Doak and will be able to keep hold of their emerging talents in the future, instead of losing them for compensation fees.

There was a moment after the final whistle that typified Everton’s performance at Old Trafford.

A bloody-nosed Jake O’Brien stood, breathless, beside the centre circle, and David Moyes darted about with raw and passionate joy, congratulating his players after their 1-0 win over Manchester United.

It was a tenacious and draining display, the kind that Toffees fans love, that steeliness of spirit that is so typical of the Merseyside club.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was all passion when he wheeled away in celebration after a sweet finish into the corner before half an hour had been clocked. His weak-footed wonder would prove the match-winning strike.

However, the highly-charged emotions were two-fold, and Idrissa Gueye found himself dismissed before that point, having been adjudged to have slapped none other than teammate Michael Keane.

Everton's enthralling response to Gueye's red card

It looked set to be a long and gruelling evening for Everton after Gueye was dismissed in the first half following an altercation with his own pal Keane.

The dismissal was harsh, but the spat between the two Blues was needless. Gueye will miss Everton’s next three matches due to violent conduct, and he will leave for a sojourn at the African Cup of Nations after the new year.

Even so, Everton responded with the kind of vim and vigour Moyes craves. This was a herculean performance, the visitors leaving the Theatre of Dreams, having willed their way past Ruben Amorim’s lagging side.

Dewsbury-Hall was the man of the moment but Jordan Pickford’s imperious goalkeeping helped matters, for sure.

But, this was a massive collective effort, Dewsbury-Hall the goal-getter but flanked by hard-working Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye, supported by a determined Keane and commanding captain James Tarkowski.

One man trudged off the field during the closing stages having failed an individual objective, but then this Marouane Fellaini-esque Everton star also showed so much promise against a Red Devils backline who struggled to contain him.

Moyes's new Marouane Fellaini

It’s been a testing start to life in Liverpool for Thierno Barry after his £27m move to Everton from Villarreal this summer, but he’s probably put in the best performance of his campaign so far against Manchester United’s backline.

The centre-forward was hailed by one scout for being “very close to clicking”, with his energy and enthusiasm offering shades of Fellaini, who became the most expensive Belgian of all time when joining Everton for £15m (their club-record buy) from Standard Liege in 2008.

It took time and experimentation for Fellaini to find his feet, but once he did, he became a monstrous box-to-box force at Goodison Park, and Barry must take a leaf from the retired star’s book and continue to knuckle down with a continuation of performances like this one at Old Trafford.

Fellaini featured 193 times under Moyes’ wing across stints at Everton and Man United, making him the 14th-highest appearance maker in the Scotsman’s managerial history.

Everton

177

33 + 24

Man United

177

22 + 10

Shandong

141

50 + 14

Standed Liege

84

12 + 7

Barry won’t likely play as many matches in the veteran coach’s system, but that’s not to say the summer recruit cannot forge a long and prosperous career for himself on Merseyside, carrying Moyes’ schoolings right through that Everton career.

He didn’t score against Man United, but the 23-year-old was full of life and bustle, with Sofascore recording that he won 14 aerial battles on the evening. That’s the highest amount of any player in the Premier League this season across a single contest.

Moreover, Barry made three ball recoveries, two clearances and provided an outlet all evening, taking a stride forward toward cementing his place at the front of the ship, even though he hasn’t yet broken his duck.

The Liverpool Echo handed the French striker a 7/10 match rating, but the truth is that he might have enjoyed a higher score after such a battle-ready performance, never easing against United’s centre-halves while demonstrating slick movement throughout.

Moyes went ballistic when Beto squandered possession late on, brought on in the closing stages for freshness and physicality. The established number nine has done his chances a lot of harm this season, and Barry is beginning to show that he has what it takes to nail down a regular starting spot in this system.

This striker is full of potential. He didn’t actually manage a shot at Old Trafford, but impressed nonetheless.

The goals will come. He’s talented and willing to learn. Bonus: there’s something almost Fellaini-esque about his aerial prowess and willingness to get stuck in. Moyes will be delighted.

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Sheffield Wednesday have now reportedly responded to Mike Ashley’s bid to buy the club, with the former Newcastle United man now plotting his next step.

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It’s been a busy month at Hillsborough, with the Owls receiving plenty of takeover interest after entering administration. Setting a soft deadline of December 5, things look destined to accelerate in the coming week in the hope that Sheffield Wednesday finally enter a new era and put Dejphon Chansiri behind them for good.

Football finance expert Stefan Borson recently revealed that there are as many as 11 bidders to buy Sheffield Wednesday, telling talkSPORT: “I’m working with one of the bidders. There are a number of bidders in play, a number of credible players around.

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“Apparently, there’s 11 that have given proof of funds for £50m of liquid assets. That is a serious process, and there is serious interest. The issue is actually that you can’t just look at the headline price here. This is a club that’s not had a lick of paint for quite some time and by the end of this season it will be in League One.

“It will have almost no squad and it will have a stadium that needs significant spending. So anybody that comes in is going to have to have deep pockets. I think the people that are circling do have deep pockets, but it is not going to be a cheap deal for anybody. The challenges are great.

Among those 11 bidders could be John McEvoy, who was one of the first names linked with a move to buy the club, and former Newcastle man Ashley. The 61-year-old is seemingly keen on a return to English football and has already received a response from Wednesday.

Mike Ashley submits bid to buy Sheffield Wednesday

As reported by Sky Sports, Ashley has now submitted a £20m bid to buy Sheffield Wednesday, who have turned that offer down. The former Newcastle owner is now plotting his next step and could yet return with an improved second offer, however.

If he is to return with a second offer, then Ashley will likely have to at least match other bids in the region of £30m to stand a chance of completing a takeover. Whilst it isn’t as simple as accepting the highest bid for the Owls, they won’t sell the club at a cut-price in the face of so much interest.

Of course, if Ashley does match other bids then he could become one of the better options available. He has experience in English football and, financially speaking, he stabilised Newcastle during his time at the club.

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Leeds United have some very tricky fixtures ahead, away from just their crunch tie with Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest up next.

Looking at their intimidating fixture list, it does appear as if sealing a win at the City Ground for Daniel Farke’s Whites is crucial to fixing the dour mood around the Premier League new boys, with Aston Villa, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool then on the agenda, after this battle near the foot of the division.

Losing to the Tricky Trees and then being faced with that onslaught of tough matches directly after, really could intensify the pressure on Farke’s shoulders, as he attempts to guide his lowly team away from being sucked into a relegation dog-fight.

The German will likely make some changes for the crucial showdown in Nottinghamshire, with Brenden Aaronson one figure who could be fearing for his starting spot down the right wing.

Why Aaronson could be benched

Aaronson has always been a slightly controversial figure at Elland Road, with the American definitely prone to an off-performance or two, away from lighting up the Premier League on occasion.

Against West Ham United to close out October, the ex-Union Berlin playmaker looked at his terrifying best, with a goal put away after three minutes.

That was then backed up by Aaronson winning eight duels and completing all three of his dribbles, as per Sofascore, as a tricky livewire the Hammers just couldn’t contain.

That’s what makes the hot-and-cold number 11’s drop-off against Brighton and Hove Albion so frustrating, with Aaronson only winning a meagre three duels and failing to register a single shot on goal, as the Whites were trounced 3-0 on the South Coast.

After all, Farke has been shoehorning Aaronson into his starting XI this season on the right flank owing to plenty of injury problems in his camp, with the Championship title winner far more suited to a number ten spot.

Indeed, that opening strike against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men was actually Aaronson’s first-ever goal for Leeds when not lining up in a more familiar attacking midfield position.

But, with the return of this attacking star from injury, Aaronson’s days as Leeds’ main starter on the right channel look to be numbered, as the ace in question could also finally get a hit-and-miss Dominic Calvert-Lewin firing.

Leeds could now unleash "unstoppable" star

Leeds won’t be giving up on Calvert-Lewin just yet, despite the ex-Everton marksman experiencing a wobbly start to life in West Yorkshire.

He does only have one meagre goal next to his name from eight Premier League outings, but he has also spurned five big chances along the way, meaning he is, at least, getting into the correct positions to try and add to his slim Whites tally.

Farke will desperately be trying to work out a combination that gets the number nine in amongst the goals on a more regular basis, with Daniel James perhaps the winger Calvert-Lewin needs to bounce off of, to finally hit an Elland Road purple patch.

James and Calvert-Lewin, owing to the Welshman’s injury issues so far this season, have only lined up alongside each other for a paltry 34 minutes, with a blistering partnership perhaps now ready to be unearthed, if the former Manchester United attacker is placed into the starting XI in Aaronson’s spot away at Forest.

After all, while James did steal the majority of the headlines last season in the Championship for his bumper 12-goal haul, he did also pick up nine assists, with the £25m trickster amassing a whopping 16 big chances created in total.

That will be music to the ears of the one-time Toffees talisman, who has often cut an isolated figure this campaign next to Aaronson.

Moreover, even though he has been restricted to just 277 minutes of top-flight action so far, James has picked up one big chance created this campaign, too, as James now tries to hit his “unstoppable” best in attack again as a tricky, front-foot attacker, as Statman Dave once labelled him.

The worry will be if Calvert-Lewin sticks to his end of the bargain, but there is an electric presence inside of the ex-England international, too, when he gets into his groove.

With James also victorious the last time he travelled to the City Ground as a Cottagers loanee, standing out as a good omen, Farke will hope this potential change spurs his side on to a rare away win.

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Nov 5, 2025

Whilst it’s often big-money transfers that steal the headlines, nothing beats success from the academy. Discovering the next Harry Kane is still just as important as it was finding the original. Even in football’s current climate, academies still have an invaluable part to play in producing the greatest players in the world.

Whether it’s in English football, Amsterdam or La Masia, the next generation of stars need a platform to start somewhere. Building one of the best academies can be just as crucial as having the largest budget if used right – have both and the possibilities can be endless.

The CIES Football Observatory has now identified football’s best academies based on three factors…

• Players – how many players in 49 worldwide leagues they’ve trained for 3 years between their 15th and 21st birthdays
• Minutes – official game-time from those players in the last year
• Level – the level of clubs those players have played for

Five Premier League sides feature in the top 100 academies in the world, but none of them crack the top ten. Manchester City sit highest at 21st, Arsenal are ranked 48th, and Chelsea just about make the top 50. Meanwhile, Manchester United sit 56th and Liverpool sit 75th in a ranking that they should hope to improve.

10

Velez Sarsfield (Argentina)

One of three Argentine clubs in the top 10, Velez Sarsfield are not a well-known club but their academy has produced some undeniable gems. Both Nicolas Otamendi and Diego Simeone graduated from the Argentine club before enjoying fantastic careers in European football.

The former even became a Premier League winner at Manchester City and is now playing his football at Benfica in the latter years of his career. Nowadays, the likes of Dilan Godoy could be next in line to benefit, having been promoted from Sarsfield’s academy and enjoyed first-team football for the first time this season.

9

Real Madrid (Spain)

A less surprising name on the list, Real Madrid are ranked 9th in CIES’ list of the world’s best academies. It’s easy to assume that they’d be higher, given their place as arguably the world’s biggest team, but their focus has often been set on welcoming Galactico-esque signings such as Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.

Nonetheless, that’s not to say their academy hasn’t produced some impressive talent in recent years. The likes of Raul Asencio and Fran Garcia both came from Madrid’s academy and both now play their part in Xabi Alonso’s first-team squad.

8

Defensor SC (Uruguay)

Like Sarsfield, Defensor SC’s inclusion on this list will surprise many, but the Uruguay-based side have trained as many as 88 current professional players at the time CIES conducted their rankings.

They have been one of the most consistent breeding grounds for young talent in South America and have helped the likes of Maxi Gomez on their way. Given the influence that South America has on the transfer market these days, with Moises Caicedo and Murillo arriving before thriving in the Premier League, Defensor could be ones to watch.

7

Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)

Having trained 77 active players, Dinamo Zagreb find themselves higher than Real Madrid on this list. Having produced the likes of Luka Modric, however, that should come as little surprise.

It’s not just the veteran midfielder still representing the academy, either. Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol also graduated from the Croatian club and is now a Premier League winner. Now, questions will arrive as to who the next big product to come out of Zagreb will be. Whoever it is has quite the shoes to fill.

6

Sporting CP (Portugal)

The academy that made the one and only Cristiano Ronaldo, Sporting CP discovered a gem and have used their academy ever since. These days, graduates such as Goncalo Inacio, Geny Catamo and Geovany Quenda are stealing the show in products that reflect the success of Ronaldo after the academy was named after one of football’s greatest-ever players.

Aside from the Real Madrid legend, one stat which really stamps home the impact of Sporting’s academy is the fact that 10 of their graduates played their part in Portugal’s Euro 2016 victory.

5

Boca Juniors (Argentina)

The second Argentine team in the top 10, Boca Juniors remain one of the biggest clubs in South America and their academy reflects that. Icons such as Carlos Tevez have come through what is known as ‘The Boca Factory’ and the likes of Alan Varela and Tottenham Hotspur’s Rodrigo Bentancur have followed suit in recent years.

The Boca Factory doesn’t look likely to cease production anytime soon, either, given Valentin Barco has emerged from the academy into European football in the last two years.

4

Ajax (Netherlands)

Who remembers Erik ten Hag’s 2018/19 Champions League side? It was built on the success of Ajax’s famous academy and would have been enough to make the late-great Johan Cruyff proud.

In a golden generation, Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and Donny van de Beek all stole the spotlight and soon secured moves to some of Europe’s biggest clubs in Barcelona and Manchester United. Whilst those in Amsterdam are still seeking their next crop of generational talent, they have still made CIES’ top 10 football academies in the world.

3

River Plate (Argentina)

Argentina really is the place for young talent. Alongside Boca and Sarsfield, River Plate have been ranked inside CIES’ top 10 and sit as high as third. It’s no wonder, either. They’ve trained 97 active players and are responsible for blessing European football with talents Julian Alvarez and Real Madrid’s latest young gem Franco Mastantuno.

When it comes to attacking stars, there aren’t many more reliable clubs in world football than River Plate. Both Madrid clubs have benefitted from that and Man City could be next in line if Claudio Echeverri realises his increasingly-impressive potential.

2

Barcelona (Spain)

Lamine Yamal, Gavi, Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez – the list could go on. La Masia remains the most famous football academy in world football, even if CIES have deemed it second best. Just when they seemed down and out on Europe’s top table, the Spanish giants turned towards their academy to unearth some undeniable gems.

The odds that they would find the exact player to take Lionel Messi’s throne seemed impossible, but up stepped Yamal – a player who already looks destined to break records at just 18 years old.

1

Benfica (Portugal)

It takes a lot to beat La Masia and Barcelona on this list, but Benfica have done exactly that. Edging out their Spanish counterparts, Benfica trained as many as 93 players during CIES’ latest ranking and many of those stars are performing at the highest level.

Some of the best talents to benefit from their focus on young stars over the years include Paris Saint-Germain’s Joao Neves – now one of the best midfielders on the planet – and Man City’s Bernardo Silva many moons ago.

It’s an academy which has funded Benfica over the years thanks to big-money moves for Joao Felix as well as others and now one that they’ll hope to see result in Liga Portugal glory in years to come.

Big picture: Resets all-round in Barbados

The prevailing northeast trade winds are a constant in beautiful Barbados but the winds of change have swept through both the West Indies team and Australia as they begin a new World Test Championship cycle in Bridgetown.West Indies have not played Test cricket since January in Pakistan and begin the cycle under a new captain in Roston Chase after Kraigg Brathwaite stepped down. Extraordinarily, Chase has not played a Test match since March 2023, having not played in West Indies’ last 13.He leads a new-look squad which, for the opening Test, sees a debut for Brandon King and returns for John Campbell and Shai Hope – the latter as wicketkeeper – for the first time since 2022 and 2021 respectively.Related

• 'I'm going to give my all' – Hope wants to do it for West Indies in Test cricket again

• Plenty left in the tank: Khawaja eyes more Ashes glory and mentoring role for Konstas

• Pace, swing, youth and promise – Ian Bishop's rundown of WI's bowling options for Australia Tests

• 'Good enough to play that role' – Voges backs Inglis as top-four Test batter

• 'Emotions got to me' – Konstas keen to settle into Test cricket

Meanwhile, veteran Kemar Roach was left out of the squad entirely despite playing in each of West Indies’ last three series. Joshua da Silva could not earn a recall either on account of his Gabba heroics against Australia and a recent run spree in the West Indies Championship, with selectors holding firm after dropping him in Pakistan. There are only three survivors from West Indies’ previous Test: Brathwaite, Justin Greaves and Jomel Warrican.Australia’s “reset” is not quite as extreme following the disappointment of the WTC final loss to South Africa just two weeks ago, but it is significant by their standards. For the first time since December 2018, they will field an XI without either Marnus Labuschagne or Steven Smith on the team sheet.The selectors finally lost patience with Labuschagne and he has been dropped for first time in six years having been a mainstay of Australia’s top three for 53 consecutive Tests. Smith had played 51 in a row before his gruesome finger injury ruled him out of the first Test of this series. He is a chance to return for the second.It means Australia do not have a single batter in the squad remaining from the last Test Australia played in the Caribbean in 2015, when Smith made 199 and 54 not out. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon are the only others to have played Test cricket in the Caribbean.Australia confirmed five days out that Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis will play in Barbados to change the age profile of the side. But they will still only field two players under 30.Australia rarely undertake full-scale reboots, and it is understandable they have not made sweeping changes following Lord’s given they have lost just one of their past seven Tests and did not lose a multi-Test series during the previous WTC cycle. But they cannot afford a slow start to the new cycle with an inexperienced top six and an aging attack, given they have away tours to South Africa and India in this WTC schedule as well as an Ashes series later in the year.

Form guide

West Indies: WLLWL
Australia: LWWWWShamar Joseph starred the last time the teams met in Test cricket•Getty Images

In the spotlight: Shamar Joseph and Sam Konstas

Shamar Joseph‘s star looked set to explode on the global stage after he carried West Indies to an astonishing Test victory at the Gabba last year. But with the exception of his 5 for 33 against South Africa in August, he has not quite reached the heights that were expected of him. He was named West Indies’ Test player of the year at an awards ceremony in Bridgetown on Sunday night but he has not played Test cricket since November and has hardly played at all due to injury and non-selection in West Indies’ white-ball teams. He bowled 31 overs and claimed just three wickets across two innings for West Indies A against South Africa A in early June. The arrival of Australia should give him a boost of confidence given the way he bowled to them 18 months ago.Similarly outlandish expectations have fallen on Sam Konstas‘ slender shoulders following his spectacular Test debut last Boxing Day against Jasprit Bumrah. But he has only played one Test since and his Sheffield Shield returns were lean at the back end of the summer, with his batting causing some consternation among coaches and selectors. He has not played a game of cricket at any level since March and has a first-class average of just 34.89 from 30 innings with only two centuries. Yet Australia’s selectors are convinced he is the man to walk out alongside Usman Khawaja in the hope that they can end the revolving door of openers Australia have had since David Warner retired. Konstas is expected to play all three Tests in the Caribbean no matter what, with a view to getting valuable experience ahead of the Ashes.

Team news: Hope to keep wicket, Kuhnemann misses out

The significant call made by West Indies was to make Shai Hope wicketkeeper on his return to the side which opens up a spot for another allrounder. Brandon King will make his debut at No. 4. The bowling attack is as expected.West Indies: 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 John Campbell, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Brandon King, 5 Roston Chase (capt), 6 Shai Hope (wk), 7 Justin Greaves, 8 Jomel Warrican, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Shamar Joseph, 11 Jayden SealesAustralia opted to retain their traditional balance of three frontline quicks and a spinner supplemented by Beau Webster who can provide medium pace and offspin. Josh Inglis will cover for Smith at No. 4.Australia: 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Sam Konstas, 3 Cameron Green, 4 Josh Inglis, 5 Travis Head, 6 Beau Webster, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pitch and conditions: Dry grass, may turn later

Kensington Oval is an unknown for both sides in some respects given it has hosted just one Test in six years and none in the last three. In that game in 2022, Brathwaite batted for 710 minutes in a draw that arguably was a catalyst for England’s Bazball revolution. This surface looked an interesting one with a mixture of bare patches and areas of more grass, although it was dried out. In this season’s four-day Championship there were only two totals over 300 in 12 completed innings. After some rain in the build-up the forecast is promising for most of the game, with Saturday looking the mostly like to be hit by thunderstorms and showers. Chase termed it a “typical” Barbados surface and expected it to start slow before maybe gathering some pace.

Stats and trivia

• Roston Chase’s first Test as captain will be his 50th overall; Jomel Warrican will be playing his 100th first-class match
• Kraigg Brathwaite and Nathan Lyon are the only members of the two XIs that played in the last West Indies-Australia Bridgetown Test in 2012 which Australia won by three wickets.
• Australia have played 11 Tests in Bridgetown. They have won four overall including the last three.
• Despite the drought-breaking Gabba victory in 2024, West Indies have not won a home Test against Australia since the world-record fourth innings chase in 2003. They have not won a home series against Australia since 1991.

Quotes

“Coming over here with a few unknowns, that’s fine, you have to think on your feet. We feel like the three quicks are better suited for this wicket.”
“We’re looking to play with a bit more flair and bring back that Caribbean style to the game. And we’re just looking forward to making the Caribbean nation proud. I just want to ask the fans to just support the boys through and through.”

Manchester United have now identified an “unbelievable” manager as their first-choice target to replace Ruben Amorim, amid the uncertainty surrounding the 40-year-old’s future.

Amorim not out of the woods despite improved results

Frank Ilett, the fan who has vowed not to cut his hair until Man United win five games in a row, probably hasn’t gotten his hopes up just yet, but Amorim has made some improvements in recent weeks, guiding his side to wins in two of their last three Premier League games.

On paper, the fixture list looks relatively kind until late October, with the Red Devils set to take on Brentford away this Saturday, before taking on Sunderland at Old Trafford the following week, giving Amorim a golden opportunity to buy himself some more time.

However, the United boss will be well-aware that things must start improving, given that he is currently regarded as one of the worst appointments since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

It has now been revealed the Man United hierarchy have started making plans for life after Amorim, with a report from TEAMtalk revealing that AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is the number one choice to replace the Portuguese coach.

Iraola, who is one of the most sought-after managers in Europe, is being closely monitored by the Red Devils, having transformed Bournemouth’s fortunes since replacing Gary O’Neil back in the summer of 2023.

INEOS are said to view the Spaniard as an elite coach, with the capabilities of managing a top club, and they have been impressed with the way in which he has implemented his system at the Vitality Stadium.

"He was our best player" – Amorim told Man Utd star is "suffering" more than Bruno in new role

He’s yet to show his best form this season…

By
Tom Cunningham

Sep 24, 2025

"Unbelievable" Iraola could be perfect Amorim replacement

Sky Sports’ Sue Smith waxed lyrical about the job the 43-year-old has done with the Cherries earlier this year, describing the work he’s done as “unbelievable”.

The Bournemouth boss, who likes to implement a 4-2-3-1 system, led his side to a ninth-placed finish in the Premier League last season, and he has made a flying start to the new campaign.

Despite losing a number of key players in the summer, such as Dean Huijsen, Ilya Zabarnyi, Milos Kerkez and Dango Ouattara, the Cherries have taken ten points from their opening five games, with arguably their most impressive victory coming away at Tottenham Hotspur.

Having now proven himself in the Premier League over a sustained period of time, Iraola could be the ideal replacement for Amorim, but it appears as though INEOS are willing to give the current manager a little while longer, after two wins in the last three league games.

A fresh claim has emerged regarding Birmingham City’s hopes of completing the signing of a “brave” player who is currently a free agent.

Davies urges Birmingham City to kick on

The Blues are back in Championship action on Saturday afternoon, making the trip to a Stoke City side who have enjoyed a good start to the season.

Birmingham have also impressed in their own right, though, and manager Chris Davies has now urged his players to build on what has been a promising first few weeks of the 2025/26 campaign.

“I think it’s been a solid start. I wanted to see how we went for those first four games, and obviously you don’t want to go into an international break on a defeat, but what I have seen and what I’ve reflected on is that we have made a solid stat. Defensively, we’ve given very little away, and we’ve stayed clear in our identity in terms of how we press. We’ve pressed successfully, we’ve dominated possession in every game I think and had a lot of territory in those games.

“The part that we’ve probably fallen a little short in is the chance creation and conversion. That’s not an unusual problem for teams that play our style of football, it’s about trying to make clear and better chances from our open play attacks and set pieces. If you had said to me at the start that we’d play like that in the games I’d be really happy, so we have to maintain our level of intensity, work ethic and solidity.”

Reaction to Birmingham City links for free agent Dele Alli

Blues supporters could encourage further new signings outside the window, and speaking to Football League World, Sky Sports man Don Goodman discussed Birmingham bringing in Dele Alli on a free transfer, following rumours over a move there.

It was claimed that the Blues explored a deal for Alli but pulled a U-turn with the former Tottenham star still without a club after leaving Como.

Birmingham City tried to sign "excellent" English talent from European club

This would have stolen plenty of headlines…

By
Tom Cunningham

Sep 5, 2025

Birmingham signing Alli would certainly cause a stir, considering he is a big-name player who has been hailed as “brave” by Son Heung-min, having opened up about his mental health issues.

There would be a risk to Birmingham signing him, considering he may simply have peaked as a player at 29, following constant injury down the years, and it feels more likely that he won’t move to St Andrew’s than seal a switch here.