Sunderland have been dealt a blow with the news that a player could be set for a three-month injury absence, according to manager Regis Le Bris.

Sunderland back in Championship action

The Black Cats could barely have asked for a better opening to their 2024/25 season, sitting top of the Championship table and winning all four matches in the process.

Le Bris has made an imperious start to life as Sunderland manager, beating Cardiff City and Portsmouth away, as well as picking up home wins against Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley.

The Championship outfit return to domestic action on Saturday, following the international break, with a long trip to Plymouth Argyle coming their way. Their opponents are languishing in 22nd place, failing to win in the league so far this season, so another three points could be expected.

A lack of injuries have certainly helped Sunderland of late, allowing Le Bris to largely name his strongest possible starting lineup, but an injury update has now emerged that acts as a blow.

Le Bris confirms injury blow for Sunderland

In quotes provided by The Sunderland Echo, Le Bris confirmed that Sunderland youngster Ahmed Abdullahi will miss an extended period of action through injury, having had groin surgery:

"Ahmed is different because he will have surgery. He will probably have ten to 12 weeks off the pitch. It wasn’t so clear when we signed him. We need an expert to understand exactly what the problem was. Now, we know. The diagnosis is clear and it will be solved after this surgery. He had this pain, a soreness in his groin, for a long time. It was not very clear, but now I think it will be solved. All the players who have been away are back with no problems. Otherwise, there's no new injuries."

Admittedly, Abdullahi hasn't yet made an appearance for Sunderland since moving in the summer, so it is hard to describe him as a key man.

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He is an exciting young player, though, and not having him available for such a long time affects the squad depth at Le Bris' disposal. The 20-year-old could miss up to 16 matches, should he be out until three months from now, and his manager outlined his quality after he arrived from Gent last month, saying:

"He's a big boy, quick and strong. He's a good finisher, he's young, 20 – so like Eliezer he will need time to develop for sure and to integrate all the elements we have in the team. But he's a good signing. We know there is always pressure but of course, we understand they need time to develop and to make mistakes so that they can learn. This will be the case with Ahmed for sure."

The hope is that this ongoing groin issue will be solved with the surgery, as Le Bris alludes to, allowing Abdullahi to be an important figure for Sunderland during the second half of the season.

Everton are planning to send loanee Armando Broja back to Chelsea after the striker picked up an injury that will keep him out for 10-12 weeks.

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Broja to miss 10-12 weeks with injuryEverton want to terminate loan dealChelsea ask for full payment to terminateFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Everton signed Broja on loan after the striker was told that he was not in Enzo Maresca's plans for Chelsea for the season. The Albanian striker has not had the best time at Goodison Park either as he has only played five Premier League clashes and has not scored or assisted in any of the games. Broja has now picked up an ankle injury and will miss up to 12 weeks of action, as per new boss David Moyes.

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The Guardian has now reported that Everton are set to discuss terminating Broja's loan this January as they want to free up a loan spot on their roster with the Toffees having used their full allocation of four loan signings this season. However, Chelsea are in no mood to allow the same unless Everton pays the remaining cost of the loan before terminating the deal.

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When Everton signed Broja, the Albanian striker had been suffering with an Achilles injury and the two sides had come to an agreement that Chelsea would bear Broja's wages for whatever duration he missed with the Toffees. Everton are looking to exploit the same agreement, however, the Blues are clear that the injury is now different and they are no longer liable to pay Broja his wages.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BROJA?

Regardless of which club is paying him, Broja's season is likely over as he will return in the latter part of April and will likely not hit his fitness goals until the end of the season. If he does stay at Everton, however, there is a slight possibility of him featuring for a game or two.

The allrounder does not expect similar pitches for the T20 World Cup despite the volume of cricket in the UAE

Andrew McGlashan08-Aug-2021

Dan Christian: ‘It’s holding in the surface, gripping and turning and it’s a big ground as well’•AFP

Dan Christian has seen most things that T20 cricket can throw up, so when he says conditions in Dhaka have been unlike anything else he has played in it stands up to scrutiny.With one match remaining, the Bangladesh-Australia series has a run rate of 5.86 – the slowest in a series of three matches or more. In the fourth match, 104 was nearly defendable and looked like it would be when Australia were 65 for 6 despite Christian having monstered 39 off 15 balls, including five sixes in an over against Shakib Al Hasan, in one of the shrewder moves Australia have made on tour when promoting him to No. 3.”They don’t compare to anything I’ve faced in my career,” Christian said. “These are as difficult conditions as I’ve seen for T20 cricket – 120 is like 190, it’s an extremely difficult place to try and bat. We’ve seen all the spinners and even the seamers, as soon as they start bowling slower balls it’s really, really hard work. It’s holding in the surface, gripping and turning and it’s a big ground as well. It’s certainly been different cricket but in terms of getting into rhythm or any kind of flow it’s been pretty hard.”There’s certainly been things we can take out of these games from a batting perspective. You have to be so precise in your plans in these conditions. It probably doesn’t get more difficult than that at any level around the world than facing that kind of bowling here.”Related

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He did not believe that conditions at the T20 World Cup in the UAE will come close to this despite the volume of cricket that will be played across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah with the IPL taking place in the month before the tournament.”I don’t think they’ll be anything like it, ” he said. “Say, somewhere like Sharjah where you get a bit of dew at night time and it’s a small ground, so 220 can be a winning score. Maybe at Dubai or Abu Dhabi they’ll be a bit slower but they are still 170-180 wickets normally…there’s an IPL before the World Cup, so there might be some worn tracks but think they are pretty used to getting them back up.”Australia bowled 12 overs of spin during the fourth match with Ashton Turner completing his full allotment alongside Ashton Agar and the recalled Mitchell Swepson. There is an argument to say it could be even more, although Josh Hazlewood and Andrew Tye were also effective with a lot of cutters and changes of pace.While admitting he has a vested interest, Swepson, who took 3 for 12 in his first outing of the tour, certainly sees scope for Australia having three frontline spinners at their disposal.”I definitely think it’s something that should be considered, especially somewhere like here,” he said. “We’ve seen them play three spinners. I might be a little bit biased here, but certainly something that I think could work for us as well. Fingers crossed that might eventual but we’ll have to wait and see.”Both Christian and Swepson are pushing to make the final World Cup squad, so their performances last night were timely. Christian, recalled for this tour after a gap of four years due to the various opt-outs from the squad, has played six of the nine T20Is so far across the West Indies and Bangladesh. Though he was unable to get Australia home in chases in the first match against West Indies and the third game against Bangladesh, on two occasions he has played his part in victory: an unbeaten 22 in St Lucia and then the firecracker 39 on Saturday.”It has been a little stop-start for me but that’s the nature of the format and role that I play, generally coming in towards the end and bowling some overs in the middle,” he said. “I’ve loved being back in the team, representing my country again, it’s been awesome, and from a cricket perspective I’ve just got to keep training well and preparing as well as I can. When that opportunity arrives hopefully I can grab it.”Swepson has had even less opportunity to shine and, after an expensive outing in West Indies, he took advantage of tailor-made conditions to cause Bangladesh’s middle order plenty of problems.”It can be difficult to gauge sometimes where you are at when you are just bowling in the nets, so last night was a good confirmation of where my bowling is at,” he said. “I got that one game in St Lucia and it didn’t quite pan out how I wanted it to so last night was that reassurance that the ball is still coming out well.”

Unai Emery and his Aston Villa side have got off to a strong start, winning two and losing one of their opening three Premier League fixtures. Their one loss came at the hands of Arsenal in a tightly contested game.

It was a summer of change with a few big names leaving including Douglas Luis and Moussa Diaby. The Frenchman joined Saudi Arabian side, Al-Ittihad, for a fee of around €60m (£50m) as a package deal, recouping almost all of what they paid for him last summer.

Diaby made 54 appearances for Villa last season in all competitions, scoring ten goals, providing nine assists, and totalling 3,144 minutes played.

However, in the ever-impressive Morgan Rogers, they've found a player capable of replacing the former Bayer Leverkusen winger.

Morgan Rogers' season in numbers

Rogers has started the new campaign in brilliant form, starting all three Premier League games for Villa so far and scoring two goals for the England U21 side in 60 minutes played.

In his hour on the field for England U21 against Austria, Rogers scored two goals, had three shots on target, completed two of his four dribble attempts, completed one key pass, and won three of his eight ground duels.

This great start to the new campaign comes off the back of a settling period last season. Joining the Villans in January from Championship side Middlesbrough, Rogers then went on to make 16 appearances, scoring three goals and providing one assist.

But it was after his brilliant performance against Arsenal this season that Rogers began to get high praise, with pundit Robbie Mustoe labelling Rogers as "underappreciated" and "one to watch".

Morgan Rogers' transfer value in 2024

When Rogers joined Villa from Middlesbrough, the fee was an initial £8m, which could rise to £16m if all add-ons are met. But Fotmob already values the playmaker at around £15m, which is more than the £8m fee he joined the club for.

This fee is only expected to rise over the course of the season, as Rogers fully steps into the boots left by Diaby, showing his full potential at such a young age.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Rogers

Diaby

G+A

0.00

0.56

xG

0.10

0.25

xAG

0.30

0.22

Shots Total

1.67

2.04

Key Passes

1.67

1.76

Shot-Creating Actions

3.67

3.39

Progressive Carries

3.67

3.93

Successful Take-Ons

2.33

1.18

Carries into Final Third

2.33

1.85

It's important to note, Rogers' metrics for the 2024/25 campaign are only based on three games (270 minutes), compared to a full season of 53 games (3,039 minutes) by Diaby.

However, these metrics do show how Rogers is already stepping into a more prominent role, averaging a higher xAG (expected assisted goals) per 90, with 0.30 compared to Diaby's 0.22 per 90, as well as a higher amount of shot-creating actions.

This highlights the creative importance of Rogers already for this Villa side, contributing similar or higher metrics than the Frenchman in these creation-based numbers. He also excels in carrying metrics, bettering the summer departee in both successful take-ons and carries into the final third per 90.

Rogers will still need to add more output with goals and assists, something Diaby did fairly well with 0.56 per 90, but if he continues his brilliant form, and keeps finding himself in dangerous positions, that G/A is bound to come sooner rather than later. Either way, this is a move the club have certainly hit the jackpot with.

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He was terrific for the Villans during his time at the club.

1 ByJoe Nuttall Sep 10, 2024

Amid Sunderland’s excellent start to the Championship season, one in-form Black Cats star has made a transfer admission regarding a transfer clause in his current deal.

Sunderland transfer news

New manager Regis Le Bris has got off to an almost perfect start at the Stadium of Light, with his side sitting top of the Championship just one season after they found themselves sitting mid-table and flirting with relegation. With every game, the Frenchman looks more and more like a manager who was worth the wait, given how long it took Sunderland’s hierarchy to find their permanent replacement for Michael Beale.

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Against Derby County in midweek, it was once again business as usual, as Sunderland reclaimed their Championship top spot in a 2-0 win which featured a stunning first strike of the season from Jobe Bellingham.

It’s the type of routine victory that Sunderland will hope to see a repeat of against Leeds United in what would be quite the statement of intent from those at the Stadium of Light. They’ve already been handed a positive boost on the transfer front to take into Saturday’s clash too.

As relayed by the Sunderland Echo, Wilson Isidor now wants to complete a permanent move to Sunderland, which would see the Black Cats trigger their option to buy the £8,500-a-week forward from Zenit St. Petersburg at the end of the season.

Isidor told reporters after scoring the opening goal against Derby in midweek: “I am on loan but with an optional buy. But no, for me, I want to continue with Sunderland and write the club into my career and my history.”

The ball is now very much in Sunderland’s court, who could yet welcome their striker, who is beginning to find his goalscoring touch, on a permanent basis come the end of the season.

"Quality" Isidor has found his goalscoring touch

As if things couldn’t get any better for Le Bris and Sunderland, their summer signing is beginning to show just how clinical he can be when given the chance, with goals in back-to-back games to his name. Still just 24 years old, it would be a major blow for Sunderland if Isidor was to enjoy an excellent season before heading straight back to Zenit. Given his desire to stay put, the Black Cats should match his ambition and secure his long-term future at the club next summer.

Having fired into form, the Frenchman has earned plenty of praise as of late, including from Sunderland reporter Ethan Todd, who dubbed Isidor’s finishing as “quality” and runs off the ball “fantastic”.

With their biggest test yet awaiting, Sunderland could now round off an excellent week with victory over early promotion rivals Leeds this weekend.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo deu o pontapé de partida quanto à reformulação em seu departamento de futebol, sendo que o primeiro impactado atende porWagner Miranda, preparador de goleiros, que foi demitido após a confirmação da chegada do técnico português Paulo Sousa, que trará o seu compatriota Paulo Grilo para a função (veja todos os novos membros da comissão aqui).

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– O futebol é assim. Uns chegam e outros acabam tendo que sair. Mas o que posso dizer é que sou e sempre serei muito grato ao Flamengo, clube que me abriu as portas lá em 2005. Depois de sete anos na base, cheguei ao profissional e pude desenvolver ainda mais o meu trabalho e ajudar na formação de vários grandes nomes – falou Wagner Miranda, emendando:

-Nessa minha segunda passagem, desde 2019, ainda tive a felicidade de fazer parte de um elenco que entrou para a história do Flamengo. Ganhamos praticamente tudo, mas fruto de um trabalho muito bem realizado e de uma dedicação extrema de todos os setores. Nada é fácil no futebol. Agradeço a Deus por ter feito parte disso.

Wagner trabalhou de 2005 a 2011 no time sub-20 do Flamengo. Em janeiro de 2012, a pedido do técnico Dorival Júnior, foi alçado ao profissional, e por lá ficou até 2015. Retornou ao clube em janeiro de 2019, após passagens por Tianjin Quanjian, da China, e Chapecoense.

Conhecido internamente como “Gigante”, o preparador de goleiros não se mostrou magoado com a diretoria do Flamengo e fez agradecimentos:

– Queria agradecer também ao presidente Landim, ao Spindel, ao Marcos Braz e ao Bap pela confiança que sempre depositaram no meu trabalho. Aos meus goleiros, incansáveis e de um potencial enorme, e a todos os demais jogadores do elenco, o meu muito obrigado. Formamos uma família e sentirei saudades do dia a dia, assim como me fará falta a torcida do Flamengo. Mas saio com a certeza do dever cumprido.

Vale mencionar ainda que opreparador físico Alexandre Sanz será remanejado para uma outra função no Flamengo: não trabalhará mais no dia a dia do campo junto aos profissionais. Novas mudanças devem ser anunciadas pelo clube nos próximos dias, antes mesmo da reapresentação do elenco, marcada para o dia 10 de janeiro, no Ninho do Urubu.

Confira os 16 títulos de Wagner Miranda no Flamengo:

2013 – Copa do Brasil
2014 – Campeonato Carioca
2015 – Torneio Super Series
2019 – Florida Cup
2019 – Taça Rio
2019 – Campeonato Carioca
2019 – Libertadores
2019 – Campeonato Brasileiro
2020 – Supercopa do Brasil
2020 – Taça Guanabara
2020 – Recopa Sul-Americana
2020 – Campeonato Carioca
2020 – Campeonato Brasileiro
2021 – Supercopa do Brasil
2021 – Taça Guanabara
2021 – Campeonato Carioca

It hasn’t come together for West Ham United under Julen Lopetegui. The atmosphere hasn’t quite turned toxic but there’s an undeniable sourness about the London Stadium right now, with limp performances yielding poor results.

This evening, the Irons have a chance to turn such concerns around, though will find a tough test against Liverpool at Anfield in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, who won the trophy last year, swept West Ham aside in the quarter-final with a 5-1 thrashing, though Klopp is now going and Arne Slot’s side have already lost against Nottingham Forest on home soil this year.

1.

Jarrod Bowen

44

20

2.

Mohammed Kudus

45

14

3.

Tomas Soucek

52

10

4.

Lucas Paqueta

53

8

5.

Michail Antonio

32

7

6.

James Ward-Prowse

51

7

Liverpool are not infallible, and Lopetegui has a ferocious frontline that could hurt the hosts. Jarrod Bowen is invariably effective up front, while Mohammed Kudus and Crysencio Summerville offer pace and electric quality to swarm and overpower their opponents’ wide zones.

West Ham team news

West Ham enforced a host of changes for the second-round Carabao Cup victory over Bournemouth at the end of August, and you can expect Lopetegui to do the same after the battering handed by Chelsea on Saturday.

Niclas Füllkrug will be assessed after a period of injury – the £27m summer signing from Borussia Dortmund, aged 31, has yet to score for the Irons and has missed the past two top-flight fixtures with an Achilles injury.

But that aside, there are options aplenty for the club’s Spanish head coach to pick from. Expect some of the most infrequent starting members to receive the nod.

West Ham's last game against Liverpool

Let’s be candid – it’s going to be a tough one. Liverpool might have been beaten on home turf already this season but have looked pretty devastating for the most part, with the squad slotting into their new way of life.

27/04/24

Premier League

London Stadium

2-2 draw

20/12/23

Carabao Cup

Anfield

5-1 loss

24/09/23

Premier League

Anfield

3-1 loss

26/04/23

Premier League

London Stadium

2-1 loss

19/08/22

Premier League

Anfield

1-0 loss

West Ham have not defeated Liverpool in any competition since a thrilling 3-2 victory in the Premier League in 2021, one of the Reds’ two defeats in a season that saw them miss out against Manchester City to the title by a single point – again.

But last time out, David Moyes’ Irons halted a five-match losing streak against the forthcoming opposition, effectively ending Liverpool’s fading hopes of winning the league with a hard-fought 2-2 draw that saw Mohamed Salah and Jurgen Klopp come to a fractious blow.

There were many impressive performances, with Moyes hailing West Ham’s “incredible” performance. There was one player who put in a storming display. He must be unleashed alongside Jean-Clair Todibo, who joined this summer.

Who Lopetegui should unleash against Liverpool

Todibo started against Bournemouth in the previous round but that stands as the sole starting berth that the Frenchman has been awarded since moving from OGC Nice on a loan deal that has a purchase option of around £35m.

He struggled to influence the game and was withdrawn by Lopetegui at half-time. Todibo, 24, has not played since, but with West Ham’s defence struggling, this is the time for him to be unleashed and prove that he can become a starring member. But he would do well to find a reliable anchoring midfielder in front of him to help against the Reds’ attacking tidal wave.

Indeed, Edson Alvarez could be key on Wednesday evening. Todibo’s ball-playing quality could ensure the Mexican midfielder, who is so tough and authoritative in the tackle and duel, refinds his feet after flattering to deceive against Chelsea on Saturday.

Minutes played

90′

Touches

58

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

Accurate passes

29/35 (83%)

Key passes

1

Dribbles (completed)

1 (1)

Tackles

4

Interceptions

3

Clearances

4

Total duels (won)

14 (7)

Alvarez was awarded an 8/10 match rating by Hammers site Claret & Hugh after his last effort against Liverpool, with the publication writing: ‘Made same crucial blocks and interceptions one of which started the move which led to the first goal. Slow to close down for the Liverpool equaliser but otherwise back to his best.’

It was an excellent display, and one that saw Luis Diaz and Salah thwarted in their efforts to score and send Liverpool back into title contention.

That kind of relentless duel output will determine West Ham’s success in the midfield battle. Liverpool are purring with a partnership of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister in the Premier League but there’s a high chance that both could be rested for this one, and West Ham must capitalise.

Alvarez also won ten duels against the Cherries in August, and if he can bring that kind of iron-clad energy to this one, he might just prove to silence Diaz and Salah again.

The 6 foot 1 titan ranks among the top 9% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 14% for interceptions, the top 2% for blocks and the top 5% for clearances per 90. It’s evident that, when at his best, he is one of the most robust and active defensive midfielders in the game, and this could be vital in ensuring that Todibo succeeds.

Liverpool will present a tough test indeed, but if West Ham can battle and match the physicality of the Anfield side, there’s a good chance that they can inflict some damage. Remember, a draw at 90 minutes will take the match to spot-kicks…

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A £50 million Premier League player could now join Arsenal in January, with his club potentially willing to sell cash-in on him at the turn of the year amid his growing market value.

Arsenal targeting new striker and midfielder for 2025

Whether it be in the winter or next summer, recent reports have suggested that a new striker and midfielder is firmly on the agenda for sporting director Edu Gaspar.

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Kai Havertz’s fine form last season seemingly prompted manager Mikel Arteta and Edu to eventually keep faith with the German and not bring in a new number nine towards the end of the summer window, but it is believed Arsenal could look to sign a partner for Havertz next year instead.

Arsenal had an offer rejected for RB Leipzig sensation Benjamin Sesko, with the Gunners making a proposal to sign the Slovenian alongside both Man United and Chelsea, but he snubbed their advances and put pen to paper on a contract extension instead.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Liverpool (home)

October 27

Newcastle United (away)

November 2

Chelsea (away)

November 10

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

Arsenal are considering a 2025 approach for Sesko, though, considering the player has a “gentleman’s agreement” that he can leave Leipzig within the next two years.

Sesko isn’t their only rumoured striker target, but Edu’s widespread reported attempts to tempt him to the Emirates earlier this year hints he must be pretty high on their agenda.

Meanwhile, the prospect of adding another defensive midfielder is also on the cards. Versatile Italy international starlet Samuele Ricci is being targeted by Arsenal for January, according to some media sources, with the Torino ace turning heads at Man City too, amid their search for a Rodri alternative.

Both Thomas Partey and Jorginho could be leaving for free in 2025, as their contracts expire next summer, so Arsenal need to think about long-term solutions for their midfield as well.

There are reports that Arsenal could reward Partey with a new deal after his fine start to 2024/2025, but until the Ghanaian puts pen to paper, Arteta will still be in need of more options next year.

Jacob Ramsey could join Arsenal in January

Now, as per Spanish media reports, Aston Villa starlet Jacob Ramsey is a target for the Gunners.

Unai Emery’s side are potentially open to offers for the 23-year-old, either next summer or in the winter window, so the prospect of him leaving in January is a real possibility.

It is believed Arsenal are eyeing a move to sign Ramsey from Villa, alongside both north London rivals Tottenham and Newcastle United in England, while Serie A champions Inter Milan also take a firm interest in the Englishman.

His growing market value is making NSWE and Emery consider a sale in the near future, with a £50 million price tag on his head if Villa do decide to sell their “all-round” homegrown midfield ace (Gabriel Agbonlahor).

Cristiano Ronaldo is “still in the elite” at almost 40 years of age, says Emmanuel Adebayor, with the Al-Nassr superstar “simply beautiful to watch”.

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• CR7 remains an inspiration to millions
• Sets the standard for those around him
• No sign of slowing down in Saudi Arabia

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Portuguese icon will be celebrating a notable birthday on February 5. There is no sign of him slowing down, with the goals continuing to flow for a man that is targeting 1,000 before any thought is given to retirement. Whenever that day comes, CR7 has earned immortality as a sporting GOAT.

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  Adebayor worked alongside Ronaldo during a spell at Real Madrid, allowing him to experience what makes the legendary forward special and how his relentless pursuit of perfection took him to the very top of the game and kept him there for more than two decades.

• WHAT ADEBAYOR SAID

  Abebayor has told of working with Ronaldo and why, in his opinion, the Portugal international is the best to ever do it: “Okay, this is my first session, so I'll go at 8:30 or so and I'll be about two hours early. I arrived at 8:45. All the lights were off, the room was dark, so I was happy, ‘thank God, I'm the first one to arrive here, they will see that I am a professional, they will say that I am diligent’. But then I heard something, a noise in the background. I was like, what's going on? It was my first training session and I didn't know the facilities yet. I asked one of the physiotherapists what was going on downstairs. And he told me that Cristiano Ronaldo was there. I was like, 'Oh, come on, man, this guy’… In the end I was second.

  “I went to see him and he said: 'Oh, Emmanuel, nice to meet you, how are you?'. He also told me that he would be with me, that he would help me and that I should tell him if I needed anything. I realised that he was there much earlier. I asked him what time he would arrive and he replied that at 7:30. I said: 'Okay, thanks, good luck, I'll see you later, bye’.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ex-Arsenal and Manchester City striker Adebayor added: “Training started at 10:30 and you arrive at 7:30. To do what? Three or four hours early! I told myself to leave him in his own world, so that he could enjoy football and his career. And today he is 40 years old, still in the elite, playing football, at the top… It is simply beautiful to watch. A great example.”

  Adebayor only spent a few months at Santiago Bernabeu, on loan from City, but went on to say of that spell giving him a chance to take inspiration from Ronaldo: “For me, having the opportunity to play with him, even if it's only for six months… And he knows the respect I have for his mentality, for the person, for the character he has. He always wanted to be the best. And for me, that's incredible.”

Captain admits to regrets as allrounder chooses to step away from red-ball cricket

Andrew Miller27-Sep-2021

Moeen Ali was named as Joe Root’s vice-captain for the Oval Test, which turned out to be his final match•PA Images via Getty Images

Joe Root, England’s Test captain, says that Moeen Ali will be remembered as a “wonderful role model” and “one of the great guys to play alongside”, in the wake of his decision to retire from Test cricket, but admits he’ll have some regrets about the circumstances that persuaded one of England’s premier allrounders to focus his attentions on the white-ball form of the game.Moeen confirmed his decision in a joint interview with ESPNcricinfo and the Guardian on Monday morning, claiming that he had struggled to “get into the zone” during his three-match comeback against India this summer. He also admitted that the circumstances of his axing from the squad in 2019, when he was omitted after the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston then lost his ECB central contract later that summer, “did break [him] a little bit”.Root captained Moeen in 27 of his 64 Tests, including his very first match in the role, at Lord’s in 2017, when Root himself scored 190 while Moeen was named Player of the Match for his ten-wicket haul and an innings of 87 from 149 balls. He finished that same series with a remarkable double of 252 runs and 25 wickets – the first player in Test history to do so in a four-match series. That tally included a hat-trick at The Oval, while in his retirement interview, he recalled his carefree half-century in the final Test at Old Trafford as the single best day of his career.”First and foremost, it goes without saying that Mo’s career speaks for itself and what he has achieved,” Root said during a Zoom interview organised by the PCA. “He’s done some wonderful things in Test cricket. He’s been one of the great guys to play alongside. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed sharing that dressing room with him and we’ve had so many wonderful memories, on the field and off the field.”Related

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However, Moeen’s more recent Test experience has been mixed, including a bout of Covid-19 that caused him to isolate during the series in Sri Lanka in January, as well as an unfortunate misunderstanding in the wake of his departure from the subsequent tour of India, when Root erroneously stated that he had “chosen” to go home, when in fact his time off had been pre-arranged under the ECB’s rest-and-rotation policy.”There are a number of things I’ll look back on when I’m finished as captain, that I could look back on with regret that I could have done slightly differently,” Root admitted.”The one thing I will say is when Mo has played, he’s been brilliant. You look at the amount of games he has affected, the amount of special moments he has had on a cricket field in the Test match format has been exceptional. I’ll certainly remember a lot of amazing things that he has achieved. Of course, there might have been times we could have done things slightly differently, but I could say that about a lot of things.”Moeen was not considered for selection in the first three Tests of the 2021 summer – including the drawn first match against India at Trent Bridge, despite claiming eight wickets against the same opponents at Chennai in February – and Root admitted he had not been aware that Moeen felt “he was on a different path” to the rest of the team prior to his announcement, even after he was named as his vice-captain for what turned out to be his final Test at the Kia Oval last month.”I didn’t at the time, no,” Root said. “I’ve spoken to him in the past week and the way he has dealt with it has been, as you’d expect, first-class. But he’ll be a huge loss to the group for so many different reasons. But more than anything I just want to wish him well for everything he has got coming up and the rest of his career because he’s still going to go on and achieve so many great things, I’m certain of it.”I think at times he has been underappreciated. Not within the dressing room but outside of that. He’ll be a huge loss. He’s a great personality to have in and around the dressing room, and he’s a great brain for younger players to learn from and to feed off. I just wish him every success in everything he chooses to do from now. Hopefully there’s a lot of cricket I can still get to play with him in the ODI side with England as well.”Moeen’s immediate focus will be on the IPL, where he is back playing for Chennai Super Kings in the UAE, following the tournament’s resumption last week. After that, he will be competing for a berth in England’s T20 World Cup team, while on the domestic front, his status as a homegrown captain of Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred means that he will remain a significant figure in English cricket for the foreseeable.”He’s been a wonderful role model,” Root said. “I really hope that, off the back of what he has done and achieved at Test cricket, there will be so many young boys and girls out there wanting to follow in his footsteps because he’s done fabulous things. The way he holds himself. The way he carries himself, the way he goes about things is fantastic. He leaves a legacy.”