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The New Zealand allrounder reflects on the ways in which age can be an ally of senior athletes

S Sudarshanan07-Feb-20232:24

Bates: ‘Franchise cricket has kept me in the game longer than I thought’

Age is an ally of senior athletes. Their words are accompanied by certain wisdom, which would perhaps have helped their younger selves, too. That seniority also brings a quiet cacophony – that is louder in mind than on the outside – about being one match, or series, or tournament away from the end.Suzie Bates, the New Zealand allrounder, is the second-most capped player in women’s T20Is. Only India’s Harmanpreet Kaur has more appearances than Bates’ 139. But the retirements of former captain Amy Satterthwaite and wicketkeeper Katey Martin last year gave Bates a reality check.In her 17-year career, Bates has played a T20I without both Satterthwaite and Martin on only 19 occasions, 13 of them since July 2022. While Martin, 37, quit after last year’s home Women’s World Cup, Satterthwaite, 36, was shocked after being left out of New Zealand’s central contracts list and retired.”I’m really aware that every opportunity now could be my last, whether that’s by my own choice or by someone else’s,” Bates tells ESPNcricinfo from Pretoria, where New Zealand played three unofficial warm-ups before the Women’s T20 World Cup starting on Friday.”I found it really difficult because I believed [Satterthwaite] was still good enough to be contracted and carry on. She’s been one of the greats and someone I’ve played alongside and always looked up to and I felt I had to sort of sit back and watch that unfold. It gave me another wake-up call about how quickly this game can be taken away from you and I had a little bit of an experience with injury.Related

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“But it just reminded me once again to never take the game for granted and I promised myself from that point on that if I was going to keep playing, I was going to enjoy every game and until I stopped contributing to this team and stopped enjoying it. That’s when I know I’ve had enough, but right now I feel like I’m still doing both.”I probably reflected on the way Amy left the game and I just wanted to make sure that I carried on and made myself proud but made those players that wish they were probably still doing what I was doing proud as well. Katey Martin is another one who’s left a huge hole. There’s no one quite like her. I just feel really fortunate that Sophie [Devine] and I are still able to be leaders in this group because we’ve played so much cricket together.”A shoulder injury followed by surgery in late 2020 kept Bates out of action for much of 2021. She was finding her way back into the New Zealand side in 2022 with a World Cup and Commonwealth Games scheduled. But it wasn’t easy.”When I first came back from my shoulder surgery, I really struggled to find any kind of form in the middle,” Bates says. “I felt really good the way I was training, but just found it difficult at the middle to score runs. At that time, self-doubt crosses your mind, whether you’re still good enough to play at that level. So I had to work pretty hard not only on my game physically and my technique, but also mentally to get me back performing at that level.”After that World Cup we had some massive changes, which was hard for me to see some of my best mates leave the side. Knowing I was one of the senior players that was fortunate enough to still be playing, I probably took it upon my shoulders to be a really positive influence on the group. I know looking back, when you have those older players that are really supportive and positive, that makes a massive difference.”It’s lucky we’ve got such great young players and obviously Amelia Kerr is a pretty special talent. She’s fun to be around and the likes of Eden Carson, who grew up in Otago. It’s very easy to get around those girls and just try and help them be better players and more importantly, enjoy their cricket on and off the field.”Suzie Bates plays a shot during a warm-up match ahead of the 2023 T20 World Cup•ICC via Getty ImagesBates, though, turned her form around in fine fashion. She scored 662 runs in ODIs – the second-most for New Zealand in 2022 and the most she has scored in a calendar year – and 339 runs in T20Is, the second-most for New Zealand. Only twice in her career has she scored more T20I runs in a calendar year. She was part of New Zealand’s bronze-medal finish at the Commonwealth Games – which she terms “one of the highlights of my White Ferns career” – and then topped the batting charts for Oval Invincibles while captaining them to their second title in the women’s Hundred. She also made her presence felt in Sydney Sixers’ runners-up finish in the WBBL.What shone through was Bates’ ability to accelerate and her range of shots on both sides in front of and behind the wickets. She had a strike rate of 131.30 – the most for New Zealand – at the Commonwealth Games, and her 146.83 was only second to Smriti Mandhana among the top five run-scorers in the Hundred.”I feel like I’ve gone through a few different phases where I probably tried too many things and tried to bring too many shots into my game,” Bates says. “You talk about accessing 360 degrees, and I was accessing behind the wicket but I felt like I lost my form hitting down the ground. Therefore, you’re not really accessing 360 degrees. I went back to the basics and made sure that I’m still hitting the ball clean, up the field, and been able to stand still.”The way the game is going if you can access behind the wicket as well [it helps]. Probably the biggest work-on for me was being able to reverse and lap and all those types of things. When conditions, though, suit hitting over the top, it’s nice to be able to use the pace and bring that into my game and also manipulate the field. That’s what T20 cricket has done for me. But sometimes you can play so much and lose the basics of just a front-foot drive.”

“I haven’t made any decisions and I promised myself that I wouldn’t think about finishing until I knew that I was going to, but this could be my last World Cup; we just don’t know. Wherever I play now I just feel so grateful that I’m playing in this time where society is really getting behind female athletes and every moment I feel is special because it’s so new with people supporting so well”Suzie Bates

Despite making her international debut in 2006, it was only last year that Bates played a game for New Zealand in Dunedin, her hometown. She became nostalgic without wanting to place a comma or full-stop on the story just yet.”I haven’t made any decisions and I promised myself that I wouldn’t think about finishing until I knew that I was going to, but this could be my last World Cup; we just don’t know,” she says. “The profile of the game has changed so much over my career and for people to know that the White Ferns are playing in Dunedin and come down and watch… even playing for the [Otago] Sparks there is really special. We get crowds sitting on the bank and they’re really getting behind women’s sport.”Wherever I play now I just feel so grateful that I’m playing in this time where society is really getting behind female athletes and every moment I feel is special because it’s so new with people supporting so well… sold out crowds at the Commonwealth Games, sold out crowds at the Hundred, it’s just really exciting and with the IPL [Women’s Premier League] as well. You just see that the game is going up and up and that’s what makes me most proud and why I still want to be a part of it.”Bates is no stranger to franchise cricket, having played the WBBL, the Kia Super League, the Hundred and the Fairbreak Invitational. She is looking forward to the WPL, too, and attributed the various leagues for keeping her going for so long. She has also managed to keep herself fit and relevant to the changing needs of the sport. After her shoulder surgery, she switched from seam bowling to offspin and is still effective.”Initially there was perhaps a phase when I was in my late 20s, where the New Zealand contract may not have allowed me to keep playing,” she says. “But by playing franchise cricket around the world, I was able to earn an income.”So first and foremost, it’s probably kept me in the game longer than I ever thought. At my age, I’m kind of like, just do it. You’re not going to be doing it forever. It is a really special time to be a female cricketer.”

Mushfiqur and Liton were set at the crease when they played iffy shots to get themselves out and give West Indies the advantage

Mohammad Isam13-Feb-2021There are moments when it is hard to differentiate between the past and the present of the Bangladesh team. In many facets, they have improved considerably but every so often comes a phase of play that brings into question all the progress they’ve made in the last ten years.Seeing Mushfiqur Rahim’s dismissal at a critical point during the third day’s play of the second Test against West Indies, took the mind back to a dismissal in a similarly tense situation more than nine years ago, in another Dhaka Test against the same opponents.Bangladesh needed to survive the last day of that 2011 game, with seven wickets in hand. The chase of a target of 508 was out of the question, so it was left to Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur to lead the survival act. After about 18 overs of solidity, Shakib jumped outside off stump and top-edged a scoop off Daren Sammy. Shivnarine Chanderpaul caught him easily at slip.Bangladesh were bowled out within the next 12 overs, losing the Test by 229 runs.On Saturday in this game, Mushfiqur (54 of 105) played a reverse sweep that hit the toe of the bat, and looped to cover. Bangladesh had lost Mohammad Mithun in the first hour. Mushfiqur is the most experienced Test batsman in Bangladesh’s history, and often bats like it. But the choice of shot was questionable. Mushfiqur, Shakib and Tamim Iqbal remain as important to Bangladesh’s batting line-up as they were a decade ago, which is why Mushfiqur’s manner of dismissal was odd.However, this wasn’t the first time he had got out to a soft dismissal in Tests. During the 2017 Hyderabad Test, Mushfiqur stood between India and Bangladesh’s lower order on the last day. After batting for more than an hour, he was caught at mid-off trying to hit R Ashwin down the ground. A month later in Galle, his dismissal – two balls after lunch on the fifth day with five wickets in hand – precipitated a fast collapse against Sri Lanka. He had tickled Lakshan Sandakan down the legside to be caught behind.Given Mushfiqur’s experience, skill, and technical standing, his conversion rate – seven centuries and 22 fifties – is also below par. He has has also been dismissed between 40 and 69 on 28 occasions, 17 of them caught.Despite Mushfiqur’s dismissal with 55 still required to avoid the follow-on, the home side managed to do it through a 126-run seventh-wicket stand between Liton Das (71 off 133) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (57 off 140). Bangladesh went through the day’s middle session without conceding any wickets.Liton Das helped Bangladesh recover, but he fell trying to sweep, which changed the game once more•AFP via Getty ImagesBut shortly after tea, Liton’s attempt at a lap-sweep was intercepted by a proactive Jermaine Blackwood, who ran across towards legslip from slip, to complete the catch. With another set batsman falling to a risky shot, Bangladesh lost their remaining three wickets for another 15 runs, giving away a 113-run first-innings lead.Liton, 26, has seven fifties in 21 Tests, but hasn’t scored a century yet, an odd return for someone often talked up as the best batsman of his generation.There’s a reason set batsmen have more to lose than the one who has just come to bat. A set batsman has already invested a lot in the middle. He will be able to make better decisions because he has also got acquainted with the pitch and the overhead conditions and how the outfield is also playing out. He has familiarised himself with the opposition’s bowling attack, and whether a particular bowler is trying something different.Given how Mushfiqur had negotiated West Indies for nearly three hours since the second evening, and Liton for three hours and 34 minutes on the third day, how they got dismissed will come into sharp focus.It is how the game plays out these days. A great innings can be forgotten quickly, replaced by when, how and what they did to get out. Both Mushfiqur and Liton have one more chance to set the record straight in this game. In a fourth-innings chase or a fight for survival, they will need to be more judicious with their shot selection.

San Diego Padres reliever Mason Miller achieved one of the rarest feats in baseball on Wednesday, as the flamethrowing 27-year-old recorded the 119th immaculate inning in league history.

Even more impressive, Miller did it all using the same pitch; his devastating slider, and didn't have a single Orioles hitter make contact, even a foul ball, with any of his nine sliders in the inning.

Miller benefitted from a called strike on the very first pitch of the inning, and he followed up by throwing eight devastating sliders in a row, attacking various parts of the plate.

There have been more than twice as many no-hitters as immaculate innings in MLB history, some evidence as to just how rare the feat is. Even more rare is an immaculate inning in which every pitch is a slider and there wasn't a single foul ball, making Miller's accomplishment even more impressive.

Miller has been fantastic since joining the Padres at the trade deadline in a deal with the Athletics. He's logged a 1.64 ERA with 19 strikeouts and five walks in 11 innings.

A “world-class” manager has now emerged as a shock candidate to replace Ange Postecoglou as Nottingham Forest manager, following the Australian’s dismissal on Saturday.

Forest set out to appoint new manager following Ange exit

Ange only lasted a little over a month as Forest manager, which has sparked debate over whether he was given enough time, having replaced Nuno Espirito Santo at the beginning of September, before going on to implement a more attacking style.

Former defender John Curtis has since claimed it was the wrong decision to appoint the former Tottenham Hotspur boss in the first place, with Nuno enjoying a successful 2024-25 campaign, overseeing the Tricky Trees’ return to Europe.

With Ange gone, Evangelos Marinakis is now tasked with bringing in a replacement, and it could make sense to bring in a more pragmatic manager, given that the attacking philosophy didn’t produce the desired results.

The Aussie failed to win any of his eight matches in charge, which leaves the Europa League side in a precarious position, falling into the Premier League relegation zone after the 3-0 defeat at home against Chelsea on Saturday.

As such, getting the next appointment will be crucial for Marinakis, and it has now been revealed that Sean Dyche, who has a track record of guiding teams to safety, is in advanced talks about taking over as manager.

According to a report from Football Insider, however, there is an alternative option on the shortlist, with Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers emerging as a ‘shock’ new candidate for the Nottingham Forest job.

Rodgers is set to be sounded out by Forest about a move to the City Ground, with the Celtic boss out of contract at the end of the season, and the Scottish club have thus far failed to make any progress in talks about an extension.

Dyche remains the frontrunner for the job, but former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini and Fulham manager Marco Silva are also in contention.

Nottingham Forest chiefs want Marinakis to replace Postecoglou with "master" tactician

The Greek billionaire has finally called time on Ange’s nightmare stint.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 18, 2025 "World-class" Rodgers could be savvy appointment for Forest

The 52-year-old is vastly experienced in the Premier League, taking charge of 204 matches as Leicester City manager, during which time he led the Foxes to victory in the 2020-21 FA Cup final, with Gabriel Agbonlahor lauding him as “world-class”.

The Northern Irishman, who won the FA Cup with Leicester, has since gone on to have another very impressive stint with Celtic, winning the Scottish Premiership and League Cup last season, meaning he has now lifted 13 trophies across a successful managerial career.

Dyche would perhaps be the safer option, having developed a reputation as a manager capable of leading relegation-threatened sides to safety, but Rodgers could be a more exciting long-term appointment, given his track record of winning trophies.

خاض فريق برشلونة، بقيادة المدرب هانز فليك، مباراته في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم مساء يوم الثلاثاء ضد خصمه فريق أتلتيكو مدريد.

واستضاف ملعب “كامب نو” مباراة فريقي برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد، المُقدمة من الجولة التاسعة عشر من الدوري الإسباني موسم 2025/26، حيث حقق حامل اللقب فوزًا بثلاثة أهداف لهدف.

وسنحت فرصة لصالح برشلونة في الدقيقة التاسعة من عمر الشوط الأول، بعدما سدد رافينها الكرة ولكنها مرت أعلى مرمى أتلتيكو مدريد.

ونجح أتلتيكو مدريد في تسجيل هدف أول في شباك خصمه برشلونة، في الدقيقة 19 من عمر الشوط الأول، عن طريق أليكس باينا، بعدما استغل سوء تنظيم دفاع برشلونة، وانطلق بالكرة وسددها في شباك تشيزني، قبل أن يقرر الحكم إلغائه بداعِ وجود حالة تسلل.

ولكن تقنية الفيديو تدخلت لمراجعة الهدف قبل أن يتم احتسابه في النهاية، ليتقدم أتلتيكو مدريد على حساب برشلونة في مباراتهما بالليجا.

وفي الدقيقة 26، تمكن رافينها من تسجيل هدف التعادل لصالح برشلونة، بعد تمريرة متقنة من بيدري حيث وصلت الكرة إلى البرازيلي الذي انطلق بالكرة بشكل رائع وتخطى الحارس قبل أن يسدد كرته بطريقة مميزة في شباك أتلتيكو مدريد.

وتحصل برشلونة على ضربة جزاء في الدقيقة 35 بعد سقوط داني أولمو داخل المنطقة، ونفذها روبرت ليفاندوفسكي ولكنها جاءت قوية ومرت أعلى المرمى.

ونجح برشلونة في تسجيل الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 65 من عمر المباراة، عن طريق داني أولمو، بعد تمريرة من بيدري، حيث وصلت الكرة أمام روبرت ليفاندوفسكي ولكنه لم يتعامل معها جيدًا ليمررها، ويتدخل الإسباني الذي سددها قبل أن يسقط على الأرض مصابًا.

وقرر المدرب هانز فليك استبدال داني أولمو بعد إصابته، حيث دفع بزميله فيران توريس، إلى جانب خروج روبرت ليفاندوفسكي ونزول ماركوس راشفورد.

وسقط بيدري مصابًأ على أرض الملعب في الدقيقة 76، ليضطر المدرب هانز فليك إلى استبداله بزميله مارك كاسادو.

وكاد أتلتيكو مدريد أن يسجل هدف التعادل في الدقيقة 78، بعدما انطلق ألمادا بالكرة وراوغ ببراعة ولكنه سدد الكرة بطريقة سيئة خارج الملعب، لتضيع فرصة ثمينة على الضيوف.

وخرج لامين يامال في تبديل جديد لصالح برشلونة، في الدقيقة 88، حيث دخل أندرياس كريستنسن، حيث رغب فليك في دعم الدفاع للحفاظ على النقاط الثلاثة كاملة.

وقضى فيران توريس على أي آمال لدى أتلتيكو مدريد، حيث سجل الهدف الثالث في الدقيقة 96، بعد تمريرة من ماركوس راشفورد، لتصل إلى الإسباني الذي هز شباك الضيوف.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد برشلونة إلى 37 نقطة في المركز الأول في جدول الدوري الإسباني، بينما تجمد رصيد أتلتيكو مدريد عند 31 نقطة في المركز الرابع.

Tottenham hero Cristian Romero revealed international team-mate Lionel Messi as the influence behind his "beautiful" last-gasp overhead kick goal against Newcastle. Spurs' trip to St James’ Park ended in a breathless finale, with the Argentine defender scoring an acrobatic equaliser deep into stoppage time to rescue a 2-2 draw.

Newcastle dominate early but made to settle for a point

For much of the evening, Newcastle appeared set for a victory that would have accurately reflected the flow of the contest. Eddie Howe’s side were sharp from the opening whistle, pinning Spurs back and dictating the first half with confidence. Yet, despite their control, the breakthrough refused to come until midway through the second period. It was the introduction of captain Bruno Guimaraes that changed the tempo. Howe, searching for inspiration, turned to his midfield leader, and within minutes the Brazilian had stamped his authority. Anthony Gordon whipped a teasing cross into the box, a flick redirected the ball into Guimaraes’ path, and he dispatched a precise finish into the corner. 

Up to that point, Tottenham had offered little more than occasional flashes of counter-attacking intent. But Thomas Frank, confronted by another worrying result, responded boldly with a triple substitution. Mathys Tel, Richarlison and Xavi Simons were thrown into the fray. The impact was immediate. Mohammed Kudus swung a dangerous ball into the penalty area just seven minutes after Newcastle’s opener, and Romero, who was already leading by example at the back, launched himself into a diving header that skimmed off his forehead and drew Spurs level.

The drama only escalated as the final minutes ticked down. A Newcastle corner sparked a VAR review when Rodrigo Bentancur tangled awkwardly with Dan Burn at the back post. After a lengthy check, a penalty was awarded, and Gordon made no mistake, sending goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario the wrong way in the 86th minute. However, Spurs were unwilling to throw in the towel. When a Tottenham corner was punched weakly by Aaron Ramsdale, the ball travelled only as far as Romero. He showed great athleticism to produce a bicycle kick, and although his connection wasn't as clean as he would have liked, the ball skipped through the crowded box and rolled into the net to break Newcastle hearts.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRomero name drops Messi

After the match, Romero admitted the audacity of the attempt came from studying Messi up close during Argentina training sessions.

"I train every day with Leo Messi in the national team and I watch him,” he said to Sky Sports. ”It's a beautiful goal."

He also acknowledged the emotional weight of the moment, saying the Tottenham team had been deeply aware of their recent shortcomings.

Romero said: "It's very important. In the last three or four games, the team knows it's not been good enough. Today, the mentality to play like this altogether it's a difficult time, but especially in this game, I love the mentality.”

Thomas Frank praises captain’s leadership at both ends

Spurs manager Thomas Frank was effusive in his praise, describing Romero’s performance as “exceptional” and highlighting not just his goals but also his discipline and composure in defence.

"The perfect bicycle kick, hit the shin, aiming for the bottom corner," he said. "I think let's start praising Cuti, I think he deserved that for all of the top performance, defending, on the ball, coolness, calmness, duels. And then getting up there and scoring two goals. I think the bicycle kick will most likely get a little bit more praise, but I think the header is more exceptional, the way he does that is better than many strikers."

Frank emphasised that the team’s resilience was what pleased him most.

"The performance showed fantastic mentality and character," he added to Sky Sports. "Every team needs that. It is fair to say it has been a tough week, fourth game in 10 days, third away game. St James' Park is always a difficult place to come. Last 60 minutes I am very happy with that performance overall. The ability to react to setbacks was great. We suffered the first 25 minutes. Sometimes you need to suffer, after that we were very brave, calm on the ball going forward. There's a lot to love about the performance."

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The draw leaves Tottenham 11th in the Premier League table with 19 points from their opening 14 matches. The wider concern is their long winless run, which now extends to five matches in all competitions. Yet the manner of the comeback, and the grit shown in the final 30 minutes, injected a sliver of optimism into an atmosphere that has grown increasingly restless. Frank’s side will aim to turn resilience into wins when they return home to host Brentford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

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Ao todo, em 2023, o “Pistolero” fez 29 gols e distribuiu 17 assistências para os companheiros de Imortal, em 54 jogos disputados, a maior marca da carreira. Além disso, foi o jogador com mais participações diretas para tentos, levando em consideração todos os clubes e divisões do Brasil, sendo eleito o Craque do Brasileirão.

➡️ Grêmio acerta contratação de volante do Santos

Suárez anotou o primeiro gol gremista no ano, na decisão da Recopa Gaúcha diante do São Luiz de Ijuí. Vale lembrar que, naquela partida, marcou outras duas vezes, deixando o seu primeiro hat-trick pelo time.

O segundo momento foi especial pelo Imortal foi centésimo gol da equipe no ano, onde mais uma vez fez três gols na partida. Em um dos jogos mais emblemáticos da história do Campeonato Brasileiro, o craque uruguaio virou a partida para o Tricolor Gaúcho diante do Botafogo no returno, causando euforia em toda a torcida.

A terceira situação especial foi no último jogo dos comandados de Renato na temporada, que foi sua despedida, inclusive, também registrando sua marca. Driblando o goleiro Fábio em lance cara a cara e em cavadinha cobrando pênalti, Suárez fez dois gols na vitória sobre o Fluminense por 3 a 2 na última rodada dos pontos corridos.

If Rangers are going to reestablish themselves as both Scottish football’s dominant side but also a force in Europe once again, their recruitment simply must improve.

Sporting director Kevin Thelwell gave an interview to the club’s official TV channel this week, his position very much under the microscope from supporters following a very underwhelming transfer window.

Summer signings such as Emmanuel Fernandez, Joe Rothwell, Jayden Meghoma, Thelo Aasgaard and others have either made little impact or not impressed so far.

Rangers supporters won’t like this, but they’re going to have to replicate Celtic’s largely successful player trading model, with the side from across the city regularly selling players on for a sizable profit, something the Gers rarely do.

In fairness to them, the Light Blues did manage this with Hamza Igamane who departed this summer, so could an “exciting” new recruit be the next one to follow?

Hamza Igamane's impact at Rangers

When Igamane arrived at Rangers, he was a complete unknown quantity, signing from Botola club AS FAR in his native Morocco for £1.7m.

Well, the young striker certainly impressed during his one season in Govan, scoring 16 goals across all competitions, of which four came in the Europa League, while also bagging a hat-trick against Hibernian at Easter Road back in January.

He will though be most fondly remembered for this thunderous strike at Parkhead in March, snatching a 3-2 Old Firm victory over Celtic during Barry Ferguson’s interim tenure, awarded the club’s goal of the season.

Igamane though did not plan on sticking around in Glasgow, sold to Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille for a reported fee of £10.4m in August, which may prove to be an absolute bargain as far as les Dogues are concerned.

He scored twice on his Ligue 1 debut against Lorient at Stade du Moustoir, netting seven times for Lille to date overall, including three in the Europa League, featuring a brace against PAOK last month.

Meantime, Igamane scored his first two senior goals for Morocco in September, on target during World Cup qualifiers against Niger and Zambia, set to be a key figure in Walid Regragui’s squad for both the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil next month and then the World Cup in the summer.

Consequently, Rangers supporters may actually feel as though they let the striker go on the cheap, albeit there was nothing the club could do once his release clause was met.

So, who could be the Light Blues’ next bargain signing to depart for a huge profit, after exponentially improving his value and reputation at Ibrox?

Rangers' next Hamza Igamane

As already noted, many of Rangers’ summer signings have not impressed, hence why Russell Martin was sacked after just 17 games in charge, while, despite improvements under Danny Röhl, they remain fourth in the Scottish Premiership and rock-bottom of the Europa League standings, still yet to pick up a point.

However, almost inarguably, the best-performing of all their summer recruits has been Djeidi Gassama.

The Mauritania-born French youth international arrived from Sheffield Wednesday for just £2.2m, available at a cut-price given that now-ousted owner Dejphon Chansiri was running the EFL Championship club into the ground at the time, which looks like being a complete bargain, with the table below documenting the winger’s importance.

Minutes

1,733

4th

Goals

6

1st

Assists

2

4th

Shots per 90

2.3

1st

Key passes per 90

0.9

4th

Successful dribbles per 90

1.8

1st

Indeed, only Jack Butland, John Souttar and captain James Tavernier have played more minutes than Gassama so far this season and rightly so.

The Frenchman ranks first when it comes to goals, shots per 90 and successful dribbles per 90, with five of his six goals to date coming in European competition, on target home and away against Panathinaikos, at the double when Viktoria Plzeň visited Glasgow, while also on target in defeat at Sturm Graz.

Upon his arrival, then-manager Martin labelled Gassama an “exciting player who will get supporters on the edge of their seats”, while the winger expressed his delight in being reunited with manager Röhl, who’d also been his boss at Hillsborough, describing the German as “like a father to me”.

Earlier in the campaign, when Rangers’ form was diabolical, former right-back Alan Hutton asserted that Gassama had been their “shining light”, now only likely to get better under Röhl, the coach who kick-started his rise at Sheffield Wednesday.

Well, according to Football Transfers, Gassama’s estimated market value has already increased to around £4.5m, more than double what Rangers paid to sign him.

Scoring goals in Europe will certainly attract interest, proving that the attacker can perform at a higher level than just the Scottish Premiership.

Thus, still only 22 years old, Gassama appears destined to become Rangers’ next Igamane-like sale, while, for now, Röhl has to build a cohesive team to get the best out of his star forward.

Not Chermiti or Miovski: £4.5m flop is one of Rangers' worst ever signings

Rangers recruitment has been poor for many years, so which “insane talent” not Youssef Chermiti nor Bojan Miovski is one of the club’s worst signings.

ByBen Gray Nov 13, 2025

Santiago Giménez’s future at AC Milan is becoming increasingly uncertain. The club is evaluating changes to its attack for January, and multiple reports across Europe indicate the Mexican striker could be included in a potential swap deal with West Ham for German forward Niclas Füllkrug. With form and tactical fit both under review, a move to the Premier League is emerging as a possibility.

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  Milan losing confidence in Giménez

  AC Milan are preparing to reshape their attack after an uneven first half of the season, and Santiago Giménez has emerged as a key uncertainty, according to reports. The 24-year-old arrived with high expectations and has continued to earn starts, but he has yet to score in Serie A and recently missed time through injury. His profile has not fully convinced Massimiliano Allegri, whose system has been a difficult fit for the Mexican striker. It is not the first time Milan have evaluated his future, either – a similar swap proposal was explored last summer.

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  West Ham’s Füllkrug emerges as preferred option

  European reports claim Milan could offer Giménez to West Ham in exchange for Niclas Füllkrug. The German striker, valued at around $11.6 million (€10 million), is significantly cheaper than Giménez, whose market value stands at $29.1 million (€25 million). That financial gap – along with an eight-year age difference – makes the deal particularly attractive for the Premier League side.

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  Füllkrug seeking a fresh start

  Füllkrug has endured a difficult time in England, scoring just three times in 27 matches after his move from Dortmund. His agent has already opened the door to a January exit as the 31-year-old looks to recover form. Milan view him as the physical, traditional No. 9 Allegri wants to pair with Christopher Nkunku for the rest of the season.

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  What the move would mean for Giménez

  A move to West Ham would place Giménez firmly in the Premier League spotlight, though it would also come with challenges – competing for European places is generally more difficult in England than in Serie A. Still, with Milan actively assessing striker options and growing questions over whether Giménez has met expectations, a winter departure is becoming increasingly plausible. This time, he may not be part of the long-term plans.

Left-arm spinner joins as injury replacement for Australian Hayden Kerr

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2025

Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim has signed for Glamorgan as an overseas player for the remainder of the Vitality Blast campaign.The 37-year old, who was born in Swansea, joins to replace Hayden Kerr, who picked up in the home game against Surrey which will rule him out of his planned stint with the club.Returning to the country to his birth, Wasim brings a wealth of experience with 130 international caps for Pakistan. He will be representing his second Blast club having made 19 appearances for Nottinghamshire in the competition. He has also played for Trent Rockets in the Hundred, and has 390 appearances in the T20 format.Subject to approval from the Pakistan Cricket Board Imad will be available for selection for Saturday’s home fixture with Sussex. Glamorgan currently sit fourth in the South Group, with three wins from five.Commenting on the signing Director of Cricket Mark Wallace said: “It’s a real shame that Hayden’s injury has turned out to be a bit worse than we initially hoped. He has settled in really well and though he won’t quite be fit to fulfil his initial contract at the club we hope to see Hayden back in a Glamorgan shirt in the future.””To be able to bring in someone of Imad’s experience and quality at such short notice is fantastic. He’ll give us plenty of options to bowl at a variety of times with the ball and as another left-handed batting option in the middle order. We’re looking forward to welcoming him back to Wales.”