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Australia captain Steven Smith admitted that he may have to use more of his top hand and be slightly less wristy after copping a freakish blow to his hand at training ahead of the fourth Ashes Test

Daniel Brettig at the MCG25-Dec-20170:58

May have to play less wristy shots – Smith

Australia captain Steven Smith admitted that he will have to find a slightly different way to bat after suffering a freakish blow to the hand at training. However, that is just about all Smith wants to change as the hosts chase the first of two wins that can give them a 5-0 Ashes whitewash to reprise those of 2007 and 2014.Given the runs he foresaw on the surface, Smith was more than comfortable with the prospect of England pitching short at him to target his right hand, which was already sore from slips catching before it was struck by a ricochet from a Cameron Bancroft shot in the nets on Sunday. But that soreness is enough for Smith to concede that he may need to be a more orthodox, top-handed player in this match.”I hope [they target my hand] on this wicket. It doesn’t have quite the same pace and bounce as the WACA did, so if you’re bowling that length out there, it’s not a bad thing,” Smith said. “I’ll still be [fielding] in the same spot. Maybe I’ll just have to use a bit more of my top hand throughout this game, a bit less wristy.”It’s more the back of my hand. I copped a few in the nets in Perth and a few more in the game, and it just seems to be whenever you’re getting hit in a spot it just continually gets hit. Yesterday was a little bit bizarre. The ball came over the nets, I didn’t see it, someone called heads, I sort of tried to put my head down and of course it hit me in the same spot. It was a little bit sore playing a few shots after that. It was a little bit sore today playing a few different shots, but I’ll be able to deal with it and l get on with it.”The decision not to risk Mitchell Starc’s bruised heel on Boxing Day was given further context on match eve as Smith stated how flat and unforgiving the MCG’s drop-in pitch appeared to be. While the surface has, in past years, been left with some moisture in it to aid bowlers in the early stages, Smith said this time it had been ready to play on for several days already – reverse swing looms as one way to break any batting deadlock that ensues.”The wicket’s been pretty good, pretty flat the last few years. It looks much the same this year,” Smith said in Melbourne. “It was probably ready to go three days ago. It’s a wicket that really hasn’t broken up much over the last few years, it’s stayed pretty good for five days. Hopefully, I can cash in again this week. It doesn’t look like there’ll be great deal of sideways movement, maybe a bit of reverse swing as the game goes on. But it looks a pretty flat wicket.”We’ve been able to get results here in the last couple of years. Hopefully we can do that again. We’re going to have work hard, first-innings runs are going to be crucial again. Hopefully, we can get the ball reversing, and hopefully, there’s a little bit of spin for Nath [Lyon]. He didn’t get a great deal last game at the WACA, the ball just went straight on for pretty much everyone. So if there’s a little bit of spin, it’ll certainly bring him into the game as well.”The inclusion of Jackson Bird for Starc will offer Smith the chance to operate with a somewhat different bowling balance. The Tasmanian can deliver longer spells that in turn should allow Pat Cummins, in particular, to stay at his optimum pace in shorter bursts. Bird has previously enjoyed success taking the new ball on Boxing Day, on debut against Sri Lanka in 2012, but Smith stopped short of saying who would share the new ball with Josh Hazlewood.”He deserves a go, he’s worked very hard,” Smith said of Bird. “He hasn’t played since this game last year. He’s been on a few tours, guys have come in and jumped him. He’s been great around the group.”He works incredibly hard, and when he’s gone back to Shield cricket, he has dominated. He bowled exceptionally well in the first couple of Shield games this season. He bowls well out here, so he deserves a crack and hopefully goes really well.”Having secured the Ashes in the minimum three matches, Smith said he had not yet pushed the concept of 5-0 with his players, preferring to maintain the level of focus on the next game that had served Australia well in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. For all their success this summer, it should not be forgotten that this is still a young team with a spotty record – as of this match they remain the No. 5-ranked team in the world.”We’re obviously pretty confident, it’s been a good summer so far,” Smith said. “We’ve won back the urn, which was the objective at the start of the series. We’ve now got an opportunity to keep winning, that’s been my message to the boys: don’t worry about 5-0 at this stage, you’ve got to win this one first and keep winning games of cricket. Winning can become a habit. For us, it’s about staying in those good habits.”

Despite Glasgow Rangers conceding a late equaliser to draw 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven in their Champions League playoff qualifying round match in midweek, Michael Beale will surely take confidence from the performance.

A positive result in Eindhoven will secure a spot in the lucrative group stages of Europe’s elite competition for the second year in succession, yet Beale will be focusing on the tie against Ross County this afternoon.

A trip to Dingwall is never easy, but the Ibrox side know that three points is a must, even this early in the season in order to stay in touch with Celtic.

What is the Rangers team news vs Ross County?

With the Gers already playing six competitive matches before the end of August, Beale may make a few changes to his starting XI against County.

The 42-year-old did have some positive news regarding injuries however as he spoke to the press.

He said:

"Ridvan returned to training but won't make the squad for the weekend.

"Tom Lawrence and Roofe will both travel with the squad.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

"Lawrence and Roofe back in the squad is a big boost and both hopefully feature tomorrow."

This certainly gives the club plenty of options, especially from an attacking viewpoint and although the supporters may only see fleeting glimpses of both Lawrence and Roofe today, it’s a step in the right direction.

One player who must be given a start however is winger Rabbi Matondo, as he is showcasing the abilities which led Giovanni van Bronckhorst to shell out £2.5m for his services last summer.

How has Rabbi Matondo performed recently?

The Welsh winger didn’t quite light up Ibrox like many though he would last season, starting just 11 matches across all competitions for the Gers while registering just five assists in the process, and it looked as though Beale would ship him out during his summer rebuild.

The 22-year-old has worked hard over the summer however and following a 20-minute cameo where he grabbed an assist against Livingston, he was given a rare start against Greenock Morton in the League Cup.

He was arguably the finest player on the pitch, terrorising the defence with his pace and trickery while delivering quite a few dangerous balls into the box.

His performance led Rangers Review journalist Euan Robertson to laud him as a “bright spark” and more was to come against PSV.

Emerging from the bench with just over 20 minutes to go, Matondo finally began to demonstrate his vast talents as he got on the end of a stunning pass by Cyriel Dessers to put the Light Blues 2-1 ahead in the tie.

The former Schalke gem also succeeded with four of his five dribble attempts and won four of his six ground duels, showing that he was more than up for the challenge against the Dutch side and eager to impress.

Meanwhile, journalist Joshua Barrie even claimed that “Matondo continues his redemption arc” following his display, so Beale should have absolutely no worries about deploying him in the starting XI against County this afternoon.

Everton manager Sean Dyche has been tirelessly searching for a new strikeforce at Goodison Park this summer and could look to swoop on an outfit relegated from the Premier League…

Who do Everton want to sign?

As per multiple reports, Southampton winger Kamaldeen Sulemana is attracting the attention of the Toffees after impressing in spells for the Saints after completing a £22m transfer from French side Rennes in January.

BBC Sport confirmed last week that he has indeed been earmarked by the Merseyside outfit, eyeing up a loan deal after missing out on the Ghanaian six months ago.

And now, Daily Express reporter Ryan Taylor has offered his insight into the situation for GIVEMESPORT, stating that completing a swoop for the 21-year-old would be a "very good" move.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

Taylor said: "I think they would be two very good signings [Sulemana and Wilfried Gnonto]. Ultimately, I think that's the kind of market they should be shopping in because they don't have the kind of cash that can really sign game-changing players.

"So I think they would be smart moves. I would like to see Everton do something like that in the market. I think their signings are a little bit predictable. Danjuma was a step in the right direction. I think they would be smart acquisitions."

How good is Kamaldeen Sulemana?

Sulemana did not transform the Southampton attack but he did add a new dimension and impressed with his "incredible speed" – as has been lauded by Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag – and directness down the flanks.

Having played 18 times in the Premier League, starting ten matches, Sulemana scored two goals and registered one assist, but it was not until the term's culminating match week that he truly exhibited the class that the south coast club hoped would catalyse their weary campaign.

In an enthralling 4-4 draw against Liverpool to end the season, with Southampton's fate already sealed, Sulemana utilised the freedom to dance sinuous lines around the Reds.

He netted twice and earned a stunning match rating of 8.7, also succeeding with two of his three dribbles, winning six of his nine duels and really just producing the all-encompassing display that the Saints hierarchy knew he was capable of.

He would bring a new threat to the Toffees attack, and a very different approach to that of Jack Harrison, who is a brand new arrival at Goodison Park side having also been relegated from the English top-flight this year, with Leeds United.

Where Sulemana utilises his blistering pace and dribbling ability (indeed, the £8k-per-week ace ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref) Harrison flourishes through his ball-playing skill and technicality.

Once described as "explosive" by former manager Jesse Marsch, Harrison scored six goals and supplied ten assists across all competitions last season and could use his creativity to provide Sulemana with a constant flow to latch onto – the likes of Alex Iwobi could also aid in this regard.

Truthfully, Everton's issue has long been scoring and last weekend's 1-0 home defeat against Fulham highlighted this issue, the Blues taking 19 shots to the Cottager's nine but failing to bypass Bernd Leno's net, and Sulemana would not bring the incisiveness to rain goals in abundance, that is a fact.

But the 5 foot 9 ace would be another layer to the attack, another string to the bow, and with Harrison alongside him Everton would creep closer to where they need to be.

Said to be a "brilliant player" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Sulemana and Harrison could wreak havoc in a manner that has not been seen on the blue half of Merseyside for some time, and the divergence from the offensive inefficacy that has plagued the club for several years now could well be set to take its leave ahead of an exciting new chapter for Everton.

Victoria lost their last six wickets for a mere 10 runs on the second day, before Tasmania’s top order bolstered their first-innings advantage at the MCG

Daniel Brettig14-Nov-2017
ScorecardGetty ImagesTasmania rattled through Victoria’s lower order and forged into a strong lead through the efforts of former Test batting pair Alex Doolan and George Bailey on day two of the Sheffield Shield match at the MCG.Fuelled by a pair of four-wicket hauls to Gabe Bell and Thomas Rogers, the Tigers are in position to win their first outright points of the season after a pair of hefty losses to Western Australia and Queensland in the opening two rounds.In pursuit of the Tigers’ first-innings 172, the hosts seemed reasonably positioned at 4 for 134 with Marcus Harris and Daniel Christian in occupation. However, Harris’ exit for 86 signalled a shattering collapse, as the last six wickets went down for a mere 10 runs. Earlier, Victoria had lost their first four for 25, but were resuscitated to an extent by the century stand between Harris and Christian.The Tigers’ reply began steadily as Doolan found help from the erstwhile out-of-touch Jake Doran. Doran, who had been dropped after the first two Shield rounds, was parachuted into the match as a concussion substitute – the first in a first-class game – after Jordan Silk suffered delayed effects from being struck on the helmet by a Peter Siddle bouncer on day one. Cricket Australia recorded a marked increase in concussions this year when releasing their annual study of injury statistics, though this was partly attributed to greater awareness of the issue. The move to introduce concussion subs in the Sheffield Shield was formalised in August, after the ICC cleared the change while allowing the tournament to retain its first-class status.Upon Doran’s dismissal it was the captain, Bailey, who provided accompaniment to thoroughly frustrate the Bushrangers. Neither Doolan nor Bailey, both of whom played for Australia’s Test side over the 12 months from November 2013 to October of the following year, are in serious contention for selection in this year’s Ashes series.

Everton have been, perhaps understandably, heaping the majority of their transfer attention this summer on fortifying the frontline after a toothless attacking effort last term resulted in near-relegation from the Premier League.

Youssef Chermiti is set to complete a transfer to Merseyside imminently, while the versatile Ashley Young, now aged 37, and attacker Arnaut Danjuma joining on a free transfer and loan deal respectively. But as yet, the central defence remains untouched.

This is despite Yerry Mina and Conor Coady leaving the Goodison Park side this summer, and as such, manager Sean Dyche will be hoping to seal an impressive swoop for Chelsea ace Trevoh Chalobah.

What's the latest on Trevoh Chalobah to Everton?

According to Football Insider, the Toffees have 'set their sights' on the Englishman after Chelsea informed him that he is free to depart Stamford Bridge.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

This follows news from the Evening Standard at the end of July revealing that the west London Blues have slapped a £45m asking price on the 24-year-old titan.

How good is Trevoh Chalobah?

Everton's defence held up, for the most part, last season, with James Tarkowski and now-departed loanee Conor Coady thriving in the early stages of the campaign, with former manager Frank Lampard lauding the "hugely important" partnership last year.

However, Coady lost his place following Dyche's arrival and given that the injury-prone Mina has also left the club this summer, it's vital that a fresh face is brought in to strengthen the backline and ensure that Jordan Pickford's goal is well-protected.

Described as a "soldier" by his former Blues boss Graham Potter, Chalobah's £45m price tag will be a deterrent for any judicious suitors, but if Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell manages to whittle the price down, a new leader could cement a starting berth at the back for years to come at Goodison Park.

Chalobah, who has been described as a "delight" by Lampard, has made 63 appearances for Chelsea since breaking into the first-team, but with Wesley Fofana, Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile all signed since last summer and Levi Colwill set for a starring role after returning from an excellent loan spell with Brighton & Hove Albion, Chalobah's role would be peripheral at best.

And that is after starting only 18 times in the English top-flight last year; the £50k-per-week colossus must decide if he wants regular football at this stage of his career, and if so, Goodison Park is the perfect destination.

Ranking among the top 17% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 17% for progressive carries and the top 18% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, Chalobah would bring the dynamism, ball-playing aptitude and directness to offer Everton something different.

With James Tarkowski set to retain his role as the starring no-nonsense titan at the back, as it stands, Michael Keane is his most likely partner, but if Dyche truly wishes to lift the Toffees from mediocrity, he must ditch the man who has played 119 matches across two clubs for the 52-year-old, replacing him with the younger, effervescent Chalobah.

The 30-year-old regained his place in the starting line-up following Dyche's arrival in January, but the £80k-per-week dud has been culpable of "amateurish defending" too many times, as has been said by reporter Tony Scott.

Also branded a "defensive liability" by Richard Buxton, Keane ranks among the bottom 1% of positional peers for pass completion and the bottom 2% for tackles per 90, and it's time for Dyche to untether himself from his long-time ally, who is now surely past it.

Chalobah would bring fresh life, so Thelwell simply must get him signed to serve as the perfect heir to Keane's position with the Merseyside outfit.

Himachal Pradesh pulled ahead on a 14-wicket day in Delhi, while Punjab marched towards an innings victory in Porvorim

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2017A century from captain Faiz Fazal and a fifty from Wasim Jaffer led Vidarbha’s reply to Chhattisgarh’s 489 in Nagpur.Fazal added 105 to his overnight score of 20, before being dismissed by legspinner Jatin Saxena. Fazal’s 12th first-class hundred contained 19 fours and a six. He added 114 with Jaffer, who struck seven fours during his 104-ball 50. Shrikant Wagh (38) and Ganesh Satish (39) also pitched in with useful contributions to help trim the deficit to 158 by stumps. Seamer Prateek Sinha and left-arm spinner Sumit Ruikar took two wickets each for Chhattisgarh.Legspinner Raghu Sharma – playing only his second first-class match – and left-arm spinner Vinay Choudhary bagged seven wickets between them to put Punjab on course for an innings victory against Goa in Porvorim. In response to Punjab’s 635, Goa were dismissed for 246, and ended the day on 67 for 2 after being asked to follow on.Goa, resuming on 94 for 1, lost Swapnil Asnodkar in the second over of the day to Choudhary, who then combined with Raghu and seamer Siddarth Kaul (2-41) to cut through the rest of the batting line-up. At 176 for 9, a counterattacking 70-run partnership for the last wicket between Rituraj Singh (22) and Amit Yadav (52*) dragged the side to 246.The slide seeped into Goa’s second innings as well, with Choudhary and Kaul dismissing the openers. Captain Sagun Kamat and Amogh Desai then saw off the day without any further damage.Akash Vasisht and Pankaj Jaiswal starred with both bat and ball to help Himachal Pradesh pull ahead on a 14-wicket day against Services at the Palam A ground in Delhi. They first took six wickets between them to dismiss Services for 215 and earn a 149-run first-innings lead for Himachal Pradesh. Vasisht and Jaiswal then hit 44 and 33 respectively to extend the lead and set Services a target of 326.Resuming on 153 for 6, Services lost their last four wickets for 62 runs to be bowled out in 76.3 overs, in their first dig. Debutant Nitin Tanwar top scored for them with 55 for 67 balls.Himachal Pradesh began shakily in their second innings, and were pinned down to 58 for 6 by the 31st over. Rishi Dhawan, Vasisht and Jaiswal then cracked 17 boundaries between them to lift the score to 176 for 9 before they declared. In pursuit of 326, Services lost opener Navneet Singh early, and closed the day at 28 for 1.

Aston Villa are keen on an ambitious pursuit of Barcelona forward Ferran Torres and his teammate Ousmane Dembele could be part of a 'domino effect' that could lead the Spain international to Villa Park, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Could Ferran Torres end up moving to Aston Villa?

According to reports in Spain via Sport Witness, Aston Villa are 'still pushing' to land Barcelona attacker Torres this summer and the coming days could see movement in their pursuit.

Nevertheless, the report states that much will hinge on the future of Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele and whether he stays or leaves the Catalan giants this window.

L'Equipe via The Daily Mail claim that Paris Saint-Germain have triggered the £43 million release clause of the France international and beat the clock on Monday to do so. Otherwise, his valuation would've risen to a lofty fee of £86 million and they now have until Sunday to strike an agreement with the former Borussia Dortmund man over a potential move to the Parc des Princes.

In the case of Torres, he has spoken about his future in a recent interview on Barcelona's pre-season tour of the United States cited by METRO, stating: "The names on Barca transfer list are placed by the journalists. I have a contract here, I’m going to stay. I don’t care what is said about me. I’m going to work like anyone else. I am the first self-critic, it was not a good season last year but I learned a lot. These ups and downs have helped me to be stronger now."

Last campaign, Torres featured 45 times in all competitions for Barcelona, registering seven goals and three assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones thinks that a 'domino effect' may occur that will ultimately determine the chances of £164k-a-week ace Torres signing for Aston Villa this summer.

Jones stated: “There is still intent around Torres and I think that is very encouraging because it shows just how serious the club are about backing Unai Emery and also about being successful.

“Ferran would suddenly have some fresh hope of more game time so, as I have said for a while, I would expect the player to only leave Barcelona once the season has begun, meaning he can stake a claim for a place before he gives up.”

Who else could Aston Villa look to sign this window?

According to Czech publication Idnez via Birmingham Live, Aston Villa are keen on Manchester United goalkeeper Matej Kovar, who has also attracted interest from clubs in Germany and Sparta Prague.

Spain international Adama Traore has emerged as a surprise target for Aston Villa following the expiration of his contract at Wolverhampton Wanderers, as per Football Insider.

One outlet in Spain has claimed that Aston Villa are readying a bid worth €15 million for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos despite his decision to sign a new deal at the Spanish giants earlier in the window.

Over the next few weeks, we will find out where Aston Villa stand with regard to prospective new arrivals as the start of the Premier League draws ever nearer.

This season’s NatWest Blast has set new records for ticket sales, with official attendance rising to 883,000 overall

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2017This season’s NatWest Blast has set new records for ticket sales, with official attendance rising to 883,000 overall. Finals Day at Edgbaston is also a record sellout, while average attendances among the 18 counties were up to 7500.The return of the competition to a block in July and August – as well as soaring run rates – seems to have helped the Blast’s growth, despite poor weather causing 16 matches to be abandoned. Taking into account those through the turnstiles to watch the Kia Super League, 907,000 tickets had been sold for domestic T20, before the women’s Finals Day at Hove on Friday.The 2017 Blast figures were a 7% rise on the previous record, set in 2015 when the competition was played largely on Friday nights from May through to August. Last year saw a slight drop in attendances, partly down to poor weather.”It’s a genuine pleasure to be able to congratulate all 18 first-class counties for their outstanding efforts in making the 2017 Blast such a hit,” Gordon Hollins, the ECB’s chief operating officer, said.”The competition moved to a new place in the schedule this year, with all games played in a block in July and August rather than spread through the summer. That was welcomed by the players and has helped draw the crowds to NatWest T20 Blast – in bigger numbers then ever before.”The change created some fresh challenges for counties alongside the new opportunities but the record advance sales show how well the game has responded – the counties deserve huge credit. The quality of the cricket has been very clear too, with further records set for runs scored and sixes hit – our thanks to the players for producing such entertaining games.Blast Finals Day, in front of 24,426 people at Edgbaston on Saturday, will see Hampshire, Glamorgan, Nottinghamshire and Birmingham compete to the lift the trophy.From 2020, the ECB is set to introduce a new, 38-game T20 tournament, featuring eight regional/city-based team. The NatWest Blast is planned to continue as a secondary competition for all 18 counties to contest.

Former South Africa captain is set for his first professional coaching stint; also, Stephen Fleming will oversee Stellenbosch Monarchs

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2017T20 Global League franchise Benoni Zalmi has appointed former South Africa captain Graeme Smith as its head coach. Zalmi team owner Javed Afridi made the announcement on Monday.Smith, 36, last played a competitive game in May 2014, a T20 for Somerset two months after his final Test against Australia. It will be Smith’s first stint as a coach in recognised cricket. Highveld Lions’ Geoffrey Toyana, who was recently among the frontrunners to replace Russell Domingo as South Africa’s coach, will be his assistant. Their first assignment together comes this weekend, when they will have to pick from a pool of over 400 players in the player draft.Elsewhere, Durban Qalandars has put Paddy Upton in charge, with Aaqib Javed to oversee the bowlers. Also, Stellenbosch Monarchs has appointed Stephen Fleming head coach, with Eric Simons named his assistant.Stellenbosch had suffered a setback last week when Brimstone Investment Corporation Limited, the investment company which had been unveiled as its owner by Cricket South Africa, said it will not proceed with the acquisition.ESPNcricinfo understands Brimstone pulled out because it did not want to hold a majority stake. An insider said that Brimstone always wanted a minority stake and that has been their investment model, where the company supports an expert majority partner. The failure to pull together a consortium meant that Brimstone opted to move out and CSA did not stand in its way. Incidentally Brimstone was one of only two South African owners named for the eight teams in June. Faf du Plessis, South Africa’s Test and T20 captain, was named the Stellenbosch franchise’s marquee player by the South Africa board.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale has managed to overhaul his playing squad with a host of fresh additions ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign.

Who have Rangers signed this summer?

The Light Blues head coach has bolstered almost every area of the team with eight new signings so far, whilst a ninth is reportedly on the verge of being finalised.

Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, Dujon Sterling, Jack Butland, Kieran Dowell, Abdallah Sima, Danilo and Leon Balogun have all come through the door.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

LAFC central midfielder Jose Cifuentes is also set to join to improve Beale's options in the middle of the park, which is an area that he targeted in January with Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin.

Whilst new signings are exciting and have the potential to take Rangers to the next level, there could be some academy players who are able to push the club on in the years to come – one of those being Alex Lowry.

How many goals did Alex Lowry score last season?

The exciting gem racked up ten goals in 18 appearances for the 'B' team and senior side combined during the 2022/23 campaign, whilst mainly being deployed as an attacking midfielder.

Seven of those matches came with the first-team and his progression out of the academy set-up could make him the dream heir to Cantwell further down the line.

The talented youngster was recently linked with a loan move to English League Two side Tranmere Rovers. However, that appears to be a step down on where he could go as the same report stated that FC Twente and Kilmarnock were keen on a temporary deal for him in January.

Sending him away to play regular first-team football for a season could provide the 20-year-old dynamo with the vital experience he needs in order to take the next step to break into the Rangers side.

Lowry, who was once hailed as "dangerous" by ex-boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst, has racked up 12 goals and two assists in 20 academy matches since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, which is a direct goal contribution every 1.43 games on average.

He has also shown glimpses of being able to make an impact at first-team level with two goals and two assists in 15 senior appearances.

Cantwell, who is five years older than Lowry, has produced six goals and five assists across 20 outings for Rangers since his move from Norwich in January, which is a goal involvement every 1.82 clashes on average.

Both players are versatile attacking midfielders who can be utilised through the middle or out wide on the flank if needed and have the quality to score and create goals from those positions.

Lowry, who was once dubbed a "master" of the ball by Scottish coach Andy Goldie, may not be in Beale's immediate first-team plans, given that he has only played in one pre-season friendly, but a loan move could be the catalyst for him to push and fulfil his potential.

If the 5 foot 11 whiz is able to eventually translate his B-team form to senior football then he would be the dream heir to Cantwell as a huge attacking threat from midfield for the Light Blues over the coming years.