Sam and Tom Curran are closing in on a special feat after both were named in England’s T20 squad for the series against Australia and India

George Dobell19-Jun-2018

Sam and Tom Curran could make history•Getty Images

Sam and Tom Curran are set to become the first brothers to play together for England this century having been named in the Englandsquad for the Vitality T20I series against Australia and India.The Surrey pair, who have both played international cricket but never in the same side, are set to become the first brothers to representEngland at the same time since Ben and Adam Hollioake – also of Surrey – played an ODI against Sri Lanka in Sydney in 1999.With both Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes missing the series due to injury – Stokes will be with the squad throughout the series as he continues his rehabilitation from his torn left hamstring – both Currans have every chance of appearing in an England side that has won only one of their last five and three of their last 10 IT20 matches.There is no place in the squad for Sam Billings, Dawid Malan, Liam Dawson or James Vince – all of whom were in the squad for thetri-series tournament also involving Australia and New Zealand earlier this year – while Mark Wood, who has struggled to maintain his toppace in the ODI series against Australia, is rested.Mooen Ali, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, who were rested from the previous IT20 tri-series, return while Jake Ball is recalled.Stokes could be added to the squad if he is deemed to have returned to full fitness.England IT20 squad
Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), captain, Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Tom Curran (Surrey), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire)Fixtures:
June 27: England v Australia, Edgbaston (6.30pm BST); July 3: England v India, Emirates Old Trafford (5.30pm BST); July 6: England v India, Cardiff (5.30pm BST); July 8: England v India, Sunday July 8, Bristol (2pm BST)

Coach Tushar Arothe not invited to meeting attended by limited-overs captains Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur, and Committee of Administrators members among others

Annesha Ghosh29-Jun-2018India women’s recent string of poor results, culminating in the loss to Bangladesh in the Asia Cup final, has brought alleged discord within the team to the fore with less than five months to go to the World T20.On Wednesday, head coach Tushar Arothe wasn’t invited to a meeting attended by limited-overs captains Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur, and Committee of Administrators chief Vinod Rai and member Diana Edulji. Also present were women’s selection committee chief Hemalata Kala and team manager Trupti Bhattacharya.This comes in the wake of a series review meeting held in Bengaluru on June 13 upon the team’s return from the Asia Cup. Arothe, BCCI general manager (cricket operations) Saba Karim, and BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary were in attendance in that instance.ESPNcricinfo understands the dynamics between the team and Arothe had been fairly healthy as recently as the tour of South Africa in February, when India won both limited-overs series. However, below-par performances at home against Australia and in the tri-series featuring Australia and England – in the face of mounting pressure to live up to expectations after India’s breakout run in the World Cup last year – seem to have played a part in the growing discontent between some of the high-profile regulars and Arothe. The Asia Cup loss is understood to have been the tipping point.One of the reasons for the alleged discord seems to be training methods. For the major part of Arothe’s tenure, since his appointment in April 2017, two mandatory practice sessions of roughly two-and-a-half-hours each in the morning and late afternoon, and an optional afternoon session, have been part of the team’s training regimen with a view to enhancing the all-round skills of all players, especially the tail-enders.But the larger consensus among players has been to have one long session a day, so as to accommodate training at the gym and an optional session if necessary – feedback that had been amicably conveyed to Arothe ahead of the Asia Cup. The subject, however, is believed to have been a moot point during discussions at the meetings with the CoA members and the selectors.Iffy selection calls are understood to be another reason for the discord, foremost being the omission of 17-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues from the starting XI for the entire tournament. This, even as every other member of the squad featured in at least one game.It is believed Rodrigues’ underwhelming form at the nets and in the warm-up match in Malaysia played its part in her being benched. The decision to leave her out is understood to have been taken in consultation with Harmanpreet, the captain, and vice-captain Mandhana.During the team’s brief stay in Bengaluru, where a conditioning camp was to be held at the National Cricket Academy from June 15 to 25, speculation over the high-profile regulars addressing their grievances about Arothe to senior board officials started circulating. This coincided with the last-minute cancellation of the camp and the BCCI subsequently imposing a media gag on all the players and support staff.ESPNcricinfo understands that the less-than-satisfactory performances at the Asia Cup played a hand in the cancellation of the camp. The support staff, however, wasn’t informed of this development until the last minute, even though they were asked to prepare a list of facilities required for the players. Soon after the BCCI’s annual awards ceremony on June 12 ended, the team was told to disperse because of unavailability of space at the NCA.An overall camp – barring Harmanpreet and Mandhana who are set to play in the KSL – is to be held for the women’s team around July 25. Two skills-specific camps for a select group of batsmen and quick bowlers will take place before that in two batches, starting on June 30 and July 5. India’s next assignment is a limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka in September. There are also talks of a bilateral series in the West Indies ahead of the World T20 in November.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told that if they're genuinely "serious" about challenging for the Premier League title, they must go and sign a "unique" star.

Spurs form this season

Spurs are being given a new lease of life by manager Ange Postecoglou, who's guided them to six wins out of eight in an unbeaten league start. The Australian, coming in from Celtic over the summer, has just been handed a second-consecutive Manager of the Month award – highlighting his phenomenal job thus far. Guiding Tottenham through their best start to a campaign since the 1960/1961 season, when they won a domestic double, things are well and truly on the up at N17. Indeed, there are plenty of reasons for supporters to be excited right now.

While the north Londoners are out of the EFL Cup already, having been knocked out by Fulham in the second round on penalties, their imperious top flight form suggests that they could, at the very least, challenge for a top four place. The FA Cup is also up for grabs, with Postecoglou's side now tasked with maintaining this excellent start.

All of this is perhaps made much more impressive by the absence of club legend and star striker Harry Kane, who departed for Bayern Munich over the summer. Kane, watching on as Postecoglou ushers in a new era, only has praise for the club he adores.

"I have made it clear my whole career I am a Tottenham fan and I would love to see Tottenham do well," he said at a press conference with England (via 90min).

"It's great to see. I think I've said before, the manager is doing great for them with the way they're playing. The fans are right behind the team and it's definitely what they needed after the last few years. I'll always keep an eye on Spurs and the Premier League. There is no other team in the Premier League I would want to win than Tottenham. I have to be respectful to Bayern Munich and of course, the fans know I will always have a soft spot for Spurs – there is no question about that."

Spurs transfer news – Ivan Toney

Tottenham appear unaffected by Kane's departure, much to the surprise of supporters considering his seismic impact over the last decade. However, reports have suggested that they have their eyes on a new striker for 2024. Indeed, Brentford star Ivan Toney is one of the names linked, with Football Insider recently claiming Spurs are in the running as the striker decides to depart his club.

Gabriel Agbonlahor, speaking to talkSPORT, says that if Spurs are "serious" about a potential title challenge this season, they'll go and sign the forward who's been called "unique" by his manager (The Independent).

"No one will be able to afford him, he'll be something silly, £140/150million. But, do Spurs go and get Toney? If Spurs come to January and they're in a title race," he said.

Co-pundit Alan Brazil then replied: "Yeah but what if [Heung-min] Son got injured, touch wood it doesn't happen, or [James] Maddison, what then?

Ivan Toney strengths

Ivan Toney weaknesses

Aerial duels

Offside awareness

Direct free-kicks

Passing

Through balls

Finishing

To which Agbonlahor added: "You've got Richarlison, he can't score, the young lad [Brennan] Johnson will do OK. I think whoever's serious about this title challenge, go and get Toney."

Toney scored 20 league goals for the Bees last season, and is now reportedly being courted by the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.

Chris Woakes is hoping to make his return from injury next week in a bid to prove his fitness ahead of the Test series against India.Woakes, who has a chronic knee problem that is likely to require attention for the rest of his career, also sustained an injury to his right quad during the Headingley Test against Pakistan. He is aiming to play as a batsman in Warwickshire’s 2nd XI match against Leicestershire in Kibworth from July 10.If he comes through that game unscathed, he will play as an allrounder in the four-day England Lions match against India A in Worcester from July 16.All four of England’s likely first-choice seam attack for the first Test against India (starting at Edgbaston on August 1) are currently involved in a rehabilitation programme.Stuart Broad, who has an ankle ligament issue, plans to return to cricket in Nottinghamshire’s Championship match against Surrey starting on July 22, while James Anderson, who has a chronic shoulder issue, is planning to play in the same round of Championship matches.The final member of that likely seam attack, Ben Stokes, played for Durham as a specialist batsman on Thursday night. While he made an unbeaten 90, he ended the night limping having edging a ball into his foot or ankle in training ahead of the game. He sustained a similar blow in a warm-up game earlier in the week and the area is understood to be heavily bruised.However, England confirmed on Friday* that Stokes would be in Cardiff for the second T20I against India, and is expected to be available for selection for Sunday’s match in Bristol as his comeback continues.* 1530 BST – This story was updated with new information on Stokes’ injury

ScorecardIan Cockbain hit his maiden T20 century and the second highest score ever by a Gloucestershire batsman in the competition as Middlesex were put to the sword in a one-sided Vitality Blast game at Bristol.Cockbain smashed 123 off 61 balls, including 96 in boundaries, to help his side reach 242 for four, their best ever T20 total at Bristol, and secure a 70-run victory.Michael Klinger, Kieran Noema-Barnett and Jack Taylor gave valuable support. But it was all about Cockbain, who went in with the total 7 for 1 in the second over and holed out to long-on off the final ball of the innings.In reply, Middlesex could manage only 172 for 6 as their miserable Vitality Blast campaign continued. Stevie Eskinazi top scored with 51, while medium-pacer Noema-Barnett claimed three for 18 from four overs, his best T20 figures.

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Middlesex skipper Dawid Malan, axed by England for the Lord’s Test, instead found unhappy memories resurfacing of another Gloucestershire run spree against Middlesex seven years ago. He said: “That was Gloucestershire’s second highest T20 total and I remember their best because it was against us and I was captain then too!”Gloucestershire will be concerned that Klinger did not field because of a back spasm and Graeme van Buuren has also injured a hamstring, but even that did not take the gloss of Cockbain’s innings.”I don’t think I have ever struck the ball cleaner,” he said, “which is strange because I haven’t been hitting the ball that well in the last couple of weeks. It helped that the Middlesex bowlers didn’t get it quite right on the night and allowed me to hit to the shorter boundary.”We know now that we have several batsmen capable of going big in T20. It was my night tonight, but if I don’t come off there are a number of others with the ability to score quickly and that is one of the reasons we are doing so well. It would be nice to cement a quarter-final place as soon as possible.”The game had started well for the visitors after they won the toss, with Miles Hammond falling to Tom Barber for 5, miscuing to extra cover.But that was as good as it got for the Middlesex bowlers, who lacked the guile and variation to break a stand of 99 in 11 overs between Klinger and Cockbain before the Gloucestershire captain was caught at backward point off Ravi Patel. The left-arm spinner escaped the carnage, conceding only 18 from his three overs.There was too much short and wide stuff from the visiting attack and Cockbain was in just the mood to capitalise, reaching fifty off 29 balls including two sixes.Six more sixes followed in a brilliant display of clean hitting without giving a chance as Cockbain moved past his previous highest T20 score of 91 not out and then to three figures off 53 deliveries.Noema-Barnett, with four sixes, and Taylor joined in the fun with some savage striking of their own as former Gloucestershire players James Fuller and James Franklin conceded 58 and 53 respectively from their four overs, while Barber went for 62.By the time Cockbain perished he had extended his boundary count to 12 fours and eight sixes. Only Klinger, with 126 not out against Essex on the same ground in 2015, has posted a bigger score in T20 cricket for Gloucestershire, whose only bigger total was the 254 for 3 they made, also against Middlesex, at Uxbridge in 2011.The current Middlesex side lost three wickets in the Powerplay, those of Paul Stirling, Dawid Malan and pinch-hitter Fuller in moving to 61.Eskinazi then joined Morgan in a stand of 86 in ten overs. There was drama at the end of the 11th over when Graeme van Buuren, on as a substitute fielder for Klinger, lay motionless after diving to prevent an Eskinazi boundary and a stretcher was summoned as he was helped over the rope.Eskinazi reached fifty off 29 balls, but when he and Morgan both fell in the 16th over, bowled by Noema-Barnett, any lingering doubt about the outcome was erased.

The ground will host the first Test between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe later this year, from November 3 to 7

Mohammad Isam28-Jul-2018

Associated Press

Sylhet is set to become Bangladesh’s eighth Test venue. The BCB has announced that the north-eastern city will host the first Test of the Bangladesh-Zimbabwe series later this year, from November 3 to 7. It will also host its first ODI, between Bangladesh and West Indies, on December 14.The venue so far has staged seven T20I games, six of them during the 2014 World T20, and one in February this year between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.Zimbabwe, whose tour had to be rescheduled due to the BCB’s plan to shift the Bangladesh Premier League from October to January, will play the second Test at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.Zimbabwe will arrive in Dhaka on October 16, and start the tour with a 50-overs practice match at the BKSP ground in Savar on October 19. The three-match ODI series begins on October 21 in Dhaka, before the two sides move to Chittagong for the second and third ODIs on October 24 and 26.Zimbabwe will play a three-day practice match in Chittagong from October 29 to 31, before going to Sylhet for the first Test, which begins on November 3. The second Test will be held from November 11 to 15.

When Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season, there was an air of inevitability about the outcome, an acceptance that it was going to happen sooner rather than later.

The Saints were one of several sides that lurked dangerously close to the trap door year after year, surviving by the skin of their teeth on numerous occasions, finishing no higher than 15th in four of their last five campaigns.

One reason for their plight was St Mary's becoming a hunting ground for the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United, who continuously bled the club dry of its best talent, including Luke Shaw, Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane.

While Southampton made a habit out of unearthing gems from leagues across Europe or unleashing stars from their youth academy, the 2018 summer transfer window, in particular, saw them struggle to replace the previous quality that was lost.

Jannik Vestegaard, Angus Gunn, Stuart Armstrong and Danny Ings all arrived, but the biggest disappointment of them all was the acquisition of fleet-footed Basel winger Mohamed Elyounoussi, who arrived when his stock was at its highest having shot onto the scene as a highly-rated winger.

How much did Southampton pay for Mohamed Elyounoussi?

Southampton suffered the devastating £10m loss of Dusan Tadic to Ajax in the summer of 2018 and replaced him with Mohamed Elyounoussi from Basel for £18m.

At the time, the Saints thought that fee was a steal. The fleet-footed winger had produced incredible numbers in the Swiss Super League, posting an eye-watering 53 goal contributions in 84 appearances for Basel across two seasons, including a goal and an assist in the Champions League knockout stages against Manchester City.

The Morocco-born star was destined to become a world-beater and had the hallmarks of a player who could take the Premier League by storm. The searing pace, low centre of gravity to glide past defenders and ability to perform on the big stage all pointed towards Elyounoussi making a mockery of the price tag.

Upon his arrival, Saints boss Mark Hughes was excited about the possibility of working with such a talented player and was confident that the then 23-year-old could reach the potential that his formative years promised.

He said: “Mohamed is another very exciting addition to our attacking options. He has got an outstanding record of goals and assists in two different countries, and we have been extremely impressed by the intelligence he has shown in his play from a tactical point of view.

“He’s still at a young age as well, so we’re confident he can continue to improve and fulfil even more of his potential with us."

The Norwegian signed a five-year deal with Southampton which outlined their European ambitions.

How did Mohamed Elyounoussi perform at Southampton?

For all of the hype and excitement surrounding the transfer, the Saints were to be let down by the impact Elyounoussi made across his difficult five-year spell.

Known for unleashing his box of tricks and frightening the life out of defenders with his electrifying pace, supporters anticipated entertainment in full flow and would have envisaged him becoming the next big-money player developed into a world-class talent by the club.

Elyounoussi's Southampton career would spiral into the opposite as lacklustre performances on the field saw him become a shell of his former self, registering zero goal contributions in his first season at the club which led to him going out on loan to Celtic.

Although performances improved in Scotland, albeit playing against lesser quality opposition, the former Molde winger was still subjected to criticism by several media outlets and was described by Hoops podcaster Paul John Dykes as a "passenger", a word that rung true during his time at St Mary's.

During his time at Southampton, Elyounoussi made 90 appearances and only chalked up a disappointing nine goals and six assists as Southampton ultimately paid the price.

Whilst he was under contract at the club, his total earnings totalled £9m but if you add that to his initial transfer fee of £18m, he drained the Saints of a whopping £3m per goal, as per Capology.

Elyounoussi threatened to become a world-beater as a youngster but failed to live up to the hype in England and supporters will have been glad to see the back of him this summer as he joined Copenhagen, recently scoring against Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Leeds United made the decision to part ways with Spanish sporting director Victor Orta in May of this year after his struggles in recent seasons.

The now-Sevilla chief decided to sack Marcelo Bielsa in February of last year after the Argentine boss had won promotion to the Premier League and achieved comfortable survival during his first Premier League campaign.

Jesse Marsch came in and was able to keep the team up in the last three months of the season but he was then sacked in February of this year.

Javi Gracia came in and lost six of his 11 league matches in charge of the club before Sam Allardyce replaced him and was unable to avoid relegation to the Championship.

The Spanish boss' severe underperformance was particularly disappointing after the Whites sanctioned the club-record signing of Georgino Rutter for £35.5m for Marsch in January – a player who is now showing his true colours under Daniel Farke.

Rutter's performance under Gracia

After his big-money move from Hoffenheim, the French attacker only made seven appearances under the ex-Watford coach and failed to contribute with a goal or an assist.

The young ace had played four top-flight matches prior to the Spaniard's arrival at Elland Road and this meant that he had already been given a taste of English football and a small settling in period in Yorkshire.

However, the 53-year-old tactician was clearly not able to get the best out of the talented whiz as Rutter was not able to record a single go involvement during his tenure in charge of the club.

Leeds were battling against the drop and may have expected a club-record signing, at the aforementioned fee of £35.5m, to make a tangible impact on their results in an attempt to keep them in the division.

Instead, Rutter flopped big time under Gracia and then managed one assist – against Tottenham Hotspur – in one appearance under Allardyce.

The fleet-footed dynamo had accumilated plenty of top level experience in Germany but was not able to showcase the best of his abilities during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.

He was coming off the back of a return of ten goals, four assists, and six 'big chances' created in 24 Bundesliga starts for Hoffenheim during his last 18 months at his previous club.

At the start of the 2022/23 season, talent scout Jacek Kulig heaped praise on the young Frenchman as he described the gem as a "complete" and "perfectly" two-footed with "blistering" pace and "powerful" movement.

However, Rutter was not able to display these qualities, to the best of his ability, at Premier League level for Leeds as Garcia could not get him firing in an effective system.

The Whites finished five points adrift of safety at the end of the campaign and could have benefitted from an in-form version of the ex-Hoffenheim man, who could have used his many useful attributes to be a match-winner and secure vital points in the battle against relegation.

Instead, the Yorkshire-based outfit suffered relegation to the Championship and opted to bring Farke in as their new head coach to lead them back to the big time.

As it stands, that is looking like an inspired decision as the German has the club in third place after 14 matches and he has been able to work his magic on Rutter.

The stats that show Rutter's improvement under Farke

Whilst the drop down to the second tier has provided lesser quality opponents for the 21-year-old whiz to play against, Farke has developed a system that gets the best out of him and Joel Piroe.

The pair have been utilised as a dynamic front two that starts with Rutter as the focal point and the Dutch marksman in a deeper role, but they often switch throughout matches depending on the phase of play.

Farke explained his reasoning behind the tactical decision to play Piroe behind the French gem by saying that the ex-Hoffenheim star's pressing qualities and mobility make him the perfect option for the number nine role, whilst the former Swansea ace's "world-class" finishing skills mean he can arrive late into the box to score goals.

This has allowed Rutter to go deep to collect the ball, as the left-footed finisher is then able to go beyond him to take up the central striker position, and make things happen with his creative quality in possession.

The magical talent has created a staggering 14 'big chances' in 12 Championship starts so far this season. Ryan Giles, for Middlesbrough, led the way in that statistic with 23 created in 45 league games last term, and the Leeds star is more than halfway there with 32 more matches to be played.

Rutter also ranks within the top 1% of his positional Championship peers this season for assists (0.42), xAG (0.49), and shot-creating actions (5.17) per 90.

These statistics show that the French maestro has been one of the outstanding creative talents at that level this term, if not the standout player in that regard.

Sofascore rating

7.3

Big chances created

Two

Key passes

Four

Assists

One

Dribbles completed

Five

Rutter's most recent Leeds performance (via Sofascore)

Journalist Phil Hay hailed him as "unplayable" against Huddersfield last weekend and former Leeds striker, turned pundit, Jermaine Beckford described him as a "different" player under Farke, compared to what was seen of him last season.

The Whites boss has, therefore, rejuvenated Rutter after he flopped big time under Gracia at Premier League level, thanks to his tactical nous and coaching quality.

He was able to spot the powerful forward and Piroe's best qualities and devised a system that would allow both of them to flourish on the pitch this term.

The former Swansea star has scored five goals and provided one assist in 11 Championship outings for the club since his move to the club in the summer transfer window and Rutter's aforementioned statistics show that he has been in phenomenal form.

Therefore, both players have been given roles that suit their strengths and that has allowed them to make consistent contributions, via goals and assists or 'big chances' created, at the top end of the pitch to fire Leeds up the table and in contention for promotion.

أعلن مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، برئاسة محمود الخطيب، التعاقد مع مدير فني جديد لقيادة فريق كرة القدم النسائية خلال الفترة القادمة.

وكان النادي الأهلي، أعلن تكوين فريق الكرة النسائية، بعدما أصبح أحد المتطلبات الرئيسية للحصول على رخصة الأندية المحترفة من قبل الاتحادين المصري والإفريقي لكرة القدم.

وكلف مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي في الفترة الماضية، لاعب الفريق السابق شادي محمد، أن يكون مديرًا لجهاز الكرة النسائية بالنادي.

طالع.. خاص | بطولات يكشف مدى صحة اهتمام الأهلي بضم صفقات عراقية هجومية

ووفقًا للموقع الرسمي للأهلي، أعلن أمير توفيق، القائم بأعمال المدير التنفيذي لشركة الأهلي لكرة القدم، ومدير التعاقدات عن تعيين الفرنسي ديميتري لوبوف مديرًا فنيًّا لفريق الكرة النسائية لمدة ثلاث سنوات.

وقال توفيق: “لوبوف سوف يحضر للقاهرة خلال أيام لاستلام المهمة والتنسيق مع الكابتن شادي محمد، رئيس جهاز الكرة النسائية، استعدادًا للموسم الجديد”.

Manchester United return to domestic duty following the recent international break today as Erik ten Hag’s side travel to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United in the Premier League.

The Dutchman will be hoping to carry on the momentum which saw United secure a stunning last-gasp win against Brentford in their last league match, although he will have to make a few changes to his starting XI.

What is the Man Utd team news vs Sheffield United?

Ten Hag will travel to Sheffield knowing quite a few of his players will miss the tie against the Blades due to injury problems.

Indeed, the Dutchman will be without Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez and Aaron Wan-Bissaka while the likes of Tyrell Malacia and Raphael Varane are also unavailable.

A new name has been added to those who will miss the tie, as Casemiro won’t be available due to suffering an ankle injury whilst on international duty for Brazil.

The midfielder was withdrawn during the 1-1 draw against Venezuela, with manager Fernando Diniz saying: "He asked to come off due to a blow to his ankle."

Ten Hag will now need to replace the 31-year-old, who was the only outfield player to feature in all 11 of United’s matches so far this term.

Scott McTominay is certainly an option, especially after his confidence-boosting cameo against Thomas Frank's men a couple of weeks ago.

Could Scott McTominay replace Casemiro?

The Scot didn’t start the tie against the Bees, but he certainly finished it. Trailing by a goal to nil heading into injury time, McTominay popped up and made himself a hero, and potentially kick-starting United’s season in the process.

While he only took five touches of the ball and completed just two passes, the midfielder scored an equaliser, before coming up with a Fergie-esque winner to secure a stunning comeback victory.

McTominay has only started two matches all season, but the £60k-per-week star gave everyone at Old Trafford a glimpse of just what he offers when given a chance.

His form for Scotland during the Euro 2024 qualifiers is testament to this. Across six matches for his country, he has scored a whopping six goals, while taking 2.3 shots per game and averaging 37.8 touches each match, and it is time Ten Hag gave him a proper chance in the Red Devils starting XI.

Lauded as “sensational” by broadcaster David Tanner following his goal for Scotland against Cyprus last month, the Dutchman will hope he can translate his form for his national side to his club as they seek points in the league.

The academy graduate managed just ten starts in the Premier League last term, yet created two big chances, succeeded with 59% of his attempted dribbles, won 60% of his aerial duels and lost possession just 5.4 times on average per game.

He has slipped down the pecking order of late, yet with injuries starting to take their toll on the Old Trafford side, the former Ajax boss might have no choice but to slot McTominay into the heart of his midfield.

It could well turn out to be a wise move.