The left hander was marked out from a young age as a player of huge talent, which brought with it pressure and expectation

Cameron Ponsonby31-Oct-2025Rachin Ravindra loves cricket.”You know CricHQ?” Ravindra asks, confirming his audience is on the same cricket tragic path that he is. “The scoring website thing. We’d get a game up from back in the day, let’s say Tendulkar, Desert Storm in Sharjah. And you’d have to get 106 or whatever, not out, to win the game.”For hours at any one time, Ravindra and friends would play out full-blown ODI run-chases or Test classics in the indoor nets at Lower Hutt in Wellington. Cones were put down to mark fielders, crash pads were lined up for men under the lid and if Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman were batting at Eden Gardens, spin mats were put down as well.”That was the most fun I’ve ever had training,” Ravindra reminisces.Related

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Ravindra grew up around cricket. At home, his dad, a handy club player, would have cricket on the telly, the radio, the PlayStation and up on YouTube. While at school, Ravindra was part of an XI that won the National Championships when he was in Year 11. Ben Sears, his now international team-mate, was his opening partner, while Otago batter Troy Johnson was his captain at No. 3.”His first 1XI game at school was as a 13-year-old,” Johnson remembers. “He told me all the bowlers were too slow and that’s why he was early on every shot.”He’s probably not the most talented player in the history of the game, but he works way, way harder than anyone I’ve ever seen.”From the age of seven, Ravindra had a training schedule synced with his calendar. He’d be up before his dad and would drag him to the indoor nets at Lower Hutt before school, as well as after.Ravindra’s game was built on imitation. Watching highlights, he’d see a shot he liked and ask his dad to clip it. Over time, Ravindra had a DVD of supercut, super highlights featuring Kumar Sangakkara cover drives, Matthew Hayden pick-ups over midwicket, Ricky Ponting pull shots and Brian Lara cut shots.”Then I’d go to the nets and practice,” Ravindra explains. “20 good ones exactly like Sangakkara did.”Two Tendulkar straight drives made the cut as well. “That little punchy thing he did,” Ravindra recalls. “I tried that heaps. But he also hit a full follow-through one as well.”Speaking to ESPNcricinfo back in 2018, his father, Ravi Krishnamurthy, concluded, “I tried to get my daughter into cricket and she didn’t. With Rachin, I didn’t try, and he did.”The 2023 ODI World Cup is where Rachin Ravindra really went global•AFP/Getty ImagesFor Ravindra, the prodigy tag has been attached to him for as long as he can remember. That school debut at 13, becoming the leading wicket taker in the school’s history by the time he was 15, the youngest member of the New Zealand Under-19 squad at 16. His first-class debut came for New Zealand A as a 19-year-old. Life for any professional athlete-to-be is unusual. Life for a prodigy is unique. And in truth, bizarre. Being told you will be the best at something before you’ve even…”Achieved that much?”, says Ravindra, cutting off the question. “I know exactly what you mean. It’s interesting. From a youngish age you sort of get labelled as whatever. But for me it comes down to why I play. Obviously, I love playing cricket because the fans get to watch me and I find that amazing.”But at the end of the day, it’s because I enjoy it. I want to get better at it. So it’s almost irrelevant about me trying to prove my ability to other people. I love playing for a team. I’m playing and I’m trying to win games for that team. So that, for me, drives me.”Ravindra’s first crack at international cricket was a failure. On the biggest stage, it was the first time he had rolled the dice and landed on a snake rather than a ladder. In six T20Is he averaged nine and in three Test matches he averaged 15 facing India and Bangladesh.

I was just thinking, this…is…ridiculous. It’s the moments you dream of as a kid. I guess I’m lucky my name’s closeRachin Ravindra on hearing his name chanted during the 2023 World Cup

“You get given an opportunity at a young age, potentially in a role you’re not necessarily ready for,” he says, “And you want to impress and think this is my journey and this is how it’s supposed to go. And then it doesn’t work out and you sit back and think, ‘wow’.”Eighteen months on the sidelines followed where he returned to Wellington and averaged a good-but-not-great 37. Despite the so-so returns, Ravindra describes the time as a “eureka moment” where he learned to ride the waves of failure.”I’d been trying so hard to be this player that I’m not,” he says. “And, the classic, I’d been putting myself under too much pressure and not realising that failure teaches us so many things. And if you don’t realise that early enough you get surrounded by it and it eats you up.”Ultimately, his concluding thoughts towards cricket were the same as the rest of ours.”It sucks,” Ravindra says. “But it’s also – like – great.”Rachin Ravindra on India test series: “I think about that India tour, and every day we were like ‘oh my god, what is going on here? We can win this thing.'”•AFP/Getty ImagesIt was chance, rather than planning, that led him to the 2023 World Cup where his star rose and his reputation was made. Initially not picked in the squad, he was a late call-up after Michael Bracewell was injured. And the day before the England match, even with Kane Williamson out injured, he was not scheduled to be in the XI. Only when Lockie Ferguson pulled out late with a hamstring issue was Ravindra given the nod. Not, as had been the case so far in his career, in the middle-order, but at No. 3.”I knew I was a better player,” Ravindra recalls of whether the nerves were greater the second time around. “I had a better mindset, I’d done more research and worked on a few things I felt like I needed. I guess I was lucky that the timing worked out to be leading up to the World Cup.”123 unbeaten runs later and Ravindra’s potential was realised. That was further confirmed with another century against Australia in Dharamsala, where the Indian crowd took to him and chants of “Rachin, Rachin” echoed around the ground.”I almost did,” Ravindra laughs when asked if a tear or two rolled down his cheek. “I was just thinking, this…is…ridiculous. It’s the moments you dream of as a kid. I guess I’m lucky my name’s close.”From imitating Tendulkar as a child to having an imitation of the legend’s chant delivered to him. Disney movies would scrap such an ending for being too on the nose.It was the start of what’s become a love affair with playing on the subcontinent. Six of his eight international centuries have come either in India or Pakistan. He scored a Test hundred in Bengaluru, the hometown of his parents, during New Zealand’s miraculous whitewash of India in 2024, before putting together a prolific Champions Trophy run in 2025 to take New Zealand to the final.Rachin Ravindra alongside Kane Williamson, one of his idols•ICC/Getty Images”I’ve had special moments around the world,” Ravindra recalls of his highlights reel. “But I think the most special have been in Test cricket. I think about that India tour, and every day we were like ‘oh my god, what is going on here? We can win this thing.'”Ravindra’s reward has been to be elevated to the next level of prodigy status. That of the generational player. Michael Atherton said it a year ago, Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler said it a few weeks ago.”It’s a pinch yourself moment when people say that,” Ravindra explains. “And knowing I’ve played with Jos at Manchester Originals and seeing the way he bats. To hear that, it’s really cool.”It’s relevant that in the story of a child prodigy who’s now earning millions of dollars a year, that Ravindra is known for being, well, really nice. “One of the all-time greats,” was one message I received ahead of the interview. Multiple people spoke of how lightly he wears his reputation and international standing in the game.In an off-the-record conversation with a player a year ago, unprompted, they announced Ravindra to be one of their favourite people they’ve met in the game. But not because he was nice. That would be weird. But because he was a kind, down-to-earth person, with the edge required to make it at the top.”I was obsessed with it,” Ravindra said of his early experiences in cricket. “Obviously Dad got me into it first, but then it was ‘I want to go do this. I want to go do that.’ I’d cry when I got out in the nets.”The relationship was led by Ravindra Jnr, and facilitated by Ravindra Snr.Rachin Ravindra will be a key part of New Zealand’s batting for years to come•ICC/Getty Images”It always can be quite tough having your dad as coach,” Ravindra says. “There were some serious times where we bickered. It’s not his fault. I cared about it so much and I wanted to do well. But because of everything we did when I was young, he’s one of my best mates. And mum was also around the whole time too. She’d wake me up, have everything ready for the day.”Ravindra is the fan who made it to the top. In a modern environment where coffee and golf leave cricket a distant third in professionals’ favourite hobbies, it is refreshing to hear a player talk so openly about their love of the game compared to how often the sport seems to drive players to distraction, and sometimes bitterness, when it becomes a job.For Ravindra though, the novelty of rubbing shoulders with his heroes is yet to wear off, even if those he once counted as idols are now his peers.”I remember Michael Hussey was our batting coach at CSK,” Ravindra recalls, “and I was talking to him about his books and he was like, ‘….mate.'”
Batting with Kane Williamson remains top of the pile in his catalogue of fan-to-player experiences, with Virat Kohli giving him a bit of a spray the first time he played against him making the shortlist as well.His dad remains heavily involved in the sport, too. When Ravindra was a kid, his father created a local club known as the Hutt Hawks that played extra matches around the country and even went on annual tours to India. It is hard not to connect Ravindra’s success on the subcontinent with such early exposure to conditions in the country. The club is still going, and thriving.”They’ve got four or five teams in each age-group now,” Ravindra says with a smile. “It obviously helped me, but countless other cricketers as well. You look down the Wellington Firebirds list and even across the country, how many people have done that trip and there’s been so many.”New Zealand’s Test whitewash of India 2024. Masterminded by the Hutt Hawks – sort of. Tom Blundell was the other member of the national team who went on a tour as well.”I guess there’s no secret, right?” Ravindra concludes of his route to success. “You look at guys like Steve Smith, Kohli, Kane, Root and they hit a number of balls. It’s got to be purposeful, and you can feel like it can drag on, but that’s the thing that you pride yourself on.”Ahead of Christmas, there’s a new cricket game coming out on the PlayStation. As a child, Ravindra grew up watching his dad play Cricket ’04 in the living room. This time, he’ll be in the game himself. Sometimes the presents choose themselves.

Their warring fans have united and are now railing together against the team management, while we wait, series on series, to see if they can make it to the 2027 ODI World Cup

Sidharth Monga17-Oct-20252:16

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If you are the type that follows cricket for cricket’s sake, you have surely missed them. If, on the other hand, you fiendishly go looking for cricketers’ holiday photos or training photos or reassurance that they matter, you have had your fix.Actually, for once, forget social media, forget the smattering of promotional “content” reminding you how they are getting ready for the “2027 World Cup”. Forget anything that makes you cynical. This is bigger than all the cynicism and PR and pettiness and fan wars.Seven months after they last played international cricket, nearly five months after they were seen playing in the IPL, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are coming back to do what we love them for, in their best format, now their only format for India, against a team that provided the highest purpose in their working lives, in a country that proved to be the scene of their last Tests. It is hard not to be emotional.Related

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There will be so much going through our minds and hearts during these three ODIs against Australia in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney. It is a chance to watch again two of the greatest ODI batters of all time. The effortless, almost risk-free accumulation of Kohli, and the joyful explosiveness of Rohit in the back half. Okay, let’s not give in to nostalgia too much. For about three years now, Kohli has been taking risks but with the same efficiency, and Rohit has taken on such high-risk starts that he rarely ever bats into the back half.We will be looking for changes in their appearance, in their fitness, in their games to imagine what they have been up to all this time. For more than a decade, they never went away for this long except during Covid. For more than a decade, our times have been shared. We have given them our hours, they have given us theirs.Now time is what they are running out of. Not just we, but the selectors and the team management will be looking for signs to see if they can last till the 2027 ODI World Cup.Not long ago, these two were making such decisions for others.Neither, arguably, had to make such big calls.Just imagine, Kohli tweets something that is not an ad and news channels end up doing shows deciphering the meaning and significance of the tweet only for him to reveal that it was a teaser for an ad. This happened on Thursday.5:49

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These are huge names. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Ro-Ko is how this series is being sold everywhere. At some point, without us noticing, these two supposedly bitter rivals became hyphenated. At first, it was just a media creation, but look at them now. One gets selected for the T20 World Cup because the other is the captain and you can’t drop just one of them. They end up winning the title, and retiring together. Their Test career ends in the same series. Now their “fan armies” are united in their hatred for the team management.A part of that team management is a young man, who has already benefitted immensely from these two. Kohli has always been a barometer for Shubman Gill, somebody whose scores at the same age the kid Shubman used to check to measure up to. Rohit’s new incarnation of a fiery opener has allowed Gill the ODI opener the time to be able to play a more sedate role and accumulate relatively risk-free runs.Now Gill has to be part of the decision on whether his trusted Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal will serve him better than Rohit. Not just in this series and the next, but two years down the line. He has to decide whether the hyphen is fair on Kohli, who might have arguably benefitted from it in T20Is.We will watch not knowing if any given series could be the last for one or both of them. We will wait for every ODI series selection. For now, though, we will savour the three full ODIs. For we have missed them. And there the hyphen is okay.

He has the bouncer, he swings the ball, he also has the slower ball in his artillery. Can he be the next big thing in Indian fast bowling?

Deivarayan Muthu28-Sep-2025Gurjapneet Singh is yet to play an IPL or List A game, and has played just five T20s, but has bolted into the India A squad for the upcoming unofficial ODI series against Australia A in Kanpur from September 30. Having made his Ranji Trophy debut for Tamil Nadu last October, the left-arm quick has since had a stint with the senior India side as a net bowler, earned his maiden IPL gig, with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and entered the BCCI’s pool of targeted fast bowlers.Things have happened quickly for Gurjapneet in the past year, but he has taken a long and winding road to get to India A. Born in Ludhiana in Punjab and raised in Ambala in Haryana, he moved to Chennai when he was around 17. After toiling away in Chennai’s sapping heat in league cricket for around seven years, the step up has been swift.Most recently, the 26-year-old emerged as the highest wicket-taker among seamers in the Duleep Trophy, with ten strikes in two games at an average of 24.10, including two four-wicket hauls.Related

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At six feet four inches, he hits the deck and generates extra bounce. He also swings the ball both ways. India’s selectors and even IPL franchises have cast their nets wide for tall fast bowlers in the recent past. Prasidh Krishna has graduated to the Test team while Punjab’s Gurnoor Brar has now been fast-tracked into the India A set-up along with Gurjapneet. Jammu & Kashmir’s tall fast bowler Yudhvir Singh Charak has also made the India A squad though his List A and first-class averages are not flash.In his short career at the senior level, Gurjapneet has dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara on Ranji Trophy debut, and Virat Kohli, albeit at the Chepauk nets when he was a support bowler during India’s Test series against Bangladesh last year. He’s now preparing to front up to some international batters from Australia in the unofficial ODI series.”My rhythm has been good in the Duleep Trophy and [I] have also been working with Troy Cooley and others in Bengaluru,” Gurjapneet tells ESPNcricinfo. “They spoke to me about the bowling approach in days’ cricket and one day-cricket and [the] mindset. I’ve also been doing my rehab and gym. Right now, I’m not thinking too much about who the batsman is or how the situation [at India A] will be. It’s important to follow your process and habits and just keep doing that.””I started bowling in TNPL and I was getting better day by day,” Gurjapneet says. “I’m getting the rhythm again. I also played a few league matches in Chennai before the Duleep Trophy. I was ready for the Duleep Trophy and right now mentally and physically I can say I’m getting better.”Gurjapneet has also been working on his batting and showed improvement there during TNPL 2025 where he clattered ten boundaries in 33 balls, including six sixes. He then played out 81 balls for 29 runs from No. 9 for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy semi-final.”Whatever the coaches suggested to me, like I was working with Mike Hussey also at CSK,” Gurjapneet says. “I then batted in the TNPL and even in my first Duleep match against North, I scored something like 29. It’s about adding to your game and contributing with the bat too. Hussey gave me some points and I’m also trying to get better at batting.”With a whirlwind year now under his belt, Gurjapneet is now ready for the step up against the Australians in Kanpur.

Tottenham Hotspur created a triumphant atmosphere toward the end of their frenzied Premier League clash with Manchester United down N17. Two late goals had turned the clash on its head and the home side were moments away from three points.

But Red Devils defender Matthijs de Ligt headed home from a corner at the eleventh hour, and Thomas Frank’s side had to settle for a draw.

The deflation was felt across the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with this team of talented players still caught in a continuous state of ebb and flow. They may sit third in the Premier League after 11 matches, but improvements are needed both mentally and in attack.

The truth is that Tottenham weren’t up to scratch throughout the first half, and while they improved after the break, it didn’t prove to be enough as Ruben Amorim’s mini-revival continues.

Spurs' worst performers vs Man Utd

Tottenham’s draw to Manchester United was as dramatic as they come. However, it was a game that accentuated the flaws in Frank’s team, having struggled to create chances in the first half and finally up things around on home soil, with the Londoners having won only seven of 24 home matches since the start of last season.

Several stars weren’t at the races. Guglielmo Vicario should have been stronger in repelling De Ligt’s last-gasp effort, while Pedro Porro toiled from a defensive standpoint at right-back.

Randal Kolo Muani will feel aggrieved to have been withdrawn at half-time, but the French centre-forward drifted through the opening half and struggled to latch onto any balls and find space to strike on goal. Across 191 minutes of Premier League action this season, Kolo Muani has taken just one shot, and he is yet to score or assist.

Ahead of Spain international Porro was Brennan Johnson, who continues to be something of an enigma, endowed with such speed and an eye for goal, and yet drifting through matches all too often.

Johnson needs to do better, but he was arguably more energetic and active in his display than his counterpart on the other wing. For sure, Frank will be left frowning over his combination on the left, having witnessed a discordant performance.

Frank must never start Spurs duo together again

Credit must be handed to Richarlison for his striker’s instinct in flicking Wilson Odobert’s shot past Senne Lammens and into the back of the net, but he flattered to deceive for much of the contest and did little to suggest he is the talismanic force Tottenham need to sustain a place at the very top of English and European football.

Regarding Djed Spence: one analyst remarked that the placement of the 25-year-old on the left is “killing Tottenham on the flank”, with the side finding “zero balance in possession” when he is flipped onto his left side.

Had Mohammed Kudus been fit and darting about in front of him, it might have been less apparent against United, but Richarlison was not at the races, even though he scored late on.

The truth is that Richarlison’s fine flick masqueraded over another poor performance, lots of huff and puff, but not enough by the way of impact.

And, as we already know, the contest reaffirmed the truth of Spence, who is not a left-back and does not promote Tottenham’s full efficiency and fluency when placed there, especially behind a wide forward in Richarlison, who was described by writer Halal Wyler as being a “real-life cartoon villain”.

Once Destiny Udogie and Odobert, who impressed and then some in his cameo, had entered the field and dynamised the left-hand side, Spurs looked a cleaner, more polished outfit for it.

It is for this reason that the duo cannot be allowed to play down that channel together again. Richarlison is limited in technical scope, and Spence is left trying to connect in an unnatural role with an imperfect attacking partner. In harsher terms and as analyst Raj Chohan put it, it’s a pretty “garbage” duo when they play together.

The duo’s statistics from the clash underscore this. While the left-back produced some convincing defensive numbers, and Richarlison indeed bagged himself a goal, neither can be truly content with their performances.

Minutes played

90′

90′

Goals

0

1

Assists

0

0

Touches

68

38

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

3 (1)

Accurate passes

33/42 (79%)

17/22 (77%)

Possession lost

16x

9x

Chances created

0

0

Crosses

0/2

0/0

Dribbles

0/2

0/1

Recoveries

5

1

Tackles won

3/3

1/2

Clearances

3

2

Duels won

4/11

4/10

Writing about the respective performances after the match, football.london’s Alasdair Gold saw it fit to hand Spence a 6/10 match rating and a 7/10 score to Richarlison. However, this is somewhat generous, and there’s no question that Tottenham are a more fluent outfit with a different combination running down the left.

The left-sided pair, who earn a combined salary of £130k per week, will have brighter days ahead of them in a Spurs shirt, but as Frank continues to develop his understanding of this team, he will surely accept that this is a duo who cannot be fielded together again.

Richarlison may well be playing his final season with the Lilywhites, but Spence will no doubt have taken note of Porro’s “disaster” of a performance at right-back, as was said by Polish journalist Michael Okonski during the match, and set his sights on a return to his natural berth.

In any case, tactical changes are needed when Tottenham return to action after the imminent international break. Frank has the potential to succeed in north London, but he has to start getting the big calls right.

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Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis could make a shock move for an “incredible” manager as a replacement for Sean Dyche.

Forest suffer first defeat under Dyche at AFC Bournemouth

Dyche made the perfect start to life as Forest manager, with his side emerging as 2-0 winners against FC Porto in the Europa League, but they were brought back down to earth against AFC Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon.

The Cherries emerged as 2-0 winners at the Vitality Stadium, courtesy of first-half goals from Marcus Tavernier and Eli Junior Kroupi, and the Tricky Trees boss admitted his side still need to make major improvements in his post-match interview.

The 54-year-old said: “There’s a lot of work to be done. I didn’t come into this job naively, the league table does tell a story so I’m never thinking there wasn’t work to be done but it showed particularly in the first half today.”

With Burnley securing a dramatic 3-2 victory against fellow relegation candidates Wolverhampton Wanderers, Dyche’s side are now three points from safety, having scored just five Premier League goals, the fewest of any side.

Given that the former Everton boss has a track record of guiding teams to safety, having preserved the Toffees’ Premier League status, there are arguably few managers better suited to keeping Nottingham Forest in the top flight.

However, according to a report from Football Insider, Marinakis could still make a shock move for Fulham manager Marco Silva as a replacement for Dyche, with the Forest owner previously making it clear he is willing to make big calls.

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Silva has been a long-term target for Marinakis, and it has previously been revealed the Fulham boss shares a good relationship with the Greek businessman, which means the appointment would make sense.

As such, the Tricky Trees could make a move for the 48-year-old if their new manager fails to turn things around, although the Cottagers are very keen to extend his contract.

Forest must stick with Dyche after turbulent start

The decision to replace Nuno with Ange Postecoglou was met with widespread scepticism, given that the change in play-styles was so dramatic, and the Australian lasted just 39 days in the job.

Considering it has been such a turbulent start, Forest need a period of stability, and Dyche has already shown that he may be up to the task of turning things around, having gotten off the mark with a victory over FC Porto.

Not only has the appointment had a positive effect on the fanbase, but Morgan Gibbs-White has also made it clear he is happy with Dyche’s arrival.

Silva has been lauded as an “incredible” manager by Stephen Warnock courtesy of the job he’s done at Fulham, having stabilised them as a Premier League club, but Forest must stick with their current manager for the foreseeable future.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has won his first three Scottish Premiership matches in charge of the club, after Russell Martin failed to string back-to-back wins together.

The Gers beat Dundee 3-0 at Dens Park on Sunday in the last game before the international break, and there was a first league goal for winger Djeidi Gassama.

He cut in from the left wing to curl a brilliant finish into the far corner, as show in the clip above, after he had failed to score in his first ten appearances in the division after his move from Sheffield Wednesday in the summer.

Gassama has now scored six goals in all competitions for the Light Blues, having scored four goals in the Champions League qualifiers and one in th Europa League, per Transfermarkt, after a £2.2m move from the Owls.

The French winger will be hoping that his goal against Dundee will be a platform to build from for the rest of the season, as he looks to provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch on the left flank.

Rangers will also be hoping that is the case so that they can mark him down as another successful attacking signing, of which there have been a few in recent seasons.

Ranking Rangers biggest talents since they last won the Premiership

Since the Gers won the Premiership title under Steven Gerrard in the 2020/21 campaign, the Scottish giants have not had too much success on the pitch or with managers.

A couple of domestic cup wins has not been enough to see continuity in the dugout, which is a cause for concern, but the Light Blues have had some exciting players to watch in the last few years.

It is hard to look past Vaclav Cerny and Hamza Igamane as being two of the biggest talents at the club since the last league win. Cerny provided 18 goals and nine assists in all competitions, whilst the Morocco international managed 16 goals and three assists.

Calvin Bassey, who was sold to Ajax for £19.6m, also has to be up there because he is the club’s most expensive sale of all time, and is currently playing consistently in the Premier League with Fulham.

Arguably the biggest talent Rangers have had since they last won the league, though, is attacking midfielder Malik Tillman, who was on loan from Bayern Munich in the 2023/24 campaign.

1

Malik Tillman

2

Hamza Igamane

3

Calvin Bassey

4

Vaclav Cerny

5

Abdallah Sima

The USA international provided 12 goals and five assists in all competitions for the club during his loan spell, per Transfermarkt, and provided many moments of quality for the supporters to enjoy.

On top of his excellent performances for Rangers, Tillman has gone on to enjoy a successful career away from Ibrox. He currently plays for German giants Bayer Leverkusen and is valued at £30m by Transfermarkt, which is more than any other player on that list.

It is, therefore, hard to argue against the goalscoring midfielder being the biggest talent Rangers have had since they last won the league, because he is currently the most valuable former or current Gers player, per Transfermarkt, from then to now.

Whilst Gassama will be hoping to follow in Tillman’s footsteps in the months and seasons to come, there is another Gers star who could be the club’s biggest talent since the American.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Mikey Moore has not had the perfect start to his career at Ibrox, since signing on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, but recent performances suggest that he is turning a corner.

Why Mikey Moore could be the biggest Rangers talent since Malik Tillman

The England youth international failed to provide a goal or an assist for Russell Martin in five Premiership appearances, in what was a very difficult opening couple of months for him at the club.

Since Martin’s exit, though, Moore has scored one goal and provided one assist in four appearances in the division, matching Gassama’s tally from 11 league outings this season, per Sofascore.

Like the French forward, the Spurs loanee scored his first goal for the club in the 3-0 win at Dens Park on Sunday, as he picked up the ball in a central position and finished brilliantly into the bottom corner.

The 18-year-old starlet is still learning and developing each week as he gains vital first-team experience, and it is showing in his improved performances on the pitch, with two goal contributions in the last four league matches after none in the first five.

Moore is getting better each week, as evidenced by his improved form in front of goal, and that is an exciting prospect when you consider his form for Spurs at academy level.

The English forward scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists in 24 matches at U18 level for the Premier League side, per Transfermarkt, which shows the kind of output that he has the potential to offer if he can get to his very best.

Moore, who Como scout Ben Mattinson claimed has “superstar potential”, could develop into a brilliant forward for Rangers if he can add the consistency that was shown in his performances at academy level, after finally getting off the mark in the Premiership on Sunday.

Mikey Moore

£14m

Nicolas Raskin

£10m

Mohamed Diomande

£7m

Youssef Chermiti

£7m

Nasser Djiga

£7m

Valuations via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the Spurs loanee is currently the most valuable player in the Rangers squad, at £14m, and that is whilst he is also the youngest player in the team.

At the age of 18, Moore has so much time left ahead of him to progress and develop, and he is already showing signs of growth in his performances for the Gers.

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That is why the English winger could be the club’s biggest talent since Tillman because he is a future “superstar” who could go on to be worth as much, if not more, than the American star.

Celtic are eyeing a potential move for England Under-21s manager Lee Carsley as their next boss, as they look to find the perfect replacement for Brendan Rodgers at Parkhead.

Rodgers’ second spell in charge of the Hoops went out in a whimper, following an underwhelming start to the season in the Scottish Premiership, with Martin O’Neill placed in interim charge.

While the Irishman has seemingly only come in for a short spell as manager, taking charge until the right permanent appointment is made, a new report has claimed that he would be willing to take the job until the end of the season.

Victory at home to Rangers on Sunday afternoon would not only be a massive step in the right direction for Celtic, but could even persuade those high up at the club that O’Neill is the right man to continue for longer than originally expected.

That’s not to say that other potential candidates aren’t being mentioned, however, with Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna backed to be Rodgers’ successor, and Club Brugge head coach Nicky Hayen also seen as an option.

Lee Carsley linked with Celtic job

Now, 67 Hail Hail claim that Celtic are eyeing Carsley to be their next manager, with the Hoops “long-term admirers” of him, meaning he could “be in contention” to come in.

That said, the former Republic of Ireland international “isn’t a frontrunner for the job”, so at this stage, others feel more likely to take charge at Parkhead.

Carsley would be an interesting choice for Celtic if they did go down that route, with Roy Keane heaping praise on him during his brief stint as England’s interim boss before Thomas Tuchel came in.

Perhaps the biggest risk in Celtic appointing Carsley is the fact that he is yet to manage at club level, with his only roles coming with England, including his current Under-21s role.

Lee Carsley’s managerial career

Year

Matches

Points per game

England Under-21s

2025-present

11

2.27

England (interim)

2024

6

2.50

England Under-21s

2021-2024

29

2.41

England Under-20s

2020-2021

1

3.00

For that reason, bringing him in would be a gamble at a point when a safe pair of hands is required to steady the ship after a frustrating end to Rodgers’ reign.

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Carsley may be desperate to prove his worth in the club game, though, and if he impresses Celtic’s bosses more than the rest, they need to be trusted.

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Glasgow Rangers decided to splash the cash in the summer transfer window to sign Youssef Chermiti from Everton for a fee of £8m, their most expensive signing since Tore Andre Flo for £12m in 2000.

The Portugal U21 international has scored one goal, which was aided by some fairly dismal goalkeeping, in 11 appearances in all competitions for the Gers so far, per Sofascore.

Michael Stewart criticised his “poor” finishing in the League Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic on Sunday, as he spurned two great chances, whilst Ally McCoist said that he was “showing nothing” up front against Brann in the Europa League.

Meanwhile, Hearts, who are top of the Scottish Premiership, reportedly paid a fee of around £400k to sign Claudio Braga, who has been far more impressive.

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Hearts paid less than a million pounds to sign Braga from the second division of Norwegian football, and he has been a huge success for the Jam Tarts.

The Portuguese attacker has delivered nine goals and one assist in 16 appearances in all competitions for Hearts, per Sofascore, this season, which shows that he has provided far more quality than Chermiti has since his £8m move to Ibrox.

Whilst Rangers can learn from the Jam Tarts to utilise different markets for cheaper prices in future transfer windows, Danny Rohl may have his own version of Braga, from a stylistic perspective, in the building.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

Rangers can unearth their own Claudio Braga with this forgotten star

Before Rohl’s arrival at Ibrox, Brazilian centre-forward Danilo appeared to be forgotten about by Martin as a genuine first-team option for the Scottish manager.

The striker only made one appearance for the first-team under Martin in September and October, which was an 11-minute cameo off the bench against Sturm Graz.

Celtic

Danny Rohl

45

Hibernian

Danny Rohl

45

Kilmarnock

Danny Rohl

69

Brann

Danny Rohl

14

Sturm Graz

Russell Martin

11

Genk

Russell Martin

0

Hibernian

Russell Martin

0

Hearts

Russell Martin

0

Celtic

Russell Martin

0

Club Brugge

Russell Martin

59

As you can see in the table above, he was an unused substitute on several occasions, when he even made the matchday squad, before Martin’s exit in October.

Rohl came in last month and immediately made the Brazilian striker an option, as he has played in all four of the manager’s games so far, and scored two goals.

Like Braga, Danilo is not a towering and physical striker who can bully opposition defenders. He is dynamic and looks to use his control and movement to create chances and score goals, as he did brilliantly against Hibernian.

For Hearts, Braga has struck up a partnership with Lawrence Shankland, who is a physical presence, and Rohl can unearth his own version of that partnership by continuing to play Danilo off another striker, whether that is Chermiti or Bojan Miovski.

Danilo, who ex-teammate Ofir Marciano claimed “has the quality to be a big player for Rangers”, scoring two goals in two Premiership matches under Rohl shows that he can be effective in the final third.

However, it is now down to the manager to find the right blend alongside him to ensure that his skillset is used to its fullest potential, as Hearts have done with Braga by playing him alongside Shankland.

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