Author: Rowan Clarke

McGinn lifted Aston Villa’s first major silverware in 30 years last month, capping a journey that began on red ash pitches in the west of Scotland. The 31-year-old has also just completed his highest-scoring season at club level, adding yet another landmark to a remarkable career. Success has followed the all-action midfielder at every club he has represented, and those closest to him insist it is no coincidence whatsoever. At St Mirren, McGinn was part of their first cup triumph in 26 years, before playing the full 90 minutes as Hibernian ended their 114-year wait for a Scottish Cup. Now…

Celtic have confirmed Martin O’Neill as their permanent manager after he guided the club to a Premiership and Scottish Cup double last season. The 74-year-old has signed a one-year contract at Parkhead, with the option of a further year following talks with major shareholder Dermot Desmond. O’Neill first returned to Celtic in late October on a temporary basis after Brendan Rodgers departed, more than 20 years after his original five-year stint at the club. He won all domestic matches across his eight games in that first interim spell, with his only defeat coming against Midtjylland in the Europa League. O’Neill…

Wolves have dismissed head coach Rob Edwards after just seven months in charge, following the club’s relegation from the Premier League. Edwards was appointed last November but managed to win only five of his 30 games across all competitions, losing 16 in total. The 43-year-old had left a Championship promotion race with Middlesbrough to take the job, replacing Vitor Pereira at Molineux. Wolves finished bottom of the Premier League table, making them one of the division’s most underwhelming sides throughout the entire campaign. Despite the poor results, technical director Matt Jackson had publicly backed Edwards as recently as last month,…

Scotland are at their first men’s World Cup since 1998, and BBC Sport has introduced new ways to keep fans close to every moment of the campaign. The broadcaster has responded to fan feedback by working to ensure Scotland supporters can place national team news front and centre throughout the tournament. On the BBC Sport website, users signed in with a Scottish postcode will automatically receive additional Scottish stories on the front page during the World Cup. Those not yet signed in can visit the BBC Sport website and follow the prompts to sign in using an existing BBC username…

England head coach Thomas Tuchel says the thunderstorm delay to their warm-up match against Costa Rica gave the squad a “little taste of what can happen” in the United States. The match in Orlando, Florida, was originally scheduled to kick off at 21:00 BST but was pushed back a full hour after heavy rain and lightning swept through the area. Fans already inside the Inter&Co Stadium were told to evacuate the stands and shelter in the concourses to reduce their risk of being struck by lightning. Under rules set by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, any lightning strike detected…

FIFA president Gianni Infantino used a press conference at the Azteca Stadium to play down the mounting controversy surrounding the 2026 World Cup. Speaking on the eve of Thursday’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa, Infantino offered a remarkably relaxed take on a turbulent build-up to the tournament. “Just, you know, chill, relax,” Infantino told reporters, seemingly unbothered by the serious issues that had unfolded in the days prior. Those issues included Somali referee Omar Artan being denied entry to the United States after an 11-hour interrogation at Miami International Airport, accused by a US official of having links…

Essex Police have confirmed they are actively pursuing new lines of enquiry after receiving fresh information connected to West Ham co-owner David Sullivan. The force confirmed there had been “some contact and enquiries into those are now under way” following a joint investigation published by BBC Panorama and The Times earlier this week. That investigation revealed multiple women have accused Sullivan of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour allegedly dating back to the 1980s, which Sullivan has categorically denied. Eight women, including one who was directly involved in the investigation, have already approached police with disclosures about Sullivan’s conduct, though none…

McTominay has spoken openly about mentality, the refusal to quit, and why he believes every player in the Scotland squad carries that same unbreakable quality within them. “Not willing to stop when it gets tough, it’s one of the most important things in football,” the Napoli midfielder told BBC Sport, drawing inspiration from NBA legend Michael Jordan. McTominay referenced Jordan’s famous philosophy about always performing for those who might be watching for the very first time, regardless of the occasion or circumstance. “So if you’re not giving your absolute best a young fan could be walking away going ‘he wasn’t…

Argentina striker Julian Alvarez heads into the World Cup as arguably the most coveted forward in European football, despite being just 26 years old. The Argentine is the subject of a sensational transfer tug-of-war between Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, and Barcelona, with all three clubs desperate to secure his signature. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez made good on his election promise by tabling a 150 million euro offer for Alvarez, only to be firmly and mockingly rejected by Atletico. Alvarez joined Atletico Madrid in August 2024 for £81.5m, departing Manchester City where he had grown frustrated at playing second fiddle…

Roy Keane has revealed he spoke directly with Bruno Fernandes after misquoting the Manchester United captain, leading to a public accusation of lying from the Portuguese midfielder. Fernandes broke the record for the most assists in a single Premier League season during the 2025-26 campaign, setting up his 21st goal on the final day against Brighton. Keane had appeared on The Overlap podcast after the penultimate round of fixtures in May, questioning Fernandes’ mindset and describing him as being at the centre of a “circus act.” The former Republic of Ireland midfielder claimed Fernandes had said “I probably should have…