Author: Rowan Clarke

Craig Bellamy has revealed he sees Lewis Koumas playing as a centre-forward for Wales rather than in his more familiar wide position. The 20-year-old Liverpool player scored his first international goal to help Wales earn a 1-1 draw against Ghana in a friendly at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday. Koumas has spent much of his career on the left wing, but Bellamy has been deploying him as a striker in recent matches for the national side. “[He is a] nine because we don’t really have any nines coming through and we do have a lot of wingers, brilliant wingers,” said…

England veteran Jordan Henderson has called on his teammates to “expose” themselves to Florida’s intense heat as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup. The majority of the England squad have already arrived in the United States ahead of the tournament, which begins next week, with five players still to join the group later this week. Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are among those yet to link up with the squad at their Florida base. Thomas Tuchel’s side have set up camp in the Sunshine State with the specific aim of helping players adapt to the brutal American heat. Temperatures…

Martin O’Neill and Robbie Keane have emerged as the two leading candidates to become Celtic’s next permanent manager this summer. The club’s board are set to hold talks with both men as they look to make a swift appointment ahead of a crucial summer for the Scottish champions. O’Neill, 74, came out of retirement and guided Celtic through a chaotic season, stepping in twice after Brendan Rodgers and then Wilfried Nancy both departed the club. The Northern Irishman ultimately delivered a league and cup double across his two interim spells, lifting the Scottish Cup at Hampden ten days ago to…

Marco Silva has confirmed he is leaving Fulham after five years at the club, with the 48-year-old Portuguese manager closing in on a move to Benfica. Silva’s contract expires at the end of June, and uncertainty had surrounded his future during the final months of the season as speculation grew. The club had offered Silva a new three-year deal, with Fulham keen to retain the manager who transformed their fortunes since his arrival in 2021. Silva was appointed when Fulham were in the Championship and guided them to promotion in his very first season at the helm. He has since…

Southampton manager Tonda Eckert has issued a public video apology to fans following the Spygate scandal that saw the club expelled from the Championship play-offs. In the video, published by the club’s in-house media team on Tuesday, the 33-year-old said he hoped supporters would “understand and forgive” him over the controversy. Eckert stated he took “full responsibility” for charges Southampton admitted during the EFL’s investigation into spying practices across three matches in the 2025-26 season. However, he also reiterated his claim that such practices are common in Germany and Italy, countries where he worked prior to joining Saints as Under-21s…

Scotland, Liverpool and Celtic great Sir Kenny Dalglish is currently undergoing treatment for cancer, it has been confirmed. The 75-year-old former forward and manager had initially hoped to keep the news private but was forced to go public following an accidental social media post. Dalglish revealed he had not intended for the information to become public, describing the incident as an “inadvertent social media post” caused by poor technology skills. Writing on social media, Dalglish said: “I am currently undergoing treatment for cancer. Unlike my mobile phone use, the treatment is going well.” He added: “Ideally, this would have remained…

Iraq have secured their place at the 2026 World Cup, booking their spot by beating Bolivia in Mexico, the very country where their only previous appearance took place back in 1986. The qualification journey took 21 games in total, with coach Graham Arnold guiding the team through the third and fourth rounds of qualifying, including a tight play-off victory against the United Arab Emirates before the decisive win against Bolivia. Arnold, aged 62, was hired in 2025 and previously took Australia to the second round of the 2022 World Cup, and his appointment has been widely credited as a key…

Inside the 25,000-seater Estadio Hidalgo in east-central Mexico, fans unfurl a tifo featuring a miner holding a pickaxe and a distinctly crimped pastry. The figure is flanked by two identical flags, both black with a white cross, immediately recognisable to anyone familiar with England’s southernmost county. The fans of CF Pachuca, widely recognised as Mexico’s first football club, are paying tribute to the Cornish miners who helped introduce the game to the country. The transatlantic connection between Hidalgo and Cornwall stretches back to 1824, when Mexico’s mining sector lay in ruins after a decade-long war that delivered independence from Spain.…

Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella is being linked with a move back to Spain, with several top clubs having already made contact with his representatives. Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid are among those interested in signing the 27-year-old Spain international from Stamford Bridge. Liverpool have set their sights on RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande but are yet to reach a verbal agreement over a deal for the 19-year-old Ivory Coast striker. Newcastle have identified Atalanta right-back Marco Palestra as a priority summer target, though the 21-year-old Italy international is also attracting interest from Manchester City, Arsenal and Inter Milan. Inter…

Southampton owner Dragan Solak has confirmed he will not sack head coach Tonda Eckert following the club’s spying scandal that resulted in their expulsion from the Championship play-offs. “I think he deserves a second chance and I would give it to him,” the Serbian businessman told BBC Sport, adding that his “full support” would be behind the manager. Solak described Eckert as a “super-talented manager” and made clear that he intends to retain the 33-year-old German coach despite the significant controversy surrounding his conduct. Eckert was appointed on a permanent basis in December after a short spell as caretaker, taking…