Author: Rowan Clarke

Jorge Jesus has been appointed as Portugal’s new head coach on a four-year contract that will take him through to the 2030 World Cup. Portugal are co-hosting that tournament alongside Spain and Morocco, giving the new appointment added significance as the nation prepares to shine on home soil. Jesus, 71, takes over following Portugal’s early exit from this summer’s World Cup, where they were beaten 1-0 by Spain in the last 16. Former head coach Roberto Martinez had already announced he would step down from the role he had held since January 2023 following that defeat. The appointment reunites Jesus…

Manchester City have agreed a £12.5m deal to sign 17-year-old Jeremy Monga from Leicester City, beating Arsenal to one of English football’s most exciting young talents. Premier League champions Arsenal were leading the race and considered close to completing a deal before City swooped to gazump their title rivals at the final moment. Brentford were also in contention for the teenager, but it is City who have won the battle to secure Monga’s signature from the relegated Foxes. Monga had agreed to a one-year scholarship contract at King Power Stadium, which converts into a professional deal on his 17th birthday…

Belgium were written off before the World Cup began, and almost nobody gave them a chance when they fell 2-0 behind Senegal with just five minutes remaining in the last 32. Yet Rudi Garcia’s side have transformed their tournament with one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history, rallying from that deficit to defeat Senegal before dismantling the United States 4-1 on home soil. The Red Devils now face Spain on Friday at 20:00 BST with a semi-final place on the line, having rebuilt their campaign around a blend of experienced survivors and hungry younger players. While Eden Hazard,…

Norway striker Erling Haaland will face the country of his birth when the two nations meet in Miami on Saturday in the World Cup quarter-finals. The 25-year-old has scored seven goals in four appearances at the tournament, adding to his 16 goals across eight qualifying matches before the competition began. Norway’s last World Cup appearance came in 1998, meaning Haaland was not yet born the previous time his nation competed at the tournament. His decision to represent Norway rather than England was never seriously in doubt, despite his birth in Leeds while his father Alf-Inge was still playing for Leeds…

England winger Anthony Gordon has described being sworn at by then Mexico manager Javier Aguirre during their World Cup clash as “just a bit of fun.” The incident occurred during a first-half hydration break at the Azteca Stadium, where England secured a dramatic 3-2 victory in their last-16 tie. Aguirre was seen speaking to England midfielder Jude Bellingham before turning his attention to Gordon near the touchline, directing an explicit remark at the forward. Both men were seen laughing after the exchange, and the moment quickly spread across social media platforms following the match. Gordon, who moved from Newcastle United…

France captain Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty in their quarter-final against Morocco, but goals from Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele secured a 2-0 win. The match in Foxborough was goalless when Mbappe was fouled by Noussair Mazraoui, and the Frenchman stuttered in his run-up before seeing his tame effort easily saved by Yassine Bounou. Mbappe made amends on the hour mark with a sensational curling effort, but his earlier miss has reignited debate about whether stuttering run-ups are still an effective technique. Of the 26 stutter penalties taken during this World Cup, including shootouts, only 15 have been scored, producing a…

England defender Marc Guehi faces a race against time to prove his fitness ahead of Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against Norway in what is a major injury concern for Thomas Tuchel’s side. The centre-back sustained a hamstring strain during England’s 3-2 victory over Mexico in the last 16 at the Azteca Stadium and will be assessed on Friday to determine his availability. Initially it was hoped that Guehi was dealing with nothing more than muscular fatigue, but the problem has since been identified as a hamstring strain, raising serious doubts over his participation. Guehi is described as desperate to prove…

Norway striker Erling Haaland has declared England among the clear favourites to win the World Cup and called on journalists to heap pressure on them before Saturday’s quarter-final. The Manchester City forward made the remarks with a smile, suggesting the English media should do their part in raising expectations around Gareth Southgate’s side ahead of the Miami showdown. “I think there’s some clear favourites out there, England’s one of them,” said Haaland, who was born in Leeds during the summer his father Alf-Inge moved from Leeds United to Manchester City. Speaking directly to journalists, he added: “I think all of…

Manchester United are exploring a naming rights deal for their new stadium as part of a financially disciplined approach to the ambitious £2bn development. Collette Roche, the club’s New Stadium Development chief executive, confirmed the intention at the unveiling of a draft masterplan for the wider Old Trafford area. The 370-acre development is estimated to create 48,000 jobs and 15,000 new homes, with the 100,000-capacity stadium situated 350 yards from their current ground. Roche was clear that the project must be financially grounded, emphasising the club’s guiding principle behind the entire development process. “We’ve been really clear from the onset,…

Newcastle United have secured the signing of 18-year-old midfielder Sean Steur from Ajax in a deal worth up to £23m. The Dutch teenager arrived on Tyneside on Wednesday evening, underwent a medical, and completed the formalities of his move to the Premier League club. Steur has penned a five-year contract at St James’ Park, keeping him at Newcastle until 2031. “It’s an incredible feeling to be here,” Steur said. “It’s a giant club in the Premier League and it was always my dream to play in the best league in the world.” The youngster, who joined Ajax at the age…