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Football works in mysterious ways, and with the majority of players having numerous clubs during their careers, there’s a good chance some will come back to haunt their former sides.

From scoring important goals or regularly being a thorn in their ex-club’s side over the years, we’ve seen it on multiple occasions on the biggest stages.

Anthony Elanga recently came back to bite Manchester United, who will surely be regretting selling the winger in the summer of 2023, particularly with Nottingham Forest now miles ahead of their midweek opponents, who were beaten by the Swede’s special winner at the City Ground.

Here, we’ve taken a look at 11 stars who have haunted their former clubs.

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By
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1

Anthony Elanga

Nottingham Forest v Man Utd

Anthony Elanga has been something of a revelation since his move to Nottingham Forest, with the Reds benefiting from the Swede being unable to find a home during his stay at Manchester United.

The winger has often been in electrifying form, but showcased his talents to his former employers with a superb solo run before scoring an eventual winner in their recent Premier League clash.

With Forest set to finish in the European places, the move has certainly worked out for the 22-year-old.

2

Robin van Persie

Man Utd v Arsenal

Robin van Persie made what was a controversial move at the time from Arsenal to Man Utd in 2012.

The Dutch striker was the Gunners captain and star striker at the time, so to swap the Emirates for Old Trafford was a high-profile deal and all eyes were on the first meeting between the two sides months later.

Just three minutes into his first appearance against Arsenal, Van Persie scored for the Red Devils in a 2-1 win and netted again at the Emirates that season, helping Man Utd to another – and his first – Premier League title.

His and United’s fortunes dwindled after that, but he scored in their next meeting in late 2013, this time celebrating fully.

3

Robert Lewandowski

Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund

Polish striker Robert Lewandowski is one of the greatest goalscorers of the modern era, netting 103 times for Borussia Dortmund before leaving the club for rivals Bayern Munich in 2014.

Lewandowski would go on to spend eight years as a Bayern player, netting a remarkable 344 times in 375 games and winning 19 major honours.

He would regularly come up against Dortmund in the Bundesliga and in various cup competitions, and scored 27 times in 26 games against BVB for Bayern – more than any other club in his career.

Lewandowski’s record v Dortmund for Bayern
Wins	19
Goals	27
Assists	3
Hat-tricks	2

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4

Emmanuel Adebayor

Man City v Arsenal

One of the most memorable instances of a player haunting their former club came back in 2009, when Emmanuel Adebayor decided to run the length of the Etihad pitch to celebrate a goal for Manchester City in front of the Arsenal fans.

The striker swapped the red of north London for the sky blue of Manchester that summer and was suspended for two games and fined £25,000 by the FA for his celebration.

At the time, Adebayor’s reasoning for the celebration was: “I was being abused by people who six months ago were singing my name. The abuse was for no reason. It wasn’t my fault I left, it was Arsene [Wenger] who wanted to accept the offer for me.”

5

Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid v Man Utd

Cristiano Ronaldo’s move from Man Utd to Real Madrid in 2009 remains one of the biggest in history, so it was always going to be huge when the Portuguese superstar came up against the Red Devils for the first time.

It took four years for Madrid and United to cross paths in the Champions League, being drawn against each other in the last 16 in 2012/13.

Ronaldo scored the equaliser in a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu in the first leg and then netted what proved to be the winner at Old Trafford.

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May 14, 2025

6

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool v Chelsea

Many didn’t think much of Chelsea’s decision to sell Mohamed Salah on a permanent deal to Roma in 2016 after the winger scored just twice for the Blues in 19 appearances.

However, following his return to England with Liverpool a year later, Salah has gone on to star in the Premier League for the Reds, scoring more than 200 goals and registering over 100 assists on Merseyside.

Salah has faced off against Chelsea on a regular basis over the last eight years, helping beat the Blues in the final of the FA Cup, EFL Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

The Egyptian has also scored five times and registered four assists against Chelsea for Liverpool, including a stunner back in 2019.

7

Kevin De Bruyne

Man City v Chelsea

Another player who Chelsea let go too soon was Kevin De Bruyne, who has starred for Man City years over the last 10 years.

De Bruyne made just nine appearances for the Blues before they and Jose Mourinho decided to sell the Belgian to Wolfsburg in 2014. After starring in Germany, the attacking midfielder returned to England 18 months later and has gone on to win everything at the Etihad.

He scored a crucial winner for City at Stamford Bridge in 2017, helping Pep Guardiola’s side reach 100 points that season, while he netted four times in five appearances against the Blues between 2019 and 2022.

8

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Milan v Inter

Iconic forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic played for multiple European giants during his career, including both Milan and Inter.

The Swedish striker had three successful years with Inter between 2006 and 2009, and after a two-year stint in Spain with Barcelona, he returned to the San Siro, with the Rossoneri.

In his first Milan derby, Ibrahimovic earned and converted a penalty for Milan, an effort which proved to be the winner and helped his side to a Serie A title. He’d go on to score seven more times for Milan against Inter.

9

Ronaldo

Real Madrid v Barcelona

Brazilian striker Ronaldo is well known for his time scoring for fun at the Bernabeu for Real Madrid between 2002 and 2007, but he also played for rivals Barcelona prior to his time as a Galactico.

Ronaldo scored 47 goals in 49 games in all competitions for Barcelona in 1996/97, winning the FIFA World Player of the Year award at the age of 20.

The forward moved to Inter in a world-record transfer but returned to Spain with Madrid, where he would come back to haunt Barcelona on numerous occasions.

In total, Ronaldo scored in four separate El Clasico matches, two of which came at Camp Nou, and every time he scored against Barcelona, Madrid never lost.

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1

By
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May 10, 2025

10

Frank Lampard

Man City v Chelsea

It’s easy to forget that Frank Lampard spent his final year in the Premier League as a Manchester City player.

The Chelsea legend left Stamford Bridge in 2014, and after penning a pre-contract with New York City, he joined Manchester City for the 2014/15 season, where he would come up against Chelsea.

It was written in the stars for the attacking midfielder to make an impact against the Blues. Lampard scored his first City goal late on against Chelsea in September 2014 to end his former side’s winning start to the season.

Real Madrid are considering a future move for Manchester City star Rodri as they miss out on long-term target Martin Zubimendi.

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• Zubimendi deal nearly done with Arsenal
• Rodri seen as possible long-term target for Madrid
• Spaniard's contract with Man City ends in 2027

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Madrid appear to have lost the race for Zubimendi, who is on the verge of joining Arsenal. Despite late efforts to convince the player, the Gunners are relaxed and confident, having agreed to pay his €60 million (£50m/$69m) release clause and offering a significantly higher salary. With the deal nearly finalised, Los Blancos have started exploring alternatives.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The club is now weighing whether to stick with their current crop, including Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde or look at big targets for the future. One standout option is Rodri, but any move would be delayed until 2026, when he enters the final year of his City contract, making a potential deal more affordable.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner has become one of the best players in world football. He played a pivotal role in City’s treble-winning 2022-23 season, scoring the only goal in the Champions League final against Inter. Despite not being a flashy player, his consistency and tactical intelligence have drawn comparisons to legendary midfielders like Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  La Liga giants Madrid are expected to closely monitor Rodri’s situation at City, especially after the 2025 Club World Cup. If the Spaniard doesn't renew his contract by 2026, Madrid could try to secure a cut-price deal.

Northern Diamonds sneak home despite dropped England batter’s 130

ECB Reporters Network08-May-2024Northern Diamonds beat the South East Stars by three runs in a final-over thriller in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Beckenham, despite a stunning century from Sophia Dunkley.Dunkley, left out of England’s squads to face Pakistan so she could find form in domestic cricket, did exactly that, making 130 from 136 balls.But she was run out by the bowler Erin Burns in an excruciatingly tense final over, after inexplicably failing to ground her bat after a single from the fourth delivery.Bethan Miles was then unable to hit a boundary off the last delivery, meaning the Stars fell agonisingly short of what would have been a List A world-record run chase.Related

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Earlier, Hollie Armitage (66), Bess Heath (63) and Sterre Kalis (52) all hit half-centuries, but a spell of three wickets for three runs in six balls from Phoebe Franklin limited the Diamonds to 311 for 9.The visitors chose to bat on what looked like a typical Beckenham road and despite the early loss of Lauren Winfield-Hill, who was bowled by Tash Farrant for 19, they built an ominous platform. The first five wickets all yielded hefty partnerships, taking advantage of a Stars’ attack weakened by the loss of Alice Davidson-Richards, who went off injured after bowling two overs.Armitage and Emma Marlow put on 65 for the second wicket before the latter was brilliantly run for 32 by a direct hit from Miles. Kalea Moore then had Armitage caught by Bryony Smith, before Danni Gregory bowled Burns for 23 in the final over of her spell.A stand of 63 between Heath and Kalis was broken when the former was stumped by Chloe Hill off Miles, but the Diamonds then stuttered. Leah Dobson was the first of Franklin’s victims when she went for six, caught by the sub fielder Claudie Cooper.0:54

Lewis’ World Cup message to dropped Dunkley

Kalis went to Franklin’s next delivery, caught on the boundary by Dunkley, and Phoebe Turner followed in almost identical fashion when she holed out to the last ball of the over.When Sophia Turner was caught by Aylish Cranstone off Stonehouse for 4 the Diamonds were 290 for 9, but an aggressive, unbeaten 23 from Jess Woolston that included a huge six of Stonehouse took them past the 300 mark.The Stars suffered an early blow when Farrant went for just 7, victim of a sharp, diving catch by Dobson off Woolston and Smith had made 19 when she got a leading edge to Phoebe Turner and was caught by Burns.Dunkley and Stonehouse steadied things with a stand of 52, but the latter was caught behind off Sophia Turner for 21, victim of a smart take by Heath who was standing up to the stumps.Phoebe Franklin made 24 at a run a ball, but she fell in Armitage’s first over, slicing her to Woolston at backward point. Hill was looking useful until she was caught by Kalis off Sophia Turner for 23 but with the run rate steepening Cranstone’s 41 dragged the Stars backed into the contest with some calculated aggression that brought up the Stars’ highest ever sixth wicket partnership.When Dunkley reached three figures with a single off Sophia Turner the tie was right back in the balance, but Cranstone fell in the 46th over, chipping Burns to Armitage and Davidson-Richards was forced to bat with Farrant as a runner. Turner’s 47th over went for just four, leaving the Stars needing 33 from the last 18 balls.The equation titled back in the Diamonds favour when Heath stumped Davidson-Richards off Katie Levick for 2. Moore hit the first ball off the penultimate over, bowled by Sophia Turner for four, took a bye of the next and watched as Dunkley smashed a six over long on. The next went for four and two singles left the Stars needing 11 from the last over.Burns limited them to singles off the first three balls and then ran Dunkley out after she failed to ground her bat, after apparently giving up on a second run. Moore hit the fifth ball for three, leaving Miles needing four off the final delivery, but she was caught at cow corner by Sophia Turner, ending an exhilarating contest.

Retiring opener David Warner crushed Pakistan with an audacious half-century to farewell Test cricket in style as Australia won the third Test at the SCG by eight wickets to complete a series sweep.Warner smashed 57 off 75 balls before his fairy-tale final innings ended shortly after lunch on day four with Australia just 11 runs short of victory. He was given out lbw to offspinner Sajid Khan on review as Warner walked off to handshakes from the Pakistan team and then waved his bat to a raucous ovation from the 24,220 crowd.Marnus Labuschagne finished unbeaten on 62 from 73 balls with Australia making light work of the 130 target on a dry surface that had played tricks with variable bounce and sharp turn.Australia batted with intent and scored at over five runs an over as the surface appeared easier for batting compared to on day three when 15 wickets fell. Pakistan succumbed to Warner and Labuschagne’s 119-run partnership with fiery quick Aamer Jamal, their best bowler in the series, surprisingly not used until after lunch.All eyes were on Warner in his final innings of his 112-Test career. Coming out to a standing ovation, Warner had a long embrace with opening partner and close mate Usman Khawaja before entering a guard of honour from Pakistan.Sajid opened the bowling for Pakistan and made an immediate impact on the first ball when he beat Khawaja with a sharp delivery that turned past the bat. Sajid revived Pakistan’s slim hopes when he dismissed Khawaja lbw for a duck later in the over in a decision upheld on review.There was intrigue over whether Warner would dig in or play in his trademark proactive style. His intention was evident when he skipped down the pitch at left-arm quick Mir Hamza and opened his account with a punch through cover as he showcased his sprinting between the wickets to race back for a second.On his 12th delivery, Warner smashed his first boundary when he plundered a wide delivery from Hamza through cover before unfurling his white-ball skills when he reverse swept Sajid to the boundary. Warner’s approach was nonetheless risky on a tricky surface and he had some luck when he inside edged seamer Hasan Ali past his stumps. He also had an anxious moment when he almost holed out to mid-on off Sajid only to land safely wide of Jamal who had run back in vain.Marnus Labuschagne stayed unbeaten and hit the winning runs•Getty Images

But Warner notched his half-century off just 56 balls and Australia only needed to knock off 39 runs after lunch. The remaining interest in the contest centred over whether Warner would hit the winning runs. He survived a tight lbw call off Sajid on 53 that Pakistan unsuccessfully reviewed and Labuschagne was dropped by captain Shan Masood at short midwicket to continue their series-long fielding woes.Labuschagne, who last year averaged a modest 35 in Test cricket, was in sublime touch and scored his second half-century of the match. He hit the winning run after Warner’s dismissal as Australia claimed a series whitewash with none of the three Tests getting into a fifth day.This match effectively lasted just three days after half of day two was washed out. But Australia were challenged, particularly their batters, with Warner set to leave a big hole at the top of the order.It was a disappointing finish for Pakistan, who sank to their 17th straight defeat in Australia. They had been highly competitive over the past two Tests and showcased a resilience few touring teams have in Australia. Pakistan unearthed Jamal, who was a shining light in his debut Test series with 18 wickets and he also shows promise as a genuine allrounder having struck 82 in their first innings.But Pakistan will rue sloppy fielding and batting implosions, which reared late on day three when they crumbled to 67 for 7 in their second innings. Their hopes on day four of setting Australia a challenging total rested on Mohammad Rizwan and Jamal.Quick Josh Hazlewood opened the bowling on day four, having set the SCG alight in the penultimate over of day three with the wickets of Saud Shakeel, nightwatcher Sajid Khan and Salman Agha. After a cautious start, Jamal scored the first boundary of the day when he hammered Hazlewood through backward point.Rizwan lived dangerously as he looked to attack Nathan Lyon, but he had better success sweeping part-time spinner Travis Head. Underlining his blossoming confidence, Jamal unfurled a reverse sweep off Lyon to the boundary as Pakistan’s lead passed 100.Coming off three straight five-wicket hauls, captain Pat Cummins only brought himself on 45 minutes into the day’s play but he could not break a partnership that had reached 42 runs. Just as Pakistan’s hopes increased, as has happened often during this series, they were rocked by a wicket almost out of nowhere when Rizwan, on 28, inside edged Lyon to Warner at leg slip.Pakistan fell away as Warner took centre stage and finished off his illustrious career with trademark aggression and a comprehensive Australia victory.

Todd Murphy is still getting used to the extra workload his body has been put through this year during his emergence as a Test bowler, but is hopeful he will be fit for the Prime Minister’s XI game against Pakistan in Canberra next week.Offspinner Murphy has missed Victoria’s last two Sheffield Shield matches due to shoulder soreness but returned to bowling on Wednesday with a view to fulfilling his selection in what is effectively an Australia A side for Pakistan’s pre-Test warm-up.Murphy made his Test debut against India in Nagpur in February where he claimed 7 for 124 on the back of just seven first-class matches – one of which was last year’s PM’s XI against West Indies – and went on to play all four matches in that series before somewhat unexpectedly being needed in the Ashes after Nathan Lyon’s calf injury at Lord’s.Related

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He had already shelved a county deal before the Ashes to manage his workloads, but he returned from the UK with some niggles which flared again after four Sheffield Shield outings this season – the last of which saw him bowl 45 overs against Tasmania.”It’s been a pretty big 12 months and something I hadn’t been exposed to, so it’s just been about trying to manage myself through that,” Murphy said. “There have been challenges with a few little niggles and think the shoulder is just another one of that.”It was a bit flared up after the UK series then a few Shield games with a high workload and some one-day cricket, it sort of fatigued a bit. So used the opportunity to try and give it a chance to settle down and strengthen it back up for what will hopefully be a pretty busy summer across the board then also some Shield cricket to finish the year. Had in mind it’s a long summer and don’t want to burn myself too early.”Murphy hopes to play the BBL with Sydney Sixers through December and January then the last four rounds of Sheffield Shield although that will depend on whether he is selected as back-up in the squad for the New Zealand Test tour.With Lyon having successfully returned from his calf injury he is likely to have to wait a considerable time for his next Test – unless the SCG offers conditions conducive for two spinners – but his experience of the Ashes tour means he always wants to be ready to go.”It’s one of those ones that you always want to make sure you are ready, but Nath’s been so durable so even going over to England I probably didn’t have it my mind that there would be an opportunity arise that means I would get a game,” Murphy said.”Obviously it was really disappointing to see him go down with an injury, but it probably reinforces the importance of having a squad that is ready to perform. For me it’s really important to be in a position that if that unfortunately does happen again – fingers crossed it doesn’t – but if something does arise that I’m in a place that I can take it.”With the two Tests in New Zealand unlikely to require extra frontline spin resources, Murphy’s next opportunity may not come until the tour of Sri Lanka in early 2025, but whenever he next gets his chance he feels this year will hold him in good stead.”Looking forward it’s about putting myself in the best place I can for any opportunities that arise down the track,” he said. “The intensity of both tours [India and the Ashes] was something I hadn’t experienced before. So being exposed to that early on is going to set me up going forward and it was great to be a part of. Hopefully in a home summer I can build off that and if there is an opportunity I’m set up to go well.”

The Dutch giants blew a nine-point lead in the final five games of the campaign to become the latest side to throw away an almost-guaranteed trophy

No matter how far clear a team is at the top of the table heading into the final weeks of a season, football fans around the world know that a title isn't won until it's mathematically won. Never more does that hit home when a team collapses from a seemingly impossible position to hand their rivals the league trophy in the final stretch.

In 2024-25, it is Ajax who have suffered the ignominy of bottling what looked an almost-certain triumph just a few weeks ago. Francesco Farioli's side sat nine points clear of second-placed PSV with just five games of the Eredivisie season remaining, and the vast majority of supporters in the Netherlands already believed that Ajax's name was on the trophy.

However, a run of four games without a win, including heavy defeats to both Sparta Rotterdam and NEC Nijmegen, as well as a draw with 10-man Groningen during which the mid-table side scored a 99th-minute equaliser, suddenly left Ajax a point behind PSV going into the final day. And though Jordan Henderson and co. got back to winning ways against FC Twente, PSV got the victory they needed to secure a title that they had all-but given up on less than two months earlier.

Ajax's collapse, per , is the biggest by any team in European football history, so with that in mind, GOAL has ranked the worst collapses in recent history to have preceded the Dutch giants' remarkable late-season fall…

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• 6Manchester United (1997-98)

  In March 1998, Manchester United enjoyed a 12-point lead over Arsenal. However, the Gunners finished the season in incredible fashion, winning 10 games in a row to overtake the Red Devils at the top of the table, despite some bookmakers actually paying out on a United title triumph.

  The Gunners took advantage of their games in hand over United to pip them to glory, and sealed their victory with two games of the campaign remaining.

  United would have had a 14-point lead if they had beaten Sheffield Wednesday in March and, having thumped the Owls 6-1 at home earlier in the season, the result did not look in question. Instead, they lost 2-0, before then drawing 1-1 with West Ham.

  United were, though, still top going into their do-or-die clash with the Gunners at Old Trafford in May, but Marc Overmars scored a vital winner for the visitors, moving them six points behind their title rivals with three games in hand. And so by the time United kicked-off their final home game, Arsenal were already champions.

  Arsene Wenger's side subsequently became only the third team to win the Premier League title after United and Blackburn Rovers, but Ferguson's men would recover to win the treble the following season.

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• 5Arsenal (2007-08)

  Arsenal sold Thierry Henry in the summer before the 2007-08 season, but without him they developed into a force to be reckoned with, having acquired striker Eduardo to replace the Frenchman, while also placing their trust in Emmanuel Adebayor, who would go on to score 24 league goals over the course of the campaign.

  With a new-look frontline, the Gunners opened up a five-point lead with 12 games of the season left having embarked on a run that saw them lose just once in the first half of the campaign. Then, they went to St Andrews to play Birmingham City. The game not only ended in a disappointing 2-2 draw, but Eduardo also sustained a horrific broken ankle while captain William Gallas had what can only be described as a meltdown on the pitch at full-time.

  With their captain abdicating responsibility, Arsenal won just one of their next eight games, drawing with the likes of Wigan and Middlesbrough, and were beaten by eventual champions Manchester United.

  Arsenal only lost three times in their 38 league games, but they eventually finished third, four points behind the Red Devils. Had Gallas simply kept it together, one has to wonder if the Gunners might have found a way to get over the line for the first time since 2004.

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  4Liverpool (2013-14)

  'This does not f*cking slip now'. Steven Gerrard's famous last words proved all too prescient for Liverpool.

  The Reds were five points clear after 35 games in 2014, and having beaten Manchester City 3-2 at Anfield, Gerrard gave the Reds a pep talk that was picked up by microphones, in which he maintained the players must keep their focus in the final weeks of the campaign as they needed just seven points from their final three games, against Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Newcastle, to win their first title in a generation.

  Instead, Gerrard slipped against the Blues as the Reds lost 2-0 at home before – as the commentary famously said – Liverpool "caved in" at Selhurst Park, throwing away a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Palace.

  Brendan Rodgers' side recovered to beat Newcastle on the final day, but it wasn't enough, and the title was on its way to Manchester City. It did, indeed, slip.

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  3Newcastle United (1995-96)

  Newcastle's Premier League title collapse in 1996 is probably the most memorable in England's top-flight history. With manager Kevin Keegan at the helm, the Magpies' free-wheeling attacking football saw them dubbed the 'Great Entertainers', and they enjoyed a 12-point lead over Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United by mid-January.

  The mind games, though, would begin thereafter, culminating in Keegan's infamous 'I will love it' rant.

  Between February and April, Newcastle won just two of their eight games, in a run that included one of the greatest fixtures the league has ever seen; their 4-3 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield. Keegan was left slumped over the advertising hoardings as Stan Collymore scored the Reds' late winner, and United only lost one more game for the remainder of the season to overtake the Magpies.

  Come the final day of the season, Ferguson's men were champions once more, four points ahead of Keegan's side. So close, yet so far.

Antony has delivered a cryptic “we will see” message when it comes to his future, with the Real Betis loanee due back at Manchester United.

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Fell out of love with football at Old TraffordRediscovered lost spark during stint in SpainWaiting to discover what transfer window bringsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazil international severed ties with the Red Devils when completing a switch to Spain in the winter transfer window. He has spoken of how unhappy he had become towards the end of his time in England, with the South American falling out of love with football.

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A spark has been rediscovered with Betis, netting nine goals and reaching the Conference League final, but it remains to be seen what the summer has in store. With his loan deal expiring, Antony will be due back at Old Trafford if no move elsewhere is agreed.

WHAT ANTONY SAID

Antony is reluctant to speculate on what the summer window will hold, telling when asked about what happens next: “I don't know what will happen in the future, only God knows.

“My work is playing and I'm doing that well. I have a lot of affection for Betis, for everyone but I have a contract with Man United and I don't know what's going to happen.

“Now I will go to the national team and then on holiday then we will see what happens in the future. I'm very happy here, everyone knows that but I have a contract.”

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

Antony suffered Conference League heartache in his final outing for Betis, as they threw away a first-half lead to lose 4-1 against Chelsea, with the South American saying of that setback: “Right now it's difficult to say any words, we knew the importance of this final but we lost. Congratulations to Chelsea for the title. Concentration was our downfall.

“It was a good first half but in the second half, we didn't have the ball. We need to remember that it's a game of 90 minutes and we didn't concentrate for the entire game.”

Real Madrid star Arda Guler has revealed how he inadvertently turned Cristiano Ronaldo into Michael Jordan 'Last Dance' mode.

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• Pair crossed paths at Euro 2024
• Turkish star idolises Portuguese GOAT
• Never got his post-match chat

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Turkish sensation Guler was just a teenager when lining up against Portuguese GOAT Ronaldo during the group stage of Euro 2024. He had hoped to enjoy a special outing when facing his boyhood hero.

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  The plan was for Turkey to pick up a positive result before entering into a post-match discussion with CR7 – potentially swapping jerseys along the way. Events outside of Guler’s control ultimately conspired against him.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Unfortunate headlines in the build-up to a crunch clash in Dortmund provided added motivation for Ronaldo, who ended up on the winning side and opted to shun any discussions with rivals at the final whistle.

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  WHAT ARDA GULER SAID

  Reflecting on that encounter for , Guler said: "For our match against Portugal, I was a little nervous. I hoped that Ronaldo would talk to me after the game, because I respect him so much.

  "Then on the day of the game, Marca printed this front page: GULER CHALLENGES CRISTIANO. Oh, no…..

  "The truth was, I was honoured to share the pitch with Cristiano. Have you seen The Last Dance? Cristiano is like Michael Jordan. A headline like that is fuel to him. Portugal won 3–0, and after the game he did not speak to anyone."

Discussing a possible managerial fight, Ricky Hatton says Jose Mourinho is the "equivalent of Floyd Mayweather" and Pep Guardiola is a "nuisance".

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• Ex-Real Madrid & Barca bosses have clashed before
• Both are passionate characters & born winners
• A battle inside the boxing ring would be intriguing

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former world champion and passionate Manchester City fan Hatton is not convinced that current boss Guardiola would want to lace up a pair of gloves and step into the ring with outspoken Portuguese Mourinho, despite previous differences between the pair.

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  Both men have never backed down from a challenge and continue to talk a good game, with Mourinho famously billing himself as ‘The Special One’ during his memorable first stint at Chelsea while Guardiola has shattered records with Barcelona and City.

• WHAT RICKY HATTON SAID

  Hatton told when asked for his take on a potential clash between two born winners: "Pep Guardiola looks very passionate on the touchline flying in there, here and everywhere and in the changing rooms talking to the boys, he’s also passionate so Pep may be a bit of a dark horse. Pep can be a nuisance. I’ve never met Pep, so I don’t know him personally. But it’s like Eubank vs Benn with Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.

  "I remember the one time Jose was sat on the bench talking to his assistant coach and somebody pointed that a Man City player should have a yellow card, so he sprints over to the referee and puts his hands in the air demanding a card. He hadn’t even seen it but what a character he is. I don’t look at Jose as someone who could have a fight though, I think of Sam Allardyce or Sean Dyche, you think they could have it but not with Jose Mourinho scaring anyone. But he is passionate, like Pep."

• AFP
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Hatton added on why Mourinho, despite not being a fighter, remains box office in sporting circles: "Jose Mourinho is the equivalent of Floyd Mayweather, very confident, very arrogant, and says he is the best and the Special One while Floyd calls himself ‘Money’ Mayweather.

  "They would get on well having a meal together. It would be interesting. You need characters and that’s what makes sport. We’d be lost without characters in boxing and football, it would not be very entertaining would it."

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl was thrown into a difficult situation when he decided to take on the job as Russell Martin’s replacement at Ibrox.

The former Gers boss only won five of 17 matches in charge of the club, whilst the summer transfer window was navigated by Kevin Thelwell, who has since been relieved of his duties.

Now that Thelwell has departed, Rohl will have a chance to lead the charge to recruit his own players in the upcoming January transfer window, and a new winger has to be on the agenda.

Ranking Rohl's winger options for Rangers

Rohl has plenty of options who can play on the left or the right flank, but very few of them have shown that they have the quality to be reliable options in the present day.

Oliver Antman and Nedim Bajrami are both currently out through injury, which means that they are not current options for the manager, whilst Kieran Dowell has only just returned from injury and has yet to be given a chance to shine.

1

Mikey Moore

2

Djeidi Gassama

3

Findlay Curtis

4

Danilo

5

Kieran Dowell

N/A

Nedim Bajrami

N/A

Oliver Antman

As you can see in the table above, we have ranked Mikey Moore as the best current option on the wing for Rangers, because he has scored two goals in his last two Scottish Premiership games.

No other natural Gers winger, with Danilo a striker by trade, has scored more than one league goal for the Gers this season, with Djeidi Gassama on one goal and one assist.

Gassama has been particularly disappointing of late, with one goal and no assists in his last 11 matches, and Rangers could finally replace him as a starter by signing Yelimay Semey left winger Galymzhan Kenzhebek in January.

Why Rangers should sign Galymzhan Kenzhebek

The 22-year-old forward has been the subject of a bid from Rangers ahead of the January transfer window opening for business, and they should push to get a deal done for him because he could be an upgrade on Gassama.

Rangers should bolster their options in the wide areas in the winter market because we have ranked the Frenchman as their second-best wide option, despite the fact that he has only scored one league goal for the club.

A return of one goal and one assist in 15 Premiership matches for the Gers, per Sofascore, is not a good enough return for a team that should be competing to win the title, which is why Kenzhebek should be considered as a possible replacement for the starting XI.

Transfer Focus

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The young winger currently plays in Kazakhstan, which makes it hard to predict how he will adapt to the Premiership, but it is worth remembering that Hearts, who top the league, signed Alexandros Kyziridis from Slovakia and Claudio Braga from the second division in Norway.

There are hidden gems to be found in more obscure leagues, as evidenced by those two signings, who have combined for 15 goals and nine assists for Hearts, per Transfermarkt, this season.

Appearances

11

15

Goals

6

1

Minutes per goal

162

1,171

Key passes per game

1.7

0.9

Assists

4

1

Successful dribbles per game

8.6

2.0

As you can see in the table above, Kenzhebek’s form for his current club is far more impressive than anything Gassama has produced at the top end of the pitch for the Light Blues in the Premiership.

Whilst there is no guarantee that he can translate that form over to Scottish football, there is also no guarantee that signings from the Championship or other top leagues in Europe can adapt to the league or Ibrox.

It is also worth taking into account that Kenzhebek, who was hailed as a “very pacy” player by Rangers Journal creator Kai Watson, has also shown promise at international level.

The Rangers target has scored two goals and provided one assist in six World Cup qualifiers for Kazakhstan, per Sofascore, which shows that he can compete on the international stage, as well as impress for his club domestically.

On top of being an attractive target on paper because of his statistics, Kenzhebek’s contract with his club is due to expire at the end of this month, per Transfermarkt, which means that the Gers can pick him up on a free transfer.

Therefore, Rangers must push to get a deal done for the talented youngster because he could be a hidden gem, away from the usual markets that the club shop in, who could come in and take Gassama’s place in the side.

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This Glasgow Rangers flop who looked as bad as Bojan Miovski is now Danny Rohl’s most improved performer.

ByDan Emery 3 days ago

If he can then translate his current form over to Ibrox, Rohl would finally have a consistent winger who can provide goals and assists on a regular basis.