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Leeds United are on the lookout for a new boss to replace Sam Allardyce and former Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard would be open to taking over at Elland Road.

What's the latest news involving Leeds United and Steven Gerrard?

As per The Telegraph, Gerrard has emerged as a contender to become the next Leeds United manager as the Whites look to find their new boss to lead them into the Sky Bet Championship next term.

talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan has backed the 43-year-old for the role, stating on the outlet's YouTube channel: "Gerrard to me, I don't see why he couldn't do the job if the lessons that needed to have been learned have been learned. "If he can sit in front of a chairman and walk him through what it is that he would bring to his football club and what he's learned from the lessons he's had previously and could then deploy them.

Nevertheless, The Daily Mail have revealed that Gerrard, whose organisation was hailed as "incredible" during his time at Rangers, is also in the running for the Leicester City job, potentially offering him a route back into football ahead of 2023/24.

Scott Parker and Manchester City coach Enzo Maresca have also been looked at by the Foxes as they prepare to rival Leeds United in the English second-tier.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that whoever Leeds United appoint will be determined by their ongoing ownership situation.

Jones told FFC: "It'll be really interesting to see what happens with Steven Gerrard, who is very open to taking both the Leeds and the Leicester job and is keen to get back into work as soon as possible. I think at this stage, Leeds still have due diligence to do on the managerial front and who they appoint will be impacted by the ownership situation."

Who else has been linked to the Leeds United job?

Leeds United look to have a lengthy list of candidates at Elland Road as they weigh up who would be the best fit for the club moving forward.

As per The Athletic, former Fulham boss Scott Parker has emerged as a candidate to take over at the club and has been discussed internally at Elland Road.

West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan is also of interest to Leeds United and has been shortlisted as they do their due diligence within their hiring process, as per Football Insider.

The Daily Star claim that Brendan Rodgers is another name that has been mentioned in connection with the club, though Leeds United are likely to face competition from his former club Celtic to land the 50-year-old, as per Sky Sports.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Emerson Royal has claimed that Harry Kane wants to “stay” amid speculation about his potential exit.

What did Emerson Royal say about Harry Kane?

Will Kane leave Spurs this summer? It’s arguably the most-discussed transfer rumour in England over the past few months.

From TV pundits to strangers at the pub, you’ve probably heard nearly everyone who follows football offer their opinion on the matter at some point.

Even Kane has had to address the situation recently. Indeed, after scoring twice against Leeds United on the final day of the season, he told BT Sport (via Manchester Evening News): “It is part and parcel of being a footballer [speculation about leaving] especially when you are at the top of your game.

“I have focused on this season and helping the team as much as possible. I am just looking forward to a nice break and some games with England.”

Well, his Tottenham teammate Emerson has now potentially provided a little bit of insider information when speaking to the press.

He said (via Football Daily) “Top [player], for me, he’s number one in this position. I’m so happy for him.

“He wants to stay with us. I want to play with him for a long time.”

Why would Kane stay at Spurs?

Kane is currently on £200k-p/w at Tottenham and his current deal expires in 2024. It’s been reported that he may not sign a new deal and simply leave for free in 12 months’ time.

However, he could also push for a move this summer with Manchester United heavily linked. 90min claims he is the club’s “top transfer target”.

Of course, this might be tempting as he’s not getting any younger (turning 30 this July) and is still yet to win a major trophy in his career.

Some with connections to Sputs even think he should leave. Speaking on Sky Sports, Jamie Redknapp said (via Manchester Evening News): “It feels at the moment that Tottenham is a shambles.

“They can’t seem to get a manager. If you were Harry Kane with one year to go, this is the time to leave.

“He has to push now because Man United might get somebody else. He missed out on Man City a few years ago when he wasn’t allowed to leave, right now it feels like he needs to push.”

However, if Emerson does indeed have some inside information, perhaps Kane isn’t looking to go just yet.

This could make sense too because if he sticks around for one more year he can then leave for free next summer.

Scorecard and ball-by-ballSharjeel Khan pulls during his century•AFP

In the list of the fastest ODI centuries by Pakistan and you will see a familiar name: Shahid Afridi. Afridi is still the owner of the three fastest hundreds, but now there is a new man lurking behind him: Sharjeel Khan, who is now the proud owner of the fastest century by a Pakistani not named Afridi and the architect of the heaviest victory by runs in the country’s ODI history.The tempo of Sharjeel’s innings – and the utterly one-sided nature of this match – was established in the first over. Undeterred by muggy skies or the threat of seam, Sharjeel scythed his second ball, from Tim Murtagh, through the offside and then launched the over’s final delivery for a straight six.That same impudent spirit defined the rest of his innings. Sharjeel treated Ireland’s bowlers as if he was range-hitting against local net bowlers. The shot with which he brought up his century, a sweep to leg that was misfielded, actually had a subtlety out of sync with the rest of his stay; this was an innings of unrelenting brutality, defined above all by Sharjeel’s brazen, clean hitting to the leg side, pulling imperiously and launching the ball over long on with impunity.The violence was also out of sync with the bucolic setting at Malahide. This is the venue that Ireland hope to turn into their fortress, yet not only were their team humiliated on the pitch, their ignominious batting collapse made all the more unpalatable by coming in the best conditions of the day, yet here the home fans were outdone – if not in number, then certainly in noise – by Pakistan’s supporters. When Sharjeel raised his helmet and performed the in celebration at his maiden ODI century, coming off only 61 balls and four days after his 27th birthday, he did so against a backdrop of chants of “Pakistan! Zindabad”.He only became more merciless after reaching his century. Twenty-five balls later he had sailed past 150, greeting the slow emergence of the sun with a series of shots that not merely cleared the boundary at Malahide, but would have done so at any ground in the world. While Sharjeel was batting, there seemed not so much one game of cricket being played as two: the bedlam when he was at the crease, and the relative tranquillity when he was not, as Mohammad Hafeez took 59 balls over 37.Perhaps Sharjeel’s impact was overdue. He made his ODI debut three years ago but, after a sparkling 61 on debut, his form collapsed, and he was dropped after 11 ODIs brought an average of just 17.63, and, in the process ditched from T20 cricket too. The creation of the Pakistan Super League created a new platform for him to impress the selectors, and a 62-ball 117 against Shaun Tait and Wahab Riaz gave note of his talent. He was recalled to Pakistan’s T20 side and performed encouragingly in their dismal World T20 campaign.But many considered him a little on the rotund side for an international cricketer. When Pakistan went on their army boot camp, to Abbottabad, in preparation for their tour to England, Sharjeel struggled, and was given a tailor-made programme to make him fit for international cricket. During Pakistan A’s tour of England, he made plenty of runs, including 125 against the England Lions, but more important was the 5kg he lost.”That boot camp was really special, and the fitness work is really helping us on this tour,” he said after his memorable day. “I need to improve my fitness more day-by-day.”Not that Sharjeel did much running here, too busy exploiting the shoddy length of Ireland’s bowlers – too full or, more often, too short. Even in a match reduced to 47 overs a side, Sharjeel was on course to waltz past Saeed Anwar’s 194, and set a new record for Pakistan’s top individual score in an ODI before, attempting to hit his 10th six, he top edged Barry McCarthy to Niall O’Brien.By now, though, Ireland had cause to fear a chase as onerous as the 378 they were set by Sri Lanka at Malahide exactly two months ago. William Porterfield later reckoned that the game was actually lost in the first 20 overs, when Ireland’s bowlers failed to exploit the seaming conditions that had led him to insert Pakistan. For Peter Chase, heaved for 70 in seven overs, matches such as this are indeed “a tough school,” as Porterfield reflected; what he would have given to be able to summon Boyd Rankin instead.The skill of Tim Murtagh and the zest of McCarthy, whose four wickets lifted him to 18 in seven ODIs this summer, created a brief period of calm after Sharjeel’s dismissal, but it did not last long. Shoaib Malik, playing his 233rd ODI, and Mohammad Nawaz, playing his first, added 105 to leave Ireland needing to chase over seven an over.Few gave them a chance of doing so, but nor did they envisage Ireland being bundled out within 24 overs. Imad Wasim feasted on the frailties in Ireland’s batting, though he can surely never had to do so little to take a five-wicket haul in professional cricket. The match ended with three Wasim wickets in four deliveries: each came from little more than innocuous arm-balls, as Porterfield later admitted. It summed up a desolate Ireland performance.While Sharjeel had lifted Pakistan to their insurmountable total, another Pakistan returnee, Umar Gul, ran through Ireland’s top order, with a hostile spell of swing bowling in his first ODI for a year. The most mesmerising bowling, though, was reserved for Mohammad Amir, who swung the second ball of the innings to uproot Paul Stirling’s off stump, and then had Ed Joyce, defeated by a ball so quick that he could not get his bat out of the line in time, dropped at second slip.That Amir was only needed to bowl four overs was the final indignity for Ireland. The day ended not merely with their lowest ever total in a home ODI and second lowest anywhere, but the second largest defeat by runs in their history. It also ended with new urgency imbued into the fear that the opportunities that Ireland have craved for so long have come at a time when the team is in decline.

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite has “a lot of the traits” to replace Conor Coady and Yerry Mina at Goodison Park, according to journalist Dean Jones.

How have Coady and Mina been performing?

Coady first arrived on Merseyside on a season-long loan from Premier League rivals Wolves last summer and despite having made 23 appearances since that time, has failed to live up to expectations and is ranked the 16th worst player out of the 25 squad members, recording a match rating of 6.43, as per WhoScored.

Mina, on the other hand, has been extremely injury prone and failed to ever establish himself in the first-team having spent 12 spells on the sidelines since joining, not to mention that he’s made just four appearances across all competitions this season and is yet to feature under Sean Dyche.

The Toffees’ young centre-back is currently out on a season-long loan at PSV Eindhoven where he has been impressing in his 30 senior outings to date so far, and as he’s set to return to the Blues this summer, he could be handed a more senior role heading into the 2023/24 campaign, regardless of the club's league status.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones was asked whether he thought Branthwaite had the required qualities to establish his place in the first-team and succeed the likes of Coady and Mina, to which he replied:

“Yeah, it looks like it. He's certainly got a lot of the traits that you would look for in somebody to not only have the composure and the level headedness to handle the Premier League but the confidence too. So it seems like they've got the makings of a good player there.”

Should Branthwaite be given a chance at Everton?

Branthwaite has already made 13 first-team appearances for Everton so they clearly see the potential that he’s got and considering how much he’s developed at PSV, Dyche should definitely give him the opportunity to prove himself.

The 6 foot 5 colossus is currently averaging 3.5 clearances and 2.1 aerial wins per Eredivisie game, via WhoScored, and has won 12 tackles from 20 players challenged, highlighting the rock he’s been at the heart of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s backline.

Alongside being strong in defence, the £15k-per-week starlet is also capable of contributing to his team’s efforts at the opposite end of the pitch having scored four goals and provided an assist this season with his height being extremely handy when it comes to set pieces, so there's no reason why he wouldn't be able to perform at the same level or even better than the boss' current centre-back options at Goodison Park.

Steven Finn has recovered from injury and is primed to make an impact when England begin their three-Test Investec series against Sri Lanka next week

Alan Gardner14-May-2016″Use your frustration as motivation.” That was the simple advice Trevor Bayliss emailed to Steven Finn last month. Finn had received what might be described as a mild ECB ticking off for talking about missing the World T20 despite being, in his opinion, fit to play and England’s head coach was keen to channel it into a positive response.Finn’s publically expressed disappointment barely qualified as an outburst but he has had his share of frustrations over the last few years, starting with the problems surrounding his run-up and action and then more recently through injury. Having made a triumphant comeback during last summer’s Ashes, he was forced out of the UAE series with a foot problem, missed the final Test in South Africa with a side strain and then suffered a calf strain leading up to the World T20.Instead of being part of England’s run to the final in Mumbai, Finn was left to do pre-season with Middlesex, where he offered his thoughts in a couple of press engagements. He has since spoken to the “medical people, selectors, the people who made the decision” to clear up the matter and Bayliss will hope to have a bowler primed to make an impact when England begin their three-Test Investec series against Sri Lanka next week.”I shouldn’t have been as vocal as I was when I came out and said those things. I’ve accepted what’s happened, I’ve had conversations with the people that I mentioned in that interview and it’s all fine,” Finn said. “I missed the World Cup because I was injured, you’re disappointed when you miss out on world tournaments … I was in the wrong, I’ve accepted that, I’ve spoken to the people who were affected by the interview and everything is fine now.”Trevor actually sent me an email, he said ‘use your frustration as motivation to take wickets in the Test matches this summer’, which I think was the perfect response to it. You can channel your frustration into the wrong avenues and it can affect you. If it’s used in the right manner it can be a positive thing as well.”Taylor retirement ‘very sad’

Steven Finn has said that James Taylor’s successor at short leg will have “a lot to live up to”. Taylor took two brilliant catches – the second off Finn’s bowling – in England’s Johannesburg Test victory in January but has since been forced to retire at the age of 26 after the discovery of a life-threatening heart defect.
“Whoever fields in there now has got a lot to live up to,” Finn said. “It’s just very sad, we’re all saddened by what’s happened, I think the solace that we can take is he’s still with us. It’s a shame that we’ll never see him on a cricket field again because he had so much to give, but we’re glad he’s alive, glad he’s fit and well.”

Despite a call-up for the uncapped Jake Ball, Finn seems set to return to the third-seamer’s berth that has been his on a timeshare basis only since his debut six years ago. While Ball is the joint-leading wicket-taker in Division One of the Championship, with 19 at 21.15, Finn’s 12 wickets have cost more than 30 apiece and he admits that it has taken a while to get his “competitive head back on” after a three-month lay-off following the Johannesburg Test in January.”I’ve bowled some good spells this summer, I’ve bowled some not-great spells this summer,” he said. “I know it’s in there.”Finn’s eight-wicket haul at Edgbaston last summer, having not played a Test in more than two years, was one of the highlights of England regaining the Ashes, as well as vindication for his own hard work with Richard Johnson, Middlesex’s bowling coach, and the ECB’s Kevin Shine. Further sessions with Johnson beckon before Finn joins up with England next week, as well as work at Loughborough with Raph Brandon, the ECB’s head of science and medicine and the man who played a vital role in helping to re-groove Finn’s run-up.”I’ve learned a lot about myself over the last couple of years, I know a lot more,” Finn said. “I’m more in tune with my game and what I’m trying to do to get people out, and with my action, etcetera, so I feel in a good place.”Headingley has not been an auspicious venue for England in recent times – they have won only once in their last six Tests in Leeds – and it was there, against South Africa in 2012, that Finn’s habit of kneeing the stumps in his delivery stride became a problem that was soon to escalate. It is a ground where it can be “hard to find your rhythm” due to the slope but also offers extra pace (bowling downhill) and bounce (uphill) once mastered.Steven Finn has taken 12 wickets in four matches for Middlesex so far this season•Getty ImagesThose are the qualities Finn has always sought to bring to England’s attack, while the addition of an outswinger has not harmed his cause. Even if there have been a few too many four balls in his early season outings for Middlesex, he appeared relaxed about everything clicking into place again.Ball’s elevation keeps the pressure on – Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Liam Plunkett will all hope to provide further competition over the course of seven Tests against Sri Lanka and Pakistan – but, as Bayliss’s email hinted, Finn remains the preferred candidate to support England’s senior new-ball pair. This will be the latest in a succession of big summers as he tries to nail down his place for good.”I think I went a little bit of a way towards doing that in South Africa, but unless you are a Stuart Broad or James Anderson you are never settled in that line-up,” Finn said. “It’s a big summer for me to try and cement that spot in the team but it’s something that I’m not putting too much pressure on myself. If you put pressure on yourself it won’t come, if I relax, play with a smile on my face and let the ball do the talking, it will look after itself.”Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For more on Investec private banking, visit www.investec.co.uk/banking

An emotional Peter Borren made another impassioned plea to the ICC to give the Associates and Affiliates more opportunities to play, with Netherlands knocked out of the World T20 after a washout

Sidharth Monga in Dharamsala11-Mar-2016An emotional and distraught Peter Borren has made another impassioned plea to the ICC to give the Associates and Affiliates more opportunities to play, which eventually boils down to spending more money on them. His side Netherlands, perhaps had one bad over with the ball and another with the bat in their first match of this World T20, and they are already out of the event after a washout in their second match.The World Cup, of a format that is considered the most ideal to spread the game to non-traditional outposts, is restricted to 10 teams, which leads to a cruel round of qualifying where only one of four teams goes through. There are no reserve days. This stage of the tournament is almost like a chore that has to be completed. For teams such as Netherlands, they hope they can make these three days the days of their lives, but don’t have any room for error.”It’s a pretty emotional dressing room,” Borren said. “Guys have put a lot of work into this campaign. It started a year ago or close to that starting with the first part of the qualifier in Ireland and Scotland. We shared that trophy and played some really good cricket. We sit here now after playing three hours of cricket against Bangladesh, where we came up short. It’s extremely disappointing. Obviously we can’t do anything about the weather.”There are obviously questions about how much we’ve had to do to get to this stage as it is. We’ve won a lot of games and an eight-run loss to Bangladesh and we’re gone. It’s hard to take.”

Associates’ requests falling on deaf ears – Porterfield

When Peter Borren pleaded for more games, he referred to William Porterfield’s scathing comments after the last World Cup, in Australia. After Ireland bowed out of this World T20, Porterfield said his comments had fallen on deaf ears. “That is why the ICC has the tournament in two phases because they will lose a lot of revenue if one of the ‘top nations’ go out to any of us in the early rounds,’ Porterfield said. “It doesn’t happen in any other sport. Every sport grows. Football has increased the number of teams for the 2023 [sic] World Cup. Rugby have done the same. They are looking to progress their games.
“It is a shame that the ICC at the top level insist on cutting teams. It has fallen on deaf ears a lot of time. After the last World Cup there were quite a few people at the top table who were quite happy that we missed out on run rate. Makes it a bit easier for them to ignore all the comments and let it die over time. This is what happens. It is frustrating from our point of view. We will keep fighting. We have got good performances on the pitch. We come to every major event. Not just major events, we have got four big games this year. Two against Sri Lanka and two against Pakistan at home. Those are the games we have to win especially on home soil to put more pressure, to get even more fixtures.”

While Borren hoped there was a reserve day, he did repeat there can be no excuses for losing to Bangladesh after having competed evenly for 35.5 overs. Looking at the future, though, he was desperately disappointed. He had tweeted earlier in the day, imploring the weather to co-operate because the match was 10% of the cricket they were going to play all year. As of now, they are left with one more T20I, two one-day games against Nepal in the World Cricket League and a four-day game against Afghanistan, and that’s it for the rest of the year.”It’s obviously not enough cricket, that’s fair to say,” Borren said. “If we had managed to get through here, it would have been fantastic. But today’s rain means that we’re in a position where we possibly won’t be playing in a world event for how many years [four]. And in this sort of environment, I’ve been lucky to have played in a few, but it seems like it’s becoming less opportunities for Associate teams, which is frustrating. For me, I’m getting older but some of our young guys… it’s pretty hard to tell a guy like Paul van Meekeren, for example, who bowls four overs, gets 2 for 17 against Bangladesh, that there might be another opportunity if we get really really good cricket over three-four years time. It’s pretty tough.”What do they do to keep this team together and motivated given such few opportunities? “Keeping this unit together, I don’t know, time is an interesting thing,” Borren said. “We have got an interesting blend of experience and younger guys. We are not playing too much cricket. We move our attention to two days time, to the visit of Nepal and Afghanistan later in the summer. We’ve worked very hard to get where we are now. I’m very proud of what we’ve done in the World Cricket League and the I-cup but right now the feeling is absolutely devastated. It’s just a cruel, cruel place to be. I guess, I wish we could find those nine runs somewhere from the other night.”What really seems to have hurt Borren is the fact that the ICC has becomes less concerned about Associates. He acknowledged the hard work of some passionate people at the ICC who work hard towards spreading the game, but asked for a more even share of the revenues cricket generates. “The level of Associate cricket has dramatically improved,” Borren said, crediting ICC’s high performance programme. “The opportunities for games, however, have become far less. Four or five years ago I, we, used to play quite a few games. These days not many with WCL going to a three-year cycle.”I don’t think it is those people who work hard… they do work hard for Associate cricket. But maybe above them there is a sort of malaise towards Associate cricket. To grow further in the game, we always hear it is not commercially viable. We can’t afford to do our own bilateral series. It is very difficult for us. We then hear World Cricket League has gone to a three-year cycle because it is not affordable otherwise. To be honest there is money somewhere. There is a lot of money in cricket. Just not really being spent on expanding the game. Although a bit of it is being spent, the revenue should be spread more far out so that we have that opportunity to play more.”Borren had a message for those who feel the Associates don’t deserve a healthier share of the revenue because they don’t generate it: “I will tell them we don’t need that much. We are not looking for millions and millions of dollars. Just a very small percentage of this huge amount. Obviously we are not going to probably be the source of much revenue, we understand that, but if the game wants to grow, then surely the revenue needs to be shared more evenly not just amongst three, eight, ten teams but throughout the Associates and Affiliates as well.”I can remember William Porterfield saying pretty similar stuff after the 2015 world cup. People keep saying ‘fair enough’, ‘fair enough’, but there is no real change. That can be extremely frustrating. Real change would be welcomed in world of cricket. For example I watch Indian TV, going through the channels, highlights of us beating England, so we think, ‘Hang on, everyone likes watching that, everyone likes watching new teams do well, you know give us the opportunity.”

Manchester United could be without one of their major players when they face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

What’s the latest Manchester United injury news?

The Red Devils are sweating over the fitness of one of their key players according to the Daily Mail, who reported late on Saturday that Raphael Varane will undergo a fitness test ahead of today’s clash.

It’s understood that the French defender has been complaining of leg pain following the Carabao Cup final and will duly be assessed on Sunday.

As a result, both Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof – who started against West Ham United – are now on standby should they be needed alongside Lisandro Martinez.

How good has Varane been for Manchester United?

If Varane cannot take to the field in Merseyside today it will undoubtedly come as a big blow to their chances of sealing all three points.

Indeed, the former Real Madrid man has been a colossus at the heart of the United defence this term, establishing one of the finest partnerships in the league alongside Martinez.

Remarkably, the ‘Golden Triangle’ – as dubbed by Alex Turk – that consists of Varane, Martinez and Casemiro, have only started together on eight occasions this term.

However, when that happens, Erik ten Hag’s men often win.

During those matches, they have not lost a single game and haven’t conceded more than once in a match.

In fact, while they are on the pitch together, they haven’t conceded from open player either, with penalties from Jorginho, Robert Lewandowski and a free-kick from Michael Olise being the only strikes to have breached their imposing spine.

Furthermore, Varane’s 3.9 clearances per game are higher than anyone else in Ten Hag’s squad while he ranks in the top five for accurate passes (87%).

That indicates the 29-year-old isn’t just a no-nonsense old-school centre half, but he is also capable of picking out a teammate and bringing the ball forward from defence; very much a modern trait.

Liverpool have more than had their problems this term, but United will need to be at their best defensively if they are to stop the threatening duo of Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez this afternoon.

The effervescent pairing have scored a combined 32 times this term and without Varane in tow, it could be a tricky afternoon for United.

Thus, will all of the above in mind, it will no doubt be incredibly worrying news for Ten Hag and indeed supporters that they may well be without their influential £34m man.

Leicester City may have strengthened well this summer as they gear up for a charge towards promotion, but their most impressive investment was improving the infrastructure of their academy.

In 2020, the Foxes unveiled their stunning £100m training complex, boasting 21 training areas, 14 full-size training pitches and a 499-seater pitch for youth team matches.

The purpose of this investment is to discover the biggest young talents and unearth the next Ben Chilwell, Harvey Barnes and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who are the most successful graduates from the academy in recent years, with the former two earning big money moves to Chelsea and Newcastle while Dewsbury-Hall is currently a vital cog in Enzo Maresca's winning machine.

Kasey McAteer was the latest academy star to burst onto the scene this season, becoming a revelation down the right wing for the Foxes, scoring three goals in four Championship appearances.

While McAteer is now one of the most exciting young prospects in the second tier, there is another who is looking to follow in his footsteps and that is forward Amani Richards.

Who is Amani Richards?

Richards may be just 18-years-old, but he is already making a name for himself in the Midlands for his impressive attacking displays in the youth sides.

The highly-rated youngster was poached from Arsenal's youth academy in January 2022 and the Gunners could live to rue the decision to let him go.

Operating down the right flank or as a striker, Richards became one of the most tantalising young prospects in the U18s setup, chalking up an eye-watering 24 goal contributions in 36 appearances and has since translated that form into the U2's after making the step-up this season.

He even came back to haunt his old club in their U18 meeting with Arsenal in March, scoring both goals for the Foxes in a 2-1 win as scouts from Newcastle and Brentford gazed their eyes on the sensational teen, and would have been in awe of his talents.

The teenage prodigy is garnering attention from a whole host of clubs and that attention is only going to be heightened after beginning his U21 campaign with one goal and three assists in his first four appearances.

With Leicester keen to extend his contract which currently expires in 2024, he's a player they can ill afford to let go given the high ceiling he possesses.

Who could Richards replace at Leicester?

Leicester's attacking output has largely come from wide areas this season with wingers McAteer and Stephy Mavididi scoring five goals between them, shouldering the responsibility in place of the misfiring Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho.

While Vardy opened the scoring against Southampton inside 21 seconds, that was his first Championship goal of the season and with the Englishman seeing his output decline rapidly in recent years, Maresca will need someone to replace him in the near future.

The 36-year-old only mustered up three goals in the top flight last term, which is a barometer for how quickly he's dropped from the peak of his powers, having reached double digits for goals in eight of the last nine seasons prior, winning the Golden Boot in the 2019/20 season.

With Vardy reaching the tail end of his career, someone has to deliver consistent returns in his place and as evidenced by the performances of Iheanacho this season, he isn't likely to produce the goals that Leicester need.

Instead, Maresca could turn to his academy and unearth the exciting and skilful Richards, providing his side with the baptism of fire they need in a similar vein to McAteer.

NWSL expansion side Bay FC smashed the world-record transfer fee to sign Madrid CFF superstar Racheal Kundananji on Tuesday.

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Bay FC sign Kundananji for world-record feeMadrid CFF superstar joins NWSL expansion sideLook ahead at 2024 campaignWHAT HAPPENED?

The Zambian superstar has signed from Madrid CFF in the biggest transfer in women's soccer history, for a staggering fee worth €735,000 ($788,000/£625,000). The 23-year-old striker will travel to the United States to now be one of the highest-paid players in the league, with a deal that will pay over $2m across her contract through 2026, according to

AdvertisementWHAT BAY FC

“We are delighted to add Racheal to our group,” said Bay FC General Manager Lucy Rushton. “She is a tremendous talent with dynamic attacking qualities and an incredible physical profile who has produced for both club and country. Racheal has a composure in-front of goal and a natural ability to score with different types of finishes and from various locations. We believe she will continue to grow and develop at our club, showcasing her skillset and adding to the array of exciting attacking talent we have here.”

GettyWHAT KUNDANANJI SAID

“Every place that I’ve been to, I always take something from there; I learn something from there,” Kundananji told . “Good or bad, to me it’s a good experience because you have to experience something to know something. I’m looking [forward] to having a great time in the U.S., have a great time with the team. Now, Bay FC is my new family.”

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THE BIGGER PICTURE

Kundananji, who has eight goals and two assists this campaign in Liga F, is one of the top prospects in all of women's soccer. After signing in Spain in 2022, she ended her debut season with 25 goals across all competitions for Madrid CFF. Now, she's taking her talents to the West Coast to be the first-ever superstar signing for Bay FC ahead of their inaugural season.

There were a few catches put down during the record-breaking T20 at Eden Park, but one very valuable one was taken

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2018There were a few catches put down during the record-breaking T20 at Eden Park, but one very valuable one was taken.Mitchell Grimstone, a 20-year-old student, earned himself NZD50,000 courtesy of a local drinks sponsor when he leaned over the railing at deep midwicket to pluck Ross Taylor’s penultimate-ball six out of the air with his left hand.His reaction was priceless (or, well, worth 50K) as he was mobbed by those next to him in the stands.”I’m not left-handed,” he said. “But somehow I put it there and it stuck, and then everyone was jumping over me.”After the match, Taylor also presented him with his gloves and the match ball while offering congratulations.Having had a major boost to his bank balance, it’s probably a good thing Grimstone is studying accounting at university.

Congratulations Mitch on a great catch and 50k Enjoy my gloves and the match ball #tuicatchamillion #blackcaps #nzvaus

A post shared by Ross Taylor (@rossltaylor3) on Feb 16, 2018 at 2:25am PST