The allrounder has a calmness about his game: “I’m not overthinking stuff…it’s all automatic”

Alex Malcolm20-Oct-20213:11

What’s behind Glenn Maxwell’s incredible six-hitting ability?

Even geniuses need reassurance from time to time. For Glenn Maxwell that came during the most recent IPL, in part because his genius was not only recognised but genuinely appreciated by two of the game’s greats in Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.”I was extremely fortunate to have two of the greats of the game in the same team and in the same batting line-up who were open to share their experiences and talk to me about their game,” Maxwell said. “It makes you feel 10 feet tall when you’ve got their backing and they’re watching you, they’re asking you questions and it just makes you feel confident, it makes you feel happy.”Maxwell was a revelation for RCB producing one of his best IPL tournaments following some lean runs in previous editions. He made 513 runs at a strike-rate of 144.10 with six half-centuries in 14 innings after scoring just 108 runs from 11 innings for Punjab Kings last season at a strike-rate of 101.88. He had the second highest strike-rate against spin and was ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats batting MVP.Royal Challengers Bangalore assistant coach Adam Griffith told ESPNcricinfo that those conversations with Kohli and de Villiers were on another level.Related

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“When you see the best in the world when they’re together, it’s amazing the conversations they have and they’re on a different level,” Griffith said. “The type of conversation is different to a normal player. They move past the basics of the game to those extra little one or two-percent things that can mean the difference between having a good innings or not. The way they talk about the game, it’s great to sit and watch them.”Now Maxwell’s challenge is to try and translate that form into World Cup success for Australia. There is a huge burden of expectation externally on Maxwell’s shoulders, but the man himself has a calmness and clarity about his upcoming role.”I’m not overthinking stuff once I get in-game,” he said. “It’s all automatic. I’m trying to play against the conditions and the opposition and that’s all I’m thinking about. It’s not [a case of] if I play well, we’re going to win a World Cup. There’s no thoughts of that. It’s just if I’m in a contest, I’ll give my best on the day, and then I’m sure that will be a positive impact on the team.”His ability to read the conditions so quickly in the difficult middle overs role was what impressed RCB the most. Maxwell has an excellent record in T20 cricket in the UAE with eight half-centuries in 31 innings at a strike-rate of 146.26. He will be set to bat No. 4 for Australia, or more specifically post the powerplay as he did for RCB, and will be pivotal to Australia’s chances. Maxwell said the key to that role in the UAE was taking the time in the middle to understand how each surface in the UAE was playing.Glenn Maxwell fed off AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli•BCCI

“I think it just takes a little bit more time to soak in a bit of information. I think you can get to Australia and bat in that time [the middle overs], and you can probably go a lot earlier, you can try and hit boundaries a lot earlier. It just takes like a few extra balls to actually get used to what’s facing you out there. I think having spent a fair bit of time in the middle over the last month and a bit has really helped me sort of start to get used to that and get used to the pace of the game and pace the wickets.”RCB also gave him a leadership role. Having thrived in the captaincy role at Melbourne Stars, RCB were keen to utilise his experience in the field.”Having a bit of responsibility around the group out in the field and he’d speak really well in team meetings,” Griffith said. “Giving him that responsibility to lead different parts of the group fielding positions and making sure everyone’s where they need to be, driving that intensity in the field is a big one for him as well and I think his preparation was great.”Maxwell also played his part with the ball in the IPL after doing a lot of technical work on his bowling with both Craig Howard in Victoria during his off-season, and RCB and Australia spin coach Sridharan Sriram, particularly on bowling to right-handers.”We actually had a bit of a joke that he bowled over the wicket to a right-hander for the first time in a couple of years this tournament,” Griffith said. “That just shows you the confidence he’s got in his bowling at the moment. He’s getting up and over and bowling proper offspinners instead of coming round-arm around the wicket and slinging that ball in a fast and flat. He’s in a pretty good space.”Maxwell wants to give Australia captain Aaron Finch another versatile spinning option alongside Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa, rather than just a specific match-up for left-handers only.”I think the biggest thing for me first and foremost is to be able to bowl not just to left-handers but to be able to bowl to right-handers and not have to, I suppose, worry about two right-handers being out there,” Maxwell said. “Still be able to close down one side the ground and an offer Finchy an extra option. I suppose that’s the biggest thing I’ve been working really hard on, bowling from over the wicket and being able to attack right-handed batters and it feels like it’s going really well.”

The ECB has pledged to conduct a “thorough and fair” investigation into Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club, after the club itself insisted that no disciplinary action against its employees, players or executives was warranted.In a statement, Yorkshire insisted that, for legal reasons, they remain unable to publish the full findings of the report commissioned by an independent panel last year, but the ECB subsequently confirmed receipt of a copy, pending an employment tribunal which will now serve to address the issues that Rafiq raised in a series of interviews, including with ESPNcricinfo, in 2020.”The ECB has this afternoon received a copy of the report carried out on behalf of Yorkshire CCC into the allegations made by Azeem Rafiq, together with assurances from the club to cooperate fully with the ongoing regulatory process,” read a statement from the board.”This is a matter with many serious allegations at its heart and the ECB’s regulatory team will now consider the Report as part of its investigation.”We anticipate that it will take time for the regulatory process to reach its conclusion, but it is imperative that this is completed thoroughly and with fairness to all involved.”Yorkshire issued an apology to Rafiq in August, acknowledging that he had been the “the victim of inappropriate behaviour” during his two stints at the club, and subsequently distributed a summary of the report and its recommendations, which detailed seven instances of racial harassment and bullying that were upheld by the investigation.That panel has now been disbanded, with the club placing on record its thanks to Dr Samir Pathak, Stephen Willis, Rehana Azib, Mesba Ahmed and Helen Hyde for their “work and insight” in the case.Related

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“Ultimately the issues raised by Azeem Rafiq are going to be considered not only by the panel but also the employment tribunal and the ECB,” the club statement continued.”The club has also carried out their own internal investigation following the findings in the report, after which they are able to report that they have come to the conclusion that there is no conduct or action taken by any of its employees, players or executives that warrants disciplinary action.”None of this diminishes the importance of the findings or that fact that there is much the club can learn from the report,” the statement continued. “It was important for Azeem to raise the issues and without him doing so we would not have the panel’s recommendations which are an important part of the club’s continuing journey.”Responding on Twitter, Rafiq took a dim view of the club’s latest steps to bring the issue to a close, accusing the panellists of seeking to protect Yorkshire’s reputation rather than get to the root of his grievances, while a spokesman for the player subsequently called on the club board to resign.”Wow, just when you think this club couldn’t get more embarrassing, you find a way,” Rafiq wrote. “Still awaiting the FULL report. Thanks for mentioning the people that have provided your PROTECTION & give green light to RACISM. Interesting timing again.””We note the statement released by Yorkshire County Cricket Club today. As ever, we will take time to fully respond,” added Rafiq’s spokesman.”However, we do also note that the club has come to the conclusion that no employees, players or executives will face disciplinary action. This is despite Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s admission that Azeem was the victim of racial harassment and bullying. This is despite Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s admission that it failed to follow its own policy and investigate allegations of racism as recently as 2018.”It is inconceivable that there are no current employees who should not have been disciplined for their conduct. Yorkshire’s failures continue to mount up and it is time that board members – for once – do the decent thing and resign.”Yorkshire’s statement concluded: “Club chair Roger Hutton believes the club and everyone connected to it should be proud of the work that the club has done to improve diversity and inclusion prior to his involvement, but equally acknowledges there remains much to be done going forward.”The club is fully supportive of what is a strong and talented team which is working hard on the recommendations on the way forward for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and looks forward being able to report on further developments over the coming months.”

Reliable journalist John Percy has dropped a big update regarding the future of Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil, following his side’s 5-3 defeat away to Brentford over the weekend.

O'Neil struggling as Wolves manager

Wanderers went into Saturday’s trip to Brentford looking for their first Premier League win of the season, but yet again, the travelling supporters didn’t get what they hoped for.

A hugely entertaining game saw the Bees run out 5-3 winners in west London, with Wolves twice coming from behind in the first half, but eventually succumbing to yet another defeat in the top flight.

It means that Wanderers remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, having only got one point from their opening seven matches, so there is understandable pressure on the shoulders of O’Neil currently.

The 41-year-old made an impressive start to life at Molineux, standing out as arguably one of the most exciting young British managers in the game, but things have turned this season, and he desperately needs to turn his team’s fortunes around. Now, a fresh update has dropped on O’Neil’s future.

Update on Gary O'Neil's Wolves future

Writing on X on Sunday morning, Percy claimed that O’Neil still has the backing of those high up at Wolves, despite such a poor beginning to the season:

While many supporters could understandably be frustrated with Wolves’ struggles under O’Neil, it is refreshing to see the club’s board standing by him and still looking at him as the right man for the job.

There is a level of impatience that exists in the modern game that means managers get sacked far quicker than they used to, but if Wanderers believe their current boss is the correct individual to take them into the future, there shouldn’t be too big an overreaction to their start to the campaign.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that Wolves can stick with O’Neil forever, and at some point, a change may be needed if defeats continue to arrive after the international break, so the run of fixtures after the international break feels crucial as Percy alludes to.

A home clash with champions Manchester City is a horrible way to return to action later in the month, and it would be unfair to react after that game, regardless of the result.

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2

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Oct 6, 2024

A trip to Brighton is also tricky, but the back-to-back home clashes with Crystal Palace and Southampton at the start of November feel massive. If Wolves are still without a victory in the league after those four games, you have to wonder whether the managerial situation will have changed, with the club possibly feeling they have given O’Neil long enough by that point.

The last few years have been incredibly turbulent and full of change for Tottenham Hotspur.

The North Londoners have employed four full-time managers in as many years, with the likes of José Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo, and Antonio Conte all unable to deliver the success or brand of football the fans desire.

Now, while it’s too early to comment on the success side of things, the latest man in the hot seat, Ange Postecoglou, has undoubtedly been able to bring the style of football back that the fans so desperately wanted, and all without arguably the best player in the club’s history, Harry Kane.

However, the good news is that should the Australian stay in the job long enough, he could have his own version of the Englishman, as one of the club’s most exciting academy graduates looks like he could develop into a goalscoring machine in the not-too-distant future.

Kane's Spurs legacy

Kane made his Spurs debut in August 2011, starting in the second leg of a Europa League qualification round against Hearts in a game that ultimately ended goalless.

The next few seasons would see the Walthamstow-born poacher move around the country on loan, joining Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and then finally Leicester City for the 12/13 campaign, where he was actually quite underwhelming, scoring twice in 15 appearances.

Upon his return to White Hart Lane, the Englishman made a few appearances for the U21 side but was finally integrated into the first team towards the end of the season. He ended the year with four goals and two assists in 19 appearances across the Premier League, League Cup, Europa League, and FA Cup.

We all know what happened next, as after years of grafting and fighting for his chance, the future England captain finally had it. In 51 appearances in the 14/15 season, he scored a whopping 31 goals and provided five assists; the rest, as they say, is history.

When the Lilywhites icon finally left the club for Bayern Munich last summer, he did so with an astounding record of 280 goals and 61 assists in 435 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.27 games.

While that seems like an impossible level of output to replace, Hotspur Way may be in the process of producing their next Kane.

And before you think it might be the hugely exciting Mikey Moore, it’s not. Step forward another hot property in the academy…

Why fans should be excited about Will Lankshear

So, the youngster in question is the incredibly exciting 19-year-old centre-forward Will Lankshear.

The young Englishman is probably a familiar name to a number of Spurs fans, and for good reason. In the youth teams, he has shown that he is a striker with a real eye for goal and one who looks to have a bright future ahead of him.

For example, in 41 appearances for the North Londoners’ various junior sides over the last few years, the Welwyn Garden City-born marksman has found the back of the net 31 times and provided five assists for good measure.

Appearances

5

34

2

Goals

4

26

1

Assists

2

3

0

Goal Involvements per Match

1.2

0.85

0.50

This means that the promising teenager, who Spurs expert Jon Wenham described as “an absolute unit for his age,” is averaging a goal involvement once every 1.13 games in the academy, and while that doesn’t mean he’ll be able to do the same in the first team, it’s very promising.

Moreover, while it would be unfair for the club to expect the “powerful” forward, as dubbed by Wenham, to eventually put up the numbers Kane did, the England captain wasn’t exactly the hottest goalscorer around when he came through, scoring a total of nine goals in his 13 youth team appearances, although he did rack up nine assists to go with that as well.

Ultimately, while fans cannot and should not expect to see Lankshear tearing it up for the first team on a regular basis this year, they should be very excited about the player he could develop into in the coming years. Even if he can become half the player Kane was in North London, Postecoglou will have a serious talent on his hands.

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1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 1, 2024

Newcastle United certainly endured some dark days under the ownership of Mike Ashley, with the Magpies even dropping into the Championship on various occasions during his reign.

The 60-year-old often came under fire for his lack of investment into the playing squad at St James’ Park, which arguably resulted in their relegation to England’s second tier back in the 2015/16 Premier League season.

Whilst they secured an immediate return under Rafa Benitez, Ashley was still a target for the supporters, often venting their frustrations with numerous protests about his ownership on Tyneside.

He would eventually sell the club in October 2021, ending his 14-year spell at the helm of the Magpies, with the Saudi PIF completing a deal to acquire the club.

However, one of his final transfer windows as owner would see him stick to his transfer strategy – often targeting cheaper alternatives – another move that upset supporters.

Newcastle’s transfer window in the summer of 2020

During the summer of 2020, Newcastle would make five new signings, three of which were free transfers, costing Ashley absolutely nothing apart from their wages.

Jeff Hendrick, Ryan Fraser and Mark Gillespie all moved to Tyneside during the aforementioned window, looking to build on the 13th-placed league finish from the season prior.

The trio were joined by Callum Wilson and Jamal Lewis, the pair costing Magpies boss Steve Bruce around £20m and £15m from Bournemouth and Norwich City, respectively.

Both were seen as impressive additions, which would provide needed quality in two areas that have been a problem for various managers over the years.

However, whilst the deal for Wilson was a roaring success, with the Englishman scoring 48 times in 108 appearances since his move, the big-money signing of Lewis was a failure, to say the least.

The Northern Ireland international has only made 36 appearances for Newcastle since his move over four years ago, with his last game coming at the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

He’s since been on loan at Championship side Watford, before making a surprising move to join Brazilian side São Paulo on a temporary basis until June 2025 – the same month his deal expires at St James’ Park.

Jamal Lewis’ market value in 2024

As a result of his lack of impact on Tyneside since his move four years ago, the left-back has seen his market value plummet, with his transfer looking a huge waste of money as the months pass by.

His £15m transfer fee was expensive enough, especially considering it came during the Ashley era, but given his lowly appearance tally, he’s cost the club £416k every time he’s played a game for them.

Undoubtedly, given his lack of first-team action in the North East, the hierarchy would’ve wanted to move him on permanently during the recent summer window, but his move to Brazil still allows him to gain valuable game time.

Games played

36

Cost per game

£416k

Assists

1

Cost per assist

£15m

Yellow cards

9

Cost per yellow card

£1.6m

Minutes played

2,453′

Cost per minute played

£6.1k

It hasn’t appeared to have had a positive impact on his market value as of yet, with Lewis now only valued at £1m as per Football Transfers – a drop of £3.5m for each season he’s spent contracted to Newcastle.

With his contract set to expire in less than 12 months, it’s almost certain that the 26-year-old will finally be departing Tyneside as a free agent – allowing him to resurrect his once-promising career.

However, unfortunately, his move hasn’t worked out as either party would’ve anticipated, leaving many with regret over spending such a hefty sum on a player who simply hasn’t lived up to expectations.

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ByJoe Nuttall Oct 23, 2024

“These discussions need to continue, because we still have some way to go to get all our people to fully appreciate the injustices of the past”

Firdose Moonda20-Oct-2021South Africa’s former team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee has called on the national team to take a unified approach when expressing an on-field stance on the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.Moosajee was speaking at the Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) hearings where he expressed his disappointment at the divided stance within the team on taking the knee.The men’s national team have given its members the option of taking a knee, raising a fist or standing to attention before matches, Notably, all the players of colour, along with some white players, have opted for taking the knee, while others have selected alternative options. After a decade of culture camps aimed at cultivating inclusion, Moosajee expressed his disappointment that the team could not agree on a single gesture.Related

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“Unfortunately, some current players appear to be misinformed and believe taking the knee is supporting the notion that black lives matter more,” he said. “They need to be educated so that they appreciate that taking the knee is all about a stand against racism and discrimination and supporting the notion that Black lives matter as much.”It is a pity that the Proteas Team have not adopted a unified approach to the issue and highlights that even though we have been having discussions for a number of years already, these discussions need to continue, because we still have some way to go to get all our people to fully appreciate the injustices of the past. I would like to see a recommendation from the Ombudsman [Dumisa Ntsebeza] urging the Proteas to adopt a unified approach.”Moosajee was involved with the national team in various roles for 16 years until 2019, first as the doctor and then combining it with the role of team manager.He said he believed greater levels of understanding have been achieved since a camp held in 2010, which he and then-captain Graeme Smith conceptualised. Several allegations of racism during the Smith captaincy era have been made at the SJN.”In 2010, Graeme Smith and I believed that it was necessary to build an inclusive team culture and for members of the squad to have a greater appreciation of people from different backgrounds, races and religions,” Moosajee said.

“In my view, the targets or quotas gave opportunities to people of colour and many of them proved that they could be world-class performers on the international stage”Dr Mohammed Moosajee

“The objective of building the team culture was to build an authentic, diverse and inclusive sense of identity, with due regard to our fractured past and history. I believed that it was important for the team to talk about race, class and culture, but I was also conscious of the fact that building a team culture would not happen overnight. It required unwavering commitment, strong leadership and continuous reinforcement.”The three-day camp was formed with information gathered from Sporting Edge and Hoko – team culture companies who assisted the New Zealand rugby team – and included expert advice from Ahmed Kathrada, a contemporary of Nelson Mandela. These specialists ran two surveys, including one with members of the public who said they believed the national rugby team, the Springboks, were better ambassadors for the country than the cricket side.Moosajee admitted to being surprised at the survey results, “because at the time even though the Proteas had not won a World Cup, they were the top-ranked Test-playing nation and had more black players (on a percentage basis) than the Springboks.”The outcome of the camp was a four-minute video, which was played at SJN but never released publicly. It featured Smith at the Wanderers, interspersed with a Mandela speech, an interview with rugby world-cup winning captain John Smit, and fans of all races reminding the team: “you represent me.”According to Moosajee, the camp was successful in starting “the journey to get the team more united and in my view had positive outcomes.” Among those were that more players of colour started to be selected for the national side, although Moosajee acknowledged, “the camp was not the sole reason for this.” He credited “more diverse franchise and provincial teams, diversity amongst coaches and administrators in the affiliate members of CSA” and “targets/quotas,” as also playing a role.Kagiso Rabada takes a knee before the start of the warm-up game•ICC via Getty”In my view, the targets or quotas gave opportunities to people of colour and many of them proved that they could be world-class performers on the international stage. Examples include Makhaya Ntini, Herschelle Gibbs, Ashwell Prince, Hashim Amla, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. They were undoubtedly good enough, but they may not have been given the necessary opportunities, if it was not for the quotas or targets.”But he criticised the quota system for having the “unintended consequences,” of relying on elite schools to produce players and leaving underprivileged areas in a state of neglect while also creating a comfort zone for players. “Certain players, who had become “undroppable”, because their inclusion in a team is necessary to meet the quotas / targets. A few of these players allowed their fitness levels to wane and were guilty of disciplinary misdemeanours, but these misdemeanours went unpunished, because there were concerns that the quotas / targets would not be met.”He offered a specific example in Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who has also testified at the SJN, and who Moosajee said had never passed any of the 15 skin-folds tests he had with the national team and failed numerous yo-yo fitness tests. “As opposed to being discriminated against for being black, Mr Tsotsobe benefitted from being black. An example of this is when he was initially left out of the Proteas Squad for the 2013 tour to Sri Lanka. At the time, Russell Domingo was quoted in the media as saying he had massive concerns about Lopsy’s form, fitness and possibly his work ethic. The decision to leave Mr Tsotsobe out of the touring squad was reversed by the CSA Board, as there were no other Black African cricketers in the touring squad.”Although Moosajee stressed that he had no role in selection, he answered questions about whether he thought Khaya Zondo’s exclusion from the ODI team in India in 2015 was a result of racism, specifically by then-captain AB de Villiers. Moosajee said he was not aware of de Villiers’ influence in that selection: “From my understanding the final decision sat with the selection committee, and if we are saying that they are racist, I find it difficult because there were more people of colour on that selection committee than not.”When referred to selector Hussein Manack’s testimony about being pressured by de Villiers on selection and asked about white players’ influence on selection, Moosajee said: “In any team culture and environment, the environment is driven by the senior players and at that time, the senior players happened to be white. It’s different now – you’ve got Kagiso, Temba [Bavuma] as the senior players. Whether they influence actual selection is a separate debate. My understanding is that the captain should not have a vote on selection. On the captain, in my 15 years of working with AB de Villiers, I have never found him to be racist. Whether that was an unconscious bias, we can debate. And if the senior players in any team influence selection then there is a big problem in that.”Moosajee maintained that unconscious bias and ingrained prejudice continues to contribute to divides in South African cricket in all sectors. “Some white players and administrators still need to appreciate the value of diversity, the need to level the playing fields and to break down barriers and some black players and administrators also need to recognise that they have contributed to further divisions in our societies and need to be more inclusive and recognise that good people from all our communities are prepared to be sacrificial leaders and contribute to the desperately needed transformation agenda. A fully transformed and successful team will attract sponsors, contribute to more nations wanting to play series against us and increase earnings through broadcast revenue.”

Everton central defender Michael Keane may have silenced some of his critics in recent weeks with his performances in the last two Premier League games.

The English titan scored against Ipswich Town on Saturday and has helped the team to keep back-to-back clean sheets, against the Tractor Boys and Newcastle United.

His resurgence has been a welcome sight for the Toffees as Jarrad Branthwaite has endured an injury-hit start to the campaign, with one appearance in the Premier League so far.

Sean Dyche has not had the chance to select the England international on a regular basis so far this season, which is particularly frustrating after the club fought so hard to keep hold of him during the summer transfer window.

Manchester United heavily pursued a deal to bring the left-footed centre-back to Old Trafford, as they had two bids turned down for his services.

The BBC reported that Everton turned down an offer of £35m for the Englishman before rejecting an improved bid of £45m from Erik ten Hag’s side, as it did not meet their valuation of the defender.

Branthwaite would have become one of the most expensive sales in the club’s history if they had cashed in for £45m, which shows how desperate they were to keep him.

Everton's most expensive sales

The Toffees have developed and sold a host of impressive young stars over the years and raked in a huge amount of money from cashing in on them.

The £45m that Manchester United offered for Branthwaite would, as per Transfermarkt, have made him the fifth-most expensive sale in the club’s history.

However, it would not have made him the most expensive departure of the summer transfer window for Everton, as Amadou Onana completed a big-money switch to Premier League rivals Aston Villa.

Romelu Lukaku

17/18

£70m

Manchester United

Amadou Onana

24/25

£49m

Aston Villa

Richarlison

22/23

£48m

Tottenham Hotspur

John Stones

16/17

£46m

Manchester City

Anthony Gordon

22/23

£38m

Newcastle United

As you can see in the table above, that move to join up with Unai Emery’s Champions League side made him the second-highest sale behind Romelu Lukaku’s move to Manchester United.

The £45m that the Red Devils had offered for Branthwaite, however, would not have been more than the fee the Toffees raked in for another English centre-back – John Stones, who the club hit the jackpot with.

How much Everton paid for John Stones

In February of 2013, Everton swooped to snap up the central defender from Barnsley for a reported fee of £3m, as the England U19 international had caught their eye during the first half of the season.

He had played 22 matches in the Championship that term and initially linked up with the club’s U21 side, making 12 appearances for the academy during the second half of the 2012/13 campaign.

It did not take long for him to establish himself as a first-team player for Everton, though, as Stones went on to play 21 times in the Premier League in his first full season at Goodison Park.

His best and most consistent season in a Toffees shirt, however, came in the 2015/16 campaign, as he played in 33 of the club’s 38 league matches.

Appearances

33

Pass accuracy

89%

Tackle + interceptions per game

3.1

Ground duel success rate

68%

Aerial duel success rate

64%

As you can see in the table above, Stones was a dominant presence at the back for Everton, winning the vast majority of his duels on the ground and in the air, whilst also being reliable in possession with his passing.

He was 21 at the time and had already been capped at senior level by England, after playing 12 times for the U21s during his time at Goodison Park.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

His sublime form for the Toffees in the Premier League that term, and his emergence for England at international level, convinced Pep Guardiola to swoop for him as one of his first signings in charge of Manchester City in the summer of 2016.

How much Manchester City paid for John Stones

The earlier table showed that Transfermarkt have the fee the Cityzens paid for the central defender at £46m, but that is not inclusive of the add-ons that were agreed as part of the deal.

Sky Sports reported at the time that the deal would rise to £50m with add-ons, which meant that Everton made a colossal profit of 1,567% on the £3m that they paid Barnsley for his services in 2013.

This shows that the Toffees hit the jackpot with the Rolls-Royce of a defender, as they made £47m profit within the space of just three-and-a-half years.

As you can see in the graphic above, Stones’ value has fluctuated throughout his time at The Etihad, as he has struggled with injuries at times, but there is no doubt that he has gone on to have a fantastic career since leaving Everton.

The England international has reached two European Championship finals with his country, won six Premier League titles, and lifted the Champions League with Manchester City.

Stones was described as “world-class” by England teammate and Aston Villa star Ezri Konsa earlier this year and was once hailed as “world-class” and a “freak”, due to his defensive quality, mobility, and passing range, by ex-Fulham boss Scott Parker.

This shows that players and managers alike are in awe of his quality on the pitch as a centre-back, hence why he is in his eighth season with City and has made 264 appearances for the club in all competitions.

In fact, Stones – now 30 – provided a timely reminder of his quality by scoring a 95th-minute winner for the Cityzens in their 2-1 win over Wolves in the Premier League on Sunday.

Overall, all parties should be pleased with how his career has gone. Everton made a huge profit and City gained a player who has helped them to dominate the Premier League over the past eight seasons.

Everton have found a star who's even better than Gordon was at Goodison

Everton have a player in their squad who might be even better than Anthony Gordon was for the club…

1 ByRoss Kilvington Oct 22, 2024

Arsenal told by Premier League title winner that their homage to set-piece coach Nicolas Jover is “embarrassing” and “Second Division” behaviour.

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Jover has made Gunners a serious dead-ball threatNeville branded him "most annoying bloke in football"Premier League title winner Parker not a fan eitherFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

It emerged in December 2024 that a wall close to the Gunners’ Emirates Stadium home had been adorned with a painting of German-born French tactician Jover. He is credited with helping to make Arsenal a serious threat from any dead-ball situation.

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Jover previously filled similar roles at Brentford and Manchester City, before linking up with Mikel Arteta in north London. He has been branded the “most annoying bloke in football” by Manchester United legend Gary Neville, who is tired of hearing tales of his supposed set-piece mastery.

WHAT PAUL PARKER SAID

Another ex-Red Devils full-back, Paul Parker, shares that mindset. The former England international, speaking in association with , has told GOAL of the exposure that members of backroom teams are now enjoying: “Arsenal with their set-piece coach – come on, a set-piece coach shouldn’t be having murals painted. That’s making Arsenal look like a Second Division team. It’s embarrassing.

“You have got a manager, he’s the one that makes the decisions. The other people work for him and are all in it together. There is one leader and that’s all that matters.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Jover’s efforts have helped to push Arsenal into trophy contention this season, although another route to major silverware has been shut off after suffering defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-finals. The Gunners will be back in Premier League action on January 15 when heading to Leicester.

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O Flamengo ainda não contratou reforços para 2022, mas os trabalhos nos bastidores para sofisticar a preparação física seguem a todo vapor. Além de passar a utilizar oWIMU, um GPS “de última geração”, o clube também adotou uma tecnologia de realidade virtual, cujo aparelho se chamaRezzil e, atravésde uma plataforma de desempenho cognitivo, mede a capacidade dos atletas.

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À “FlaTV”,o fisioterapeuta do Flamengo Márcio Puglia detalhou o procedimento e os benefícios, como auxílio aos jogadores na transição, da tecnologia inédita no futebol brasileiro. Veja a utilização no vídeo acima.

– Essa é uma tecnologia de realidade virtual. É um sistema pioneiro no Brasil, o Flamengo é o primeiro clube a implantar na rotina do futebol. Vai ser cada vez mais comum isso (realidade virtual) no esporte. A ferramenta pode ser utilizada para recuperação dos atletas e na fase de transição. Clubes europeus, como o Arsenal e o Manchester, tem utilizado, e seleções, como a italiana e francesa.

Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

– O interessante da plataforma é que eu consigo colocar o meu atleta dentro de uma realidade do futebol de uma forma precoce. O atleta que está voltando de lesão, que está na transição, eu consigo antecipar a fase e colocar ele dentro da realidade do jogo de futebol. Por exemplo, tem situações de pressão do jogo, onde vai ter que receber a bola e dividir a bola, vai ter que finalizar. Ele vai estar envolvido dentro do gestual esportivo, mas em um ambiente controlado. Sem dúvida que é uma plataforma que pode nos auxiliar nesse processo de transição, além de melhorar a performance. Consigo ver situações de desequilíbrio, que é interessante na reabilitação dos atletas- completou.

No Fla, o primeiro a utilizar tal tecnologia foi o lateral-esquerdo Ramon, que se recupera de uma lesão muscular na coxa e ainda não está apto a treinar com 100% de condições físicas no gramado.

> Veja a tabela do Cariocão

O Flamengo estreia no Carioca no dia 26, contra a Portuguesa, com um time alternativo, treinado por Fabio Matias (técnico do sub-20). Já o grupo principal, de Paulo Sousa, seguirá treinando e se aprimorando no CT.

Reyna made his mark off the bench for Dortmund, providing a backheel assist in his side's 3-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk

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• Reyna provides assist
• Comes off bench in 3-1 win
• Dortmund into next round of Champions League

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  With Borussia Dortmund leading 2-1, Gio Reyna entered the match in the 64th minute, replacing Julian Brandt. His big moment came 15 minutes later, when his backheel assist played in Ramy Bensebaini, whose fantastic chipped finish put the game to bed.

  In total, Reyna completed 11 of his 14 passes, with one leading to that assist. Four of those passes were into the final third, too, as Reyna showed off the aggression and creativity needed to help seal the 3-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk.

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  The assist provides more evidence of how Reyna can help this Dortmund team, where he remains outside of the preferred XI. He's started both of interim coach Mike Tullberg's games in charge on the bench, but perhaps this assist could kickstart a long-awaited push for more minutes.

  Reyna has played just 159 minutes in the Bundesliga, making just one start. He has, though, scored two goals in this 159 minutes. Wednesday was his fourth Champions League appearance of the season, as he totaled 191 minutes in the continental competition.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DORTMUND?

  Dortmund have struggled recently in the Bundesliga, leaving them 11th in Germany's top flight. That run of results led to Nuri Sahin's exit and Tullberg's arrival, and Tullberg will have some decisions to make ahead of this weekend's Bundesliga battle with Heidenheim.