“Young Lhu reminds me a little bit of my young self,” de Kock says of his opening partner

Firdose Moonda07-Nov-2025When Quinton de Kock, in his role as international comeback sensation, glances towards the other end of the pitch these days, it’s almost like looking in a mirror.”Young Lhu [Lhuan-dre Pretorius] reminds me a little bit of my young self,” de Kock said after South Africa’s second ODI against Pakistan in Faisalabad in which he scored his 22nd century. “He’s batting really nicely at the moment. He looks nice and free, and he’s just playing everything on merit. He’s doing really well for a 19-year-old. It looks like he didn’t have the pressure I felt at 19.”Consider the bare bones biographical details, and it’s easy to see the similarities. Both de Kock and Pretorius are left-handers and strong strikers of the ball, and both were South Africa’s leading run-scorers at Under-19 World Cups, 13 years apart. De Kock scored a hundred and two fifties in the 2012 edition in Australia; Pretorius hit three fifties in 2024 in South Africa. Both of those performances led to international debuts laced with big expectations shortly after the age-group World Cup. Did we mention that they’re both also wicketkeepers?Related

De Kock's comeback century helps South Africa level series

De Kock rediscovers his purpose after break

The major difference is that while de Kock came on to the scene as an “enigma”, as described by coach Shukri Conrad, Pretorius came in having modelled himself on de Kock. The pair first met when de Kock’s career had just started, and Pretorius was about seven years old. Since then, all Pretorius has wanted to do is play alongside de Kock, even when he felt it might never happen.”I never thought I would play with him,” Pretorius had said after the first ODI against Pakistan on Tuesday. “When he retired [from ODIs after the 2023 World Cup], I was really upset because it was always a dream to play with Quinny. Then, when he came back, I didn’t think I was going to play with him. It’s truly a dream come true. I didn’t know him off the field when I started liking him as a role model. Now I got to know him, and he is really calm and composed, and that’s really what I like, and that’s how I want to play my cricket.”And it shows that Pretorius is trying to emulate his hero. On all three occasions that Pretorius and de Kock have batted together, Pretorius has taken the early lead. In the T20I in Namibia, which Pretorius says “didn’t count because Quinny got out quite early”, Pretorius outscored de Kock, who was dismissed for 1. In the first ODI against Pakistan, Pretorius scored 35 off 36 balls in the first eight overs, while de Kock was only on 8 from 12 deliveries. In the second, Pretorius was on 18 off 18 in the first four overs, and de Kock just 4 from six. While Pretorius said he “felt a bit bad” for taking so much of the strike early on, de Kock preferred it that way.”The kid is highly, highly talented” – de Kock on Lhuan-dre Pretorius•Associated Press”Lhu made it very easy because he was playing really well, and so the easy thing was just to try and get him back on strike,” de Kock said, clearly impressed by what Pretorius can do. “I’ve only seen glimpses of him through our SA20 league. And now coming out here and playing with the youngster – the kid is highly, highly talented.”What that means for South Africa’s plans for tournaments like next year’s T20 World Cup, which will be played in the subcontinent, or the 2027 ODI World Cup at home, is yet to be seen. For now, they are awash with options. In the opening berth, Ryan Rickelton, another left-hand batter, is not on this tour as part of a rotation policy that will keep him fresh for Tests against India next week. So is Aiden Markram, the second half of the regular opening pair.The question facing South Africa is whether they continue with Rickelton and Markram, or opt for more explosiveness and perhaps more risk in de Kock and Pretorius. South Africa also have several candidates putting their hands up for the No. 3 spot, including Tony de Zorzi, who has enjoyed good returns in Pakistan, and shared in a match-winning stand of 153 with de Kock in the second ODI.De Kock has previously indicated that the drawcard of a major tournament remains attractive to him, though he understands he is not “guaranteed” a spot, and will have to earn one through runs. But to ignore de Kock’s body of work when the stakes are high would seem a miss. De Kock was South Africa’s leading run-scorer at the 2023 ODI World Cup, and third overall with four hundreds, and their top batter at the T20 World Cup in 2024. And he is hungry to go again.”I want to be back, and I missed playing with the guys” – Quinton de Kock•Getty Images”I’ve come back, and I’ve found an energy that I think I lost playing so much international cricket all the time – I played for close to 12 years,” de Kock said. “I was just lucky enough that I retired early enough so I can still make a comeback. I’m very happy to be back. I want to be back, and I missed playing with the guys. But my break, I think, did me really well.”Those are words Pretorius should hear too, especially as he walks a similar path to de Kock. His international career could be long if he is managed correctly and given enough time away from the game to avoid burnout. And it will likely be a little more challenging because Pretorius’ emergence has come at the same time as the league circuit is at its peak. But like de Kock, Pretorius might find the pull of international cricket too hard to resist.”At the beginning of the year, when I was in India for the IPL, guys were asking me if I wanted to come back. At that moment, I just thought a straight no,” de Kock said. “Then I don’t know exactly, but it just started happening. That thought process started coming back. That hunger was coming back again.”De Kock is only available for white-ball cricket for South Africa, while Pretorius plays across all formats, and already has a Test hundred to his name. South Africa have yet to announce their white-ball squads to India, but both are expected to be included.

England spinner is quietly optimistic as she embarks on her second 50-over World Cup campaign

Andrew Miller19-Sep-2025England’s women begin their World Cup campaign against South Africa in Guhawati on October 3, but their training camp in the UAE is already well underway. On Thursday, the squad took on New Zealand in a warm-up fixture at Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi, and with figures of 3 for 36 in nine overs, Charlie Dean emerged from a handy three-wicket win as the pick of the bowlers on show.It’s been a significant few months for Dean. In August, she took charge of London Spirit in the Women’s Hundred, stepping into the void created by Heather Knight’s hamstring injury to guide her team to the Eliminator, where they were beaten by eventual champions Northern Superchargers. And now, as a 24-year-old offspinner with four years of international experience, she’s about to embark on her second 50-over World Cup campaign, in India no less.”It’s a really exciting place to be a spinner,” Dean told ESPNcricinfo, prior to the squad’s departure for the UAE. “I guess it comes with a bit of pressure, because you know that the conditions might suit you. But equally, there’s a lot of excitement about the opportunity that that brings.”Dean has travelled as part of a four-prong spin attack – and a familiar one at that. Despite the sense, when Charlotte Edwards took over as head coach in March, that a refresh of England’s stocks might be in order, the inherent skill of the team’s frontline options has again been trusted for this latest global tournament.Dean is once again joined in the squad by Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn and Linsey Smith – all four of whom took the field together in England’s opening match of the T20 World Cup, against Bangladesh at Sharjah, this time last year.The less said about the rest of that winter – from England’s grim World Cup exit against West Indies to their 16-0 points whitewashing in the Ashes. Ecclestone, in particular, became the focus of media criticism and subsequently took a mental-health break in the early part of the season while also managing a quad injury. But Dean is adamant that lessons have been learned, on and off the pitch, as they set about restoring their reputation as a team that can challenge at the major events.”Since the Ashes, we’ve all gone away and really tried to upskill ourselves, on and off the pitch,” she said. “I’m looking forward to getting out there with Linsey, Soph and Sarah, and hopefully we can complement each other well, like we have done previously.”Eccles, she is the No. 1 bowler in the world. When I watch her bowl in the nets, I’m just like, wow, she’s insanely skillful and impressive, and she’s been working really hard.Fielding has been an issue for England, but Dean is among the best catchers in their squad•Getty Images”I know Glenny has changed her action a little bit too,” Dean added of her Spirit team-mate, who featured just twice for England this summer, most recently against West Indies in June. This week she announced a change of scene too, with a new deal to join Yorkshire from The Blaze in 2026.”She’s done a little bit of work on her run-up, and it’s feeling a lot smoother,” Dean said. “It’s brilliant that she’s back in the squad after being left out a little bit this summer. And that just proves that, if you go well in domestic and county cricket, you can get back in.”The net result is an England team that will hope to be the same, but different, three years on from their runners-up finish at the last 50-over World Cup in New Zealand. Back then, they were clearly the best of the rest behind a still-dominant Australia, with Nat Sciver-Brunt – their new captain – putting in a heroic display in the final. Now, however, with India primed for a deep run on home soil, England’s expectations are arguably diminished.”We’re in a bit of a rebirth kind of era with Nat coming in as captain, and Lottie as coach,” Dean said. “Hopefully that brings a new lease of life for some of the girls who have been around for a while. So it feels like a really exciting time for us. We’re trying to do a lot of learning and growth in a short period of time, so it feels like a perfect opportunity to see where we’re at.”Coming in, more as dark horses, is probably a great place for us to be,” she added. “We know that on our best day, we can beat any team. We just need to pull out all the stops on that day.”There is a lot of experience in that team, so hopefully we can bounce back from the Ashes, which was a pretty tough time, but we all know that we are better cricketers than we showed over there. Hopefully we can keep practising and training under pressure, and be able to perform in the games that count.”Related

• Sciver-Brunt: 'We are a very different team since the Ashes'

• Edwards to introduce new fitness standards

• Dean 'trusts her gut' as captain

• Bates not willing to give up on Test dream just yet

• Australia ready to embrace 'little bit of unknowns'

That, unfortunately, was clearly not the case in England’s infamous exit from the T20 World Cup, when the team collectively lost their heads in a chaotic West Indies powerplay. Edwards’ predecessor, Jon Lewis, was even obliged to come onto the field during the drinks break in an attempt to pull them out of a tailspin.Dean is hopeful that, on Edwards’ watch, many of those traits have now been ironed out – particularly in the course of a hard-fought home summer against India. Though England lost both white-ball series – 2-1 in the ODIs and 3-2 in the T20Is – the fact that they were put under pressure across eight high-octane fixtures was arguably more helpful than a run of stress-free victories.”Lottie brings in this air of calmness,” Dean said. “When she explains the game, she makes cricket seem like common sense, and half the time, it really isn’t. The way she thinks about the game is so clear. And that brings a clarity to the group as well.”No matter the result of the game, we just keep learning from it. All she wants to see from us is growth. And that fits with my way of playing as well. I’m trying to be smarter and play each game situation, rather than just the same script for every game that you play.”Arguably the barometer for England’s performances will be their fielding. It was notably poor at key moments of their last winter campaign, although Dean has consistently stood out as one of the better catchers in the line-up – a trait that she demonstrated in last month’s Hundred with a spectacular one-handed take off Oval Invincibles’ Marizanne Kapp.”We practice day in and day out,” she said. “The narrative of our fielding is it isn’t particularly good, so it comes to me as almost a challenge to prove everyone wrong. Because I know how hard the team is working and how good we can be.”It’s about flipping that narrative and seeing it as a way that we can really show off and prove people wrong. If we see that in little windows, then that’s perfect. Hopefully we can really push towards this World Cup and onwards.”Being a cricketer is all about getting better and learning on your journey. As long as people commit to that, then we don’t care if someone drops a catch, as long as the right attitudes and processes are going on behind the scenes, then we control that narrative. Everyone’s working hard to get better, and I guess that’s all you can ask.”

One of the biggest troubles for Leeds United this season is how poorly they have performed in front of goal. Daniel Farke’s side find themselves in a relegation battle, which many people expected would be the case. ESPN journalist Bill Connelly said they need “random bursts of quality attacking” to help them stay up.

Well, things haven’t worked out that way so far for the Whites. They’ve found the back of the net just nine times, better than just two sides, including bottom of the league Wolverhampton Wanderers. Leeds’ expected goals tally is just 12.94xG, the 12th best in the top flight.

One man who has struggled for his best goalscoring form is Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Calvert-Lewin’s struggles in front of goal

Leeds secured the signing of Calvert-Lewin in the summer on a free transfer, after his contract at Everton expired. He was brought in with the aim of bolstering their Premier League goalscoring stocks, although it hasn’t really worked out that well so far.

The experienced 28-year-old, who has 11 caps and four goals for England, has not quite hit the ground running in a Leeds shirt.

In nine games for the club so far, Calvert-Lewin has only found the back of the net once, against fellow strugglers Wolves.

It was a good finish, too, from the new Leeds number nine. He got on the end of a loopy cross from Jayden Bogle, finding space between the Wolves defenders and heading home. That is the kind of striking instinct Leeds fans may have expected.

However, it hasn’t really worked out for Calvert-Lewin, aside from that goal. His underlying numbers are surprisingly low, averaging just 2.8 shots per 90 minutes, with an expected goals per game of 0.33xG. That places him in the 25th percentile for Premier League strikers.

With a huge game against Nottingham Forest next up, Farke may decide to rotate the striker out of the side in favour of a man who knows where the back of the net is.

Leeds’ Calvert-Lewin alternative

Ultimately, Leeds need to start finding the back of the net more consistently soon. Goals win you football matches, and right now, they could do with a few victories to help propel them up the table.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Well, Farke could well make the decision to axe Calvert-Lewin against Forest this weekend, and bring in Joel Piroe.

The Dutchman is someone who knows where the back of the net is, and Farke even called him the “best finisher” he’s ever seen as a manager.

With strikes like this one against Bristol City in the Championship last season, it is easy to see where the Whites’ boss is coming from.

Piroe bagged from quite a tight angle outside of the area, which takes some doing.

Indeed, he has put up some impressive numbers in a Leeds shirt so far. In 102 games for the club, the striker has 33 goals and ten assists. Last term in the Championship, Piroe was the main man up front and bagged 19 goals with seven assists in 46 games.

His underlying stats showcase how deadly he can be, too. During the league-winning 2024/25 season, the Dutch striker averaged 0.56 goals per 90 minutes, with an expected goals tally of 0.49xG. Both of those stats placed him in the top 5% of Championship strikers.

Goals

0.56

95th

Shots on target

1.14

89th

Expected goals

0.49xG

95th

Shot-creating actions

2.43

84th

Goal-creating actions

0.38

91st

Bringing Piroe into the side for the trip to the City Ground could be a stroke of genius from Farke. He has a point to prove, having fallen out of favour this season. He’s only played 164 top-flight minutes, but would surely love to get more regular game time.

Calvert-Lewin has been out of form this season. With someone who Farke himself has admitted is a deadly finisher waiting in the wings, he could be the difference in helping find the back of the net more often.

Farke can get DCL firing by ditching Aaronson for "unstoppable" Leeds star

Daniel Farke can finally get Dominic Calvert-Lewin firing at Leeds United by unleashing this speedy winger.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 6, 2025

In what was a must-win game for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Mohammad Rizwan and the bowlers helped them get the better of Guyana Amazon Warriors by five runs in a last-over finish in Providence.Chasing a mere 150, Amazon Warriors needed 11 from six balls with three wickets in hand. Naseem Shah held his nerve and had Keemo Paul caught at long-on with the first ball. For the rest of the over, he mixed slower balls into the pitch with yorkers to give away just five. While the result ended Patriots’ three-match losing streak, their playoff chances still look bleak. They need nothing less than a win in their last league match, against Barbados Royals on Friday, but also other results to go their way.Earlier, Patriots did not have a great start and were 26 for 3 inside five overs with Andre Fletcher, Kyle Mayers and Leniko Boucher all falling in single digits. But Rizwan’s 85 off 62 balls steered them to 149 for 6.Rizwan stabilised the innings with Rilee Rossouw and took the side to 64 for 4 at the end of ten overs. He was on 36 off 30 at that point but scored 49 off the next 32. In all, he hit eight fours and three sixes and was responsible for Patriots scoring 45 in the last four overs.Patriots’ Pakistani stars Mohammad Rizwan and Naseem Shah celebrate the big wicket of Shimron Hetmyer•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Amazon Warriors had a much better start, reaching 41 for 1 after the powerplay. But they could not build on that, losing two wickets in the next four overs to be 67 for 3 at the halfway mark. Patriots pegged them back further by dismissing Hassan Khan and Shai Hope in successive overs. Dominic Drakes had Hassan caught and bowled and Navin Bidaisee castled Hope with a slider that kept low.After 15 overs, both sides were 100 for 5. But while Patriots had a set better in Rizwan, Amazon Warriors did not. With 50 needed from the last five overs, Dwaine Pretorius tried to take on Waqar Salamkheil but perished attempting a slog sweep. On the very next ball, Salamkheil could have had Romario Shepherd caught behind but Rizwan was not sure if there was bat involved. Replay showed a clear outside edge.Shepherd rubbed it in by pulling the last ball of the over for a six. Paul did the same against Naseem in the following over but could manage only a leg bye from the other five deliveries.With 21 needed from ten balls, Jason Holder had Shepherd caught at long-on with a short ball. Quenton Sampson hit two fours off the next three balls to bring it down to 11 needed from the final over. But Naseem denied them.

أكد وائل جمعة نجم الأهلي ومنتخب مصر السابق، أن مشاركة المنتخب الثاني في بطولة كأس العرب هذه النسخة ستكون مختلفة عن النسخة الماضية بسبب اختلاف الظروف. 

وستنطلق بطولة كأس العرب، يوم الإثنين 1 ديسمبر، بمواجهتي تونس أمام سوريا والمباراة الثانية تجمع بين قطر صاحب الأرض مع فلسطين.

طالع.. مواعيد مباريات منتخب مصر في كأس العرب 2025

ومن المقرر أن يستهل منتخب مصر، مبارياته بمواجهة الكويت، ثم يلاقي الإمارات ويختتم دور المجموعات بمباراة الأردن.

وقال وائل جمعة في تصريحات على قناة “بي إن سبورتس”: “نتمنى أن مشاركة منتخب مصر في كأس العرب تُكلل بالتوفيق والفوز بالبطولة فالظروف مختلفة، عن البطولة الماضية، كنت أتمنى مشاركة لاعبي المنتخب الأول في البطولة كأعداد لكأس أمم إفريقيا مثل منتخب تونس، وتكون فرصة لزيادة الانسجام والتفاهم بين اللاعبين والاستفادة بالبطولة، كل التوفيق للمنتخب الثاني”.

وعن مباراة الأهلي والجيش الملكي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا، أكد: “كانت هناك مشكلة واجهت توروب عند قدومه وهي الضعف الدفاعي للأهلي قبل توليه المسؤولية، والفريق كان يتعرض للاختراق للعمق وكانت مسؤولية صعبة، وهو كمدرب مطالب بالتعامل معها، وهو تعامل معها بشكل جيد وخاصة أمام شبيبة القبائل الجزائري”.

وواصل: “الثنائي مروان وديانج أعطى عمقًا للأهلي وأنهوا الخطورة التي كان يقع فيها قلبي الدفاع، توروب أعطى حرية هجومية لـ بن شرقي وزيزو وتريزيجيه، والأهلي تضرر من رحيل وسام أبو علي، ولو كان متواجدًا ستكون انتاجية الأهلي أفضل من ذلك، والأهلي مطالب أن يتعاقد مع رأس حربة في الفترة المقبلة”.

وأختتم: ” كوكا من اللاعبين المجتهدين، الأهلي لديه مشكلة، غياب محمد شكري الذي أتى من اجل تعويض رحيل علي معلول، يوجد مركزين لا بد من تدعيمهم في فريق الأهلي الظهير الأيسر والمهاجم”.  

Fernando Tatis Jr. thinks it’s obvious who the best player in Major League Baseball is, but that doesn’t mean he wants to admit it.

During his media availability at the MLB All-Star Game, Tatis was asked who he thought the league’s best player was. He had an answer but didn’t want to say the name.

“I feel like that’s a really obvious question,” the San Diego Padres right fielder said with a laugh. “But he’s my rival, I’m not gonna mention his name. You know it already, 17 for the blue team.”

Tatis is obviously referring to Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who has won three MVP awards. It’s pretty funny that the Padres-Dodgers rivalry has gotten so heated that one All-Star has to begrudgingly admit another is the best player in baseball.

So far this season, Ohtani is slashing .276/.382/.605, with a National League-best 32 home runs and 60 RBIs. It’s actually shocking to see his OPS below 1.000. He’s currently fifth in MLB with 4.7 fWAR, and his wRC+ (168) ranks fourth.

Obviously Tatis was joking around, but there are only two possible answers to that question. New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has a legitimate claim to that title this season, but it’ll be tough for anyone to beat Ohtani in that contest. Especially now that he’s back pitching.

Sussex 342 for 9 (Clark 139, Haines 90, Barnard 4-56) beat Lancashire 338 for 7 (Jones 82, Singh 74, Bell 66, Crocombe 3-61) by one wicketSussex Sharks’ hopes of progressing to the knockout stages of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup are alive after they squeezed past Lancashire by one wicket with three balls to spare in a thriller at Hove.Chasing 339, Tom Clark’s 139 and Tom Haines (90) appeared to have done the hard bit by adding 232 in 32 overs – a new second-wicket record in 50 overs cricket for the county – to leave 98 needed from 17 overs with eight wickets in hand.Instead, they collapsed in a flurry of poor shots to lose six wickets for 27 runs in 47 balls. When Archie Lenham was eighth out Sussex needed 39 from 27 balls but Jack Carson and Henry Crocombe held their nerve. Carson hit Charlie Barnard straight for six in the 48th over before launching Tom Bailey over midwicket and out of the ground in the next.With one to win there was another twist when Crocombe was lbw to left-arm spinner Barnard off the second delivery of the final over. But last man Sean Hunt bunted the next ball back over Barnard’s head to seal Sussex’s second win in four Group B games.Lancashire were in a good position at halfway after openers Michael Jones and George Bell put on 157 before Harry Singh’s 74 took them to their highest 50 overs total against Sussex.George Balderson picked up Charlie Tear with his second ball, but Clark and Haines then took control. The two left-handers didn’t offer a chance until Clark, on 120, top-edged a sweep but Barnard, running in from midwicket, couldn’t hold on as he dived forward.Clark deserved that fortune given the quality of his stroke play, particularly his inside-out driving through the off and his ability to find the gaps on the leg side. The 24-year-old can seldom have batted with more freedom in any format for his county. None of the seven bowlers employed could tie either of them down until a tired Clark was bowled by offspinner Arav Shetty in the 34th over. He faced 109 balls and hit 16 fours and five sixes.With an end to attack Lancashire were transformed. Shetty, in only his third List A game, finished with 3 for 51 while 20-year-old Barnard, who conceded 23 in his first two overs, ended up with 4 for 56.Lancashire’s 338 for 7 was underpinned by a fine opening stand of 157 in 25 overs by Jones and Bell, a new List A best against Sussex for the first wicket, beating David Lloyd and Farokh Engineer’s 146 at Blackpool in 1976.Jones was the more aggressive, hitting three sixes in his 77-ball 82 before he mistimed a drive at legspinner Lenham and was caught at extra at cover. Bell played nicely for his 66 off 74 balls until he mistimed a sweep at offspinner Carson. Between them Sussex’s two slow bowlers took a respectable 3 for 90 in 18 overs in batter-friendly conditions, but it was harder work for their seam attack on a sweltering afternoon.Left-armer Hunt returned after nearly three months out and picked up a wicket and there were two in two balls for Crocombe, who finished with 3 for 61, but 21-year-old Singh propelled Lancashire beyond 300 with some very impressive ball-striking and placement, hitting five sixes in his 61-ball 74 which was a career best to boot.

Following the release of the beta last week, Football Manager fans have finally been able to get to grips with the new game ahead of the full launch on November 4th, and it has been a long time coming.

The 2025 edition of the game was cancelled, with Sports Interactive studio director Miles Jacobson revealing the problems with the game would’ve done irreversible damage to their reputation if it had been released.

It is full steam ahead for FM26 however, with a number of exciting new additions being made, including official FIFA tournaments, a Premier League license, over 40 new roles and the introduction of women’s football.

However, many of the core principles have stayed the same, and undoubtedly one of the most satisfying parts of FM saves is developing lesser-known talents into world-beating stars.

Goalkeeper Guillaume Restes

Every top side is built from the back, and one of the most exciting up-and-coming goalkeepers is Toulouse’s Guillaume Restes, who has already made 18 appearances for France’s U21 side, indicating the youngster could be the heir to Mike Maignan.

Just 20-years-old, the Frenchman is still in the very early stages of his career, but he has emerged as Toulouse’s first-choice option between the sticks, keeping three Ligue 1 clean sheets this season.

If you aim to emulate Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal by building from the back, Restes will provide a rock-solid foundation, but be sure to snap him up quickly, as the goalkeeper is likely to attract interest from plenty of Europe’s elite clubs.

Hidden gems: Quenten Attigah, Tommaso Martinelli, Alessandro Nunziante

Right-back Givairo Read

Previously an unfashionable position, with Jamie Carragher famously quipping “no one wants to grow up and be a Gary Neville”, Trent Alexander-Arnold showcased just how influential right-backs can be during his time with Liverpool.

It may be difficult to replicate Trent’s stellar assist record, but there are plenty of options to choose from in FM26, although many are already at top clubs, such as FC Barcelona’s Hector Fort and Real Madrid’s Jesus Fortea.

Givairo Read, on the other hand, may be easier to prise away from Feyenoord, despite the 19-year-old breaking out as a first-team player for the Dutch side, chipping in with two assists in nine Eredivisie games this season.

World Cup glory and over 40 new roles: 5 changes coming to Football Manager 2026

Anyone for project San Marino?

ByTom Cunningham Oct 19, 2025

Hidden gems: Martim Fernandes, Daniel Banjaqui, Marco Palestra

Centre-back Willy Kambwala

Manchester United may end up ruing the decision to let Willy Kambwala leave in the summer of 2024, with the 21-year-old going on to make an immediate impact for Villarreal last season, making 19 appearances in La Liga.

Kambwala also caught the eye in a United shirt in the very early stages of his career, when called upon against Liverpool near the end of the 2023-24 campaign, at which point he was just 19-years-old.

If you do try to sign the Villarreal star, watch out for United, who retain a buy-back clause which doesn’t expire until 2027.

Hidden gems: Matteo Palma

Left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly

Lewis-Skelly needs very little introduction, given the impact the 18-year-old has made at Arsenal since such a young age, infamously mocking Erling Haaland with his celebration after scoring in the Gunners’ 5-1 rout of Manchester City last season.

The teenager hasn’t featured quite as regularly for Arteta’s side this season, but it is a testament to his ability that he has already amassed six international caps for England, with the youngster’s World Cup debut very much on the cards next summer.

The north Londoners are likely to demand a huge fee for their left-back, however, so it may also be worth taking a look at the more affordable options below…

Hidden gems: Saba Kharebashvili, Davinchi, Tom Rothe

Central midfield Ayyoub Bouaddi

It is no surprise that Ayyoub Bouaddi has already started to attract the attention of some top clubs, with Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal all hatching plans to sign the Lille midfielder.

Boauddi only turned 18 earlier this month, but he has already emerged as a key first-team player for Lille, making 66 appearances for the French club, during which time he’s displayed his versatility by featuring in both defensive and attacking midfield roles.

Having been born just one month too late to be included in the previous edition, FM26 fans should be chomping at the bit to sign the Lille starlet, given that beta players have already discovered he develops into a midfielder with phenomenal physical and mental attributes.

Hidden gems: Tom Bischof, Niccolo Pisili, Kees Smit

Right-wing Lamine Yamal

It would be impossible to compile this list without mentioning Lamine Yamal, who is already regarded as one of the best wingers in world football, currently sitting in second place in the 2026 Ballon d’Or power rankings.

Having established himself as one of the best players in the world, however, signing Yamal is likely to break the bank, which means it may be worth taking a look at some lesser-known prospects, such as Vasco da Gama’s Rayan, who Tottenham Hotspur recently opened talks to sign.

Still, if you choose to start a Barca save or somehow manage to persuade the La Liga giants to cash-in, you can be sure the 18-year-old will remain one of the best right-wingers in the world for a decade to come.

Hidden gems: Rayan, David Martinez, Ian Subiabre

Left-wing Kenan Yildiz

Much like Bouaddi, Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz has already started attracting major interest from the Premier League, with it recently being revealed Man United were preparing an ‘aggressive pitch’ to sign the 20-year-old.

Having initially made his breakthrough in the 2023-24 campaign, it was last season in which Yildiz truly started to flourish, regularly providing goals and assists for Juventus across all competitions.

Competition

Appearances

Goal contributions

Serie A

35

12

Champions League

10

2

Club World Cup

4

5

Italian Cup

2

1

Italian Super Cup

1

1

The Turkish starlet announced himself to the world with his stellar performances at the Club World Cup, and he could make all the difference in your pursuit of European domination on FM26…

Hidden gems: Jeremy Monga, Gabriel Mec

Attacking midfielder Arda Guler

Arda Güler has already gotten his big move to Real Madrid, which means he will no doubt cost a pretty penny on FM26, but the Turk has shown all the signs he is capable of reaching the very top level with his performances under the helm of Xabi Alonso.

Alonso clearly has a lot of faith in the 20-year-old, having played him in every La Liga match this season, and the Turkish youngster has repaid his manager with three goals and four assists.

FM fans will know all about the Real Madrid star, given that he was among the highest-potential players on FM24, and he is once again set to be one of the most exciting young attacking midfielders, although there are some potentially more affordable alternatives.

Hidden gems: Rodrigo Mora, Luca Williams-Barnett

Striker Vitor Roque

South American strikers have helped transform countless struggling sides into European champions in FM saves over the years, and Vitor Roque has the ability to do exactly that.

The 20-year-old Brazilian has been prolific in front of goal for Palmeiras in the 2025 Serie A, picking up 13 goals and three assists in 27 matches, and it no doubt won’t be too long before links with a move to England re-appear, having previously been targeted by Newcastle United.

With the now one-time Brazil international still currently plying his trade in his home country, a deal will not break the bank, at least in comparison to his potential, which is among the highest of any striker in the game, as it has been revealed he is expected to cost around £45m.

Hidden gems: Sami Bouhoudane

Overseas star carries his bat in 144-ball 143 to give his side four wins from four

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay15-Aug-2025Gloucestershire 289 for 5 (Bancroft 143*) beat Glamorgan 288 for 9 (Byrom 94, Northeast 52, van Buuren 3-33) by five wicketsCameron Bancroft scored a superbly-judged unbeaten hundred to guide Gloucestershire to a convincing five-wicket victory over Glamorgan and extend their winning start to the Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign to four games at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium.Set 290 to win and retain top spot in Group A, Gloucestershire were indebted to their overseas star, who carried his bat in posting 143 from 144 balls, striking 17 fours and two sixes and sharing in stands of 72 and 84 with Ben Charlesworth and Graeme van Buuren for the third and fifth wickets respectively as the home side reached their target with 20 balls to spare.Recalled to the team, allrounder van Buuren had earlier claimed 3 for 33 with the ball to ensure Eddie Byrom’s outstanding innings of 94 from 108 balls was made in a losing cause. Byrom staged a stand of 127 in 22.1 overs for the second wicket with Sam Northeast, who raised a 59-ball 52 after Gloucestershire had won the toss. Dan Douthwaite weighed in with a hard-hitting 43, but seamers Matt Taylor and Josh Shaw took three wickets apiece to restrict the Welsh county to 289 for 9.Gloucestershire remain the only side to boast a 100 percent record after four matches, but 2024 competition winners Glamorgan are still seeking their first victory and will have to win all of their remaining fixtures if they are to stand any chance of making the knockout stages.Gloucestershire inserted their neighbours on a flat surface and Matt Taylor struck an early blow, luring Asa Tribe into driving low to mid-off in the second over.Initially tied down by nagging line and length, Byrom and Northeast eventually broke the shackles, both heaving Taylor over the mid-wicket boundary rope as their alliance raised 50 in 49 balls.Gloucestershire engineered an opportunity with the advent of Ollie Price’s off-breaks, Northeast hitting to deep midwicket on 19. Although Zaman Akhter took the catch, his momentum carried him over the boundary and the batter enjoyed a fortuitous escape. There were no such issues for Byrom, who moved smoothly to a 46-ball half-century with his seventh four, a fluent straight drive off Craig Miles.The hundred partnership occupied 16.4 overs as Gloucestershire’s seamers struggled to contain the second-wicket pair, who were further aided by some uncharacteristically loose fielding from the Group A leaders. Making good his earlier escape, Northeast posted 50 from 57 balls, only to give van Buuren’s slow left arm the charge and be stumped by James Bracey immediately afterwards with the score 135 for 2.This was the breakthrough Gloucestershire had been wanting and experienced allrounder van Buuren then removed the in-form Kiran Carlson for nine in his next over, Glamorgan’s captain nicking behind as the visitors slipped to 151 for 3 at the halfway stage. Welsh ambition required Byrom to bat on and register a substantial score, but the Zimbabwe-born left-hander fell to a superb catch by Tommy Boorman on the deep square leg boundary as van Buuren struck another potentially crucial blow.Byrom had provided the innings with a solid platform but with the score 194 for 4 in the 35th, Gloucestershire felt they were back in the game, an impression confirmed when Will Smale edged a catch behind off the bowling of Matt Taylor and departed for 26.Just when Glamorgan looked as though they might fall short, Douthwaite launched a counter-attack, including four sixes and dominating a stand of 52 in 7.2 over for the sixth wicket with Zain-ul-Hassan before falling to the returning Shaw.Bracey afforded Gloucestershire’s chase a super-charged start, raising 34 from 25 balls in an opening stand of 43 in 5.3 overs with Bancroft. But Ned Leonard redressed the balance in his first over, taking two wickets in three balls to reduce the home side to 43 for 2. Bracey was caught at the wicket and then Price was out slashing at a delivery outside off stump, Northeast palming the ball into the air for Tribe to complete the dismissal at first slip.Bancroft and Charlesworth responded to adversity in positive fashion, finding the gaps and running hard between the wickets to add 50 in 10 overs and rebuild the innings without taking undue risk. Having contributed 37 to a stand of 72 for the third wicket, Charlesworth then lost concentration, lofting Carlson to wide long-off where Douthwaite took a superb catch on the run to reduce the home side to 115 for 3 in the 20th.Undeterred, Bancroft went to 50 from 59 balls and he and Jack Taylor advanced the score to 145 for 3 at halfway, at which point Gloucestershire were required to score a further 145 at 5.8 an over. The home side’s task was rendered more difficult when Taylor was deemed to have feathered a catch behind off the bowling of Harris in the 26th.Guiding the pursuit thereafter, Bancroft moved to his sixth career List-A hundred off 100 balls by lifting Andy Gorvin over the long-on boundary. He found an able ally in van Buuren, who proved especially strong off the back foot, scoring at a run a ball to ensure the rate stayed below six an over.Glamorgan lost wicketkeeper Alex Horton to a hand injury and he was replaced behind the stumps by Smale, but Gloucestershire’s fifth-wicket pair were already in control, combining deft placement with quick running to keep the scoreboard moving. Harris returned to pin van Buuren lbw for 36, but Boorman contributed a brisk 27 not out to an unbroken stand of 57 for the sixth wicket with Bancroft to calm any nerves and render the outcome a formality.

Liverpool’s players were much improved in their 2-0 win at home to Aston Villa, but Dominik Szoboszlai was yet again his team’s star man.

The Reds picked up a vital three points at Anfield on Saturday evening, with Mohamed Salah and Ryan Gravenberch getting the goals, and Arne Slot was in positive spirits after the game.

“Happy with the result, with the performance and what I saw today, not only from the players but also the support we got from the fans, was what we needed today. Maybe we were a bit more on the lucky side than we’ve been in the last few weeks, where in my opinion we were also unlucky.

“So, the mistake of their goalkeeper and the deflection led to two of our goals. These are the margins we are talking about. I think in other games we’ve created more from open play than we did today. But in football it’s about results, not about the chances you create from open play.”

It was a night where so many Liverpool players found a new gear after poor form, including Mohamed Salah, who scored his 250th Liverpool goal, but it was Szoboszlai who stood out yet again.

Minutes played

90

Tackles won

2/2

Ground duels won

3/6

Recoveries

5

Pass completion rate

93%

Successful dribbles

1/1

Shots on target

2

Szoboszlai now Liverpool's "most important player"

Writing on X after the win over Villa, ESPN journalist Beth Lindop heaped praise on Szoboszlai, even calling him Liverpool’s “most important player” at the moment.

It is hard to argue with this assessment, with the Hungarian proving to be one of the biggest positives in an otherwise frustrating season to date.

While so many players around him have floundered, he has consistently reached his best level, providing incredible amounts of energy and showcasing his versatility by excelling in attacking midfield, defensive midfield and at right-back.

On current form, Szoboszlai is undroppable for Liverpool, giving Slot a conundrum when it comes to using the Reds’ second-most expensive signing in history, Florian Wirtz.

The German is still adjusting to life in the Premier League, and with the trio of Szoboszlai, Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister all doing well against Villa, it is hard to find a place for him currently.

Liverpool willing to sell first-team star to fund £150m Adam Wharton move

It could be one out one in for the Reds’ midfield next year.

ByBen Goodwin Nov 1, 2025

There is the option of playing Wirtz in the left wing in place of Cody Gakpo, but either way, Szoboszlai is a shoo-in for any Liverpool game, and has to be considered one of the first names on Slot’s team sheet.

Best game all season: Liverpool star was even better than Salah & Gravenberch