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Tottenham announced their new leadership structure earlier this week with Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange both working as co-sporting directors, and there’s now been clarity as to specifically how they will operate together at N17.

Spurs announce Fabio Paratici return with Johan Lange promoted

Many speculated that Paratici’s return could spell the end for Lange’s involvement in Spurs’ recruitment strategy, but as confirmed by the club, he’ll be working side by side with the popular Italian.

Paratici, who worked as a consultant for months before coming back full-time — advising Lange, CEO Vinai Venkatesham, Thomas Frank and ex-chair Daniel Levy — officially returns to North London over two years after he was forced to resign due to his worldwide ban.

The 53-year-old played a significant role in the signings of key Tottenham stars, including Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, Pedro Porro, Rodrigo Bentancur, Djed Spence, Destiny Udogie and Pape Sarr, with his comeback seen as a major boost for the Lilywhites.

1. Cristian Romero

£42.5m

2. Dejan Kulusevski

£25.5m

3. Rodrigo Bentancur

£21.5m

4. Pedro Porro

£40m

5. Djed Spence

£20m

He was a key ally of Levy, and the latter’s exit after 25 years last month threatened to derail a move for Paratici (talkSPORT).

However, Venkatesham, regardless of Levy’s departure, ultimately decided that Paratici should be involved in an official capacity, and it’s hard to argue given the transfer chief’s track record, extensive contact list and reputation as a fierce negotiator.

Paratici and Lange's very different Tottenham director roles explained

While Paratici and Lange are ‘co-sporting directors’ by title, the duo will actually have very different tasks, as explained by Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge.

It is believed that Paratici will be the ‘dealmaker’, overseeing the task of getting star players through the door, while Lange’s responsibilities are geared more towards scouting and talent-spotting.

Paratici’s reputation as a transfer expert precedes him.

Having honed his skills at Juventus and Tottenham before, he is known for his shrewd negotiation tactics, ability to close high-profile moves and strategic approach to the market. Paratici excels at identifying the right moment to strike whilst leveraging relationships with clubs and agents to secure key signings.

By contrast, Lange brings a keen eye for talent and a deep understanding of player development.

His background as a technical director at FC Copenhagen and sporting director at Aston Villa highlights his experience in scouting and building a sustainable recruitment strategy.

Lange’s focus on the long-term pipeline of talent, youth integration and data-driven scouting will back up Paratici’s deal-closing prowess, with the duo set to complement eachother nicely and divide key responsibilities.

It is a fantastic move by Spurs, and if their dynamic proves successful, other Premier League sides may even take inspiration.

Worcestershire team-mate Jake Libby unbeaten on 137 after 395-run stand for the third wicket

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay29-Jun-2025Worcestershire 456 for 3 (Hose 266, Libby 137*) vs HampshireAdam Hose provided retribution to Hampshire for snubbing him as a youngster by scoring 266 – the highest ever score by a visiting player at Utilita Bowl.Top-order batter Hose played for Hampshire at Under 13 and Under 17 levels, having been born and raised on the Isle of Wight, but never progressed into the professional ranks.He returned with an epic second career Rothesay County Championship hundred during a mammoth 395-run third-wicket stand with acting captain Jake Libby.Libby scored 137 unbeaten runs of his own on a lifeless wicket with a joyless Kookaburra ball as Worcestershire ended day one on 456 for 3.Worcestershire have not had a good time batting this season. They came into the match with the fewest batting bonus points (three), had only passed 300 on three previous occasions – twice in their second innings – and only two centuries had been made by their batters.They also came into this match on the back of a shellacking by Surrey at Visit Worcestershire New Road last week.By the end of the day, they had four more batting points, two more centuries, and well over 100 runs more than they had managed in two innings against the defending champions.Libby, once again leading in place of the injured Brett D’Oliveira, couldn’t wait to bat having won the toss.Despite some morning overheads, the air was warm, the pitch looked flat, and the Kookaburra ball was expected to offer next to no assistance to the bowlers.All that proved correct – and the number of centuries would be doubled by 19:00 BST – but not until Hampshire had a little glint of optimism.New Zealander Henry Nicholls was tested outside his off-stump throughout his runless 12-ball innings, before chasing a wide James Fuller delivery to edge behind.Kashif Ali was punchy in his 44 off 38 balls, and particularly tucked into Scott Currie, before he was lbw stumbling over a straight delivery from Fuller.At 60 for 2, things felt even, but from then, and for the next five-and-a-half hours, it was anything but.The sunbathing crowd – including a gathering of past Hampshire players including Barry Richards and oldest living Hampshire cricketer Dennis Baldry – had just Libby’s stoicism and Hose’s perpetual run scoring to watch.Once Hose found his rhythm, he bypassed each one of Hampshire’s plans with gusto.A short-pitch effort, saw pulls and hooks to the boundary. A defensive idea with an umbrella field saw punchy drives down the ground. Everything Hampshire’s beleaguered bowlers tried resulted in runs for Hose.Other than an incredibly tricky short leg chance on 69, he raced through the milestones – 50 in 74 balls, 100 in 126, 150 in 178, 200 in 208 and 250 in 240.The more runs he got, the harder and further he hit the ball – one of his seven sixes causing injury to a spectator some 10 rows back at long on.Hose was eventually dismissed on 266 – scuffing the ball to gully to give debutant Dom Kelly his first Championship wicket – in the penultimate over of the day.His score surpassed the 243 scored by Phil Jaques for Yorkshire on this ground in 2004, and sat just one run behind Zak Crawley’s marathon for England and John Crawley and Michael Carberry’s triple-centuries in scores by anyone at the Bowl.Hose did play one first-team match for Hampshire, a non-first-class three-day game against Cardiff MCCU – ironically, one of his opponents in that fixture was Libby.With him on this occasion, runs flowed like a tap.Libby isn’t one for showy shots, at his best when he occupies the crease – he has the second longest County Championship innings by minutes to his name to demonstrate his stickability.He offered the Hampshire bowlers even less hope than Hose, scoring at his own pace to reach his second ton of the campaign in 219 deliveries.”It has been a great day,” Hose said. “We have had a tough couple of months from a group and batting perspective so to have a big partnership with Jake and score some runs was a satisfying feeling.”In the past, I have gone into my shell and put a higher price on my wicket as opposed to today, I just saw the ball and reacted with my natural instincts. Fortunately, today it worked.”It was my first double-hundred so it’s cool getting the runs here. It is a long time since I left this club as a teenager, so there isn’t much on that front. It is about trying to put as much pressure on with the bat as we know it could potentially be a tough couple of days with the ball.”

If there was an air of inevitability about Erling Haaland scoring Manchester City's first two goals against Bournemouth on Sunday, the same could not be said of the man who provided both of the assists. Rayan Cherki was making his first Premier League start in 10 weeks due to injury, but even before he picked up a thigh problem in August, there were many questions about his suitability to playing for Pep Guardiola.

Cherki has been in the limelight since he was 16, when he became the youngest player to score a goal for Lyon in January 2020. The hype around him was immense, but every breath about his talent was usually quickly caveated by talk of his difficult personality. He played under six coaches while at Lyon and managed to have at least one public disagreement with nearly all of them.

In other words, he was not exactly a player that would normally attract Guardiola, who has had famous run-ins with difficult individuals such as Samuel Eto'o, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sergio Aguero and Joao Cancelo. To say the least, signing Cherki looked like a bit of a gamble for City, but right now it is paying off handsomely.

Getty ImagesDividing opinion

Rudi Garcia, the man who gave Cherki his debut for Lyon, warned early on of "the danger of making him believe he is already one of the best players on the planet." Peter Bosz, meanwhile, repeatedly left Cherki out of his line-up, while Laurent Blanc admitted to having "heated discussions" with the playmaker over his individualistic tendencies. 

Fabio Grosso dismissed Cherki's unique talent by calling him "a player like any other" and later declared: "He possesses enormous technical abilities, but he needs to work on the others." Pierre Sage went one further after leaving Cherki out of his line-up for several games by removing him from his squad over a contract stand-off. 

It wasn't just coaches that struggled to get on with Cherki, either. In leaked WhatsApp messages, Lyon's American owner John Textor described the homegrown talent as "a little a**hole".

AdvertisementManchester City FCDelivering on potential

Cherki seemed to finally mature in his final season with Lyon. He was reintegrated into the squad by Sage after signing a new contract, which meant he would be able to guarantee his cash-strapped club a transfer fee when he was eventually sold. When Sage was sacked last January, Cherki led the tributes by saying "he leaves an exceptional legacy" after steering the club away from the threat of relegation the previous season.

Cherki then ingratiated himself to new boss Paulo Fonseca by rallying around him after the Portuguese was banned from the touchline for nine months for confronting a referee. But most importantly, Cherki delivered on the pitch, producing consistently brilliant displays on his way to ending the campaign with 12 goals and 20 assists. 

His performances finally backed up the lofty words that had been uttered about him in the past, such as when former Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas claimed, "Cherki can be compared to [Lionel] Messi in terms of his technical quality."

Guardiola, who got the best out of Messi at Barcelona, decided to take a punt on Cherki, who only turned 22 in August. City only had to pay £34 million ($44m) as he had one year left on his Lyon contract, meaning the move represented more upsides than downsides.

Getty Images Sport'Haven't seen anyone that good'

It is worth remembering that Messi, who was described by some Barca team-mates as "The Little Dictator", was not exactly easy to coach. It was, after all, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner who texted Guardiola on the way back home from one game to tell him how upset he was at being asked to play second fiddle to Ibrahimovic. Some players, though, are worth making exceptions for.

And while Aulas might have exaggerating a little bit – or indeed tried to increase Cherki's value –  when he compared his player with Messi, he is far from alone in viewing Cherki as a generational talent. Former City full-back Gael Clichy worked with Cherki as assistant coach to Thierry Henry for France's Under-21s side and he reserved the highest of praise for his former charge. 

"If we talk about the quality of the player, I haven't seen anyone that good," Clichy told GOAL. "That's a big quote, but I do feel that if he can bring his off-the-ball game to a certain level, I think we could be talking about a player that can can reach Kevin De Bruyne’s numbers, because in tight spaces, in key areas of the pitch, he can create danger. And this is what you want at City."

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GeBeware his biggest weakness

While Cherki punished Bournemouth's high press on Sunday, Clichy believes he will be most useful when City come up against more stubborn opponents who are content to defend for 90 minutes. In other words, the games where City have tended to struggle the most. 

"When you play against a low-block team with a defence of five, there's not much space. So you need to have the quality on the on the wing, which I think City are lacking a little bit," he added. "You know, you go from Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Leroy Sane which for me, as a full-back, were a nightmare to play against. I think they lost that."

Clichy did not hide away from the area where Cherki needs to improve above all, though: "He will need to be able to show that off ball, out of possession, he can perform, because we know this is his problem. This is his weakness. It was his weakness when he was with us in France. So far, what I've seen in England, this is what people are thinking about him. So if Pep manages to take him to a different level out of possession, I think he will be a tremendous player for City. And I think this is the kind of player that Pep wants. Now in the Premier League it's not just about having the ball, it's also how you deal with transitions. And there is the big job for for Pep."

Manchester United are keen to build a dynasty under Ruben Amorim and could now be set to up their pursuit of an exciting midfielder who could come in to bolster their ranks in 2026.

Man Utd aim to build consistency in Premier League

Last weekend’s victory over Liverpool had a transformational feel for supporters of the Red Devils for several reasons, though the biggest one may arguably be winning back-to-back matches for the first time since Amorim’s arrival.

Frustrating early-season performances and a lack of consistency have left many questioning Manchester United’s bottle in their quest to climb the Premier League table.

However, Devils’ Advocate podcast host Gaz Drinkwater believes his side could find themselves in the top six come the end of the season if the Red Devils can continue to tick off difficult fixtures.

He said via BBC Sport: “With the squad and with performances like that, we could be up there in the top six. Our squad is good enough to finish top six. It is. That should be the minimum requirement for this season.

“And if we’re in the top six and we’re looking comfortable and showing that we’re capable of never mind back-to-back wins in a row but three or four wins in a row, then who knows where we can finish.”

Looking ahead to 2026, transfer windows will offer a vehicle for Amorim to strengthen his squad, and Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher is being lined up by Manchester United as a potential replacement for Kobbie Mainoo if the latter is sold.

Athletic Club’s Oihan Sancet is another target for the Red Devils, illustrating that the engine room is a recruitment priority, and another name spoken about within the corridors of Old Trafford has now come to light.

Man Utd now keen on Chelsea star Andrey Santos

According to talkSPORT, Manchester United are keen on bringing Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos to Old Trafford if he becomes available in 2026. The Blues are reluctant to sell the 21-year-old, so it remains to be seen if the Red Devils’ lure can play a part in swaying him to swap London for Manchester.

The Brazil international, who thrived on loan at Strasbourg last season, was the subject of interest from Bayern Munich and Al-Qasdiah during the summer as a result of his form in Ligue 1, where manager Liam Rosenior claimed he was already “world class”.

It's not Mainoo: Man Utd may have found the new Pogba in "phenomenal" star

Manchester United already have another talent who is on a similar trajectory to Paul Pogba.

1 ByEthan Lamb Oct 24, 2025

Known to idolise Casemiro and possessing an eerily similar playing style, Santos has registered one assist in nine appearances across all competitions this term and has shown himself to be a reliable ball-winner in the engine room, coming out on top in 15 duels this season, per Fotmob.

Gallagher, Stiller and Adam Wharton are also on Manchester United’s radar, though it will remain to be seen who they manage to land in their quest to build a midfield capable of helping Amorim challenge for major honours over the coming years at the English giants.

Hannah Baker leads successful defence in face of Ellyse Perry’s sparkling half-century

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Jul-2025Birmingham165 for 9 (Perrin 70, Tyson 3-27) beat Hampshire 149 for 6 (Perry 58, Baker 3-18) by 16 runsDavina Perrin once again demonstrated her exciting talent with 70 as Bears downed Hampshire Hawks and booked their place at the Vitality Blast Women’s Finals Day.Teenager Perrin held Bears’ innings together after they had been 41 for 4 in the powerplay to prove why she is the second top-scorer in the Women’s Blast.Perrin’s 70 off 48 balls took her side to 165, which Ellyse Perry threatened to hunted down with an exceptional 58.But the Hawks couldn’t keep up with the rate and only managed 149 in their 20 overs to lose by 16 runs to send Bears to the showpiece event at the Kia Oval next Sunday.Despite their premature exit from the competition, Hampshire have been drawing strong crowds for their double-headers. Each of the four matches have seen at least 3000 fans watch the women’s fixture – with 3251 spectators arriving for this clash.Their reward was seeing future superstar Perrin in full flow. She was the mainstay through the Bears’ innings, with her persistence allowing an average score to become a defendable total at the death, having chosen to bat first.While Perrin was tight and in control from the start, her top-order colleagues were not. Meg Austin was excellently caught and bowled by Daisy Gibb – who was a force with the new ball – before Amu Surenkumar tried to tip-and-run to Georgia Adams at cover, who ran her out with a direct hit.”Caught Ellyse Perry, bowled Bex Tyson” was copy and pasted for Sterre Kalis and Katie George, with Bears 41 for 4 at the end of the powerplay.Australian import Laura Harris did Laura Harris things in a boundary-frenzied 32 off 15 before Perry fired an unplayable yorker to dislodge her compatriot, while Nat Wraith’s leading edge saw her caught and bowled by Tyson first ball.Bears were facing a sub 100 sore when Millie Taylor missed a sweep and was bowled, but the tail growled, and Perrin got the rewards for her graft in the sun.Perrin, just 18, has been the Bears’ standout player in the Blast, and now stands behind just Suzie Bates in the leading run-scorer list. She hit powerfully down the ground, brought out the sweep when appropriate and ran hard to reach a gallant half-century in 34 balls.Perrin bunted a full toss to mid-off to depart in the penultimate over, but Bears walloped 44 runs in the last four overs to spin the momentum – Georgia Davis and Hannah Baker adding 15 and 12 not out respectively, crucial runs to the late surge.In reply, Perry was exceptional, peppering the boundary from ball one – although admittedly that was with an uncontrolled edge.Perry had shown glimpses of her superstardom with a 40 against Somerset but this was vintage stuff, with her trademark two-step and swing down the ground seen almost on repeat. Rhianna Southby simply ticked the strike back to Perry in a 75-run partnership before she was excellently caught by Perrin at long-off, with Freya Kemp bowled soon after.Baker caught and bowled Abi Norgrove as the Hawks fell from 75 without loss to 86 for 3 and from there they lost control of the chase.Perry reached a 36 ball fifty but plinked to mid-on with five overs to go, with 63 still needed. Megan Sturge and Mary Taylor also fell at the death as Bears strolled through.

Nervy three-wicket win over Phoenix concludes fourth-placed campaign

ECB Media27-Aug-2025Trent Rockets concluded their campaign with a third successive win, Nat Sciver-Brunt’s third half-century of the competition setting up a nervy three-wicket victory over Birmingham Phoenix to nudge her team up to fourth in the table.Sciver-Brunt finished as the leading run-scorer in last summer’s women’s competition and the England skipper’s thrilling innings of 52 from 29 balls at Trent Bridge moved her up to second place in this season’s batting charts, behind Meg Lanning of Oval Invincibles.After the Rockets had been set 124 for victory, Em Arlott clean bowled the dangerous Bryony Smith for 10 with a superb slower yorker but Sciver-Brunt was quickly into her stride, sharing a second-wicket stand of 46 with Grace Scrivens (16) before Scrivens holed out to Arlott off the impressive Phoebe Brett.Ash Gardner struck two quick boundaries before falling to Megan Schutt via a stunning catch in the deep by Ailsa Lister and the Rockets threatened to implode when Sciver-Brunt chipped to extra cover off Hannah Baker immediately after bringing up her fifty and Brett dismissed Heather Graham and Ellie Threlkeld in the space of four deliveries, the young left-arm spinner finishing with figures of 3-19 as the hosts slipped to 109-6.Alana King made a crucial 9 to settle the nerves a little and when she edged behind off Schutt (2-24), courtesy of a superb catch from Amy Jones, it was left to Jodi Grewcock to hit the winning boundary with three balls to spare, securing a first home win of the season for the Rockets.Earlier, Emma Lamb’s second half-century of the competition had steered the Phoenix to 123-6, the England opener batting through the innings to finish unbeaten on 56 from 42.It was tough work at times for Lamb, who struck five boundaries, but she played judiciously as the Rockets’ high-class spin triumvirate of Kirstie Gordon (2-24), King (1-21) and Gardner (1-18) served up very few loose deliveries.Ellyse Perry (14), Marie Kelly (14) and Lister (12 off 6) played useful cameos to help push the visitors up to a competitive target but ultimately it wasn’t enough to prevent them slipping to a sixth defeat in eight.Sciver-Brunt, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “I would have liked to be there at the end and made it a bit calmer for everybody but it wasn’t to be. In the three games I have made runs that’s not been the case, so that’s something to think about in future.”As a batting group, we’ve always said if we can get ahead of the game, try and stay ahead of the game. That was the tempo I wanted to go at. Getting out at that point, had we not been ahead of the game as we were, it probably would have been even more stressful.”It’s always nice to win at your home ground in front of your home fans and we haven’t been able to do that until today. The wicket is quite specific, it’s quite slow, and we probably didn’t adapt to that as quickly as we wanted to.”

Marcus Rashford stole the spotlight once again as Barcelona defeated Celta Vigo 4-2 on Sunday, with the Manchester United loanee registering two assists to move joint-top of La Liga’s assist charts. The England international received yet another standing ovation at the Balaido from Barca fans as he continues to cement his place as one of Hansi Flick’s most influential players this season.

Rashford goes joint-top of La Liga assist chart

Barcelona’s thrilling 4-2 win over Celta Vigo saw Rashford play a starring role from the left wing, supplying Robert Lewandowski with two pinpoint deliveries, helping the Pole complete his hat-trick. The victory moves Barca within three points of Real Madrid at the top of the table as they continue their strong run of form. Rashford now leads La Liga with six assists, more than both Kylian Mbappe (two) and team-mate Lamine Yamal (four). The Englishman is only matched by Getafe's Luis Milla on the list, and fans are in awe of the United loanee's performance.

AdvertisementFans praise Rashford's classic performance

Manchester United fan @Utddoja wrote: "Rashford standing ovation in back to back games from match going Barca fans, but I have to listen to SOME E-culers tell me he’s terrible."

Barcelona fan @frdrjpi added: "Rashford has bounced back so well from the Brugge game, elite playmaking, doing the dirty work (!) & at the heart of 3/4 goals. The most exciting part is that he’s nowhere near his A-game yet."

@mannnyyutd joked: "No need to respond to Rashford haters when you know what he’s gonna do the very next game, 2 assists and 3rd corner assist."

@BarcaChaos joked: "Hello, Rashford speaking. How can I assist you today?"

X user @EllisPrivv concluded: "3 points secured. Lewandowski hattrick. Rashford brace of assists. Yamal goal + Madrid dropped points against Rayo Vallecano. Perfect ending to the weekend."

Getty Images SportRashford's resurgence at Barcelona after Man Utd fiasco

Rashford’s resurgence in Catalonia has been one of the stories of the season, with the loanee rediscovering his confidence and creativity under Flick. After a slow start to life in Spain, the 28-year-old has become a key outlet for Barcelona’s attack, combining pace, precision, and selflessness. His playmaking ability has drawn comparisons to his early United form, where he once thrived as both a scorer and provider.

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GettyRashford now heads to Three Lions squad

Rashford will look to maintain his hot streak with England when the Three Lions take on Serbia and Albania in their final two World Cup qualifiers. As for Barcelona, his chemistry with Lewandowski and Yamal has given Flick’s side renewed attacking balance, easing the absence of Raphinha. With confidence sky-high and the fans firmly behind him, Rashford will be a starter again for the Catalan side when they take on Athletic Club later this month, in a match that could potentially debut the new Spotify Camp Nou.

Newcastle United have the welcome distraction of the Champions League in midweek.

In Europe’s elite competition, the Magpies are two wins from three, with eight goals under their belt. In stark contrast, Eddie Howe’s men are struggling badly in the Premier League.

Their horrendous run of form has seen them secure only three victories from ten, leading to Toon icon Alan Shearer labelling the situation at the moment as “rotten.”

While they may now be without Alexander Isak, a number of their key established players are yet to really fire, including the out-of-sorts Anthony Gordon.

Why Anthony Gordon is becoming an issue for Newcastle

Gordon’s topsy-turvy form sums up Newcastle’s current predicament in a nutshell.

Indeed, the England international has hammered home four Champions League strikes this season and has looked at ease on the biggest of club stages. Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel has even selected him to start on a regular basis this term.

That said, domestically, he has been in a horror run of form that stretches back into 2024/25. To date, he has zero goals and assists next to his name from seven Premier League outings. He has also created just two big chances across those fixtures.

Usually so creative, so dynamic and so free-flowing, the winger’s form has totally deserted him in the top-flight.

There is a stale feel in the air regarding Newcastle’s stalwarts, such as the ex-Everton attacker, as they continue to underperform, with Howe perhaps now ready to look at the youth starlets rising through the ranks at St James’ Park to fix a number of his issues.

How Newcastle could solve their Gordon problem

So far this season, Howe has chucked Lewis Miley into the first team mix here and there to freshen things up centrally, with the homegrown prodigy still only 19 years of age.

This surely bodes well for the likes of Sean Neave, who continues to rip up the Premier League 2 with his goalscoring prowess. The Newcastle-born teenager has bagged 29 goals across many different youth teams, yet a senior shot still evades him.

Alfie Harrison – who was previously on the books of Manchester City – will also be hopeful of a senior opportunity shortly, with the tricky 19-year-old maverick already up to four assists for the season in Premier League 2 action, as he continues to stick out as a vibrant Gordon-like talent.

Yet, another youngster is catching Howe’s eye who could really trouble Gordon’s first team security, with the 18-year-old in question even being wildly compared to Kylian Mbappe.

Indeed, the time now feels right to introduce the hotly-tipped Seung Soo-Park to first-team football.

Having joined the Magpies academy ranks from South Korean side Suwon Bluewings earlier this year, with lots of hype attached to his name, he looks ready and raring to make an impact under Howe’s wing.

Park would become the youngest player in the history of Korean league football when he made his senior debut for Suwon, with one goal and two assists coming his way in Korean League 2 action even resulting in his Suwon head coach Byun Sung-hwan lauding him as having the “ability to go to the very top” with his front-foot approach down the left wing.

Further hailed as being “similar to Kylian Mbappe” by Asian football expert John Duerden for his speed and skilful approach down the flanks, the hope will be that Park can explode onto the senior scene much like the world-class Frenchman managed, with promising displays coming his way for Howe and Co in pre-season.

Up against Espanyol, Park ended his bright 63-minute stint with three out of four of his dribbles coming off, leading further to journalist Charlie Bennett lauding him as a “real find” from South Korea.

While Park continues to impress behind the scenes – with two assists also next to his name in the Magpies youth set-up this season – Gordon is deep in a moment of crisis in the Premier League, with his lacklustre showing against West Ham culminating in Howe bringing him off at the half-time mark.

Minutes played

45

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

28

Shots

1

Accurate passes

14/16 (88%)

Accurate crosses

0/3

Successful dribbles

0/2

The previously mentioned Bennett even said at the close of the Hammers’ defeat that Gordon is “not undroppable” – and with Anthony Elanga still without a goal or assist himself in league action after a bumper £55m move – Park might well be the outside-of-the-box answer to their troubling woes.

Gordon may well be in possession of the number 10 shirt right now but this budding Newcastle prodigy looks ready to start his ascent to stardom and swipe it away from him in the coming years.

Newcastle's £100m star in the making is "all over the place" without Isak

This Newcastle United star is seriously struggling at the moment, having once been touted to be worth £100m.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 4, 2025

Bob Costas is on the call for the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals along with Ron Darling. During Game 2, which was broadcast on TBS, truTV and MAX, the legendary announcer's microphone was hot while Angel Zerpa stood on the mound waiting to deliver a pitch.

That's when Costas learned he had to read a promo for CNN and judging from his reaction, there was something wrong with that for some unknown reason?

"A CNN promo," Costas wondered aloud. Then, after about 10 seconds of silence he added, "That puts me in a difficult spot."

Why a CNN promo might put Costas in a difficult spot is a mystery. CNN is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, the same company that owns Turner Sports. Plus, Costas joined CNN as a contributor in 2020.

Based on all that it seems like some weird misunderstanding, but who knows. Let's just hope we find out what's going on at CNN before the series ends.

The fifth inning of Game 5 of the World Series will forever conjure up bad memories for the New York Yankees and their fans, as well as fond ones for the Los Angeles Dodgers side. The inning, which saw New York squander a 5-0 lead thanks to a pair of errors and another crucial mistake, sucked any momentum the Yankees, who were hoping to complete a historic World Series comeback from three games down, had.

And one Dodgers fan found the perfect way to forever commemorate that inning. With a car sticker. The Dodgers fan, @ThatFunkyMuncy on X (formerly Twitter), on Thursday posted a picture of the car sticker, which quickly made the rounds on social media.

Just ruthless. Don't drive behind this car if you're a Yankees fan.