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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.”

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."

MatériaMais Notícias

O Maracanã ficará fechado por, pelo menos, 20 dias para a recuperação do gramado. Por isso, Flamengo e Fluminense se movimentam para mandar seus jogos longe do estádio, até a liberação, que ainda não tem data definida. Tudo depende dos mandos de campo nas finais da Copa do Brasil.

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O Fla, finalista da competição, não trabalha com qualquer possibilidade de não ter o estádio para a decisão. As partidas acontecem nos dias 17 e 24 de setembro, no entanto, o sorteio da ordem dos mandos ainda não foi realizado. De toda forma, independente se for na ida ou na volta, a final da Copa do Brasil deve marcar o retorno do Maracanã.

Com isso, o Flu pode ser afetado. Até o momento, há apenas a confirmação de que a partida contra o Fortaleza, no dia 3 de setembro, será realizada no Estádio Raulino de Oliveira, em Volta Redonda. Contudo, caso o jogo de volta entre Flamengo e São Paulo seja no Maracanã (ou seja, dia 24), a partida do Tricolor contra o Cruzeiro também deve ser disputada longe do Maraca, ainda sem local definido.

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Já o Rubro-Negro terá que mandar a partida contra o Athlético, no dia 13, fora do Mário Filho. O “Plano A” do clube era utilizar o Mané Garrincha, em Brasília. Entretanto, está previsto um evento musical no estádio dias antes, o que inviabilizaria a realização do jogo. Desta forma, o Fla encaminhou o duelo contra o Furacão para o Estádio Kleber Andrade, em Cariacica (ES).

Esta será a única partida com mando do Flamengo longe do Maracanã no período. Importante ressaltar que, entre 4 e 12 de setembro, as competições serão paralisadas para a data Fifa.

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O Vasco observa a situação como possível interessado. O julgamento sobre a interdição de São Januário acontece no dia 30 de agosto e, caso não haja liberação, o clube também terá de buscar opções para realizar seus jogos. Vale lembrar que o Cruz-Maltino mandou a partida contra o Atlético-MG no Maracanã, no último domingo (20), menos de 15h após a partida entre Fluminense e América-MG, o que contribuiu para o mal estado do gramado.

MatériaMais Notícias

O lateral-direito Mateo Ponte não escondeu seu otimismo por fazer parte do elenco do Botafogo.  Considerado um dos jogadores promissores da América do Sul captados pelo Alvinegro, o uruguaio afirmou que poderá desenvolver seu potencial em solo brasileiro.

Em entrevista à Rádio DSports, o jovem exaltou o futebol brasileiro e a convivência com seus companheiros no Glorioso.

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– Creio que cheguei à melhor liga da América do Sul para projetar-me como jogador, tenho muito a aprender. Sou jovem, estou em aprendizagem. Tomar a decisão de vir para cá foi a melhor que tive, porque creio que vou aprender muito, como com os laterais daqui. Espero tirar muito proveito desta oportunidade – disse.

O atleta, que atuou alguns minutos contra Bahia e Defensa Y Justicia, apontou as peculiaridades que vem notando no futebol brasileiro.

– É outro futebol, completamente dinâmico, creio que vai poder me ajudar muitíssimo estar nesta liga e aprender com jogadores de muita experiência. Aqui se treina diferente e se joga diferente em relação ao Uruguai – afirmou.

Com Ponte à disposição, o Botafogo vai a campo no sábado, dia 16, para enfrentar o Atlético-MG na Arena MRV, às 21h.

Manchester United have been going through somewhat of a crisis over the last couple of years, with the club constantly falling way below the high expectations they’ve set for themselves.

Ruben Amorim’s side ended the previous campaign in a measly 15th in the Premier League, subsequently registering the lowest-ever finish in such a competition since its formation in 1992.

The main issue with his side is the lack of solidity in the middle of the midfield, with the 40-year-old yet to establish his best partnership in such an area of the pitch.

The likes of Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo are all on the books, but the manager still hasn’t figured out which duo are best suited to his 3-4-2-1 system.

However, such an area has previously been one of the Red Devils’ strongest, with Sir Alex Ferguson previously able to rely on one of the best talents England’s top-flight has ever seen.

Paul Scholes time at Manchester United

Paul Scholes was a part of the Class of ‘92 squad, which saw a plethora of academy stars making the jump into the first team and help Ferguson win his 13 Premier League titles in Manchester.

Very few people could’ve imagined the impact he would’ve made in the first-team squad, subsequently going on to register over 700 appearances for his boyhood club across all competitions.

The vast majority of his appearances for the Red Devils came in England’s top-flight, being a part of 11 of the club’s top-division title triumphs – the second most in their history behind Ryan Giggs.

He spent a total of 19 and a half years as a first-team player for United, spending his entire career with the Red Devils before retiring in the summer of 2013.

Scholes would end his career with a total of 27 trophies won at Old Trafford, further highlighting the success that he achieved during his stint as a professional.

However, the club thought they had their next version of the Englishman a couple of years ago, but ultimately, he was offloaded on the cheap by former boss Erik ten Hag.

The former United star who was labelled the new Scholes

During the Ten Hag era as United manager, the Dutchman spent over £600m on new additions to help push the club back in the right direction after years of failures on the pitch.

The likes of Casemiro and Raphael Varane were both brought in from Real Madrid, offering the side the needed top-level experience if the club were to get back to their former glory.

The latter of the duo left on a free transfer in the summer of 2024, with the Brazilian still unable to prevent his discipline from spilling over, subsequently picking up four red cards in the last three years.

Donny van de Beek was another player who joined the Red Devils in an attempt to take the club up the table, joining in a £35m deal with £5m in add-ons back in the summer of 2020.

However, like many of the additions in recent years, he would fail to hit the heights many thought he would, subsequently registering a total of 62 appearances over a four-year period at Old Trafford.

He was labelled as “the new Scholes” by compatriot Edwin van der Sar at the time of his transfer, but it’s safe to say that the Dutchman struggled to put a run together in England.

Van de Beek only made over 20 appearances once in his four seasons in Manchester, with injuries also playing their part in disrupting his progress and nailing down his place in the starting eleven.

Transfer Fee

£35m

Appearances

62

Cost per appearance

£564k

Minutes played

2,151

Cost per minute

£16.2k

Goals

2

Cost per goal

£17.5m

Assists

2

Cost per assist

£17.5m

Goal involvements

4

Cost per goal involvement

£8.75m

While he did pop up with multiple goals, his impressive moments were too and far between, subsequently seeing him falling down the pecking order in recent years.

He made just two appearances in 2023/24 before being sold by Ten Hag in the summer of 2024, joining LaLiga side Girona for a reported €500k (£435k).

However, the decision to offload him may have been the right one, especially after the 28-year-old limped off with an Achilles injury in the clash with Athletic Club on Tuesday night.

It’s a real shame that his move to England didn’t work out, especially after the hierarchy forked out a mammoth sum to prise him away from

Ajax back in 2020.

The praise in the early stages of his time at United gave reasons for the supporters to be optimistic, but unfortunately, they’re still hunting for the player to fill the boots of Scholes at Old Trafford.

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After announcing the arrival of Mateus Fernandes, West Ham United are reportedly readying an offer to sign an attacking reinforcement who Graham Potter loves.

Fernandes "excited" by West Ham move

Following a disastrous start to the season, West Ham have welcomed a much-needed reinforcement in Fernandes. The midfielder has officially arrived from Southampton in a deal worth around £42m with add-ons and will now be looking to make his mark on Potter’s side as soon as possible.

Speaking for the first time since putting pen to paper, Fernandes told West Ham’s official website: “I’m very happy to be here. I’m very excited to play for West Ham. I think it’s a big step for me.

“It’s a big Club, a massive Club. The project, the stadium, the city, everything. I want to try to play football, enjoy football, not just run and try to score, but try to play good football. I think the most important thing is to try to give everything every day.”

After welcoming the midfield star, West Ham are not done there. Reports are also indicating that they’re on course to sign Soungoutou Magassa from AS Monaco to continue their late spending.

It should come as no surprise that those at the London Stadium are attempting a late spending spree. The Hammers have endured a nightmare start to the season, losing three from three, and are suddenly among the favourites to face the drop.

Potter will hope that recent additions finally turn his tenure around and he avoids yet another London sacking. What’s more, any pressure to turn things around will only increase if West Ham move for a winger that he reportedly loves before the transfer window slams shut.

West Ham readying Wimmer offer

As reported by BILD and relayed by Sport Witness, West Ham are now readying an offer to sign Patrick Wimmer from Wolfsburg this week. Potter is reportedly a fan of the winger and he has been dreaming of a Premier League move for some time.

Fernandes upgrade: West Ham to submit bid for another big-money midfielder

The experienced international would be an excellent signing for Graham Potter and West Ham.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 29, 2025

Whether Wimmer is the answer to their problems or a repeat of recent transfer flops such as Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug is the big question. One look at the numbers should spark concern for West Ham.

Minutes

1.770

786

Goals

3

1

Assists

4

1

Key Passes

24

17

Former Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega reiterated that Wimmer still has work to do, but also had plenty of praise for his former Arminia Bielefeld teammate, telling reporters: “There’s something crazy and care-free about him; he’s got a youthful folly. If he sticks at it and works on getting some of the basics right, then he’ll be even more valuable.”

There’s no doubt that signing the 24-year-old would be a risk and at this stage, West Ham simply can’t afford to get things wrong in the transfer market.

Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Toronto, cities with significant South Asian communities, are on the shortlist

Tristan Lavalette20-Jan-2025

The MLC is expected to be lengthier this season than the last one•MLC

Major League Cricket (MLC), the fledgling T20 tournament in the USA, is set to expand from six teams to eight by 2027, with a move into Canada being explored in developments that could have wider implications for the sport.Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Toronto, cities with significant South Asian communities, are on the shortlist with final decisions expected this year. Market potential and local government support in helping build stadium infrastructure will be among the determining factors.Expansion officials travelled to Chicago recently and were believed to be encouraged by the local support. Visits to the other cities are expected in the coming months.MLC co-founder Satyan Gajwani will launch one of the franchises, while fellow co-founders Vijay Srinivasan, the league’s chief executive until recently, and Sameer Mehta will helm the other. Investors are likely to partner up with them once the two cities have been selected.Three of the six teams in the MLC are owned by IPL team owners – Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings – while Seattle, the only small-market franchise in the league, have ties with Delhi Capitals. San Francisco and Washington don’t have any IPL attachments, but have partnerships with Cricket Victoria and Cricket NSW respectively.”We have options ahead of us. I don’t think we’re committed one way or the other right now,” Gajwani told ESPNcricinfo. “That’s realistically a decision we will take closer to launch.”Expansion will likely lead to more games and a longer duration of the competition. MLC power brokers do eventually want a home-and-away season – where the teams play each other twice – to underpin the tournament.Last year’s second season ran for 23 days in July and overlapped with the Hundred in the UK. This season’s scheduling has not been announced, but a lengthier tournament is expected, although it might start earlier in June.The well-heeled MLC’s emergence has become a major talking point in English cricket, heightened when Jason Roy opted out of his ECB contract to represent LA Knight Riders, who have the same owners as KKR.”There are many cities in America that have large populations of people who already love cricket. But the goal is to grow the game and that means expanding beyond that fan base,” Gajwani said. “America is the largest sports market in the world. It’s also very competitive, and continuing to be relevant will be a challenge.”But I think the economics of sport in America are pretty robust. The NBA and NFL are in 28 cities. We’re in six right now. We still have a lot of headroom for growth in the medium to long term.”The tournament’s first two seasons were entirely played at the 7200 capacity Grand Prairie Stadium, a redeveloped baseball ground, near Dallas and the more modest Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina.Existing franchises – other than Dallas-based Texas Super Kings – have faced challenges getting suitable infrastructure off the ground. But there is confidence that San Francisco Unicorns will start playing home games this season at the iconic Oakland Coliseum, which up until recently was the long-time home of the Athletics in the MLB. The new franchises hope to play at home grounds from the start.Jason Roy opted out of his ECB contract to represent LA Knight Riders at the MLC•MLC

“In the ideal case, we firm up on the city, lock up a land deal and then build a stadium – whether retrofitted or building from zero,” Gajwani said. “The ideal outcome is that we play at home for our first game in 2027.”There is this balance of wanting to build something that’s right for where the market is, but have the flexibility to grow with the market. Every city will have its own dynamics.”The cities in the running may be further incentivised by the prospect of potentially hosting cricket matches at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Cricket will end a 128-year Olympic drought but venues have yet to be determined, with the men’s and women’s competitions possibly extending beyond Los Angeles.”There’s the added element that a fully-fledged cricket venue up and running by 2027 could possibly host matches at the Olympics,” Gajwani said. “The IOC or the LA Organising Committees will make that decision. But they openly said they’re looking for infrastructure that can host Olympic matches. It’s definitely a factor that we’re all thinking about.”The league also announced Johnny Grave as its new CEO, replacing Srinivasan. Grave is a prominent figure in cricket administration, having most recently served as CEO at CWI for seven years. He was previously the commercial director at the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) in England.”I am honored to lead the league at this transformative time,” Grave said in a statement. “Cricket is beloved globally and I am thrilled to see its fan base growing rapidly in the United States. I look forward to working with the MLC team to help elevate the league, engage with fans, and build a thriving, sustainable future for cricket in America.”

In the world of football, the threshold for what constitutes as ‘young’ seems to be constantly evolving. As the sport progresses, the age at which players are making their senior debuts is getting significantly younger.

Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha is the latest teenage star to burst onto the scene, and his dramatic late winner for the Reds on debut will go down in history.

But where does he rank for youngest ever scorers? Fortunately, when it comes to ranking the top 10 youngest Premier League goalscorers, there’s no ambiguity – the facts and figures are all at our disposal. So, without further ado, here are the 10 youngest scorers in Premier League history.

Rank

Player

Age

Date & Opponent

1

James Vaughan (Everton)

16 yrs, 270 days

Apr 2005 v Crystal Palace

2

James Milner (Leeds)

16 yrs, 356 days

Dec 2002 v Sunderland

3

Wayne Rooney (Everton)

16 yrs, 360 days

Oct 2002 v Arsenal

4

Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool)

16 yrs, 361 days

Aug 2025 v Newcastle

5

Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)

17 yrs, 113 days

Aug 2004 v Blackburn

6

Michael Owen (Liverpool)

17 yrs, 143 days

May 1997 v Wimbledon

7

Andy Turner (Tottenham)

17 yrs, 166 days

Sep 1992 v Everton

8

Federico Macheda (Man Utd)

17 yrs, 226 days

Apr 2009 v Aston Villa

9

Lewis Miley (Newcastle)

17 yrs, 229 days

Dec 2023 v Fulham

10

Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)

17 yrs, 247 days

Nov 2024 v Nottingham Forest

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ByLewis Thompson Jun 15, 2024 10 Ethan Nwaneri 17 years, 247 days v Nottingham Forest (2024)

Arsenal starlet Ethan Nwaneri announced himself on the Premier League stage when grabbing his first goal in the competition four months shy of his 18th birthday.

Incredibly, Nwaneri had made his debut over two years prior to this, coming on as a late substitute during a Gunners win at Brentford in September 2022.

Now a part of the first team at the Emirates Stadium, Nwaneri has already shown a knack for goalscoring, with cutting inside onto his left turning into something of a trademark already.

Nwaneri’s first-time finish against Nottingham Forest was his fourth of the 2024/25 season for Arsenal, with three coming in the EFL Cup before breaking his Premier League duck.

9 Lewis Miley 17 years, 229 days v Fulham (2023)

Lewis Miley quickly emerged as a fan favourite on Tyneside after signing his first professional contract for Newcastle United in February 2023.

The technical midfielder became Newcastle’s youngest Premier League debutant when he appeared as a substitute in his side’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea on the 2022/23 season’s final day.

Over the course of the following campaign, Miley would go on to play 26 times for the Magpies, including two away games in the Champions League against PSG and Borussia Dortmund, plus a home tie versus AC Milan.

His first professional goal came in December 2023 in a 3-0 win over Fulham at St James’ Park. That knee slide in front of the Gallowgate End must have felt pretty sweet!

8 Federico Macheda 17 years, 226 days v Aston Villa (2009)

Once hailed as being Manchester United’s future star at Old Trafford, Federico Macheda burst onto the scene with a goal on his debut against Aston Villa in April 2009.

He was just three days younger than Miley when his two-touch strike made it 3-2 for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side after Cristiano Ronaldo had already bagged a brace.

Macheda’s goal essentially sealed the Premier League title for Man United on that day and he would go on to score the winner against Sunderland a week later. However, the Italian striker would only score five more goals for United.

Queens Park Rangers, Doncaster Rovers and Birmingham City were among a host of clubs who would welcome Macheda on loan from United, until his permanent transfer to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Cardiff City in 2014.

Since then, Macheda has played most of his football in Greece for Panathinaikos, scoring 36 goals in 106 appearances.

7 Andy Turner 17 years, 166 days v Everton (1992)

From one slightly unknown to an even lesser-known one:

Andy Turner became the youngest player to score a goal in the Premier League during its inaugural season in September 1992. The overall record, which has only been surpassed four times, stood for five years until a more recognisable 17-year-old named Michael Owen broke it.

The London-born Irishman’s goal came late in a 2-1 home win for Tottenham Hotspur against Everton. Throughout his 16-year career, Turner played for over 15 clubs. The attacking midfielder had loan spells at Wycombe Wanderers, Huddersfield Town and Southend United, along with stints at Crystal Palace and Wolves.

In a 2018 interview with Spurs, Turner mentioned that he runs a non-league academy in the Midlands. He also leads an educational academy under the Pro Direct Academy banner in Birmingham and was once the Under-13 academy coach at Port Vale.

6 Michael Owen 17 years, 143 days v Wimbledon (1997)

Like Turner, Michael Owen was once the Premier League’s youngest goalscorer for a period of five years.

Owen rose through Liverpool’s academy and the FA’s School of Excellence, where he broke numerous England youth goalscoring records. He played a key role in Liverpool winning their first FA Youth Cup in 1996 before joining the first team under Roy Evans and then Gerard Houllier.

In the penultimate game of the 1996/97 season, Owen scored on his debut as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat to Wimbledon, cementing his name in top-flight history.

The following season, the English forward was named PFA Young Player of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season. Owen also became the first Liverpool player and only the fourth Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or in 2001. He scored 158 goals in 297 appearances for Liverpool before moving to Real Madrid in 2004.

Injuries plagued Owen’s career, limiting him to one season at Real Madrid, where he scored 13 goals in 36 appearances. He later played for Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City before retiring in 2013.

5 Cesc Fabregas 17 years, 113 days v Blackburn (2004)

One of the greatest, most technical midfielders to ever grace the Premier League is also one of its youngest-ever goalscorers.

Cesc Fabregas moved from Barcelona to Arsenal in September 2003 for just shy of £3 million. He made over 200 appearances for the north London club before returning to his beloved Barcelona.

Shortly after becoming Arsenal’s youngest-ever first-team player at the age of 16, Fabregas scored his first Premier League goal in a 3-0 win over Blackburn in August 2004, poking home from a Gilberto Silva header in a game that saw Arsenal go a record 43rd top-flight match unbeaten.

The Spaniard had further success at Chelsea and Monaco before retiring at Como, the side he now manages in Italy’s Serie A.

4 Rio Ngumoha 16 yrs, 361 days v Newcastle (2025)

After signing for Liverpool from Chelsea’s academy in the summer of 2024, Rio Ngumoha quickly impressed those on Merseyside, beocming the second-youngest appearance-maker in the Reds’ history at the beginning of 2025.

He had to wait for his Premier League debut, though, but when it came against Newcastle United, Ngumoha made an instant impact. Sent on in injury time by Arne Slot after Liverpool surrendered a two-goal lead with a player advantage, the teenager calmy slotted home the winner ahead of his 17th birthday.

3 Wayne Rooney 16 years, 360 days v Arsenal (2002)

A name that needs no real explanation to emphasise his prolific goalscoring rate as a youngster.

Wayne Rooney captured headlines worldwide when his 25-yard stunner for Everton in October 2002 ended Arsenal’s 30-game unbeaten run in the Premier League. At just 16 years old, Rooney’s iconic goal marked the beginning of arguably the greatest-ever Premier League legacy.

Rooney moved to Manchester United after just two seasons with the Toffees. He scored over 200 Premier League goals during his illustrious career before transitioning to management. He is the current manager of Plymouth Argyle in the Championship.

2 James Milner 16 years, 356 days v Sunderland (2002)

James Milner was just four days younger than Rooney when he scored his first Premier League goal against Sunderland in December 2002.

As a childhood fan of Leeds United, Milner began his career as a teenager there, making 48 appearances over two seasons.

Known as one of the most versatile footballers in Premier League history, Milner has excelled for multiple clubs, including Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton.

Ahead of the 2024/25 season, Milner only needs 20 more top-flight appearances to equal Gareth Barry’s record of 653. He has played in 22 seasons, 46 different stadiums and had 280 teammates during his Premier League career.

He has also won every English domestic trophy, as well as the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup with Liverpool.

1 James Vaughan 16 years, 270 days v Crystal Palace (2005)

James Vaughan is the Premier League’s youngest-ever goalscorer, but couldn’t quite follow in the footsteps of those who had gone before him.

Vaughan made history on his debut when he scored Everton’s fourth goal in a 4-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace at Goodison Park in April 2005. The result moved Everton four points clear of Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualification.

Everton reached the third qualifying round of the Champions League the following season but lost out to Villarreal. Ironically, Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League triumph meant they made it to the group stages for the following season’s competition via the qualifiers, where they reached the round of 16 before losing out to Benfica.

As for Vaughan, his record-breaking goal at the age of 16 was a highlight in a career that promised much but was hampered by injuries. He made just six appearances for Norwich City before joining Huddersfield in 2013. Vaughan also represented Sunderland, Wigan, Bradford and Tranmere before transitioning into a role off the pitch.

In March 2024, Vaughan was made the head of academy recruitment and player pathways at Everton. It seems likely that his record won’t stand forever in this day and age, but for now, it remains a remarkable achievement.

The T20I series ends 1-1 with Glenn Phillips also playing an important role

Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Nov-2024Roughly 20 days after the women’s team won the T20 World Cup, and about a week after the men’s Test team completed a whitewash of India at home, New Zealand’s cricketers continue to do the near-impossible.On this occasion they defended 108 all out on a tricky – but far from unplayable – Dambulla surface. Lockie Ferguson bowled only two overs before having to leave the field because of a calf injury, but he claimed a hat-trick to rip out Sri Lanka’s top order, as he collected figures of 3 for 7.As has often been the case on this long South Asian sojourn, Glenn Phillips was vital to New Zealand’s victory too. He’d been out for 4 off 9, but took three wickets in the final over – which he had only had to bowl because of Ferguson’s absence. The most prized of those wickets was that of Pathum Nissanka, who had been Sri Lanka’s backbone, making 52 off 50, until he tried to smash Phillips over long-on, but could not clear the fielder.He was the last recognised batter to be dismissed, however. Zakary Foulkes, Mitchell Santner, and Michael Bracewell had all been effective in keeping Sri Lanka on a leash, as they squeezed wickets out of the batters’ frustrations. New Zealand have never defended a lower total in T20Is. Only twice have Full Members failed to finish off a chase of such modest proportions. (Zim vs Nam in 2023 and WI vs Zim in 2010)Sri Lanka would have thought themselves almost certain to win, when they earlier had the opposition 52 for 6 in the 11th over. But New Zealand cobbled together what looked an unimpressive total between Will Young’s 30, Santner’s 19, and Josh Clarkson’s 24. All of those innings came at less than a run-a-ball.This result ties the series 1-1, Sri Lanka having eased to victory on Saturday.Ferguson takes out 3, 4, and 5Although Ferguson only bowled half his overs (he’d only just recovered from a right hamstring complaint to make it into this XI), he essentially broke the game open in overs six and eight. Having allowed only three singles off his first five balls, he delivered a spectacular, swinging almost-yorker just on off stump, to take Kusal Perera’s outside edge, nicely caught by a diving Mitchell Hay.Next over, he nailed Kamindu Mendis in front of the stumps with a rapid yorker the batter was way to late on, and for his hat-trick wicket got a little luck. He pushed the ball – another attempted yorker – to Charith Asalanka a little far down leg. But Asalanka, in good form, got a little edge to that ball, which Hay received, low to the ground.Sri Lanka, suddenly were 34 for 4.Wanindu Hasaranga picked up four wickets while playing through an injury•AFP/Getty ImagesPhillips puts in a death-bowling shiftWith Ferguson unavailable through the back end of the innings, and Santner choosing to keep the pressure on Sri Lanka by bowling his frontliners relatively early, it fell to Phillips to bowl the big-pressure final over.Sri Lanka needed eight from it, which is not a huge amount when you have a top-order player batting on a half-century at the crease. Phillips found a way.When Nissanka got on strike for the second ball, he went down low and tried to slog-sweep it, only to find the long-on fielder. Next ball, Phillips slid a ball past the outside edge of Matheesha Pathirana, who stumbled forward, and was duly stumped.Sri Lanka could have still won – or at least tied – the game going into the final two deliveries. Maheesh Theekshana, who can occasionally produce boundaries, was on strike. But Phillips bowled bravely, slowing up a big offbreak outside off, with a little extra top spin. Theekshana swung, and only got a top edge, that Hay tracked down with his gloves to spark New Zealand jubilation.Hasaranga bosses the first innings on one legIt was clear there was big turn on this track from the outset. On top of which, Wanindu Hasaranga was in especially devastating touch. First ball, he bowled Phillips attempting what may have been a pre-meditated reverse slap. It was the googly that did that damage. Later in the over, he ripped a big legbreak, bowled slow through the air, beat Bracewell’s outside edge and took the top of his offstump – a classical legspinner’s dismissal.Hay was dismissed similarly next over, before getting Young overbalanced attempting a sweep, with Kusal Mendis collecting the ball down the leg side and flinging down the stumps while Young was out of the crease – an especially sharp piece of wicketkeeping after Mendis had been struck on the knee the previous over.That Wanindu did all this with a leg injury he’d picked up early in the game, made it even more impressive. He was hobbling through many of his deliveries.

The cogs are whirring away down Anfield Road, and Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes must be pretty pleased with Liverpool’s progress in the transfer market.

But they have more work still to do. In spite of signing Hugo Ekitike for £79m, Liverpool are mooted to remain in the market for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, who has informed his club that he wishes to explore a move away this summer.

And though the Sweden international has many admirers, it is the Reds who lead the race.

They couldn’t, could they? Unfortunately for those not of a Liverpool persuasion, they could. FSG have run the club expertly in recent years, managing the finances with a deft touch to be in a position for big-money moves across the summer.

And while the Premier League champions have already broken their transfer record by signing through the addition of Florian Wirtz, the £100m figure potentially stretching to a British-record £116m, they are primed to break it once more here.

However, a few outgoings may be needed.

The players who might be leaving Liverpool

With Trent Alexander-Arnold having already left Liverpool for Real Madrid, there’s a chance that Ibrahima Konate might follow. The French defender has entered the final year of his contract, and negotiations over a renewal have yielded little fruit thus far.

From an attacking standpoint, the signing of Ekitike and the potential arrival of Isak would surely see Darwin Nunez leave. The 25-year-old has fallen down the pecking order in Arne Slot’s system and is being chased by Saudi Arabian suitors.

Liverpool seem happy to let him leave, but are less inclined to accept Bayern Munich’s advances for Luis Diaz, having rejected a £58.5m offer. The Bundesliga champions are expected to return for the versatile forward, who was so important for Slot’s title-winning side.

While Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon has been touted as a possible replacement for the Colombian, he’s been priced at £100m.

And when a cheaper and exciting alternative is available, the track to head down becomes clear.

Liverpool lining up Diaz replacement

According to Fabrizio Romano, Lyon’s Malick Fofana is one of the names on FSG’s list as they consider replacements for Diaz, who may indeed have played his last competitive game for the Reds.

The 20-year-old has put his name on the map over the past 18 months in France, and is also courted by Bayern, though their curiosity will fade away in the case they do sign Diaz.

Fofana might be young, but his talent is clear. Lyon recognise this, and as such have priced him at €60m (£51m).

Why Liverpool want Malick Fofana

Hailed for his “explosive” athleticism by analyst Ben Mattinson, Fofana has established himself over the past few years, leaving his Belgian homeland in January 2024 when joining Lyon from Genk for a €22m (£19m).

That figure made an interesting comment from the off regarding Fofana’s skill set, and having now featured 62 times for the Ligue 1 side, scoring 15 goals and supplying eight assists, he’s shaping into quite the interesting winger.

While Isak would be replacing Diaz at centre-forward, the 28-year-old is typically a winger, and someone like Fofana would be a more direct heir.

And given that he might end up costing around half of what has been demanded for the Prem-proven Gordon, FSG may well opt to sign the lesser-known talent, especially since the likes of Wirtz and Cody Gakpo already reside in the Liverpool ranks.

Matches (starts)

29 (16)

34 (28)

Goals

5

6

Assists

4

5

Shots (on target)*

1.1 (0.5)

1.7 (0.6)

Big chances missed

4

10

Pass completion

84%

81%

Big chances created

6

6

Key passes*

0.9

1.5

Dribbles*

0.8

1.1

Tackles*

1.1

0.9

Duels won*

2.9

4.4

Sure, Gordon rode the crest of a wave after the 2023/24 season, awarded Newcastle’s Player of the Year, having notched 22 goal involvements in the Premier League, but that year was followed by a regression in output and confidence.

His creativity and tenacious style were still clear, but Fofana is showing himself to have the making of a clinical winger beyond the goalscoring level of Gordon.

Does Gordon’s progress warrant the £100m fee? He’s a fine player, to be sure, with a Merseyside connection besides, but there’s little sense in forking out such a sum when there’s a player like Fofana waiting for his breakout move.

While Gordon has forged a slick partnership with Isak over the past few years, Fofana is considered by data-driven site FBref to be a statistically similar player to the England international, so he has the athletic, snappy style to thrive alongside the Swede.

It’s chalked down that the Belgian ranked among the top 10% of positional peers last term for non-penalty goals scored and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90.

Isak’s quality is such that he could elevate the level of any winger worth their salt, but Gordon is indeed tactically aligned with the number nine to a higher degree.

By signing Fofana as Diaz’s replacement this summer, Slot could capture that synergy and use it to Liverpool’s gain, fashioning another angle out of his burgeoning superpower.

Gakpo 2.0: Liverpool now eyeing "one of the best young talents in football"

Liverpool still have a few more transfer targets in their sights this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 24, 2025