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New competition appealed to Ted Dexter, whose raffish unorthodoxy reflected the atmosphere in Brighton on a lively Saturday evening

Paul Edwards11-Jun-2020OId Trafford, May 1-2, 1963
ScorecardHove, June 12, 1963
ScorecardLord’s, September 7, 1963
ScorecardSexual intercourse did not begin in 1963, as Philip Larkin well knew. That was partly his point in the poem “Annus Mirabilis.” However, a “new Knock-Out competition”, as Wisden primly described it, did get under way that summer and it pounded to a sweaty climax on the first Saturday in September, when Sussex beat Worcestershire by 14 runs at Lord’s. The final ended in twilight and there was heavy drizzle falling when Bob Carter was run out for 2 with only ten balls left in the match. Carter’s team had needed just 169 in 65 overs but Tony Buss’s 3 for 39 in his 15-over allotment had removed both openers and shown how testing batting would continue to be on the damp pitch. Then the three late wickets taken by the callow 21-year-old fast bowler John Snow had appeared decisive before Roy Booth’s hitting forced Ted Dexter, the Sussex captain, to put all his men on the boundary. As revolutions go, it might not seem much to write home about, but that is often the way of it in England. We don’t storm Bastilles; we start a new cricket competition with odd rules and celebrate with a cup of Earl Grey.Some readers might query how far-reaching the changes were. What was this malarkey about 65 overs, all the men on the boundary and a 15-over allotment? And surely not even Psalm 55’s raging wind and tempest could prevent a side overhauling 168 at only 2.6 runs an over. The answer, of course, is that you had to watch cricket nearly 60 years ago to see how difficult it was for players who had only known three-day championship cricket to adapt to the new competition. One or two counties barely tried; they thought the thing beneath their professional dignity.Sussex succeeded and won their first ever trophy because the whole affair appealed to Dexter, whose raffish unorthodoxy rather reflected the atmosphere in Brighton on a lively Saturday evening. The Sussex skipper thought about the tactics that might be required in a match where 170 for 9 would always beat 165 for 3 and instructed his attack accordingly, although even those directives sound quaint today: “As for the bowlers I asked nothing more of them than to bowl every ball to hit the stumps. Wide on the off side was a no-no. Short of a length with the ball going over the top was a no-no. Up and straight allowed me to set fielders according to the strengths and weaknesses of all the different batsmen.”Snow, who was playing his first limited-overs match, followed those instructions fairly precisely, castling both Doug Slade and Norman Gifford as the evening faded into murk. But the vital wicket of Tom Graveney had been taken much earlier when Ron Headley had been tied down by Alan Oakman’s off-spin and a frustrated Graveney had holed out to Dexter at long-on off Oakman, who finished the match with figures of 1 for 17 from 13 overs. Yes, it was a foreign country.Yet if much of this looks very strange and staid when viewed from our momentary modernity, one-day, knock-out cricket was plainly an appealing novelty to many of the game’s supporters in 1963. A brief glance at the structure of the previous season suggests why this was so. In 1962 Yorkshire won the County Championship and were one of eight counties to play 32 three-day matches; the other nine played 28 and the title was decided on average points per game. There were no other competitions of any note at all in the English summer, nor had there ever been. However, Yorkshire also played first-class matches against MCC (twice), the ancient universities and the Pakistan tourists, whose own 35-match programme had begun at Arundel on April 28 and ended in Sunderland on September 10, three weeks after the end of the final Test at The Oval.ALSO READ: Surridge’s Surrey claim the hat-trick during dominant 1950sNow much of this cricket was of very high quality and many games were well-attended, but they did not pay the bills. Since this was England a series of committees had been set up over the previous decade to investigate the situation and by the early 1960s it was discovered that the counties’ expenditure was exceeding normal cricket income by an average of £120,000 a year. The new competition was, in part, an attempt to deal with this shortfall by staging games that could be finished in a day and in which the number of runs scored was the sole determinant of victory. What was more, the competition was to be sponsored by Gillette, whose name the 1964 Wisden could not steel itself to print. The shaving company underwrote the competition with £6,500, with £50 (about £900 now) going to the man of the match in each game and £1889 (£33,500) to the winners. But even in the year following the abolition of the distinction between amateurs and professionals, much of the old authority remained. Earlier in the week of the final the Sussex players had been told by the Club secretary, Lt. Col. George Grimston, that he would be trousering the prize money as the county needed the cash. In fairness, it probably did. Dexter’s men received a bonus in their salary instead.The revolution appeared a relatively modest affair. The Gillette Cup would comprise only 16 matches, with a preliminary game reducing the 17 first-class counties by one and a straight knockout format being followed thereafter. Peter Marner became the competition’s first centurion and followed his 121 against Leicestershire with 3 for 49 to win the man-of-the-match award and a gold medal, which was presented to him by Frank Woolley on the Old Trafford outfield. Marner may have appreciated the fifty quid even more; this was still an era in which some professional cricketers travelled to their work by public transport.Most of those 16 matches in 1963 resulted in relatively comfortable victories. Eleven were won by the side batting first and only three of those by a margin of fewer than 20 runs. It was hardly surprising that teams had yet to master the intricacies of an over-limit run-chase. On the other hand, setting a target was proved tricky as well. The biggest total chased down was the 159 Yorkshire overhauled in 55 overs to beat Nottinghamshire in the first round at Acklam Park, Middlesbrough. Fred Trueman made 21 batting at No. 4 in that game but Brian Close forsook such off-the-wall antics when he took his side to Hove for the quarter-final, a game which encapsulated all that was vibrant and successful about the new format.

“While talking to the Lancashire players earlier in the season about how they would approach the game, they said that first of all they would go to Raymond’s Revue Bar in Soho”Alan Oakman

There were 15,000 people crammed into the County Ground when Close chose to field first, his decision perhaps influenced by the sea-mists which drifted in throughout the day. Jim Parks, though, saw matters with perfect clarity and made 90 in his side’s 292 all out in 64 overs. Trueman finished with none for 40 from 14 and Tony Nicholson, one of the most highly regarded seamers on the circuit, went for 84 runs in 15 overs, in one of which Parks twice smacked him over the covers for six. The new format was proving a midwife to innovation.But Yorkshire were not out of it. Struggling at one stage on 100 for 5, they were rescued by Geoff Boycott, who batted superbly for 71 before being run out when trying to keep the strike. Some might think both the innings and its ending in Boycott’s first List A game offered a pithy portent of his whole career but Ian Thomson’s hard, flat throw from third man was a tiny sign of the improvement in fielding that one-day cricket would bring. Sussex got home by 22 runs and there is a photograph of Parks being presented with his medal by Alec Bedser. Another wave of mist is covering the ground.So to Lord’s and the first of the September occasions that were to become a poignant highlight of every summer. For those watching on television, the Gillette Final always marked the end of summer’s lease. In later years some teams would prepare for such occasions by getting an early night but such strictures were not in place in 1963.”While talking to the Lancashire players earlier in the season about how they would approach the game, they said that first of all they would go to Raymond’s Revue Bar in Soho,” recalled Oakman. “Don Bates, Ken Suttle and I agreed…and we were watching the show when a half-naked dancer walked up the aisle with a large snake hanging round her neck. She stopped by Don Bates and asked if he would like to stroke it. He nearly passed out.”Next morning there were 25,000 spectators in Lord’s, one of them the nine-year-old future Sussex captain, Johnny Barclay. The banners and favours appalled some MCC members but when the Daily Mirror’s chief sports writer, Peter Wilson reported on the match he marvelled that “Lord’s, the temple of tradition” could have become “a reasonable replica of Wembley…a sell-out with rosettes, singing, cheers, jeers and counter-cheers. This triumphant sporting experiment… may not have been cricket to the purists but by golly it was just the stuff the doctor ordered.”Whatever some thought, there was no going back. Perhaps the patient became a trifle addicted to their medicine but by 1972 there was another one-day competition, the Benson and Hedges Cup, and the 40-over John Player Sunday League. Captains learned the value of spinners, fielding regulations prevented blanket defence of boundaries, the revolution gathered pace. And it may be that the wheel is still in spin but those who seek to saturate cricket with such matches might remember Dexter’s observation in 2013 that Sussex’s Gillette Cup victories in 1963 and 1964 “were as nothing compared to the three Championship wins in five years”. Perhaps Ted was being a shade hard on himself but it’s important to note the trophies the players prize most highly. “Sweet moderation / Heart of this nation” observes Billy Bragg in one of his finest songs. Damn right. Match from the Day

da luck： Brendan Rodgers has had to oversee a lot of change on the left side of his Celtic squad, at left-back in particular, during the summer transfer window so far.

da winzada777： The Hoops have already added one new left-back to the team in the form of Kieran Tierney, who has returned to Parkhead on a free transfer from Premier League giants Arsenal, six years on from his initial move to the Gunners from Glasgow.

Tierney, who won five Scottish Premiership titles during his first spell at the club after coming through the academy, will be aiming to nail down a position as the first-choice left-back at Celtic once again.

The Scotland international looks set to replace compatriot Greg Taylor, who is leaving the Scottish giants this summer upon the expiry of his contract.

Fabrizio Romano, as shown in the post above, recently confirmed that the full-back has agreed a deal to sign for Greek side PAOK ahead of next season.

Another left-back who has moved on from Parkhead this summer is Jeffrey Schlupp, who spent the second half of the season on loan from Crystal Palace, and the club must now avoid a permanent deal for him.

Why Celtic should not sign Jeffrey Schlupp

The Eagles confirmed at the end of May that the left-back would not be getting a new contract at Selhurst Park, which means that he will be available on a free transfer.

Schlupp made 14 appearances, starting eight of those games, in the Premiership and the Champions League for the Hoops, and his best performance for the club came in the second leg of their Champions League play-off clash with Bayern Munich.

Vs Bayern (A)

Jeffrey Schlupp

Minutes

90

Clearances

9

Blocks

1

Interceptions

5

Tackles

6

Dribbled past

1x

Ground duels won

7/8

Aerial duels won

1/2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Palace loanee was incredibly dominant defensively up against the mercurial Michael Olise on the right wing for Bayern, winning the majority of his duels and making 11 tackles and interceptions, whilst being dribbled past just once.

Despite that impressive showing from the Ghana international, Celtic also have to plan for the future and signing a 32-year-old, who turns 33 in December, on a permanent multi-year contract may not be the best move that they can make this summer.

Therefore, supporters should be happy to read that the Hoops are reportedly closing in on the signing of an alternative target who could be an even better signing than Schlupp.

Celtic schedule medical to complete new signing

According to Sponichi, Celtic are closing in on a deal to sign Albirex Niigata defender Hayato Inamura to bolster their options at the back ahead of next season.

The report claims that the left-footed star’s last match for his club was the 4-0 defeat to Machida on Sunday, as he played 90 minutes as a centre-back in the loss.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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It adds that the two clubs have already reached an agreement in principle over a transfer for the 23-year-old talent, and that a move will officially go through in the coming week.

Sponichi reveals that the Japanese defender will travel to Scotland at the start of the coming week to undergo a medical with the Hoops before putting pen to paper on a permanent switch to Glasgow.

This means that Celtic are set to sign the versatile Niigata ace in the coming days, with a medical scheduled and a fee agreed, and he could come in as an even better signing than Schlupp.

Why Inamura will be a better signing than Schlupp for Celtic

As aforementioned, the former Palace loanee turns 33 later this year and would only come in as a stop-gap signing to provide cover in the short term, which is also what he did during his loan spell.

Schlupp would not be a signing with a view to the future because, at his age, he is unlikely to develop much further, if at all, and does not have the potential to grow into being the first-choice after Tierney’s second spell comes to an end.

Inamura, however, is nine years younger than the Ghana international and, therefore, has far more time on his hands to develop and improve as a player during his time in Glasgow.

He is five years younger than Tierney and could, therefore, eventually be his successor if he kicks on and improves at Celtic, whilst initially coming in as a back-up option.

Inamura is usually deployed as a centre-back by Niigata, but Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph noted that he can also play as a left-back. His statistics in the J1 League this season also suggest that he would be well-suited to playing that role for the Hoops.

2025 J1 League

Hayato Inamura

Percentile rank vs CBs

Assists

0.07

Top 8%

Pass accuracy

87%

Top 29%

Accurate long passes

5.75

Top 5%

Long pass accuracy

47%

Top 19%

Chances created

0.42

Top 18%

Cross accuracy

50%

Top 15%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the soon-to-be Celtic signing ranks incredibly highly among his positional peers in a host of possession-based metrics, which speaks to his ability on the ball.

His ability to successfully complete crosses at an impressive rate and to consistently create chances for his teammates from a centre-back position suggests that he could be well-suited to playing as a left-back for the Hoops, which would allow him to showcase his in-possession qualities.

Inamura, who analyst Rio Nakagawara claimed has “fantastic ball progression” as a passer and carrier, appears to have the technical qualities to thrive in Glasgow.

His positional flexibility also makes him an attractive target, as he can play at centre-back or left-back, and that is another reason why he would be an even better signing than Schlupp, who was not a central defensive option for Rodgers.

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Overall, signing Inamura seems to make more sense for the Premiership champions because of his age profile, his positional flexibility, and his quality on the ball.

Saurashtra captain talks about his evolving journey and how making an Indian comeback remains his priority

Interview by Saurabh Somani11-Jan-2020Your thoughts on the IPL auction – you’re back with your old team. At a reduced price but in a familiar setting?I think this is the first time I’m answering a question about the auctions. I consciously didn’t want to speak about it because I felt this has to be taken as lightly as it can be. I haven’t thought about it as much as I did previously. All I know is I’m going to play in the same team, and I’m happy I’m going to play in the same set-up where I know the people, the management, the captain. But auctions, pressure and the things that people talk about – I’m just over all that.Does it give you confidence that even though Rajasthan Royals released you, they had enough faith to want you back?That has been a trend with me for whatever team I’ve played in. People have been looking to get me back. All I can make out from that is that I must be doing something good for the team and with my performance. All I want is to be better at it, maybe not give them a chance to put me back in the auction again and prove that I’m worth more than what people think I am. But having said that, I am in a happy space about my cricket. If you would have asked me this question two years back, I would have talked a lot about it, but at the moment, it doesn’t affect me at all, even if I talk about it.

“Earlier, it used to play on my mind that I need to get X number of wickets in a season to make my name, but those things don’t really play on my mind anymore. I’m above that now. It’s just about bowling at my best, bowling hostile spells where you can feel the batsmen don’t like playing you”

This is a T20 World Cup year. Are you aiming at something specific, like being in that tournament?If I take it that way, it’s not going to help me. The competition is such that whoever is getting chances, people are doing well. So I just need to focus on my skills. Of course, whatever efforts I’m putting in, it’s all about getting my place back in the Indian team, but it’s not all about the World Cup. It’s a personal goal that I’ve set, and it’s a process that will go on till I prove that I’m worth getting my place back in the team.Everyone knows what one tournament can do for a player, especially for someone who is on the verge of being in and out of the team. So be it IPL or this Ranji Trophy, everything is crucial.You had told me recently that you are at peace with your game, even though you aren’t making the India A squads?Yes, you can say that. Although recently, it did disappoint me a bit, that after starting the season on a great note, I was a bit hopeful of being given a chance in the India A tour that’s coming up. So it’s not that I’m not at all bothered about that, these things do come in the mind, thoughts like: ‘when is the next selection happening, and when am I going to get my chance?’ Especially when I’m doing well. But like you said, I am in a state of peace in the sense that it does not affect my mindset at all when I play a game. Being the captain actually helps because I’m thinking about the team, strategies and all that and it’s not just about me. That’s helped me a lot to be in a good space.You got the captaincy mid-season last year and ended up having your most successful season as a bowler.I think captaincy added a whole new dimension to my game and to myself as a player. I am someone who loves taking on leadership roles. I’ve loved it since I was quite young. I am fortunate that I’m playing for a team like Saurashtra. It’s not a team with lots of ‘big’ players, it’s a well-knit unit, and it’s always good to captain a side like that.I’m excited for the guys in my team. The way we played last year was something I cherish, and would love to repeat. I don’t really care if anyone else noticed it or not, but the way we were enjoying ourselves, coming back from behind to win [in the quarter-final against Uttar Pradesh and the semi-final against Karnataka], I think there’s no better feeling. I can do this throughout my career if given the chance.You said Saurashtra is a team without ‘big’ players, but you have two pretty big ones in Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja.Yes, of course. But then they are not always available. Cheteshwar was there for the knockouts last year and he was a big help. We’ve been best friends since 8-9 years now and he’s the guy with whom I talk cricket the most. It was really good to have him around in the first year [of my captaincy]. When I wanted any help from someone in the middle, he was there. And as a batsman, you can’t ask for anything better than Cheteshwar. And Ravindra as well, whenever he has played for Saurashtra, he has won matches single-handedly. He’s obviously one of a kind, cannot be matched.But now we have a team that is doing well even when they are not available, which wasn’t the case before. We wanted to do that as a team, and we’ve been able to do that last season.

“We had a deal that if he [Pujara] gets a century in any of the innings there [in Australia], I would give him a gift worth INR 5000. And if I would take a fifer here [in the Ranji Trophy that was going on], he would give me a gift worth INR 5000. So we had a friendly battle to see who would come on top and get more gifts. He got three centuries in that tour, but after the 193 in Sydney he told me that was actually deserving of a 200 so I should give him 10,000 for that!”

You’ve been great friends with Pujara. You and he must have had some interesting conversations when he was in Australia, putting in a Man-of-the-Series performance, and you were leading Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy?We had a deal that if he gets a century in any of the innings there, I would give him a gift worth INR 5000. And if I would take a fifer here [in the Ranji Trophy that was going on in India at the time], he would give me a gift worth INR 5000. So we had a friendly battle to see who would come on top and get more gifts. He got three centuries in that tour, but after the 193 in Sydney he told me that was actually deserving of a 200 so I should give him 10,000 for that!I had a good season as well, I had four fifers here. So he gave me a gift and I gave him one. So it was quite memorable.Since you said you enjoy captaincy, do you think there was a case for you to get it sooner, and not just when Jaydev Shah retired? [Jaydev Shah retired midway through the 2018-19 season after having captained Saurashtra in 111 games, a Ranji Trophy record]I think this is the right time, because I have matured as a player. Maybe if it had come to me a couple of years earlier, I would still be fighting my own way about how I want to be as a player. I was still figuring out what my strengths and weaknesses are. But now I’m at a stage where I’m really clear about those things. So now I can really focus on the captaincy as well because it’s something that demands a lot of attention. If you want to be the captain of a , if you want everyone in the team to do well, there are a lot of things you can do as a captain. Keep everyone together, keep the atmosphere good. At the same time, guys who are not playing, keep them on their toes and aware about where they stand. If you want to do all that, you have to be clear in your mind as a player, so I think it’s come to me at the right time.What went right last season for Saurashtra, and for you?Before the fourth-innings chase in the quarter-final, I spoke and Cheteshwar spoke about how important it is for a side like Saurashtra, who don’t really have the kind of players that Mumbai or Karnataka have had, that we qualify for the knockouts every year without the help of guys like Cheteshwar and Ravindra. So it was an opportunity that we thought we could not miss, and everyone believed in themselves more. That was one thing I really loved about our team last season: we started believing we can beat any team, and win from any position.As for my bowling, my strength has been to use the angles and swing it both ways. A couple of wickets were helpful, but apart from that, not many were. I got a couple of fifers in Rajkot on flat wickets where I really bowled my heart out. The only plan there was to reverse the ball. If you’re playing in Rajkot, it’s bound to reverse, and if you have the skills it can reverse in 15-20 overs.You spoke about the hurt of missing out on India A selections. Is it tough to find motivation to play domestic cricket, having tasted international cricket?I don’t agree with that. I would say it’s actually easier if you have played at the highest level because you’ll always know that you have it inside you to once again perform and reach there. If you haven’t been selected even once, you might still have doubts about whether you are good enough to play at that level or not. The aspiration [to play for India] is always there, but for me, every season has been really exciting at the start. Earlier, it used to play on my mind that I need to get X number of wickets in a season to make my name, but those things don’t really play on my mind anymore. I’m above that now. It’s just about bowling at my best, bowling hostile spells where you can feel the batsmen don’t like playing you.ESPNcricinfo LtdYou last played for India A in 2013 with the red ball. The stats say you’ve been arguably one of the top two or three pacers in domestic cricket from then to now, but you’ve still not got an opportunity after that.I feel whoever has got a chance in my place in the past has been doing well, or probably deserved to get a call-up at some point – like I did when I was doing well. I still feel that I have it inside me to come back in the team and be successful as well. I don’t just want to get a spot, I want to do well at the international level. I’ve reached there in all three formats, so it’s not about being picked anymore. Now it’s about being picked and being relied upon as one of the premier fast bowlers in the country. The standards are high. The way the current crop of fast bowlers is doing is something I try to imitate. When I saw [Jasprit] Bumrah bowling in the West Indies, it inspired me to be as hostile as him. If I want to be at that level, I have to be as good as him. You have to be above everyone else if you want to be successful at that level.Does the thought of increasing your pace ever come?Not really. I’m obviously not as quick as some of the other guys, but it’s different skill sets. To be honest and realistic, I cannot aim to bowl at 145kph. That hasn’t been my strength since the start of my career, so I don’t really want to focus on just increasing my pace. Yes, if the fitness levels increase, pace is bound to increase by a few kilometres, which I can feel has happened with me in the last two-three years. I’ve started to train specific to my bowling style. It’s about what I need technically in my bowling to be good. Say I have my back foot collapsing, I would work on my calf strength, or of the muscles needed while jumping in the delivery stride. Steffan Jones, who was our fast bowling coach at Rajasthan Royals, has been helping me a lot. I went to train at his academy in the UK for ten days specifically to tailor my training, and I found that it is helping me.Speaking of Rajasthan Royals, you have had to deal with a fair amount of trolls on social media, because you’ve been in the spotlight for the prices you’ve fetched in past auctions?At some point, I do feel that people become so harsh they don’t realise we are humans as well. But having said that, you can’t really go to every individual and see what their mindset is. They [trolls] do it for fun, or just to get attention. People have told me to not bother about that and that social media is something I shouldn’t really look at.Does it happen in real life ever?I haven’t had anyone coming up to me and telling me anything on my face. I think those people only mention you on social media. Face to face, they won’t speak anything. That itself shows that those things don’t really matter as much as you think they do at times.We play this beautiful game for fans, for people to follow it and love it. But in our country, it happens that a minority do it out of hatred or jealousy. Critics can help you at times, tell you things that you don’t see in your game. But people who just abuse you all the time don’t really matter. When it started, it was difficult because I wasn’t used to it. But I’m pretty much immune to all that now. You have to develop a thick skin if you are playing cricket in India.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s Everton future is still unresolved, but that saga will have no bearing on David Moyes’ pursuit of a new centre-forward to take to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Moyes took the reins from the beleaguered Sean Dyche in January and steered Everton toward a comfortable 13th-place finish, bagging 48 points.

But scoring goals has always been the crux of Everton’s wider problems, and that’s where the Toffees boss wants to make improvements this summer.

Everton approach club for new striker

According to Spanish outlet Cadena Ser, Villarreal’s Thierno Barry has been added to Everton’s shortlist, with the Toffees believed to have made an approach after asking about his situation.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

This comes amid the Merseysiders missing out on Liam Delap, who has signed for Chelsea in a £30m deal.

Barry, meanwhile, has club-hopped for two successive years and could be on the move once again, with a €40m (£34m) release clause in his contract.

However, the Yellow Submarine are keen to keep hold of their man. That said, The Friedkin Group were willing to green-light a move for Delap, and could now turn to Barry instead, with Villarreal sure to evaluate offers if their clause is indeed met.

What Thierno Barry would bring to Everton

Standing at 6 foot 4, Barry is a tall and powerful frontman whose efforts over the past several years have spoke of incremental progress.

Hailed for his “menacing” profile by talent scout Antonio Mango, the 22-year-old Barry appears to be the perfect kind of player for a Moyes system, having won 5.1 duels per La Liga game this term, as per Sofascore.

Indeed, FBref record Barry to rank among the top 1% of centre-forwards across Europe’s top five leagues this season for percentage of aerial battles won (67.3%) per 90, furthering the argument that he’s the man for the job.

He’s not quite so progressive a ball carrier as Delap, who ranks among the top 13% of forwards across Europe for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, but he’s every bit as brutish a talisman.

24/25 – Villarreal

35

11

4

24/25 – Basel

3

5

0

22/23 – Basel

35

9

5

22/23 – Beveren

31

20

4

Barry began life on the senior stage prolifically indeed, although his term with Beveren was contested in the second tier of Belgian football. In any case, he’s showcased an exciting growth that could now be translated to life in the Premier League.

Delap, similarly, landed when making the big jump, having enjoyed a decent breakthrough campaign in the Championship with Hull City last year, scoring eight goals and adding two assists across 31 games for the Tigers.

However, he’s only gone from strength to strength across the past year, unable to prevent Ipswich Town’s relegation but impressing with a 12-goal return across 32 starts.

Barry, with his strength and confidence, might just prove to follow in Delap’s footsteps, even becoming a better version of the English talent. The Frenchman has a higher release clause, after all, while his 20 league goal involvements for 2024/25 ranked him ahead of Delap’s own return of 14.

There would be an element of risk in bringing a young and unproven talent over to Merseyside, but Everton appear to have turned a corner over the past six months, and if Moyes gets this one right, it could make the Toffees faithful forget all about Delap.

Perfect Branthwaite replacement: Everton considering bid to sign £30m star

Everton could lose Jarrad Branthwaite this summer, but appear to have the perfect replacement lined up.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 5, 2025

كشف مصدر بـ منتخب مصر الأول، عن تفاصيل الجلسة المقررة بين حسام حسن المدير الفني وهاني أبو ريدة رئيس اتحاد الكرة وأحمد دياب رئيس رابطة الأندية خلال الفترة المقبلة.

وأنهى منتخب مصر مشواره في تصفيات كأس العالم متصدرًا للمجموعة الأولى برصيد 26 نقطة، جمعها من 8 انتصارات وتعادلين، ليحسم التأهل رسميًا إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026 التي ستُقام في الولايات المتحدة وكندا والمكسيك.

وقال المصدر في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات: “حسام حسن سيعقد جلسة مع هاني أبو ريدة وأحمد دياب من أجل التنسيق للمرحلة المقبلة”.

طالع أيضًا | إبراهيم حسن يكشف لغز البكاء عند سماع النشيد الوطني: أنا وحسام قلبنا ضعيف

وتابع: “حسام حسن يرغب في وضع جدول إعداد قوي لـ مصر قبل كأس العالم، وهذا يتطلب توفير المباريات الودية التي سيحددها من قبل اتحاد الكرة”.

ومن المقرر أن يخوض منتخب مصر منافسات بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا خلال شهري ديسمبر ويناير المقبلين.

Club Brugge CEO Bob Madou wants AC Milan to recognise 'the elephant in the room' and up their bid should they wish to sign Ardon Jashari.

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• Club Brugge rejects AC Milan's first bid for Jashari
• Midfielder disappointed with the rejection
• Belgian side's CEO asks Serie A team to pay more

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Belgian club rejected Milan's initial bid of €35 million (£30m/$38m) for their star midfielder. The feeling within the Brugge camp is that they can command a record transfer for the Swiss star. However, this has disappointed Jashari, as a move to San Siro would be a dream transfer for the 22-year-old. Brugge's CEO claims the Italian side needs to accept that they'll have to pay significantly more than their initial bid to bring Jashari to Milan.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Jashari caught the eye of top clubs in Europe after his impressive performances last year with Brugge, where he won both the Belgian Pro League Player of the Year and the division's Young Player of the Year. The Swiss midfielder scored four goals and provided six assists in 52 games for the club, leading the team to a second-place finish in the Belgian league and to the round of 16 in the Champions League. After Milan's pursuit of Javi Guerra failed, the club identified Jashari as the replacement for Tijjani Reijnders. However, the Belgian club are playing hardball, as they recognise Jashari's potential and won't part ways with him easily.

• WHAT MADOU SAID

  Speaking on rejecting Milan's bid and emphasising the club's stance on Jashari, Madou told : "We met with AC Milan. Out of politeness. And without mentioning money.Three hours without talking about money was a long time in this case. No, seriously – that matter is the elephant in the room. The elephant in the room. Everyone knows what Ardon has achieved, but we don't see this as the end of a cycle as far as he's concerned."

  Madou further added on Jashari's disappointment stating: "I understand he's disappointed, but it has to be right. I'm convinced he'll make a move to an absolute top club, but today it doesn't feel right."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JASHARI?

  Milan sporting director Igli Tare's stance on transfers remains the same: the club will not overspend to bring in a player and may switch to a Plan B should they decide it's not worth it.