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Gary Neville believes Pep Guardiola "will want" Kobbie Mainoo in his Manchester City midfield after the Manchester United star's display at Everton.

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Neville praises Kobbie MainooClaimed Guardiola would want to sign himGot his first-ever Premier League start against EvertonWHAT HAPPENED?

The United legend was left impressed by Mainoo's performance against Everton as he played 72 minutes at Goodison Park. He also received praise from club captain Bruno Fernandes, who claimed on that the teenager should have received the Man of the Match award instead of Alejandro Garnacho.

Neville further suggested that by the first look at his style, Mainoo seems like a player who would fit in well at Manchester City and that Guardiola would love to have him in his midfield.

AdvertisementWHAT NEVILLE SAID

Speaking to , Neville said: "It was impressive and there’s no point getting carried away by it because the reality is he’s got 17 or 18 years in front of him and he’s got a lot of work to do. But sometimes when you see a player come in for the first time and the way in which the temperament, he’s obviously got technical ability and skill, you don’t play for Manchester United in the first place if you haven’t got that, you don’t get picked by Erik ten Hag if you haven’t got that, but what you don’t know is how they’re going to handle it.

"He’s gone in here at Goodison Park, in what could have been the most ferocious atmospheres for many a year in a hostile environment, and he looked class. We know he’s class, we know he’s got class, he’s got that ability, but he looked class in that environment. I always judge players when it’s the most difficult part of the game. When Manchester United had their most difficult period in that first half just before half time for 20 minutes I thought he was the only player who showed up, the only player who still looked like himself."

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Further complimenting the youngster, the former England international said: "The biggest compliment I can pay him, and it hurts to say this, I hope people can take this in the right spirit… he looked like a Manchester City player. Honestly, I was watching him and thinking, ‘that’s a player that Pep Guardiola will be looking at and thinking, ‘I want him in my midfield, that’s what my midfield players do’.

"Thankfully Man United have got him because he looks so composed, so graceful, always looking over his shoulder, knowing where everyone is, letting it run across his body. At 18 to be doing that out there, he’ll have tougher games, he’s got a long challenge in front of him, there’ll be injuries, ups and downs, there will be other players coming in, he’s playing at a club with huge demands. But that was very, very good."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR KOBBIE MAINOO?

With an impressive outing against the Toffees, Mainoo will now aim to feature in Erik ten Hag's starting lineup more often. The Red Devils next face Galatasaray in a crucial Champions League encounter on Wednesday.

Goal counts down the transfers that have surprised over the years in the world's most popular sport

The appointment of college football coach Ted Lasso as Richmond FC's new manager might be one of the more bizarre signings in football, but the sport's history is littered with shock transfers – successful and infamous…

Getty20Ronaldinho – AC Milan to Flamengo

In 2011, Ronaldinho had a whole host of admirers when he was leaving AC Milan.

His transfer to Flamengo was not exactly a shock as he returned to his homeland, but the real head-scratching moment was the fact that Brazilian rivals Gremio were so sure they had they had re-signed their former player that they held a celebration with their fans before Flamengo came in and snatched him from under their eyes.

AdvertisementMarco Luzzani19Andrea Pirlo – Juventus U23 to Juventus

Andrea Pirlo was no stranger to a shocking switch, having first traded Inter for AC Milan and later joined Juventus on a free transfer, prompting Gianluigi Buffon to claim "God exists".

However, in 2020, he went one step further, taking over as coach of Juventus's Under-23 side without any coaching experience before being promoted to the top job just a week later following the sacking of Maurizio Sarri.

Getty Images18Julien Faubert – West Ham to Real Madrid

French winger Julien Faubert had an unexpected career journey. He went from Cannes to Bordeaux to West Ham before stunning the world when Real Madrid came in with a deadline day loan offer for him in January 2009.

He played just twice for Los Blancos, even being pictured sleeping on the bench during a game and missing training as he got his day off mixed up.

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Getty17Edgar Davids – Retired to Barnet

In 2012, former Ajax, Juventus and Netherlands legend Edgar Davids came out of retirement to play for his local London club.

But rather than a Premier League giant, the Champions League winner was appointed joint player-coach at… League Two side Barnet.

There, he wore the shirt number 1 and would not travel to away games if the team was required to stay in a hotel overnight.

Barnet were relegated but Davids stayed on and managed the team in the Conference. He left in 2014 and has not had a managerial job since.

Lionel Messi would be "welcome" in the Saudi Pro League should decide to leave Inter Miami in the near future, sporting director Michael Emenalo says.

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Messi was offered deal from Saudi ArabiaOpted to join Inter Miami insteadArgentine still welcome at Saudi Pro LeagueWHAT HAPPENED?

Messi was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia and recently admitted he considered the offer before he decided to head to MLS in July, signing for Inter Miami. The 36-year-old appears happy in the United States after his first few months in the country, but Emenalo says the Pro League would be happy to snap him up.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT MICHAEL EMENALO SAID

"The reasons that he ended up in MLS is something that I don’t have answers to," Emenalo was quoted as saying by . "If he decides next season that he wants to come here, we will be happy to welcome him. If he wants to stay in MLS, we will be very, very happy for him."

On another potentially busy window in January, the former Chelsea technical director added: "The Saudi Pro League is open for business to any superstar that wants to come. If there is an indication that there is an opening and any of the superstars that you know and I know says: ‘We are interested in coming to this league,’ we will work very very hard to bring them in.”

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A move to the Middle East would see Messi unite with his former rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who is hoping to fire Al-Nassr to the league title this season. The Argentine sensation would also join the likes of ex-Barcelona team-mate Neymar, currently at Al-Hilal, and former Real Madrid hero Karim Benzema, who is now with Al-Ittihad.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

Instead of heading to Saudi Arabia any time soon, however, Messi will instead reunite with his old co-star Luis Suarez at Inter Miami. After missing out on the play-offs in 2023, the World Cup winner will aim to help his side reach the MLS play-offs in the 2024 campaign.

The pizzeria endorsed by Lionel Messi has thanked the “GOAT” for his free promotion, with queues now stretching around the block at Banchero.

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Argentine posted picture of his takeawayMixed response on social mediaFans desperate to visit the same eatery

WHAT HAPPENED?

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner sparked more lively debate on social media – not for the first time in his career – when posting an image of the meal he had acquired from a local eatery now that he is plying his club trade at Inter Miami.

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Messi posted “thank you @bancheromiami” alongside a photo of his pizza choice – which delivered a mixed response, to say the least. While some have questioned the Argentine’s takeaway habits, crowds are flocking to the same eatery in a bid to savour some of the delights being enjoyed by a legendary figure from the world of football.

InstagramDID YOU KNOW?

Banchero have posted on Instagram – while changing their bio to “Lionel Messi’s favorite pizza!” – an image of punters forming a lengthy queue just to get through the door. They said: “Corner of 71st and Collins Ave – look at it! Thank you to everyone for choosing us.” They accompanied that post with a goat emoji – in a nod towards Messi being the greatest of all-time – and a “thank you forever” message.

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Messi has been mocked by members of the public and professional rivals over his pizza pick, with Atlanta United trolling the 2022 World Cup winner with an edited version of his now infamous post after claiming a 5-2 victory over Inter Miami in MLS – a game that Messi did not figure in due to being rested.

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has signed with Kowloon Cantons for the inaugural edition of Hong Kong’s domestic Twenty20 league, the Hong Kong T20 Blitz

Daniel Brettig11-May-2016A marriage of convenience will see Michael Clarke try to kickstart his Twenty20 career via the fledgling Hong Kong Blitz later this month.Clarke, who retired from international cricket in August 2015, then announced his return to grade cricket too late to be considered for the IPL auction and has not yet stirred much interest from clubs ahead of next season’s Big Bash League. T20 was not his strong suit as a cricketer – he played his last recognised T20 game in 2012 – and the decision to offer his services to Hong Kong around two weeks ago suggests he knows he has to start somewhere.Equally the organisers of the new competition, set to be played from May 27 to 29, are delighted to have secured a cricketing name of Clarke’s stature. Ashes and World Cup victories make him an instantly recognisable figure to help promote a tournament designed to build interest in T20 in the region.”To summarise Michael’s credentials is impossible, he is simply one of the best cricketers of this generation, if not ever,” Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) chief executive Tim Cutler said. “Hong Kong cricket has delivered many firsts recently, however to have a recent Test captain who oversaw a famous Ashes whitewash, the 2015 World Cup victory and whom sat atop the world batting rankings a number of times is just incredible.”Not only does this vindicate the effort in putting the tournament together, it also shows the growth of cricket in East Asia. With over 80,000 participants in China there is immense potential in East Asia. With rugby and soccer both making strategic plays into the nascent Chinese sporting market, we look forward to working with the ICC and Asian Cricket Council in growing cricket throughout the region.”Clarke’s contract with the tournament also includes a mentoring component, and he has committed to a pair of two-hour sessions discussing cricket and leadership with the developing men’s and women’s squads. The men’s team appeared at the World T20 tournament in India earlier this year.”A key area for our national squads, both men and women, is to grow strong leadership, and to have someone such as Michael Clarke to spend some time mentoring and providing input in this key area is very exciting,” the HKCA director of cricket Charlie Burke said. “It’s not every day you get to pick the brains of a former Test and World Cup winning captain that has had a very successful time at the helm.”It says a lot about Michael that he wants to help cricket grow in an emerging region, and we thank him for reaching out to us.”Hong Kong Cricket has ambitions to build on the initial Blitz, perhaps by attracting BBL fixtures to the city in the future whenever Cricket Australia decides to expand the number of matches and/or teams.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has dismissed talk of a dressing room revolt despite a spate of negative stories in the media.

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Ten Hag claims he has backing of United playersNegative stories emerged after Newcastle defeatManager says comebacks show unityWHAT HAPPENED?

The manager is facing renewed criticism following the Red Devils' meek surrender to Newcastle. He has also had to deal with several stories claiming he is losing the support of some players, which led to the club banning four journalists from Tuesday's press conference. However, Ten Hag has insisted that the players are still supporting him.

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"Oh yes, I am sure, you can see for instance the comeback against Brentford, the Burnley game, the Fulham game, every time the team is there, showed great character, great determination, resilience so we are together," Ten Hag said. "You can see you can’t play such great football as we did recently without unity."

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United had won five of their previous six league games before facing Newcastle, but were brought back down to earth at St James' Park and were hugely fortunate to only lose 1-0. The defeat continued United's dreadful run against teams in the top half of the Premier League table.

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DID YOU KNOW?

United have scored just 16 league goals this season. Only five teams in the Premier League – Crystal Palace, Everton, Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United – have scored fewer. Ten Hag's side are currently down in seventh as a result, nine points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

Phil Simmons could be forgiven for phoning his old friends at Ireland and asking if his former job was still available. Less than a month into his new role as West Indies head coach, the sheer enormity of his task has become apparent

George Dobell in Barbados29-Apr-2015Phil Simmons could be forgiven for phoning his old friends at Ireland and asking if his former job was still available. Less than a month into his new role as West Indies head coach, the sheer enormity of his task has become apparent.It is not that his team lacks talent. It is not that they lack the will to win or the stomach for the fight. It is that regional cricket in the Caribbean has declined to such an extent – and is played on such rotten pitches – that the gap between it and international cricket has become a chasm.Simmons’ job, then, is not just to coach a team, not just to improve a squad of players, but to cut through the politics and self-interest and apathy to improve cricket across the Caribbean. It is a colossal task and will surely feel, at times, like herding cats.But he is not the sort to be easily discouraged. Far from it. While he admits to having been “startled” by the “reckless” batting on the final day in Grenada, he is “very encouraged” that West Indies have recorded four centuries in the two Tests and that three of them have been scored by players aged 23 or younger.Phil Simmons on…

Injuries: “Jerome Taylor bowled two spells in the nets on Tuesday, so we’ll see how his shoulder reacts. Jason Holder has recovered well and will bowl on Thursday.”

Shivnarine Chanderpaul: “He’s having a bad series, but all the greats have had bad series. We didn’t drop them. I remember Clive Lloyd at 41; I remember Gordon Greenidge at 41. Shiv is still 40. And he is working as hard as anyone. We have four experienced guys in the side and they all need to make their presence felt.”

Pitches: “In an ideal world, I’d like a nice, quick, bouncy wicket where who can bat, will bat and who can bowl will take wickets. But I can’t think of anywhere in the world where there’s one of them now. I know there’s a cynical view that we’re doing this for a tactic or to make sure that Tests last five days, but I don’t think it’s true.”

James Anderson: “I was impressed by the extra effort he put in on the last day. It was what his side needed. That’s why he’s played 100 Tests and taken most wickets for England. When he sees a small gap, he pushes through it. He showed his leadership skills.”

His challenge is to help the team extend their good play from one session to three a day. And to do that, he feels the standard of regional cricket must improve.”The thing is, our young players are learning international cricket on the international stage,” Simmons said. “And that’s not ideal.”When you play county cricket, the level is close enough to Test cricket. And when I think back to my days – and I hate to do that – I learned a lot in regional cricket. But I don’t think there’s a lot to be learned at that level now. So it’s when you come up here that you start learning.”You can get away with reckless batting in our four-day game. It seems to be the normal thing to do. But you don’t get many bad balls and you have to bat for longer when you play international cricket. And if Bishoo bowled 50 overs in our four-day cricket, he would take 20 wickets.”I saw a 50-over game a while ago. The standard of the wicket was terrible. Terrible. That is the first part of my job. Not the international team. The biggest part of my job is getting the proper coaching set-up, the proper fitness set-ups, the proper wickets in our regional cricket right around the Caribbean.”We have to address these things. I don’t know how yet, but we’ll find a way. That’s the only way we’ll produce better cricketers.”Simmons has decided to take a ‘glass half full’ attitude to West Indies’ performances in the series to date. So while he could have been infuriated by aspects of the batting in Grenada or the bowling in Antigua, he has instead seen the largely untapped potential in his side.”I’m very encouraged by what I’ve seen,” Simmons said. “We had two hours of negligence on the last day in Grenada and we lost the game. It was a reckless period. It just needed a couple of guys to bat for another half-hour or so and we would have saved the game.”I’d like to see us play two or three sessions consistently. We’ve played well in one, been bad in the next, then come back in the one after that. But we’ve not played consistently well for three sessions.”We just need our young players to understand that how they play must be determined by what the teams needs and what the scoreboard reads.”But they don’t do that because of the level of our first-class cricket, so they have to learn here that, if the score is 40 for 4, you might have to bat for two sessions and come back the next day to get your big score. The mindset has to change. They have to realise you have to bat for longer.”Jermaine Blackwood exemplifies the issue. While he made an impressive century in the first innings in Antigua, he has been dismissed in both second innings in remarkably reckless fashion: once coming down the pitch and attempting to slog over the leg side and once caught at mid-off as he tried to drive Chris Jordan over the top. For a side looking to save a Test, they were odd shots.”He didn’t assess the situation properly,” Simmons said. “He assessed it properly in the first innings of the match. He still played his shots, he still hit over the top off the fast bowlers, but he did it in the right situation. In Grenada he didn’t. But he’s in his what? Fifth Test? It will take him some time to learn.”You hear people talk about how bad this is, or how bad that is. But when you’re in the camp, it’s not all as bad as people say. But there has been nothing as startling as the way we batted on the last morning in Grenada. There is learning to be done.”

There have been plenty of overpowered FUT cards over the years that seasoned players will remember all too well. Goal looks back at some of the best

Ultimate Team debuted in FIFA 09 and revolutionised the game franchise for the years to come.

Over the years there have been a wide variety of overpowered cards that had players ripping their hair out on frustration – unless you were the one using them!

Seasoned FIFA players will remember the likes of Seydou Doumbia, Alexander Esswein and Emmanuel Emenike who were ridiculously pacey, leaving defenders with no chance.

Goal decided to look back on the hordes of overpowered cards by asking FIFA's biggest personalities and pro players to look back on their favourite ever cards from FIFA Ultimate Team…

Getty/EA Sports compositeEmmanuel Mayuka (72) – FIFA 13 – ChuBoi

Chukwuma 'ChuBoi' Morah has become one of the faces of FIFA's competitive scene, regularly appearing on tournament broadcasts.

ChuBoi was formerly the community manager for FIFA and transitioned into a streamer and content creator. The host has thrown it back all the way to FIFA 13 for a card many FIFA players will remember.

"My favourite FUT card of all time is probably the 72-rated striker Emmanuel Mayuka from FIFA 13 aka 'Mayuka the Bazooka'. He was the best striker in the game, period. Now you may ask yourself why a silver card was the best striker that year? Because that card was sent by God!

"He had 90 pace, but it felt like 150. He had 67 shooting but every shot was a GOAL. It made absolutely no sense… the stats were a lie. He was better than Prime R9. When you saw him in the loading screen you knew you were already finished."

AdvertisementGetty/EA Sports compositeFelipe Santana (77) & 82 Naldo (82) – FIFA 11 – Shellzz

Shaun 'Shellzz' Springette is Manchester City's latest esports signing after the Englishman was left teamless due to the collapse of UNILAD. Shellzz took the FIFA scene by storm when he won the PlayStation finals in his competitive debut.

The Man City player struggled to name just one favourite card, with his eventual answer consisting of two – Felipe Santana and Naldo – who created an excellent pairing for multiple FIFAs.

"If you played Ultimate Team in FIFA 11/12/13, I’m pretty sure you’ll have faced these two before. Both are 6’3 with 80-something pace, these guys were a brick wall at the back and some of the most overpowered CBs that have ever existed in Ultimate Team, in my opinion."  

Getty/EA Sports compositeStephan El Shaarawy (73) – FIFA 12 – Bateson87

Jamie 'Bateson87' Bateson is one of the recognisable faces in the FIFA community as his YouTube channel has over 1.2 million subscribers. The FIFA YouTuber has racked up over 387 million views across all of his content.

Bateson has gone back to the game many consider one of the best iterations of FIFA ever, FIFA 12. The fast-paced gameplay and beautiful finesse shots of 12 were perfect for Bateson's pick of silver midfielder Stephan El Sharaaway:

"This item everyone wanted to use regardless of his rating. He made everyone a FIFA skiller and everyone loved trying to get highlight reel goals every game. He was the one player who gave me fun and excitement every time I used him."

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Getty/EA Sports composite David Villa (88) – FIFA 11 – Chesnoid Gaming

Time for another FIFA Youtuber in Chris 'ChesnoidGaming' Wood, who has over 260k subscribers and over 77 million views racked up on his main channel.

His favourite card of choice goes back all the way to FIFA 11, before Chesnoid even began his current channel. His card of choice is David Villa who at the time was one of the best strikers in the world with an overall rating of 88 in the game.

And Chesnoid couldn't compliment the Spaniard enough: "Still to this day, he is the deadliest striker I've ever played with.

"Villa always gave you full confidence that he'd finish a chance and score you the goal to win the game. Clinical."

Eden Hazard has explained why joining Lionel Messi in MLS or Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League was never an option for him.

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Belgian has hung up his bootsStruggle during time in SpainNever motivated by moneyWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Belgium international stunned the football world when announcing his retirement at just 32 years of age. He had been released by Real Madrid as a free agent after four forgettable seasons at Santiago Bernabeu, with the decision taken to hang up his boots rather than find a new club.

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There had been talk of Hazard heading to America or the Middle East, with there plenty of money and familiar faces to be found in those surroundings. Hazard has told reporters of that speculation after playing in a charity match alongside the likes of Didier Deschamps and Robert Pires: “I wouldn’t play anywhere for money. I’m 32 years old and have a whole life ahead of me to enjoy away from the playing fields.”

WHAT THEY SAID

Expanding on his reasons for calling it quits, Hazard said of losing his love of the game during a difficult spell at Real Madrid: “It is never easy to make a decision like that, but I am not going to say that it was difficult. It is something that I had reflected on a lot, I had the support of people who know me and who know that I really want to do other things with my life outside of football. Last season was complicated and when I left the national team I already had everything thought out. I no longer enjoyed going to training and as I played less it became more complicated.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Hazard made just 76 appearances for Real after joining them from Chelsea in 2019, with only seven goals recorded as questions of his form and fitness became alarmingly frequent. He was released with there still a year left to run on his contract in the Spanish capital.

Mason Greenwood is considered to be a little “introverted” by his team-mates at Getafe, but he is reportedly beginning to understand in-house jokes.

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Forward spending time in Spanish footballSettled well in new surroundingsExpected to leave Old Trafford in 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

The 22-year-old forward finds himself in Spain after being ushered through the exits at Manchester United. He remains under contract at Old Trafford until 2025, but appears to have little future at his parent club. He has not figured for the Premier League outfit since his arrest on suspicion of attempted rape, coercive behaviour, and assault in January 2022 – with those charges dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service following a six-month investigation.

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Greenwood is set to spend the 2023-24 campaign in La Liga, with an initial loan agreement expected to be extended in January. He is feeling more at home in new surroundings, with a spectacular goal recorded – his fourth of the season – last time out in a 2-1 victory over Almeria.

DID YOU KNOW?

According to , Greenwood is continuing to use the Spanish tutor provided to him, which is allowing him to pick up the language spoken by the majority of those that he works with on a daily basis. As he begins to learn certain words and phrases, the one-cap England international is starting to let his guard down and join in with more fun on the training ground.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?

As Greenwood feels more relaxed in the company of team-mates and coaches – with family members and support staff alongside him in Spain – he is likely to see out the season with Getafe before completing a permanent transfer away from Manchester United in the summer of 2024.