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Sigurd Rosted, Mathew Longstaff, Ola Brynhildsen and Luka Gavran were spotted courtside during the first game of the first-round playoff series

European imports embraced Canadian hockey culturePlayers received personalized Maple Leafs jerseys during in-game recognitionToronto FC face New York City FC next in MLSGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Toronto FC's international contingent embraced Canadian hockey culture as defenders Sigurd Rosted and Luka Gavran joined midfielders Matthew Longstaff and Ola Brynhildsen courtside. The Toronto FC quartet was captured watching the first game of the first-round playoff series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena. The four footballers were also featured on the arena's jumbotron during a first-period break, drawing enthusiastic applause from the hockey crowd.

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Toronto FC have shown signs of life in recent weeks, picking up momentum after a slow start to the season. While they currently sit 14th in the Eastern Conference with seven points from nine league games, recent performances suggest a potential turnaround. Only CF Montréal (3) are below them in the standings, but with their improved form, Toronto will be hoping to continue climbing back into playoff contention.

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Following the first win of their season against Real Salt Lake, Toronto FC will be hoping to build on that momentum when they host New York City FC next at the BMO Field on April 26. They then face fellow Canadian side CF Montreal in the preliminary round of the Canadian Championship on April 30 at home before another MLS home game against New England Revolution on May 3.

The offspinner will be the eighth Indian to play English domestic cricket this season

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2022Jayant Yadav will join fellow India player Mohammed Siraj at Warwickshire for the last three matches of their County Championship season. He will join the team ahead of the home fixture at Edgbaston against Somerset, which begins on September 12.The 32-year-old offspin-bowling allrounder has played six Tests, taking 16 wickets at an average of 29.06 and scoring 248 runs at 31.00, including a century against England in Mumbai. He last featured for India in the Mohali Test against Sri Lanka earlier this year.Warwickshire are currently placed eighth among ten teams in Division One and need a strong finish to climb above the bottom two and avoid being relegated to Division Two.Related

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Warwickshire sign up Mohammed Siraj for remainder of 2022 season

Jayant will be the eighth Indian player to feature in English domestic cricket this year, and the third signed by Warwickshire, after Siraj and Krunal Pandya, who played five Royal London One-Day Cup matches before a groin injury ended his stint.The others are Cheteshwar Pujara (Sussex), Washington Sundar (Lancashire), Umesh Yadav (Middlesex), Navdeep Saini (Kent) and Shubman Gill (Glamorgan).”This will be my first County Championship experience and I’m incredibly excited to join up with the squad for the final three games,” Jayant said. “When I was asked if I would like to join Warwickshire it was something I couldn’t say no to. Having played my sixth Test earlier this year, I believe these three games will help me improve my game for more opportunities in the near future.”I have never played at Edgbaston, but I have heard great things about the stadium and it will be a privilege to call it my home.”Paul Farbrace, Warwickshire’s director of cricket, hoped Jayant’s signing would help the team stay up. “Jayant is another fantastic addition to the squad, and we’re excited to welcome him to Warwickshire,” he said. “Jayant has played Test cricket this year and adding his First-Class experience to our bowling attack could be vital in the final three games.”It was vitally important that we strengthened our bowling line-up for the run-in and the signing of Jayant, plus Siraj gives us an enviable array of options.”

Everton have now held agent talks over the signing of an “outstanding” defender who is available for £13m this month, according to a report.

Toffees need younger options at full-back

Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young have had stellar careers, and it is a testament to the latter that he has remained a consistent starter in the Premier League this season. However, it would be fair to say the duo are now in the twilight years of their career, meaning David Moyes is tasked with bringing in younger options at full-back either this month or in the summer, and a number of targets have been identified.

Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters could be available for a cut-price fee of £5m this winter, given that his contract is set to expire at the end of the campaign, and the Toffees are one of the clubs eyeing a move for the Englishman.

Everton are looking at another Premier League player to strengthen on the opposite side, with Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell on their list of targets, having fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge since the arrival of Enzo Maresca in the summer.

Everton make contact over deal for "electric" £10m winger instead of Nuamah

David Moyes is keen to bolster his attacking options this month.

ByDominic Lund Jan 23, 2025

A report from CalcioMercato has now revealed another player the Toffees hold some level of interest in, stating they have held talks with the agent of AC Milan right-back Emerson Royal. Emerson is set to exit the San Siro this month, and there are a number of clubs vying for his signature, including Fulham and Galatasaray, however the latter club are currently leading the race for his signature.

There is still time for Everton to swoop in, as the Turkish club are yet to meet Milan’s €15m (£13m) valuation, and there are signs the Brazilian is keen on a move to Goodison Park. Although joining Galatasaray appeals to the 26-year-old to some extent, he would prefer to return to the Premier League, having previously spent time at Tottenham Hotspur.

What Emerson could offer Everton

The former Spurs man has particularly impressed with his tackling over the past year, ranking in the 89th percentile for tackles per 90, when compared to his positional peers, while also placing in the 81st percentile for clearances and 83rd for aerials won.

Ange Postecoglou was full of praise for the right-back prior to his move to Milan, with the Australian indicating he is a great player to have to boost team spirit: “I see it on a daily basis, others don’t, but if you watch Emerson Royal train every day, you’d think he plays every game.

“He’s just outstanding with his attitude and demeanour around the place. There’s no time for anyone to feel down.”

With Coleman approaching the end of his career, there are signs that Emerson could be a suitable long-term replacement at right-back, but the Toffees will have to move quickly, given that Galatasaray are in pole position as things stand.

Following a relatively quiet January transfer window, Fulham could be forced to bid farewell to one star player amid growing contract doubts and a queue of clubs reportedly waiting to land his signature.

Fulham transfer news

There’s leaving it late and then there’s Fulham signing their first arrival of 2025 after the January transfer window, welcoming free agent Willian back to the club for his second stint at Craven Cottage, where the Brazilian will look to repeat his previous impact in West London.

Speaking to the club website for the first time since putting pen to paper, Willian expressed his delight at returning to Craven Cottage, saying: “I’m really happy to be back here. I think it’s a great opportunity again to play for this Club, and I’m fully motivated to get on the pitch and do things well for this Club.

“I’m completely happy, my family’s happy. We are happy to be back, and I think we can do good things until the end of the season, so I can’t wait to start with my teammates and do good things inside the pitch.”

Fulham tried to sign "brilliant" ace who was in West London on deadline day

It was too little too late…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 6, 2025

As one winger arrives, however, another is on course for the exit door. According to reports in Spain, three La Liga clubs have now made contact to sign Adama Traore, who is yet to sign a new Fulham contract despite his current deal coming to an end this summer.

The Cottagers have the option to extend the Spaniard’s deal for another year but that option is yet to be triggered, casting doubts over his future as Villarreal, Sevilla and Valencia form a queue to land his signature.

Of course, a lot can change in a matter of months and Traore could yet stay put but that doubt will only increase as time goes on and there’s no denying that he has become quite the asset under Marco Silva.

"Fantastic" Traore is a unique threat

The Premier League has seen a number of unique assets over the years, from absurdly tall forwards to even more absurd long throw-in takers. Now, Fulham have a unique asset of their own in Traore.

There isn’t a single player in English football – perhaps even in Europe – who shares the same driving power as the winger who has the perfect combination of incredible strength and unstoppable pace. It’s something which can change a game in an instant and something that the Cottagers should look to keep hold of.

Dubbed “fantastic” by Silva earlier this season, Traore should have no reason to depart either. Those in West London are better placed than ever under their manager and could yet cause an upset by challenging for a European place before the end of the campaign, using Traore’s freak athleticism.

So, whilst La Liga may well be forming a queue, they may be forced to wait even longer if Fulham manage to extend their winger’s contract and put to rest any increasing doubt over his immediate future.

Wayne Rooney has seen his managerial career savaged after making surprising picks in his top-five Premier League players of the season.

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Man Utd legend flopped at Birmingham & PlymouthEx-England captain now back on punditry dutyAccused of not watching enough football in 2024-25Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Manchester United legend has failed to convince across coaching stints in England and the United States. His last two roles in the dugout saw him last just 83 days at Birmingham, before taking in only 25 games as boss of Plymouth.

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An enforced break front the dugout is now being taken in, with Rooney returning to punditry duty. While working with Amazon Prime, the ex-Three Lions captain has named his top-performing stars in the Premier League.

WAYNE ROONEY'S PICKS

Rooney put Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes in fifth spot and Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White fourth. Cole Palmer, despite his recent struggles at Chelsea, sat third while Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah filled the top two.

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Rooney’s selections have raised a few eyebrows on social media, with @LFCParker1 saying: "No wonder his teams are always fighting for relegation." On a similar theme, @pulpy said: "Stinks of someone who hasn’t watched much football at all this year."

With the boot being stuck in on Rooney, @guzelawjunior said: "As usual, great footballer, but zero football knowledge." @Kd_Undred went on to say "Cole Palmer? We are in 2025 now buddy not 2024", while @yinks_007 added: "Bruno is 3rd at worst and I'm a Chelsea fan. Can't argue much with the top 2. Cole not top 5 this season."

The BCCI has formally approved the women’s IPL, and authorised the office bearers to formalise its due processes

S Sudarshanan18-Oct-2022New BCCI president Roger Binny has called the frequent, and sometimes recurrent, injuries to premier India cricketers a “concern”.On his first day in the new position, which was confirmed at the BCCI’s annual general meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday, Binny said he wanted to “get to the bottom of it all” when it comes to injuries, and figure out ways of reducing them as a matter of priority.”We will look to improve on what we can do to reduce the injuries to players,” Binny said in an informal chat with members of the media. “Players getting frequently injured is a concern, and we wish to get to the bottom of it all and see how it can be changed for the better.”We have excellent doctors and trainers at the National Cricket Academy [in Bengaluru], but we must look to reduce the injuries and improve recovery.”Related

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India have fielded 40 players across formats in 2022, partly because of the volume of cricket, with series often being held simultaneously, but also because of injuries. India are at the men’s T20 World Cup in Australia at the moment, but don’t have their best bowler Jasprit Bumrah because of a stress injury of the back, and key allrounder Ravindra Jadeja, who recently underwent surgery on his right knee. Also, Deepak Chahar, who had torn a quadricep muscle in February and then picked up a back issue during its rehabilitation, made only a brief comeback before another back injury ruled him out of travelling as a reserve player to Australia.Other than dealing with the issue of player injuries, Binny stressed on the importance of improving pitches used for domestic cricket in India. “There needs to be more life in the wickets at home, so that our teams would not have the problem of adjusting when travelling abroad – like in Australia, where there is more pace and bounce.”Binny has become only the third cricketer to become BCCI president, after the Maharajah of Vizianagram and Sourav Ganguly, both former India captains too. Ganguly, who was replaced at the helm by Binny, was present at the meeting as the representative of the Cricket Association of Bengal, where he is soon expected to return as president.At 67, Binny is eligible for one term – that is, three years – as BCCI president, keeping in mind the age cap of 70 meant for administrators and office bearers in the BCCI constitution. Part of Kapil Dev’s World Cup-winning Indian team of 1983, where he was the tournament’s highest wicket-taker, Binny moved into coaching, served as a national selector, and also as Karnataka State Cricket Association administrator before becoming the BCCI chief.Meanwhile, the BCCI formally approved the women’s IPL, and authorised the office bearers to formalise its due processes. It also authorised the office bearers to decide on the BCCI representative to the ICC, and announced that the Apex Council would elect the cricket advisory committee and the next selection committee.The office bearers have also been tasked with improving the fan experience at matches by improving the stadium infrastructure across the country.

Leicester City are now in the race to sign an “exciting” forward who they were interested in bringing in last summer, according to a report.

Leicester's Premier League status in major doubt

With just over a third of the Premier League season left to play, Leicester find themselves in a real relegation dogfight, which is starting to look like it will be contested between just four teams.

Everton have been in resurgent form since David Moyes returned to Goodison Park in January, with James Tarkowski’s last-gasp Merseyside derby equaliser securing a dramatic late point for the Toffees last night.

As such, it seems very likely just one of Southampton, Ipswich Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Foxes will survive, but recent signs have not been promising for the East Midlands outfit, losing eight of their last nine Premier League games.

Report claims senior Leicester player may never play for the club again

The future of a Leicester City player may have already been decided ahead of the summer transfer window.

ByBrett Worthington Feb 11, 2025

Even if Ruud van Nistelrooy does manage to lead his side to safety, he is likely to want to bring in reinforcements in the summer to avoid a similar situation next term, and a new forward is now said to be on the radar.

That is according to a report from SportBILD (via Sport Witness), which has named Leicester as one of the clubs competing to sign Hertha BSC star Ibrahim Maza in the summer, but there is set to be fierce competition for his signature.

Seven Premier League clubs are set to battle it out for Maza, who has been a long-term target for the Foxes, having also been in for him last summer.

During the January transfer window, Hertha knocked back offers from FC Porto and AC Milan, at which point the German club were hopeful of holding out for a fee of well over €20m (£16.7m).

However, a clause in the forward’s contract means that figure is set to be halved in the summer, indicating he could be available for a fee of around £8m.

Difficult transfer for Leicester to pull off

Given that some top Premier League clubs are credited with an interest in the Algerian, namely Newcastle United and Manchester City, it may be difficult for the Foxes to get a deal done this summer, even if they manage to avoid the drop.

However, if Leicester are able to pull off a move, there are indications the 19-year-old could be a top signing, having received high praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Leicester’s summer business will hinge massively on the division they find themselves in next season, but it is wise to be proactive ahead of the transfer window, and Maza looks like an exciting young prospect.

Chelsea are set to discuss a new contract with Moises Caicedo despite the midfielder having six years left to run on his current deal.

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Caicedo's deal expires in 2031Chelsea view him as one of world's bestWant to reward his progressFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per the , Chelsea are ready to discuss improved terms with Caicedo as they bid to reward his performances this season. He has won the club's Player of the Season award, as well as the club's Players' Player of the Season award, and Chelsea are keen to discuss a pay bump.

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The former Brighton midfielder, who cost the Blues £115 million ($153m), could boost his salary by roughly 20 per cent if the club qualify for the Champions League. But beyond that, the club want to discuss an extension in the summer. Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson have already signed extensions that tie them to the London outfit until 2033 and Caicedo could be next in line.

DID YOU KNOW?

Caicedo has played in multiple positions this season, from defensive midfield to right-back, and has also captained the side. Under Enzo Maresca, he has developed into one of the first names on the team sheet.

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Chelsea are fifth in the Premier League table so they currently occupy the final qualification spot for the Champions League. They are three points clear of Nottingham Forest in sixth with three games to go, and are also still in Europe. They play Djurgarden in the second leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final on Thursday and carry a 4-1 lead.

Seamer switches counties after successful stint with Lancashire last season

Matt Roller24-Nov-2022Hasan Ali has signed for Warwickshire for the first four months of the 2023 county season. His contract covers the duration of the T20 Blast, including the knockout stages, and Warwickshire’s County Championship fixtures until the end of July.Hasan played five games for Lancashire in the early stages of the 2022 County Championship and thrived, taking 25 wickets at 20.60 including two five-wicket hauls, but the club did not pursue a renewal.He has been a regular in Pakistan’s squads across formats over the last six years but was dropped ahead of the T20 World Cup and has also lost his place in the Test squad ahead of England’s tour next month.If recalled to the limited-overs set-up, his availability could be limited by Pakistan’s home white-ball series against New Zealand which runs from April 13-May 7, as well as potential involvement in the World Test Championship final.”I’m delighted to sign for Warwickshire as they are an ambitious club and Edgbaston is a ground I’ve always enjoyed playing at,” Hasan said. “I hope I can help the team with my experience and contribute to some wins – maybe even a trophy.”Related

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Mark Robinson, Warwickshire’s head coach, said: “Hasan made a real statement at Lancashire with some match-winning performances. It was his first spell in English county cricket but he settled in seamlessly and that experience will undoubtedly help him going into a second season.”He’ll play a major role for us in both the Championship and the T20 Blast with his stay running from the start of the season and ending at the end of July. He’s an established international bowler and a fantastic addition to our attack giving us something different to what we already have.”Warwickshire were Blast quarter-finalists last year but narrowly escaped relegation on the final day of the Championship season and have lost Dom Sibley (Surrey), Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire), Adam Hose (Worcestershire) and Matthew Lamb (Derbyshire) from last year’s squad.Hasan is the latest addition to their seam attack, with Ed Barnard (Worcestershire) and Chris Rushworth (Durham) arriving earlier in the winter, while Moeen Ali will return to the club in 2023 and play a prominent role in the Blast.Elsewhere, Gloucestershire have re-signed Zafar Gohar on a two-year contract while Wiaan Mulder has signed a new two-year deal at Leicestershire.

“But having said that, there is a balance to strike in terms of just general volume [of cricket], and that’s important.”

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-20228:50

Williamson: Suryakumar is currently the best T20 batter

The question of Kane Williamson’s future as a T20 player – particularly as an international T20 player – has assumed greater significance since New Zealand’s exit at the semi-final stage of the T20 World Cup. His role as a top-order anchor has come under question, as has the issue of whether he can continue to captain New Zealand in all three formats at a time when he’s 32, and when the packed cricket calendar is prompting others – most notably his team-mate Trent Boult – to become selective about when and what formats they play.Williamson, however, wants to continue playing all three formats, while acknowledging that the amount of cricket in the calendar is a challenge he’ll need to manage as he goes along.”Yeah, I love all the formats, for different reasons, and in fact playing the three and changing between them is a challenge that is enjoyable,” he told ESPNcricinfo in an interview facilitated by Prime Video. “But having said that, there is a balance to strike in terms of just general volume [of cricket], and that’s important.Related

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“Everybody is a little bit challenged by that, certainly some of the players that may have done it for a long time, and you’re always looking to be clear with that direction – to stay fresh and focused on what is most important with your involvement in any team. Yeah, always looking to monitor that space as well as you can.”Boult has opted out of a NZC central contract, leaving his international future looking uncertain, particularly after he found no place in the first squads named by New Zealand post the T20 World Cup. Boult’s long-time new-ball partner Tim Southee is 33, and may not have too many years left in international cricket either. These two and Williamson are part of what is widely considered New Zealand’s golden generation: they’ve reached five global finals across the three formats since 2015, and are the current holders of the World Test Championship mace.Williamson said he doesn’t actively think about the transition that New Zealand may soon have to go through, and felt it was important for players to stay in the moment and contribute in the best way possible while still active.”You sort of hope that whilst you’re here, and trying to do as well as you can as a team, and with all the other individuals involved, that there’s a real effort to try and grow the game, to try and play your role to the best of your ability, to try and improve as much as you can as a player, and hopefully that sort of adds to the depth of cricket that we have,” Williamson said.”But just focusing on what’s in front of you is what’s really important, and in years to come there’ll be transition, or there’s perhaps transition a little bit even earlier – that’s always there, that’s always happening in professional sport, and whoever the next group or crop are, they’ll I’m sure have a lot of motivation to want to get better as a team and go even further as a side as well.”